Chapter 65 The Fifth Day of the Month is Like Morning Dew Dried Up
The space inside and outside the cabin was enveloped in a peaceful silence.
Finally, Wang Yuying broke the silence: "I heard that you have cleansed up the old nobles and abolished many old systems and customs?" In fact, since Hugu came to the capital, although she had not taken the initiative to inquire about his news, she could not help but eavesdrop and pay attention whenever her colleagues mentioned the Northern Di King.
"yes."
"I've heard that the women of the Di Kingdom are no longer as lowly as before; things are very different now?"
"yes."
"You've really established these new rules; women can now examine officials just like men in your area."
"yes."
Hugu Sumi, who had been patiently explaining everything to her in great detail, only answered "yes" three times in a row, her tone as oppressive and indifferent as the weather that day.
Wang Yuying felt a tightness in her chest, even more suffocating than the weather before a torrential downpour. She wanted to raise her hand to rub her chest, and she wanted to go and practice swordsmanship to release her pent-up emotions.
Suddenly, a strong wind and waves arose, rocking the small boat. Hu Gu immediately hugged Wang Yuying tightly, his eyes instantly filled with concern and anxiety. After the wind and waves subsided, he gazed at her, raised his hand, and gently stroked her cheek with the back of two fingers, wiping away the embarrassment on her face.
His fingertips trembled slightly; he shouldn't have embarrassed her... He slowly parted his lips: "It takes ten years of cultivation to share a boat ride..." Hu Gu frowned, two very short vertical lines appearing between her brows, "This life is enough."
"May we be an ordinary couple in our next life!"
Perhaps because of the bumpy ride, the orange tea she drank made her feel acidic, and listening to his words, Wang Yuying felt a lump in her throat.
She turned her head and looked out the window again. The sun had not risen all day, and she could only tell that dusk was approaching from the gray-blue sky.
Hugu also knew this and instructed the boatman to return to port.
The water flowed gurglingly, and Wang Yuying's heart was heavy with a fog.
After disembarking and going ashore, Hugu jumped on first, then took Wang Yuying's hand. He didn't let go once they were on shore, and even pulled her hand to his side, his five fingers once again slipping between Wang Yuying's fingers. She cooperated by bending her fingers, and their ten fingers intertwined tightly.
Both of them walked very slowly.
Halfway there, Hugu Sumi suddenly spoke, his tone calm and gentle: "Let me carry you for a while."
Wang Yuying looked ahead and saw that all she could see was flat ground with no slopes or inclines. Why did she say that? But Hugu had already squatted down, so she leaned on his back. Hugu held her tightly with his arms, and after standing up, she walked very steadily with each step.
Wang Yuying hooked her arm around Hugu's neck, initially resting her chin on his shoulder, but gradually her cheek pressed against his shoulder. Hugu noticed that she was walking more and more steadily, with no ups and downs in her shoulders.
He looked ahead and laughed, "You're lighter than I thought." He lifted her up slightly, "Eat more next time."
"Haven't I eaten enough yet?"
Hugu laughed heartily, tilting his head back. In an instant, his lips were just inches away from her face; if he moved forward even slightly, they would touch.
Hugu's gaze began at her eyes, slowly moving downwards as if looking at the distinct downy hairs, finally settling on her lips, his eyes darkening.
Wang Yuying's smile vanished, her heart pounding like a drum. Their slightly rough breaths met on each other's faces, synchronized with their slow heartbeats.
After a moment, Hugu lowered his eyes and stopped looking at Wang Yuying, then smiled and continued the previous topic: "Being able to eat is a blessing."
The two had dinner at a restaurant at the entrance of Zhuque Avenue, and then strolled along the street. It was cold in the twelfth lunar month, and there weren't many pedestrians on this most famous and bustling street in the capital.
There were more streetlights than people on both sides of the road.
Hugu had tucked the hand that was holding hers into his sleeve, gently wrapping it around her, so Wang Yuying's hand remained warm.
A vendor selling frozen pears brushed past the two of them, a sugar painting stall owner was packing up, putting all sorts of sugar syrup birds and animals back into boxes, and the eatery next door was cleaning up its steamers... Everywhere Wang Yuying passed, she could clearly feel the rapid passage of time. She saw the windmill stuck on the peddler's carrying pole and couldn't help but stare at it in a daze.
Suddenly, a white patch appeared on my shoulder, then two... and in an instant, snowflakes began to flutter before my eyes.
As night snow began to fall, Zhuque Avenue came to an end.
"Let me take you back." Hugu's voice was low and slow.
After the two boarded the carriage, they could no longer see the heavy snow outside the window, but the wind continued to howl against it. The carriage swayed, and it was only then that Wang Yuying asked, "When are you leaving the capital?"
"Midnight".
She calculated that she had just arrived home. After a moment, Wang Yuying pressed, "Why didn't the Court of State Ceremonies and the Ministry of Rites escort you?"
"The court has been very hospitable, and I have declined. The farewell banquet lasted for a long time, and I dare not trouble you any further. Besides, on the return journey, the various prefectures and counties will escort and entertain you."
"It will take you more than two months to get back, right?" Wang Yuying sighed. "I've spent the last half year on the road."
Hugu Xumi remained silent for a while before replying, "Not necessarily, it depends on the road conditions." He paused, "If there is snow, it will definitely be difficult to travel."
Upon hearing this, Wang Yuying looked out the car window, where the wind was so fierce it seemed it would rip the window off.
When they arrived at her home in Yongjia Lane, as soon as she opened the car door, a fierce blizzard rushed into the compartment. The ground was already covered in a layer of snow. Hugu escorted her to the eaves, and only after Wang Yuying knocked on the door did he release her hand, saying, "I'm leaving."
He stared intently, but as soon as she nodded in response, he immediately turned around, strode through the snow, and boarded the carriage. This time, he didn't look back as often as he had before when they parted. The carriage drove out of Yongjia Lane, and the tightly closed windows remained closed, not even a crack.
Wang Yuying watched them go until the carriage turned the corner and disappeared completely. She couldn't help but leave the eaves and walked towards the alley entrance unconsciously. But she stopped after a few steps and stared blankly as the snow slid over her shoulders, landed on her clothes, accumulated on the ground, and swallowed her ankles.
Wang Yuying gradually bowed.
After a long while, she realized that the snow on her head had stopped at some point.
Hugu Xumi unexpectedly turned back, now wearing a fox fur cloak, which he pulled open to shield her from the swirling snow. He took her arm with his other hand, helping her to stand upright, and brushed the snow off her. Wang Yuying's eyes stung with tears as she gazed at Hugu Xumi's face, so close to hers. Her eyes darted around, knowing she shouldn't, but she couldn't help but cup his cheeks in her hands, stand on tiptoe, and kiss him.
Hugu Sumi's movements froze abruptly, as if frozen in place by the kiss. Wang Yuying clung to his lips as if in a dream, shifting her position to peck at the edge of his lips. It was clearly their first kiss, yet it felt as familiar and tender as if they had been lovers for years. How wonderful it would be if they were truly husband and wife. For a moment, she wanted to cry, but not a single tear fell.
Even the longest love has its end. She cupped his face in her hands and slowly pulled away.
Hu Gu Xu Mi, who had been letting her kiss him, suddenly moved his hand up, holding the back of her head close to his body. At first, his kiss was still a bit awkward, only pecking at the lip edge like Wang Yu Ying had done earlier, but after she stuck a tongue into his mouth, he became more adept, sucking and stirring fiercely. At the same time, the hand holding her head curled into claws, and the arm around her waist tightened, making it hard for her to breathe.
Snowflakes fluttered and danced around the two of them, expressing their unspoken longing and affection.
This time, it was Hugu Xumi who lifted Wang Yuying's face. He used his broad hands to wrap around her hands and rubbed them together. Wisps of white steam rose up with his words: "Don't stay outside, it's too cold."
He lifted her horizontally into the carriage, and Wang Yuying could feel the hard object pressing against her lower back the whole way.
With the doors closed, the interior of the train was warm and cozy.
Hugu Xumi helped her sit down, keeping a hand's width of space between them. He slightly parted his legs, not touching anything else, but taking her hands and placing them on his knees, continuing to rub them to warm them: "I can stay for another hour."
Wang Yuying glanced under his robe, which Hugu saw. He blushed and pushed her cheek, telling her to turn her head away and not look.
Wang Yuying turned her head away again. Hugu Xumi smiled helplessly, stopped looking at her, and stared at the car door, breathing heavily over and over again.
She stopped staring at him and waited for a while until the steep peak had turned into hills before leaning back against the valley and resting her head on his shoulder.
"Mi," she called softly.
Hugu Sumi lowered his shoulders to make her lean on him more easily and comfortably.
After a long pause, he asked with a smile, "Are you wearing shimmering brocade today?"
"Yes," Wang Yuying said hoarsely.
Hugu looked down at Wang Yuying's skirt, but she glanced at his face and gradually held her breath.
The lined skirt is longer than the brocade skirt, and currently, not a ray of sunlight can be seen unless it is lifted. To see the whole picture, one must remove the outer garment and skirt.
Hugu Xumi did not bend down and reach out. Instead, he smiled and closed his eyes. After a while, he opened them again and said in a light tone, "I saw it. Indeed, the sky was filled with rosy clouds."
Wang Yuying pursed her lips but didn't speak. She nuzzled her head against his shoulder, while Hugu held both her hands in his. Time passed quietly, and it was already past midnight.
Hugu Xumi opened his lips and said, "Take care, I won't see you off this time."
Wang Yuying swallowed hard: "Same."
She got out of the car alone, and only after the door closed did the wheels of the carriage begin to turn, driving towards the alley entrance.
Wang Yuying stood behind the door for a while, until she could no longer hear the sound of horses' hooves, before softly calling out, "Chu Ying."
Chu Ying immediately appeared.
"You go out of the city—" She had only said half a sentence when Chu Ying's eyes widened.
Seeing his reaction, Wang Yuying remained calm. Since she couldn't leave, she could only ask Chu Ying: "You secretly follow the Northern Di King's entourage and see how he goes after leaving the city. If anything seems amiss, go to the camp outside the capital and inform A Ye, telling him to immediately send someone to continue keeping watch. Remember, you must not be noticed by the Northern Di King's men. Then come back and report to me."
"Look!" Chu Ying had barely finished speaking when she vanished without a trace.
Wang Yuying walked into the hall alone. She did not turn on the lights and waited silently in the darkness, as still as a stone sculpture, so quiet that even her breathing could not be heard.
Chu Yingyin returned a quarter of an hour late to report: "The Northern Di King changed course midway and hid in the deep forests of the capital. It was dark and foggy at night, and I was afraid of alerting them, so I dared not go in and could only lie in ambush outside the forest. After a long time, I saw the Di people's procession slowly emerge again, and the forest was unusually quiet during that time."
After hearing this, Wang Yuying got up, led the Ferghana horse, and went straight into the Forbidden City.
The windproof lanterns along the way illuminated her path as she raced through the wind and snow, reminiscing about her past with Hokugani Sumi:
On the cruise ship, his eyes were exactly the same as those of the enemies she had seen outside the sun when she was a child, like a vicious dog or owl staring at its prey.
The whistling arrow he carried was probably not for self-defense;
It took him nearly three months to get to the capital, which was probably not entirely due to travel delays.
...
As usual, she dismounted before the palace gates. The guards dared not stop her, allowing Wang Yuying to gallop towards Funing Palace. Halfway there, several eunuchs caught up with her, offering her umbrellas while panting, and announced, "Lord Wang, His Majesty is waiting for you in the Imperial Study!"
Wang Yuying immediately turned around and changed her route. When she entered the Imperial Study, Xu Heng was sitting behind the desk but not reviewing any memorials. He was not leaning against the back of the chair, with one hand on the table and the other hanging down. He was motionless, staring intently at Wang Yuying as she entered. His dark and deep eyes seemed to be a whirlpool trying to suck her in.
Qingfu stood by, not daring to utter a sound. He remembered that once when Lord Zheng left the palace, he reported to the emperor two or three times before getting tired of listening. But today, ever since the deposed empress left at dawn, he had been sending people to report back tirelessly, without missing a single one.
Upon hearing the deposed empress and Prince Di enter their private residence arm in arm, the emperor barely moved. Later, upon hearing the two passionately kissing in the snow, and Prince Di carrying the deposed empress into his carriage for a full hour, the emperor remained completely still.
Even now, he remains in the same posture, silently gazing at the deposed empress.
"Immediately increase the garrison in the northern frontier to guard against any unusual movements by the Northern Barbarians, and also put the prefectures and counties along the way on high alert." Wang Yuying looked into Xu Heng's eyes and swallowed hard. "If Hugu Xumi has any disloyal intentions, I am willing to lead troops to drive out the barbarians and behead the traitors."
Xu Heng remained unresponsive, like a wooden statue. After a long while, he slowly parted his lips, his eyes showing astonishment, still in a daze.
However, Wang Yuying had already turned and walked towards the door, her movements hurried, the snow still clinging to her clothes. Xu Heng watched her retreating figure, leaned forward, and blurted out, "Yingniang?"
She seemed not to hear, and walked straight out of the imperial study, into the vast night and snow.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
