Song Xingzhi a vécu sous le règne de l'empereur Huizong

Chapitre 27

“No, it’s nothing…” Zhao Guangyi shook his head gently, paused for a moment, and then took another step. “I’m leaving.”

Chapter 28, Who Taught the Osmanthus Leaves to Fragrance in the Moonlight and Dew (2)

In his letter, Lan Wu also mentioned that he had found a man with rather suspicious behavior at the "Qiaofeng Inn". That's why he hurriedly wrote a letter and had the waiter deliver it to the Prince of Qin's mansion, while he himself secretly went to track down the suspicious man.

Zhao Defang truly did not pursue Wanlan's whereabouts again. Just as he had promised the Prince of Jin, he calmly arranged things at his residence after his departure. The next day, he went to the palace to bid farewell to the Empress and briefly informed her of Wanlan's situation. To his surprise, the Empress showed no surprise whatsoever, as if she already knew that Wanlan had been taken away by Zhao Dezhao. Zhao Defang did not dwell on her attitude. On the third day, April 19th, he packed some simple luggage, and with Lan Wen and Xuan'er still by his side, the three of them rode a carriage south to Guiyang.

Since returning to the capital from Luoyang more than four days ago, apart from the five people in the Qin Prince's residence, including Zhao Defang, only the Empress, the Prince of Jin, and Yuan Niang—a total of eight people—knew the truth that the Princess Qin had actually been missing for half a month. The murmurs of doubt about why the Princess Qin hadn't been heard from during this time completely disappeared after the Prince Qin drove south to Guiyang. Rumors circulated in the capital that the Prince Qin and Princess Qin were deeply in love and couldn't bear to be separated, so they traveled south together for sightseeing. The young master, now capable of independent living, was left in the palace by Empress Song to help care for him, giving the couple some private time together.

A torrential downpour occurred in the afternoon, but unexpectedly, as evening approached, the sun began to shine faintly from the west. The carriage struggled along the muddy road, and Lan Wen, the driver, could no longer bear the silence. Finally, he turned to the gray curtain hanging behind him and shouted, "Your Highness, if we do this, Prince Jin will likely punish you!"

They weren't actually going to Guiyang, but to Junzhou to find Prince Yan. The prince said that since all the clues pointed to Prince Yan, they should simply go and ask him directly, rather than engaging in such wild speculation. However, he felt that since Prince Yan had tricked the princess, how could he be so foolish as to admit it? Only his prince was so naive. Even if Prince Yan was an elder brother whom the prince had admired and respected since childhood, he couldn't be completely without suspicion. If they went so directly to his door, what if the prince refused to hand her over…? They'd be alerting him!

Lan Wen's mind raced for a moment before he heard his prince's voice from inside the carriage: "I don't want my royal uncle to worry, but... I'm even more worried about Wanlan."

Upon hearing this, Lan Wen's furrowed brows, which could have trapped a mosquito, immediately relaxed. With a broad smile, he pulled on the reins and shouted at the black horse pulling the carriage, which then sped forward.

The prince and princess have such a good relationship! I just hope the Prince of Yan won't interfere!

"If I had known this would happen, I should have followed the Princess into the palace to serve her." Sitting next to Lan Wen, Xuan'er lowered her eyelashes and confessed in a low voice with deep regret. If she had been by his side, this would never have happened.

"Xuan'er, don't blame yourself. Who could have predicted this?" Lan Wen pursed his lips. If one could predict what would happen in the future, then nothing would happen. Actually, things are fine as they are now. At least the relationship between the prince and the princess is becoming more and more stable. I just hope that nothing bad happens to the princess, that would be the best outcome.

A voice came from behind him, "If we really want to investigate, this is entirely my fault. I was careless. I knew that Wanlan didn't remember anything and was very likely to be used by someone, but I still quietly left her side..." When he woke up that day, he was half ashamed. After the two of them became intimate, he didn't know how to face her when she was awake, so he quietly left. The other half was that he couldn't bear to disturb her peaceful dream and didn't want her to see his departing figure. But he never expected that their silent farewell would lead to this situation where they miss each other but cannot meet today.

Lan Wen and Xuan'er exchanged a glance outside the car, but neither of them said anything.

"Lan Wen, make the horses go faster, and don't stop along the way. Try to get to Junzhou within ten days."

"Yes, Your Highness!" With a straight face, Lan Wen forcefully swung the reins.

Driving south from Kaifeng, passing through towns such as Yingchang and Tangzhou, it takes about half a month to reach Xiangzhou. From Xiangzhou, you can then switch to waterway and travel upstream along the Han River for about three days to reach Junzhou.

Zhao Defang's order for Lan Wen to reach Junzhou within ten days was somewhat of a stretch. The three of them traveled non-stop, and by the time they reached Tangzhou, five days had passed. After a moment's thought, Zhao Defang abandoned the carriage and chose to ride a horse. He spurred his horse and reached Xiangzhou in two days. At this speed, it was not impossible for them to reach Junzhou within ten days. However, they had just entered Xiangzhou and had not yet had time to rest when they heard that the torrential rains of the past few days had caused the Han River to rise above the docks, and that boats had been prohibited from sailing for three days, making all waterways impassable.

Chapter 29, Who Taught the Osmanthus Leaves to Fragrance in the Moonlight and Dew (3)

The green hills are faintly visible, and the water stretches far and wide.

Looking into the distance, the river surface glistens with the setting sun, and the sky is dyed red with blue waves and rosy clouds. Who could have imagined the thunder, rain, and surging waves of the river a few days ago?

"Your Highness..."

Lan Wen and Xuan'er looked at each other for a long time before finally speaking softly. They had been heading straight for Xiangzhou despite the rain without any delay, but they were blocked at the mouth of the Han River. The torrential rain had clearly stopped after they left Tangzhou, so how come the tide hadn't receded after three days?

The heavens are against them; are they deliberately trying to make things difficult for their prince?

Zhao Defang stood with his hands behind his back, facing the gently rippling blue river, a hint of bewilderment in his deep eyes. "Is it fate..." he murmured. The Han River flows through Xiangzhou, from where one can travel north to Junzhou, south to Jiangling Prefecture, and southwest to Guizhou.

Is this tide going to stop him from heading north to find Wanlan? Three days... why is the tide not receding?

"Your Highness, let's find a place to stay first. There's no rush to cross the river today; perhaps the tide will recede tomorrow," Lan Wen said, scratching his head uncertainly. He didn't know if the tide would recede tomorrow either.

“Yes, Your Highness, you must be tired after traveling day and night these past few days. It’s getting dark, why don’t you rest first and we can think of a way to cross the river tomorrow?” Xuan’er added.

"Okay, you guys go find a place to rest first, I'll stay a little longer." Zhao Defang, with his hands behind his back, didn't move and said calmly.

Today is the 27th.

They parted on the 29th, almost a month ago, yet he spent most of his time on the road. He wondered how Wanlan had managed during those days. Was she afraid? Was she anxious? Staying by her elder brother's side... did she have even the slightest memory of the past?

This was... the thing that made him most panicked after learning that it was his elder brother who had kidnapped Wanlan...

Undeniably, he desperately wanted to find Wanlan, to hold her in his arms, and to reject any possibility that might remind her of the past. He lacked confidence that he could compete with his elder brother; he... was terrified...

I'm so scared...

"Your Highness."

Exhaling the breath that had been stuck in his chest, Zhao Defang turned around and said to Lan Wen, who had returned, "Let's go."

Lan Wen found an inn that was closest to the dock, which was only a quarter of an hour away. Xuan'er stayed at the inn to pack her luggage and instructed the waiter to prepare food and accommodation for the three of them. When Lan Wen brought Zhao Defang back to the inn, it was just in time for dinner to start, so the three of them casually sat down in the lobby to eat.

When the commotion at the entrance came, Zhao Defang and the others had almost finished dinner and were preparing to go upstairs to rest. Several oil lamps had already been lit in the lobby of the inn to provide light for the few guests, so the lobby was very quiet. The not-so-loud exclamations at the entrance were all the more loud.

Some curious people who had just finished eating put down their bowls and chopsticks and walked out. Zhao Defang only glanced at the door before looking away, stood up, and went upstairs without stopping for a moment.

Lan Wen was curious, so he couldn't help but follow the crowd toward the entrance. By the dim light from the two lanterns at the entrance of the inn, he could see that the person who had exclaimed was a thin, light-colored boy in blue robes. He was very handsome and fair-skinned, and looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old. He was supporting another young man in white robes. The young man was kneeling on the ground, one hand supporting himself on the ground and the other hand pressed tightly against his chest. His body looked stiff and abnormal. His long hair hung down and completely covered his face, making it impossible to see clearly.

"What happened?" he asked the person next to him in surprise.

The man next to him whispered, "I'm not sure. It seems they're saying this young master is ill, and he's having a relapse! Someone has already gone to find a doctor."

"Then why not help him inside to rest?" Judging from that young master's appearance, he probably won't last much longer.

"That young man said his young master is immobile and they have to wait for the doctor to arrive." So, although there were nearly a dozen people gathered at the door, not a single one stepped forward to help.

Lan Wen scratched his head, puzzled. How could something be untouchable?

"Lan Wen, Master is calling you." Xuan'er called to him from the stairs.

After glancing one last time at the two figures at the door, Lan Wen turned and went into the inn, rushing upstairs to the second floor. He cautiously stepped into his master's room. "Your Highness, did you call me?"

Zhao Defang stood by the window with his hands behind his back, seemingly lost in thought. When Lan Wen spoke, he turned around casually, looked up at him, and said indifferently, "What's going on outside?"

“It’s nothing serious, just that a young master suddenly fell ill at the door. I don’t know what disease he has, but he won’t let anyone touch him.” Lan Wen recounted, then added, “Look at his thin and frail body, he looks like a sickly young lady. And his servant is also fair-skinned and very elegant, with a touch of effeminacy.”

Zhao Defang nodded slightly, showing no interest, and said to himself, "Go and ask the waiter or the nearby residents in a while to see if the tide will recede by tomorrow morning. If not, find a family willing to send a boat out, as we must cross the river tomorrow."