Chapter 107 Heart Over Heart "I'm going to write a letter to scold her!"
"It's hot, have a bowl of lotus seed soup to soothe your skin."
Xue Chan put down her pen and took the soup bowl that Yun Sheng handed her. She took a couple of bites and looked out the window.
The roses have all bloomed and spring has gone.
Roughly speaking, it has been more than three months since Jiang Ce left the capital.
"It's already summer."
Yun Sheng replied, "Yes, that was really fast."
Xue Chan turned her head to the side. There was a special compartment on the antique shelf for displaying letters sent by Jiang Ce.
After three months, the compartment was no longer big enough.
She sighed, wondering where he found the time to write so many letters, so many pages long.
The letters didn't always contain anything; often they just contained random bits and pieces.
Xue Chan thought for a moment, then picked up her pen again to write a reply to Jiang Ce. After writing two sentences, she still didn't know what to write next.
If I write too little, Jiang Ce will definitely complain, and then I'll end up with several more letters that will give me a headache.
She withdrew her hand and then quickly tapped it on the table again.
Yun Sheng was still tidying up her paintings when he smiled and said, "If you don't know what to write, why not paint a few pictures?"
"That's a good idea."
Xue Chan looked out the window and saw Xi Tuan sleeping lazily on the wooden frame. After being washed by the late spring rain, the banana leaves cast large patches of green shade on the wall, dispelling much of the rising summer heat. Every year, they would sit under the banana trees, enjoying the cool shade while chewing grass.
The pink roses that once covered the wall have all withered, leaving only withered petals trembling in the wind.
She immediately picked up a pen, drew the scene on paper, and then sealed it in a letter.
"Miss, take a look, are these the ones you want to sell? Are there any you'd like to keep?" Yun Sheng carried several scrolls of paintings to Xue Chan.
Xue Chan looked at them all and picked out a few: "These are not for sale."
In fact, she has made quite a few paintings in the past two years, and half of them have been sold. When Jiang Ce was around, he often went around praising her at banquets and gatherings, which made her reputation spread far and wide.
More and more people were asking for her paintings, and she made quite a bit of money just from selling them. Jiang Ce had previously ripped her off at Ningcui Tower, ordering a lot of food there.
"I want them all!"
However, they were later replaced by other items in her possession.
Through these interactions, many paintings were also given away.
Some paintings were sent to the palace and were not returned for a long time. When they were finally returned, there were poems attached to them.
It was done by the emperor and several ministers.
These paintings cannot be sold, at least not for a long time.
Xue Chan sighed for many days, hoping to sell herself before she died.
Xue Chan is extremely skilled at flowers, plants, insects, and butterflies, and has made great progress in the past two years, with few able to match her.
People often come to visit because of his reputation.
One day, Xue Chan and Zheng Tan went to the Zheng residence and happened to see Zheng's eldest son's daughter painting in the garden. Xue Chan gave her some pointers, and after a while, Zheng Tan even told her, "My sister-in-law said that A Yuan has made great progress recently. She said she wants to thank you and asks you, her teacher, to give her some more guidance."
Xue Chan smiled and said, "It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, how can I be called a teacher?"
To everyone's surprise, Zheng Tan's eyes lit up: "Actually, many families also invite renowned women to come and teach. The Queen Consort of the Prince of Shouchun, and even my second aunt, have been invited to teach poetry and music. Why don't you give it a try?"
Xue Chan hesitated for a moment, since she had only formally taught Pei Jinglan.
Seeing that she was starting to soften, Zheng Tan went a step further and said, "I'll talk to my grandmother about it and help you find a match. You just need to focus on teaching."
After careful consideration, Xue Chan agreed.
Families in the capital quite admired this, and they all sent their visiting cards and sent their children to learn painting to establish good relations.
However, Xue Chan had many things to do and limited energy, and her level of expertise was insufficient to teach too many people. Therefore, she only selected a few close families to teach twice a month at the Lotus Pavilion of the Marquis of Wu'an's residence.
This was an elegant affair, and it also earned a refined name. The emperor and the imperial concubine discussed inviting her to the palace to teach the young princes and princesses.
Grandma Qi is getting old, and half of her children are not at home. Twice out of three times, she would go to the Lotus Pavilion, wearing an apron, to watch a group of children paint.
Xue Chan's days passed by one after another, but the war was still not over.
The Western Rong had been building up their strength for over ten years and were now coming on strong. The battle had been going on for more than half a year, with no major victory yet.
Jiang Ce's letters were mostly filled with jokes and laughter, or complaints about how little she wrote to him.
Aside from the palace and Jiang Ji's situation, she knew very little about him.
Whether it was fatigue or hidden worries, Xue Chan felt that her painting skills had become increasingly difficult lately.
There are often times when I can't draw a satisfactory picture.
She felt that she had neglected practice, so she taught during the day and painted in the evening.
The more I drew, the harder it became to put pen to paper. I kept revising and erasing, wasting many sheets of paper.
Holding the pen, Xue Chan felt like a pool of water that only flows out and never comes in, about to dry up.
This was the first time in so many years that she had felt such immense fear.
However, Xue Chan was never one to sit idly by and wait for her fate.
She immediately put down her pen: "Yunsheng, pack your things, we're going to stay at the Weishui Villa for a while."
The Ai Garden by the Wei River was a dowry gift from Consort Xue, located near Fanglu Mountain. It's actually quite close to Yu Lang's Qingyin Terrace.
A horse-drawn carriage can make and return in half a day.
During her stay at Aiyuan, aside from teaching once every two weeks, she no longer accepted visits. Apart from Zheng Tan and Pei Jinglan visiting every now and then, only Cheng Huaizhu came to keep her company.
Aiyuan Garden is nestled against the mountains and beside the water, making it a perfect place for her to quietly stroll through the mountains, observe, and sketch.
After leaving Beijing, only Cheng Huaizhu would often come to stay with her for short periods.
Since Xiao Yangjun married far away and Fang Youxi left the capital, Cheng Huaizhu has been writing her own records of objects. The two often walk together in the mountains; she writes about objects, and Xue Chan draws small illustrations to accompany them.
The two joked together, "Why don't we just publish a book?"
They stayed together, eating and sleeping together, as if they had returned to the days when they were together in their boudoir.
Through sunshine, rain, and moonlight, we stroll hand in hand.
After the heat of summer, autumn arrives.
Xue Chan counted the days since she arrived at the Wei River; Jiang Ce had sent only nine letters.
She was filled with anxiety, but no one from the Marquis of Wu'an's residence had sent her any messages.
Everything was the same, calm and as usual.
Xue Chan placed her hand over the stack of letters, and the cold pages gradually warmed from the warmth of her palm.
As soon as autumn passed, the White Dew season arrived, and Xue Chan was to go to the palace to accompany Consort Xue. However, as she was leaving, the flowerpots under the eaves were blown over by the wind, scattering shards everywhere.
She carefully brushed away the soil, sighing, "What a pity."
Yun Sheng said, "It's nothing, just that the flowerpot is broken. We can just put it in a new pot."
Xue Chan nodded, got up, and went out to prepare to enter the palace.
The weather was bad that day; a heavy rain started just as they arrived at Funing Palace.
As was customary, the physician was taking Consort Xue's pulse, while Xue Chan sat to the side, listening to the two talking.
"how?"
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, everything is fine. You will be able to give birth in two months. However, since Your Majesty is now further along in your pregnancy, you may walk around the palace or the courtyard more often to facilitate the delivery."
Consort Xue nodded: "Thank you."
"This is my duty, Your Majesty, you flatter me." The physician was packing up his medicine box and smiled.
"Now that I have examined your pulse for today, I will return to the Imperial Medical Bureau."
Consort Xue nodded and had someone escort her out of the palace.
Xue Chan visited Consort Xue three times in the palace. Her pregnancy progressed day by day, stretching her clothes out of shape.
Xue Chan sat to the side and sighed softly.
Consort Xue touched her temple: "Why are you sighing? Are you missing him?"
Xue Chan raised her face, meeting her gentle smile, which then fell on her swollen belly.
She thought of her mother and felt a little scared. So she carefully avoided her stomach and buried herself in Consort Xue's arms.
"...Um"
The rain outside stopped in the evening, and Xue Chan accompanied Consort Xue for a walk inside and outside the palace.
The eunuch announced that the emperor had arrived.
Seeing the emperor's tired expression, Xue Chan smiled gently as she approached Consort Xue.
She quietly retreated to a distance, watching the emperor support Consort Xue as she gently stroked the unborn child, their eyes filled with tenderness and anticipation.
Of Consort Xue's two children, one died young, and the other passed away before even being born.
This was a painful separation in the hearts of the Emperor and Empress, but the new life brought them closer together.
The emperor helped Consort Xue into the palace.
Xue Chan pursed her lips, then looked up to see Wang Xu outside the hall, still calm. The eunuch beside him, however, seemed preoccupied.
She whispered to the young eunuch, "Eunuch An, I've noticed a strangely solemn atmosphere in the palace lately. Is it because of the war..."
When Xiao An was asked, she hesitated and didn't dare to answer.
Wang Xu walked over and asked with a gentle smile, "What's wrong, Madam Xue?"
Xue Chan didn't want to beat around the bush and asked him directly, "Eunuch Wang, has something happened?"
Wang Xu sighed softly and moved closer: "We've lost a battle."
"What?" Xue Chan exclaimed in surprise, but then wanted to ask Jiang Ce, "Then I—"
Wang Xu said in a low voice, seemingly reluctant: "The young general... he was injured."
Xue Chan's heart sank heavily, and she tried her best to calm down: "Could you tell me... about the injuries?"
He frowned slightly but did not reply.
Xue Chan lowered her head: "Thank you for telling me all this."
Wang Xu also sighed: "It's not that this servant is unwilling to tell you, Madam, but there have been just too many things to do lately, and His Majesty is working day and night."
“However—” he changed the subject, a hint of a smile appearing on his face, “at least their lives are not in danger.”
Xue Chan offered a small amount and smiled.
Wang Xu added, "But Your Highness's due date is approaching, so please don't tell the Imperial Concubine about these matters."
Xue Chan nodded: "Don't worry, I know what's important."
She exhaled, thinking she might as well go for a walk outside. Leaving the palace road and walking behind the Funing Palace, she reached the waterside pavilion.
Xue Chan leaned against the railing, watching the red fish in the pond.
After watching for an unknown amount of time, the sky gradually darkened.
Why are you sitting here?
Xue Chan turned around, and Yu Lang sat down next to her before she could even bow.
"Since Your Majesty is here, I've come out for a walk."
Yu Lang stretched out his arms and leaned against the railing.
The two sat there without saying a word.
After a while, Xue Chan heard her sigh heavily.
“Sigh, actually I’m quite worried about them. Jiang Bozhou is so young, and there’s his third uncle…” She paused, then continued, “and there’s Youyu, who is an orphan, even younger than Jiang Ce, and the youngest among us.”
Xue Chan lowered her head and softly hummed in agreement.
Seeing her reaction, Yu Lang said with a hint of annoyance, "Don't you have any feelings at all? You're so calm that you don't react at all."
Xue Chan replied, "What can I do from so far away? All I can do is worry, but what's the use of worrying?"
“…” Yu Lang was speechless, “Sometimes I really feel that you are so heartless that you are not human at all.”
Xue Chan said softly, "Of course I'm human, and of course I have feelings."
It was uneventful, without any ups and downs.
Yu Lang swallowed, recalling her words, and only sighed, "But it's alright, you're still so young. Even if..."
She didn't finish speaking before she stood up, feeling distressed.
"Your Highness is leaving already?"
"Since Consort Shu passed away, Xiao Wu is grieving. I'll go and keep her company."
"Gone"
"I……"
As Yu Lang descended the stone steps, he heard Youyou's soft voice.
She paused and turned back, but the sound was blown away by the wind into the night before she could grasp it, and nothing remained.
Xue Chan remained seated, the palace lantern illuminating her face, revealing no emotion.
The palace lanterns swayed in the wind, casting flickering light on her slightly pale face, which became increasingly indistinct in the dim, deep blue twilight.
Yu Lang sighed again and left the waterside pavilion.
Not long after she left, Xue Chan also left the palace.
The carriage stopped at the Marquis of Wu'an's residence, where Xue Chan saw Luying, who was by Old Madam Qi's side, waiting at the door.
She became alert, said nothing, and followed Lüying to Yi'an Hall.
Old Mrs. Qi and Jiang Ji were waiting for her.
Xue Chan's heart leaped into her throat, and she suppressed her trembling voice, "Is he...?"
Grandma Qi gripped her cane tightly. Jiang Ji said, "Bo Zhou is not in mortal danger, he just suffered some injuries..."
"But?" Xue Chan clutched the letter, her voice choked with emotion, "You didn't write a single word about the extent of the injury, its severity?"
Jiang Ji sighed and said, "Bo Zhou sent someone to deliver a message saying that no one is missing an arm or a leg."
Xue Chan breathed a sigh of relief, feeling both amused and exasperated.
Jiang Ji smiled and handed her the letter: "You should write him a reply, otherwise he'll start nagging again."
Xue Chan nodded, informed the two of her departure, and immediately went back to write a letter.
When that letter was sent, the leaves on the rose vine were just turning from green to yellow. The yellow gradually eroded the green, and the leaves fell to the ground.
The broad, golden-black leaf fell into Jiang Ce's hand.
He had just changed his dressing, and with one hand he held the letter, and with the other he held a mirror to look at the wound on his cheek.
"Tsk," Jiang Ce frowned and muttered angrily, "How can these Western Rong people be so rude? They just keep slapping people in the face. Look what they've done to my precious face!"
He flipped the mirror over and slammed it shut, lamenting, "Now it's truly flawless! Who knows how Xue Chan will find fault with it."
Yu brought water into the tent with a look of disgust. He could hear Jiang Ce humming and muttering to himself from outside the tent.
"Alright, why are you being so talkative? Go open your letter!"
Jiang Ce didn't turn around, but threw a book at him: "Don't you know about seniority? Call me 'brother'!"
"..." Yu put down the basin of water, having received the medicine, and was too lazy to pay attention to him.
Jiang Ce obediently sat down, washed his hands, and happily opened Xue Chan's letter.
He slowly unwrapped the letter, and scanned its contents with just a couple of glances.
"Did I make a mistake during disassembly?"
Jiang Ce flipped through the entire envelope again and again, then asked You Yu, "Are you sure there's only one letter?"
Yu: "Just one letter, nothing else."
Jiang Ce clutched the letter, gritting his teeth.
"Aaaaaaah! I'm injured, and she only wrote a few lines! She doesn't care about me at all!"
Yu sighed and turned her back.
Love can truly change a person beyond recognition.
Jiang Ce, hands on hips, declared, "I'm going to write a letter to scold her!"
Yu paused in his book-turning, then turned around, his face a kaleidoscope of emotions. He watched Jiang Ce scribbling wildly on the paper with his pen before finally uttering a sentence.
"This is insane."
Just as Xue Chan was bringing in the newly opened plum blossoms, Jiang Ce's letter arrived.
She stared at the thick envelope, unsure how to react.
As soon as it was opened, the letter paper stuffed inside burst out instantly.
Xue Chan picked up the thick stack of papers and counted them. There were five of them, but they all contained the same content.
"Bad woman, bad ...
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