After today, they will return home. From now on, they will probably never come to see Huangfu Mi again. Perhaps, after returning home, they will build an empty tomb for him and bury the things he used to use. From then on, everything about him will only exist in their memories.
For some reason, this thought made Meng Wan suddenly want to cry. Had she really lost him after all? The one she once loved so deeply, the one she had gone through thick and thin with!
Just then, the crowd on the street suddenly parted into two rows. Meng Wan then pulled herself out of her thoughts and followed the crowd to the roadside. She watched the army approaching from a distance, their orderly steps following the military man in military uniform riding at the front, heading forward.
It was probably one of the generals from Western Shu. Meng Wan didn't recognize him, so she didn't pay much attention. However, Meng Junheng whispered to himself in her ear, "Isn't that the younger brother of the King of Western Shu? Why would he be here?"
The younger brother of the King of Western Shu?
Meng Wan raised an eyebrow, somewhat puzzled: "He is from Western Shu, and also the younger brother of the King of Western Shu, so why can't he appear here?"
"Because he has always been at odds with the King of Western Shu, he was demoted to guard the border city in his early years. Why has he suddenly returned now?"
Is that so? Meng Wan frowned. Even though he said that, she didn't really care. But Meng Junheng seemed to care a lot, staring straight at her.
Seeing this, Meng Wan pulled aside a commoner beside her and asked softly, "Excuse me, is there something wrong with the royal family? Why have the king's brothers returned?"
Seeing that she was beautiful and gentle, the man hurriedly replied, "She is our Princess Hongxiu, who is getting married, so Prince Ning has returned."
He glanced at Meng Wan again, noticing that her attire was different from the others, and lowered his voice: "It seems you are not from our Western Shu, so you probably don't know, right? Prince Ning has always been at odds with our king, and was even demoted to the border in his early years. However, he is very ambitious, and it is said that he has always coveted the throne. Some people even say that our crown prince was secretly killed by Prince Ning, just so that our king would have no successor and he could take advantage of the situation."
After all that talk, Meng Wan wasn't really interested. She only needed to hear the first sentence to understand what was going on: "Because Princess Hongxiu is getting married, he's worried that the throne will pass to her husband, so he couldn't wait to come back?"
"Yes, yes, yes, you've hit the nail on the head, that's exactly right!" the man said repeatedly. Seeing this, Meng Wan quickly thanked him and then returned to Meng Junheng's side.
He recounted what he had just learned, and at the end, he asked, "Brother, you seem to care a lot. What are you worried about?"
Meng Junheng shook his head, not knowing what was wrong with him. The last time he came to Western Shu, he had been busy with the search for the crown prince by the King of Western Shu, and it seemed that he always wanted to help them without realizing it.
Hearing about such a big matter, he was even more eager to go: "Wan'er, shall we stay here for a few more days?"
"What?" Meng Wan was puzzled as to why he would suddenly make such a suggestion, but Meng Junheng said, "I was thinking of visiting the King of Western Shu to see if there's anything I can do to help."
Meng Junheng was not one to meddle, but he took the initiative to bring up this idea. Meng Wan clearly sensed something was amiss, but she did not object. After all, it was rare to see her elder brother like this, so there must be some reason for it.
So he nodded and said, "Then I'll go with you!"
She breathed a sigh of relief because Huangfu Mi had been missing on the border of Western Shu. If she stayed here, she would feel that she could still sense Huangfu Mi's presence. After all, her previous talk of giving up was just a fleeting thought. If she could, she would never be willing to give up.
So the two of them immediately turned towards the imperial city and went to visit the King of Western Shu.
Because of their previous relationship, the King of Western Shu was overjoyed to hear that Meng Junheng had arrived and immediately ordered him to be brought in. However, he did not expect Meng Wan to be there as well, and his expression visibly stiffened: "You... why are you here?"
Feeling uneasy, Meng Wan raised an eyebrow, bowed to him, and said, "My elder brother and I came to find someone. We heard that Princess Hongxiu is getting married, so we came to join in the fun. Please forgive us for any intrusion!"
Looking for someone?
The King of Western Shu narrowed his eyes: "Whom are you looking for?"
Upon further questioning, things seemed rather strange. Meng Wan and Meng Junheng exchanged a glance and then answered as instructed: "We are looking for my husband. He disappeared after falling off a cliff, and my elder brother and I have been searching for him everywhere."
The King of Western Shu was clearly taken aback again. Just then, someone announced that the Prince of Ning was requesting an audience. So he ordered his men to take Meng Wan and Meng Junheng to a side hall for tea, and he went out to greet them.
However, he did not let Prince Ning in. Instead, he went out on his own and headed straight for Qingling Garden.
Qingling Garden was Hongxiu's residence. She was clearly not expecting her father to come, so she immediately went to greet him, holding the jewelry she would wear for her wedding. She then held it up to the King of Western Shu and said, "Father, you've come at the right time. Please take a look at these two pendants and see which one looks better."
The King of Western Shu had no interest in looking. He put away the two pendants and pulled his daughter into the house. When he was sure that it was just the two of them, he said, "Xiu'er, something has happened."
Hongxiu was taken aback, then heard the King of Western Shu say again, "The Meng family siblings have arrived."
V85 [First Update]
Meng Wan and Meng Junheng were led to a side hall by a palace maid. After the maid left, the two siblings sat down at the table on either side of each other. Looking at the lanterns and decorations everywhere, and recalling how Hongxiu had once been extremely infatuated with Huangfu Mi, Meng Wan rarely smiled. "I didn't expect Princess Hongxiu to get married so soon. I wonder what kind of person her future husband will be. Will he be a lot like Huangfu Mi?"
Meng Junheng was still thinking about the Prince of Ning's visit, but when he heard Meng Wan say this, he finally pulled himself out of his thoughts: "Perhaps it really is very similar. You know, last time I came, she was still saying that she didn't want to get married. I could tell from her expression that she still had feelings for His Highness. But now she wants to get married so quickly. So I think your guess might really be true."
She smiled slightly, her tone somewhat teasing, and Meng Wan maintained her smile, though it carried a hint of bitterness.
I still find myself mentioning things related to him without even realizing it, even though I know it will only make me sad.
After all, the two had been through so much together, and his mark was everywhere in her life. It would be difficult not to mention him.
Thinking of this, the smile on her lips became even more stiff. Not wanting her older brother to notice, she stood up and walked to the door.
Western Shu is a bitterly cold place, and the weather is colder than Lanling all year round. It is winter now, and the snow is falling incessantly.
She stood there, engrossed in the music, and in her hazy state, she seemed to hear the sound of a flute coming from afar, playing "Yu Lou Chun".
Green willows and fragrant grasses line the long pavilion road; in youth, it's easy to leave behind loved ones. A broken dream echoes at dawn's bell atop the tower; beneath the flowers, sorrowful parting falls like March rain.
Heartlessness is not as painful as being deeply in love; even a single inch of longing can turn into a thousand threads of sorrow. The ends of the earth may be reached, but the longing for you is endless.
Listening intently, it seemed somewhat unreal, yet the myriad emotions conveyed in the music stirred her heart.
She took another step forward, stood in front of the window, and looked out. The snow was still falling, and the distant green mountains were all entwined in the vast expanse of white snow. Mixed with the sound of the flute, it had a kind of poignant beauty.
She was lost in thought, a long, drawn-out voice drifting through her, as if she were under a spell. Without thinking, she pushed open the door.
Meng Junheng was taken aback when he saw this from behind. He tried to call out to her, but it was too late; she had already walked out of the courtyard.
Following the sound of the flute, she walked through the varying depths of snow, unaware that her shoes were getting wet. When the song ended, Meng Wan did not stop walking and continued on her way.
Before they knew it, they had left the courtyard. At one end of the winding corridor, a man dressed in a blue robe with a snow-white fox fur coat stood with his hands behind his back, holding a long flute in his hand.
He stood there sideways, his face hidden from view, but that profile still froze Meng Wan, rendering her unable to move an inch. She stood there blankly at the other end of the corridor, staring.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, the man turned around. When Meng Wan saw the man's face clearly, she was stunned, as if struck by lightning.