Chapter 102 Xiao Shenjing, I will never
The chill of early winter, like an invisible veil, quietly enveloped the capital, with low-hanging clouds pressing down on the eaves.
The flags of the Peach Blossom Village tavern fluttered in the north wind.
Sure enough, footsteps sounded outside the door, unhurried. Three men dressed in ordinary coarse cloth robes walked in. The one in the lead was a square-faced man whose eyes narrowed into slits when he smiled. His voice was loud and clear: "Boss, the usual, three bowls of the strongest 'Braised Spring Knife,' a dish of salted boiled beans, and a plate of beef! In this weather, you can't live without this spicy kick!"
"Brother Li, Second Brother Zhang, Third Brother Zhao, please come in," Laiwang greeted them with a smile, leading them to his usual table by the window.
These three are regulars these past two days, arriving without fail at noon. They are generous spenders and have a good capacity for alcohol, always managing to liven up the corner table, chatting about local gossip, the harvest, and occasionally anecdotes about the nobles of Chang'an.
Before the hour of Si (9-11 AM), the small tavern was soon filled with people, and some even offered to share a table with others.
The place was bustling with noise, and people were calling out for food and drinks everywhere. Yunxi was so busy that it was noon.
The same was true in the afternoon.
The place was packed with people, making the small tavern seem unusually deserted compared to the surrounding shops.
I was so busy for two days that I barely had time to rest, and the third day was no different.
Looking at the packed room full of drinkers, Yunxi gradually felt that something was wrong.
Anxiety spread silently, like thin ice on a lake, cracking little by little.
But the real source still hasn't been found.
My elder brother and Lu Xiuran have been gone for quite some time now. They sent back a letter on the day they arrived, saying they were safe, but there has been no news since.
Yunxi unconsciously fiddled with the abacus. Xiaobei had gone to visit a friend a couple of days ago and hadn't returned yet.
If Xiao Bei were here, he could contact his elder brother's secret contact to see how things are going.
Just as Yunxi was thinking this,
An unassuming blue-canopied carriage rolled over the cobblestone road. The curtain was lifted, and a tall, slender figure stepped out.
When Xiao Shenjing brought Yuanxiao in, the lively atmosphere in the room seemed to freeze for a moment, but it was so quick it was almost like a human illusion.
Yunxi looked at the person who came and asked, "Have you been doing nothing lately, coming here every day? Are you that free?"
Today, Xiao Shenjing was dressed simply in a dark blue brocade robe with a cloud pattern, over which he wore a matching cloak with a silver fox fur collar. This attire was intended to be as understated as possible.
However, no matter how simple his clothes were, they could not conceal the imposing nobility that emanated from his very being, as if he was born to stand above the highest heavens.
Xiao Shenjing walked to the counter and answered matter-of-factly, "I govern the country well, so naturally I have plenty of free time."
"You've got a thick skin." Yunxi curled her lips, but couldn't help thinking of Xu Yuansi.
Previously, I heard that the current Turkic Khan was ill and had sent the second prince to inspect the border.
I don't know if there's any new information now.
Yunxi knew that Xiao Shenjing would know more about such matters, but she knew that if she asked him, he would immediately change his expression.
"Mommy, hug me!" Yuanxiao was very attached to her, stretching out her arms towards her.
Xiao Shenjing handed Yunxi over, saying, "I had the cook make some of your favorite dishes. Go home early today."
"You left the palace just for this?" Yunxi rubbed Yuanxiao's head and asked seemingly casually.
"The Imperial Observatory predicts it will snow today. It will be cold and the roads will be slippery. I'm afraid you'll get back too late again," Xiao Shenjing said.
Inside the tavern, there was a lively and bustling atmosphere. A slender woman was holding a beautifully sculpted child behind the counter.
A cold wind blew by.
The tall man took a step and stood to the side of the woman.
Naturally, his broad shoulders shielded him from the wind and frost.
Just as the Imperial Astronomical Bureau had predicted, snowflakes began to fall from the sky as the carriage arrived at the entrance of Yunxi Courtyard.
"It's snowing, Mommy!" Yuanxiao noticed first, saying in her childish voice, and curiously reached out to catch the snowflakes.
Yunxi was slightly taken aback and looked up.
Sure enough, the first snowflakes, fine and delicate like grains of salt, had quietly fallen from the leaden sky. At first, there were only a few scattered snowflakes, but soon they began to fall in abundance, swirling and drifting silently in the dim light of dusk, landing on the bluestone pavement, and also on the silver fox fur collar of Xiao Shenjing's dark blue cloak and in his black hair.
Until a cool sensation landed on his eyelashes, he blinked and said, "Yes, it's snowing."
After saying that, he immediately looked at Yunxi.
She was looking up, her expression serene.
But Xiao Shenjing knew this was only temporary.
Yunxi will find out sooner or later. His carefully constructed lies, like a sandcastle, will eventually be shattered by the cruel truth.
What would be the consequences?
Is it a more resolute hatred that vows never to see each other again? Or will I kill him to vent my anger?
Every possibility was like a cold awl, piercing Xiao Shenjing's heart.
He endured the utmost to finally suppress the despair and regain his composure.
The snowflakes Yuanxiao caught quickly melted in his hands. He looked obediently at Yunxi and said, "The snow is cold! Mother, are you cold, Mother? Hug me."
Yuanxiao, still in Xiao Shenjing's arms, pounced on Yunxi again.
He thoughtfully wanted to warm her with his own body.
"It'll be warm once you go inside." This time, Xiao Shenjing did not hand the Yuanxiao to Yunxi.
Instead, he walked into the courtyard first.
Dinner was eaten together by the three of us.
At first, Yunxi naturally disagreed.
But Xiao Shenjing said it was made for the Lantern Festival.
As the chef continued cooking, he made more and more dishes.
So Xiao Shenjing started mooching meals from others.
Yunxi refused several times, but he became shameless.
After a while, she got tired of talking.
I'm too lazy to care anymore.
And so, Xiao Shenjing became a regular visitor.
"How are things going with my elder brother and Lord Lu?" During the meal, Yunxi couldn't help but ask, looking at Xiao Shenjing across from her.
"Don't worry, everything is going smoothly," Xiao Shenjing replied naturally, gripping his chopsticks tightly.
At this moment, the emperor only wished that she would never know those things.
This way, he would have more time to spend with her and let her see him more often, which might win her over a little.
Yunxi was still not entirely at ease.
But the tavern has been incredibly busy lately.
She was so busy that she even felt it was becoming increasingly unusual.
This morning, the people who came to drink were complete strangers again.
Afu quickly served the wine and dishes. The square-faced man picked up his rough earthenware bowl, took a sip, and as usual let out a satisfied sigh: "Tsk! It has to be your 'Spring Knife', boss! It's really good! It's so much better than those century-old shops in the East Market!" The two men next to him also laughed and echoed, and the topic naturally turned to the rains for this year's spring planting and the new Hu merchant caravan from the South Market.
Yunxi chuckled and asked the square-faced man, "Sir, you look unfamiliar. It's clearly your first time here, yet you speak as if you've drunk our wine before."
The square-faced man's expression faltered for a moment, then he quickly threw his head back and burst into laughter. "I've heard about your 'spring knife' for a long time, so I came here today specifically to try it."
Yunxi's smile remained unchanged as she continued, "I didn't expect my family's 'Spring Knife' to be so famous. It must be that your relatives and friends have visited my tavern. May I ask where you live, brother?"
The square-faced man casually gave out his address.
After saying that, he seemed to realize that the distance was a bit too great, scratched his head and wanted to change his words, but the person next to him kicked him sharply.
Yunxi witnessed this scene.
The unease felt like a giant crack in the ice on a frozen river.
These people are not normal drinkers at all.
So what happened?
Suddenly, Yunxi connected the dots of recent events with seemingly minor details.
From the moment Xiao Bei said she was going to see a friend with a strange expression, something seemed off.
Xiao Bei
Big brother?
Has something happened to my older brother?
Yunxi's mind suddenly went blank, with only her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
She strode toward the gate.
Her footsteps quickened, and she even bumped into a bench, hurting her leg, but she didn't care about anything else.
"Hey, shopkeeper!" someone inside the room called out, their face changing drastically.
Someone stood up and said anxiously, "Quickly, go and inform His Majesty."
Yunxi could hear nothing at all; the noise of people on both sides of the street, the peddler's cries, and the children's laughter all blurred into a chaotic mess.
She started running.
The wind whistled past my ears, stinging my cheeks.
But she seemed to feel nothing at all.
She hoped she was just overthinking things.
She didn't know how long she had been running until what she saw before her made her frantic steps feel as if they had been smashed by an invisible giant hammer, nailing her to the spot.
Before the Marquis's mansion, the once imposing vermilion gates, symbols of prestige and authority, lay gaping open like a gaping maw, silently howling in despair. Above the lintel and on either side of the gate, the festive lanterns and family crests that once hung were gone. In their place, countless pale paper banners hung from the ceiling!
Countless long banners, cut from rough white hemp paper, hung down from the high gate tower, swaying and tangling helplessly in the biting wind, emitting a mournful rustling sound.
Like countless pale arms reaching out from the underworld, they blocked out the light, shrouding the entire mansion in a chilling, deathly white hue.
Yunxi felt as if the last bit of strength in her body had been instantly drained away.
Her legs went weak, and she staggered and almost fell.
The courtyard was also a somber white.
White curtains hung throughout the corridor, and the heavy, carved door of the main hall was open, revealing a huge, dark coffin standing prominently in the center!
The flickering candlelight illuminated the stark white character for "offering sacrifice" before the memorial tablet, making one's eyes ache.
A figure slowly emerged from the depths of the stark white mourning hall, stepping over the paper money scattered on the ground, and strode out.
The wide sleeves of the robe swayed slightly in the breeze. There were no elaborate dragon patterns; it was just the most ordinary plain robe without any decorations.
Upon learning of the report from the secret guard, Xiao Shenjing strode out.
He had just reached out to support Yunxi, whose steps were unsteady, and hadn't even had a chance to speak.
"Xiao Shenjing!" Yunxi grabbed his collar tightly, her fingers turning white, her eyes bloodshot, and her voice trembling as if she were struggling to speak, "Where is my older brother? What did you do to him? What did you do to him?"
"Yunxi, I have already sent people to investigate," Xiao Shenjing assured him. "I will definitely give you an explanation."
His urgent words of comfort carried a barely perceptible tremor at the end.
My older brother is really dead!
No no no
Yunxi shook her head frantically, as if that would shake the terrible words out of her mind and rid her of this absurd reality.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
She abruptly flung Xiao Shenjing's collar away, her vision blurred, and staggered toward the gate of the Jiangyuan Marquis's residence.
She needs to see it with her own eyes before she can believe it.
Clearly, her older brother had come to see her before he left.
He said he would definitely spend the Lunar New Year with her and Yuanxiao this year.
He said he would come back, and he definitely will.
Just like when she first came to the Jiangyuan Marquis's residence, he said he would take care of her, and he really has always stood in front of her.
He would never go back on his word.
Impossible
His steps were unsteady, as if he were stepping on a scalding hot knife tip, or as if he were sinking into a cold, bone-chilling swamp.
My legs felt so heavy they didn't belong to me. Every step I took exhausted all my strength. My knees felt weak, and I felt like I could fall at any moment.
His shoulders slumped uncontrollably, like a jade statue that was breaking apart but still stubbornly moving forward.
Yunxi practically dragged herself forward.
Xiao Shenjing felt a sharp pain in his chest as he bit his chin and stepped forward, picking Yunxi up in his arms. "I'll take you there."
"Don't touch me, get out!" Yunxi's eyes were burning with disgust, and she struggled and pounded as if she were insane.
Xiao Shenjing, however, refused to let go.
Some things, when they're meant to happen, will eventually happen.
He had been a coward all these days, but now that he was truly facing his sentence, he had calmed down.
Until Yunxi was brought to the coffin.
The weeping people of the Jiangyuan Marquis's mansion were all astonished when they saw Yunxi being carried in by the Emperor.
But Yunxi seemed to see nothing at all, her reddened eyes fixed on the dark coffin.
She struggled and lunged at him.
But there was no familiar face under the coffin lid, nor her elder brother's tall and straight figure.
Only a few charred, twisted, and grotesque bones lay scattered at the bottom of the coffin, which was covered with bright yellow silk. The glaring bright yellow contrasted sharply with the shocking blackening.
Time seemed to freeze completely at that moment.
She remained in that peering posture, tears streaming down her face.
All the collapse was replaced by an icy, deathly silence the moment those few black bones were seen.
Then, she raised her head very slowly and very stiffly.
His gaze passed over the cold coffin and landed on Xiao Shenjing.
Yunxi's face was expressionless, only her empty eyes stared straight at him, a chilling calm churning within them.
She spoke, asking slowly and deliberately, "Where is my elder brother?" She paused, as if confirming a simple fact, or stating an indisputable truth, "Xiao Shenjing, where did you hide my elder brother?"
This eerily calm question was like a dagger chilled to the bone, sending shivers down his spine.
His Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty.
He straightened his back, forcibly suppressing the panic in his heart. He said each word as if squeezed out from between his teeth: "Minister Fan was loyal and diligent in serving the country and died in the line of duty. He was burned in the flames, and his body was never fully recovered."
However, this announcement failed to stir the slightest ripple in Yunxi's lifeless ears and empty eyes.
She simply remained the same, calmly and stubbornly looking at him, as if every word he spoke was a distant and vague echo unrelated to her.
This calm is more despairing than any weeping and wailing.
Xiao Shenjing, nicknamed "Yunxi," stepped forward in a panic.
Yunxi suddenly looked up.
Her tearful almond-shaped eyes were filled with boundless hatred: "Xiao Shenjing, I will never forgive you, never."
Xiao Shenjing trembled.
In that instant, the ground beneath his feet collapsed, and he was desperately pulled into the cliff by a pair of unseen giant hands.
The cliff was bottomless, and only the biting cold wind howled and poured into his seven orifices.
Yunxi hated Xiao Shenjing more than just.
I hate myself even more.
Why would she be so foolish as to believe someone as cold-blooded and ruthless as Xiao Shenjing?
He was a king, and his majesty and dignity surpassed everything else.
How could he be so kind as to let go of a subject who had deceived the emperor time and time again?
The Art of Emperorship
The Art of Emperorship
Hahaha
She actually thought he was changing.
Things really will change.
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