Chapter 120 [VIP]
In the sixth year of the reign of Emperor Wei Zheng, the Liang army invaded from the southwestern border, occupying several cities of the Great Wei. A fierce battle ensued at Dingzhou, where the garrison held out for five months before finally succumbing to the attack. Xiao Shen, along with his brother and mother, fled, and the Liang army invaded Shengjing. Emperor Wei Hui abdicated in favor of Emperor Yuan, whose reign title was Yunzheng, thus beginning the Later Liang dynasty.
The former officials of the Great Wei, the Wei, Zhang, and Zhao families, were spared. The councils of fate, rites, punishment, administration, and diligence were all thoroughly purged, and the officials were dismissed from their posts. Former Liang officials were selected instead. The Song family was imprisoned.
Emperor Hui of Wei reigned for six years. Due to poor health and exhaustion, he was often too busy with state affairs to attend to them, leaving his maternal brother, Lady Lu, in power. Lady Lu had achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination in the sixteenth year of the reign of Emperor Yunwu of the Former Liang Dynasty, rising to the position of official in the Censorate. He made three trips south to comfort the people, winning their hearts. During Lady Lu's reign, he abolished the power of officials and made the common people the sole rulers. He enacted several laws to facilitate communication between the north and south, resulting in prosperity for the people while officials suffered from poverty and hardship.
After Emperor Yuan ascended the throne, he adopted the reign title of the Former Liang Dynasty, took the name Yunwu, and later assumed the title of Wei Zheng, continuing the lineage of the former Murong clan.
In the first year of the Yunzheng era, Song Zhao's entire family was confiscated and exiled. Before being imprisoned, he sent a letter to Lu Xuejin.
This letter was none other than one written by Xue Yi and delivered to Song Zhao. Song Zhao sent a guard to deliver it, but the guard was under surveillance by Murong Yue, and the letter fell into Murong Yue's hands. In the end, Lu Xuejin was unable to see it.
Xinrong had a thousand words to say, but the palace servants only saw the last short sentence.
—I regret that my heart and nature are impoverished in this life, making it difficult for me to grant lasting peace and prosperity.
In summer, the lotus pond is filled with sleeping lotus flowers, their petals slowly unfolding. In the waters of Huaqing Palace, three tombs rise from the mist.
The tombs of his father, Lu Mingqiu, his mother, Lady Heluo, and his brother, Xue Yanli.
Lu Xuejin stood there for a long time, and wisteria vines peeked their heads in from outside.
“Young master, His Highness has sent guards again… Are you still unwilling to see His Highness?” Tengluo asked.
Lu Xuejin then came to his senses. This was not an illusion during the day. He saw his mother emerge from the grave again, showing him her beautiful lotus dress and asking him if it was pretty.
“…Let’s go back,” he said, without answering Tengluo’s question.
That bright and dazzling young man grew up from the shame of his family in the past and perfectly fulfilled his family mission and personal will.
But he... he doesn't seem to be in a good mental state right now, and he doesn't want to see His Highness in this state.
The surroundings quieted down, and the wisteria inexplicably fell silent.
He turned around and met a sharp gaze.
A figure emerged silently from the bamboo grove. Murong Yue's eyes were fixed on him, and he leaned casually against the bamboo, watching him for an unknown amount of time.
A face emerged from the bright light, a childhood image leaping from my memory.
Murong Yue had a handsome and aloof face, and his eyes burned like ghostly fire. The vitality and deep frost within them were completely hidden after he saw him, and he only looked beautiful and bright, pure and without any impurities.
“…Brother Changyou, you’ve always refused to see me, so I came here with Tengluo.”
Tengluo blinked and silently retreated, glancing at His Highness's figure as she left. His Highness was tall and imposing, and although he was older than her, for some reason she felt as if she were seeing her younger brother grow up.
When I visited the Prime Minister and his wife before, I always felt that the atmosphere was filled with sadness. But when Your Highness came, all the sadness was blown away by Your Highness.
In the bamboo forest, Murong Yue slowly approached Lu Xuejin.
Lu Xuejin always felt that His Highness's temperament was out of place with them... He retreated, retreating towards his parents and brothers, retreating into the infinite darkness. The person in front of him was too scorching, bright as a flame. The moment he touched him, he burned away all the decaying dust in his heart, making him uncontrollable.
A delicate fragrance of trumpet creeper wafted over him.
Before he could react, the boy from his past stepped forward, as if he had traversed the four years they had lost in a single step, and touched him, pulling him into his arms.
It made every pore on his body open, and his heart jumped; on his face... he wasn't sure of his expression, whether he was still calm.
If so... one's own body has already betrayed them.
The moment their bodies touched, it was as if leaving a mark; their hearts beat simultaneously across their chests. With lowered eyes and noses brushing against each other's hair, they heard each other's breath; the traces of the other gently brushed past, seeping into each other's lives.
Lu Xuejin was embraced, and his body reacted even faster than he did. Something seemed to emerge from his heart... a joyful emotion that swept away all the calm sadness, erased all the heaviness, and made his heart clear.
Murong Yue held him carefully, glancing at him sideways, but tightening his grip even more as he asked, "Brother... are you angry with me? Are you upset that I chopped that sickly boy down?"
That one word, "brother," and all his composure vanished.
He had imagined many scenarios of meeting His Highness... His Highness's temperament was unfathomable; he could only vaguely sketch His Highness's features through the past. Now, His Highness's features appeared before him, his own reflection in those eyes, making His Highness's features even more profound and bright, with flame-like patterns within, their movement only visible in their depths.
He was conservative by nature, which is why he was attracted to the prince's rebellious and unruly nature.
Your Highness not only lacks respect for the dead, but also slanders your elder brother in front of him.
Even if he's angry... His Highness still calls him brother.
He tried to calm himself down and said to Murong Yue, "Since Your Highness won... why should I blame Your Highness?"
Murong Yue looked at him, "Brother, don't blame me for refusing to see me... you're still angry about what happened three years ago. Changyou, please don't be angry anymore. I'm weak-willed, that's why I don't dare to see you. I'm worried that seeing you will shake my resolve."
...Shaking one's resolve? He clearly saw that the person in front of him was the one with the most steadfast resolve.
He couldn't do that either. He went to the capital just to see His Highness, but His Highness was cold and indifferent... even more composed than him. Or perhaps the boy had learned all of His Highness's traits from him.
“Your Highness, please let go... Are you a three-year-old? You need to be held while you talk to me,” he said.
Murong Yue said aggrievedly, "I haven't seen Brother Changyou for a long time... I couldn't help myself when I saw him. But now he won't even let me hug him... He's so distant with me now."
"I know I was wrong... Brother, please don't be angry."
As he spoke, Murong Yue let go of his hand, but the arms still held him.
As he was released, he saw himself reflected in Murong Yue's eyes, and he paused slightly. His amber eyes opened, and his earlobes and cheeks were flushed with a faint blush, spreading across his body. The prince looked down at him, his gaze gradually darkening.
"..." He barely managed to maintain his composure, and couldn't help but want to facepalm.
Even at his parents' graves, His Highness always has this ability... to easily make him lose his composure.
"Brother Changyou." Murong Yue called him again, maintaining the posture of holding him in his arms, and leaned in to touch his earlobe with his tiger teeth, almost biting it.
"...Let's go back first, and we'll talk about it when we get back."
Murong Yue grabbed his finger and asked, "What if you don't want to see me again after we get back?"
He couldn't help but say, "Now that I'm by Your Highness's side, where else can I go?"
“Then I promise you won’t see me again,” Murong Yue said.
"..." He didn't answer, but seeing Murong Yue leaning closer again, he turned his head to respond.
On the way back, Murong Yue held his hand tightly the whole time. Tengluo, who was waiting for them outside, saw them come out hand in hand and her expression softened.
Murong Yue: "Teng Luo, what are you still doing here... Do you think my brother and I don't know the way back?"
Tengluo: "This servant understands... This servant will go back now."
"Wait," Murong Yue called out, "There's one more thing... I'll have Feng Chen come to you when we get back. Tengluo, I have a question for you: do you want to be a princess or a county princess?"
At first, Tengluo didn't understand what was being said, but after hearing it clearly, her eyes widened and her cheeks immediately turned bright red.
"Your Highness...you...you want to bestow upon this servant the title of princess?"
Murong Yue: "Why not... Didn't I say before that you are my own sister? As the saying goes, when one person gains power, even their chickens and dogs rise in rank... Go back and think it over, and tell Feng Chen when you've made up your mind."
"This servant understands... Thank you, Your Highness." Tengluo ran off in a flash.
Lu Xuejin listened from the side, wondering how "chicken and dog ascending to heaven" could be used like that... He then looked at the person beside him, and Murong Yue also turned to look at him. As soon as he saw him, a smile could be seen in his eyes.
"Brother Changyou, why are you looking at me like that? Although I am now the emperor, my nature remains the same. I will remember for the rest of my life who has been kind to me."
"..." He said, "In that case, it is a good thing that Your Highness has such virtues."
They got into the carriage together, his hand still being held. Murong Yue sat beside him, and perhaps because of his past experiences on the battlefield, he felt that his body was not as slender as before. The veins on his hand were bulging as he felt around the wound on his wrist, and accidentally pinched a mark on the side of his wrist.
Murong Yue saw it too and immediately apologized, "Brother... does it hurt? I was worried you were lying to me. Can I scratch it for a while first?"
Before he could react, Murong Yue examined his wrist closely and blew on it.
Warm breath fell on his skin. He looked at Murong Yue, his lips slightly pursed. Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, it was grabbed again.
Murong Yue: "Brother hasn't told me yet... If you're not angry, why won't you see me?"
Whether it was the touch from his fingers or the clear smile in Murong Yue's eyes, he felt the air become warm and cozy, as if a soft layer of light melted under the sunlight and fell beside him.
He hesitated for a moment before replying, “It’s not that I don’t want to see Your Highness… I’m just worried about causing you trouble. Your Highness has beheaded your brother, and I don’t know what to do. My emotions are torn in two; on one hand, I feel sorry for Your Highness, and on the other hand, I’m unable to see my parents’ last wishes.”
“So that’s how it is,” Murong Yue said, pressing his cheek against the other’s wrist. His fingers brushed against the other’s canine teeth, the hard sensation flashing by, causing him to pause slightly.
"Brother, you are always causing me so much trouble. There's no need to blame yourself... It's all my fault. I always make you worry about me. Just think of me as the emperor who usurped the throne. Your brother has already been buried in the ground and is at peace."
Murong Yue: "Even if it wasn't him who was beheaded, if it were me... so what? I should have considered the possibility of this outcome when I raised the army. One must bear the responsibility of one's position, what does this have to do with you, brother?"
"Brother Changyou, don't think about these things. Think more about me. We haven't seen each other for so many years. Have you missed me?"
Lu Xuejin looked at the person in front of him. He had only said one sentence when His Highness immediately replied with ten. Which sentence should he say first?
Murong Yue: "In these four years, I've always seen you writing letters to Sister Wei... I'm worried that after corresponding with you, I won't be able to resist wanting to see you. If I come to Shengjing, I'll have betrayed all the trust that people around me have placed in me. Besides, without power, no matter how much we love each other, the ending will be tragic. I miss you day and night... You probably don't know how much I miss you. I want to see you, to see if you'll write to me, to see if you're doing well, to see if you're taking care of your health... If you're sad, Changyou, it's my fault that I deserve to die. If I were more capable, I wouldn't have made you wait so long, and you wouldn't be so worried."
Every word fell into her ears, and Lu Xuejin watched as her mother's figure reappeared. Before her mother could speak, her words were cut off by His Highness. His Highness was so eloquent that probably no one could match him.
Besides... how can His Highness be blamed? What wrong has His Highness done?
He couldn't help but say, "How can you blame Your Highness... This has nothing to do with Your Highness."
“If I had chosen to be more resolute, Your Highness would not have suffered so much.”
“I don’t think so. Brother has indulged others countless times, so what’s wrong with indulging yourself once?” Murong Yue said to him.
“Since you don’t blame me, then don’t be angry anymore. Just tell me what’s wrong. Are we making up now? You’re not angry with me anymore? Have you missed me? I haven’t said anything yet. I can tell you’re not happy at all in the Wei Palace. If you’re not happy, we can go outside the palace. I’m willing to live outside the palace for you. I want to live with you.”
Lu Xuejin: "I'm not unhappy... Your Highness, what are you saying? How can Fang Dengji move out to live? What will the ministers think?"
Murong Yue: "I don't care what they think. I only have eyes for my brother. I came here because of my brother. If my brother hadn't been trapped here, given my ambition, I might have forgotten about my parents' hatred after we finished."
"..." Lu Xuejin, "What nonsense is Your Highness spouting?"
His thoughts were thrown into disarray by Murong Yue's words. He pondered where to begin. All the things he had wanted to give up before had resurfaced the moment he encountered His Highness. This young man's nature had been left untamed for so long, and he felt that he might do something even more outrageous in the future.
"...When did I do it with Your Highness?" Lu Xuejin asked.
Murong Yue: "We've been husband and wife countless times in my dreams. Brother Changyou, just take my rebellion as a means to become a tyrant. No matter how strong my will is, it all crumbles the moment I see you, brother. I only want you... I can't live without you."
"Brother, you're not allowed to be angry with me anymore."
Lu Xuejin was held tightly in Murong Yue's arms. In the sweltering heat, a silent chill was sealed within his body, while the person beside him was an inextinguishable flame, whose intense emotions burned away all his reason.
His earlobe was bitten, and an unbearable possessiveness flowed from Murong Yue's eyes. But when he saw Murong Yue's calm expression, he managed to suppress that possessiveness. The boy hugged him, dejected but patient.
It felt like I had returned to my clumsy youth.
"Brother Changyou...can I kiss you?"
I used to do things whenever I felt like it, but now we've really drifted apart.
Lu Xuejin returned to Fangze Palace with Murong Yue. Since becoming involved with him, he had never let go.
He glanced at the person who had been wriggling around him; he was quite old now, but still acted like a child.
“Your Highness, please let go... Let’s sit down and talk,” he said to Murong Yue.
Murong Yue then sat down next to him and said, "Brother, let's stop talking now. It's getting late, how about we eat first?"
While they were eating, Murong Yue naturally lingered by his side. They ate together until it got dark, and he naturally went to sleep first. That's how he moved in with him so naturally.
They talked for three days and three nights straight.
Lu Xuejin did not come out to meet people until three days later.
From afar, Tengluo glanced at the young master. His lips were cracked, and he was wearing the prince's robes. He looked sickly, but his spirits had improved considerably, and his eyes showed a deep sense of helplessness.
If you were a plant, Your Highness would be the sunlight... The moment it shines on you, you regain your vitality.
When Lu Xuejin asked about the timing of Tengluo's kiss, he felt somewhat dazed. The past three days had been chaotic and blurry, with images of His Highness kissing him flashing through his mind.
If we don't keep an eye on things, he might really become a tyrannical ruler.
He looked inside and saw that His Highness had already woken up, holding the doll sewn by Ziyan, and was directing Ziyan to clear out anything that was in the way.
“Brother Changyou… With me here from now on, there’s no need to burn any more calming incense.”
A note from the author:
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