Chapter 2 The Dilemma (Major Revision)
As she groped her way inside, Zhuang Dongqing put down the hand that had been covering her head and stared blankly.
The interior was spacious, with a round wooden table in the center. Beside it sat an unfamiliar man in a black cloak, his shoulders and back straight, his clothes adorned with intricate embroidery that reflected a soft luster as the light shifted. His right-fastening blouse was neatly fastened, and his gaze fell downwards. A jade pendant, its emerald green color resembling the ripples of lake water, hung at his waist.
Where's the dining table? Where's the pot? Where are the eldest, second, and third sons...?
"Who sent you?" the other person asked.
The words were clear and articulate, spoken at a measured pace, but Zhuang Dongqing found the tone terribly cold.
"Third Brother?" He shook his head, his eyes hazy. "Hao...Hao San?"
The man let out a soft sigh of relief.
He stared at Zhuang Dongqing for a while, noticing him frequently raising his hand, and asked him, "What's wrong with your head?"
Zhuang Dongqing pouted, "It fell."
"Come sit here."
Zhuang Dongqing groped her way over, but when she sat down, she was so dizzy that she swayed and was helped up by the other person.
With long, strong fingers, he gripped the man's arm, and instantly the man was immobilized by the force, sitting down steadily.
Zhuang Dongqing was not sober. As she entered the room, the effects of the alcohol became more pronounced. She looked down at the hand with its distinct knuckles wrapped around her arm, her gaze blank. She thought the hand was really beautiful, but at the same time, she inexplicably felt that the place being held was a little hot.
He struggled, but couldn't break free. Before he could say anything, the other person let go.
The next instant, the hand moved up along his neck, grasped Zhuang Dongqing's chin, and lifted him up without any chance of resistance.
The other person's face suddenly magnified and became clear.
Zhuang Dongqing's lips parted slightly. The third brother... wasn't lying.
The face before him had prominent brow bones, deep-set eyes, and amber pupils that gleamed with a cold light. As he leaned closer to look at him, the slightly humped nose bridge was high and straight, and the breath from the tip of the nose inevitably brushed against his face, lightly brushing against him, the heat seeming to burn into his skin.
"It's nothing."
Her fingertips brushed across his forehead where it hurt, then parted just as quickly.
Zhuang Dongqing trembled.
The gaze that had been fixed on him fell upon Zhuang Dongqing's fair face, which was flushed with a deep red, and her eyes were red-rimmed, brimming with tears as she looked at him.
Her lips parted slightly, revealing a faint sheen of moisture between them.
The force on his jaw suddenly increased, and Zhuang Dongqing gasped in pain.
"Do you know why Hao San sent you here?"
Zhuang Dongqing was dizzy, not knowing whether it was because she was being pinched too tightly or what, but the place that was in contact with her was burning hot, which made her whole body feel hot as well.
Don't you like me like this?
His tone was indistinct and slurred, tinged with the grievances caused by his headache.
After saying that, I felt a sudden release from my restraints.
It was uncomfortable to be close to, but as soon as they separated, Zhuang Dongqing felt as if she were being driven by something, and she pressed her cheek against the wrist. She caught a whiff of something, and her rationality crumbled. She muttered, "What...scent is that on you..."
"It smells so good."
He rubbed his cheek against the cool spot and felt a slight chill. He blinked and saw a string of bright red agate beads on her fair skin. The red and white beads were interspersed, and the hot Zhuang Dongqing pressed even closer to the cool spot.
My jaw was clamped again, but this time it was rather rough.
Zhuang Dongqing's vision went completely blurry, and she couldn't see clearly. Her lips were pressed down by a fingertip, and she tried to dodge, but couldn't.
Several times, in a fit of rage, he bit the finger that was causing the trouble.
The breathing around my ear became heavy.
Then that breath came close, so hot that Zhuang Dongqing's back trembled...
*
Outside the Guangyue Terrace, a young man whose features bore a striking resemblance to Zhuang Dongqing kept looking back, hesitant.
"They're gone."
Another young man in a fox fur coat urged them on from ahead.
"But...but Second Brother is still inside. We've never allowed our children to stay out overnight. If Father finds out that Second Brother is still sleeping in a place like this..."
The young man scoffed, "Isn't that perfect?"
"Don't you always complain that this illegitimate son doesn't know any manners, always tries to outdo his elder brother, and always wants to be superior to him?"
"And from what I observed, he seemed unaware of the Sixth Prince's identity during the banquet. Ha! And he still dared to help someone avoid drinking?!"
"If you ask me, we should leave him here today to teach him a lesson, so he won't be so arrogant and cause trouble in the future."
The boy was beginning to be persuaded.
The young man reached out to grab the person, "Alright, alright, let's go. If you're worried about how to explain it, just come back to my place today and say you were drunk. As for your second brother, I'll have someone inform your uncle, and he'll definitely be picked up before dawn. It won't affect your family's reputation..."
*
...
After finally settling down, Zhuang Dongqing felt a hand reaching out to pull him out, and protested by curling up even deeper into the blankets.
Half-asleep, the sounds floated around me, but I couldn't hear them clearly. No matter what I asked, Zhuang Dongqing just hummed.
Words touched a soft spot in Zhuang Dongqing's heart, and she mumbled in a daze, "Home? There's no home anymore..."
The sound in my ear paused.
The world finally returned to peace, and Zhuang Dongqing fell into a deep sleep.
Someone knocked on the door in the middle of the night and whispered, "Master?"
Having received permission, he pushed open the door and entered, standing only outside the screen, head bowed, and reported: "His Majesty's decree, urgent dispatch."
"...Which one?"
"Lord Huang Zhao, the Imperial Guards have surrounded the mansion and are waiting for you to come and interrogate him."
"Huang Zhao..."
The officials from the Crown Prince's faction are of fairly high rank; it seems His Majesty has made a decision.
If only it could be done a day earlier...
Cen Yan closed his eyes, ignoring all these trivial matters, and simply ordered, "Bring me the official robes."
After a quick wash and tidying up behind the screen, Cen Yan noticed that his attendant had been peeking at him. He calmly said, "The poison has been neutralized."
The attendant breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."
After securing his knife, Cen Yan glanced at the bed behind the screen before leaving and asked, "Where's Hao San?"
Yes, the attendant in front of him was a different person, no longer Hao San who was accompanying him to the banquet tonight.
"The imperial edict arrived in a hurry, and fearing that it might cause delays, Hao San has already led the Prince's personal guards there ahead."
Tonight's events have been quite overwhelming. After a moment's thought, Cen Yan said, "Let him come back and take him back to the manor."
He paused, then, thinking of those tearful eyes, softened his tone slightly, "We'll do it after she wakes up."
The attendant agreed.
The night was as dark as ink. The group, well-trained, went downstairs, mounted their horses, and left Guangyuetai.
Along the way, a herd of horses and a figure hurrying forward passed each other without noticing each other.
...
When Hao San returned to Guangyuetai, he rushed to the private room. Seeing that it was still early, he waited outside the door for a while but did not hear any breathing inside. Hao San sensed something was wrong and pushed the door open.
Once inside, there was no one left.
Hao San's mind went blank for a moment, and he knew he was in trouble.
After a fruitless search, Hao San left a few skilled men at Guangyuetai and rode back to the Huang residence at full speed.
Upon dismounting, Hao San encountered a eunuch drinking tea at the gate. Entering the Huang residence, he inquired with another attendant, Liu Qi, only to learn that halfway through Cen Yan's interrogation, another eunuch arrived to deliver an imperial decree, the same one delivered by the first eunuch. After a moment's thought, Hao San murmured, "Could it be…?"
Upon receiving the news, the eunuch sent by the Crown Prince to exert pressure...
Liu Qi simply nodded slightly.
Throughout his life, the master has always disliked being forced to do things against his will, and tonight...
Without daring to think too deeply, Hao San knelt down in front of Cen Yan with a thud, causing Cen Yan's eyebrows to droop almost imperceptibly.
When he mentioned that Guangyuetai was deserted and no one could be found, Cen Yan's face was no longer showing any emotion. Only the flickering firelight licked his profile, and shadows grew and disappeared on his face.
Thump, thump. Knowing they had probably fallen into someone else's trap, the attendants Xu Si and Liu Qi knelt down one after another. Before long, all the Prince's confidants were kneeling, not daring to breathe.
Cen Yan twirled the beaded bracelet on her left wrist, her expression unreadable, and said, "So, you didn't find this person for me?"
Hao San's forehead was covered in cold sweat as he truthfully replied, "When I arrived with my men, there were already people in the master's room."
Cen Yan stopped fiddling with the beads and lowered his eyes.
Feeling the gaze upon him, Hao San buried his head even lower. All was quiet. Amidst the crackling of the torches, Hao San's throat bobbed, and cold sweat gathered into beads, slowly creeping down his cheek and dripping to the ground.
"so."
After a long pause, he uttered two words in a chillingly calm tone.
"The Crown Prince hosted a banquet," Cen Yan said, enunciating each word clearly, "and the Crown Prince's faction, led by Huang Zhao, ultimately chose this person..."
Cen Yan smiled, "Very good."
Everyone laughed until they were sweating profusely.
"In that case... we can't keep Father-in-law waiting any longer..."
If you're angry, just let it out.
...
Before dawn, the Huang family, including Huang Zhao and the three Huang brothers, were all executed.
The eunuch was terrified by the box containing the severed head, and shouted repeatedly, "How dare you!" "I must report this to the Emperor in person!" before leaving.
After finishing his errand, Cen Yan washed his hands in the courtyard. The basin and the floor were covered in blood.
"Hao San,"
"The leader should go to Guangyuetai and search through all the families whose members have been convicted of crimes and have been relegated to the lowest social class, as well as those whose names contain the character 'Qing'. Make sure you find them."
"Yes." Hao San accepted the order.
"There will be no court session today. Xu Si, go and ask for leave."
When Xu Si asked for the reason, Cen Yan slowly uttered two words: "Poisoning."
Before long, it was broad daylight, and the surrounding mansions opened their doors one after another. The servants were all terrified when they saw the bloodstains in front of the Huang mansion and hurriedly returned to their own homes to report.
The streets, which should have been bustling with activity, were deserted, and every door was tightly shut.
Meanwhile, Zhuang Dongqing, who disappeared in Guangyuetai, is currently in the Zhuang family ancestral hall.
I was brought back in the middle of the night, scolded while still hungover, and then thrown into the ancestral hall to kneel as punishment. I was so groggy that I thought I was dreaming...
At daybreak, the servants who were sweeping found Zhuang Dongqing lying on the ground. They touched his forehead and found it burning hot, and immediately cried out.
*
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and apart from the Huang family, two more officials had their homes raided.
Suddenly, the entire capital was filled with an atmosphere of fear and unease, with everyone feeling insecure.
Liu Fu took the food box from their courtyard from the kitchen, opened it, argued with the old woman in charge for a few moments, and then tried to ingratiate himself with the cook, saying a lot of nice things. He was practically drooling when the impatient cook finally threw him a bowl of crab roe tofu. Although there was still no meat in it, he thought it would change the young master's mindset, so he thanked him and left.
"...There was blood everywhere outside the main gate, it was terrifying."
“The execution ground has been opened three times this month, and all the victims are from the homes of disgraced officials. The blood on the ground can’t be washed away.”
"Indeed, everyone is in a state of panic. Lately, the master hasn't even asked about the young masters and misses' studies."
Passing by servants, cleaning women, and pretty maids, and after the discussions about the recent events in the capital gradually subsided, after rounding two more bends and pushing open a wooden door, he arrived at his and his young master's courtyard.
As soon as he entered, Liu Fu saw a figure standing in the courtyard and exclaimed, "Young Master, the doctor said you can't catch a cold!"
Upon hearing the voice, the figure turned around, and it was none other than Zhuang Dongqing.
"I just wanted to come out for some fresh air..."
He had only said half a sentence when his throat started to itch, and Zhuang Dongqing coughed softly.
Liu Fu leaned closer and saw that Zhuang Dongqing's thin face was pale, so he knew that he had been standing outside for a while. He patted Zhuang Dongqing's back to stop his cough and quickly helped him back into the house.
Liu Fu poured a cup of water and handed it to Zhuang Dongqing. Then he went to check the charcoal brazier and found that it indeed needed to be refilled.
Just as he picked up the fire tongs, Zhuang Dongqing stopped him, saying, "Don't add any more, it's making me feel uncomfortable."
Liu Fu paused, scratching his face, "The ash-colored charcoal does produce some smoke, but if you could have some silver thread charcoal..."
Zhuang Dongqing simply lowered his eyes and said, "Let's eat first."
They had to be careful with the charcoal in their house; the silver thread charcoal was reserved for the main house and the eldest children, so they didn't get any.
"Yes, young master. I also specially asked the kitchen to bring back a bowl of other dishes today. Please try them."
Liu Fu, a young boy, always gets excited when it comes to food.
Amid Liu Fu's incessant chatter, Zhuang Dongqing looked at the laid-out dishes and sighed silently. Half a month had passed since he regained consciousness, which was nine or ten days. The vegetables sent from the kitchen were so green they seemed to have died, and there wasn't a trace of meat in them.
Liu Fu handed the chopsticks to Zhuang Dongqing, who then began to eat with difficulty.
One bite of leafy greens and the bitterness made his whole face scrunch up.
It wasn't that he didn't want to eat, but rather that his stomach, accustomed to modern cuisine, simply couldn't stomach the untamed, ancient versions of the dishes.
Liu Fu kept putting more rice on his plate, urging him to eat more. Zhuang Dongqing knew that the pageboy was doing it for his own good, and he also knew that his body needed nutrition... He ate until his eyes were wet, and finally finished a bowl and a half of rice.
Mission accomplished. Another day has passed.
great.
"Da da".
Unexpectedly, a guest arrived. Liu Fu went to open the door, and it was the lady's maid.
The maid bowed and got straight to the point: "Second Young Master, Madam requests your presence."
Since Zhuang Dongqing developed a high fever while kneeling in the ancestral hall, she has been taking medicine and recuperating in the courtyard. Due to the recent turmoil in the court, her husband and wife have not had time to investigate the matter of her staying overnight at Guangyue Terrace.
Now it seems I finally have the time.
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