Chapter 46 Do you love or hate him? ...
"Young Master Xiao, what is it?"
Xiao Xun stepped out the door, only to find that Lin Yu and Lin Yuan had not gone far and were talking by the lake.
His voice made the two of them turn their heads simultaneously.
Xiao Xun hurriedly stopped in his tracks.
"Ah Yuan, don't go, please don't go, okay?"
Lin Yuan smiled, then turned to Lin Yu and said, “Brother, if you want to find someone to ride with, why not ask Master He to go with you? He said yesterday that after taking his own medicine, his cold has improved a lot. He even invited me to go to the countryside to admire the plum blossoms today, but I had forgotten. It would be perfect if you could accompany him, riding horses and admiring the plum blossoms at the same time.”
"Horse riding?" Xiao Xun raised an eyebrow, surprised. "When Master Lin said he was leaving the Prince's Mansion, was it just to go horse riding?"
"Otherwise what?" Lin Yu asked with a faint smile playing on her lips.
On that quiet night, he awoke with a start from that chaotic dream.
The light, slightly larger than a firefly, had long since turned into complete darkness.
Lin Yuan was already fast asleep, their hands still clasped together through the quilt. He moved slightly, the quilt slipped, and they let go.
The corner of the quilt he was clutching was wet and crumpled into a ball.
He splashed snow water on his face and went to the study of the Prince of Huaiyang.
"Do you know who he is?" the Prince of Huaiyang asked nervously.
He had long anticipated that Lin Yu would visit late at night, which was why he hadn't slept a wink all night. This was an unspoken understanding between the two of them.
When a king and a commoner must meet in private, they must avoid being seen by others.
"Is the Prince of Huaiyang referring to Xiao Xun?"
Xiao Cheng paused slightly upon hearing the name, then put his hands behind his back and stomped his foot angrily: "Did that scoundrel Xiao Jin, who can't keep secrets, tell you...?"
“It wasn’t the young master who said that,” Lin Yu interrupted.
Xiao Cheng sighed deeply, "Alas, don't blame your uncle and Ajin. We kept it from you because His Majesty's arrival was too sudden. Your uncle is dull-witted and has been away from the court for many years. He doesn't know His Majesty's temperament and really doesn't know how to deal with him..."
“I know that the Prince of Huaiyang and his heir are afraid that if I find out his identity, he will reminisce about the past, lose his sense of propriety, and get into trouble, which could also implicate the Prince of Huaiyang’s mansion and even the Kingdom of Huaiyang.” Lin Yu said helplessly, tugging at the corners of her lips.
Xiao Cheng opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Lin Yu said somewhat apologetically, “Unfortunately, it’s not about whether I reveal my identity or not, but rather that he is clearly already suspicious of me. He and his men are very vigilant and perceptive. Before the banquet started yesterday, the Minister of Ceremonies was ostensibly chatting with Minister Cui, but he was observing me out of the corner of his eye. It seems that since there are records of me in the Huaiyang State Government, I’m afraid that someone from my family in Chang’an has already gone to inquire about me.”
"Then, at the banquet, you spilled your wine glass. Was it His Majesty's deliberate scheme to lure you in?" Xiao Cheng gasped.
"It was my carelessness." Lin Yu couldn't help but clench her fist under her sleeve, her fingertips digging into her palm and causing a sharp pain.
When he heard Xiao Xun mention his mother, he spilled his wine.
After so many years, he had long since learned to remain calm and composed, even when Cui Guoxiang and He Ji mentioned the late Crown Prince Xiao Heng and that old case from back then.
But it was his mother. And it was almond cake made with hazelnuts—something he himself had almost forgotten.
He hated that he had forgotten, yet he was heartbroken that Xiao Xun remembered.
“I had a blue birthmark about the size of a coin on my arm,” Lin Yu sighed. “I didn’t expect him to remember it.”
Xiao Cheng felt a chill run down his spine, still shaken: "Luckily, you were meticulous and prepared in advance. This actually dispelled his suspicions—"
Lin Yu shook her head and smiled bitterly: "I'm afraid I can't hide it from him. After all, it's not smooth, brand-new skin. If he's observant and suspicious, he'll think that using a burn to cover up a birthmark is just trying to make things worse."
"When did you find out that he was His Majesty?" Xiao Cheng asked again.
“I had some doubts back then when the heir of the Prince of Huaiyang called him uncle. He claimed to be the son of the Prince of Yuzhang. At that time, I became suspicious.”
Lin Yu explained, “Not to mention that Yuzhang Kingdom is close to Baiyue, it is not as powerful and wealthy as Huaiyang Kingdom. Under the Enfeoffment Edict, Yuzhang has countless princes and grandsons. Even the crown prince can only inherit a small place. Even if the crown prince of Yuzhang goes to Huaiyang Kingdom, he probably wouldn’t dare to accept the crown prince of Huaiyang Kingdom’s title of ‘uncle’ without a second thought.”
He smiled slightly. "Tonight, he was so focused on probing my identity that he neglected to protect his own. How could a prince without any official rank or title command the authority of the Grand Master of Ceremonies and the Grand Master of the Palace?"
Xiao Cheng couldn't help but admire Lin Yu's exceptional intelligence and meticulous attention to detail.
"These speculations are certainly too bold and insufficient to serve as evidence."
Lin Yu sighed softly: "He knew I had a birthmark on my arm, so he tried to test me. Little did he know, I also knew that he had a scar on his shoulder. It was from when he fell off a horse as a child."
"Uh... the scar on your shoulder?" The Prince of Huaiyang's sigh trailed off. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Lin Yu. "How did you see it?"
"Of course, it was when he took off his clothes."
It was on that day that Xiao Xun lost the pitch-pot game and was left with only his undergarments. The winter robe was thick and heavy, and he was clearly used to being waited on, so he didn't need anyone to help him put on and take off his clothes. He was not very skilled at it, and that's how the scar on his shoulder came into Lin Yu's sight.
This clearly contradicts Xiao Xun's claim that he enjoys traveling the world.
Wandering the world, wielding a sword, even with guards and attendants following him around, he still occasionally had to eat in the open and rely on his own strength.
Whether it's sunny or rainy, snowy or mountainous, who can tell whether someone walking on the road is a commoner, a nobleman, or even royalty?
"……oh."
After a long silence, Xiao Cheng finally spoke hesitantly, his face full of worry: "Then, what about your feelings towards His Majesty..."
Lin Yu lowered her eyes and smiled bitterly: "Does it matter what I think of him, whether it's love or hate? I'm just a commoner, insignificant, and my love and hate are not worth mentioning. What's important is how he treats me?"
Xiao Cheng sighed, "That position should have belonged to your father, and to you as well."
“What is right or wrong? The world is ever-changing. Who knows what would have happened without the events of the three years of the Heavenly Hunt? Xiao Xun has been in that position for so many years. First there were powerful ministers, then there were rebellions, and now there are people who are good at manipulating power and sowing discord. Does he ever feel at ease?”
Lin Yu spoke casually.
Xiao Cheng sighed deeply: "I still remember when you were young, you, Your Majesty, and A Jin were all around the same age and often played together, riding horses, playing football, and throwing arrows into a pot. At that time, your father even joked with me and the late Prince Yan that your friendship was better than that of us, your own brothers."
"I said back then, the Crown Prince, at this age, was personally taught by the Emperor. When they went out, they rode in the same carriage and sat at the same table. We, the other brothers, only dared to watch from afar, strictly adhering to the proper relationship between ruler and subject. How could we dare to get close, let alone laugh and joke so recklessly?"
He chuckled softly as he recalled the past. "Of the three of you, Ah Jin is the oldest, yet the most mischievous. You are the most proper and well-mannered, while His Majesty, relying on being a generation older, is the most unrestrained and arrogant. But there is only one place where he loses his arrogance: as soon as he arrives at Siqi Garden, he will go to the Crown Prince to beg him to stay a few more days, saying that he does not want to return to the palace and asking His Highness to submit a memorial to the Emperor to request that he stay a few more days."
Lin Yu chuckled lightly: "That happened more than ten years ago. It's kind of you, Prince Huaiyang, to still remember." There was a hint of melancholy in her laughter. "The person I knew then was A-Xun. But the person now is His Majesty."
“Yes, it’s been more than ten years.” Xiao Cheng murmured, as if a cold water had been poured over his head, his pupils suddenly contracted, “The current emperor is very shrewd and his actions are unpredictable. I’m afraid he has already suspected the Prince of Huaiyang’s mansion.”
To be fair, Xiao Xun had absolutely no connection to the case of the deposed crown prince's rebellion. In the third year of the Tian Shou era, he was not even eight years old when he lost his elder brother, friends, and playmates, and soon after, he lost his mother.
Xiao Cheng even felt that Xiao Xun felt sympathy and regret for that old case and the people involved, which is why he was able to carefully preserve a bronze pitch-pot to this day.
—But that was under the condition that the entire Crown Prince's family had died.
The deceased can be remembered, sympathized with, and mourned.
But it's different for the living.
Imperial power is a sword, a longbow, a spear, which pushes the living to the extremes, making them natural enemies.
Mortal enemies.
His Majesty has doubts about Lin Yu, but isn't Xiao Cheng himself also a man on the chopping block?
Qu Qingchuan raised an army under the pretext of supporting Xiao Yu, the last son of the late crown prince. The Changshui Xuanqu Hu cavalry sent to suppress the rebels were ordered to be enfeoffed as kings and marquises upon capturing the rebel leader.
Does this bandit leader not include the head of "Xiao Yu"?
The information he gathered was that at that time, Su Dan, under the emperor's orders, entered the Xiongnu enemy camp alone, wielding an eight-foot-long yellow staff.
Su Dan said to the Left Chanyu, "What Xiao Yu? Xiao Yu's body was destroyed in the great fire of the third year of Tian Shou."
The so-called orphan of the crown prince was nothing more than a deception orchestrated by Qu Qingchuan to lure away the main force of Chang'an's army using Zuo Chanyu.
Su Dan was the princess's husband and one of the very few people who had ever met Xiao Yu.
Upon hearing this, Zuo Di Chanyu couldn't help but have some doubts.
Su Dan pressed on, saying: "Qu Qingchuan's promise to open the country's gates and that he would soon cooperate with the Grand Marshal and General in Chang'an to establish a new ruler, and that the Xiongnu could take this opportunity to gain 'three hundred li of border land' is a joke, a complete scam."
Even setting aside the fact that the late crown prince's orphan is a fake, even if the late crown prince were alive, he would still be condemned by the late emperor himself for regicide and treason.
Even if such a person were to be enthroned by the Qu family, it would be illegitimate and unjust. How could he possibly ascend to the throne of the Celestial Empire and win the hearts of the people?
Seeing that the Left Chanyu's face was growing increasingly ashen, Su Dan stood before the map of the territory in the Chanyu's tent, gesturing wildly.
As you can see, the armies of Chang'an and the surrounding capital have marched to Shuofang, Wuyuan, Yunzhong, and have even reached Yanmen and Daijun, lying in wait. Meanwhile, in Taiyuan, Hedong, and other places, they are still continuously conscripting soldiers, their forces already exceeding those of the original border garrisons.
Currently, the army of the Left Chanyu is exhausted, at a loss, and frequently suffers defeats.
Meanwhile, Qu Qingchuan marched south and captured Fushi in Shangjun without encountering any resistance.
Su Dan tapped his knuckles on the parchment map, his voice cold: "It's pitiful that the dignified Chanyu, with his great talent, was used by his sworn enemy without even realizing it. How laughable, how laughable."
Meanwhile, he had already sent someone to offer advice to the Right Chanyu who had retreated to the Han Sea.
The Left Chanyu's army was attacked from both sides. The army in front was unable to resist the attack from the capital region, and the army behind was cut off from its supplies by the Right Chanyu's army. The army was in a sorry state, suffering heavy casualties, and was like a stray dog.
He had already believed them and came to trade with them, promising that once the great cause was accomplished, the three hundred li of Shuofang and Wuyuan would be handed over without hesitation. In addition, Qu Qingchuan, who was "given 100,000 bolts of silk and 1 million taels of gold every year", was cunning and treacherous. He was a spy sent by Grand Marshal Qu Yang. Under the pretense of internal strife, he tricked the Xiongnu out of two thousand good horses that were good at fighting, in order to wipe out the Xiongnu who had returned to the northern desert.
What fine descendants of the Qu family!
Having not fought for so many years, he had forgotten that Qu Qingchuan's father, uncle, and grandfather were the Qu family who had driven them to the Han Sea!
It wasn't until after the Qu Qingchuan Rebellion was quelled that it was confirmed that "Xiao Yu" was indeed an orphan from the third year of the Tian Shou Rebellion.
His mother had been Xiao Yu's tutor, and his father was a guard at Siqi Garden, so he always carried a dragon-patterned crepe cloth belonging to the Crown Prince.
Xiao Yu was not killed by the Hu cavalry of Changshui Xuanqu, but was instead cut off by the Yan King's reinforcements who had defected. His head was placed in a wooden box and personally taken to Chang'an by Yan King Xiao Yue to show his loyalty to the court.
His Majesty bestows upon him 5,000 catties of gold and 1,000 bolts of silk, and grants an additional 2,000 households to Yuyang and Zhuojun, in recognition of the Prince of Yan's achievements.
...
A chill ran through the Prince of Huaiyang's heart.
Lin Yu bowed to the Prince of Huaiyang: "I have come here to bid farewell to the Prince of Huaiyang. I thank the Prince of Huaiyang and the Crown Prince for their care over the years. Tomorrow morning, I will leave the Prince's residence with my sister and the rest of the Huaiyang Academy."
"That's fine. That's fine too."
Xiao Cheng paced back and forth, nodding frequently. "I'll have carriages and horses prepared right away. You should leave early in the morning, at cockcrow. Fortunately, Cui Heng had the craftsmen work day and night to curry favor, so although there are still many projects under construction at the foot of Cuiwei Mountain, there hasn't been any heavy snow these past few days, and the mountain roads have been cleared. It's been three days since New Year's Day, and farming hasn't started yet, so it's the perfect time for the students at the academies to study. It'll be just right for you to go back."
Before Lin Yu could speak, Xiao Cheng suddenly said, "No, no. We can't go back to Cuiwei Mountain. We should go somewhere far away."
He pondered, muttering to himself, "Fortunately, your younger sister was quite frightened, and you are also worried and uneasy about it, so leaving is a logical thing to do. You can temporarily leave Huaiyang Kingdom under the pretext of taking your younger sister to relax. Fortunately, you have always loved to travel around, so this is also a logical thing to do."
"Yes." Lin Yu bowed and walked outside.
"No, you can't leave."
Lin Yu stopped in her tracks.
He hesitated and turned around, only to see Xiao Cheng pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, his steps getting faster and faster, and his words falling like rolling beads.
“Once you leave the palace, killing you will be as easy for him as crushing an ant. Even if you go to the ends of the earth, he will find you and kill you. No, no.”
Xiao Cheng's voice became anxious, "He's become suspicious, he's become suspicious... Once an emperor becomes suspicious, it's tantamount to convicting him. Suspicion is tantamount to guilt."
In the lamplight, tears welled up in his eyes.
He stared at Lin Yu, looking at the face that resembled his brother's, and his voice trembled: "Your father died because of the late emperor's suspicion."
Lin Yu paused for a moment, then said, "I will find a way."
Xiao Cheng shook his head: "Your father was benevolent, wise, brave, and fearless. So many people followed him and fought for him, but he still died."
Tears streamed down her face: "My brother protected me. At that time, I was in Huaiyang on the anniversary of the late Princess Consort's death. My brother wouldn't allow me to return to Chang'an and get involved in this mess. I was cowardly then. I was terrified of my father, your imperial grandfather, I've been afraid of him since I was a child. Your imperial grandfather, how cruel was he, who relied on cruel officials and waged wars on all sides? Oh, no, no, he cultivated immortality and Taoism, he wasn't human at all..."
"When the sounds of war broke out in Chang'an, I hid in Huaiyang, in the music and wine shops, indulging in sensual pleasures and getting drunk every day, not daring to go back. But now, I can no longer let you become a second brother."
“...Ayu”.
*
Lin Yuan returned to the East Garden.
"I only noticed the shadow of the tree moving just now, and knew that the north wind had suddenly picked up, so I rushed out. Ah Yuan is weak and should not be exposed to the cold."
"If you want to ride a horse, why not wait a couple of days until the snow has melted?"
"I'm recovering from my injury and have nothing to do, so it would be great to go for a walk to clear my head. We can go together."
"With more people, it's more lively, unlike being cooped up in Tingquan Courtyard where you only see a few people when you look up or down."
Xiao Xun smiled and continued speaking without pause, finally silencing Lin Yu's words to Lin Yuan, which she wanted to say as she looked back every few steps. She watched him walk away into the distance.
He then breathed a sigh of relief and quietly gave an order to send someone to inform the Grand Master of the Imperial Stud to buy a fine, short-legged horse.
He instructed, "It must be beautiful and docile."
East Garden, West Wing.
Xiao Xun said that although the place was small, it had everything she needed. He told her to make do with the clothes and accessories for now, and if she was dissatisfied with anything, she should just give the order.
Lin Yuan remained noncommittal.
This place is not small; it's several times larger than the rooms in Tingquanyuan.
It truly has everything one needs, so much so that even the dressing table, clothes chest, and cabinets are overflowing.
Seeing her hesitant expression, Xiao Xun explained with his hands behind his back, "This room was prepared for my people, and the Prince's Mansion dares not neglect it."
"So, this was originally where Li Shun lived?"
As Lin Yuan asked the question, her eyes widened.
Isn't this the phoenix hairpin that she praised the princess three times the other day?
She tried to make conversation, but after the third time she ran out of things to say, she finally examined the phoenix hairpin closely. This one was similar in shape, only the color was different.
The one on the princess's head, under the bright candlelight, resembled a red phoenix, while this one looked more like a blue luan.
Looking into the wardrobe, she saw the clothes she had praised a couple of days ago.
To be precise, they were similar brocades. The princess's dress that day was fully embroidered with longevity patterns, while the patterns on these satins were more youthful, featuring orchids and irises, with shimmering gold, dazzling the eye.
"..."
Xiao Xun sighed softly, "Of course not, how could Li Shun use these?"
Lin Yuan suddenly thought of the maid who had carried his outer robe all the way to the inner chamber. The clothes and the maid's size seemed similar. She also remembered that the princess had said she would arrange a personal maid for Xiao Xun.
It seemed she had usurped the position, so he nodded knowingly and didn't ask any more questions.
"Let's see if it suits us?"
The clothes were made by the weavers of the Prince's Palace working day and night over the past few days.
When Xiao Xun told her the measurements, the princess looked surprised.
He said calmly, "A person's height is nothing more than that; you can tell at a glance."
The princess repeatedly agreed, and the pair of imperial jade bracelets on her wrists, which were several sizes larger than they had been given, jingled in unison.
"No rush," Lin Yuan said. She was only staying for three to five days to repay Xiao Xun's favor and the Princess's favor before leaving.
Xiao Xun's brows relaxed. There was no rush; there was plenty of time.
Lin Yuan pursed her lips: "Then what should I do now? Grind ink? Do you want to write? Or, would you like some tea? I'll go brew some. By the way, do you still drink Xuefeng tea? I saw that the teapot in your room was brewing a different kind of tea, but I'll have to ask first if the Prince's Mansion has any."
Hearing her concerned words, Xiao Xun smiled broadly and stopped her in her tracks: "Rest now."
"?"
Did I chase after her just now to tell her not to leave, simply to tell her to rest?
Lin Yuan was completely puzzled.
"You've been frightened, and you must not have slept well these past two days. Get some rest. There are Imperial Guards protecting this garden, so there will be no accidents."
He thought for a moment, then said gently, "You are no longer my maid, but someone who has done me a great favor by taking care of my wounds. So you don't need to serve me anything else."
Lin Yuan turned her head to look at him. There was no one else in the room, and his Imperial Guards were outside. There was no one eavesdropping.
So, is he traveling incognito, addicted to playing the twenty-second, thirty-third, forty-fifth son of the Prince of Yuzhang?
However, since he was willing to play the role, Lin Yuan would not say "no".
Back in the day, after I learned the art of marriage, I played house with Ah Jin and Ah Yin. At night, I would even insist on dragging Lin Yu to pay respects to my parents.
I got a good beating from my father back then, and even Lin Yu got scolded. My ears are still burning to this day.
"In the middle of the night, while we were sleeping, we were kowtowing like this to our beds. Anyone who didn't know better would think we were dead!"
A blooming white peony tucked into her braid was also ripped off and trampled to pieces by her father, who was enraged.
Lin Yuan almost laughed, but then she thought that it was probably because she had to be ready to change the dressing at night, so she should rest during the day.
In this light, Xiao Xun has indeed made some progress, at least he understands the hardship of "clothes upside down before dawn".
"Then, should I keep watch for you?"
"No need," Xiao Xun said gently. "How could I bear to let you keep watch all night?"
"What if you want to take a bath at night?"
Xiao Xun was slightly taken aback, his Adam's apple bobbing: "You, you weren't... unwilling to serve me a bath?"
Lin Yuan curled her lips slightly: "What I meant was, since Li Shun is helping you bathe, can't he just change the medicine while he's at it?"
He remained silent for a long time: "Ever since you mentioned homosexuality, I feel a bit uncomfortable whenever I see a young man getting close. Li Shun's role in bathing me is limited to preparing the water and handing me a towel. I don't let him do things like changing the dressing."
"What's wrong with changing the dressing?" Lin Yuan asked blankly.
Xiao Xun slowly uttered a few words: "Intimate contact."
"But Li Shun isn't a man..."
"That's even more disgusting."
Lin Yuan bit her lip, suppressing a laugh.
Xiao Xun looked over and saw a touch of vermilion lips and a blush on her face.
Seeing that Lin Yuan did not seem to mind the physical intimacy, he lowered his head and chuckled softly.
"Then how am I supposed to know when you finished bathing at night and need your dressing changed?" Lin Yuan asked again.
Xiao Xun pondered for a moment: "Here's what we'll do. I'll have someone hang a copper bell on the eaves of this door. The rope will be tied to my window. If I really need your help changing the dressing at night, I'll pull the rope, the bell will ring, and you'll know."
Following his words, Lin Yuan walked to the window he pointed to and discovered that the two rooms were separated by a ten-foot-wide passageway, and their windows faced each other.
Compared to the Xuan Shi side hall and the rear hall, which are far apart, this place is much closer.
Turning his head, he saw Xiao Xun smiling with surprise: "What a coincidence. I was just thinking that if the windows on both sides are far apart, it won't be convenient. Now it seems to work."
Lin Yuan looked at the copper bell under the crescent moon, swaying gently.
A thin red rope was tied to the windowsill on the other side of the passageway.
The window was brightly lit, casting long, slender shadows.
A moment later, the shadow lengthened, folded, shortened, and became slanted. The straight-lattice window was pushed open halfway.
The shadow then became an embroidered image on the window screen.
The fence was bathed in moonlight.
Not moving at all.
Lin Yuan sighed and blew out a small lamp behind her.
She tossed and turned on the couch, the words she had spoken with Lin Yu in the courtyard during the day echoing in her ears.
"Brother, did you inflict the wound on Young Master Xiao's arm?"
"That's what he told you?"
"No. He didn't say. But that wound is clearly not from a silver needle." Lin Yuan asked anxiously, "If you didn't cut him, how could you have seen where he was injured the moment you came in?"
“He was the one who brought those assassins last time, and he almost got hurt. He only suffered a minor cut from my sword.”
Lin Yuan paused, "Brother, I don't want you to take revenge for me. Do you know who he is?"
“It’s the Emperor…” Lin Yuan slowly opened her eyes wide. Lin Yu slightly curled the corners of her lips and sighed, “…So what if he’s a member of the royal family?”
"Oh dear, but you're not just yourself, you also have your father and mother, and me!" Lin Yuan said anxiously. "If you act impulsively and hurt yourself, what will your father and mother do? What will I do?"
Lin Yu watched as the corners of her eyes gradually turned red. After a long while, he reached out and touched her head, saying softly, "I'm sorry, I haven't used a sword in a long time. It was my mistake."
Lin Yuan shook her head, biting her lip, and said, "I will stay and take care of his injury. It would be best if this matter just passed peacefully and he didn't pursue it. If he does pursue it, you should insist that it was an accident."
“He’s so proud and competitive, how could he make a fuss about being slashed by a weak scholar?” Lin Yu comforted him softly. “Besides, he shouldn’t be such a petty person.”
"You've only known him for a few days, and you already know what kind of person he is?" Lin Yuan thought with a sense of disappointment.
How could Xiao Xun not be a petty person?
After boating on Kunming Pool and returning to shore, he instructed the Water Balance Commandant to send men to properly manage the mandarin ducks in the pool.
Those with colorful feathers are not allowed to swim in pairs.
"The colors are too bright and glaring; they could easily capsize a boat." He pointed into the lake.
The Water Balance Commandant was taken aback: "Your Majesty, but those aren't mandarin ducks, they're wild ducks."
Xiao Xun remained silent for a long time: "...It's all the same."
Lin Yuan divided the lotus root in her hand in half and handed it to Wang Lu, who was sweating profusely.
Wang Lu reached out with both hands to catch it, but missed. He looked up and saw Xiao Xun's expression, and his whole body went cold, and the sweat flowed back into his body.
"Did you have permission to touch my things?" Xiao Xun raised his sleeve and used the edge of his sleeve to brush away Wang Lu's hand.
He raised an eyebrow and smiled at Lin Yuan, "I haven't had enough yet. The lotus root here is different from the usual one; I think it has a richer aroma."
"What smells like that?" Lin Yuan asked suspiciously.
“Meixiang,” he said in a serious tone.
Seeing Lin Yuan's inner thoughts, he chuckled, "The fragrance in the sleeve."
These words also reached the ears of the Water Balance Commandant.
The palace servants of Shanglin Garden later began to harvest lotus roots in a grand manner every day, causing half of the lotus flowers in Kunming Pond to wither and die.
Xiao Xun ate lotus root every day, and "his heart was half dead."
That's a story for another time.
When Xiao Xun picked Lin Yuan up from Lan Yue Pavilion and brought her down the mountain, they passed the place where they had gone boating that day. Xiao Xun mentioned the incident, and Lin Yuan couldn't help but burst into laughter. He laughed until tears welled up in his eyes.
"Fortunately, those days when I couldn't eat are over."
He looked at her smiling face and said softly.
The bell suddenly rang loudly.
The side door of the west wing leads through the covered corridor in the passageway, and in less than ten steps, you arrive at Xiao Xun's main bedroom.
Lin Yuan pushed open the door and entered, but there was no one there.
She walked straight inside.
She had only been here once during the day and was not familiar with the place.
The room was dimly lit, with only two of the multi-branched lamps lit, making it seem as if the room had changed its appearance again.
A single layer of goose feather curtains.
Behind it was a large lacquered table with a few books simply stacked on it.
A plain silk cloth lay flat, and it was a painting, which looked like a woman with her hair styled in a drooping cloud bun.
Lin Yuan couldn't help but want to get closer to see what was going on. She took two steps toward the desk, and the outline of the eyebrows and eyes in the painting came into view.
Is it the painting Qu Qingru mentioned? Is it the woman who caused him so much worry?
She stopped and lowered her eyelashes.
The phone kept ringing.
They were still urging us on, even though we were separated by a passageway and a wall.
She then walked around the desk and continued inside, past the glass screen.
A layer of green gauze curtain.
Hanging on the bed. She hurriedly performed the curtsy, looked up, and saw several layers of brocade quilts neatly laid out, but no one in sight.
On the low table beside the couch was a jade pouch with dragon and phoenix patterns, and jade pendants were neatly arranged. At a glance, one could see a dragon-patterned pendant, a green jade pendant, a white jade pendant, a jade ring, and a sword.
There are many different shapes and sizes of jade pendants. Sometimes they are jade discs, sometimes jade rings, sometimes jade dancers, and sometimes agate tubes.
The only things she noticed were the dragon-patterned pendant, which was said to have been passed down from the founding emperor, and the jade pouch that Xiao Xun always carried with him, and what it contained.
She had asked him this once out of curiosity.
"you guess?"
"Is it the Imperial Seal?"
He chuckled, speechless: "The imperial seal can be kept here?"
Lin Yuan saw the imperial seal for the first time later, and it was also the last time she saw it.
The jade seal was only an inch square and was stamped on a blank silk cloth.
"Is that a talisman?"
"Amulet?" he asked in surprise.
“Amulets are what family members ask the gods for peace, to ward off evil, to avoid disasters, to live long and be healthy. Therefore, they should be carried with them at all times so that they can protect and guard people.”
He didn't answer, but instead asked with great interest, "Do you have a talisman?"
"Mm." She nodded.
"What are you asking for?"
“Naturally, it’s the same as what people ask for,” she said casually.
She could say that it was a palm-sized pendant given to her by Lin Yu, with a dragon and tiger carved in openwork, to help her ward off evil spirits in the palace.
Xiao Xun never told her what was inside the pouch.
He didn't believe in ghosts or gods, so of course he didn't have any amulets. He just laughed and said, "You'll find out later."
Yes, she understands.
It's a token of love, so naturally it can't be separated from you.
She withdrew her gaze from the glaring dragon and phoenix pair, stood up, and walked towards the other side of the room, towards a place where a faint light emanated.
The candlelight in front of me brightened a bit.
A single layer of mica screen.
On the quilt, Xiao Xun's clothes were hanging.
Lin Yuan's gaze swept over the brocade outer robe and the snow-white inner garment.
A belt hangs from one side.
There was a faint red tinge on top.
Seeing the strange sight, she was about to reach out and brush aside the sleeves of the robe covering it.
Suddenly, a faint voice was heard from behind the screen: "Come in."
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Author's Note: Yuanyang: ? ? ? What did I do to deserve this?
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