Chapter 20 Winter Solstice Suddenly, he longed to see her again.
That night, Xie Chengyan left soon after, never to see the moon set and the sun rise again.
He inevitably became busy and stopped paying attention to what happened to his sister-in-law.
Two days later, Xie Wenlang rushed into the general's mansion in a panic and stopped him: "Brother! Brother, please help me! Xi'er is missing! I can't find her anywhere! I don't trust the family, so I had no choice but to come to you..."
Xie Chengyan was unaware of how things had developed to this point, but he still stopped what he was doing and helped Xie Wenlang search.
Finally, he found the figure by the cliff outside the city.
Her red dress fluttered in the wind, her sleeves billowing, with a towering cliff behind her.
When she saw him arrive, she smiled gently: "Brother, we meet again."
Xie Chengyan's face was ashen: "Come back."
Shen Xi ignored him and took another half step back to the edge of the cliff, a rare stubbornness showing on her delicate face: "The moon was beautiful that night."
"obedient."
Xie Chengyan reached out a hand to her and stepped closer.
Sensing his intention, Shen Xi's lips curled slightly as she continued to retreat, standing completely on the edge of the cliff, half of her skirt hanging in the air.
She glanced at him one last time and murmured a sentence.
Xie Chengyan didn't hear clearly, and before he could ask, the red figure in his eyes suddenly leaped down.
A fierce wind whipped the red garment, making it resemble a flag, before it disappeared into the clouds.
In an instant, he rushed forward, his fingertips barely touching the cool edge of the sleeve before it slid across his palm.
The red figure completely disappeared from sight, and the wind howled past the edge of the cliff, passing through the empty fingers.
He couldn't stop her; he was just a hair's breadth away.
Xie Chengyan felt his heart sink, and suddenly woke up, breaking out in a cold sweat, unsure whether it was from a dream or from being drunk.
Outside the window, the sky was faintly turning white, and he looked down at his empty fingers.
Suddenly, he longed to see her again.
*
On the winter solstice, the dark clouds that had shrouded the capital for several days finally dissipated, and a rare warm sun peeked out from the horizon, its golden rays slanting down as the winter snow gradually melted.
On this day, the Emperor hosted a banquet for all officials at Yangshan outside the capital. Considering it was the Winter Solstice, he specially granted permission for all officials to bring their families to the banquet.
The Shen family also received the imperial decree and began their preparations before dawn.
On the day of departure, Shen Xi, with Qing Qiu's help, limped onto the carriage.
That day, she didn't kneel for the full two hours. She had only knelt halfway when her father, Shen Guangjun, somehow got wind of it and rushed back to the mansion, interrupting this unreasonable punishment.
However, Shen Xi still fell ill because of this. After kneeling in the snow for so long, it took her ten days to recover before she could walk properly.
Her legs were not fully healed, and she still felt a dull ache when she walked. As Shen Xi walked from her room to the carriage outside the mansion, she was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat in just a few steps.
Fortunately, Qingqiu was thoughtful and had prepared a soft blanket in the carriage. Her legs couldn't stand the cold anymore, and the cold felt like being pricked by needles.
The carriages and horses waited quietly outside the mansion. Shen Xi came out early, while Jiang and the others were still busy packing. She could only wait in the carriage, feeling bored.
Gently rubbing her knees to relieve the pain, her gaze unconsciously drifted to the window. The winter morning mist had not yet dissipated, enveloping the entire capital city in a hazy shadow. It was not yet time for the market to open, and there were few pedestrians on the road.
Suddenly, Shen Xi paused, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
Among the scattered pedestrians, she keenly noticed a gaze with an extremely strong presence, which had been staring at her without moving an inch since she stepped out of the Shen Mansion.
Shen Xi casually shifted her gaze toward the source of the problem.
Unexpectedly, she saw a pair of old, cloudy eyes staring straight at her with a probing look.
The owner of those eyes must have been over fifty years old, with graying temples. His gaze was sharp and fixed on her, motionless, as if trying to discern something.
Beside the old woman was a child who looked no more than ten years old. Shen Xi silently withdrew her gaze and searched her memory for a long time, but she did not recognize the old and young couple in front of her.
After a while, seeing that the old man still showed no sign of leaving, Shen Xi was really puzzled and signaled Qing Qiu to go and invite him over.
"Sir, do you know me?"
Upon hearing Shen Xi speak, the old man seemed to snap out of his daze, shaking his head and saying, "We have never met before, I apologize for my abruptness."
Upon getting closer, Shen Xi realized that although the man was old, he was in good spirits and had a faint herbal fragrance about him, as if he had been absorbing it over the years.
Just then, the old man's gaze fell on her knees: "I noticed earlier that you were having difficulty walking, young lady. Is there something wrong with your legs?"
Shen Xi didn't hide anything: "I caught a chill in the snow a few days ago and haven't fully recovered yet, please excuse me."
Upon hearing this, the old man hesitated for a moment, then instructed the young boy beside him to take out paper and pen from the box behind him. Ignoring the strange looks around him, the boy immediately wrote out a prescription and handed it over.
"Follow this prescription to obtain the medicine, and take a medicinal bath with it every day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Soak your feet for half a month to completely remove the cold."
Shen Xi didn't take it, looking at him with increasing confusion.
The old man seemed to realize his offense and said awkwardly, "I know a little about traditional Chinese medicine. If you don't believe me, you can take the medicine to a trusted doctor to confirm it first."
He paused, then continued, "When cold enters the body, it's no ordinary illness, especially since it's in the knees. If it's not treated properly and develops into a chronic condition, at the very least, these legs will suffer unbearable pain whenever it's rainy. At worst, it's entirely possible that one will never be able to walk freely again."
His words were full of concern and did not seem to have any ill intentions, but Shen Xi's doubts were not dispelled.
The two were complete strangers. Would someone really be so kind as to wait outside the Shen residence early in the morning just to deliver a prescription to her?
Shen Xi didn't believe it, but in the end, she didn't reject the other party's kindness and gladly accepted it.
"In that case, thank you very much. Is there anything I can do to help you, sir?"
No one gets up early without a reason, and Shen Xi wouldn't accept favors for nothing. Naturally, he regarded the prescription as a stepping stone for the other party.
But before he could finish speaking, the old man suddenly took two steps back, looking flustered. Without looking back, he hurriedly left with the boy beside him, as if he were hiding from something, without leaving a single word.
Shen Xi was puzzled, but before she could call out to them, Shen Guangjun and Jiang Shi had already come out of the mansion.
"Now that everything is ready, let's set off as soon as possible."
Shen Guangjun glanced at the Shen family's carriages and horses, and then spoke.
Shen Xi ultimately didn't have time to figure out what the old man was up to.
Seeing the Shen family leave, Wen Tingmao finally breathed a sigh of relief, staring at the direction the carriage had gone for a long time.
The little boy beside him was attracted by the aroma of food from the market, but seeing that he was reluctant to leave, he inevitably threw a tantrum.
“Master, who was that girl just now? She's so ignorant, even doubting the prescription you gave her. She doesn't know what's good for her.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Tingmao glared at him, puffing out his beard: "Don't talk nonsense."
"Why can't I say it? I'm going to say it anyway!" The boy had been traveling for several days straight, and before they even reached the capital, his master, instead of resting, had come and squatted in front of someone else's door all morning.
"Who exactly is she?"
Wen Tingmao looked into the distance and saw that the Shen family's carriages and horses had disappeared into the morning mist, leaving only a wisp of smoke.
After a long while, he sighed deeply.
"The daughter of an old friend, they look so alike."
*
Chengyang Mountain is located not far from the outskirts of the capital. Yuqing Garden is built on the mountainside amidst the rolling hills. It is the most beloved royal villa of the current emperor. The mountain peaks are in harmony, and the scenery is exquisite.
When the Shen family arrived, they happened to encounter the Duke's carriages.
Xie Wenlang had been released from confinement ahead of schedule and was in high spirits today. When he saw Shen Xi getting off the carriage, he became even happier. Taking advantage of the Duke of Wei's inattention, he slipped aside and secretly hid in the crowd to talk to Shen Xi.
"Xi'er, I thought you wouldn't come. I was planning to go to the Shen residence to find you after the banquet, but now I've run into you here ahead of time."
The women of the Shen family walked together, and Shen Xi's younger sister, Shen Wan, happened to be next to her. Upon hearing this, before Shen Xi could say anything, she spoke up: "Whether you come or not is not up to you, sister. I heard from brother that the emperor decreed that all officials' families must attend together in order to be considered a reunion."
Xie Wenlang nodded thoughtfully: "No wonder Father was willing to let me out early; it turns out it was because of His Majesty's influence."
Shen Xi laughed: "If you can fight less in the future, you can travel freely without taking advantage of others. But come to think of it, why have I never heard of any deep hatred between you and Gao Yinian before? What made you so angry?"
Meeting Chen Xi's puzzled gaze, Xie Wenlang finally realized that his brother had kept the truth from him. He was grateful and didn't want Xi'er to be involved in such sordid matters. His Xi'er should be carefree.
So he gave a vague answer and brushed it off: "I've always disliked him, and I probably had a few drinks that day and couldn't help myself. I'm so grateful to my older brother for being there these days, otherwise I wouldn't know how to get the letter to you."
Xie Chengyan.
Upon hearing his name mentioned, Shen Xi paused slightly, enduring the dull pain in her knees. She subconsciously looked up and, with almost no effort, spotted the familiar figure among the group of dignitaries.
Tall and elegant, he wore a dark blue robe embroidered with gold and bound at the waist with a jade belt that accentuated his slender waist. Wherever he went, officials and their families would fawn over him with bowed heads, but he simply walked by casually, as if he were a solitary peak rising into the clouds.
His sharp and imposing presence would stand out even if he casually disappeared into a crowd.
He was a close minister of the emperor, deeply favored by the emperor, accompanying him on his journeys, and admired by many. He had no idea who she was.
After a moment, Shen Xi consciously withdrew her gaze.
Actually, she didn't resent Xie Chengyan. The two of them weren't very familiar with each other. The fact that he was willing to show her some courtesy was just because she was in the position of a sister-in-law.
The two of them should indeed not associate too closely; all her past actions were overstepping her bounds.
"Xi'er, Xi'er? You don't look well, are you feeling unwell?"
Called by Xie Wenlang, Shen Xi snapped out of her reverie and chuckled, "I just didn't sleep very well last night, it's nothing."
Xie Wenlang didn't believe him and nervously reached out to grab Chen Xi's wrist: "If you feel unwell, you must tell me. Don't suffer in silence..."
Before he could make a move, a hand suddenly appeared in front of him, separating him from Shen Xi.
Xie Wenlang was displeased and looked up, only to find that the person was actually Shen Xi's older brother, Shen Wangchen.
The young Hanlin official was refined and gentle, and his voice was like a spring breeze: "Second Young Master, there are many people and many eyes at the palace banquet. Please understand my sister's reputation."
Xie Wenlang was always cautious about Shen Xi's affairs. He readily said goodbye to Shen Xi and then slipped back to the Duke of Wei's side.
But Shen Xi knew Shen Wangchen's true thoughts perfectly well. She continued walking forward without looking to the side, only uttering two cold words as she brushed past him: "Hypocrisy."
Beneath the wide sleeves, Shen Wangchen's palms tightened involuntarily.
Outside Yuqing Palace, Prince Tan arrived late. He was only able to attend this grand event because the emperor remembered their past brotherhood and summoned him to the capital early to celebrate the New Year.
He wasn't in a hurry to go in. He stood with his hands behind his back behind the pillars of the outer corridor. The decorative curtains swayed gently in the wind, and his gaze was fixed on the interior of the main hall.
The hall was slightly divided by cloud-shaped screens, and the officials and their wives sat at separate tables, oblivious to what was about to happen, each enjoying their own lively activities.
“No wonder it has to wait until today. The late emperor built the Yuqing Palace on Chengyang Mountain precisely because of its strategic location, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack.” Tan Wang said to his retainer in a low voice, but his words could not hide his sarcasm. “It can defend against external enemies, but unexpectedly, internal strife will arise. At that time, even if the city defense camp is willing to save the emperor, it will be difficult to take the city.”
The retainer understood and gave a slight bow: "It's a pity that even the wisest can make a mistake. No matter how ingenious the plan was, it still ended up losing to the prince."
King Tan scoffed, "A wise man? I had overestimated the Crown Prince. He's so restless. Even with the support of the Xue and Xie families, he's nothing special. As for Xie Chengyan... he's all talk and no action, a real failure."
"Now that he's been brought here, if I don't take this opportunity to teach my good nephew a lesson, wouldn't I, as his uncle, be too stingy with my teachings?"
"Your Highness is right."
Tan Wang straightened his sleeves, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes: "Is everything prepared?"
"Your Highness, rest assured, we have already had it added to the incense burner and are just waiting for the right moment."
"Very good."
After speaking, Prince Tan slowly stepped into the main hall.
A gust of cold wind swept by, the curtains swayed, and a figure was just hidden away.
Watching Prince Tan walk step by step into the designated position, Xie Chengyan then emerged from the shadows, his face calm and expressionless.
Taking the opportunity, he glanced at the guests in the hall. Everywhere his gaze swept, he saw a variety of expressions, but one slender and stubborn figure was missing.
Xie Chengyan's eyes darkened subconsciously.
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