Golden wind and jade dew, orange and green.
Days of autumn rain washed away the lingering heat of summer.
The main building of Cuixue Tower is a nine-story pagoda hidden behind rivers, lakes, and seas. The pagoda stands tall and majestic, its spire piercing the clouds, exuding an imposing grandeur. Behind the nine-story pagoda lies a complex of waterside pavilions and residences, with buildings nestled among lush greenery, their carved eaves and decorated railings casting shadows even under the scorching noon sun. When the sunlight filters through the green leaves into the windows, it brings a sense of warmth and tranquility, captivating the heart and expanding the mind.
Unfortunately, such beautiful scenery couldn’t keep the owner of the residence at home.
When Pingxi came to deliver the medicine, Huo Xian was alone, stroking a tabby cat. The cat, looking forlorn, drooped its tail, shedding a lot of fur and on the verge of balding. Hearing the commotion, it meowed anxiously in this direction.
Its watery eyes were full of grievance.
Pingxi couldn’t care less about it, only hoping it wouldn’t call out to her so she could quietly deliver the medicine and leave…
But as soon as it meowed, the person stroking the cat also turned his gaze towards her. Sure enough, she heard him ask, “When will your young lady return?”
Pingxi’s heart sank, filled with worry.
Since leaving the capital, the young lady had headed straight for the main base in Jiangzhou. The world of martial arts and the imperial court are similar in many ways; the change of power inevitably brings turmoil. Having been delayed in the capital for so long, the main and branch bases were already in chaos. Now that she was back, she threw herself into it wholeheartedly, working day and night. She was either in the nine-story pagoda dealing with complicated affairs or on the road handling disputes.
For the past three months, Lord Huo had rarely seen her.
Each separation lasted several days or even over ten days. Left behind in the waterside pavilion to serve, Pingxi was often asked: Where has your young lady gone again?
But that wasn’t what troubled Pingxi the most.
What troubled her the most were the unstoppable rumors.
Due to the young lady’s connection, Lord Huo could freely come and go in the nine-story pagoda. Even during public discussions, she never avoided him and often sought his opinions. When he sat in the discussion hall, he looked like a bewitching concubine influencing the nation from behind the scenes. Moreover, when the young lady lost her temper and was about to draw her sword, Lord Huo only needed to stroke her hair and hand her a cup of tea to prevent an inevitable battle. With a few words, he could make the opponent suffer in silence, stewing in their frustrations.
Over time, those whose interests were harmed by him grew resentful and spoke sarcastically behind his back, generally saying:
“What’s so great about a dismissed imperial inspector? It’s just that he has a good-looking face. Women are all superficial, but how long can that last?”
“The scary part is him whispering nonsense to the young lady, influencing decisions. If he stands his ground in Cuixue Tower, who knows what will happen…”
“Pah! He’s just got a pretty face? There are plenty more handsome than him!”
In the following days, all the maids serving tea and water to the young lady were replaced by handsome and graceful young men…
They changed one every day, and at first, it seemed ineffective. But one day, the young lady looked up and glanced at one of them several times, even asking him a few questions.
Where is your home?
When did you join Cuixue Tower?
Where did you serve before?
The young man answered each question, and only then did the young lady let him leave.
As for Master Huo, he said nothing at the time, but the next day, the questioned young man voluntarily requested to serve elsewhere.
Trembling, he dared not even lift his head.
Master Huo’s expression remained unchanged, and he even laughed, saying, “Why is he so scared? Are you scaring them again?”
The young lady looked very innocent, “I did not.”
At that moment, Pingxi had her suspicions, but seeing this, she thought she might be overthinking. However, after leaving the Nine-tiered Tower, she heard those people say, “Bah! That Huo guy played dirty tricks on me, daring to send a pretty boy to my wife’s side!”
The person next to him waved his hand, “Stop talking, stop talking. It’s better than what happened to me. Last night, I was sleeping peacefully at home, and when I woke up, there was a naked boy beside me. Now I have to go back and explain this to my seventy-year-old mother…”
Pingxi couldn’t hear clearly what the others were sobbing about. She stood there in a daze, realizing that Master Huo knew everything, while the young lady was busy all day and had no clue.
Seeing that Master Huo didn’t intend to pursue the matter further, Pingxi didn’t bring it up again. A month and a half passed, and the matter seemed to have blown over.
But today!
Those people were quietly gossiping on the path behind the mountain, saying that the young lady had gone on a trip and brought back a handsome young man. She didn’t even return to the waterside pavilion but took him directly to the Nine-tiered Tower.
And, as luck would have it, Master Huo, passing by, heard this. Now, as Pingxi was called over by him, she felt that these days were really tough.
She could only say, “Maybe it’s soon, Master. No, Young Master, I don’t know who the young lady brought back. Should I go and ask?”
Huo Xian seemed indifferent, saying “Oh,” and added, “No need.”
When Shen Qingli arrived, stepping in the twilight glow, he saw Huo Xian standing by the railing, plucking cat fur, gazing into the distance without a single movement, lost in thought. In this dazed state, he looked like a stone statue longing for his wife.
Shen Qingli deliberately made his footsteps louder, but Huo Xian only glanced sideways.
Then, disdainfully, he said, “What are you doing here again?”
Shen Qingli, shaking his folding fan, pretended to be sophisticated, “I’ve come to keep you company. Look at you, looking like a woman pining away in her boudoir.”
Hearing his teasing, Huo Xian sneered and rolled his eyes.
Shen Qingli leaned on the railing and sighed, “Ji Yuluo has always been like this, never considerate, the most unsuitable person to live with. If you regret it, I can help you escape. I know this place best.”
Huo Xian threw the cat to him, “If you have nothing to do, get lost.”
“Hey, hey, hey, why are you so ungrateful!” Shen Qingli chased after him, “I really came to help you.”
In the center of the lotus pond stood a lotus pavilion, with stone steps on the shore leading straight to the pavilion. The evening breeze gently swayed the lotus flowers, creating a mesmerizing scene, with the intoxicating aroma of wine adding to the allure.
Shen Qingli opened a jar of wine and said, “This wine is called Forget Worry Wine. The name sounds melancholic, but it has another name, One Sip Drunk. It has a sweet aftertaste. You don’t feel anything while drinking it, but it’s the strongest of strong wines. Smell this aroma, isn’t it fragrant? I guarantee that with Ji Yuluo’s limited capacity, she’ll be out with one sip and won’t wake up until noon tomorrow.”
Huo Xian took a small sip, indifferent.
Shen Qingli lounged casually, looking at him, “But I’ve heard your tolerance for alcohol has increased over the years. I remember you saying you disliked the bitterness of alcohol when you were younger.”
Back then, they were only fourteen or fifteen, but for social occasions, boys had to learn to drink from a young age. Initially, they only dipped their chopsticks in it, but later, they had to drink from cups. At palace banquets, it was inevitable to drink a few sips to show respect.
But Huo Xian didn’t like the bitterness of alcohol or the slight intoxication it brought. Because of this dislike, he once tricked the young prince into drinking, which ended up with both of them being punished by Marquis Xuanping.
Now, recalling it, those days seemed like a distant smoke.
Huo Xian didn’t share his sentiments and simply said, “I still don’t like it much, but it goes down fine.”
Still don’t like it much?
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingli’s lazy demeanor softened, but he quickly resumed his relaxed smile and asked, “I remember you used to strive to be the best in everything. Why are you now content to leave the capital and go far away? If you fought for it, those people couldn’t do anything to you. After all, you still have Marquis Xuanping’s household. As long as the Marquis supports you, you might still have a chance.”
He looked at Huo Xian, even showing a hint of expectation.
But Huo Xian didn’t focus on his question. Instead, he looked towards a figure walking along the distant path.
It was Ji Yuluo, returning leisurely.
She walked while swinging the jade pendant at her waist, a pair of which Huo Xian also had a piece.
It was said that Huo Xian, in his idle time, had personally carved small characters on the back of it.
Shen Qingli glanced at it and felt a pang of envy. Before he could make a sarcastic comment, he heard Huo Xian say, “We were young and foolish. Why are you still thinking about those days?”
He held half a mouthful of wine, watching Ji Yuluo walk towards them under the maid’s guidance, then swallowed and said, “Besides, it might sound heartless, but these past years I’ve had everything I wanted. I’ve tasted the high life, fulfilled my youthful ambitions, and now I can retire with someone to take care of me. What’s not to like?”
Is this what he calls “retiring in glory”?
Black and white, right and wrong, are hard to distinguish. His sudden disappearance made others see him as a dog fleeing with its tail between its legs.
Moreover, the dignified second young master of the Marquis of Xuanping’s household and the former Jinyiwei commander, how could he have fallen to the point of being supported by a woman?
Not only is he not ashamed, but he is proud of it!
But Shen Qingli, full of mockery, couldn’t say anything because Ji Yuluo was already approaching. If she heard him insulting Huo Xian, she would undoubtedly come up with some biting remarks to ridicule him and might even kick him into the lotus pond.
He held back!
Ji Yuluo asked, “What are you doing here again?”
Shen Qingli, feeling exasperated, replied, “I’m here to say goodbye!”
As the words fell, Ji Yuluo and Huo Xian exchanged a glance, understanding the meaning behind his farewell.
Autumn had arrived, and the new emperor’s health was unstable. After his last serious illness, he hadn’t attended court for half a month. There were rumors in the capital that the new emperor was frail and might not last long, likely not making it through this winter.
The most intriguing part was his decree summoning Prince Ning to the palace for an audience, hinting at deeper implications.
Shen Qingli’s trip was probably to accompany him on his final journey.
This matter was no secret. In fact, on this day, they had all been mentally prepared for it. It was remarkable that Xie Subai had managed to hold on with his dying body until now; they could not ask for more.
The atmosphere grew heavy. Shen Qingli changed the subject, “You, always so busy, actually took a break at the waterside pavilion today. Come and taste this new wine I got.”
Ji Yuluo sniffed it. The aroma was too strong. Strongly scented wines were often potent, and she didn’t like them. Just as she was about to refuse, Huo Xian had already poured her half a cup and asked, “Did things go smoothly?”
Ji Yuluo instinctively took the cup and, while replying, took a sip.
The wine was indeed sweet, and she couldn’t help but drink a few more sips. Huo Xian didn’t stop her. Seeing her cup empty, he poured more for her.
He showed no guilt or unease, chatting casually with Shen Qingli.
Shen Qingli clicked his tongue inwardly. Old fox.
Ji Yuluo was only unguarded in front of him; otherwise, she wouldn’t fall for his tricks so easily.
He wanted to warn her, but it was too late—Ji Yuluo was already half drunk.
She still sat properly, feet on the stone platform, knees raised with her elbows resting on them, supporting her face as she listened to their conversation. She appeared serious but was actually lost in thought, her mind wandering far away.
She was likely already drunk. Shen Qingli, after a moment of silence, lowered his voice and asked, “I want to know, I hadn’t shown myself in the capital before… but when you saw me, you didn’t seem surprised. When did you know of my existence?”
