Chapter 95 [VIP]
Early morning. The first rays of warm sunlight appeared on Mount Kusanagi. This unusual weather was like turning the pages of a history book, the lines of which stretched from winter to autumn. The sun hung high in the sky, the same color as the white clouds. Looking directly at it was so bright that it was almost blinding.
Lu Xuejin gazed at the coiled snake pattern on the eaves. The exquisitely carved windows, when exposed to sunlight, refracted a dazzling array of colors. The green resembled jade gemstones, the pink the overlapping petals of peach blossoms, and the purple like the shimmering shadow of a woman's summer dress.
"Young master, everything has been packed. His Majesty is waiting for you," Ziyan said.
With guards standing beside her, Tengluo looked worriedly in the direction of Grass Fin Mountain, remaining rooted to the spot. "Young master, may I stay?"
“This servant wishes to go with Miss Wei to find His Highness,” Tengluo said.
Ziyan: "Did you see those guards guarding the perimeter? Now that His Majesty knows that you have a close relationship with the Ninth Prince, what will happen if General Xiao follows you to find His Highness? I know you are worried about His Highness, but you should calm down now. His Highness will be safe if we leave here as soon as possible."
"Don't worry, Miss Wei and His Highness Yege are with the Ninth Prince. We just need to keep His Majesty calm."
Lu Xuejin walked to Tengluo's side and placed her hand on Tengluo's shoulder. "Tengluo, we believe that His Highness is right. We can't stay here any longer. Let's go back to the palace and do what we need to do."
"Let's go. His Majesty is waiting."
Lu Xuejin saw the magnificent carriage, its curtains lifted. Xue Yi's handsome face peeked out, his complexion looking much better; no longer deathly pale, his face was fair and smooth, his long, narrow eyes slightly curved, a small mole appearing beneath them, and his lips were rosy and full of color. Looking at the young emperor now, it seemed his illness had truly been cured.
"Changyou," Xue Yi called to him.
"We're setting off today. Shall we go and see the sights a bit more...? Shall we bid farewell to General Xiao?"
He stepped into the carriage, sat on the armrest, and looked out the window, lowering the curtain to keep the cold air from seeping into the carriage. He replied, "No need. I've heard that General Xiao has been very busy these past few days, and my brother and I might disturb him if we go. It's better to set off sooner... The court cannot be without a ruler."
“Then we’ll listen to Changyou,” Xue Yi said from his side.
He glanced at the person beside him and noticed that Xue Yi was looking at him, his eyes filled with tender affection. When he turned his eyes away, Xue Yi leaned over to touch him, but his hands stopped in mid-air just before they touched his forehead.
"Changyou looks best in red. I see you have become a young man again, always circling around me like a little butterfly."
Upon hearing this, he quietly replied, "Brother, what comparison do you use? No one has ever said that I am like a butterfly."
Xue Yi understood his meaning, "Changyou doesn't like butterflies?"
“I have never disliked it,” he said, “but beautiful things are mostly for viewing. My brother’s comparison of butterflies reminds me of many unpleasant things. When a vulgar person sees a canary, he wants to put it in a cage and keep it as a pet… that is the same mentality as when he sees a butterfly.”
“…Alright,” Xue Yi said, “It was my fault. Changyou, please tell me how it should be compared.”
He didn't answer. He admired butterflies that braved the wind and rain. The vitality of those who, despite their fragile wings being soaked by the rain, still managed to fly through the downpour was, in his eyes, the most precious thing.
“Everyone has their own opinion. My brother’s preferences… may be a bit vulgar, but there’s nothing wrong with them,” he said.
The carriage fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then Xue Yi smiled, his slender eyebrows curving upwards, his deep eyes reflecting his image. He watched as Xue Yi was about to lean in, but before he could move, just as his cheek was about to touch, Xue Yi stopped. They maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too far, feeling each other's breath.
When they came together, they looked like two little butterflies.
One is a moth fluttering about, dyed with ink; the other is a pure white moth facing the bright sun.
"I am a vulgar person, fond of the most beautiful things in the world, and my heart is moved at first sight. Changyou... should teach me how to avoid being vulgar, not just to see beauty, but also to see the fragile side."
Lu Xuejin: "I don't understand this matter either. My brother and I have similar troubles."
He saw the same in His Highness. No matter how willful, unruly, or capricious His Highness was, he always felt that his nature—whether volatile, gloomy, or even feigned innocence—was quite pitiful and endearing to him. All of His Highness's natural disposition was precious to him… He always indulged His Highness, which gradually caused things to spiral out of control.
The carriage swayed and lurched forward, gradually moving away from the capital. Lu Xuejin watched as the distant mountains were gradually shrouded in mist. Xue Yi sat beside him, focused for a long time. Lately, he had been staying awake for longer and longer periods, like a child, only getting sick according to his mood. He felt a weight on his shoulder; Xue Yi had fallen asleep against his shoulder.
Grass Fin Mountain.
"General Xiao! A letter has arrived from the post station; it was delivered by Lady He!"
Xiao Qi finished reading the letter, which was written by Lady He herself. Her younger brother, Xiao Shen, was seriously ill, and Lady He ordered him to set off for the capital immediately. He held the letter for a while. Finally, the sun came out. Their men had been searching on the mountain for three days and three nights, but had not found the Ninth Prince's body.
"Damn it. Has there been any movement at the exit down the mountain lately?"
"Reporting to the General, there are no abnormalities at any of the four entrances. I have been guarding them the whole time, and not even a fly has escaped. Miss Wei has come a few times, claiming she wants to help us, but I refused her at the risk of losing my head."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Qi patted the reporting soldier on the shoulder, "You did a good job. That Wei has ulterior motives; she must not be allowed to set foot in Caoqi Mountain."
"yes!"
Xiao Qi crumpled half of the letter and paced back and forth. He figured he might as well keep going like this; he refused to believe he couldn't find the Ninth Prince. Three days and three nights had passed and he still couldn't find him… and the exit seemed fine too. Could he really have fallen off the cliff and died?
Thinking of this, he ordered the soldiers, "You few, go and search the bottom of the cliff. Look for the bodies that fell off the cliff."
"yes!"
"Report! General! The Hu people who clashed with us on Caoqi Mountain a couple of days ago have brought their men over and are now at the foot of Caoqi Mountain, insisting on going up the mountain. Our men can't understand what they're saying, and there's a stalemate at the foot of the mountain."
It was truly one problem after another. Xiao Qi tucked the crumpled letter into his pocket. No matter how anxious his wife was, he couldn't find the Ninth Prince's body, so he could only stay here for the time being.
"Someone, go and call Hu Feiyan and Chen Guang over."
Hu Feiyan didn't understand the barbarian language, but Chen Guang understood some. Xiao Qi led the two over and explained the situation. It turned out that their soldiers had opened two official kilns during a search. This area was full of coal mines and mud kilns, and the official kilns were established by merchants from Lidu and the Hu tribe. They had fired a batch of porcelain to be presented to the Hu king.
The firing time and temperature for porcelain are crucial; their actions ruined both kilns. Furthermore, the soldiers' actions led to the Hu tribe sending officials to demand an explanation from the Great Wei.
They made arrangements and agreed to discuss it. Xiao Qi, as a general of the Great Wei, first apologized to the Hu envoy. The Hu envoy rattled off a bunch of things in his own language, which Xiao Qi couldn't understand at all. He only managed to understand half of it thanks to Chen Guang's clumsy translation.
"General... they say they also apologize to you because they injured our great Wei hero. They say they want to send us... large green fruits, a specialty of the Hu people. They beg you... hoping you will allow them to go up the mountain so they can take those porcelain pieces back and explain to the Hu king."
Xiao Qi's head ached from listening. After Chen Guang finished translating, the three Hu men clasped their hands together in front of him, tears streaming down their faces, and almost knelt down to kowtow. A vein throbbed on his forehead. Seeing that these Hu men were honest and seemed very sincere, he waved his hand and agreed.
"They said they were grateful for the general's great kindness and said they would hang his portrait on the hero's cauldron of their Hu tribe in the future."
Xiao Qi: "No need for that. Let them finish transporting the porcelain and leave as soon as possible."
On the other side.
Wei Ning obtained the parchment scroll from Master Galing, who had been famous in Li Du a hundred years ago. "Galing" was not the name of an individual, but rather the name of their family of eminent monks. Every disciple who entered the world of cultivation was named Galing. A hundred years ago, Master Galing came to Li Du to resolve a wrongful case, and a hundred years later, he returned to the city.
Her maid had learned of Xiao Qi's situation; with the Hu people heading up the mountain, this was the perfect opportunity. She immediately had her maid contact the Hu merchant to negotiate a price. Everything is driven by profit; offering a high price always solves the problem. If Xiao Qi discovered this bribery, the Wei family might face certain death… but if it could save the Ninth Prince, she would risk everything.
“Miss, they’re up there,” the maid said.
Wei Ning stepped into the inn. This inn in Lidu was brightly decorated and seemed to have many folk customs. A fox mask with a curled-up animal tail was on the stove, and flames were shooting out of the stove below, with sparks flying and spreading to the tiger skin carpet on the floor. Animal skins were rarely used as carpets in the Central Plains, and she couldn't help but frown when she stepped on them.
The man sitting in the center wore a fox mask, and for some reason, he exuded an aura of evil.
She had no recollection of the Hu King, though she had seen him several times in the Great Wei. Now, oblivious to the fact that it was a Hu custom—men all wearing animal masks—she thought it was simply a trait. Besides Cui Ruhao, how many men in this world had she ever truly cared about?
The man's gaze paused briefly as she entered, as if lost in thought. She cut to the chase: "Are you a porcelain dealer from the Hu tribe? I have a business opportunity with you; would you be interested?"
Before the man could speak, the maid beside him, wearing a rabbit mask, said, "My young master is asking what kind of business you have. Tell him about it, and he will decide whether or not to do business with you."
Wei Ning: "Go to Caoqi Mountain and find someone for me. The reward is ten thousand taels of gold."
The parchment was spread out on the table. In the snake hole where red plum blossoms and corpses intertwined, the trapped boy waited anxiously, while the soldiers above still had not left.
Upon seeing the image of his nephew on the parchment scroll, Jaeger finally reacted and gestured to the maid. The maid, standing beside him, said, "Gold is unnecessary. My family has no shortage of gold. You can agree, young master, but the reward can be discussed later. How about it?"
Wei Ning: "..."
Her family had been in business for generations; how could she not know that free things often come at the highest price? This man was indeed shrewd; she stared at him for a while, finally meeting his gaze beneath the mask.
How confident are you that you can make it happen?
She asked the question, and the man opposite her clapped his hands lightly, which the maid then mimicked.
"Miss, please rest assured, my young master will definitely bring the person out. However, my young master has a question... what is your relationship with the boy in this picture?"
Wei Ning: "He was the younger brother of my late friend."
On Grass Fin Mountain.
Murong Yue had been waiting for two days and two nights. He had been unconscious for a day, and after waking up, he escaped from the cave filled with rotting corpses and kept company with the cobra. After the baby cobra led him out, it crawled into an ostrich egg and hibernated. All around was silent, with only the occasional sound of the wind and the footsteps of patrolling soldiers.
Some withered berries hung on the cave wall; he casually plucked one and stuffed it into his mouth, vine and all. He tied a knot in the wound on his wrist himself, and the wound on his abdomen kept reopening and healing. His head was burning; he leaned against the cave wall, a longsword with dried blood beside him.
His consciousness was already very heavy, and he barely managed to stay awake with his willpower, hoping to figure out the patrolling soldiers' patterns of movement so that he might be able to seize an opportunity to escape from here.
He waited from day to night. At night, the patrolling soldiers left. It happened at the same time every day for two days. He guessed that soldiers from the foot of the mountain were bringing him food, because the aroma of food wafted over from time to time. He seized the opportunity and, when the soldiers left, grabbed the vines and used them to support his body as he slowly climbed up.
The longsword clattered to the ground, the sound echoing through the cave. At the same time, a rustling sound came from not far away, as if it were behind a wall, less than a few feet away. He immediately returned to his original position, pressed his ear against the wall, and gripped the hilt of the sword tightly.
As soon as the soldier enters, his longsword will plunge into the soldier's throat.
"..." The moment the other person appeared, he only caught a glimpse of crimson. The maid who came was wearing a rabbit mask and easily dodged his attack.
He recognized it as Hongying. His tense nerves collapsed in an instant, and he slumped down, letting out the tension.
The man behind Hongying walked in. This cave was connected to other cave dwellings. Apart from the local kiln workers and Hu merchants, it would take at least ten days to half a month to figure it out.
"Look at it, it's turned into this mess again," Jaeger sighed.
When Murong Yue saw his uncle, a dull pain spread through his body, causing his back to bend and making it difficult for him to support himself with one hand. He clenched his teeth tightly, and a strong smell of blood filled his mouth.
"Uncle...where's my brother? Have you seen him? Where did he go?"
His eyes reflected Jaeger's expression, which was typical of Jaeger—always calm under any circumstances, yet capable of making a joke based on the vulnerabilities of the human heart.
Yege: "You're asking about Lu Xuejin? He went back with the Prince of Wei. Before he left, he told you to stay with me. But you insisted on disobeying... Look at you now, what can you do?"
"Your impulsive actions have left you all hurt... and he has to clean up your mess."
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