El tercer erudito de la dinastía Song

Capítulo 88

Two figures outside the garden watched the two frolicking, snorted in dissatisfaction, and turned to disappear into the territory of the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor's residence.

qin426 - Hand-typed

The Strategist and the Princess: Kyoto Chapter Sixty-Four - Heartless

Inside the Eastern Palace, Aoxue held her baby in her arms, looking every bit the loving mother, constantly teasing her beloved child. The baby in her arms seemed to sense her presence, laughing and giggling at her. Aoxue happily played with the baby. Zhengxuan, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, watched his beloved wife and child with a beaming smile, his face full of happiness. With such a wife and child, what more could a husband ask for?

"Your Majesty, Grand Tutor Mo requests an audience." A shrill voice shattered the warm and harmonious atmosphere in the palace. Eunuch Li stood respectfully before Zhengxuan.

The emperor and empress, instead of being annoyed by the interruption, exchanged a knowing smile, a smile full of cunning that sent a chill down Li Gonggong's spine: a conspiracy, the emperor and empress were definitely plotting something, and Grand Tutor Mo was in deep trouble.

"Send word." Just as Eunuch Li was praying for Ao Jun, the emperor's words, tinged with an enigmatic smile, reached his ears. He accepted the order and left.

At the emperor's signal, the palace door slammed shut. Ao Jun, still dressed in white, stood before the emperor and empress and said indifferently, "What brings you here?" Her tone was somewhat unfriendly, and she seemed to be half-awake.

This was only natural. Xue and her husband had gone completely mad, summoning her to the palace early in the morning while she was still asleep! She didn't want to bother with them, but the eunuch delivering the decree even added, "The Empress says that if you don't go, Grand Tutor, you'll definitely regret it." That damned Ling Aoxue, she really knew her well! She knew that once she was asleep, not even ten oxen could pull her up, yet she pulled this trick on her—it was infuriating! Helpless, she had no choice but to reluctantly get up and follow the eunuch into the palace, making her already depressed mood even worse. All thanks to this couple, who were always looking for trouble and had such cunning smiles on their faces.

"Hehe... Of course I had something to tell you. Come, come, look at your little nephew." Ignoring Ao Jun's unfriendly tone, Ao Xue presented her son to Ao Jun like a precious treasure, laughing as she spoke. She had known all along that Jun wouldn't give them a friendly look, but luckily she was prepared, and sure enough...

"What an adorable baby! Xue, he looks just like you... Look, look, he's smiling at me! Such a tiny, beautiful child! Baby... Hehe..." Ao Jun reached out and took the baby from Ao Xue's arms, happily playing with her little nephew, completely forgetting her displeasure at being dragged out of bed so early. This is a woman's maternal instinct, especially since this little baby in her arms was her nephew whom she had been wanting to see for a long time!

"Hehe..." Ao Xue laughed proudly, and played with the baby with Ao Jun. When Ao Jun wasn't paying attention, she raised an eyebrow at Zheng Xuan, who was watching them and laughing, as if to say: See! I told you I could handle her, but you didn't believe me!

"Xue, if you had told me earlier that you wanted me to come see the baby, I would have come by myself long ago without you having to send someone to call me. You made me see my lovely little nephew so late, didn't you? Little baby, hehe... Look, even your son says so, hehe... The baby is so good..." Ao Jun first scolded Ao Xue, then actually started talking to the baby in her arms, and even said seriously that the baby's laughter was the same as her words.

"I forgot for a moment! Hehe... Looks like my baby really likes you!" Ao Xue stuck out her tongue and immediately changed the subject. Actually, she did it on purpose, hehe...

"Of course, he's my nephew!" Ao Jun said proudly without looking up, continuing to play with the baby in her arms, as if he were her son. In fact, she really liked children.

"Hehe..." Ao Jun chuckled along, and the two of them teased the baby together, making the baby giggle. Pleasant laughter echoed from the East Palace from time to time.

Zhengxuan looked at the warm scene before him and couldn't help but smile. He thought to himself, "I never thought Aojun would have such a girlish side. I wonder what Jinxuan would do if he saw this side of her? Judging by the time, he should be here soon."

While playing with the baby, Ao Xue noticed Zheng Xuan's gaze and, understanding, took the baby from Ao Jun's arms and said to Ao Jun, "The baby is hungry. I'll take him out first. You wait here for me!"

"Oh!" Ao Jun watched Ao Xue leave with the baby, reluctant to part.

"I also have state affairs to attend to, Grand Tutor Mo, please make yourself at home." Zhengxuan smiled at Aojun after Aoxue left. Then he flicked his sleeve and walked out.

Ao Jun glanced at the empty palace and couldn't understand why the couple had left so soon after calling her.

On the corridor outside the East Palace, a figure in blue walked arrogantly. When he arrived at the entrance of the East Palace's sleeping quarters, his haggard face was filled with doubt: Why are there no eunuchs or palace maids left? What is the Emperor's purpose in summoning him here?

Jin Xuan's puzzled expression was completely replaced by shock and disbelief when he pushed open the door and saw the figure in the palace. He was overjoyed and felt as if he had been in another world, wondering if he was meeting her in a dream. He stood still by the door, not daring to move or blink, afraid that if he moved, the person in front of him would disappear, or that if he didn't blink, he would find that it was just a dream.

Ao Jun turned around after hearing the sound, a flash of shock crossing her face before she calmly turned away, her heart pounding as if it might burst from her chest: Jin Xuan, why are you here? Is this truly fate? No matter how much I try to avoid you, can I not defy destiny? Why do I feel like I'm meeting you in a dream when I see you here? I've been trying to avoid you, so why does a sweet, joyful warmth flow through my heart the moment I see you again? How can I face you again?

As Ao Jun's mind raced, she suddenly felt a gust of wind behind her. The next second, she was tightly embraced from behind. Jin Xuan's head rested against her neck, and before she could react, a suppressed, hoarse voice came from her neck: "Jun? Is it really you? Jun, I miss you so much, it hurts so much. Is it really you? Am I dreaming?" He held Ao Jun even tighter, as if she would disappear from his sight if he let go, filled with unease.

"Jinxuan, let me go first." Aojun tried her best to control her fluctuating emotions, speaking calmly as usual. The unease, pain, and repression emanating from Jinxuan were so strong, deeply surrounding her and shaking her heart. She wanted to tell him that she missed him too, but the words that came out were just this heartless sentence.

"Jun, how can you be so heartless? Not only have you avoided me time and time again, but now you're so cold to me." Jin Xuan still held Ao Jun tightly. Hearing Ao Jun's words, he tightened his grip and painfully accused Ao Jun of heartlessness. All his longing over the past few days had only resulted in this one sentence: Let her go!

“Jin Xuan…” Ao Jun was momentarily at a loss for words. Her calm tone softened slightly, and she let out a soft sigh as if in helplessness. She felt Jin Xuan’s strong heartbeat behind her, his warm breath on her neck, and his painful accusations in her ear… All of this was undoubtedly the greatest torture for her, for him, but neither of them could escape it, and all of this was caused by her.

"Hehe... Are you trying to tell me that you did this because you only love Yuqing and don't want me to fall deeper into this mess? Jun, how long are you going to keep lying to me?" Jinxuan suddenly looked up from Aojun's stern face, smiling bitterly, but still refused to let go of his hand.

"What do you mean?" Ao Jun stared ahead, his expression indifferent and cold. He was startled by Jin Xuan's words: He said she lied to him? Did he already know she was a woman? Otherwise, why would he say such a thing? But how did he know? Did Xue or his brother-in-law tell him? Impossible, Xue wouldn't go back on her word, it must be…

"Yuqing already told me." Jinxuan said calmly, dropping another bombshell on Aojun, leaving her stiff and cold. Xue really told him? Then she couldn't face him even more. Aojun wished she could disappear from his sight immediately. It turned out she was just a coward after all.

"Jun, what's wrong? Are you cold? Didn't you bring your jade flute with you?" Jin Xuan suddenly felt the person in his arms become cold. He anxiously turned Ao Jun around to face him and asked, taking her hand and gently rubbing it, even using his inner strength to warm her up.

"I'm fine." Ao Jun awkwardly pulled her hand away from Jin Xuan's grasp, avoiding his disappointed and sad expression. She walked to the table, poured herself a cup of tea, took a sip, and then asked indifferently, "What did Xue... Yu Qing say to you?" She asked seemingly casually, but who knew that her hand holding the cup was trembling slightly, her other hand was clenched into a fist, and her eyes, which were turned away from Jin Xuan, were filled with turbulent emotions.

"What did you say? Haha... You said she and you, Ling Aojun, are best friends, the closest confidants who understand each other best, but not the lovers that my brother and I believe in. You said that you two could never have that kind of relationship, and you, Ling Aojun..." Jin Xuan suddenly seemed to have gone mad, laughing loudly until tears were almost streaming down his face. But the laughter made those around him feel a heart-wrenching pain, and even a certain eavesdropper couldn't help but shed tears.

Ao Jun remained silent, silently sensing Jin Xuan's sorrow. Her heart ached as if it were bleeding, yet she still treated him with indifference. Jin Xuan's sudden stop made her hand holding the cup tremble, and a drop of tea dripped from her slender fingers onto the table with a 'ding' sound, like a pebble hitting a still lake in her heart, stirring up ripples that lingered for a long time.

"Haha...and the reason you, Ling Aojun, rejected me wasn't because of her, but for another reason..." Jinxuan continued laughing.

He could almost hear his own heart bleeding, slowly slipping away from him. His eyes blurred, obscuring his view of Jun. Though the man was heartless, he still longed to see her every moment, especially after Yuqing told him the 'truth': "Jun, do you know how I felt when Yuqing told me this? Joy, sorrow, pain, and hatred? Joy because it turns out your so-called 'most important person' didn't mean that at all; it turns out Yuqing and you weren't lovers; it turns out the person you said you 'loved' was Yuqing lying to me. Sorrow because, regardless of whether you have someone in your heart or not, you still reject me. Pain because I went to such lengths to reject you. Do you really hate me that much? Hatred because why are you so heartless? Can't you feel my kindness? Do you really disdain my feelings for you?" I hate your ruthlessness, your heartlessness, your decisiveness, but I hate myself even more. I hate myself for not being able to let go of your ruthlessness, for not pulling back from the brink of disaster, for being so useless. Without you, I can't do anything right, and I have no heart for anything...

Ao Jun's heart eased slightly. She had never intended to cooperate with Xue's plan to anger the two brothers, nor did she intend to pretend to be Xue's lover. She also had no right to 'punish' Jin Xuan. His infatuation, however, was broken beyond repair by her, not him.

As soon as Ao Jun put down her teacup, a fleeting image appeared before her eyes, and Jin Xuan was standing in front of her. Gone was the frenzy from before; now only a gloomy expression and deeply suppressed emotions remained. His deep eyes seemed misty as he silently gazed at her, his voice slightly hoarse as he suppressed his emotions: "Tell me the real reason. Even if you want me to give up, you have to make me give up clearly." Seemingly calm and composed, his hands were clenched tightly, his body stiff, not letting go of any change in Ao Jun's expression.

Ao Jun forced herself to look back at him calmly, her tranquil eyes gazing deeply into his suppressed emotions. She made a decision in her heart: a short, sharp pain was better than a long, drawn-out one. Even if she would regret it later, she had no other choice at this moment. Taking a deep breath, she said calmly, "Fine, I'll tell you why. Because I'm a man, I can't accept you. What is love that transcends gender? Hmph, love between men only disgusts me. I don't want to end up being condemned by everyone. You may not care, you're a prince, but I do. I want to be remembered in history, to achieve unparalleled feats, to be admired by all. And even if Yu Qing and I are just friends, I'm a normal 'man,' and the one I 'love' is still a woman. I want to marry and have children; I want a harem of wives and concubines. Do you understand?" Her insincere words stung Jin Xuan, and also pierced her heart.

Jin Xuan retreated step by step, his face turning pale and then flushed, but he still looked at Ao Jun with firm eyes and said, "No, Jun, I know you're not that kind of person. You don't care about what people think. You're so proud and aloof, how could you care about those so-called empty names? Why? Why do you say that? You clearly have feelings for me. Otherwise, when I kissed you, why didn't you show disgust? Instead, you were immersed in it. You clearly have me in your heart too."

Jun used to love beautiful women, was fickle and amorous, and had even been with other women (referring to Mo Qing). He knew all this from the moment he met her, and it had once made him hesitate, burying his love for her deep in his heart. But in his repeated moments of uncontrollable passion, Jun's behavior made him realize that she was slowly entering his heart. Moreover, since they had gotten to know each other better, Jun hadn't bothered with any other women, except for that one time when they went to the Misty Rain Pavilion. But that time, it was Dongfang Junhao who invited her, and she didn't touch any other women. All of this made him increasingly certain that Jun had feelings for him, and had even accepted love between men. He had always thought that Jun rejected him because she deeply loved Yu Qing, but it turned out that wasn't the case. But now she was telling him that the reason she avoided him was because they were both men, and that his feelings for her disgusted her. No, he wouldn't believe it no matter what, and he didn't want to believe it.

Ao Jun was stunned by Jin Xuan's firm gaze. Jin Xuan's words kept flashing through his mind: "Jun, I said I would not give up, and you'd better remember that." Yes! I am the invincible Prince Jin. How easy is it to make him give up? It seems that I really have to be ruthless. I'm sorry, Jin Xuan. If you hate me or resent me in the future, I, Ling Ao Jun, will bear it all.

She took a deep breath, her usually serene and beautiful face suddenly contorting into a hideous grimace. Her expression turned to disgust as she said, "This is the kind of person I am, Jin Xuan. You don't understand me at all. I only responded to you because you're a prince, and I didn't want to offend you. I still need you to get everything I want! Do you know that your kiss makes me want to vomit, your closeness, your embrace gives me goosebumps? Humph, now that I'm the Crown Prince's tutor, I don't need to rely on you anymore, and I don't need to endure it anymore. I don't want to see you for a second. Just seeing you makes me feel nauseous. Originally, because you took such good care of me before, I didn't want to ruin our relationship, which is why I kept avoiding you. But your persistent pestering has become unbearable. You created this situation yourself; don't blame me."

With each word she spoke, her heart bled. It turned out that saying these words was far more difficult than she had imagined. It almost exhausted all her strength, leaving her so weak that she felt like she was about to collapse. But she couldn't collapse; she still had to be ruthless in front of Jinxuan and show utter disgust.

Jin Xuan clutched his chest, his face deathly pale. He stumbled backward, oblivious to the fact that he bumped into a tea table. His heart was being torn apart piece by piece, the pain unbearable. He coughed up a mouthful of blood. Days of agonizing longing and loss of appetite had left him utterly exhausted. This shock only compounded his suffering. His vision slowly darkened, leaving only the swaying, indifferent, heartless figure, a cold smile slowly creeping onto its lips. His world suddenly plunged into darkness. He could hear nothing, see nothing. His consciousness was consumed only by Ao Jun's ruthlessness, Ao Jun's vicious words that stabbed him like knives, the disgust on Ao Jun's face, the coldness in Ao Jun's eyes… He was so tired!

Until Jinxuan completely lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground, Aojun finally couldn't hold back her tears. She rushed over like a madwoman, tightly embracing Jinxuan, wiping away the last traces of blood. Strands of clear tears uncontrollably dripped onto Jinxuan's face. She could only hold him silently, knowing that perhaps when he woke up, they would never see each other again. He wouldn't want to see her anymore; they would be strangers. Perhaps his gaze towards her would change from love to hatred, and she would never be able to hold him like this again…

“Jinxuan…”

"Brother Jin..."

As the two called out anxiously, a bright yellow figure flashed before their eyes, snatching Jin Xuan from Ao Jun's arms and shoving Ao Jun away. Ao Jun, who was like a puppet, was suddenly pushed and sat straight on the ground. When she looked up, she saw Zheng Xuan glaring at her angrily, radiating a strong killing intent and with a bloodthirsty light in his eyes. In his arms was Jin Xuan, who was covered in wounds from her, while Ao Xue looked at her with a worried expression, her face covered in eye marks.