Chapter 56: Some past events tied to the chair?! Did it? What?! ...
From the moment he heard Li Jieyi softly call him "Sir," Chu Qi sensed something was amiss. This wasn't the tone one should use when addressing an elder.
After hearing her next words, Chu Qi's throat tightened for a moment, and he was secretly shocked. This tone was not the tone of speaking to an elder, but rather like calling a lover! It was extremely tender and lingering, and the love was overflowing with words. He even heard the accusatory anger in her slightly trembling ending, but behind the anger was a subtle grievance.
Chuqi had a photographic memory, and he quickly recalled the life of Song Jiusi in his mind, but he found no historical records of the two of them, except for a sentence: "In the tenth year of the Zhengxuan reign, Duke Song was recuperating in Hangzhou Prefecture, Zhejiang due to illness. Upon hearing the news, Prince Yong personally brought gifts and invited Duke Song to his palace to teach the Crown Prince."
The Prince Yong mentioned here is Li Jieyi's father, and the Crown Prince is Li Jieyi's elder brother, the current emperor Li Zhengxuan.
Official history emphasizes Li Zhengxuan's quick wit and eagerness to learn, his willingness to ask questions, and Song Jiusi's profound knowledge and exceptional talent. It also describes the close bond between the two, who served as both teacher and friend. When Song Jiusi was about to leave Zhejiang for Beijing, Li Zhengxuan repeatedly tried to persuade him to stay. The original text reads: "The prince fell to the ground, weeping on his teacher's knees, his tears staining his teacher's robe, saying, 'Teacher, with your departure, your son's safety and honor are over!'"
However, facing Li Jieyi's affectionate eyes, seeing her tears falling like pearls from a broken string, Chu Qi's heart rang out—No, no! This is not right! After all, what kind of good disciple would ask the master to hug them?! What Li Zhengxuan said at that time might have had other meanings!
He analyzed and compared carefully in his mind again - when the eldest princess was still a county princess, it was no secret that her unruly nature gave the lecturers a headache. Even Li Zhengxuan was unwilling to study with her. But she loved military strategy and history. In her early years, the late emperor praised her for her published strategy for fighting against the Di Rong. Song Jiusi taught military strategy and history when he was in Prince Yong's mansion.
Later, Song Jiusi returned to Beijing on leave to report on his work. In the same year, Li Jieyi went to Beijing to visit the late Empress Dowager. Because of her meritorious service in protecting the emperor, she was promoted by the late emperor to be a female guard in the inner palace, responsible for matters such as the security of the harem.
In the 13th year of the reign of Emperor Zhengxuan, the King of Liang rebelled, and Song Jiusi was ordered to lead an expedition to suppress the rebellion. Familiar with the terrain of Jiangxi from her early years, Li Jieyi volunteered to collect and transport food and fodder for the army.
That same year, Song Jiusi returned triumphantly, and many high-ranking officials sought to marry him, urging him to remarry. The Gu family, with its close ties to the Song family, was particularly forthcoming. Li Jieyi, having been granted the rank of princess for her contributions in suppressing the rebellion, selected twenty handsome men from among the eligible men chosen by the previous emperor. Under the pretext of identifying potential consorts, she accompanied them in various pursuits, enjoying horseback riding, archery, and music, drawing widespread criticism.
Two months later, Song Jiusi declined the Gu family's marriage proposal, citing unresolved border strife and unfulfilled ambitions. Meanwhile, the talented and skilled young men around Li Jieyi never became consorts. Instead, they were brought into the martial arts arena by Li Jieyi and became the forerunners of the Fengling Guard, including Shen Zhongda's brother, Shen Boyuan.
In the fifteenth year of the Zhengxuan reign, the Di Rong camped and threatened a major invasion. The imperial court again appointed Song Jiusi as the commander of the central army to lead the charge. However, the Song army was ambushed and trapped. The Fengling Guard, supposedly a hundred miles away, descended like a heavenly force, defeated the Di Rong, and rescued the captive Song Jiusi.
At the end of the fifteenth year of the Zhengxuan reign, the Song army was completely annihilated, leaving no survivors. The Di Rong, suffering a crushing defeat and exhausted, sent envoys to propose peace. However, the court and the people were filled with grief and outrage, and under pressure, Crown Prince Li temporarily shelved the peace talks. That night, a fire broke out in the Di Rong rear. The Fengling Guards launched a night attack, sending the Di Rong fleeing in panic. Tens of thousands of casualties were reported, and the defeated were piled into a Jingguan. The Di Rong generals who had fought against the Song army were cut into pieces, and the enemy envoys were torn apart by five horses...
Chuqi was shocked to realize that since the two met, wherever Song Jiusi appeared, there would be Li Jieyi. The two were like twins, and their time trajectories and actions completely overlapped!
Chu Qi was shocked by the secret he accidentally discovered. In the time it took him to be distracted, the person in front of him had already stood up shakily, supporting himself on the table. Even without looking up, Chu Qi could feel the gaze on his face becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. The gaze was too intense and too focused. He had a feeling of being caught doing something wrong, or like a prey being stared at by a predator. His scalp began to tingle.
Chuqi realized something was wrong and unconsciously quickened his pace of retreat.
Li Jieyi suddenly shouted, "Stand still!"
Chu Qi knew that she had mistaken him for Song Jiusi after drinking, and he groaned inwardly, not knowing whether to stay or retreat. "Your humble servant is terrified!"
"Song Jiusi, you blame me so much! You hate me! You have such a cruel heart. When you were a human, you were so hard-hearted that you didn't dare to look at me for even a second. Even as a ghost, you're the most timid ghost! I haven't appeared in your dreams for twenty years, and now you're here, you still don't dare to get close to me... You still hate me for that time... when I tied you to the iron chair... Mr. Song, I did it, and after all these years, you still can't let it go. What kind of man are you!"
Chuqi was struck by lightning, wishing he could plug his ears and find a hole to crawl into and bury himself. He was so shocked by the meaning behind these words that he was speechless. Tied to a chair?! Did? What?!
He had no idea what was going on between Song Jiusi and Li Jieyi. Even though she wasn't scolding him, he still felt ashamed. It might be because of her "surname Song". After all, he was also half a Song family member.
He was not in a position to speak in defense of his uncle, not to mention that he had no way to defend himself without knowing the inside story. He could only lower his head again and again, hoping that Li Jieyi would calm down and let him go.
But Li Jieyi's tone suddenly dropped, her voice like a leaf falling in the wind, desolate and sorrowful. "You always leave like this, without a sound. It was like this when you left the palace, when you went to war, and even when you decided to die... Sir, you never said goodbye to me properly."
"Sir, at least hug me before you leave."
The voice was filled with so much desolation and sadness that Chuqi felt a bitterness spreading in his eyes for some reason. He caught a glimpse of the figure in the kaleidoscope and his heart trembled suddenly.
Earlier, when Li Jieyi recounted the past, despite her sadness and emotional fluctuations, her expression remained remarkably restrained, her tears quickly fading between her fingertips. But now, her long, slender, thick eyelashes were damp, her black hair at her temples, wet with tears, plastered to her cheeks, and her tightly pursed lips were reddened by the stain. Her shoulders trembled uncontrollably, her back remained straight, her eyes held the same pride and dignity characteristic of someone in a higher position, but her tone was anything but commanding or demanding.
She was afraid, afraid of being rejected, and she was at a loss, knowing that if she heard no, she would be completely helpless. When she was awake, she was decisive and invincible, but when she woke up in the middle of the night, her seemingly indestructible armor cracked, revealing a bit of vulnerability.
Chu Qi felt a surge of sympathy and compassion. He felt she was trapped in the past. Perhaps she knew she was shackled, but she had no way of breaking free. Or perhaps she was willing to be trapped in the past, willing never to wake up.
This is also a poor man.
Li Jieyi lifted her eyelids, which were sleepy due to drunkenness, and saw through her tearful eyes that the handsome figure was not far away. The smile on her lips suddenly deepened, and she walked towards him quickly. Unconsciously, she stepped on the wine bottle and stumbled forward.
Someone half-knelt and supported her, saying, "Your Highness, are you okay?"
I also remember there was a person who held me up firmly when he saw me tripping over the skirt of a dress.
She noticed the anxious look in his eyes at that time, and secretly delighted. She often used such a clumsy trick to attract his attention. As smart as he was, he would naturally notice it quickly. Every time she looked up, she could see his helpless face. However, it worked every time. Every time Li Jieyi was about to fall, Song Jiusi would still be reluctant to let her go.
Dreams and reality intertwined, and after twenty years, she finally hugged him.
Li Jieyi tightly grasped the corner of the crimson dress in her hand. All the grievances, longings, unwillingness, regrets and pains surged into her heart and she burst into tears.
It was a hug devoid of passion, or perhaps a one-way embrace. Chu Qi froze, unsure where to place his hands and feet. He listened to her heartbroken sobs, his heart aching. He wanted to pat Li Jieyi on the back, but felt it was inappropriate. He sighed softly. How profound and passionate must have been the love between these two people back then. Even separated by life and death, one person would still remember it in their hearts for decades, unwilling to forget it...
It is difficult to fall in love, and it is even more difficult to stay with the one you love.
Wait until Li Jieyi is tired of crying, then he will quietly leave...
As he was thinking, the crying gradually stopped. Chu Qi thought she had fallen asleep, so he gently moved his body. He saw Li Jieyi raise her face from his arms, her dark eyes still glistening with tears, and the slightly upturned corners of her eyes seemed to be soaked with wet peach blossoms. She suddenly asked, "Will you leave me a child?"
Chuqi's hands and feet suddenly became numb.
Nanny Guan was guarding outside the main hall door when she suddenly heard the door move. She caught a glimpse of someone walking out of the hall in a panic, and then heaved a sigh of relief in the corridor.
She saw the blush on Chuqi's face spreading from behind her ears to her cheeks, and thought to herself that he was indeed a young man and still couldn't let go.
Nanny Guan has been with Li Jieyi for many years and knows how hard she has been living. She really hopes that she can have someone who understands her and cares about her.
That scoundrel surnamed Shen had used his military achievements to coerce Li Jieyi into surrendering, and he hadn't treated her well. The two had been arguing constantly and tormenting each other for years since their marriage. If Li Jieyi hadn't made it her mission to find him, she would have taken her own life long ago.
In the early years, when Liu Ruhua was pregnant, Li Jieyi had strongly considered divorce. For a long time, many scholars of the humanities had flirted with her, writing poems to express their feelings, and some even fought to see her. The fact that these people were able to approach Li Jieyi was more or less due to the tacit approval or even encouragement of the nanny.
Why can Shen Zhongda take concubines and have children, but Li Jieyi has to live a simple life?
But in the end, Li Jieyi never took the final step with those men. Every time she saw those men begging for sex in a servile manner, Li Jieyi felt bored.
Nanny Guan knew very well that she was just looking for the shadow of another person in someone else.
Nanny Guan disliked Shen Zhongda, but Li Jieyi had gradually grown indifferent. Previously, it was Shen Zhongda who refused to let go, but over the years, it was Li Jieyi who had become indifferent. The marriage agreement would shield her from many troubles. Shen and Li also agreed that once Shen Changfeng married, Li Jieyi would move out of the palace, and the two would live their own lives, keeping to themselves.
Nanny Guan thought to herself: Li Jieyi has never shown her emotions like this in front of outsiders! She had always worried that Li Jieyi would collapse from holding all her sorrows in her heart, but she clearly cried just now, which is a good thing! Nanny Guan looked at Chuqi again and again, and nodded secretly: This young man is very good, it is not a bad idea to accept him.
As for Chuqi being Song Jiusi's nephew? Nanny Guan thought that was not a big deal. As long as Li Jieyi liked him, what did it matter whether he was an uncle or a nephew?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
