Chapter 72, Chapter 3: Wushan Luopu
Wild geese fly south, swallows fly north. The traveler is filled with longing, wishing to return home on the autumn wind.
The autumn moon shines through the open window; the candle is extinguished, and the silk robe is loosened. Laughter fills the curtained room; the whole body is fragrant with orchids and magnolias.
...
When Liu Jun woke up, it was already late at night.
It was a palace maid from somewhere singing softly, the melody melodious and the lyrics enchanting, yet it sounded especially desolate in the stillness of the night.
"I've heard of a woman named Ziye who composed songs for the four seasons to express the feelings of spring; this is the Autumn Song among them." Sima Ye spoke softly, almost in a breath, which sounded even more eerie than the woman's plaintive voice.
Liu Jun kept his eyes tightly shut, unwilling to open them, as if by doing so, he could pretend that what had just happened was a dream and that nothing had ever occurred.
"Ah," Sima Ye chuckled softly, then accompanied the palace maid in a melancholy song, "White dew falls at dawn and dusk, autumn wind chills the long night... Autumn wind enters the window, the silk curtains flutter. I look up at the bright moon, sending my feelings to its light a thousand miles away... I hate to see the eastward flowing water, I never look westward all year round."
Liu Jun could no longer pretend, so he bent his arm slightly and looked over indifferently.
Sima Ye was wearing only his undergarments, his long hair reaching the ground, and he was standing barefoot on the ground, gazing at the moon through the window.
"While I consider myself neither exceptionally intelligent nor entirely dull-witted, please forgive my frankness, but Your Majesty's schemes are truly beyond my comprehension." Liu Jun's eyes were frosty, his words venomous, a chilling glint even when addressing Liu Cong and Suo Lin. "Is Your Majesty so self-deprecating, so that you may enjoy intimate moments with me in bed, or so that you may use me to manipulate events in the court?"
"Fish is what I desire, and bear's paw is also what I desire." Sima Ye turned to look at him, his cheeks and the corners of his eyes still flushed, whether from love or from shyness, it was unclear. "Since I am the Son of Heaven, what is wrong with wanting both?"
Liu Jun took a deep breath, squinted at him, and said, "Your Majesty's wisdom and foresight are far beyond my reach. I do not wish to delve into the rights and wrongs of the matter. Now, I only have three questions that I would like Your Majesty to answer."
"You are a hero of the world, and I dare not instruct you." Sima Ye turned around, revealing fair skin, a pointed chin, and especially his narrow eyes with light-colored pupils that shone like amber in the moonlight, making one wonder whether he was an emperor of the mortal world or a fox demon from the mountains.
"Firstly, I have been in court for several years, and all parties have been at peace, focusing on strengthening the military. I don't know why Your Majesty is suddenly so impatient?"
"It is precisely because war is about to break out again and Chang'an is in imminent danger that I do not want to be abandoned again and trapped alone in this city." Sima Ye slowly walked back to the couch, and stumbled as he did not walk steadily.
Liu Jun quickly caught him, then looked annoyed and let go as if he had been burned. "Secondly, we have known each other since childhood. If Your Majesty still thinks I am not reliable, we can swear an oath of brotherhood or the Three Sworn Brothers of the Peach Garden. Why resort to such a low tactic?"
He talked for a long time, but still hadn't put on his clothes, leaving a large expanse of his chest exposed. Sima Ye suddenly reached out, and Liu Jun's eyes flashed, but he refrained from making a move.
Sima Ye simply draped his sleeping robe over him himself, saying, "He can be entrusted with state affairs and also relieve the loneliness of the long nights. Isn't that the best of both worlds?"
"If Your Majesty is lonely, the beauties of the harem are eagerly awaiting your presence. If that is still not enough, you may conduct a large-scale selection, and countless beauties will be waiting to grace your presence and accompany you at all times," Liu Jun said irritably.
Upon hearing the allusion to the "sheep cart," Sima Ye's brow twitched, but he still replied in good spirits, "I am not interested in women."
Thinking that none of the concubines in the inner palace had borne children over the years, and that the palace spies had reported that Sima Yehan had gone to the inner palace, Liu Jun was somewhat enlightened, yet also somewhat puzzled. "How do you explain Lady Du? His Majesty's affection for her doesn't seem fake."
Sima Ye was also puzzled, "Does your affection for a woman mean doing this with her?"
Liu Jun looked him up and down. "If you take wives and concubines, it's either to plot against your clan's power or to procreate and satisfy your desires. Otherwise, why waste your time on them?"
"I don't think so. In fact, many women are quite insightful. I have learned a lot from discussing the state of the world or military and court affairs with them." Sima Ye shook his head. "Lihua and I are like that. She can be considered a good teacher and helpful friend."
Liu Jun gritted his teeth and said, "Could it be that His Majesty discussed today's events with her?"
“She was unaware of this. How could I tell others about such a private matter?” Sima Ye shook his head.
"Oh?" Liu Jun felt like he had been caught off guard and dared not believe a word he said. "If only Heaven, Earth, you, and I knew, His Majesty would never have set up such a nonsensical scheme."
"Then why don't you take a guess?" Sima Ye stopped pretending, leaning to the side with a smile that crinkled his eyes.
Liu Jun was annoyed by his pretentious and deceitful appearance and said coldly, "The palace has long been riddled with holes. Your Majesty's actions are nothing more than a show for two types of people. One type is my cronies. Even if I am not good for Your Majesty in the future, they will be more cautious when they think of this connection. The other type is Your Majesty's mortal enemies. Now Your Majesty and I are in the same boat. Your Majesty wants to use my power to deter villains."
"You're right, Suo Lin is probably too worried to sleep tonight." With a hoarse voice, Sima Ye took a celadon phoenix-head cup and drank water. "Besides, there are some other people that I think are particularly important."
“Ah…” Liu Jun suddenly laughed, “It seems His Majesty is also unsure about Taejin, which is why he put on this show…”
At this moment, he showed no sign of anger at all, and said gently, "Your Majesty really doesn't need to do this. You should know that I wish that everyone south of Qilian and north of the Red River would know my sincerity towards Your Majesty and Your Majesty's trust in me. It would surely become a beautiful story like that of Zhaolie and Zhuge Liang! But now, I'm afraid it can only become a laughing stock."
He earnestly said, "It is a small matter that I am regarded as a sycophant; what I fear is that Your Majesty's illustrious reputation will be ruined in an instant. I would be guilty even if I were to die ten thousand times over."
“Since you mentioned Liu Bei, who was said to be as close as fish and water with Zhuge Liang and also slept with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, I have never heard anyone say that those men were sycophants. Don’t worry about me.” Seeing that he had calmed down, Sima Ye became even more audacious. “Besides, if there really were sycophants, it should be me.”
Liu Jun forced a smile, pursing his lips, "Your Majesty, please be careful with your words."
"Life is precarious, like morning dew. Whether it's sitting and discussing philosophy, indulging in homosexuality, or even taking drugs, it's all just closing one's eyes and ears and indulging in pleasure while one can," Sima Ye said softly. "Even Emperor Ming of Wei had Cao Zhao, didn't he?"
Cao Zhao was the son of General Cao Xiu. Upon hearing him speak ill of the Cao family, Liu Jun became furious and retorted, "That's right, even Emperor Wu of our dynasty had a Zhou Xiaoshi."
Seeing Sima Ye stunned, his eyes filled with shock and confusion, Liu Jun smiled and casually tossed his long hair. "A handsome young man, a graceful boy. Fragrant skin, soft and smooth, with a fair complexion... His every turn is enchanting, his every glance captivating. Kind smile, eloquent words. Looking at him this way, he does indeed match Your Majesty..."
"Fashionable hairstyle!"
Liu Jun had just wrapped Sima Ye's hair around his finger twice and hadn't even let it down when he heard a loud shout. When he turned around, he was completely dumbfounded.
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