Chapter 1445

Although Herdan's stance differed from his, this man was nonetheless a bold and capable fellow, Hu Xiaotian said: "Brother, why not have lunch before you leave? Let me prepare some simple wine to see you off."

Herdan laughed: "No need, I must go now; my men are waiting for me."

Hu Xiaotian, hearing this, naturally couldn't insist on keeping him, so he summoned Zhao Wusheng to see Herdan off from the city, all the way to the ten-li pavilion at the west gate. Herdan clasped his fists and said: "Elder brother, I appreciate your kindness; seeing off a friend for a thousand miles must end in parting. Let us brothers part here; we will surely meet again someday."

Hu Xiaotian had his servants bring the wine over, and he and Herdan drank three bowls together.

Zhao Wusheng's gaze swept through the crowd, finally finding Mongya; Mongya was also looking at him, her eyes full of reluctance. Although they had developed mutual affection, neither had confessed their feelings. Zhao Wusheng gave Mongya a slight smile; the usually forthright Mongya somewhat restrainedly lowered her head.

Zhao Wusheng finally mustered the courage to walk over to Mongya; although Mongya had hoped he would come, when she actually saw him approach she became shy, lowering her delicate head to stare at her own toes—something she rarely did.

Zhao Wusheng presented the curved blade he had commissioned from a renowned artisan in Fragrant City, holding it with both hands and said to the Princess: "Princess, I previously damaged your precious blade through carelessness, for which I am deeply sorry. While strolling through Fragrant City, I happened upon this curved blade, bought it, and present it to you. Though it cannot compare to yours, I hope you will accept it."

Mongya reached out to take the curved blade, but seeing the exquisite decoration on the scabbard and hilt, she knew at once it was no ordinary item. Drawing half an inch of the blade, she already felt its icy chill; evidently Zhao Wusheng must have spent considerable effort to find this blade. Her heart was moved; she nodded, lowered the blade, and softly said: "I appreciate your intentions. Should the General ever have the chance to come to Shajia, Mongya will gladly fulfill her duties as host."

Zhao Wusheng was exceptionally perceptive; upon hearing, he immediately realized she had taken the initiative to invite him. Seizing the moment when others were unprepared, he whispered: "Next spring, I will surely make my way to the Shajia Royal Capital to pay a visit to the Princess."

Mongya, hearing him boldly set a date for their meeting, blushed crimson, yet also admired Zhao Wusheng's daring and forthright nature, she whispered: "Then I'll take it as true." As she turned to leave, she inadvertently dropped the bead string from her hand onto the ground.

Zhao Wusheng understood and did not remind her.

Mongya mounted her horse. Suddenly thinking of this parting, with still a year and a half until her appointment with Zhao Wusheng, her heart involuntarily grew wistful. Worried that others would see her dejection, she sharply whipped the horse. With a shout, the steed bolted ahead, leaving dust in its wake.

Herdan and his companions also mounted their horses and departed.

After everyone had gone far away, Zhao Wusheng finally bent down and quietly picked up the heavenly bead string Mongya had left behind. The string still retained Mongya's warmth; he clasped it in his palm. Watching Mongya's graceful figure recede into the distance on the horizon, his heart could not help but feel wistful.

Suddenly, Hu Xiaotian's voice sounded beside him: "If you can't bear to part with her, why not catch up and confess your feelings?"

Zhao Wusheng gave an embarrassed smile, secretly tucked the bead string away, and sighed: "She's a princess; how could she ever look upon me?"

Hu Xiaotian patted his shoulder and said: "Boosting others' ambition while destroying your own prestige—what's so special about a princess? Isn't she just a woman? Brother Wusheng, even the fiercest steed can be tamed by its rider; I have high hopes for you—you have the makings of a fine horseman."

Zhao Wusheng actually blushed at Hu Xiaotian's words.

Hu Buwei was seated cross-legged in the underground chamber of the Quiet Mountain Cottage, wearing that Blue Skull on his head. The skull began to glow, and Hu Buwei seemed to see a black hole; he wanted to enter it, but despite repeated efforts he was continually repelled from the black hole. He finally gave up, opened his eyes, took off the skull, and examined it closely. He could confirm the skull was genuine, yet why could he not establish a connection with it?

Hu Buwei carefully placed the skull down, left the chamber, and entered the courtyard. Outside, the autumn scenery was lovely, the sun bright, the sky clear and blue; in such weather, people's moods usually become cheerful and relaxed, yet Hu Buwei felt no trace of ease—he felt bound, Entrapping Oneself! He had originally intended to use Hu Xiaotian to deal with Shangguan Tianhuo and his son, but instead he ended up being turned against by this fellow, leaving himself in a passive position.

Everything began with Yang Longjing's capture; events gradually slipped from his control. Letting Hu Xiaotian go to rescue Yang Longjing was Hu Buwei's suggestion; in this matter he had made careful considerations. If Hu Xiaotian could cure Yang Longjing, that would be delightful; if Yang Longjing unfortunately died, Hu Xiaotian would also be hard-pressed to escape blame. Even without Hu Buwei lifting a finger, Long Xuanjiao would not spare him. Yet man proposes, heaven disposes—Hu Buwei never imagined Long Xuanjiao would suddenly fall ill, and Hu Xiaotian, by a twist of fate, saved her life. With his miraculous medical skill turning danger into safety, he has now become a benefactor to Long Xuanjiao and her son, and to the Tianxiang Kingdom.

After Long Xuanjiao awoke, she actually forgot herself; Hu Buwei's first thought was that Hu Xiaotian had tampered with her, but upon reflection it seemed unlikely—no one's medical skill could be so great as to erase memories at will, and moreover there would be selection; the likeliest explanation is that Long Xuanjiao deliberately feigned amnesia. This shows that in handling recent events, Long Xuanjiao has become wary of him, their relationship has developed a rift, which is what Hu Buwei worries about most; his gaze turned to the garden.

In the courtyard, the gardener who had been trimming branches stopped his motion; he was about fifty, with graying temples, slightly stooped, and slowly approached Hu Buwei's side, whispering: "Any orders?"

Hu Buwei said: "I want to capture someone!"

The gardener replied: "Wouldn't killing him be simpler?"

Hu Buwei said: "We must at least give them a choice!"

The gardener sighed: "You are truly kind-hearted, but know that most people in this world have no choice."

Su Yujin entered the palace at dusk to visit Long Xuanjiao; seeing the Empress Dowager's condition gradually improving, she also felt reassured.

Long Xuanjiao gave a glance; Zhou Desheng withdrew. She had Su Yujin sit beside her and sighed: "Sister, after this ordeal, I feel as if I've let go of everything."

Su Yujin said: "Actually, the Empress Dowager has long understood; she just can't let go."

Long Xuanjiao's expression darkened: "His heart has always been only for himself; he never placed my son and me in his thoughts." Under heaven, Su Yujin is the one she trusts most.

Su Yujin reached out to grasp Long Xuanjiao's somewhat cold right hand and whispered: "This prince-consort selection brings Tianxiang Kingdom absolutely no benefit; a moment's thought makes it clear that someone intends to exploit this opportunity to sow discord. Although the aim is pointed at Dakang, Tianxiang Kingdom will inevitably suffer collateral damage. The Empress Dowager has always been a rational person, yet since his arrival in Tianxiang Kingdom, I have watched you do many irrational things."

Long Xuanjiao said: "Longjing's recent ordeal has suddenly made me realize that in this world, only he matters to me; no one can replace him in my heart." She paused, then added: "If he values Longjing, he ought not to risk Longjing's future, gambling it for his own ambition."

Su Yujin said: "Women are often easily deceived by affection; sweet words are taken as truth, believing they are truly the other's most important person, believing the other would sacrifice life for them without hesitation—but the deeper the trust, the greater the wound."

Long Xuanjiao's gaze met hers; both had nearly identical sorrowful pasts, and a feeling of mutual sympathy arose spontaneously.

Long Xuanjiao said: "If someone truly cares for you, they would never make you wait so many years; when they left, they didn't utter a word, and when they returned, they offered no explanation—why are women so foolish?"

Su Yujin said: "Perhaps that crystal skull is what matters most to him."

Upon mention of the Blue Skull, Long Xuanjiao suddenly felt a headache; her fingers lightly touched her head, and the pain quickly faded. She whispered: "What secret does that skull hold?"

Su Yujin sighed: "I'm not sure either, but I always sense something odd about it, as if a voice is calling me; I want to enter it, yet I can never gain access. Empress Dowager, there's a question I've never asked you: where exactly did you obtain this skull?"

Long Xuanjiao's gaze grew bewildered; after a while she said: "It was when he taught me to play the qin; at the time I resided in Yilan Palace, and I happened to discover an abandoned chamber within Yilan Palace. Later I learned that chamber was actually the underground palace of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, and the skull was found there." At this point she faintly realized that perhaps from the moment Hu Buwei began teaching her the qin, his motives were impure; he must have long known of this skull's existence, and his approach to her was solely for the sake of that Blue Skull. This thought tormented Long Xuanjiao's heart; if her speculation were correct, then Hu Buwei had never harbored genuine affection for her.

Long Xuanjiao said: "Later I married into Tianxiang Kingdom; he asked me to help him take the skull out of Tianxiang Kingdom and keep it safe. As for what happened afterward, you know it all."

Su Yujin nodded: "From the first time I saw that skull, I felt it was very strange; you had me study it, and you also had craftsmen make a replica from blue crystal so lifelike it could be mistaken for the real thing."

Long Xuanjiao said: "Although they look identical, their weights differ."

On the first day, I first went to wish everyone a happy new year; actually, starting yesterday, Zhangyu has been laid low by acute gastroenteritis for a day, so I've rarely visited the comments section. Seeing everyone's complaints about the red envelopes, Bu Xing Ban Zhu's explanation has already been sufficiently clear.

Zhangyu also asks everyone to be more understanding this new year; readers' enthusiasm is not something Zhangyu can control. In fact, the real issue is technical—it's they who created this red envelope feature that has affected everyone's reading experience. But from another angle, we neither steal nor rob; competing for tickets by merit is hardly wrong.

Thanks to the brothers and sisters who continuously tip and send red envelopes to support Zhangyu's climb up the rankings, all I ask for is a single leaf, yet you have given me an entire forest.

All Zhangyu can do is write well and update diligently! Wishing everyone good health, a happy New Year, abundant wealth, and a relaxed mood.

Although the blessings are somewhat clichéd, good health and a relaxed mood are truly the most important; Old Zhangyu spent last night guarding the toilet, and the feeling runs deep.

The next update will be tonight; once again, thank you all my readers. (To be continued~^~)