Chapter 224

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

Starting from the afternoon, Ling Congnan had been organizing the many clues accumulated over recent years in the search for Liu Yu.

Like tangled masses of spider webs woven old and new, the intricate and vast clues covered the entire case table; by the time Ling Congnan reached the end, only one thought remained in his heart: that Si Tui had managed to find and rescue him in time when he finally appeared before people last year was no coincidence.

In the matter of finding people, Si Tui spared no effort; from these mostly useless clues before his eyes one could glimpse that Si Tui must have endured countless moments of discouragement over these years, yet still refused to give up searching in the vast ocean for those two stray grains — him and Yu'er.

Lost in a trance, Ling Congnan did not notice when Liu Qi had entered.

Until Liu Qi's voice rang out: "Congnan, no need to search further."

Ling Congnan raised his head, reacted for a moment, and stood up uneasily: "... Why stop searching?"

Liu Qi walked against the candlelight; Ling Congnan could not make out his expression, only vaguely saw his figure and state appeared quite haggard, and could not help associating it with the worst possibility.

"Already found," Liu Qi said.

Ling Congnan hurriedly asked: "How is the person?"

Liu Qi had already passed the candle stand, eyes carrying a smile appearing: "A remarkably lively fish."

Ling Congnan was overjoyed, only then letting go of his tension, and quickly circled around the case table, while pressing further: "Where is the person now?"

Liu Qi: "Rest assured, in the safest place in this world."

The fish swims in the immortal pond, sheltered and raised by the Mountain Lord, growing freely and wantonly.

Ling Congnan confirmed again and again, pulled Liu Qi down to sit and speak, and finally confirmed Yu'er was indeed safe; he could not help smiling through tears: "Does she really look exactly like Brother and Sister-in-law?"

"They are two different likenesses, after all each takes half." Liu Qi answered with a smile, then said: "Now still young in years, this facial feature is not yet obvious to outsiders; only those extremely close can tell. When she grows older, by this face alone, her identity will probably be impossible to conceal."

Ling Congnan nodded, joy and fortune far outweighing worry for the future; a tear of a resolved heart-knot involuntarily fell.

A large tear drop was carried by the bamboo slip into the fire basin, igniting a wisp of boiling light smoke.

The two brothers sat cross-legged around the copper basin, slowly feeding those search clues into the fire basin. The hour of the Rat had not yet arrived; it was still the Double Ninth; these burning materials were the best commemorative accounting for the departed.

After everything was burned to ash, the tears in his eye sockets also baked dry, Ling Congnan slightly gathered his composure, only then getting around to asking: "Si Tui, do you still have other worries on your mind?"

The answer obtained was somewhat disconnected; instead it was a question: "Congnan, if you have deceived an extremely important person, how can you make her stop being angry?"

Ling Congnan stared blankly for a moment, then countered: "Did it cause hindrance to that person? Was it intentional deception, or simply not knowing how to bring it up?"

"Not knowing how to bring it up is true." Liu Qi gazed at the remnants in the basin, shoulders drooping listlessly: "But making her sad and disappointed — that is a sky-high hindrance."

Making the other party sad and disappointed is a sky-high hindrance...

Ling Congnan also looked at the remnants; gray smoke obscured his bearing; he smiled bitterly: "I am likewise not skilled in this way, so have no way to lend a hand..."

Because they were burning things, the window was wide open; at this moment a figure bowed and passed outside the window, the figure soon came to knock: "Your Highness, the Masters invite you."

The one who sent someone to urge them was Zhuang Yuanzhi.

Tang Jia, seeing the Sixth Prince's mental state showing a split attitude, hurried to find Yuan Zhi Brother, repeatedly saying something major had happened; the Prince returned haggard and split, certainly because after confessing he was rejected and abandoned.

Zhuang Yuanzhi's brow twitched chaotically; he had barely accepted the possibility of serving two masters, yet before he could even put it into action, he was about to be miserably returned?

Setting aside personal dignity and competitive desire, based on Tang Jia's description, Zhuang Yuanzhi only felt the original liege's mental state was even more precarious; he himself might face the terrible outcome of not even securing one master.

Liu Qi had not expected Zhuang the Adult's urgent summons was for this matter; the young man originally did not wish to publicize his heart's matters, but Zhuang the Adult stood in strict formation awaiting, insisting this matter concerned the utmost importance and should be jointly strategized for survival.

Tang Jia was even more full of anxious concern; unlike Zhuang Yuanzhi, his selfish motives far outweighed strategizing, more like a true elder.

Facing two gazes each with their own emphasis, Liu Qi only stated the result and current situation: "Today I angered her; she wants to think of a way to dispel her anger, only then will she permit me to go see her."

At these words, Zhuang Yuanzhi immediately said: "This absolutely will not do!"

"Your Highness must know, once you indulge and comply, this is the path to seeking death!"

Zhuang Yuanzhi's expression was solemn and upright, appearing incomparably authoritative.

The men of his family have always had a tradition of climbing high branches.

Think of his wife, born of former dynasty nobility, possessing peerless looks, moreover graceful talent; in her youth she attracted who knows how many princes and nobles' admiration. Although after the former dynasty's fall her family declined, her looks and talent remained unchanged, still the highest of high branches; looking back at him, among the crowd of pursuers he was truly ordinary to the point of shabby.

To win his wife's heart, aside from a deeply scheming mouth, it depended more on his tireless way of capturing hearts.

Besides natural gift, along the way there was no lack of groping and reflection; therefore he accumulated many precious experiences to pass to later generations.

At this moment Zhuang Yuanzhi concluded: "If left to sulk and ponder alone, by the time this anger dissipates, Your Highness will probably only have the fate of being thrown to the back of the mind!"

This alarmist talk frightened Liu Qi so much his soul nearly scattered.

Tang Jia also faced a great enemy, hurriedly adding tea for Yuan Zhi Brother: "There are intricacies in this; please Brother explain in detail, do not spare your instruction..."

In the secret plotting place the lights were dim and dark; a candle lamp swayed along with the speaking voices.

In the Crown Wuzhang Palace the lights were bright as day; in the inner hall, on the bronze branching lamp stand the candle flames were scattered high and low.

Beside the bronze lamp stand, a young palace maid in exquisite attire was bending over looking at the civet cat in the bamboo woven cage, saying: "Such a Lion Slave, there are only two in the entire palace, yet the Marquis of Ling Shu actually looks down on it."

The palace maid's name was Qiao Suo; in the Crown Wuzhang Palace without a Crown Prince Consort she held some status.

This exotic tribute civet cat, because it was rare and beautiful enough, was regarded as a noble auspicious omen; since being sent to the Crown Wuzhang Palace it had been cared for by Qiao Suo; she gradually came to regard it as her own, but Crown Prince Cheng wanted to give it as a birthday gift, and she dared not disobey; only now that it was returned, she could not help speaking a quick word.

Yet this one sentence drew a low rebuke: "Withdraw."

Qiao Suo was about to release the cat from the cage; suddenly hearing this rebuke, she was startled, hand shrinking back; turning her head she saw Crown Prince Cheng kneeling behind the case table with a slightly sunken expression; she hurriedly bowed in salute, answered "Yes," and withdrew from the inner hall.

Outside the hall the night wind was slightly cold; Qiao Suo barely recovered her senses, secretly thinking: since the regency began, perhaps due to heavy affairs, the Crown Prince's temperament has gradually changed... That Marquis of Ling Shu really dares to return the Heir Apparent's congratulatory gift, so ignorant of favor, causing His Highness displeasure, harming her to suffer groundless rebuke — truly an undeserved disaster.

"The Marquis of Ling Shu returned all congratulatory gifts; his mother, Lady Feng, said: it is merely a birthday, not wishing extravagance; as a Heavenly Mechanism, if this year we set the precedent of accepting congratulatory gifts from all sides, in future years complying year after year will inevitably ruin the long-standing customs."

In the inner hall, the eunuch said in a low voice: "Therefore please Your Highness do not overthink..."

Liu Cheng, however, asked in a low voice: "What did the Sixth Prince's Residence send?"

The eunuch: "This servant did not manage to inquire; it should be that no gift was given."

"How could there have been no gift..." Liu Cheng lowered his eyes, his voice very low: "No word has come back, so I suppose it was never returned."

The low tail-end sound had not yet faded when suddenly a sharp cat's cry and a palace attendant's exclamation rang out.

The Lion Cat released from its cage suddenly scratched the palace attendant who had tried to pick it up, leaving a bloody mark on the back of the attendant's hand.

Liu Cheng stepped forward to check, but was stopped by the palace attendant who had answered earlier: "Your Highness, do not come near..."

"In your eyes, must I fear even a cat?" Liu Cheng asked.

The palace attendant's expression changed, saying "This servant absolutely does not mean that," and hurriedly knelt down, not daring to stop him again.

The frightened Lion Cat puffed up its fur and arched its back, letting out wary low cries from its mouth, occasionally huffing a breath.

Seeing this, Liu Cheng slowly bent one knee and squatted down.

Shuffled back and forth, tossed about in wandering, even an originally docile cat could not help but feel the fear of having no place to depend on.

"Everyone says you carry noble aura, born with an auspicious appearance, sent into the imperial household..." Liu Cheng's expression was somewhat dazed, his voice low as if muttering to himself: "But no one ever asked if you were willing."

The Lion Cat's wariness did not lessen; their eyes met, and Liu Cheng actually glimpsed a hint of ferocity like that of a male lion on this mad, docile Lion Cat.

"But since you have come, you can only stay." Liu Cheng soothed it in a low voice: "Stay well, I will protect you."

The Lion Cat had odd-colored eyes, one of them amber, appearing somewhat transparent under the candlelight, like a bright autumn moon.

On the ninth day of the ninth month, the moon was curved, and under the faint moonlight, many people could not sleep.

Xiao Yu had not slept either, tossing and turning as she climbed down from the bed, wrapped her clothes, put on her tiger shoes, and tiptoed out of the house, coming before the Young Master's room. Seeing the candlelight still lit, she plucked up her courage to knock on the door, asking softly: "Young Master, may Xiao Yu come in?"

"You may."

Xiao Yu hurried to push the door, but suddenly realized the direction the voice came from was wrong.

She therefore retreated, retreating all the way to below the stone steps, only to see the Young Master sitting alone on the roof ridge, resting his chin on his hand in a daze.

Xiao Yu hurriedly asked again: "Young Master, may Xiao Yu go up?"

"You may."

Xiao Yu was excited for a moment, but then realized this was not something she could do just because the Young Master agreed. Just as she was thinking of a way to climb up, a grey shadow returning at night swept past, lifted her up, and sent her up there.

Zhao Qie'an had been going out at night recently. Xiao Yu did not know what secret order Zhao Shu had received from the Young Master again; she only knew Zhao Shu silently delivered her to the roof, silently let go and leapt down, silently returned to the house to sleep, like a kind breeze, coming and going without a sound.

Xiao Yu crawled around on the roof and sat in a position closer to the Young Master.

Shaowei slightly returned to her senses, looking at Xiao Yu beside her, and said: "Do not be afraid; he will not forcibly steal you away. This person is not a bad thief."

Xiao Yu asked softly: "Then is he a good thief?"

Shaowei: "Not any kind of thief."

During the daytime, bustling and noisy, Shaowei had also spent no short time accepting Xiao Yu's identity.

Her being angry with Liu Qi was a matter between her and Liu Qi alone, but she could not let Xiao Yu misunderstand him. This concerned Xiao Yu's attitude toward her uncle, and even more so Xiao Yu's understanding of her own origins.

A person's understanding of their own origins is very important. Shaowei knew this well. This matter could not be taken lightly and must not be mistaken. The fish she raised could not be a muddled fish.

"The true thief who stole you away is the one who caused your separation."

Parting in life or parting in death are both a kind of separation.

"He is the one who catches thieves. As far as I know, he has always been catching thieves."

Shaowei introduced her uncle to Xiao Yu formally in this way.

Xiao Yu was stunned for a moment, and a few tears welled up in her eyes.

Suddenly learning of her origins, besides the fear of being abandoned by the Young Master, there was naturally much confusion and bewilderment, as well as imagination about her parents.

Xiao Yu held back tears and asked softly: "Young Master, have you ever seen Xiao Yu's Mother and Father?"

Shaowei looked at the night and shook her head: "I have never seen them. What you want to know, your uncles will all tell you."

Xiao Yu hugged her knees, wiped away her tears, and could not help but ask: "If he is not a thief, why is the Young Master so angry with him?"

Shaowei's face tightened: "Because he lied to me about something."

When they were in Wuling Commandery at first, the two were not very familiar. He had no reason to be completely open with her, so this concealment was not unreasonable.

But afterward, the two had advanced and retreated together, entrusting their lives to each other. They were long no longer unimportant people to one another. She had more than once suggested she would find a way to cure his leg illness, yet he still looked at her and talked to himself. The concealment that was once not unreasonable had turned into deception that mattered very much.

She had previously told him that Rui Ze had poisoned her. Afterward, he found a way to treat her, and she truthfully told him there was no need to trouble himself. She had never let him talk to himself like that.

If he thought his leg illness was a great secret, she had already revealed to him in Wuling Commandery her intention to enter the capital and deceive the ruler. The two had borne together who knows how many great crimes of deceiving the ruler. Was that not enough to exchange for trust in this matter?

She had even specially asked Jiang Fu for help, only to be exposed by Jiang Fu to her face that she had been deceived. It was truly extremely embarrassing, and she could not help but be angry.

Thinking it over, her anger today was partly because talking to herself made her lose face in public, and partly because she felt she had not received the same level of trust and commitment from the other party. Thus her self-esteem was defeated, and mixed with many other emotions, she could not sort them out for a moment, and even felt somewhat inexplicable about herself.

"Deceiving people is definitely wrong." Xiao Yu did not know specifically what had been lied about, so she could only judge by herself: "But if he is not a bad person, perhaps it was not intentional... Maybe he was afraid that after the Young Master found out, she would no longer like him?"

Even if she retreated ten thousand steps, if she had something to lie to the Young Master about, it could only be for this reason.

Shaowei was startled, and then heard Xiao Yu curiously ask for confirmation: "Does the Young Master like him?"

This question was not hard to answer.

Shaowei liked many people, and Liu Qi was undoubtedly one of them. But for some reason, she sat up straight at this moment and for a while actually found it hard to answer.

Vaguely grasping the crux of the matter, Shaowei was eager to clarify and understand it. She picked up Xiao Yu, leapt down from the roof, simply left behind the two words "go to sleep," and then strode back to the bedroom.

Having been blown by the cold wind on the roof for too long, Shaowei sat cross-legged on the bed, wrapped in a quilt, sitting still in contemplation.

Jiang Fu had once said that love and hate come in many kinds, and the distinctions between different kinds of love are subtle. But on the same matter, completely different reactions can arise. The human heart gives rise to all sorts of emotions, thread by thread, each different. This is precisely the wonder of being human.

Jiang Fu had also said that observing others is observing oneself. If you truly hold a person in your heart, any wind or grass related to them will become extraordinary. Shaowei had long understood this point. She treated Jiang Fu, Mother, and A Jie all this way.

But at this moment she could not help but ask herself: what kind of liking was it that she felt for Liu Qi? It made the feelings brought by this deception become so chaotic and noisy.

As for asking him to write off the matter of blocking arrows for Lingxing Terrace, it was just words spoken because she was annoyed by his entanglement. And now, recalling Lingxing Terrace, when she had wanted to leave, she had looked at him. At that time, there had already been a judgment in her heart. She knew she could never forget this person in this lifetime. How could there be any possibility of writing off a person and matter that must never be forgotten in a lifetime?

Shaowei got tired of sitting and suddenly fell backward, staring at the bed curtain.

By the next morning, Shaowei appeared before the food table with dark circles under her eyes. At the dining table, she heard Jiang Fu complain that "the cat is sulking and trampling the roof at night, not letting me sleep." Shaowei endured and ignored it, only eating her fill heartily, then took her bird and went off to duty.

The house servant was somewhat worried: "Perhaps she did not sleep all night. Should I remind her?"

Jiang Fu: "My disciple is naturally intelligent and also a born stubborn one. Just like practicing various arts, she won't acknowledge it until she figures it out herself."

Her disciple's temperament differed from ordinary people; to call it reckless would be one thing, yet she had always possessed an animal-like vigilance and wariness — when a never-before-seen novel prey intruded into her territory, she would inevitably stare and stare again, sniff and sniff again, circle around assessing and pondering, confirming everything, only then would she feel at ease to enjoy it.

Jiang Fu, draped in a head of snow-white hair, yawned as she returned to the house to catch up on sleep: "How many times in life can one be young? Blushing and feeling indignant is also a kind of charm; let them go wild freely."

When she stepped across the door threshold, she added casually: "Before the weather turns cold, I must lead the green ox out for a stroll... ever since returning to this Chang'an City, I've either been injured or recovering from injury, and haven't had a chance to take a single look at the fine scenery everywhere."

The house servant responded from behind: "Good, on whichever day the weather is fine, we'll go out of the city for a walk."

Two days after these words were spoken, Jiang Fu got her wish, and it was with everyone traveling together.

?? 4600 words, thank you everyone for your understanding~ Thank you for every monthly ticket, every comment, good night good night.