Sixth-month summer had arrived, and outside the countryside villa in the suburbs of the capital lay a vast natural lake. It was the time when green trees cast dense shadows, and gentle breezes brushed the water’s surface. Amidst the shade of the willows, Yuan Xi sat motionless, facing the lake, her brows furrowed as she focused intently on the floating bobber, afraid to miss any movement.
Xiao Du emerged from the depths of the woods, parting the hanging willow branches in front of him. He couldn’t help but chuckle at Yuan Xi’s concentrated and tense expression. Silently, he approached her and slipped a freshly made flower crown onto her head. Startled, Yuan Xi felt something suddenly on her head. Before she could react, Xiao Du came from behind and planted a kiss on her cheek.
Yuan Xi, fearing he might scare away the fish about to bite, panicked but dared not speak. Instead, she blushed furiously and gestured with her eyes for him not to disturb her. Mischievously, Xiao Du bit her lip and refused to let go, intentionally distracting her from watching the bobber. Yuan Xi, exasperated, began to playfully pat him on the back, accidentally letting the fishing rod slip into the lake.
Seeing Yuan Xi about to truly get angry, Xiao Du quickly stopped teasing and ran to the lake to retrieve the fishing rod for her. Then he sat behind her and patiently taught her how to fish. Yuan Xi had never experienced such rustic leisure in the mountains and fields. Whenever a fish took the bait, she would excitedly shine with joy, clapping her hands and cheering. Xiao Du hadn’t seen her this happy in a long time, making him feel even more convinced that bringing her to the countryside for the summer retreat was the right decision.
The two frolicked all day until the sky was filled with the hues of sunset, casting its golden rays upon the water, tinting it half peach and half golden. Feeling a bit tired, Yuan Xi leaned back against Xiao Du’s chest, the gentle breeze brushing against her face, making her lazily close her eyes. The rustle of birds flying over the water and the cicadas chirping in the trees made it seem like a utopia, causing her to forget all their worries.
Lost in her thoughts for a while, Yuan Xi reluctantly opened her eyes and asked, “Have you still not figured out that matter?”
Xiao Du tightened his embrace around her hand and replied, “I’ve thought about it for a long time. This matter shouldn’t be decided by me alone. After all, that person is your father. If Empress Dowager’s crime of plotting against the late Emperor is proven, it won’t just affect her and your father; the entire Xia family might face calamity.”
Yuan Xi fell silent for a moment before softly exhaling and saying, “I’ve said it before. I have no relation to Xia Mingyuan or the Xia family anymore. He never treated me as his daughter, so why should I consider him family?”
Xiao Du turned his head to look at her and asked, “Can you truly not care at all?”
Yuan Xi nodded and said, “You’re my husband. You, Xuan’er, Father, and Second Brother are the ones who truly care for me and treat me as family. So, whatever decision you make, I’ll accompany you. Even if it means giving up everything now, even if it means roughing it out in the wild, I won’t have any regrets.”
A surge of warmth flooded Xiao Du’s heart. His gaze swept over the scenery before him, and he said, “If one day, you must accompany me to a place without such picturesque scenery, not as prosperous and lively as the capital, but filled with deserts and sandstorms, would you still be willing?”
Yuan Xi had already guessed some of his intentions and turned back with a gentle smile, “You once said you’d take me to watch the sunset on the border. I’ve been waiting for that day for a long time.”
Xiao Du still harbored some worries and said, “But you’ve never left the capital, and you’ve always been afraid of the cold. Living there would be very difficult, especially without the luxury of warmth from underground dragons. In winter, the winds are strong, and the water is cold. I’m afraid you won’t be able to bear it.”
Yuan Xi sighed, grasping his hand firmly, and said with determination, “Adou, wherever you go, I’ll follow. Even in the coldest places, you’ll be there to keep me warm. As long as you’re with me, what is there to fear?”
Touched by her commitment and finally releasing his biggest worry, Xiao Du couldn’t find the words to respond. With her promise, he finally untied the knot in his heart. Some things, even if he knew the outcome, he still had to do.
The next day, in a small courtyard in Fengle Alley in the western part of the city, Uncle Feng finished tending to the courtyard’s flowers and plants. Just as he was about to go to the kitchen to prepare some food, he felt something amiss behind him. He quickly turned around and looked up, only to see Xiao Du sitting on the courtyard wall against the backlight, dressed in white robes and black boots, holding a wine jug and smiling at him.
Uncle Feng rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things, then hastily exclaimed, “Lord Hou is coming, why didn’t you enter through the main gate? Ah hurry down, be careful not to fall!”
Xiao Du laughed heartily, leaping down from the wall, and tossed the wine jug into Uncle Feng’s arms, saying, “I won’t fall from this height. I wanted to surprise you. I bought some excellent wine from the Drunken Fragrance Tower today. Let’s have a few drinks together.”
Uncle Feng, not understanding why Xiao Du was so cheerful, happily went to wash the wine glasses and quickly prepared some dishes. The two of them sat under the shade of the trees, enjoying their drinks amidst the lush greenery.
After a few drinks, Uncle Feng began to feel the effects of the alcohol, but he also felt happier than he had in a long time. At this moment, Xiao Du praised, “Good wine, good wine. Drinking like this is truly delightful!”
Uncle Feng couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer and cautiously asked, “What’s the matter that has made Lord Hou so happy?”
Xiao Du slowly set down his cup, his expression becoming somewhat complicated, and said in a low voice, “Uncle Feng, what if I told you I could avenge Xiao Ji and Xiao Qi right away? Would that make you happy?”
Uncle Feng’s hands trembled, and the wine glass slipped from his grasp and crashed to the ground. Then, his lips began to quiver violently, and his entire body shook. He looked up at Xiao Du, confirming that there was no hint of joking in his words, tears streaming down his face as he began to laugh hysterically. Then, his body swayed, and he knelt in front of Xiao Du, crying out hoarsely, “Lord Hou, they died so tragically, unable even to return to their hometown. They can’t accompany this old man anymore. If you can truly avenge them, I’m willing to sacrifice my life for it!”
Tears welled up in Xiao Du’s eyes too. He quickly squatted down to help Uncle Feng up, his voice trembling as he said, “Rest assured, I’ve never forgotten their deaths! The perpetrators who killed them and the tens of thousands of soldiers of the Xiao family, remember them every day, engraved in my heart and mind! I once swore that one day, I would make those people pay with their lives and let the souls of our soldiers rest in peace! Don’t worry, it won’t be long before I can avenge them!”
Uncle Feng hunched over, covering his face as he cried. This moment had been too long in coming for him. He had thought he would spend the rest of his life in hatred and regret, but now he finally witnessed the day when justice would prevail. If he could meet his two children underground in the future, at least he wouldn’t be ashamed to face them!
Xiao Du leaned against the stone table, silently watching Uncle Feng vent his emotions. His vision blurred for a moment as if he had returned to that year at Pingdu Pass. He hadn’t eaten for days and had weakened to the point where he couldn’t even hold a sword steadily. Outside his camp were countless soldiers, weak and hopeless.
At that moment, one of his lieutenants entered the tent, glancing at him nervously before opening the bundle in his hands. A rich scent of meat filled the entire tent, and Xiao Du’s eyes suddenly lit up. But when he saw the agonized expression on the lieutenant’s face, he understood everything. He reached out and fiercely knocked the meat out of the lieutenant’s hand, too weak even to scold him.
The lieutenant picked up the meat from the ground, kneeling beside him, and said, “Lord Hou, please have a piece! If even you fall, the Xiao family’s army will be destroyed! Then all our fallen brothers will have died in vain! We need to survive to avenge them!”
Xiao Du trembled as he closed his eyes tightly, suppressing the tears burning in his eyes. It felt like an eternity had passed before he finally trembled and put the meat into his mouth. As he ate, he gagged and spat it out several times, finally managing to swallow it. The lieutenant beside him was already crying convulsively. Seeing this iron man, who had laughed and cursed the enemy even with several arrows in his body on the battlefield, shed tears for the first time in front of him, Xiao Du felt as if countless sharp blades were piercing his heart. At that moment, he silently vowed, “Everything I owe you, I will repay you! I will use the blood of our enemies to pay tribute to all the souls unjustly killed here!”
A cold wind blew, reminding Xiao Du of the icy chill on his face. He wiped his cheeks with his hand as if he could see the countless brothers who had fought and died together with him standing before him, their faces showing a relieved and grateful smile.
Indeed, this is what I owe you! So, fully aware that if the Xia family fell, the Marquis’ Mansion would be in jeopardy; fully aware that only by continuing to tolerate the Xia family’s power to balance the imperial authority could he give himself a few more years of breathing room, he still insisted on seizing this opportunity to completely crush the Xia family. Because he could no longer wait, this was his responsibility, for the sake of past promises, for the sake of the thousands of loyal souls!
Once again, during the time of willows fluttering and flowers flying, on the peak of Zhongshan Mountain, Zhao Yan stood with hands behind his back, gazing at the distant mountain scenery. Hearing the footsteps behind him, he slowly turned around and smiled, “You finally came, I knew you would come sooner or later.”
Xiao Du walked up to him and said, “What makes you think I would come? I could simply sit back and watch the show. What’s in it for me to help you?”
Zhao Yan brushed off the fallen leaves on his body, suddenly showing a hint of arrogance on his face. “Because you and I are the same kind of people, with the same clear aspirations. Back then, you and I swore here to return a tranquil and prosperous era to Dayimu. So, you would never sit idly by and ignore the Xia family.” He sighed again, his eyes tinged with sorrow, “It’s just a pity that you and I never had the chance to be true good brothers!”
Xiao Du’s face showed a hint of mockery, seeming too lazy to respond. He simply took out a piece of paper from his hand and unfolded it in front of Zhao Yan, saying, “This is the secret hidden in that bow, left painstakingly by the late emperor!” Zhao Yan immediately focused his gaze to examine it carefully, his expression showing puzzlement as he recognized it as a prescription.
Xiao Du explained, “Two ingredients in this prescription, when combined, are poisonous. Taking too much of it can be fatal. And this was the prescription the Empress Dowager fed to the late emperor herself when she took care of him.”
Zhao Yan was immediately shocked, never expecting something like this to directly implicate the Empress Dowager, and in such a deadly manner. Just as he was in a state of uncertainty and hesitation, Xiao Du had already put away the prescription. He slowly said, “This is the opportunity potent enough to destroy the entire Xia clan. Now it’s up to His Majesty to choose whether he can muster the resolve to help his father deal with his mother.”
Pain flashed across Zhao Yan’s face, and after a long while, he finally exhaled deeply and said, “The arrow is on the string, I have no choice but to let it fly.”
Xiao Du seemed to have anticipated his response long ago, and he smirked, “Then let’s see what His Majesty is prepared to offer in exchange for this prescription.”