“The sin of this servant is grave and unforgivable, disgracing His Highness and the Princess. Only death can redeem this wrongdoing.”
The yellowed piece of paper bore a simple line of the script, yet it felt as profound as the most intricate verses, puzzling to decipher.
Xiao Du set down the paper, rubbing his temples in frustration. For the past few days, he had been dissecting these twenty-one words repeatedly, but to no avail. He stood up, walking slowly to the window, pushing it open in an attempt to clear his mind with the cool breeze.
The autumn was deepening, with a gentle rain falling outside. The once fragrant gardenia tree now only held a few lonely, withered leaves, swaying in the cold rain, casting a desolate sight. And the person sitting under the tree reading, when would they return?
Raindrops fell rhythmically from the eaves, forming small puddles on the ground. Xiao Du’s gaze unconsciously swept over these puddles, and suddenly, he jolted. Puddles… ink stains… why did Aunt Cai leave so many ink stains in the blank space on the paper? He had initially thought it was due to her panic, but if this farewell letter was deliberately left with a message, she wouldn’t allow any stains.
Xiao Du reached out to grasp the window frame, his knuckles turning white with the force. Perhaps Aunt Cai didn’t intend to convey her message through words but through these ink stains.
Turning abruptly, he picked up the paper again, scrutinizing it closely. Indeed, those seemingly random ink blots appeared to be arranged in a certain order. But where should he start to decipher them?
The incense burned and extinguished, yet Xiao Du remained lost in thought. The paper crumpled in his hand as he murmured, “What do you want to say?” Just then, a clamor outside the door interrupted his thoughts. He furrowed his brows slightly, yet before he could speak, a figure burst in, filling him with both anger and surprise.
Quickly tucking away the paper, Xiao Du smiled and rose to greet the newcomer, “Uncle Feng! When did you return?”
At the door stood a burly figure, red-faced with a white beard, who had shoved aside the servant trying to stop him. The servant, red-faced with anger, was about to protest, but seeing His Highness’ attitude towards this man, he swallowed his grievances and muttered before leaving.
The man swaggered in and plopped down, saying, “Your mansion has quite a lot of rules. They all insisted His Highness wouldn’t see visitors. If we waited for them to announce, who knows how long it would take. So, I just came in myself.” Xiao Du merely shrugged indifferently, pouring him a cup of tea and saying, “Father mentioned that you were coming to the capital, but I didn’t expect you so soon. Why didn’t you inform us beforehand?”
The man gulped down the tea, scanning the room before asking, “What? Not happy to see me?”
Xiao Du shook his head with a smile as he refilled the tea, “Back in the Nu River Valley if it weren’t for you fighting your way out, I would’ve lost my life.”
Remembering the battles of the past, both men felt a surge of emotions. Putting down his tea, the man banged the table, “What kind of tea is this? Tasteless! Let them bring some good wine. Let’s have a proper chat.”
This man was Feng Yan, a captain in the Xiao family army. He had accompanied His Highness Xiao Yunjing on various campaigns since a young age. When Xiao Du entered the military, Feng Yan became his instructor, almost like a mentor. Recently, he had requested retirement from the court and returned to his hometown, visiting the capital specifically to see old friends. Hailing from the countryside, accustomed to the rough and straightforward ways, he lacked the finesse of courtly etiquette. However, Xiao Du didn’t mind; he found it rather endearing. Ordering some food and wine, the two reminisced like they were back in the military camp.
After a few rounds of drinks, seeing Feng Yan’s eyes glazed with intoxication, Xiao Du poured him another drink and asked, “Uncle Feng, what are your plans now that you’re back home?” Feng Yan often said that soldiers never knew if they would see the next day, and he didn’t want to burden any young lady with his uncertain future. Hence, he remained unmarried all these years, even without a family.
Lifting his head, his speech slightly slurred, Feng Yan replied, “Just a lonely old man. What plans could I have? I’ve used the savings from all these years to buy a small estate in my hometown. I’ll have some people manage it and rent it out, living a peaceful life for a few years.” With a sigh, his eyes grew misty, “I hope there will be no more wars in my lifetime. I’ve spent most of my years in battle; it would be good if it wasn’t all in vain.”
Xiao Du felt a pang of sadness. So many old soldiers had spent their lives guarding the people and the borders of the country, either dying in battle or returning home with scars, their names often forgotten.
Raising his cup, Xiao Du toasted, “To you, Uncle Feng! The Xiao family owes a debt to all of you!” Feng Yan shook his head with a tipsy smile, suddenly fixing his gaze on Xiao Du, “Chongjiang, do you intend to stay confined in this capital and never return to the battlefield? Since you joined the military at sixteen, I knew you were meant for it. That’s why I deliberately made things difficult for you, hoping you’d gain fame and glory sooner. I never expected you to surpass my expectations.”
Thinking back on the old days, Xiao Du chuckled, feeling a twinge of sadness in his eyes. Shaking his head softly, he murmured, “I’m not going back. I can’t go back…”
He didn’t continue, and Feng Yan didn’t ask either. The strong scent of alcohol in the room overpowered the fragrance of incense. If there were some roasted meat and mare’s milk, it would resemble the aroma of the grasslands. Xiao Du’s eyes deepened in this aroma, while Feng Yan seemed to have already drunk himself into a stupor.
With narrowed eyes and hands struggling to hold the cup, Feng Yan said, “Just went to see the old Marquis. He said you’ve been moping around lately because of some woman, hiding in your room all day.” He suddenly slammed his cup on the table, shouting, “A commander of an army, sulking like a child over a woman, what nonsense! It’s a waste of my efforts to teach you…”
Xiao Du thought to himself: You don’t even have a woman; of course, you wouldn’t understand. But he kept up a smile, trying to placate him, “Father exaggerated. It’s not about a woman; it’s just some things I can’t figure out that I need to think through.”
Feng Yan smirked mischievously, “I didn’t come empty-handed this time, kid. I brought you a gift, it’s in your room. Go and take a look. Whatever troubles you have, you’ll figure them out.”
Xiao Du found it strange but dismissed it as drunken talk. However, Feng Yan suddenly became agitated, urging him to hurry back to his room. Unable to refuse him, Xiao Du ordered the servants to prepare a guest room for Feng Yan to rest after he had enough to drink.
As Xiao Du returned to his courtyard, he noticed the strange expressions on the faces of the maids and servants. They were whispering among themselves, and when they saw him, they exchanged meaningful glances and smiles.
Curious about Feng Yan’s “gift,” Xiao Du approached his room. But as he reached the door, the servants dispersed, leaving him puzzled as he stared at the seemingly ordinary bedroom.
Feeling perplexed, he pushed the door open and was startled to see the bedcovers raised high, gently moving up and down.
Someone was on the bed! Xiao Du was shocked at first, then furrowed his brows. He couldn’t believe that Feng Yan, an old bachelor, would engage in such antics. Did he think Xiao Du couldn’t live without a woman, so he sent one over to resolve his troubles?
Feeling a mix of anger and amusement, Xiao Du shook his head and muttered, “You think I’m that desperate?” He then loudly called out, “Xiao Chun!”
Xiao Chun, who had been chatting with the maids outside, froze at the unexpected call. Hastily, he rushed in, sneaking a glance at the bed, and asked cautiously, “Your Highness, do you have any orders?”
Xiao Du pointed at the bed with a stern face, “Get that person out of there!”
Xiao Chun turned pale with fear, stammering, “I-I can’t move them. It’s impossible!”
Xiao Du raised an eyebrow, “What’s the matter? You dare disobey me?”
Xiao Chun’s face contorted in fear. Although he wanted to refuse, he couldn’t. He forced a smile and approached, saying, “Your Highness, please listen to me. This person really can’t be moved. She is…”
Xiao Du impatiently interrupted him, “I don’t care who she is. Just get her out! If you can’t bear to do it, I’ll have her moved to your room!”
Xiao Chun’s mouth gaped open, nearly in tears. He dared not refuse, thinking, even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t dare. He tried to smile and said, “It’s all our fault for not informing Your Highness earlier. We wanted you to see for yourself, to give you a surprise.”
Xiao Du scowled, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner!”
Xiao Chun breathed a sigh of relief, wiping his sweat. In his mind, he cursed, It would have been better to inform you earlier! He forced a smile, “It’s our fault, Your Highness. We wanted you to see for yourself, to give you a surprise.” Remembering what His Highness said about moving someone to his room, he shuddered. He couldn’t afford to play such tricks again; he might end up risking his life.
Xiao Du was too preoccupied to argue with him. He was fixated on the face he had longed to see for so long. He waved his hand impatiently, “Get out!”
Relieved, Xiao Chun quickly bowed and slipped out, closing the door behind him.
Xiao Du gazed tenderly at the person lying on the bed, but she glared back at him angrily, seemingly wanting to say something but unable to speak. Suddenly, Xiao Du realized she seemed to have been acupunctured! He hurriedly leaned over to release her acupuncture points.
Yuanxi was startled by the sudden kidnapping, already frightened out of her wits. Now, unjustly left behind, she heard him mention something about “taking her out,” finally able to vent her pent-up anger. She angrily sat up and exclaimed, “Xiaodu, you shameless scoundrel, utterly unreasonable just like that foolish bird you sent over!”
Xiaodu had a bellyful of words he had intended to say to her and had practiced countless scenarios of their reunion. However, her barrage of angry accusations left him dumbfounded. After a moment, he managed to catch her drift and replied, “Bird? What bird?”