A Wandering Youth

Chapter 106

A delicate fragrance wafted through the air, and a sheer, floral-patterned skirt lifted to the ground as she hurried out. Behind her followed numerous maids in elegant attire; the group, like a riot of colorful flowers, reached the gates of the mansion and prostrated themselves in deep worship, their vibrant hues carpeting the ground.

Two hundred maids in colorful attire knelt on either side, while thousands of armored warriors stood in rows along the corridor, creating a long, winding passage connecting the inside and outside. Qiu Ye leaned on her sword and walked steadily forward, her steps neither hurried nor slow. Her purple robes shone brightly, and she appeared as serene and serene as if she were walking through a painting.

He led Leng Shuangcheng on a splendid journey home, with bustling crowds lining the streets to see them off.

Leng Shuangcheng's eyelids were tightly closed, and apart from the barely perceptible rise and fall of her chest, her entire body was silent. Qiu Yeyi carefully placed her on the large bed with its crimson satin cover, stroking her face repeatedly: "Leng Shuangcheng, wake up, Leng Shuangcheng, wake up..."

Her face was pale and bloodless, like a piece of translucent white jade, but lacking a gentle luster, and felt chilling to the touch.

The more motionless Leng Shuangcheng remained asleep, the more terrified Qiu Yeyijian became. He called out softly for a long time, but received no response. He trembled with fear, "You're back. Why won't you open your eyes? Leng Shuangcheng, are you going to leave me alone again?" His lips then descended, kissing her brows, eyes, and cheeks deeply, meticulously, leaving no moment untouched. "Open your eyes and look at me, just like before. Every morning when I wake you, you usually impatiently slap me..."

The person beneath him was as still as a pool of water, still fast asleep without any desires or wants.

Qiu Yeyi's voice gradually became hoarse. He suppressed the trembling on his face and buried his lips in his loose black and white hair: "Come and hit me! Leng Shuangcheng! As long as you can wake up, I'm willing to kill you!"

The Crown Prince's quarters were quiet and elegant, filled with a faint, ethereal fragrance. Light silently streamed through the long corridor and through the windows, casting cool shadows on the floor. Qiu Ye leaned against the sword, her face pale and cold, her shoulders trembling slightly as if enduring excruciating pain.

The sun hung high in the sky, and smoke rose like mist, enveloping the entire East Street outside the Prince's residence.

Nan Jingqi, dressed in a long black robe, stood silently at the street corner, his handsome features resembling bamboo. He faced the main gate of the Prince's residence from afar and saw everything clearly.

Qiu Yeyi leaped out hastily from inside, his splendid clothes dazzling the eye. He carefully carried Leng Shuangcheng and strode into the palace with great fanfare.

This established a sense of authority for her while she was still in a coma.

Even though they weren't married, Qiu Yeyi had already considered Leng Shuangcheng's situation from many angles. Seeing this, Nan Jingqi sighed inwardly. At that moment, Ye Diao, freed from the carriage's constraints, swiftly galloped back. Following his previous plan, he turned and gave a few instructions before leaving first, his robes billowing in the wind.

The white horse neighed softly, flicking its bushy tail as it continued forward, with Silver Light and a group of silver-clad guards following closely behind. Reaching a corner, a head popped out from behind a blue stone wall, giving the group a smug smile: "My name is Tong Tu, and my young master has been waiting for you for a long time."

Silver Light quickly rode up, and when they reached the street, Tong Tu was already sitting on the white horse, laughing: "Don't scare me! I'm just a child. My young master said that if you scare me away, and you can't catch up with the Night Eagle, then you won't hear any news about Miss Leng!"

Yin Guang, being kind-hearted, quickly raised his hand to stop the guards in front of him, smiling and saying, "I love little boy the most. You're so cute, I can't bear to hurt you." His smile was warm as spring, without the slightest affectation.

Tong Tu was taken aback, but then said cheerfully, "No wonder you encouraged me to come, saying that Young Master Yin Guang is kind and gentle, and that he would not make things difficult for a child after returning Miss Leng to her."

Yin Guang smiled silently, his silver robes as smooth and warm as jade. Tong Tu glanced at him and said loudly, "With so many people following us, I'm very scared... Then please come alone, Young Master Yin Guang, and I'll take you to see my master."

Yipinju in Yangzhou is a teahouse with a wide open space on all sides, connecting passages to the north and south. It is an extremely elegant place. After Yinguang followed Tongtu upstairs, he immediately understood Nan Jingqi's intention: there are many people coming and going here, and if someone were to sneak into the market, it would be easy to hide their tracks.

Nan Jingqi stood there in a long black robe, his handsome features as refined as bamboo, his eyes like a still pool, deep and dark, so profound they seemed unfathomable. Looking at him, Yin Guang realized that in the two years since they last met, Nan Jingqi had become so thin and frail, almost as if he couldn't bear the weight of his robes.

“Young Master Yin Guang.” Nan Jingqi quickly raised his hand, his face becoming serious, as if he had just woken from a dream, revealing a bright and clear expression. “We have different positions, so I will get straight to the point and leave immediately after I have finished speaking. Before I leave, I implore you not to have any other thoughts. Since I have come, I naturally have a way to leave.”

Assessing the situation, Yin Guang smiled and returned the greeting: "Please."

The two bowed to each other and sat down. The steaming tea rose, and Nan Jingqi's face was ashen, with a deep frown between his brows. Even through the tea steam, his worries and sorrows could be seen.

“Shuangcheng knew the cold poison was about to flare up, so she entrusted her to me. She had expressed a desire to return to Jingxiang, but the pain made it impossible for her to walk, so she couldn’t go. I found her at Hongfeng Ferry and, disregarding her wish to stay in her hometown, took her away from Song territory. Just as we were about to cross the border, I suddenly saw Young Master Qiuye’s notice…” After a moment of silence, Nan Jingqi spoke calmly.

A glint of silver light appeared. It turned out that Nan Jingqi had taken Leng Shuangcheng away in a carriage, making it impossible for the butterflies and birds along the way to detect her presence.

"When I first saw the notice, I was extremely shocked," Nan Jingqi said calmly. "Even though Shuangcheng's name wasn't signed on the notice, I could guess that it was you, young master, waiting for her to return. I tried every possible way to wake Shuangcheng up, but to no avail... Since Shuangcheng can't wake up even when I'm by her side, I will no longer defy the will of Heaven. Today, I'm returning her to you, hoping that you, young master..." His voice trailed off, as if even he couldn't believe that Heaven would bestow such good fortune upon someone else.

Yin Guang stood up and said firmly, "In any case, I thank you on behalf of the young master."

Nan Jingqi stood up and said, "Since it's a matter of gratitude, let's settle things cleanly right now."

Yin Guang understood, stepped out from the side of the building, instructed the guards to make way, and turned back to bow: "Please, Young Master Nan."

Nan Jingqi slowly descended the stairs, a gentle breeze ruffling his flowing robes, and his voice, deliberate and deliberate, carried on the breeze: "Shuangcheng's intentions must be the same. I only seek peace of mind... However, when we meet again, young master, we will still be enemies."

His silver eyes followed the tall, slender figure as he walked away, a sigh lingering on his face. He only returned to the Prince's residence with his men after confirming that Nan Jingqi had already left the Yangzhou city gates. As he relayed Nan Jingqi's message, he noticed that the young master was as still as a statue, a soft light flowing across his face. He showed no anger, no sorrow, no outward expression, as if he had entered a state of deep meditation.

September 18th, Yangzhou. Thousands of streets and alleys were ablaze with colorful fireworks, and red ribbons fluttered everywhere, creating a scene reminiscent of a heavenly spectacle. Groups of people greeted each other with greetings, their faces beaming with joy.

The grandeur of the Crown Prince's residence was unprecedented.

Servants in colorful robes hurried about, their footsteps creating a whistling sound. Compared to the bustling and noisy scene outside, the prince's residence was quiet and cool.

The room was filled with red, and the wind blew through the gauze curtains, causing them to flutter and swirl. Apart from the vivid, crimson ribbons, there was no trace of joy in the air; a chill remained.

The bride lay quietly on the elegant and soft bed.

Leng Shuangcheng was dressed in a wedding robe, her face was pale, and her eyebrows and temples were painted, as deep as the autumn waves of Dongting Lake.

"One stroke of the eyebrow, and the colorful petals fall in the clear moonlight... Two touches of the lips, and the flowers bloom in splendor, tasting both joy and sorrow... Three strokes of the hair, and we'll be together to the ends of the earth..." Hua Bitou hummed softly as she carefully dressed Leng Shuangcheng, her wrists trembling slightly. "Shuangcheng, we have a custom in Hundred Flowers Valley: when a daughter gets married, her mother has to style her hair and dress her to celebrate her marriage... But you have so many new scars, and there's a hole in your chest that I can't mend properly..." She wiped her eyes and whispered, "I'm powerless to do anything for Shuangcheng, so today I'll do my best to make Shuangcheng look beautiful."

Lu Xi stood quietly to the side, watched for a while, then bit her lip and said, "Sister, don't cry. Today is a joyous occasion... Madam looks so beautiful in her makeup, it's just that she hasn't woken up yet, and she still has so many injuries..."

Bi Tou glanced at her lightly and said, "Dewdrop is so insensible! Whether Shuangcheng met the young master or not, she has always been struggling in the mortal world, swallowing all her pain and never smiling easily. For example, when the Desolate Jade wreaked havoc in the Central Plains, Shuangcheng knew she would be poisoned by the cold, yet she endured the excruciating pain and rushed to the Seven Stars of No Return, as if nothing had happened... I saw her suffer all kinds of hardships, and now she lies here quietly, and I can't stop crying..."

Lu Xi clutched the corner of her clothes tightly, and stammered, "But... what if, what if Madam never wakes up, will you just stay by her side for the rest of your life?"

Bi Tou lowered her eyelids, a light mist brushing her eyelashes: "You underestimate the young master's determination. Haven't you seen how he's been these past few days? He hasn't eaten or drunk anything, just staring blankly at the madam's face. Sometimes when I go in to close the window, I can still see that his eyes don't move at all, like a wooden carving that's been sitting still for years."

She recalled seeing a motionless silhouette through the window every day, and felt an unbearable heartache: "Why is God so blind!"

The main hall of the Crown Prince's residence was spacious and bright, with three elderly men in red robes sitting firmly in the center. They had white hair and youthful faces, and their expressions were vigorous, like old immortals who had stepped down from a shrine.

The one with the most kind face was the Crown Prince's assistant, Grand Tutor Chang. He and two other old ministers had arrived at the Crown Prince's residence early in the morning to attend the wedding ceremony. Upon hearing the news, he stroked his white beard and sighed repeatedly.

Under the pillars stood or sat several people dressed in brightly colored clothes. Yin Guang, Shui Qianmie of the Dongting Shui family, the imperial chef An Jie, Cheng Xiang in red, and Princess Linghui all had worried expressions, showing no joy, and nervously stared at the main entrance of the hall.

The sunlight shimmered through the dappled light, signaling the auspicious time had arrived.

Outside the eight-panel door, a figure darted past lightly, lifting her skirt as she stepped in: "Your Highness, please take your seats."

"Wait, Steward Hua," Grand Tutor Chang said loudly, "The time has come, why is there still no sign of the Heir Apparent?"

Hua Bitou bit her lip: "The young master has changed his mind at the last minute. Please follow me."

A scarlet carpet was strewn with petals, their fragrance filling the air. The group followed the path of petals outwards, all astonished. Beyond the gates, they saw red silk everywhere in Yangzhou, each section as full and vibrant as a chrysanthemum.

Outside the mansion, carriages draped in colorful silks were parked. The group boarded three carriages and departed one after another. Hua Bitou helped the three Grand Tutors into the first carriage. After swaying and rolling for a while, a cacophony of voices suddenly erupted outside the carriage, like a roaring tide.

Grand Tutor Chang listened intently, carefully catching a few words: "Isn't the Crown Prince's wedding today? What is he doing standing on the city tower?"

"Who is the prince holding in his arms?"

Grand Tutor Chang turned around, his expression serious: "Steward Hua, what exactly is going on?"

Hua Bitou turned to look out of the carriage, held back for a long time, and finally let tears slowly flow: "I ask Heaven and Earth to be my witness, and all the people of Yangzhou to be my witness, that I am willing to be with my wife through life and death, and never be separated from her."

A sea of heads, a swarm of black crows. All sorts of shouts rose and fell, like waves rolling in the crowd.

Qiu Yeyi stood alone atop the ancient city wall of Yangzhou, overlooking the surging crowd below. He stood so high that it seemed as if he were connected to the white clouds in the sky, which seemed to cut the hem of his auspicious robe, their empty curls and embellishments brushing against his handsome, windswept figure.

Leng Shuangcheng's black hair hung down, her eyes were closed, and she lay quietly in his arms. After so long, she was still asleep like a child, her face pale and white, without a trace of pain.

Even without the phoenix coronet, the wedding gown remained fiery red, its embroidered peonies fluttering in the wind, each blossom shimmering with light, as if blooming upon the two of them. Only the jeweled adornments were gone; the crimson wedding dress gleamed in the sunlight, making them appear like lovers separated by time, weeping for each other, beautiful yet sorrowful.

Heavy footsteps sounded behind them, followed by a panicked voice: "The Princess is still unconscious, and the Prince insists on holding the wedding, which is already against etiquette. The auspicious time has arrived, and the Prince is now performing the ceremony in front of everyone, which is utterly absurd! Please reconsider, Prince!"

The autumn leaves, like swords, stood unmoved, facing the sea of people without uttering a word.

Grand Tutor Chang bowed and offered his advice again. Qiu Yeyi moved as if she had come to her senses: "Grand Tutor Chang, please." He remained standing upright and said coldly: "Please announce the time and declare the order."

Grand Tutor Chang sighed regretfully and remained motionless. Qiu Yeyi glanced at him sideways and said coldly, "On this joyous day, I will not allow anyone to bring bad luck upon us."

Grand Tutor Chang sighed again, "I've long heard that the Crown Prince is autocratic and capable of doing anything for the Princess. Now it seems the rumors in the palace are true." After a moment of sighing, he asked, "Has the Crown Prince made up his mind?"

Qiu Yeyijian ignored the old tutor's two disrespectful remarks and simply said, "Absolutely no falsehood."

He took two steps forward, stood at the gap in the gatehouse, and coldly shouted, "Silence!" His expression was stern and his posture imposing.

The voices rolled loudly, like a torrential downpour, instantly drowning out the crowd and miraculously silencing the people.

Qiu Ye stood leaning against the wind, sword in hand, and called out again, "Grand Tutor, please."

Everyone looked up in silence at the tall buildings atop the city walls.

Grand Tutor Chang loosened his robes, clasped his hands, and sang: "In the ninth month of the fifth year of Jianlong, the heir of the Southern Prefecture, Qiuye, was married, and the commoner Leng Shuang was made his principal wife. May the two of them live a long and happy life together, forever united in heart..."

"Wait, Grand Tutor," Qiu Yeyi suddenly interrupted, "The bowing ceremony cannot be waived. Please announce the title for my wife again."

Seeing his sincere words, Grand Tutor Chang sighed slightly and said helplessly, "I hereby appoint my daughter Leng Shuang as the Crown Prince's consort. Now, let us perform the Zhou Gong ceremony... first bow to Heaven and Earth!"

Qiu Yeyi embraced Leng Shuangcheng tightly, kneeling respectfully on both knees. His large auspicious robes billowed out like cattails, reflecting red against the flowing clouds in the sky. He bowed deeply without the slightest hesitation.

"Bowing to the parents twice!"

Qiu Ye rose from his sword and leaped lightly. A gentle breeze ruffled Leng Shuangcheng's wedding dress, causing it to billow like flowers. He stood on the crenellated rampart, bowed deeply to the people of Yangzhou, and prostrated himself in deep reverence.

Ten thousand people gasped in surprise, and Grand Tutor Chang was also astonished.

Qiu Yeyi raised his face, his icy brows and eyes melting into a deep, dark ripple, like tears falling from raindrops: "Leng Shuangcheng, I remember you once advised me not to be arrogant and rude, but to be considerate of others. It's a pity that I only understand your good intentions now. It turns out that you, living among the common people, see things more clearly than I do, and deeply understand the principle that heaven and earth are the greatest."

He lifted Leng Shuangcheng by the waist, lowered his face before the world, closed his eyes, and pressed his lips close to her pale face: "Leng Shuangcheng, I can do whatever you want, why won't you open your eyes..."

The two figures fluttered hand in hand, resembling the calls of a single, mottled deer.

After a long while, Grand Tutor Chang sighed deeply behind the gate tower: "Husband and wife bow to each other!"

On September 18th, at the hour of You (5-7 PM), the wind rose.

With a resounding "bang," as if by prior arrangement, colorful fireworks burst forth throughout the ancient city of Yangzhou, soaring into the sky and filling the orange-red canvas with vibrant colors. The fiery blossoms and silvery flowers illuminated the heavens, and in their full glory, the entire curtain was completely covered.

Qiu Ye leaned on the sword, her lips lingering on Leng Shuangcheng's face: "Is it beautiful, Leng Shuangcheng? Three years ago today, you entered the Qingyi Camp for the first time and saw the inscription on the tombstone, the last words of the young mistress; three years later today, I will give you a grand wedding."

The wind whispers softly, yet its mournful murmur never ceases.

………I am the dividing line of loyalty…………

Time flowed slowly like water. Autumn leaves leaned on the sword, oblivious to the affairs of the world, and began to wait again day after day in the Prince's mansion in Yangzhou.

He didn't know what flowers bloomed during that time; he didn't care how many times the plants changed their appearance. His eyes were always fixed on Leng Shuangcheng's face, staring intently. If a breeze entered the mansion and fluttered Leng Shuangcheng's clothes, he would rush over to her, trying to find any trace of her life.

To deceive oneself in this way.

It feels like a lifetime ago.

Until someone arrived, the Medicine King.

After leaving the military headquarters, he traveled the world for a time. He happened to hear that the Prince of Nanfu was marrying the comatose princess. Thinking that he still owed Leng Shuangcheng a promise, he rushed back from abroad.