Chapter 48 [VIP]

The Xiyuan Hall was silent. Lu Xuejin lowered her eyes and saw Xue Yi put the memorial in his hand aside.

For a fleeting moment, he seemed to hear a low sigh.

Xue Yi: "Let me think about this matter some more. Now that you've brought it up, I can't bring myself to say no. However, your journey to Liancheng will be after you've been placed under the protection of the Hu King. The Hu King will be arriving in the capital soon, and I will personally escort you to Liancheng after I've finished my court duties. What do you say?"

"If you are the one to escort the official silver, I can rest assured."

Xue Yi coughed softly twice, his sickly face flushed, but his eyes were shrouded in a dark haze, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

Lu Xuejin: "Of course. Brother, your words are worth a thousand pieces of gold... The trip to Liancheng will be postponed until after the Hu King enters the capital. If you recover by then, it is not impossible for you to accompany me. If I escort the official silver, I will ensure that not a single penny reaches the hands of the people."

“Brother, there’s no need to worry too much,” Lu Xuejin paused for a moment before speaking, “You are still here, so even if I leave the capital… I will always come back.”

He carefully chose his words, these thoughts from the past never uttered aloud. Now that he spoke them, his image came into Xue Yi's view. Xue Yi's imperial mask was worn perfectly, revealing not a trace of emotion. Only his slender eyes curved into a smile, and Xue Yi gave a faint laugh.

"Even so, going to Liancheng is dangerous. Changyou is also my only relative... How can I let you go?"

Lu Xuejin: "I am no longer a teenager. Besides, the route I took to Liancheng overlaps considerably with the route I took south five years ago."

The mere mention of this matter plunged them both into painful memories. A silence fell over the air; he said nothing more, and Xue Yi closed his eyes in silence. He watched Xue Yi's expression, noticing the blood coughing up staining Xue Yi's collar, and then used a damp handkerchief to wipe it away.

Xue Yi opened his eyes and watched his movements, his thin, dark eyes seeming to have just been dipped in venom. They didn't say much, yet they could sense each other's vague emotions. He knew Xue Yi was unhappy, and Xue Yi knew he was lying.

His wrist was suddenly grabbed, and Xue Yi pulled him forward, causing him to lean forward. A force came from his jaw, and Xue Yi's fingers touched his neck. The finger bones on his ear exerted a little force, causing him to look up and meet Xue Yi's melancholy eyes. Xue Yi bit his lip, clenching his teeth, and the taste of blood filled the air.

When he was close to Xue Yi, he always felt as if he had encountered another version of himself. The oppressive, viscous color, the coughed-up blood, the pale skin, and the myriad emotions in his eyes. He saw his younger self emerging from Xue Yi's skin, dressed in red, silently watching him in the air, questioning him without a sound.

He walked towards Xue Yi himself. He saw his younger self walking towards that sickbed, where a small, frail figure lay. He stayed by the bedside every day, hoping Xue Yi would wake up. Every time he fed Xue Yi medicine, the young Xue Yi would watch him silently, the medicine sprouting roots that transformed into tender thoughts that entwined him, dragging him and locking him in an invisible cage.

One should be consistent in one's actions... but he left us.

As he chanted sutras before the Buddha altar, he always felt as if the eyes of the gods and Buddhas were looking down on him, enveloping him in a light before the Buddha. Now that he has put down the sutras, the gods and Buddhas close their eyes and no longer look at him. He himself has left the temple and stepped into the three thousand mortal worlds, entangled by desires and emotions, and gone far away from the gods and Buddhas.

"...Go then. I can take care of myself now."

Xue Yi picked up the memorial again, as if nothing had happened. In the silent, speechless atmosphere, bloodstains spread across his cheek, like scattered rouge reflected on it. The two of them sat together until midnight, turning the memorial over and over again, but not uttering a single word on it.

As dawn broke, Lu Xuejin left, brushing past Xiao Qi on her way out.

Xiao Qi looked at the man and saw that there was blood all over his face, but he walked without changing his expression. He opened his mouth to ask, but was intimidated by the young man's calm expression and did not ask in the end.

"It's unbelievable. This top scholar is truly remarkable; his pen is his backbone, he's incredibly upright."

Xue Yi only looked at the memorial after everyone else had entered the hall. Even though the person was silent, they still captivated his attention. He heard a noise, and with his vermilion brush, he left his mark on the memorial. Xiao Qi entered, followed by a number of servants.

"Your Majesty, I heard you've fallen ill again. I've rushed to gather quite a few ginseng roots. Several of them were freshly dug from the mountains. Please take a look. Although I don't know how to treat weakness, it can't hurt to take some more tonics." Xiao Qi laughed heartily, waved her hand, and the servants behind her hurriedly entered Xiyuan Palace.

Xue Yi's once quiet palace suddenly became lively. He preferred damp and quiet places, and Xiao Qi always made a mess wherever she went. He put down his vermilion brush and said to the others, "No need... I don't understand either. Have them go find Imperial Physician Jia and Imperial Physician Gu. You just need to stay here."

Xiao Qi then ordered someone, "Go, go. Take the things to the imperial physician."

"What brings His Majesty to summon me here so early in the morning?"

Xue Yi: "This matter requires you and Song Zhao to handle together. After the Hu King enters the capital, I will order Chang You to escort the official silver to Liancheng. I don't know why... lately I've been feeling uneasy. He can leave the capital, and there might be a few rats hiding by his side."

As he spoke, Xue Yi found the roster among the memorials and tossed it to Xiao Qi.

“That rebellious son… I personally killed him twice. Perhaps I’m hallucinating from my illness, but I always feel that he is still in the capital, in the palace, and sometimes even when I see guards, I think they look like him. If he is still alive, I will search the entire capital to find him. I must see his corpse.”

Xiao Qi opened the register, which contained a series of officials' names, all of whom were connected to Lu Xuejin. From Cui Ruhao and Wei Ning to officials she had met at the Prime Minister's residence, Xue Yi had compiled them all.

"I understand. Leave this matter to me, Your Majesty. You can rest assured. I will definitely capture him and bring his head back to Your Majesty."

...

After leaving the palace, Lu Xuejin returned to her small courtyard.

Murong Yue's place was guarded by Tengluo Ziyan, who told the person that he had woken up once in the middle of the night, and then fainted again. He wrote down an address so that people could go to him after they woke up. He took two guards with him when he went out. In the past two days, he had received news that Xiao Qi had left the palace residence and was going in and out of Fengming Terrace every day.

Fengmingtai was the most prosperous place in Shengjing. It was full of wine alleys, with endless music and lanterns burning all night long. The vermilion buildings reflected the green sky, and during the day, the sound of zithers and lutes wafted through the shade of the trees. People came and went in an endless stream, and occasionally one could see a drunkard passed out.

Dancers dressed in light-colored blouses and long skirts gathered in twos and threes upstairs, slowly fanning themselves with folding fans. When they saw guests coming and going, they beckoned them to come inside.

Lu Xuejin stood in front of the restaurant, undecided which one to go to. They had only been to this place when they were young, and it was only after he took office that he entered Fengmingtai to arrest people.

Before he could make a decision, the proprietress of the most popular brothel recognized him. That proprietress was none other than He Rulan, whom Xiao Qi visited every day.

"Lord Lu?"

"Lord Lu...is it Lord Lu? Is Lord Lu here for a meal or a drink? Would you like to come in and sit down?" He Rulan is only three months pregnant. She is not tall, only reaching Xiao Qi's shoulder. She has a round face and round eyes and features, which makes her look very festive.

Lu Xuejin was about to go find someone when his wrist was grabbed before he could react. He Rulan stared at him intently, her eyes lighting up and a blush rising on her face. She stammered, as if afraid he would leave.

"Isn't this Lord Lu? I've read many of your poems and bought many of your portraits, so I certainly wouldn't mistake you. You, you, if you don't mind, come and sit at my place. I have many young ladies there... ah, I mean, many collections of poems. You must come and take a look."

Seeing the woman's nervous expression, he nodded and said, "I'm looking for a place to eat. Let go of me first... okay?"

As soon as he spoke, He Rulan let go, carefully wrapping her fingers in a handkerchief, almost walking the wrong way.

He Rulan immediately said, "I saw you just now, and I thought I was dreaming. Please come with me, sir... I was there when you arrested people five years ago, you may not remember. But I have always remembered you."

Those round eyes darted around, shining brightly as they looked at him. His expression was so dazzling that He Rulan had to stop every few steps to wait for him, leading him into a lavish palace. The air was filled with a faint, pleasant fragrance, and the furnishings were elegant; he could spot many valuable items at a glance.

"Girls, look who's here!" He Rulan called out as soon as she entered the room, which caused all the girls in the building to peek out.

Lu Xuejin saw many women's faces, like delicate flowers among flowers. He was an insect or a plant among them, attracting the curious gazes of the flowers, and soon he was surrounded.

"Lord Lu—"

"Lord Lu Xuejin——"

"My esteemed scholar—"

The brothel immediately became lively, with smiling faces blooming amidst a sea of ​​colorful makeup. Lu Xuejin was surrounded by them, the scent of perfume and fragrance mingling together. He Rulan was among them, closest to him. Gazing at these girls, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

“I am not here today to investigate a case, nor do I hold any official position. Ladies, you need not address me as ‘sir,’” he said.

These girls were all made up, and he couldn't recognize every face among them; they all looked like flowers. The one in the yellow dress who loved to laugh was Sunflower; the one in the pink dress who had a sweet face was Golden Lotus; the one in the white dress who was talkative was White Camellia… The girls' heads all turned into flowers, calling to him in his ear. He first answered Sunflower's question, then told Golden Lotus why he had come here, and then White Camellia asked him if he wanted to go upstairs, to which he said no.

Seeing the girls surrounding him, he had no gifts to offer, as it was said one should always bring a gift when meeting a girl. He was so poor he was practically penniless, though raising the prince was easy enough, and he hadn't brought any gifts for the girls yet. He then noticed the old man selling candied hawthorns outside, standing guard at the door with no customers, and stared at him for a while.

He remembered the appearance of each flower and knew the number of people in his mind. He went to the old man and bought twenty strings of candied hawthorns.

When Lu Xuejin left, the group of girls were puzzled. They huddled together and whispered. They hadn't known what the top scholar looked like before, but now that they saw him, he was elegant and refined, with an otherworldly air that made him impossible to be frivolous. They watched as the top scholar returned and bought candied hawthorns from the old man, obviously for them.

The young man wore a white robe with a turned-up collar that resembled a snow-white crane soaring into the sky. His brows and eyes were clear and serene, and his brown eyes flowed out like beautiful stars. In his palm, a bright red candied hawthorn looked like the most dazzling bouquet in the world.

"I have not prepared any gifts for my visit today, and I hope the ladies will forgive me."

The brothel immediately erupted in excitement. The candied hawthorns were distributed, with everyone getting a skewer. Sunflower, holding hers happily, leaned over to Jin Fenlian and said, "Why wasn't I as happy as I was when I had jade and gold before?"

"Is it because it was a gift from Lord Lu?"

Jin Fenlian: "That's not the case. It's just that when others give gifts, they ask for something in return, which is nothing more than lust. Lord Lu gave a gift without asking for anything or having any lustful thoughts. A candied hawthorn is just a candied hawthorn, not a bargaining chip to exchange for beauty."

"Only my brother had ever bought me candied hawthorns before, as if I had really become a young lady from a wealthy family."

He Rulan was holding a bright red candied hawthorn, her round face flushed. The girls all gathered around and called her "Sister Lan". She said to Lu Xuejin, "Lord Lu, please come with me."

Lu Xuejin followed the person upstairs. He had only ordered a few dishes and some tea for his meal. However, He Rulan had prepared the best tea and food for him, which he found unacceptable. He couldn't help but say, "You don't need to be so polite. Did you call me here because you have something to say?"

“I…” He Rulan kept looking at him with an indescribable gaze. The gift he had casually given her was carefully placed into the box by He Rulan.

With a thud, He Rulan knelt down.

"Lord Lu may not remember me. But I remember Lord Lu... Five years ago, Lord Lu came to Fengming Terrace to investigate the case of Sun Ji. At that time, Sun Ji was on duty in the court, and every time he came to the brothel, some girls would be humiliated. I was still young then... and was one of the girls who were humiliated. At that time, I felt like the sky was falling, and I just hoped that someone could take Sun Ji away. Then Lord Lu appeared. Although Lord Lu was only working for the court, he was my savior who saved me from dire straits."

“I have been guarding this place every day, hoping to see Lord Lu. For five years... Lord Lu has never set foot on Fengming Terrace again. Today, today, it must be the favor of heaven that has sent Lord Lu to me.”

Lu Xuejin immediately helped her up, and said, "You are pregnant, how can you kneel? I came here for my own selfish reasons. I heard that Xiao Qi often comes here, so I came here."

"It is my good fortune. I had just stepped into Fengming Terrace when I met Miss He. Miss He prepared a feast for me. What merit do I have to invite Miss He here?"

He Rulan's eyes involuntarily welled up with tears, transforming in an instant into the eyes of a deer in the forest. The deer swayed aimlessly in the forest, finding peace only upon seeing the Buddha altar. The young man before her was the Buddha altar that had once sheltered her. She grazed and drank before the Buddha altar, which remained silent, simply existing, yet to her it was a ray of light, dispelling the darkness of the forest.

“I will never forget Lord Lu’s kindness, no matter how small. My room is full of his articles and poems. Whenever I feel that I cannot get through the difficult times, I will always stay by those books of poems and cry. My chance encounter with General Xiao is nothing compared to the kindness Lord Lu has shown me. Lord Lu is leaving the capital... If there is anything I can do, I will do it even if it costs me my life.”

A note from the author: