Repeatedly broken branches

Chapter 107 A Familiar Recognition

Chen Lanhe waited for a long time, and finally Yuanyuan arrived with Physician Xu, the most skilled gynecologist among the imperial physicians, but she did not see Yin Fu'an.

Yuan Yuan said, "The Emperor said that Physician Xu will serve you here, and you can consult him if you feel unwell in the future."

Chen Lanhe glanced at Physician Xu, leaned back in her chair, placed her hand on the table, and slowly said, "Then take my pulse."

Physician Xu immediately knelt down and repeatedly examined her pulse. He seemed to find nothing wrong, but he was still not convinced. After a long silence, he said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty's pulse is stable. I have not found anything unusual."

"Oh? Is that so?" Chen Lanhe withdrew her hand, looked up at Physician Xu, and asked, "Then why do I always feel uncomfortable?"

"Then, I suggest that Your Highness go out more often to ease your mind, and perhaps things will get better."

Chen Lanhe smiled faintly, "A knot in my heart? What knot in my heart? Physician Xu, you may leave now. I will call you if I need anything."

What's the point of making things difficult for a royal physician? He's just following orders.

After seeing Physician Xu off, Yuan Yuan stood in the courtyard and sighed deeply. She knew that behind the beauty's calm demeanor, her heart must be churning with emotions. After all, he was her own family member; how could she not be sad? She was just putting on a brave face.

Liang Yuxue and Song Xinning brought over tiger-head hats they had sewn themselves. The material was soft, and the tiger heads were embroidered so lifelike and adorable. However, they were also unable to leave their palace. Yin Fu'an had said that when their father was confined to his quarters, they would also be confined.

This is what is meant by "shared prosperity in one's own fortune, and shared loss in one's own fortune."

Xia Yunxu often came to keep her company and would occasionally mention Xia Yunzhi. Chen Lanhe thought about it carefully and realized that Xiaozhi's child was a month older than hers, so it should be more than five months old now.

"Sister Xu, once my child is born, I will entrust him to your care. At that time, I will request permission to leave the palace and never return," Chen Lanhe said calmly.

Xia Yunxu's eyes flickered slightly. She smiled and immediately said, "Don't say such silly things again. No one would have the heart to hand their child over to someone else."

Chen Lanhe pretended to be calm and said, "Sister Xu, I'm telling the truth. You'll see when the time comes."

"Okay, okay." Xia Yunxu took it all as a joke.

But no one knew what Chen Lanhe was really planning.

"Sister Xu, do you love the Emperor?"

Xia Yunxu's heart trembled as she recalled the first time she met the Emperor. It was a snowy night when she was still a princess. Her younger sister, Xiaozhi, was playing and had not returned to the palace by midnight. The snow was falling heavier and heavier, and she was worried, so she went to look for her alone without telling her maid.

The snow on the ground was already a thick layer, and with each step, her ankles sank deep into it, so her shoes and socks were already soaked.

Despite the difficult journey through the snowy night, she refused to give up. Once she found her sister, she was determined to give her a good scolding. What kind of princess would spend her days playing with men?

She hadn't expected that being preoccupied with something would lead to trouble. She twisted her ankle and fell to the ground, unable to get up due to the pain. She should have called for a maid. She thought she could find her sister soon, but alas...

Her eyes welled up with tears, and she couldn't get up from the snow several times because the snow was soft and would collapse if she exerted any force. She was terrified.

She cried out, hoping to be discovered by a passing guard on patrol.

But no, her legs were so cold she couldn't feel them anymore. They were stuck deep in the snow and seemed to be frostbitten. Xia Yunxu was almost in despair.

"Come on, take my hand."

Just then, a slender, fair hand suddenly appeared in front of her. Looking up, she saw a handsome young man with delicate features and gentle eyes. He walked through the snow, wearing a moon-colored cloak.

"You are……"

Xia Yunxu was stunned. After a long while, she placed her hand in the boy's palm. The boy pulled her up from the snow, and she fell heavily into his arms.

It smells like plum blossoms.

He came from the Plum Garden. There was a plum garden in the palace, full of red plum blossoms. The image of snow falling and red plum blossoms appeared in Xia Yunxu's mind.

It must be beautiful.

“I am Fu’an, the son of Grand Tutor Yin.”

Fu'an, Fu'an, what a beautiful name. Just like him, gentle and refined.

However, is this the same Grand Tutor Yin who was executed by my father a few days ago? My father said that Grand Tutor Yin was ambitious and his mind was not on assisting the government, so my father had him killed.

Unexpectedly, the young man in front of him was his son.

“I am Xiaozhi’s older sister, and I often hear her talk about you.”

Xia Yunxu did not refer to herself as a princess because she did not want him to feel that she was deliberately emphasizing her status and making him feel polite and distant.

Yin Fu'an immediately bowed and said, "Your Highness, I have offended you. I thought you were a palace maid, so I..." He realized that he had touched the princess's hand and felt that he had committed a capital offense.

Xia Yunxu smiled slightly and said with puzzlement, "Why are you doing this? You just saved me. If it weren't for you, I would have frozen to death long ago."

"Your Highness, you flatter me. Please move to the pavilion to rest." Yin Fu'an released his hand, and Xia Yunxu almost fell over, collapsing into his arms again.

Her legs were so painful they were almost numb, and she was unable to walk at all.

Yin Fu'an was slightly taken aback. "Princess, I... have offended you."

Before Xia Yunxu could react, Yin Fusu scooped her up in his arms and strode toward the pavilion. Before she could react, they were already inside.

Yin Fu'an held her in one arm and used the other hand to take off his cloak and cover the stone bench before putting her down. Sure enough, it wasn't so cold anymore.

Later, they talked for a long time.

From Xiaozhi's conversation about Yin Fu'an's lofty ambitions, Xia Yunxu could tell that he was a rare talent. If he were to be buried because of his family, it would truly be a loss for her father.

Therefore, she strongly recommended Yin Fu'an to her father as the new Grand Tutor. Her father, who favored her, agreed. Later... she secretly went to ask her father to grant her a marriage, and her father, in order to suppress his influence, also agreed.

On their wedding night, a drunken Yin Fu'an made love to her with affection and vowed to be good to her for the rest of his life, which she believed.

But gradually, she felt more and more that the boy who saved her in the snow had disappeared without a trace.

So, Chen Lanhe asked her if she loved him. Of course she loved him! Did she love him so much that she would kill her own father and still want to be with him?

Is love so intense that you can watch yourself go from being the principal wife to a concubine? Is love so intense that you can watch him be intimate and affectionate with other women and act as if nothing is wrong?

Whether we love each other or not is no longer important.

As long as she wanted, Yin Fu'an would always be the boy who saved her in the snow; if she didn't want to, she could just pretend that boy was long dead.

He had taken him to see plum blossoms; the snow had dyed the plum blossoms red, and they were truly beautiful. Yet, it was he who had personally killed his father. At that time, Xia Yunxu was standing right behind him, and the sword in his hand was still stained with his father's blood, which had stained the hem of his pure white robes. He had intended to draw his sword and kill himself as well.

But he hesitated.

Did he think of Xia Yunxu, who had watched the plum blossoms with him, at that time?

"Sister Xu, what are you thinking about? You seem lost in thought."

It was Chen Lanhe's voice that pulled her out of her memories. But reminiscing was destined to be fruitless and regrettable.

The light in Xia Yunxu's eyes immediately dimmed. She raised her eyes and said, her words contradicting her thoughts, "I'm wondering what the Emperor is doing right now."

"He's just handling political affairs."

Looking at Chen Lanhe beside her, Xia Yunxu couldn't help but think of her past self. She too had her entire family wiped out by Yin Fu'an, yet she acted as if nothing had happened. As for herself, she stayed indoors and even tried to kill herself, but she couldn't get an explanation from Yin Fu'an.

Even just an explanation would be appreciated.

Why is that? His father treats him like his own flesh and blood.

……

In spring, people tend to be lazier. Being able to eat and sleep well is quite nice. The baby in my belly is very well-behaved. I don't know if it looks like Yu Yanjing or like me. It rarely makes a fuss, and even the fetal movements are gentle.

Yu Yanjing said that he naturally resembled him. He was very well-behaved when he was young, so his father loved him very much.

Xiao Mu didn't believe it and insisted on finding Consort Jing to verify it. In fact, her real intention was not what she thought; she still wanted them to reconcile.

Consort Jing was unaware that Yu Yanjing was also there; otherwise, she would never have come.

When the two met, Yu Yanjing was somewhat angry. Without even thinking, he knew that Consort Jing must have been summoned by the Empress. Who else in the palace could summon her?

Xiao Mu sensed an awkward atmosphere, an awkwardness that only she could defuse.

She took Consort Jing's arm, sat on the soft couch with a smile, and said softly, "Mother, Yu Yanjing said he was very well-behaved when he was little, and the baby in my belly looks just like him. I don't believe it, so I called you here to tell me in person whether Yu Yanjing was well-behaved when he was little or not."

Yu Yanjing's face immediately darkened. He turned his back to the two of them and refused to say a word. Xiao Mu could tell that he was really angry.

"Mm," Consort Jing replied calmly.

"What was he like when he was a child? Tell me about him, Mother."

Yu Yanjing gritted his teeth, wanting her to stop talking, but with his back to them, he couldn't face Consort Jing himself.

Consort Jing glanced at Yu Yanjing and said gently to Xiao Mu, "When His Majesty was young... he loved to go see koi fish, and he would always bring food with him. He would also bandage the wounds of injured palace maids and tell the nannies not to work so hard taking care of themselves, because it would make him feel sorry for them..."

Yu Yanjing felt a sudden, sharp pain in his heart, so intense that he could hardly breathe.

"Oh~ His Majesty was indeed very well-behaved when he was little...! Mother, then tell me again about the naughty things Yu Yanjing did when he was little." As he spoke, Yu Yanjing had already left Zining Palace. Xiao Mu knew that he was already moved by what he had said.

Or is it because they're too proud to face it?

Xiao Mu smiled slightly, knowing she still needed to work harder, and then continued listening to Consort Jing tell stories about Yu Yanjing's childhood.

The battle at the front was raging fiercely, and Jiang Qi could only watch from the rear. She also wanted to take up her sword and join the battle, but Wei Hao stopped her in every way, and even the commander-in-chief Zhou Tingxi wouldn't let her go into battle. She could only anxiously wait.

She was the only woman in the army, so everyone kept their distance from her, even though she dressed as a man every day and tried to blend in. No one spoke to her.

Everyone knows she is Wei Hao's wife, so she always feels that people look at her with a probing gaze, and some people even say in private that she came along because she couldn't bear to leave Wei Hao.

However, she wasn't. But no one believed her.

When there was no war, she would change into ordinary men's clothes and wander around the nearby villages, which was quite interesting. Wei Hao and Zhou Tingxi didn't know this, and if they did, they would say it was dangerous and wouldn't let her go.

Occasionally, she would browse jewelry stalls; after all, she was a young woman, and it was normal for her to like cosmetics, hairpins, and earrings.

The hairpin seller seemed to have changed today. He used to be an old man, but now he was a young man. However, he was wearing a mask embroidered with patterns in the style of the Western Regions. She couldn't recognize what they were; perhaps they were totems. This young man might also be the old man's son.

Jiang Qi noticed that the young man's gaze was a bit off, as if he recognized her. He even recommended a few hairpins to her, saying they suited her. The young man could tell at a glance that she was a woman.

awesome.

But the young man's voice sounded very familiar; I couldn't place it before, but unfortunately, I couldn't remember where.

This is a village on the border of the Western Regions. She couldn't possibly know anyone from the Western Regions. She must have misheard.

"It's dangerous here, you shouldn't come here so often," the young man kindly advised.

Jiang Qi looked up at him, unconcerned, and said, "Don't underestimate me. I know self-defense techniques, and no one can get close to me."

"Is that so?" The young man smiled, casually picked up a hairpin, and after a few rounds, the hairpin was already pressed against Jiang Qi's neck.

Jiang Qi blushed, snatched the hairpin from the young man's hand, and muttered, "I didn't expect you, a hairpin seller, to be so capable." She sniffed the hairpin, which seemed to have a fragrance, and asked curiously, "What's that smell?"

“Tuberose.” The young man returned to his stall, tidied up the hairpins he had messed up, then looked up at her and continued, “I like to sprinkle spices on hairpins. Before, it was orchids, now it’s tuberose.”

Jiang Qi sniffed and said, "Oh, I have an older sister who also really likes tuberose, but I don't know what's so great about this flower with its faint scent, and its color is also very elegant."

"Hmm, how would I know? I'm just a shabby hairpin seller. Don't you even know who your own sister is?"

Jiang Qi was a little annoyed. "How dare you talk like that? Do I have to know about my sister? I don't want this hairpin anymore, give me my money back!" He threw the hairpin at the young man, but it was caught in the air by the young man's two fingers.

Hmph, if you're so skilled, why are you selling hairpins?

And so, quietly, Jiang Qi became friends with this young man. He was the only friend she had made on her journey to the border. He was the only one who was willing to talk to her, and even though he knew she was a woman, he did not deliberately avoid her or keep his distance.

However, the young man was very mysterious. He didn't tell me his name or take off his mask. But thinking about it carefully, I don't think I told him my name or saw him dressed as a woman.

Never mind, I won't hold it against you.

The young man brought her to the stream to play, splashed in the water with her, picked wild fruits to eat together, and told her that the green ones were the sweetest, while the red ones were not.

She believed it, took a big bite of the green fruit, and found it so sour that her brows furrowed. She picked up the leftover fruit and threw it at the young man, but he dodged it.

Jiang Qi was furious. Pointing at him, she cursed, "You wicked thing! I'll never trust you again. So, as an apology, how about you take off your mask and let me see?"

“No way,” the young man immediately refused. Standing by the stream, watching the flowing water, he said, “If you pick it, I won’t bring you out to play anymore.”

"Okay, but I can't come tomorrow," Jiang Qi said with some regret.

The war will start again tomorrow, and this time she is determined to go to the battlefield, no matter how Zhou Tingxi and Wei Hao try to stop her.

"Okay. Come again when you have time."

"You dropped something." Jiang Qi picked up something that looked like a love knot from the young man's body, and after looking at it carefully, he confirmed that it was indeed a love knot.

The young man hurriedly snatched the love knot, tidied it up carefully, and put it back in his sleeve. It was clear that he cared a lot about it.

"Was it a gift from your sweetheart?" Jiang Qi asked curiously.

The young man shook his head. "No, I don't have someone I like."

"Still not admitting it?" Jiang Qi walked up to him and shrugged indifferently. "If it is, then it is. What's there to hide?"

The young man chuckled, "No, it's not. I just thought it looked nice, so I kept it."

Jiang Qi clearly didn't believe it. "Isn't this just an ordinary love knot? What's so interesting about it? Never mind, since you don't want to talk about it, I won't ask anymore. You should leave here quickly; there will be a war sooner or later, and it's no longer safe here."

"What does it matter if it's safe or not? The capital is safe. I came from there. I'm not afraid of anything. I'm all alone anyway. Next time you come to the village, bring some wine. The wine here isn't very good. I want to drink Chaoyang's wine."

Jiang Qi asked in confusion, "How did you know I'm from Chaoyang?"

The young man calmly replied, "I guessed."