Chapter 84: The Ending of the Red Makeup
In March, another Qujiang Banquet.
The newly-minted scholars sat by the river, drinking wine and chatting. Many of them stretched their necks to look around, their faces full of anticipation of becoming officials in the court.
"I heard that at the Qujiang Banquet last year, the newly crowned number one scholar was murdered and transformed into a monster, haunting the capital. Luckily, the Great General and the Regent took action to capture him, otherwise the capital would be in turmoil."
A young man looked at everyone with wide eyes, and his expression was exaggerated when he spoke. He described the story of the top scholar turning into a monster in vivid detail, as if he had experienced it himself.
"Is the great general guarding the country Miss Luo?" someone asked.
"And still calling her Madam Luo? The Sage has already decreed the marriage between the Grand General and the Regent. We all have to respectfully address her as the Regent Princess," another person patted the questioner's head. "Of course, I think Madam Luo should be called the Grand General rather than the Regent Princess."
After the words were spoken, no one present refuted them.
General Luo Qingling, the guardian of the country, crossed the sea alone and sneaked into the palace of the State of Liuqiu to obtain evidence that the traitorous Song father and son were plotting to murder the crown prince and selling out their country for personal gain. He then sacrificed his life to suppress the demon and preserve the safety of hundreds of cities in the south of the Yangtze River. Now, he has long been worshipped in temples built for him by the people.
"After the general died, where did the regent go..." Someone whispered in the corner, but was interrupted by the voice of Eunuch Zhao not far away.
"The Crown Prince has arrived—"
Everyone stood up and saluted. A figure in yellow walked in from outside the Begonia Gate. It was Qin Jici, the prince's son who had recently entered the East Palace.
Because the Empress had suffered a serious illness after the Lunar New Year and had not yet fully recovered, tonight's Qujiang Banquet was hosted by the Crown Prince. Everyone knew that the Empress had hosted the Qujiang Banquet last year solely to impress the young Prince Qin, then Prince Rong'an.
I heard that Miss Luo and Young Prince Qin met on the night of the Qujiang Banquet. Before that, Young Prince had already seen Miss Luo's portrait. I guess Young Prince fell in love with her before he even saw her, but he didn't know it.
Otherwise, based on Young Prince Qin's previous personality, how could he allow Madam Luo to stay by his side for so long?
In the past, Young Prince Qin wouldn't even personally handle the entire case, let alone investigate the cases like he did last year. If this wasn't love for Lady Luo, then what was it?
It is really sad that these two people who were destined to be together are now separated by life and death.
The night wind blew, and ripples appeared on the river water.
Qin Jici forced a smile to deal with several ministers, then rolled his eyes, thinking about how to find an excuse to leave. He was seen taking the opportunity to sip tea and look around at the guests at the banquet.
At a table not far away, four old men who were obviously not newly-minted scholars were eating voraciously with their heads down, not noticing Qin Jici's gaze at all.
"I..." Qin Jici hadn't found a good excuse yet, "I remembered that the Saint gave me some homework before I left the palace tonight. If I go back late, I'm afraid I won't be able to finish it. You all can eat first, and I'll go ahead."
After saying that, Qin Jici slipped out of Haitang Gate and took off the conspicuous yellow robe where no one could see, revealing the black clothes underneath.
He thought about it over and over again and always felt that his excuse for running away was too lame, but so what? He was only seven years old now. What's wrong with doing more homework?
Moreover, the emperor's uncle has always taught him to be confident in doing things, and even if he is wrong, he must do things with confidence. In the words of the emperor's uncle -
"When has this king ever made a mistake?"
The face of the emperor's uncle appeared before his eyes, and Qin Jici suddenly felt a little sad. He had never seen the emperor's uncle since the death of the emperor's aunt, but he knew that the emperor's uncle must be there!
Tonight, Qin Jici is going to look for his uncle, but of course he is not the only one setting off.
"Little Prince, when do we set out?"
Qin Jici turned around and saw four Taoist priests standing behind him. The fat Taoist priest poured the wine into the gourd with his belly bulging, and then tied it around his waist.
"Master Black, White, Green, and Red!" Qin Jici's eyes lit up and he spoke excitedly. He had long been looking forward to hunting monsters and solving cases with the four masters, just like his uncle, full of vigor and enthusiasm.
Qin Jici has had only one goal since he was young, which is to become a person like the emperor's uncle, free and easy, riding a horse across the capital, and seeing all the stunning figures in the world.
The night was deep, and the capital was filled with colorful lanterns. Two carriages quietly left the city before curfew.
A carriage was parked not far away, its curtains swaying, a slender white hand retracted into the carriage, and then the carriage slowly moved to catch up with the two carriages in front.
*
As spring goes and autumn comes, Xiaoyun Mountain is at a high altitude, but now winter has arrived early, and the sacred mountain is all withered and yellow.
Beneath the wide black and gold sleeves, a pair of bony hands appeared. His index finger, slightly bent, hooked the top of a hemp rope, beneath which were two bottles of wine. The man's long black hair flowed freely in the wind, unbound by a jade crown.
The man walked slowly, his long boots stepping on the mud. The bottles in his hands collided with each other as he moved, and some of the wine spilled on the ground.
His back was thin and looked dejected as he slowly walked up the mountain.
"Kid."
Someone was talking on the branch, and a white whisk landed before his eyes. He knew who it was without even looking up. Qin Yanheng stopped, holding the wine jug in one hand and standing there.
"How can you drink two pots of wine by yourself and not share with the master? Come and give the master a pot as a filial gift."
The Taoist immortal was floating on a tree branch and was about to extend a hand to Qin Yanheng, but he saw the latter slightly raised his eyelids and looked at the grave not far away, his eyes were red and his thin lips were stretched into a line.
"Tsk, good, good, I know you want to drink 'Meng Po Wine' with your little princess. You've already had it so many times, why haven't you forgotten her yet?"
"I can't forget it."
Qin Yanheng looked up at the Taoist, his gloomy expression revealing a bit of determination. After saying that, Qin Yanheng lowered his eyes and continued walking forward without a trace of hesitation.
After Luo Qingling passed away, he buried her in Shenling, where it had been a year. Shenling was the most spiritual place in Xiaoyun Mountain. At the foot of the mountain was the imperial palace, where they had lived in the past. Qin Yanheng lived in the royal palace where Luo Qingling had lived.
Accompanying her in the palace every day and cuddling with her in his dreams every night were just his imaginations.
During this year, he would come to Shenling to see her every day, sometimes bringing a few bags of roast chicken, sometimes osmanthus cake, and more often wine... In any case, he never brought Yu Lu dumplings.
Qin Yanheng cannot see Yu Lu Tuanzi, otherwise the things he and Luo Qingling experienced will reappear in his mind over and over again like a kaleidoscope, making him miserable.
"Boy, the jade is broken, and the break of your marriage is a foregone conclusion. She is no longer your destined one..."
"she is!"
Qin Yanheng turned around and looked at the Taoist immortal with some paranoia, his eyes full of excitement.
"I love her, not because she is the jade destined for me. I love her simply because she is Luo Qingling."
“In this world, only the person I love can be my destiny.”
Since fate was unavoidable, he would spend his life here with Luo Qingling. Even if they were separated by the Yin and Yang, it didn't matter, as long as he still loved her, that was enough.
When love disappears, people will disappear, but Luo Qingling will never disappear, because Qin Yanheng will never stop loving her in this life.
The boots moved an inch, and the two wine bottles in his hands collided with each other.
A moment later, Qin Yanheng reached the top of the mountain. He slowly sat down with his back against the grave, pulled out the cork and poured all the wine in the bottle into the soil, then picked up another pot of wine and poured it into his mouth.
After Luo Qingling left, he would often bring two jugs of wine to her grave, as he did today, and drink with her all night long. They would drink until dawn, then stagger down the mountain and return to the villa.
Sometimes he accidentally got drunk at night and woke up to find himself soaking in the hot spring pool in the villa without knowing when - the same hot spring where he once saved Luo Qingling, who was bewitched by a monster.
At that time, he was thinking that if there was peace in the world one day, he would ask his father for an imperial decree to grant marriage and marry his little princess with a ceremony higher than that of a princess's wedding.
After he married Luo Qingling, he lived in this villa permanently, listening to the wind and watching the birds every day, living a comfortable life.
Qin Yanheng could tell that Luo Qingling loved Xiaoyun Mountain and the Imperial Palace Gardens immensely. He wanted to give her everything she liked, just to make her smile.
Unfortunately, his little princess is no longer here.
"Luo Qingling, I missed you so much." Qin Yanheng propped up one leg and sat on the ground, holding the wine jug and looking up to drink it all. The moment he put the jug down, his eyes were red and his tone was a little hoarse, "I was too conceited, so I thought I could protect you."
"I'm sorry. I underestimated that thief Song Yutai... I shouldn't have let you go out to sea alone, and I shouldn't have left you in Rao City. It's all my fault."
As he was talking, the alcohol started to take over and he felt dizzy.
Qin Yanheng didn't care and just threw his head back and fell on Luo Qingling's grave. After all, no one within a hundred miles of Xiaoyun Mountain dared to mess with him. So he got drunk, and the worst that could happen was—
"At worst, I'll die tomorrow," Qin Yanheng murmured softly with his eyes closed, "Maybe after I die, I'll be able to see her right away."
His expression was dazed and everything in front of him was dark. Qin Yanheng's breath was filled with the aroma of alcohol. He didn't know whether he was drunk or had passed out from the discomfort.
Suddenly, he felt a warmth all over his body, as if he was soaking in a hot spring pool. The water rippled slightly, flowing over his exposed arms.
here we go again……
Qin Yanheng was too lazy to open his eyes. He just sat in the hot spring, letting the water slowly wash over his body.
The area around Xiaoyun Mountain was rich in spiritual energy, and demons were often seen causing trouble there. Qin Yanheng thought it was just another fearless demon playing a prank on him, and he would always move the drunken Qin Yanheng to the hot spring pool in the palace.
Never mind, it’s just a little demon. Just tease him so that he won’t have to run down the mountain when he wakes up.
There was a bustling commotion outside the hall, but no one knew who was talking. Qin Yanheng frowned, turned his face away, and turned his head towards the outside, forcing himself to fall into a deep sleep.
At this moment, outside the palace.
Three carriages stopped in the villa. Qin Jici jumped out, followed by four Taoist priests. The five of them stood there in a daze, looking at the huge villa in front of them.
"Hey, you see that Young Prince Qin really knows how to enjoy himself, living in such a good place." Bai Rushue nudged Heirutie with her elbow.
"That's right. No wonder you don't want to go back to Beijing." Hei Rutie agreed.
A year has passed, and the four Taoist priests are still not used to calling Qin Yanheng the Regent, and still call him "Young Prince Qin".
As a few people were chattering, the carriage behind them moved. Deng Yesi and Duan Qingyi walked down from it, supporting each other, and then saluted Qin Jici.
Qin Jici hadn't specifically informed anyone of his visit to Xiaoyun Mountain. The four Taoists and two young ladies who had come with him had all come on their own accord. Everyone missed Lady Luo very much.
"In that case, please come with me into the palace to meet the emperor's uncle." Qin Jici waved his hand and was about to walk up the stairs.
"Wait a minute—"
An old man holding a whisk had appeared at the entrance to the palace, looking at them with a smile. He glanced back at the scene inside the palace, then raised his index finger to his mouth.
"Shh, don't disturb their reunion."
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