Chapter 54: "I love him, and I think this is the right path for us now."
Bright sunlight filtered through the sparse branches and leaves in the courtyard, casting shimmering shadows on the bluestone path. Two figures hurried along the mansion's path.
As Cuizhu followed closely behind Yun Sheng, she hurriedly reported, "This morning before dawn, His Highness went to Huifeng Pavilion to practice his sword. For some reason, the Third Young Master also went there. At first, they said they were just sparring, but later the commotion grew louder and louder. They were clashing with swords, and the sounds were terrifying. The guards who knew martial arts said that the moves were not ordinary sparring at all. Both masters were really fighting, and every move was ruthless and showed no mercy. If they continued fighting, something bad might happen, so they quickly sent me to invite you."
Yun Sheng continued walking, her brows furrowed: "Have you informed the Prince and Princess?"
"The Prince and Princess went to Puji Temple outside the city to pray for blessings early this morning and have not yet returned. We can only ask you first, Princess Consort, should we immediately send someone by fast horse to the temple to report?"
After a moment's thought, Yun Sheng said, "Let's go and see what's going on first."
As they spoke, they passed through two moon gates and approached the martial arts arena where Huifeng Pavilion was located.
Before anyone could be seen, the sound of metal clashing could be heard, extremely intense, seemingly even more tense than the situation described by Cuizhu.
Yun Sheng quickly turned around the artificial hill, and the sight before her made her gasp.
On the wide stone platform in front of Huifeng Pavilion, two figures were locked in a fierce battle, their swords flashing and drawing dangerous arcs.
Xiao Xu had his back to her, so all she could see was his clothes clinging to his back and the muscles in his sword-wielding arm bulging. She couldn't tell what was on his face or in front of him.
Xiao Ling was facing her, his dark hair sticking messily to his sweaty forehead, his mouth cracked and bleeding, and the sleeve of his left arm was torn, with blood showing through.
A number of servants and guards surrounded them from a distance, all of them pale-faced and clenching their fists, but none of them dared to take a step forward.
Just as Yun Sheng took in the situation and stepped onto the edge of the training ground...
Perhaps hearing the commotion, Xiao Ling's gaze shifted slightly, and he caught a glimpse of a figure outside the arena.
He was distracted for a moment.
Xiao Xu's eyes flashed with shrewdness. Seizing this momentary opening, he didn't use his sword, but instead delivered a powerful side kick that landed heavily on Xiao Ling's chest.
Xiao Ling was kicked off the ground and flew backward, crashing hard against the edge of the stone platform. He then tumbled down two stone steps and fell onto the hard mud.
He curled up, letting out a painful groan, and the long sword in his hand flew far away with a clang.
"Xiao Ling!"
Yun Sheng's pupils constricted, she cried out in alarm, lifted her skirt and ran quickly toward Xiao Ling.
Xiao Xugang had just regained his footing when he heard the sound and turned around in surprise.
His knuckles, gripping the sword so tightly they turned bluish-white, stood rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed intently on Yun Sheng's approaching figure.
The surrounding servants swarmed over upon seeing this.
Yun Sheng's breathing became uneven and her heart raced, but she suddenly stopped in her tracks when she saw the servants surrounding Xiao Ling.
She stood at the foot of the stone platform and slowly turned her head, craning her neck to meet Xiao Xu's gaze looking down at her from above.
Standing alone on the high platform, he should have the air of an arrogant victor.
But his face was somber, and his expression was complex.
Yun Sheng's heart tightened. She lifted her skirt and quickly stepped onto the steps beside the stone platform.
Xiao Xu was slightly taken aback, then realized what was happening, sheathed his sword, and strode toward her.
Yun Sheng was walking too fast, and with her last step she tripped on the edge of the steps and almost fell.
Xiao Xu immediately reached out and grabbed her.
Yun Sheng staggered two steps after climbing the stone platform and came to Xiao Xu's side.
While he was holding her arm, she quickly looked him up and down.
Are you injured?
Yun Sheng asked softly, her gaze constantly shifting.
The not-too-intense autumn sun fell on him, and sweat soaked through his clothes, clinging tightly to his bulging chest, rising and falling heavily and slowly with his still-breathing breaths.
His breath was deep and heavy, carrying the heat of intense exercise. A few drops of sweat slid down his sharp jawline, landing on his clothes and spreading into deeper stains.
The hand gripping the sword hilt had distinct knuckles and clearly visible veins, maintaining a posture ready to unleash a burst of power at any moment.
She didn't hear Xiao Xu's reply, nor could she see any injuries on his body.
She looked up and saw Xiao Xu staring straight at her with his eyes slightly lowered.
Yun Sheng frowned, recovering from her tension, and said in an unpleasant tone, "I'm asking you a question."
"No."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Xu regretted it.
He was about to change his mind and say it hurt, but before he could figure out where it hurt, Yun Sheng grabbed his wrist and pulled him off the stone platform.
Yun Sheng then walked back towards Xiao Ling.
The servants who had gathered around dispersed, and Xiao Ling was helped to his feet.
The two people blocking his view stepped aside to make way, and he looked up to see the couple walking towards him hand in hand.
A glint flashed in his eyes, and he lowered his gaze.
He and Xiao Xu sparred for a long time, but neither could gain the upper hand.
He knew that in the end he might not be able to defeat his elder brother, who would either find a weakness or exhaust his strength.
But it will never be such an embarrassing defeat as it was just now.
Xiao Ling, with his head down, seemed to be able to feel Yun Sheng's gaze directed at him.
He felt somewhat embarrassed, resentful, and annoyed.
"He's badly injured." It wasn't until they heard Yun Sheng gasp for breath.
Xiao Ling raised his head and first saw Xiao Xu casually glance at the crack on his arm, and then he saw Yun Sheng urgently giving instructions.
"Summon the doctor. Hmm, go to Huifeng Pavilion and help the Third Young Master inside."
The servants, having received their orders, immediately sprang into action.
Xiao Ling couldn't describe how she felt at that moment. She raised her hand and waved away the servants who came to help her, saying, "I can walk by myself."
As the crowd gathered there dispersed, Yun Sheng prepared to step into the house.
Just as she was about to take a step forward, a sudden pulling force from behind pulled her back.
She turned around and saw Xiao Xu staring at her with a stern face.
Yun Sheng said, "He's injured. We can't just ignore him. Let's go and wait for the doctor to come and see him first."
At this point, Yun Sheng was still a little worried. Taking advantage of the fact that the servants around had gone far away, she stepped forward and reached out to touch Xiao Xu's chest and abdomen.
Xiao Xu's waist tightened, and he grabbed her wrist with his other hand: "What are you touching?"
"Are you really not hurt? Don't lie to me."
Yun Sheng stood there, looking up at him with a worried expression.
At this point, Xiao Xu could say what he had just wanted to change his mind about.
But then I thought about it again.
What's the need?
Xiao Xu pinched Yun Sheng's fingertips and held them in his palm: "No, his skills are not enough to hurt me."
Yun Sheng paused for a moment, then blinked at Xiao Xu.
Even though his expression remained unchanged, she couldn't help but feel that he had just displayed a hint of arrogance.
Just then, Mu Shan rushed in from outside Huifeng Pavilion.
Upon hearing the sound, Yun Sheng looked over and realized that Mu Shan was not there during the tense situation just now.
Mu Shan approached, quickly calmed his breathing, and respectfully bowed to Yun Sheng.
Then he said to Xiao Xu, "Your Highness, His Majesty has urgently summoned you to the palace for an audience."
He lowered his head and didn't get a response for a long time. He couldn't help but raise his head and saw that Xiao Xu's brows were furrowed and his eyes were fixed on Yun Sheng with a sullen face.
Yun Sheng was stunned and didn't react much for a moment.
But the emperor summoned him urgently, leaving no time for delay. Mu Shan had no choice but to bite the bullet and report again: "Your Highness, His Majesty summons you to the palace immediately."
Yun Sheng snapped out of her daze and pulled one hand away from Xiao Xu's: "You should go quickly, don't delay."
Xiao Xu looked at her intently: "Are you going in to keep him company?"
Yun Sheng corrected his wording: "I'll go check on his injuries and hear what the doctor has to say. If there's nothing serious, I'll go back to the East Courtyard later."
Xiao Xu paused for a moment, then said, "Okay, go back and wait for me. I'll be back as soon as I'm done."
Yun Sheng nodded obediently, and Xiao Xu finally let go of her hand completely. Before leaving, he glanced at her a few more times before turning around and striding away.
As soon as Xiao Xu left, Yun Sheng headed towards the main hall of Huifeng Pavilion.
Upon arriving at the door, Cuizhu reported, "Your Highness, Doctor Liu has arrived and is treating the Third Young Master's injuries inside the house."
Yun Sheng nodded slightly and walked straight in.
After going around the screen, she saw Xiao Ling sitting at the table with one sleeve rolled up, having his wound treated by Doctor Liu.
Xiao Ling looked at her upon hearing the sound.
But as Yun Sheng approached, her gaze only fell on the wound on his forearm.
The basin of water beside him was stained red with the cotton cloth used to wipe away the blood. The wound on his arm was clearly marked, a long cut, but it didn't look too deep.
Perhaps because she had seen the deep, long, and truly deadly wound on Xiao Xu's waist before, Yun Sheng remained relatively calm and was not frightened when she saw Xiao Ling's wound.
But even so, her skin was torn and blood was flowing freely. She couldn't help but think to herself, "These two are really too reckless."
After bandaging Xiao Ling's wound, Doctor Liu bowed to Yun Sheng and said, "Princess Consort, the Third Young Master's injury has been treated. The wound is not deep, but because he continued to strain his arm muscles after the injury, he bled too much and the wound has reopened a bit. With regular dressing changes and proper rest, he will gradually heal."
Yun Sheng nodded and asked softly, "Are you injured anywhere else?"
Before Doctor Liu could answer, Xiao Ling said first, "No, that's all."
Yun Sheng thought for a moment and said, "He just fell off the stone platform and was kicked here. I don't know what happened inside..."
"I'm fine, I'm not hurt," Xiao Ling suddenly interrupted her, raising his voice slightly.
Yun Sheng turned to look at him and saw that the young man's brows were furrowed and the corners of his eyes were slightly red.
She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright."
Unlike before, Doctor Liu did not leave behind the pre-assigned medicine kit. Since this was not Xiao Ling's courtyard, and Xiao Ling had not instructed him to apply the medicine himself, Doctor Liu simply treated the wound here first and would go back to change Xiao Ling's dressing later.
The injuries have been treated, and there's nothing else to do.
Yun Sheng glanced at Xiao Ling silently.
The young man and the woman who caught a glimpse of him behind the artificial hill two years ago haven't changed much.
Even though his hair was slightly disheveled, his left arm was wrapped in gauze and he looked a bit disheveled, and his face had minor injuries, it did not diminish his extraordinary handsome appearance.
To her surprise, she was much calmer than she had imagined when she actually faced Xiao Ling.
Unlike yesterday when she was with Xiao Xu and the others in the Prince Zhao's mansion, now that she was alone with him in a room and learned that his injuries were not serious, her heart calmed down completely, and there were no other waves in her heart.
She quietly raised her hand to touch her chest. Although she was certain of the feeling, it still felt strange and was a state she had never expected.
After putting her hands down, Yun Sheng did not intend to stay any longer and was about to speak.
Xiao Ling, who had been keeping her eyes down, suddenly looked up and asked before she could speak, "Back then, did you know it was me?"
Yun Sheng was taken aback by his question: "What?"
"Did you recognize me in the cave?"
"What cave... wait, you mean, Wangzhou?"
Xiao Ling frowned upon hearing this and remained silent for a moment.
Judging from Yun Sheng's reaction, it seems that he was unaware not only then, but still is unaware now.
Sure enough, she then said in surprise, "The man who saved me in Wangzhou back then was you."
“It’s me.” Xiao Ling looked at her wide-eyed surprise and said in a deep, hoarse voice, “My brother didn’t tell you.”
He was speaking in a declarative sentence.
Judging from Yun Sheng's increasingly confused expression, his statement was correct; Xiao Xu indeed hadn't told her.
Thinking of this, Xiao Ling lowered his eyes and scoffed softly.
That makes sense. Why would Xiao Xu tell her something like this? He probably wished she would never know.
However, he brought it up at this time not to expose Xiao Xu's concealment.
He was just... feeling very down.
That day, while he was in a teahouse outside Wangzhou City pondering how to ask the girl in front of him more questions, he keenly noticed a figure that looked like his elder brother flashing past the window for a moment.
During that period, he was constantly on the run from his family, sometimes seemingly for fun, sometimes out of competitiveness, but ultimately he didn't want to be caught.
Upon seeing this, he didn't have time to think it through and quickly left.
As he left the teahouse, he indeed saw his elder brother riding up on horseback.
Looking back now, he realizes how foolish he was to not realize that his elder brother had come to capture him, but rather for the woman in the teahouse who claimed to already have a husband.
Not long after he left the teahouse, he was captured by his elder brother's men.
He tried to escape as before, but then he realized that his elder brother hadn't really meant it before. When his brother finally tried to subdue him, he didn't have a chance to resist and was taken back to the capital.
Many details have now been answered one by one.
He ran away from the marriage, and his elder brother married his fiancée.
But why Yun Sheng?
Why was the woman he rescued on the outskirts of Wangzhou Yun Sheng?
On his way back to the capital, he tried to comfort himself, thinking that since Miss Xu was also from the capital, she would eventually return, and he should be able to easily find out about her there.
The idea of falling in love at first sight was unfamiliar to Xiao Ling. He didn't know what kind of feeling it was. He only knew that ever since they met that day, he would think of her from time to time.
I think of her beautiful face, her gentle voice, and her lovely expression.
He also thought that perhaps after returning to the capital, he should formally and genuinely get to know her again.
As for anything else, he didn't have time to think about it before things took a turn for the worse, like a bolt from the blue.
The woman he fell in love with turned out to be his capricious and abandoned fiancée, who is now his sister-in-law and married to his elder brother.
At this moment, Yun Sheng spoke after a moment of silence: "Yes, he hasn't told me about this yet, but I know now."
Xiao Ling saw Yun Sheng and said seriously, "Thank you for saving me that day. Chang Yu... gave you a reward, right?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling felt a lump in his throat, then laughed in exasperation, as if mocking himself.
Yun Sheng didn't know what he was laughing at, but she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. She realized that the two brothers had just fought each other, so there was no reward to speak of.
Even if a fight didn't break out, it seems strange for brothers to talk about such a small amount of compensation.
But Xiao Ling said, "I already gave it to him. Before he sent me away, my elder brother gave me a bag of silver."
"real?"
"Hmm." Xiao Ling responded calmly, seeing Yun Sheng breathe a slight sigh of relief.
At that time, he found it strange that Xiao Xu had tied him up and put him on the carriage. After leaving the city, he was untied, but several people guarded him tightly. Was the purpose of giving him such a large bag of silver to make him look at it but not be able to spend it, and to make him suffer in silence?
Even now, that bag of silver remains in his unopened baggage in his room.
It turned out that it was Xiao Xu's payment on behalf of his wife for saving him.
Xiao Ling smiled self-deprecatingly, though no sound came out, her heart was already bubbling with bitterness.
Xiao Ling sat at the table, gazing at the woman before him.
These days, this face often appears in his dreams, becoming more and more blurry with the passage of time, until it appears clearly and realistically before him now, but in a different identity that is unfamiliar to him.
As his past knowledge of Yun Sheng resurfaced, he began to feel lost.
How could this happen?
Yun Sheng met his gaze, and suddenly remembered something from his expression, her delicate brows furrowing.
After a moment, she finally couldn't help but ask, "The person you were talking about back then, was it me?"
Seeing Yun Sheng's reaction, Xiao Ling finally understood the reason for the sense of disconnect.
Although he didn't know much about the woman named Xu Nan, recalling their brief day together, he couldn't connect her with anything he had heard about her in the past.
What he confided to Yun Sheng that day was only the tip of the iceberg of what he had heard over a long period of time; there was much more to it, about her family, about her.
But if those were truly things that happened in Yun Sheng's family, she wouldn't have reacted so ignorantly at the time.
Her attitude, her brother, and the conspiracies and schemes within her family.
Xiao Ling looked into Yun Sheng's clear eyes. He remembered that when he rode his horse out of the jungle, he saw just such eyes.
He remembered it for a long time; the first thing that appeared in his dreams was always a pair of bright eyes like that.
Xiao Ling's throat was dry as he said, "It's you."
"You... talking nonsense!" Yun Sheng immediately raised her voice.
When she listened to him say those things, it was like listening to a stranger's story; none of it connected to her own experiences.
But after scolding him, she remembered what Xiao Ling had said at the time: that all of this was told to him by people around him.
Yun Sheng murmured, "You left the capital because of those words."
She didn't even want to say the word "runaway marriage".
“…I’m sorry.” Xiao Ling’s thoughts were in turmoil, but he thought he might have really made a mistake.
He slowly said again, "I'm sorry."
“I didn’t expect what the truth was, but I think I made a mistake, and I apologize to you.”
Nobody listened to him back then.
At first, he said he didn't want to get married, but his father scolded him, saying he was talking nonsense and the marriage was already arranged.
Later he said there might be a problem with the marriage, but his mother said, "What problem could there be? The Yun family has such a wonderful girl, this marriage is perfect."
Perhaps because his attitude wasn't firm, his family didn't take it to heart.
But he himself wasn't sure whether what he heard was true or false, or how tough it was.
As the wedding date drew closer, he heard more and more of the various rumors circulating about him.
He could no longer recall whether what had driven him to mount the horse was a sudden impulse or the suppression of his long-standing chaotic thoughts.
But he did make a mistake after all.
A moment later.
"Yes, I accept your apology." Yun Sheng's gentle voice cut through his chaotic thoughts and entered his ears clearly.
At this moment, Yun Sheng finally learned the whole story behind Xiao Ling's elopement.
She couldn't tell whether she resented him or understood him.
For those two years, she always heard from others how outstanding this man was, how prestigious the Zhao Prince's family was, and how this was an excellent marriage, a perfect match made in heaven.
She then developed beautiful fantasies about Xiao Ling, experiencing the stirrings of first love, and gradually came to regard this imagination as real affection.
Xiao Ling had been subjected to harsh words for a long time, so it was understandable that he would despise the marriage.
Yun Sheng was not a strong-willed person to begin with, and even without Xiao Xu, she probably wouldn't have been able to retaliate in any ruthless or vicious way.
At the beginning, Xiao Xu barged into her world, leaving her no chance to grieve or suffer for Xiao Ling's elopement, nor to think about what punishment she would make him suffer or how he would atone for his sins if she found him.
The past is past, and she has already moved forward. She should have come a long way on this path and has a clear direction now, so why dwell on the past?
Xiao Ling paused slightly, then looked at her calmly and said, "This matter is over for me. I accept your apology, but you still need to apologize to my father, mother, and my family. They have been very worried and anxious about your actions these past few days, and things almost turned out irreparably."
Xiao Lingyuan was not as calm as Yun Sheng; these events were a huge shock to him.
"You mean by 'save' me by marrying my older brother?"
"I originally thought so."
Yun Sheng said, "But later I thought that this might not be a way to salvage the situation, but rather a way to get back on track."
That was a wrong start from the beginning, and neither she nor Xiao Ling thought of verifying it.
She did not confirm who the man she met at the Lotus Banquet was, nor did Xiao Ling confirm whether the woman others said was not a good match was actually like that.
Some things seem to be ordained by fate.
Xiao Ling's breathing faltered, and only after listening to her finish did she let out a long, heavy sigh.
"I will find out what really happened."
Yun Sheng glanced at his arm: "Yes, it should be investigated."
"You and my older brother, your marriage..."
Yun Sheng felt that she shouldn't stay any longer; she felt like she had been talking to Xiao Ling here for a long time.
Everything that needed to be said has been said. Xiao Xu should be back from the palace by now.
For some reason, she suddenly felt a strong urge to see him.
Yun Sheng turned slightly to the side, already showing signs of leaving.
She lowered her eyes and said, "Yes, we are already married."
Xiao Ling stood up, wanting to reach out, but unsure what he could do with his hand.
The voice that spoke was tinged with helplessness: "Yun Sheng..."
He was easily silenced by Yun Sheng's gentle voice.
“I love him, and I think this is the right path for us now.”
After Yun Sheng finished speaking, she turned around and raised her head.
A tall and slender figure appeared in front of the hall entrance at some unknown time.
Xiao Xu stood there, staring intently at her.
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[Dog head emoji] Xiao Xu said that we won a battle today, so he's giving out red envelopes to everyone.
Leave a comment below this chapter and one of 30 red envelopes will be randomly given away!
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