Chapter 32 A matter of life and death for General Xie…

After Xie Zhuo came out of the hall, he turned a few corners and walked up the covered corridor, looking around.

"General Xie, over here." A voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz came from behind. The young maid, hiding in a secluded spot behind the railing, gave him a wink.

Just then, two servants walked along the corridor, passed Xie Zhuo, and bowed to him. After they left, Xie Zhuo waited a while to make sure there was no one else around before walking toward the furtive maid with a sullen face.

"Is Consort Shu here too? What does she want with me?" he asked in a low voice.

Just now at the banquet, when the palace maid removed the young prince's hand from his sleeve, she secretly slipped him a note. Xie Zhuo followed the instructions and came to the covered walkway, only to find that the person waiting for him was the very maid from Beiming Mountain who had asked him to secretly meet Consort Feng.

"Her Majesty and the young prince have come on behalf of His Majesty to celebrate the princess's birthday. The aunt who delivered the message to you is also serving Her Majesty." The maid explained in a low voice, "Her Majesty has important business with the general and would like to find a sufficiently secluded place to speak with him face to face."

Xie Zhuo frowned. "If it's anything important, just pass it on."

"This servant dares not." The maid lowered her head. "Your Highness insists on telling you in person."

"That's not a good idea." Xie Zhuo hesitated for a moment. "If someone sees us, it could easily get us into trouble. There's no need to take such a big risk. You should go back."

He turned to leave, but heard the maid behind him say urgently, "This is a matter of life and death for the general!"

Xie Zhuo stopped in his tracks, looking surprised.

"It's true, I'm not lying to you."

Xie Zhuo pondered for a moment, "There is a garden to the east called Qingyuan, at the end of which is an apricot grove, which is fairly secluded."

The maid nodded, "Please wait here for a moment, General. I will inform Her Highness immediately."

Meanwhile, Chen Liangqing had already left the banquet a step earlier and was walking towards the small gate connecting the princess's residence and the Chen residence. Just as he was about to return to his residence, he was suddenly stopped by a woman.

"Second Madam Xue?"

Chen Liangqing recognized the person and was slightly surprised. Although he often met Xue Mingyu, they hadn't spoken much. Seeing that she wasn't with a maid and seemed somewhat uneasy, he asked gently, "Are you looking for your younger sister?"

In his memory, Xue's second daughter and Chen Zhelan had a good relationship.

“No, I’m looking for you.” Xue Mingyu blurted out, then mumbled and repeated, “Chen Hanlin, I’m looking for you.”

Chen Liangqing looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Xue Mingyu stiffened, then slowly pulled out a poem from her sleeve, her face slightly flushed. "I... I recently studied poetry with Zhelan and came up with a poem. I'd like to ask Hanlin Chen for his critique."

She didn't give Chen Liangqing a chance to refuse and handed him the note directly.

Chen Liangqing did not answer.

Xue Mingyu's fingertips burned. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have disturbed Hanlin so abruptly—"

Fortunately, Chen Liangqing finally reached out and took it, saying, "It's alright."

After reading it, he analyzed it sentence by sentence, praising more than criticizing, and even offering encouragement. Anyone who heard it would feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.

However, Xue Mingyu didn't care what he said. The poem was something she wrote haphazardly. She had Chen Zhelan revise it and even had her tutor at home look at it. It was already unrecognizable and had nothing to do with her anymore.

"Thank you, Chen Hanlin." She took back the poem and continued to look at him.

"Madam Xue, is there anything else?"

“I also want to ask,” Xue Mingyu hesitated, “what does Chen Hanlin think of beautiful women?”

Chen Liangqing frowned slightly. "I don't understand what Madam Xue means."

Xue Mingyu couldn't hold back any longer, "Chen Hanlin, that afternoon when you were painting for my sister, I happened to pass by the window and saw you and my sister behaving intimately. Do you... do you have feelings for my sister?"

It was extremely quiet all around, and Xue Mingyu could hear her own heart pounding.

"What kind of intimate behavior did you see?" Chen Liangqing asked casually.

"It was you squatting in front of my sister's bed..." she described quickly, blushing.

Chen Liangqing lowered her eyes. "Did your sister send you to ask this?"

His voice was still gentle, but Xue Mingyu somehow sensed a sense of pressure, or perhaps it was because she was so flustered at the moment.

"No, my sister doesn't know I saw it. I just... just wanted to ask you." The moment she told the truth, Xue Mingyu felt both relieved and sad.

Chen Liangqing would definitely find her very strange.

She was actually asking on behalf of Xue Mingyao!

Unbeknownst to her, Chen Liangqing's trembling voice and flushed cheeks betrayed her true feelings completely. She was the kind of woman he could see through very well, the complete opposite of her elder sister.

Like Chen Zhelan, he was troubled by love.

“Madam Xue, you must be mistaken. I have always treated your sister with courtesy and have never overstepped any boundaries,” he said.

Xue Mingyu was surprised. "That's impossible. I saw it very clearly. You were clearly there—" She didn't want to repeat herself and shut her mouth.

“You’re mistaken,” Chen Liangqing affirmed again. “Why don’t you ask your sister? She’ll deny it too.”

She wouldn't deny it; her older sister could exaggerate even the smallest things. However, Xue Mingyu suddenly realized that Xue Mingyao hadn't actually boasted about her and Chen Liangqing's intimate relationship this time.

Could it be that in the scene she witnessed, her older sister wasn't waiting with her eyes closed, but was actually asleep and therefore unaware of what was happening?

Many thoughts flashed through her mind, but Xue Mingyu knew for certain that she had seen Chen Liangqing's actions.

"So, Chen Hanlin didn't treat my sister any differently?" she asked, rephrasing her question.

Chen Liangqing smiled and said, "No."

Xue Mingyu lowered her head. "I think I misread it. I'm sorry."

Chen Liangqing bowed slightly, "Second Madam Xue, farewell."

Once his figure disappeared from sight, Xue Mingyu bit her lip and stomped her foot hard.

He refused to admit it!

This angered her even more than his inability to resist beauty.

He is not only not a gentleman, but also a coward.

Xue Mingyu stood there for a while, angry and bewildered, like a believer who suddenly realized that the shrine she had long worshipped had been eaten away by insects.

Finally, she took out the poem and tore it to shreds.

......

Xie Zhuo walked into the quiet apricot grove, waited for a while with his hands behind his back, and then saw Feng Wan walk up to him with graceful and steady steps, brushing aside the blossoms with her delicate hand.

"Don't worry, I found a suitable excuse to come out, and I also left someone outside to keep watch, so no one will see us," she said softly.

Xie Zhuo didn't know what to say, and smiled, "What is it that concerns my life?"

Feng Wan didn't speak immediately, but gazed at him with a wistful expression.

"Why did you propose to Xue Mingyao? Didn't you say that her past was insignificant?"

Xie Zhuo's smile froze.

He knew she would ask, and this was one of the reasons he didn't want to see Feng Wan.

He countered, "Why is Your Majesty so concerned about my relationship with her?"

Now it was Feng Wan's turn to feel awkward.

She had thought that she had a place in this unspeakable entanglement, even if she played a less-than-ideal role. But Xie Zhuo's words seemed to imply that it was a story between him and Xue Mingyao, and that her existence and concern were unimportant.

Feng Wan smiled as much as she could and said, "Because I hope you are doing well and that you have a happy marriage."

"You still feel indebted to me." Xie Zhuo sighed softly. "There's no need for that. I'm not one to hold grudges."

Feng Wan remained silent for a while, then stubbornly said, "Princess Yongning has an eccentric temperament and is not a good match for you."

Xie Zhuo nodded, "I know."

"So you really like her, like her enough to marry her?" Feng Wan asked in a trembling voice, "Even if she has long since fallen for someone else and no longer cares about you!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Feng Wan immediately regretted them, noticing Xie Zhuo's eyes turning cold in an instant.

"Of course not." After a long pause, Xie Zhuo lowered his gaze and answered firmly, "I have other reasons for marrying her."

"What's the intention?"

"I'm sorry I can't tell you," he said.

Feng Wan looked disappointed and remained silent for a long time. Xie Zhuo did not want to get entangled with her about this matter, so after a moment of silence, he asked again what the "important matter" was.

Feng Wan then spoke, "At noon, my palace maid went to the kitchen to warm my medicine and noticed a maid behaving suspiciously."

She paused for a moment, seemingly anticipating Xie Zhuo's question about why she needed to take the medicine.

Feng Wan was favored but childless, and her position was not secure. Her most urgent need was to give birth to an imperial heir. To this end, she took great care to improve her health, and even when she went out of the palace to banquets, she would bring prepared fertility-enhancing medicine with her meals.

However, if Xie Zhuozhen asked, she did not intend to tell the truth.

Xie Zhuo did not ask.

Feng Wan continued, "Thinking the kitchen was empty, the maid went to a stove where over a dozen bowls of tea porridge prepared for the male guests were kept warm. She secretly took out a packet of medicinal powder and poured it into one of the bowls. The bowl was decorated with bamboo patterns, and the porridge was topped with many peppercorns and dogwood berries, giving it a very strong pungent taste. Perhaps it was prepared for you. I'm worried—"

"Are you worried that someone is sabotaging my porridge?" Xie Zhuo asked.

The host was meticulous in preparing the banquet, asking about the guests' dietary restrictions in advance and preparing dishes according to their individual tastes. Among all the male guests, Xie Zhuo was probably the only one who liked spicy food.

Feng Wan nodded. "After the maid left, my men tested it with silver needles, but they couldn't find anything. But as you know, there are some poisons in the world that silver needles can't detect, so I thought I'd come and remind you. If they really serve you this bowl later, don't fall for their trick."

Upon hearing this, Xie Zhuo's expression turned solemn, and he bowed deeply to her, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your guidance."

"Between you and me, there's no need for thanks."

Feng Wan looked at him, her gentle gaze filled with worry. "The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled. You hold a high position, and countless people are watching you, both openly and secretly. Now that you're in charge of the Imperial Guard, those who have suffered at your hands may hold a grudge and seek revenge. You must be careful..."

Xie Zhuo was well aware that the struggles in the imperial court were no less brutal than those on the battlefield. He had fought his way out of the bloodshed on the frontier, and now he was about to face another kind of bloody storm.

“I will,” he said gently. “And you will too.”

The palace servants around Feng Wan were so vigilant, carrying silver needles at all times; what she had experienced in the deep palace over the past few years was self-evident. The dazzling gold hairpins and phoenix crown in her hair looked even heavier.

In the past, Feng Wan placed high hopes on him, supporting his lofty ambitions and hoping that he would repay her with an imperial decree in the future. Now, she herself has embarked on this thorny path, climbing step by step to the top and standing in front of others.

Xie Zhuo thought, this is what it means to seek benevolence and obtain it.

Amidst the sparse shadows of apricot blossoms, Xue Mingyao peered at them expressionlessly.

She said that Feng Wan had left the palace for no reason; it turned out she wasn't there to see her, but to see Xie Qinglang.

What are they planning to do by meeting in such a secluded place?

With apricot blossoms obstructing her view, Xue Mingyao couldn't hear their whispered conversation, only vaguely catching glimpses of their faces. The beautiful woman, so full of affection, and the gentle, refined gentleman, seemed like a perfect couple, just as they had felt for her years ago.

Xie Qinglang always had a gentle expression when facing Feng Wan, and the same was true when he became Xie Zhuo.

Xue Mingyao shrank back into the hammock, closed her eyes, and listened to the soft rustling of the wind through the flowers and leaves. After a long while, she finally heard the footsteps of the two people leaving.

She was all alone in the world again.

The rare silence didn't last long. Xue Mingyao heard voices again, opened her eyes, and saw Green Branch, whom she had sent away earlier, squatting next to the swing.

"Princess, Chen Hanlin went back to the next room early this morning and is not at the banquet," Green Branch whispered in her ear.

Xue Mingyao hummed in agreement, then pointed to the child who was straining to peer into the hammock on tiptoe, "Why did you bring a burden with you?"

"I'm not a burden!" the little prince exclaimed in a clear voice.

Green Branch smiled and said, "This servant met the young prince on the road; he was looking for you."

It turned out that after the young prince had eaten and drunk his fill, seeing that Xie Zhuo had not returned for a long time, he simply went out to find his Aunt Yongning himself.

The young prince stared longingly at Xue Mingyao, "Aunt Yongning, I want to sleep on the swing too."

Xue Mingyao bent her legs to make some space, and Lüzhi picked up the little prince. The moment she put him inside, the hammock suddenly plummeted, and an ominous sound came from the joints connecting the ropes.

"Oh my, you've gotten so fat!" Xue Mingyao laughed.

The young prince glanced at her sullenly, then carefully adjusted his posture, afraid of breaking the swing.

Once he was seated, he said to the woman who had come with him, "You don't need to watch over me anymore, Aunt Yongning is here. Go find General Xie and tell him we're here."

Xue Mingyao rested her head on her hands. "Why should I tell him?"

"Because he's looking for you too," the young prince explained to her.

Xue Mingyao gave a cold laugh without saying a word. What did he mean by looking for her? Xie Zhuo was clearly looking for an excuse to get away from the little prince so that he could go see the person he wanted to see.

...

Xie Zhuo returned to the banquet but did not see the young prince. He guessed that the prince had probably run away.

Not long after he sat down, Zhao Ying came over, chatted with the guests for a while, and then the waiter served the after-dinner pastries and tea porridge.

Green bamboo leaves adorn the white porcelain bowl, and fine spices are sprinkled on the green and white porridge surface.

Xie Zhuo didn't move.

"Does the general not like tea porridge?" a round-faced maid asked respectfully.

Xie Zhuo gently stirred the porridge with a spoon and said calmly, "I like to eat it when it's a little cooler."

When the maid returned shortly after, the bowl was empty.

She poured wine for Xie Zhuo, the delicate, slender-necked wine pot slipping from her hand as if it had no eyes and falling straight into Xie Zhuo's arms.

The maid cried out in surprise, but Xie Zhuo reached out and caught the wine pot that had fallen into the air. "Be careful," he said, handing it to her.

The maid took the wine pot and quickly curtsied, "I'm sorry, General Xie." Her eyes drifted to the few dark wine stains on the hem of Xie Zhuo's clothes, which had spilled from the tilted wine pot earlier.

She said cautiously, "I'm clumsy and have accidentally soiled your clothes. Please, please come with me to change."

Xie Zhuo had no idea what she was up to. She added something to the porridge and used such a clumsy method to lure him away from the table. What was her purpose?

He didn't respond immediately. The maid looked at him anxiously, her hand holding the tray trembling, and the thin wine pot looked like it was about to tip over again.

"Alright." Xie Zhuo stood up. "Lead the way."

When wealthy families hold banquets, the host family usually sets aside several empty rooms with clean clothes for guests to rest or change if they get tired during the meal. The maid led Xie Zhuo into a bedroom, opened the wardrobe and took out a garment for him, saying, "Please come in." Then she withdrew.

Xie Zhuo heard the faint sound of the latch being gently pushed up.

He put down his clothes and looked around the room.

It was an elegant ordinary bedroom, furnished with an incense table, a tea table, a wardrobe, and a tall four-fold mica screen that blocked the view of the bed behind it.

A blurry figure was reflected on the pale white screen.

He wasn't the only one in the room.

The next moment, Xie Zhuo saw Chen Zhelan walk out from behind the screen.