Chapter 108 [VIP]
Early in the morning, the hall was filled with calming incense. Xue Yi fell into a deep sleep. Lu Xuejin covered Xue Yi with a blanket, tidied her clothes, and went out.
Snowflakes fell in abundance. He held up an umbrella. The New Year was approaching, and the palace servants had already begun preparing for the New Year's decorations. The crimson lanterns were wiped clean in the snow and hung brand new under the eaves. New vermilion mud was turned over on the palace walls and carved into the shape of the Nian beast.
The new year is just around the corner, and the palace servants are busy. He walks in the snow, and his footprints are quickly covered by the new snow.
Lu Xuejin arrived at the Golden Palace. The night before, Xiao Qi was supposed to have an audience with the Emperor, but Xue Yi had fallen asleep and Xiao Qi hadn't seen him. This morning, the area outside the palace was very lively.
The guards outside the palace were all on watch. Xiao Qi came early in the morning, busy with matters concerning her younger brother, and also went to see Lady He and her own mother, Lady Cui. Still wearing the clothes from the previous day, Xiao Qi suppressed her anger. When she saw Lu Xuejin coming over with an umbrella, she already knew who had proposed this, and her narrow eyes blazed with rage.
What a shrewd Lu Xuejin!
"General Xiao, you mustn't!"
Outside the Golden Palace, Zhang Lin, Elder Wei, Grand Tutor Zhao, and Song Zhao saw this scene from afar. The guards reacted first, but they were unable to stop Xiao Qi.
"—You bitch!"
Xiao Qi strode over, grabbed Lu Xuejin by the collar with one hand, and looked into her deep brown, calm eyes. Anger rose in his heart. This pretentious bitch... she always pretends to be kind in front of others, but in reality, she devours people without them even realizing it! Her second brother had just recovered from his illness, and she wanted to send him on a bumpy journey south to that barren land. Her intentions were hard to describe!
"Oh dear! General Xiao, what are you doing!?"
"Release Lord Lu at once!"
General Xiao! Please calm down!
Lu Xuejin's collar was grabbed, but her expression remained unchanged as she looked at him gently and calmly, saying, "General Xiao, why are you so angry?"
Before Xiao Qi's fist could land, he grabbed the collar of the red robe. He saw the indifferent expression in the man's eyes and was furious. A group of ministers nearby quickly surrounded him.
He looks like an unreasonable brute, clearly someone who wants to harm people!
"Get out of my way, all of you! Since you're here today, let His Majesty judge this matter properly! My second brother has just recovered from his illness, yet you advise him to go south... What are you really thinking?! If I find that Ninth Prince, I will tear him to pieces right in front of you! You wicked scoundrel—"
"Oh dear—look at what General Xiao is saying, Lord Lu, he's just angry, don't take it to heart," Zhang Lin quickly tried to mediate.
Old Master Wei, trembling, shrank to the side upon hearing Xiao Qi's anger, stammering and finally letting out a sigh.
Grand Tutor Zhao followed behind Elder Wei without saying a word.
Seeing this scene, Song Zhao noticed the fire in Xiao Qi's eyes and Lu Xuejin's unwavering demeanor despite being threatened. His eyes flickered slightly, and finally, he frowned.
After Xiao Qi released her, Lu Xuejin calmly straightened her clothes, touched her collar, and said to everyone, "His Majesty is unwell today, and I have come to deal with General Xiao's affairs. This matter is easy to discuss... The memorial is only being reviewed and has not yet been finalized. If General Xiao is unwilling, His Majesty will naturally consider it carefully. For something that has not yet happened to make General Xiao so angry... I suppose it was my oversight."
Lu Xuejin: "If any of you wish to offer your advice, please submit your memorials to Fangze Hall. If there is nothing else... then this morning's court session will be adjourned."
The cold wind howled outside the hall, whipping against their faces and carrying the dry, icy air characteristic of northern weather. Upon hearing this, the assembled officials fell silent. Looking at the young man who was acting as regent, they were immediately filled with trepidation.
"Lu Xuejin! How dare you... Who gave you this privilege that you dare to overstep your bounds?"
A profound silence fell over the area outside the Golden Palace. The guards remained silent; having served Xue Yi day and night, they knew perfectly well who was absolutely untouchable. The assembled officials, unable to see the Emperor and only able to see the young man before them, understood the implications.
Zhang Lin, sweating profusely, tried to smooth things over, saying, "General Xiao, Lord Lu takes care of His Majesty every day. The other day, His Majesty was unwell and went to Lord Lu's place. Presumably, His Majesty has already agreed to this matter. Since the memorial hasn't been approved yet, let's discuss this matter again when His Majesty wakes up, shall we?"
Lu Xuejin looked at Xiao Qi, raised her eyebrows and said, "No one gave me special privileges, and I acted on my own today. If General Xiao feels indignant, he can personally remonstrate with the Emperor in the future and see whether the General's words are more effective... or whether the ministers' understanding is more useful. Don't you think so?"
The ministers who were named fell silent. This top scholar was renowned and had won the hearts of the people. His intelligence and talent were admired by all the court officials. He was upright and calm, and was also valued by the emperor. They knew very well that if this young man wanted to manipulate politics, he could easily cover up the truth.
"This... Lord Lu is devoted to the people! We are willing to serve Lord Lu."
“That’s right, that’s right… It’s best that Lord Lu is reinstated. He can share the burden of affairs with His Majesty in the future, and His Majesty can focus on recuperating.”
"We are willing to serve Lord Lu!"
Xiao Qi's face turned pale and then red, her teeth almost grinding to powder. She glared angrily at Lu Xuejin, her eyes bloodshot, as if she wanted to tear him apart.
“In that case, I am ashamed. Judging from General Xiao’s appearance… today is probably not a suitable day for discussion. Since General Xiao insists on meeting the Emperor, I will send someone to inform him once the Emperor wakes up,” Lu Xuejin said gently.
"If there's nothing else, then everyone may leave."
As the young man in red left with his umbrella, his figure stood out against the snow, quickly fading into a blurry dot before disappearing beneath the palace walls.
Seeing that the person had left, Zhang Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief. "General Xiao... can't you see who's in charge of the court now? You insulted him like that, even an ordinary person would resent you... If he holds a grudge against you, with your family in the capital, dealing with you would be a piece of cake! You... you're really foolish!"
"I see that he's only sending you around like this so he can get you back to the capital sooner... Once you leave, the Ninth Prince will be thriving in the capital. You... didn't you inquire about Sun Jian in Luzhou City on your way south? Lord Lu gave him a gold mine on the way, which he used to recruit soldiers and horses, and he has mentioned several times that he wants Lord Lu to be reinstated... I'm afraid that if Lord Lu gives the order, he will come from Luzhou to support us."
Old Master Wei sighed and said, "We both know Lord Lu's character. How could he possibly do anything to your family?"
Song Zhao chimed in, "That's not necessarily true. Since he dared to go to the capital, he has probably already lost his loyalty to our Great Wei. He may not be Lord Lu of our Great Wei."
Xiao Qi angrily said, "I can tell that you all know perfectly well! Since you know so well, why did you agree to him just now? If you had any backbone, this general wouldn't have made a fool of yourself in front of him!"
"And you, Zhang Lin! Don't try to fool me anymore. I see you're quite satisfied with him. I don't bother trying to please both sides. If he dares to touch the Emperor or my brother, let's see what tricks he's up to."
Zhang Lin chuckled twice and said to Xiao Qi, "General Xiao, this... in the next round of civil officials, unlike you, I don't have a place to rely on. What I said is for your own good. Just listen to me."
"Besides, when it comes to governing the country, Lord Lu is worse than us... All the hundred pieces of advice we offer are not as practical for the people as one piece of Lord Lu's advice. It's not necessarily a bad thing for the people if the government is in Lord Lu's hands... I think we should just rest. As the saying goes, the capable are often given more work... We, who are not talented, should just rely on Lord Lu's protection."
Xiao Qi: "Zhang Lin...you really are a coward! Get lost, this general doesn't want to associate with such a spineless person."
Zhang Lin touched his nose, still smiling despite being scolded by Xiao Qi. He looked around and then said to Song Zhao, "Lord Song, I think I can go to the library with you tomorrow."
"Whoever is in power in this palace... it doesn't matter much to us. We can just get by, the sky won't fall. Song Zhao, don't you think so?"
Song Zhao remained silent, staring at Xiao Qi's ferocious face, as if shrouded in a shadow of misfortune. This shadow grew from within the palace walls, corroding the civil and military officials of the Wei Dynasty.
"Zhang Lin, what would you do if the sky collapsed?" Song Zhao asked.
Zhang Lin had never thought about this question in his eight hundred lifetimes. He said with a grin, "If the sky falls, General Xiao and Lord Song will hold it up. This... the capable should do more, please bear with me, seniors."
Song Zhao frowned as he watched his laughing colleague. Everyone wanted to be an official. Some officials inherited their positions, like the Wei family, whose wealth had been immense for three generations. For them, being an official was merely a means to maintain stability; they hardly concerned themselves with court affairs, only responsible for providing funds. Others, like Zhang Lin, came from privileged backgrounds, keeping a low profile and remaining aloof from worldly affairs. Once involved in conflicts of interest, they would immediately distance themselves, cunningly and wisely protecting themselves. Still others rose from humble beginnings through promotion, becoming officials solely to cultivate factional connections, strengthen their own power base, and ultimately achieve their family's advancement.
Very few officials are truly willing to consider the people's welfare, and Zhang Lin's words just now were not wrong... If Lu Xuejin were to handle state affairs, she would obviously be much more suitable than many incompetent officials.
That being said, throughout history, transgression is transgression. Once this bottom line is crossed, a dynasty will also be swept into an unknown vortex.
In this situation, he was ultimately at a disadvantage. Whether it was the ruler's heart, the ministers' allegiance, or the means of retaliation, he was completely outmatched. Unable to rouse the ruler, he was like a swallow on a beam, occasionally chirping, serving only a decorative purpose.
Even occasionally, he would look at the palace servants who were adding bricks and tiles to the Wei Palace, and they seemed to have more significance than he did.
"Oh! Lord Song, look at you... why do you have such a worried face? Don't worry too much... would you like to go to Fengming Terrace to listen to music today?" Zhang Lin asked.
Song Zhao politely declined, saying, "No need, thank you for your concern, Lord Zhang."
He bid farewell to his ministers and headed to the library.
It snowed today, and the flower bed outside the library was covered with a thick layer of snow, with only the edges of the stones showing. There, leaning against the edge of the flower bed, a girl held an umbrella and waited by the flower bed for an unknown amount of time. Her face was red from the cold, and she stamped her feet in place.
His gaze paused slightly. Upon seeing him, the maidservant beside Lu Xuejin immediately turned her back, pretending not to look at him and pretending that she hadn't come for him.
Wisteria, wisteria. Slaves bought back by the Great Wei all took their master's surname, so they were called Lu Wisteria.
...
Leaving the capital.
The weather cleared and warmed up, and the dark clouds drifted northwards.
The bright sunshine enveloped the entire earth, and Lidu was the first to see spring. Pink buds sprouted from the soil, peeking out in clusters, vying for air and dew.
The windows in the Hu King's Palace are elaborate and ornate, adorned with golden patterns of cosmos flowers, camellias, foxes, and rabbits, forming beautiful kaleidoscope designs. Sunlight filters through these patterns layer by layer, refracting into a dazzling array of colors.
Murong Yue stood before the beautiful latticed window, the gauze covering his body removed. He had lost a lot of weight, looking thin and frail.
His gray eyes watched the birds fly past the trees, leaving behind the afterimages of the scars on their skin. He stared out the window for an unknown amount of time, his gaze following the clouds.
Handsome and radiant, bright as a pearl, cold and gloomy, delicate and secluded.
"Your Highness, it's time for your meal..." Lan Yue said from outside the door.
Day after day, Murong Yue lingered by the window for an unknown amount of time, gazing at the beautiful latticework window, which resembled a pretty but soulless doll, withering and decaying motionless before the window.
Having finished speaking, the boy, as if following an order, moved his body and followed the maid away from the window.
The Hu King's Palace was silent. All traces of winter had been erased, and all things began to welcome new life, breaking through the soil in the silence and slowly creating deep reflections as time passed.
The tiger-eye love lock has been repaired and looks perfectly fine, except for a barely visible crack on the side.
Murong Yue wore the lock, and he would occasionally stroke the scars on it, lost in thought, falling into a deathly silence. His bright, fan-shaped eyes, weathered by the harsh winter, had lost their former luster, becoming empty and colorless.
Wei Ning and Yege were both there. Wei Ning looked at the boy in such a state and felt so sorry for him that he didn't know what to say. Now he was finally willing to come out for a meal.
"Your Highness, you should take good care of your health... I have already written to Changyou, and we will receive a reply soon."
Yege looked at the person and said, "I think it's almost recovered. If you have nothing to do in the palace, let Hongying take you to the military camp... You look so frail, you're not even as good as before."
Murong Yue finished his meal quietly. While eating, he listened to his uncle talking to Wei Ning, and to what Hong Ying and Lan Yue were saying. He watched the clouds drift by outside the window and heard the maid playing a tune that his mother used to love. It was originally a cheerful melody, but why did it sound so desolate now?
The music transformed into a black wave that engulfed him, and he remained amidst the storm, returning to that day outside the Fangze Palace.
The cage... Wei Gong transformed into a cage, locking up the person he loved.
He...he lost again.
Large tears welled up in his eyes, as if he were still in the snow. He watched as blood flowed continuously from his body, and the young man's figure became blurred and invisible.
"Brother Changyou—"
The figure disappeared.
A blank look suddenly appeared in his eyes as he asked the person beside him, "Uncle... will I win?"
Jaeger, standing beside him, stopped and looked at him, saying, “Of course. Look out the window; even a century of severe cold can pass in an instant. No matter how deep the night, it will eventually be over.
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