Chapter 34 - 4#
“You, you and that person, really are…”
Actually, Huiping had somewhat guessed it.
Long before Huli came to find him.
It was just that at that time, he didn’t know if this friend was a man or a woman. He only knew that Jingzhe would go to see him every once in a while.
He didn’t expect it to be a man.
And a man with such a strong presence.
And for some reason, when Huli told him this, Huiping’s first reaction was the person from New Year’s Eve.
Jingzhe hugged his knees tightly: “Mm.”
Huiping paused for a while, then mumbled: “But that… it hurts a lot.”
Jingzhe looked at Huiping blankly, not reacting for a moment.
“What hurts?”
Huiping had suffered that ordeal with Wufu. Although nothing really happened, he knew quite a lot of what should and shouldn’t be known.
Now, meeting Jingzhe’s well-behaved and ignorant eyes, he felt his conscience ache for a moment.
He coughed, “Nothing.”
…Could it be that Jingzhe and that person haven’t done anything?
Then, then what are they after?
In this harem, the duishi (relationship) between eunuchs and palace maids, apart from emotional comfort, is mostly for venting. Regardless of whether a eunuch is capable or not, being able to satisfy the heart is also a pleasure.
If they don’t do anything… then, that means… they really… like each other?
Can men and men, also, like each other?
Huiping vaguely felt something was wrong, but seeing Jingzhe holding himself, sitting at the head of the bed in a small ball, he suddenly threw all those concerns away.
He whispered: “You also have to protect yourself well, don’t let others see.”
Jingzhe gave another low “Mm”, covered his face with his palms, feeling a bit too ashamed to see anyone.
…
Inside Qianming Palace, a faint, familiar fragrance was wafting through the hall. The people serving in front of the hall had become accustomed to the scent of this incense.
Today, Emperor Jingyuan finally returned from Shangyu Garden.
As soon as he returned, he saw Mao Zishi squatting in front of the hall.
He was really “squatting”.
Holding a twig in his hand, fiddling with something in the corner.
Emperor Jingyuan walked calmly past him: “Remember to pay for the damage.”
Four simple words scared Mao Zishi into jumping up, also revealing the thing he was fiddling with.
The bricks and stones on the edge had somehow been slightly damaged, and with Mao Zishi’s fiddling, the marks had opened up a little more.
Mao Zishi: “It was already broken, I didn’t do it.”
Emperor Jingyuan said indifferently: “Put it on the tab, send it to Qianyuan Academy.”
Mao Zishi took three steps in two, hurriedly chasing after Emperor Jingyuan, wailing: “I’ll pay, I’ll pay, alright? Why bother the teacher?”
He felt pain for his wallet, and hated himself even more for his idle hands just now.
If he was waiting for someone, he should just wait, why go fiddle with that thing?
Emperor Jingyuan sat down in the hall and said carelessly: “Shen Zikun isn’t dead?”
Mao Zishi: “Whether Uncle Shen is dead or not, isn’t Your Majesty the most clear about it?”
On the day of the incident, Mao Zishi sent the news to Shangyu Garden. It was only because he hadn’t received the Emperor’s order that Mao Zishi had remained motionless.
Emperor Jingyuan casually picked and chose on the imperial desk, dug out a book, and threw it to Mao Zishi.
Mao Zishi raised his hand to catch it, opened it suspiciously to look.
After a long while, he looked up with a strange expression.
“Your Majesty, are you planning to…”
Emperor Jingyuan looked down at Mao Zishi condescendingly: “I want them dead.”
After a long while, Mao Zishi also revealed a ferocious smile.
In an instant, he changed from a clear and bright young master to someone somewhat cruel.
“Yes.”
Ever since Shen Zikun’s accident, he had been holding back this anger for too long, not to mention that he hadn’t received news about the safety of his teacher far away in Qianyuan Academy.
When Ning Hongru sent Mao Zishi out, he said softly: “You don’t need to worry, Old Dean Shen is fine.”
Mao Zishi suddenly looked at Ning Hongru.
Ning Hongru smiled at him.
The big stone pressing on Mao Zishi’s heart immediately fell to the ground. Once relaxed, he returned to his mischievous nature. He said secretly: “The money His Majesty mentioned, you don’t really have to pay it, right?”
Ning Hongru immediately became expressionless: “Thank you for the reminder, Lord. Please gather it as soon as possible and deliver the money to my hands.”
Mao Zishi’s heart ached as if bleeding, swearing that he would never enter the palace again in the short term.
After sending Mao Zishi away, on his way back to the hall, Ning Hongru stared at that slightly damaged brick for a good while, called a few people over, and ordered them to dig out the whole piece.
Clanging sounds outside could not reach inside the hall.
Emperor Jingyuan was changing clothes.
Taking off the heavy ceremonial robes, removing the magnificent crown. Those heavy objects were casually thrown on the ground. Cold white fingers were nimbly tying the belt. It was an outfit completely different from the attire on the ground.
Ning Hongru looked at the ceremonial robes on the ground, feeling very heartbroken.
He busily stepped forward to tidy them up.
Only he could get close when Emperor Jingyuan was changing clothes.
“Where is the thing?” Helian Rong asked, “Is it ready?”
Ning Hongru hurriedly said: “Everything is ready. Does Your Majesty want to take it now?”
Helian Rong: “Bring it here.”
Ning Hongru retreated. Not long after, he returned with an exquisite box and handed it to the Emperor.
Helian Rong put it into his bosom and instructed carelessly.
“Starting tomorrow, Qianming Palace will see no one.”
Ning Hongru accepted the order, then said: “Your Majesty, in a few more days, it will be the death anniversary of the Late Emperor.”
Empress Dowager Cisheng passed away in winter, while the Late Emperor passed in early spring.
Regardless of how entangled the Late Emperor and Empress Dowager Cisheng were in life, they had the same wish before death.
That was not to be buried together.
The Emperor and Empress, especially the first wife, are generally buried together in the Imperial Mausoleum.
However, as their son, Emperor Jingyuan issued a decree at the beginning of his ascension to move the original Empress’s coffin out.
After the Late Emperor’s rituals were finished, they were buried together in the Imperial Mausoleum directly.
Hoping that underground, they could also be a pair of entangled lovers for eternity.
Helian Rong curled his lips, “Let the Ministry of Rites handle it, I won’t go.”
Ning Hongru lowered his head and whispered: “Yes.”
The Late Emperor’s death anniversary was exactly Jingzhe’s birthday.
How wonderful.
On the same day, two extremely beautiful things were born.
Helian Rong…
No, it should be said, it was Rong Jiu.
He watched Jingzhe peeking out at the entrance of the Directorate of Palace Maintenance, watched him running over with small steps, watched him being happy yet afraid to show it too obviously.
He forcibly suppressed the smile on his lips, pursing them into a straight line, but joy still flowed from the tips of his brows, cheerful and lively.
Okay, also a bit dejected.
“We have to be more cautious,” Rong Jiu heard him say, “Don’t let anyone find out.” He didn’t say it was dangerous, didn’t say it was unsafe, only a bit of complaining delicateness.
“It’s so embarrassing.”
“Okay.” For a moment, Rong Jiu didn’t know what he answered, then his voice deepened, “Not embarrassing.”
…Yearning, is not something embarrassing.
Jingzhe covered his face: “But being found out by friends is very embarrassing.”
Mingyu was one thing, whatever he thought in his heart would be dug out clean, but knowing that Huiping and the others knew, a shameful heat inexplicably climbed up.
Heaven knows, at that time, how much effort Jingzhe spent to suppress that blush of embarrassment.
…Maybe because Huiping blushed even more exaggeratedly than him.
Jingzhe dragged Rong Jiu to a quiet place and muttered to him about previous events.
Rong Jiu: “You’re worried? Then I’ll go kill him.” The man’s voice was cold and indifferent, sounding devoid of much emotion, as if just casually mentioning it.
Scary.
Jingzhe: “No!”
He poked Rong Jiu’s chest hard.
He knew Rong Jiu would really do it.
“Don’t solve everything by killing people… What are you keeping there?”
Jingzhe’s fingers hurt from poking.
Rong Jiu seemed to remember something, and fished out a small box from his bosom.
“Birthday gift.”
“How did you…” Jingzhe wanted to say how did you know, “Forget it, you are capable of anything anyway.”
Then, his expression showed some curiosity, slowly craning his neck.
Rong Jiu handed it to him.
Jingzhe held the box and looked at it for a few times before opening it.
Inside lay a thin land deed.
Rong Jiu stood with his hands behind his back in front of Jingzhe, saying faintly: “I bought it back for you.”
He had heard Jingzhe chattering about the courtyard at home, about the peach tree in front of the courtyard, about the pond in the courtyard, about the row of small houses behind their courtyard, about the peach blossoms in spring, about the coolness of the koi in summer, about the fruits in autumn, about the snow in winter…
Jingzhe said a lot, a lot.
Although Rong Jiu didn’t think there was anything worth liking about the place where one lived in childhood, just as he felt about Xiefang Hall.
But if Jingzhe liked it, he would naturally return everything to him.
Jingzhe kept his head down, didn’t speak, and didn’t move.
“Jingzhe?”
Rong Jiu pulled the person into his arms, wiping a hand full of wet water. He pinched Jingzhe’s chin forcing him to look up, only to see him biting his lip to death, clearly crying pitifully, but not making a single sound.
Rong Jiu’s voice sank, “Let go.”
The strength in his fingertips was great, forcibly pressing Jingzhe to open his mouth, and wiping his fingertips with a faint scarlet.
Jingzhe had bitten himself until he bled.
“Cry it out.” Rong Jiu pursed his lips, his face beautiful to the point of bewitchment carrying a strange chill, “You are not allowed to hide it.”
“Wuwuwu…”
Jingzhe finally cried out loud, burying his small dog head in Rong Jiu’s arms while crying, “Wuwuwuwu…”
Soon, tears soaked Rong Jiu’s clothes.
The cold wetness chilled all the way to his heart.
Author’s Note:
Rong Jiu: The gift was sent, but the person cried.
Jingzhe: Wuwuwuwu…
Rong Jiu: Different from expected, want to kill someone.jpg