Chapter 110: Pure love is so beautiful that it seems like an illusion.
As a prince, it is not good for him to be away from home for ten days or half a month. He can stay in the palace for two or three days and then return to his own home.
But having gotten used to Xie Jing's presence, Yu Qing felt really lonely when she slept alone in Huaifeng Pavilion.
She thought to herself that sooner or later she would have to bring Xie Jing to the Marquis's residence, so that no matter where he was, he would have someone to accompany him. Then they could rotate between the two places...
Recently, under her instructions, the housekeeper had been leading the servants in renovating Wenhua Garden. She had gone to check once and found everything was ready.
I originally wanted to plant more flowers, but now it is autumn, which is not a good time for transplanting, so I gave up for now.
"Are you going to the palace for Mid-Autumn Festival this year?" Yu Qing asked. "They shouldn't be holding a palace banquet this year, right?"
Less than a hundred days had passed since the late emperor passed away, so all matters were kept simple and no banquets were held in the palace.
Xie Jing thought for a moment and said, "There's no palace banquet. I want to go see my mother earlier and not stay overnight in the palace."
Yu Qing said, "Then when you come out of the palace...would you like to come to the Marquis' Mansion?"
Xie Jing was startled when he heard this. Yu Qing continued, "I've mentioned you to my parents before. They've always wanted to meet you. Look, maybe this time..."
Xie Jing was already a little nervous.
"... Mainly, it's not a good idea for you to be in the palace all the time," Yu Qing said. "I can't even see you at home."
Xie Jing asked, "Do they know who I am?"
Yu Qing said, "I don't know yet. I haven't told them in detail. I'll tell them when you're ready."
Yu Qing was quite accommodating, but Xie Jing was still hesitant. After a long and difficult moment, he finally said, "Okay."
"You've lived in the Marquis' Mansion for several months. You recognize my father and mother, and even celebrated New Year's Eve with them," Yu Qing laughed. "They won't do anything to you."
Xie Jing said: "But I deceived them all at the time."
He has never dared to face the people in the Yu Mansion. After all, the "princess" died in front of them, and now she is back. It is hard to accept no matter how he thinks about it, and his current identity is also unusual.
Yu Qing said, "We lied to you together, so we're even. It's not a big deal."
Xie Jing was still worried - he was always afraid that the Marquis and his wife would see him as a heartless man with ulterior motives who had deceived Yu Qing.
In this world, if the relationship between parents-in-law and daughter-in-law is not good, it must be the husband's fault. Yu Qing would never let this happen anyway.
She'd been running around lately, no longer hiding it from her family. Yu Heng and Lu Yufu were constantly wondering, marveling at her, and eagerly awaiting her return, wondering who she was. According to Qiying, Yu Qing's soul had been seduced by him.
After Yu Qing and Xie Jing had discussed it, they finally came to their parents that night and said, "Let's have a family dinner on Mid-Autumn Festival. I'll bring someone back..."
Mrs. Lu's eyes lit up.
Yu Qing: “…”
"Why don't you guys calm down for a moment...?" she suggested. "I have something else to tell you."
She originally thought it was okay, but seeing her mother's attitude, she was really afraid of scaring Xie Jing.
"What?"
"In fact, Princess Qingjia is not dead, she is still alive."
Both parents were stunned and looked at each other.
"It's true. I knew it a long time ago, but I didn't tell you. He is in the capital now, but he is a little different now. You haven't seen him before..."
Mrs. Lu was confused and her heart was full of complicated feelings.
Qingjia died right before her eyes, it was so pitiful. Lu Yufu kept sighing when the coffin was closed.
She wondered if Yu Qing missed the princess so much that she was hallucinating. Or was there someone pretending to be the princess and deceiving her?
Yu Qing looked at her changing expression, not knowing what she was thinking. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said bluntly: "Actually, Qingjia is a man. He had no choice but to marry into our family."
She raised her hand and gestured: "He is actually this tall."
Mrs. Lu raised her hand hesitantly and touched Yu Qing's forehead. It was not hot.
She thought to herself: It's too early to be happy. Her daughter hasn't finally let go of the past, but she still hasn't accepted the facts and is now a little hysterical.
Yu Qing: “…”
"I'm serious. This is a long story," she reluctantly took her mother's hand and said, "Actually, he is the current His Royal Highness Prince Jing. You'll know everything when you meet him. But don't be too surprised, and don't ask too many questions, otherwise he'll overthink it... He's very timid."
.
On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the timid Prince Jing did not sleep well. The next day, he went to the palace to pay his respects to the Queen Mother and had dinner with her together with the Emperor.
Song Sitang, the former Concubine Rong and now the Empress Dowager, became worried when she learned that Xie Jing was going to the Marquis' Mansion in the evening.
"What new things have been added to the treasury? Bring me the list," the Queen Mother instructed the palace maids, then turned to Xie Jing and said, "Please prepare some gifts and take them with you."
Xie Jing: "Are there any dark circles under my eyes?"
The queen mother looked at her son's fair and translucent face for a moment, but could not see anything. However, she was also worried that her eyesight might be blurry due to her age, so she suggested, "Why not ask someone to put some powder on you..."
Xie Tingzhao: “…”
"It looks fine, there's no need for that." The new emperor held his forehead and said.
Towards evening, the emperor personally escorted Prince Jing out of the Empress Dowager's palace. Behind the sedan chair, a row of palace servants held rewards for Prince Jing that were picked from the national treasury.
"Why are you so nervous? Didn't the Xuanbei Marquis and his wife treat you well in the past?" Xie Tingzhao said, "They never gave you a hard time."
Xie Jing said: "That's not necessarily true. They may not think highly of me."
Xie Tingzhao frowned: "Why? You are a prince, and this is not good enough?"
"So what if he's a prince? The Marquis's family only has one son," Xie Jing said quietly, "and I can't carry on his family line."
Xie Tingzhao: “…”
He was probably so used to it that he almost forgot the shocking nature of this incident. He couldn't refute it right now... Xie Jing had the looks and the personality... but it was true...
"It's not easy for me either," Xie Jing said. "Brother, what should I do if they dislike me?"
A few months ago, Xie Tingzhao would have been eager for the Yu family to dislike him and end this ill-fated relationship as soon as possible. However, now that he had accepted the fact that Xie Jing was not right, and that no one else was as good as Yu Qing, coupled with Xie Jing's sigh, his thoughts could not help but be diverted.
A series of images flashed through the new emperor's mind: the marquis and his wife were horrified and tried to break up the couple. The marquis' wife threatened to commit suicide. Yu Qing was helpless and could not disobey his parents' orders. In the end, he had many wives and concubines and children, while Xie Jing was left alone, like a small white flower broken by the wind.
This is absolutely unacceptable, Xie Tingzhao thought, I have to give more benefits to the Marquis' Mansion... What should I give? The Marquis' Mansion seems to have no shortage of things... Then...
He also began to worry about tonight. He even planned to prepare a royal carriage to send Xie Jing to the Marquis' Mansion, bring more servants, and add a large number of treasures as rewards to support him.
But this plan was not implemented, because as soon as he arrived at the palace gate, Xie Jing saw the Yu family's carriage from afar - then he left his royal brother and followed Yu Qing, who came to pick him up.
·
Along the way, Yu Qing was looking at Xie Jing.
He was dressed quite elegantly today, in a noble and elegant brocade robe with cloud patterns, the embroidery glistening with luster, with rings and pendants neatly tied around his waist, and a delicate little purse that exuded a faint fragrance.
However, the closer they got to the Marquis' Mansion, the more nervous he became. By the time the carriage stopped at the door, she could almost hear Xie Jing's heartbeat.
"..." Yu Qing couldn't help but smile and stretched out his hand, "Come down, Your Highness, it's okay."
Xie Jing held her hand and was led into the house by Yu Qing. He thought that the Marquis and his wife were at the banquet inside and there was still some room for buffer. Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped into the mansion, the people in the front hall heard the news and came - they were all waiting nearby.
...What should I do? Xie Jing suddenly panicked.
"Father, Mother," Yu Qing introduced, "This is His Royal Highness Prince Jing."
Xie Jing's heart was in his throat, and he gave a smile that seemed polite and calm, but was actually terrified.
The Marquis and his wife looked over, paused for a moment, and wanted to greet them first. Xie Jing quickly held them back.
"No need to be so polite. I'm... Xie Tingye," Xie Jing said cautiously, "My Lord, Madam, I hope you are well."
Mrs. Lu stared at him for a long while, and Xie Jing held his breath.
"...This child," Lu Yufu said in surprise, "has he really grown this tall?"
Xie Jing: “……?”
When Xie Jing entered the room just now, Mrs. Lu could only see a tall and graceful young man from a distance. But when she got closer and saw his face, all her doubts were dispelled as Yu Qing said.
"...You really haven't changed at all," Lu Yufu said with a smile, "You're still as handsome as before."
Xie Jing was invited to the table and sat down. He was still a little dazed. Everything went too smoothly and the prepared speech was of no use.
Mrs. Lu was smiling as always, and although the old marquis didn't talk much, his attitude was very gentle.
The expected awkward situation did not happen, and the other party did not seem to have any grudge against him.
Mrs. Lu is now filled with emotion.
Listening to Yu Qing's account of the events, she too felt that it was all so utterly unbelievable. Accidentally, by chance, by chance, a good outcome had actually been achieved.
She suddenly thought of a past event.
"My Lord, do you still remember?" Madam Lu said with a smile, "Back then, not long after we returned to the capital, we caught up with the autumn hunt. His Majesty was still the Second Prince..."
More than ten years ago, Xie Tingzhao was still a young boy. He was attacked by a wild beast in the hunting ground and almost died. It was Yu Heng who saved him.
Xie Jing vaguely remembered hearing his mother talk about this incident, but he didn't know what happened afterwards.
"Your elder sister was still unmarried, and the late emperor wanted to grant her a marriage as a reward."
This was also the first time Yu Qing had heard of it, but after thinking about it carefully, she was not surprised - she had discovered that people in the royal family particularly liked to match people up and grant marriages at any time.
"But Wei'er...has someone else in her heart, so she hasn't been able to settle down." Mrs. Lu coughed.
The truth is, Xie Tingzhao was extremely talented and famous when he was young, so he had a high opinion of himself and was very arrogant.
Yu Wei was not impressed by him, saying, "Although he looks good, he's a troublemaker." She thought her life would be unstable if she followed him, so she refused. Later, she chose Chen Zhan as her husband through a lottery.
At that time, Yu Lang had passed away not long ago, and Yu Heng saved the prince. The emperor always felt that he should provide more relief to one or two more princes. Seeing that the elder prince had not been given a reward, it seemed insincere to give up, so he thought of the two younger ones.
The Marquis's Mansion has a young son, and Concubine Rong also happens to have a princess. The age difference is two years, which is just right. It is not a bad idea to arrange a marriage between them.
Of course, this proposal was politely declined by both parties. Yu Qing was actually a girl, so an engagement with the princess was out of the question. Yu Heng immediately reported this to the emperor. Concubine Rong in the palace also declined, stating that the princess was still too young and that plans would have to wait.
"If I had known this," Lu Yufu said with a smile, "I should have agreed to the marriage then."
·
The family banquet at the Marquis' Mansion was the same as it was three years ago; not many people were present, but the atmosphere was warm and friendly. After the banquet, Yu Qing led Xie Jing along the old path to Wenhua Garden. The moon was bright, the wind was gentle, and the shadows of the trees were colorful.
"It's not that scary, right?" Yu Qing said.
Xie Jing nodded and took her hand.
Yu Qing's heart moved, and he thought of his mother's words at the dinner table, and he couldn't help but feel fascinated.
"Why didn't they tell us at the time and postponed the engagement?" Yu Qing asked, "I wish I had met you earlier."
"..." Xie Jing said, "You are seven years old, and I am five...isn't it too early?"
Yu Qing smiled. She thought to herself, if she had really seen Xie Jing at that time, she would probably like him too. According to her mother, she had loved beautiful things since she was a child. When she was a child at the border, her brother and father would bring her beautiful toys from outside.
Under the pale moonlight, the face of the person beside me is as beautiful as jade, just like yesterday. Whenever I see him, there is always indescribable tenderness.
Yu Qing suddenly said, "It's not too late yet. Are you cold?"
Xie Jing was startled, and immediately said, "It's not cold."
"Then let's go to the pavilion in the backyard to admire the moon?" Yu Qing felt a little embarrassed, feeling a little too innocent, but she still wanted to reminisce about the scene three years ago. "Tell them to bring some good wine. I can even dance with you with a sword. Do you like that?"
Xie Jing's heart was pounding. He looked into Yu Qing's clear eyes and thought, I like her a little too much.
They waited in the pavilion for the servants to warm up the wine. Xie Jing looked at Yu Qing's sword and suddenly noticed something: "...Did you change your sword?"
Yu Qing was surprised: "I just changed it a few days ago, how can you tell?"
She had many swords, including long swords, short swords, and occasionally a light and flexible soft sword. The one she often carried had a pure black scabbard and a blade made of cold iron, shining like a mirror and with a sharp edge. It was a rare sword in the world.
The sword in her hand now was actually forged and tempered together with the same material. The swordsmith made two of them. The scabbard and blade are exactly the same, with only the inscriptions different.
The old sword had more signs of use, but the new one had none. I didn't expect that Xie Jing could even notice this slight difference.
Xie Jing asked, "What happened to the original one? Is it broken?"
"No, I just hung it in the study. That sword..." She paused and said truthfully, "I accidentally hurt you back then. I don't want to use it anymore. That sword is no good."
Xie Jing: “…”
Yu Qing said this, raising her hand to touch the side of his neck. In fact, the sword mark had long since been smoothed out. But she often thought of Xie Jing leaning against the sword with tears on his face, and she couldn't bear it.
Xie Jing felt a pang of sadness in his heart, thinking that Yu Qing was a little unreasonable. He did not blame him but instead blamed Jian.
"It's okay, just keep using it," he said. "I don't mind..."
"I care," Yu Qing said, "Anyway, I feel uncomfortable just looking at that sword, and now I can't use it well, so I might as well change it. I have a new one anyway."
Xie Jing wanted to cry and laugh at the same time, thinking that there was no one who loved him more than Yu Qing.
·
It was already late when they returned to the Wenhuayuan house.
Xie Jing said he wanted to make a sword tassel, so he worked on it for a while, while Yu Qing watched curiously from the side. Then they took out the chessboard and played a few games in silence.
The lamp flowers face the quiet room, and there is still a faint fragrance. Nothing has changed, as if all the lost time has reappeared.
Love is a very mysterious thing. Being by Xie Jing's side, sometimes it was like a burning fire, and sometimes it was like a deep and quiet stream. Her heart found an unprecedented peace.
At a certain moment, she suddenly understood the fear that Xie Jing had mentioned before - the ultimate beauty was like an illusion, and she really didn't want it to pass away.
·
During the time when His Royal Highness Prince Jing stayed at the Marquis' Mansion, even Yu Qing's adjutants in the Xuanlin Guard felt that there was something different about their commander. They couldn't explain why, but it was as if he was surrounded by a spring breeze.
Yu Qing regained the life he had always dreamed of. Every day when he returned home, his beloved was waiting for him. Even going on duty was no longer a big deal. He would come when there was something to do, and leave early when there was nothing to do. Occasionally, when he had some free time, he would go to the Ministry of Revenue for a walk...
There was a happy event at a colleague's home that night, and Yu Qing was invited to attend the banquet. She sent a message back home saying that there was no need to wait for her and she would be back later.
She didn't stay too late. After entering Wenhua Garden, it was quiet and deserted. The servants seemed to have gone to bed, and the lights inside looked dim. At this time, Xie Jing should not have gone to bed yet.
She was a little confused, so she pushed the door open carefully and walked into the room.
Then a hand pushed aside the beaded curtain in front of the inner room, making a few crisp sounds -
Yu Qing: “……!”
Xie Jing appeared from behind the curtain. The moment Yu Qing saw him, her eyes widened. She was stunned and didn't know what to say. He hooked her wrist and walked into the house.
"Why are you back so late?" he said softly, "I've been waiting for you for a long time... Prince Consort."
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