Chapter 111 [VIP]

“General Xiao is someone my brother trusts very much. You can speak the truth to him. After you tell him, he will tell you everything that happened before. There will always be an adjustment period... Spring is coming soon.”

Xue Yi recalled Lu Xuejin's words... Spring is just around the corner.

He looked out the window at the scenery. It was still cold after New Year's Eve, but the chill was like the darkness before dawn, suddenly fearful before the daylight, contrasting with the spring colors.

Spring is just around the corner.

Thinking this, he touched the scar on the back of his head, which had barely healed in half a month. During those two weeks, he couldn't tell that Lu Xuejin disliked him. Lu Xuejin took care of him personally, never showing any disgust for the foul blood flowing from his head. Under Lu Xuejin's care, the injury healed clumsily.

"Your Majesty, General Xiao has arrived."

Xiao Qi then stepped into the Golden Palace. She looked tired, and when she saw him, she bowed first.

"Your Majesty, I greet you. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

Since she was someone he trusted greatly, he said, "No need for formalities. Xiao Qi... what brings you here?"

"Your Majesty, I have two matters to discuss. First, I am concerned about Your Majesty's health. Your Majesty has been unwell recently, and I have not been able to see you. The matter of having Lu Xuejin act as regent is not appropriate at all... I hope Your Majesty will rescind your order. The second matter concerns Xiao Shen. Although it was previously said that it would be discussed... in any case, I am unwilling to let Xiao Shen go to Dingzhou. If Your Majesty is worried about the potential threat to the Confederate States... I will go there myself."

Lu Xuejin took over the administration...and went to Dingzhou...to teach the sick.

These words, pieced together, paint a blank picture. Although one could tell the person before them that they conducted a secret experiment on the mountain, they now remember nothing.

He recalled the pupils of those goats, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to speak. His current predicament was that enemies surrounded him, and he didn't know who to trust… Did he truly trust Lu Xuejin? He hadn't seen any flaws in her recently.

No matter how good a person is at disguising themselves, they can't fake their true feelings.

For some reason, he vaguely trusted his intuition; whenever he was isolated and helpless, Lu Xuejin always appeared by his side. Summoning him to see the ministers today also indicated that he would continue attending court in the future. In the two weeks since they met… he had read the memorials submitted to Lu Xuejin for review; none had overstepped her bounds, and every word was precious.

If it's all a deception, then such a talented person... taking over government positions doesn't seem like a rare thing.

He didn't know how to answer Xiao Qi, so he could only ask, "What did I originally tell you?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qi raised her eyebrows and remained silent for a moment before saying, "His Majesty has ordered that I not return to the capital without a summons... I lost to the Ninth Prince on Caoqi Mountain. I failed in my duties and am at His Majesty's mercy."

He continued, "Since I forbade you from returning to the capital... why did you come back?"

Xiao Qi: "It is my fault. I heard the news from Shengjing that you wanted to send Xiao Shen to Dingzhou, where he had just recovered from malaria... I rushed back in a moment of anxiety."

He observed that the person before him seemed to be of an impatient nature, but calmed down during his questioning. Although he didn't know the cause and effect of the matter, he could clearly glean it from these questions. There was a reason why he hadn't allowed Xiao Qi to return in the first place; Xiao Shen must be Xiao Qi's relative, and now that he had returned, a certain project had become ineffective.

Thinking this, he reassured Xiao Qi, "You don't need to worry. Since you've come to me to discuss this matter, I will consider it carefully. The matter of Xiao Shen going to Dingzhou has not yet been decided. I will discuss it with Changyou again, and after we've discussed it, I will send someone to give you an answer."

"You look tired. Now that you're back... take a good rest. I should take care of this matter; you don't need to worry about it."

He now understands neither what happened nor the relationships between these people.

He merely pieced together an ambiguous answer from Xiao Qi's words. But Xiao Qi, upon hearing his concern, had bloodshot eyes and her narrow, delicate pupils seemed deeply moved, causing him to pause slightly in surprise.

Xiao Qi cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I understand... Thank you for your concern. With Your Majesty's words, I am relieved."

After saying this, Xiao Qi said to him, "I have been busy with Xiao Shen's affairs recently. Although his malaria has been cured, he took a lot of medicine a while ago, and the accumulated medicine caused side effects, resulting in many rashes on his body. I have ordered people to search for medicine everywhere, and his body needs to be recuperated again. I am a rough man... and I get anxious every time I don't take good care of him."

Hearing Xiao Qi mention this, he recalled the imperial physicians he had met, who seemed to be of little use in the palace.

He said to Xiao Qi, "In that case... I will send the imperial physician to take a look; perhaps he can help."

Xiao Qi: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After Xiao Qi left, he recalled what she had said and asked the guard beside him, "Malaria... Has Changyou gone to see her?"

The guard didn't understand his meaning and thought he was doubting Lu Xuejin. He replied, "Your Majesty, the Second Young Master Xiao's malaria occurred two months ago. At that time, Lord Lu was still in the capital and had not yet returned. Lord Lu's relationship with the Xiao family is so-so... He has not visited them since returning to the capital."

The person he suspected seemed to be aware of his suspicions, and by the time he returned to Fangze Palace... he already knew that his residence was in Xiyuan Palace. Logically speaking, it would be better for him to keep his distance from this person.

Whether it was because Lu Xuejin took care of him day and night, or because Fangze Palace itself was warmer and sunnier, he preferred to stay here. As he entered Fangze Palace, he saw the young man leaning against the window, looking into the distance, where he noticed some low-lying red plum buds. After the harsh winter, the plum trees were slowly beginning to sprout new roots and buds.

Upon seeing him, Lu Xuejin smiled and asked, "Brother, have you seen Xiao Qi?"

He nodded, pondering the meaning behind it. Suddenly, his eyes met Lu Xuejin's. Her deep brown eyes reflected his own. His figure was under the eaves, the red wall behind him casting a shadow. He noticed the small mole under his eye, which appeared particularly clear when he was thinking.

...If one's own suspicions are simply one's nature, does the other person already know all about one's thoughts?

As he pondered this, he looked at the young man by the window, whose face was exceptionally elegant and refined, and whose bright red robe reflected large crabapple blossom patterns, which looked far more dazzling than the blossoms themselves.

Lu Xuejin said to him, "I've seen him... Did you tell him, brother?"

He sat down next to Lu Xuejin, thought for a moment, and replied, "I haven't told him. I think he doesn't like you. If I tell him about my current situation, he might think it was you who did it... I don't know if this would be detrimental to you."

"So I...did not tell him."

"Although I have some doubts... after much thought, it is you who have taken care of me day and night. Even if I were in a situation where I was alone, you would still be by my side. I think... you should tell me this yourself."

He finished speaking, but waited a long time for Lu Xuejin's reply.

When he looked over, Lu Xuejin's eyebrows and eyes were shrouded in shadow by the sunlight, her pale pupils staring at him, lost in thought, her emotions rising and falling with the light.

What is the other person thinking?

Why are you making that face?

A world where he knows nothing... that doesn't seem fair.

"Young master, Your Majesty, your servant has prepared the meal. It's time to eat! Today we're having glutinous rice balls... I've made over ten different kinds of fillings!" Tengluo said through the screen.

Lu Xuejin then replied, "Understood... Brother, shall we go have our meal first?"

He followed Lu Xuejin to the tea table where they were having their meal. One of the two maids kept her emotions hidden, while the other kept glaring at him. Although she was glaring at him, her expression of dislike was so innocent that it didn't seem to bother him.

The food in Fangze Palace was not as lavish as in his own palace. The food was all prepared by the maids themselves, and although there were many varieties, it was all served in small dishes, prepared according to their appetites. He had already learned some of Lu Xuejin's habits here; Lu Xuejin's lifestyle was very simple, not much different from that of ordinary people.

What bad things could someone like that...someone who adheres to such strict virtues, possibly do?

Lu Xuejin: "Why is Tengluo so happy? Today is the Lantern Festival, are you going to the library?"

Tengluo: "This... how did you know, young master? I'm going to go and see today. Perhaps Lord Song is still there. I've prepared some Yuanxiao for him... Young master, what if he doesn't accept them? Wouldn't I be very embarrassed?"

"And... how did you know about this, young master?" Tengluo couldn't help but ask again.

Seeing that Tengluo blushed, Lu Xuejin replied, "...I only heard about it and was concerned about Tengluo. What's wrong with Tengluo telling me?"

“This servant doesn’t need to concern himself with such matters, young master,” Tengluo said. “Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore… This servant has cooked peanut soup for you, young master. Please try it and see how it tastes.”

Lu Xuejin served him a bowl of peanut soup. He looked at the sweet peanuts at the bottom of the bowl, and the young man's face was reflected in the rim. When he touched the bottom of the bowl and the young man's fingertips, a certain emotion suddenly welled up in his heart.

The indescribable plum blossoms that grew in his heart, the buds that sprouted in spring, he stared at his fingers for a long time, and when he touched them... it was as if some kind of emotion surfaced.

A feeling like springtime.

An emotion as warm as the sun.

It makes you feel warm, bright, and gentle; your mood melts away in the sunshine.

When you come into contact with the other person, you come into contact with happiness.

Happiness...happiness, happiness, is this what it feels like? From the moment he woke up, his empty heart was filled with new emotions for the first time, and his barren heart welcomed spring.

Sweet peanut soup... sesame-filled glutinous rice balls, red date-filled glutinous rice balls, glutinous rice balls with a golden pearl inside. When he bit into the golden pearl, the young man beside him saw it and couldn't help but smile gently.

"This golden wisteria only has one vine... Brother, you bit into it, may you have peace, prosperity, and abundant blessings next year."

May you have peace, prosperity, and abundant blessings.

What kind of world did he originally live in?

Why did his heart stir with every word the other person spoke...? If he were the emperor, he would receive blessings every day. What would be different about these blessings?

Time will tell.

The soft and fluffy glutinous rice balls tumbled in the clear water, the meat filling inside flowing out. The golden beads shimmered in the sparkling soup, reflecting Xue Yi's pensive eyes.

Seeing Xue Yi deep in thought, Lu Xuejin realized that he had been very wary of him since waking up. This was his brother's nature... But in the end, his brother still came to ask him if this instinct was inherited from his familiarity with his body, even though his memory had been erased.

"I just saw the plum branches in that courtyard. Did Changyou plant them?" Xue Yi asked him.

He turned his gaze and saw the tangled branches in the flower bed. He paused slightly and said, "My brother and I planted them together. Someone brought me some plum branches earlier... so I cut off the roots and planted them in the flower bed. My brother happened to see it and planted them with me. Later, these branches were disturbed by a lot of turmoil, but I didn't expect them to survive... and now the cold winter has passed."

"May I go and take a look?" Xue Yi asked.

He replied, "Of course."

He and Xue Yi arrived at the flower pond in Fangze Hall. The flower pond, made of white marble, was simple and exquisite. The horizontal plum blossom branches fell next to the Guanyin statue's vase, looking as if they had crawled into the Bodhisattva's side.

Xue Yi looked at the red plum branches that had sprouted new buds and said to him, "Although I have forgotten many things... I still remember the common things. When I was young, I read an article written by Gui Youguang called 'The Record of Xiangji Pavilion.' It says, 'There is a loquat tree in the courtyard, which my wife planted herself in the year she died. Now it stands tall and spreading like a canopy.' Although it is not appropriate to apply to this situation... I don't know why I thought of it. When Changyou and I come to see it again in a few years, will this red plum tree be as tall and spreading as described in the book?"

He noticed Xue Yi's gaze scrutinizing him, a gaze filled with inquiry and a touch of confusion, a questioning gaze piercing through the forest mist. In a daze, his and Xue Yi's physical forms all faded away, leaving only their bones and each other's souls, voicing some fundamental questions.

Touched, he replied earnestly, “Of course. These are the red plum trees that my brother and I planted together. In a few years... let alone a few years, even decades later, when we come back to see them, they will surely have grown into towering trees.”

"By then, my brother will surely be married and have children... I will also go to the capital. If my brother needs me, I will return to Shengjing at any time."

At this, Xue Yi turned his gaze to him thoughtfully, "Me? Marry and have children?"

Xue Yi: "Speaking of which... I didn't ask Changyou before. Since I am the emperor, why can't I see any concubines in the harem? Am I married? Where is my wife now?"

Xue Yi's condition improved, and his handsome cheeks glowed with a rosy hue. His veins were faintly visible in the sunlight, and his slender eyebrows and eyes were like the purest, deepest black gemstones, reflecting a beautiful light like a prism.

He entered a maze filled with mirrors reflecting his own expression. He was unharmed before Xue Yi, whose face remained expressionless. He recalled Xue Yi's suppressed anger during their wedding ceremony; that wedding attire was destined to be unattainable for them.

"My brother was once married to a woman surnamed Jun... He personally bestowed the title upon her. After her death... the harem has remained empty. If you wish to remarry, according to the rules of our Lu family, it is not impossible, and I support you in taking a wife. However, our Lu family does not have the custom of taking concubines. If one is truly devoted, one must treat the other with lifelong devotion. If you meet a woman you like, my brother, you should think carefully."

A note from the author: