Chapter 200
Since Xiao Qiyun relinquished his heavy responsibilities and became the Prince of Chen, time seemed to slow down for him.
He became a completely idle prince, no longer concerned with the mountains of official duties and the intricate court relationships of the past. His greatest, and only, focus each day was on Su Zhelan in the Bamboo Wind Pavilion.
Thus, Zhufeng Pavilion in the Su residence became Xiao Qiyun's most frequent place. He came almost every day, sometimes arriving early in the morning with fresh flowers still covered in dew or hot pastries fresh from the oven; sometimes he would come in the afternoon with a book in hand, sitting by the window with Su Zhelan to read together, or play a game of chess.
Sunlight filtered through the bamboo shadows and fell upon the two of them, creating a tranquil and gentle atmosphere.
Xiao Qiyun would take meticulous care of Su Zhelan's daily life and diet, and patiently help him take care of the herbs. His gaze always followed Su Zhelan's figure tenderly, as if he wanted to make up for all the time he missed due to the constraints of his identity.
Su Zhelan was initially a little unaccustomed to such inseparable affection, but she soon became immersed in this focused and peaceful pampering, and the expression between her brows became more and more serene and peaceful.
However, it caused suffering for another person—Sheng Xuan.
As the deputy commander of the Western Camp of the Capital Region, he shouldered real military responsibilities. Every day before dawn, he had to get up and rush to the Western Camp to supervise drills, inspect defenses, and process military reports. Often, he would not be able to take off his military uniform until sunset, and then hurriedly return to the city covered in dust and exhausted.
Whenever Sheng Xuan arrived at Zhufeng Pavilion at dusk, or even under the starlight, he would often see Xiao Qiyun leisurely sitting in the courtyard enjoying tea, or leaning against Su Zhelan on a soft couch, chatting and laughing softly. There was an intimate atmosphere between the two that was difficult for outsiders to penetrate.
The room was always filled with a faint, precious incense scent that belonged to Xiao Qiyun, rather than the astringent herbal fragrance that Su Zhelan was used to.
"I'm back!" Sheng Xuan would always deliberately raise his voice and stride in, trying to break the overly harmonious tranquility.
He would first place his sword on the table, making a sound, then move closer to Su Zhelan, almost greedily inhaling Su Zhelan's scent, burying his head in Su Zhelan's neck and rubbing against him, complaining, "I'm exhausted! Those greenhorns are such a headache!"
Su Zhelan would always pat him on the back with a smile and hand him a cup of warm tea that had been prepared beforehand. Xiao Qiyun would sit to the side, watching leisurely, a knowing yet slightly teasing smile on his lips, occasionally adding slowly, "General Sheng, you've worked hard. How is everything in the camp today?"
To Sheng Xuan, these words always carried the subtext of "You go about your business, we're fine," which inexplicably made him grit his teeth.
He would secretly glare at Xiao Qiyun from an angle where Su Zhelan couldn't see, then hug Su Zhelan even tighter, declaring his ownership as if saying, "It's alright! No matter how busy you are, you still have to come back to see my Zhelan, right? So that some idle people don't take advantage of the situation."
Xiao Qiyun smiled but said nothing, only reaching out to tuck a stray strand of Su Zhelan's hair behind her ear, a natural and intimate gesture. Su Zhelan, caught in the middle, felt both warmth and a touch of helpless amusement as she experienced Sheng Xuan's hurried, travel-worn manner and Xiao Qiyun's unhurried gentleness.
As night deepened, Sheng Xuan, often exhausted, would start to doze off after leaning against Su Zhelan for only a short while. Su Zhelan would let him rest with his head on her lap, her fingers gently combing through his slightly sweaty temples.
Xiao Qiyun would quietly watch over Su Zhelan from the other side, draping a light blanket over her or serving her hot tea.
Such nights, while warm and cozy, are always tinged with a subtle tension. Sheng Xuan savors this rare tenderness, yet in his hazy state, he realizes that in every day he's busy fulfilling his duties, Xiao Qiyun occupies the vast majority of Su Zhelan's time. This realization makes him unconsciously tighten his arms around Su Zhelan's waist even in his sleep.
This repetitive, almost fixed pattern finally reached its limit one evening.
That day, military affairs were exceptionally demanding, and he was so busy that he was overwhelmed with work until the moon was high in the sky before he was finally able to leave. He rushed to the Su residence without even changing out of his armor, feeling a deep sense of grievance and anxiety.
When he strode into Zhufeng Pavilion, the scene he saw was almost the same as before: Xiao Qiyun was sitting leisurely on the soft couch by the window, holding a book in one hand and naturally putting his other arm around Su Zhelan's shoulder. Su Zhelan was leaning against him, seemingly already a little drowsy.
An empty teacup and a half-finished game of chess sat on the table, and the room was filled with a warm, almost languid, tranquil atmosphere that completely excluded him.
Hearing footsteps, Xiao Qiyun looked up, his expression calm and composed.
Su Zhelan was also startled awake. She opened her sleepy eyes, saw him, and gave him her usual warm smile, saying softly, "You're back? Why are you so late today? Are you tired?"
These caring words acted like a fuse, instantly igniting the long-suppressed grievances in Sheng Xuan's heart.
Instead of walking over to hug Su Zhelan as usual, he abruptly stopped, his shoulders slumped, and the corners of his mouth turned down, like a child whose favorite toy had been snatched away. His eyes were slightly red, and his voice, thick with nasal tone and undisguised accusation, shouted in Su Zhelan's direction:
"Tired! Of course I'm tired! I'm exhausted!" He kicked the threshold, like a sulking dog. "But what am I working so hard for?! Just to watch him monopolize you from morning till night! To watch you with him, admiring the flowers, the grass, and the moon! And what about me? What about me?!"
He became more and more aggrieved as he spoke, his voice trembling: "I'm like an idiot, I have to go to roll call before dawn, drill with those smelly greenhorns all day, and finally manage to get back as fast as I can before dark... and what do I get in return? You've already had dinner and played chess, and are probably ready to rest! I only get a tiny bit of free time!"
He rushed to the bedside, ignoring the dust covering his body, and squatted down, burying his head in Su Zhelan's knees. He continued to complain in a muffled voice, full of resentment and a hint of whining: "It's not fair! It's not fair at all! Let whoever wants this damn official position take it! I quit! I'm resigning tomorrow! I'll stay here every day! I'll have breakfast with you in the morning and bask in the sun with you in the afternoon! Why does he get all the good things?! I don't care!"
He raised his head, looking at Su Zhelan with his wet eyes that seemed to say, "Please coax me!" His tone was both domineering and pitiful: "You have to promise me! After I resign from my post, you have to make up for all the time I spend during the day! Otherwise... otherwise I'll make a scene here every day!"
This childish outburst was less anger and more a carefully planned act of coquetry aimed at gaining attention and promises. Su Zhelan was taken aback by his sudden accusation, and then, seeing his aggrieved expression with his head buried in her lap and his shoulders trembling slightly, her heart melted instantly, feeling both amused and heartbroken.
Xiao Qiyun watched from the side, shaking his head helplessly, but a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. He had long noticed that Sheng Xuan had been holding back these past few days, but he hadn't expected it to erupt in this way.
Su Zhelan reached out and gently ruffled Sheng Xuan's stiff hair, her voice so gentle it could melt water: "Alright, alright, who said it's unfair? Get up, you're covered in dust, don't you mind getting dirty?"
Sheng Xuan raised her head and looked at him stubbornly: "Then will you agree or not!"
"I promise, I promise," Su Zhelan smiled and sighed, wiping away what might not have been a tear from his eyes with her fingertips. "Once you resign from your post, you can spend time with me however you want, okay? Now get up and go change your clothes, okay?"
Sheng Xuan then stood up with a satisfied hum, her face no longer bearing a trace of tears, clearly showing the smugness of a successful scheme, and she didn't forget to give Xiao Qiyun a victorious look.
Xiao Qiyun chuckled and helplessly shrugged at Su Zhelan.
After calming down a bit, Sheng Xuan, urged by Su Zhelan, went to the bathroom to quickly wash up and change into clean clothes. But the burning determination ignited by Su Zhelan's promise was still burning fiercely in his heart, and he couldn't wait even a moment longer.
He talked with Su Zhelan for a while longer, until he coaxed her until she looked relaxed and felt tired. After settling her down to rest, he could no longer restrain himself.
He had to start working on resigning from his official post immediately, and the first person he needed to persuade was his seemingly dignified but actually almost always obliging brother.
Once this idea takes hold, it spreads like wildfire.
As night deepened, Sheng Xuan did not stay, but went straight to the independent military tent of his elder brother, General Sheng Chi, next to the Western Camp of the Capital Region. The tent was brightly lit, and Sheng Chi was studying the border defense map at his desk, his brows displaying his usual composure and authority.
Seeing Sheng Xuan burst in, still in his armor, his face bearing a trace of lingering excitement and determination, Sheng Chi put down his pen, looked up at him, and said in a steady voice, "It's so late, why aren't you resting? What are you doing here?"
Sheng Xuan took a deep breath, unusually abandoning his usual carefree demeanor, walked to the desk, placed his hands on the table, and looked intently at Sheng Chi: "Brother, I don't want to be the deputy commander anymore."
Upon hearing this, Sheng Chi frowned almost imperceptibly, but did not immediately reprimand him. Instead, he asked in a deep voice, "Why?" He knew his younger brother well; although he was sometimes impulsive, he was by no means the type to abandon his responsibilities without a reason.
Sheng Xuan looked directly into Sheng Chi's eyes, his tone frank yet firm: "It's not for any other reason than that I'm tired of it. Being stuck in this capital region all day, following the rules and regulations, training new recruits, and dealing with trivial military affairs, this is not the life I want."
He paused, a genuine longing in his eyes, "I want to unload this burden and, together with... with Su Zhelan, go see the world and live a free and easy life."
Sheng Chi looked at him silently, his deep gaze seemingly trying to pierce through Sheng Xuan's facade and see the deeper reasons. But he didn't ask any questions; he just listened quietly.
As the elder brother, he knew all too well the deep-seated longing for freedom in Shengxuan's bones, and had long noticed that his younger brother had been restless lately.
Seeing that Sheng Chi did not immediately object, Sheng Xuan felt a little more at ease. She immediately pressed her advantage, leaned forward slightly, lowered her voice, and said with a hint of sharing a secret: "Brother, I have already thought about what to do. I promise to keep it clean and not tarnish the family's or your reputation."
Then, he presented Sheng Chi with the meticulous plan shown in your picture in detail and in a clear and organized manner.
He explained in detail how he subtly revealed his "old injury" in the military camp and when he met the emperor, how he planned to "suddenly" flare up his old ailment at the upcoming grand review in the capital, how he used the imperial physician's diagnosis, and finally the core wording of his resignation memorial.
Sheng Chi listened quietly, his fingertips tapping unconsciously on the table. He could tell that although the plan used the old injury as an excuse, it was indeed well-thought-out, preserving face to the greatest extent possible and giving the court the most dignified way out.
He knew in his heart that his brother was determined to leave, and any attempt to stop him would probably only backfire.
After Sheng Xuan finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the tent. Sheng Chi raised his eyes and looked at his younger brother for a long time with a complicated gaze. His eyes held scrutiny and helplessness, but in the end, they turned into a trace of almost imperceptible indulgence and doting. He sighed softly, his voice much gentler than before: "You... from childhood to adulthood, whatever you want to do, not even ten oxen could pull you back."
He stood up, walked to Sheng Xuan, and pressed his hand firmly on Sheng Xuan's shoulder. His tone returned to its usual calmness, but with an undeniable support: "Since you've thought it through, and you've chosen your own path, just don't regret it. I'll take care of the imperial physicians to ensure the diagnostic documents are flawless. I'll also have someone secretly coordinate the arrangements for the grand review in the capital, making sure it's done naturally and without leaving a trace."
He paused, looking at Sheng Xuan's eyes that lit up instantly, and added, "After you resign, go wherever you want. I'll take care of things at home, so don't worry. But..." His tone turned slightly somber, "The world is dangerous, so take good care of yourself and don't make me... and your sister-in-law worry."
Upon hearing his brother's words, Sheng Xuan felt a huge weight lifted from his heart, a warm feeling welling up inside him. He knew that with his brother's words, his plan was already more than halfway to success. He rarely put away his playful demeanor and nodded solemnly, "Brother, thank you. I will."
Sheng Chi waved his hand, sat back down at his desk, picked up his pen, and said as if he had just handled a routine military matter: "Go, proceed according to your plan. If you need anything, come to me anytime."
Sheng Xuan grinned, regaining his sunny disposition, and gave Sheng Chi a rather awkward military salute: "Yes, sir! Brother, I'll be going now!" With that, he turned and left the military tent with light steps.
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