Chapter 69
On the day of the winter hunt, bright sunlight swept in through the cracks in the window, illuminating the remaining ash in the charcoal basin, causing it to dance in the light beams.
Zhao Heng woke up feeling warm, cocooned in the warmth of the covers, feeling like she was holding a furnace in her arms. She groggily opened her eyes to find out that it wasn't a furnace but Li Wenjian's embrace.
His head was buried in her neck, a strand of hair falling across his face, resting on his nose bridge. The sunlight highlighted his flawless fair skin.
As she attempted to lift the brocade quilt to get up, she found herself unable to move at all, realizing that Li Wenjian had her tightly trapped in his embrace. Sensing movement beside him, Li Wenjian's eyelids trembled slightly as he squinted at Zhao Heng, who was trying to sit up.
"I need to get up; it's not early anymore," Zhao Heng pointed to the brilliant sun outside. "The weather is lovely today."
Zhao Heng assumed that the Emperor might not be going on the winter hunt this time, considering his incomplete recovery and inability to withstand the back-and-forth journey. However, the imperial edict had decreed that both the Emperor and Empress woillgo to the hunting grounds.
On the other hand, Li Wenjian, due to his recent battle with Yan Chi and urgent military matters, couldn't go.
"Stay and sleep with me a little longer," Li Wenjian pulled her into his arms with his long arms, wrapping the quilt around them both, rolling to the side of the bed. His voice carried a hint of laziness from not yet being fully awake. "We don't need to attend the morning court today."
Zhao Heng's eyebrow twitched but felt suffocated by his hold, so she had to wrap her hand around his strong waist. She pursed her lips, slightly tilting her head away to avoid his stubble, and tightly gripped his nightwear from behind, whispering, "You don't have to attend the morning court; I'm about to depart."
"Once you're awake, I'll have someone escort you," Li Wenjian stared at her face, flushed like a begonia in the heat, and after a moment, suddenly reached out to cup her chin and kissed her lips.
Soft, golden sunlight cast shadows on the window screen, while the bed curtains fluttered like gentle waves.
"Xiao..." Zhao Heng started to speak, but her words were stifled in his deep kiss, her voice drowned out by the intensity of it.
Lian Zhou checked the time and noticed that Zhao Heng wasn't getting up. Since Li Wenjian wasn't attending court that day, she couldn't go to the sleeping quarters to wake Zhao Heng. It wasn't until Li Nanxi arrived that she climbed the steps and knocked on the door, saying, "My Lady, Eight Princess is here."
For a while, there was no sound from inside, causing Lian Zhou to wonder. Finally, she heard Zhao Heng exclaim in a flustered tone, "I overslept, coming now."
"Do you want breakfast? I can have them bring it in," Lian Zhou asked softly.
Zhao Heng replied, her voice as soft as water, "No need."
Li Wenjian's snow-white robe was loose, revealing the slender curves of his collarbone as he raised his eyes from the covers. His lips were now tinted with redness, withdrawing his fingers from the pale blue pear blossom embroidered on her skirt.
His features were all tinged with a melancholy shade.
In his embrace, Zhao Heng looked at his long, thick eyelashes drooping slightly and chuckled softly. "I was going to tell you that Eight Princess is coming, but you didn't let me."
"Crafty," Li Wenjian smiled faintly, pulling up her disheveled collar. "Hurry up."
Zhao Heng smirked mischievously, lifted her skirt, revealing her slender, fair legs, and slowly climbed down from the bed.
Li Wenjian stared at her intently, emphasizing each word, "Zhao... Heng..."
Quickly hopping off the bed, Zhao Heng changed into her already prepared riding attire, tied her long hair neatly at the top of her head, looking clean and sharp. After a moment in front of the dressing mirror, she turned and walked to the edge of the bed. "I'm leaving now."
Li Wenjian narrowed his eyes. "Just like that?"
Seeing him lounging in bed, looking relaxed and lazy, Zhao Heng's lips curved into a smile. She leaned in to lightly kiss his lips before straightening up and saying, "I'm really leaving now."
Li Wenjian nodded at her, reminding her, "It's Grandfather's birthday on the seventeenth. I'll take you to see him in the afternoon. On the eighteenth, we'll visit Grandma before returning to the palace."
With a nod, Zhao Heng finally parted ways with him and left.
Li Nanxi grew impatient waiting. Sister Zhao Heng was getting more and more outrageous; in the past, she would drop everything to see her as soon as she arrived. But this time, she had been waiting for so long, but still no sight of her.
Her enthusiasm for the winter hunt had dampened slightly.
It wasn't until they were sitting in their carriages at the palace gate that Li Nanxi, seeing the large white tiger in the accompanying cage, finally showed a glimmer of excitement, exclaiming, "What a huge tiger!"
Following Li Nanxi's gaze, Zhao Heng saw the guards lifting the cage onto the carriage. Inside was a large white tiger, lounging lazily and basking in the sun, so docile as if it were a small cat.
"Mother, where did such a huge tiger come from?" Concubine An led the Sixth Prince out of the palace, and he too witnessed the spectacle, tugging on Concubine An's sleeve and asking.
Concubine An, as gentle as ever, replied in a soft voice, "That's the white tiger that your father caught in the hunting grounds in the sixth year of Xuanhe."
Li Chengxuan acknowledged and then turned to ask Concubine An, "Since it was Father's hunting prey, why go through the trouble of bringing it along this time?"
Concubine An gently stroke the young boy's head, "Because Jiangdu is currently at war with Yan Chi, and your father wanted to bring it along to release it in the mountains as a blessing for the soldiers of Jiangdu."
Concubine An's carriage followed behind Zhao Heng's carriage. As she passed by, she looked up and saw Zhao Heng with the curtain half raised, holding her head up and looking at her.
Concubine An's lips curved into a smile as she waved at her.
Zhao Heng's fair face broke into a smile.
Concubine An felt a chill down her spine and her scalp tingled from Zhaohuan's smile. Hastily, she led the Sixth Prince away.
*
As the sun set, the unassuming Wutou Gate stood in Xiyuan.
"If it were any other time, this price couldn't even buy a single Western slave," Ren Zhongchun complained to the person beside him with a solemn expression. "It's only because you're a loyal customer that I'm offering you this price. You should know what a steal you're getting."
The opposite person expressed thanks repeatedly, saying, "It's settled then. I'll come back in a few days, and we'll exchange money for goods."
After seeing off the loyal customer, Ren Zhongchun turned back inside. He had not followed Marquis Xie's orders to immediately execute the batch of Western slaves.
To him, silver was as precious as water; he couldn't bear to see it flow away so easily. So, he approached some previous loyal customers and sold them the discounted Western slaves.
Anyway, his brother-in-law had given him a few days to handle it, so he had time to deal with it later.
Approaching the study room, Ren Zhongchun saw Xilin standing on the steps with a sword in hand. His tall figure cast a dense shadow on the blue stone steps under the sunlight.
"What are you doing here?" Ren Zhongchun asked.
But then he remembered that Xilin was almost like a mute, and his gaze casually swept over his cold, hard face.
"Waiting for you," Xilin finally spoke, expressionless.
Surprised, Ren Zhongchun asked, "What are you waiting for me for?"
Seeing Ren Zhongchun's surprised expression, Xilin didn't hesitate. With a swift motion, he unsheathed his long sword and pressed it against Ren Zhongchun's throat.
Shocked, Ren Zhongchun exclaimed, "Xilin, what are you doing?"
Seeing Ren Zhongchun shrink behind a pillar, his face full of astonishment, Xilin appeared terrifyingly unfamiliar in Ren Zhongchun's eyes. His deep eyes no longer showed their usual obedience but stared back at him coldly, resembling a snake spitting venom.
The icy blade pressed against his neck, causing Ren Zhongchun great fear. He cried out in panic, "What are you going to do?"
Xilin's dark, rigid face remained expressionless as he said, "Six years ago, you deceived a Western girl in Zhengcheng. When she didn't obey, you had her suffocated. Her name was Xihe, and she is my sister."
Ren Zhongchun opened his eyes wide: "How could it be!"
"You...you..." Ren Zhongchun's voice became hoarse and unpleasant because of fear: "But you have been following my brother-in-law for these years, doing everything for him..."
Xilin's sword thrust forward, piercing the flesh of the man's neck. He gazed coldly at the struggling man and finally spoke, "If the government doesn't completely eradicate the practice of buying and selling Western slaves from Dongli, the Westerners will forever be in the darkness. These years by your side, I haven't been idle."
As the sword cut through Ren Zhongchun's neck, blood splattered on Xilin's face. He dragged the man into the study room, used the sword to cut open his pants, and then reached to take the key tied around his leg with a thin thread.
Exiting the study room, he knocked over the lamp on the desk, the flames licking at the papers, quickly setting them on fire.
He walked down the steps and blew a whistle. A bird with a silver beak and golden claws swooped down from the sky and perched on his shoulder.
Running his hand lightly over the wings of the bird, he said, "Let's go, take me to find him."
*
Zhao Heng and Li Nanxi returned from hunting in the evening and went to pay their respects in the Emperor's tent.
The Emperor was not feeling well and had not planned to go on a winter hunt this year. However, the princes and princesses were looking forward to the opportunity to play outside. Not wanting to dampen their spirits, the Emperor agreed to the hunting trip.
He rarely left the tent; when he stayed inside, the Empress would not leave him alone to go hunting by herself.
When Zhao Heng and Li Nanxi arrived, they found the Emperor and Empress sitting by the stove, brewing tea.
The gentle scent of tea wafted through the tent; the water on the stove bubbled softly, filling the tent with warmth.
Li Nanxi carried a birdcage with a colorful lovebird inside. The bird's feathers shimmered with different colors in the candlelight, making it quite beautiful. She cheerfully ran into the tent and presented the cage to the Emperor. "Father, I caught this lovebird specifically for you. Isn't it lovely?"
She held the cage up for the Emperor to see, and he smiled, asking, "Is this really caught by Xiao Ba?"
Li Nanxi nodded vigorously.
Zhao Heng entered the tent after her, bowing respectfully and greeting the Emperor and Empress, "Your Majesty, I wish you good fortune."
"It's cold outside, come sit by the stove," the Empress handed her a hand warmer from the table.
Zhao Heng nodded in thanks, removed her cloak, handed it to the maid beside her, and sat down gently by the stove.
"Ah Heng, Xiao Ba said she caught this lovebird, is it true?" asked the Emperor with a smile.
"Father doesn't believe me," Li Nanxi pouted slightly, displeased, "Sister Heng taught me how to set up the bird trap, and I caught it."
Zhao Heng nodded in agreement, "It's true."
"Xiao Ba is so talented," the Emperor lifted her onto his lap and played with the bird, teasing it with Li Nanxi.
The Empress handed her a cup of hot tea and asked, "Has the tiger been released yet?"
Taking the teacup, the warmth steamed up, blurring her vision for a moment. When she looked up again, a thin mist hung on her long eyelashes. She looked at the Empress with gentle eyes and replied, "It has been released. I ordered the guards to release it deep in the mountains."
"Good," the Empress said gently, "I hope after releasing it, you won't have those dreams again."
Zhao Heng held the teacup, feeling the warmth seep into her palms. She was a bit absent-minded, but after a moment, she softly thanked the Empress, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Li Nanxi and the Emperor played with the bird for a while, feeling a bit hungry. She turned to the Empress and asked, "Mother, can we have dinner? I'm hungry."
"Alright, I'll have Tingyun Mama bring the meal right away," the Empress said with a smile as she stood up, lifting the military tent flaps to step out.
Zhao Heng stared at the flames in the stove, lost in thought. Before long, the Empress returned, and in the blink of an eye, her head was covered in a layer of white snow.
"It's snowing outside," the Empress exhaled, rubbing her hands together to warm them.
The Emperor lifted the felt curtain to look outside, confirming the sight of goose feather-like snowflakes drifting down. His eyes and brows softened with a smile, "It's really snowing."
Servants began serving the hot meals in the tent. On such cold days, steaming hot food was the most comforting.
Just as they sat down at the table, a commotion was heard outside the tent.
"Your Highness, the Emperor is dining. Please wait a moment," a guard said.
In the next moment, the thick felt curtain was pushed aside, and the northern wind carrying snowflakes swept into the tent. Zhao Heng, only dressed in a thin robe, shivered in the cold.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, Liu'er is missing," Concubine An stumbled into the tent, falling to her knees on the thick mats.
The Emperor adjusted his cloak, and the Empress frowned, asking, "How could he be missing?"
Concubine An cried, "This afternoon, Liu'er went fox hunting in the mountains. I found it too cold and didn't go with him. I ordered eight guards to accompany him into the mountains. Just now, they returned and said that after Liu'er went into the mountains in the afternoon, his horse suddenly went out of control, carrying him and galloping into the woods. The guards immediately tried to chase after them on horseback but couldn't catch up. They searched for over two hours and still haven't found him. It's getting dark, and it's snowing. Your Highness, please send the Imperial Guards to search for Liu'er..."
She sat on the ground, sobbing heart-wrenchingly.
As Zhao Heng slowly sipped the chicken soup, listening to her cries, she couldn't help but think that it was the most beautiful sound in the world.
Was she also afraid?
Did she also feel despair?
All of this was what she deserved.
The Empress, surprised, said, "Liu'er has been practicing archery for many years, and the horse he rode was trained. This shouldn't have happened. Don't panic yet; maybe it's like the last time he got lost in the palace, just sleeping somewhere without knowing where."
"It's different, Your Majesty!" Concubine An's eyes revealed unease, tears streaming down her face. She grabbed the Empress's robe, pleading, "Your Majesty, it's snowing outside, and there are fierce beasts in the mountains. I fear for Liu'er's safety. Your Majesty, please have mercy. In these years in the palace, Liu'er and Liuqi are my everything. If something happens to Liu'er, I don't want to live anymore."
"Get up first," the Empress held her cold hands and then turned to order, "Bring me my cloak. I'll go out and see."
"Your Majesty," Zhao Heng set down her bowl and chopsticks, standing up and speaking gently to the Empress, "It's storming outside, and you're frail. Let me go; you wait in the tent for my news."
The Empress hesitated for a moment, then ultimately took the token to mobilize the Imperial Guards from her desk and handed it to Zhao Heng, saying, "Be careful."
Zhao Heng nodded, took the token, and was about to fetch her cloak when Tingyun Mama brought the Empress's cloak.
The Empress glanced at Zhao Heng's cloak, realizing it was too thin for walking in the snowstorm. She gestured for Tingyun Mama to drape the cloak over Zhao Heng.
Surprised, Zhao Heng hesitated for a moment. The Empress said, "Wear it, it's cold outside."
Grasping the soft fox fur tightly, Zhao Heng kneeled and thanked the Empress before stepping out of the tent.
Concubine An hesitated for a moment, then followed Zhao Heng to the camp of the Imperial Guards to deploy troops.
Quickly dividing the Imperial Guards into four groups, Zhao Heng instructed the eight guards who accompanied Liu'er to lead their own teams into the deep forest to search for him.
Mounting her horse, Zhao Heng stood at the horse's head and said to Concubine An, "The mountains are high and dense, the snowy road is treacherous, and the forests are filled with dangerous beasts. For your safety, return to the tent and await my news."
Concubine An's eyes turned red with anxiety, each word from Zhao Heng piercing her heart, reminding her of the dangers Liu'er might face and her own negligence for letting him get lost in the afternoon.
"I'll go with you," she gritted her teeth, determined.
"Then you must stay safe," Zhao Heng said.
With a subtle smile, Zhao Heng tightened the reins, turned the horse around, and spurred it towards the forest, urging it forward with her legs tightly gripping its sides.
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Author's Note:
Zhao Heng: Let's go, I'll take you to a dim alley to play.
Concubine An: No, no, I don't want to die. Don't write it, don't write me dying. I'll smash your keyboard!
Humble Author: If there's no update tomorrow, it's because Concubine An, who doesn't want to die, smashed my keyboard!