Chapter 108: Lotus Seed Heart
The sound of rain hitting the bamboo forest was slow and mournful.
Xue Sui lightly fanned herself, standing under the eaves, looking across the water at Ting Yu Xuan, where the Crown Prince and Prince Duan were playing chess, its hazy lamplight visible…
Jinshu tiptoed over and draped a cloud-silk cloak over her shoulders, speaking in a low voice.
“Young Lady publicly embarrassed Fourth Miss. I heard she was very angry and fainted after crying in front of the Princess Consort. The Princess Consort quickly sent for someone from the medical clinic, saying her fetal qi was unstable…”
Xue Sui reached out and caught the raindrops falling from the eaves.
A coolness seeped into her palm.
She said slowly, “I used to pity her unborn child, thinking it innocent, and didn’t make things too difficult for her. But she doesn’t take her child seriously and flaunts herself everywhere, so I can only help her out a bit more.”
Jinshu’s lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something but swallowed it back.
The copper bells on the eaves chimed softly in the wind.
Jinshu said, “It’s windy outside. Young Lady, let’s go back inside to talk.”
Without waiting for Xue Sui to nod, she lowered her voice, “Prince Duan has arranged quite a few hidden sentries near our courtyard.”
Xue Sui walked through the corridor without looking sideways, and heard Jinshu say, “The back courtyard of Liu Shang Yan Gui has a Nine-Bend Corridor that leads directly to ‘Haitang Feng Heng’. The Crown Prince is staying in that courtyard tonight…”
Xue Sui’s lips curved upwards, revealing a faint smile.
Turning her head, she saw Mei Ruhui, holding an umbrella, hurrying past on the small path outside the courtyard.
This Crown Prince’s guest was usually the most cautious.
Hurrying like this in the rain, it was likely…
Xue Sui’s gaze flickered slightly, and she called out, “Lord Mei.”
Mei Ruhui stopped at a distance and, holding his umbrella, gave her a slight bow.
“Greetings, Madam Ping’an.”
Xue Sui smiled, “It’s raining heavily. Why don’t you come inside to take shelter for a moment, Lord Mei?”
Mei Ruhui looked at the sky and said with a smile, “This rain is unlikely to stop. I am in a hurry to deliver an umbrella to the Crown Prince. If I don’t go now, I fear the rain will get heavier and delay important matters.”
Xue Sui smiled faintly.
“Then, Lord Mei, please be careful. The roads are slippery when it rains, be careful not to fall.”
—
Ting Yu Xuan.
Li Zhao leaned back against a soft pillow, lazily picking up a black chess piece.
On the bronze incense burner with intricate carvings beside him, a pot of smooth and sweet lotus heart tea was brewing, its fragrance wafting gently…
Black and white chess pieces fell, making crisp clicking sounds on the chessboard.
Li Zhao smiled, “Imperial Brother’s chess skills have greatly improved.”
Li Huan’s voice, amidst the sound of raindrops, sounded somewhat ethereal,
“The Crown Prince’s style of play reminds me of that game ten years ago when the envoy from Wu Qiu entered the capital, and you and I played in the great hall. The Crown Prince, only ten years old then, was already showing his talent, with a sharp and aggressive playing style…”
“Imperial Brother flatters me.” Li Zhao chuckled, “I was young and reckless then. To get that set of ivory jade chess pieces, I disregarded royal decorum and publicly challenged the Emperor…”
Li Huan’s heart skipped a beat, and his brow furrowed.
“The Crown Prince liked ivory jade chess pieces, why did you give them to me?”
Li Zhao raised his eyebrows and said, “Imperial Father reprimanded me, so I had to give them away.”
He said it so casually, but Li Huan suddenly remembered Eunuch Lai bringing the chess pieces back then, his expression constrained, his steps hurried, and he had specifically told him to take good care of them, not to disappoint His Majesty’s intentions.
“If I had known this would happen, I shouldn’t have accepted such a generous gift back then…”
Li Zhao waved his hand dismissively, his tone indifferent.
“I was a child then. Now I have grown up, why would I care about a set of chess pieces?”
Because he wants more now?
Li Huan pondered inwardly, a gentle smile on his face.
“A brilliant move! Truly exquisite.” He changed the subject, looking at the board, and said with a faint smile, “This ‘Double Flying Swallows’ move, the Crown Prince used it with great skill.”
The bamboo curtain rolled up slightly, letting in a gust of cool wind.
Li Zhao’s fingertips brushed over the teacup, and he tapped the chessboard lightly with a black piece.
“What if I wasn’t trying to survive in the corner, but went straight for the center?”
Li Huan’s hand, holding a white piece, paused in mid-air, his brow furrowing slightly.
Silence filled the room.
From the gilded lion-shaped incense burner, a thin line of incense ash dripped.
The wind and rain grew stronger, and the copper bells on the eaves rang crisply.
From behind the screen, A Ji’s hushed voice could be heard.
“Your Highness, the Princess Consort said she has prepared a late-night snack at Ting Yu Xuan and invites Madam Ping’an to join her for a chat and meal. However, Madam Ping’an said she is not feeling well and will not be coming. The Princess Consort asks Your Highness if you would like to have some with the Crown Prince? She also said there is a zither set up in the pavilion to entertain the two Your Highnesses…”
“Alright.”
The chess piece fell into the chess box.
Li Huan looked at the glint in Li Zhao’s eyes and chuckled.
“I concede defeat in this game, Imperial Brother.”
Li Zhao suddenly let out a light laugh, “Imperial Brother mentioned the past, do you still remember the Yin-Yang Jade Interlocking Rings that the Former Emperor bestowed upon me when he was alive?”
Li Huan saw the unconcealed mockery in his eyes and his heart sank slightly.
He remembered, of course.
Those Yin-Yang Jade Interlocking Rings, one linked to another, were fine goods from Wu Qiu.
At that time, the Former Emperor was testing his imperial grandsons and asked which one could unlock them. The result was that Li Zhao, only four years old, unlocked them.
The Former Emperor bestowed the jade rings upon him, praising him repeatedly, full of expectations for his legitimate imperial grandson…
When Li Zhao was nine years old, the envoy from Wu Qiu came to the capital again and mentioned the old matter. Emperor Chong Zhao had Li Zhao present the jade rings in the hall.
Later, when Li Huan received the jade rings back from the envoy, he accidentally dropped them, causing the clasps to break…
Li Zhao was young then and furious, scolding him on the spot.
He said they were left to him by his Imperial Grandfather and that he had always cherished them…
Li Huan repeatedly bowed and apologized, but the Crown Prince was still relentless, causing embarrassment to the officials and the envoy.
Afterward, the Emperor punished the Crown Prince by sending him to Pu Ji Temple to reflect on his mistakes—
Li Huan thought of the past and remained silent for a long time before saying with a face full of guilt, “It seems that between Imperial Brother and the Crown Prince, there are too many knots that cannot be untied, just like those jade rings. This has led to constant rumors outside that you and I are not on good terms…”
Li Zhao said, “After Imperial Grandfather passed away, I no longer liked to untie those dead knots.”
He paused, then smiled and raised his eyebrows, “Thinking about it, Imperial Brother’s approach was correct.”
Li Huan: “Why does the Crown Prince say that?”
Li Zhao said, “If the jade rings cannot be untied, why not just break them? Why go to so much trouble.”
Li Huan sighed heavily, “I made one wrong step, and every step was wrong. Over the years, there have been so many misunderstandings between the Crown Prince and me. Fortunately, today, you and I, brothers, should open our hearts and be frank with each other to eliminate the estrangement and also to reassure Imperial Father and Imperial Mother…”
Li Zhao said, “I have never misunderstood Imperial Brother.”
Li Huan smiled gently and poured him a cup of lotus heart tea.
“Seeing that the Crown Prince likes lotus seeds, I had someone brew a pot of tea. Lotus heart tea can clear the mind and reduce heat, with a sweet aftertaste, perfect for drinking on a rainy day. Let’s drink and chat…”
Li Zhao seemed not to hear him, his gaze fixed on the chessboard.
“Imperial Brother lost this game because he was too impatient.”
He suddenly dropped a chess piece into the teacup, and the piece rolled in the boiling water.
“Like these lotus seeds, Imperial Brother only thought I wanted to eat the sweet flesh, but didn’t know what I liked… it’s precisely the bitter core.”
Reckless and willful, this was Li Zhao’s character.
Never giving anyone any face.
The meticulously brewed lotus heart tea was ruined by a single chess piece.
And Li Zhao didn’t give Li Huan time to react, nor did he accept the Princess Consort Duan’s hospitality. He stood up, flicked his sleeves, and left haughtily.
“I am tired and will take my leave. Imperial Brother, please help yourself—”
The bamboo curtain rolled up, bringing with it wisps of cold air.
Li Huan watched the retreating figure with a cold expression. After the sound of footsteps faded, he slowly poured himself another cup of tea, lowered his head to blow on the scalding water, and slowly drank it.
“Isn’t it bitter enough yet?”
—
After sitting in the inner room for a while, Xue Sui quietly led Xiao Zhao out through the back courtyard.
Walking around the Nine-Bend Corridor, she “accidentally” dropped her handkerchief by the pond.
The old woman keeping watch in the shadows quickly picked it up.
The two pretended not to notice and walked far away before stopping.
Xue Sui looked back for a moment and smiled faintly.
Xiao Zhao tugged at her sleeve, “Young Lady…”
She turned and saw Gu Ruoyi walking over with an umbrella, fine raindrops clinging to her hair.
“Sister Xue, it’s you.”
Gu Ruoyi’s tone was very cheerful.
As she got closer, she curtsied, “The fog is thick, I almost didn’t recognize you…”
Xue Sui asked, “Third Miss Gu, where are you going?”
Gu Ruoyi said, “The poem Young Master Zhao wrote at the Liushang Banquet today, I’ve copied it into a calligraphy practice sheet. My sister-in-law said it was well-written, and also said that Young Master Zhao’s poems are good, and his calligraphy is also good… she asked me to go and seek his guidance…”
The girl’s cheeks flushed, turning a deep red.
Xue Sui remembered that Zhao Hong had composed a poem 《 on lotuses to express his feelings 》 at the banquet today.
That was a truly rare masterpiece, worthy of first place.
Xue Sui smiled and asked, “Where is your sister-in-law? Why isn’t she accompanying you?”
Gu Ruoyi’s cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head slightly, “My sister-in-law is not feeling well and went to rest early. Sister Xue, it was very wrong of my sister-in-law to say that about you at the banquet today. Ever since she became pregnant, her actions have been somewhat improper. I apologize to you on behalf of her and Fifth Brother…”
The young lady curtsied slightly, and Xue Sui quickly supported her arm.
“I am also quite fond of talented scholars full of learning. Shall I accompany Third Miss Gu?”
Gu Ruoyi heard the unspoken meaning in her words.
Although it was proper for her to go see Zhao Hong, it was already dark, and it was inconvenient for a man and woman to meet.
If Sister Xue accompanied her, then she would have nothing to fear.
“Thank you, Sister Xue.”
—
Xue Sui and Gu Ruoyi headed towards Zhao Hong’s residence, Qixia Pavilion, and the figures of the Prince’s guards flashed in the shadows.
She deliberately paused at the corner of the covered walkway, letting the lantern in Xiao Zhao’s hand illuminate half of her profile.
“I forgot to bring my poetry manuscript. Third Miss Gu, please wait a moment, I’ll be right back.”
She heard the sound of a window being pushed open from the direction of Qixia Pavilion. Someone peeked out at her, and only then did she slip into the secluded garden surrounded by bamboo.
An arm reached out from the darkness and pulled her into a rock cave in the garden’s artificial mountain.
Li Zhao seemed to have arrived with the night dew, exuding the moisture of plants and trees. The jade pendant beneath his dark cloak shone with a gentle radiance, just like his handsome smiling face.
“Madam, how do you plan to play this game?”
Xue Sui spread a jade pendant in her palm.
Li Zhao looked down, “What is this?”
Xue Sui stuffed the jade pendant into his hand, “Your Highness, are you willing to be the diner who doesn’t eat the core?”
Li Zhao smiled slightly, “Didn’t Madam say that whether to eat the core of the lotus seed depends on the diner’s wishes?”
Xue Sui replied, “That depends on how bitter it is.”
With that, she stood on tiptoe, leaned forward, and whispered into Li Zhao’s ear.
Li Zhao glanced at her sideways.
Looking at a beauty on a rainy night was like green mountains shrouded in mist, adding to her charm.
Her dark hair was loosely tied in a bun, with a few strands playfully falling on her fair neck. Without any hairpins or ornaments, she was like a peony blooming wantonly, utterly languid and charming.
Her face was free of makeup, her skin, stripped of the cosmetic disguise applied by Xiao Zhao, was like petals moistened by spring rain, tender and smooth. Her slender jade neck extended downwards, her collarbones faintly visible…
She had completely lost the aloofness of Madam Ping’an from earlier, her eyes now sparkling with a smile, captivating and alluring, so close that it felt as if she could be touched with a hand, evoking endless imagination…
Li Zhao’s Adam’s apple involuntarily moved, his voice hoarse.
“Madam’s tactic of using a borrowed knife to kill is even more vicious than I imagined.”
“Not as much as the Crown Prince’s.” Xue Sui said softly, gazing at him quietly, “Didn’t the Crown Prince deliberately give me lotus seeds at the Liushang Banquet, precisely to provoke Prince Duan into action?”
Their eyes met, and they both understood.
After a moment, Li Zhao let out a low laugh, suddenly grabbed her waist, and pulled her forcefully into his embrace, his eyes showing an unconcealed heat.
“Imperial Brother’s guards will likely make their move in about two hours. Is that enough time for me to change my clothes once?”
“Crown Prince!” Xue Sui exclaimed softly, “The separate villa is full of hidden sentries, and Prince Duan could arrive at any moment…”
“It has nothing to do with me. It’s Madam Ping’an’s poison that is forcing me.”
Rainwater poured onto the rocks of the artificial mountain.
Their wet bodies pressed tightly together, as if being scorched by a fierce fire.
Perhaps Jinshu had dressed her a bit too warmly earlier, Xue Sui felt a fine layer of sweat seeping out…
She looked into Li Zhao’s eyes, feeling the scorching heat in his palm, and vaguely recalled what Senior Sister Yuheng had said when she left.
“Thirteen, this love silk lure is a life-saving charm, and also a death curse.”
—
The night was as dark as ink, and the rain poured down.
In the “Yu Jie Qing Shang” courtyard of Prince Duan’s separate villa, Xue Yueying dismissed Gu Ruoyi and sat by the window, staring blankly at the waterlogged stone steps in the courtyard.
Her face was pale, her eyes were red, and she had just finished crying.
Qing Hong cautiously entered, holding a medicine bowl, “Young Madam, it’s time to take your prenatal medicine…”
“Prenatal medicine?” Xue Yueying touched her swollen belly and laughed bitterly, “He ignores me, what’s the use of this pregnancy, what’s the use of him?”
Xue Yueying suddenly pulled out the golden hairpin from her head and fiercely stabbed it into the embroidered screen in front of her.
A beautiful twin lotus was instantly pierced by the hairpin and tore open with a rustle.
Qing Hong recoiled in fright—
Xue Yueying cried and laughed, then suddenly glimpsed her distorted face in the bronze mirror. It bore a striking resemblance to her birth mother, who had been forced to drink poison by the First Madam years ago, both filled with the same despair and helplessness.
“Will he come?”
“Will he come?”
“Who pities me…”
“Who will pity me…”
Qing Hong couldn’t understand what the Young Madam was saying at all.
The poem the Young Madam had composed at the Liushang Banquet today sounded so sad, and seeing her cry now, Qing Zhu also felt heartbroken.
Has Madam lost her mind from excessive grief?
She said, “Although Fifth Master has become a bit more irritable since coming out of prison, he still dotes on Young Madam immensely and doesn’t ignore her. Young Madam, please relax and take care of yourself…”
Xue Yueying silently shed tears and shook her head, “You all may leave.”
This small courtyard was the farthest from the water’s edge and the most secluded place in the Prince’s separate villa.
Unlike the residence Eldest Sister arranged for Xue Liu, that courtyard was spacious and beautifully landscaped, completely different from the loneliness here.
Her current humiliation and feeling of being inferior to everyone else were all Xue Liu’s fault…
“Knock, knock, knock—”
A soft knock on the window broke the silence of the night.
Xue Yueying’s heart trembled, and her fingers unconsciously twisted her clothes.
“Who is it?”
A deep male voice came through, “It’s me.”
She knew who it was.
Her heart pounded wildly as she slowly opened the window, tears falling.
“You… finally decided to come. Aren’t you afraid of catching the bad luck from me?”
Her voice was hoarse and weak, she tried to appear calm, but couldn’t hide the hint of grievance.
The man smiled slightly and stepped through the window, taking off his dripping bamboo hat.
He hadn’t brought an umbrella, his hair and clothes were soaked, clearly having rushed through the rain. He exuded a damp, cool aura from the rain, making his face appear even more handsome.
If it wasn’t Prince Wei Li Yan, who else could it be?
“The clear water reflects the shadows, but no one cares; I guard the secluded pond alone, resenting the long night. Young Madam Gu wrote such a poem, didn’t you just want me to come?”
Xue Yueying’s tears flowed like a spring.
“You understood my suffering, but you ignored my life and death. You have such a cruel heart…”
Li Yan smiled, looking rather improper, “How can my cruelty and wickedness compare to yours? You said the child in your belly was mine, yet you hastily married Gu Jie?”
Xue Yueying sobbed aggrievedly, “Is Your Highness still saying that? Isn’t it all because you refused to marry me? If I didn’t marry Gu Wu Lang, who else could I marry?”
Li Yan said nothing, and pulled her into his arms.
His body heat transferred through his wet clothes to Xue Yueying, making her feel uncomfortable and shiver.
Li Yan lowered his head, looked at her swollen belly, and spoke with concern.
“Don’t you like it?”
Xue Yueying wiped her tears with a handkerchief and gently pushed him away, tidying her clothes.
“You should go. I am in no state to serve you…”
“Am I the kind of person who only seeks pleasure in bed?”
“You are. You always have been. Hurry and go. If someone sees, no one would dare to speak to Your Highness, but I would be even more humiliated…”
Li Yan chuckled upon hearing her complaint, “Don’t worry, I’ve sent away the surrounding guards. Now it’s just you and me, we can have a private chat, and no one will know…”
Xue Yueying lowered her head, touched her face, and avoided his gaze.
She knew she must look terrible right now—her eyes were swollen from crying, her hair was a mess, her makeup was smudged, and she was haggard, no longer the delicate beauty she once was…
Thus, a hint of suspicion arose in her heart.
She asked, “You didn’t even spare me a glance back then… why are you looking for me tonight?”
A complex emotion flashed in Li Yan’s eyes. Hearing her voice tremble, he looked at her with unease, sighed slightly, and embraced her again.
“It is true that I have wronged you…”
“My current situation is difficult, truly bitter. I beg Your Highness for mercy…”
Xue Yueying’s voice was very soft, almost inaudible.
Li Yan gently held her, did not answer, skillfully brushed aside her tangled hair, and lowered his head to kiss her.
Xue Yueying let out a low sob, her body went limp, and she fell into his arms…
Does everyone feel that the New Year is even busier than usual? Day after day, it feels like I’m busy from morning till night, and still can’t finish everything…
Li Zhao: I also want to celebrate the New Year and wish everyone peace.
Xue Sui: Get out!
