Chapter 81 [VIP]
Lu Xuejin: "Thank you for your hard work, Lord Song. We'll meet again another day."
They arrived in Liancheng, a journey of over two thousand kilometers from Shengjing. The official silver arrived safely, enough to purchase winter provisions for the local people. Song Fangting was responsible for the handover of the silver's intended use, and afterwards, all details were reported.
Song Fangting looked at him. There had been nothing suspicious along the way, so she couldn't help but put on a stern face and said to him, "Goodbye. Thank you for your hard work, Lord Lu. I will write a letter to His Majesty to report on the situation here."
"Thank you for your trouble, see you later," Lu Xuejin said.
After settling matters in Liancheng, Lu Xuejin and her group bid farewell to Song Fangting. They found an inn outside Liancheng, and their mission was considered complete. Since His Highness had escaped Song Fangting's sight, there was naturally no problem with him.
Ziyan and Tengluo packed their luggage, not in a hurry to return to the capital, and could stay here for a few days.
“The further south you go, the richer the people become; the further in you go, the poorer they become. Look at this teacup. It used to be translucent porcelain, but now Liancheng only has crude porcelain,” Tengluo said.
Ziyan, noticing Lu Xuejin's expression, asked, "Young Master, have you made up your mind? When are we going back?"
“That’s right, that’s right. It’s best to discuss it now,” Tengluo said. “If His Highness comes back later and hears about it, he will probably be unhappy.”
Lu Xuejin recalled the boy's feverish appearance a few days ago, and upon hearing this, she snapped out of her reverie and quietly said, "The original plan was to return to the capital today. Your Highness will go to the capital... we will return to Shengjing."
They can't leave now, of course. They need to be escorted to Lidu at least.
Lu Xuejin lowered his eyes to look at the rough porcelain on the table, on which was painted a colorful tiger. He stared at it for a long time before suddenly asking, "What do you think of Lidu?"
Ziyan put down what she was holding, and Tengluo was also stunned upon hearing this. The two little girls looked over together, met his gaze, and then exchanged a glance.
Tengluo: "Leaving the capital is certainly a good thing... but if we don't go back, this trip wasn't originally planned. Has Young Master thought this through?"
Ziyan: "If we stay in Lidu, His Majesty might come on charges of treason. This is a bit ill-considered."
That's exactly right.
“…Brother.” As they were talking, the boy who had left returned. The elusive boy wore a pig-face mask and entered silently. When he removed the mask, he revealed bright, shining eyes.
"What are you talking about? Has the official silver been delivered?"
Murong Yue: "Tengluo, look what I brought you."
As he spoke, the young man took out a storybook he had obtained from Fu Lian from his robes. It was filled with exquisitely drawn portraits of women. This was originally a collection of paintings bought and kept by young ladies in the capital, depicting beautiful outfits and makeup. Hair ornaments and clothing were all included. Murong Yue took two of these books from Fu Lian and brought them to Tengluo Ziyan.
The wisteria initially didn't think much of it, but its eyes lit up immediately when it saw what it was.
"Jushusi's painting collection? Did Your Highness obtain it from Miss Fu? I only saw it with Miss Wei before," Tengluo said.
Murong Yue: "Fu Lian said you might like it. It's all stuff for kids, so I just brought it along."
"What?" Tengluo put the art book in her bosom. "Your Highness has seen quite a few of them."
Lu Xuejin: "The official silver has been delivered. Is everything going smoothly with His Highness?"
“Successfully,” Murong Yue said, “It was just a bit of a hassle for Fu Lian. She should be fine.”
"Where's Changyou? Did you worry about me while I was gone?" Murong Yue said, moving closer to Lu Xuejin.
The boy looked at him with sparkling eyes, unable to bear not seeing him for a moment, and snuggled up to him. His cheek rubbed against him, like dough, carrying the cool dampness of the outside world.
Lu Xuejin sighed, touched Murong Yue's cheek, and looked at the boy's smiling face, unable to look away.
"Of course I was worried. I only breathed a sigh of relief when I saw His Highness return."
Murong Yue: "I saw many people queuing at the city gate on the way. Perhaps they had heard that an official from the capital had come. Only when they heard that it was Brother Changyou who came did they believe that the silver could really be delivered."
Seeing that Tengluo had already opened the book and started reading, Murong Yue also joined in. The two, master and servant, leaned their heads together. Tengluo's bun was prickly, and after a while, she turned to look at the prince beside her.
"Your Highness, why are you looking at these things? Don't get so close to me, go and have some milk tea," said Tengluo.
Murong Yue: "What's wrong with me taking a look? I haven't examined it carefully yet. If there's anything wrong, the book should be taken back."
Upon hearing this, Tengluo rolled her eyes and said unhappily, "What is inappropriate? Your Highness reads inappropriate books every day. How can I not read them?"
“You are not yet married, so naturally you cannot look at this,” Murong Yue said. As he spoke, he picked up the small fan that Tengluo had been holding closed. It was a fan that Tengluo had bought by the roadside, and Murong Yue used it to fan Lu Xuejin.
Murong Yue: "Brother Changyou, let me fan you. One fan will ward off illness and harm, two fans will dispel worries and anxieties, and three fans will bring bad luck."
The beautiful fan with the glass handle swayed gently in the boy's hand, causing the red tassels by his ears to flutter. His dark, beautiful eyes became like fireflies adorning the surface of the fan. His fan-shaped eyebrows opened, revealing his tiger teeth as he looked at him, his eyes overflowing with a deep and tender love.
The chill of early winter fell on the corners of the boy's eyes, only to be blown away. Like scattered red plum blossoms blooming after a snowfall, leaving their mark amidst the heavy snow.
Looking at the boy's lively appearance, Lu Xuejin was reminded of the New Year's picture dolls that were pasted up during the Spring Festival. He had been pestering her just two days ago, but now he was much more well-behaved, no longer mischievous, only lively and adorable. If she left, the New Year's picture doll would run out of the door, and she couldn't imagine the doll's tearful expression.
Wisteria said from the side, "Your Highness is too naive!"
Upon hearing this, Ziyan also picked up a fan and, imitating His Highness, leaned over to fan the wisteria, her eyes and brows showing a hint of a smile.
Before Lu Xuejin could react, the New Year's picture doll beside him leaned in and kissed him again. The kiss was insignificant, yet it touched his heart like a gentle breeze, stirring a tender emotion within him. He couldn't say anything, couldn't blame anyone, couldn't leave anyone behind; all that remained was indulgence and pampering.
“…Your Highness,” Lu Xuejin began, “If you like these fans on our journey to Lidu, how about we buy a few more?”
Murong Yue: "I already have one, so the wisteria one is mine. Brother Changyou, I don't want the fan. I want to buy a courtyard in Lidu. Then I can play chess with Brother Changyou and Uncle all day long. What do you think, brother?"
As she spoke, she looked at him with a smile. The emotions that had been building up in her eyes were completely concealed by a gust of wind from the fan.
Lu Xuejin understood the meaning. A garden had been planted in his heart by the young man before him, like Li Yunhuo's castle in the air. It was only complete with him; separation would cause it to crumble. He had never understood why poets always wrote of parting from their wives. Though not his wife, he found it difficult to separate. He always felt that in their time together, their souls were no longer singular, but gradually merged, becoming a beautiful creation.
“Your Highness, please buy whatever courtyard you like. Although I may not be able to afford the best, I have saved up some money through my daily frugality, so buying a large courtyard should not be a problem. Your Highness's uncle... is he the one who wrote the letter earlier?”
Murong Yue: "That's right. My uncle is currently in Lidu. Once he arrives in Lidu, I will arrange for him to meet with my brother."
Previously, His Highness had never revealed a single word about her family. He was so heartless that he wouldn't even divulge a single detail about his own family to her. It was previously rumored that Consort Li came from the border and met the late Emperor in Lidu. The late Emperor never told him the specifics, and His Highness has never mentioned it either.
Thinking of this, Lu Xuejin deliberately asked, "If we don't go to Lidu, won't we miss the chance to meet His Highness's family?"
“Of course,” Murong Yue looked at him leisurely, his canine teeth showing, “Brother, you will come with me to the capital and become my true family.”
Tengluo: "Your Highness is so heartless and cruel. What kind of words are these? The young master has taken care of Your Highness all the way. If you don't go, does that mean you're not family?"
"Your Highness previously said I was your own sister, but it turns out it was all a lie."
“Tengluo, look at this. How can you judge a person solely by what they say?” Murong Yue said. “Even if I said you weren’t my biological sister, look how much I dote on you. How many men would treat you like that? Now, just because I said one thing, you want to erase all the good I’ve done for you. Is that right?”
Upon hearing this, Tengluo blinked and muttered, "This servant didn't say that; it was His Highness who said it. Although I did mention it to His Highness, am I not sitting beside him now?"
Your Highness has always been like this. Lu Xuejin said gently, "Now that we are all heading to the capital, would we have the honor of becoming Your Highness's family?"
Murong Yue turned to look at him and said, "It should be me who speaks. Brother, would you be willing to go to the capital with me, and have the honor of becoming your family?"
As she flipped through the book, she glanced at the descriptions of Kyoto women's makeup, then turned the page without thinking. She figured she wouldn't need the information later, so she turned to the southern section to see how southern women made their appearances. Northern women often wore their hair in high buns and favored vibrant colors, like flowers blooming amidst clouds, a dazzling array of styles. Southern women, on the other hand, often had their hair loose at the temples and preferred the dark blue-green hues of distant mountains. Their makeup was simple and pure, like a lotus emerging from water, or a distant mountain shrouded in mist.
Thus, they were to head south. Tengluo turned the pages of her book, recalling her youth following behind the young master. She had never imagined that one day he would travel to the capital, their hometown of Shengjing, which seemed so far removed from them.
Murong Yue: "Brother, shall we stay here for a few days? Let's take a look at the people of Liancheng."
"That was our original intention. Today, I met with Song Fangting, and she acted like a true gentleman. There's no problem entrusting the people of this place to her. Staying here will actually allow us to meet with her again. We'll set off tomorrow."
Tengluo: "This servant understands. Then we'll go pack our luggage first."
Tengluo put away the book and went back to her room with Ziyan. Lu Xuejin and Murong Yue went upstairs together. The inn was not doing much business; the waiter downstairs was drowsy, and the scene was desolate. Looking into the distance, there was no sign of human habitation; the parched land stretched out with yellow sand, and the entire sky was vaguely shrouded in a layer of yellow haze.
Lu Xuejin walked behind Murong Yue. When the young man stepped into the room, she stopped and glanced at him, her eyes seeming to hold some emotion, like the reflection of bright candlelight.
Murong Yue: "Brother, are you really sure?"
"They granted my wish the other day, and I thought it was a farewell gift."
"..." Lu Xuejin couldn't help but sigh. The boy was always so perceptive, guessing what he had been thinking. This uneasy feeling always managed to hit him right in the head.
“Not at all. I had been worried about Your Highness’s nightmares, but now that I know the cause, if it can comfort Your Highness, these are nothing,” he said.
"Really?" Upon hearing this, Murong Yue leaned forward, a faint smile in his eyes. His powerful aura immediately invaded him, enveloping his figure.
His waist was then embraced, and Murong Yue held him, trapping him against the door behind him. The cold lock pressed against his back. The boy's bright yet melancholic eyes drooped down, taking in his expression. He leaned close and touched his nose to his.
"If Brother Changyou is like this, I'm afraid I'm going to have a new round of nightmares. I'll dream about his face, and if I can't have him, I might die of anger in my dreams."
"..." Lu Xuejin almost facepalmed upon hearing this. He stared at the child's serious eyes as his restless hands reached down to touch his tailbone, seemingly very curious. However, he remained calm, intimidating the boy so that he dared not move.
“Your Highness. Many people your age don’t think about such bad things. They only think about studying and making a name for themselves. This way, they can avoid being distracted by worldly thoughts,” he said.
"Really?" Murong Yue believed him. "When you were my age, you never thought about this?"
Lu Xuejin frankly admitted, "I never thought about it."
Murong Yue: "Then I've been thinking about what to do. Brother Changyou is seducing me all day long, making me lose my mind. With you by my side, how can I not think about you? I have to think about you. Why can't I think about you if I like you, especially since you like me too? You liked it when I used my fingers the other day, so why can't we do it? I want to do it every day from now on."
Seeing that he was about to make a scene again, look at what he was saying. Lu Xuejin listened patiently and said to the irritable kitten, "I have never made Your Highness think about this, and I did not say I liked it the day before. Your Highness must not misinterpret it like this."
“My brother blushed because he liked it, and he even bit me. I still have his teeth marks on me. If he liked it, why couldn’t we do it? Every time we did it, he would scold me. I was like a monk on a vegetarian diet, never getting a meal. When I finally got a meal, he would give me two grains of rice and then leave,” Murong Yue said.
Lu Xuejin listened helplessly. What kind of analogies were these? The young man in front of her was always pushing his luck and was also quick-witted, spouting nonsensical logic that was impossible to reason with. If she were to argue with him properly, he would get angry again.
"It's nothing that you said it yourself, so what's wrong with doing it again?" Murong Yue asked.
A dark and wicked glint appeared in his innocent eyes, a sharp smile playing on them, as the boy leaned in and lifted him up. As the prince lifted him, his snow-white robes were roughly ripped open, the fabric brushing against the prince's wrist. He was clearly older than the prince, yet the prince treated him as a helpless victim. All etiquette and decorum were discarded; the prince's breath pressed against him, eroding him, maliciously disrupting his breathing, his once-perfect clothes now a jumbled mess.
“…Your Highness.” He couldn’t help but cover his eyes, and through the gaps he saw the boy’s triumphant face. The boy’s canine teeth brushed against his palm, licked and kissed him, making him tremble. The boy gently kissed his fingers. The boy’s suppressed fervor made him regard his body as the object of his most beloved worship.
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