Chapter 26 [VIP]
Inside Fangze Palace.
Ziyan: "Young Master, His Majesty has sent over the wedding attire. The Fate Bureau has calculated the date, so it may not be long."
On the tray lay a red wedding gown, its bright red fabric eye-catching, embroidered with flying cranes in gold thread, surrounded by intertwined dragon patterns that formed a double knot. The wedding dress was incredibly luxurious, the crane patterns lifelike, their eyebrows and eyes seemingly branded on, shimmering with gold powder.
“This is a good opportunity for us,” Ziyan said, looking at the young man. “However, I have heard that His Highness the Ninth Prince is unaware of this. When does the young master intend to tell him?”
Lu Xuejin sat by the window, before her lay letters sent by Wei Ning, many of them articles written by Cui Ruhao. Cui Ruhao's writings were widely known throughout the capital, earning him the nickname "Eagle Eye of Shengjing." Song Zhao had recently been searching for Cui Ruhao's whereabouts.
"I've been thinking about this too," Lu Xuejin asked. "Is His Highness at the academy now?"
He wondered what the young man's reaction would be when he learned of his impending marriage. The image of Murong Yue flashed through his mind, stirring up indescribable emotions within him, and he subconsciously tried to avoid thinking about it.
"Yes. Ninth Prince has been getting very close to General Xiao's younger brother and Princess Yue lately."
“I’ll go check on him,” Lu Xuejin said.
He had Ziyan pack some food, using the same wooden bucket Murong Yue had sent last time. The master and servant went together to Zhizhang Hall. When they arrived, it was the end of the school day. Under the eaves, two boys and a girl were gathered together. Murong Yue was among them, facing Xiao Shen and Yue Lanxin. Something Murong Yue said made Xiao Shen and Yue Lanxin laugh.
Perhaps it was because he was staring intently at someone, but Murong Yue noticed almost immediately, looked in his direction, and then smiled.
Xiao Shen and Yue Lanxin also saw him and stopped in their tracks. Murong Yue said something to the two of them and then walked briskly toward him.
Murong Yue: "Brother Changyou!"
"Slow down." Murong Yue pounced on him like a little bird spreading its wings. He subconsciously wanted to catch him, but the boy did not rush into his arms in front of others. Instead, he looked at his movements and a smile flashed in his eyes.
"Brother, why did you come here? Did you come to see me?" Murong Yue asked him, looking at the wooden bucket in his hand.
"I had some free time today, so I came to see how Your Highness's writing is going. Has Your Highness been paying attention to the teacher's lessons?" he asked gently.
In fact, Tengluo had secretly sent Murong Yue all the articles he wrote, and Grand Tutor Zhao would mention them from time to time. The young man performed unremarkably at the academy, yet Zhao occasionally glimpsed something amazing in the other's writing. He kept all of Murong Yue's assignments.
“Of course. I’m doing very well at the academy. If you come to see me every day, I can do even better,” Murong Yue said.
"Have you eaten? Do you have any classes this afternoon?" Lu Xuejin sat down on the bench in the corridor. Actually, he wanted to ask where the boy had been these past two days. He was a little concerned that the boy hadn't come over for two days.
"Not yet, let me see what my brother brought me." Murong Yue opened the wooden bucket, which was filled with carefully prepared ingredients, divided into small bowls, wafting out a fragrant aroma.
"Did you come here to bring me food, brother?" Murong Yue's eyes reflected his image, revealing his little tiger teeth as he looked at him thoughtfully.
Lu Xuejin looked at the man, his words lingering on his lips. He had originally intended to tell the young man to just speak his mind. He hadn't previously felt there was anything wrong with marrying his brother, since it wasn't a situation he could change. But now, looking at Murong Yue's face, he suddenly found himself speechless.
He stared at her for a while, and Murong Yue, unsure of what he was up to, blushed slightly and went back to eating, glancing at him every now and then.
"Hmm, I haven't seen Your Highness for the past two days. Where did Your Highness go?" he asked.
Murong Yue: "I went to the criminal trial with Lord Song. Thanks to Lord Song, we found the real culprit and cleared my name. I've been busy dealing with this matter these past two days. Did you miss me, brother?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuejin and Murong Yue exchanged a glance, and his heart felt as if it had been struck lightly by a heavy bell. He replied, "I'm worried that Your Highness will be bullied by Lord Song."
"..." His words made Murong Yue blush. The young man raised his eyebrows and looked at him, saying, "Lord Song is so wise, yet you are worried that I will be bullied by him. Is his character so untrustworthy?"
This question stumped Lu Xuejin. He thought for a moment and said, "Although Song Zhao is of upright character, he is still an outsider, and I am still worried. Fortunately, Your Highness is alright. If Your Highness goes on a long trip next time, how about I have a guard accompany you?"
"I understand, brother, you treat me the best." Murong Yue leaned closer, picked up a slice of lotus root and placed it to his lips. "Thank you for bringing me food, brother. I will go to see Brother Changyou after I finish these two days of work."
He stared at the person, and the boy's movements were natural. His lips touched the chopsticks that Murong Yue had used, and he took the lotus root slice from his mouth. The boy then withdrew his hand.
The lotus root slices exuded a subtle sweetness; he had never known Ziyan had added so much sugar, and the fragrant aroma of lotus root lingered on his lips. The boy quickly finished the rest of his meal and didn't stay by his side for long.
"Brother, my classmate is still waiting for me. I'm going back now," Murong Yue said to him.
The boy waved and left. Lu Xuejin remained seated, willow branches swaying behind him. He sighed. He hadn't managed to say it today… he'd tell His Highness another time.
On the other side.
Murong Yue bid farewell to Lu Xuejin, his smile vanishing. His eyes revealed a cold indifference, intertwined with a sinister, dark glint, like a terrifying storm. He carried in his arms the hairpins the two had repaired for him.
The warmth of the young man still lingered on his lips. He touched his mouth, then calmed down. By the time he reached the side hall, his expression had returned to normal.
He saw the wisteria at the entrance of the side hall, but without informing it, it drifted away like a ghost, leaving no sound as it moved. He walked to the hut where he kept his memorial tablet, stood for a moment in front of the door, looked at the deathly stillness, and carefully placed the hairpin inside.
People frequently died in the palace. Some servants were executed, while others died for no apparent reason. These deceased palace servants were specially sent out. Along the inner palace walls leading outside, some were thrown into ditches, and others into mass graves. They were wrapped in black burlap sacks, their identities unknown from head to toe, only revealing that they were corpses.
Murong Yue changed his clothes, draping himself in black linen to cover his face, revealing only his long hair and defined jawline. They all had a custom of wearing earrings when parting, and even in black mourning attire, a splash of color was needed to guide the deceased. A crimson earring, inscribed with secret Hu script, dangled from his ear, swaying occasionally as he moved.
He followed behind the palace servants, a task few were willing to undertake, and he blended in unnoticed. The servants all had their heads bowed, the air thick with the stench of decay and other foul odors. The stench assaulted their senses, making them dizzy; the putrid smell seemed intent on consuming them, turning them into the blood beneath the palace walls.
"...How do you get here?"
"I heard that the time was miscalculated. There was a happy event in the palace soon. This ungrateful person had studied some of the Three Fates and insisted that offending the Wenqu Star would bring natural disasters in the future. That very night, his throat was slit."
"Look at the consequences of meddling."
The palace servants in front whispered among themselves. The black sack remained motionless, blood pooling on the severed neck and dripping down its surface.
Blood fell at Murong Yue's feet. Murong Yue paused slightly, and a cry of alarm came from ahead. The palace servants released their grip, the sack loosened, and a bright red head rolled out.
The mass grave outside the palace was located in a sinkhole in the mountainside. They arrived as night fell. Under the endless moonlight, the sinkhole was densely packed with black sacks. Some were sent from the palace, others from mansions and military camps in the capital. The bodies couldn't be completely burned, so they were all piled up here.
These burlap sacks, shaped like human figures, lay silently in various postures. From a distance, they resembled distorted clay sculptures of gods and Buddhas sitting together, quietly awaiting death, to vanish with the night.
The stench of corpses was unbearable; no one wanted to linger a moment longer. The palace servants carelessly tossed the bodies off the ceiling; the black sacks rolled into the sinkhole, landing silently. The man was gone soon after; the moonlight pierced through the distant locust trees, leaving him alone with countless corpses.
He took out a dagger, and with each cut open of a sack, a face of varying colors was revealed. Some were bluish-purple, some deathly pale, and some flushed with rage, their faces wild and sinister. His palms were stained with different shades of blood: black blood, fresh, still-warm blood, and dried, brown blood.
A deathly silence fell over the surroundings, broken only by the sound of him cutting open the sack. Behind him, all was still; the wind howled like a mournful song, and in an instant, countless figures appeared behind him, watching him intently. His palm held a mixture of mud and dried blood. As the wind subsided, the figures vanished.
The sinkhole was soaked in blood, and nothing grew there. He silently searched the corpses until nearly dawn. Among the bodies, he vaguely saw a bright red. As he approached, he discovered that it was a cluster of red plum blossoms growing out of the deadly landscape, their vibrant branches blooming against the season.
He cut open the last sack, revealing Weng San's unseeing face. As he gently placed his hand on it, the old man's eyes closed.
He took away Weng San's body and the bunch of red plum blossoms. The red plum blossoms were personified; to him, the other person was like spring blooming in the midst of death.
...
Early in the morning, Xue Yi arrived at Fangze Palace.
The wedding dress hadn't been touched since it was delivered and remained untouched. Xue Yi stepped into the hall and immediately noticed the wedding dress on the table, his gaze pausing slightly.
Xue Yi: "Do the clothes fit? They were made to Changyou's measurements. If they don't fit, I will have them altered."
Lu Xuejin had just learned from Tengluo that the Ninth Prince had not returned home all night and ordered the guards to go and look for him. Upon hearing this, he glanced at the wedding dress and said to Xue Yi, "I haven't tried it on yet. There's no need for such trouble, brother, just take the dress back. I'm not suited to bright colors. It would be more appropriate for us to wear casual clothes on that day, brother, what do you think?"
“Casual clothes don’t convey the festive atmosphere. If Changyou doesn’t like them, I’ll have someone change them for you. They were originally made according to the clothes you liked when you were young, but I almost forgot that Changyou no longer wears those colors. Just one more day… Changyou, please reconsider.” Xue Yi said patiently.
Lu Xuejin looked at the person. Xue Yi was beside him, his eyes lowered as he looked at him, his pupils narrow and unfathomable, enveloping him. Xue Yi's hand was placed in front of him, a posture that seemed to be pulling him into his arms, a very aggressive one.
"Brother, have you already chosen the date? What time?" he asked.
Their figures were reflected in the bronze mirror. Xue Yi stood beside him, her dark hair falling over his shoulder. They both looked into the mirror at the same time. Xue Yi in the mirror met his gaze, reaching out to gently touch his cheek. Her fingertips traced his lips, and her slender eyebrows lifted slightly.
"The date isn't set yet, but it'll be around the end of the month. Changyou can choose whichever day he prefers. What do you think?"
“I have already informed Wei Ning,” Xue Yi said. “She accompanied me that day. When we were young, she always said she wanted to marry you. Back then, whenever I heard her say that, I felt annoyed. I can hardly express this feeling to Chang You.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuejin recalled that he had originally thought the same thing. He envisioned marrying Wei Ning after growing up, then living not far from Xue Yi; no matter how he imagined it, the three of them would always be together. Now they were still together, but the situation had become indescribable.
“Wei Ning treats me no differently than my brother, so she won’t mind this matter. She only cares about my brother’s status. If my brother were still the former son of the Prime Minister’s family, even if he married ten men, I’m sure Wei Ning wouldn’t interfere.”
"Our marriage may be ill-documented in history. My brother will become a tyrant, and I will become a lifeless ornament with only a shell and no thoughts," Lu Xuejin said calmly.
Xue Yi said quietly, "I don't care what they say. I think... no matter how history records it, as long as I govern with benevolence, future generations will clarify things for me."
Lu Xuejin remained silent. Xue Yi possessed such a naive side, yet his mind was clouded by obsession, making him unable to discern true character. No matter how clearly it was clarified, this matter was unacceptable throughout history and could never be considered respectable. This was true in this world, and it would remain true for centuries to come.
“Then I will wait patiently for the day when someone clarifies things for my brother,” he sighed.
Xue Yi looked at him in the mirror, leaned in and kissed his hair, his breath enveloping him. In the mirror, the two of them nestled together, the youthful image growing from within them and then disappearing into their eyes. His wrist was then grasped.
"Sometimes, I wish Changyou would be more open-minded and not have to abide by those rules of etiquette and morality."
Lu Xuejin glanced sideways and said, "I'm afraid my brother will be disappointed."
He came from a respectable family, was influenced by traditional etiquette, adhered to proper laws and regulations, and upheld the virtues of a gentleman. He believed that what is impossible is impossible, and that what is possible should be done to the best of one's ability.
"I see." Xue Yi smiled softly beside him, his sharp eyes swirling with emotion, and whispered to him, "You don't need to call me brother anymore. You should change how you address me from now on."
"And what should we call you...?"
Upon hearing the address "Your Majesty," even though Lu Xuejin appeared calm on the surface, his amber eyes still betrayed a hint of coldness. His eyes seemed to hold the crystalline hue of snow, falling gently and set off a layer of frost.
Outside the palace.
Murong Yue, who had not returned home all night, came back with a bunch of red plum blossoms in his hand. He had just emerged from the pile of corpses, and although he knew it was inappropriate at this time, he still wanted to take a look at that person from afar.
He arrived outside Fangze Palace and watched Xue Yi enter and leave freely. He hid under the eaves, his eyes filled with gloom as he watched Xue Yi go in. The voices of two people could be heard from outside the window. He observed Xue Yi's overly intimate manner and recalled the kiss marks on the young man's body earlier; several seemingly unrelated lines were now connected.
Only when he heard a servant call out "Your Majesty" did the red plum blossom in his palm suddenly fall to the ground.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com