L'amour sous les étoiles lointaines

Chapitre 27

"Dongling would never dare to have such a thought, but it is somewhat sudden and puzzling, so I ask the Third Prince for guidance."

His emotions could shift in the blink of an eye, unpredictable and chilling. He was truly a troublesome royal demon. Recalling the title that Shao Chu had given to this third prince, Su Dongling felt a strong sense of sympathy.

"The Su family is valued and relied upon by His Majesty and my elder brother. How dare I, a mere prince, offer any opinions?" Zhu Yu said with a mocking yet cold tone, his faint smile sweeping over Youyou's cold eyes. "The four great families have five sons. The sixth son is up to fate. If a daughter is born, she belongs to the imperial family. To avoid separation among family members, the four great families never have more than five sons. I believe you, Dongling, have heard these words."

"Those are just rumors that the common people don't understand. I hope you won't take them to heart, Third Prince."

"The common people are ignorant and do not understand that this is a favor bestowed by the imperial court upon the four great families. I believe the Su family is not unaware of this."

"The Su family is well aware of the Emperor's boundless grace and would never dare to disobey it," Su Dongling hurriedly said, clasping his hands in greeting.

Back then, the four great families helped the imperial court and received great rewards, but they also paid another price. Any child born after the fifth son of one of the four great families, if it was a girl, would be a member of the royal family. The emperor would adopt her as a princess, bestow upon her the title of princess, and treat her with the same honors as imperial relatives. Such honors came at the cost of political leverage!

When a foreign tribe seeks a marriage alliance, or even offers a generous reward to a victorious general or minister, the royal family will bestow a marriage upon the princess, which is the greatest honor. In this case, the "Imperial Princess" who is granted the title of princess will have to bear the responsibility of this political marriage. This is the royal family's own choice, as they are unwilling to sacrifice their own flesh and blood!

Given this, unless one is determined to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy, no one is willing to send their children into the palace to be manipulated by others. Therefore, most of the four great families do not have more than five sons. Although the court knows why, it has made it an unspoken fact for the sake of cooperation between the two sides.

"The Su family has six children in total, but are there really only... two women?"

Su Dongling smiled. "I wonder what doubts the Third Prince has?"

"You can treat this as casual conversation or as a confirmation, I have received the answer I needed." Zhu Yu turned around with his hands behind his back and walked towards the hall door.

"The Third Prince?" Is he leaving?

His head was slightly turned to the side, and the corners of his lips were arrogantly curved. "I'm sorry to bother you tonight, there's no need to see me off."

Watching the other person stride away, Su Dongling's calm expression turned serious.

"Someone come here." He immediately summoned his trusted aide. "Immediately inform the eldest princess in the palace that the fourth young master needs the Southern Origin Sacred Medicine, the Jadeite Pill."

That night, too many things happened in the capital: the identity of Ziyan, the death of Zifei Shuangyue, and the discovery the next day in the turbulent river near Yuqiong Tower of a female corpse whose face was unrecognizable due to being battered by the tide and rocks. It was barely possible to identify that the clothes were those of Zifei Shuangyue!

Yuqionglou was investigated for more than half a month. In the end, with no evidence found and several very influential wealthy people who funded the operation of Yuqionglou spending a lot of money to smooth things over, the matter was finally resolved without incident, and the business was allowed to resume operations.

However, new rumors arose, and new stories circulated among the people of the capital. Although the content changed, the characters remained the same. The complex multi-faceted entanglements, without Yu Ziyan, provided a new version for everyone to enjoy during their leisure time.

A few days later, another big piece of news was that after Yu Ziyan's identity as Zi Fei Shuang Yue was exposed, the four young masters of the Su family also disappeared from the capital!

Everyone guessed that the sentimental Fourth Young Master Su could not accept the blow that his lover was not only a thief but also dead, so he went elsewhere to heal his heartbreak.

Everyone felt immense sympathy for Su Shaochu, one of the missing protagonists. The fourth young master of the Su family was approachable, especially gentle with girls. Coupled with his easy-going and easily angered personality, he always gave people a gentle and affectionate feeling. With such a personality, the imagination surrounding him in the bustling and chaotic capital city was naturally amplified.

As autumn passed and early winter approached, Su Shaochu, who often accompanied the Crown Prince, was never seen again.

Chapter Eight

In the glazed palace courtyard, the snow from last night blanketed the ground in silver frost. An elegant figure stepped onto the grass covered with a thin layer of snow, gazing around the imperial city adorned with the early winter snow, and strolled leisurely through it.

Arriving at the frozen lake, he saw a few withered leaves on the rocks on the shore, not yet covered by snowflakes. He picked one up, crushed it, and then spread it out in his palm. The wind lifted it up and scattered it on the frozen lake surface.

The newcomer sighed softly, creating a long mist that filled the cold, crisp air with each breath.

She wore a light purple dress with white cherry blossom petals, her shoulder-length hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, and light purple satin ornaments with white cherry blossom petals also hung on the hairpin. Her hair and satin ornaments fluttered in the morning light, making her seem even more elegant and slender.

As I strolled leisurely along this familiar landscape, turning onto a secluded, winding path, I saw the person approaching. His handsome face still held that consistently dignified air, along with the usual banter that was reserved for familiar faces.

"Young Master Su, it's been quite a while since I've seen you in the palace. I'm so glad to see you again." An old palace maid greeted Su Shaochu with delight as soon as she saw him.

"Judging from Sister Dong's expression, she misses me very much." With a gentle smile, Su Shaochu raised an eyebrow and said, "If I had known there was someone who missed me, I would have come sooner."

"Everyone knows that the Fourth Young Master is a womanizer, and I'm not the only old maid who misses you," said Sister Dong, who was almost the same age as Su Shaochu's mother, with a laugh.

"It's a sin to make someone miss you, and I hate making people commit sins, especially 'Sister Dong' who worries about me so much."

"Look at your complexion, you look so pale and lacking in health. Where have you been all this time?" Seeing his slightly thinner face, the elder's maternal concern couldn't help but well up.

"Of course, I'd rather live in seclusion in the mountains to heal my wounds and relieve my pain! Who told me to be so romantic and amorous?" Su Shaochu pretended to clutch his heart, looking like he was injured, and thanked the people of the capital for their endless folk tales, which saved him from having to come up with an excuse.

"Sigh! With your qualities, you're not afraid of not finding a girl who's a good match for you. You're still young, you have plenty of opportunities. Don't be sad anymore." Remembering the big event that happened recently, "Sister Dong" quickly comforted him.

"Ah! With Sister Dong's kind words, Shao Chu will be able to see things in a better light."

His handsome, furrowed brows flattened into a deep sigh, which made the old palace maid feel heartbroken and reluctant to part with him, so she quickly changed the subject.

"The Crown Prince has been talking about you a lot these past few days. Did you come to the palace today to see him?"

"I've come today to visit my elder sister and also to pay my respects to the Princess."

In fact, he came to see his master. During this time, his master in the palace was extremely worried about him and missed him terribly. In addition, there were rumors that he was seriously ill and would die if he did not appear soon.

"The princess seems to be in a bad mood these days and has lost a lot of weight. You are good at making jokes and cheering her up, so it would be good for you to keep her company."

Upon hearing this, Su Shaochu felt extremely guilty for causing his master so much worry!

"Today there will be a grand archery competition in the palace. All royal sons aged 15 to 25 must participate. His Majesty wants to see their archery skills. The Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince will open the competition. In the afternoon, envoys from the Eastern Regions and the Western Frontier will pay tribute. In the evening, a lavish banquet unlike any other will be held. Even the dancers and music will be unique and more grand and extravagant than in previous years. Will you participate in the banquet?" Just for the fun of it.

"These things have been done before, why is this year so special?"

"The princes are right. They're also promoting our national power and letting foreign tribes know how strong and wealthy our Central Plains are. Even the girls dance better than people. Just watching them makes your mouth water."

Su Shaochu couldn't help but laugh when he heard this. The ones who would say such things must be the Ninth Prince, the Tenth Prince, and the Eleventh Prince. The three little princes, who were not yet ten years old, were lively and cute, loved to play together, and often said things that made people laugh out loud.

"Yes, yes, it's about showcasing our national power! How can we not participate!"

The old palace maid hurried to other palaces, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then left, reminding him to take good care of himself and not to be hurt by love again.

"Heartbroken?!" Su Shaochu chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I really don't know what that feels like, but as for my body..."

He stretched out his hand and looked at his finger, at a finely carved gold ring...

"I know your secret."

One year, when he decided to live in the Central Plains with his master and stop traveling between Nanyuan and the capital, he originally planned to keep his identity a secret. He figured that "he" would stay there and no one would find out. However, the laughter that the other person sang seemed to indicate that she already knew the secret.

"How did you know?" To this day, many people still don't know their identities.

"I feel that one is elegant and refined, the other is aloof and proud. Those who don't understand might just think it's because they are moody and have a bad temper, but I know that they are different."

"Last time you lured me with the sound of your flute, reciting the same words, were you testing me?" Knowing that he had been seen through all along, he really didn't feel good.

A beautiful woman covered her lips and smiled. "I just want to know, can two people with the same appearance have the same inner self?"

"So, do you like this answer?"

"I haven't had enough yet!"

"Any new tricks up your sleeve? Is there anything I can do to help?" He spread his hands, as if to say, "Don't be shy."

"Don't lose your composure. Let me give you something as a farewell gift and a keepsake. In return, you must agree to one condition."

The girl placed a wide gold ring, exquisitely carved and adorned with three small gold beads surrounding two small bamboo-shaped bands, into his hand.

"This ring contains two protective golden needles and three Rising Sun Crimson Pills, which can help you in times of crisis."

"Rising Sun Crimson!" It is an extremely difficult-to-refine top-grade medicine for injuries, and one might only be obtained after ten years of refining, which is why she gave him three.

Looking at the small golden beads on the ring, one can't help but admire her skillful hands.

"Whether it's poisoning or internal injury, Rising Sun Crimson can save you in a critical moment. However, remember, it's only an emergency treatment, not a panacea. Furthermore, because Rising Sun Crimson is so potent, the side effect is that every time you use it, you lose three-tenths of your internal energy. Therefore, regardless of whether it's poison or injury, you still need to find a treatment method to eradicate the problem completely!"

It reverses three-tenths of one's internal energy?! "Is this a medicine to save lives, or a medicine to devour them?"

"It depends on how you use it. Once the injuries or poisons are healed, the effects of the Rising Sun Crimson will also be neutralized. However, it will take a long time to recover your strength."

"I hope I'll ever have a chance to use it." If I do, the situation must be dire! "What conditions do you want me to agree to?" She put the ring on, making it the only piece of jewelry she was wearing.

"Though my body is in the Southern Lands, my heart is with the Eastern Regions." The voice actor sighed helplessly, taking out his long flute. "One day, you will surely meet him. Please give this flute to him on my behalf."

"Why didn't you hand it to him yourself?" He was secretly annoyed with himself as soon as he asked the question.

The woman before him merely smiled, her pale face and deep purple lips revealing a truth that even rouge could no longer conceal. Born with a mental illness and disability, she knew her days were numbered.

"Why was I specifically chosen to hand over the flute to him?" He took the long flute, but it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, making his heart sink.

"Because you know my heart best. Even if I'm not here, you'll know what my final answer to him will be."

The sudden smile was a testament to his unwavering resolve, as if telling him that he had entrusted himself to someone because of their mutual understanding, and that the other person was the only true confidant in his life.

"This flute represents my heart, which I have given to you. The other jade flute I carry with me represents my life. When you hear the sound of this flute again, I will have left this suffering world. Someone will use the flute's sound to say my final goodbye to you."

"Then I would rather never hear the sound of this flute again in my entire life." A deep, heartfelt sigh.

The ring on her finger, with one of the three gold beads encircling the bamboo joint, was missing. Her thoughtful eyes showed a hint of melancholy. It wasn't until snowflakes fell on her fingertips and the chill came that she realized it was snowing.

"Does Shao Chu really want to experience the beauty of snow?" A familiar, languid voice came from beside Su Shao Chu, accompanied by an umbrella.

Su Shaochu lowered his eyes and smiled faintly, turning to look at a pair of deep, familiar eyes that were always unfathomable, yet today they seemed to hold a hidden power about to erupt from within them.

Zhu Yu wore a purple, blue, and yellow woven feather robe, and under the sable fur coat, his tall and slender figure looked more handsome and robust than usual.

"The Third Prince's artistic conception is also quite good. It's truly surprising that we met in this place, which shouldn't be frequented by such noble royal princes!"

This secluded slope was mostly used by servants and quiet officials; the great royal relatives and nobles would not stoop to such a level.

"It's been a while since I've seen my brother, and he's lost a lot of weight."

"Ordinary officials can never have the rosy complexion of royalty who eat meat and fish at every meal." Alas!

"Having escaped from such a dangerous situation, one needs to make up for it properly."

"Healing emotional wounds and relieving heartache is hardly a dangerous situation." How could I possibly accept that!

"Don't treat me like an ordinary person."

"How dare I, a mere youth, be so perfunctory towards the Three Sovereigns..."

Before he could finish speaking, the umbrella suddenly fell down. Before Su Shaochu could even react, he was pulled into Zhu Yu's arms. As soon as he looked up in surprise, his lips were tightly covered by hers!

Su Shaochu's eyes widened in shock. He instinctively tried to push the other person away, but the other person simply held his cheeks tightly, each finger feeling as if it were branded into his skin, so tight that it was impossible to move them!

Su Shaochu, enraged, channeled his energy into his fingers and palms, attempting to force open this body—

Each time you unleash your power, you lose three-tenths of your internal energy!

Slowly lowering his fingers and palms, he endured the forceful and unreasonable demanding!

With repeated sucking, Zhu Yu forced the soft lips, which had lost their initial chance to react, to open even wider and allow him to run rampant. As soon as they touched the tongue that had nowhere to hide, the lips and teeth seized it as deeply as if they had spotted their prey!