"JY, I just bought some candied chestnuts from that stall over there. They're really sweet! You should try some!"
The atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by LinHuaichu's voice, causing the two to quickly turn away to ease the awkwardness that had just occurred.
ChengSangJY cleared his throat and casually glanced at the nearby stalls.
LinHuaichu, oblivious to the situation, popped a chestnut into his mouth and looked at them in confusion, asking, "What's going on?"
"Nothing, nothing at all," ChengSangJY responded.
LinHuaichu found the two of them odd and turned to Huazhiyue, asking, "Zhiyue, why is your face so red? Are you cold? Do you want to rest in the teahouse over there?"
Huazhiyue, flustered, touched her face and quickly changed the subject, pointing to the hairpin in her hair, "Huaichu, how does my hairpin look?"
LinHuaichu finally noticed the hairpin and praised it, "It looks great. You're already beautiful, Zhiyue. Anything you wear looks good. By the way, where are our teachers?"
The three of them then realized that they had somehow lost sight of their companions.
"Didn't see them. Should we go back and look for them?" ChengSangJY suggested after craning his neck to look around for a while.
LinHuaichu, annoyed, handed the warm chestnuts to ChengSangJY and said impatiently, "Why look for them? They're adults, they won't get lost. They probably found it boring to accompany us and went off to drink. It's better this way; we can have fun on our own. Zhiyue, in three days after the temple fair, there's a hunting event outside the city. Do you want to join us?"
ChengSangJY rolled his eyes and subtly kicked LinHuaichu, thinking, "Is this guy stupid? Who invites a girl to go hunting?"
Huazhiyue smiled and replied, "I won't be able to join. I have to visit an old man tomorrow to deliver some things I bought today. After that, I'll be going with my teacher to pay respects to an old friend, and it will take a few days."
LinHuaichu nodded, "Oh, okay then."
"Is the teacher leaving the city? He didn't mention it," ChengSangJY asked, puzzled.
Huazhiyue nodded and asked, "Didn't he tell you? He goes to pay respects to an old friend every year around this time and stays in a house in the mountains for a few days."
LinHuaichu and ChengSangJY shook their heads but realized that since all court officials resumed duties only after the fifteenth day of the new year, there was no need for the teacher to inform them of his short trip.
In the tavern,
The now calm NanZhu sat across from ChengSangMo and began to tell her story,
"Your mother, Princess LanShi, was the only daughter of the BeiMo royal family. She was exceptionally talented in riding and archery and could match the best warriors in combat at just fourteen. BeiMo, unlike ChengSang, allowed both men and women to inherit the throne. After the old king passed away, the princess naturally took over the state affairs. However, the ChengSang emperor, seeing a woman ruling BeiMo, wanted to annex our land under the guise of a marriage alliance. The princess refused and sent the envoy back. The following year, ChengSangKing led an expedition against BeiMo."
"Although BeiMo is small, we cherish our freedom and the sky above us. We do not wish to become part of another land. General Lin led the Scarlet Lin Cavalry against the princess on the battlefield, and after several battles, they grew to admire each other. They met in secret and fell in love, meeting occasionally in the dead of night."
NanZhu's story unfolded like a slowly opening door, filled with thorns, fear, and temptation. ChengSangMo couldn't help but grip his cup tighter, feeling a premonition that he couldn't discern as good or bad.
"The princess wanted to be with General Lin and proposed peace to ChengSangKing, on the condition that BeiMo's customs would remain unchanged. She was willing to marry General Lin as a gesture of goodwill."
"But General Lin already had a family and a son at that time," ChengSangMo interjected.
NanZhu nodded, "General Lin was honest about it, but the princess didn't mind. She genuinely loved him and was willing to be a concubine in the Lin household just to be with him."
Tears fell from NanZhu's eyes. The princess, once cherished by all of BeiMo, was willing to become someone else's concubine for love, which pained NanZhu deeply.
After wiping her tears and steadying herself, NanZhu continued,
"We thought ChengSangKing had agreed and even held a banquet in her honor. But that despicable man drugged the princess's wine. He took advantage of her in her intoxicated state..."
NanZhu's voice trembled, unable to finish the sentence.
Crash~
ChengSangMo knew the ending, and the emotions boiling inside caused him to crush the cup in his hand, his trembling hand bleeding.
"Your Highness, you're bleeding!" NanZhu quickly grabbed a silk handkerchief to press against his wound.
ChengSangMo couldn't tell if he was more angry or shocked. He felt breathless, his voice trembling as he said, "Continue."
"Your Highness, let me treat your wound first," NanZhu said, wrapping his wound with the silk handkerchief.
"I told you to continue!" ChengSangMo suddenly roared in a fit of anger.
Desperate to know the whole truth, ChengSangMo was losing control, feeling as if he were sinking into quicksand, struggling to breathe.
Startled, NanZhu sighed and continued,
"After that, ChengSangKing imprisoned the princess and sent a letter to General Lin, falsely claiming that she had been returned to BeiMo to handle state affairs. He then brought General Lin's wife to the military camp, and after she became pregnant, he sent her back."
ChengSangMo trembled uncontrollably, asking,
"Why did General Lin then massacre BeiMo?"
"ChengSangKing thought the princess would negotiate for her child's sake. But when General Lin learned the truth, he planned to rescue her and escape. ChengSangKing pretended to negotiate with him while sending troops to slaughter the people of BeiMo and framed General Lin for it. The princess, learning of his plan, tried to stop him but was too late. She saw ChengSangKing pull a spear from General Lin's back. The capital of BeiMo was filled with corpses and rivers of blood. In her grief, the princess hanged herself on the city walls."
NanZhu's eyes were tightly shut, tears streaming down her face.
ChengSangMo listened with a calm expression, but a tear still escaped, revealing his sorrow. He had imagined many scenarios about the truth, but he never expected such a blood-soaked, selfish reality that cost hundreds of lives.
The air in the tavern was filled with the faint scent of wine.
In a slightly intoxicated state, MuJinling danced alone in his room, his thin figure like a wisp of green silk fluttering with the cold wind blowing in from the half-moon window. He held a brush, dipping it in tea and writing a few lines on the floor,
"Old friends remain as they were, unaware of their past selves. The road ahead is full of doubts and fears, with no clear return."
When he was still MuJinXB, he was a well-known talent in the capital, adept at poetry and calligraphy. If not for the fall of the MuJin family, he might have become a top scholar and held an official position in the court.
MuJinling dropped the brush, letting the ink fade away, and staggered towards his inner chamber.
The entire third floor of Drunken Immortal Tavern was his private suite. The entrance hall had a large half-moon window, with a couch beside it and a small table. The main hall featured an eight-immortal table with several round stools. To the east, a bamboo archway with white drapes served as a divider, hinting at a hidden area where MuJinling often played the qin. To the west, a large bamboo screen hid a low table with simple tea utensils and a slowly smoking incense burner. Cushions and a few backrests were placed on the floor. Behind the screen was his sleeping chamber, with a simple couch, a dressing table, and a wardrobe.
ShangGuanCY once asked him, "A single screen separates your bedroom and the main hall. Aren't you worried about safety?"
"It's just a place to sleep. Why make it overly luxurious? Besides, safety has nothing to do with where I sleep," MuJinling had replied.
As the master of the Zuiyue Pavilion, he was always guarded by the Wind Assassins. With their unparalleled speed and stealth, he could sleep even in a tree and still be safe.
"Mother, did you know everything back then? Should I let him know?"
MuJinling, exhausted from dancing, knelt on the floor, his drunken eyes filled with confusion as he muttered.
Eighteen years ago,
Empress Xiao invited the wives of the six ministries to the palace for a banquet to admire the peonies.
When the banquet ended that night, only the wife of the Minister of Personnel, MuJin Zhiyao, did not return home.
At that time, the Minister of Personnel was MuJin Qianmu. He sent people to inquire at the palace and was told that Lady MuJin, unable to handle her liquor, was being kept in the palace by the Empress for the night.
After that night, Lady MuJin was imprisoned in the palace for various reasons. During this time, Minister Qianmu would often receive letters from his wife, saying she was accompanying the Empress and that everything was fine, so there was no need to worry. However, he never saw her in person, and no one in the palace had seen Lady MuJin either.
MuJinXB was very young at the time and did not remember these events clearly. Despite Minister Qianmu's repeated pleas, the Emperor always found excuses to avoid the issue. The MuJin family had been civil officials for three generations and were somewhat soft-hearted by nature, so they waited in vain for more than a year.
When Lady MuJin finally returned home from the palace, she was a different person, always preoccupied and often staring blankly in the direction of the palace. Although Minister Qianmu and his wife had always been harmonious, she intentionally distanced herself from him after that year.
When MuJinXB was fourteen, his father was falsely accused of treason and imprisoned. Lady MuJin showed no surprise upon hearing the news, as if she had expected it all along. She merely said,
"It is fate that cannot be defied."
She then left a letter and was found dead in the MuJin family shrine the next day.
That same year, MuJinXB went from being the most renowned scholar in the capital to a prisoner. Despite ShangGuanCY risking his life to save him, the Xiao family sought to disgrace the MuJin family further by making MuJinXB the first male official courtesan in ChengSang's history.
In the palace,
ChengSangJY stood alone, staring at the empty space where a fake mountain once stood. ChengSangMo happened to pass by and, curious, stopped to look.
"Your Highness," passing eunuchs and maids greeted him.
ChengSangJY showed no emotion as he pointed to the space where the fake mountain had been and asked,
"Did Mother have this rock removed?"
The eunuchs and maids exchanged glances before one hesitantly replied,
"The Empress said the rock was old and might collapse, posing a danger to Your Highness, so she had it removed."
ChengSangJY stared blankly at the mark on the ground, his eyes unfocused.
Sensing his mood, the eunuchs and maids respectfully retreated, knowing such incidents were common between the Empress and the Crown Prince. They left ChengSangJY alone, staring at the ground in a daze.
Hearing slow footsteps behind him, ChengSangJY assumed it was the steward urging him to return and said without turning,
"DuoDuo, is it true that anything I've touched can't remain in this palace? Why won't Mother even leave me a place to breathe?"
When he received no response, ChengSangJY continued,
"Actually, I should feel happy. As the Crown Prince, with many people around me, I should focus on becoming a good ruler. But why does it feel so empty and painful here?"
ChengSangJY lightly tapped his chest, sighed, and turned around.
ChengSangMo stood there, listening to his words, feeling displeased. In his moment of sorrow, ChengSangJY remembered everyone but him, making him realize he was insignificant in his brother's eyes.
"Brother Mo... MoLan prince."
ChengSangMo's heart tightened. The title "MoLan prince" confirmed that he was nothing but an outsider. ChengSangMo's eyes twitched slightly as he turned to leave.
ChengSangJY raised his hand and softly called out,
"Brother Mo."
"I... I bought this at the temple fair a few days ago, thinking you might like it as a New Year's gift." ChengSangJY carefully took out a brocade bag and handed it to him.
ChengSangMo turned to look at the brocade bag and then at the young prince, who dared not meet his eyes, and remembered NanZhu's story.
After hearing NanZhu's story at the tavern, he had spent several days processing his emotions. He thought he could handle it, but hearing ChengSangJY call him "Brother Mo" made his heart ache. The little JY he had watched grow up was now so distant.
ChengSangMo finally took the brocade bag and opened it in front of ChengSangJY, revealing a wooden horse.
"This is made from top-quality agarwood. It's good for your health," ChengSangJY said hesitantly, head lowered.
ChengSangMo looked at the wooden carving. In the past, he would have smiled, but now he asked in a cold, deep voice,
"A gift for me?"
ChengSangJY nodded vigorously, and in the next moment, ChengSangMo grabbed his chin, forcing him to look into his eyes.
ChengSangMo leaned in, his imposing presence growing, and asked,
"XiaoYun, since this is a gift for me, can I dispose of it as I please?"
ChengSangJY's eyelashes fluttered, and he nodded slightly, confused. He watched as ChengSangMo raised the wooden carving and, without hesitation, threw it into the nearby lotus pond.
ChengSangMo released his chin and said indifferently,
"But I don't like childish things like this. The Crown Prince should not waste his efforts on such things." He then turned and left.
ChengSangJY stood there, stunned, unable to process what had just happened. He then turned and jumped into the lotus pond, frantically searching.
ChengSangJY had not told Brother Mo that he had spent days and nights carving the wooden horse by hand, thinking he would like it since he used to love intricate little trinkets. He never expected his carefully crafted gift to be discarded so readily.
As ChengSangMo heard the splash, he paused, closed his eyes in pain, and left, thinking,
"XiaoYun, I'm sorry. The further you stay away from me, the safer you'll be."
The water in the lotus pond was shallow, but ChengSangJY couldn't find the wooden carving. For a moment, he felt like he was not searching for the carving but trying to retrieve the ChengSangMo he once knew.
The next morning, when LinHuaichu came to meet him for their outing, he immediately noticed ChengSangJY's haggard appearance.
"JY, you don't look well today. Maybe you should skip the hunt and rest."
ChengSangJY, having spent most of the night in the pond, felt dizzy but wanted to get out of the palace to clear his mind. Forcing a smile, he said,
"I'm fine. I might have caught a chill last night. I don't want to miss the hunt; it's a rare opportunity."
"A chill! What are your eunuchs doing, not taking care of you properly? I'll deal with them when I get back!" LinHuaichu fumed.
"It's my fault. I couldn't sleep and opened the window to look at the moon, then forgot to close it. It's not their fault," ChengSangJY explained.
LinHuaichu pouted and rolled his eyes,
"You're too kind. How will you manage the palace staff with such a gentle temperament?"
The weather was exceptionally nice, with bright but not blinding sunshine and a gentle breeze.
The hunting ground was set in the mountains outside the capital. ChengSangJY rarely left the city, mostly on fixed days each year, let alone for such an unrestrained day of horseback riding.
LinHuaichu rode a particularly beautiful black horse and boasted,
"JY, look at my horse. Isn't it gorgeous? My brother brought it back from BeiMo. I begged him for a long time before he let me borrow it today!"
ChengSangJY inspected the horse and agreed it was impressive. Taller than usual horses, its glossy black mane and strong hooves were striking. He nodded in approval,
"It's indeed a fine horse."
LinHuaichu proudly patted it,
"Isn't it? It's a rare sight! An old horse trader in BeiMo gave it to my brother, saying our father saved his family. This horse can travel a thousand miles a day and find its way home. My brother says it runs to him no matter how far away he is, just with a whistle, without any training. Amazing, right?"
As LinHuaichu talked, ChengSangJY's thoughts drifted back to last night, leaving him unresponsive for a while.
Coincidentally, they ran into ChengSangMo and his entourage at the crossroads.
"Greetings, MoLan prince," LinHuaichu greeted politely.
ChengSangMo nodded, glanced at ChengSangJY, said nothing, and rode away.
ChengSangJY instinctively hid his left hand behind his back, concealing the cuts from the
pond's sharp stones. When LinHuaichu had asked earlier, he said he didn't know how it happened. Seeing ChengSangMo, he felt guilty and avoided eye contact.
LinHuaichu found it odd, as ChengSangJY usually greeted ChengSangMo politely. Why was he acting so awkwardly today?
"JY, what's wrong? Why didn't you greet your brother?"
"I'm fine. Let's go. We should start hunting before it's too late," ChengSangJY deflected, riding into the forest.
At Drunken Immortal Tavern,
"Master."
"Everything is set?" MuJinling asked lazily, looking at the distant forest from the window.
"All set. Seven top Wind Assassins and dozens of Shadow Guards are stationed in the forest, ensuring everything goes smoothly."
MuJinling glanced at a blooming peony by the window, picked up a pair of scissors, and said,
"The peony is too bright, losing its original elegance." With that, he cut the blooming flower and began plucking its petals.
Meanwhile, in the forest,
A figure emerged from a tent, saying,
"Master, Zuiyue Pavilion has mobilized several Wind Assassins and multiple Shadow Guards."
Slender, pale fingers placed a black piece on a Go board, then picked up a white piece, rolling it between the fingers,
"So he's finally making his move. Keep an eye on Xiao Yongnian's guards. If necessary, eliminate them." A sly smile played on the lips, and a piece was placed on the board.
In the forest, a guard next to ChengSangMo asked,
"Your Highness, should we inform them to cancel, as the Crown Prince just saw us?"
ChengSangMo waved his hand dismissively,
"No need. We're just here to hunt."
ChengSangJY, distracted, missed several close targets.
"JY, it ran your way!" LinHuaichu shouted as another arrow missed its mark.
ChengSangJY snapped out of his thoughts, quickly aimed, but missed again.
"JY, what's wrong today? That's the fifth one you missed, and it was so close," LinHuaichu complained.
"Sorry, I didn't sleep well last night," ChengSangJY sighed.
LinHuaichu could tell it wasn't just a bad night's sleep but knew ChengSangJY wouldn't share if he didn't want to.
"Forget it. It's just a rabbit. Let's consider it lucky. Come on, I'll show you something," LinHuaichu said.
The two rode through the forest, eventually reaching the mountaintop.
Seeing the clear sky and vast scenery, ChengSangJY dismounted and walked over, marveling,
"Wow, it's beautiful. I didn't know the capital looked like this from afar. Do you come here often, Huaichu?"
LinHuaichu also dismounted, nodding proudly,
"Yes, I used to come here often as a child. My mother said if I missed my brother, I should shout towards his direction, and he'd hear me. So I often came here," he explained, pointing towards the border.
ChengSangJY loved the place, where he could see the whole capital and the vast sky. He sat at the cliff's edge, letting his feet dangle, spreading his arms to feel the breeze, as if he were a bird soaring freely in the sky.