Chapter 34. The Third Brother and His Sister-in-Law.
Even through a curtain, one could clearly smell the alcohol emanating from her, something the emperor, who was always so particular about purity and decency, could not tolerate.
The marriage was originally arranged by Xiao Zhuo, but the Prince of Yan repeatedly begged him to come and handle it on his behalf, so Xiao Zhuo reluctantly agreed to come and see Yuan Chaolu.
Before he could speak, the person outside the curtain said, "Did I say something wrong last night that displeased His Highness?"
The voice held a cautious, tentative tone: "I understand Your Highness's thoughts. Your Highness loves the untamed rivers and lakes, and yearns for freedom. The arrangements His Majesty has made over the years have indeed suffocated Your Highness, causing you to harbor some resistance towards me..."
Before Xiao Zhuo could speak, he heard this and let the woman outside the curtain continue.
“I know these words are disrespectful and I shouldn’t have said them, but since that’s the case, why don’t we leave Luoyang in the future? Go to Jiangnan, go to the North, where we will never see His Majesty again.”
A delicate hand slipped through the gauze curtain and grasped Xiao Zhuo's hand, holding it tightly and refusing to let go.
"But wherever you are, I will always be with Your Highness."
"Why is Your Highness silent? Has Your Highness heard of Lu Yu? Yesterday, the Empress Dowager summoned me and wanted to arrange another marriage for me. Lu Yu is the person the Empress Dowager favors. He kept pestering me all day yesterday. If I break off my engagement with Your Highness, I'm afraid I will inevitably be pestered by Lu Yu."
Xiao Zhuo gazed at the hazy figure behind the gauze curtain. Even without seeing her face, he could imagine that her brows must be slightly furrowed, and she must be looking like she wanted to say something but couldn't.
She tightened her grip, holding his hands tightly. "Tell me the truth, why did you leave without saying goodbye last night? If it was my fault, I will naturally apologize. But if I did nothing wrong, will the Prince of Yan apologize for me?"
She bit her lip lightly, her words seemingly uttered with suppressed anger, filled with deep resentment.
A breeze blew, causing the curtains to flutter and swirl around her face. In an instant, she took a step closer: "You abandoned me, leaving me alone on the boat. I have never been treated so humiliatingly by my husband. I truly think Your Highness has gone too far."
Her breathing became increasingly rapid. "If the Prince of Yan treats me like this now, what will happen after we are married? Will he treat me even worse?"
Xiao Zhuo placed his other hand on hers, intending to pull his palm away.
She sensed his intention, shook off his hand, and raised her voice slightly, "Your Highness still doesn't dare to speak? Then let me make it clear, this marriage has brought me so much trouble, and I've had enough. You've distanced yourself from me because I'm favored by His Majesty, but I obediently attend classes with His Majesty every day, also for His Highness's sake. If not for that, how could I have persevered with such harsh treatment from the Emperor?"
“I did nothing wrong, but Your Highness’s actions today are truly despicable. Your Highness’s refusal to accept the arranged marriage seems to be an attempt to break free from constraints, but you dare not face your own heart.”
Xiao Zhuo coldly watched as she handed a scroll in from outside.
As the scroll slowly unfurled, Xiao Zhuo chuckled softly. How could he not recognize the person depicted on the scroll?
Yuan Chaolu said, "I originally intended to give this to Your Highness last night, but Your Highness left without saying goodbye. Now let it be a farewell gift for our chance to meet. From now on, our relationship will be over."
If Xiao Zhuo hadn't been here tonight, she truly wouldn't have known, that's what she thought.
He had taught her for so long, yet the Prince of Yan had only met her a few times and bullied her like this, and she instead painted for the Prince of Yan. She was truly ungrateful.
Yuan Chaolu turned to leave, but a man's slender hand reached out from behind the curtain and grabbed her delicate wrist.
Yuan Chaolu stopped in her tracks, turning her back to him. "Your Highness, what is the meaning of stopping me from leaving?"
All this was said to provoke the King of Yan, so that he would see his true intentions.
He had been silent all night, but now he finally reached out and took her hand. His fingertips rested on her pulse, and the calluses on his wrist rubbed against her skin, making her wrist feel warm. He seemed to want to pull her inside to talk.
Yuan Chaolu touched his forehead with his fingertips and swayed slightly: "Your Highness, I'm drunk, and my head is spinning."
She staggered, losing her balance, and was about to fall out of the pavilion when an arm reached out from behind the curtain and firmly grabbed her waist.
The curtains rippled like water, swirling and floating between the two. Yuan Chaolu's heart suddenly raced, and she leaned forward, her soft body crashing into his arms. Her arms passed through the gauze curtains, encircling his neck, and before the Prince of Yan could react, she tilted her head to kiss him.
The first touch of her skin, just enough to reach the line of his chin, caused his body to tense up abruptly, his long neck tilting back to avoid her advances.
This posture of avoidance is exactly the same as his brother's.
The curtains slid past her, and darkness surged into the pavilion like a tide. The sudden darkness caught her eyes off, and she couldn't make out the person's face at all. Only the sharply defined lines of their cheeks were vaguely visible.
Through the thin summer fabric, Yuan Chaolu could clearly feel the young man's agile, tiger-like waist. Last time, he felt that his body was very similar to his brother's. He looked thin, but he was tall and strong with firm muscles, which was the result of years of shooting arrows.
She tiptoed, but still couldn't reach his chin. She wrapped her arms around him like seaweed and bit his neck haphazardly in the darkness. She heard him breathe softly, his magnetic, husky voice whispering in her ear, making her heart flutter. She forced herself to continue kissing him, and in the chaos, pulled his neck down and pressed her whole body against his.
Xiao Zhuo had no way to dodge; the veins in his neck bulged, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead as they were being pulled apart.
The darkness amplified the taboo, while the rustling sound of fabric rubbing against each other stirred one's nerves.
In the dimly lit pavilion, the moonlight couldn't penetrate, and all that could be heard was the increasingly heavy breathing of the two people.
Xiao Zhuo raised his hand and pulled away her hand from behind his neck. She cunningly withdrew her hand first, and even complained coquettishly, "Don't move around."
She saw herself as the Prince of Yan, and did so both times?
It was Xiao Zhuo's momentary lapse in concentration that gave her the opportunity to suddenly embrace him.
When Xiao Zhuo's back pressed against the icy stone pillar, he had nowhere to retreat, and her lips pressed against his.
Moist, warm lips, carrying a faint orchid fragrance, kissed her inevitably, enveloping her venting of discontent.
The immense force struck again and again, and Xiao Zhuo's arm, which was about to push her away, suddenly froze.
She seemed annoyed, her kiss was extremely heavy, awkward and reckless. Then, she slid her tongue out and licked his lips.
The man's strong arms tightened suddenly, her waist was abruptly pulled in, the fabric of her clothes gathered behind her, wrinkling, and a low moan escaped Yuan Chaolu's lips as she completely nestled into his embrace.
The delicate aroma of wine, the strong fragrance of the daughter, and the subtle scent from the man's robes intertwined in this small space.
After a long while, Xiao Zhuo finally avoided her breath, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. She leaned against his neck, panting softly, and said, "Your Highness held me like this yesterday too, and then left me. But tonight Your Highness didn't push me away."
The curtains fluttered in, concealing her smug, smiling face behind the light gauze.
“But I must tell Your Highness that it is my turn to leave first today, and we need not entangle ourselves with each other in the future.”
Before the words were even finished, the slender figure had already strode out of the pavilion.
Darkness crept up on the tall, elegant man standing in the pavilion. His knuckles slowly traced the spot on his neck where she had been bitten. He slightly lifted his thin eyelids, his gaze sharp as a blade, watching the direction she had left. His jaw remained tense, and the veins on his neck bulged, clearly still reeling from the shock.
The noble and unparalleled emperor, repeatedly offended by his future sister-in-law's frivolous behavior, finally had his kiss today.
**
Yuan Chaolu felt that although the Prince of Yan seemed gentle, his kiss was extremely domineering. The man's breath was as aggressive as if he were conquering a city, and in the end, she could hardly breathe.
The palace was dimly lit by bronze incense burners and palace lanterns. Yuan Chaolu knelt in front of the dressing mirror, wiping the corners of her lips. After being rubbed, her lips were swollen and red, and anyone could see that something was wrong.
The bronze mirror reflected her shadow, and Yuan Chaolu saw He Yi walk in. She quickly picked up a handkerchief to cover her mouth and asked, "What is it, Sister He Yi?"
He Yi walked to her side and gently placed a small white porcelain bottle on the table with a smile. Yuan Chaolu looked at her with a puzzled expression, but heard He Yi say softly, "This is medicine that Li Qing'e asked someone to send to the palace at dusk."
Yuan Chaolu was stunned, then abruptly stood up: "Could this be...?"
He Yi stepped forward and grasped her fingertips: "Li Qing'e asked someone to pass on a message, saying that the Third Miss must take this medicine. I think it should be the antidote for the poison in your sister's body."
Yuan Chaolu opened the medicine bottle, brought it close to her nose and sniffed it carefully. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke: "To be on the safe side, I will ask Doctor Qi to examine it first thing tomorrow morning. After confirming that there is nothing wrong, I will send it to my elder sister."
Yuan Chaolu gazed at the plain white porcelain vase in her hand, her eyes gradually reddening. She looked up at Heyi and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
“These past few days, thanks to your tireless efforts.” He Yi stepped forward and grasped her trembling hands, her voice choked with emotion. “If it weren’t for A Ju’s plan for the Yuan family, we don’t know when we would have found this life-saving medicine.”
Yuan Chaolu gently shook her head: "It would be good if it could save my sister."
Her elder sister was her only remaining blood relative in the world, and she would go through fire and water to get medicine for her sister.
Whether this antidote is truly effective remains to be verified by Qi Yu, but it should be correct.
At dawn the next day, Qi Yu came to collect the medicine.
After she left, Yuan Chaolu carefully dressed herself, tied up her black hair, changed into a light blue silk dress, and carried her book box to the academy. Her steps were light, her lips were smiling, and her skirt seemed to be moving in the wind.
Yuan Chaolu's smile suddenly froze at the corner of the corridor, because she saw a figure.
The morning mist had just dissipated, and sunlight slanted down on the young man. He leaned against a pillar, his arms crossed in front of him, his eyes lightly closed as if he were dozing. Yuan Chaolu walked past with her eyes downcast, and as they brushed past each other, he suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Their eyes met, and Yuan Chaolu saw his haggard face, with dark circles under his eyes and disheveled hair, clearly indicating that he had not slept all night.
Yuan Chaolu pulled her sleeve from his hand and strode forward.
"Second Miss!"
"Morning dew!"
Yuan Chaolu stopped when she heard this sound.
Xiao Luozhi quickly walked around to her and grasped her arms: "Listen to me for a few words, and I'll leave after I've finished. Last night I didn't think things through properly. After thinking it over, I feel that it's better to tell you some things in person."
Yuan Chaolu didn't react for a moment: "What?"
Xiao Luozhi leaned forward slightly, his expression serious: "The annulment of the engagement was something I had no choice but to do. The fault lies entirely with me, but I swear—" His gaze was intense, "The promises I made to you before were all sincere. I will do whatever you ask of me in the future. But Chaolu, I truly cannot give you this marriage."
He took a deep breath, and his voice trembled slightly as he finished speaking.
Yuan Chaolu looked up into his eyes, her voice calm: "Even after what I said last night, you still insist on doing this?"
"Last night?" Xiao Luozhi's eyes flickered, then he suddenly realized, "That painting... I received it. I didn't expect you to give me such a gift. I really like it, but I shouldn't have let you down..."
My elder brother returned very late yesterday, threw a painting at his feet, and told him to get out immediately.
Xiao Luozhi retreated in a panic. After returning to his bedchamber, he carefully unfolded the scroll on the table. In an instant, a strong sense of suffocation washed over him, as if his heart was being gripped by an invisible palm.
His face is depicted in ink and color, with the surging river flowing behind him.
She actually remembered the words she had unintentionally uttered and realized where his heart lay.
As the candlelight flickered, he sat there in vain until dawn. When the first rays of sunlight pierced the sky, he could no longer sit still and hurried to the outside of the academy, waiting for her in the long corridor she always passed through.
But when he finally met the woman's stubborn, bright eyes, all the words he had prepared stuck in his throat.
After a long pause, he finally spoke with difficulty: "Zhaolu, since I broke the contract first, I will definitely make it up to you and find you another good marriage."
"Xiao Luozhi!" Her eyes reddened, and she called him by his full name for the first time.
This is the only way to the academy. The scene of Prince Yan and Miss Yuan's entanglement attracted the attention of passersby on both sides of the corridor.
Xiao Luozhi, oblivious to her presence, grabbed her arm and said, "Chaolu, I will treat you like my own sister. You are not only my adopted sister, but also His Majesty's sister. I will protect you for the rest of my life."
Yuan Chaolu felt utterly absurd; the blood in her ears was rushing so fast it almost drowned out all other sounds.
Xiao Luozhi leaned down slightly to meet her gaze, turned to the side and took the book box from her hand, saying, "I was afraid to see you cry, so I didn't dare to see you last night."
The abrupt and seemingly unrelated sentence, "I didn't dare to see you last night," made her suddenly look up, her eyes wide with surprise as she stared at him.
“I will find you a good husband,” the Prince of Yan said softly, “a thousand times, a hundred times better than me. I have already chosen one.”
He glanced in the direction of the academy, then lowered his head and said gently, "It's getting late. You should go to the academy soon. Meet me at the pavilion by Taiye Pond this evening. I'll bring him to see you."
He patted her on the shoulder and walked away.
Yuan Chaolu turned around and looked at his figure, standing frozen in place. After a long while, she raised her already cold fingertips and gently touched her lips.
A chill ran through my body.
**
Last winter and this early spring marked the first major military campaign since the Emperor ascended the throne. Now, on the northwestern border, the Gaoche and Roulan have sent a letter of surrender. Although the war has ended with a policy of appeasement, the court is far from idle, and many complicated government affairs require the ministers and officials to discuss them.
Every afternoon, a large number of memorials and officials would come and go from the Xuande Hall.
This afternoon, the palace gates were unusually locked. Outside the Xuande Hall, a tall and upright figure stood still like a pine tree. The man was dressed in a dark brocade robe with a belt around his waist. His hawk-like eyes were slightly narrowed as he looked towards the palace gate. It was none other than the Duke of Kaiguo, Jia Li.
Zhong Changjun quietly stepped out from behind the door and gestured for Jia Li to speak from a distance. Once they were a little further away from the palace, he said, "His Majesty is in a bad mood today, so the Duke should not enter."
Jia Li asked, "Is Your Majesty troubled by matters of state?"
Zhong Changjun hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and sighed, “No, it’s because His Majesty’s nightmares have worsened recently. He didn’t sleep well last night and even skipped the morning court session today. Abbot Yinghui is inside right now, giving His Majesty acupuncture to relieve his pain. Please go back, Duke.”
Jia Li frowned, her eyes filled with worry, and asked Zhong Changjun to convey her greetings.
Zhong Changjun returned to the palace. The room was quiet and deserted. Apart from Abbot Yinghui standing by the bedside, there were no other eunuchs or palace maids serving him. Zhong Changjun brought the medicine he had prepared to the bedside and saw the emperor sitting on his pillow.
The emperor wore a snow-white robe, and because he did not wear a crown, his black hair was loose and flowing down his back. His eyebrows and eyes were like mountains and rivers, and he had a languid and lazy air about him. His face was bathed in the sunlight coming in from the window, which added to his fragile appearance.
Even before he ascended the throne, His Majesty was a renowned handsome man. Now, with his unapproachable status and his strong governance and ruthless methods, people only perceive his natural majesty and overlook his appearance. Even now, in his illness, he seems like a celestial being banished from heaven.
Abbot Yinghui said, "Your Majesty's previous nightmares were treated with acupuncture by this old monk and have not recurred for a month. Now that they have recurred, does Your Majesty have any thoughts on this? What did you dream about yesterday? Was it a dream from the past?"
“No,” Xiao Zhuo’s throat bobbed slightly, “it was a dream of being possessed by evil spirits.”
Ying Hui asked, "An evil spirit?"
Xiao Zhuo was plagued by recurring nightmares, filled with a face that resembled a bewitching female ghost who devoured human hearts, relentlessly haunting him. From their first encounter on a rainy day behind Chanxu Temple, to her being in his arms at the martial arts parade ground, and then to his forceful kiss with her last night, that beautiful face appeared repeatedly in his dreams.
Xiao Zhuo's eyes were now bloodshot.
Ying Hui stepped forward with the needle box: "I taught Your Majesty a set of acupuncture techniques before. Did Your Majesty use those techniques when you had trouble sleeping last night?"
“Utterly useless.” His eyes were dark, and his tone was filled with deep displeasure.
Abbot Yinghui rarely saw him in such a state. He got up and slowly walked to the bronze incense burner, picked up the jade incense spoon, and scooped a spoonful of benzoin incense from the incense box and sprinkled it into the burner.
"Please let Your Majesty rest in peace. Just like last time at Chanxu Temple, I asked the Buddha to enter Your Majesty's dream. When Your Majesty wakes up and thinks about the dream, you will be able to reflect on yourself and see what you desire in your heart."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the Emperor looking at him with a subtle expression and asking, "Abbot, do you still remember what dream you gave me last time?"
Abbot Yinghui naturally remembered that it was a dream of lust that tempted people to fall into depravity. He had advised the emperor that the dream might be a harbinger of the future, but the emperor did not believe him at all.
Ying Hui could not refute it, and could only say, "Please, Your Majesty, enter my dream."
A wisp of blue mist rose from the incense burner, gradually filling the hall with the rich aroma of sandalwood incense.
Xiao Zhuo entered the dream once again.
A bluish mist filled his vision, and his consciousness gradually sank into the abyss. As the mist dissipated, the surrounding scene gradually became clear.
"Your Majesty." A familiar female voice reached my ears.
Xiao Zhuo opened his eyes, and the vivid and sensual scene that greeted him made him abruptly look away.
The bed curtains hung down, and a subtle fragrance lingered, isolating this small space between the beds into a tiny world.
A woman was lying in his arms. When she saw that he seemed to be awake, she put her slender arms around him and slowly sat up. That scene caught Xiao Zhuo's eye.
This was not the first time he had seen this body, but it was completely different from the clean and simple appearance he had shown when he performed acupuncture on her; her skin was covered with hickeys.
Following the line of her neck upwards, I came into view of her eyes, still misty with desire. She was wearing a loosely draped men's robe, the sash long since scattered, the oversized collar not only failing to conceal anything, but also adding a touch of alluring sensuality to the disheveled state.
"Third Brother." Her voice was sweet and soft, completely different from when she used to address "Your Majesty" respectfully.
“My husband has treated me very badly, but it’s all my third brother’s fault for arranging the marriage back then. In the end, he can’t escape responsibility either,” she said, her eyes red and glistening with sweat as she looked around in a daze. “He’s in the martial arts arena right now. He doesn’t know that I’ve been secretly meeting with him behind his back. Could you please do me a favor and take me away from that place of trouble?”
She sat up, placed her hands on his shoulders, looked down at him, her long black hair cascading down his lean waist, and said, "Tell me quickly, are you willing or not?"
The curtains moved without wind, gradually creating ripples like water.
Her eyes reddened, her voice grew more nasal, and her red lips opened and closed in his eyes with a coquettish tone: "Xiao Sanlang, tell me quickly, are you willing?"
-----------------------
The author says: Being haunted by evil spirits is like being haunted by morning dew.
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