Chapter 57
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After speaking, Jiang Yanchi lowered his head and looked at Ah Xie in front of him, who was gentle and calm. His voice was slightly hoarse, “Are you okay?”
Chu Xie was trapped on the dragon throne, the scent of sandalwood permeating the air, and Jiang Yanchi was already two inches taller than him. With their figures so close, it created a strong sense of oppression.
“Does the medicine affect you? You haven’t been appearing much at night,” Jiang Yanchi reached out to touch his forehead, “Is there anything uncomfortable?”
“No, Your… Your Majesty,” Chu Xie had no interest in discussing this with him.
Pushing him away a bit, Chu Xie observed Zhao Xuan below, molding his image and carefully choosing his words, “Your Majesty, I am not suitable to be the Empress at all. If I ascend to that position, it will bring endless troubles.”
“I say you can, so you can,” the emperor seemed unwilling to discuss this matter further.
Zhao Shizi looked at the person leaning on the dragon throne with a strange expression.
Is it Chu Xie? Or does Chu Xie have a twin brother?
They look exactly the same.
Yet their personalities were completely different.
“Zhao Shizi, you can go now,” Ah Xie coughed lightly, refraining from addressing the Emperor again. “Rest assured, even if I become the Empress, it doesn’t mean I will live… a long life.”
He remained calm and composed.
“Ah Xie, you will live a long life,” the Emperor replied. He disliked it when Ah Xie spoke this way, so he covered him with the blanket more snugly. “I promise.”
Listening to their conversation, Zhao Xuan felt something was amiss. According to the Emperor’s tone, this was clearly Ah Xie.
“Chu… Xie?” Zhao Xuan asked hesitantly, filled with doubts as he met the gaze of those clear and luminous eyes.
In those eyes, there was a glistening, like a tranquil pond, radiating pure and clear light.
Before him, Ah Xie, with a face full of melancholy and gentleness, let out a long sigh as if he had finally revealed the deeply buried secret, “I know that you haven’t been completely sincere in our interactions for more than a decade. You only obeyed your father’s wishes… you genuinely looked down on me, someone who climbed the ranks through any means…cough cough…”
The Zhangyin that never lowered themselves could actually utter such words.
This gaze, this tone, what exactly is going on?
If one must say, the person in front of him… does resemble the one to whom he had once delivered poisoned wine.
“Your Majesty, this…” Zhao Shizi looked towards the emperor.
The emperor knew he couldn’t hide this matter from him any longer and issued a gag order, “Pretend you saw nothing tonight, don’t mention it to anyone. Zhao Shizi, you may leave.”
“Your Majesty, why does Chu Xie look particularly different today…”
The emperor had no intention of explaining and decisively shouted, “Guards, drawg him away—”
“Your Majesty!”
“Because I have a Psychological disorde,” Chu Xie lightly interjected like an autumn breeze, interrupting their entanglement.
“Ah Xie, you!” The emperor originally did not want too many people to know about this, but Chu Xie had spoken out, probably out of consideration for their long-standing acquaintance, “I have known the Shizi for over a decade, yet I never informed him of this matter. It’s my lack of transparency.”
“Chu…”
Zhao Xuan looked at the Chu Xie in front of him, completely confused.
Psychological disorder? What psychological disorder?
“Zhao Xuan, I don’t want to lie to you anymore now that things have come to this. I’m the son of a traitor from the former dynasty. I barely escaped death back then and was adopted by Grand Tutor Su, living on the border… The world is cruel and doesn’t tolerate the weak. Perhaps it was the environment that forced me, or maybe… it was due to something else. I was very young when I contracted this peculiar illness… I know that there are two sides to me, one good and one evil. Whenever I am close to death, the ‘evil’ side appears, using any means to deceive and manipulate. At first, I didn’t pay much attention to it. However, gradually, the ‘evil’ side emerged more and more frequently, and I could hardly appear outside, only at night. Now, the time I can maintain is getting shorter… You’re right, someone like me shouldn’t even be alive, let alone hold a high position.”
Jiang Yanchi also heard these stories for the first time from Chu Xie.
Chu Xie’s intention was to soften Zhao Xuan’s hostility toward him to make it easier to speak later.
However, as he uttered this series of statements, Zhao Xuan didn’t respond, and Jiang Yanchi instead leaned into him, saying, “Ah Xie, it’s alright now… I should have met you earlier…”
Uh, pardon me for being straightforward, but you weren’t even born back then.
Chu Xie maintained his composure, pushed away the Little Emperor, and continued to look at Zhao Xuan, laying the emotional groundwork.
“I know that he did many cruel things out of hatred, injustice, and resentment. I don’t have the memories of that hatred, therefore I can have moments of peace now. In reality, he and I are the same person… I should bear all the sins he committed.”
“Chu Xie…”
Zhao Xuan was dumbfounded, completely rooted to the spot. After careful consideration, his heart began to grow heavy.
“You, you… could this really happen? You… can’t be. Are you lying to me now? How is that possible…”
“Zhao Xuan, I saved you once, the last time you gave me a poisoned drink,” Chu Xie’s voice was calm, “Do you think if you had faced ‘him’ at that time, you would have survived?”
The long-standing doubts in Zhao Shizi’s heart have finally been resolved.
He recalled Lord Qi telling him that Chu Xie always seemed peculiar, sometimes resembling him and sometimes not.
It turned out to be true.
“I die, and he dies too… I know, but I…”
“Ah Xie, don’t say such things again,” Jiang Yanchi suddenly interjected.
Chu Xie’s heart skipped a beat. Yanchi, can’t you stop interrupting me?
Now, Chu Xie’s words were something Jiang Yanchi didn’t want to hear at all. “Don’t worry about it so much. Take the medicine the imperial physician gave you on time, and everything will be fine. It will all pass.”
The more they interacted, the more Zhao Shizi could see the similarities between the two extreme personalities.
He believed they could merge.
Chu Xie’s nocturnal self wouldn’t completely disappear; he would integrate into the Chu Xie of the daytime, becoming one.
That would be the true Chu Xie.
Not torn between hatred and kindness, but a unified Chu Xie.
“Your Majesty, I have something I want to discuss privately with Lord Zhao,” Chu Xie looked at the hand that was tightly holding onto him with a hint of disdain, “It’s extremely important.”
“You…”
Chu Xie reached out and held Jiang Yanchi, as if to appease him.
The young emperor fell silent for a moment, making a concession, “Then, is half a quarter of an hour enough?”
It was more than enough.
Chu Xie smiled, “Yes, wait for me outside.”
The young emperor left, and Chu Xie helped up the whipped Zhao Xuan.
Finally, he could act out the melodrama that had been brewing in his heart for several days.
“Zhao Xuan, I’m well aware that if I were to disappear one day, Chu Xie would become a terrifying existence… There would be no one to restrain him, balance him… Zhao Xuan…”
Chu Xie took out the hairpin he used to tie his hair this morning from his bosom and handed it to Zhao Xuan.
One end of the hairpin touched his own chest.
This was a strategy of retreat to advance.
“In reality, I… don’t really want to live.” Chu Xie lowered his voice, trembling slightly, “Why don’t you give me release?”
Zhao Xuan held the hairpin as if holding a burning iron.
“No…”
“You also think I should die, right…”
“No, I…”
“Then kill me, since you’re not afraid of death. Kill me, and all the problems will be solved…”
Seeing that the atmosphere was almost ready, Chu Xie began to deliberately and unintentionally probed Zhao Xuan below, “Since this is not the first time you’ve tried to kill me… When I was stranded in Huaizhi County, the deputy general who won the battle, Zhao Lingqu, saw through my identity, and I almost died at his hands… In your eyes, I have long been irredeemable. Instead of finding someone to kill me, why not do it yourself?”
His lips curled up slightly, a lonely and relieved smile.
“Knowing you for over a decade, I have never regretted it. If I die at your hands, I will accept it willingly.”
Zhao Xuan really asked, “Zhao Lingqu?”
“I didn’t… I didn’t ask him to kill you. I didn’t even know you were in Huaizhi County. You misunderstood, I…”
His hand trembled, immediately retracting the hairpin pressed against Chu Xie’s chest, muttering, “I really didn’t…”
“Then Zhao Lingqu. Isn’t he your distant cousin?” Chu Xie’s eyes were filled with gloom, as if he had lost all expectations due to Zhao Xuan’s cruelty, “Don’t lie to me. I know. You can’t wait for me…”
“No, really! My father did recommend Zhao Lingqu to the emperor, but we didn’t ask him to kill you… Besides, Zhao Lingqu is not really a member of our Zhao family. He is from Su…”
The words were too hasty, and when he wanted to brake, it was too late, revealing a few words.
Chu Xie remained calm on the surface but instantly seized the key point. “Su what?”
“In any case, I really didn’t want to kill you.”
Su Mingan.
Chu Xie lowered his eyes, and a dark light flickered in his eyes.
This Zhao Lingqu was planted by Su Mingan in the Zhao family. He must be a Yue Clan person.
He must find a way to strip Zhao Lingqu of his military power.
“In short…” Zhao Xuan tugged at the fabric on his knee, “Although I don’t approve of your wrongdoings, I have never truly hated you. I just…”
Just had to consider the overall situation.
With these words, he thought he could say them with a clear conscience.
But he couldn’t.
A kind of guilt rose from the bottom of his heart.
He had even suggested flogging Chu Xie three hundred times. A person like him didn’t deserve to be his friend.
For more than a decade, he had only seen Chu Xie’s cruelty but had never thought about the reasons behind it.
His life was miserable, and he had suffered so much in his early years, which led to this terrible and rare hysteria.
“I know.” Chu Xie placed the hairpin back into Zhao Xuan’s hands, “You are dissatisfied with the current court, even more so with courtiers like me… You have ideals and ambitions, but nowhere to exert them. Zhao Xuan, instead of relying on your father, try not relying on the Zhao family, and really do something… Cough, cough…”
Chu Xie coughed twice, feeling tired and drowsy.
Unable to help himself, Zhao Xuan reached out to support him, “Take your time to speak…”
“If possible, I hope that twenty years from now, Great Wei will not be like it is today and will be closer to your vision.”
Zhao Xuan’s entire body shivered.
Chu Xie had such profound insight and a broad mind.
He was Chu Xie, after all, split into two personalities—good and evil—due to his psychopathy.
He was essentially the same person as the one during the day, equally intelligent and astute.
Such a person, with incredible intelligence, often saw through the complexities of human nature and the intricacies of self-interest.
With the evil side, he could master power and manipulation, calculating people’s hearts. With the good side, he was clear-sighted and magnanimous, saving people in the world.
It was all within his thoughts.
Zhao Xuans eyes turned red like a rabbit’s, “Okay, Ah Xie.”
Half a quarter-hour had passed, and Jiang Yanchi knocked on the door three times. Chu Xie opened the door.
It was midnight, and Chu Xie heard the sound of the night bell outside the palace gate. The young emperor held his hand, and suddenly, a firework burst in the sky.
“Today is my birthday. Ah Xie, I once prayed to the heavens to find you before my birthday, and I didn’t expect that I would still be favored by fate…”
Chu Xie had intended to pull his tightly held hand away, but the young emperor looked too happy.
There was even a hint of mist in his eyes.
“Your Majesty, you’re so grown up, and you’re still crying.”
Chu Xie looked at his watery eyes and sighed.
It seemed that the emperor had made some prior arrangements, as he led him to a waterside pavilion near the Cold Palace, where the fireworks in the night sky became even more splendid.
The two of them walked along the lake, leaving behind all their attendants.
The fireworks reflected on the rippling water and in Jiang Yanchi’s eyes, revealing the graceful and handsome profile of Chu Xie walking beside him.
Jiang Yanchi held Chu Xie’s wrist again, feeling a surge of emotion, and on the pebbled path by the lake, amidst the flickering lights, he pulled the slender figure into his arms.
Chu Xie was still thinking about Su Mingan’s matter and didn’t expect this move. He instinctively struggled.
Jiang Yanchi’s wolf-like strength came back, and once he held onto him, he didn’t let go.
He even leaned in to kiss him.
Chu Xie resisted fiercely, and Jiang Yanchi loosened his grip slightly. By chance, as he struggled forcefully, he managed to flip himself over. Jiang Yanchi failed to keep hold of him and watched as he fell into the lake.
Oh no.
Chu Xie thought this, but at the moment he was about to fall forward, someone timely caught him and pushed him back. He regained his footing, took a few staggering steps to stabilize himself, and then heard a splash behind him.
Jiang Yanchi had fallen into the water.
“Your Majesty!” Chu Xie hurriedly walked to the water’s edge, wetting his shoes and socks. Only then did he see that the water was only half a person deep, with no real danger, but the early winter water was very cold, sending a chill right through.
Jiang Yanchi stood before him like a soaked chicken, looking somewhat helpless.
The scene was somewhat comical, and Chu Xie burst into laughter, offering a hand to the young emperor, “You come up—”
Jiang Yanchi’s hand in the lake was very cold. He didn’t take Chu Xie’s hand but instead used his arms to support himself on the lakeside and climbed out.
Wringing the water from his sleeves, he said, “Hey, I thought I was about to…”
Chu Xie laughed again, “Your birthday is really unlucky.”
“Where? It’s clearly lucky.” Jiang Yanchi looked at Chu Xie and suddenly said something out of the blue.
“Alright, my little emperor, you’ve grown another year older. Do you want a birthday gift?”
Seeing how miserable Jiang Yanchi was, his whole body would probably feel cold as soon as the biting wind blew. Chu Xie led him back to the palace quickly.
“I’ve already received the best gift.”
“Oh?”
Jiang Yanchi followed behind and whispered, “You just laughed.”
Chu Xie paused in his steps.
“I’ve never seen you laugh like that before.”
Jiang Yanchi didn’t seem to feel the cold at all, standing there dripping wet, but his gaze was warm. “I want you to forget all those unhappy things every day, and be able to laugh like you did just now.”
The fireworks had stopped.
The lakeside was quiet and dark.
The stars, however, had brightened, sprinkling across the vast sky like tiny diamonds.
“What… what kind of gift is that?” After a while, Chu Xie averted his gaze, hesitated, and took a couple of steps back. “Your Highness, please, we need to return to the palace to change these wet clothes, and it would be best for you to take a warm bath to dispel the cold…”
“If it is a bath, come this way,” Jiang Yanchi rubbed his hands together, tugging on Chu Xie’s wrist. “This way is the bathhouse…”
Chu Xie followed him in a daze, “Then, Your Highness, go ahead.”
“You’re coming with me.”
“I…”
He grinned mischievously, “Since you said that gift wasn’t acceptable, let’s exchange it for something else. How about joining me for a bath?”
“…”
He was pulled along, moving quickly. “Hurry up, it’s very cold, and I’m about to catch a chill.”
Inside the bathhouse, it was significantly warmer, with steam rising gently. Jiang Yanchi sent everyone else away, leaving them without anyone. It was clear he intended to use Chu Xie like a servant.
Chu Xie held his breath and unfastened the wet belts, taking them off and folding them aside.
One by one, he peeled off the heavy clothes, until only two pieces remained. Chu Xie didn’t want to continue, so he turned away. “You can undress yourself; I’m leaving.”
The warm steam made one’s heart race. Even though there hadn’t been any inappropriate actions, the atmosphere felt overly intimate.
“Don’t go, Lord Chu. Didn’t we agree on a gift? I haven’t received it yet.”
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