Looking at the Sword by Lamplight (19)

Li Yan calmly pushed the cup of "moldy tea" away. "The Fang father and son staged a spectacular show of defection in the capital. While Xi Zhongting mobilized troops in various provinces, they were able to escape to the Western Border unhindered. Anyone with a discerning eye can see what happened. However, the King of Jingxi ignored them. Fang Duan vouched for them, and Concubine Wen and Lord Wen each had their own plans. In short, they not only allowed them to stay, but also arranged positions for them."

Bian Hongqiu smiled: "This is a game that everyone knows."

"After Fang Duan was deposed as Crown Prince, he was exiled from the capital. King Jingxi's plans in Licheng failed, and upon leaving, he took in this lost dog. When the news reached the capital, the Duke of Zhenguo, holding the ancestral tablets and the imperial seal, knelt at the palace gate, declaring that the deposed Crown Prince had been banished from his family, and implored His Majesty to investigate. When Your Majesty was Crown Prince, he held great prestige among the court officials. Even then, the old Duke could not have imagined that King Jingxi would be able to hold his own against the court for decades."

Therefore, Dayu remained unreconciled. His Majesty had been ill for a long time, the Crown Prince was young, and the fall of Lanzhou seemed like a repeat of the chaos of many years before. The old Duke, despite his advanced age, reluctantly took a different gamble. Meanwhile, his youngest son, who had never made any achievements in literature or military strategy, relied on his friendship with Puyang Ci, studied at Zaoshan Academy, and spent his time in the brothels, acting as His Majesty's secret eyes, observing whether any of the court officials whom His Majesty had saved with their lives harbored rebellious intentions.

Unfortunately, his dandy look of riding a horse in the street was not an act at all.

In this world, blood ties and marriages are ties that are recognized by most people.

First, the Fang family had a former relative of the Wen family who had directly joined the Western King's army, and then there was Fang Duan, who led the Western Border troops to fight against the imperial court. The rest of the Fang family, if they were smart, would either surrender to the enemy and cooperate with Fang Duan, daring to change the world and seize the credit of being a new emperor's heir; or they would learn from the Xi family and stick by His Majesty's side in the chaos.

Even though he knew that he did not have the ability to stir up trouble, he had Fang Changjun, his lucky "eye". He just had to be an eye, and when the reckoning came in the future, it would not be a problem to protect the entire Zhenguo Mansion.

But he was worried about his "eldest sister-in-law" day and night and never looked at her straight in the eye.

Emperor Xue, frail and practically possessed of only the capital, had been able to manipulate the various states into surrendering without any connection over the years. Everyone considered his majesty, who had ceded the Eighteen Continents of Zuo Dan, cowardly, having forgotten his past tactics. It seemed as if his plea for Prince Liang not to leave the capital and his tolerance for the less-than-loyal support of the Duke of Zhenguo were all done to avoid looking like a shabby "emperor without a single arm."

The sober and innocent court officials had already occupied their own positions in the Taiji Hall.

Apart from the Liang Wang Mansion, which has to rely on risking its life to fight for merit, the only other people left are the idiots like the Fang family who are digging their own graves even though victory is certain.

From what Bian Hongqiu knew, Xi Zhongting had frequently led his wolves into the city to provoke provocations during the various states' independence struggles. This was no simple feud of personal pride. Within the Great Yu Ming Hun Province, all local laws were completely broken, with arson, murder, and looting rampant. Every hilltop within the city was infested with bandits, leaving the land teeming with starvation and devastation in a supposedly peaceful world.

There are hundreds of volumes of historical books from ancient times to the present, and Dayu has had emperors with the same surname in the past. How come there hasn’t been a hero who overthrew the Bian family for decades?

Xi Zhongting was only loyal to Bian Zixue. He was a royalist, and what he was risking his life to protect was the dragon throne under Emperor Xue's butt.

The wolves under his command killed those "Emperor Star Ziwei" that took off mid-flight. For decades, not a single one escaped.

The Fang family was like a chess piece that could still decide its own fate, a pawn that both sides used to test their own agenda. Xi Zhongting was perhaps the sharpest knife in Emperor Xue's hand, but he wouldn't presume to think he was any more respectable than the other exiled ministers. He simply did whatever Emperor Xue said—hence his obliviousness as he hurriedly ordered Fang Changjun and his son, not delving into their devious intentions.

This was his last act of kindness towards his colleagues who he considered to be "fighting side by side with."

However, judging from the results of the capture of Huangquezhou, they did not seize the opportunity.

Bian Hongqiu pondered for a moment. "Don't worry about the Imperial Seal anymore. Now that Xi Zhongting has entered the city, he's making his own plans. Concubine Wen flashed the knife before Madam, so I'm afraid the King of Jingxi will make a move in the next few days. Madam, please have your people help me find the secret passages and explosives in the city. I'll also send a message to the other cities in the Eighteen Continents, ordering them to investigate as quickly as possible."

Of course Li Yan agreed.

After Li Yan left, Bian Hongqiu sat down behind the lamp, his face heavy. Meng Shizhuang put down her sword. Under the dim candlelight, she was drawn to the silver magnolia pendant on his ear. Then she shifted her gaze to his face. The "beauty under the lamp" frowned, muttering to herself, "This is a bit tricky... Thirty people isn't enough."

Meng Shizhuang asked, "Have you decided on your course of action?"

Bian Hongqiu came back to his senses. "What Concubine Wen asked Madam Li to do was to lay a wire under the city wall, just like we did in front of the Jingxi Prince's mansion on Huangque Island. But her intention was to help the Jingxi Prince escape. I suspect she has more than one person helping her with this, and it's probably not just in Chunxiang Island."

He said to Hengbo, "Send a message to my sister, have her mobilize all our hidden lines in the Eighteen Continents and ask Lord Cui Yue to bring His Majesty's letter to the Western Border. The King of the Western Border has gathered all the garrisons from various states on Chunxiang Continent, and the officials have also gathered here. The minor officials left behind in the other cities should be easy to persuade to revolt. Have Yan He accompany them for safety, and Shao Zheng stay on Huangque Continent to respond to any emergencies."

"Let our accomplices who remain in the palace deliver messages at all times. I want to make sure we know at all times whether King Jingxi is still in Chunxiang Island."

Then, he grabbed Meng Shizhuang's hand and said, "I have a dangerous matter to do tomorrow. I wonder if my husband is willing to help me."

As he spoke, he firmly grasped Meng Shizhuang's hand, which was trying to break free, and tied a purse embroidered with pine and bamboo on Meng Shizhuang's wrist. Meng Shizhuang even suspected that he had embroidered it today, as she had never seen it on Bian Hongqiu before. It was hard to see clearly under the light, but Meng Shizhuang caught the untied thread of the purse.

"Don't yell. What's the matter? Your embroidery is terrible."

Meng Shizhuang's words took three turns.

Bian Hongqiu pretended not to hear the last part of the sentence. He winked at Meng Shizhuang and said in a romantic and affectionate manner: "Go and do something important. Find out the strength of the troops under the Jingxi King."

Meng Shizhuang looked at him silently for a moment, and suddenly reached out to cover Bian Hongqiu's eyes.

Bian Hongqiu leaned on his hand, and Hengbo looked back as he walked, glancing less and less. He lingered on the door for a long time before reluctantly pushing it shut.

Bian Hongqiu waited for a long time but Meng Shizhuang didn't take any next move. He raised his face in confusion and rubbed his nose against the palm of Meng Shizhuang.

Meng Shizhuang was awakened by the slight touch and put down her hand in a hurry.

Bian Hongqiu tilted her head and asked him, "Why didn't you kiss me after all this time?"

Meng Shizhuang's ears turned red from his words, and he asked in astonishment, "What are you talking about!" Without any preparation, he was grabbed by Bian Hongqiu, and the last note of his voice almost broke. The tables and chairs in the room made a crackling sound, and the long sword that Meng Shizhuang had placed on the table fell diagonally, the sword body and scabbard separated, and fell crisply beside their ears.

Bian Hongqiu put one arm around Meng Shizhuang's waist and the other hand around his neck.

Meng Shizhuang smelled a hint of blood amidst the fragrance of his makeup. "Did you cut your hand? You deserve it! Let me go..."

Bian Hongqiu didn't care at all that his skin was slightly scratched. He refused to let go and was determined to play the gangster to the end: "Yes, the western border is about to be pacified, and the future of Prince Liang's Mansion is uncertain. I'm not sure in my heart. Please don't push me away in a hurry, okay?" Because he was going to meet a foreign guest, he couldn't let his hair down, so his bun was still in place. At this moment, the jade hairpin in his hair was poking his scalp and causing pain.

Meng Shizhuang propped himself up on the ground with one hand. Their movements knocked the oil lamp over, and the room suddenly darkened, leaving only a half-open window. Moonlight streamed into the room, but only reached their feet. He couldn't see Bian Hongqiu's face clearly, and he felt his body heat up from Bian Hongqiu's hand on his waist. Listening to her pity, he didn't know whether to continue struggling or stop. He sneered, "Your Highness, Prince Liang, I see you're sure of victory. With all due respect, I don't see a single hair on your head that says 'unsure'."

Bian Hongqiu raised her head slightly and took off the jade hairpin that was in the way in her hair.

The moonlight wasn't bright enough to illuminate the figure, barely shrouded in light. Meng Shizhuang's brain was numb from the heat at her waist. Seeing Bian Hongqiu's action, she thought he was going to kiss her like last time when he was drunk. So, she took the initiative, grabbed his neck, spread his legs, and lifted Bian Hongqiu's upper body off the ground.

Bian Hongqiu's scream was stuck in her throat. She reached out and pressed Meng Shizhuang's chest: "...Wait a moment."

Meng Shizhuang was clearly irritated by his days of teasing. Not only did he not let go, he half-dragged, half-pulled Bian Hongqiu to the window. After all, they were both men, and no matter how weak Bian Hongqiu acted, he was just as strong as him. He finally let out that cold laugh: "You just threw me to the ground without even asking my opinion."

Bian Hongqiu felt that the atmosphere between them was a little off. Why didn't it seem like they were going to have sex, but more like they were going to compete?

Under the moonlight, he could also see Meng Shizhuang's expression clearly.

Meng Shizhuang was panting heavily, her eyes bloodshot. She pressed the four fingers of her left hand against the back of Bian Hongqiu's neck, pinning him to the edge of the soft couch beneath the window. She bent over him condescendingly, her eyes piercing Bian Hongqiu with a fierce look. "Bian Hongqiu, you keep saying you don't know your future, so why do you still come to provoke me? Do you think I don't understand? After the defeat of Prince Jingxi, Prince Liang's Mansion has become the biggest thorn in the side of those in the capital. The worst-case scenario for you is being guillotined."

"You're provoking me now, are you hoping that I, a commoner, will be left like a headless fly, not knowing who to turn to for help, or are you trying to get a promise from a dead classmate? Or are you simply jealous of me and want me to spend the rest of my life grieving for you?"

He gritted his teeth and said, "You are simply...you are completely ignorant and abominable!"

Bian Hongqiu stood there in a daze. He looked at Meng Shizhuang, tears welling in her eyes. It was as if he had seen through the years since they'd parted, and witnessed his helplessness and sadness when Lao Ju passed away. His hands followed Meng Shizhuang's strong arms to support himself. Meng Shizhuang's hand moved to his collarbone, refusing to let him go any further.

He asked, "Ah, are you afraid of death? Are you afraid that I'll be pushed to the guillotine, or are you afraid that I'll just live happily with you for a while and then leave?"

Meng Shizhuang slowly calmed down: "Is there any difference?"

He lowered his eyes and looked at Bian Hongqiu: "Your Highness Prince Liang, I am saying this to you for the last time. Don't provoke me again. Once you leave the Western Territory, you can go your own way..." Before he finished his words, Bian Hongqiu took the initiative - no matter how tough Meng Shizhuang was, he could not break his collarbone, and he only had one usable hand. Bian Hongqiu was no longer the delicate flower she was ten years ago, and it was too easy for her to counterattack him.

He once again pushed Meng Shizhuang to the ground, his free hand resting on the back of her head. Compared to that light, fleeting drunken kiss, this time felt more difficult than a fight. But he bit Meng Shizhuang's lips anyway... This tough-talking man's lips were as soft as his heart. He shouldn't have played the game of playing nice and sympathetic, saying nonsense. Whatever he planned, it ultimately came off as completely unreliable. It was no wonder Meng Shizhuang didn't want to meet his flirtatious glances.

Meng Shizhuang had nowhere to hide, and his left hand had already touched the hilt of the sword that fell to the ground.

While he was hesitating, the other hand forcefully helped him lift the sword.

Meng Shizhuang looked at Bian Hongqiu's bloody palm covering the sword blade in astonishment: "Are you crazy?"

Bian Hongqiu was not crazy, he just wanted to respond to Meng Shizhuang's actions.

He understood why Meng Shizhuang rejected him.

But the only thing I don't do is hate him.

That means I like him too.

Tears streamed down his beautiful face as he replied to Meng Shizhuang: "It makes no difference. Then just kill me."

Bian Hongqiu's tears couldn't stop flowing. He pulled himself and Meng Shizhuang up from the ground, and they knelt facing each other. He clutched the sword, which was covered with blood streaks, and solemnly and reverently handed it to Meng Shizhuang. The surging tears almost blocked his chest, making it difficult for him to speak clearly. "Ah Shi... If that day really comes, you will kill me. You're right, I just want a promise from you that you will die as a classmate."

He knelt in front of Meng Shizhuang, looking up at his sweetheart whom he fell in love with at first sight.

Meng Shizhuang looked at him, and subconsciously even slowed his breathing. He heard Bian Hongqiu say, "Ah Shi, I'm so lucky that someone as brave as you would look at me."

There was only silence and the sound of shallow breathing in the room.

Meng Shizhuang thought he would remain silent forever. A tangled web of thoughts and fading anger consumed most of his energy. The sword edge gleamed, the blood still flowing. He wondered vaguely: When did I become such a coward? It's just a matter of love. Who can't I talk to?

He looked at Bian Hongqiu's trembling hands.

If the person he was going to cherish for the rest of his life ran away one day, he would grab his sword and bring him back; if he died one day like Lao Ju...

Meng Shizhuang stopped thinking about it.

At that moment, he seemed to feel the courage of his youth, never looking back, return to him. But the sharpness he had developed over the years hadn't faded either. He pulled the sword from Bian Hongqiu's hand, opened it, and saw several bleeding but not very deep wounds. As expected, he had said, he wouldn't like crazy people.

Meng Shizhuang sighed, tore off the corner of her clothes and wrapped it around Bian Hongqiu's hand.

He said, "You deserve it. Why are you in such a hurry?"

Then he lowered his head and kissed Bian Hongqiu.