Corriendo de un lado a otro y desempeñando papeles secundarios

Capítulo 41

Xiaolei knelt down: "Thank you, Princess!"

Li Yuxuan asked, "Xiaolei, is your hometown in Jiangnan?"

Xiaolei lowered her head: "Yes."

When they set off, Prince Xin made an excuse to send the post station officials away. Since there was no rush, everyone except Xu Zhu, Prince Xin, and Xu Qingzhi took turns driving the carriage.

They ate when they were hungry and slept when they were tired. They often joked and played around together, and the days passed quickly. Zhan Zhao also recovered his health rapidly under Xu Zhu's daily treatment.

After an unknown amount of time, they returned to Bianliang amidst Li Xinyun's excited shouts.

Prince Xin reported that Li Yuxuan's memorial regarding his death in the line of duty had already returned to the capital. The Emperor issued an edict posthumously conferring upon her the title of Third-Rank Hanlin Academician and bestowing upon her wife, Yinzi, the title of Imperial Lady.

Li Yuxuan was both amused and exasperated upon hearing the news. He was worried that Yinzi, who had returned with the main group earlier, might be concerned for her life or death. After seeing off Prince Xin and the others, he took Li Xinyun and the other two back to his courtyard in Xizi Hutong.

Chapter 69

The Spring Festival has passed, and it's early spring again, a time of fluctuating temperatures.

The warmth of Bianliang, compared to the north wind, evokes a sense of disorientation, as if one has been away for a thousand years.

Especially the moment Li Yuxuan stepped into the Li residence in Xizi Hutong, she felt as if a lifetime had passed between her leaving and her returning.

The servants in the house no longer recognized her. Upon seeing them arrive, they quickly went to inform Yinzi that guests had come to visit.

Yinzi recognized Li Xinyun and Xiaolei and immediately came out to greet them and invite them in. As they entered the hall, Yinzi was about to call for tea when Li Xinyun, looking at the gloomy Li Yuxuan beside her, smiled at Yinzi and said, "Madam Li, I have something to say to you. Let's talk inside."

Knowing her relationship with Li Yuxuan, Yinzi immediately led them into the inner courtyard and to the bedroom. After dismissing the servants, she hurriedly asked, "Princess, are you here to talk about my young master? What happened to him? Why hasn't he returned yet? I received a message from Guard Zhan before the New Year, saying that everything was safe and that I should remain calm. But just a few days later, the court received a memorial from Prince Xin saying that my young master had died for his country on his way back. What exactly happened?"

Seeing that Yinzi was speaking anxiously but her face showed no sadness whatsoever, Li Yuxuan curled his lips and said, "Your young master died and you're not sad at all!"

"No way!" Yinzi interrupted her. "My young master won't die. Given her relationship with those three, if she really died, how could there only be a flimsy memorial? They would definitely go to great lengths to avenge my young master."

Li Yuxuan tapped her on the head: "As expected of my person, your mind is getting sharper and sharper."

Yinzi opened her mouth upon hearing her voice, her face filled with shock: "Young Master?!"

Li Yuxuan sighed and leaned back in the recliner: "You can call me Miss now, Madam Li!"

Yinzi chuckled and walked over: "Miss, if it weren't for your voice, I really wouldn't have recognized you. Did something really happen? Why did you come back like this?" Looking at Li Xinyun and Xiaolei, she quickly invited them to sit down: "Princess Xinyun, Sister Xiaolei, thank you so much for bringing my young lady back."

Seeing Li Yuxuan dressed as a woman, it's clear this fake young master doesn't need to pretend anymore. Since Li Yuxuan is dead, it means his young lady is free. "He disguised himself like this to try and deceive everyone."

Having weathered all the storms along the way, Yinzi had matured considerably. Looking at Li Xinyun, she asked, "Princess, how should I address you?"

Li Xinyun chuckled and shook Xu Zhu's hand: "Whatever, let's see how Prince Xin arranges things after he returns to the palace. In any case, I'm just here to travel and enjoy the scenery. I'll stay here for a few days and then leave. As a princess of Western Xia, I'm not afraid of anyone doing anything to me in Bianliang City!"

Li Yuxuan scoffed, "Just call her Princess Xinyun. With her character, it's safer to call her a princess. If she were just a commoner, she'd be the one to be rid of this scourge sooner or later."

Li Yuxuan knew that the three of them could not possibly stay here, as it would arouse suspicion by placing the Li family mansion and the silver in the public eye. As the three of them were discussing where to stay for the night, people from the Ministry of Rites came to the mansion gate with an imperial edict to invite Li Xinyun, Xuzhu, and the fake princess to the royal post station.

The so-called Royal Inn was a place for foreign envoys and foreign royal relatives who came to Bianliang to rest, play, and sleep. Li Yuxuan had chatted with the old official of the inn and knew that it was extremely luxurious, almost rivaling the imperial palace. It even kept a lot of singing girls and male prostitutes.

It seems that most aristocratic playboys have a taste for this.

Li Yuxuan bid farewell to Yinzi, squeezing her hand as he left. Yinzi nodded and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

They had already prepared their story before they arrived. They said that Princess Xinyun, the elder sister of the Western Xia Emperor, greatly admired the beauty and prosperity of the Song Dynasty and had come with them to learn about Song culture. As for why they went to Li Yuxuan's house first instead of paying homage to His Majesty the Emperor, it was because the princess only wanted to travel incognito and did not want to make a big fuss. The princess and Lord Li had met in Western Xia, so it was only natural for her to go and pay her respects.

So even staying in Bianliang City, you'll lose a lot of brain cells out of nowhere.

Officials from the Ministry of Rites led them to the post station, and soon someone came to read out the Emperor's order for Li Xinyun and Xuzhu to have an audience with him at the morning court the next day. Prince Xin was quite capable; Li Yuxuan wasn't on that list.

Although Li Xinyun grew up in the palace, she was still very surprised by everything in the post station. Xiao Lei, on the other hand, was very calm and knew how to use many things on her own without the help of the servants in the post station.

The next day, Li Xinyun and Xuzhu went to the imperial court, where they were treated to a banquet and a theatrical performance by the emperor, returning only in the evening. Upon their return, Li Xinyun looked at Li Yuxuan with a strange expression. When Li Yuxuan asked her about it, she shook her head and remained silent.

She was probably someone who couldn't hold back her words, because the next morning, as soon as she got up, she found Li Yuxuan and told her in a serious tone that Prince Xin had been with them all day, and there was a woman by his side the whole time. She asked her carefully, and although she wasn't Prince Xin's principal wife, she was the daughter of a powerful maternal relative. It seemed that the woman had a good relationship with the palace. After saying that, she shook her head regretfully: "Do you really want to choose Prince Xin?"

Li Yuxuan bit her lower lip and shook her head sadly: "I don't know."

"Then how come you're with him!" Li Xinyun looked at her with displeasure: "Didn't you know that Prince Xin had women when you were an official in the court?"

“Princess, can you not bring this up?” Li Yuxuan knew that returning to the capital would inevitably mean facing Prince Xin and his women, which was precisely the problem she would rather bury her head in the sand than confront. If she hadn’t been overwhelmed by her sudden revelation of her true identity, she wouldn’t have been so irrational as to have that kind of relationship with Prince Xin.

Her heart was heavy and aching; it would be a lie to say she didn't care.

Li Xinyun continued to look at her with a disappointed expression: "I can see that Brother Xu likes you too, so why don't you choose Brother Xu?"

“Princess.” Li Yuxuan clenched his fist. “Brother Xu, I can’t afford it…”

"Why?"

“If I were to be with him, his future would be ruined. You know, he is a different person from Prince Xin. He cares about many things.”

“But I think,” Li Xinyun rubbed her head (she had already copied Xu Zhu’s classic gesture), “nothing is more important than being with the one you love.”

Li Yuxuan smiled bitterly: "Princess, your experience is too naive. You don't understand. In a man's life, besides love, he also needs bread. Even if he gives up bread for you now, if he remembers bread one day, he will resent you."

Li Xinyun pouted: "I don't understand what you're saying. Xu Zhu and I are doing very well, and he won't go looking for other women."

Li Yuxuan took a deep breath: "Because you two both have the means and the background to love."

"Does Prince Xin even have the right to love? I don't think he even has the right to love. I hate men who are fickle and easily bored." Li Xinyun turned and left. She was really angry that Prince Xin had other women by his side, and she also felt sorry for Li Yuxuan.

Li Yuxuan watched her retreating figure, and as she tried to leave, she felt as if she were floating on clouds. It took her a long time to land on the ground after taking one step, and the same thing happened with the next. The world spun before her eyes, and everything blurred. She heard her own voice calling out, "Princess!"

Li Xinyun hadn't gone far, and she wasn't angry with Li Yuxuan, but rather with Prince Xin. She felt he shouldn't have gotten involved with Li Yuxuan. As she walked ahead, remembering Li Yuxuan's expression, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. She turned back and saw Li Yuxuan fall to the floor.

She was terrified and immediately cried out for Xu Zhu. Xiao Lei, who was beside her, rushed to Li Yuxuan's side and helped her up. She felt Li Yuxuan's pulse, examined her eyes, and said to Li Xinyun, whose face was pale, "Princess, she's fine. She just had been holding in her emotions for too long, and what you said just now touched a nerve, causing her blood to churn and making her faint."

Hearing Li Xinyun's shouts, Xu Zhu flew over. After seeing Li Yuxuan in Xiao Lei's arms, he knew that what Xiao Lei said was true. He hugged Li Xinyun tightly and said, "It's alright, don't worry. Xiao Lei, take Miss Li back to her room and then tell the people at the inn to invite the imperial physician over."

After carrying Li Yuxuan back to her room and settling her down, Minister Zhang from the Ministry of Rites, who had been accompanying them, arrived. Upon seeing the situation, he quickly went to find the imperial physician. Li Xinyun called Xiaolei over and said, "Go quickly and find two more people to inform Prince Xin, Minister Xu, and Zhan Zhao one by one, saying that Miss Li has suddenly fallen seriously ill and is about to die."

"Yes, Princess!"

Li Xinyun climbed onto Xuzhu's back: "Before they arrive, you need to find a way to keep her from waking up. It would be best if her condition looked even more dangerous, so that she wouldn't wake up for a day or two."

Xu Zhu was taken aback: "Why?"

"I can't watch that brat suffer. I want to see which of the three is more willing to give up everything for him. That brat worries too much, always putting others before himself. I don't care about all that. My own happiness is the most important thing. Life is simple, isn't it? Why make it so complicated?"

Xu Zhu pinched her cheek: "Get down, we'll do it your way. I'll keep her unconscious for three days, okay?"

Li Xinyun chuckled and sat down on the edge of Li Yuxuan's bed.

The imperial physician arrived quickly, as did Zhan Zhao, who was also pale-faced, arriving at the same time. Li Yuxuan lay quietly on the bed, his face ashen and covered in cold sweat.

When Li Xinyun saw that only Zhan Zhao had arrived, his face immediately darkened: "Where are Prince Xin and Lord Xu?"

"The court session hasn't ended yet."

Xiaolei returned quickly and told her that Prince Xin and Xu Qingzhi had informed their residence, and they would know as soon as they returned home after court.

The imperial physician said that Li Yuxuan had qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, and prescribed medicine for him, saying that he should go to the storeroom to get the medicine and it would be delivered shortly. Zhan Zhao took the prescription and said, "There's no need to go to the storeroom, I'll go get it myself."

The imperial physician was about to perform acupuncture on Li Yuxuan, but Li Xinyun stopped him, saying that they in Xixia had never believed in acupuncture. She told him to wait aside after the examination and come in when needed.

She wouldn't let him wake Li Yuxuan up.

At noon, Xu Qingzhi arrived, covered in sweat. After seeing Li Yuxuan's appearance, he sat on the stool for a long time without being able to utter a complete sentence.

After Zhan Zhao got the medicine, he was summoned by the people from Kaifeng Prefecture. Lord Bao had caught a cold after the New Year, and his condition had not improved and was getting worse.

They waited until nightfall but Prince Xin didn't appear. Li Xinyun couldn't wait any longer: "I'll go and bring him here." Xu Zhu pressed down on her shoulder: "I'll go!"

Dragonfly skimming the water

After Xu Zhu left, Li Xinyun and Xu Qingzhi remained in the room to watch over Li Yuxuan, who had not yet woken up. Looking at Xu Qingzhi, who sat beside her, his brow furrowed in worry and anxiety, Li Xinyun suddenly asked, "Brother Xu, what is the most important thing in your life?"

Xu Qingzhi remained silent for a long time, then said in a low voice, "My life goal has always been to do my best in this peaceful and prosperous era, not seeking fame or fortune, but simply to benefit society like Lord Bao and Grand Secretary Ouyang..."

Li Xinyun looked up at the roof: "Sure enough—"

"As expected?" Xu Qingzhi murmured, "What did she say?"

“I asked her why she would choose Prince Xin, and she said that I care about too many things, and she can’t afford them.”

Xu Qingzhi shook his head dejectedly: "She's wrong. It's not that she can't afford it, but that I can't afford it. I can't give her the life she wants."

Li Xinyun scrutinized Xu Qingzhi with a puzzled look: "I really can't understand your way of thinking. One minute she said she couldn't afford it, and now it's your turn to say you can't afford it. Tell me, why can't you afford it? Liking someone is a simple thing. I really don't understand why you all have to make it so complicated. If you like someone, you like them. What's this about being able to afford it or not?"

Xu Qingzhi clutched his head, shaking it repeatedly in anguish: "You can despise me, but I'm a coward. I don't have the courage of Prince Xin. I dare not, I hesitate. I'm an idiot. I didn't even realize she was a woman the whole way here. By the time I found out, she had become someone close to Prince Xin. Prince Xin and I are sworn brothers. How could I dare to utter a single word of love to the woman in his heart..."

"You're not doing this because of her identity?" Li Xinyun chuckled. "I don't believe you. I think you're just afraid that her Khitan bloodline will affect your future and fame, so you're using this high-sounding reason to deceive people. I know that you Han people look down on us Western Xia and Khitan people deep down."

“I admit that I have no good feelings towards the Western Xia and the Khitans. This is because of the ethnic hatred caused by your long-term harassment of our borders and killing of our border people. But I have never had such thoughts about you, her, or Brother Xiao. You are all heroes with chivalrous hearts, and you are friends that I, Xu Qingzhi, would entrust my life to. How could I look at you with such feelings?” Xu Qingzhi said somewhat emotionally, and his pale face turned red as a result.

Li Yuxuan on the bed gave a soft "hmm," and the two of them stopped talking and quickly leaned over, only to find Li Yuxuan looking at them with his eyes open.

Li Xinyun turned her head away, sulking, and gritted her teeth as she muttered to Xu Zhu, "Damn Xu Zhu, I said she wouldn't wake up for two or three days, but she woke up so quickly. How am I supposed to play now that she's awake?"

Li Yuxuan felt as if she had just taken a nap. When she woke up, she heard what Xu Qing said next. Just as she was about to ask, she saw the two of them standing in front of her with unexpected surprise.

Xu Qingzhi's voice trembled: "You're awake?"

Li Yuxuan turned his head, feeling a little dizzy but otherwise unwell: "I'm awake, so what?"

Cough cough, Li Xinyun's face turned slightly red, it seemed that Xuzhu had only pressed her sleeping acupoint: "You fainted this morning, and we've been waiting here for you to wake up." This was true.

Li Yuxuan frowned. Her memories from the morning, triggered by Li Xinyun's words, the people, and the realities she didn't want to face, all came flooding back.

Her head throbbed with pain again. She closed her eyes. If only all the things she didn't want to face could just disappear on their own.

She's back in Bianliang, back in Bianliang, hehe, she's back in Bianliang. Does her return mean it's time for her to leave? Yinzi has already promised to handle the Li family's affairs in the next few days and then go ahead to Guo Family Village outside Bianliang to wait for her, so they can leave Bianliang together.

A pair of hands were gently massaging her temples, the fingertips were icy cold, and the pressure and scent were familiar to her. Why was he the only one here?

Where is Prince Xin? Why isn't he here? Were all those genuine and feigned affections just a performance during a lonely journey?

She pinched her thigh hard with her hand; the pain was real and intense, making her heart clench and then burst. Blood rushed to her head like a volcano erupting, leaving behind a trail of painful remnants. She held the cool liquid between her eyebrows: "Here, it hurts here."

Bing Xin said, "Love each other, humankind, for you are heading towards the same destiny."

Those who have truly loved and been hurt know that love is like a knife. Whether you love or not, it's a knife. But if there were no love in this world, what would we use to resist the loneliness and emptiness of life?

Time, drop by drop, is like salt water flowing over the wound.

Xu Zhu returned, without Prince Xin behind him. He saw Xu Qingzhi sitting on the stool by the bed and beckoned Li Xinyun to come out.