Chapter 236: Loss of all five senses, the mourning of King Qi
Xiao Qingxu silently wiped the traces off Shang Yuwan's face.
"Wanwan." His voice was hoarse, "I don't regret it."
Shang Yuwan's lips trembled again and again. She moved closer and asked him cautiously, "...Losing all five senses...is that a price to pay?"
Xiao Qingxu was silent, Shang Yuwan's gloomy figure reflected in his empty eyes.
He whispered, "Yes."
Losing all five senses, a miserable death. Wen Qijun hadn't mentioned this outcome, but Xiao Qingxu wasn't surprised. The vacancy left by competing with the heavens for people couldn't be filled with just a few lives.
"..." Shang Yuwan's pupils trembled, and he suddenly began to breathe heavily, as if he couldn't breathe.
She lowered her head and covered her mouth, which was constantly coughing and exhaling, with her hands. Her chest seemed to be torn apart by the cold wind like a thin blade.
"Wanwan." Xiao Qingxu stretched out his arms to hug her, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. "When I'm gone, put me in a jar. Wherever you go, I'll go. Okay?"
Xiao Qingxu's hands patted Shang Yuwan's thin back gently one after another, "Take me to see what Wanli Chunshan will look like next year, the year after, and many, many years from now."
"I also want to... go to your house and visit Yanmen."
"I want to go back to Yanmen with you."
Shang Yuwan's eyes flickered and he closed them in pain.
......
Everyone waited at the foot of the mountain for two hours. Twelve stared at the way down the mountain, and his eyes suddenly lit up.
“They’re back!”
Shang Yuwan appeared in their sight carrying Xiao Qingxu, who had his eyes closed, and Ji Suxian's eyes fixed.
Shang Yuwan's expression...wasn't right. Could it be?
Ji Suxian panicked, and walked over to meet Shang Yuwan's Twelve, rushing forward to grab Xiao Qingxu's wrist.
"......" Ji Suxian's breathing stagnated.
"Let's go."
Shang Yuwan slowly raised his head, a layer of ice covered his eyes, which was silently cracking.
"Return to Kyoto and report."
It was a well-known fact that Xiao Qingxu was in poor health. After Lu Heying endured the heartache and gave Qu Qiguo an explanation, everyone set off without stopping.
On the fifteenth day of the journey back to Beijing, Xiao Qingxu became completely deaf.
They met Xu Yi again. Seeing Xiao Qingxu's expression, Xu Yi said nothing but forced all the interesting objects and valuable medicinal herbs he had collected over the years to Shang Yuwan.
On the 30th day on the way back to Beijing, Xiao Qingxu could no longer taste anything and could drink any medicinal soup without batting an eyelid, no matter how bitter it was.
Shang Yuwan took his hand to write and asked him when his eyes started to hurt.
Xiao Qingxu said that it started little by little from the first day of coughing up blood.
"Wanwan." Xiao Qingxu held her hand, his voice so soft that it was almost swallowed by the fire in the brazier. "I left a letter for you, you must write me back. Okay?"
Shang Yuwan stared at him blankly, tears streaming down her face. She pulled the corners of her mouth and wrote a word on his palm: "Okay."
Half a month later, on the first day that Shang Yuwan brought Xiao Qingxu back to Kyoto, Xiao Qingxu could no longer smell anything.
Sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch. Now only the last one remains.
After reporting back to Xiao Qinggu, Shang Yuwan took Xiao Qingxu to meet the old lady and the eldest master of the Xu family. Xiao Qingxu could not hear his grandmother's wailing, nor could he see his grandfather's trembling. He could only rely on his remaining sense of touch to give them a hug.
On the thirteenth day after returning to Beijing, Yao Lao came back.
When he returned to see Xiao Qingxu, Ji Suxian and Lu Heying were frantically searching the pharmacy for any medicine that might save Xiao Qingxu. In Baijia Tower, apart from Bai Xiaoye and Cheng Yishui, who were guarding the palace with the men from Prince Qi, everyone else had gone out to search for life-saving medicine. Twelve was not at Prince Qi's palace; she galloped to Langjiang, begging the Empress for another Nine-Transformation Pill, any price.
Xiao Qinggu searched the warehouses thoroughly, sending rare medicinal herbs to Prince Qi's mansion as if they were free. The Xu family also practically emptied their coffers, sending all sorts of rare herbs. So did Baili Pu, Yuan Ji, Cheng Xunzhi, Cheng Qi, Du Po Po, Xu Shanshui, Liu Mengyao... Every official interested in befriending Prince Qi or the Regent sent gifts, mostly medicinal herbs. Even Zhao Xiang, who had been pardoned, had Liu Que send him herbs he had collected from the people.
Only Shang Yuwan.
She was the only one who quietly accompanied Xiao Qingxu, going nowhere and doing nothing.
"Wanwan, what happened to your hair?"
Shang Yuwan was wearing a thick plain dress and kneeling on the ground. Xiao Qingxu rested his head on her legs and was tightly covered by the thick quilt. He reached out and touched her hair and found that one strand was half shorter.
Shang Yuwan lowered his head. He had just finished writing the letter Shang Mingqi had sent him. Upon hearing this, he wrote six words on his palm: "I stayed in the tomb."
Shang Yuwan had just finished writing when she heard light footsteps. She looked up and saw Xiao Qingxu noticed her movements and asked, "What's wrong?"
Shang Yuwan's eyes reflected the image of Yao Lao, dusty and exhausted, his shoes stained with mud and snow. She was about to write the words "Yao Lao" on Xiao Qingxu's palm when she saw Yao Lao shaking his head.
Xiao Qingxu's mind raced, and he guessed who it was: "Is it Yao Lao who has returned?"
Shang Yuwan nodded, and wrote the words "Yao Lao" on the palm of Xiao Qingxu's hand, then gently helped him sit up.
"Is it this direction?"
Shang Yuwan smiled and wrote the word "yes" on the palm of his hand.
Xiao Qingxu's eyes were empty as he stared at the sparks crackling in the brazier. He smiled and said, "Why didn't you tell us beforehand that Yao Lao was coming back? We should have been prepared in advance."
Yao Lao opened his mouth but could not say a word. He just looked at Xiao Qingxu with tears streaming down his face.
Shang Yuwan silently wrote a message on Xiao Qingxu's palm: "He misses you."
Xiao Qingxu was stunned at first, then he smiled lightly.
"I miss Yao Lao very much too."
Ji Suxian and Lu Heying happened to come with the medicine soup at this time, and they both shed silent tears when they heard the words.
Xiao Qingxu seemed to have noticed something. He changed his posture according to the direction in which Shang Yuwan held his hand, and followed Shang Yuwan's hand to touch her face, caressing it carefully.
Shang Yuwan turned around and knelt down face to face with Xiao Qingxu. He touched Shang Yuwan's eyebrows, red moles, nose, lips, and ears.
At the moment when the sense of touch completely disappeared, Xiao Qingxu suddenly chuckled.
"It's good that you didn't cry."
Shang Yuwan burst into tears and gently held his hand back.
Xiao Qingxu was completely unaware, with a hint of a smile still on his lips, and he repeated the words even more quietly: "It's good that you didn't cry."
"I want to be alone with him for a while." Shang Yuwan's tears all fell on Xiao Qingxu's hand. Her fingertips rested on his wrist, and she felt his pulse getting weaker.
“…”
Yao Lao and Ji Suxian, the brother and sister, remained silent and quietly retreated.
Lu Heying closed the door and looked back—Twelve was clutching a brocade box tightly in his hands, staring at him breathlessly, his eyes filled with disbelief. Everyone from Baijialou had returned that day, each holding a pile of medicinal herbs in their arms.
Xiao Qinggu, Baili Pu, Yuan Ji, Mr. Xu, Mrs. Xu, Cheng Qi... everyone came.
"Wanwan."
Inside the room, Xiao Qingxu's hand was still on Shang Yuwan's face.
"Don't cry...don't cry."
His voice became smaller and smaller.
Shang Yuwan's hand touched his face, but Xiao Qingxu couldn't feel it at all.
Their foreheads were pressed tightly together, but Xiao Qingxu still couldn't feel anything.
"I left a letter, you must reply..."
"...Baijia, Lou...Fifth Sister..."
Xiao Qingxu spoke a lot in a halting manner.
"Late... late..."
“…Wanwan…I…”
Just as Xiao Qingxu was about to say something, the snow piled on the branches outside the window suddenly fell down - his hand suddenly slipped.
The moment the falling snow mixed with the thick snow on the ground, a soft rustling sound was made.
Xiao Qingxu's eyes closed completely, and he leaned weakly towards Shang Yuwan, his head sliding onto her shoulder. Such a tall man leaning on Shang Yuwan, yet she couldn't feel his weight.
Shang Yuwan held Xiao Qingxu in his arms in a daze, staring out the window with lifeless eyes.
The gloomy sky was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe. Suddenly, a heart-shaking thunder roared from the thick clouds. Then, a drizzle of rain chilled the bones, and gusts of wind as cold as knives were heard.
Shang Yuwan recalled that on the Spring Festival Day of February in the 47th year of Emperor Xuan of the Great Yu Dynasty, the weather was exactly like this when she and Xiao Qingxu were playing chess by lamplight at the rural clinic.
......
After everyone waited outside for a quarter of an hour, the door was slowly opened.
Twelve's eyes lit up slightly, but he saw Shang Yuwan coming out holding Xiao Qingxu, who looked like a withered skeleton. The collapse that had been hidden in his eyes for many days could no longer be concealed, and a few more strands of white hair suddenly appeared.
"......" Twelve's hand holding the brocade box slowly dropped down.
Ji Suxian's face was ashen, and Lu Heying was also lost in thought, staring at the silent Xiao Qingxu. Xiao Qinggu looked at Shang Yuwan and Xiao Qingxu, feeling a lump in his throat, unable to speak.
Everyone seemed to be silenced by something and remained silent for a long time.
Shang Yuwan opened and closed her mouth, then opened and closed it again. After a moment, she finally found her voice, a little confused, but with a hint of pleading: "What should we do about his funeral?"
Before she finished speaking, Mrs. Xu burst into tears and fell down.
Everyone suddenly became chaotic and burst into tears. Twelve and Xiao Qinggu were still staring blankly at Shang Yuwan with lifeless eyes.
Shang Yuwan didn't say anything more and didn't shed a single tear.
She just held Xiao Qingxu quietly and stood there quietly.
She was like a pile of motionless snow on the ground, silently waiting to melt.
Xiao Qingxu's death was like a gentle cold breeze, which gently brushed across her cheek and then gently passed over her.
Come suddenly and go suddenly.
Just a gentle blow and it will disappear.
When King Qi died, the whole capital came to mourn him.
Following Xiao Qingxu's will, Xiao Qinggu transferred all of the Qi Palace's assets to Shang Yuwan's name. After Xiao Qingxu's remains were cremated, they were placed in an urn and handed over to Shang Yuwan personally. Lu Heying became the new owner of Baijialou, and thanks to Xiao Qinggu's permission, it became Shang Yuwan's exclusive power.
After the funeral, seeing that Xiao Qinggu's condition was stable enough, Poison Granny took Xu Shanshui back to Langjiang. Before leaving, Twelve asked Poison Granny to return the Nine Revolutions Pill to the Empress.
Shang Yuwan enshrined Xiao Qingxu's ashes in the Prince Qi's mansion. The Prince Regent visited the mansion only a few times and then lived there, never leaving the house. Although Xiao Qinggu personally exempted Shang Yuwan from attending court for seven days at night, some officials were eager to take advantage of this and submitted memorials, but all of these memorials were rejected by Xiao Qinggu.
On the third day after Shang Yuwan stayed indoors, an official made a public accusation against him in court. His accusations were so shocking that it seemed as if it was an extremely heinous act for Shang Yuwan, as the regent, to be depressed by love.
Xiao Qinggu's expression was indifferent. After listening to what this person said, he knocked on the armrest of the dragon throne and said, "Drag me out and give me twenty lashes of the cane. Think it over before returning to court."
The official who accused Shang Yuwan was dragged out on the spot, and his screams were heard in the hall, which was terrifying.
Xiao Qinggu's unyielding attitude shocked everyone present.
Your Majesty...actually protects the Regent to this extent?
"What about you? Do you have anything else to say?" Xiao Qinggu didn't seem angry at all, and his expression was still as indifferent as usual.
"Or do you also think that the Regent has become so depressed because of love?"
Xiao Qinggu's eyelids drooped slightly, and a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes.
"I have observed the deep love between the Regent and Prince Qi, and have personally exempted the Regent from attending court for seven days. How could you possibly have any say in this?" Her tone suddenly intensified. "How much has the Regent sacrificed for Dayu? And how much have you done for Dayu? She has lost far more than just a husband."
"How dare you talk about the Regent? You have the nerve to say that he is just sitting there doing nothing and questioning my will..." Xiao Qinggu's fingers tapped on the armrests of the dragon throne from time to time, and the tapping sound made some people's heartbeats skip a beat.
"You're so impatient! Do you think I can't control you now that the Regent is away, and that's why you're just jumping up and down?"
She sat on the dragon throne, murderous intent suddenly burst out, and her eyes were gloomy.
All the civil and military officials knelt down: "Your Highness dare not—"
Xiao Qinggu glanced at these people. The oppressive aura around him was so strong that even veteran officials like Cheng Xunzhi and Baili Pu felt a little uncomfortable. "If anyone dares to object again, don't blame me for being ruthless."
On the fourth day after Shang Yuwan stayed indoors, the official who accused Shang Yuwan in the court was found by the Dali Temple to have plundered the people's wealth and was beheaded in public on the same day.
With Xiao Qinggu's deterrence, the rumors about Shang Yuwan in Kyoto gradually died down. In fact, the rumors had been circulating since the first day Shang Yuwan stayed indoors, but no matter how Baijialou, Yuan Ji, and Cheng Qi suppressed them, they were not as quick and reassuring as Xiao Qinggu's resolution.
“…That’s how it is.”
Twelve and Ji Su came to bring food to Shang Yuwan, but saw that the food at the door was untouched.
Shi Eryuan wanted to push the door open, but was stopped by Ji Suxian, who stood at the door and told Shang Yuwan about the official being beheaded.
“Knock knock.”
Ji Suxian reached out and knocked, then asked inside, "Sister-in-law, are you listening?"
The person inside was silent for a moment and then opened the door.
Shang Yuwan's cheeks were sunken, his eyes were bloodshot, and the bottom of his eyes were dark. He looked much thinner and more miserable than before.
She knew it was wrong, but she was tired, so tired that she didn't want to see anyone and couldn't even eat a bite. She could only rely on instinct to drink a few sips of water to stay alive.
Twelve pursed his lips and handed the food box over. After Shang Yuwan took the food box, he was about to close the door, but Ji Suxian got his foot in first.
"I still have some medicinal soup here, and I have to watch you drink it. After seven days, if you go to court like this, what if you look bad and get reported? And then you drag someone to be beheaded in public? Wouldn't that make the emperor a tyrant? There aren't that many heads for you two to chop off at will. Do you still want to save the country?"
Shang Yuwan's power is no longer what it used to be. Baijialou is one thing, but what's more important is Xiao Qinggu's unique tolerance and indulgence towards her. Even Emperor Chengming didn't have that towards Shang Junhu at that time, which makes people jealous.
Shang Yuwan listened to Ji Su's chatter, glanced at her quietly, released his hand that was against the door, picked up the lunch box and turned to eat at the table.
Twelve and Ji Suxian followed closely behind, leaving the door open to let in some fresh air.
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