L'amour sous les étoiles lointaines

Chapitre 35

After several rounds of drinks, Fu Yaofeng and Su Shaochu left Huafang Garden one after the other. At this time, a light rain began to fall again. This residence was located in the suburbs, far from the bustling center of the capital. Surrounded by tall pine trees, it was a secluded and quiet place.

Walking under a row of pine trees in the dark, a cool breeze in the drizzle greeted us, causing the servants leading the way with lanterns to flinch.

"My two young brothers, my mount is under the thatched shed ahead. I can go there myself. You two can go back to Huafang Garden!" Su Shaochu, holding an umbrella and strolling behind, smiled and thanked the two servants ahead.

"It's just a few steps, Fourth Young Master, no need to be so polite." A servant smiled sheepishly. "This place is in the outskirts, and there are long rows of trees providing shade. Even though it's summer, the wind blowing here is really unsettling."

"So Huafang Garden is a good place to escape the summer heat." My married sister always comes here to stay for ten days or so during the height of summer.

"Please be careful on your way back, Fourth Young Master. The capital has been unsettled lately. In addition to the assassins who infiltrated the Three Emperors' Mansion, officials also encountered masked assassins in strange clothes on the streets before that," another servant carrying a lantern said, turning around.

"Out of place?" Assassins should be discreet, so why would they be dressed differently to carry out an assassination? "Who was assassinated?"

"No, I heard that this assassin is very strange. He took a high-ranking official of the court to a remote place just to ask him some questions."

"This is interesting!" The capital has been full of strange things lately, with foreign assassins appearing one after another.

"Although no officials were injured, I heard that the news has reached the ears of the Third Prince. In addition, there are still accomplices of the assassins from the Third Prince's residence who have not been caught. Therefore, patrols on the streets of the capital after nightfall have been strengthened recently, and the palace is being guarded with absolute tightness."

"I've heard about it too. The assassin who took the official hostage was quite strange; he asked people what kind of goose they were looking for!"

Two servants chatted with her about the strange things that had happened in the capital recently.

"Wild geese?" Su Shaochu chuckled. "The assassin should be heading to the Western Field within the Imperial Palace, where there are plenty of birds and beasts." The Imperial Palace is a place specifically for raising animals.

These words made all the servants laugh.

"I heard they're looking for someone named Yue Zhiwei."

"It's a Moon Goose. There shouldn't be any geese like this in the West Garden."

The Wild Goose Under the Ice Moon. Su Shaochu closed his eyes briefly under the umbrella.

"The rain has stopped again."

The drizzle has been intermittent lately, sometimes starting before dawn and continuing into the afternoon.

"This is a good opportunity for me to hurry back to the Su residence."

Su Shaochu took the reins, untied the horse, and patted it reassuringly.

"That is..."

Ahead, shrouded in the hazy moonlight, came a large procession of twenty people, carrying torches, their horses galloping towards them.

"The Imperial Guards on patrol."

Holding the lanterns high, the three men could see the approaching army.

"Fourth Young Master Su!"

The leader of the army saw the boy in front of the tent and gestured for the main force to stop. Two of them jumped off their horses.

"So it's Feng Yan and Steward Yan from the Third Prince's residence, who are in dire straits." Upon seeing the visitors, Su Shaochu resignedly greeted them.

Something terrible has happened?!

"Sword length, breath length, as for life... Under the Third Prince's tyranny, alas! I misspoke, it seems that with both kindness and power, life will also be very long." You chuckled, with a hint of sarcasm. "The only drawback is that one is short-sighted and the other is short-sighted, always doing all sorts of dirty work for their master without saying much or asking right or wrong."

Blind loyalty is also a crime of aiding and abetting evil!

"Pingfei, remember the Fourth Young Master's sharp words."

Yan Pingfei, the chief steward of the Three Emperors' Palace, clasped his hands in greeting, while Feng Yan remained as cold and taciturn as ever.

"I heard your master was attacked recently?" Su Shaochu asked with feigned concern, then lowered his voice with his fan and asked, "Is he dead? Or seriously injured?"

Feng Yan glared at him coldly, his voice, as cold and deep as his tone, rarely uttered.

"Thanks to the Fourth Young Master, I didn't lose my life on the snowy night in Yunfeng. This is enough to prove that the Third Prince is extremely blessed. It would have been the assassin who lost his life in vain."

"That's true. Good people don't live long, but I think the Third Prince should live a long and healthy life." A scourge should be remembered for a thousand years. Zhu Yu, this great scourge, should have the ability to be remembered for a thousand years.

"Fourth Young Master, let's hurry back to the Su residence before it rains!" the servant reminded him.

"Thank you, young men." She clasped her hands in a fist salute to Yan Pingfei and Feng Yan. "I won't disturb your patrol work any longer. Goodbye!"

"It seems that Fourth Young Master has the leisure and interest to enjoy everyone, but he has no time to accept the Third Prince's invitation and it is difficult to even meet him. I should tell Fourth Young Master that it was not a wise move to provoke the Third Prince in the capital."

Yan Pingfei spoke to Su Shaochu, who was about to turn and leave, his words carrying a sarcastic warning.

“The Third Prince holds an extremely noble position. I am neither a member of the royal family nor an official of the court. I have no palace or post, and I am just a humble commoner. How dare I have the ability to provoke the Third Prince? I cannot bear the accusation of Steward Yan.” Su Shaochu lowered his eyebrows and smiled, speaking humbly, but his eyebrows were raised high.

Because she was merely an assistant to the Crown Prince from the Su family, because she held no official position, yet came from one of the four great families, had an older sister who had married into the royal family, and had an extraordinary relationship with the Eldest Princess, she possessed a special status and rights to enter and leave the palace, and was completely unrestrained. This gave her more control over her actions in her power struggle with the Third Prince.

"A single hair can affect the whole situation. I hope that Fourth Young Master will not bring this upon the Su family."

"If Huang Taiping's power remains after this body is fully restored, then Your Majesty would be best advised not to activate this power, lest it cause chaos!"

"Fourth Young Master, it's really necessary. Because of you, the Third Prince has caused this chaos."

"Without a choice... I guess all I can say is: let's wait and see!"

As strands of hair brushed against her half-smiling lips and eyes, Su Shaochu had already lifted his robe, mounted his horse, and galloped away.

Yan Pingfei watched the departing figure, his voice carrying a deep and sinister undertone.

"I hope you can handle the surprises that await you, Fourth Young Master Su."

Chapter Five

The figure galloping on horseback under the moon, facing the wind, yet Fu Yaofeng's words echoed in his mind.

...If you, Su Shaochu, were so willing, you should have met Zhu Yu. Why did you keep avoiding him all the way afterward?

She couldn't answer Fu Yaofeng. Once she missed the initial opportunity, she couldn't take that step! In the past, when she and Zhu Yu played against each other, no matter how witty their words and expressions were, she never felt a chill when she met his eyes. But that day at the Flower Festival, when she met Zhu Yu's eyes, those eyes, filled with obvious anger and jealousy, seemed to want to tear her apart and devour her. His eyes, as bright as both flames and ice, stunned her!

That day, she stood there stunned, not knowing what to say. She subconsciously took a step back, and with that one step, she could no longer take another step forward. Afterwards, even she could only laugh bitterly at the absurdity of it all. What was she so afraid of?

"Is this karma for scheming against others too much?"

Zhu Yu's strong and persistent feelings for her were beyond her expectations.

"If only I hadn't gone so far." But if he hadn't gone too far with Zhu Yu, it would have been difficult to continue the scheme. "The word 'love' truly is a troublesome thing!"

As he sighed in contemplation, he had already run out of the woods. Ahead, on a main road leading to the center of the capital, he saw a magnificent array of lanterns and torches!

More than fifty guards from the Purple Gold Army stood protecting an extremely luxurious carriage with a beautifully decorated canopy, flanked by more than a dozen burly men in foreign attire.

"Wow, what a sight!" She reined in her horse and stopped.

The scene before them was clearly a roadblock and a way to stop people. The guards behind them all had piercing eyes and were intimidating, while the men in strange clothes in front of them all had fierce faces, their eyes fixed on the white-clad youth sitting comfortably on his horse.

Su Shaochu blinked and first moistened his lips and cleared his throat.

"Hmm, it seems your forces aren't aimed at me at all. Without further ado, I'll change course." She never stood in anyone's way, so she smiled, clasped her hands, and tried to turn her horse around.

"Young Master Chu Ai, do you think I, the prince, can continue to tolerate your 'disregard'?"

The sound emanating from the magnificent carriage was light, languid, and seemingly casual, yet it resonated majestically across the bright moonlit sky.

"So it's the Third Prince. I'm honored to meet you." Su Shaochu immediately bowed to the person inside the magnificent carriage, feigning surprise. "The ground is muddy from the rain, so please excuse me for not being able to dismount and kneel at this moment."

Since the other party didn't care whether she dismounted or not, she was now in a state of panic, knowing that tonight was going to be very bad.

"It's been a long time!" A chuckle came from inside the carriage. "This prince has been deeply saddened by the fact that I haven't been able to properly see my beloved brother!"

"How can Shao Chu bear such a terrible crime!" She raised her hand, pointing two fingers to the sky, as if swearing an oath: "On the days when it was time to enter the palace, Shao Chu followed the rules of a believer making a pilgrimage to the great gods and Buddhas, solemnly entering the palace to pay homage to the powerful and noble. He saw the Third Prince more than once, witnessed by many powerful and noble officials, and even the concubines and princesses who strolled in the garden with Shao Chu can testify. The Third Prince's frequent visits have made the believer Su Shao Chu terrified!"

"Why do you think that being quick-witted at this moment will help things go smoothly?" The owner of the carriage, who was idly fiddling with the largest ruby ring on his finger, scoffed when he heard her words.

"What's next?" Looking at the sky, she suddenly realized. "Oh, at this hour, it's too late to have a midnight snack, too early to have breakfast, stargazing might lead to rain, and a night stroll could result in an assassin's attack. As a member of the royal family, the Third Prince should not linger outside. It's a pity that tonight's 'chance encounter' is ruined." With deep regret, she listed all the things that could be done at this hour.

Loud laughter came from inside the ornate carriage.

"Your carefree attitude is really getting on my nerves. I should tell you, if you keep playing around with me like this, something terrible will happen."

With an innocent expression, Su Shaochu asked earnestly, "What is wrong? I don't understand the meaning behind the Third Prince's words?"

"This prince is waiting for you and Minglan Guqin to come to the Third Prince's Mansion so that you can play another piece called 'Listening to Youlan'."

"This is a great honor for Shao Chu. I will definitely visit the Three Emperors' Palace another day."

"What if I insist on tonight?"

"The Minglan Guqin is not with me at the moment. I'm afraid that Shao Chu will be unable to fulfill the Third Prince's request, even if he is willing."

"The zither is not with you, but my heart is with you. The heart and affection I desire are all with you." The lazy, flat laugh revealed what she wanted to avoid, and the words turned swiftly with a warning.

"Don't forget, once you accept my zither music (affection), you are not allowed to leave me."

"This... cough, since Shao Chu has accepted the challenge, how could she refuse? The Third Prince has truly misunderstood." She smiled. No one stipulates that accepting a challenge means you have to fight back. Being a little cheeky and dragging things out is fine too. "In two days, Shao Chu will definitely visit the Third Prince's residence. At that time... whatever the Third Prince wishes to do, Shao Chu will not refuse."

Her words were metaphorical, and her tone was deliberately ambiguous, so let him think what he wants; anyway, in two days, she would invite the Crown Prince to the Three Emperors' Palace, and she would play the zither as he requested, as long as he didn't say she had broken her promise.

"Do you take me for a little girl you can bully at will?" The deep laugh inside the carriage was laced with coldness.

“As the Third Prince, how dare anyone adopt a conciliatory attitude? At least…” She expressed her respect by bowing her head respectfully. “Shao Chu dares not.”

"Clever, cunning, and daring to lie through your teeth, sigh! It's hard for this prince to find a reason to forgive you." Youyou sighed helplessly, but her smile was tinged with sternness. "Shao Chu's behavior of toying with my feelings has hurt me both physically and mentally. How can I not punish him properly!"

The world has turned upside down. The Prince Yingxie, who has toyed with countless men and women, is now accusing her of playing with emotions.

"Third Prince, with your meager abilities, how can you possibly be accused of toying with the imperial princes?" She cleared her throat again and asked, "Ahem... shouldn't there be evidence to convict someone?" Where is the evidence?

"Why don't you come into the carriage, young sir, and let me tell you where the evidence is?"

Now that she's inside the carriage, under Zhu Yu's clutches, will she even have a tomorrow? Who is it that's using such deceptive methods to bully a young girl, especially since Su Shaochu is well past the age of a young girl!

At this moment, the drizzle began to fall again, as if bringing a touch of coolness to the tense atmosphere, and also waking up a drowsy consciousness in the grass and woods below the hillside. The consciousness struggled to its feet, staggered along, and subconsciously followed the sound of voices in the distance.

"Well...sigh! It's raining again. Perhaps...we should do it another day. The Crown Prince has summoned me to the palace." (The Crown Prince is using this as an excuse.)

"Heh." A soft laugh suddenly came from the magnificent carriage next to the carriage. "Third Prince, I never thought that in the Central Plains, under your territory, there would be people who don't respect you."

Dressed in a bright and colorful outfit, Ke Luoqi stepped out of the ornately decorated carriage, her icy eyes lighting up when she saw Su Shaochu.

"What an extraordinary young gentleman! Not only is he charmingly handsome, but his eloquence is also intoxicating. No wonder the Third Prince is so infatuated with him."