Chapter 37 The boy in the dream had dark, empty eyes.

Dark clouds loomed over the city.

A biting wind swept up snowflakes, and the view was a hazy gray-white. The vermilion Meridian Gate stood under the dark clouds, its black archway like a giant mouth, swallowing the howling winter wind.

On the execution platform amidst the raging wind and snow, a person knelt, his face covered by disheveled hair. His thin white prison uniform was stained with dark red blood, outlining the jagged and horrifying scars beneath the uniform.

The executioner stood beside him, his razor blade gleaming coldly, its edge reflecting the snow, awaiting only the order.

At noon, the executioner's voice pierced through the wind and snow, clear and resonant, like an icicle striking the ground:

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: All those who commit treason and rebellion, including their grandfathers, fathers, sons, grandsons, brothers, and those living with them, regardless of surname, uncles, aunts, brothers, or whether they are of the same or different household registration, shall be beheaded if they are sixteen years of age or older."

"A special imperial edict to the Ministry of Justice: Xiao Qiyu shall be beheaded and his head displayed to the public, and his head shall be sent to the prefectures and counties as a warning to others."

The executioner raised his head, took a big gulp of strong liquor, and spat it onto the blade with a "pfft." The strong, pungent smell of liquor mixed with an invisible killing intent instantly spread.

"The time has come, carry out the execution!" The death warrant was thrown to the ground with a crisp sound.

The executioner grabbed the prisoner's hair and pulled him back, forcing his head to rise and revealing his vulnerable neck.

In the misty snow, the raised face was unusually thin, so pale it was almost the same color as the snow.

The boy's eyes were dark, empty, and lifeless. His numb gaze looked past the swirling snowflakes and addressed one person in the crowd:

"Third Brother, let's be brothers again in the next life."

Before he could finish speaking, a blindingly cold light suddenly slashed down.

...

"Seventh Brother!"

Xiao Heng awoke with a start, his eyes wide with terror, drenched in sweat, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath.

The sky outside the window was pitch black; it was a sweltering summer night, and the dew was dripping softly.

Right next to the window is a crescent-shaped ebony table, on which sits a gilded bronze Boshan incense burner. The wisps of smoke rising from the burner are clear and straight, and the scent of bergamot permeates the entire room, cool and refreshing.

The servant hurried in, poured tea and water, and asked with concern, "What's wrong, sir? Have you been bewitched again?"

As the commander of the Northern Garrison, Xiao Heng was inevitably surrounded by bloodshed. The cruel tortures in the imperial prison terrified the entire court. However, he was not a cold-hearted person by nature. Since taking office, he had been haunted by nightmares every time he witnessed a bloody scene.

However, at this moment, as he sat behind his desk, facing a pile of secret letters that he had not yet finished reviewing, his expression was not the relaxed and calm one one would expect after waking up from a nightmare. Instead, his eyes trembled, his jaw clenched, and his whole body was enveloped in a strong aura of murderous intent.

"I'm fine, you can leave." The flickering candlelight reflected on the young man's handsome features. He opened his lips, and the words seemed to carry a fierce intensity.

The servant dared not ask any more questions, put down the tea, and left.

Xiao Heng picked up his teacup and gulped down half a cup of warm tea, trying to suppress the bone-chilling cold that gripped him. But the intense unease clung to him like a leech.

That's so true.

He had countless dreams, but none of them were as immersive as this one.

The cold wind and snowflakes in my dream, the vermilion Meridian Gate, the voice of the executioner, the executioner's blade, and the look in my brother's eyes as he looked at me for the last time—empty, numb, lifeless…

"Third Brother, let's be brothers again in the next life."

Xiao Heng's knuckles turned white, and he almost crushed the teacup.

He recalled the verdict spoken by the executioner: "All those who commit treason and rebellion, including grandfathers, fathers, sons, grandsons, brothers, and those living with them, regardless of surname, uncles, brothers, or whether they are of the same or different clans, and who are sixteen years of age or older, shall be beheaded."

Treason and rebellion?

How could his brother betray his country?

"Grandfather, father, son, grandson, brothers, and those living together, regardless of surname; sons of uncles, aunts, brothers, regardless of whether they are from the same or different place of origin..."

wrong.

After carefully considering the statement, Xiao Heng concluded that Xiao Qiyu was not the traitor himself, but rather someone who was implicated.

Someone who betrayed his country was executed along with his entire family, including his younger brother.

“Anyone aged sixteen or older shall be beheaded.”

Xiao Qiyu is sixteen this year, which means the event will happen at least next year.

Recalling those numb, dark eyes in his dream, Xiao Heng felt a sudden pain in his head, repeatedly comforting himself: it was just a dream, it proves nothing.

Xiao Qiyu's relatives, besides the Xiao family, are the Wang family. Both families have been loyal and virtuous for generations, and they would never betray the country if anyone else did.

Absolutely not.

Xiao Heng's gaze was firm to the point of stubbornness, yet, as if by some strange twist of fate, his eyes fell upon the black jade pendant with a unicorn pattern beside the brush holder.

The jade pendant found on the Turkic people could reveal who was secretly colluding with the enemy country if the owner of the pendant was found.

He had someone examine it, and it turned out that the jade was of excellent quality. It wasn't something that could be obtained simply by having money; one also needed influence and power.

That person is very likely an official in the imperial court.

The Qilin treads on the clouds... The Qilin is an auspicious mythical beast, symbolizing leadership and loyalty, suggesting that the person is not only an official but also likely a military general.

A night breeze swept past the window, causing the green bamboo branches and leaves in the courtyard to rustle softly.

The candlelight flickered, and in the blink of an eye, an extremely terrifying yet incredibly clear thought pierced Xiao Heng's mind like an arrow.

—Could the owner of this jade pendant be related to the scene in the dream?

Upon realizing this terrifying thought, a dense, damp, and cold aura, like a centipede, crawled up Xiao Heng's heels to his back.

"Reporting to you, sir," the servant's voice rang out from outside the door at that moment, "there is a young lady requesting an audience."

Xiao Heng was pulled back to reality by the voice, and the turmoil in his heart was forcibly suppressed.

His thoughts shifted, his brow furrowed slightly, and suspicion filled his eyes:

"girl?"

...

In the afternoon, the dense shade blocked out the sun, and the heat was intense. A warbler's song pierced the silence through the thick foliage, adding to the ethereal atmosphere.

Cui Ying slept until noon before waking up, and was full of energy. After touring the garden and reading all the storybooks, she still had plenty of time to kill. However, Xiao Qiyu was taking a nap, so there was no one to argue with for the time being.

Feeling utterly bored, she strolled over to Xiao Qiyu's desk and casually picked up an open military treatise.

"Warfare is based on deception. Therefore, when you are capable, feign incapacity; when you are active, feign inactivity; when you are near, feign distance; when you are far, feign proximity..."

Cui Ying casually flipped through the scrolls, but after reading only a couple of lines, he buried his face in the scrolls and groaned, "So boring, so boring, so boring."

Xiao Shu was detained by Qin Shi in Jingsong Courtyard to practice the guqin. Xiao Wan went to her elder sister's house to visit her nephew. Cui Jin was still at home and had not returned. She truly had no one to talk to.

Suddenly, Cui Ying raised her face and her gaze fell on Xiao, who was lying on the couch.

The afternoon sun filtered through the fine bamboo blinds, casting soft dappled light on the boy's well-defined profile. His eyebrows were like ink-black sculpted lines, and his long eyelashes drooped, trembling slightly with his shallow breaths, casting a small shadow under his eyes. Beneath his high, straight nose, his thin lips had beautiful lines and a perfectly pale pink color.

Cui Ying glanced at Xiao Qiyu's face, then at the still-wet ink in the inkstone.

He glanced at Xiao Qiyu's face again, then at the ink in the inkstone.

Suddenly, a daring idea popped into her head.

But Cui Ying only thought about it for a moment before shaking her head and suppressing the idea.

But my hands just wouldn't stop itching.

She narrowed her almond-shaped eyes, scrutinizing that jade-like and frosty face. Thinking of how Xiao Qiyu had been bedridden for so many days, she had served him diligently, never slacking off...

At this moment, charging some interest isn't unreasonable, is it?

Unable to suppress the turmoil in her stomach any longer, Cui Ying casually picked up a thin wolf-hair brush, dipped it in ink, and once the tip was wet, she lifted the brush and, like a cat, nimbly and silently scurried to the edge of the couch.

She crouched quietly in front of the bed, holding her breath and concentrating. First, she drew two small mustaches on Xiao Qiyu's upper lip. Not satisfied with that, she drew an oval shape on his cheek and then drew four claws, creating a lifelike little turtle.

In his sleep, Xiao Qiyu felt a cool, wet itch on his face, as if a feather was gently brushing against it. At the same time, a familiar, sweet and soft fragrance, like that of spring flowers, lingered in his nostrils.

The taste of Cui Ying.

Xiao Qiyu opened her eyes, her thick, long eyelashes suddenly fluttering, revealing a pair of unfathomable black eyes, in which the girl's helpless expression was reflected.

"What are you doing?" Xiao Qiyu's voice was indifferent, low and hoarse, with a slight nasal tone after just waking up.

Cui Ying hid the pen behind her back, blinked, and said innocently, "I didn't do anything. I just saw some mosquitoes flying over, and I was shooing them away for you."

As he spoke, he pretended to slap twice.

Xiao Qiyu clearly didn't believe her nonsense. He reached out and touched his face with his fingertips, getting ink stains all over his hand.

His gaze sharpened slightly as he looked directly into those innocent, watery almond-shaped eyes. He parted his thin lips slightly and said in a low voice, "Cui Ying, are you looking for death?"

Cui Ying stared at the little turtle on his face, clearly wanting to laugh, but she had to maintain her composure. Without thinking, she turned and ran away.

Just as she got up, a large hand grabbed the back of her neck and dragged her back onto the bed.

An irresistible force arrived, accompanied by a brief dizzying sensation. Before Cui Ying could finish her short cry of "Ah!", she was firmly suppressed by a body exuding a cool aura and burning heat, and the pen in her hand was easily snatched away.

"The imperial physician said you can't exert any force, otherwise it will tear the wound!" Cui Ying shouted anxiously, twisting and struggling.

Xiao Qiyu wrapped one hand around both of her wrists and raised them high above his head, while using his other hand to sketch on her face with a brush, as if considering where to place the brush.

"Even without exerting my strength, I'm more than capable of dealing with you."

After careful consideration, Xiao Qiyu placed the first stroke on Cui Ying's forehead, writing a large "王" (king) character. Feeling something was missing, he drew three whiskers on each side of her mouth. Still not satisfied, he added a dark mole on her chin.

After the mole appeared, Xiao Qiyu glanced at Cui Ying's face and tried to suppress his laughter, but he couldn't hold it in any longer. He rolled off her and burst into laughter, his laughter filled with unprecedented relaxation and joy, revealing a bright and youthful spirit rarely seen in him.

Cui Ying first climbed off the bed to look in the mirror. Upon seeing herself in the mirror, she screamed "Ah!", turned and pounced back onto the bed, straddling Xiao Qiyu. She snatched the pen and, brandishing her arm, began to draw a pair of hideously ugly panda eyes on his face.

"When will your injury finally heal! Get back to work right now! I never want to see you again!" Cui Ying's face turned bright red with anger.

Xiao Qiyu groaned as she pounced on him, but he still slowly raised his arm and precisely caught the small hand waving in front of his eyes. His phoenix eyes were smiling, but he didn't hold back: "Do you think I want to stay at home with you all day? I wish I could be a hundred and eight thousand miles away from you right now."

"Then why don't you leave!"

"I'm not leaving, so what?"

The two rolled and frolicked on the couch, and in no time they had drawn all over each other's faces with scribbles, leaving not an inch of skin clean.

Not only did they resort to physical violence, but the two of them were also so engrossed in verbal sparring that they didn't even hear the maid's announcement outside the door.

You're ugly! You're the ugliest person in the whole world!

"You're beautiful, you're the most beautiful, okay? What a beautiful matchmaker Cui!"

"Xiao Qiyu, I'll strangle you!"

It wasn't until a cough came from outside the door that the two, who were arguing fiercely, noticed Granny Meng standing behind the threshold. Cui Ying quickly got off the bed, haphazardly smoothed her messy hair behind her ears, and forced a smile, saying, "Granny Meng, what brings you here? Did Grandmother need me for something?"

Granny Meng pretended not to see the chaotic scene and just smiled and said, "It's nothing important. It's just that the Ghost Festival is coming soon. Normally, you should join the elders in preparing for the family sacrifice. But the old lady thinks that you are still young and don't understand those complicated things. So you don't need to be busy. Just follow the festival customs and fast for three days starting today."

Cui Ying readily agreed, thinking to herself that it was just three days of vegetarian food, no big deal.

Granny Meng continued, "There's one more thing the old lady asked me to pass on to you and the young master. She said that although the younger generation in the family is thriving, the grandchildren are few and far between. The third son and his wife are about to celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary, but they still have no children. Now that you two are newlyweds, enjoying the honeymoon period, you should strike while the iron is hot and start paying attention to important matters."

Having conveyed her message, Granny Meng didn't linger and left before even finishing half a cup of tea.

Cui Ying hadn't had time to wash her face yet, and her face was covered in graffiti, making her look comical. She frowned and said, "I could understand what was said before, but I can't understand what was said after that. Is Grandmother urging us to have children?"

Xiao Qiyu hadn't washed his face, and with the turtle-like stains on his face, he followed Cui Ying with suspicion for a moment before saying decisively, "It shouldn't be. I'm injured right now, how could I have that ability?"

Cui Ying's expression was obscured by the ink stains, and she spoke more boldly: "That's not necessarily true. Your injury is on your back, but it doesn't prevent you from using your waist to exert force."

The atmosphere was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

It was as if a wisp of hot smoke was slowly rising, from above Xiao Qiyu's head, and drifting to the towering roof beam.

"Cui Ying——"

Xiao Qiyu's ears burned as he gritted his teeth and said, "Today I'll burn all of your filthy novels!"