Chapter 108 "If you refuse again, I'll continue..."
The Emperor gazed intently and saw Liang Ye protecting a woman, his expression filled with concern and anxiety; Liang Shao, after capturing Xu Wei, kept glancing at the two people in the corner, his face grim. The Emperor smiled coldly, instantly understanding Li Zhun's meaning. He had dared to kill even the Virtuous Consort tonight, why would he care about such an insignificant woman?
The emperor said calmly, "Don't always have the thought of killing someone so easily." He turned his head, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes, "Otherwise, you will lose far more than you gain."
“Since this woman poses no threat to the Liang brothers’ future, let them handle it themselves. You don’t need to interfere.”
Li Zhun looked intently at the three people under His Majesty's command and said firmly, "Your subject will obey Your Majesty's teachings."
The following day, General Pei Xian escorted the Crown Prince, Consort Zhu, and a group of court officials from the Shanglin Garden back to the capital. The Emperor issued an edict stating that the Crown Prince had secretly colluded with the disgraced official Xu Wei, plotting rebellion; the Third Prince, Li Zhun, along with Pei Xian, Liang Shao, and others, had rendered meritorious service in protecting the Emperor. Consequently, the Crown Prince was deposed and reduced to commoner status, the male members of the Xu family were imprisoned, and the female members were confined to the brothels. Pei Xian was rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold and promoted to Duke of Sui; Liang Shao was rewarded with one thousand taels of gold, promoted to the third-rank Shence Army General, and enfeoffed as Earl of Huguo County.
In the twelfth month of the same year, the emperor appointed Li Zhun as crown prince and placed him in the Eastern Palace. He also transferred Pei Xian's nephew to take charge of the military power in the southeast.
But that's a story for later. Now that the palace coup has been settled, Shanhe and Liang Ye were forced to stay in the palace overnight. Liang Shao, as the chief general in charge, was busy coordinating various parties and had no time for anything else, not even seeing Shanhe again. It wasn't until the next day, when the court officials returned to the capital and the edict deposing the crown prince was issued, that Liang Ye and Shanhe were finally able to go home, while Liang Shao remained in the palace to assist with state affairs.
Having witnessed the death of Consort Xian the previous night, Shanhe was filled with anxiety, lost her appetite, and could not sleep soundly. Liang Ye stayed by her side at all times, personally feeding her during meals and never leaving her bedside when she went to sleep.
As dusk fell, Shanhe had no appetite and lay alone on the couch, her long black hair draped over a mandarin duck pillow. She nestled small under the hibiscus quilt, which made her face appear as white and delicate as snow. Liang Ye sat on the edge of the couch, holding Shanhe's hand and stroking it repeatedly. The two gazed at each other silently, and Liang Ye spoke first: "You haven't eaten or drunk anything since yesterday. Be careful not to starve yourself."
Shanhe laughed and said, "I would like to eat, but I am willing but unable. I feel nauseous at the sight of food."
"This has brought back the symptoms of morning sickness."
“That’s exactly right.” Shanhe looked quietly into his eyes. “Why don’t you talk to me for a bit, sir?”
Upon hearing this, Liang Ye was at a loss for words, but seeing that Shan He was eager to speak with him, he slowly said, "I was just about to ask you about what you said to A Shao last night..."
"Half true, half false." Shanhe said sincerely, "Since I've decided to be with you, why would I go back to him? Otherwise, I'd be letting him down," she looked at him deeply, "and even more so, letting you down."
Liang Ye's lips curved slightly: "Is this really what you mean?"
Shanhe raised his hand as if to swear: "If this is false, I, Xue Shanhe—"
Liang Ye grasped her hand: "Don't curse yourself. Shanshan, I've been waiting for you to say that for a long time."
Suppressing her resentment, Shanhe forced a smile and said, "I suddenly realized it last night," she stared at Liang Ye's face with starry eyes, "In what way is my elder brother inferior to him? I wasted so much time because of those rules and regulations. Now that I think about it, I feel like I wasted a lot of time."
Liang Ye felt a surge of warmth coursing through his body. He felt his heart pounding, and couldn't help but lean down, cupping Shan He's face in his hands and kissing her lips. After a long while, Liang Ye reluctantly released Shan He. He held her in his arms, whispering tender words. As night deepened, Shan He pushed him away and smiled, "I'm getting a little hungry now."
"The small kitchen is keeping the porridge warm. What else would you like to use? I'll tell Cai Xiang and the others to get it."
Shanhe leaned on his shoulder and pondered for a moment: "The dishes we ate at Mi Lou yesterday were quite good, but I was thinking about you and the palace at the time, so I didn't really savor them."
Liang Ye was secretly pleased and gently pinched her nose: "Just tell me you want to eat the dishes from Mi Lou."
Shanhe smiled faintly: "Are you going to buy it yourself?"
"Why not just send Cheng'an?"
She took Liang Ye's arm: "Wouldn't it be better if you brought them back for me and the baby yourself? Cheng An will definitely buy some of his signature dishes, so why don't you put some thought into them? Besides, it's April now, and I saw many flowers blooming outside when I came back this afternoon. Pick a few more flowers for me to put in a vase. I don't want the ones Cheng An picked."
Upon hearing this, Liang Ye laughed heartily. He helped Shanhe lie down, telling her to rest for a while, and that he would be right back. Shanhe agreed, but as soon as he left, the smile on her face vanished. Liu Liu, tail drooping, came over and curled up to lie on the footstool.
Ever since Liang Ye learned that Liu Liu was a dog Liang Shao had given to Shan He, he hadn't liked Liu Liu much. When he was around, Liu Liu wouldn't come inside, only running around outside with Cai Xiang and the others. Now that Liang Ye was out, Liu Liu came in to keep Shan He company. The moment Shan He saw Liu Liu, her nose tingled with tears. She suddenly thought of Meng Chiyuan, and also of Liang Shao. Shan He picked up Liu Liu and placed it on her lap. She then lowered the bed curtains and gently stroked Liu Liu's fluffy little ears.
Liu Liu nestled in Shan He's arms, occasionally letting out a comfortable hum.
The door was pushed open, and Shanhe, assuming it was Caixiang, casually asked, "What's wrong?"
They didn't speak, but slowly approached.
Shanhe turned her head and saw a tall and upright figure falling on the curtain, indistinct and getting closer and closer through the soft curtain.
It was him.
Shanhe remained silent, but Liu Liu called out.
A hand reached into the bed curtains, lifting half of the soft curtain and hanging it on a silver hook. Liang Shao lowered his gaze to look at her, remaining silent, simply sitting on the edge of the couch. Liu Liu stopped talking and immediately snuggled from Shan He's arms into Liang Shao's.
Shanhe frowned: "What are you doing here?"
Liang Shao sniffed, his voice slightly nasal: "I came to see you."
She turned her face away from him and lay down: "You see, I'm perfectly fine."
Liang Shao looked down at Liu Liu, who was snuggling in his arms, and said casually, "Liu Liu has grown quite a bit."
“You haven’t cared for it for a long time, so when you look at it now, you naturally feel that it has grown up. I see it every day, so I don’t feel that it has changed.”
Liang Shao sensed the veiled meaning in her words, paused, and then said in a low voice, "Shanshan, there was a reason for my letter. Let me explain."
“I know you're going to assist the Third Prince in his bid for the throne. This matter is confidential, and we can't correspond. I understand.” Shanhe buried her face in the pillow, her voice hoarse. “I understand…”
She understood; the moment she saw him last night, she had guessed it all. The struggle for the throne—it was indeed a good reason. For the sake of his future and great cause, he had made her wait a year, then arranged for her to be recommended for a scholarship, and even bought the Xue residence for her to settle down. He had already done his best to make amends. She knew all of this was perfectly reasonable. The problem was Liang Ye, the problem was that she was pregnant, and the problem was that Wu Tianqi had miscarried. All these misfortunes piled up, forcing her to be angry with him and to submit to Liang Ye. Now that she had embarked on a different path, there was no need to drag him into it anymore.
Liang Shao hurriedly said, "The struggle for the throne isn't just for myself, it's also for you! I know what's happened to your family, it's like the sky is falling for you, so I begged the Third Prince to do my best for him. Once he succeeds, he'll clear your father's name. I didn't dare tell you this, because I was afraid that if things went wrong, you'd be implicated. Shanshan, don't worry, I mean what I say. Even if you marry your brother tomorrow, I'll still beg the Third Prince for his favor."
Shanhe's back stiffened, and she didn't want to turn back anymore. She buried her face in the pillow and silently shed tears.
“Shanshan…” Liang Shao placed his hand on her shoulder, loosely holding it, and said in a hoarse voice, “I…I really want to ask you one question: were the things you said last night true? You said you like Big Brother, that you’ve liked him for a long time, is that true?”
Shanhe lay on the pillow, his throat feeling like it was stuffed with cotton, unable to utter a single word.
Seeing that she didn't move, Liang Shao spoke up again: "It can't be true, can it? You like me, right? I can tell. We were so close during the New Year, how could it be fake? Even if you wanted a divorce back then, it wasn't because you disliked me, right?"
"Shanshan, I really don't understand. You never said anything about your elder brother before, not a good word or a bad word, you just respected him as an elder brother. How come you say you like him now? Did he force you? I see that Qingyue and Miao'er are not by your side, did he use them to force you? Don't worry, just say the word and I will help you deal with your elder brother."
“If you don’t speak, it means you agree.” He made a move to get up. “I’ll go find him now.”
Shanhe quickly grasped his wrist. She turned her face, tears glistening in her eyes: "I didn't lie to you. I love my older brother, that's no lie. I feel really at ease with him."
"And what about me?" Liang Shao asked urgently, "So, was everything you did with me just an act?"
Shanhe lowered her head. She bit her lip, unsure how to explain. When she was with him, she hadn't hidden her true feelings at all. To say she didn't love him now would be a lie. Shanhe turned her gaze away and whispered, "I like him too..."
Liang Shao stood there, stunned.
Shanhe wiped away her tears: "That's just the kind of woman I am. You and your brother are both very good to me, and they've treated me very well too. I don't know... I don't know how to say it. Anyway, when you suddenly said you would come back in a year, it was my older brother who found me and stayed with me. He also helped Qingyue find an excellent marriage. I have no regrets anymore. Now that I have a baby, I think I should settle down. So, I chose him. Liang Shao, you don't need to come looking for me. Things are just as they are now."
"If you like me, why not choose me?"
Liang Shao grew increasingly agitated: "Just because of his distinguished reputation? Or because of his promising future?"
"No...it's just because he was the one next to me at the time."
"Now that I'm back, you can choose again."
Shanhe lowered his hand: "I've made my choice..."
Liang Shao suddenly lowered his head, cupped Shanhe's face, and kissed her. Shanhe initially resisted, but he held her hands tightly, and she gradually loosened her grip, letting him slowly penetrate her.
He gently stroked Shanhe's head and dark hair. When they parted, a glistening drop of liquid fell from both of their lips. Liang Shao looked at her stubbornly: "Alright, now you can choose again."
"Liang Shao, you can't—"
He immediately cut her off: "You're not allowed to say 'no'." He then sealed her lips with his.
After they separated, he said, "You can choose again. If you say no, can't, or don't want to again, I'll keep kissing you until you change your mind."
"Liang Shao, how could you be such a shameless scoundrel!"
“I am a scoundrel! I’ve been a scoundrel since I was a child! You know that, and I know that too. If I weren’t a scoundrel, I wouldn’t be myself.” He grabbed Shanhe by the back of her neck and bit her lips.
Liu Liu lay between the two of them, curling up comfortably.
*
Outside Cuiwei Pavilion, Liang Ye hurriedly entered the courtyard carrying a food box, only to find it deserted. Two young maids, who had been sweeping, were slumped over the railing, seemingly asleep. Startled, he quickly pushed open the door and entered, only to find the scene on the bed—
Liang Shao held Shanhe by the back of her neck, closed his eyes and kissed her. Liu Liu, who was sleeping on his bed, stretched comfortably like a lackey.
A sudden surge of anger rose in Liang Ye's heart.
"Liang Shao!"
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