Chapter 89: People Have Thousand Plans (End) Peanut
The truth behind the Pingyang Marquis's case surfaced with the candor of sisters Qin Huixin and Qin Lanxin. This case is both simple and thorny. It's easy to investigate, but quite complex to resolve.
Attitudes within the mansion were mixed. The old lady remained in seclusion, meditating on Buddhism and pretending to accept the authorities' decision. The Marquis of Pingyang, however, believed that Qin Huixin was, after all, the Crown Prince's wife, and that saving her face would also save the Pingyang mansion. He superficially placed all the blame on Qin Lanxin, but privately instructed her to remain in the ancestral temple, where she would never be allowed to leave while she lived.
The eldest princess resented the sisters' plot against Li Xuanhe and Xun Shu and insisted on a fair and impartial solution. She had already moved out of the Pingyang Marquisate and was gradually separating from it. While she had no immediate plans for a divorce, she no longer cared about the Pingyang Marquisate's reputation and simply sought justice for Li Xuanhe.
After all, this case involved the Pingyang Marquis' Mansion and the eldest princess, and a prince had died. Li Xuanhe decided to go to the palace and inform His Majesty, who was also his uncle, of the case in detail, and let him make the decision.
Li Xuanhe handed over the sign and entered the palace. He found that there was something unusual in the palace. It seemed to be much more solemn than usual.
The imperial guards came and went, their faces solemn. They didn't stop when they saw Li Xuanhe, but passed by as if they hadn't seen him. The eunuchs and palace maids lowered their brows and eyes, walking hurriedly, sticking close to the wall, almost blending into the palace.
Li Xuanhe was on his way to Taiji Palace when he happened to run into the Crown Prince leaving at the gate. The Crown Prince stopped him and took him to the East Palace. After dismissing the people around him, he lowered his voice and said, "Father is ill."
The emperor's illness is a grave national emergency; a single misstep could invite an invasion from a hostile nation, destabilizing the nation. However, the emperor of Daliang was an exception. Ever since he became absorbed in spiritual cultivation and neglected state affairs, the crown prince, acting as regent, gradually shifted power into his hands. For Daliang, the crown prince, though still a vassal, was in reality far more important than the emperor.
Moreover, the emperor had not been in very good health since he ascended the throne, suffering from minor illnesses from time to time, something everyone had long since grown accustomed to. For the crown prince to mention him so seriously this time, he must be seriously ill.
Li Xuanhe's expression turned serious. "The Fengshan Ceremony at Qishan is approaching. Can Your Majesty still hold out until then?"
The Crown Prince sighed and didn't answer directly. "Now the Imperial Master and Father live and eat together. When I go to visit him, I can only catch a glimpse of him from afar through the curtain. Don't worry if you laugh at me, but I don't know how Father's health is now."
"What about the Imperial Hospital? What did they say?"
The Crown Prince smiled bitterly, "You weren't in the capital a few days ago, so you didn't know. For the past six months, Father hasn't allowed the Imperial Physician to check his pulse. If he's feeling unwell, he's treated by the Imperial Preceptor. Even the elixirs he takes are personally made by the Imperial Preceptor. Father has great faith in the Imperial Preceptor. As a subject, I can only offer some advice, but the final decision on what to do rests with Father. All I can do now is order the guards to be strengthened, suppress the news, and protect this palace."
Li Xuanhe lowered his head and didn't respond. The Crown Prince paused, then continued, "I heard that the people from the Hall of Eternal Life have already found the disciples of the Sitian Pavilion before us. I wonder if they've already found the Sitian Pavilion's precious mirror through that person. This matter is of no small importance. Legend has it that the precious mirror can help people understand the past and predict the future. It is a very powerful object. If the precious mirror really falls into their hands, it will cause endless trouble to Daliang. Such monsters must be destroyed as soon as possible." He looked past the heavy curtains in the hall to the lush trees in the courtyard and sighed softly. "As long as they are around, I can't sleep well. I worry that they will shake the country... Ah He, we need to hurry."
Li Xuanhe remained silent.
While the princes of the enemy kingdoms were still vying for power, the princes of Daliang were more obedient than the last, willing to leave their doors unlocked at night and allow the crown prince to come and go as he pleased, proving they had no second thoughts. The crown prince of Daliang seemed secure in his position, but power could never be so securely held by one person, no matter if he was the emperor or the crown prince.
Power can spawn countless evil thoughts, drawing people in unconsciously, trying to get a piece of the pie without checks and balances. If the princes don't fight for power and the imperial relatives are content, there must be unrest elsewhere, like the eunuchs in the palace, or that damned Changsheng Palace.
In the eyes of Li Xuanhe and the Crown Prince, the Lord of the Hall of Eternal Life was even more troublesome than the restless prince. He appeared harmless, deceiving the world through his outsider identity, gaining their trust. Unknowingly, he mastered many secrets, using them to keep many on his tail. If he ever sought something greater than the position of Imperial Preceptor, these secrets would become his weapons, so he must be wary.
Li Xuanhe and the Crown Prince grew up together, forging a special bond. For Li Xuanhe, loyalty wasn't so much to His Majesty as it was to the Crown Prince and Daliang. He hesitated for a moment, weighing the matter in his mind before finally revealing the truth: "Don't worry, Your Highness. I also made some discoveries during my trip to Jiangnan."
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The eldest princess had moved back to the Princess Residence, but Li Xuanhe remained at the Pingyang Marquis Residence. He had been very busy these days and was worried about not being able to take care of Xun Shu, so he asked her to go with her mother to the Princess Residence so that she could be looked after.
When Xun Shu lived in the Marquis of Pingyang's Mansion, the two of them could still have breakfast and dinner together. But after moving to the Princess's Mansion, they couldn't even see each other for several days in a row. Only Yu Chang ran around every day, delivering messages and things, and became the only link between them.
After a few days, Xun Shu finally realized that she missed Li Xuanhe a little.
However, Xun Shu wasn't one for proactive action, so she kept her thoughts to herself. She had things to do now, and her days were quite busy. Every day, she'd look for an opportunity to wander around the Imperial Master's residence, searching for a hidden hole to sneak into the house. Then, she'd go to the Taoist temple in Changshengdian on the outskirts of the city to gather information, hoping someone might know Jiang Zheng's whereabouts.
Unfortunately, after days of searching, she found nothing. The walls of the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion were as solid as an iron barrel; not even an ant hole could be seen. Jiang Zheng seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.
It was raining that day and Xun Shu did not go out. After waking up in the morning, he walked out of the house.
The rain fell continuously along the eaves, like a curtain of glass beads. There was a bench under the eaves for people to enjoy the coolness, and Xun Shu sat on it, leaning against the railing beside him, supporting his head and squinting his eyes to watch the rain.
In Chaozhou, she disliked the rainy season. The constant downpours brought endless dampness, leaving her bedding soaked in water and unable to dry. Moss covered the corners of the yard, while gray-black mold covered the corners of the house. The books in the cabinets needed constant removal and drying, otherwise they would become waste paper.
She once thought that she would never like such weather in her life, but she didn't expect that after coming to the rainy capital, everything would become different.
She actually missed the coffin shop on rainy days.
In the square courtyard, the rain poured down like a curtain. The shop was quiet, so she and Jiang Zheng stayed indoors, sitting quietly under the eaves. Jiang Zheng lit the stove to make tea and prepared a small stove for her, with thin tiles on the fire, so she could roast peanuts.
At that time I thought it was normal, but now I don’t know if there will be a chance to go back.
She even didn't dare to tell fortunes anymore, for fear of getting an answer she didn't want.
Now, the square courtyard is no longer a shabby coffin shop. Jiang Zheng is nowhere to be found, she has no roasted peanuts at hand, and Li Xuanhe is busy with something else... She is not familiar with everything here and feels out of place here, as if she is suspended in the air and cannot find her way to the ground.
Xun Shu just stared at the rainy scene, and then she saw Li Xuanhe push open the gate and walk into her sight.
She didn't say anything, watching Li Xuanhe approach from afar, through the drizzling rain, and walk in front of her holding an oil-paper umbrella.
The two of them were separated by the railing, one standing in the rain and the other sitting under the eaves.
Xun Shu hadn't tied her hair this morning, leaving it loose and wet from the rain, plastering it to her cheeks. Li Xuanhe set the lunch box aside, brushed aside her loose hair, tucked it behind her ear, leaned over and pecked her lips. Standing up, his eyes curved, a bright smile on his face. "Ah Shu, did you know I was coming and wait for me here?"
Xun Shu was startled by his action, and after a moment's calm, she realized what he was talking about. She blinked, confused by his confidence. "It's raining today, and I don't want to go out. I woke up and sat here for a long time. You didn't tell me when you were coming, so do I have to wait for you forever?"
There was a subtle hint of grievance in her voice, which delighted Li Xuanhe so much that he bared his large white teeth. He walked around the railing, folded his umbrella, and leaned it against the wall. He smiled and explained, "I've been really busy these past few days. I haven't been able to go out with Ah Shu. It's my fault." He sat down not far from Xun Shu, separated from her by a food box, and scanned the courtyard. "Where's Ah Shui? Why isn't she here with you?"
"A Shui is very fascinated by cooking and has been busy in the kitchen with Uncle Huang these past few days."
"I didn't expect she'd find what she wanted to do so quickly," Li Xuanhe sighed. "A few years ago, Uncle Huang said he wanted to take in a disciple to inherit his legacy. I think Ah Shui is a perfect fit."
"Cooking is also about talent. I hope Ah Shui is the one with talent and can win Uncle Huang's favor."
Li Xuanhe opened the food box and took out the plates of dried fruits, placing them in front of Xun Shu. Xun Shu glanced at them and saw peanuts and almonds, exactly what she had been missing. She picked up a peanut, cracked the golden shell, rubbed off the thin red skin, and held it to Li Xuanhe's lips. "In the past, when it rained, I often roasted peanuts under the eaves. Sometimes, when the coffin was spacious, Uncle Jiang would buy me some honey syrup to pour over the roasted peanuts."
Li Xuanhe took the peanut and immediately stood up: "I'll go find some honey."
Xun Shu pressed his arm: "I don't want to eat honey now, I just want to talk to you."
Li Xuanhe naturally agreed with her: "Okay."
Xun Shu peeled another peanut, stuffed it into his mouth, and mumbled, "When I first saw you, you were badly injured, lying in the bushes, and I almost didn't see you. You were only breathing your last breath at that time, and you should have sucked on a ginseng slice to prolong your life, but how could you afford ginseng slices at the coffin shop? So I dug out a peanut and stuffed it into your mouth. I figured, since peanuts and ginseng are both dug out of the earth, they should be similar."
Li Xuanhe naturally had no memory of this, so he asked curiously, "What happened next?"
Xun Shu narrowed his eyes and thought, "What happened next? Later, I wiped the blood off your face, looked at your face, and then looked at your palm, and I had evil thoughts."
"Evil thoughts?"
"Yeah. The look of your face and palms showed that you must be a wealthy person. I thought you must be very rich. If I saved you, I could ask your family for a large reward, and Uncle Jiang wouldn't have to work so hard. Who would have thought that later—" Xun Shu shook his head and said no more, "Never mind, it's fate."
Li Xuanhe liked her statement very much: "We are destined to be together."
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