Chapter 12: The Decline of Morality
Sometimes when Lu Huai wakes up in the middle of the night, he can't help but think of the original male supporting role in the small world he plays. No matter how talented or handsome he is, or even his personality is not as good as the protagonist's and has some obvious weaknesses, he can only exit the story sadly, give up the halo, and leave loneliness to himself.
Having escaped from their inescapable and uncontrollable fate, and at the end of their lives, have they ever regretted their initial enthusiastic involvement?
For example, the "Lu Huai" in this world, in his old age with gray hair, has he ever looked at the full moon hanging in the sky and recalled the past when he was famous in the capital and the whole building was filled with beautiful women waving their sleeves?
Have you ever thought of your old friend Pei Yu, Chu Yuanting, Chen Chensheng, or those dark memories of the past?
But by then, perhaps he would have let it go.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Wu Heng was not someone who couldn't understand the situation.
After all, Chongzhou is just a transit station for exploration. If risks are discovered, it is what a wise person should do to stop extending his tentacles and arouse suspicion.
He has been very well-behaved these past few days, and has not made any mistakes, so Lu Huai and others have not been able to catch him.
The informant they caught that day quickly committed suicide, and although they were able to follow the clues and uncover some dishonest merchants and officials, and learn about Wu Heng's shady plans to invade the market, they were only small fry and could not yield any valuable intelligence.
After all, there was no definitive and sufficient evidence. Even if he brought it back and presented it to Chu Yuanting, he would probably mock him and say that he was acting rashly and worrying about nothing.
The Northern Xiongnu was a powerful state with a flourishing economy, and had been thriving in recent years. It had squeezed the Southern Xiongnu, which had been assimilated to a relatively high degree by the Yong Dynasty and had some tribes practicing farming, into a corner. Although there was no actual unification, it had the intention of dominating the grassland.
However, the Yong clan had recently clashed with the Northern Xiongnu a few years earlier. Fifteen-year-old Pei Yu accompanied his father to the battlefield, leading the Mobei Army to crush their arrogance and earning fame in one battle. Since then, both the northern and southern Xiongnu clans have become more docile, maintaining a peaceful relationship with the Yong clan, and no further incidents have occurred.
However, the hearts of the people of Dayong were still tightly clenched because of the Huns' wanton rampage and brutal plunder, and because of the tragic experience of their ancestors who had their mountains and rivers trampled by the barbarians' iron hooves, with rivers of blood flowing and widespread misery.
Their peace came with a heavy heart. However, if further complications arose, and rumors spread that the Northern Huns had ill intentions, combined with the fragmented and turbulent domestic situation caused by the implementation of the new law, it would only be a matter of time before chaos broke out again, with internal and external troubles.
Therefore, without solid evidence and sufficient preparation after consultation with the emperor, this suspicion should never be easily expressed.
Lu Huai and Chen Qingyuan agreed that they would continue to keep an eye on Wu Heng after returning to the capital, and wait and see what suspicious actions this foreign prince would make when he arrived at the capital of Dayong, which was at the throat of the country.
If there is a bigger movement, he will immediately report to the emperor to detain Wu Heng and the envoy, and will not hesitate to use any means to prevent any factors that may threaten the Yong Dynasty from leaving.
After all, everyone has their own agenda. Wu Heng could foresee that Lu Huai would be wary of him and would create obstacles for him, and he also assumed that Lu Huai would appear gentle on the surface but would be full of thorns towards him in his heart.
But perhaps it was this beautiful face that was too gentle and charming that blinded him and made him unable to connect her with the conspiracy.
Or perhaps he was subconsciously unwilling to accept that Lu Huai had no feelings for him at all, and he had never considered that someone only regarded him as an extremely dangerous chess piece, and was already thinking about how to control the situation before leaving Chongzhou.
In a blink of an eye, the day of departure for Beijing arrived. Gu Yucheng and other officials arranged carriages and horses, and sent experienced bodyguards from Chongzhou Prefecture to escort them.
In the past, people lined the streets to welcome you, and today, the city gates see you off.
Parting always brings a sense of melancholy. Even if the brief encounter stems from official business, the connection between people is genuine. Since humans are different from plants and trees, it is only natural for some feelings to develop. After all, today's separation, our actions are more sincere than when we first met.
Under the watchful eyes of Chongzhou officials led by Prefect Gu, the group drove away in a mighty procession, and the convoy gradually went farther and farther away.
Lu Huai leaned against the window of the carriage, with the crisp sound of horses' hooves "clacking" in his ears. He lifted the curtain and looked at the Chongzhou officials who disappeared like rice, and a feeling of separation arose in his heart.
We are thousands of miles apart, and after so many years, if I were to see these colleagues again, I wonder when and under what circumstances it would be.
Only when they were completely out of sight and the gate of Chongzhou was getting farther and farther away did he withdraw his gaze, gently lower the curtain, and quietly sit back in his seat.
Seeing that Chen Qingyuan had closed his eyes and was falling asleep while holding his cherished book "A Panorama of Governance", he also wanted to take a break and change his thoughts.
But even though the carriage arranged by Prefect Gu was much better than his previous simple travels, he still had trouble falling asleep. This was a problem he had from the womb, and he had trouble falling asleep on ordinary days, let alone in a bumpy carriage.
"Yanjin, you miss Master Gu and the others."
Cheng Ruochen, standing by, quietly called out to Lu Huai, and his words hit home. Over the past few days, he'd discovered that the top scholar was passionate, straightforward, and talented, overturning some of his previous stereotypes. He was a man worth getting to know.
After a while, the two became good friends and even exchanged letters. However, the word "Yan Jin" reminded him of his close friend Pei Yu.
You shouldn't... you shouldn't think about other irrelevant people when communicating with the person in front of you, otherwise it would be too unfair.
Lu Huai's long eyelashes like crow feathers drooped, with a hint of tired confusion and indescribable meaning in his eyes. He looked at Cheng Ruochen and nodded gently.
Cheng Ruochen smiled, showing a gentleness rarely seen on his usually captivating face, and handed the things placed aside to Lu Huai.
The novel touch made Lu Huai feel a little surprised, as its shape looked like ordinary bedding.
But the people of Dayong usually slept on hard pillows. Except for the princes and nobles who used jade, the others used either bamboo or porcelain. This was especially the preference of scholars. Only the common people would use straw to weave pillows which were relatively soft and easy to deform.
I have never seen such a soft pillow like a cloud before.
For a moment, Lu Huai, who thought he had some knowledge because he had read thousands of famous works, felt a little ashamed because he found it difficult to confirm.
"Xuan Ning, what is this?"
"This feather pillow from the Western Regions is said to have originated in Persia. It's very comfortable whether you're leaning on it or lying down. I heard from A-Ming that Yan Jin suffered a lot on the train to Chongzhou, so I was thinking about how to make it easier for you when we get back to the city. I saw a foreign merchant in Chongzhou and bought it for me."
"Xuan Ning is so thoughtful! Thank you, but this item is too precious."
"I can't accept it." Lu Huai was touched by Cheng Ruochen's kindness, but after hearing the origin of the pillow, he wanted to put it back into Tanhualang's hands. However, things went against his wishes and Cheng Ruochen returned it to him without a trace.
"I'm fine, I've just been troubled by some things recently and feel a little uneasy. I've recovered now, so it's better for you to use it." He felt helpless and tried to explain to Cheng Ruochen to take it back.
But the young man just stared at him intently with the same shimmering eyes he had used at the Qionghua Banquet to confess that he had painted his likeness. His expression seemed to say: Don't you like the surprise I prepared for you?
Unable to resist, Lu Huai reluctantly accepted this unique gift. However, he hugged the soft pillow honestly and soon fell asleep, even leaning on Cheng Ruochen who had not returned to his original position.
The touch felt like a cloud falling on his body, so light, yet so heavy - it caused a huge wave of vibrations in his mind.
God knows how red the third place winner's face was at this moment, just like a boiled shrimp. He was a thief with the will but not the courage. In the past, when he had fantasies, he always imagined himself to be able to control the situation easily and be like a fish in water. In fact, he just wanted to make the person he was thinking about close to him and he would be distracted.
The reputation that was spread outside as "walking through a field of flowers without getting a single leaf on him" was just the reputation he earned from helping those prostitutes in brothels. His so-called "romanticism" was just the skill he learned from hanging out with all kinds of people.
He felt that he had never been so happy again. Even when he had been the abandoned son in the family for a long time and proved his talent with the title of third place in the imperial examination, he did not feel so relaxed.
Thinking of those disgusting things, his mood fell again. But looking at the peaceful and serene face he had sketched countless times on paper and in his heart, pressed against the soft feather pillow he had bought, the curve of his mouth seemed to recover.
It's so much like, so much like he has already embraced the moon in his arms.
But it's just a pillow, so how rude it would be to refuse it so politely?
If he told Lu Huai that he wanted to give him his soul and everything in the world, would he be so scared that he would never see him again?
He knew he had gone too far with the Qionghua Banquet and the Beauty Painting, and he couldn't afford to expose his insatiable desire any further. So, he could only suppress the raging passion deep within his heart. Since he didn't want to destroy her, he could slowly make her a part of his life, become her good friend, and then slowly pursue her. But now...
Lu Huai had only dozed off to calm his nerves, with no intention of resting. After all, he wasn't as familiar with Cheng Ruochen as he was with Pei Yu, and falling asleep in front of Pei Yu would have been rude, let alone a colleague he'd only just met was awake and staring at him.
Unexpectedly, my mind was already overloaded, and as the car swayed, I unconsciously lost my sense of the outside world. I was left alone to gaze at this beautiful gentleman, feeling this false dependence, and an inexplicable burning in my heart.
Cheng Ruochen realized that the carriage might be traveling along a mountain road, and the jolting and shaking were too much, even causing Lu Huai to almost bump into his hard shoulder blade. So he hurriedly and gently lifted the person leaning on him and let him rest his head on the feather pillow in his arms.
Seeing Lu Huai's hair hanging messily on his fair neck, he endured the heat and carefully picked it up so as not to disturb his rest.
Such a gesture of cherishing and loving is a bit too extraordinary even for a friend... In the eyes of others, it is even like he is bowing his head and gently kissing his treasure.
He didn't notice that Chen Qingyuan on the opposite side had opened his eyes due to the shaking. He was about to read his favorite book when he saw this scene. He was so surprised that he almost pointed at Cheng Ruochen and made a sound.
Chen Qingyuan was a man who followed a very routine life. He passed the imperial examination and became an official. He was chosen from the list of candidates to marry a woman from a good family. Although they did not develop a strong relationship, they were harmonious and respected each other.
When he saw such unacceptable emotions happening between Lu Huai, whom he particularly admired, and another promising colleague, he was first worried about their reputation, and then he thought about whether the two were in love.
But thinking back on the past few days, he didn't see any unusual behavior from Lord Lu. Instead, he recalled the confrontation between Cheng Tanhua and the Second Prince and their jealous behavior, and he seemed to have tasted something different.
Previously, I only thought that someone like Lord Lu, who was of golden appearance and pure heart, deserved such good popularity, but his good nature made his friends unable to control their possessive desire.
But...could it be that both of them...
This shocking feeling of opening up a new world continued until the group arrived in the capital. Along the way, both Cheng Ruochen who was surrounding Lu Huai and the second prince who ran to find him as soon as he took a break received his deep attention.
This made everyone wonder if Lord Chen was overtired and was stimulated in the opposite way, as he looked at everyone with a lively look.
But only he knew that he originally wanted to tell Lu Huai about other people's coveting of him, to remind him to be careful and not let them lead him astray.
Unfortunately, his eyes were sore from staring, but the two of them still looked at Lu Huai with a sincere look as if they had no other intentions. Alas, he really didn't know where to start.
But he had just set foot on the land of the capital for a few moments when Cheng Ruochen pulled him to a corner where Lu Huai couldn't see him, and said something to him with a smile?
The author has something to say:
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Back to the capital! Going to face Shen, Chu, and Pei! A super invincible hot pot is about to begin!
Mr. Chen's eyes were as wide as copper bells today. He saw some gossip that might get him silenced (wrong)
I am pushing the story in two lines, so there is a plot of court upgrading and a happy (laughing super bt) emotional line,
Off topic: I just signed a contract, so happy haha~ Kiss all the lovely readers who grew up with me! Love you all!
Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: Xingchen 5; Chen Sanyuan and Mishu 1;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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