Chapter 66
The three of them climbed the steps together, and before long, they reached the platform at the top.
To the side of the platform stood an unremarkable little house. As they got closer, they could faintly see a glow of light from within.
Dusk fell quickly on the outskirts of the capital. One moment the sun was still up, and the next, the world was veiled in darkness. The light inside the small house spilled through the half-open door and window, making it the only visible light in the entire mausoleum. Ji Qingzhou couldn’t help but wonder—how many nights had the Second Prince spent alone in that dim light, enduring the long hours?
“Wang Ye, should I go ahead and announce our arrival to the Second Prince?” Dong Dong, who had been following behind them, stepped forward quickly when he saw Li Zhan come to a stop and asked.
“No need,” Li Zhan replied. He turned his head to glance at Ji Qingzhou, reluctantly let go of his hand, and said, “Let’s go in together.”
Ji Qingzhou nodded and followed Li Zhan and the young emperor into the house.
The door was half-closed, but a light push opened it.
Directly across from the entrance stood a table with some dishes and wine set atop it.
But the dishes were already cold—it was clear they hadn’t just been prepared.
“I estimated the time. If you came on horseback, you should have arrived two hours earlier,” came a cool male voice from within. The man walked out from the inner room, paused when he saw the young emperor and Ji Qingzhou beside Li Zhan, and then understood, “Ah, no wonder it took this long…”
He had calculated based on Li Zhan riding on horseback, but since Ji Qingzhou and the young emperor had come along in a carriage, their speed had naturally been slower.
“Second Brother,” Li Zhan called to him.
“Second Imperial Uncle!” the young emperor called out and jogged over a few steps. At first, he seemed a bit timid, but when the man smiled at him, the young emperor leapt forward and wrapped his arms around him. No doubt—this was the Second Prince.
Ji Qingzhou was a bit surprised. After all that had happened, he hadn’t expected the Second Prince to show no resentment toward the young emperor.
But then he thought again—even Ji Qinglan, who had suffered greatly, hadn’t shown hostility when she met the young emperor.
After all, when it came down to it, none of this had anything to do with the young emperor.
“Young Master Ji from the Ji family, if I recall correctly, your name is Qingzhou…” The Second Prince ruffled the young emperor’s hair, then turned his gaze to Ji Qingzhou.
Ji Qingzhou bowed politely before finally taking a good look at the man.
This Second Prince was slightly older than Li Zhan, though his appearance didn’t show it. His features bore some resemblance to Li Zhan’s, but his demeanor was more rugged and masculine. His facial structure wasn’t as symmetrical as Li Zhan’s, but upon closer look, he had a kind of quiet charisma.
It was just… perhaps from living in the mausoleum for too long, the Second Prince looked somewhat sickly, his complexion pale.
The weariness that came from his acquired frailty contrasted sharply with his naturally strong and heroic air, evoking a sense of melancholy.
“Please sit. I asked someone to prepare food and wine ahead of time, but I got the timing wrong, so everything’s gone cold. Still, with so many people here tonight, it’s rare to have this kind of liveliness. It makes up for the regret a little,” the Second Prince said, inviting Li Zhan and Ji Qingzhou to sit. He even pulled over a low stool for the young emperor and placed it next to Ji Qingzhou.
“When you sent someone to inform me, I counted the days and figured things would be coming to a conclusion today,” the Second Prince said as he poured wine for both Li Zhan and Ji Qingzhou. “I thought… if I didn’t return, you’d come here yourself—and I was right.”
He turned to Ji Qingzhou and added, “I just didn’t expect Young Master Ji would come along as well.”
“Second Brother…” Li Zhan raised his wine cup and clinked it lightly with the Second Prince’s. At the same time, he pressed down on Ji Qingzhou’s cup with his other hand and said, “His health isn’t good. He can’t drink.”
The Second Prince turned to Ji Qingzhou and said, “It’s rare that I get to meet Young Master Ji. To not even share a drink is a bit of a shame.”
Ji Qingzhou, not wanting to dampen the mood, quickly said, “It’s alright. I can drink just a little with you.”
Li Zhan frowned and said, “There’ll be plenty of chances to drink in the future, but not today.”
With that, he took away Ji Qingzhou’s cup and turned to the Second Prince, saying, “If you want to drink, I’ll accompany you tonight.”
The Second Prince looked back and forth between Ji Qingzhou and Li Zhan for a moment, then smiled and said, “Alright then. Qingzhou, please look after His Majesty. Tonight, Third Brother and I will have a proper drink.”
Ji Qingzhou quickly agreed.
For the rest of the evening, Ji Qingzhou stayed by the young emperor’s side, focusing on helping him eat while occasionally listening in as the Second Prince and Li Zhan reminisced about the past in bits and pieces.
No one knew who had cooked the food at the mausoleum, but the flavors were quite ordinary. The young emperor and Ji Qingzhou didn’t eat much.
Most of the time, they simply listened to the two brothers talk…
“The cook’s from the guard camp—not much of a chef…” said the Second Prince. “But at least he’s kind-hearted. He’s never mistreated me all this time. If it had been someone stingier, I’d probably be skin and bones by now.”
Li Zhan looked at him and asked, “What about the physician? I heard your health’s still not too good.”
“It’s alright—not good, not bad,” the Second Prince replied. “I drank the medicine you had someone send over a few times, but it was too bitter. Eventually, I poured it on the pine tree outside the door. The medicine was so bitter it killed the tree… When the guards found out, they were terrified. Said there couldn’t be a dead tree in the mausoleum, so they quickly replaced it with a new one. They were so worried they even dug out all the soil underneath and replaced that too. Hahaha!”
As he spoke, he broke into laughter. The young emperor saw him laughing and couldn’t help laughing along.
Only Ji Qingzhou and Li Zhan remained silent, their hearts heavy, unable to join in the laughter.
It was clear that back then, the Second Prince probably didn’t have much will to live. Whether the illness could be cured or not simply didn’t matter to him.
“Cong’er’s grown up. Looks like your Third Uncle hasn’t let you go hungry,” the Second Prince said as he reached out and pinched the young emperor’s cheek.
The young emperor replied, “When Second Imperial Uncle returns to the capital, Third Imperial Uncle can take care of you too. That way, none of us will go hungry.”
“Hahaha, your Third Imperial Uncle already has a lot of people to look after. Don’t wear him out,” the Second Prince laughed. As he spoke, he shot a glance—somewhat teasing but not malicious—at Ji Qingzhou. Ji Qingzhou, feeling slightly guilty, couldn’t shake the feeling that the Second Prince had noticed something.
That night, the two brothers chatted for nearly another hour.
Eventually, Ji Qingzhou and the young emperor couldn’t help but doze off at the table, so Li Zhan told them to head into the inner room and sleep.
It was chilly in the mountains, so Ji Qingzhou shared a bed with the young emperor. In the middle of the night, he woke up from the cold.
Drowsily, he felt a sudden warmth beside him, and with it, the faint scent of wine on someone’s breath.
“Go back to sleep. It’s still a long while before dawn,” Li Zhan whispered by Ji Qingzhou’s ear, then slipped his arms around him from behind.
The way he held Ji Qingzhou was so natural that even in his half-asleep state, Ji Qingzhou didn’t find anything odd about it—he didn’t even fully wake up.
Still drowsy, Ji Qingzhou only felt a constant warmth against his back. Too sleepy to open his eyes, and unsure if it was a dream, he simply let the other man hold him as he drifted back to sleep.
When morning came, Ji Qingzhou noticed a particular warmth around his lower abdomen. He froze for a moment before realizing that someone had placed a hand there—through the layers of his clothes.
He instinctively tried to move the hand away, only to discover that the other person had him locked in an extremely secure embrace from behind. One arm wrapped across his chest, the other rested firmly on his slightly rounded belly, as if afraid he might run off.
“Awake?” came the man’s low voice right by his ear. Because of their closeness, every warm breath landed directly against Ji Qingzhou’s skin.
Already flustered by their intimate proximity, Ji Qingzhou’s ears instantly flushed red, the color spreading down his neck and across his cheeks.
The man behind him stared for a moment at the youth’s slightly pinkened skin, then explained in a low voice, “I was worried Cong’er might move around in his sleep and kick your stomach.”
“…Mm.” Ji Qingzhou gave a soft response—it was hard to tell whether he believed it or not.
Reluctantly, Li Zhan let go. At that moment, the young emperor rolled over from the inner side of the bed and mumbled sleepily, “I sleep really well. I wouldn’t kick anyone…”
Li Zhan: …
Ji Qingzhou: …
It was still chilly in the mausoleum early in the morning, and Li Zhan was worried Ji Qingzhou might catch cold, so he insisted on draping his own outer robe over him.
Ji Qingzhou, flustered and nervous, worried the Second Prince might notice, and refused to wear it.
Li Zhan didn’t want to push him too hard either, so in the end, he “ordered” Ji Qingzhou and the young emperor to stay inside the room and not go out until after breakfast.
“Would you like to take a stroll around the mausoleum? It’s rare to visit,” the Second Prince asked Ji Qingzhou and the young emperor after breakfast.
Ji Qingzhou looked startled—This is the royal mausoleum, not some tourist spot. We can just go for a walk here?
But the Second Prince didn’t seem to mind at all. Seeing Ji Qingzhou didn’t respond, he turned to the young emperor and asked, “Cong’er, do you want to go? There are squirrels in the pine woods behind us. Second Imperial Uncle can take you to see them.”
The young emperor didn’t quite know how to react and instinctively turned to Li Zhan for guidance, his eyes full of unspoken questions. In the past, whenever he came to the mausoleum to pay respects, it was always on special occasions, with many people in attendance. He had to wear heavy ceremonial robes and go through all sorts of rituals. It was never a pleasant experience.
This was the first time he had come to the mausoleum like this.
Without the ceremonial officials tagging along, the royal mausoleum felt much more peaceful now. It no longer seemed as solemn and rigid as it had before.
“If you want to go, then go,” Li Zhan said.
Ji Qingzhou was a little surprised—he hadn’t expected Li Zhan to agree so easily. But on second thought, the Second Prince didn’t seem like someone who lacked a sense of propriety. What he called “taking a stroll” was most likely just a walk through the forest behind the mausoleum grounds, not something disrespectful like wandering into the tomb chambers themselves.
The young emperor was curious about everything he hadn’t seen before. Back when he’d visited the mausoleum, he’d always wondered what lay behind the gardens. Unfortunately, those visits were always formal and restrictive, with only limited access to certain places. Now that Second Imperial Uncle offered to show him around, of course he was delighted.
“Second Imperial Uncle, when I die, will I also be buried here?” the young emperor asked as they walked toward the back of the grounds.
The Second Prince thought for a moment, then said, “You’re still very young. You have many years ahead of you to think about that.”
The young emperor nodded, but looked a little confused.
In the past, Li Zhan had taken him to the Fengxian Pavilion every month to pay respects. Whenever he wanted to speak to his late father, he would do so before the memorial tablet in the pavilion. Now, he couldn’t quite understand—if the deceased were buried in the mausoleum, why did they also have a tablet in the Fengxian Pavilion?
“What about you, Third Brother?” the Second Prince suddenly turned to ask Li Zhan. “After a hundred years, do you want to be buried here too?”
Li Zhan paused for a moment and replied, “When a person dies, it’s like a lamp going out. Where you’re buried doesn’t really matter.”
The Second Prince was momentarily stunned, then asked, “When a person dies… is it really like a lamp going out?”
“Second Brother…” Li Zhan frowned slightly as he looked at him. The Second Prince quickly gave a laugh and waved it off, saying, “My fault. I shouldn’t be saying such ominous things.”
The group followed a small path into the pine forest behind the garden.
Along the way, the Second Prince kept up light conversation with everyone, seeming to be in good spirits.
At first, Ji Qingzhou had been worried about him. But now, seeing that the Second Prince spoke as if he had long since let go of his burdens, and that there was no visible sign of illness—indeed, he even looked more energetic than he had the night before—Ji Qingzhou thought that now that the case had been resolved, the Second Prince could finally move on.
He knew that although Li Zhan always appeared cold and distant, he actually cared deeply about family.
Whether it was the young emperor or the Second Prince, Li Zhan had poured a great deal of affection into them…
If the Second Prince could return to the capital smoothly this time, Li Zhan would surely be overjoyed.
“Cong’er, look! There’s a squirrel in the tree,” the Second Prince suddenly said.
The young emperor looked in the direction he was pointing, and sure enough, spotted a squirrel holding a pinecone in its little paws.
“Zhouzhou, look!” the young emperor exclaimed, running over excitedly to Ji Qingzhou.
Li Zhan stood right beside Ji Qingzhou, and seeing the young emperor rushing over, he instinctively reached out an arm in front of Ji Qingzhou to shield him, preventing the child from accidentally bumping into his stomach.
It was a casual, almost subconscious gesture—even the young emperor didn’t notice anything unusual. But the Second Prince’s gaze darkened slightly, his eyes lingering for a moment on Ji Qingzhou’s lower abdomen.
“Second Imperial Uncle, what’s the squirrel holding?” the young emperor asked.
“That’s a pinecone,” the Second Prince replied.
“Is it tasty?” the young emperor asked.
“You want to try one?” the Second Prince asked with a smile.
The young emperor nodded and turned to Ji Qingzhou with an eager look. “Zhouzhou, come with me to pick some pinecones.”
Ji Qingzhou couldn’t help but smile. He was just about to agree when Li Zhan spoke up, “I’ll go with Cong’er to pick them.”
Before Ji Qingzhou could respond, Li Zhan had already taken the young emperor by the hand and led him into the pine forest.
“Imperial Uncle, let’s go a bit further in—it’s bigger inside,” the young emperor said.
Li Zhan nodded and followed his lead, walking a few steps deeper into the woods, while still staying within sight of Ji Qingzhou.
The Second Prince stood off to the side, watching their backs, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“I remember seeing you once or twice at the Grand Tutor’s residence…” the Second Prince suddenly said. “Your older brother and I were quite familiar, but you always kept your distance and didn’t care to speak with us.”
Ji Qingzhou looked at him, a little puzzled, unsure why he had brought this up.
“Qinghuai takes after your father—kind and gentle. As my late father used to say, he had the heart and mind to embrace all rivers,” the Second Prince continued. “Everyone in court who knew your brother liked him.”
Ji Qingzhou remained quietly by his side, listening but not responding.
He didn’t know much about Ji Qinghuai and was afraid that if he said too much, he might say something inappropriate.
“In the past, I always wondered—how could two sons of the Grand Tutor be so different in temperament?” the Second Prince said. “Back then, though we didn’t interact much, I always thought you were a little withdrawn—hardly a trace of the Grand Tutor could be seen in you.”
Ji Qingzhou furrowed his brows slightly and asked, “Second Prince… what are you trying to say?”
“I didn’t mean anything by it, just that when I saw you last night, I felt you had changed.” The Second Prince replied.
Ji Qingzhou froze for a moment, his heart skipping a beat.
Even Li Zhan had never said such a thing to him. Could the Second Prince really be so perceptive that he noticed something different about him after just one meeting?
“It’s strange, but now you seem more like a child of the Ji family. The moment I saw you last night, I felt you’d become more like your older brother. There’s warmth in your eyes now. You’re no longer as aloof and emotionally distant as before.” The Second Prince continued, “I suppose the upheaval in your family… has made you grow?”
Only then did Ji Qingzhou breathe a little easier and say, “That might be the case.”
“That’s a good thing,” the Second Prince said with a nod. “My third brother—he has a cold exterior, but a warm heart. He needs someone by his side who truly understands him.”
“Second Prince…” Ji Qingzhou began, somewhat dazed, but didn’t know what to say next.
The other man, however, seemed to have already seen through his thoughts. He quickly added, “There’s no need to hide anything from me. Last night when Third Brother wouldn’t let you drink, I was a bit puzzled. But just now, when His Majesty ran toward you and I saw him instinctively reach out to shield you, I suddenly understood.”
As he spoke, his gaze dropped to Ji Qingzhou’s lower abdomen.
Ji Qingzhou: !
This man was way too sharp-eyed.
“Is it Third Brother’s child?” the Second Prince asked directly.
Ji Qingzhou hadn’t expected him to be so blunt. He was immediately flustered. Worse yet, Li Zhan wasn’t here, so there was no one for him to look to for help.
“Yes,” Ji Qingzhou answered softly, his face burning with embarrassment.
Since the Second Prince had already seen through it, there was no point in hiding it anymore.
“No need to be nervous,” the Second Prince said gently. “The only reason I figured it out was because I know my third brother so well.”
Ji Qingzhou nodded and thought to himself—no wonder Li Zhan had described his Second Brother as straightforward and candid. It seemed he was right…
“Does he have any plans?” the Second Prince asked. “Regarding your child.”
“Wang Ye said…” Ji Qingzhou thought for a moment before replying, “he wants the child to take the Ji surname.”
The Second Prince was stunned for a moment, then smiled and nodded. “That’s good.”
Ji Qingzhou glanced at him, quietly wondering—could the Second Prince also be wary of Li Zhan having a child? Otherwise, why would he immediately approve the moment he heard the child would carry the Ji surname?
“Don’t misunderstand,” the Second Prince said, likely seeing through Ji Qingzhou’s thoughts—or perhaps just wanting to avoid any misunderstanding. He explained, “I know my third brother well. He’s never had any interest in the throne, so unlike those court officials, he doesn’t care about having an heir.”
Ji Qingzhou asked, “Then what did Second Prince
mean just now?”
“If Third Brother told you that,” the Second Prince said with a smile, “it means he’s already made plans for your future together. I’m happy for him.”
When he said this, there was a clear, unguarded joy in his eyes.
Ji Qingzhou could tell that these words were sincere. In fact, from the moment they met until now, though the Second Prince had been quietly observing him, Ji Qingzhou hadn’t detected any malice in his gaze—only curiosity and genuine concern.
“Wang Ye…” Ji Qingzhou was momentarily confused. He didn’t understand how letting the child bear the Ji surname meant that their future was already decided.
Though the thin wall of ambiguity between him and Li Zhan had all but broken down by now, they had yet to formally express their feelings for each other. Naturally, Ji Qingzhou had no way of knowing what Li Zhan had planned for the future.
But why had the Second Prince drawn such a conclusion from just that one line?
As Ji Qingzhou was still pondering this, Li Zhan returned with the young emperor.
The young emperor held a pile of pinecones in his arms and proudly presented several to Ji Qingzhou like they were treasures.
“Second Imperial Uncle, is it time for us to return to the capital?” the young emperor asked the Second Prince.
Ji Qingzhou glanced at Li Zhan, knowing full well this question was likely prompted by him.
Although they had come to escort the Second Prince back, Li Zhan hadn’t brought up the matter once since last night.
But now the wine had been shared, the garden strolled, and the pinecones gathered—it seemed it was finally time to return.
“Qingzhou…” The Second Prince didn’t respond to the young emperor. Instead, he turned to Ji Qingzhou and said, “Take His Majesty and bring the pinecones back first. Rest up ahead for a bit.”
Ji Qingzhou looked at Li Zhan and, realizing they likely wanted to speak privately, nodded and led the young emperor away.
Dong Dong, who had brought guards along, immediately split the group, sending half of them to escort Ji Qingzhou and the young emperor.
Once they had gone far enough, Li Zhan spoke. “You don’t want to return with me?”
“Third Brother,” the Second Prince suddenly said, “come with me. I want to show you something.”
Li Zhan nodded and followed him.
The two of them walked through the pine forest, and in the distance, a solitary grave came into view. A tombstone stood above it, but it bore no inscription.
“When the entire Zhou household was executed, not a single corpse was properly buried,” the Second Prince began. “One of his subordinates knew someone who worked as a guard at the imperial mausoleum and secretly brought me a piece of light armor Zhou Chu once wore.” He continued, “I know he probably wouldn’t have wanted to be buried in a place like this, but I couldn’t let it go… so I took it upon myself to build this cenotaph for him, in secret.”
Li Zhan stared at the blank tombstone for a long time without saying anything.
The area around the grave had been carefully tended. The path they had walked hadn’t been deliberately built, but was rather worn down by frequent visits—clearly, the Second Prince came here often.
Li Zhan had always known that the Second Prince and Zhou Chu were extremely close. If not for that, no one would’ve dared to fabricate such groundless charges. After the incident, Zhou Chu was executed by beheading. Li Zhan knew the Second Prince had always carried immense guilt, even though none of it had been his fault.
“Second Brother… the dead can’t come back,” Li Zhan said softly.
“Yeah. The dead can’t return… When a man dies, it’s like a lamp going out.” The Second Prince gave a bitter smile. “This was the only thing I couldn’t let go of. It was because of me that his entire household was destroyed, and even Master was implicated… I thought I’d have to carry this burden to my grave, never able to face him or Master, even in death.”
Li Zhan replied, “It wasn’t your fault. We all did everything we could… If Commander Zhou has any awareness in the afterlife, he’ll see the truth.”
“Do you really think he’s watching from above?” the Second Prince suddenly asked.
Li Zhan hesitated, not knowing how to respond.
“Third Brother, thank you… for allowing me, in this lifetime, to witness their names finally cleared.” The Second Prince said sincerely.
“The dead are already gone. I did this not only for them,” Li Zhan said, “but for the living—for you, for the Ji family, for the soldiers of the Western Camp who once followed Zhou Chu loyally. I also did it so the court officials could see the truth for themselves… I don’t want us to keep living in illusions with our eyes closed.”
The Second Prince nodded in agreement, his expression filled with quiet relief.
“With you by Cong’er’s side, I believe he’ll grow up to be a good emperor,” the Second Prince said.
“He doesn’t just have me,” Li Zhan replied. “He has you too.”
The Second Prince, with his back to Li Zhan, gave a wry smile and shook his head slightly.
“I think you’ll understand me… My only regret is that I won’t live to see your child born,” the Second Prince said. “But I believe he’ll be a wonderful child—just like Cong’er…” His voice grew softer and softer until, in the end, it could barely be heard.
Li Zhan stared at his back, and a sudden realization struck him. His brows furrowed tightly.
But before he could react, he saw the Second Prince’s body collapse in front of Zhou Chu’s grave, curling in on itself.
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oh my goshhhh poor li zhan