Chapter 54 [VIP]
Lu Xuejin left the banquet in a hurry.
He went to look for the person, but after leaving the Golden Palace, he looked left and right without seeing anyone. He walked through the long plank road under the palace wall and finally saw the person at the back door of a side hall.
"Your Highness?" he called out.
The moonlight enveloped the young man, who wore a guard's robe, his tall figure almost blending into the shadows of the trees. The trumpet creeper on the wall was still in bloom, and the young man gazed at it, lost in thought. Hearing his voice, Murong Yue turned his head, his eyes burning with a deathly stillness.
"Brother Changyou."
Lu Xuejin looked at the man, wanting to ask why he was there. He thought back to when he had followed Xue Yi into the carriage, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to ask any of the questions. Seeing the man stirred up a dark, unpleasant emotion within him, unlike when he was angry earlier.
Although he could solve the chess game, he was helpless when faced with the boy's emotions.
Murong Yue smiled at him and asked, "Brother Changyou, why are you out here? This should be the time for celebration."
“Of course I’m worried about Your Highness,” he said, walking up to Murong Yue and letting the young man envelop him.
“I couldn’t see Your Highness at the banquet, and I couldn’t stop worrying about you, so I came out to look for you. Your Highness… are you angry?” he asked.
“I have no reason to be angry,” Murong Yue said. “It’s all thanks to you, brother. If it weren’t for you, my hands might have been chopped off by now.”
Murong Yue's face remained innocent, showing no sign of gloom, and he said to him, "I am well aware of my current status, Brother Changyou, you don't need to worry about me. I only came out because I was afraid of being discovered. It's quiet here, I'll go back in a bit."
"After the banquet ends, I will..."
Before Lu Xuejin could finish speaking, he touched Murong Yue's finger bone, and Murong Yue subconsciously avoided his touch.
The air fell silent. He met Murong Yue's gaze and noticed a hint of melancholy in the boy's eyes. The boy's face was pale in the moonlight, revealing his prominent canine teeth. He gritted his teeth and glared at him, a flash of anger crossing his clear black and white eyes.
Seeing the boy's resistance, he froze on the spot. Then, as if remembering something, he turned his head away and said, "If Your Highness doesn't want me to touch you, then I won't."
“It was my fault. I worried when I couldn’t see Your Highness, so I asked Your Highness to come to the palace with me and put Your Highness in danger. If I were more powerful, perhaps Your Highness wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble for me.”
As he spoke, his fingertips felt as if they were being burned. He withdrew his hand and turned away, refusing to look at anyone. Their shadows were reflected on the palace walls, and he was lost in thought. He hadn't felt the hardship when he was humiliated, but now, even though the boy wouldn't let him touch him, why did he feel a burning sensation in his heart?
"Brother." A pair of hands reached around his waist, and he stepped back into the boy's arms. Murong Yue's breath fell on his shoulder, holding him tightly. He brushed against the boy's rosy earrings, and the burning heat of his body came through his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.
“I didn’t blame you, brother, please don’t be angry. Just now in the hall, you were as dazzling as the bright moon. Whenever I see you like that, I always feel that you are far away from me, and that I am not worthy to stand beside you now,” Murong Yue said to him.
“I’m just angry with myself. If my brother touches me, I’m always worried that I’ll take it out on him. I’m jealous of whatever he does to my brother, and I always want to possess him too. If Brother Changyou wants to get close to me, I’m naturally willing… Every time I meet Brother Changyou, my heart melts.”
A deep voice fell on his ear, and Murong Yue's breath brushed against his ear almost imperceptibly. Murong Yue was still holding him, his hands tightening, his body heat touching him. He felt a little dazed without realizing it. The more his emotions were expressed, the calmer the boy became.
Not only was his temperament changing, but he also seemed to have learned sweet talk from who-knows-where, which made him fall into deep thought.
Before he could figure it out, Murong Yue couldn't resist touching him and leaned in to peck him. He saw the boy's eyes filled with a mixture of melancholy and anger, turning into the desolation after a raging fire, with a thick layer of dark ash. But when the boy touched him, the melancholy softened and transformed into countless, endless shades of dark color.
The burning heat warmed him, entered him, and penetrated him. Whenever he touched Murong Yue, his previous composure vanished, and he was always worried about the boy's actions. Whether it was kissing his wrist, stroking his earlobe, or biting his cheek, the places the boy touched all burned with a light blush.
Every time he kissed him, he would observe his expression. He saw himself reflected in Murong Yue's eyes; whenever there was a subtle change in his expression, the boy would spend more time on that area. He saw that his feigned composure crumbled the moment the boy's canine teeth gently brushed against him, and he immediately surrendered.
"What did he do to my brother in the carriage?" Murong Yue asked.
He was still being held, the boy holding him like a doll, leaving no room for him. Naturally, he didn't want to answer the question, and quietly said, "I don't want to think about those things anymore, Your Highness, please don't take it to heart... At that time, I was in the carriage, and I was only thinking about Your Highness."
"Brother Changyou lied to me. If he hugged me like I do, would you respond to him the way you respond to me?" Murong Yue asked close to his ear. He sensed the boy's weak breath and seemed reluctant to hear his answer.
He was somewhat dazed. He touched the boy's hand and whispered, "Never. No matter how others humiliate me, I consider myself as grass or trees. Only when I am close to Your Highness do I truly feel like myself."
“Your Highness has not noticed... If I were the bright moon, I would only shine on Your Highness. Look at my heartbeat. Every time I am close to Your Highness and feel your body temperature, I find it hard to remain calm. This is what I feared most when I was young. I am always worried that my mind will be disturbed by others.”
He drew Murong Yue to his chest, his heart burning with a intensity completely different from his composed demeanor. He was unaware of the immense power his words held, drawing Murong Yue's gaze to him, his eyes now burning with a fiery intensity. That affection was hidden in his eyes, in his body heat, and in the breath that brushed against his ear.
"Brother Changyou. Brother Changyou. Brother Changyou." Murong Yue called out to him as if he were having another dissociative episode, his voice landing on his ear, each sound drilling into his heart. The kiss landed on his temple, and he suddenly realized that the boy was holding him, and he felt the hard, willow-like object.
Anyone who didn't know better would have thought the boy had conjured willow branches from nowhere. The air fell silent, and the boy, unsure of what to do, simply chased after him, kissing his eyebrows and eyes. He too was lost in thought, his mind blank for a few moments.
Murong Yue became shy because of this, and hugged him, his voice a little hoarse, "Brother, let me hug you for a while."
They had been hugging for a long time; they had probably been out for half an hour. He let the boy hug him, his hand brushing against the boy's finger bones for a moment before the boy straightened up and then perked up again. So he withdrew his hand and stopped touching him. When they separated, the boy clung to his hands reluctantly, following behind him as if he were glued to him.
Cats are easy to coax. Lu Xuejin said to Murong Yue, "Your Highness, please wait a moment. I will go and inform them that we will return directly."
“Wait for me by the carriage,” Lu Xuejin said.
Murong Yue watched the people leave. This palace banquet was originally intended for the Hu King. Not far away, he heard the calls of a fox, the faint sounds of a rabbit, the squeaks of a mouse, and the bleating of cattle and sheep. He turned and headed towards the source of the sounds. When he entered the depths of the palace walls, he saw Yege wearing a fox mask.
“...Uncle, it’s been a long time.” He bowed to Yege, who stepped forward and gave him a hug in return.
“Little Nine. Long time no see.” Jaeger laughed, glancing in the direction of the palace. “You’ve certainly found a good lover.”
"He is not my lover, Uncle, don't joke about him," Murong Yue said. "How will they discuss this? Are they really going to give up Burma City?"
Seeing his serious expression, Yege stopped mentioning the matter and said to him, "No. The King of Wei is willing to grant the Hu the method of salt production and return the city of Burma to me, with only one agreement: Hu soldiers shall not set foot in the capital for twenty years."
“I have been in contact with the King of Wei. He is an extremely intelligent and astute man. Your survival in the palace is already a blessing from heaven. But I wonder if you need my help when you leave the palace tomorrow?” Yege asked.
"No need, I've already made arrangements," Murong Yue said. If he were to ask Yege for help, even if he became emperor in the future, he might have to give Yege ten cities. His maternal uncle wasn't so easily fooled.
“Then I will simply wait for your good news,” Jaeger said. “I will be waiting for you in Lidu. If you can reach Lidu, I will lend you 20,000 elite troops. After that, I will leave you to your own devices.”
Murong Yue replied, "Thank you, Uncle... Uncle, just wait for my news."
Yege looked at him and smiled, "Little Jiu. My sister was famously intelligent back then, and she never lost to a man in military campaigns. If you can reach Lidu, it will be my sister's spirit in heaven protecting you. We will come back to this Great Wei palace sooner or later."
Murong Yue remained silent. He put on the ugly pig-face mask, turned around, and stepped into the darkness beneath the palace walls.
"My uncle is leaving the palace early today. Before he leaves, I want to give the Prince of Wei a great gift."
Inside the Golden Palace.
As soon as Lu Xuejin returned, he heard a chorus of wails from the assembled officials. It turned out that while Wei Ning was playing chess, he had the officials place bets, and seeing that he had lost so much, they had all bet on the King of Hu, losing their entire salaries. Wei Ning, on the other hand, had effortlessly won ten thousand taels of silver at the banquet.
Old Wei was apologizing to everyone. His daughter gave him some silver notes, and he returned them all as he remembered them.
Xiao Qi and Song Zhao were beside Xue Yi. The Hu King had already made his promise; they would naturally not accept the Burmese city, but return it to the Hu King and also give him the salt-making method. In this way, if the Hu people encountered natural disasters, they could survive the cold winter with the abundance of salt and oil.
"Changyou." Xue Yi saw him and called his name.
His slender eyes curved into a smile, and a soft light enveloped him. Two faint red patches appeared on Xue Yi's face as he approached, and she took his hands in hers.
He smelled the calming fragrance on Xue Yi's body, and suddenly the image of Murong Yue's dark eyes flashed in his mind. His thoughts were elsewhere, and he withdrew his hands, keeping his distance from Xue Yi.
As soon as the King of Hu left, Xue Yi's frail health, which he had been forcing, became apparent. He coughed softly and said to him, "I have already packed your things. I will have Song Zhao deliver them to you later. You will leave the capital tomorrow, and I will see you off. After you leave the capital, I will send you messages. You can write to me wherever you go, which officials you meet, and if you encounter any difficulties. I will take care of any troubles for you."
"Autumn is just around the corner, and the weather will turn cold quickly as you travel south. Take good care of yourself on your journey. I have had dozens of commonly used medicinal herbs packed in your luggage by Physician Jia. If you find it convenient, you may take Physician Jia with you. With him there, I can be more at ease if Changyou falls ill."
Song Zhao listened from the side, his expression unchanged.
Xiao Qi couldn't bear to listen any longer. Worried about Xue Yi's health, she said to him, "Your Majesty, how can Imperial Physician Jia accompany Lord Lu? You should take better care of yourself. Lord Lu is twenty-five this year; surely he knows how to take care of himself?"
“It’s alright,” Xue Yi said. “Changyou is not in the palace, and my heart is not here either. After leaving the capital… he often writes to me.”
Lu Xuejin responded, glancing at Xue Yi's frail condition before turning his gaze slightly elsewhere.
"Take good care of yourself while I'm away. Imperial Physician Jia can stay in the palace; I won't need him when I go south."
“Song Zhao,” Lu Xuejin said, looking at the man, “I’m entrusting my brother to you. Pay close attention to his diet and don’t let him overwork himself.”
“General Xiao has also been troubled by the affairs of the palace. With General Xiao here, there is no need to worry about my brother’s safety. My trip south this time... has been five years since my last one. General Xiao, you have just returned from there. Is there anything you need to be aware of?” Lu Xuejin asked.
Xiao Qi was called out. Last time, the two of them had an unpleasant encounter. Lu Xuejin acted like a gentleman and pretended that the incident had never happened. Today, he brought honor to their Great Wei at the banquet. He originally did not intend to remind her, but now that she had asked, he still said a few words.
"There is indeed something to be aware of. Liancheng has suffered a severe drought for three years. Starting three years ago, religion has flourished in Liancheng, with various sects wielding considerable influence and wielding more power in the local area than officials. If Lord Lu intends to go there, be prepared to deal with the situation, as your decree may not be effective."
Xiao Qi stated frankly, "The reason why the imperial silver has been difficult to disburse for so long is not only due to problems with officials, but also to interference from local forces. If Lord Lu can successfully deliver the silver to the people this time, he might be able to salvage the imperial court."
"I wish Lord Lu a safe and successful trip, and all things going smoothly."
"Thank you, General Xiao," Lu Xuejin said after thanking him. He escorted Xue Yi back to Xiyuan Palace and said to Xue Yi, "I have heard that there is a divine physician in the south. I will go to find the divine physician and find a way to deal with the weakness."
He spoke with his head lowered, drawing Song Zhao's attention. Song Zhao's eyes reflected his image, and he saw a red shadow growing within his own body. His younger self emerged from within him, reaching out to touch Xue Yi's sickly features.
"..." Song Zhao frowned and withdrew his gaze, saying to them, "Your Majesty, I will take my leave first. Please rest early tonight."
Just as he was about to step out of the palace gate, Song Zhao stopped again, turned to Lu Xuejin and said, "Lord Lu, one can strategize on a chessboard. But the human heart is different from a chessboard. If the two are mixed, it will inevitably lead to disastrous consequences."
Without a word, he stepped out of the palace gate with Xue Yi. The officials left in twos and threes. Just as they stepped outside, thick smoke billowed from the distant horizon, and twos and threes of guards hurriedly headed towards the smoke. The night wind whistled past, and with a "whoosh," the fire suddenly intensified, illuminating half the sky with flames, and huge tongues of fire surged and crawled towards the palace walls.
The entire Wei Palace was engulfed in flames, transformed into a magnificent sea of fire. The flames seemed to burn everything to ashes, and the sounds of the burning were like the cries of ghosts, crackling and popping in the darkness, burning away the remaining lonely souls in the palace.
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