Chapter 15
Xue Yi slept for most of the day and only showed up at the Plum Garden banquet in the evening, accompanied by Lu Xuejin.
The courtiers were already waiting for orders. Song Zhao, standing beside him, said, "Your Majesty, everything is ready."
Bright torches lit up the night, and the remaining crimson hues of plum blossoms lingered on the trees. The assembled officials, led by three newly appointed ministers of the Fate Council, gathered.
The three adults were dressed in contrasting styles: one in a red robe, and the other two in spotless white robes. Their robes covered their entire bodies, revealing only their eyes; the cuffs were adorned with golden crow patterns, and they held willow wreaths in their hands.
Xue Yi: "I am grateful for your presence today. I have invited three officials from the Imperial Ancestral Temple to pray for rain in Liancheng. Liancheng has been suffering from a severe drought, and I have been worried about it for several days. Fortunately, the auspicious day for the spring hunt has arrived... Tomorrow at the hunting grounds, you will all give me a good look at the demeanor of the officials of the Great Wei Dynasty."
The ministers responded with a "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."
The Director of the Celestial Bureau then began the rain-praying ceremony. The ceremony lasted for three days, with elaborate rituals. Today, the first day, was called the Heavenly Crowd Casting Ceremony. The red-robed celestial officials used willow branches in their hands to perform rituals, singing and dancing around the central burning torch.
Lu Xuejin watched from afar. He had participated in many of these rituals since childhood, but found them useless. However, the two white-robed Astrologers did appear to be women.
He spotted Wei Ning wearing a bamboo hat in the crowd. Wei Ning also saw him through the veil. They looked at each other from a distance, exchanged a glance, and then parted ways.
He hadn't seen the Ninth Prince... When he suddenly saw a head bob at the edge of the crowd. At the very edge stood several young men, one of whom seemed vaguely familiar.
Because he was at the very back, Murong Yue didn't see him either. He turned his head slightly, searching for him in the crowd.
Lu Xuejin watched the whole thing, her gaze softened, and the corners of her lips unconsciously turned up.
The ceremony lasted a full hour. Afterwards, there was a palace banquet. He now disliked crowded places, and before leaving, seeing Xue Yi surrounded by officials and about to pour wine, he went over.
“Brother is not feeling well, so it would be best if you refrained from drinking alcohol recently,” Lu Xuejin said, then looked at the guard beside Xue Yi.
Under his gaze, several guards lowered their heads at the same time and replaced all the wine with tea.
"I won't drink, Changyou, please don't blame them," Xue Yi said, raising his eyebrows to look at him. "Where is Changyou going?"
"I was just about to tell my brother, did Brother Wei Ning see me? I have an appointment with her and I'll be leaving first. After the banquet, please remember to take your medicine," Lu Xuejin instructed.
“I will entrust this matter to Song Zhao,” he said.
"..." Xue Yi knew he couldn't stop him. He stared at him for a moment and said quietly, "Changyou, please give her my regards. It has been a long time since I last saw her."
“She’s not young anymore. Changyou, you should advise her to find a husband soon,” Xue Yi suggested.
"..." When this matter was brought up, Lu Xuejin replied, "In that case, what do you think of me, brother? If you were to find a husband for her, would I be worthy of him?"
When he brought up the marriage proposal, Xue Yi knocked over a teacup with a "clatter" and said to him, "Changyou and she are not suitable. I have already found a better match for you."
Ziyan, standing behind him, remained silent along with the guards. What kind of marriage was this "better"? It was a rhetorical question.
Lu Xuejin's expression remained unchanged. When she saw Song Zhao arrive, she gave him a brief explanation and told him what she was going to do.
As he walked away, he noticed the gaze behind him, so deep and viscous, falling on his shoulder as if he were carrying a ghost.
Although she could come to the hunting grounds, she didn't allow anyone to appear at the palace banquet. Lu Xuejin spotted a figure in the distance outside her tent.
Murong Yue stood guard outside his tent, not knowing how long he had been standing there. The boy's lonely figure under the plum tree made him pause slightly.
"Your Highness?" he called out.
Murong Yue immediately turned his head and saw him. His face, which had been shrouded in shadow, changed instantly, turning from gloomy to sunny.
"—Brother Changyou." The boy walked towards him.
A gentle breeze dispelled the night's chill, and Lu Xuejin was embraced. His hands touched the side of Murong Yue's robe, and the young man looked up at him, his eyes shining brightly. Though only half a day had passed, the young man felt as if three autumns had passed, holding him tightly, unwilling to let go.
Every time Murong Yue hugged him, he felt like he couldn't breathe. The boy's tiger teeth pressed against his neck, and he felt like he had become the other's beloved rag doll.
When had he ever been so close to anyone? He wanted to push the boy away, but he couldn't bear to see the boy's dejected appearance. He was so soft-hearted that he could only endure it.
Lu Xuejin's gaze lingered on the young man's profile for a moment before she asked, "How long has Your Highness been waiting outside? Have you had dinner yet?"
“I didn’t wait long… I haven’t had dinner yet.” Murong Yue answered his questions one by one, and asked him, “Where did Brother Changyou go? I came here this afternoon but couldn’t find him.”
When asked where he had gone, the boy's eyes darkened, his emotions hidden behind his eyelashes, and his unruly nature vanished.
“Something came up this afternoon,” Lu Xuejin replied, without saying what it was. He then asked the young man, “How is Your Highness doing? Plum Garden is lively, didn’t you go for a stroll?”
“I wandered around the neighborhood, not far,” Murong Yue said. “I did see a few foxes on the way.”
“Well… I was worried about Your Highness the whole way, but I’m much relieved to see you now. There are many wild beasts in the deep forest, Your Highness, please don’t go any further,” Lu Xuejin said gently.
He cared for the boy, who stared at him blankly before throwing himself into his arms. He instinctively caught him, his touch on the boy's hair making him feel like a kitten had turned into a human and snuggled into his embrace.
Murong Yue snuggled against him, perhaps because spring had arrived, the boy seemed to enjoy being close to him more and more.
The boy's nose brushed against his neck, then touched his ear. Overwhelmed by the unfamiliar touch, he turned his head to look at the person and instinctively held the fidgeting boy down.
"Your Highness... that's enough." As soon as Lu Xuejin finished speaking, the person in her arms immediately stopped moving. Murong Yue pulled him down and stayed obediently by his side.
Their fingertips touched, the scorching heat making his fingertips tense slightly, then they became damp with the sweat from Murong Yue's palms, the boy wrapping him tightly in his arms.
"Brother Changyou, are you leaving again later?" Murong Yue asked him, her ears turning red as she held his hand.
“I’m going to see Wei Ning, the Miss Wei whom Your Highness met last time… Would Your Highness like to come with me? If Your Highness goes, she might be happy to see you,” Lu Xuejin said.
Murong Yue immediately said, "I'll go with my brother."
“Wei Ning’s camp is just ahead,” Lu Xuejin said.
Wei Ning preferred quiet, so he chose the furthest tent, which was not far from him.
He called for someone outside the tent. Wei Ning lifted the tent flap, and a table was already set out for him. Guards patrolled around, watching him as he entered.
“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, Changyou. Did something happen today? Why is he so late?” Wei Ning asked, glancing at Murong Yue. “Ninth Prince, please.”
Murong Yue said from his side, "Thank you, Sister Wei."
His calling him "sister" made Wei Ning's expression change slightly. Wei Ning stared at him for a while, then reached out and pinched his cheek without any politeness.
"Good child, call me 'sister' again and let me hear it."
Murong Yue was pinched on the cheek and didn't react in time, instinctively hiding behind Lu Xuejin.
“…Don’t tease him,” Lu Xuejin said with a hint of helplessness, shielding the boy in front of him. “His Majesty fainted today, which is why we were delayed.”
Wei Ning calmly withdrew his hand. "He must be busy these days. Oh well... Anyway, he already knows we're meeting and has sent many guards to watch over my tent. Let's not talk about court affairs; let's just eat and drink well today."
As for what they discussed last time...
Lu Xuejin and Wei Ning met eyes, and seeing Wei Ning's eyes flicker, he understood what he meant. He nodded and replied, "We haven't seen each other for a long time, why bother with troublesome matters?"
"Come, Ninth Prince, how about sitting next to me?" Wei Ning patted the seat next to him.
Murong Yue subconsciously looked at Lu Xuejin, who raised an eyebrow slightly and said to the young man, "As Your Highness wishes."
"Sister Wei, I'd rather sit with Brother Changyou," Murong Yue said.
“He’s quite attached to you,” Wei Ning said. “I guessed that His Highness the Ninth Prince was coming, so I specially prepared a few dishes from outside the capital. His Highness the Ninth Prince tried them, and they were quite different from the real dishes from outside the capital.”
In the center of the table was a white mushroom soup, flanked by sweet and sour lotus root chunks, Yangtze River fish, crab roe and white fungus soup, matsutake shrimp, and buttered pork ribs. The shrimp and pork ribs were garnished with bay leaves, exuding a herbal aroma.
Murong Yue noticed several familiar dishes and couldn't help but glance at Wei Ning a few more times. He looked up and met Wei Ning's gaze, finding Wei Ning staring at him in a daze, as if looking through him at an old friend.
"Thank you, Sister Weining," he said, tasting each dish and praising, "It's no different from the food in Lidu. Sister Weining, you have excellent cooking skills."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuejin glanced at the young man. Wei Ning, who was opposite her, coughed twice and said shamelessly, "If Your Highness has any cravings in the future, just go to my place. I will make it for Your Highness anytime."
Murong Yue nodded, listening quietly to the two talking about trivial matters. He peeled some shrimp and crab on a plate and arranged them neatly around Lu Xuejin's bowl.
“I didn’t even know you could cook,” Lu Xuejin said. “Next time I want to try Miss Wei’s cooking.”
Wei Ning smiled and said, "You are welcome to visit the Wei residence anytime."
“We finally managed to meet today. If Xue Yi hadn’t been tied up, I would have liked to have a couple of drinks with him,” Wei Ning said, pouring two glasses of wine. “This wine is something I brought specially. It’s pear blossom wine that I buried myself the year before last. Why don’t you try it?”
The clear and cloudy wine sloshed out, its crystal-clear appearance reflected in the moonlight streaming through the window. Wei Ning pushed one cup towards Lu Xuejin and the other towards Murong Yue.
"Your Highness, please try some."
Lu Xuejin glanced to the side and saw the boy had peeled a bunch of shrimp and crabs for him, arranged neatly. He couldn't help but chuckle.
“Your Highness, please eat.” He touched the boy’s ear and brushed against his earlobe, then said to Wei Ning, “How can a child drink alcohol?”
Wei Ning: "People your Highness's age often go to restaurants. How is your alcohol tolerance?"
There was no pear blossom wine in Lidu; Murong Yue drank only sake in Lidu, as he was strictly controlled by his uncle and almost never touched strong liquor. Now, seeing the wine's sweet and clear taste, he became somewhat curious.
"Brother Changyou, may I try some?" Murong Yue asked.
The boy's voice was low as he earnestly questioned him. His handsome, aloof face turned towards him, his sharp eyes reflecting his features, and his canine teeth were faintly visible.
"..." Lu Xuejin's heart was inexplicably struck. Before she could finish her persuasion, she changed the subject, "Having a drink wouldn't hurt."
Wei Ning laughed and said, "Just try it. What's wrong with a cup of wine?"
After she finished speaking, Murong Yue drank the cup of pear blossom wine in one gulp.
In less than fifteen minutes, the boy's face turned red, his eyes became glazed, and his expression shifted between gloom and composure.
Lu Xuejin looked in that direction, and with a "thud," the boy's head lolled to the side, and he fainted.
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