Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Divorce Letter
The Liang River is rippling, and the catalpa leaf boat is floating slowly along the river.
"Whether it will sink or not, we'll know in less than a stick of incense." Jiang Hexue asked in confusion. "Why wait until tomorrow?"
Shen Qingchen squatted without moving, looking up at her quietly.
Jiang Hexue squatted down beside him, looking at the catalpa leaf boat in the river, and whispered, "It can't sink. I'm curious about his wish."
I don’t know if the catalpa leaf boat heard her words, as it continued to sway forward.
Shen Qingchen took her drooping hand into his palm, looked at it with her, and asked, "Don't you allow it?"
"My wish has come true." Jiang Hexue tilted her head, looking at him with a smile. "I hope Gan Le finds his true love. I hope he'll be reunited with his brother. I hope everything goes well for my Zhao Hua."
Shen Qingchen raised his eyebrows very lightly.
"You have to make another wish." Jiang Hexue shook his hand, asking him to pick another catalpa leaf and fold it into a leaf boat.
"I hope Shu Tan is well in heaven, and Mr. Xu San can get over his grief soon." She clasped her hands together and murmured.
Carefully placing the catalpa leaf boat into the Liang River, Jiang Hexue watched it drift along with the currents, then whispered, "Chen Zelin must pay with blood."
Shen Qingchen raised her hand and gently touched her hair: "Why didn't you allow it just now?"
"That's not a wish." Jiang Hexue looked at him, her voice soft but firm. "I must make it come true."
Shen Qingchen looked at her and nodded slightly.
The closer we got to the legendary bend, the faster the water flowed and the more violently the catalpa leaf boat rocked.
"Will it work... Hey!" Jiang Hexue was staring at the catalpa leaf boat that Shen Qingchen had launched earlier. Suddenly, she felt a cool breeze blowing. She looked back and saw that the catalpa leaf boat she launched later was accelerating with the wind and heading straight for the one in front.
When Shen Qingchen's boat reached the bend, it was already shaking unsteadily, and was hit by the small boat rushing behind it, and was pressed to the bottom.
Her catalpa leaf boat, with the help of Shen Qingchen's boat that blocked the rapids, smoothly passed the bend and drifted happily into the distance on the summer breeze.
Jiang Hexue stared in surprise until the catalpa leaf boat drifted farther and farther away, so far that she could no longer see it. Then she turned her head to look at Chen Qingchen, her red lips slightly parted and her phoenix eyes widened.
Shen Qingchen was amused by her appearance and bent his lower lip. He reached out and rubbed the top of her head: "Why is it like this?"
"My wish has come true, but yours..." Jiang Hexue looked at him regretfully. "It's all because of that gust of wind!"
Shen Qingchen brushed her hair and chuckled.
"Perhaps it's because it's not really a wish of mine," the young man's cold voice softened, carried to her ears by the summer breeze. "It must also come true."
-
After releasing two catalpa leaf boats, Jiang Hexue squatted for too long and her legs became numb, so she was carried back by Shen Qingchen.
Resting her chin on his shoulder, she rubbed his hair and chatted with him casually, her voice gradually fading.
"When we win a great victory, I want to go back to the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion..." she murmured.
Shen Qingchen said he had sent her many letters. She wondered if they were still there. She also wanted to visit the courtyard where he had lived as a child, but it seemed to have been cleared away by Jiang Tao's men.
"It would be great if I could go back to my childhood..." Jiang Hexue's eyelids grew heavier as he spoke, and in the end, his breathing became even and long.
"Asleep?" Shen Qingchen asked softly.
The girl on his back really stopped responding, only her soft arms were still around his neck, and her breath was gently brushing against his ear.
Shen Qingchen slightly exerted force on the hands that supported her thighs and walked slower and more steadily, for fear of waking her up.
Without getting in a carriage, he just carried her on his back and walked slowly under the moonlight. It seemed that time would become longer and longer.
"Actually, it's the same as you promised." After being silent all the way, Shen Qingchen finally spoke softly after putting the person gently on the couch.
"May everything go well for you and may all your wishes come true."
"Whether I'm by your side or not, whether you love me or not."
“Be peaceful and joyful, and rejoice every day.”
It was almost three o'clock in the morning, and there was still an hour and a half left before he and Xu Qingyan set out to raid the Liang army camp.
He had to go back and check the compass again.
Shen Qingchen carefully tucked her hand, which was hanging by the side of the couch, into the silk quilt, then leaned over and carefully tucked the corner of the quilt in for her.
He lowered his eyes to look at her for a while, and finally placed a very light kiss on her forehead.
Even though he tried to restrain his strength, the girl on the couch still reacted and instinctively raised her arms to hug his neck.
"Zhaohua..." Jiang Hexue murmured. "I love you."
Shen Qingchen's body suddenly froze.
After a moment, he gently touched her forehead.
He didn't know how much time had passed before he took her hand off his shoulder and carefully tucked it into the quilt.
-
Kyoto. Imperial Palace. Palace of Heavenly Purity
After the court meeting, Emperor Hengshun leaned tiredly on the dragon throne.
"Your Majesty, Concubine Liang requests an audience." Chengren observed his expression and spoke cautiously.
"What are you seeing?" Emperor Hengshun frowned. "Liang Lidu and Bei Xuan are colluding, and the news is spreading like wildfire in the capital. How can I protect you?"
"Noble Consort Liang...is here to plead for Prince Ling," Chengren said thoughtfully. "She sent a message through me, saying that Prince Ling is, after all, your heir, and that Your Majesty should reconsider the matter of Princess Yi'en."
Emperor Hengshun sighed deeply.
"I know it very well... but, he is my third son. If I convict him honestly, it would be an undue disgrace to the royal family!"
"Your Majesty, His Royal Highness Prince Gong requests an audience." Just at this moment, another eunuch came to report.
"Mingzhuo?" The irritation in Emperor Hengshun's eyes faded slightly. "Please come in."
But a moment later, Shen Zeqian, dressed in court robes, stepped in and bowed gently, saying, "Your Highness, your son greets you."
"Is Liang Yi still waiting outside?" Emperor Hengshun gestured for him to excuse himself and asked. "Kneeling?"
Shen Zeqian lowered his eyebrows and said "yes".
"What does Mingzhuo think about this?" Emperor Hengshun pressed his brows and looked at his beloved eldest son.
"I dare not question your father's decision." Shen Zeqian still spoke in his usual gentle and humble tone.
Emperor Hengshun smiled with an ambiguous smile: "Since you're here, are you going to tell me that this pile of books in your hands are all portraits of noble ladies in the capital - and you have already decided on the candidate for the principal wife?"
Shen Zeqian's movements were slightly hesitant.
"Go ahead, I want to hear Mingzhuo's opinion." Emperor Hengshun beckoned him to present the book in his hand.
"This son has recently learned of two strange things. The evidence is as follows. I hope your Majesty will review it later." Shen Zeqian did not hand it over, but spoke slowly.
"As for what Your Majesty just asked about Princess Yi'en, I personally think Rongchang is right. This person should be severely punished."
"Prince Ling and Princess Yi'en were both first citizens of the Dragon Neighborhood, and then royal relatives. Therefore, they should act according to the law."
"If we do not do this, the people may become disheartened and uneasy for the country."
"After all, no matter who we are, we only hope to live peacefully in this world. If misfortune strikes us, we should also seek to understand our past and future."
"Father is a wise ruler, lenient with taxes and levies, and he cares for the people. If he were to punish severely according to the law, everyone would know that he was putting justice above his own, and was upright and selfless. However, if he were to save Prince Ling, it would severely damage his reputation."
"They might think that no matter if it's the late emperor or you, the powerful can take human lives with impunity, and that the untouchables have no place to seek justice and can only die."
"And if you truly think this way, then you will understand that water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. The ancient saying has a good lesson, and people today should keep it in mind."
Emperor Hengshun's frown relaxed slightly.
At this moment, Shen Zeqian handed him the book in his hand, and facing his deep gaze, he spoke slowly and calmly: "Those two strange things."
"The first incident was when Prince Xiang returned to the capital with serious injuries earlier this year. It was the Liang family and Bei Xuan who colluded internally and externally to attempt to take his life."
"And the second one—"
"Your Highness Prince Ling, this may be the child of Concubine Liang and Prince Hengfeng."
-
Jiang Hexue had a nightmare.
She didn't know where she was. Looking around, she saw large patches of dark red blood mist.
Then, arrows suddenly broke through the air, and soon many arrows were fired at the same time. The noisy but inaudible noise made her ears buzz.
There were chaotic footsteps and heart-wrenching cries.
Among so many voices, she only heard one clear sentence, a familiar cold voice.
It was Shen Qingchen who asked her if she wanted to see Jiang Tao again.
But she didn't answer, the diffuse blood mist suddenly became thicker, and she smelled a pungent smell of blood.
"No!" Jiang Hexue exclaimed, sat up suddenly, and gasped for breath.
Looking beside me, I saw the bed was cold, with no sign of anyone having slept there.
"Princess?" Xuemei, who was waiting outside, came in through the curtains.
"Your Highness, aren't you staying here tonight?" Jiang Hexue asked after calming his breath.
Xuemei shook her head.
"I'm going to find him." Jiang Hexue put on her embroidered shoes. Somehow, she felt her heart beating unusually fast.
She hastily lifted her heels, grabbed a coat and put it on, and was about to step out of the tent when the night sky was illuminated by torches one after another. Several military doctors, carrying medicine boxes, rushed towards the main camp.
Jiang Hexue started chasing after him, and asked a passing soldier, "It's not even dawn yet, what happened?"
"It seems that... His Royal Highness Prince Heng'an was injured." The soldier did not recognize her and stammered.
The running military doctor had already gone far away. The rapid footsteps made Jiang Hexue's ears hurt. It took her a long time to react to the short sentence, and she ran away.
There were not many people gathered outside, only Xu Qingyan, Chen Zeyuan and Xie Junyi, as well as several capable deputy generals.
"Princess." Xu Qingyan looked up and called her.
Jiang Hexue saw his scarlet eyes, the tears in Xie Junyi's eyes, and the compass with its needle shaking in front of the frowning Shen Zeyuan.
"What's wrong with him?" she heard herself ask, her voice almost hoarse. "How serious is it?"
No one answered her, so she stepped inside. Xu Qingyan reached out to stop her, but then quickly put it down.
Jiang Hexue stepped into the inner room.
She saw the military doctors forming a semicircle around the couch, Jiang Heye giving acupuncture at the foot of the bed, and the amulet on the table that she had obtained from Anshan Temple for Shen Qingchen.
The white woolen flower was dyed dark red, and the sticky blood flowed through the red bean, dripping and spreading.
Her eyes ached, and she looked at the young man on the couch with difficulty.
His face was as pale as paper, his shirt was stained with blood and his original color could not be seen. There was a hole in his heart caused by a feather arrow.
"Aunt Imperial." Jiang Hexue was dragged out of the inner chamber by Xie Junyi, who sobbed and tried to comfort her. "Ask the military doctor to treat him properly. Uncle Imperial will be fine."
"...Before the emperor's uncle left, he told me to give this to you if anything unexpected happened." Xie Junyi blinked away her tears again and stuffed a folded piece of linen paper into her hand.
Jiang Hexue unfolded it woodenly.
The handwriting was clear and fluent, exactly the same as the one he had written on the red silk in Renshu Temple before.
But that time he wrote "We will be together forever and grow old together".
This time, the three big words at the beginning are——
Divorce letter.
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The author has something to say: Don't panic. No divorce. It's almost the end, so sweet, sweet, he should wake up in two chapters [shy]
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, babies (＞ｙ＜)
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