Chapter 44: The deceased wife looked at him in silence, with tears streaming down her face.
“Whoa—”
The steed raised its front hooves and stopped under the dark gold-colored plaque with the words "Xuanbei Marquis Mansion" printed on it. Yu Qing dismounted.
The housekeeper and everyone else had been waiting for a long time.
"Prince!"
"The prince is back!"
It was the dead of winter, and everyone breathed out white air when they spoke. Yu Qing looked up and saw Mrs. Lu, draped in a cloak. She called out, "Mother," and said, "It's so cold, what are you all doing out here? Come inside and talk."
Although the old marquis could not see the wind, he was always in the front hall.
Sitting in the warm hall, Qiying also prepared hot tea, and the coldness in Yu Qing's body quickly melted away.
"I'm finally back. I count the days on my fingers every day. Fortunately, I can still make it to the end of the year..." Mrs. Lu sighed.
Her eyes never left Yu Qing, and she said softly, "Qing'er has lost some weight."
Yu Qing smiled and said, "How did you tell that? You're wearing such thick clothes."
Winter clothes are all padded, and judging from the body shape, it doesn't mean that the "belts are getting wider", but Mrs. Lu can see that Yu Qing's cheeks have almost no round curves, and her chin is so pointed that it makes her feel distressed.
"Are you hungry? Wait a moment. We've arranged a welcoming banquet for you."
There were only a few people in total, but the chef of the Marquis' Mansion prepared a total of twenty dishes. I was almost full after just one bite of each.
Here, her parents kept asking her to eat more, and the housekeeper kept serving the dishes. Yu Qin couldn't help but hold her forehead and said, "I'm full, I'm full, what's the point? Oh..."
·
Yu Qing has been gone for indeed too long.
Nearly two years have passed since I rushed to the border to quell the rebellion of the northern barbarians.
Guarding the border day after day, Yu Qing hardly noticed how quickly time flew by. Only when he looked back did he realize how merciless time was.
At that time, the Northern Barbarian King Ge Yiluo had just succeeded to the throne after a civil war. He was ambitious, competitive and murderous, and wanted to lead his tribe to avenge the previous humiliation. He inspired all the pro-war factions to break through the border of Da Qi at all costs.
This was actually a wrong move. Although the initial momentum was fierce, the truce had only been a few years. Relying on Geiro's arrogance and passion could not make up for the lack of national strength. Yu Qing spent less than four months pursuing the victory and reached the royal city in one breath. The tribesmen complained, the nobles rebelled, and the war was not over before civil strife broke out again. In the end, the throne was occupied by someone else.
The entire Northern Barbarian nation surrendered, offering a number of tribal treasures, countless silver, money and livestock, and nearly half of the territory was directly divided over to the Great Qi.
After the war, Yu Qing wanted to return to the capital as soon as possible.
However, Princess Qingjia passed away suddenly, and Yu Qing went from being a "prince consort" to a "widower". He was no longer eager to return home, and even had some resistance to returning to Beijing.
She couldn't bear the thought of returning to the capital, returning to the Marquis' Mansion.
After staying in the northwest for two more months in self-deception, huge shocks occurred in the government and the opposition.
Compared with the ever-changing situation in the capital, the fact that "the general has his own troops outside" is no longer a big risk.
The emperor didn't call her back as hastily as before. Yu Qing wasn't surprised that he couldn't care less when things were going on, and that he was suspicious of everything when things were going on.
She submitted a memorial to the court, and soon the emperor issued an order, promoting Yu Qing to the rank of General of Cavalry for her contribution in suppressing the rebellion, and arranged for her to continue to garrison in the northwest.
In this way, Yu Qing stayed and was responsible for the military defense of the new border, while assisting the government in rebuilding the city and resettling the people.
Towards the end of last year, unrest broke out in several small countries along the border. Bandits and horse thieves appeared frequently, refugees fled, and wolves caused trouble. It was really not peaceful.
Having learned from the previous experience, Yu Qing, as the commander-in-chief, did not return to Beijing, and the court also gave her a lot of consolation salary.
Throughout this year, the court was in turmoil.
Every time there was a new incident in the capital, it would take several days for the news to reach her.
Although the northwest is cold and miserable, it is also a good thing to be away from the bloody sea of the capital.
After the winter began this year, Yu Qing missed home a little. In addition, her father, Marquis Xuanbei, was in poor health. She was always worried every time she thought of him, so she requested to return to Beijing to report on her work.
·
The family reunited after a long absence. Although they didn't hug each other and cry, they talked for a long time.
Yu Qing was exhausted from the journey and had been with his parents for more than an hour. It was time for him to go back and rest and change his clothes.
After two years of separation, Qiying was always worried about Yu Qing. This time, she didn't stay by Yu Qing's side to help him, always worried that something might happen to Yu Qing.
Fortunately, she has returned to Beijing safely. In Huaifeng Pavilion, Qiying untied her outer robe as skillfully as before. She was filled with mixed feelings and her eyes were a little red for a moment.
Yu Qing smiled and hugged Qiying.
To be honest, without Qiying around, it does feel a little inconvenient sometimes.
However, she couldn't always rely on Qiying to take care of her. Qiying was different from her and didn't need to stay with a fake prince like her. Even if she didn't want to leave the mansion now, one day she might want to live a different life.
The two are not blood relatives but are better than blood relatives, and their feelings for each other will never change at any time.
"By the way, I'm going to meet Prince Rui tomorrow," Yu Qing said. "Have you ever met him?"
Talking about business, Qiying calmed down and said, "I have met him. I accompanied the Marquis' wife to a few banquets and we met. He also visited the mansion twice. I think he is very cunning and his style of doing things is far superior to that of the Crown Prince back then."
Yu Qing was not surprised and said thoughtfully, "Well, after all, I have endured so many years of hardships to get here."
There is no prince now.
The third prince, Xie Tingxuan, was deposed last October and imprisoned in an abandoned alley in the capital along with his family.
The second prince, who was exiled to Nanzhao more than ten years ago, returned to the capital and was given the title "Rui", becoming a big shot who could influence the situation in the capital.
Yu Qing learned about the various ups and downs in this matter from letters. Although he had not experienced it personally, he still found it thrilling.
The government and the opposition have completely changed. Two years ago, she had finally managed to remember the names of her colleagues, but now she has to remember them all over again.
At first, the emperor only reprimanded the Golden Feather Guards for failing to protect him and let the Northern Barbarians attack the emperor in court. However, after investigation, it was discovered that the prince was secretly gathering the Golden Feather Guards and leaving secret agents in front of the emperor. This undoubtedly touched the emperor's bottom line.
Soon after, a series of events were exposed one after another, and the prince formed a clique for personal gain and his ambitions were obvious. Many of the turmoil in recent years were caused by him.
Following various traces of evidence, they even uncovered an old case involving the second prince from more than ten years ago.
Although the emperor was very suspicious, he still had a lot of trust in the prince in his later years. When he suddenly learned the truth, he was angry and sighed, as if he had been hit hard.
If a man is in his prime and is betrayed by his own son, the emperor will be furious and will either demote or kill him.
But now he had softened his heart and did not kill the prince. He even fell seriously ill due to his sadness and his health has been poor ever since.
The Second Prince was exonerated, freed from his guilt, and returned to the capital. At only thirty years old, his hair had turned gray, a testament to the hardships he had endured.
In order to appease him, the emperor bestowed upon him the title of Rui and conferred upon him the title of Prince.
Empress Rong, who had suffered from heart disease for many years, was cheered up by her own son, and her condition improved day by day and she gradually regained her sanity.
The emperor used to dote on her and her son, and he kept her for so many years out of affection. The two of them confided in each other and resolved their misunderstandings, and the emperor felt both pity and guilt towards her, so she became the emperor's favorite again.
After King Rui entered politics, he accomplished many things one after another and established a firm foothold in the court.
Until the end of autumn this year, the emperor caught a cold and suffered a stroke.
His life was not in danger, but he was unable to speak or behave properly for two months. The person who took over the government after him became King Rui.
Therefore, the person Yu Qing was reporting to this time was also King Rui.
She knew full well that what outsiders knew of the above events was probably just the tip of the iceberg. The conspiracy behind it must be even more complicated and convoluted.
Just as he was about to ask Qiying for more information about King Rui, Yu Qing heard two crisp dog barks.
A creature wearing a small cotton-edged jacket came running over, and the servants behind it could not keep up.
It was completely white, with bright black eyes. Yu Qing was startled and asked, "Is it a snowball?"
Qiying said, "Well, Princess...after you leave, I will keep it here."
The appearance of this Byzantine dog changed Yu Qing's mood, and for a moment she put aside the deposed crown prince and the second prince.
Looking at the little white dog, Yu Qing was silent for a moment, as if fine cracks were slowly appearing in a place deep in his heart.
After a long while, she said, "I'm going out for a walk."
·
Wenhua Garden, the former residence of Princess Qingjia, has not been visited for two years.
Although there are servants to clean it, it is still a courtyard without an owner. Without the nourishment of human life, it becomes a deserted house. No matter how diligently it is cleaned, there is still a lingering sense of coldness and decline.
The row of potted plants in front of the door, which were once beautifully trimmed, have now become withered branches, and some are left with only a flowerpot.
The moment she pushed open the door, Yu Qing felt a moment of trance, as if two years had disappeared, as if she had just come here happily yesterday, and there was a silent person waiting for her inside the door.
They strolled in the courtyard, practiced swordplay and drank wine in front of the pavilion, played chess and wrote in the room...
Now she has nothing in her hands and no one is there to hold her hand.
Everything was arranged as usual, yet it felt empty. The tranquil aroma had long since dissipated.
Yu Qing was not present when Qingjia passed away. Even though he knew she was gone, Yu Qing didn't feel it was real.
How could such a healthy person suddenly pass away? Perhaps it was a misunderstanding, or perhaps it was a fantasy. One day they would meet again.
Yu Qing always had this thought in his heart.
Looking around now, she had to admit that the man was gone.
Coming to the dressing table, Yu Qing still remembered that Qingjia used to dress here. Her long, ink-black hair was loose, and the face in the mirror was so beautiful, like a peach blossom, which made Yu Qing unable to get enough of looking at her.
She is dressing herself in the small window.
We looked at each other in silence, with tears in our eyes.
The winter two years ago was exceptionally long. After the Lantern Festival, a cold wind swept through the capital, bringing out Qingjia's old illness.
That attack was more severe than any previous one, and even the imperial physician was of no use. In just two or three days, Qingjia died of old age.
The war between the Great Qi and the Northern Barbarians was raging. In order not to distract the commander, the emperor ordered that the princess's funeral should not be announced for the time being and that the funeral ceremony should be kept simple.
In fact, Qiying could have used a carrier eagle to send a message, but she did not take the initiative to tell Yu Qing. Yu Qing was still looking forward to the princess's reply, and only learned the truth at the end.
Later, Qiying explained the reason in a letter, because Qingjia told Qiying his last wish before his death, hoping that he would help her keep it a secret from her husband and not let his death affect her husband on the battlefield.
She was clearly a delicate girl, yet she still cared about others until the very end. Yu Qing knew how painful it was for Chen to suffer from this illness, but she didn't even have a family member to accompany her before she died.
It's strange to say, Yu Qing always dreamed of her when he just left Beijing, but since he learned of her death, she rarely appeared in his dreams again.
Yu Qing once wondered if Qingjia, who was in the afterlife, had found out about all the lies he had told her and felt her sincerity had been betrayed, so she hated him?
Otherwise, why hasn't the soul come to me?
In her short life, she believed that she had lived up to the heavens, the earth, her country, and her ancestors. The only person she felt sorry for was Qingjia.
She hadn't given Qingjia the love, care, and meticulous attention she deserved. In the months since they'd been married, he'd only done a few things for her. It was so little, and she couldn't do anything to compensate him.
Yu Qing stroked the peony pattern carved on the table. In the makeup box, there were still various rouge, black ink brushes, cinnabar gold powder, etc., as well as some jewelry.
Qingjia's favorite ones were not there, they must have been taken away as burial objects.
She sighed, supported her forehead with her hand, and stared into space again.
"Prince, Crown Prince?"
A servant cautiously pushed the door open and said, "I'm here to add some charcoal... Why haven't you even lit the lamp? I'll light it for you. It's very dark here."
Yu Qing then realized that she had been sitting here alone for a long time without realizing it, so long that the sun had set and the sky outside the window had already dimmed.
"No need," Yu Qing said, "I'm leaving now."
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