Chapter 95 Holding Hands: Whispering Secrets
Let's go back a quarter of an hour.
A line of pink-skirted maids filed out of the Jiying Hall, their robes fluttering as they headed back the way they came. They did not notice that the last pink-skirted maid, after turning a corner, quietly disappeared.
No one noticed that one of them was missing and they continued walking.
After the figure disappeared, a tall, slender maid in a pink dress emerged from the shadows. She had delicate features, and while each individual feature was quite attractive, when put together, they were so striking that no matter how many times you looked at her, you couldn't remember her.
She took something out of her sleeve, casually hung it on her waist, and then confidently walked in another direction.
Tonight, during the banquet and revelry at the Ying Palace, many guards patrol the palace to protect the emperor's safety. However, the palace is never short of maids and eunuchs. When they saw the maid in the pink dress from afar, they thought she was just an ordinary maid.
The stricter guards, upon seeing the waist tag on the maid's waist, immediately understood and let her go without giving her a second glance.
Far away on the other side of the palace, the Taoist priest Minzhen of Changsheng Palace was summoned by the emperor. Before leaving, he instructed the two boys beside him to watch over the fire in the furnace.
About half an hour after Master Minzhen left, the two young boys summoned the palace servants.
With Master Minzhen absent, the decision-making naturally fell to these two young boys.
The boy in red, with upturned eyes, a red mole on his earlobe, and a tasseled crown, said, "Our master wants us to go over there. You can stay and watch the furnace."
Another attendant, dressed in green with her hair parted in two buns and tied with a ribbon of the same color as her clothes, said in a serious tone: "The medicinal herbs for the alchemy furnace have been added, and the firewood has been added as well. Just make sure no one touches the furnace."
The group from Changsheng Palace nodded in agreement.
No one knows how old the androgynous children are, but they appear to be around eleven or twelve years old, and look extremely similar. They can only be distinguished by whether they have red moles on their earlobes.
After giving their instructions, the two boys took the medicine and went out hand in hand.
Seeing that no one was around, the boy in red immediately stopped laughing and tugged at his clothes: "It's been so long since I've had such short arms and legs. When will I be able to leave the palace?"
The boy in green said expressionlessly, "Be careful what you say. If I had known you were so talkative, I would have preferred to go to the palace with someone else rather than stay with you."
The boy in red immediately objected: "That won't do. We've been together since we were in the womb. I was heavier than you when I was born, so it's only right that I take care of you."
The boy in green: "Really? Then call me 'elder sister' and let me hear it."
The boy in red: "..."
The two continued walking, bickering as they went, when the red-clad boy, who couldn't stay still for more than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, spoke again: "Who will be coming today?"
"That's hard to say," the boy in green shook his head.
To avoid revealing their identities, no one contacted them after they entered the palace. They spent their days as alchemy apprentices for charlatan Taoist priests. When they saw the mark today, they thought they had misread it. After confirming it several times, the two destroyed the mark after realizing the message.
I went out tonight specifically for this moment.
Soon, taking advantage of the absence of others, the two walked to the Pinqing Pond near the Jiying Hall.
Tonight's banquet is being held, and few people are strolling around outside. The area around the Pinqing Pool appears even more deserted after dark.
"Why is no one here?" the boy in red asked first.
Two furtive figures huddled together, peering into the artificial hill near the Pingqing Pond.
But a cold voice came from behind: "Behind you."
The two were startled. The boy in red immediately grabbed the person next to him, trembling, "Elder sister, save me!"
When they came over, they didn't see anyone behind the artificial hill!
Could it be a vengeful ghost hiding in the shadows?
In this vast palace, people could have died anywhere.
Perhaps a palace maid died here. She was lured by the water ghost of Pinqing Pond in the dead of night, killed on the artificial hill, and her soul was stolen. Now she is looking for a substitute, luring others to see her true face, and killing them to take her place!
"I...I'm a little cold, don't you feel it?" The boy in red shivered and clung even tighter to the ground.
The boy in green pushed the person off him and walked behind the artificial hill. Under the panicked gaze of the boy in red, he bowed and said, "Min Shao greets the sect leader."
The boy in red was confused, but when he saw a sharp glare coming from next door, he quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Min Yao greets the Sect Master."
In a hurried glance, I saw a figure under the moonlight. She was slender and tall, wearing a pink dress like a palace maid, and the hairpins in her hair were also the kind of hair ornaments that only palace maids would wear.
The face looked a little unfamiliar, and a bit awkward.
Anyone with even a basic understanding of disguise knows that this is the incongruity resulting from altered facial features, making it so that people forget about it as soon as they see it.
They thought the people who came to pick them up and deliver the medicine were just ordinary members of the sect, or at worst, the agile Lu Hongdou. Who would have thought that it was the sect leader himself who came.
Could it be...?
The sect leader really wants the emperor to die quickly? He's even gone so far as to personally come and urge us on?
The two boys secretly turned to look at each other and saw that their thoughts were exactly the same as their own.
The person being greeted by the two men hummed in acknowledgment. She then took something out of a hidden pouch in her sleeve: "This medicine is colorless and odorless, like clear water. I add a little bit to it every time I make elixirs for the emperor, and he will look healthier."
The two boys, who were about to reach out to take it, were startled and looked up.
Shouldn't they be hoping the emperor dies soon?
Why would someone give a tonic?
Xi Congshuang didn't explain much, and placed the medicine bottle in her hand into the green-clad boy's outstretched hands: "Go."
If we don't leave soon, the patrolling guards will come looking for us.
"……yes."
After taking the medicine, the two of them walked towards Jiying Hall in a daze. They made up a reason to find Daoist Minzhen, but were indeed rejected. So they returned to Changsheng Palace.
I really can't understand why the sect leader has to do this himself when it's such a small matter.
He personally went into disguise, all to deliver tonics to the emperor.
"No!" The boy in red slapped his forehead, and his gaze toward the boy in green changed.
The sect leader is a master of poisons; he certainly wouldn't be so superficial as to directly poison someone.
The emperor eats pills like candy every day, one pill a day. Perhaps the sect leader is using poison to fight poison, sacrificing Emperor Jianxing's health to give him a final burst of energy before he dies!
If he were to die later, no one would know why he died.
Unaware that the truth had been revealed, Xi Congshuang prepared to leave.
As soon as she moved, a guard's shout came from not far away: "Who's there? Come out!"
Judging from the voice, it seemed to be talking about this place. She didn't intend to hide it. Once the guards summoned more people, even if she jumped into the Pure Pool, she would be pulled out.
Before she could move, the guards suddenly changed their tone: "So it's General Xun. We apologize for our rudeness. It was too dark just now, and the brothers mistook you for someone else. Please forgive us."
The person hiding behind the artificial hill paused, and then heard Xun Suihuang's voice from afar: "It's alright."
The patrolling guards were quickly dismissed, but Xun Suihuang didn't want to go back; it was too stuffy inside.
She walked towards the Pingqing Pond. As she passed a rockery, Xun Suihuang instinctively felt something watching her from the shadows, and her mind went on high alert.
In an instant, many thoughts flashed through his mind, including the possibility of assassins lying in ambush. He subconsciously raised his hand to attack, but quickly stopped when he saw the other person's face.
Xi Congshuang stood in the shadows, looking down at the hand extended in front of her, without moving.
They seem fearless, as if they're not afraid of death.
Xun Suihuang felt a bit annoyed, but then she remembered that this person was not afraid of death. A person who is afraid of death would not take such medicine. Despite vomiting basins of blood, he still got up and struggled.
Xi Congshuang: "Tonight is a beautiful night, is the General here to admire the moon as well?"
"?" Xun Suihuang looked around in confusion. Who was speaking just now?
Who made that strange noise?
Xi Congshuang lowered her eyes and still spoke in a high-pitched voice, "General, what's wrong? Are you still reluctant to leave the welcome banquet His Majesty has prepared for you, and want to go back?"
Xun Suihuang rubbed her arms: "Yes, I have something to do, so I'll head back first."
She finished speaking and left, turning around the artificial hill. After walking several steps, she looked back and saw that the person was still standing in the same place, raising his slightly lowered head and looking in this direction.
"..."
The night was chilly by the Pingqing Pond. I remembered that this person used to be someone who never left the brazier in Fuzhou, but now he was wearing only a thin maid's dress and had been standing by the lake for so long.
Xun Suihuang suddenly remembered the letter that smelled of bitter medicine and the pear blossoms stuffed in the brocade pouch, and wanted to tell the other person that she had brought them back.
Besides, people can disguise themselves, so changing their voice is perfectly normal.
The more I thought about it, the more I felt I couldn't bear it.
Xi Congshuang originally planned to leave after Xun Suihuang left. She only wanted to see him in person tonight to make sure he was alright before leaving.
Unexpectedly, Xun Suihuang was angered by her and left. After taking a few steps, he stopped, looked back for a while, and then turned around and walked back.
As Xi Congshuang watched the other person approach, she assumed she had something to say, but instead, the other person asked, "Aren't you cold?"
Her face was disguised, and her lips were rouged, so you couldn't tell if she was cold or not just by looking at her face.
Xi Congshuang was surprised that she would care about this, and she hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'm... fine."
Xun Suihuang didn't say whether she believed it or not. She raised her hand, intending to touch Xi Congshuang's hand, but seeing that it couldn't be true, she would touch it with her hand instead.
Just as she was about to touch the hands clasped in front of her abdomen, she remembered something, looked around to make sure no one was nearby, carefully touched them, and a look of surprise flashed in her eyes: "It's not really cold."
Xi Congshuang chuckled. She had made thorough preparations before entering the palace, taking medicine to warm her body so that she wouldn't feel so cold to the touch.
At this point, it's clear she doesn't want to leave so soon.
After touching her, Xun Suihuang looked at Xi Congshuang warily. Fortunately, she was prepared before Xi Congshuang reached out her hand. However, Xi Congshuang remained standing quietly without making any move.
I can't quite put my finger on whether I feel disappointed or relieved.
Xun Suihuang asked, "Are you alright?"
Now that her identity has been exposed, there's no need to keep pretending. Xi Congshuang said, "I took some traditional Chinese medicine before I came."
Xun Suihuang hadn't expected this illness to be curable; she genuinely believed that doctors couldn't heal themselves: "So you recovered by drinking Chinese medicine?"
Xi Congshuang: "A little bit."
Under the puzzled gaze of the other party, she raised her hand and touched Xun Suihuang's hand that had not yet withdrawn, then pulled away immediately.
Xi Congshuang said, "That's fine."
Xun Suihuang's mind went blank for a moment: "Then what happened?"
The next moment, Wenliang's hand directly grasped her palm, their familiar fingers interlaced, the skin on the inside of their fingers rubbing against each other.
Before she could regret it, or even retract her hand that was raised in mid-air, someone grabbed her hand and a familiar voice rang in her ear: "Something's wrong at this level?"
Xun Suihuang: "..."
That's really bad news.
It was too late to resist, but Xun Suihuang couldn't help but struggle a little: "This is the palace, can't you restrain yourself?"
Having already restrained herself greatly, Xi Congshuang, who was only holding the other person's hands, raised her eyes and said, "Chengzhi, I never realized you were such a hypocrite?"
Xun Suihuang: "?"
Xi Congshuang smiled and said, "Chengzhi, if you want to refuse someone, you have to take action. Push me away directly and warn me not to come within three steps of you, and I won't come any closer."
Upon hearing this, Xun Suihuang frowned subconsciously and muttered something to herself.
The word "no" flashed by faintly, but I couldn't hear it clearly before or after.
Xi Congshuang didn't hear clearly, so she leaned closer and asked, "What did you just say? I didn't hear you clearly."
At first, Xun Suihuang couldn't say anything, so she always made excuses to urge her to hurry up.
Xi Congshuang couldn't let her dodge the question like that. She practically pinned her against the artificial hill, determined to find out what she had just said.
"When I first met you, you were so cold. Even when someone was about to die, you would jump up and finish them off. I never knew you were so talkative before," Xun Suihuang said.
She leaned against the artificial hill, and Xi Congshuang's support was not strong, so she did not feel uncomfortable.
"I was out of my mind when you first met me, how could you tell I was cold?" Xi Congshuang shook the hand she was holding. "Don't change the subject, do you really not want to tell me?"
"..."
Xi Congshuang: "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. We'll use this as an exchange."
The silent man suddenly spoke again, and Xun Suihuang asked, "What do you want?"
His tone became relaxed again, as if he could pluck a star from the sky for Xi Congshuang to play with as long as she asked.
Having been used to being a great general, always acting as the one who protects everyone, he also showed the same attitude towards Xi Congshuang.
Xi Congshuang thought for a moment and then said something unexpected: "I have heard that when the current emperor was a prince, the late emperor hired the Marquis of Pingding as his teacher to teach him martial arts. They had a deep friendship when they were young. Why are you so suspicious of you now?"
"Don't try to fool me. You were allowed to enter the city gate today after you removed your armor and handed over your weapons. Hongdou said General Gu's face was as black as the bottom of a pot."
Xun Suihuang laughed: "With her temper, running around the mountains like a wild monkey every day, how could she not be dark-skinned?"
After exchanging glances with Xi Congshuang for a moment, she knew that it would be a hundred times harder to fool Sect Leader Xi than it would be for Gu Daifang.
Xun Suihuang: "Does Sect Leader Xi also believe that childhood friendships will necessarily earn respect from a teacher?"
Could it really be a clue that appeared during the years of instruction when he was a prince?
The Holy Ancestor Emperor reigned for thirty years, but one by one her children passed away before her, leaving behind only a weak and thoughtful young son. Since no one else could succeed her, she had no choice but to pass the throne to him.
She later abdicated to become the Retired Emperor, but did not return power to the late emperor. She served as the Retired Emperor for ten years and ruled as regent for ten years. Many things remained unchanged, and she continued to trust and rely on Marquis Pingding as she had for decades.
After the passing of the Holy Ancestor Emperor, his youngest son succeeded to the throne. However, the late emperor was born with a weak constitution and did not live long, passing away five years later along with his ancestor.
The late emperor left a will that the eldest prince should succeed him, who became Emperor Jianxing.
Everything was fine for the past few years, but the eldest prince was too deeply influenced by the Holy Ancestor Emperor and became overly fearful. Somehow, he became convinced that the late emperor's poor health was related to the Marquis of Pingding.
Unfortunately, the Marquis of Pingding had already passed away, and with his death, the matter was closed, leaving many doubts to remain in one's own mind.
Perhaps Emperor Jianxing's apprehension began in his childhood. His mother died early, his father was weak, and the concubine who raised him was a woman of simple tastes who usually enjoyed vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist scriptures. She did not discipline the eldest prince much.
When the Holy Ancestor Emperor saw that this was not going to work, he waved his hand and sent the man to the Marquis of Pingding’s residence for a period of discipline.
Xun Suihuang recalled: "My mother wasn't a gentle and kind woman. She just felt that we were all family and didn't care about his status as a prince. Naturally, her requirements were stricter than those of the martial arts instructors in the palace, but she knew her limits. When she hit me, it was all just a show."
"Besides, he's a prince, so it's all bark and no bite."
The person leaning against the artificial hill sighed and said, "I'll just assume that my mother was stronger when she was younger and hit people harder, which is why His Majesty holds a grudge."
Xi Congshuang: "..."
She had thought a lot about why Emperor Jianxing was so wary of the Pingding Marquis's Mansion. Perhaps it was because his merits were too great and threatened the emperor, but Xun Suihuang was sensible and never interfered in the struggle for the throne, only standing by and watching.
Unexpectedly, this was also due to the strict discipline she received in her youth, which made her feel both absurd and not too surprised.
The old Marquis of Pingding was a veteran official of three reigns and an elder, so she could not be touched under any circumstances. Moreover, she passed away in the year Emperor Jianxing changed the reign title and was buried with the honors due to a military marquis.
All those who had been above Emperor Jianxing and could control him were dead, leaving only the new Marquis of Pingding.
The children of the old Marquis of Pingding inherited her resentment.
Xun Suihuang was born and raised in this era, so it's not necessarily true that she had a very advanced mindset. Her reason for refusing Xi Congshuang's use of the throne was that "it doesn't matter who is on the throne," which was indeed her true feeling.
She had no interest in the throne, nor did she want to cause greater turmoil, which would only bring suffering to the people.
It wasn't that they disrespected the emperor; it was simply that they didn't care.
Xi Congshuang: "At this moment, I genuinely hope that you are playing hard to get with me."
Once the imperial robes are bestowed upon him, he has no choice but to step forward.
Xun Suihuang was taken aback by her words and was both confused and shocked: "...You, what nonsense are you talking about? Don't you go up the mountain to gather herbs every day when you're in the martial world? Where have you been gathering herbs?"
"?"
Xi Congshuang was originally thinking about how to increase the emperor's dosage. She knew that the best way to eliminate psychological trauma was to see the person who caused the trauma suffer even more. Then she could return the favor and see who had the last laugh.
After listening to the incoherent words, Xi Congshuang looked up and replied, "Of course I don't need to go up the mountain myself; just instruct my men."
Xun Suihuang met her gaze, realizing she had misunderstood, and quickly stopped talking, looking down at their clasped hands: "Are you alright?"
If you stay out for too long, someone will come looking for you.
Xi Congshuang recalled the scene in the main hall: "Are we going back?"
Xun Suihuang: "It's about time. It's not good if we don't go back soon. You... be careful on your way out of the palace."
Xi Congshuang pulled him forcefully, saying, "You told me to be careful, but you shouldn't have acted so domineeringly and had someone escort me out of the palace?"
That's how it was portrayed in the TV dramas I used to watch. The protagonist was always domineering and arrogant, no matter where he was, and he didn't care about royal power.
Then, no matter where you are, you will have subordinates to take care of everything, and you can come whenever you call.
Xun Suihuang knew she was joking, and she was genuinely amused: "The person I have in my palace is me. It would be too conspicuous for me to send you out of the palace, but if you want me to, I can try my best."
In the end, she still couldn't get the job. Xi Congshuang changed out of her disguise and left the palace with the help of her subordinates. Unbeknownst to her, she had become the domineering protagonist of a TV drama.
*
If we were to name the most important events in the court recently, it would undoubtedly be the return of the Northern Yan commander-in-chief to the capital.
After the welcoming banquet, the next day at court, Emperor Jianxing sat high on the dragon throne and asked the general what kind of reward he wanted.
Xun Suihuang pondered for a moment and replied, "Your Majesty, I need money."
The Marquis's mansion has never been repaired since her mother was alive. Her mother lived a rough life, and as long as things were usable, that was fine. The soldiers she led all had the same temperament.
The mansion was kept so clean before thanks to the old servants who cleaned it. Now, all those old servants have been left in Fuzhou to live out their retirement, and the Pingding Marquis's mansion is completely deserted.
The weeds grew wildly, like crazy. If someone passing by didn't know better, they might think it was a haunted house.
Yesterday, until midnight, Gu Daifang had only cleared out a few rooms that were safe to sleep in. Today, she started taking stock of the areas that needed repairs and made a list that was longer than her life.
Therefore, Xun Suihuang's simple wish was to use the money to renovate the Pingding Marquis's mansion.
"..."
Emperor Jianxing did indeed reward him with a considerable amount of gold, which was then carried to the residence of the Marquis of Pingding.
But the story didn't end there.
As soon as the morning court session ended, Prince Xin summoned Xi Congshuang and said to everyone, "The Marquis of Pingding is truly a master strategist. With a single move of retreating to advance, he gave up the merit that would have earned him a title of kingship, wanting only money."
For the time being, the main source of information in the court is still Prince Xin, whose information is always reliable.
Xi Congshuang said, "There's nowhere left to bestow titles, and Your Majesty is in a difficult position. Isn't this a good thing? Why not use a strategic retreat?"
Prince Xin sighed: "This is indeed a good thing, but as soon as the military tally is mentioned, Xun Suihuang starts to pretend to be deaf and dumb, clearly unwilling to give it up! He truly has the ambition of a wolf."
Xi Congshuang thought to herself, "How will Your Highness arrange for the soldiers after you take back the military tally? In the eyes of the people, they are meritorious officials."
"So what? Palace maids are dismissed at twenty-five, it's always been like that." Prince Xin had lived a life of luxury, and he was too far away to have personally witnessed the suffering in Fuzhou.
Therefore, his words were particularly crude: "It is unfair to spend a lifetime fighting only to end up with a body full of wounds. Now that the world is at peace, there is no need to maintain too many soldiers. Select the elite to stay, and the rest can take their money and go their separate ways."
"No, the elite troops also need to be separated from the Imperial City Army to prevent chaos during the battle. It is indeed a bit tricky."
"..."
Xi Congshuang once again felt that this person had something wrong with his brain. She gave him a few perfunctory words, managed to extract a few pieces of information, and then left.
However, instead of going straight home, she took a longer route, changed her clothes, and boarded a new carriage to go to the Marquis of Pingding's residence.
Xun Suihuang, who had obtained ten thousand taels of gold from the emperor, was lying at home acting like an ancestor, directing his men to pull weeds in the yard.
"Money is something you spend and then it's gone. Building such a large Pingding Marquis's mansion must have cost a fortune, so stop thinking about going out and having fun." That ancestor would occasionally say something to irritate everyone, ostensibly to boost morale.
"General, General, there's a timber merchant outside who's offered to do the work, including materials and labor, but you have to agree to let him use you in his advertising. The price is negotiable."
"How to invest? What kind of advertising?" Xun Suihuang removed the hypnotic military treatise from her face, frowned, and looked at the gatekeeper. "Don't you want to listen to what you're saying?"
Anyway, she couldn't understand it. She closed the military book, slapped the gatekeeper on the head, and said earnestly, "Don't you know that we haven't been back to the capital for a long time? Quan Yong knows that I brought ten thousand taels of gold home. Do you think my face says 'I'm stupid and rich and can be taken advantage of'?"
The doorman scratched his head: "But I've already called the person in."
Xun Suihuang glanced back, not seeing clearly at first glance, but the face looked familiar: "Call the person away."
The gatekeeper thought about it and realized that such a windfall would never happen to a general, and was about to call the man away.
She had just stood up when she heard the general hurriedly say, "Wait, wait, have someone make tea. This is my guest, a timber merchant."
With a different face now, Xi Congshuang approached with a smile: "General, you're keeping me here again? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"
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Doorman: [Clown][Clown] What does this have to do with me?
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