Chapter 25 The Beautiful Sunset (3) Temptation and Death.
A dark room on a rainy day is even more damp and gloomy than on a sunny day.
Just as Lu Guanque was ordering someone to unlock the door, Uncle De suddenly leaned forward and whispered, "The maidservant accompanying the Crown Prince's Consort just came in to report that she had been exposed to a cold breeze and is now...feeling a bit feverish."
Lu Guanque's hand barely paused, and remembering her attitude just now, he said, "Find a doctor to see her first. I'll be back tonight."
"yes."
After a moment, the door opened, and Lu Guanque's gaze fell on Su He. He was wearing a long, off-white gown, slightly yellowed at the edges. It looked as if it had been washed many times, stiff and matted.
Su He's hands were untied, with a few bloodstains on them, but his face was fair and flawless, looking both familiar and unfamiliar.
Lu Guanque sat in the armchair and leaned back. After a while, he spoke lazily, "Should I call you Su Zixu or Su He?"
Su He smiled slightly: "You can call me anything, but this is not my name."
Lu Guanque curled his lips. He had never thought that this man could say such words when facing death: "Why? Could it be that your name is Su Wuyou?"
It is completely false.
Su He didn't respond. He suddenly stood up, slowly approached, and squinted at Lu Guanque. "In the first year of the Yonghui reign, Prince Gaoyang rebelled. Duke Lu and the eldest princess sought refuge in the suburbs of the Eastern Capital. They were taken in by a peasant woman whose husband had recently died. Not long after, the eldest princess and she both gave birth to children."
When he heard the word "Princess," veins bulged slightly on Lu Guanque's forehead. He narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, "What exactly do you want to say?"
Seeing that he was moved, Su He snorted and laughed softly: "Don't be anxious, my lord."
"When leaving the outskirts of Beijing, the princess gave her her most treasured jade hairpin as a token of gratitude. Unfortunately, the princess didn't know that her own child had been stolen by that heartless peasant woman and sent to the Su family in Xuzhou."
Lu Guanque's deep features grew sharper. He suppressed his surging emotions and said calmly, "You mean, you are 'Lu Guanque'? And I am 'you'?"
Su He slowly turned his back and sat in the distance again, looking straight at Lu Guanque: "It's understandable that the prince doesn't believe it. After all, I'm the only one who knows about this matter."
Lu Guanque clapped his hands as if he had just heard a story about a cat replacing a prince. He slowly stood up and said, "As expected of a famous actor, he can make up a good story."
Without waiting for Su He to react, Lu Guanque had already walked in front of him, suddenly leaned over and raised his hand, and with a "swish", he tore off his carefully crafted human skin mask.
Under the mask, the eyes are clearly black and white, the mouth is like a double hook, and the teardrop mole under the eyelids is mixed with mud, like blood dripping into fine wine.
The whole face was no longer as white and spotless as before.
Lu Guanque flicked his sleeves and said slowly, "You... don't look like my mother at all."
Su He opened his eyes wide, angry and embarrassed: "You!" As he said that, he knelt on the ground in a hurry, and used his bound hands to grab the bloody mask.
"If you don't believe me, just go find your father and ask him."
Lu Guanque lowered his eyes, looked at him lying on the ground, and smiled: "Father? After my mother died, my father hated me. At that time, I no longer had a father."
"As for you, you've repeatedly tried to kill me because of this unfounded incident." Lu Guanque's eyes were dark. "Tell me, how should I send you to see the King of Hell?"
"It's not a false accusation..." Su He lay on the ground, his body bent and curled up like an abandoned baby, "I am Lu Guanque, I am..."
"I am..."
Lu Guanque snorted and sat down again: "Wishful thinking."
Su He trembled, propped himself up, his eyes darkened, and suddenly he smiled: "Why can't I think?"
"You've occupied my identity and status for so many years. Now, it's time for you to return them to me. And she should be mine too. No matter what I look like, she'll be able to recognize me."
"Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you that when we first met at Changsheng Temple, she didn't call him Su Zixu...but Su He."
Lu Guanque's head was buzzing and he walked forward quickly. He really wanted to kill him right now!
Su He saw his scarlet eyes and said with a smile: "Want to kill me? Come on, since I've been caught by you this time, I don't want to go back alive. At worst, we'll fight to the death. I'll also bring you down and let the world see that such a precious prince is actually nothing."
“…”
Lu Guanque turned around, his back to him, and said calmly, "You want to use her to irritate me, but don't forget, if she saw you in this state, she wouldn't recognize you at all."
"She will recognize it. If you don't believe me, you can take a look." Su He's eyes were deep, and he didn't smile at this time. "Besides, you know her so well. You know a lot about her and me, right?"
Lu Guanque's hands trembled slightly, and a flicker of emotion flashed across his eyes, but he quickly calmed down. "The older generation's verbal agreement was just talk. Besides, her father didn't know about the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words."
Su He sneered... Just talking?
"But you don't know, when the grandmothers said this, she nodded beside them." Su He deliberately poked his heart, "Also, when she learned that I was dead, she cried for many days. I watched from the dark and felt heartbroken."
Su He said this, and pulled the corner of his lips, looking a little self-deceiving: "But I have no choice, I have to kill you first, then I can go back to Xuzhou to marry her..."
Hearing that his tone was not right, Lu Guanque turned around immediately. In a flash, Su He broke free from the rope and held the sharp knife against his throat.
He said coldly, "Don't move. I don't want to kill you like this. It would be a waste of all my years of planning."
Upon seeing this, the guards outside immediately drew their bows and arrows and pointed them at Su He.
Lu Guanque's eyes narrowed slightly, and he thought for a moment before he chuckled, "Put everything down, get him a fast horse, get him some silver, and let him go."
"..." Su He was stunned for a moment, raised his eyes to look at the people outside, and said coldly, "Get out of here."
#
Late at night, Lu Guanque dealt with everything. Seeing that the light was still flashing in Chengju, he walked over carefully.
He lifted the curtain, walked around the screen, and saw Meng Xuanli sleeping on his side, seemingly uncomfortable.
He sighed, extinguished the candle, sat on the edge of the bed, and touched her forehead with the back of his hand.
Very hot.
Lu Guanque stood up, took out a clean handkerchief and put it on her forehead.
Back and forth, over and over again, until her body temperature dropped, he took off his outer robe, put on a plain white inner garment, and lay down beside her.
It was dawn, and with the beautiful girl in his arms, Lu Guanque thought about his plans from yesterday.
He deliberately let Su He go just to test the relationship between him and Meng Xuanli. If it was really as Su He said, then he would not have to fawn on Meng Xuanli anymore in the future.
The person in his arms breathed slowly. Lu Guanque lowered his eyes and wanted to ask her——
If I were fake, would you leave me?
If you knew Su He was still alive, would you abandon me?
Meng Xuanli realized he was being turned over. He half-opened his eyes dazedly and muttered, "...Who?"
"I." Seeing that she didn't move, Lu Guanque patted her back gently and said softly, "Your husband."
Meng Xuanli suddenly woke up, his eyelashes flickering. He realized that the person next to him was Lu Guanque, and subconsciously turned around with his back to him.
When she moved, Lu Guanque hugged her tighter from behind and said with an ambiguous tone, "You've lost weight since I confined you at home all day. I heard there's a troupe of opera singers coming to Shunhe Building. You should go out and watch a show today."
Meng Xuanli smelled a scent of blood, frowned, and said vaguely, "You killed someone?"
Lu Guanque let go of her and touched her neck: "No...it was just an accidental scratch."
"Don't get close to me, I'm very sleepy." Meng Xuanli pulled the quilt and was about to close her eyes when Lu Guanque stood up and kissed her on the side of her cheek.
Meng Xuanli suddenly froze, stunned for a moment, and heard a strange sound coming from his heart.
He stayed up most of the night, lying next to her, taking care of her and hugging her, saying that he would never restrain himself again...
Has he really reformed?
Meng Xuanli thought it was just a dream, shook his head, and fell asleep again.
#
The next day, the weather cleared up and Meng Xuanli felt much better.
Thinking about Lu Guanque's words, she became a little suspicious and called Uncle De over: "Did anything big happen in the palace yesterday?"
Uncle De bowed and smiled kindly: "Yesterday... His Majesty said he would hold a birthday party for the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince felt it was lonely and no one was around to play with him, so he clamored for the Crown Prince..." Uncle De paused intentionally.
"What do you want him for?" she wondered.
Uncle De looked around and whispered, "He wants the prince to give him some brothers and sisters, saying that it will make his birthday more lively."
Meng Xuanli was drinking tea and almost spit out her tea when she heard about the child. She frowned and then said calmly, "I understand. You can go down."
"Wait." Meng Xuanli thought of something, "He's in the palace today too?"
"yes."
After sending Uncle De away, Meng Xuanli got on the carriage, but he felt an indescribable feeling in his heart.
She has married him, so it is normal for her to have children, but now, she doesn't want to have his children.
Maybe it was because of that incident that she was very scared, or maybe it was because she was not ready to be a mother.
Meng Xuanli sighed softly, lifted the carriage curtain, and gazed at Shunhe Building, recalling the scene of his first visit. Now, everything and everyone had changed...
When he walked to Shunhe Building, Meng Xuanli suddenly realized that he had forgotten to change into men's clothes when he went out. He smiled helplessly and planned to walk around before going back.
Meng Xuanli was about to turn around when she heard someone calling her, "Young lady, please stay. My troupe owner wants to see you."
She was slightly startled and pointed at herself: "Me? Your class leader recognizes me?"
The handsome young man took a few steps closer and whispered, "The troupe owner specifically asked Miss Meng to have a chat. I hope you would do me the honor of going."
Miss Meng?
It seems like she really knows me, but why has she never heard of the owner of the group...
Never mind, never mind. I finally made it out, so why not go for a visit? Just think of it as meeting the people outside.
Seeing her hesitation, the young man said, "Miss, don't worry about your identity. The troupe owner has already told the shopkeeper."
Meng Xuanli came back to his senses and said with a smile, "Then I'll trouble you to lead the way."
As soon as he entered the garden, Meng Xuanli suddenly heard Lu Guanque's voice. He turned around and found that he was not there.
She shook her head, feeling deaf, and walked upstairs.
"Miss Meng, please wait a moment. The owner will be here soon." I put down my tea and was about to open the window, but Meng Xuanli stopped me. "It rained yesterday, so it's still a bit cold."
The young man was stunned for a moment, then opened the door. "This private room in Shunhe Building has the best view. Miss Meng, you might want to take a look. If you feel cold, I can ask the waiter to bring in a smoker. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"
"That's true." Meng Xuanli smiled. "I see you're young, but you're thoughtful in what you say and do. Your future is immeasurable."
The young man smiled awkwardly: "Miss Meng is too kind to me. How can I..."
As he was speaking, the door was pushed open and a man in white clothes and a long veiled hat walked in. He said calmly, "You go out first."
"yes."
Soon, there were only two people left in the private room.
Meng Xuanli frowned, smelling a strong medicinal odor. "May I ask who you are?"
The man sat down across from the table without removing his veil. "Young lady, you must be very curious about who I am if you came here."
Um?
This person was good at keeping people in suspense, but she didn't have the time to play dumb, so she stood up and left: "Since you don't want to talk, I'll take my leave first."
When she passed by him, he suddenly reached out and grabbed her fluttering sleeve. Meng Xuanli was surprised and hurriedly brushed it away: "What are you doing? Let go."
"Ali, I've been waiting for you for a long time..." Su He let her go, slowly took off his veil, and looked up at her.
His eyes were like rusty meteor hammers, his bloodshot veins were like thorns, empty and hanging on his face, like a ghost that had just crawled out of hell, looking for raw meat to eat.
He smiled slightly, more like.
Meng Xuanli screamed in shock, and hurriedly leaned towards the window. He swallowed hard and stammered, "You...you...I have no grudge against you...please don't try to hurt me..."
Su He was startled for a moment, touched his face, and then slowly stood up: "A Li, don't you recognize me? I am Su He."
It would have been fine if he hadn't mentioned it. But once he did, Meng Xuanli's eyes widened and he covered his face in fear: "Su He? He died a long time ago. You are not him..."
Su He stood in front of her with a forced smile and pointed at himself: "Look, the teardrop mole under my eyelid."
Meng Xuanli was stunned: "You...are you really Su He?"
"Yeah." His voice was gentle.
Meng Xuanli's eyelashes trembled slightly. He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. "Didn't you die in that fire a long time ago? Your tablet is still enshrined in the Changsheng Temple..."
Su He made a gesture to invite him in. Meng Xuanli cautiously returned to his seat and listened to his story. "At that time, I was tied to a pillar by a gang of thugs. I thought I was dead, but I was rescued by a passing troupe owner. After that, I followed him all over the country. I came here for the performance today and saw you looking out the door, so I invited you in."
Meng Xuanli held her chest, still a little scared. She had never expected that Su He was still alive, and even his face was so badly injured.
etc.
If someone traveled extensively and appeared to others with this expression all day, wouldn't that ruin the troupe's business? Besides, his medical skills were always good, so why hadn't he considered treating the patient?
Just as I was thinking about it, I heard him say, "My face is burned. Even the gods can't save it. So, the troupe owner asked me to move some boxes and costumes so I can have some peace and quiet."
Meng Xuanli nodded: "But why don't you go back to the Su family? Uncle Su was sad for a long time when he learned of your death."
Su He didn't expect her to ask further, so he smiled and said, "I did, but my uncle was no longer around. Besides him, no one else in the Su family liked me, so I figured there was no need to tell them."
"I see..." Meng Xuanli frowned, "But... I remember Su Xiaomei missed you very much. Ever since you passed away, she always came to see me with tears streaming down her face, and I comforted her for a long time."
"Really? I don't know." Su He pursed his lips, "Don't worry about that."
"Anyway, I met you today to ask how you've been doing lately."
Meng Xuanli paused and said, "Not bad."
"Your tone doesn't sound very good." Su He poured two cups of tea and handed one to her.
"My problems are nothing." Meng Xuanli didn't want to talk about his own affairs, so he asked in a low voice, "What's going on with you today?"
"Nothing, what's wrong?"
"Your face, I'll ask a doctor to take a look at it, maybe it will get better."
"Imperial Physician?" Su He pretended to be surprised.
"Uh..." Meng Xuanli sighed, her eyes falling on the window, "I'm now married to the Duke's Mansion."
"The Duke's Mansion? But why did I hear from outsiders that the Meng family's legitimate daughter married into the Duke's Mansion? What happened in between?" Su He lowered his eyes and sneered slightly.
"It's hard to explain this in a few words. I'll tell you later." Meng Xuanli stood up and was about to go out.
Su He stretched out his hand to stop her, and took advantage of the light and shadow to look across the building. With just one glance, his eyes became dark and deep.
Because he saw a figure.
Lu Guanque had two eyes on his frosted face, looking at them from afar. The moment he met Su He, he was like a copper lampstand with candle tears dripping from it. Just by gently pushing the window, he could turn everything here into ashes.
"What's wrong?"
Su He was staring at the person opposite him. When he heard Meng Xuanli's voice, he suddenly lowered his eyes and smiled at her: "It's okay, I'm just a little curious about what kind of person Ah Li's current husband is."
"He... is fine." Meng Xuanli turned his back to the window and prepared to leave.
Seeing the situation, Su He grabbed her wrist and held her in his arms.
Ignoring her fear, Su He leaned close to her ear and smiled deeply, "Is that so?"
"No." Meng Xuanli stepped back, leaned against the window, and kept a distance from him.
Su He sneered barely noticeably and looked at the person opposite him again.
The figure moved slightly and seemed to have turned around.
"What's wrong with you?"
Su He lowered his eyes quickly when he heard the doubtful voice, as if saying goodbye: "Nothing, I'm just a little sad when I think about not being able to see you in the future."
"Can't see me? What?"
Seeing the confusion on her face, Su He smiled and said, "I think your husband treats you very well. If anything happens to you... do you think he would be devastated?"
"He and I are not that...in love yet." Meng Xuanli was really confused by his question.
"I don't think so." Su He turned around and looked at her sideways, his eyes like a poisonous blade.
Meng Xuanli laughed awkwardly and was about to take a step forward when he heard the sound of a sharp arrow coming from the sky.
Suddenly, Su He looked at her with shock and regret, then fell heavily to the ground, leaving a pool of blood.
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The author has something to say: Post in advance, catch bugs later [scatter flowers]
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