Chapter 36: Cave Talk, someone seems to be trapped~
Chen Yu was secretly pleased. Was it just a "moment"? But he pretended to be a virgin and said aggrievedly, "Of course not. I'm blaming you. It was my first kiss after all, so you have to be responsible for me."
Qi Xin wanted to retort, but when he heard the word "first kiss", he was a little surprised.
In this world, are there still men who care so much about their first kiss? Aren’t those poems and songs like “Ode to Yingying”[1] about boasting about their romantic affairs? How could they remember who they kissed for the first time?
By the time Qi Xin came to his senses, Chen Yu had already landed the bald eagle at the entrance of a cave. He gathered a few sticks of firewood from the surrounding area, blew on a tinder, and set it ablaze. Then he walked back and brought the wooden sculpture Qi Xin over to him, saying,
"It's cold at night, go to the fire and warm yourself to get rid of the cold."
Calming down, Chen Yu began to sort out the information in his mind. His brows knitted together, and he rubbed the dust between his thumb and index finger, pondering the connection over and over again:
"I understand what Wenlang said in reply."
These two people are both talented and beautiful. If it is difficult to express their feelings given their identities, the only implicit way they can choose is to use poetry, right?
But this evidence...
"What are you thinking about?" Qi Xin asked.
"I came here with Murong Fei and Wen Shao," Shen Yu said straight to the point. "Before you arrived, Concubine Chu hadn't shown up, and Wen Shao was instigated by Murong Fei to leave. There's a fox-faced woman waiting for them here."
"What other characteristics does that woman have?" Qi Xin was originally sitting opposite him. After hearing the key information, she walked around the fire and came to his side, but there were no extra stones near him, so she sat on the stone behind him.
Shen Yu noticed her approaching, but he didn't dare to turn around, and then said:
"She was extremely defensive. Not only was her face covered, but she was also wrapped from head to toe in an off-white hooded cloak. However, her movements were quite agile."
"She's so secretive." Qi Xin casually rested his elbows on his knees, resting his chin on his hand as he pondered. Then he raised his head slightly, leaned closer to him, and asked, "Is she the city lord?"
Qi Xin's breath sprayed on the side of his neck, like an itch, scratching the softness in his heart again and again. Chen Yu pretended to be calm and replied, "It can't be her."
After receiving a negative answer, Qi Xin subconsciously asked, "Why?"
"She mentioned the master in her words, so there must be someone above her." Shen Yu replied slowly, leaning forward imperceptibly, closer to the fire.
"But it seems that Murong Fei's attitude towards her is respectful but also fearful. So, her level should be higher than Murong Fei's."
Qi Xin tapped his cheekbone lightly and said with a smile:
"But winning over important officials in the court is not a big deal, but it's not a small matter either. As long as there is sufficient evidence, wouldn't it be more appropriate to send someone who is already in the court to do it? Their city lord obviously doesn't trust Lord Murong."
"Almost." Chen Yu replied in a steady voice, "After all, the farce that Murong Fei instigated the Fourth Princess to stir up at your return ceremony has died down. The only ones who were implicated are Wen Shao and Princess Xiang Ning."
"Huh? Tiantian?" Qi Xin was extremely puzzled. "No way, didn't she eat it by mistake? Who could she be enemies with?"
Chen Yu said calmly, "The day you returned to Shengdu, Qi Tian supported you, which probably attracted a lot of hatred. In addition, Qi Ye spoke for you outside the back garden wing. People with ulterior motives would think that the entire Yuyang Palace was in your pocket."
Qi Xin lowered his head, staring at the fire, unable to calm down for a long time.
Shen Yu felt the atmosphere behind him quiet down. He glanced back worriedly and said soothingly, "But don't worry too much. I've asked Shuangjiang to keep an eye on the father and daughter. I don't think it's likely that the city lord will recruit them into the group for now."
Qi Xin suppressed his emotions and pretended to be calm and asked, "What do you mean?"
"Regardless of the city lord's motives, the fact that he sought out Wen Shao shows that he isn't looking for a mere official position, but rather someone with real power within the court. By this standard, Prince Qi Ye of Yuyang completely fails to meet their requirements. Prince Yuyang's power was already undermined during the Suining Gate Incident, and he is now a mere figurehead."
Chen Yu paused, turned his head back, and asked tentatively:
"You were still young during the Suining Gate Incident. I wonder how much you can remember."
Qi Xin saw his embarrassment and continued, "It's Father..."
"In fact, my father and the Imperial Censor Xirang were originally neutral. But he had been the Crown Prince's tutor, and his friendship with Your Majesty was there. The world would not believe that my father was impartial. Besides, Your Majesty was also the legitimate Crown Prince, and he had some skills. It's just that - due to some strange circumstances, he didn't have many opportunities to display them."
Chen Yu explained, his brows filled with sorrow:
"Prince Benxu of Yuyang is several years older than Your Majesty. Therefore, during the late Emperor's reign, most of the tough tasks like suppressing rebellions were assigned to the older brother, Prince Yuyang. Over time, Prince Yuyang's prestige among the people gradually eclipsed that of Your Majesty, then the Crown Prince. Then, when the late Emperor fell critically ill, Your Majesty, as previously planned, left his personal guards in the Eastern Palace on standby while he ordered my father to lead the National Defense Army into Shengdu, entering through the Suining Gate and marching straight to the Taiqing Palace."
"And then?" This past event felt very unfamiliar to Qi Xin. She had never even heard her mother mention it, but she had no way to verify it elsewhere. However, this behavior was exactly the same as her impression of her father.
"The late emperor was already terminally ill. Whether he abdicated early or not would make no difference to him." Shen Yu gathered his sleeves and said:
"But at this last moment, he grabbed the yellow belt[2] and threatened Your Majesty, saying that he would abdicate, but on the condition that Your Majesty spare Prince Yuyang's life. He said that since he had won the throne, he should not kill him and cause more injustice. I guess he didn't want to see his brothers fighting before he died."
Qi Xin looked worried and asked, "Is this acceptable to the Emperor, Father?"
"The late emperor, of course, had thought of every possible solution. He dismissed everyone in the room, retaining only the Imperial Censor Xirang. It wasn't until Lord Xirang was ordered out of the hall to read the abdication edict that the legitimacy of Your Majesty's succession was truly confirmed. Even before that, the late emperor's withered hands had never loosened the yellow sash, and he added details about Prince Yuyang to the edict. As a result, at the beginning of the new dynasty, those in the late emperor's court were sentenced to death or exiled, but only Lord Xirang and Prince Yuyang managed to stay alive."
Shen Yu sighed:
"Qi Ye barely managed to save his life, but then lost his beloved, leaving behind only a daughter. He's been living in a daze these past few years, confining himself and Qi Tian to the Yuyang Palace, never paying attention to the turmoil outside. His only thought is to find someone he can truly trust in the future for Qi Tian. As for why Lord Xi, given his temperament, hasn't turned against Your Majesty, it remains a mystery."
"How did the emperor's uncle's late wife, Tiantian's mother, die?" Qi Xin could actually guess a little, but the suffocating pain made her unwilling to face it.
"Haven't you heard? It was back then—" Chen Yu hesitated, glancing at Qi Xin's reaction from time to time, fearing that this truth, like a pile of bones, would forever stand between the two of them, forming a chasm-like, unhealable wound.
"Yes, it has something to do with my father again..." Qi Xinsheng said with despair.
Chen Yu felt a little sorry for her, so he turned around and wanted to touch the top of her head, but his mind accidentally recalled the scene in the hot spring pool when he kissed her and couldn't let go.
His eyebrows twitched unconsciously, and his outstretched hand hovered in mid-air. He clenched his fist on the top of her head, then unnaturally came back from behind her.
"Actually, you shouldn't worry too much about this. Even if the death of the late princess is related to Your Majesty, it is at most an indirect relationship. You and the princess—"
"She was well protected by the emperor's uncle and didn't know about it. Do I have to pretend that it never happened?" Qi Xin drew his sword and cut off the water to interrupt his expression of emotion. He asked with curved lips, and his round eyes were full of emptiness and despair.
Ziqi died, Boya broke his string, and their friendship, like high water and flowing water, was truly priceless. He had underestimated the feelings between them.
"There's no need to involve the next generation in the grudges of our ancestors. After all, isn't it rare to find a princess with a character like the Snow Lotus of Tianshan Mountain?"
Qi Xin opened her pale eyes, but the smile on her lips deepened. She asked calmly, "If it were you, could you let it go?"
Chen Yu was speechless for a moment, his pupils constricted instantly, and he lowered his head heavily.
"Look, if you can't do it yourself, don't preach to me anymore." Qi Xin's eyes were fixed on the back of his collar, as if he wanted to pierce through his neck. After pausing for a moment, he asked indifferently:
"How do you know this?"
Shen Yu didn't look at her and said calmly, "I have my own way."
Faced with Shen Yu's vague words, Qi Xin was unable to delve deeper and could only ask the more important question first: "But, why did the old Duke back then-"
"Do you think that father and His Majesty are in cahoots?"
Chen Yu lowered his eyelashes, but there was no hint of questioning in his words. Instead, his tone was as deep as dead water.
"Before this, His Majesty was already the Crown Prince, the heir to the throne, and had done nothing wrong. He simply couldn't handle the fear of public opinion. By then, His Majesty had already approached Father, urging him to take action in the name of clearing the court of corrupt officials. Father wasn't suspicious until he entered the Taiqing Palace, when he realized something was amiss. But honestly, even if he had seen the signs, what difference would it make? Only by following the trend could he live longer and protect the entire Shen family."
"So, this is your choice now?" Qi Xin asked tentatively.
"Then why don't you tell me, Xiaojiu, what else can I do?" Chen Yu stretched out his legs and responded casually.
Qi Xin selectively ignored his tantrum and turned to ask, "But why is this not recorded in the Zhaowen Pavilion history books or the secret books?"
"How can you be so naive? Zhaowen Pavilion is the imperial library. Regardless of whether it's open to the public, do you think any emperor would allow any statement that would damage his reputation to appear in any corner?"
Shen Yu turned sideways, flicked her forehead with his middle finger and said:
"Don't tell me that everything you knew about me before basically came from that secret book you mentioned."
Qi Xin rubbed his forehead and said nonchalantly, "So what? But there's not even a picture of you on it. Otherwise, how could you have tricked me into going there in that farmer's yard?"
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The author has something to say: Note:
[1] Yuan Zhen’s “Ode to Yingying” was influenced by the mainstream values of the Tang Dynasty at that time, which regarded “seducing and abandoning” as a trend. Later, as the story of Yingying continued to evolve and improve, Wang Shifu’s “Romance of the Western Chamber” combined the previous works and achieved the ending of “lovers finally get married”. (I have just briefly explained it here. Those who are interested can go to the comments section to study it in depth.)
[2] "If the yellow belt is broken, your death is in doubt." (See Huanhuan and Fatty Orange in the original scene~)
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