Chapter 143 A Night of Perfect Harmony and Full Moon What if I were to commit patricide? ...
On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day of perfect harmony and a full moon, the snow-white moonlight poured down, illuminating the entire rippling Jin Yue River.
A few small clouds floated above the night sky, beneath which were the lights of countless homes, brightly lit and decorated. Along the riverbank, families were out enjoying the moon. On the opposite bank, the taverns and inns were filled with high-ranking officials and nobles, as well as splendidly dressed wealthy merchants, all fanning themselves and listening to music.
The melodious tune was carried away by the night breeze, along with the soft, cheerful chatter of people, all heading far away.
The river was filled with painted boats and black boats, gently rowed by oars, and even though it was past midnight, the liveliness was still undiminished.
After leaving Danhe Gate, Huan Xun and Yu Nie also came to the river to admire the moon. They chose a less crowded spot and strolled along the roadside, enjoying the scenery.
Xie Cheng and Cuiwei followed at a distance behind them, not too closely.
It was rare to see so many people outside at midnight. Yu Nie lightly fanned himself with his round fan and asked in confusion, "Has the curfew been lifted tonight?"
Huan Xun led her down the steps and towards a place closer to the river.
“Every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the curfew is postponed by an hour. This was set by the late emperor and has continued to this day.” He took a few steps down the stone steps, then turned around and extended his hand to her.
Looking into his palm, she paused for a moment, then placed her hand on it, supporting him as they climbed the last few steps.
"From this perspective, the late emperor was indeed a reasonable and understanding ruler."
A river breeze caressed my face, carrying a damp mist.
His voice was tinged with laughter: "When the late emperor was on the throne, he once traveled incognito to the area around the rivers. That Mid-Autumn Festival, he met a mother and son outside the city who were separated by the curfew and unable to reunite. After returning, he issued this decree."
"That's why. Beyond the law, there is still human sentiment. Such policies are more popular with the people than those grand and dignified monuments of virtuous governance."
He walked alongside her, saying, "My wife is absolutely right. The city lights tonight are proof of that."
Gazing at the slowly passing boats, he turned to look at her: "Would you like to take a boat ride?"
Yu Nie looked at the shore and saw no empty boats: "There are no empty boats. It seems that all the boatmen are already full."
Huan Xun raised his eyebrows slightly, and a hint of youthful arrogance flickered in his calm, night-like eyes.
"Don't worry, leave it to me." He glanced quickly across the river, as if he had spotted something he needed, and said to her, "Wait here for me, I'll be right back."
After saying that, he walked briskly towards the place where the boats were moored on the riverbank.
Yu Nie stood there, watching his back as he walked towards a covered boat that was about to dock.
A simply dressed couple was already on the shore at the bow of the boat, with a young child standing beside them, eagerly waiting.
Because they were some distance apart, she couldn't hear what they were saying, but she saw him walk quickly forward, without putting on any airs, and exchange a few words with the couple in hushed tones.
Then, he took something out of his sleeve and handed it over. The male homeowner was surprised at first, then waved his hand repeatedly.
He didn't give up, and said something more while smiling. The hostess and hostess exchanged a few more words, and finally nodded, refusing to take his things and giving up their boarding position.
However, Huan Xun eventually stuffed the things in his hand into their hands, insisting that they accept them.
Throughout the process, Yu Nie didn't know the specific words spoken, but he could roughly guess what was going on.
After discussing with the boatman, Huan Xun turned around and waved to her, running over with a spirited air. His cloud-embroidered robes fluttered gracefully in the evening breeze, exuding youthful exuberance.
The lights on the riverbank cast a warm glow behind him.
As he approached, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "What did you just say to them?"
His bright red lips curled slightly upwards, making his handsome face even more stunning: "I'll tell you after we get on the ship."
Driven by curiosity, she followed him onto the boat.
When she walked over, the couple had already started walking ashore.
Once seated on the boat, Huan Xun did not have the boatman follow him; instead, he rowed the boat away from the shore himself.
Yu Nie could tell that his movements weren't very skilled. When he first started struggling with the water, his brows would furrow slightly in a way that showed his unwillingness to admit defeat.
Before long, he mastered the trick and began rowing with great success.
She couldn't help but ask again in a soft voice, "What exactly did you say to them just now? What did you give them?"
A clear, slightly smug smile curved his lips: "I gave them my token and told them to go ashore to the water station and ask the stationmaster to get them a bigger boat to travel around on."
At this point, he carefully observed her expression, his smile deepening with a hint of teasing: "As for what to say... I'd like to invite my wife to see the most beautiful moon over the river, but I'm afraid if we go too late, it will be obscured by clouds."
"I also said that if my wife can't get on the boat tonight, she'll probably blame me for a year. Please do them a favor and let me have my way."
These words made her ears burn.
The night breeze swept across the river, ruffling the stray hairs at her temples and rippled the spring water.
"Who's blaming you..." She turned her head away, but her voice trailed off with a barely perceptible softness: "Such nonsense..."
Huan Xun chuckled softly, setting down the bamboo pole in his hand and letting the small boat drift gently on the water. He lifted his robe and sat down opposite her.
"Oh? You don't blame me?" He teased, mimicking her tone. "Then why didn't you dare look at me, young lady? Perhaps... you felt guilty?"
This person has always been most easily provoked.
Upon hearing this, Yu Nie turned around and met his smiling eyes, which reflected her embarrassment.
Annoyed, she decided to retaliate.
She reached out and brushed the water's surface, stirring up a few cool droplets, which she then splashed towards him.
"I told you not to make fun of me..."
Huan Xun had no time to dodge, and the water droplets left dark marks on the collar of his chest.
Seeing this, she laughed heartily, the golden pearl hairpins on her head making a crisp sound, like a young girl's silver bell laughter.
Caught off guard by the attack, Huan Xun merely pretended to block it, letting her play around.
Yu Nie was having a great time when she heard a soft "ding" sound. A porcelain bottle the size of a thumb rolled out of her wide sleeve, bounced lightly on the deck, and came to rest right at the feet of the person opposite her.
Both of them paused for a moment.
"What is this?" Huan Xun bent down and picked up the bottle at his feet.
He had asked casually, but when his gaze fell on the small label on the bottle, he suddenly paused.
The words on the label were straightforward, with the three characters "Hehuan San" clearly visible.
These three words, like scorching sparks, instantly made everything before my eyes ambiguous.
He tightened his grip on the porcelain bottle, looked up at her, and gave her a half-smile.
Yu Nie's face turned as red as if it were about to bleed, and even his ears and neck were tinged with crimson.
She practically lunged forward to snatch the medicine bottle back, her voice both urgent and embarrassed: "Give it back to me! This...this was given to me by the Empress before I left the palace..."
She was incoherent, wishing she could jump into the river immediately to end this embarrassing situation.
"A gift from the Empress?" he repeated, not only not returning it, but gripping the small bottle even tighter, raising his arm high, his eyes dark and unfathomable: "Whom did she intend for you to use this on?"
Her cheeks were incredibly hot.
How could she possibly say those things?
Was she supposed to tell him that Zhao Yunfu was using the Empress to ask her to share a room with him on Mid-Autumn Festival so that he could leave behind his bloodline? She declined, saying she couldn't do it and would be nervous, and that the Empress had given her this.
She would rather not say those words.
"You...you shouldn't interfere..." She was both embarrassed and angry, and reached for his raised hand again: "Give it back to me!"
Seeing her so eager to take back the object with its ambiguous purpose, he grabbed her wrist as she reached out again: "I don't care? I am your rightful future consort. If I don't care, who has the right to care?"
His words clearly revealed a subtle possessiveness.
The small boat rocked violently from her movements. She lost her balance, cried out, and fell forward uncontrollably, landing solidly in a warm and firm embrace.
Her cheek pressed against the cool brocade of his clothes, and her nose was instantly enveloped in his refreshing and pleasant scent.
She instinctively placed her hands on his chest, and even through the fabric, she could feel his strong heartbeat beneath her, one beat after another, so fast that it made her heart race.
The moment she lunged at him, he almost instinctively lowered his arms and caught her steadily.
The bottle of "Hehuan San" that caused the trouble rolled to the ground at their feet, but no one paid any attention to it at the moment.
He was enveloped in her warm, soft body, her breath brushing against his neck, sending a slight shiver down his spine.
His arms around her waist tightened unconsciously.
Their eyes met, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly. His earlier urgent questions had been shattered by this sudden intimacy, leaving only a burning, throbbing feeling in his heart.
The small boat rocked gently, just like their unsteady heartbeats.
She lay on top of him, too afraid to move, the sound of his equally disordered breathing filling her ears.
She could feel the vibrations in his chest, his heart pounding so fast it was almost out of control.
His suppressed voice, with an undeniable hoarseness, sent chills down one's spine: "...Throwing yourself into my arms? Testing me in this way is very dangerous."
The implication in his words sent a shiver down her spine, and she frantically tried to pull herself up from his arms.
"I...I'm not..." she stammered, her hands trembling with confusion.
The arms around her waist didn't loosen; instead, they tightened their grip, preventing her from escaping.
The dark glint in his eyes replaced the previous mockery, leaving only an almost devout seriousness.
He gazed at her: "Don't move... just for a moment. Can I... hug you?"
Because of those words, her heartbeat suddenly became erratic.
His burning body temperature seeped through his clothes, his handsome face with its sword-like eyebrows was captivating, and his beautiful, insightful eyes now only reflected her bewildered state.
Looking into those captivating eyes, she almost succumbed to them. At that moment, a voice inside her screamed: Lie down and respond to him.
But she still didn't have the courage. In the end, she looked away, used some force to break free from his embrace, and staggered back to her original position, keeping a small distance between them.
A flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes the moment she left, before he sat up straight again.
She turned to the side and dipped her burning palms into the icy river water, trying to calm the turmoil churning within her.
Water slipped through my fingers.
Thinking that he would be setting off for Lingnan tomorrow, I wondered when we would meet again.
But there were still some things she was hiding from him, and she couldn't wait any longer.
"The medicine the Empress gave me..." She stared at the ripples she had created and said softly, "is that she hopes I can preserve your bloodline and bind you more firmly to the Zhao family."
She paused, not looking at his reaction: "The reason she did this is all because of Zhao Yunfu... Zhao Yunfu asked me to stay by your side, ostensibly as a marriage decree, but in reality to act as your spy."
This secret, which she had pondered repeatedly about when to tell him, was now revealed to her in its entirety.
After the events involving the gentry and Langxi, she no longer doubted him.
She took a deep breath and revealed the secret that Langxi had told her: "And Aunt Wu, the current Aunt Wu was also arranged by Zhao Yunfu to monitor you. The real Aunt Wu is... gone."
After saying that, she finally raised her head and looked at him, who had been silent all along: "Huan Xun, I've kept this from you for so long, lied to you for so long, will you blame me? Will you... doubt my intentions in saying these things now?"
She laid all her cards on the table before him, awaiting his final judgment.
Even if he blames her, she understands.
As soon as she finished speaking, the small boat fell into a deathly silence, with only the sound of the river water gently lapping against the hull, each ripple striking the heart.
Huan Xun didn't speak, he just looked at her quietly.
His expression was indistinct in the flickering lamplight; he seemed to have suppressed all his emotions, becoming calm, his eyes carrying a chilling scrutiny.
His silence was more suffocating to her than a direct question.
She lowered her eyes, anticipating the expected disappointment, anger, or alienation.
During this wait, he suddenly sighed.
"Blame you?" he finally spoke. "Why should I blame you?"
She suddenly looked up and stared at him in astonishment.
He leaned over, scooped up her hand that was submerged in the water, wrapped it in his warm palm, and took out a handkerchief to wipe away the water droplets.
He looked up and met her gaze, which was completely open: "Similarly, I don't doubt your intentions. I'm only glad that you're willing to tell me all this."
Little did she know how long he had been waiting for her to reveal her secret.
For him, this meant that she no longer held anything back from him.
Finally, he said, "I already know what you've said."
"You knew?" She was even more shocked. "How could you know about Zhao Yunfu's arrangements? And Aunt Wu's matter?"
I wiped the water off her hands, pulled her to sit down, and explained everything to her.
“A few years ago, when I came back to recuperate from my injuries, I noticed that Aunt Wu was acting strangely. Some of her little habits were completely different from what I knew.”
His gaze drifted to the distant riverbank, as if lost in memories.
“I secretly followed her several times, and by following the clues, I finally found out her background and learned that she was originally Zhao Yunfu’s man.”
He said calmly, "She was once Aunt Wu's personal maid, and she knew Aunt Wu's words, actions, and past experiences like the back of her hand."
At this point, his eyes turned slightly cold: "Now it seems that she had already harbored murderous intent from that time on. She infiltrated Aunt Wu's side in advance to observe and imitate her, precisely so that she could seamlessly take her place in the future without leaving any flaws."
"But in this world, no one can completely replace another."
He said with a sense of loss, "Ultimately, it was my oversight that I overlooked Zhao Yunfu's thoughts."
All things considered, Aunt Wu was one of his few relatives. She couldn't help but say, "Zhao Yunfu is a deep and cunning man. It's understandable that we couldn't guard against him. Who would have thought that he would be planning so much for the future back then?"
After saying that, she still had a question in her mind: "Then how did you know that Zhao Yunfu wanted me to be his informant?"
At the time, no third person was present when Zhao Yunfu said these things.
Looking into her confused eyes, he remained silent for a moment before finally speaking slowly, revealing a secret that could shake the court: "Because the alchemist in the palace who concocted the 'elixir of immortality' for Zhao Yunfu is actually one of my men."
"Your people?!" This news left her speechless for a long time.
Suddenly, she remembered the note he had given her earlier, which smelled of medicinal pills.
It seems that Langxi was able to remain peaceful in the palace because his people influenced Zhao Yunfu's behavior, which is why he refrained from sexual relations at this time.
This secret was too great for her to process at once.
Suddenly, she grabbed his sleeve and asked urgently, "What exactly happened? Why would that sorcerer be willing to risk his life for you?"
Next, Huan Xun told her everything he had intended to tell her that night.
He said, "He and I are both from the Red Falcon clan."
"The Red Falcon Clan?" Yu Nie recognized the name.
“To this day, they no longer exist.” He spoke these sorrowful words with remarkable calmness: “They lived in the mountains for generations, and even at their peak, their population was less than a thousand. The people were illiterate, but they were extremely skilled at taming the birds of prey and beasts in the forest. Eagles, falcons, wolves, and leopards could all serve as their helpers.”
"Back then... after the leopard that comforted me died, I almost perished in the wolf's belly. It was the Red Falcon tribe that saved me and brought me back to their tribe. It was they... who truly brought me into this world and gave me a second life."
"However, later the entire clan suffered a great calamity, and only he and I managed to escape by chance. In the end, he used his alchemy skills to infiltrate the palace. As for me, I went to the frontier battlefield." This was the second time he had mentioned that bloody past in front of others.
As he spoke, he told her about his plans after he left: "When I go to Lingnan, he will find an opportunity to contact you. If you need anything, just contact him. I have already made all the arrangements."
After listening, she nodded.
She hadn't expected him to have such a bloody past, and she couldn't help but ask in a trembling voice, "Then who killed Akabane?"
Huan Xun did not answer this question immediately.
He gazed at her intently.
During this long eye contact, he reached out and gently took her slightly cool fingers in his hand, and asked:
"Qiqi, if one day I have to... kill my father, will you leave me?"
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