Chapter 28. Approach him, use him, then distance yourself from him. ...
The women lingered in the garden of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion until dusk.
The banquet was about to begin, and only then did they go to their seats.
It was already dark when Cui Xuan arrived at the Liang family's house.
She jumped off the carriage, reeking of alcohol, and without waiting for anyone to announce her arrival, she used her status as the Seventh Princess to barge into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to find Liang Zhengting.
Since falling in love with Liang Zhengting, Cui Xuan has made countless excuses to visit the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Now, she knows the place like the back of her hand and can easily find the place where guests are entertained without anyone's guidance.
A clever servant managed to inform Liang Zhengting of the news before she could.
Upon learning that Cui Xuan had drunkenly broken into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion at night, Liang Zhengting got up from his seat and stopped Cui Xuan in the courtyard.
As the fifteenth day of the lunar month approaches, the moon in the sky nears its fullness, its bright and clear light spreading across the land.
Several osmanthus trees are planted in the courtyard, and it is the season when they are in bloom, with a rich and sweet fragrance floating in the air.
"The world favors Cui Huai, but I alone love you. Even though he is my cousin, I have always thought you are better than him, and you are inferior to him in every way. Liang Zhengting, how can you treat me like this? How can you stand by and watch me marry someone else without doing anything?!" Cui Xuan pointed at the man in front of her and questioned him sharply.
"Liang Zhengting, I'll ask you one more time, are you really not going to marry me?"
"You really don't care at all?!"
Cui Xuan did not get a satisfactory answer from Liang Zhengting.
Even a simple statement like "The Seventh Princess is drunk" could easily enrage her.
Thinking about how her heart had been devoted to Liang Zhengting for so many years, and how many times she had heard Cui Lizhu ridicule him because of her, she almost felt her eyes blaze with anger. The man she loved could be so cruel to her!
So hateful! So despicable!
Enraged, Cui Xuan took two steps forward and raised her hand to slap Liang Zhengting across the face.
The slap was extremely powerful, making her palm numb, but she didn't expect Liang Zhengting to not dodge it at all.
Cui Xuan was stunned, then became even more furious: "Liang Zhengting, this is what you owe me!" She forced herself to stay calm, took two steps back, and without waiting for Liang Zhengting to speak again, gritted her teeth and turned to leave quickly.
Resentment, anger, bitterness, hatred... all sorts of emotions intertwined, constantly pulling at Cui Xuan's heart.
She wandered aimlessly through the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion until she suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of her eye.
Cui Xuan suddenly stopped and looked in the direction she had just been.
The figure from a few breaths ago vanished without a trace, as if it were an illusion.
"Who was that man just now?" Cui Xuan asked several palace servants who were following closely behind her.
One of them respectfully replied, "Your Highness, it seems... to be the second young master of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion."
Huo Ming?
A hint of disgust flashed in Cui Xuan's eyes, but in the next instant, a thought exploded in her mind.
...
The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, which is naturally a joyful occasion.
The atmosphere at the banquet was lively, prompting the young ladies to raise their glasses and drink together.
Many people came to toast Cui Lizhu, but since she was in a good mood today, she didn't refuse many drinks. Shen Yunzhi, worried that she would get too drunk, couldn't help but try to persuade her, and also drank a few glasses for her. Even so, she still watched as Cui Lizhu gradually became drunk.
The person who had advised Shen Yunzhi not to drink too much got increasingly intoxicated.
Cui Lizhu then ordered her maid to pour her wine, but Shen Yunzhi quickly told the maid to leave and take away the wine cup and pot.
Cui Lizhu persisted, arguing with Shen Yunzhi about drinking.
Shen Yunzhi refused, so she leaned over and went to get the wine pot herself.
As the two were arguing over a glass of wine, a young maid ran towards Liang Zhi, shouting, "Miss, Miss! Something terrible has happened!"
The lively atmosphere quickly quieted down.
Shen Yunzhi pressed down on Cui Lizhu and frowned as she looked at Liang Zhi.
Are the maids in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion really that reckless?
Why did you shout about the accident in front of all the guests? Were you afraid that outsiders wouldn't know?
Shen Yunzhi sensed something was amiss.
Liang Zhi was even more unable to maintain a dignified and elegant demeanor in front of others.
She recognized the person pretending to be a maid from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion; she was clearly a palace maid serving Cui Xuan.
Is Cui Xuan at the Liang family's house?
Liang Zhi left in a hurry, leaving the group of women looking at each other in bewilderment.
Even if you are very curious about something, you have to maintain your politeness and restrain your thoughts.
The drunken Cui Lizhu was completely unrestrained. She leaned on Shen Yunzhi's shoulder, tilted her head, and saw Liang Zhi leave with the little maid. She immediately stood up and tugged at Shen Yunzhi's sleeve, saying, "Zhi Niang, I want to go too! I want to see too!" Shen Yunzhi couldn't dissuade her. Many people looked over and worried that she would lose her composure in front of others, so she could only help her leave the table.
"Let's go, let's go see what's going on..."
Choi Yeo-joo was quite drunk, her face flushed, making her look even more charming and childlike than usual.
Shen Yunzhi had no idea where Liang Zhi had gone.
Not to mention that she didn't have that intention, even if she really wanted to take Choi Yeo-joo to see the excitement, she wouldn't know where to start.
"Okay, okay, let's watch the show."
After haphazardly dealing with Cui Lizhu, Shen Yunzhi coaxed her while helping her into the pavilion.
After helping Cui Lizhu sit down, she sat down herself to catch her breath. Taking care of someone is already exhausting, especially since Cui Lizhu is particularly energetic. In addition, she had drunk a few cups of light wine during the meal, and Shen Yunzhi was now covered in sweat. Although the night breeze was slightly cool, it couldn't dispel the heat from her body.
Choi Yeo-joo, still lying on the stone table, insisted on going to see the excitement.
Shen Yunzhi said weakly, "Lizhu, I'm tired. Can I rest for a while?"
Choi Yeo-joo understood, and indeed became much more obedient.
So the two of them sat in the pavilion without moving, and after a while, Choi Yeo-joo fell asleep on the stone table.
Too lazy to move, Shen Yunzhi stayed by Cui Lizhu's side.
Mosquitoes occasionally appeared in the pavilion, disturbing Cui Lizhu's sleep.
Choi Yeo-joo frequently frowned and pouted to express her dissatisfaction.
Shen Yunzhi found it quite amusing, but coldly refused to help her shoo away the mosquitoes.
The surrounding area was unusually quiet; not even a maid or servant girl could be seen moving about in the mansion. Because of this, when someone spoke in the distance, every word was exceptionally clear, allowing Shen Yunzhi in the pavilion to hear it perfectly.
"Huo Ming is quite lucky with women today."
"You really think it's a blessing to be favored by the Seventh Princess?"
"Ha! What do you know? Even a princess, as a wife, should naturally regard her husband as her heaven."
"That's... a bit arbitrary..."
Upon hearing Huo Ming's name, Shen Yunzhi was initially puzzled, but then, through the words of these two, Huo Ming and Cui Xuan were implicated. She stood beside the stone table, her hands resting on it, staring blankly at the still unconscious Cui Lizhu.
She remembered the little maid who had shouted that something had happened.
I recall the unconcealed seriousness in Liang Zhi's eyes as she left her seat.
Something happened.
Huo Ming... and Cui Xuan?
...
The imperial edict bestowing the marriage was delivered to the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence the following day.
His Majesty the Emperor's word was law, and there was no room for maneuver in this matter. Huo Ming went to the palace and knelt down to beg Emperor Jiaping to rescind his decree, but in return he was given twenty strokes of the cane.
As Cui Huai returned to his residence, Shen Yunzhi was just about to leave.
He stared at the dark circles under Shen Yunzhi's eyes, and listened to her weary "Your Highness" before asking in a low voice, "To the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence?"
Shen Yunzhi did not deny it.
Cui Huai then said, "This entanglement will do Miss Chen no good."
After learning last night that Huo Ming had been schemed against by Cui Xuan, Shen Yunzhi guessed that this imperial decree of marriage would be issued today. The Seventh Princess was discovered to be having an affair with the Second Young Master of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion at the Duke of Zhenguo's residence; only a marriage decree could quell the rumors and save face for the royal family. The little maid who deliberately caused trouble in front of the guests must also be Cui Xuan's doing.
But what's done is done.
It's pointless to question or interrogate Cui Xuan about why she did this; His Majesty the Emperor will never retract his decree.
Shen Yunzhi had no energy to deal with Cui Huai. She gave him a perfunctory thank you, ignored him, and got into the carriage. Then she took a large box from Qiuyue's hands. After Qiuyue got into the carriage, they went to the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence.
Only then did Cui Huai notice what Qiu Yue had been holding in her arms.
He watched the carriage drive away, then walked to the main courtyard.
After Huo Ming was carried back to the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence, the Marquis's wife hurriedly had the doctor apply medicine to him. Huo Yuan wept uncontrollably by the bedside, and everyone present was heavy-hearted. Shen Yunzhi's appearance only exacerbated the already somber atmosphere in the Huo family. However, the Marquis's wife still took Huo Yuan away, leaving them to speak alone.
"Zhi Niang..."
The young man, who had endured the caning and was beaten until his flesh was bloody without uttering a sound, burst into tears the moment he opened his mouth.
Shen Yunzhi sat down on the edge of the bed and gently wiped away Huo Ming's tears with a handkerchief: "Huo Ming, you are the best man I can be. I know you and I trust you. I know you haven't wronged me, but I don't want you to make things difficult for yourself."
"There are many important people and important things in life."
“You have a mother, an older brother and sister-in-law, and a younger sister. You want to help your brother uphold the reputation of the Huo family. You want to make a name for yourself and achieve something great.”
Shen Yunzhi spoke slowly, yet she couldn't stop wiping the tears from Huo Ming's face.
She sighed softly, her fingertips tracing his cheek: "Don't be so fixated on it, Huo Ming, don't make things difficult for yourself."
All the urgent explanations became insignificant in Shen Yunzhi's every word. Huo Ming wept silently. Although she was saying she believed him, he clearly sensed that there was an insurmountable chasm between them.
Everything changed overnight.
Even the truth seems to have lost its meaning.
Huo Ming placed his trembling hand on the back of Shen Yunzhi's hand.
He tried to hold her hand tightly, but she pulled it away, stood up, and took two steps back.
“I’m very happy to have had this experience. From now on, we should both look forward…” Shen Yunzhi looked away, avoiding Huo Ming’s eyes. “I brought everything. I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to bear it, so I’ll play the bad guy.” She walked back to the door, opened it, and the large box she brought from the Prince’s mansion was placed on the ground, next to a charcoal brazier prepared by the servants of the Marquis’s mansion.
Dried crape myrtle flowers, rabbit lanterns, and other trinkets were all thrown into the charcoal brazier.
It turned to ashes in a burst of flames.
Huo Ming felt as if his heart was being torn apart. He wanted to get up and step forward to stop them, but his personal servant pressed him down on the bed.
So even the jade hairpin that had been carefully carved for her shattered on the ground.
Shen Yunzhi did not look at Huo Ming again, nor did she go back into the house.
After doing all this, she left the Dingyuan Marquis's residence without looking back, even though Huo Ming's vision was blurry.
Sitting in the carriage on the way back to the Chu Prince's residence, Shen Yunzhi was completely numb, while Qiuyue cried the whole way beside her until her eyes were red and swollen. Cui Lizhu was worried that something had happened to her, and waited anxiously for her outside the hanging flower gate.
As soon as the carriage stopped, Cui Lizhu rushed forward, but upon seeing Shen Yunzhi, she couldn't find the words to comfort her.
"Zhi Niang..."
She drank too much last night and knew nothing about what happened at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion afterwards.
It was as if she had just woken up to find that Huo Ming was going to be Cui Xuan's husband, which startled her so much that she was stunned for a long time before she came to her senses.
Even she is like this.
Choi Yeo-joo dared not imagine how Shen Yunzhi would accept this.
After a quick wash and dressing, I went to Yunxi Courtyard and learned that Shen Yunzhi had left the mansion.
Feeling uneasy, I came here to wait for her to return home.
But what can they do or say?
Cui Lizhu stared longingly at Shen Yunzhi, speechless for the first time.
"Lizhu, I'm fine."
Shen Yunzhi got off the carriage. Knowing that Cui Lizhu meant well, she shook Cui Lizhu's hand and said reluctantly, "I'm just a little tired and don't want to talk."
She didn't know what to say. This hadn't happened in her past life. Although she didn't know who Huo Ming eventually married, she never heard of him becoming Cui Xuan's consort until her death. And in her past life, she had never had so much involvement with Cui Xu.
Perhaps if Cui Xu hadn't been banished from the capital, none of this would have happened.
But what's wrong with her wanting to protect herself and not being forced to submit to Cui Xu?
It's like standing at the center of a whirlpool of fate.
She watched everything change, yet she couldn't control it all.
Damn it!
Shen Yunzhi gritted her teeth in resentment. What did she mean by being reborn and having everything get better and better? Was she just playing a trick on her?
An inexplicable sense of powerlessness and anger lingered in Shen Yunzhi's heart, so much so that when she saw Cui Huai at Yunxi Courtyard, she couldn't make any expression.
Cui Huai handed her a jar of white jade ointment.
Shen Yunzhi did not reach out to take it.
If medicine needs to be delivered, Cui Huai can do so in his own name.
“Miss Shen’s arm scars are still there,” Cui Huai reminded her, adding that the medicine was for her.
This time, the plaster was handed to Qiuyue. Seeing that Shen Yunzhi did not stop her, Qiuyue bowed and thanked her, then accepted it.
Shen Yunzhi recalled that Cui Huai was probably involved in Cui Xu's departure from the capital, and that Cui Huai got involved because he had promised to help her before.
After a long silence, she asked Cui Huai, "Did I ruin him?"
"It's all about timing and fate. It's better to go with the flow than to struggle bitterly." Cui Huai's calmness bordered on indifference.
Shen Yunzhi gave a wry smile: "No one can surpass His Highness's carefree spirit."
...
On the fifteenth of August, Shen Yunzhi went out.
She did not travel with Choi Yeo-joo this time, nor did she meet with anyone.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the streets were bustling with people and vehicles, the shouts of vendors rising and falling, and smiles on the faces of passersby. The atmosphere was even more lively than during the Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day).
So much laughter and joy, so much excitement, yet not a single bit belonged to Shen Yunzhi.
She walked through the noise to go where she wanted to go.
In front of the city gate, men, women, and children, preparing to release Kongming lanterns tonight, gradually gathered together.
Shen Yunzhi also joined the crowd, carrying a Kongming lantern.
I made a promise with Huo Ming to release sky lanterns during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Although the agreement cannot be fulfilled, she can still come alone.
Shen Yunzhi looked down at the Kongming lantern in her arms, which she had carefully prepared. The lantern had a picture of Chang'e flying to the moon that she had painted herself.
So she used this lamp... as her final ending with Huo Ming.
On the city tower, the night wind howled, causing Cui Huai's wide robes to billow behind him. He watched Shen Yunzhi tightly clutching a Kongming lantern in the crowd, and watched her reluctantly release the lantern, watching it slowly rise into the sky, finally drifting past him not far away.
"Brother Ming, may you be safe and sound every year."
Cui Huai saw the line of words on the wooden plaque attached to the bottom of the Kongming lantern.
Shen Yunzhi's blessings to Huo Ming.
Cui Huai went to look at the young woman who was walking against the flow of people.
She approached him, used him, and then distanced herself from him.
But she truly loved Huo Ming.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Cui Huai: [Lemon][Lemon][Lemon][Lemon][Lemon][Lemon]
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