Chapter 495 Extra Chapter 1: Between Brother and Sister
Xie Yunchuan was not surprised at all by the feelings between the two.
As for Pei Ji, Xie Yunchuan knew his little schemes perfectly well from the very beginning.
In other words, Xie Yunchuan's decision to help Pei Ji was a test for him, a test of whether he was qualified to stand by his sister's side.
Pei Ji did not disappoint him.
Li Manyan once asked him, "Although it's true that Pei Ji has feelings for Sheng Sheng, isn't he afraid that his all-out help is just Sheng Sheng's friendship with Pei Ji, and all his efforts will be in vain?"
Xie Yunchuan was also taken aback when he heard the question; he seemed... to have never considered this possibility.
Strangely, he had only ever thought about how he would cover for Sheng Sheng if Pei Ji ever did something to betray her, and he never thought that Sheng Sheng might dislike Pei Ji.
It was as if... there was a mysterious force at play that made him subconsciously feel that Pei Ji and Sheng Sheng would really—always be together.
That's all.
Even though Sheng Sheng dislikes Pei Ji, the two are still friends.
His help to Pei Ji wasn't entirely for Sheng Sheng's sake.
His primary concern was the greater good, which included peace between the states of Song and Yu and the well-being of their people.
Pei Ji owes such a great debt to the Yu Kingdom, and given Pei Ji's character, he would absolutely never do anything ungrateful.
Furthermore, while it's true that the Yu Kingdom loves peace and dislikes war, that doesn't mean they lack the ability to wage war.
Regardless, he felt a little heartbroken that Sheng Sheng was able to stay with the person she loved, but he was still very happy for her.
However, Xie Yunchuan remained angry for many days with a cold face regarding Sheng Sheng's desire to marry into the Song Kingdom.
She was so angry that even Li Manyan couldn't appease her.
Li Manyan had no choice but to go to Yuqing Palace and ask for help. She said helplessly, "Your brother is like that. He's stubborn but soft-hearted. He doesn't read a single letter that Pei Ji sent, but he's been adding to your dowry without fail."
Upon hearing this, Sheng Sheng felt a lump in her throat and her heart ached.
To be honest, this is her home where she has lived for more than ten years, and she doesn't really want to leave.
However, the capital of Song is not too far from the border between the two countries. It is less than ten days' journey by carriage. Pei Ji had mentioned that he planned to build a separate palace in a city on the border of Song so that he could take her to live there. That way, whenever she wanted to return to Yu, she could reach Yu's land in half a day.
But he was the ruler of a country, and Sheng Sheng was not so willful as to refuse.
"Sister-in-law..."
Li Manyan sighed and reached out to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes: "He just can't bear to part with you. Once you marry into the Song Kingdom, you'll be so far away, and who knows how long it will be before we see each other again. Yesterday, he got drunk and kept nagging me for half the night, saying that if Pei Ji dares to wrong you, he will use all the power of the Yu Kingdom to bring you back."
Li Manyan pinched her little face. She had watched Sheng Sheng grow up. The two were friends, but more like sisters. Now she was Sheng Sheng's sister-in-law, and her love for Sheng Sheng was no less than that for Xie Yunchuan.
"Alright, I won't say anything more. You two siblings will have to figure it out yourselves." Li Manyan said with a smile. "Don't worry too much. He's just not accepting it so quickly. After all, he's our precious little sister whom we've doted on for so many years. He actually likes you and Pei Ji."
"Okay, thank you, sister-in-law."
That very evening, Sheng Sheng went to the Imperial Study to find Xie Yunchuan. At that time, Xie Yunchuan was still reviewing memorials. When he saw her, he paused.
"Why are you here?"
"Can't I look for my brother if there's nothing wrong?"
Sheng Sheng cheerfully held up a small plate of freshly steamed osmanthus cake, tiptoed and placed the plate on the desk piled with memorials, her eyebrows curving into crescents: "The Imperial Kitchen made this, with honey added, it's sweet but not cloying, brother, would you like to try it?"
Xie Yunchuan's gaze fell on the soft, white osmanthus cake, then he looked up at her. In the end, he couldn't keep his cold expression, but his tone was still a little awkward: "How old are you? You're still like a child, unable to resist the sight of snacks."
Even so, he still picked up a piece and took a slow, deliberate bite.
The sweet fragrance of osmanthus mixed with the rich aroma of honey melted on his tongue, a taste he was familiar with.
When he first found Shengsheng, the little dumpling was thin and small, covered in injuries, and it was enough to bring tears to anyone's eyes.
Fortunately, the little dumpling was brave and had a strong will to survive.
After catching her breath, she worked hard to take her medicine and eat, and managed to recover completely.
From a young age, her favorite pastry was osmanthus cake.
Even when I go to other places, the first thing I do is to taste the osmanthus cake there and see how it differs from the one in Beijing.
Now, everyone has grown up. The Emperor has taken his concubines to the Western Hills Palace to live a leisurely retirement, and Sheng Sheng has grown from a little soft dumpling into a graceful young woman.
Sheng Sheng still prefers osmanthus cake.
Just like her, she has always been a well-behaved, sensible, kind, and brave girl.
His sister has always been so wonderful.
Xie Yunchuan's eyes suddenly reddened, and he couldn't suppress the sweetness in his mouth. Not wanting her to see, he waved his hand and said he wouldn't eat anymore, and continued to look at the memorials.
"……elder brother."
Sheng Sheng sat down beside him, her fingers gently twisting the hem of her skirt, her voice softening, "I know you can't bear to part with me, and I can't bear to part with you either, with Father and Mother, with Sister-in-law, with my brothers and sisters, with every blade of grass and every tree in the capital."
She paused, then looked up into Xie Yunchuan's eyes, her gaze filled with a subtle light: "But Pei Ji... he will treat me well. And I promise you, I will come back to see you often. The post horses in Song are fast, and I will write to you often to tell you how I am doing over there."
Xie Yunchuan put down the osmanthus cake in his hand, his Adam's apple bobbed, and after a long while he said in a deep voice, "What's the use of writing a letter? We can only see the words, not the person."
He reached out and gently ruffled her hair, his touch as tender as when they were children. "Alright, since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you. Just remember, no matter what, Yu Kingdom will always be your home, we will always be your support, and I will always be your safety net."
Sheng Sheng's nose tingled with tears, and she buried her face in his chest, saying in a muffled voice, "Brother is the best."
The moonlight streamed in through the window, falling gently on the embracing brother and sister.
The osmanthus cake on the table was still steaming, its aroma mingling with the scent of ink, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere in the room.
It all boils down to reluctance to part; neither brother nor sister are the type to hide their feelings.
Xie Yunchuan just wanted Sheng Sheng to remember one thing: she was the little princess whom everyone had doted on her for her whole life, and even if she got married, she would still be their little princess, and that would never change.
The rest is self-explanatory.
Between the siblings, it has always been like this: a glance or a soft sigh is worth a thousand words.
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