Chapter 65
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Chu Xie took a deep breath and felt a bit hungry. The young emperor had already prepared food. After taking a few bites, Chu Xie remembered that since entering the palace, his daily needs had been arranged by the young emperor, leaving no room for any neglect.
He had to busy himself with the affairs of the previous dynasty every day and oversee the progress of the grand wedding.
Apart from eating and sleeping every day, he had done almost nothing.
After more than ten years, it was the first time he had taken such a long break.
Jiang Yanchi said he wanted to plan for the long term.
But Chu Xie knew that there was no long term between him and this young brat.
He wanted to return to the modern world.
However, hearing his words just now about never marrying anyone else in this lifetime, it made Chu Xie wonder.
It sounded like youthful ambition, but Chu Xie still brought up, “Your Majesty, my health isn’t great. I’m afraid I won’t be able to accompany you for many years.”
The young emperor suddenly thought of the sight of this person fainting from torture in his arms last night. His hand holding the medicine bowl trembled for a moment. “Where doesn’t it feel good?” Chu Xie shook his head, and he managed to give a weak smile. “No, come, drink the medicine first.”
Chu Xie tried to appear as though he had come to terms with it. “I’ve been through a lot since a young age, with a body already weakened. Being able to live to this day is a gain. I wouldn’t feel like I’m losing anything if I were to die.”
“Are you saying these things on purpose to make me feel guilty?”
Jiang Yanchi set down the medicine and suddenly held the frail body, feeling the warmth emanating from Chu Xie. “Don’t worry. Don’t think about anything else. Just stay by my side.”
Chu Xie smelled the bitter scent of the medicine and managed to drink about half the bowl while eating some preserved fruits. Then he heard the young emperor ask nonchalantly, “You didn’t voluntarily join the Northern Xiong, so how did you end up in their camp while in the Northern Territory?”
He nearly choked on the medicine.
“Take it slow, don’t hurry.”
Chu Xie slowly finished the medicine. While he did, Jiang Yanchi instructed a servant to remove the bowl and asked, “Was it the Xu family that sent you to negotiate for peace?”
The tone was calm, but Chu Xie knew this question was crucial, and he couldn’t answer carelessly.
“Why are you asking like this, Your Majesty?”
“I just have a few things I still can’t understand, and I don’t want to speculate on my own. That’s why I want to hear you tell me.”
Jiang Yanchi wiped the medicine stain from Chu Xie’s mouth, his fingertips slightly warm. “Can you tell me?”
“It wasn’t,” Chu Xie replied. “I went there on my own.”
“Why?”
“Because I was confident that I could persuade Huchi Er. I couldn’t bear to see the Changming Army and the Northern Xiong engage in a head-on confrontation.” Chu Xie repeated, “I went there on my own.”
“I see.”
Outside, Little Xizi approached and whispered something in Jiang Yanchi’s ear. Chu Xie saw the emperor nod and then the servant quickly left.
That’s when Chu Xie realized something was wrong.
Where is Tao Li? He hadn’t seen that girl since last night.
“Jiang Yanchi, where is my maidservant?” Chu Xie immediately became alert. “The one named Tao Li, where is she?”
Jiang Yanchi raised an eyebrow and asked, “Which maidservant?”
“Bring her here!” Chu Xie, seeing that he didn’t get a direct response, remembered his furious demeanor from the previous night and, with a tug on a corner of his clothes, demanded, “I want to see her now.”
The young emperor stared at him for a moment.
Chu Xie felt uneasy under that gaze, and a sense of annoyance gradually grew within him. Seeing no immediate response, he lowered his voice, “Jiang Yanchi!”
The young emperor stood up, forcefully pulling his sleeve out of Chu Xie’s grip. Chu Xie saw the emperor’s back, resolute and indifferent. “She dared to sneak into the banquet hall to inquire about the peace negotiations; that’s a capital offense.”
The mention of a capital offense made Chu Xie’s mind buzz.
He had never thought that Jiang Yanchi would act in such a way. There was a reason he had sent Tao Li; Little Xizi knew her, and she had the token of the Chu family. Even if things went awry, no one would dare to harm her.
But now, Jiang Yanchi’s casual mention of a “capital offense” sent a chill through his heart.
Was he using the death of a chicken to warn the monkeys, cautioning him not to overreach?
For a moment, Chu Xie felt a pain in his chest, his fingertips went cold, and a gritty, abrasive sensation like sandpaper scraped through his throat, leading to a violent cough.
“You… you!”
Chu Xie covered his mouth, leaning on the edge of the bed, his entire body trembling like a sieve.
When Tao Li was a few years old, he had picked her up. She was obedient and lively, much like Little Yin. He had raised her bit by bit, and in the Chu mansion, she didn’t seem like a servant at all. Those with discerning eyes knew how highly he regarded her.
He actually… he dared!
Jiang Yanchi originally intended to give him a little scare, but he hadn’t expected Chu Xie’s reaction to be so intense. Unable to maintain his composure, his face immediately tightened, and he rushed to support the shaky figure on the edge of the bed. “Don’t worry! I was just teasing you. She’s fine; I’ve already had someone send her back to the Chu mansion!”
“Cough… cough… cough…”
The coughing resonated deep in his lungs.
“It’s true. If you don’t believe me, I’ll have her brought back to the palace again!” Jiang Yanchi urgently shouted outside, “Little Xizi, go and bring that girl back into the palace immediately!”
Chu Xie endured a fit of coughing, and his face, originally somewhat pale, flushed like peach blossoms, especially his dazzling vermilion lips.
It resembled the appearance on the day he first entered the palace in bridal attire.
Chu Xie gave Jiang Yanchi a sharp look, warningly squeezing his wrist, “You, don’t you dare touch her!”
The young emperor chuckled, “When have I ever touched someone by your side?”
Watching Chu Xie’s furious expression, he muttered, “You really value her.” Suddenly, his brows furrowed, as if something had crossed his mind.
“You don’t like men, so do you like women?”
His gaze swept over, carrying a hint of coldness.
Chu Xie was speechless and wondered what was wrong with this young emperor. How could he be so inept, always avoiding important matters and focusing on trivial details.
“She’s only fifteen!”
“Hmm,” the young emperor responded, lifting his hand to brush over Chu Xie’s disheveled hair from the intense coughing just now. He smiled faintly, “Ah Xie, we’re getting married tomorrow.”
“… ”
“I’m very happy.”
“… ”
That hand then covered Chu Xie’s cheek, the slightly cool touch reaching deep into his heart. With the gentle caress of the fingertips, even his heart began to tremble with a subtle and delicate shiver.
“In a little while, the wedding attire will be delivered. It’s different from the auspicious robes from yesterday; these are red. I like you in red… We will wear the wedding robes, drink together, and then we’ll truly become husband and wife. Ache, after tomorrow, we’ll be the dearest to each other in this world, a family.”
“No matter how tumultuous your past days were, no matter how many people you had to scheme against to get here, to my side… from now on, you don’t have to work so hard anymore.” The other hand held him gently. “These hands don’t need to be stained with blood anymore. You just need to trust me, rely on me, and I will fulfill all your wishes, okay?”
A family.
Chu Xie pondered these words in his heart.
No, he had only one family, and she was still waiting for him to come home.
“The highest under the moon, husband and wife, closest and distant.” Chu Xie spoke lightly, making the hand suddenly tighten, holding him firmly. “Only those connected by blood are family. Your family is Duan Niang Niang, not me.”
The young emperor supported his shoulder, pressing his face against Chu Xie’s back, and he could faintly hear his heartbeat. The two intertwined like strands of black silk.
“She will be your mother too. The three of us will be a family. Once everything settles down, after we endure this period, I will bring her back to the capital…”
“Have you ever thought that she might not be suitable for the capital?” Chu Xie suddenly said.
“That’s because the current capital is too dangerous for her,” Jiang Yanchi replied, frowning. “The situation is critical now, but if I secure the throne, everything will get better…”
Chu Xie fell silent for a moment.
Jiang Yanchi thought he was worrying about something else and reassured him, “Don’t worry, Ah Xie, I will protect you.”
“I don’t need you to protect me.”
Outside, Little Xizi announced that the wedding attire had arrived, breaking the silence in the room. The young emperor’s complexion eased slightly, and he ordered someone to bring in the wedding attire. Coincidentally, Tao Li had just been brought into the palace and was assigned to assist Chu Xie in changing clothes.
Jiang Yanchi had previously summoned Xu Chunmu into the palace because he had been taking care of Chu Xie during his recovery.
Taking advantage of the gap when Chu Xie was changing clothes and styling his hair, Jiang Yanchi went to the side hall of the council hall. Xu Chunmu had been waiting inside for a while, and when he saw Jiang Yanchi, he respectfully saluted, “Your Majesty.”
Earlier, Jiang Yanchi hadn’t learned much from Chu Xie, so when he saw Xu Chunmu now, he didn’t intend to exchange pleasantries. He took a sip of hot tea, cleared his throat, and cut to the chase.
“What happened in the peace negotiations in Changye County?”
His tone was not friendly.
Xu Chunmu was not unreasonable. Ever since the Northern envoy spoke at the banquet, he knew that Jiang Yanchi would seek him out to clarify the matter.
Therefore, he had prepared his response and remained calm.
“I requested Chu Zhanyin to attend the peace negotiations.”
“Oh?” The young emperor held the steaming tea in his hand, and the bittersweet taste was particularly refreshing. “Why?”
Xu Chunmu couldn’t help but recall the time when he was seriously injured, and Chu Xie had risked going to negotiate to prevent him from going to the battlefield.
He knew he couldn’t reveal the true reason; otherwise, the person who was about to become the empress would face endless troubles. He had to prioritize ensuring that Chu Xie would have a better life from now on.
Many things might just be like fleeting smoke, and perhaps he would rot in his coffin for the rest of his life.
Would he regret it?
Certainly.
The decision to return to Huaiqi County was a choice he never expected to be such a painful separation.
A slight hesitation, and it turned into a missed opportunity.
“I was afraid of going to war.”
Xu Chunmu sincerely admitted his mistake, “At that time, facing the unstoppable Northern troops and witnessing the continuous retreat of the Western cavalry, I feared that the Xu family would end up like Ningyuan Wang. So, I hoped… through negotiation, whether by delay or testing, I begged Chu Zhangyin to think of a solution. I hoped to avoid war and relieve the military crisis in our thirteen northern counties.”
Jiang Yanchi narrowed his eyes slightly.
“In this regard, I am willing to accept any punishment.”
Xu Chunmu led troops into battle for the first time at the age of thirteen, and in the decades that followed, his military record was dismal. He would fear war?
Perhaps it was his father, Xu Chengjin’s idea. Xu Chunmu didn’t want to shift the blame onto his father, so he could only admit it himself.
“But have you ever thought about the consequences if negotiations fail for someone like him, who can’t even hold a knife?” The emperor’s voice carried a hint of coldness. “Your Xu family forced him into the enemy camp, do you not care about his life and death?”
Xu Chunmu whispered, “In urgent matters, we can only consider the overall situation. There is one more thing I must make clear to Your Majesty.”
There was another matter.
“You may speak.”
“When I was in Huaiqi County, the deputy general defending the city, Zhao Lingqu, once tried to kill Chu Zhanyin. I saw it with my own eyes.” Xu Chunmu glanced at the emperor’s expression and saw his eyes darken. “Chu Zhanyin and that deputy general and him had a feud, and it wasn’t groundless. What Chu Zhangyin said was not a lie. The strategy for defending the city that day was indeed devised by me.”
With dignity, Xu Chunmu bowed, “Chu Zhangyin said he couldn’t let the troops continue southward, so he transformed into a strategist and presented my plan to Zhao Lingqu, who was leading troops for the first time. The Battle of Huaiqi could only be won in this way.”
The emperor’s face remained calm throughout, revealing no indication of his thoughts on this explanation.
“Some things may sound absurd, but they are true. Chu Zhangyin is not a person who abuses power without reason. On the contrary, Zhao Lingqu is indeed very strange. I hope Your Majesty will treat this matter with caution.”
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