Chapter 43 The Delegation Arrives
The palace was dim, the light and shadow from outside filtering through the locked windows, laced with fading vermilion paint, casting a shadow over most of Zhao Xuanxu's body. His eyes were slightly tilted, their corners a rosy crimson, and the warmth of sorrow that always lingered at the tips of his eyebrows spread out, creating a tranquil and dangerous atmosphere like a deep pool.
To this day, there is no trace of him showing any helplessness or allowing others to bully him.
The fragile child was pushed by his mother and drowned in the lotus pond. What Yan Cang fished out was an evil ghost full of resentment and intent on revenge.
Zhao Xuanxu lowered his head, his forehead slowly pressing against the back of Wen Yao's hand. Perhaps it was because of the Burning Heart Technique, but whenever his emotions fluctuated, his body temperature would soar. Now, he was hunched over Wen Yao, his forehead burning like a hot iron against the cool back of his hand.
His demeanor and appearance are extremely dependent and humble.
Wen Yao lowered her eyes and looked at the man's head, wondering why Zhao Xuanxu was willing to bring her to see Concubine Ling today.
I am willing today, but I certainly was not willing in the past.
As the leader of the secret guards and personal bodyguard, she was almost inseparable from Zhao Xuanxu, except for every time he came to the palace to visit Lingpin. In the past, Wen Yao had justified it by saying that the palace rules were boring, and she never thought much of it. At most, she just thought that there was some rift between Zhao Xuanxu and Lingpin, and they didn't want others to see them together.
Who would have thought that Concubine Ling was not bedridden at all, but was driven crazy by Zhao Xuanxu himself.
Driving his biological mother crazy is shocking.
He didn't want her to know before, but now he suddenly agreed. Is it because he feels closer to her after returning from Yanling?
Zhao Xuanxu leaned heavily against Wen Yao. Wen Yao thought he looked a lot like the Alaskan dog her friend had raised in her past life, the giant, unaware dog that would cling to her, whining and rubbing against her.
She raised her wrist slightly, lifted Zhao Xuanxu's head, and asked, "Why did Yan Cang save you?"
Old bastard Yan Cang wasn't the kindhearted type who meddled in other people's affairs. According to him, he had rescued Wen Yao because he had ventured into the caves alone, and he happened to be in Nanzhao, so he'd joined a group of wuxia characters to watch the fun. He'd then noticed Wen Yao's youthful skill, and how he'd managed to defy all the venomous creatures in the caves despite being poisoned by several different kinds of Gu. He was deeply moved by Wen Yao's fortitude, so he dragged him onto his horse and took him back home to treat him.
This reason is barely acceptable, but it doesn't make sense when applied to Zhao Xuanxu.
No matter how unfavored Zhao Xuanxu was, he was still a prince. It was unheard of for the head of the Three Departments to take the emperor's son as his apprentice. If outsiders knew about it, it would be very troublesome. Yan Cang knew this, and he would not decide to save Zhao Xuanxu just because he admired his drowning posture.
Zhao Xuanxu's eyelashes, as thick and long as crow feathers, swept across the back of Wen Yao's hand again and again, bringing a piercing itch that penetrated through the skin and flesh and penetrated into the bones.
Wen Yao didn't hold it in. He turned his wrist and grabbed Zhao Xuanxu's chin with his backhand, lifting it up. He smiled and said, "Could it be that he saw that you have extraordinary talent and exceptional aptitude among all the princes and princesses?"
"I don't know." Zhao Xuanxu let Wen Yao pinch his face, looking into her eyes with a lively smile, his eyebrows and eyes showing a warm and springy look: "He used to come into the palace often, not through the main gate, but climbing up the high walls. This place is remote and there are few people, so it's more convenient to walk on the roof. He always sees me, maybe he likes me."
Behind the palace stood a small square courtyard, where Zhao Xuanxu had often spent his time. He would sit idly on the steps, gazing at the sky. On the rooftop, a group of people followed Yan Cang, staring intently at him.
Yan Cang's confidants who followed him and climbed walls made the trip once a day or once every two or three days, and they all remembered this little prince who was in a strange situation.
The drowning incident was truly dangerous because the old palace maid was not there. When Zhao Xuanxu was about to drown in the pool, Yan Cang came over on the roof tiles.
The majestic and unpredictable leader of the Three Divisions flew straight out for a distance without looking around, then returned a moment later to pull the person ashore. He didn't approach the window to look inside. Lingpin and Liu Liancheng were still huddled in fear on the bed.
All I can say is that the old bastard and the little bastard are unexpectedly destined to be together.
As Wen Yao listened to Zhao Xuanxu recount these past events, she could imagine her old friend's heroic act of rescuing a drowning child. Her fingers unconsciously dug into Zhao Xuanxu's chin, and she suddenly asked, "Hey, was that your courtesy name when Concubine Li called you just now?"
It was the first time she heard someone call Zhao Xuanxu like that: "Which two words?"
Zhao Xuan preface: "The salvation of all living beings, the delusion of delusion."
Wen Yao doesn't have a pen name. She is used to traveling around the world with a name and doesn't care about any other names or nicknames.
She praised Zhao Xuanxu: "It sounds great."
"When I came of age, a Taoist priest told me that I had too much sin and that if I couldn't break free from my delusions, I'd easily die, and I'd drag others down with me." Zhao Xuanxu said calmly, "He told me to calm down and digest it myself when I have time, and to be more open-minded every day."
...Which Taoist priest speaks so directly and hits the nail on the head.
But if you think about it carefully, what he said does make sense.
"So, you brought me here today to tell me all this, are you completely clear with me?" Wen Yao came back to her senses and squeezed Zhao Xuanxu's hand a little harder. She thought of Yan Cang's letter, and even now she gritted her teeth. "Yan Cang is really something. Have you read that letter? He had the nerve to call you weak and pitiful, tricking me into rushing to Bianliang as fast as he could, fearing that if I was a step too late, you would be skinned alive."
Zhao Xuanxu said softly: "I'm not lying to you. You really can't not come."
"So what if I'm here?"
"Take me away." Zhao Xuanxu said shamelessly: "I will send Liu Liancheng on his way when spring comes. I will definitely not let Zhao Xuanshuo go, and I will forget about the others. Wait for me a little longer, and I will go with you."
"Follow you", the meaning of this sentence is self-evident, and it is similar to the last "I like you".
Wen Yao didn't say anything.
Zhao Xuanxu tilted his head and smiled at her, then stood up, took her hand and walked outside: "Let's go home, Ayao."
Over the next few days, Bianliang experienced several more rainy days, and the weather grew increasingly cold. The wind howled, and everyone donned thick winter clothing. As the imperial banquet approached, envoys from various countries arrived in Bianliang, and foreigners were a common sight on the streets.
Zhao Xuanxu used to avoid attending court, spending his days lying idle beside Wen Yao. After leaving the palace last time, he had suddenly become much busier. The most obvious thing was that the Three Departments were getting more and more noisy, with people running into Zhao Xuanxu's study all day long.
Wu Peiming had been transferred to work alongside Zhao Xuanxu, with Gao Shaoshan each in charge of the three divisions and twelve guards. Wen Yao heard him say that Zhao Xuanxu had recently begun replacing or removing supervisory officials from various places one by one.
"This is like the Yanling incident, where you pull out a radish and bring out the dirt," Wu Peiming said. "The previous system was too old, and the people were well-understood by the local authorities. At the end of the year, it's time to get rid of the old and bring in the new, so it's a good idea to remove it."
Even the Eagle Terrace and the East Prison were overflowing daily. Wen Yao, after accompanying Zhao Xuanxu on his outings, often returned with a strong stench of blood. Either they'd killed someone, or simply gotten the scent. This showed just how outrageous the death toll was during this purge.
One afternoon, the Third Division had a rare moment of leisure. Zhao Xuanxu stayed at home, and Wen Yao, after lunch, went to the Dark Guard Camp to watch Hao Chunhe train a new batch of Dark Guards. Coming back from a short stroll, she saw Gao Shaoshan leading a few men in unusual attire into Zhao Xuanxu's study.
These people wore white double-breasted jackets with silk and satin collars, with light colors as the main color and dark colors as the balance, and the embroidery was exquisite. Wen Yao often saw Dali people dressed like this when he was in Nanzhao.
The Dali Kingdom delegation actually came to see Zhao Xuanxu.
The dark window on the outer wall of the study was open. Wen Yao climbed in easily and turned over to sit on the beam inside.
Zhao Xuanxu sat at the head of the table, his right leg raised on the footrest, flipping through a scroll. Gao Shaoshan led his men through the screens and approached without looking up.
Dali and Tianshui had a close relationship, and Dali officials spoke fluent Tianshui Mandarin. However, they all looked reserved, clearly fearing the Prince of Yan, who was half Dali.
These people were still exchanging pleasantries as usual, but Zhao Xuanxu didn't respond. Seeing this, the leading official changed the subject and went straight to the main point of their visit, mentioning Duan Wei.
"I heard that Concubine Li was injured by a mad tiger in the tiger park yesterday." The Dali official who asked this question was the brother of Duan Wei's mother and Duan Wei's uncle.
The tigers in the palace were specially raised and trained, and they had docile and gentle personalities, so they would never hurt anyone easily.
"Empress Li is seriously injured," a Dali official worried. "A trusted maidservant had her arm ripped off by a mad tiger."
It sounds dangerous.
Wen Yao didn't know about this yet. She squatted on the beam, wondering if the palace maid whose arm was bitten off by the tiger was the girl who blocked her way last time.
Zhao Xuanxu sat in his chair without raising his eyelids, looking bored and saying, "Duan Wei was bitten by a beast. What are you looking for me for?"
Hearing the indifference and impatience in his words, the Dali official's forehead broke out in sweat. "This... Your Majesty has a straightforward personality, and the people in the palace are treacherous. She still relies on Your Highness's care on a daily basis."
Zhao Xuanxu did not respond.
The Dali envoys looked at each other, not daring to speak again. After putting down their gifts, they followed Gao Shaoshan away.
Wen Yao sat on the beam, took out a fruit from his arms and threw it in front of Zhao Xuanxu. He also took out one and ate it. While biting, he asked, "Did you make this?"
It's ridiculous that a concubine was bitten by a tiger in the palace. It sounds like it was man-made.
"A small punishment but a big warning." Zhao Xuanxu put down the memorial and held the fruit in his palm, not caring at all about the chaos in Yurong Palace yesterday.
He looked at Wen Yao and said, "The Northern Liao delegation arrived in Bianliang yesterday, led by Yelu Huishi, the second son of the Northern Liao emperor. Song Mingde is very suspicious. Although he failed to find the Qiongyu Tower last time, he will not give up his suspicions and will only try to find faults. He is not easy to fool, so the owner of the tower should be careful."
The most ostentatious and flamboyant of the diplomatic corps arriving in Bianliang were the Northern Liao people. A few years prior, the two countries had fought a war, with Northern Liao decisively defeating Tianshui. Their arrogance had grown, and they were constantly engaged in underhanded maneuvers. This time, they claimed to be attending a court banquet, intending to negotiate a border tea and horse market with Tianshui, but in reality, they were coming with a fierce force.
Since the Northern Liao delegation arrived in Bianliang, they would undoubtedly contact Louchengyilou. Bianliang's foreign spies were under the jurisdiction of Song Mingde. News of the sale of Qiongyulou, and the owner's green eyes, combined these two factors made Qiongyulou a thorn in Governor Song's side.
Wen Yao recalled the time they had a quarrel and how Lou Chengyi's face had turned as black as the bottom of a pot. He stopped chewing the fruit and looked numb. "Oh, so that's it. But Lou Chengyi is too opinionated. I can't control him. Let him be."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
