Chapter Twenty-Two: Whispers of the Evening Breeze
Two or three days later, Huairou's health improved significantly, and she was able to stroll around the palace with her maids. That evening, the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the courtyard a warm orange-red. Huairou felt that she still had the strength, so she slowly walked to the corridor outside the palace and gazed at the autumn colors in the courtyard that were beginning to fade, lost in thought.
Footsteps sounded from behind her, neither hurried nor slow. She turned around and saw that Jiancheng had also arrived under the eaves at some point, standing a few steps away from her, also gazing at the courtyard.
Seeing her clear expression, he spoke first, his voice sounding particularly gentle in the twilight: "Miss, do you know anything about Yunji's mother?"
Huairou was slightly taken aback. Yunji's mother? She only pieced together a vague image from the occasional words Yunji uttered, knowing that she was a concubine who died young and seemed to have a special status. In Ji Moli's mind, she was the closest person to Yunji in his life, and she did not, and felt there was no need to, delve into the matter of that deceased person.
So she answered truthfully, her voice soft: "My daughter... does not know."
The man, upon hearing the voice, showed no surprise; instead, he seemed lost in some memory. He remained silent for a moment, then, in the twilight, began to tell a story in a low, calm tone. The protagonist of the story was the current emperor and Yunji's mother.
In Mo Li's hazy perception, emperors are mostly seen as self-serving egoists weighing pros and cons. Therefore, when the story begins with the mention of "His Majesty," she doesn't hold high hopes. However, as Jian Cheng narrates, a completely different image gradually emerges—a young prince who once endured adversity as a hostage in a foreign land, experiencing the harsh realities of life; and a similarly awkward daughter of a military family, who find solace and mutual support in the confines of their grand mansion, ultimately marrying. It's not a legendary tale of talented scholars and beautiful women, but rather the only solace and light for two souls abandoned by fate in a cold world. That love, unforgettable, ultimately succumbs to political infighting and the unpredictable nature of betrayal, ending in the tragic death of the woman.
Huairou listened quietly, deeply moved. She hadn't expected that the Emperor himself had such a pure past, and that Yunji's mother wasn't just a vague title. What impressed her even more was the frankness and openness of this "Imperial Uncle." Yunji's background was always a closely guarded secret in the palace; even Yunji himself couldn't explain the details. Yet he knew so much, showing no reservations to Huairou, whom he had only met a few times. His tone was calm, but the details were full of emotion, as if he had experienced it firsthand.
After he finished speaking, Huairou couldn't help but raise her eyes and cautiously ask, "Your Excellency... it seems you rarely come to Guanghe Palace?" She remembered that Yunji's days in the palace were mostly lonely.
The emperor turned his gaze from the distance to her inquiring face and replied, "I am usually busy with affairs and it is inconvenient for me to visit my young son's bedchamber often, lest it cause controversy. However, I have written a few letters."
Remembering that Yunji did indeed receive certain letters regularly, and that after each reading, his brows and eyes would always reveal an undisguised joy and excitement, Huairou's heart stirred. She wondered if the sender might be him. Thus, the conversation naturally centered on Yunji. From the boy's somewhat timid nature in his youth, to his recent academic progress; from the difficulties he might encounter on his journey north, to his life in the palace over the years, and the various challenges he might face in the future…
To Huairou's surprise, she discovered that Yunji wasn't entirely uncared for in this seemingly cold and aloof palace. This seemingly distant "Imperial Uncle" knew his past intimately, and although he couldn't always be by his side as he grew, he always paid attention to every change and progress Yunji made, his words filled with the expectations of an elder and a subtle yet protective affection. This feeling made her feel incredibly close to him, and the melancholy she had felt for days due to separation and illness seemed to melt away in the warm glow of the setting sun. A relaxed and genuine smile, like a lotus flower bathed in the evening glow, quietly spread across her face.
The sun had completely sunk below the horizon, and twilight had fallen. The two had stood under the eaves for a long time. Before parting, they made a pact that after Huairou left the palace, if Yunji had any news of her in the northern border or encountered any difficulties, they could exchange letters by wild geese to keep in touch.
However, when the topic occasionally touched upon Huairou herself, she always became evasive and vague. This was understandable; Ji Moli's memories didn't hold many clear recollections of her childhood as "Huairou," so she didn't know where to begin and was unwilling to fabricate anything. What shocked Huairou even more was that if Jiancheng's story was true, then Yunji was not simply the "Seventh Prince," but rather the current emperor's long-absent, de facto eldest son! This realization made her instantly sense an extremely dangerous aura hidden behind the seemingly warm narrative. Yet, looking at the person before her, he remained nonchalant, as if what he had just recounted was merely an ordinary anecdote from the past.
A slight alarm bell rang in her heart, but she dared not show it on her face, only nodding with a smile and remaining silent. Regardless of the truth, her only wish was that Yunji would be safe and sound.
Recalling the man's attentive care and their frank and kind conversation, Huairou felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She felt that any words of thanks would be insufficient to repay him. For the next few days, she had no opportunity to see the man who had cared for her. Her personal maid, Caihe, had already accompanied the Guo family's carriage to the palace to take her back home. Just before she boarded the carriage, someone brought her a small, exquisite bamboo cage containing a snow-white carrier pigeon with bright eyes. "If there is anything important, you can use it to send a message," the eunuch who brought the pigeon whispered.
Huairou took the pigeon cage, finding it amusing, and finally uttered a soft "Thank you."
The carriage slowly started moving and drove away from the Guanghe Hall, which held memories of her illness.
Almost at the same time that Huairou's carriage drove out of the palace gate, inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Zhen Jiancheng stood with his hands behind his back by the window, gazing at the gradually darkening night outside.
"June."
"Your subject is here." From the shadows, the close advisor Liu Yue quietly appeared.
"How is the youngest daughter of the Guo family doing lately?" The emperor's voice was devoid of emotion.
“Your Majesty,” Liu Yue bowed, speaking steadily, “there is nothing unusual. Her father, Minister Guo, and her brother, Guo Qiyu, are both Your Majesty’s trusted confidants. As for Miss Guo herself… her wedding to Lu Binghui, the son of Prime Minister Lu, is imminent.”
"..." The emperor remained silent for a moment, his ten fingers unconsciously interlacing behind his back, slowly stroking the jade thumb ring.
"...You may leave."
June retreated silently. Silence returned to the palace, broken only by the faint crackling of the candlelight. The emperor stood for a long time, his deep gaze fixed on the boundless darkness outside the window, lost in profound contemplation. In his contemplation, he reflected on the past, weighed the present, and perhaps, harbored a hidden hope.
Soon after, Prime Minister Lu Xian received an imperial edict from the palace: his son, Lu Binghui, was deemed to be of great talent and was specially promoted one rank to serve as the governor of Ganzhou. He was to depart immediately to take up his post and gain experience in local administration.
This imperial decree, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, quietly created ripples beneath the otherwise tranquil court.
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