Fireflies

"What are you going to do?" Wei Qiao asked sternly.

His residence at the detached palace was right by the lotus pond. As he stood by the window enjoying the breeze, a beautiful figure suddenly entered his field of vision. He recognized her at a glance; her slender figure in the moonlight was exactly the same as the one he had seen under the ancestral hall that night. Wei Qiao initially thought she was just taking a stroll by the pond, but later she lingered by the pond for a long time, even lifting her skirt as if to walk into the pond.

Sensing her thoughts, Wei Qiao quickly ran out of the house and stood behind her. He had only one thought in his mind: she couldn't be hurt.

Startled by the sudden sound, Xi Chun turned around and saw Wei Qiao. She exclaimed in surprise, "You... what are you doing here?"

Wei Qiao held her hand tightly, the bright moonlight shining on her face, her bright eyes even more dazzling than the stars in the sky.

Just as Wei Qiao was about to speak, footsteps sounded from the passageway beside him. Wei Qiao caught sight of a large willow tree by the pond, and pulled Xi Chun's hand, hiding behind the trunk. With his hand in hers, Xi Chun looked at his handsome profile, and a sweet smile appeared on her lips.

The two palace servants on the passageway were unaware of what was happening by the pond. One of them was carrying a lantern, and the other was carrying a pot of wine as they walked toward Yichun Hall.

"I wonder what Consort Xian wants to drink tonight. She's pregnant now, so it's probably not appropriate for her to drink alcohol."

"Sigh, how would we know about such important people? Hurry up and send it over, or we'll get a scolding."

The two walked further and further away until they could no longer see the shadows of their lanterns, then Wei Qiao pulled Xi Chun out of the willow tree. He took Xi Chun back to his residence, closed the window, and led her to sit down on a chair in the inner room.

Xi Chun's eyes followed his footsteps, and she felt especially at ease being with him.

Wei Qiao turned around and saw that Xi Chun was still smiling, so he couldn't help but smile as well. He walked to a chair and sat down, then remembered that she had tried to jump into the pond earlier. He turned to look at her and asked gently, "Why did you want to jump into the pond just now?" He had originally wanted to use a roundabout way of putting it, but he felt that it was better to be direct with her.

"Me? Jump into the pond?" Xi Chun was a little confused by Wei Qiao's question. Recalling her actions by the pond just now, she smiled and shook her head, explaining, "I didn't want to jump into the pond, I wanted to see the fireflies resting on the lotus buds."

Xi Chun's explanation made Wei Qiao's guess seem somewhat awkward; he shouldn't have thought of her as so fragile. Wei Qiao raised his hand and touched the tip of his nose, while Xi Chun looked at him with a smile in her eyes.

Her smiling eyes were so captivating that Wei Qiao dared not meet her gaze for long. Looking down, he noticed a prominent red mark on Xi Chun's neck. In this position, who else could it be but Yan Zhongyou? A surge of anger rose within him. He should have expected that Yan Zhongyou's lecherous nature would not let Xi Chun off the hook. It was he who had sent Xi Chun to Yan Zhongyou's harem; it was all his fault. He walked to Xi Chun's side and tenderly took her hand.

"He...touched you?" He didn't dare look her in the eye. He was the one who pushed her into the abyss, the one who made her wade into this pool of filth.

Xi Chun stared at Wei Qiao's profile, and it took her a moment to understand what he meant. She shook her head, "The Emperor came to my residence tonight, originally wanting me to serve him in bed, but then he saw the jade pendant my mother left me, asked me a few questions, and left."

Upon learning that she had not been defiled by Yan Zhongyou, Wei Qiao felt even more relieved. He turned to look at her; she always wore a thin red string around her neck, which he assumed was the jade pendant Xi Chun had mentioned. Recalling Xi Chun's words and connecting them to the jade pendant, Wei Qiao suddenly felt everything become clear.

He had heard his uncle mention that when Yan Zhongyou was still the Prince of Jin, he had used Miss Fei, with whom he was in love, in order to bring down Prime Minister Fei, who supported his father. Later, after Prime Minister Fei was executed, Miss Fei was forced into prostitution.

Xi Chun had told him that her mother was a prostitute, which made everything make sense. The reason Xi Chun resembled Yan Zhongyou's beloved Fei Xueyi so much was because she was Fei Xueyi's daughter.

Wei Qiao's brows furrowed and then relaxed. Xi Chun asked him in confusion, "What's wrong? Is something amiss?"

“Take off the jade pendant around your neck so I can see it,” Wei Qiao said.

Xi Chun pulled her hand away from his, then bent down and took out a jade fan pendant from her collar, handing it to him. Seeing Wei Qiao examining the jade fan pendant closely, she remembered that Yan Zhongyou had suddenly given up the idea of ​​having her serve him in bed after seeing this pendant. With a hint of hope, Xi Chun asked Wei Qiao, "Do you think the Emperor knows my mother?"

Xichun knew very little about her mother. The madam of Baihualou only knew that her mother had been transferred from a brothel in the provincial capital; nothing else. Even her mother's name was a pseudonym given to her by the brothel. If the Emperor truly knew her mother, then she would know who her mother was, so that when she burned paper money for her mother every Qingming Festival, she could call out her mother's name correctly, and her mother could receive the money in the afterlife.

Wei Qiao felt he was about 80% certain about his guesses regarding Xi Chun's background, but he couldn't tell her now. If she knew that Yan Zhongyou was the one who murdered her maternal grandparents and made her mother a courtesan, Xi Chun would certainly be unable to pretend that nothing had happened in front of Yan Zhongyou. He would wait until he brought her out of the palace in the future before telling her the truth.

"I can't say for sure either. This jade pendant might have some clues. I'll take it and find someone to see who carved it."

Xi Chun had no doubt about Wei Qiao. She nodded and said, "Okay, thank you."

Wei Qiao had told her last time that he would rescue her from the palace, but he hadn't mentioned it again today. Xi Chun wondered if he had forgotten. She wanted to ask him, but she was afraid it wouldn't be the answer she wanted. Turning her head to look at the candle on the candlestick, which was already half-burnt, she turned back to him with a smile and said, "I should go back now."

Wei Qiao had just put the jade pendant away when he heard Xi Chun say she was leaving. He looked up at the dark blue sky outside the window and said, "I'll see you off."

Xi Chun shook her head. Their relationship was awkward right now, and this was still the imperial palace; it wouldn't be good if someone saw them. "No need. The moon is beautiful tonight; I can walk alone." After saying that, Xi Chun got up and walked towards the door.

Seeing that she was about to walk out of the room, Wei Qiao took a few steps to walk behind her and hugged her slender waist. He rested his head on her shoulder and said, "Xichun, I said I would rescue you. Wait for me a little longer."

Xi Chun felt the warm embrace behind her. He hadn't forgotten her after all. She smiled and nodded, "I understand."

Wei Qiao followed Xi Chun at a distance. The moonlight was like a ribbon, and the palace was quiet and beautiful at this moment. Xi Chun knew that Wei Qiao was following behind her; although not side by side, they were walking on the same path. A sweet feeling welled up inside her, and even her steps became lighter. When they reached the gate of He Feng Garden, she turned around and saw him standing in the moonlight, smiling at her. Xi Chun shyly bit her lip, gazing at him for a long while before reluctantly turning and entering He Feng Garden.

Pingting was already fast asleep on the outer couch. Afraid of waking her, Xichun tiptoed into the inner room.

Meanwhile, Yan Zhongyou returned to the Ziguang Palace in a daze after leaving the Lotus Breeze Garden. Michide noticed his strange expression and followed closely behind him.

Upon returning, Yan Zhongyou immediately asked Michal to find the portrait of Fischer he had painted. He stared intently at the figure in the painting, tears welling in his eyes. After a long while, he turned and slumped onto the daybed, his gaze still fixed on the painting.

Miched hadn't seen him like this in a long time, and a little worried, he took the cup of hot tea that Pei Lan brought and placed it on the low table beside Yan Zhongyou. He whispered, "Your Majesty, did something happen with Consort An?"

Yan Zhongyou heard Michide's voice, glanced at him, but remained silent. Michide could only stay quietly by his side.

After a while, Yan Zhongyou suddenly asked, "Are there fireflies now?"

After a moment's reaction upon hearing his words, Miched replied, "Yes, Your Majesty..."

"Prepare a white gauze sachet for me; I'll go catch some." Yan Zhongyou didn't want to think about the devastation Fei Xueyi had suffered because of him, nor did he want to recall her final indifference towards him. Since she was willing to pass on the jade pendant he had carved for her to her daughter, she must have always held him in her heart. They shared so many beautiful memories; he still remembered the happy expression on her face that autumn evening when he gave her a lantern made of fireflies.

After leaving the Ziguang Palace, Yan Zhongyou searched for fireflies all the way, but only found two or three after a long time. Hearing Yan Zhongyou sigh, Guang Jinfu leaned close to Mi Qide's ear and whispered, "Master, there are many fireflies outside the Yichun Hall where Consort Xian lives."

Yan Zhongyou heard Guang Jinfu's words and immediately walked towards Yichun Hall. After catching a bag full of fireflies in the grass outside Yichun Hall, Yan Zhongyou's guilt lessened considerably. If Fei Xueyi knew his predicament, she would probably understand him. He was a prince; if he didn't sit on the throne, he would die by his brothers' swords.

Seeing that Yan Zhongyou's emotions had calmed down, Michide, fearing that the night breeze was too cold and he might catch a cold, advised, "Your Majesty, it's late, let's go back now."

Yan Zhongyou was only wearing a straight robe and had been out for over an hour; now, the night wind was chilling him to the bone. He nodded to Michide and handed him the gauze pouch filled with fireflies. As he passed the gate of Yichun Hall, he remembered how long it had been since he had shown any concern for Consort Xian, who was now carrying his hopes in her womb.

He stopped and turned to walk towards the entrance of Yichun Hall. "I'm going in to see Consort Xian. Tell everyone to be quiet and not disturb her."

Yan Zhongyou quietly entered Consort Xian's bedchamber, only to be greeted by a strong aroma of wine. He frowned; Consort Xian was actually drinking during her pregnancy—she clearly didn't know how to take care of her health. Inside the bedchamber, the carved canopy bed curtains hung low. Thinking of the child in Consort Xian's womb, Yan Zhongyou felt a surge of anticipation.

He walked towards the bed, but tripped over it as he reached the edge. He thought he had stepped on Consort Xian's embroidered shoes, but looking down, he saw two pairs of shoes clearly placed on the steps. One was a pair of small embroidered shoes, and the other was the pair he had just stepped on—a pair of men's cloth shoes. His eyes instantly blazed with fury, and he glared angrily into the bed curtains, his teeth clenched. He had given Consort Xian unparalleled honor, and she dared to have an affair behind his back.

Who exactly is this man?

"Someone come here!" Yan Zhongyou shouted towards the door.

Miched and the others quickly entered the room, and a moment later the room was brightly lit. Seeing the two pairs of shoes on the steps, Miched had the same guess as Yan Zhongyou.

Yan Zhongyou said to Michide, "Bring me your sword."

Upon hearing this, Guang Jinfu immediately ran out to find a sword, and happened to encounter Wei Qiao, who was leading a patrol, at the entrance of Yichun Hall. He took a sword from one of the Dragon Feather Guards and quickly ran back into the hall. The atmosphere inside the hall was tense. Yan Zhongyou's gloomy gaze swept over the people in the hall who had their heads down. He saw that Consort Xian's head maid, Yuanxiu, was trembling all over. A sinister smile appeared on his lips. So, it turns out that he was the fool who was being deceived.

Taking the sword presented by Guang Jinfu, Yan Zhongyou carried it step by step toward Consort Xian's bed curtains.