55 Heart Thorn
◎I am used to opening my eyes and seeing her sleeping beside me◎
He came back, but didn't show up. He must have known she was married, so he refused to see her.
Wei Ziyan stood there in a daze, not until a mother and daughter passed by her that she came to her senses. Turning around, she saw Yan Qizheng standing under the teahouse's plaque.
He faced her, his eyes unable to see the bottom.
Wei Ziyan moved slowly towards him. She was trying to figure out how to explain her recent misstep, but Yan Qizheng didn't ask a single question. He simply said, "Get in the car."
She got into the carriage alone, and once again thought of Master Zhao who wanted to show up but avoided her.
He should have returned to the capital long ago, and might have found out she was married, or even known she had married into the Yan family. So was their encounter today a coincidence, or was it deliberate?
If it was the latter, then why did he avoid seeing it?
Could it be that he was angry that she broke her promise, so he deliberately let her know but did not meet her, so as to make her feel uneasy?
Wei Ziyan was puzzled, her thoughts racing. When the carriage finally stopped outside the Yan residence, she lifted the curtain. Yan Qizheng dismounted and silently offered his hand to help her out. Then, Yan Qizheng let go and began to walk inside.
"Are you unhappy?" Wei Ziyan asked, and he stopped walking.
"No."
The two words were so clear and concise, but why couldn't she believe them at all? She seemed unhappy just now. Could it be that she was still thinking about her old love?
"I chased him out of the teahouse in a fit of rage, with no other intentions."
Wei Ziyan took two steps forward to his side and explained softly. Yan Qizheng turned around when he heard this.
"Isn't it because you want to see him?"
"I... want to see him and explain things to him."
"say what?"
“…”
Wei Ziyan paused, and when she was about to speak again, Yan Qifeng suddenly rushed out of the door and stopped her from saying anything.
"Brother, you are finally back. I have been waiting for you for a long time!"
Not knowing what was going on, he looked anxious and went forward to grab his elder brother's arm.
"My little sister has locked up my sister and won't let anyone bring her food or water. She says she wants to starve her to death and put an end to it all! You should go and try to persuade my sister!"
Yan Qizhen frowned slightly, and only had time to hurriedly say "I'll go and take a look, you go back first" before being hurriedly dragged away by Yan Qifeng.
Wei Ziyan had a vague feeling that this matter might be related to Yu Sugong, so she couldn't follow him and had to return to Fuxitang alone. Unexpectedly, the commotion caused by Concubine Hui had spread throughout the mansion, and Wei Ziyan learned a little from Xu Ji.
Originally, my mother had said that the Qizhu matter would be left to my father, so my father found an opportunity to find Yu Sugong and tactfully inquired about his opinion. Yu Sugong immediately said, "I know I am not a good man, and I have no intention of delaying your daughter."
The father brought back the original words and told Qizhu and her mother that since the other party had no intention, there was no need for them to quarrel unnecessarily. He also punished Qizhu by confining her to the house to reflect until the Mid-Autumn Festival.
But after hearing what Yu Sugong said, Qizhu burst into tears. Instead of waiting to be confined to the room, she locked herself in the room and did not let anyone in.
Tea and food were never delivered to her. Aunt Hui was angry that she did not fight back, so she stood outside the door and scolded her, but there was still no response from inside.
Aunt Hui was very angry, and she told the maid with a cold face not to send her anything more, and to starve her to death to put an end to it!
Skipping one or two meals isn't a big deal, but how long can you survive without water all day? Yan Qifeng felt sorry for his sister and didn't go to school today. After trying to persuade her for a long time without success, he waited for his eldest brother to come to the rescue.
After all, his sister always listens to her eldest brother.
In Fufang Garden, Concubine Hui had just lost her temper, and all the servants were silent. Only Yan Qizhu's personal maid, Minlan, was standing guard outside the young lady's room, carrying a food box, and quietly begging her to open the door.
Seeing the third young master coming to find the eldest young master, Minlan's gloomy eyes were rekindled with life.
"Young Master...Miss, the Young Master is here!"
"Sister, big brother is here!" Yan Qifeng also stepped forward and knocked on the door. "Big brother is familiar with Lord Yu. If there is anything that sister cannot figure out, you can ask big brother!"
The last sentence really worked. The tightly closed door creaked open, and Yan Qizhu stood at the doorway with disheveled black hair. Her lips were dry from not having drunk a single drop of water, but her tear-red eyes shone brightly, as if she had seen hope.
"Brother, you have to help me..."
Seeing her so distraught, Yan Qizhen swallowed back the words he wanted to scold her.
"Let's talk after we eat."
Minlan hurriedly brought the food box in, and Yan Qifeng went to pour water for his sister. Yan Qizhu pointed to his eldest brother for help, and without saying a word, he sat down to drink water and eat. He was afraid that his eldest brother would not wait, so he stuffed the food into his mouth quickly.
Only after she wolfed down her food did Yan Qizheng ask her, "How do you want me to help you?"
Yan Qizhu drove Minlan and her brother out and closed the door.
"Master Yu said he's not my ideal partner and doesn't want to delay me. He didn't say he doesn't like me."
"That was a polite refusal."
"No." Yan Qizhu shook his head. "He was said to have a tough life. He was afraid that he would bring bad luck to me like he did to his ex-wife."
Yan Qizheng closed his eyes and held his breath, then asked, "Then what do you want?"
"I'm not afraid he'll defeat me. I want to write him a letter to express my resolve. Please pass it on, big brother."
"Nonsense!" Yan Qizheng's voice was stern. "I've already made it clear. If you continue to pester me, you will only increase my disgust."
"Sincerity can move even metal and stone." Yan Qizhu immediately refuted this by citing an example, "Didn't your sister-in-law also rely on persistence to persuade your brother to change his mind?"
“…”
Yan Qizheng suddenly froze.
These words were like a thorn in my heart.
It just happened to be today, at this moment, that he was reminded of the unbearable state of those lies...
"My eldest brother hated my eldest sister-in-law back then, but at least Lord Yu didn't hate me. He was just afraid that his fate would bring bad luck to me, but I'm not afraid! I don't believe in these weird ways..."
"That's enough." Yan Qizheng stood up, a trace of fatigue on his face. "I won't pass on the letter for you."
“Brother…”
"You're on your own."
“Big Brother——”
Yan Qifeng saw the door open and his elder brother walked out with a worried look on his face. Yan Qizheng ignored him and walked out of Fufang Garden and walked along the bamboo path to Fuxi Hall.
"Isn't it because you want to see him?"
"I want to see him and talk to him clearly."
Recalling this scene in his mind, Yan Qizhen could probably guess what "explain clearly" meant.
He believed her "spur of the moment" excuse. She hadn't really thought much about it at the time and had simply chased after him subconsciously. But weren't subconscious actions driven by the heart?
Just like she could never open her heart completely to him and could never understand his intentions.
She herself couldn't see clearly into her own heart, and couldn't see the loss she felt when she searched for someone on the street without success. How could she explain it clearly to that person?
How could she let go of someone she hadn't let go of simply by saying a few words? If that person was as stubborn and unrepentant as Qizhu, would she be willing to explain things to him?
Safety.
The two large red characters on the Taishan Stone were particularly eye-catching. Yan Qi was standing at the gate, recalling what she had said to him here.
"You've saved me so many times, how could you be my nemesis? You're clearly my lucky star!"
She felt grateful to him, as well as the trust and affection they had gained from their long interactions, but there was no romantic feeling between them.
"The eldest master is back!"
From afar, Xu Ji's voice could be heard shouting in the distance. As Yan Qi was about to step inside, a familiar figure was walking quickly towards him across the courtyard path.
Yan Qizhen simply stopped.
"How is Qizhu?" Wei Ziyan came forward hurriedly.
"If you don't give up, you can't persuade me."
"What should we do then?"
"After all, he's young and rebellious," Yan Qizheng replied indifferently. "He won't listen to reason at this moment. Maybe after a while, when the heat dies down, he'll find it boring and just... let it go."
Yan Qizhu and Yu Sugong had only met a few times, so even if they had feelings for each other, they were still shallow. Wei Ziyan thought this made sense, so she stopped asking.
Just as she was about to bring up the topic they'd been interrupted on at the gate, Yan Qizheng suddenly said he wanted to sit in the study for a while. Seeing that he looked unwell and a little tired, Wei Ziyan didn't force him. However, Yan Qizheng didn't come out after that.
At first, she tried to comfort herself, thinking that perhaps he was upset about his sister. But when dinner came, Yan Qizheng showed up but didn't initiate a conversation with her. When he did respond, his words were few and far between, extremely perfunctory.
After all, she had gained experience from arguing with him. With a woman's intuition, Wei Ziyan felt that Yan Qizhen was not angry and didn't want to pay attention to her, but had something on his mind.
It's easy to guess that it must have been caused by an accident in the teahouse.
"The eldest master seems a little depressed." Qiu Luo went back to the room to serve and also noticed something was wrong.
Wei Ziyan bit her lip and nodded.
"Then the young lady will comfort the eldest master later?"
Wei Ziyan glanced at her and didn't care about coaxing her or not. She just wanted to talk it out.
After showering that evening and getting into bed, Wei Ziyan wrapped herself in the quilt, waiting for someone to come. Not long after, a tall figure entered the bedroom. As usual, he extinguished the candle, walked to the bed, lifted the quilt, and lay down.
Wei Ziyan turned sideways to face him: "I have something to tell you."
"If you have anything to say, we can talk about it tomorrow..."
"You are unhappy, right?" Wei Ziyan couldn't wait until tomorrow.
"I did lose my composure today, but I don't dwell on the past."
"I said I wanted to see him only because I promised I would wait for him to come back, but I broke my promise. I wanted to explain this matter to him and put an end to it."
After that, Wei Ziyan added: "Don't misunderstand."
After she finished speaking, Yan Qizheng turned his face inward and met those bright and clear eyes.
The candlelight was dim, and he couldn't really see clearly. But he had seen her lying beside him so many times that it was etched into his mind. Whether awake or asleep, he could clearly see her even with his eyes closed.
Unconsciously, he had become accustomed to opening his eyes and seeing her sleeping beside him. Unlike the night he returned from Guanyun Villa, when he slept on the same bed with her for the first time, when he opened his eyes in the morning, he felt a sense of unreality and confusion.
At that time, she was facing him sideways, one arm unconsciously draped across his chest. Thick eyelashes covered her eyes, and her red lips were slightly parted beneath her delicate nose.
This peaceful sleeping face was right in front of him.
It was so close that he could hold it as his own with just a raise of his hand.
But he didn't dare to move, for fear of shattering the dream at this moment.
He couldn't bear to let go and wanted to keep this beautiful dream, so he tore up the divorce agreement and pretended nothing had happened - regardless of whether she had seen it or not.
He also took advantage of her kindness and deliberately exposed the wound on his arm in front of her. While she was feeling grateful and guilty, he continued to sleep with her in the same bed, silently instilling in her the true feelings of husband and wife.
As long as she becomes his real wife, she will no longer think about others...
Unfortunately, his wishful thinking was one step too late.
"You don't believe what I say?"
When she got no response, Wei Ziyan asked again. Her glittering eyes flickered twice, then continued to look at him in the dim light.
These words were almost what he expected. He believed that she was not lying, but he did not believe her heart which she could not control.
If that man remains infatuated with her, doesn't care that she's been married, and insists on rekindling their relationship, wouldn't she be tempted?
"knew."
Yan Qizhen turned his head back and no longer looked at those eyes.
"I have to go to the palace early tomorrow morning, so go to bed early."
Outside the window, floating clouds obscured the moon. On this night after the White Dew, a startling wind brought a chill. Standing before the half-open window, the cloak and hood pulled down from his head were swept away by the incoming wind, revealing a cold face.
"Your Majesty, our people have returned."
Minister of Personnel Fang Jikai walked into the room and said something that made Li Youxu turn around.
"how?"
"There are disguised guards following secretly, they must be the prince's men."
Li Youxu sneered silently: "He wants to find another handle on me."
"Your Majesty is wise and has anticipated this."
Liu Yu'er left the capital with only Wu Guanyi as her escort, a clear deliberate bait set by the Crown Prince. If they acted rashly today, the Crown Prince's secret guards would be waiting in the wings.
Qi Lique's entire family was wiped out, and at the center of the storm, Li Youxu would not take the risk of giving his opponent a piece of evidence out of thin air.
Fang Jikai also speculated: "Minister Wu agreed to let his son go on this trip. In addition to setting up a trap, he might also be instructing him to work for the Crown Prince in the Northern Frontier."
"Well," Li Youxu said calmly, "you should ask the new magistrate to make early preparations and make sure he is given a good reception."
"yes."
Fang Jikai was about to bow and leave when Li Youxu raised his hand and gestured, "There's one more thing you need to do for me."
"Your Majesty, please give your orders."
"I want to know everything that happened to the Yan and Wei families in the past two years."
Fang Jikai was slightly surprised.
Earlier, he had received a secret letter from his military advisor, stating that the prince, angry at his pursuit of the Wei family, had ordered him to stop harming them. The advisor hadn't explained the reason, and he assumed the prince had other plans, leaving him even more bewildered by this order.
"I am not clear about every aspect of the matter between the two families. Please clarify it, Your Highness."
Li Youxu lowered her eyes, and before her was the silhouette of the couple sitting opposite each other, drinking tea in the teahouse's private room today. She had long since shed the childishness she had three years ago, becoming gentle, charming, and beautiful.
Li Youxu clenched his teeth and said in a deep voice, "This prince wants you to find out how the two families became related."
A light rain began to fall in the dead of night, and continued until dawn. If the roads were not wet, many people would not have known it had rained in the middle of the night.
During the morning court session, the throne in the Golden Palace was empty. Eunuch Xu stood in the main hall and announced that the emperor had suffered a headache again at night, so there would be no morning court session today and the crown prince would assist in managing government affairs.
"Eunuch Xu," Minister of War Lu Qi said anxiously, "Your Majesty suffers from frequent migraine attacks. Are the imperial physicians helpless?"
Eunuch Xu sighed deeply.
"Indeed, Your Majesty has suffered from headaches for a long time. The imperial physicians have only been able to relieve the pain and provide general nourishment, but they have never been able to cure it. Not only is Minister Lu worried, but the Empress and the Crown Prince are also concerned. They have been searching for famous doctors among the people. If they are lucky enough to find a capable one, then Your Majesty will be able to be free from the headaches."
"Your Majesty is so precious, how can you use a common doctor?"
"Since ancient times, there have always been people who are better than you, and there are always things better than you." Minister Fang of the Ministry of Personnel took over Lu Qiyou's words, "Your Majesty's health is paramount, and you should employ talents in a flexible manner."
"Minister Fang's words make sense." Eunuch Xu nodded and added, "If you gentlemen know of a famous doctor, please recommend him to the Eastern Palace for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to carefully select."
In the Imperial Study, the Crown Prince was at his desk until the afternoon, still with two stacks of memorials to review. These were turbulent times, with matters of all sizes and magnitudes swirling around the court.
Li Chengtai put the thorny issue aside, dedicating himself to discussing it with his ministers later. Half a day had passed, and he was almost overwhelmed. Li Chengtai closed his eyes for a moment, catching his breath, then flipped through a memorial. It was the Ministry of Rites' report on the latest procedures for the Mid-Autumn Festival Palace Banquet.
The annual Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet was a grand event for the emperor and his ministers to enjoy together in the palace. Emperor Jingren always attached great importance to it, and since he ascended the throne, the event has become more and more grand each year.
Emperor Jingren had already asked the Ministry of Rites to plan this year's palace banquet. Later, upon learning that the Prince of Liao would return to the capital before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Emperor Jingren was delighted and instructed the Ministry of Rites to add some extra items to the program—one of which was a gift from the Prince of Liao to the Emperor.
In order to keep it a surprise, the King of Liao did not specify the specific content, but only said that it would definitely add icing on the cake to the palace banquet and make everyone enjoy it.
Li Chengtai read the contents of the memorial twice, remained silent for a long time, and did not move.
After a moment, he set it aside and picked up another memorial. It was also from the Ministry of Rites. The Imperial Astronomical Observatory had already chosen an auspicious date: September 16th was the day for the eighth prince's wedding.
There's still plenty of time...
Li Chengtai held the pen in his right hand and wrote a red word on the letter without hesitation - "Approved".
The moment he finished writing, Yan Qi, dressed in the soft armor of his personal guard, walked into the study: "Your Highness, Minister Wu and Minister Yu are waiting outside the hall."
"Let them in."
Li Chengtai put down his brush, stood up, and walked around to the desk, taking the opportunity to stretch his muscles. Minister Wu and Minister Yu came in and, upon seeing the Crown Prince, were about to greet him. Li Chengtai waved his hand, "No need to bother. Let's get down to business."
Minister Wu immediately reported, "As Your Highness expected, my son and Liu left the capital safely yesterday, and no one disturbed them along the way."
"Yeah." Li Chengtai nodded.
Qi Lique's entire family was wiped out, and the ministers were already in a panic. Fang Jikai would never dare to act rashly at this time, and Wu Guanyi would surely be able to reach the northern border safely.
"Have you surveyed the number of Liao King's chariots and horses outside the city?"
"Your Highness," Yu Sugong replied, "The post station reported a carriage and forty cavalrymen, which matches the number reported. Our men have also checked the checkpoints above, and no other suspicious individuals have followed them into the capital."
Leading troops into the capital without permission was a capital offense, and the Liao king wasn't foolish enough to openly expose the issue. What Yu Sugong needed to focus on was the "common people" who might have disguised themselves and sneaked into the capital.
"I have strengthened the inspection of the city gates to prevent any fish from slipping through the net."
"Okay...how's the Royal Guard Battalion doing?" Li Chengtai glanced at Yan Qizhen, but found that his eyes were a little wandering.
"Captain Yan?"
"Your Highness..." Yan Qizheng came back to his senses and quickly clasped his fists: "The personal guard camp has been properly arranged. Patrols will be strengthened 24 hours a day, with two shifts rotating and one on standby."
"good."
Li Chengtai approached the desk and picked up the memorial about the palace banquet.
"The Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet is a rare occasion for the court officials to enjoy themselves together. My father has always held it in high regard. Now that he is ill, I am worried that exposing my fourth brother's misdeeds will worsen his condition and prevent him from attending the banquet."
The three ministers in the room looked at each other, seemingly having the same guess.
Minister Wu bowed and asked, "Could it be that Your Highness wishes to wait until after the palace banquet to deal with the King of Liao?"
Li Chengtai looked down and sighed softly.
"I know the saying goes that a long night brings many dreams, but my father didn't sleep well last night, and I... can't bear it."
"Fang Jikai is shrewd and cunning; there's no way he didn't notice Your Highness gathering evidence. And the King of Liao still dared to enter the capital lightly, so he probably had a plan in place," Minister Wu advised. "As the old saying goes, 'Those who lose the initiative are in danger.' Your Highness must not be careless."
"Minister Wu's words make sense." Li Chengtai showed a hint of relief on his face. "Let's proceed according to the plan."
"Yes." The three responded in unison.
After the discussion, Yan Qizheng and the two officials from the Ministry of Justice left the study and stood guard outside the door. Unexpectedly, Yu Sugong had returned, and he was distracted and slow to react.
"You look unwell today, with a frown on your face. Is there something wrong?" Yu Sugong pulled him a few steps away and lowered his voice so as not to disturb the prince in the room.
Yan Qizheng couldn't say "nothing" against his will, so he just replied hastily, "It's just a trivial matter at home."
"Did you have a fight with your wife?"
“…”
He hoped it would be a quarrel.
Yan Qi was silent and changed the subject: "Why did Master Yu leave and come back?"
Seeing that he didn't deny it, he thought his guess was pretty close. He couldn't help with the private affairs between husband and wife, so Yu Sugong didn't ask any more questions and stated his purpose: "How is your sister?"
It turned out to be Guan Xinqizhu.
Yan Qizheng answered him truthfully: "I couldn't leave for the moment, so I locked myself in the room."
Yu Sugong's face showed a hint of guilt.
"I'm sorry, I didn't expect it to be like this."
Yan Qizheng also figured it out: "To be honest, you rejected Qizhu just because you believe that you are destined to be alone, right?"
I still remember that he once joked that he was unlucky with marriage, and even at the weddings he attended, the brides and grooms would not be able to spend their lives together.
Yu Sugong burst out laughing after hearing this.
"Whether you believe it or not, it makes no difference. I have already made up my mind not to marry again in this life, whether it is your sister or anyone else. Now even my aunt has given up on finding a marriage for me. Could it be that Captain Yan still wants to persuade me?"
Yan Qizheng shook his head in denial.
"I just feel it's a pity."
"Why should I be sad?" Yu Sugong teased. "Look, aren't you still feeling down about your wife? I don't have that kind of worry. Tonight, the new Luofuchun music show is on at Qingfeng Pavilion. I plan to go have a few drinks and listen to some music after I finish my shift. Wouldn't that make me feel more carefree than you?"
As the sun set in the west, the maid from the small kitchen of Fuxi Hall came twice to ask when dinner would be served. Ping'er passed the message into the house, and Qiuluo told her that the young mistress was waiting for the eldest son.
As the two of them were whispering, the young lady's voice came from the inner room: "No more waiting, let's serve the meal."
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