Chapter 45 [VIP]
When Lu Xuejin entered the palace, she heard that Song Zhao was looking for her.
Song Zhao waited for him at the palace gate, accompanied by Li Guiqing, who was dressed in a pink dress. Her hair was tied into two crooked buns, and her eyes were bright and lovely. She looked over with curious eyes and saw that it was the person who had bled that day. She hid behind Song Zhao, both curious and afraid.
"...What is it?" Lu Xuejin asked, as he was preparing to go to the palace to see Xue Yi.
"I haven't thanked you yet. You saved Guiqing." Song Zhao said solemnly, gesturing to Li Guiqing, who hid behind Song Zhao and whispered, "Thank you, brother."
Upon hearing about Song Zhao's marriage proposal, Lu Xuejin's gaze lingered briefly on Li Guiqing's face before he looked away.
"It's nothing, no need for formalities."
Song Zhao said, "I will personally visit you another day with Gui Qing."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuejin unconsciously looked over, her expression somewhat helpless. "No need. If you truly want to thank me, just be lenient with me in future official matters."
After they finished speaking, they fell silent. Song Zhao stared at the person, who was still holding his hand. This person's temperament remained the same as before; he never pried into other people's private affairs.
Lu Xuejin: "Then... farewell. I'm going to see my brother."
“Wait a minute,” Song Zhao said, “If you are going to the Emperor, I have a favor to ask of you.”
Lu Xuejin was somewhat puzzled, then heard Song Zhao say, "I proposed marriage to the Emperor, but he did not agree. He can listen to what you said. If Lord Lu is willing to bring it up, I, Song, will be extremely grateful."
Li Guiqing echoed Song Zhao's words and said to Lu Xuejin, "Guiqing is extremely grateful."
“Song Zhao,” Lu Xuejin sighed, “this matter is not something I can decide. If you are determined to propose, wait until the young lady comes of age. It’s still too early now… Speaking of which, how can you be so clear about your feelings? Even ten or eight years from now, will you still feel the same way?”
Song Zhao: "I have waited for more than ten years. The moment I saw her, I knew my feelings. Do you think... I wouldn't know my own preferences?"
Lu Xuejin understood what he meant and said quietly, "I see. Now that you've made your decision, I'll mention it to my brother."
As he parted from Song Zhao, he remembered that the anniversary of the Princess's death was just a few days away. Time flew by, and a year had passed in the blink of an eye.
The Golden Palace is much more lively.
As soon as Xiao Qi returned to the palace, the sounds of music and celebration continued for three days. Xue Yi had been suffering from a headache for the first two days and only made a brief appearance before leaving. On the third day, unable to refuse, he allowed Xiao Qi to drag him to offer a toast in front of the court officials. Round after round of toasts were held, with him using tea instead of wine. Xiao Qi drank too much, causing chaos and disorder at the palace banquet.
"Your Majesty, I'm in the military camp, but I think about going back to the palace every day. Goodness, the palace is still the best place for me. There are so many beautiful women here, much better looking than my widowed soldiers. I'm sick of seeing them all the time." Xiao Qi took a big gulp of wine and exhaled a breath of stale air.
Xiao Qi was born into a commoner family. His father was a butcher who died early. His mother, unable to support him and his younger brother, sent him to the army. He stayed in the army for twenty years, winning countless battles with his decisiveness and unpredictable military tactics, rising from an unknown soldier to a great general.
He had the appearance of a warrior, tanned dark from years in the military camp. His eyes, with their prominent whites, appeared narrow and small, like those of a beast, and when he stared at someone, they exuded a chilling aura. Below, he had a high, broad nose and well-defined sideburns. His most striking feature was his teeth, which were snow-white and translucent when he smiled, radiating a bold and forthright air.
"Hiccup. Your Majesty. Don't you think so?" Xiao Qi, having drunk too much, stood beside Xue Yi, staring intently at the dancers on the stage.
"If you like, I will bestow it all upon you," Xue Yi said.
"No," Xiao Qi leaned closer and said mysteriously, "I used to like those beauties, but now they all seem a bit lacking. This time, I'm only grateful to His Majesty for summoning me back to the capital, otherwise I wouldn't even know my wife was pregnant. I have a favor to ask of His Majesty this time."
Xue Yi had just put down his tea when his right eyelid twitched inexplicably. He said quietly, "I had no idea when you got married."
"Ahem." Xiao Qi coughed twice immediately. "I went to Phoenix Terrace with His Majesty before. Does His Majesty still remember Lady He there?"
Xue Yi had no recollection of this, but still went along with what the other person said, "I remember. You married her in secret?"
Xiao Qi: "No. After that, I saw her several more times... We fell in love, and then I left the capital. I only found out a few days ago that she became pregnant after we were intimate. I may be going to be a father, and in any case... I must give her a proper status."
Xue Yi was unaware of this matter, but the guard understood the situation and whispered to Xue Yi, "Your Majesty, there is only one person with the surname He at Fengming Terrace. She is the madam of Fengming Terrace, named He Rulan. She is thirty-five years old this year, three years older than the general."
"..." Xue Yi pushed the tea aside. Before he could speak, Xiao Qi had already hugged him. Her face was flushed and her eyes were red from drinking. The grown man told him the truth with snot and tears streaming down his face.
“Yanli… I told my mother about this, but she absolutely refuses. Miss He is just a little older, and my mother is prejudiced against her. I can’t let Rulan spend the New Year outside with her pregnant belly… Now, whenever I mention this, my mother threatens me, saying that if I marry Rulan, she will hang herself. If you can issue an imperial decree to grant the marriage, she will have nothing to say, and then I can bring Rulan home… Yanli, this matter can only be entrusted to you.”
"When my daughter is born in the future... you will be her second uncle."
General Xiao was sobbing uncontrollably, and the assembled officials stared wide-eyed at him amidst the erhu music playing at the banquet. They saw their emperor remain unusually calm, unmoved by General Xiao's onslaught.
Xue Yi: "If I remember correctly, the last time we went to Fengming Terrace was a year ago. Counting the days, it's been a year and three months since you left. You should have given birth by now. Is it really your child?"
“This,” Xiao Qi blushed, “she later went to the military camp to see me and stayed with me there for a while. That period was the happiest time of my life.”
Xue Yi felt a headache coming on. Why couldn't these two men marry normal women? He pondered the problem carefully and said to Xiao Qi, "You know Cui Niangzi's temper. Even if I went to talk to her, it might not be useful. I will ask her about this for you another day. If Cui Niangzi doesn't agree, how can I issue a decree?"
“My mother likes you the most. If you go and say it to her, she will definitely agree,” Xiao Qi said.
"Your Majesty, Lord Lu is here," a guard whispered in Xue Yi's ear.
Xue Yi was slightly surprised upon hearing this, but then he turned to the guards and said, "Keep an eye on Xiao Qi and send her back later."
The person was waiting for him outside the temple. He couldn't help but be lost in thought, as he had been suffering from weakness for the past two days and had been thinking about the other person from time to time. But the gods and Buddhas heard his whispers and brought the person to him on their own initiative.
Lu Xuejin naturally did not enter the palace banquet. The clear moonlight fell under the eaves, and the young man stood tall. His white clothes and snow cranes reflected his slender figure. Hearing the noise, he turned his eyebrows and eyes, disturbing the dim intertwined palace wall lamp shadows.
Lu Xuejin: "...Brother?"
"Is Changyou's injury any better? I've been so busy with state affairs these past two days that I haven't had a chance to check on Changyou," he said gently. He had been suffering from weakness for the past two days, but fortunately, the other party came today, so he didn't look sickly at all.
Previously, when he was ill, he always hoped that the other person would be by his side. Now that he was seriously ill, he was fighting against the effects of the medicine and didn't want Changyou to see him in such a wretched state. He was vomiting basin after basin of blood, and even he found it unbearable to see.
“I…” Lu Xuejin looked at her wrist, which was still wrapped in gauze, and said to him, “My injury has healed. There’s nothing serious.”
"As for you, elder brother, I had a dream the other day that you were seriously ill. How have you been lately, elder brother?"
Xue Yi felt an itch in his throat, and the bloody taste surged up, grinding against his trachea from his stomach. He tasted the metallic flavor between his lips and teeth and replied, "I'm doing well lately."
“Well then,” Lu Xuejin looked at the eaves, “the moonlight is beautiful tonight. Brother, how about we go for a walk outside the palace together?”
For some reason, even though it had only been a few days since they last met, a hazy veil seemed to shroud the two of them. He always felt that the person in front of him could disappear into the moonlight at any moment.
He agreed after a moment.
"……good."
The two boarded the carriage leaving the palace, the clamor of the banquet fading into the distance. Xue Yi looked out the window, then turned his gaze to the person opposite him. Noticing his gaze, Lu Xuejin met his eyes.
Lu Xuejin: "General Xiao has returned. These past few days have been a time for celebration... But you seem to have something on your mind, brother. Is it because of matters of state?"
"No," Xue Yi replied when the matter was brought up, "but both he and Song Zhao asked me to bestow a marriage upon them. The marriage was not well chosen."
Lu Xuejin: "Then what are your plans, brother?"
Xue Yi: "Delay it as long as you can, until the two of them stop mentioning it."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuejin's expression softened slightly. Today, the stars were visible outside the window, but neither the stars nor the moonlight could compare to the radiance flowing in the young man's eyes. He felt his heart beating silently, as if it were reigniting in the ashes.
The beautiful things I saw in my youth, and the person in front of me is one of them.
He flipped his palm, intending to touch the young man's cheek, but Lu Xuejin sensed something and turned her face away, carefully avoiding his touch.
“Brother, look at the sky outside. Doesn’t today look like the days when we went up the mountain when we were young?”
Hearing this, he looked outside and saw lotus pods blooming on the lake's edge. Large lotus leaves were in full bloom along the pond's shore, and the carriage slowly came to a stop by the lake, where an old man was guarding a small boat. The moonlight reflected in the center of the lake, and the lotus flowers drooped gracefully, scattering shimmering light across the water.
They went up the mountain once, and the weather was exactly the same as today. The old man had a scraggly beard that seemed to be sinking into the lake, white hair that peeked out from his scalp, and he wore a pig-face mask, as if he were waiting for someone.
Lu Xuejin boarded the awning boat, and he followed behind the man onto the boat. The old man was eye-catching; he noticed that the old man's fingers were rough, as if he had been working as a boatman for decades. Without saying a word, the old man picked up the oar and carried them far away to the center of the lake.
Xue Yi withdrew his gaze and looked at the person, saying, "Changyou... did you come here specifically to see me today?"
“Of course. I’m worried about my brother’s health,” Lu Xuejin said.
"I am deeply honored by your words," Xue Yi said, though he was unsure how sincere they were. But regardless of the youth's sincerity, he was willing to swallow sweet words, even if they were laced with daggers.
As they passed through the depths of the lotus pond, Lu Xuejin headed towards the boat, instinctively stepping forward. A memory flashed through his mind of Lu Xuejin as a child, so engrossed in admiring the lotuses that he fell into the water. Worried about him, he instinctively grabbed his wrist.
"...Changyou."
The moment he touched that withered arm, he felt the warmth of the other person in his palm. The other person looked up at him, their brown eyebrows and eyes like two glass gems. He was like a crow coveting a beautiful gem, always wanting to snatch it back to its nest.
Lu Xuejin: "I'm fine. When will you let go, brother?"
Suddenly, the boat began to rock violently. For some unknown reason, the boatman slammed the rudder into the water, creating a loud splash and sending water flying everywhere. The splash landed on the side of the boat and soaked Xue Yi completely.
"..." Lu Xuejin looked at the boatman, who had his back to her and hadn't spoken. So he turned around to check on Xue Yi.
"Perhaps it's too dark to see the way. Brother, would you like to go inside and change your clothes?"
Xue Yi was suddenly drenched by the lake water, and a chill crept up from the depths of his body, as if the remnants of his frail health were about to surface. He lost his body temperature and looked at the water as the awning boat turned to the side. The old man in front of him had become blurred in the water, turning into a boy wearing a pig-face mask. The dead had come back to life and was silently staring at him from the lake.
"Hmm... are there any clothes to change into inside?" Xue Yi smelled the blood and covered his mouth and nose, seeing a patch of blood on his palm.
“There are two coarse cloth garments. Brother, why don’t you go in and take a look? Are you cold?” Lu Xuejin said.
The awning boat was pitch black. As Xue Yi stepped inside, the young man behind him reached out and his wrist, wrapped in gauze, flashed past. Lu Xuejin helped him up.
Be careful.
Lu Xuejin lit a lamp behind him, the candlelight dimly illuminating the cabin, which had originally been the fisherman's quarters. The furnishings were simple, with two coarse cloth garments on the small bed. The garments looked rough, but felt dry and warm to the touch.
"Brother, please change your clothes first, be careful not to catch a cold," Lu Xuejin said, holding a candle.
He saw himself reflected in the young man's eyes; he had only been caught in the rain, his face resembling a withered lotus leaf drooping in a lake. The metallic tang of blood in his throat grew stronger, his eyebrows and eyes painted a deep, inky black. Behind him lay utter darkness, only the bright flame in the young man's palm illuminating him.
Darkness became his lair, and his gaze was consuming people. Just as he grabbed the man's wrist, there was another commotion outside. Lu Xuejin turned her attention outside and said to him, "I'll go outside and take a look. Brother, wait for me here for a moment."
"Change your clothes first," Lu Xuejin said, leaving him the candlelight and lowering the curtain.
After everyone left, he could no longer hold back and began to cough uncontrollably. His hands trembled as he touched the edge of the small bed, and the turbid air in his internal organs surged upwards. He vomited a pool of blood.
His face was reflected in the blood, revealing his frail health. In the night, he resembled a sculpted peony, about to crumble at the slightest touch of wind and rain.
“…Brother?” Lu Xuejin came in after hearing the commotion, and saw his disheveled appearance when she lifted the curtain.
The young man's gaze paused for a moment, his eyes reflecting his expression. Then, a moment of grief appeared, and he took off his snow-white outer robe, placing it on the ground to cover the pool of blood.
"When did it get so serious? Why are you vomiting so much blood?" Lu Xuejin's eyes met his, her furrowed brows like a healing balm, suddenly sprouting a crack in his barren heart. His imperial mask crumbled slightly at that moment.
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