Chapter 63 When the rain stops and the sun shines, she will eventually…
On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, the snow cleared and the sky was sunny, a rare treat.
"Crack!"
The teacup in Xue Hongming's hand was smashed to the ground, the broken porcelain mixed with scalding tea splashing everywhere, leaving a watery stain on the ground, and steam rose up from it.
His chest heaved, his voice laced with suppressed anger: "First, they bypassed us and appointed outsiders with no connections to lead the expedition against the Northern Barbarians. Then they purged my protégés in the Ministry of War. Now, this decree is ostensibly to reorganize military affairs, but in reality, it's meant to dismantle the military power that our two families have accumulated, bone by bone!"
Xie Yi, standing to the side, frowned and slowly nodded: "His Majesty is cutting off military power again and again, trying to completely sever the foundation. If this continues, I'm afraid it won't last long."
The study was eerily quiet, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire.
Both the Xue and Xie families were military officers who had secured their positions in the court through military achievements. They had always advocated war rather than peace, and they had firmly opposed the peace talks with the Northern Barbarians. However, the emperor insisted on peace talks and sent a princess to marry the prince.
Unexpectedly, the Northern Barbarians broke their promise and were the first to break the contract and kill the princess who was to be married off, which led to the war starting again.
Xue Hongming gritted his teeth: "His Majesty should have foreseen this day long ago, when he preferred to appoint an incompetent person and let the war drag on and on rather than let Cheng Yan lead the army!"
The war on the border with the northern barbarians had dragged on for a long time, with no sign of victory in sight. The Xie family later petitioned the emperor many times to send troops into battle, but their requests were repeatedly rejected.
After the Xue Ningrong incident, the Emperor's coldness towards him became even more obvious, and he even began to settle old scores, with all former subordinates who were involved with the two families unable to escape investigation.
Today, an imperial edict was issued, blatantly stripping Xie Chengyan of all real power.
Having reached this point, the sword that had been hanging over their heads was now at their necks.
Unlike Xie Yi and Xue Hongming's indignation, Xie Chengyan, who now only held a nominal position, seemed indifferent, sitting calmly to the side without saying a word.
Xue Hongming couldn't stand his nonchalant attitude and said in a deep voice, "Chengyan, now that things have come to this, we must not lose heart. As long as he is still alive, there is still a chance to turn things around."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yi also glanced at Xie Chengyan, but unlike Xue Hongming's somewhat disappointed expression, his gaze towards Xie Chengyan carried a hint of scrutiny.
Xie Chengyan was brought back to his senses, raised his eyes, and said in a calm tone: "So, you already have a plan?"
A dark undercurrent surged in Xue Hongming's eyes. A thought pounded in his throat countless times, but he could not bring himself to say it. He unconsciously clenched his fist, and the veins on the back of his hand shone.
They remained silent for a long while.
Xie Chengyan, however, saw through his thoughts and spoke for him: "Given the current situation, if we sit and wait for death, we will likely lose everything."
His voice was calm and steady, without any inflection. He lightly rubbed his fingertips together, but his gaze toward Xue Hongming was exceptionally sharp.
The moment the words left his mouth, the air froze.
Everyone present knew what he meant by those words.
With the Empress out of favor, the Crown Prince under house arrest, and power stripped and purged, the Emperor was determined to relentlessly pressure the Xue and Xie families. If he did not sit idly by and await his doom, there was only one way to break this deadlock.
As soon as he said this, Xie Yi's gaze turned completely downward, landing on Xie Chengyan. His scrutinizing and probing intent became increasingly obvious, and his brows furrowed unconsciously, as if he were thinking about something.
Xie Chengyan met Xie Yi's gaze calmly, his eyes clear and unwavering, without offering a single word of explanation.
Unlike the undercurrents between father and son, Xue Hongming's thoughts, which had long been buried deep in his heart, were completely stirred up by Xie Chengyan's words.
His fist clenched tightly, and in the deathly silence, he finally made up his mind, but still asked Xie Yi, "What do you think?"
Xie Yi withdrew his probing gaze from Xie Chengyan and calmly turned back: "We've waited two months, and this is already the case. If we wait any longer, the next group to be us old bones will be you and me."
These words were exactly what Xue Hongming was thinking, but he still hesitated slightly about Xie Chengyan's attitude.
He had heard about Xie Chengyan's actions some time ago, so it was understandable that he harbored resentment towards Xue Shi and Xie Wenlang.
But upon closer reflection, he is also a member of the Xie family, bearing the family's reputation. Now, everyone shares the same fate, and even if there are many internal conflicts and grudges, they still need to maintain the facade together.
Moreover, he had long lost his memories before the age of seven, and had no way of knowing those past events. During this period, he seemed to be acting like a child, rebelling and throwing some tantrums.
After thinking it through, Xue Hongming let out a heavy sigh and finally blurted out the words that had been weighing on his mind: "That's right, we can't just sit here and wait to die."
In just a few words, the matter was finalized.
After the plan was finalized, Xie Chengyan did not linger and got up to take his leave.
Xie Yi spoke a few more words with Xue Hongming, and when he came out again, he could only see that tall figure about to disappear at the end of the corridor.
His lips were pressed into a straight line, and he stared solemnly for a long time. After a while, he suddenly chuckled very softly, and his low sigh dissipated in the sound of the wind passing through the hall.
"This child really does resemble me a bit like I did back then."
That night, Xie Chengyan returned to the General's Mansion and, as usual, went to see Shen Xi first.
It was late at night, and he thought she had fallen asleep long ago, but to his surprise, Shen Xi was still awake and had been waiting for him for a long time.
The chill still lingered on her body, but Shen Xi didn't care at all as she threw herself into Xie Chengyan's arms, tightly hugging his waist. Her cloak draped over his shoulders like a curtain, enveloping both of them.
Xie Chengyan was stunned for only a moment before wrapping his arms around her and letting out a long, weary sigh: "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
After working non-stop for many days, his voice was full of unconcealed fatigue.
Shen Xi felt a little guilty, but in the end she just said in a low voice, "You've been coming home later and later these days."
Hearing the complaint hidden in her tone, Xie Chengyan chuckled softly but did not explain. He gently nuzzled her cheek, lingering on this tender moment.
After a long silence, Shen Xi lifted her head from his embrace and said, "You told me before that these things could be finished before the Lantern Festival, but now there are only two days left."
Xie Chengyan met her bright eyes and repeated, "Yes, only two days left."
His voice seemed to contain a slight sigh of relief.
Shen Xi's heart skipped a beat. She wrinkled her nose and looked at his tired face. She asked softly, "Then... will my husband have time to accompany me to the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth of the first lunar month?"
Xie Chengyan paused slightly as his fingertips brushed her cheek, a hint of apology in his eyes: "I'm sorry, I must have been busy that day."
A barely perceptible glint flashed in his eyes, but unfortunately, Shen Xi didn't notice it.
She forced a smile, staring at him. For some reason, she felt a pang of sadness, yet clearly, this was the only way she could extricate herself more easily.
After a long while, Shen Xi reached out and placed his hand on Xie Chengyan's chin. There was a sudden tingling sensation under his palm, which was from the stubble that was just starting to appear on Xie's face.
She smiled and said softly, "It's alright, it's just a lantern festival. We've seen them together before."
However, not as husband and wife.
At the time, he was her fiancé's older brother.
And she was his soon-to-be sister-in-law.
Xie Chengyan followed her words and thought of last year's lantern festival. Suddenly, he realized and asked in a gentle voice, "So, why did you want to know in advance why I don't celebrate my birthday?"
Shen Xi's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she bit her lip: "How do you still remember this?"
Xie Chengyan smiled and said, "I remember everything about you clearly."
A single sentence struck his heart like a heavy blow, and an overwhelming bitterness spread through him. He swallowed hard and stared intently into those all-too-familiar eyes.
But in the end, he only asked, "Are you going to the study again?"
These days he does the same thing: after returning home, he first comes to see her, chats with her for a bit, and then goes to his study to deal with those endless chores.
Xie Chengyan knew she was changing the subject, but the transition was abrupt and not very clever.
But he didn't call her out on it, and nodded in agreement: "Yes."
Shen Xi let go of him: "It's getting late, go quickly."
Xie Chengyan didn't linger any longer. He took one last deep look at Shen Xi, then turned around, walked out the door without looking back, and stepped into the thick night.
*
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival.
Shen Xi left the mansion early in the morning. She had been going to Renfeng Hall frequently these days, so no one suspected anything.
Everything was ordinary.
As evening approached and darkness was about to fall, suddenly, a troop of light cavalry galloped through the long street. With each hooves, an unexpected imperial decree spread throughout the streets and alleys.
"A citywide curfew is imposed; no celebrations are permitted!"
Inside Renfeng Hall, Shen Xi suddenly raised his head and looked outside. The festive atmosphere of the Lantern Festival had been completely dispelled by this abrupt imperial decree.
The crowd was unaware of the reason, but they keenly sensed something was amiss from the atmosphere. A sense of unease settled in, and they hurriedly returned home.
Wen Tingmao also heard the commotion and came over: "What's going on with all this commotion?"
Shen Xi frowned, shook his head, observed for a moment, and said in a low voice, "We can't wait any longer, we must leave the city immediately."
Wen Tingmao: "You..."
Shen Xi ignored his advice and quickly went back to pack the things she had prepared. Her face darkened. "Once the city gates are closed after curfew, there will be no chance at all."
Wen Tingmao watched her hesitate, standing there stunned for a long time before finally sighing and ceasing his attempts to dissuade her.
Shen Xi had made thorough preparations for this trip. First, she changed her clothes, then left through the back door of Renfeng Hall and wandered into the alley.
In the days that followed, she and Wen Tingmao had secretly reconnoitered the route of their escape many times. Under his cover, Shen Xi shook off the guards of the General's Mansion and headed straight for the city gate.
Everything went surprisingly smoothly.
But Shen Xi couldn't care less about anything else. It was getting dark, and the lanterns hanging on both sides of the long street emitted a dim, yellowish light. The lantern festival had already ended, and there were few people on the street.
Only a troop of cavalry would patrol from time to time, dispersing any pedestrians who were still lingering outside.
Shen Xi's figure was hidden in the darkness as she hurried toward the city gate along the predetermined route. In the dead of night, she ran all the way, her heart pounding in her chest.
One after another.
It's getting increasingly urgent.
Finally, just before the city gates were locked, Shen Xi bypassed everyone and rushed out of the city.
Outside the city, preparations were already in place, with Wangyou leading her horse to meet them.
Shen Xi dared not linger. She glanced quickly behind her and saw that the guards searching for her were already walking towards her.
She immediately mounted the horse, spurred it on, and galloped away like an arrow released from a bow.
They pressed onward without stopping.
The cold night wind lashed against her face like a knife, and Shen Xi squinted. The slight stinging sensation made her feel incredibly excited, a mix of tension and exhilaration.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, she finally escaped from that cage.
From that moment on, the world was vast and boundless; she would never return.
The slender, thin figure walked further and further away into the darkness of the night, stubbornly refusing to look back, showing no regret.
On the city wall, Xie Chengyan stared in the direction she had gone, unwilling to look away for a long time, until she could no longer be seen.
The guards standing guard at the city stood trembling to one side, bowing their heads: "General, as you ordered, the man has been released."
Suddenly, he twitched his lips.
Shen Xi, his wife.
He knew she was unrestrained, and that he was merely a temporary shelter for her, unable to imprison a lark of such free nature.
She will leave sooner or later once the rain stops and the weather clears up.
Xie Chengyan's eyes were dark, as if they were stained with the night, the last glimmer of light swallowed by darkness, unable to penetrate the moonlight.
He raised his palm and pressed it lightly against his chest.
There, his last thoughts were protected.
Without hesitation, he turned around and gave the order in a stern voice.
"Close the city gates."
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