Chapter 183: Together to the End
The autumn mood was long and lingering…
The bell of Pu Ji Temple chimed from afar, startling countless birds from their roosts.
Incense smoke curled in the Great Hero Hall, where the candlelight burned brightly. Dozens of monks in grey robes were chanting sutras, their voices deep and distant.
Xue Sui knelt on the cushion with Wen Jia for the time it took to steep half a cup of tea, until the morning bell’s echo faded and the morning service concluded.
“Ping’an,” Wen Jia said, gently rising and supporting herself on her knees, her voice tinged with a third of weariness.
“Do you think the Empress Dowager will truly believe that painting is an authentic work by Ye Sheng, and thus treat my mother and me with newfound favor?”
She felt uneasy about this sudden grace.
Xue Sui gazed at the lotus lamp on the offering table, the flame dancing in her eyes.
The old Empress Dowager had manipulated affairs in the palace for half a lifetime, her heart hardened like iron, yet she was not someone who could completely cast aside her conscience…
“The Empress Dowager believes not in the painting, nor the medical sutras, nor in any supposed divine will,” she said softly. “It is because she carries guilt in her heart… The death of Consort Xue Shu, the plight of Consort Wan, which of these is not related to her? The birthday gift you brought can lift the shackles on her heart, freeing her from the burden of sin and sleepless nights.”
Wen Jia nodded, her gaze falling on the jade bracelet on her wrist—a gift from the Empress Dowager yesterday.
“After being a princess for so many years, today I finally taste the favor of the imperial family. A golden branch and jade leaf, truly dignified. No wonder Ping Le is so arrogant and unruly. If I had been pampered and spoiled since childhood, I fear I too would be unable to resist being willful and reckless…”
She sighed with self-mockery, then suddenly stopped speaking, her expression darkening.
“Ping Le has been sent back to the Princess’s Mansion, which has temporarily quelled the storm. No one expected His Majesty to dote on her so much… and forgive her once again.”
This was such profound paternal love.
Not only Wen Jia couldn’t understand…
Xue Sui felt the same.
She didn’t know if there truly was a father in the world who loved his child so dearly. But Emperor Chong Zhao, as an emperor with many children, doted on Ping Le exclusively. Such deep affection for his offspring was unheard of in an imperial family…
Xue Sui couldn’t help but recall the somber face and tense back of Li Zhao she had seen that morning while passing Vermilion Bird Street, and she smiled faintly.
“Karma and reincarnation have their own destiny, it’s only a matter of time. Some people will eventually pay the price for their actions.”
She stood up, looking at the morning mist gradually dissipating outside the hall, “Princess, it’s getting late, let us go for our vegetarian meal.”
Wen Jia responded and rose, tidying her clothes, and left the Great Hero Hall with her.
Several maids followed closely behind.
As they rounded the corner of the hall, they saw a young sami hurrying towards them, his steps urgent.
“Two benefactors, the vegetarian meal is prepared in the monastic room on the east side, please follow this humble monk.”
Several exquisite vegetarian dishes were already laid out in the monastic room. Tofu steamed with fine white vapor, the aroma of mushrooms entwined with the fresh scent of bamboo shoots.
Wen Jia, ravenous, washed her hands and sat down.
“Finally! The vegetarian meals at Pu Ji Temple are exceptionally good… The few days I spent in retreat last time actually made my palate too discerning, and I’ve been craving them ever since…”
She smiled and began serving the dishes, but Xue Sui had no appetite.
Just now, the young sami, while passing by to deliver the meal, had slipped a wax pellet into her palm.
She discreetly crushed the wax seal with her fingertips and read the few words on the note.
“The bamboo forest path on the back mountain.”
Xue Sui’s expression remained normal as she dropped the note into the incense burner. The moment the sparks licked the corner of the paper, footsteps were heard outside the door.
“Madam, Princess Consort Duan sent someone to ask when you will return to the mansion?”
Wen Jia’s hand, holding chopsticks, paused slightly, and she looked towards Xue Sui.
Xue Sui’s expression was calm, her tone indifferent yet considerate, “Looking at the sky, it might rain heavily soon. By the time we finish copying the scriptures, it will be late. I will stay at Pu Ji Temple with the Princess tonight. Please relay to the Princess Consort that I will return before noon tomorrow.”
The person acknowledged and withdrew.
Xue Sui sat down, gripping Wen Jia’s hand tightly, and said earnestly, “Please trouble the Princess to cover for me for two hours. I will definitely return by the hour of You (7-9 PM)…”
Wen Jia nodded, her fingertips gently squeezing hers, “Go ahead. If anyone asks, just say we are in the purification room bathing and burning incense, quietly copying scriptures, and no one is to disturb us—we won’t give ourselves away.”
Xue Sui thanked her, called Ru Yi over, gave a few instructions, then quickly changed clothes with her, pushed open the window, and quietly slipped out through the corner gate of the back courtyard.
Ru Yi, meanwhile, put on Xue Sui’s outer garment and sat with Wen Jia at the desk, copying scriptures stroke by stroke…
–
Prince Duan’s Mansion.
In the living room of Ying Yue Residence, incense smoke wafted, a faint, elusive fragrance that made one drowsy.
“This Suxin Orchid Incense is truly exquisite…”
Princess Ruihe personally poured tea and pushed it towards Xue Yuechen. The white jade bracelet on her wrist clinked against the celadon, and her soft, sweet voice sounded lazy and endearingly naive.
“Tea and incense blend perfectly, ideal for slow conversation.”
Xue Yuechen’s brow furrowed inadvertently, “Thank you, County Princess, but I’ve been feeling listless lately and don’t care for tea.”
Princess Ruihe saw her wariness and distance, her eyes slightly raised, revealing a hint of unwillingness without concealment.
“The Princess Consort is fortunate to have the Prince’s favor and to have borne him a son, truly enviable. Unlike me, ever since returning to the capital, I’ve been plagued by nightmares every night, unable to find peace…”
Having said this, she seemed to gather her courage.
“I heard that Madam Ping’an once made a calming scented sachet for the Prince, which was quite effective. Ever since she had this sachet, my Second Brother has neglected the beauties of the inner chambers and has only favored the Princess Consort and her sisters…”
Xue Yuechen’s heart tightened.
Such a matter was known only within the inner chambers of the Prince’s Mansion.
How did an outsider like her hear about it?
The Prince?
A chill ran down Xue Yuechen’s spine, her expression turning cold and displeased.
“They are merely ordinary items of the boudoir, please excuse me, County Princess.”
Princess Ruihe suddenly covered her mouth with a silk handkerchief, her eyes flickering as if with tears, “I get along well with the Princess Consort, so I don’t treat you as an outsider. I heard that sachet can calm the mind. Could the Princess Consort bear to part with one? So that I too can sleep soundly and find a good match soon…”
Xue Yuechen lowered her gaze, sniffed the tea, and set it down without a word, a smile spreading in her eyes.
“If the County Princess likes it, I should have sent it to you personally. However, this calming scented sachet was specially concocted by my sister for the Prince, and the Prince treasures it. If I were to act on my own, I fear the Prince would blame me…”
She raised the corners of her eyes, her smile faint.
“The County Princess and the Prince are both from the Imperial Clan and share a sibling bond. The Prince would certainly not refuse the County Princess’s request. Why don’t you… ask the Prince for it?”
Ruihe was choked by her words.
What a Princess Consort Duan she was.
They all said she was gentle and weak, but who knew she was so formidable.
If Li Huan were willing to see her, would she need to come to Prince Duan’s Mansion to curry favor with his Princess Consort?
“County Princess!” a young maid hurried in, glanced at Xue Yuechen, and whispered a few words into Ruihe’s ear.
Princess Ruihe’s expression changed, and she hastily rose to take her leave.
“Princess Consort, I have troubled you greatly today. I will visit again another day to pay my respects.”
Xue Yuechen politely rose and escorted her to the mansion gate.
“Fei Cui,” she said softly, watching the carriage depart, “Do you find the County Princess’s behavior today rather strange?”
Fei Cui disliked Princess Ruihe visiting every few days, under the guise of friendship, deliberately trying to get close to the Prince.
Upon hearing this, she pouted, “What’s so strange about her? She just wants to cling to the Prince.”
“Not necessarily,” Xue Yuechen shook her head, looking at the churning dark clouds in the sky, “I feel like she’s hiding something. She wouldn’t be planning some trick, would she?”
As she spoke, she seemed to realize something and suddenly stopped.
“What about my Sixth Sister, could something have happened?”
The Prince had asked her to keep an eye on Xue Liu, but she had let Xue Liu go alone. If something happened to her at Pu Ji Temple, she wouldn’t know how to explain it to Li Huan…
Fei Cui was dismissive, supporting her as they walked inside, “Princess Consort, don’t overthink it. Just take care of yourself and don’t worry about these trivial matters.”
Xue Yuechen nodded helplessly, feeling very uneasy.
–
Xue Sui went to the bamboo forest on the back mountain of Pu Ji Temple and wandered around. After about a quarter of an hour, she descended the mountain from the bamboo path and took a detour to You Huang Ju.
The sky was gloomy and growing darker.
Dark clouds piled up layer upon layer. While still halfway, the dense rain began to pour down like fine silver needles…
Lai Fu, braving the rain, entered with a copper pot, intending to refill his master’s water.
The tea brewed on the table was steaming, untouched.
The Crown Prince sat before the desk, polishing his sword, exuding an aura that kept others at bay.
“Your Highness…”
The window lattice creaked, interrupting Lai Fu’s words.
He glanced over warily, about to inquire, when he heard Li Zhao speak coldly, “You may go.”
“Yes.”
“Close the door.”
Lai Fu dared not linger, and after acknowledging, he retreated.
As soon as the door closed, the window creaked open in the wind.
Xue Sui, with no other choice, also experienced the sensation of climbing through a window. She entered, wrapped in mist and dampness, with a few blades of grass clinging to her hair. She looked pretty, her eyes bright, her demeanor more spirited and graceful than usual.
Li Zhao looked up and sneered.
“Madam seems to be quite leisurely. Have you finished copying the scriptures at Pu Ji Temple?”
“I am not as worried as Your Highness,” Xue Sui brushed the grass from her head, glimpsed the trauma ointment bottle on the desk, sniffed the medicinal smell in the air, and then looked at Li Zhao’s shoulder.
“Your shoulder injury hasn’t healed yet? I didn’t notice it when I saw you during the day…”
Li Zhao’s eyes were sharp, “You know the answer but ask anyway, why pretend to be so important?”
Having become familiar with him, Xue Sui dropped many formalities. Seeing him sitting sternly, silently wiping his sword and refusing to acknowledge her, she knew he was angry about her not coming to You Huang Ju that night.
She smiled, unfazed and calm, and slowly sat down, then leaned forward to look at the official documents on his desk.
“Didn’t you say the Love Silk Flower has sprouted? I came to take a look…”
Li Zhao reached out and snatched a secret letter from in front of her, tossing it into the brazier.
The flickering firelight illuminated his somber face, his expression icy.
A sudden cold wind from outside made the firelight sway violently, almost extinguishing it.
Silence reigned.
Xue Sui’s hand missed, and she casually poured herself a cup of cool tea, drinking it down unceremoniously before slowly smiling at him.
“His Highness the Crown Prince is so cautious, you don’t consider me one of your own? If you keep things hidden, how can we join forces to break the deadlock?”
Li Zhao lowered his gaze and fiddled with the sword tassel, still not responding.
Xue Sui raised her eyes, “It’s just about the inspection of the Divine Arm Camp’s equipment. If Your Highness doesn’t let me see, does that mean I won’t know?”
“Madam knows too much,” Li Zhao’s brows furrowed slightly. Suddenly, his wrist turned, and the gleaming sword drew a cold arc, steadily pressing against her throat.
His movements were sharp, yet the force was as gentle as a lover’s touch.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll silence you?”
Xue Sui’s eyelids twitched slightly.
The man’s clear, crisp scent mingled with the lingering aroma of the incense burning in the room, entering her nostrils.
The silk ribbon she had used to tie Li Zhao that night was now tied around his wrist, like a silent bond, evoking a hidden and alluring memory…
Instead of retreating, Xue Sui moved forward, her red lips almost brushing his jaw.
“Isn’t King Xizi’s ambition more to be feared than mine?”
The warm and familiar breath was close at hand, and a raging fire seemed to tear through her chest and abdomen, an inexplicable restlessness rapidly escalating. Li Zhao’s body stiffened, his entire being petrified.
After a moment, he came to his senses and abruptly pushed her away.
“What exactly do you want?”
Xue Sui tidied her clothes and said unhurriedly, “I want Your Highness to help me uncover King Xizi’s pawns in Shangjing.”
Li Zhao sneered, “Why do you think I would help you?”
“Because Your Highness also wants to secure the position of Crown Prince and not let Ashina’s plot succeed, destroying the Li Shi empire.”
Xue Sui’s gaze was fiery, looking directly into his eyes.
Li Zhao was silent for a moment, then suddenly called her name, “Xue Ping’an.”
Xue Sui nodded obediently, lowering her eyes and sleeves.
“Does Your Highness the Crown Prince have any advice?”
Li Zhao gazed at her quietly, his sharp gaze like two fiercely burning flames, as if to ignite the stray hairs by her temples, then burn a hole in her heart and see through her completely.
“You went to such lengths to stir up trouble in this murky water, all to fulfill my ambition?”
Xue Sui: “Of course not.”
Seeing the surging undercurrents in his eyes, she paused slightly, turning the beads on her wrist.
“We are in the same boat, sharing fortune and misfortune, and each taking what we need.”
Li Zhao stared at her with complex eyes, his voice slightly hoarse, “Knowing that our destinies are different and we can never be together, why bother wading into this sea of knives and fire?”
Xue Sui was taken aback.
Did the Crown Prince also have moments of self-importance?
Did he perhaps think that her involvement in court disputes was to be with him, and blindly believed that they could never be together?
How amusing!
The Love Silk Gu was indeed harmful, look how worried it made him…
Xue Sui tilted her head up, meeting Li Zhao’s lonely gaze.
“Why care about the smoothness of our future? If heaven has eyes, heaven will pity and see. Fate has bound us together, we will go as far as we can, one step at a time, one journey at a time…”
Li Zhao’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he looked at her for a long time, “How much confidence do you have?”
“Seventy percent,” Xue Sui knew he was asking about clearing out the Xizi Death Warriors, and held up her fingers to indicate, “As long as Your Highness does as I say.”
As they were speaking, they suddenly heard footsteps outside.
Li Zhao frowned, “What’s going on?”
A guard hurried in and knelt on one knee, “Your Highness, Princess Ruihe, for some reason, went to Pu Ji Temple and claimed that there is a Xizi spy hidden in Madam Ping’an’s room…”
Princess Ruihe?
Xue Sui was slightly startled and exchanged a look with Li Zhao.
“I have to go.”
Li Zhao suddenly grabbed her wrist, the candlelight casting a glow that made his pupils burn.
“Don’t panic, I’ll go with you.”
Two chapters combined, goodnight readers!
