Chapter 8 A drop of water from his temple fell onto his brow...
Wei Xuan looked rather embarrassed and cleared his throat: "Logically speaking, I have no right to ruin someone's marriage. A-Zhang is not a bad person, it's just... he doesn't know how to love yet."
Wei Xuan may be blind, but he is not blind in his heart. He can sense that his younger brother is not entirely without affection for this girl, but his brother is used to being alone, and his words and actions inevitably hurt people.
Wei Xuan also did not want them to suffer the same tragedy as him in the future.
Perhaps we can spend some time getting to know each other before deciding on the future.
"Young lady, you should be more careful. If you choose the wrong person, it will be a disaster for your family."
Wei Xuan, seeing her unmoved, paused, his throat tightening slightly: "For example, my relationship with my wife..."
Xue Lanyi never expected that he would use himself as an example to persuade her.
She could sense the man's deep regret and remorse, and even the slight sob in his voice.
Has he done anything to wrong his deceased wife?
Xue Lanyi always felt that he was not a heartless person, so she asked, "If time could turn back, would the eldest young master still be willing to meet Princess Zhaoyang again?"
"Of course." Wei Xuan replied without hesitation.
Xue Lanyi smiled gently, "So, I have my answer too."
People always find it easy to advise others, but when it comes to themselves, they won't turn back until they hit a brick wall.
The person she had longed for for many years, regardless of whether the ending was happy or sad, she had to see a result.
If you give up halfway, you will definitely regret it at some point in your life. Why didn't you take one more step? Maybe the other side of the wall is not a cliff, but a beautiful spring with blooming flowers?
"I know what I'm doing, and I'm willing to bear all the consequences." Xue Lanyi's voice was clear.
Wei Xuan was somewhat surprised, then smiled with relief: "I understand."
This girl is somewhat similar to him in temperament; neither of them listens to advice.
"Alright, if you change your mind, you are welcome to come find me." Wei Xuan handed her his token.
Xue Lanyi accepted it with both hands.
There was also a bulging little pouch pressed on the token.
"This is fertilizer for growing lilies."
Wei Xuan had personally planted a yard full of lilies, so he knew exactly what kind of fertilizer would make the lilies bloom the best. "Then I wish the young lady will grow the flowers she desires."
He nodded in acknowledgment and left, leaning on his white cane.
His figure was clearly very tall, yet it seemed as if a gust of wind could topple him over.
He headed towards the back mountain of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, where Princess Zhaoyang was said to be buried.
Xue Lanyi recalled that when she received the item earlier, she noticed that the eldest young master's sleeve had been burned by flames.
It was the same when we first met.
It is likely that he would pay homage to Princess Zhaoyang every day, perhaps leaning against her grave or holding her memorial tablet, telling her in detail what he saw and heard each day.
A person carrying the weight of two lives on their shoulders—that's why their silhouette seems so heavy.
"What could he possibly do to offend Madam?" Xue Lanyi couldn't understand.
Granny Liu happened to bring over a handkerchief and helped the young lady up, saying, "Does the young lady know about the reforms of the previous dynasty? It is rumored that Princess Zhaoyang had close ties with these treacherous officials, so she was sentenced after the reforms failed."
The eldest son went alone to rescue her, and I heard he had already rescued her. However, the princess was injured. The eldest son only went to fetch some water, and when he returned, the princess had been brutally murdered by either wolves or soldiers. She was lying on the lakeside, her body mangled and her intestines ripped out; her death was truly gruesome.
Xue Lanyi felt her hair stand on end as she listened.
Who could accept seeing their loved one die so tragically, their face completely disfigured, right before their eyes?
"This matter cannot be blamed on the eldest son."
"Who can argue with that? A man who commands such a large army defied the Emperor's decision and ended up in a bad situation."
Granny Liu sighed and said, "When the eldest young master returned, he was also seriously injured, and the emperor ordered that he not be treated."
The eldest son endured his injuries for a full fifteen days, and it was summer, so his skin and flesh were rotting. The manor only dared to wash them with water. Tsk tsk tsk, I heard that the eldest son lost his eyes during that time.
That was bad enough, but he later insisted on marrying the corpse of Princess Zhaoyang, which aroused even greater suspicion from the emperor.
To prevent others in the Duke's household from being implicated, he volunteered to go to the border, ostensibly for border defense, but in reality, it was practically exile.
"She is truly loyal and devoted," Xue Lanyi remarked.
Granny Liu waved her hand dismissively, "But let me just say something: if you were truly so devoted, why didn't you go with Princess Zhaoyang when your health was failing?"
"There must be something he can't let go of that he needs to hold on to."
No one understood better than Xue Lanyi that living is a thousand times harder than dying.
It is those who can hold fast to their original aspirations when all hope is lost that are truly admirable.
Looking at Wei Xuan's stumbling figure, Xue Lanyi, not knowing where she got the courage, called out, "Young Master!"
Wei Xuan groped his way around.
Xue Lanyi waved to him from afar, "I think the princess will have no regrets in this life after meeting the eldest son."
These words are highly disrespectful, but she still wanted to say them.
She felt that the princess who could abolish the ear-piercing law for women of the world must not be someone who cared about social status, so her tone was particularly light.
"No regrets in this life" carried far away on the gentle breeze.
It also blew into another person's ear.
At the same time, Wei Zhang happened to walk around the corridor behind Xue Lanyi and heard her say that she had no regrets in this life.
Looking in the direction of the sound, I saw her standing in a beam of sunlight, the silver hairpin in her hair gleaming, her light skirt fluttering like a butterfly.
This is completely different from his usual cautious and meticulous demeanor when weighing the pros and cons.
It is flamboyant and passionate.
Wei Zhang's hands, which were behind his back, clenched slightly. After a moment, he turned and left.
"The young master is back?"
Xue Lanyi could always easily detect that faint scent of pine resin.
She turned around, initially smiling, but seeing Wei Zhang's solemn expression, she stopped smiling, lowered her head and eyes, and curtsied.
A dark cloud blocked the sunlight, and the halo around her dissipated.
Wei Zhang glanced at her, whose face had dimmed, but did not respond before entering his study.
With his birthday banquet, taking a concubine, and inheriting the title all weighing on his mind, Wei Zhang hadn't stopped moving forward since leaving the old lady's place.
At this moment, a tall stack of official documents was piled up on the desk, waiting to be processed.
He sat at his dimly lit desk, his face obscured by documents.
The sluggish sound of pages turning echoed, slow and mechanical.
In the Censorate where he worked, things were numerous and complicated, and the censors under him were all verbose, with many words written on their official documents and memorials.
Wei Zhang couldn't see the key point after a while, so he simply closed the memorial and ordered his attendant: "Qingyang, bring me the menu for tomorrow's banquet so I can take a look."
In the Duke's mansion, the old lady usually stayed in Chong'an Hall all year round, never leaving the house. The young master had no other confidants to help him, so he often had to take care of both internal and external affairs.
Tomorrow's banquet will be a gathering of royalty and nobility, so the menu must be carefully prepared.
only……
The attendant Qingyang observed Wei Zhang's expression with embarrassment. "We just passed by the kitchen, and the steward has already shown the menu to the young master. The young master has also made his decision."
"..." Wei Zhang gripped the title page of the document with his fingers. "Then send over the gift list."
"Didn't Your Highness just send someone to the storeroom to sort things out?" Qingyang lowered his head immediately after speaking.
The Crown Prince is always methodical in his work and dislikes others making irresponsible remarks.
"Your subordinate knows his guilt." He nervously cupped his hands, his palms sweating profusely.
Wei Zhang, unusually, did not punish him. He simply raised a finger and said, "Prepare water, take a bath."
"Here you go!"
After a cup of tea, steaming hot water rose from the inner room.
Wei Zhang leaned back against the edge of the bathtub and rested for a while before he felt a little better.
But soon, an unpleasant scent of sandalwood wafted into my nostrils.
"Don't burn agarwood anymore." Wei Zhang disliked the heavy smell.
"Here you go."
A soft female voice reached my ears, accompanied by the sound of the beaded curtain being lifted.
Xue Lanyi did not actually burn incense, but she knew that Wei Zhang had a problem with his right leg. On rainy days, the itch that seeped from his skin was so intense that it made him restless.
So she burned agarwood incense to dispel dampness every day in the courtyard. Although it couldn't cure his leg ailment, it at least provided some relief each time he came.
After being exposed to agarwood for a long time, Xue Lanyi naturally carried this scent on her body at all times.
She walked into the inner room and subconsciously glanced at the faint scar on his right leg.
She hadn't dared to ask about his injuries before, but today, after overhearing the conversation between the mother and her two children at Chong'an Hall, she learned that his leg ailment was caused by a fall into a depression when he was young.
Perhaps due to a lack of careful care, residual blood clots remained, leading to hidden ailments.
Xue Lanyi was somewhat lost in thought.
When Wei Zhang opened his eyes, he saw her worried gaze resting on his legs.
He submerged his leg in the water, and the ripples concealed the scar.
Xue Lanyi's gaze went out of focus, and she realized that she was staring intently at the man's lower body.
At this moment, Wei Zhang was only covered by a towel, his upper body was naked, and although there was water vapor around him, it could not hide his body which contained vigorous power.
Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away.
Even though they clearly don't dare, don't want, or don't want to see each other, they still insist on clinging to each other with feigned affection.
Wei Zhang chuckled softly and continued to rest with his eyes closed. "Go out, but don't neglect your elder brother."
Instead of hearing the distant footsteps, I felt a slight chill on the back of my hand.
He cautiously lifted his eyelids. Xue Lanyi was half-squatting in front of the bathtub, holding his hand and wiping the small red rash on the back of his hand with a damp silk handkerchief. "This is peppermint water, the best for relieving rashes."
Wei Zhang frowned, his guard up even more.
Xue Lanyi was focused on helping him get rid of the rash and did not notice the complicated expression on the man's face. "Your Highness, it would be best if you did not drink any more bamboo shoot soup."
She remembered that Wei Zhang couldn't stand bamboo or bamboo shoots.
Every year during the spring bamboo shoot season, it's easy to accidentally touch them and develop a rash.
On one occasion, the situation was serious, and the patient had a high fever for three days.
Why is it that everyone at Chong'an Hall just now said that Wei Zhang, like the eldest son, loves to drink bamboo shoot soup?
Has he never mentioned his hidden illness to anyone else?
"Does it itch?" Xue Lanyi blew on the burning rash on the back of his hand, her orchid-like breath brushing against it.
Intermittent, gentle, and damp.
It's very itchy.
Wei Zhang's fingertips trembled slightly as he tried to pull his hand away.
But when her palms touched his, her much smaller hand gripped his large one, and it seemed exceptionally strong.
He couldn't pull it out; he was stiff and let her manipulate him.
Xue Lanyi wiped away the small red rashes that were oozing out from his palms, arms and neck.
Fortunately, the peppermint water was used in time, and the rash subsided quickly.
But when she moved behind Wei Zhang, she felt that his breath was hotter than usual.
Does he have a fever?
Xue Lanyi used her fingertips to hold a silk handkerchief and wipe his forehead to reduce his fever, saying, "Your Highness always hides your likes and dislikes in your heart and tries to conform to the preferences of others. Others will not pay much attention to Your Highness and will only ignore your feelings. In the end, only Your Highness will get hurt."
The soft whisper entered Wei Zhang's ears.
He looked up abruptly, and Xue Lanyi was right above him.
Through the misty fog, Xue Lanyi could clearly see the hidden anger in his eyes.
It was a powerful force capable of tearing a person apart at any moment.
Xue Lanyi was afraid.
But then I wondered why he was angry.
The answer is obvious.
She mustered her courage and said, "I just want to say that there are others in this world who care about Your Highness. I do care about Your Highness's health, your joys and sorrows. Why don't you try opening your heart..."
"You think you understand me well?" Wei Zhang interrupted her, his voice so cold it kept her at arm's length.
People at the top of the mountain don't need others to understand them, and they even resent others understanding them too much.
"I don't understand." Xue Lanyi shook her head.
Wei Zhang's expression faltered slightly, but then she said, "But I want to understand."
Even atop a mountain peak, one doesn't necessarily have to be a solitary figure.
She wanted to stay with him.
She looked down at him, her eyes gentle yet firm.
The rising mist, sometimes thin, sometimes thick, dampened her long eyelashes and cleansed her eyes.
Her eyes were as clear as glass; even at such close range, with their breaths mingling, Wei Zhang could not see any impurities.
She only had eyes for him, and only for him.
The wind cannot blow it away, nor can the fog cover it.
Wei Zhang's hand, resting on the edge of the bathtub, clasped slightly.
A drop of water from her hair landed on his brow, the damp heat seeping into his blood.
Something was surging in my blood, my chest was heaving, and my breath was becoming hot.
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