Chapter 63 Should I let you go, given the pain of parting?
Jiang Geyun's eyelashes trembled slightly.
The palace was bathed in a pale blue light in the early morning, with only the deepest part of the sky faintly containing a hint of gold, as if it were brewing the power to break through the clouds.
When Jiang Geyun woke up, Xiao Suheng had already finished changing clothes and washing up.
As the crown prince, he could have many people serve him whenever he wanted.
Whether the servants had already left or he had deliberately refused them, Jiang Geyun opened her eyes and saw him alone, tying his hair up.
Jiang Geyun's current form is quite convenient; she doesn't need to worry about things like washing up, and she feels clean and refreshed, just like when she first entered the illusion.
She changed her posture, sat in the air, and floated closer to Xiao Suheng.
Xiao Suheng saw her reflection in the mirror and said gently, "Good morning, sister."
Jiang Geyun didn't want to appear too close to the minor villain, since she wasn't particularly close to the major villain himself.
But instead of the unfathomable and extremely dangerous adult villain, she saw a well-behaved, polite, and vulnerable child, and her attitude softened considerably.
She also said, "Good morning, young master."
Xiao Suheng smiled, and his smiling face was reflected in the mirror.
Seeing his somewhat shy smile, Jiang Geyun sighed inwardly.
The person before us is merely a phantom of the past, and has nothing to do with the real villain of today. We should spend this limited time with the child instead.
Composing herself, she asked with interest, "What are you up to do so early?"
Actually, her question was somewhat unnecessary. In any case, no matter what he did or whether she wanted to or not, she would definitely be with him.
Xiao Suheng said, "I study literature in the morning, practice martial arts in the afternoon, and reflect on myself in the evening."
Jiang Geyun nodded thoughtfully.
It doesn't sound difficult.
Xiao Suheng continued, "At dawn, I greeted the Emperor. At 7:00 AM, I went to the Chongwen Academy and followed the teacher's instructions to study classics, history, poetry, and calligraphy. After lunch at noon, I practiced martial arts, horsemanship, archery, and court etiquette from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. I returned to the East Palace at 3:00 PM to complete the lessons assigned by the teacher..."
After this brief introduction, he looked at Jiang Geyun, who showed a hint of surprise, through the mirror and said with a smile, "Sister appeared at this time yesterday."
Jiang Geyun replied, "Is that so..."
She thought to herself, "This little villain is so old, yet he lives like a miserable high school student."
“At dinner time later,” Xiao Suheng said, “if Father Emperor summons me, I will dine with him and report on what I have learned today. However, Father Emperor does not summon me often…”
He stopped there.
It didn't continue for a long time.
Jiang Geyun understood.
It seems the emperor doesn't see Su Heng often.
Indeed, if the emperor were to frequently see his child "donating blood" to him day after day, no matter how ruthless he was, he would inevitably shed some crocodile tears. It would be quite awkward, and what if it delayed the blood collection? The emperor would certainly not be happy about that.
Over the years, I still don't know how the main villain got to where he is today...
“It’s alright,” she said, trying to sound cheerful. “I’ll be with you today, so you don’t have to listen to the lessons. You can listen to me tell you stories instead!”
Xiao Suheng smiled again.
Since yesterday, he has been smiling much more often than usual.
Perhaps it was because someone made him laugh.
Seeing Su Heng's childlike reaction, Jiang Geyun became even more relaxed.
The little villain isn't good at hiding his emotions right now, which is great. It's like he's having a pleasant and easy conversation with a normal person!
However--
Jiang Geyun's promise was not fulfilled.
Throughout the day, Xiao Suheng worked almost non-stop, without a moment's rest.
He was turned away at dawn and the emperor refused to see him, but he still had to pay his respects at the gate. After leaving without stopping, all his subsequent lessons were one-on-one, and the teachers were very strict with him. For example, the essays he wrote yesterday were scrutinized word by word by the Grand Tutor.
Jiang Geyun was both shocked and helpless.
Putting aside the sheer volume of homework, it's already quite remarkable that Xiao Suheng was able to finish it. In terms of quality, Xiao Suheng's work was by no means bad, yet she still managed to find fault with it. She has to admit she's impressed.
Despite being targeted to this extent, Xiao Suheng was not angry.
He remained respectful to his teachers, showing no impatience or resentment whatsoever, only saying that he had remembered it and would definitely put it to good use in the future.
With such a schedule, it would be completely impossible for Jiang Geyun to find a moment to chat and cheer him up. In fact, it might even interfere with his communication with the teachers, which would lead to him being scolded more and his workload would increase.
She had no choice but to remain silent.
In her opinion, the emperor didn't seem to want to nurture the child; rather, he seemed to want to force the child to grow too fast and prematurely cut off this promising seedling. The better Su Heng performed, the less happy the emperor might be.
Jiang Geyun wasn't the only one who thought this way.
Whether it was the servants of the Eastern Palace or the palace servants and teachers that Xiao Suheng had been in contact with all day, they all looked at Xiao Suheng with a little bit of sympathy. The servant who served him in riding and archery followed him even more closely than Jiang Geyun, showing great concern, as if he was afraid that the child would encounter some misfortune again.
After a day of riding and archery practice, Xiao Suheng finally returned to the East Palace.
He dismissed the servants and resumed the state he had been in when Jiang Geyun first arrived yesterday.
Yesterday, Jiang Geyun thought that this was all he had to do in a day, but in reality, it was less than one-fifth.
She sighed, "Young master, you've really worked hard."
It reminded her of her past.
Xiao Suheng remained noncommittal, showing no sign of annoyance or fatigue on his face, but instead revealing a calm smile.
He said, “My father and teachers all say that I have a talent for governing the country. Since I have this talent, I cannot let it go to waste. The world may be handed over to me in the future. My current diligence is not only my duty, but also my responsibility to the people. This is what I think, so I can continue to do so.”
“Talent?” Jiang Geyun pondered. “I was once called a genius myself.”
This is not Jiang Geyun boasting. Driven by the desire to finish her studies and become independent as soon as possible, as well as the small wish that her mother and father would pay attention to her, she skipped grades multiple times and entered the next stage of life ahead of schedule.
Academically, she succeeded; as for the rest…
Now it's all just a joke.
Looking back, Jiang Geyun's tone inevitably carried a sense of helplessness.
She tried to suppress her helplessness and put on some optimism, comforting Xiao Suheng: "What's wrong with being a little faster? You should do what you should do at what time. As long as you feel at ease and self-consistent when you do it, that's enough. People who are desperately running forward may not really want to get there. It's something that can be exhausting. It's understandable that you feel tired, not that you don't care."
Well, it's also possible that the minor villain is a true genius, not someone like her who's always on the go; otherwise, she wouldn't feel tired at all.
Even so, the direction in which today's teachers teach young Su Heng is far removed from governance and administration; it has plenty of theory but little practical significance.
She didn't believe that someone capable of being the Crown Prince's tutor could be so incompetent, so there was only one answer: this was done on purpose.
How sad it must be to learn mostly meaningless things after exhausting all your energy.
This incident led her to discover a small commonality between herself and Su Heng—for both of them, taking things slowly was a rare and fortunate thing.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Suheng lowered his eyelashes and remained silent for a long time. Then he looked up at Jiang Geyun and said, "Sister is the first person to say these things to me."
Is the seating arrangement the main point? The main point is the content of the conversation!
Jiang Geyun said irritably, "I hope you stop making excuses for the adults. They were wrong, and it's right for you to be sad! Stand tall and be sad!"
She spoke earnestly, and Xiao Suheng smiled earnestly as well.
Their eyes met, and when she saw him smile, she smiled and shook her head as well.
After the laughter subsided, Xiao Suheng asked solemnly, "May I ask what your name is, sister?"
Jiang Geyun was slightly taken aback.
After thinking it over, she answered truthfully, "Jiang Geyun."
“Geyun,” Xiao Suheng repeated, and Jiang Geyun almost thought he was going to call her that directly. Just as she was about to say something to stop him, Xiao Suheng continued, “Is it the ‘song’ and ‘cloud’ mentioned in the poem?”
It turns out it was the character for "question".
Jiang Geyun nodded, "Exactly."
“I’ve got it,” said Xiao Suheng. “Sister Geyun, my name is Suheng. ‘Heng’ means jade worn on the body.”
She knew.
Jiang Geyun said, "I've noted it down too."
After exchanging names, there was a moment of silence, and Xiao Suheng lowered his head again to concentrate on his homework.
Jiang Geyun stayed with him for a very long time.
...
By the end of the day, it was time to collect blood again.
Jiang Geyun suddenly had a thought that "if you see it alive, you can't bear to see it die."
The more familiar she became with Xiao Suheng, the more concrete a person he seemed to her, and the more she couldn't bear to see him suffer.
But this is not something that can be done now. Everything is already predetermined, and there is nothing she can do. Although it is said that human will can overcome fate, there are always some things that are beyond the power of an individual to fight against. Just like in this eerie palace, there is not a single ghost to be seen.
Sigh, perhaps...
While Xiao Suheng was alone waiting for his blood sample to be drawn, Jiang Geyun spoke up, "Young master, could you do me a favor?"
Xiao Suheng said in a low voice, "Sister Geyun, please speak freely."
Jiang Geyun said, "Young Master must have realized that I am by your side because I cannot leave you right now, but this situation is only a temporary measure and is quite strange. If it continues like this, it may not be good for you, so..."
"Sister wants to leave?"
Su Heng asked.
Unlike the current villain, Xiao Suheng was less composed and more direct in expressing his thoughts. He remained seated and waiting, only slightly turning his head to look at Jiang Geyun, his eyes filled with clear reluctance.
Jiang Geyun paused for a few seconds after being interrupted by Xiao Suheng.
She sighed softly and said seriously, "Whether I want to or not is secondary... Young master, it is I who need to leave, and you also need me to leave."
Xiao Suheng turned back, resuming her usual waiting posture, her expression and demeanor both polite and obedient, only her lips slightly moving, "Today?"
"There will be a parting eventually, if not today, then on another day."
Little Su Heng is much easier to get along with than the main villain.
Jiang Geyun had no conflict of interest with him at this moment. She had been in the illusion for quite some time, and anxiety was gradually creeping over her. She needed to think of a solution.
According to her observation, Xiao Suheng was undoubtedly the key to this illusion.
Starting with him should be the right approach.
By asking him for help, we can gradually make him realize the truth of the illusion and break it. This way, it might be easier for him to accept.
She hoped that this inevitable farewell would be gentle enough for him.
Xiao Suheng, who was sitting upright, suddenly closed his eyes.
It's as if they were just tired and were taking a short break.
"I will create a physical body for you, sister. No... if you don't want a physical body, anything else will do. Lingzhi mushroom? Magical artifact? You can have whatever you want, sister. Just wait a little longer, spend more time with me, okay?"
He kept his eyes closed, and his voice was even lower, almost like a plea.
Jiang Geyun landed beside him and earnestly said, "Even if you create a physical body for me, we will still have to part ways. It's just a matter of time. Don't worry, I'm still with you, and we will definitely meet again in the future."
Xiao Suheng opened his eyes.
He didn't look at Jiang Geyun beside him, but stared straight ahead with a determined look in his eyes.
He said, "That's true."
But what he wanted was not the future.
Just as Jiang Geyun was about to follow his lead and persuade him, she suddenly realized something was wrong!
Her consciousness was gradually fading, like the exhaustion of last night. She forced her eyes open and looked down, seeing her figure gradually shrinking and fading.
Yes! Something wasn't right last night! In her current state, since she doesn't need to shower, she naturally doesn't need to sleep either!
She forced a look of anger at Xiao Suheng.
The main villain was definitely no good!
Even minor villains!
...
A translucent fluorescent light floated before the boy's eyes.
Thin, yet golden, it pulsates like breath.
He pulled a dagger that was hidden tightly from his waist. The faint glow was attracted and moved toward the dagger, merging into it.
He lowered his head and carefully put the dagger away.
If Jiang Geyun were beside Xiao Suheng at this moment, she would probably be utterly shocked—the dagger in Xiao Suheng's hand was none other than Shouzhuo.
Just then, a servant came forward to announce the news.
Upon entering the hall, seeing his inscrutable expression, the servants hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Highness..."
Your Highness.
He remembered the way she called him, "Young Master".
She must have known that he disliked his status as the crown prince, so she always called him "Young Master." Although her eyes were full of apprehension when she first met him, she eventually let go of her apprehension and treated him with kindness.
Unfortunately, he was not a kind person.
He waved to the servant, who then withdrew.
Tonight, he has no heart for that play.
There's no need to put on that play anymore.
Xiao Suheng got up and walked towards the bed deep inside the hall.
When he reached the bedside, he casually turned a vase on the shelf next to him.
A series of rolling sounds rang out.
After the sound stopped, a narrow secret passage appeared.
Xiao Suheng went down the secret passage, passed through a dark and cramped space, and arrived at a place where a lamp was lit all the time.
He pulled the dagger out again and looked at it in the light.
This is the dagger he has fed with his own flesh and blood until now, a symbol of simplicity and integrity.
After he learned of the extraordinary abilities of his blood, he began to experiment with it in secret. People were easily persuaded with a proper argument and an irresistible offer of benefits. After all, he was the Crown Prince, and there was no shortage of people willing to serve him. These included those who had no chance of advancement before the current emperor, those who wanted to bet on him to gain favor with the emperor, and those whose weaknesses were in his hands.
People's thoughts are sometimes too simplistic; he doesn't even need to listen to them to know what to do.
The blood used by the emperor had been secretly replaced long ago.
Shouzhuo, on the other hand, has now begun to understand the divine.
Although it cannot truly communicate, it is far superior to ordinary weapons and can be called a true spiritual artifact.
Now, a wisp of a spirit is being nurtured within this magical artifact.
Jiang Geyun.
He looked up the name.
Under her watchful eye, he could still do many things, just as he could under the emperor's. He was already familiar with this situation: the handkerchief that fell at just the right moment while riding a horse, the unintentional but meaningful instruction while grinding ink, and even today's lessons...
Building these networks didn't take him much effort.
In the cramped space, the information he had his men collect during the day was laid out.
Many people have died in this palace, but unfortunately, none of them were named "Jiang Geyun," even if we look at the entire palace.
Sister Geyun, who exactly are you?
Or rather, who am I, really?
Should I wake you up again? Should I let you go?
He was still looking at Shouzhuo, a smile that Jiang Geyun knew all too well appeared on his lips—the most gentle and noble smile that Su Heng would later use to show others.
-----------------------
Author's Note: I probably won't be able to update tomorrow and will need to take a break. However, I might revise this chapter, as I feel some parts weren't checked thoroughly enough (most likely the plot will remain the same, with only minor improvements to the descriptions; you don't necessarily need to reread it).
The following are some work-related complaints unrelated to this article; you don't need to read them.
-
-
-
-
-
-
I finally felt like I was getting the hang of things and even occasionally slacked off with some writing, but then my boss, Meimei, said she wouldn't be taking any new cases lately. She took on a new one, and now I can't even find a spare moment during work hours. After work, I'm bombarded with 99+ work-related messages—it's endless! I'm going crazy! I'm just an employee, not someone who's risking their life! No lawyers!! Adults, please don't be lawyers! [crying][crying][crying]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
