Chapter 95: I don't envy the joys of family life; I only long to be with you. ...
Su Jinxiu fell ill without warning, suffering from a high fever that burned her bones, and fell into a coma on her sickbed.
This is the consequence of her indulging in the warmth of the present moment and completely abandoning the warnings in the "Miscellaneous Notes on Embroidery Alley".
Wen Shiqin naturally wouldn't let Cui Cheng off easily, but this time he didn't resort to violence. Instead, he found a pretext and used some tricks to make Cui Cheng go astray, ultimately leading to his demotion.
This act of framing a colleague is one of the three great evils listed in the miscellaneous notes. Even if the colleague framed this time is not the same one from a previous life, the evil deed has been sown, and one cannot escape the cycle of cause and effect.
Her illness worsened, and Su Jinxiu, just like when she first arrived, suffered from a high fever, was bedridden, and her breathing was so weak that she was almost unable to breathe.
Wen Shiqin was frantic with worry. He sought out renowned doctors throughout the land and tried every remedy and medicine, but to little avail. Then one stormy night, amidst thunder and lightning, he knelt alone in the Buddhist temple, his forehead bruised and sworn, before the golden Buddha statues and green lamps, vowing to sacrifice his own lifespan to give her a chance at survival.
I felt dizzy and disoriented, as if my soul was adrift in the dark currents, not knowing where it came from or where it was going.
My temple throbbed with pain, as if it were about to split open, yet I heard a sobbing voice in my ear, repeatedly calling out, "It's my fault," clinging tightly to me.
Su Jinxiu finally slowly opened her eyelashes, and in her hazy eyes, she felt a warm, sticky dampness in her palm.
Looking closely, she realized that her fingertips were lightly touching Wen Shiqin's cheek. He was lying by the bed, seemingly dozing off, yet tears still fell like broken pearls, rolling into her palm and chilling her heart.
She twitched her thumb almost imperceptibly, and Wen Shiqin, who was already on edge and hadn't fallen asleep, immediately woke up and opened his eyes.
"Sister, thank God, you're finally awake!"
Su Jinxiu's throat was dry, and she couldn't make a sound. Wen Shiqin quickly turned around, poured her a cup of lukewarm tea, and carefully lifted her up, gently feeding her a few sips.
After a few sips of warm water, Su Jinxiu felt her throat moisten and gradually regain her strength.
"Sister, you almost scared me to death." He stroked her still slightly cool cheek with his fingertips, his eyes filled with lingering fear and tenderness. "How could you fall ill so suddenly, your breath so weak... my heart is breaking."
Seeing his disheveled hair and haggard appearance, Su Jinxiu felt a pang of sorrow no less than his.
But at this moment, she felt the chilling power of the mission in the book first, so she raised her hand and patted the back of his hand, asking with difficulty, "You...you took revenge on Cui Cheng?"
Wen Shiqin was taken aback, then checked her forehead temperature and felt that the burning heat had subsided. He then breathed a sigh of relief and gently pulled her back to the bed: "Yes, I used a little trick and made him pay the price."
Su Jinxiu understood, and a sense of powerlessness and destiny washed over her like a tide.
Are there some things that are ultimately beyond human control?
There are predetermined paths in the universe, and no matter how much one tries to avoid them, it is still difficult to escape the trap of repeating past mistakes.
Wen Shiqin held Su Jinxiu tightly in his arms, listening to her rambling, "Aqin, do you believe in karma, supernatural powers, and strange phenomena?"
He didn't believe it at first.
On the battlefield, he slew generals, seized flags, and killed countless people; his hands were stained with blood in countless ways. In his previous life, he committed even more heinous sins, and if retribution were to befall him, he should have been condemned to eternal damnation long ago.
But now that he saw her wake up from her illness, the piety he had shown in burning incense and kowtowing to pray for her safety suddenly found a real place to rest.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and he spoke each word slowly and deliberately, with a firm and resounding tone: "Trust."
Su Jinxiu turned to look at him, her eyes filled with probing. Seeing him nod, she slowly explained that her illness was due to the way he had previously given Cui Cheng a hard time. She remembered that the old censor had impeached him before, and she figured this was the consequence. Therefore, she earnestly warned him not to seek revenge against the old censor and only add to his karma.
Wen Shiqin was momentarily stunned, a sense of absurdity instantly washing over him.
Does that mean that if he does one more evil deed, even if there is a reason for it, all the karmic retribution will fall on her?
He lowered his head, his forehead touching her temple, paused, and then promised, word by word, "Alright, I will never touch that censor. As long as you are healthy and safe, I am willing to do anything. From now on, I will listen to you in everything and never get involved in these disputes again."
He paused, then spoke again, his voice trembling slightly: "However... the matter of resigning is not as simple as I thought. I am now the eldest son of the Feng family, and today I am the only military general in the court who can be of any use. Although the Emperor is wary of me, he has no choice but to rely on my military strategy. If I want to get out of here, I'm afraid it will take some time."
Upon hearing this, Su Jinxiu gently patted the hand that was wrapped around her waist, her voice soft yet firm: "It's alright, I'll wait for you. You just need to be careful with your words and actions, and once the storm has calmed down, we will find a good opportunity to leave safely."
After resting quietly for half a month, Su Jinxiu's complexion gradually returned to normal, and her health improved.
Wen Shiqin's previous vindictive nature and his hidden schemes and calculations all turned into forbearance and concession after the heart-wrenching pain of almost losing her.
Even if others provoke him, even if there are undercurrents in the court, he can suppress the surging anger in his heart, keep his distance from them, and dare not overstep the bounds in the slightest.
He could no longer afford the slightest mistake, nor dared to gamble on the so-called cause and effect, and push her to the brink of death again.
That night, the moon was cool and clear, and its silvery light bathed the stage of the Hou Mansion's Pear Garden.
Wen Shiqin and Su Jinxiu sat on a soft couch under the eaves, surrounded by a warm blanket and stove.
The strings are just beginning to play, awaiting the start of the Liang-Zhu story.
Suddenly hearing hurried footsteps, Su Jinxiu looked up and saw Mo Ci, dressed in a blue robe damp with dew, reporting that Madam Ye was about to give birth. The two of them immediately dressed and rushed to the Ye residence.
When they entered the mansion, the baby had already been born. Lan Shexiang was well-versed in medicine and had taken good care of herself during her pregnancy, so she did not suffer much during childbirth and gave birth to a baby boy smoothly.
The scene inside was quite interesting. Several midwives stood by, holding swaddled babies, seemingly unnoticed, while the entire room was filled with people surrounding Lan Shexiang. Ye Jiuzhao rushed to the bedside, his eyes filled with anxiety and tenderness. Su Jinxiu followed closely behind, holding Lan Shexiang's hand and gently inquiring about her well-being.
Wen Shiqin, being an outsider, could not enter the inner chambers without permission, so he chose a place to stand outside and looked at the baby in the midwife's arms.
The child had been wiped clean and dry, and the crying that had first come into the world had ceased. Now, the child was sleeping peacefully and quietly.
He subconsciously stretched out his palm to measure, and the child was just the right size to be held in his hand. He looked relaxed and obedient.
Su Jinxiu comforted Lan Shexiang carefully inside the house, and after she had rested and recuperated, she and Ye Jiuzhao lifted the curtain and went out together.
She looked up and saw Wen Shiqin facing the swaddled baby, gently gesturing the baby's size with his palm, his expression full of curiosity and bewilderment, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"What are you doing?"
Upon hearing the voice, Wen Shiqin turned around and said, "Sister, this baby is so small. I feel like I could hold her in my hand."
Su Jinxiu peered over and saw that the child had fair skin and was sleeping peacefully. His two delicate little hands were curled up in front of him, like tender new shoots.
She couldn't help but smile and said, "Yes, they are naturally this small. Do you think all babies in the world are born small enough to hold in your arms and rock to your feet?"
Su Jinxiu quietly asked the midwife for the baby and carefully held it in her arms. The swaddling clothes were soft to the touch, and she couldn't help but gently poke the baby's fair cheek with her finger; the touch was also warm and soft.
Upon seeing this, Ye Jiuzhao immediately stepped forward, his gaze fixed intently on his son's face. He carefully examined the wrinkled yet well-defined features of the little face, his nose tingled, and his eyes reddened, almost bringing tears to his eyes.
He composed himself and humbly asked the midwife for tips on holding a baby before taking the child from Su Jinxiu's arms. He gently bent his arms and moved as if holding a rare treasure, carefully protecting the soft little body in his arms.
Wen Shiqin stood quietly to the side and watched. When Ye Jiuzhao took the child from Su Jinxiu's arms and his fingertips accidentally brushed against her soft hand, a pang of sadness welled up in his heart.
He stretched out his long arm and suddenly pulled Su Jinxiu's waist to his side. Caught off guard, she bumped her soft body against his strong waist and abdomen. But her gaze remained fixed on the swaddling clothes. She only raised her hand to try to break free from the hand encircling her waist, but she gave up and let him hold her tightly.
Su Jinxiu was overjoyed. When she turned her head, she saw that Shi Qin had suppressed his smile, but still couldn't hide his excitement. She looked up at him and said, "Qin, this child recognized me as his godmother before he was born. Shouldn't he call you godfather from now on?"
Upon hearing the word "godfather," Wen Shiqin almost lost his composure and scratched his temple. "Since you're going to be his godmother, then naturally I'll be his godfather."
Even though the two were still thinking about the infant on their way home, their conversation filled with praise, halfway through the journey, Wen Shiqin suddenly fell silent and confessed that he had no desire to have children. Su Jinxiu, respecting his wishes, responded gently for a few moments, then drowsiness overwhelmed her, and she was about to fall into a deep sleep.
In her hazy state, Su Jinxiu seemed to hear him babbling in her ear, and then he gently pinched her cheek with his fingertips and shook it.
"It's already windy and cold, how can you sleep here? Be careful not to catch a cold. Go back and take a hot bath before you rest, listen to me."
Su Jinxiu was too lazy to move, so she snuggled closer to him, lay down on his warm chest, and closed her eyes to continue sleeping.
Wen Shiqin had no choice but to start a conversation and ramble on, “Sister, even though Grandmother has passed away, as members of the Feng family, it is difficult for us to be husband and wife in name. But others are not bound by this mourning period. Recently, there have been quite a few noble families, both openly and secretly, trying to put a wife in my household, or noble families, trying to send me a concubine. It’s giving me a real headache.”
Hearing this, Su Jinxiu instantly sobered up a bit and looked up at him: "So?"
Wen Shiqin abruptly stopped talking, only looking down at her with a half-smile, his expression unfathomable.
Su Jinxiu was so agitated by his appearance that she was wide awake. She raised her hand and pinched his soft waist and abdomen. After pinching, she turned her fingertips and gently twisted his earlobe, gritting her teeth and saying, "What do you mean? Wen Shiqin, you're getting bolder and bolder these days, daring to string me along with these words?"
Su Jinxiu rolled her eyes at him, but Wen Shiqin saw it as a mix of coquettishness and reproach. His heart was filled with joy, and he lowered his head to hug her tighter before saying in a deep voice, "Many noble families in the court and the country have this idea, which is fine. But what I fear most is that the Emperor will remember this in the future and bestow a noble woman upon me in marriage, making her his principal wife, using the marriage to check my military power. That is the hardest thing to resist."
Upon hearing this, Su Jinxiu's previous coquettishness faded, and her brows furrowed slightly as she seriously pondered the matter. After a moment, she looked up at him and asked, "Then what should we do?"
Wen Shiqin had been waiting for this sentence from her, and he confidently curled the corners of his lips: "I have a plan that can solve the problem once and for all."
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