Chapter 192: Mandarin Ducks
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Calculating the days, they had been away from the capital for quite some time.
Although the three urged Qu Chenzhou to rest a few more days, his mind was preoccupied with matters, and he couldn’t sleep peacefully. The others could only follow his wishes.
Thankfully, An Ning accompanied them, ensuring they had sufficient medicine, water, and food. They also prepared horses to escort them to Shimao County.
However, Qu Chenzhou still felt a bit weak and couldn’t ride the horse alone. He was also too embarrassed to sit in Liu Zhongming’s embrace in front of the two, so he sat at the back, holding onto Liu Zhongming’s waist.
“Chenzhou, I’ve been thinking for a long time since last night,” Liu Zhongming held his thin wrist with one hand and the reins with the other, speaking to him sideways, “Your previous mention of ‘turning point’ being vague might be because there’s not just one turning point.”
Qu Chenzhou leaned his head lightly against Liu Zhongming’s back, the warmth and solidity shielding him from the wind, making him comfortable and reluctant to speak. He pinched Liu Zhongming’s hand twice, indicating for him to continue.
“Having obtained the Wood Spirit, there’s already an arrangement with the Emperor. Have you thought about what you want the Emperor to reward you with?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Talking about these things now is irrelevant. What’s important is to stabilize the Emperor first.”
With his eyes closed, Qu Chenzhou listened to the sound of the wind brushing past his ears on one side and the strong, steady heartbeat on the other.
He knew it wasn’t the time for idle thoughts now, and Liu Zhongming’s multiple mentions of turning points made him think even deeper…
Besides the Wood Spirit, this trip to Shimao County might bring unexpected gains as well.
With Ding Lekang’s death, the position of the leader of the Jinwu Guard became vacant, not only dealing a blow to Huai Wang but also presenting an opportunity for them.
The butterfly that An Ning had given him laid quietly in his embrace.
“Sir, keep it safe.”
This was the first time he had learned that a wooden butterfly could also fly. Even though he had witnessed it, he still felt like he was dreaming.
“Sir, the Yanshis’ rarely interact with the outside world and can’t disrupt the balance. Therefore, we can only help you once. We can open mountains, split water, conquer cities, and strategize, but remember, only once.”
Qu Chenzhou gently pressed his finger against the wooden butterfly. Although they only had one opportunity, the six thousand Yanshis behind An Ning were enough to eliminate his biggest concerns.
Apart from this, he also knew that within the capital, the Empress Dowager, who had no way out, was fighting to the death, causing a huge uproar.
Perhaps everything was their turning point.
Or maybe, this turning point was referring to him and Zhongming.
With this thought in mind, he couldn’t help but wonder if one day, his desire to freely roam the heavens and earth would come true.
Before that sense of sentimentality could well up, Liu Zhongming suddenly raised his hand to rein in the horse. Caught off guard, Qu Chenzhou pressed against Liu Zhongming’s body, ending up with his arms full.
“What’s going on?”
Liu Zhongming didn’t answer, afraid that Qu Chenzhou might fall off. He tightly grasped his hands, clamped his legs around the horse’s belly, and after not running too far, he suddenly slowed down. Once again, Qu Chenzhou was forced to lean forward and bumped his forehead against Liu Zhongming’s back.
“Liu Zhongming!”
He finally realized he was being played with, feeling embarrassed and annoyed. However, his limbs turned weak, and he couldn’t even muster the strength to pinch someone.
“Can you please come to the front?”
With a hearty laugh, Liu Zhongming asked with his mouth, but before waiting for a response, he swiftly turned around, reaching back and pulling him closer, wrapping his arms around him.
“Chenzhou, once everything settles down, no matter where you want to go, I’ll accompany you.”
Without waiting for him to say anything, a kiss landed on his forehead, as if it was just a gentle touch amidst the jolts.
“If you want freedom, I’m willing to wait for you, even until you return.”
Perhaps due to the jolting of the horses consuming their strength, Qu Chenzhou tilted his head. His hands, originally curled up, slowly extended and gathered behind Liu Zhongming’s waist.
The heartbeat next to his ear raced even faster. After listening for a moment, he softly asked, “Are you scared?”
Liu Zhongming lowered his head to glance into his embrace, and his habitual tendency to act tough turned into candor, “Yes, I’m scared, and I’m also looking forward to it.”
He was afraid to think about what had happened here before, but he held hope for a turning point.
His older brother’s name used to be a taboo for him, and he had never thought that one day he could restrain himself so calmly. Perhaps only in this state could his father feel rest assured enough to let him handle anything.
Although under the jurisdiction of Shimao County, aside from the bustling town, it was common for there to be few households spread across the wide expanse.
Even without a map, the location of that household was ingrained in his memory.
They dismounted from the official road, walked south along the mountain slope, and could vaguely see traces of the once-existing dirt road. However, it had been so long since anyone had used it that it was now overgrown with weeds.
Within the span of just a cup of tea’s time, the wooden door and roof concealed by the grass could be clearly seen.
The land in the courtyard had been turned over, and although there were some wild plants, it wasn’t as barren as the surroundings, providing a place to rest.
This was an ordinary courtyard, with a total of seven rooms arranged in two yards, front and back. The green-brick tiled houses suggested a relatively comfortable life.
Judging from the layout traces, there used to be chickens and ducks here. Some rooms were for personal use, while two were more spacious, and the marks on the walls indicated that paintings or calligraphy had once hung there, suggesting a study.
Liu Zhongming walked ahead, pulled open the wooden door obstructed by moss, and glanced inside.
“Nothing here.”
Indeed, there was nothing. Despite being a place once inhabited, household items, clothing, bedding, and even firewood and farming tools that should have been in the courtyard were all absent.
The courtyard seemed as though it had just been constructed, yet no one had ever lived there.
An Ning had said he would help them look around and had left with Yan Guiqi.
Qu Chenzhou sat down by the well and cast a glance at the dry wellhead. “The bucket is still there, and there are details they haven’t had time to clean up.”
The rope tied to the bucket had decayed, and Liu Zhongming tried to pull it up, but the bucket had sunk into the soft well mud. With a slight tug, the rope snapped.
“After discovering this place, my father and I deliberated repeatedly for a long time and concluded that my brother most likely came here and encountered an accident.”
“It’s highly possible that when he passed by here, he accidentally saw Mu Jingyan. Since Mu Jingyan was planning to take Zhou Huaishan away, something unsavory, whether my brother knew about the situation or not, he wouldn’t have taken that risk.”
He also sat on the well platform, gazing at the empty courtyard, and pinched his fingers together, trying to calm himself down.
“From here to Dingling Hill, even a fast horse could make the journey in less than a night.”
“Mu Jingyan was afraid that someone might follow the map to find this place. So, whether it was my brother being chased and murdered near Dingling Hill, or his body being transported there after his death, it was all part of Mu Jingyan’s smokescreen.”
“Unfortunately, when we interrogated those bandits back then, we didn’t think about this at all. All our attention was focused on Dingling Hill.”
He restrained himself from sighing deeply.
A hand slipped into his palm, preventing him from continuing to pinch himself.
He held onto it tightly, like grasping a steady pillar in a raging storm, grounding himself.
“How did those people die?” Qu Chenzhou asked.
“The bandits? I was worried about trouble from behind, so I specifically took them to another courtyard. But unfortunately…”
Liu Zhongming felt ashamed of his past self.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to keep it hidden. He was young back then and had even thought he had been too heavy-handed. It wasn’t until now that he gradually realized the truth – Huai Wang had silenced them.
Qu Chenzhou’s grip tightened.
“There was undoubtedly a fight here. While it’s possible that the neighbors took some things, the place has been cleaned so thoroughly that I suspect many items were stained with blood and scratches.”
“I asked An Ning and the others to check behind the hill. They can’t take those things away, at most, they can only throw them into the ravine.”
Liu Zhongming softly acknowledged.
Everyone around him was putting forth their utmost effort to help, but everyone also knew that even if he personally came here and saw where his brother had met his end, what difference would it make?
Huai Wang was meticulous in his actions; how could there be any loopholes for them to exploit?
Thankfully, it didn’t take long before An Ning and Yan Guiqi returned, bringing something back. If Yan Guiqi hadn’t been there, no one could have managed to bring things up from the cliff.
They confirmed that the utensils with bloodstains and blade marks were indeed present. However, what they brought back were the remains of five skeletons, one adult and four children.
Even if they weren’t forensic experts, the gender and age of these individuals could still be inferred from their clothing.
“According to the household registration records in Shimao County, Zhou Huaishan used the alias Qin Hua and married a woman surnamed Zhang.” Liu Zhongming, seemingly unable to let go, wrapped his hand in a cloth and began turning over the bones.
The woman’s rib still bore a knife wound, allowing one to imagine how she was stabbed through the chest.
“She had four sons, aged seventeen, fourteen, ten, and five.”
Liu Zhongming’s footsteps slowly passed by the gradually smaller skeletons, and he sighed softly, unsure of what he had been expecting when he came here.
Perhaps because along this journey, despite the dangers, there had been several fortunate turns that sparked a bit of unrealistic hope within him.
Hoping for divine intervention, hoping that Mu Jingyan might slip up, leaving behind someone useful.
But it was ultimately an extravagant hope.
He looked at the several pairs of eyes fixed on him, not wanting his disappointment to be too obvious, and just smiled. “Let’s head into town, rest well.”
The busiest town in Shimao County wasn’t particularly large.
After settling here, their journey out of the capital had more or less came to an end. It was time to report back.
All that remained was to inform the local magistrate in Shimao County, who would then arrange for officials from Dingling Hill’s provincial capital to come receive them. Everything was proceeding without a hitch.
Liu Zhongming bid farewell to An Ning and Yan Guiqi, then got a room at an inn. After instructing the innkeeper’s servant to bring hot water for bathing, he finally slumped into a chair by the bed.
The street outside the window was not bustling, but people were still coming and going.
After glancing outside for a moment, he felt restless. He pulled out something from his clothes and heard the sound of water behind the folding screen, followed by the cessation of sound.
“Chenzhou, what are you thinking?”
After pouring a ladle of water, the voice inside finally spoke, “I forgot to ask. What did Zhou Huaishan say to you?”
Liu Zhongming suddenly stood up, his thoughts no longer preoccupied with other matters.
Seemingly ignoring his sudden intrusion, Qu Chenzhou looked at the rim of the bucket, then asked, “Three Blessings… What did he say to you?”
That was their knot from before, and it was the first time Qu Chenzhou had brought it up.
Liu Zhongming squatted by the tub, his gaze penetrating, leaving nowhere to hide.
“He said everything,” he said bitterly. “He called you a little trickster…”
“What if the one deceiving you was him?” Qu Chenzhou suddenly grew angry and poured a ladle of water right at him.
“What if he was deceiving you? Did you really fall into his trap?! Just a few words from him led you to a dead end! You struggled so hard to climb the throne, but is this the best you can do?!”
Water droplets flowed over his forehead, along his eyebrows and down his nose. Liu Zhongming’s gaze pierced through the water droplets as he looked at him.
“I’ve never coveted that position. You know who I’m doing this for.”
Qu Chenzhou’s breathing, which had been intense, momentarily paused. He turned his head away.
“Chenzhou, I’ve thought it over these past few days. From the past until now, I’ve been a part of your calculations.”
“You made me love you, so I had no choice but to lay my heart bare for you. You made me hate you, so I couldn’t help but hate you to the extreme. You know me too well. In front of you, I’m completely defenseless.”
Qu Chenzhou bit his lower lip, then after a moment of struggle, asked in a strained voice, “Do you hate me?”
Liu Zhongming reached out and pulled him into an embrace, watching the shrinking gap of water between them until their foreheads were touching.
“I don’t hate you. I can’t compare to your intricate thoughts.”
“If I had agreed to let you become the Si Tian Guan back then, you wouldn’t have had to go through so much suffering. So from now on, I won’t disobey any of your orders, even if you tell me to die, I’ll do so willingly.”
“I just want to beg you, don’t keep anything from me. I’m willing to be a pawn in your hands, but I don’t want to be in the dark, watching you destroy yourself.”
“Even Three Blessings’s words, I’ve pondered them thoroughly. We haven’t seen each other in almost ten years. I don’t really know what you’ve become.”
“But when you died, I no longer had any attachments in this world. If you were willing to gamble with your own life, then so was I.”
“Even if the hope is slim, I still want you to stay alive.”
Qu Chenzhou suddenly retracted his hand, burying his head underwater, shaking like a dry leaf.
Liu Zhongming stepped into the bathtub and embraced the silently sobbing figure in his arms.
Today, they finally had the opportunity to say many things they had been keeping inside. He felt a lightness, as if he had finally shed a thousand-pound burden.
“Little trickster, even if you were to journey into the depths of the netherworld, I would follow you, never letting you leave me behind again.”
Wet strands of hair floated and tangled in the water. Liu Zhongming gathered a strand, letting it touch his lips.
“You are my wife, for eternity…”
The wrists wrapped around his neck pressed him down, and moist, warm lips brushed against his Adam’s apple, nibbling and exploring with soft bites that accompanied his whimpering sounds, moving upwards in a trail of kisses.
He urgently and devoutly sought to align his longing with the burning desire in his heart. The water in the tub rippled, ignored by both.
They seemed like mandarin ducks newly in love, yet also like they might part at any moment. They desperately wanted to devour each other, intertwining flesh and blood, never to part again.
Liu Zhongming’s clothes were tugged, and the same hand went unpredictably to unbutton his shirt. He couldn’t resist pressing a kiss onto the soft earlobe.
“Why the rush? I can do it myself.”
He turned, pushing the person down against the rim of the tub. Burying his head in the smooth shoulder and neck, he gently nibbled the delicate clavicle, his fingers tracing the spine and sliding along the smooth back, joined by water droplets.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll take good care of you.”
Qu Chenzhou closed his eyes, seemingly unsteady in the water. He turned his hand around, clutching Liu Zhongming, and sobbed softly. “Did Three Blessings tell you… that I was once…”
“I know, I know,” Liu Zhongming held him even tighter, as if he were afraid that he might dissolve: “Chenzhou, I’ll protect you this time, don’t be afraid.”
“Why didn’t you come! Why didn’t you come!” Qu Chenzhou suddenly bit down on his arm, containing his crying in his mouth: “Zhongming… I hate you so much… I hate you so much…”
“Little trickster, I hate you too.”
Liu Zhongming withdrew his hand from the warmth and bent down, becoming intimately entwined in a warm embrace.
“I love you just as much…”
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