4 Chapter 4

He knelt down immediately.

Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The candlelight on the carved bronze candlesticks with two dragons spouting water cast swaying shadows of people kneeling on either side with their heads bowed.

The room inside the hall was filled with a somber atmosphere.

The emperor was furious. A batch of weapons had disappeared from the armory. Wei Xianxi, the commander of the patrol battalion, had been investigating for more than half a month, but made no progress. Yesterday, another batch of short swords went missing.

The envoy from the barbarian tribes was scheduled to arrive in the capital in a few days. At this critical juncture, the armory was robbed one after another, making it hard not to suspect that the barbarians might have been involved.

The palace gates were wide open, and the biting wind and snow felt like a cold whip on people's bodies. Wei Xianxi, who was kneeling at the bottom, was trembling and sweating profusely.

"Father, why aren't you closing the door in this freezing weather?"

A woman's voice, half reproachful and half concerned, came from outside the door. The wind, snow, frost, and cold seemed unable to extinguish the vibrancy in her voice, and the somber atmosphere in the room dissipated.

Before him appeared a pair of cloud-patterned brocade boots. Wei Xianxi, who was kneeling on the ground, secretly raised his head and caught a glimpse of a beautiful figure in a narrow-sleeved blue robe.

"You caught a cold last time and it took you more than ten days to recover. Father, the country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Even for the sake of the people's livelihood, you must take care of your health."

There was no one else in the palace who dared to enter the palace without bowing and speak to the emperor in such a tone, except for Princess Ning'an, who enjoyed the emperor's exclusive favor.

Xie Yutang directed the eunuchs to close the window and added charcoal to the silver basin before sitting down next to Emperor Chongde. He then affectionately took out a pair of fox fur coats from his bosom and put them on Emperor Chongde's hands without saying a word.

Emperor Chongde was already in a bad mood, but Xie Yutang's impetuous actions made him lose his temper and let Xie Yutang take the memorial from his hands.

"I hunted a silver fox in the back mountains a few days ago and specially selected the softest and warmest part of its fur to make this. Please take a look and see if it fits your hand."

The fur used for this garment is pure white, yet it feels as smooth and soft as a baby's skin, without a single stiff hair, making it extremely comfortable and warm.

"In a few days, foreign envoys will arrive in the capital, and there will likely be another grand hunting event. Your son thought I would sew a hand-held garment for Father, to keep you warm and comfortable inside and out."

Xie Yutang's spearmint scent was refreshing and light, and his calls of "Father Emperor" were sweet but not cloying, like spring water flowing over pebbles. Emperor Chongde felt much more at ease, but his face remained stern: "He's just being cunning."

"Where did I try to be clever?" Xie Yutang pouted, feigning grievance, but then snuggled close to the emperor again. "Father rarely summons me, so even if I get a beating, I'll run here."

CD Emperor scoffed, his tone sarcastic: "Who would dare to punish you? You'd be the one getting slapped."

It refers to the incident where she slapped Lin Tan in public at Happy Valley that day.

Xie Yutang showed no remorse, looking directly at the emperor: "Are you heartbroken?"

It was just a casual remark, but Xie Yutang's direct question made Emperor Chongde feel somewhat uncomfortable. He shook his hand and pulled his sleeve out of her arms, saying, "I'm too lazy to get involved in the affairs of you young people."

He took a sip of tea before casually asking, "I heard you were making a fuss about going to school and even took the young master of the Su family as your male concubine?"

"You've been listening to nonsense again. What male concubine?!" Xie Yutang sat up straight, lowered her eyelashes, and twirled a strand of hair with her fingers. "Wu Zhui is dead. I'm so lonely in this manor. Can't I even take in a servant to keep me company?"

The emperor knew that Wu Zhui was the only living creature General Xie had left for Xie Yutang, and that it had been beaten to death by Lin Tan's men. He felt somewhat guilty, but he didn't say much. He just looked at her meaningfully and said, "That brat Lin Tan offended you, yet you still have to go to school. Aren't you going to see him every day?"

"Father!" Xie Yutang seemed to be really angry this time. She turned her head away and refused to look at him. Her cheeks were flushed with anger. "Who wants to see him all the time! I just want to go to school and be like my father in the future, fighting on the battlefield and protecting our Great Yan land... It's not for that bastard."

Those kneeling below, including Wei Xianxi, lowered their heads even further. Openly calling the Third Prince a "bastard" in front of the Emperor was something Princess Ning'an dared to do, but they didn't dare to listen.

The emperor's brow gradually relaxed.

The more Xie Yutang denied it and raised his voice, the more at ease he felt.

The Great Yan Kingdom has three princes. The eldest prince, Lin Qi, is the crown prince. The second prince, Lin Nan, is fond of playing and does not care about politics. The third prince, Lin Tan, is not particularly outstanding, but he is kind, humble, and has an excellent reputation.

The emperor brought Xie Yutang back to the capital from the Xie residence in Jiaoxu. The place he arranged for her to stay happened to be the closest to the Third Prince Lin Tan. The two were of similar age and had grown up together. Xie Yutang had been close to him since childhood, and even after she came of age, she would always run to Lin Tan's side without any hesitation.

The old emperor thought that this girl had suffered a sudden tragedy when she was young, and none of her relatives were still alive. She might harbor resentment and become resentful. Although the third son was a bit mediocre, he was kind and gentle, so he could be considered a good match.

Furthermore, although the entire Xie family perished in the Battle of Daomaguan eleven years ago, most of the generals currently guarding the border were promoted by General Xie himself. The Xie family still wields considerable influence in the military. With Lin Tan marrying a woman from the Xie family, these former Xie family members can be better controlled by the imperial family.

It seems that Xie Yutang's heart is still with Lin Tan, and that's good.

Seeing Emperor Chongde wave his hand, Xie Yutang knew he had passed this test. He exchanged a few more jokes with the emperor and then took his leave, never once glancing at Wei Xianxi and the others kneeling on either side.

The next day, Xie Yutang got up lazily after sleeping in. Huai Jin helped her wash up and change her clothes. While styling her hair, he mentioned that the steward of the Wei family had come to visit early in the morning with a thank-you gift and had been waiting in the front hall for an hour.

Hsieh Yu-tang was not surprised.

Because of her memories from her past life, she knew what had happened just by glancing at the people kneeling in the hall yesterday—the case of the missing armory.

The missing weapons later reappeared in the invading cavalry of the Northern Barbarians, killing countless soldiers and generals of the Great Yan. Xie Yutang tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his thick eyelashes drooping in the bronze mirror, concealing a trace of cold light in his eyes.

The murderer who killed my elder brother and father is very likely the same person behind this case. Unfortunately, in her previous life, she was confined to the deep palace and faced many obstacles, so she was ultimately unable to completely uncover the true identity of that person.

"Send someone back and tell them that I was only there to pay my respects yesterday by imperial decree, and that Commander Wei should not stand on ceremony."

Huaijin took a gold hairpin from her vanity box and slowly inserted it into her hair, somewhat puzzled: "Miss, if we want to find out the truth about this Commander Wei, why did we refuse him?"

"Who said I refused?" Xie Yutang gathered the sleeves of her dress, which were embroidered with gold-edged peonies, and smoothed out the wrinkles little by little. "If I accept this, it would mean I've already repaid yesterday's favor. How would I then give him an excuse to keep coming back?"

Huai Jin understood. His young lady was naturally intelligent and quick-witted. She seemed to understand the principles that ordinary men had to go through many trials in the court. Especially after that day when she carried the coffin to the horse racing field, her young lady's personality became even more unpredictable.

Huai Jin said no more and reached for the neatly arranged mink cloak on the hanger, but Xie Yutang waved his hand, lifted the curtain, and went out: "No need, it seems a bit warmer than usual today—"

The words came to an abrupt halt.

Several plates of fresh meat and vegetables were laid out on the table, with charcoal fire burning beside them. Su Lu was holding a round fan and adjusting the heat. When he saw her come out, he smiled slightly and said, "Please have a seat. It will be ready soon."

Xie Yutang paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered that he had casually mentioned wanting to eat barbecue yesterday.

Woyu brought in a plate of sliced ​​beef and said with a smile, "Young Master Su was already tinkering in the kitchen before dawn, earlier than Huaijin and me."

Su Lu naturally took the tray of beef and placed it on the table. What was originally a task of serving others turned out to be refined and elegant, in keeping with the proper conduct of a gentleman: "The ingredients were prepared by Huai Jin. I only did a little bit of knife work."

Xie Yutang looked at the plate of beef slices and saw that each slice was the same length and size, neatly arranged in rows. Each slice was as thin as a cicada's wing, and you could see the texture of the next slice of meat. When the two slices were stacked together, the blue and white porcelain pattern on the bottom of the plate could be seen through.

She walked to the table, and before she could even reach out, a chair had already been pulled out.

He carried a faint, delicate fragrance, indescribable in its scent, but refreshing and cleansing, reminiscent of the last handful of snow on a mountaintop or the aroma of earth and grass after rain.

The charcoal fire was already lit and crackled in the copper basin.

Xie Yutang likes barbecue, but finds it troublesome to do so. He only tries it occasionally when he's really craving it. He never expected that when he casually mentioned it yesterday, everything would magically appear before his eyes when he woke up.

Xie Yutang looked at the boy standing quietly beside her. She had only brought him back from Lin Tan, promised him protection, and asked him to repay her with loyalty, but his performance... was just too good.

It was better than the maximum reward she deserved for her meager kindness.

The young man before her lowered his eyes and even knelt down directly after she casually said, "I am not used to talking to people with my head tilted back." He knew better than the most obedient dog, and his demeanor and manners were impeccable.

Xie Yutang's eyes darkened.

If he had such cunning and scheming, how could he have ended up being bullied by Lin Tan's men? Or was he deliberately approaching me with some ulterior motive?

Having spent years navigating the treacherous world of human nature, Xie Yutang had long lost any interest in romance and poetry. She naturally assumed that this "scheme" was exactly the same as Lin Tan's.

Xie Yutang almost laughed. The favor she enjoyed and the military power behind her were truly wonderful things.

Dan Kou's fingertips caressed the lid of the teacup, and in the mist rising from the jasmine tea, her gaze fell unmistakably on the silent, kneeling boy.

After all, he was the young Prince Muqing, who had fought his way in and out of the frontier battlefields seven times without ever being defeated.

Well, if he really wants those things, it's not impossible.

Anyway, her revenge plan also requires his abilities, so they might as well use each other for now, and when they have no choice but to part ways, they can each rely on their own abilities.

Although Prince Mu was absolutely loyal to the Emperor in his previous life, she was able to be reborn to make up for the regrets of her past life. It's not surprising that this once loyal young general has some other thoughts for some reason.

Having already seen him, Xie Yutang didn't bother to hide it anymore. He scrutinized the man from head to toe until he saw a thin layer of powder behind the boy's ears, then glanced at the empty chair beside him and said meaningfully, "You know that's not what I originally meant, right?"

The boy's fingers, hanging at his sides, twitched slightly, and his thick eyelashes lowered, obscuring his somewhat disheveled eyes.

How could he not understand Xie Yutang's meaning? Sitting next to her and eating at the same table with her, her master treated him so well, yet he could not be ignorant of his place and take advantage of her.

Besides, he knew that Xie Yutang didn't have those kinds of feelings for him.

The gaze that had just landed on him was undisguisedly probing and scrutinizing. With her intelligence and keen perception, it was impossible for her not to suspect his purpose in staying by her side.

Let her think I have ulterior motives; at least that will make her feel relatively at ease keeping me by her side. If she knew that she actually...

Su Lu curled his lips in a self-deprecating smile, much like those moths that fly into the candlelight, destined to self-destruct because they craved something they shouldn't have.

His end will probably come when he can no longer hide these thoughts.

But Xie Yutang was someone he couldn't refuse no matter what. Since he couldn't refuse and couldn't do it, this was the only way he could think of.

A soft laugh came from above, tinged with a mischievous annoyance:

"But you're kneeling so gracefully, what should I do if I don't really want you to get up?"

The boy's lowered eyelashes trembled, and his slender fingers held chopsticks to pick up a slice of beef and place it on the oiled grill.

The firelight illuminated her jade-carved profile, and her lowered eyelashes cast a soft shadow on her lower eyelids.

His wrist bones were so beautiful; he lowered his eyes and quietly flipped the slices of meat, as if this was the only truly important thing in the world.

The raw meat slowly changes color and curls at the edges, with a few drops of oil occasionally dripping into the charcoal brazier with a sizzling sound, and the air is filled with the mouthwatering aroma of smoke.

Huaijin and Woyu stopped completely outside. Occasionally, when needed, Su Lu would get up and leave for a moment. When he returned, his hands were always full. Sometimes it was fresh vegetables and meat slices, sometimes it was a plate that had been removed or a newly added charcoal fire. But he would always kneel down again, exposing himself to a position where Xie Yutang could observe him at any time without having to look up.

Even if it's just to gain someone's trust, there's really no need to go to such lengths.

Xie Yutang lowered her eyes to look at the food plate in front of her. A small piece of tender leaf wrapped around a piece of roasted meat with seasonings, which the boy had just placed in front of her.

She picked up her chopsticks, savoring the delicious flavor, her emotions churning with a myriad of emotions.

"This meat is really delicious. I ate too much without realizing it. I want to go out for a walk."

Xie Yutang picked up a candied hawthorn from the dish and slowly chewed it to aid digestion. Only then did the servants come in to clean up.

It's not cold when it snows, but it's cold when the snow melts. The snow that had accumulated a few days ago is gradually melting, and the cold wind is howling outside. Many of the palace maids in the laundry department have frostbite on their hands.

Xie Yutang has always been a man of action, and seeing that he was already in the mood, Huaijin knew that she couldn't persuade him, so she took out a mink cloak from behind the screen, put it on Xie Yutang, and handed him a hot water bottle filled with hot water.

Xie Yutang was in a good mood and strolled all the way to the pavilion in the middle of the lake. The lake water under the pavilion had just thawed, and koi carp swam by in small numbers under the floating ice. She sat on the veranda and watched them idly, casually fiddling with a Luban lock in her hand.

The wooden parts are covered with bite marks; this is Wuzhui's favorite toy.

Originally, it was just a toy that the palace servants gave her to amuse her. After Xie Yutang took it apart, she casually placed it on a low table. Wu Zhui took it to play with. Seeing that Wu Zhui loved it so much, she used it as a toy to tease the dog. She would often throw it far away and watch the big dog run back to retrieve it.

Xie Yutang always felt good at these times.

It seems that no matter how capricious one is, there are always people, or rather, dogs, who will happily accept it.

Whether it was because he was too immersed in the memories of the past, or because the cold wind had frozen his fingers, Xie Yutang accidentally let the Luban lock slip from his fingertips, rolled once on the bench, and fell into the lake with a splash.

"ah."

Xie Yutang stared blankly at the lake, a hint of regret on her face, "That was Wu Zhui's favorite..."

"I will go to the warehouse to get nets to catch them."

After saying this, Woyu was about to run out of the pavilion when Huaijin stopped her. "Have you forgotten? The net bag was borrowed by Consort De a few days ago to catch butterflies, and it hasn't been returned yet."

Woyu slapped his forehead: "I'm going to Changchun Palace right now."

“It’s too late.” Huai Jin looked at the lake surface, which had returned to calm, and her tone was filled with anxiety. “This lake draws water from the mountain, and the water flows continuously. It takes at least half an hour to get from here to Changchun Palace and back. Even if you get the net back, what use will it be? The things have long been washed away somewhere.”

Silence fell over the pavilion for a moment.

As everyone fell silent, a white shadow flashed by, and with a splash, a small water droplet rose from the lake, like a double-petaled snow lotus covered in snow on a mountain peak.

Woyu exclaimed in surprise.

Xie Yutang suddenly stood up, staring intently at the lingering ripples on the lake, his eyes unfathomable.

In the dead of winter, with floating ice still on the lake, it's impossible not to see how icy and frigid the water is. Moreover, the lake is deeper than it appears, and there is silt and sand on the bottom. Jumping into the lake at this time would be extremely dangerous, even for someone with excellent swimming skills.

It was all because of one sentence she said.

The last ripples on the lake surface had gradually disappeared, leaving it so still that it seemed devoid of any life.