HXC Chapter49

Tired and ill, Shen Yanqing traveled day and night to return to the capital. By the time he reached the back gate of his mansion, he was at his limit. If not for Yu He, who had brought men to wait at the door, he feared he would have fallen to the ground already.

 

Shen Yanqing winced, enduring the dizziness, and used his last bit of strength to carry Ji Zhen back to the main courtyard.

 

After he had settled the other party, Yu He came to report that Xiao Moli had heard Ji Zhen was being held by the third prince and had come to the mansion to see him.

 

Ever since Xiao Moli sent a letter to Ji Zhen at Hanshan Temple, Shen Yanqing had been even more adamant about preventing the two from meeting. But now, Ji Zhen was on the verge of a breakdown. Perhaps seeing a familiar face could bring him some comfort.

 

Shen Yanqing pondered for a moment before finally saying, “Let him in. You stay here and watch. You must report his every word and action with the Young Madam to me.”

 

Before Ji Zhen woke up, he needed to come up with an explanation to soothe his emotions.

 

Shen Yanqing dragged his heavy legs, pushed open the study door, and slumped onto a stool. The skin on his palms had been rubbed raw and was a mess from the reins. He needed this sharp pain to fight off the constant invading fatigue. He didn’t treat the wounds and just simply wrapped the bleeding palms with a piece of cloth, then closed his eyes, and thought.

 

The news of Ji Jue’s death on the way to exile reached him two days ago. He was tied up with official business in Jinzhou, but he still found the time and energy to send people to investigate the truth of the matter. Ji Jue had a Breathing-Concealment Pill that he had given him in prison. After taking the pill, one could hold their breath for two hours, appearing no different from a corpse.

 

Given the other party’s wit, he could have escaped at any moment, but the misfortune was that this grim news came right when a plague was spreading unchecked.

 

He couldn’t tell if Ji Jue had used a ruse to escape or was truly dead now.

 

Shen Yanqing’s head was splitting, as if he were trying to find the end of a tangled knot of thread that he just couldn’t find. His thoughts had never been so chaotic. He pressed his hand firmly to his forehead, yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t bring back his usual sharpness.

 

When Father Shen heard from a servant that Shen Yanqing had returned to the mansion, he was both shocked and so anxious he could barely speak. Fearing his son would be blamed, his first reaction was to send Shen Yanqing back to Jinzhou.

 

Shen Yanqing had his nose and mouth tightly covered with a thick white cloth and prevented anyone from coming near. He repeatedly promised he would return at daybreak the next day.

 

Father Shen pointed at him, “You’re muddle-headed, you’re so muddle-headed!”

 

How could Shen Yanqing not know that this action would give people something to talk about? Though he was a hundred miles away, but his heart ached for home. He needed to ensure Ji Zhen’s safety before he could feel at ease.

 

He felt a bit weak and was sweating profusely. These were the initial symptoms of contracting the plague.

 

Everything was going wrong.

 

Whether Ji Jue was alive or dead, the top priority was to put Ji Zhen’s mind at ease. In his muddled state, Shen Yanqing made a less than rational decision. He took a sheet of rice paper and once more copied the familiar handwriting, leaving behind just two simple words: “Wait for me.”

 

“Zhen Zhen, please wait for good news.”

 

“Brother is well, don’t worry.”

 

The two letters he had given Ji Zhen before, one real and one fake, were both meant to keep Ji Zhen from leaving.

 

But Shen Yanqing, who had tasted a bit of sweetness and was now muddle-headed, forgot that the same trick might work once, but using it too much would eventually backfire.

 

—

 

Ji Zhen jolted awake from a nightmare and abruptly sat up on the bed with his mouth slightly agape as he gasped for air.

 

Xiao Moli, who was waiting by his side, quickly stepped forward. “Ji Zhen, are you alright?”

 

Seeing that Ji Zhen had finally woken up, Ji An ran out, “I’ll go get the Young Master some ginseng soup to calm your nerves.”

 

Ji Zhen’s face was pale, only the corners of his eyes were red. He turned his gaze blankly toward Xiao Moli, and after a few moments, he asked in a trembling voice, “Xiao Moli, Gege, Gege…”

 

He bit his lip, choking back sobs. Remembering the moments before he fainted, his eyes flared with a vengeful hatred. He scrambled off the bed and, upon seeing Yu He, glared and gritted his teeth, “Where is Shen Yanqing?”

 

“My lord is in his study, Young Madam. Please rest first, he’ll be here soon…”

 

Hearing this, Ji Zhen strode toward the door but was stopped by Xiao Moli. “You just woke up, you shouldn’t be exposed to the wind.”

 

His body felt numb, and he shook his head. Xiao Moli firmly grabbed his hand. “Listen to me, sit down first.”

 

His fingertips brushed against warm jade, and Ji Zhen lowered his gaze in a daze, only to see a bracelet of pure emerald encircling Xiao Moli’s wrist. In that moment, his eyes widened in disbelief.

 

Xiao Moli looked at him deeply and said, “I know you’re heartbroken about Lord Ji, but you must also take care of your own body. If something happens to you, how can Lord Ji’s soul rest in peace?”

 

Ji Zhen’s eyes flickered, his long lashes trembled and clear tears streamed down. He no longer resisted as Xiao Moli pulled him to sit down.

 

Yu He watched the two of them while sighing softly.

 

Ji An soon brought the ginseng soup. With the repeated urging of Xiao Moli and Ji An, Ji Zhen reluctantly drank a few sips, but his expression remained vacant, like a puppet whose soul had been drained.

 

Tears were on all three of their faces. Xiao Moli earnestly tried to persuade him, saying things like, “The deceased has passed, please control your grief,” or bringing up how Ji Jue would have wanted him to live well. Ji Zhen only listened, not responding much. His tearful gaze kept wandering, inadvertently looking at Xiao Moli’s wrist.

 

Yu He, who was on Shen Yanqing’s orders, did not dare to be careless and remembered every word of their conversation. He didn’t notice anything unusual.

 

When Xiao Moli left, Ji Zhen was still sitting like a wooden statue until he heard footsteps outside the door. He then slowly raised his eyes.

 

In the spring twilight, Shen Yanqing stood in the golden courtyard in a dark blue outfit. His black hair was tied back with a single wooden hairpin. Because of the long journey, a few loose strands of hair slipped down by his eyes, swaying lightly in the wind.

 

Ji Zhen’s eyes, veiled by the carved wooden door, the tall railings, the budding branches, and the moss-covered steps, parted by the wind and the sunlight, traveled through love and hate, across spring and dawn, silent and unmoving, until they finally met Shen Yanqing’s gaze.

 

A past that could never be reclaimed, a present that could never be held onto.

 

So close, yet so far.

 

Ji Zhen stood up with his hand on the table slowly clenching into a fist. Shen Yanqing had indeed contracted the plague. Even though he deeply wanted to step forward and embrace Ji Zhen, he had to stay where he was. Before Ji Zhen could ask, he handed a sealed letter to Yu He, who then gave it to the other party.

 

When Ji Zhen unfolded the letter, he said, “I got this letter this morning.”

 

Ji Zhen looked at the familiar handwriting on the rice paper and suddenly felt a chill run through his body. He raised his eyes to look at Shen Yanqing, who, unlike his usual self, slightly averted his gaze before calmly continuing, “The Third Prince concocted Ji Jue’s death to drive a wedge between us. You must not believe him.”

 

Another attempt to sow discord? Ji Zhen didn’t understand why Shen Yanqing and Li Muhui, who were supposed to be on the same side, always had to involve an insignificant person like him. He crumpled the rice paper, swallowing his fear with difficulty, and asked, “Has my elder brother arrived in Ningzhou?”

 

A pounding ache like a chisel was hammering in Shen Yanqing’s head, and his hearing was not very sharp. He tightened his hold on his raw palm before answering, “He should have arrived by now.”

 

Ji Zhen’s heart sank like it was tied to a huge stone, all the way to the bottom of a lake.

 

He lowered his head, wanting to smile, but couldn’t manage it. He just said in a low voice, “As long as my elder brother is fine, that’s all that matters.”

 

Seeing that Ji Zhen had calmed down, Shen Yanqing instinctively took a step forward, but when he noticed his hidden arm, he forced himself to stop. He was supposed to comfort Ji Zhen and then immediately return to Jinzhou, but he had overestimated his own resolve. He watched Ji Zhen for a moment, then reluctantly said, “I still have official business to tend to. I can’t stay with you tonight and must set off tomorrow.”

 

Ji Zhen looked at the fatigue etched on the other party’s face and finally nodded, “Be careful on your journey.”

 

It was a very ordinary farewell, yet it reignited the light in Shen Yanqing’s weary eyes. He had been disappointed that Ji Zhen hadn’t seen him off last time, and now to receive a farewell was like hearing the most beautiful music. When he got to Jinzhou, he would investigate Ji Jue’s matter.

 

He didn’t believe that someone as intelligent as Ji Jue would end up being torn apart by hyenas. There were too many strange things about this incident, but with the plague taking hold, Shen Yanqing couldn’t untangle the threads as he normally would.

 

Fortunately, Ji Zhen was temporarily safe. Just wait a little longer, he thought to himself.

 

Ji Zhen watched Shen Yanqing leave. He found all three letters from his elder brother and spread them out on the table to examine every stroke. Each one was identical to his elder brother’s handwriting. Before the third letter came into his hands, he had never doubted the authenticity of the first two. But this time, he knew for sure that Shen Yanqing had lied to him again.

 

Now, it didn’t matter if it was real or fake. Ji Zhen collapsed onto the stool, first laughing silently, then weeping quietly. He laughed and cried like a madman.

 

“Ji An, get me a fire stick.”

 

He lit the papers, along with their envelopes and the flames instantly consumed the papers, burning them to ashes.

 

Ji Zhen touched his empty wrist, wiped away his tears, and whispered, “Gege is coming to pick us up…”

 

He had waited for this day for too long.

 

—

 

The next morning, Shen Yanqing bid farewell to his parents and left through the back gate of the Shen Mansion.

 

Because he had returned to the capital without an imperial order, Shen Yanqing avoided being seen. He wore a veiled hat to conceal his face and traveled along a small path in the south of the city.

 

The previous night, he had been tormented by the plague as well as worried about the grief-stricken Ji Zhen, and unable to abandon the people of Jinzhou who were in dire straits, and on top of that, he had to be wary of the third prince, with whom he had once worked side by side. Overwhelmed by these matters, he had not slept well. He woke up with an immense weight on his chest and, without rest, hurried on his way. Even though he deliberately slowed his pace, after riding less than ten li, he became dizzy and felt a coppery sweetness at the back of his throat.

 

With no other choice, he had to temporarily rest at a roadside tea stall.

 

Shen Yanqing closed his eyes to rest. He heard the sound of horse hooves not far away. Two bailiffs also stopped at the stall for tea, and their conversation drifted into his ears.

 

“Two riots in just three days—who’s causing all this trouble?”

 

“Stop with the nonsense and drink your tea quickly. We still have to get going. I heard there aren’t enough men at the city gates, and they can barely hold them back.”

 

“The whole capital is a chaotic mess…”

 

Shen Yanqing’s eyes snapped open. He stood up and went forward. “When did the riot at the city gates happen?”

 

The bailiff said, “What’s a commoner like you asking so many questions for?”

 

He tore off his veiled hat to reveal his face. As the second top scholar in the history of the Great Heng Empire to achieve the highest rank in all three imperial examinations, there was no one who didn’t know him.

 

The bailiff exclaimed in surprise, “Lord Shen, aren’t you in Jinzhou dealing with the plague?”

 

Shen Yanqing pressed on, “Less talk. What did you just say about the city gates?”

 

“This time it’s much more serious than the one a few days ago. The people of the capital are scared out of their wits. It’s chaotic everywhere…”

 

Shen Yanqing’s expression tightened. For some reason, Ji Zhen’s image suddenly appeared in the chaotic flashes of light before his eyes.

 

He finally realized what was wrong in his jumbled thoughts—it was strange for someone of Ji Zhen’s nature not to have made a scene yesterday.

 

When something happens out of the ordinary, there must be something amiss. Xiao Moli… Ji Jue!

 

White flashes pulsed before Shen Yanqing’s eyes, and he could barely see his surroundings. In an instant, disregarding his body’s exhaustion and the potential disaster of re-entering the capital, he swung onto his horse and galloped back while whipping the horse to a frenzy.

 

In the end, he still couldn’t escape it, he was unable to resist his own feelings.

 

The author has something to say:

Yu He: My Lord, the Young Madam has run away again.

Lord Shen: Suspend the plague treatment is on hold. I’m going to get him back!