Heaven is the shore of mortal dust

Chapter 128

Note: ①Hebei Dao: the area from present-day Beijing to Shenyang, near Goryeo.

Volume 3, Dayu Chapter 112: Confession

This time, Wei Zijun was unsurprisingly carried back like a chick and taken directly to the garden next to Lingyan Pavilion.

When Wei Zijun was brought here, she was completely sober.

Li Tianqi stared directly at Wei Zijun, "Someone, bring a jar of wine—"

The eunuch on duty nearby quickly obeyed the order and soon brought over the wine, placing it under a Chinese elm tree covered with small, light purple oval flowers.

Li Tianqi pressed Wei Zijun down to sit at the stone table, then sat down himself. A eunuch tried to help pour wine, but Li Tianqi dismissed him. "All of you, step back—step back a hundred paces away." With that, he picked up the wine jar and drank it down in one gulp.

Seeing the wine spilled all over his clothes, Wei Zijun couldn't bear it any longer and stood up to snatch the jar of wine away. "Your Majesty, drinking like this is harmful to your health."

"Heh—harm your body? Your heart is already hurt, what is there to fear about your body? King Feng, why bother caring about someone who has hurt you so many times?" Li Tianqi reached for the wine jar again, but Wei Zijun blocked him.

"Wind King, may I take this as you being concerned about me? No need! Go and care about Zhang Shi, go and kiss him—" Li Tianqi said coldly, then turned to look at the large clump of osmanthus trees beside him, no longer glancing at Wei Zijun.

Upon hearing this, Wei Zijun's expression turned cold. He put down the wine jar and said, "Very well, Your Majesty. I, Wei Feng, will take my leave now." With that, he got up and left.

In that instant, Li Tianqi rushed forward and hugged Wei Zijun tightly from behind, crying, "Don't go—don't go—"

Wei Zijun stiffened, took a deep breath, and let him hold her without moving.

“Zijun—I have no right to demand anything from you, nor do I dare to ask for your forgiveness. But, I only beg you, don’t go—” He rested his head on her shoulder and remained motionless for a long time.

“Do you know what I fear most? It’s the moment you turn and leave.” He sighed deeply. “I will always remember that day, when you just left like that, leaving me alone on the training ground. That training ground was so big, so very big…” He can still remember that day, when he stood alone on the steps of the training ground, covering his face and crying, crying so sadly.

He took a deep breath. "Second brother, I just watched your back and wanted to chase after you, but I knew you didn't want to see me, so I waited until you were far away and disappeared from the palace gates before I dared to chase after you... But I couldn't see you at all..." Perhaps the sorrow was too heavy, or perhaps the pain was too great, he couldn't continue.

A damp, cool sensation slowly seeped from her shoulder, and her throat tightened slightly.

After a long while, he began to murmur again, as if in a dream, "Watching your back as you walked away, my heart broke. I stood on the drill ground for a whole day, thinking back to the day we met, remembering how poor you were then, so poor you couldn't even buy a dish for someone, yet you foolishly went to help others, haha..." He chuckled softly, tears streaming down his face, salty, "That's when I was moved by you..." He couldn't continue, letting out a long sigh. "I just kept thinking, thinking about your mischievous and adorable self, your talent, the days we shared a bed. Later, when I got tired of standing, I sat on the steps and thought about how I abandoned you, how I plunged you into misery..." He finally choked up, "The more I thought about it, the more my heart ached, the more I hated myself... hated myself for not being able to protect you, for constantly hurting you..."

Wei Zijun took a deep breath, but her eyes still blurred with tears. She had never hated him, truly not; there was no hatred in her heart. She only resented him, resented his disbelief, resented his wrongful accusation, resented his inability to see her clearly.

The two of them just hugged each other like that, neither of them moving.

“My second brother was an abandoned man. He lost his mother when he was eleven. I cried once when she died, and never cried again. Back then, my eldest brother, along with his children who were accompanying him to school, bullied me. They held my head down in a water vat, but I didn't cry. They called me a bastard. Once, they hung me upside down from a tree in the Yeting Palace, but I still didn't cry. They made me kneel, but I was as stubborn as you are now. I refused to kneel, so they kicked my knees and pricked my thighs with needles. I couldn't stand up for more than ten days, but I still didn't cry. But two years ago, when I left you, I cried… Two months ago, when you left me, I cried… It's shameful for a man to cry, isn't it? But I don't think so. For you, I wouldn't feel ashamed of anything I do…”

Wei Zijun sobbed, "Don't say it...don't say it..." She never imagined he had suffered so much, and seeing him like this really broke her heart.

"My second brother was bullied since childhood, but he didn't grow into a deformed monster, haha... I've endured all these years. I swore to master martial arts so no one would bully me. My second brother has always lived a very hard life, but he's never been happy... Until I met you, my second brother finally tasted the joy of living. But, meeting you also brought him the taste of heartbreak, that feeling... haha... it's like my chest is shattered, my heart is torn into pieces... piece by piece, bleeding profusely..."

Large tears streamed down her face, landing on his hands, which were clasped against her chest; they felt cool.

"Zijun—don't cry." He turned her body around. "If you cry—it will break your second brother's heart."

He wiped away her tears with his large, calloused hands, chuckling softly, "Second brother is foolish, he doesn't know how to treat you. Today, seeing you drink my toast like that, my heart broke. I know you're hurt. Second brother is helpless, doesn't know how to treat you, doesn't know—the more I try to pull you back, the more I hurt you. I'm so anxious, I hate myself, I hate myself so much. I'm so afraid, so afraid you'll ignore me, but you just won't… Now, I'm afraid you'll leave. As soon as you say you're leaving, I'm completely lost, I don't know how to keep you here…"

"Second Brother—" Wei Zijun called softly. She reached out and gently wiped away his tears. "Don't be sad, I won't leave. I'll drink with you, lull you to sleep, and then I'll go."

“Okay.” Li Tianqi choked back tears as he hugged her. “But you’re not allowed to leave…” He swayed his body, burying his head in her neck, inhaling her scent. His smooth cheek gently brushed against hers. “You won’t leave, you’re never allowed to leave.”

"Okay... I won't leave." She sniffed and leaned gently against his chest.

A gentle evening breeze carried the sweet fragrance of osmanthus blossoms, mingling with the soft moonlight and drifting through the air...

Her tears had stopped, and her breathing had gradually cleared, allowing her to smell his scent.

I only realized today that he smells wonderful, a light, soft, and refreshing scent, like the smell of clothes drying in the sun, or the scent of fresh grass. There's no incense, just a pure and fresh scent, like the breath of a virgin.

The two of them held each other like that for a long, long time...

Then, they were all tired and sat down. The eunuchs, at Li Tianqi's request, brought him wine and dishes.

"Zijun, you've been drinking tea all evening and haven't eaten much. Eat some more." Li Tianqi sat down next to her and put some food into her bowl.

"Hmm." Wei Zijun was really hungry, so she elegantly picked up her chopsticks, preparing to eat a little more.

"You don't hate your second brother anymore, do you?" Li Tianqi said coquettishly, resting his head on her shoulder.

Wei Zijun turned her head to look at him, her fair face appearing even more pristine and translucent in the moonlight. "I have never hated. I have only resented."

"Do you still resent it now?" He looked at her with longing in his dark eyes.

“I resent it. I resent you for publicly flogging me.” Wei Zijun stared at the chopsticks in her hand, fiddling with them gently.

"But didn't Second Brother not hit me? Don't you know? Don't you understand Second Brother? How could I bear to hit him?" Li Tianqi raised his head and looked at her.

"But my pants are almost down!" Wei Zijun lowered her eyelashes, looking somewhat aggrieved.

Li Tianqi looked at her and chuckled. "Second brother will never bully Zijun again, never argue with you again, never do that again." Seeing her face turn angry because of his laughter, Li Tianqi leaned closer and said, "How about you pull down second brother's pants once?"

"You..." Wei Zijun's face flushed red with anger. She felt deeply hurt, but she never expected him to respond in this way.

“Zijun.” Li Tianqi grabbed her hand. “Your second brother knows the grievances in your heart. It is a great disgrace to punish you in court. How could I bear to do it? How could I really hit you? Seeing you sad makes my heart sadder than yours.”

Looking into his sincere eyes, her anger subsided slightly. "But you also instigated those people to make me undergo a physical examination in public..."

"Instigation? You're really wronging me. In the end, it wasn't because of Zhang Shi that I didn't stop it." Speaking of Zhang Shi, Li Tianqi carefully examined her expression, probably because she was unhappy. "Actually, the main point is that I also want to see it, because I've never seen one before."

"You..." This last sentence really angered Wei Zijun. He actually made her suffer such humiliation and put herself in such a dangerous situation for this.

"Li Tianqi—" Wei Zijun had just taken the wine he poured for her when she was so angry that she was about to throw it at him, but he grabbed her wrist.

He brought her hand to his lips, drank the wine in his glass, and then, following the flow of the glass, kissed the wine that had spilled onto her fingers, one by one, into his mouth. His burning lips made her heart tremble. She tried to pull away, but he held them tightly, kissing them meticulously, making her heart race with panic.

"I admit it was because I was jealous, Ziju. Don't you understand my heart?" He put her slightly upturned little finger into his mouth. "I don't care that you're a man. Don't you like men? What do you think of your second brother? I've looked in the mirror, and I'm not bad looking." He spoke very seriously, and at the end, he bit her little finger.

"Second Brother secretly compared himself to Ashina Helu. He was too beautiful and lacked masculinity. Second Brother felt that he was slightly better than him."

The more he spoke, the hotter Wei Zijun's face burned. What was he saying? Was this a confession? But all she wanted to do was run away. "Second Brother—what are you saying? You already have a sister-in-law."

Li Tianqi was taken aback upon hearing this, then his eyes dimmed. "That's right, how could I forget? You have a second sister-in-law now. How could I forget that the moment I saw you?" He murmured, somewhat lost in thought, then poured himself a glass of wine and drank it down.

He drank cup after cup, saying, "Zijun, your second brother is sorry to your second sister-in-law. Your second brother has never loved her. However, your second brother has been very good to her because he has never taken another woman for her sake. Your second brother has kept his vow. Your second brother is very pure, Zijun. Your second brother has always been pure."

Seeing that he was a little drunk, Wei Zijun took the wine cup from his hand and said, "Second Brother, don't drink anymore. It will harm your health."

Li Tianqi stubbornly refilled Wei Zijun's glass, "Zijun, didn't you say you were going to drink with your second brother? Here—"

Wei Zijun reluctantly accepted the wine glass and drank two more glasses with him.

“Zijun, but your second brother has wronged her again, because he has fallen in love with someone else, and it's a man. Don't you think she's heartbroken? But your second brother has also been good to her, because he is a pure man…”

"Zijun, it's been so hard. Your second brother has suffered so much these past few years, so tired, so tired that he just wants to be hugged. Since I was eleven, no one has ever hugged me." He leaned closer, seeking warmth. "Zijun, hug your second brother..."

He fell face-first into her arms, and Wei Zijun quickly caught him. He nestled in her embrace, resting his head on her chest and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Wei Zijun looked down at his face; he was like a wounded child seeking solace. She couldn't believe he suffered so much. She had thought he was just an emperor who could command the wind and rain, enjoying the pampering of the imperial family since childhood. But she never imagined he had endured such hardship. That kind of suffering wasn't just from his childhood; it had seeped into his bones and eroded his soul. Yet, he still had to stand tall with unwavering pride in front of others.

Heartache struck her just like that. She stroked his face, her eyes overflowing with tenderness. A slight ache stirred within her.

She held his head in her arms and stroked his hair.

His hair was soft, as if he had just taken a bath; he smelled wonderful; he had the gentleness of a virgin; his lips were very pink; his face was smooth; his body was warm. Why had she always deliberately ignored these things before?

"Zijun, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me." He turned to her, pouting his pink lips, like a spoiled child begging for food from an adult.

His lips were soft and beautiful. She gazed at them quietly, momentarily lost in thought.

"Zijun, darling—" he whispered. Like a wounded child, carrying a pure sadness, a refreshing scent.

Perhaps his call was too alluring, perhaps the night too enchanting, perhaps the wine too fragrant, but she responded to his call, lowered her head, and gently kissed him.

Their lips met, a tender, lingering kiss, like two overlapping flower petals trembling gently in the wind.

My heart was suddenly filled with tenderness, which enveloped my body as if I were being bathed in the warm moonlight, the gentle radiance making me tremble slightly.

His kiss was very light, as if afraid of startling her away. Her kiss was very gentle, as gentle as a clear spring.

A gentle breeze caressed their intertwined hair, scattering pale purple petals from the elm tree. The petals drifted down, mingling with the fragrance of osmanthus carried on the breeze, enveloping the couple in their passionate embrace…

Volume 3, Dayu Chapter 113: Escape

The autumn breeze is always refreshing and pleasant. The osmanthus trees in the thickets exude a sweet and intoxicating fragrance. The vast sky is cloudless, and a flock of wild geese flies horizontally overhead. In the back garden of the General's Mansion, the hibiscus and roses are in full bloom, clustering around the large, intertwined roses and okra.

A young man in a white robe stood beside a rockery reflected in the water, the warm sunlight shining on him, and the ripples on the water reflecting off his fair face.

Her hair was black, adorned with a jade crown, and she wore thin boots and a plain robe. Without a single superfluous ornament, she appeared even more pristine and radiant, like the delicate beauty of snow after a storm.

Such a pure-hearted person, with eyes as clear and bright as the blue sky, such a person as pure and elegant as the moon, for the first time in a long time, stood there lost in thought.

Last night, Wei Zijun once again met her unfortunate fate of being carried away like a chick. Of course, this time the perpetrator was He Lu. Moreover, she escaped on her own, only to be taken away by He Lu halfway there.

Yes, she escaped on her own.

At first, his kiss was as awkward as the first time; their kisses were light and gentle. Gradually, their position changed from him in her arms to her in his. He kissed her eyes, licked her eyelashes, and kissed the tip of her nose.

Then, his kiss grew increasingly passionate. As he pried open her teeth and entwined his tongue with hers, as his kiss became fiery and intense, as they both began to breathe heavily from the kiss, as his large hands began to caress her body, she ran away.

She fled desperately, her heart pounding. But she didn't notice that a snow-white jade pendant had been left behind.

She had to escape because she thought of her second sister-in-law, that frail woman, and she couldn't hurt her.

When she fled to Rihua Gate, she encountered He Lu, who was being stopped by a group of guards. He Lu then took her to a large tree next to Wood Gate.

At that moment, she saw the pain and suppressed look in He Lu's eyes, felt He Lu's hand trembling slightly as he gripped her, and felt her arm being squeezed painfully by He Lu. She sensed that the situation was serious.

She felt guilty; she was like a child who had made a mistake, or more like a young wife caught in the act of adultery.

But why was she feeling guilty? Why was she feeling guilty in front of He Lu? Did she always care about He Lu's feelings? Or had she always been unable to bear hurting He Lu? Or had she always been acknowledging He Lu's existence?

There, under the big tree beside Wude Gate, He Lu kissed her.

He Lu's kiss, filled with intense pain, endless longing, and overwhelming emotions, deeply engulfed her.

From that moment on, my heart was in turmoil.

She thought of Zhang Shi.

She remembered that she was very tired, both physically and mentally. Then that man gave her warmth and comfort. She was a little dazed at that time. He was so warm, that warmth enveloped her. She couldn't resist the gentle temptation. She was grateful for his rescue. She was grateful to him and accepted his gentle kiss.

Then, she kissed her second brother. Then, He Lu kissed him.