Chapter 12 A person with cold lips has a warm heart…
Back in the farmhouse courtyard, Jiang Yinyue wrung out a cloth and wiped the embers from Wei Qin's face.
While Wei Qin was still asleep, Jiang Yinyue asked softly, "Do you miss your mother?"
His violent biological father left an indelible mark on Wei Qin's heart, like a burning fire, which is probably why he is afraid of heat.
What was the personality of his deceased mother?
A strange thought flashed through her mind. Jiang Yinyue put down the cloth and, imitating her mother's way of comforting people, held the unconscious man in her arms, gently patted him, and hummed a lullaby to help him sleep.
However, the adult man's body was very heavy, and after a while, she felt her arms aching, and the tune she hummed was far from melodious and beautiful.
"No, no, you're too heavy."
After laying the person flat on the bed, Jiang Yinyue took a deep breath and was about to get up to reward Zhu Dian when someone suddenly grabbed her wrist.
"Don't go."
After a short, sharp sound, Wei Qin, who was not fully conscious, pulled Jiang Yinyue into his arms and half-pressed her down on the small bed.
His bent right knee rested on Jiang Yinyue's legs.
Like wisteria climbing onto peach wood, gradually tightening and binding it.
Jiang Yinyue turned her head and saw that Wei Qin showed no signs of waking up. She wondered which old friend he most didn't want to leave. "Okay, I won't leave."
She tried to get up and stay by his side, but her body was pressed down even more firmly, and she could not move.
Wei Qin's breath brushed against the stray hairs on her neck.
Even, light, warm.
In order not to disturb the sleeping man's reunion with his old friend, Jiang Yinyue stopped struggling and stared blankly at the roof of the room.
Having no sisters, she often shared a bed with her personal maid, Hong Mei. Let's assume Wei Qin is Hong Mei for now.
That way, you won't feel awkward or uncomfortable.
But Wei Qin's body was stiff, especially his legs, which were very different from Hong Mei's slender body. The muscles in his legs were hard and firm, making it hard for her to breathe.
There's another aspect that Hongmei lacks...
Realizing Wei Qin's undeniable presence, Jiang Yinyue belatedly blushed.
The night before her wedding, her mother earnestly advised her to live a peaceful life with her husband. She even took out a booklet, saying that every bride should read it. However, she only flipped through a few pages before walking away in a huff and annoyance.
I don't want to do those weird things with people.
But within those few thin pages lies the very thing that is currently roasting her over a raging fire.
As the weather warmed up in February, and Wei Qin, who usually wore thin clothes, was now sitting between Jiang Yinyue's knees, making it difficult for her to ignore him and impossible for her to avoid.
"One sheep, two sheep..."
The young woman, inexperienced in matters of the heart, counted sheep in an attempt to hypnotize herself, but the tight fit caused her to break out in a fine sweat, making even her breath damp.
She turned to look at Wei Qin's pale face and felt a pang of heartache for this man in the quiet of the night.
The night before dawn was long and dark. The woman, who had fallen asleep sometime earlier, frowned as something touched her cheek.
Cool and refreshing.
As the candlestick burned out, Jiang Yinyue used a sliver of moonlight to search for the source of the coolness and discovered that Wei Qin's face was very close.
That cool touch came from his... lips.
The man still did not wake up, but touched himself unconsciously when he turned over.
Jiang Yinyue was somewhat dazed. This kiss was icy cold, unlike the warmth of the Crown Prince's lips when he kissed her cheek.
A person with cool lips may have a warm heart. A person with warm lips may have a cold heart.
**
As the smoke rose from the chimneys at dawn, the two sisters from the Han family chatted and laughed as they helped their mother work at the stove.
The house hadn't been lively for a long time, and the old woman couldn't stop smiling. In addition, the "madman" from the Zhou family had been subdued, which made her extremely gratified.
"Who is that young man surnamed Wei?"
Han Yan gestured for her mother to lower her voice, "He was the second-place scholar appointed by the Emperor."
The old woman's eyes widened. "Second place! You're really promising. No wonder you're so skilled!"
Han Xun coughed. "Mother, there are very few civil officials who are skilled in martial arts."
"That's even more remarkable."
The old woman specially slaughtered a free-range chicken for Wei Qin, wanting to give the young man a good boost of nutrition.
**
Jiang Yinyue woke up in the warm bed. She rubbed her eyelids and sat up, only to find Wei Qin packing his bags.
"You're awake."
Wei Qin wrung out a cloth, walked to the bedside, held Jiang Yinyue's nape with one hand, and wiped her face with the other, still silently and meticulously.
He didn't bring up his fear of fire on his own initiative, so Jiang Yinyue didn't press him for details. Some wounds are like skin and flesh, and tearing them open would only cause them to rip apart. Childhood trauma takes a lifetime to heal.
Before leaving, the young page in the opposite room came to Wei Qin and asked him if he would come back.
The answer is no.
In the long journey of life, you will meet many kindred spirits, but most of them are just fleeting glimpses, passing by without ever meeting again.
Young children, too young to understand the meaning of parting, wait with their big, dark eyes for an answer.
Wei Qin was always mild-mannered, but he raised his hand to gesture their heights, saying, "We'll meet again when you grow as tall as me."
The boy beamed, "Then I'll be able to take the imperial examinations."
"Um."
We'll only meet again in the imperial court. Perhaps this tale of the senior and the junior will become a beautiful one.
Wei Qin patted the child's head, nodded to the villagers who came to see him off, and drove away from the village first.
Apart from the elderly Han couple, no one knew their true identities.
Feeling the villagers' gratitude towards Wei Qin, Yan Zhuyi, who hadn't left her room all night, was quite moved. Suddenly, she felt a little jealous that Jiang Yinyue had such a good father who could turn the tide after his daughter had ruined a good hand and find a good husband like Wei Qin.
Despite his quiet demeanor, Wei Qin was the most outstanding student among his classmates since his youth. He was a man of great talent but lacked the opportunity to become famous.
The time for the imperial examinations arrived, and he did not miss it, becoming famous in Yangzhou as the top scholar in the provincial examinations.
Jiang Song, who had seen countless people, gambled on his daughter's future, betting that Wei Qin would rise above others.
Unlike her father, who sold his daughter for personal gain!
Yan Zhuyi lifted the curtain and gazed towards Yangzhou, her eyes filled with a deep, secluded beauty.
**
Meanwhile, His Highness the Crown Prince, who had been traveling day and night at breakneck speed, had already arrived at the Jiangning Military Command. During his journey, he personally attended to everything from inspecting the garrisons to stabilize morale, to reviewing the official documents and criminal cases recorded in the Records Office and Judgment Office over the past ten years, to overseeing the military training and distribution of military supplies.
The day the Commander-in-Chief was rescued, the Crown Prince's inspection tour of Jiangning was nearing its end.
Listening to the flattery of the Provincial Governor and the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, Wei Xichen stood on a city tower in Jiangning and raised the corners of his lips. He dismissed the other officials and soldiers, leaving only the three of them by his side.
He stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in white, but his eyes lacked the calm and warmth of the past few days.
"What do you three intend to do about the kidnappers in this case?"
The Provincial Governor, the head of the Three Commanders, glanced at the kidnapped Commander-in-Chief and declared righteously, "He must be severely punished!"
The provincial inspector in charge of the case bowed and scraped, saying, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will definitely raid the kidnappers' hideout. None of them will escape!"
Wei Xichen smiled and shook his head, then stepped down from the city wall first, leaving the three officials staring at each other in disbelief.
To catch the thief, first catch the king. If we really get serious, will the provincial inspector lead troops to the capital to capture the emperor on the throne?
That's all.
The task assigned by the Emperor was an imperial order, and imperial orders could not be disobeyed. The Commander of the Three Departments was merely following a secret decree to stage a scene where the thief cried "stop thief!"
It was designed to test him.
Wei Xichen saw through it but couldn't say anything, so he waved his sleeve behind him.
Now that this matter is settled, it's time to head to Yangzhou.
The accounts of Yangzhou's salt administration have become suspicious, and it's unclear who is stirring up trouble.
The convoy was originally scheduled to depart tomorrow morning, but with nothing else to do, Wei Xichen finally had the leisure and energy to appreciate the scenery of Jiangning.
On a noisy street, the Crown Prince, traveling incognito, helped a playful child who wasn't looking where he was going. A slight smile played on his lips, his face amiable, as he walked past the bewildered child.
Night hasn't even fallen yet, how come I can see the clear moonlight?
The little boy didn't understand what "astoundingly beautiful" meant; he only felt amazed by what he saw.
An old eunuch passing by walked past the dazed child and caught up with the man in front of him. "I've heard there are quite a few jade shops on this street. Would Your Highness like to pick out a few pieces to admire along the way?"
Wei Xichen didn't specifically look for jade shops; he just happened to come across one and naturally went in. He looked through several shops but didn't find one he liked. Finally, he saw a green plum hairpin at one of the stalls.
What attracted Wei Xichen was not the craftsmanship, but the color of the jade that was close enough to that of a fresh green plum.
He stared intently at the hairpin, lost in thought, and turned to leave as the stall owner approached.
Fu Zhongcai hurriedly stepped forward, "If Your Highness likes it, this old servant will buy it right away."
The material is a bit rough, but I like it. A thousand pieces of gold can't buy His Highness's pleasure.
"No need."
Wei Xichen lost interest in strolling and wandered aimlessly through the crowd. Since he could remember, he rarely went out for leisure; the few times he did were always with Jiang Yinyue.
Back then, they strolled through bustling streets, watched steamed buns being steamed, smelled the aroma of wine in deep alleys, and counted the scattered elm trees.
Who could have imagined that they would later go their separate ways, and he would never mention his childhood sweetheart again?
The shadow of an old friend has become a fading ripple of moonlight at the end of the rippling river.
**
In the stillness of the deep night, amidst the utter silence, Wei Xichen, fast asleep in the quiet bed curtains, suddenly furrowed his brow.
Ghostly shadows linger in my dreams.
In his dream, Yunlan's vision blurred, and her sweet, bell-like voice, tinged with laughter, pierced through the mist, calling out to him again and again, "Brother Crown Prince."
No need to identify the voice; you can tell who it is just by hearing it.
He watched coldly as "she" approached indistinctly, twisting her graceful figure.
"Crown Prince, I regret it."
"Regret what?"
"I regret marrying someone else."
The woman ran up to him, grabbed his sleeve, tears welling in her eyes, "I shouldn't have married someone else out of spite, Your Highness, please help me, I want a divorce."
At that moment, Wei Xichen relaxed his furrowed brows.
"really?"
As the question, which went unanswered, escaped his thin lips, the woman before him suddenly transformed into ethereal clouds and gradually vanished.
He reached out to grab it, but his palm missed.
Wei Xichen slowly opened his eyes, the sudden joy in his dream fading away. He sat up, pressing his temples, his emotions stirred by the woman in his dream.
Like a timeless ink painting stirring up a ripple.
The soft lines of his face have taken on a sharp edge.
In her dream, Jiang Yinyue looked up at him with her clean, delicate face, her almond-shaped eyes reflecting his features.
He is all I see and think about.
This feeling was familiar; it was something he had easily possessed and then painfully let go of. He thought he could take it all in stride, but instead, he couldn't shake the feeling.
During that assassination attempt, he felt deeply disappointed by her desertion. In a fit of youthful impulsiveness, he retaliated against her in a way she could not accept, tearing her heart and bones apart. He also provoked her again by arranging a marriage, just to vent his resentment at being "abandoned." However, when he learned that she was engaged, his resentment was replaced by shock, and the arrow wound in his heart, which had not yet healed, burst open and bled.
For three years, he didn't utter a single word about it, which he considered a sign of his carefree attitude. In the imperial court, matters of the heart were secondary—a principle instilled in him by his father and trusted ministers. To lose one's soul and spirit for a woman who was cowardly and deserted in the face of battle was not something a crown prince should do.
But over the years, he has been going back and forth between letting go and holding on.
Wei Xichen pressed his left chest, where a dull ache was felt.
**
As they approached Yangzhou, Jiang Yinyue kept searching for something along the way. When she spotted a bookstore in the distance, she stopped the carriage, lifted her skirt, and jumped down, saying, "Wait for me."
Wei Qin parked his car opposite the bookstore, and soon Jiang Yinyue came running out holding a calligraphy scroll.
She waved the scroll in her hand in the wind, the four large characters on it standing out prominently.
The water is vast and boundless.
Wei Qin understood her meaning: water can overcome fire, and she was blessing him to overcome his mental obstacles.
Suddenly, the words of his father-in-law Jiang Song when he was recruiting him to marry into the family echoed in his ears: "I am not coercing or bribing you. If you are unwilling in the slightest, you may leave. But if you have even the slightest interest, you can patiently look for my daughter's strengths beyond her willfulness. Perhaps that will win you over."
Jiang Song probably didn't expect that the bait he threw out three years ago would get a response.
Wei Qin found it just in time.
A note from the author:
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The crown prince is the type to fight and snatch things up. [doge emoji]
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