A Little Separation
The emperor's acupuncture points all over his body made his body stiff and unable to move. He still maintained his previous bent forward posture, which was quite funny. At this moment, he was looking at the Duke of Anguo and his wife with a face full of resentment.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I forgot that you were still here."
Changsun Qinan hurriedly went to untie Yuwen Cong's acupuncture points. She apologized with her mouth, but her hands moved smoothly, just like she had pointed the acupuncture points before, and she untied the acupuncture points in a flash.
Yuwen Cong suddenly lost his strength and fell forward. Su Maoyi was quick to grab Yuwen Cong's arm and prevented the emperor from falling flat on his face.
Yuwen Cong was helpless
"Well, just order what you want. At least let me find a place to sit, or standing is fine."
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was in a hurry just now. Next time, I will definitely choose a good position for you first."
“There will be next time”
"The Emperor himself wanted to listen to the wall. If he was resting in the back hall, why would he have to do this?"
Yuwen Cong was speechless for a moment. The facts seemed to be just as Changsun Qinan said.
"Never mind, never mind."
"Then thank you, Your Majesty."
In front of Changsun Qinan, Yuwen Cong always loses.
Changsun Qinan's eyes wandered between Yuwen Cong and Su Maoyi. Knowing that the two might have something to discuss, she led Su Musong away first.
"How do you think Prime Minister Xiao will handle this matter?"
"They probably won't pursue the matter. The Wang family is powerful right now, and the General of the Cavalry is a rare individual with no ties to the Wang family. He's ostensibly neutral, so Prime Minister Xiao won't harbor a grudge against him over this matter at this moment. If the General of the Cavalry truly goes to the Prime Minister's residence to apologize, the matter can probably be put to rest."
"But you weren't polite to Qiu Jin just now. Aren't you afraid of making a grudge against him?"
"I'm just a businessman. I shouldn't have any dealings with his family after this incident, so there's really no grudge."
Su Maoyi spoke calmly, not caring at all whether his cold treatment today would make the General of Cavalry bear a grudge against him.
Yuwen Cong looked at Su Maoyi with an indifferent expression, and felt an inexplicable blockage in his heart. After thinking for a while, he finally asked tentatively.
"Are you really unwilling to enter the government? With your talent and knowledge..."
Su Maoyi interrupted Yuwen Cong
"Your Majesty, do you still remember our agreement?"
Yuwen Cong would naturally not forget the agreement that Su Maoyi had made. Su Maoyi accepted the title of Duke of Anguo and lived in Kyoto for a long time, but he did not hold an actual position, did not get involved in political affairs, and even did not accept the salary of the fiefdom.
"I understand." Yuwen Cong sighed, pondered for a moment, and said, "I promise you that I won't give you a real position, but I can't let you be treated with contempt."
"emperor……"
"Okay, there's no need to discuss this matter any further."
As Su Maoyi predicted, Prime Minister Xiao chose to minimize the issue, thus ignoring Xiao Luochen and fulfilling Grand Secretary Xu's wish. However, his elation was short-lived, as he was soon dismissed from office by the Emperor. He could never have imagined that the truth he thought he had concealed was clearly overheard by the Emperor behind the screen. The student was still young, yet Qiu Zhao, like him, was forming a clique and bullying his fellow students. This clearly showed that Grand Secretary Xu was a complete academic failure, and his dismissal was well-deserved.
Xiao Luochen was injured and had not been to school for several days. Su Musong was worried about Xiao Luochen's injury and wanted to visit him.
"Mother, can I go see Luo Chen?"
Su Musong looked at Changsun Qinan eagerly, his eyes full of pleading.
This request was perfectly legitimate, but Changsun Qinan was in a dilemma. Firstly, she and Su Maoyi had a consensus that the Anguo Mansion would not be involved in the government and would not associate with dignitaries. Secondly, the Prime Minister's Mansion also rarely interacted with the powerful. Even if she took Su Musong to visit, she was afraid that she would not be able to see Xiao Luochen.
"Is it okay, mother?"
After much deliberation, Changsun Qinan finally agreed to Su Musong.
"Okay, mother will take you to see Luo Chen."
Su Musong excitedly prepared a gift for visiting Xiao Luochen, and even went to the pharmacy to pick up a sufficient amount of medicine for his injuries. Changsun Qinan looked at the brocade box of medicine he had swept away like a whirlwind, and she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Although these medicines couldn't bring people back to life, they were all precious healing herbs worth a fortune. Even a single one was hard to come by, yet Su Musong had grabbed them all. However, Changsun Qinan didn't stop Su Musong. Her family was Shenghuang's Wanhua Fort, and they happened to have a lot of medicinal materials. If they ran out of medicine, they could just make more. Even if they gave it all to Xiao Luochen, there was no need to feel bad.
Su Musong excitedly collected some more small things, and hurriedly urged Zhangsun Qinan. The mother and son took a carriage and arrived at the Prime Minister's Mansion in a short time.
However, just as Changsun Qinan had expected, Prime Minister Xiao declined the visit and they were unable to enter the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Su Musong's disappointment was written all over his face. He stood in front of the Prime Minister's Mansion and was reluctant to get on his own carriage. Changsun Qinan drank a cup of tea in the carriage. Seeing that Su Musong had no intention of going back, he lost his patience.
"Musong, it's getting dark soon, let's go home."
"But..." Su Musong glanced at the gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion and was obviously still reluctant to leave.
"I'll count to three. If you don't get on the carriage, I'll carry you up. One..."
"I, I can walk by myself!"
Su Musong is the eldest among his brothers and sisters. He usually acts like a little adult. When he heard that his mother was going to carry him to the carriage, he felt so embarrassed that he turned around and walked towards the carriage immediately.
"Madam, please stay."
A young man of about fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in moon-white clothes, walked out of the Prime Minister's Mansion and called out to Changsun Qinan and her son.
This young man had a very good appearance. Although he was young, he was elegant and gentle. When he grew up, he would surely become a handsome and elegant young man. Changsun Qinan looked at the young man's behavior and guessed that he must be the son of Prime Minister Xiao, but she didn't know which brother he was.
"I am Xiao Luochen, Luo Chen's fourth brother. I'd like to trouble the Duke's wife and the young master to come visit. Luo Chen is unable to see guests right now, but I will definitely come to express my gratitude when I recover from my injury."
Even if Xiao Luochen cannot see guests, refusing visitors is not the right way to treat guests. It is obvious that the Prime Minister's Mansion does not want to have any dealings with the Anguo Mansion, but it has to come up with this excuse.
But Xiao Luoqian's sincere words made Changsun Qinan unable to get angry.
"Fourth brother, is Luo Chen okay?"
Su Musong was not shy at all and was very comfortable calling him Fourth Brother. It was no wonder, as the Xiao brothers had a good relationship. Xiao Luochen often talked about his six brothers in front of Su Musong. Therefore, even though this was the first time they met today, Su Musong felt that Xiao Luochen was very familiar.
Xiao Luoqian was no stranger to Su Musong.
"You must be Mu Song, right? Luo Chen often tells me about you, and I know you are his best friend. Don't worry, although Luo Chen injured his brow bone, fortunately his eyes are fine, and he will be fine after some rest."
Su Musong turned around and took out the prepared medicine and gifts from the carriage and handed them to Xiao Luoqian solemnly.
"Fourth brother, please help me bring these to Luo Chen."
"Okay, I'll definitely bring it to you."
"Thank you, Fourth Brother!"
Seeing Su Musong's relaxed expression, Chang Sun Qinan couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth.
"Are you happy now? Then, Master Su, can we go home now?"
"Um!"
Changsun Qinan took Su Musong's little hand, and the mother and son got on the carriage and left with satisfaction under the gaze of Xiao Luoqian.
With Su Musong's medicine, Xiao Luochen's injury healed quickly, and he returned to school ten days later. The school had a new principal, and because the Emperor's Birthday Festival was coming soon, everyone in the school was busy with the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven, and no one mentioned the injuries of Xiao Luochen and Qiu Zhao.
Three days of parades, offering sacrifices to heaven, prayers, and banquets marked the culmination of this year's Longevity Festival. During these three days, Duke Anguo stole the spotlight. He rode in the same chariot with the emperor during the parade, shared the altar with the imperial family during the sacrifices to heaven, and at the banquet, the emperor bestowed upon his wife a first-rank imperial decree and offered her the position of Imperial Tutor at the Imperial Academy. Despite Duke Anguo's persistent demurs, the emperor finally relented. The overwhelming array of gifts dazzled the people of Kyoto, who briefly suspected that Duke Anguo had planted some kind of poison on the emperor, causing him to be so reckless and generous with his rewards.
While the emperor's actions were unprecedented in the eyes of the people of Kyoto, it was a chance encounter with the Duke of Anguo at an elegant gathering that truly left their mark. Legend has it that the Governor of Lingzhou, on his way to Beijing to report on his work, bumped into the Duke of Anguo at the elegant market and instantly recognized him as the mysterious champion who had vanished from sight after having won first place in his class's imperial examination.
Suddenly, the capital was abuzz with discussion. Having only heard of the title before, most people assumed the Duke of Anguo was some wealthy merchant, accumulating wealth through decades of business. Finally, feeling that a merchant's status was too low, he donated a title to elevate his family lineage for the sake of his descendants. However, during the Wanshou Festival parade, the Duke of Anguo's true identity was revealed. He was only twenty-five or twenty-six years old, handsome, and a former top scholar. If such a prodigy truly desired to bring honor to his family, he would easily have achieved it, without even needing to donate a title. It was common knowledge that the Duke of Anguo never actively sought friendships with the powerful, yet it seemed he had a close relationship with the Emperor.
Various doubts about the Anguo Mansion lingered in the minds of the people in Kyoto. However, no matter how heated the discussion was, they were unable to come up with any unnecessary information about the Anguo Mansion.
Kyoto was full of sycophants, and seeing the popularity of the Duke of Anguo's mansion, they rushed to make friends. Although Su Maoyi and his wife closed their doors to visitors, the flow of visiting cards and gift boxes to the Duke of Anguo's mansion continued, blocking the entrance completely and making it inconvenient to enter and exit. This forced Su Maoyi to secretly buy a mansion with an adjacent wall but a main entrance on another street. He demolished the wall and built a new one, and his family entered and exited through this mansion's main gate.
After the Wanshou Festival, Qiu Zhao dropped out of school. Rumor has it that his father sent him to join the army in southern Xinjiang. With Qiu Zhao gone, the group of dandy boys at the school, once led by him, dispersed. And with the Duke of Anguo's mansion now in the ascendant, naturally, no one dared to harass Su Musong anymore. Unable to see the Duke and his wife, those who sought to curry favor with him instructed their own children at the school to befriend Su Musong. For a time, the crowds surrounding Su Musong were even larger than when Qiu Zhao was there.
At first, Su Musong didn't mind it. He simply thought it was a good way to vent his anger after being bullied by these people. Besides, he was never a taciturn person and didn't shy away from socializing. Most of these classmates had only played along out of fear of Qiu Zhao's coercion, but now, when they got along, they were just little brats. So, it wasn't long before Su Musong was hanging out with them, often calling his friends to join him in a boisterous atmosphere.
After about ten days, Su Musong gradually realized that something was wrong. Recently, Xiao Luochen seemed to be deliberately avoiding him. He would turn around when he saw him from afar. If he really couldn't avoid him, he would say hello and leave in a hurry on the pretext of having something to do.
This left Su Musong confused. He thought about it and confirmed that he had not done anything to offend Xiao Luochen. Then he found a time when no one was around to stop Xiao Luochen and ask him for clarification.
"Luo Chen, why have you been avoiding me lately?"
Seeing that it was Su Musong, Xiao Luochen's first reaction was to turn around, but when he saw that he was alone, he was not so eager to leave.
"I'm not hiding from you."
Although Xiao Luochen stopped this time, his subconscious dodge when he saw Su Musong was still noticed by Su Musong.
"You're still saying no, but you were clearly trying to turn around and leave just now. Did I do something to upset you?"
Su Musong felt aggrieved, and his grape-shaped eyes immediately filled with tears.
Seeing that Su Musong was about to cry, Xiao Luochen felt helpless.
"I'm not avoiding you, it's just that there are too many people around you and it's a bit noisy."
Xiao Luochen still didn't reveal the real reason. He had strict upbringing and his father had told him not to have any contact with his classmates. In the past, the Duke of Anguo's Mansion had little power, so Su Musong was an exception. But now with the momentum of the Duke of Anguo's Mansion and the group of people surrounding Su Musong all day long, if Xiao Luochen was still inseparable from Su Musong like before, he would probably not even be able to continue his studies if his father found out.
But Su Musong obviously didn't think of this. He just thought that Xiao Luochen liked quietness, so he didn't want to play with him.
Although Su Musong felt that the hustle and bustle these days was quite interesting, Xiao Luochen was ultimately more important.
"Then I won't play with them. Can we just stay like before?"
"No, no. Mu Song, don't try to please me. Just get along with your classmates however you like."
"Then I'm happy to play with you every day. Please stop hiding from me, okay?"
Su Musong tugged at Xiao Luochen's sleeve and begged, her fair and tender face making her tearful eyes look even darker and brighter.
Xiao Luochen felt from the bottom of his heart that it was not a bad thing for Su Musong to make more friends. It would be unfair to him if he blocked his freedom to make friends, but he could not go against his father's orders. He didn't know how to respond for a moment and could only remain silent.
This meant something else to Su Musong. From that day on, he deliberately distanced himself from his classmates, returning to his previous behavior of only hanging out with Xiao Luochen. Children are not like adults. Even if someone tells them to, their impulsiveness won't last long. The people who had previously gathered around Su Musong dispersed after a few days.
But the people in Kyoto obviously had no intention of letting the hot spot of Anguo Mansion cool down. The Mansion was still crowded with people. The newly opened gate was also discovered, and people were watching several small gates day and night.
The Duke of Anguo and his wife felt that they were trapped in a cage. One day, they could no longer bear it and devised a plan to escape. They took their four children and quietly left the city of Yongjing in the hazy night. Their destination was Changsun Qinan's parents' home, Shenghuang's Wanhua Castle.
In order to avoid being discovered by the emperor and to be invited back, Su Maoyi and his wife drove the carriage at full speed, not daring to stop for a moment. When Su Musong woke up from his dream, the carriage had already left the territory of Qinzhou.
"Mom, where are we going?"
Su Musong was sleepy, but he still knew that he was in a carriage.
"Mom will take you to visit grandpa."
Although Su Musong knew his parents were always quick to act, he never imagined he would one day wake up a hundred miles away from home. He had been to Wanhua Fort before, but it was separated from Xiangping by the Hanyun Kingdom. Even if he rode at full speed, it would take a month to reach it.
This was destined to be a long journey. Su Musong had originally agreed with Xiao Luochen to go to see a monkey show together today. He felt a little disappointed at this moment, so he asked
"How long will we be gone then?"
Going to Wanhua Fort was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Changsun Qinan hadn't really considered how long she would stay there. She might wait until the people of Yongjing had mostly forgotten about the Duke of Anguo's Mansion, then she could return. Perhaps she wouldn't go back at all. After all, her life had always been one of wandering. Su Maoyi had properties in various countries, so he didn't care where he lived.
"I don't know. I'll come back when I want to."
Hearing this answer, Su Musong suddenly became anxious.
"Ah? Then, what about my schooling?"
"It doesn't matter if you can't learn. Your father and I are both more than capable of teaching you. If you don't like our teaching, we can find you a good teacher."
"But, but...I want to go back to school..."
Su Musong felt a lump in his throat, but he suppressed his emotions. However, his voice was still filled with tears uncontrollably.
Chang Sun Qinan knew that Su Musong was not very interested in studying on weekdays. He was in such a mood at the moment, most likely because he was reluctant to leave his classmates. He did not want to make him sad, so he had to comfort him.
"Musong, mother promised you that when no one is watching our family anymore, mother will send you back to school."
"Don't lie to me."
"When has mother ever lied to you?"
After receiving the promise, Su Musong calmed down a little. When he arrived at the post station to rest, Su Musong wrote a letter to Xiao Luochen, explaining his sudden disappearance, and finally he felt completely at ease.
Even Su Maoyi and his wife probably didn't expect that the family would stay in Wanhua Castle for a whole year.
When they first arrived at Wanhua Fort, Su Mufeng and Su Muliu were still babbling, but now they can take small steps and pick flowers and fight ants behind their brother. Wanhua Fort is planted with all kinds of rare flowers and plants, and the flowers bloom all year round. The scenery is stunning, it is a true paradise.
Changsun Qinan's elder brother, Changsun Qinyang, also has a pair of twin sons, a boy and a girl, who are the same age as Su Musong. They inherited the good looks passed down from the ancestors of the Changsun family. Although they are still young, they have the extraordinary appearance of Changsun Qinyang. However, although the brother and sister have similar eyebrows and eyes, they are not like Su Mufeng and Su Muliu who were cast in the same mold. Their personalities are even more different, one active and the other quiet.
With his back against the blood-red Merlin, in the heavy snow, Su Musong, wearing a silver fox fur, sat alone by the lake fishing. From a distance, he looked quite otherworldly, but if you looked closer, you could find that he didn't seem as contented as he looked.
Changsun Chenqian came from the alchemy room on the island in the middle of the lake in a small boat. Seeing Su Musong on the shore, he abandoned the boat, used his lightness skills, and jumped up and down like a dragonfly skimming the water, and arrived at Su Musong's side.
"How many fish did you catch?"
Chang Sun Chenqian patted Su Musong on the shoulder, frightening Su Musong, who was lost in thought, and his hand slipped, dropping the fishing rod into the lake.
"Weren't you still on the boat just now?"
"I flew here."
Su Musong glanced at the small boat on the lake in the distance and said with regret
"Oh, if only I could fly back."
"I started practicing as soon as I could walk. If you want to catch up with me, I'm afraid you'll have to practice for another ten years."
Su Musong stopped talking and stood up to get the fishing rod, but was stopped by Chang Sun Chenqian.
"Don't pick it up. The lake water is very cold. Look at your hands, they are stiff. If you touch them with this icy water again, your bones will be frozen."
After that, he took out a small jade bottle from his arms, poured out a pill and handed it to Su Musong.
"Eat this to ward off the cold and warm your body."
Su Musong took it as he was told, and immediately felt a warmth enveloping his body, and the coldness disappeared.
"Your medicine is amazing, can you give me a few bottles?"
"How many bottles? What do you need so many for?"
"I have a friend who is most afraid of the cold in winter. I want to bring him this."
"Although this medicine works quickly, it cannot be taken in excess. Furthermore, the pills cannot be kept for more than a month after they are made, otherwise they will lose their effectiveness. So even if I give it to you, it will be useless. You won't be able to take it back to Xiangping."
Su Musong was disappointed when he heard this
"I see..."
"Does your friend have a cold?"
Su Musong had only heard Xiao Luochen talk about his situation in winter, and had never seen with his own eyes what he looked like when he was ill in winter.
"I don't know if he has a cold, but I do know that after the Mid-Autumn Festival, he starts lighting braziers and using hand warmers. In winter, if he gets caught in the wind, he'll get sick, for a short period of three to five days, or even half a month."
Chang Sun Chenqian was thoughtful. She had been studying medicine for several years and had made some progress.
"It seems your friend has a congenital weakness, and he hasn't been able to find a good doctor to treat and nurse him back to health. That's why his condition has persisted and is getting worse year by year."
"How can it be cured?"
"have no idea."
"That's right. His family has hired so many doctors but none of them have been able to completely cure him. How old are you?"
"The medical skills of our Divine Doctor Valley are unrivaled in the world. How can they be compared to those mediocre doctors?"
Hearing Su Musong belittle his medical skills, Chang Sun Chenqian argued, and his tone unconsciously rose a few degrees.
"However, a doctor needs to observe, listen, ask and feel the patient before making a diagnosis. Those who casually give prescriptions are most likely liars. I haven't seen him, so naturally I don't know how to treat him. When I go to Xiangping and cure him, you will know the power of my Divine Doctor Valley."
"If you really heal him, I will thank you in any way you want."
"It's a deal, but curing a congenital weakness won't be quick. It might take years."
At this point, Changsun Chenqian suddenly felt a little regretful about what he had just said. Since he was determined to make a name for himself in the martial arts world, it was impossible for him to stay in one place for too long. Moreover, spending several years to cure a non-fatal illness of a person who had nothing to do with him was against the rules of their Divine Doctor Valley.
But Su Musong didn't care about so many things. He only knew that Changsun Chenqian promised him to cure Xiao Luochen. No matter if it took a month or several years, as long as Luochen could be like an ordinary person in the winter and no longer be troubled by colds, it would be fine.
There was no shortage of playmates or novelties in Wanhua Castle, but Su Musong's heart was still etched with Xiao Luochen. Although he could communicate via letters, this place was thousands of miles away from the Yongjing City of Xiangping, making correspondence difficult. In over a year, Su Musong had only received two letters from Xiao Luochen, and as the days went by, he became increasingly depressed. Although his mother had promised to take him back home when the time was right, seeing how happy his parents seemed, it seemed they had no intention of returning to Xiangping.
But one day, a guest brought back by Changsun Chenqian gave Su Musong hope of returning. Changsun Chenqian had enrolled in the Divine Doctor Valley to study medicine, and this time, she had returned with her uncle. Her uncle had come in search of a rare medicinal herb, and the patient he was seeking was unexpectedly the Emperor of Xiangping.
Upon hearing the news that Yuwen Cong was seriously ill, Su Maoyi and his wife felt uneasy. Although they had left without saying goodbye in order to avoid the gossip in the capital, they had disappeared for a year and felt a little guilty towards Yuwen Cong. Now that they suddenly heard that he was bedridden, they should go back to visit him out of friendship.
Just as their arrival had been abrupt, the Su Maoyi family's departure for home was equally unexpected. As soon as the welcoming banquet was over, Changsun Qinan carried Su Mufeng and Su Muliu to the carriage. Su Mubai, assuming his parents were taking him down the mountain for some fun, happily followed, clutching his little civet cat. Only Su Musong was incredibly excited.
Due to the consideration of the four little ones, they could not travel day and night. Although Changsun Chenqian's uncle set out later, he arrived earlier than the Su family. By the time Su Maoyi and his family returned to Yongjing City, Yuwen Cong had recovered greatly after taking the medicine from Wanhua Fort.
In the Imperial Garden, Yuwen Cong looked at the dusty Duke Anguo and his wife with mixed feelings.
"If I wasn't seriously ill, would you not have planned to come back?"
"Not really. We originally just wanted to go out and hide for a while. We heard that the emperor was ill and were worried about him, so we rushed back."
"Hide? You're really capable. You disappeared overnight without leaving me a single word. I haven't heard from you in over a year. It's been so hard for me to find you!"
"While we were certainly wrong in this matter, Your Majesty was also at fault. It was you who broke the original agreement and pushed us into this situation. We had no choice but to hide."
"I just didn't want to see you get wronged, but you're blaming me instead. Have you, a woman, lost your conscience?"
Yuwen Cong felt his blood boiling and felt a little dizzy for a moment, almost falling down. Fortunately, there was a pillar beside him, and he leaned his shoulders against it to steady himself.
Seeing this, Changsun Qinan hid behind Su Maoyi. She was afraid that she would not be able to help but argue with Yuwen Cong again, and the emperor would be so angry that he would spit out a mouthful of blood. Su Maoyi reluctantly stepped forward to help Yuwen Cong sit down in the pavilion and comforted him.
"Your Majesty has just recovered from a serious illness, so please don't be angry. We were wrong in this matter, and it won't happen again. However, we really don't want to attract attention, so we hope that Your Majesty will not show too much favor to the Anguo Mansion in the future, otherwise we will really not be able to stay in Yongjing City."
During the more than one year that Su Maoyi and his wife disappeared, Yuwen Cong thought about it over and over again, and finally realized that they had never cared about a good reputation and the respect of dignitaries from the beginning to the end. His previous actions only brought them trouble. Forcing them to stay in Kyoto was already a restriction, and asking for more would violate the friendship.
"Never mind, I understand. You must have been exhausted from the journey. You should go back and rest first."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding."
Su Maoyi and his wife felt relieved upon hearing this, thinking that after this incident, the emperor must have really taken their words to heart. It seemed that they could probably live a peaceful life from now on.
But the older children don't seem to want their parents to live a peaceful life.
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