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Seeing that she had fallen for his trick, but not expecting her to say that, the man frowned and asked, "Why this time?"

“Because it’s not worth it! Although that peach blossom bloomed early and was beautiful, it’s still not worth as much as this bead!” Xiaoxuan said. “Blooming and withering are the natural order of all things. This peach blossom bloomed early, but it will wither in a few days, while this bead will not. To use this valuable bead to ask for a worthless peach branch, Uncle, I really didn’t realize you were such a spendthrift. I absolutely cannot give you this peach branch, otherwise how can I face your family? Let me give you a piece of advice: no matter how much money you have, if you squander it like this, it will eventually run out. At that time, you will be like the peach blossoms on the mountain wall, which were beautiful at one time, but could not escape the fate of withering.”

"What!" the man roared. "How dare you talk to me like that? Do you know who I am?"

“I know! You’re an official!” Xiao Xuan said sullenly, “I know you’re a high-ranking official. I can see those soldiers standing on both sides of the mountain path. The flower is blooming on the mountain wall. If you want it, I can’t force it. But I still say it’s not meant for you. If you insist on forcing it, if that peach branch has a spirit, it certainly won’t willingly let you break it off.”

The man stood there, silent for a long while, before finally saying, "I never expected, truly never, that after all these years, there would still be someone who would refuse me. Young lady, what you say makes a lot of sense. The flower can remain behind the nunnery then." With that, he walked out of the nunnery, his face filled with melancholy. Reaching the courtyard, he suddenly stopped, looked towards the back mountain, and muttered to himself, "What a pity, what a pity. I have the power to manipulate the world, but not the fate to pluck this vulgar flower. Alas, I had intended to offer you to a beauty, but if you remain on this mountainside, more people can appreciate you; it's not a bad thing." Just as he was about to leave, a voice came from behind him, "Didn't you just say you wanted to admire it yourself? Why did you say you wanted to offer it to a beauty?"

The man turned to look at Xiaoxuan, smiled faintly, and said, "My wife and I were passing by here when she happened to see the flowers on this cliff, so I said I would pick them and give them to her."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Isn't it all the same no matter how you look at it?" the man laughed.

“Of course it’s different,” Xiaoxuan replied. “If you pick it for your own enjoyment, that’s selfish. But if you pick it for your beloved, it’s a different kind of charm. Some people also consider peach blossoms as tokens of love. If you pick it and give it to your wife, that’s also a way of expressing your love. So it’s definitely different.”

Upon hearing Xiaoxuan's words, the man's face immediately lit up with excitement, and he said, "From what Little Master is saying, does that mean I'm allowed to pick those flower branches?"

Xiao Xuan smiled and said, "Your wife likes it, and you are devoted to your wife. You two love each other so much, how can I not give it to you?"

"Thank you, young master," the man said with a smile. "I'll have someone go and break it right away."

Xiao Xuan's expression changed upon hearing this, and she said, "No way!"

"You little brat, you're playing me for fools! One minute it works, the next it doesn't!" the man said angrily.

"Since you were going to give it to your wife, why didn't you pick it yourself instead of having someone else do it? So, does the flower branch that someone else picked count as a gift to your wife, or a gift from you?" Xiao Xuan asked sharply.

The man was taken aback by the sound, then sighed deeply and said, "I never expected that I would be so ashamed by a young girl like you. Fine, I'll go and break it myself."

"Wait a little longer!" Xiaoxuan said.

"What is it now?" the man asked impatiently.

"Since Madam is here, why not let her watch you pick flowers for her? She'll be very happy to see you pick flowers for her and then hand them to her."

Hearing Xiaoxuan's words, the man narrowed his eyes and looked at her, as if admiring something. Then he said, "Alright, as you say, little master, I'll go and call her over."

"You get ready here, I'll go call them for you!" Xiao Xuan laughed. "Judging from your appearance, you're quite the martial artist. With such a beauty in front of you, you'd better put on a good show." After saying that, she walked out of the nunnery.

It was already past dusk, and the sky was gradually darkening.

As Xiaoxuan stepped out of the nunnery, she saw a dark-skinned, fat man sitting not far away, talking to a woman. Upon seeing someone emerge from the nunnery, the fat man immediately stopped talking and looked at Xiaoxuan walking towards them.

Xiao Xuan walked up to the woman and was stunned. She saw an absolutely stunning beauty. Her eyebrows were arched, her teeth white, and her appearance captivating. She exuded a wonderful fragrance, and her demeanor was graceful and poised. A hint of spring in her eyes, a smile playing on her lips, and a thousand tender emotions, a myriad of sweet feelings, were locked within her gaze. Even a fleeting glance in her eyes seemed capable of stealing one's soul. Xiao Xuan, being a woman herself, was also captivated by this peerless beauty's exquisite features and ethereal气质. However, there seemed to be a trace of melancholy, or more accurately, disgust, hidden in the woman's eyes. Why was she unhappy?

"You must be Madam?" Xiao Xuan asked.

Upon hearing this, the woman did not reply, but simply gave Xiaoxuan a slight bow, then looked at Xiaoxuan, waiting for her next words.

"Please follow me into the nunnery," Xiao Xuan said.

Upon hearing this, the woman's face lit up with joy, and she said, "Please lead the way, young lady."

Xiao Xuan led the woman into the nunnery, and the dark-skinned, fat man followed. Xiao Xuan thought for a moment, "This is a sweet little thing between a couple, and I'm already a third wheel. Why are you getting involved?" So she said, "You just wait outside."

Upon hearing this, the man's expression changed immediately. He glared at Xiaoxuan without saying a word, but he didn't take another step forward.

"Very obedient!" Xiao Xuan teased with a smile. As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a chilling glint in the eyes of the fat, dark man. She immediately shut her mouth, ignored the man, and entered the nunnery with her wife, closing the door tightly behind them.

The moment the temple gate closed, Xiaoxuan heard the woman let out a long sigh. She wondered, "What's wrong? Was she nervous with that man?" Turning to look at the woman, she saw that her expression had relaxed considerably, so she quietly asked, "Are you afraid of him?"

The woman seemed surprised by Xiaoxuan's question, quickly shook her head, paused for a moment, and then nodded.

“Tell your husband, and he will definitely help you.”

Xiao Xuan had thought the woman would be delighted to hear this, but instead, she looked dejected. Not knowing what she had said wrong, Xiao Xuan quickly told the woman, "Your husband is looking for you." She then looked towards the courtyard but didn't see the man, so she led the woman to the backyard. Sure enough, they found him there, gazing up at the vibrant peach blossoms on the mountainside.

Empress of Khitan - Empress Dowager of Khitan Chapter Twenty-Six: Love and Hatred

Updated: 2008-09-20 16:53:58 Word Count: 3704

"Flower Bud, come here, look at that peach blossom over there," the man called to the woman.

The woman nodded slightly, walked towards the man, and then looked up at the peach blossoms on the mountainside. Xiao Xuan glanced at the two of them. The man seemed very happy, a blissful smile spreading across his face, while the woman's smile seemed stiff. Perhaps she thought the man was too old. Sighing, Xiao Xuan thought of Han Derang and sighed as well. She wasn't much better off than him; she would also have to marry a man more than ten years her senior when she got back. Sigh, if Han Derang weren't so good-looking, how could she possibly live like this! Thinking of this, Xiao Xuan chuckled. She had only meant to amuse herself with her own thoughts, but the couple overheard her and looked at her.

"Benefactor, didn't you just say you were going to pick the flowers from the cliff face yourself to give to your wife? Why are you unwilling to go up now that your wife is here?" Xiao Xuan hurriedly tried to cover up her embarrassment with her words.

Upon hearing Xiaoxuan's words, the woman's eyes widened, seemingly unable to believe that what Xiaoxuan said was true.

"So that's why you laughed at me, right? Hahaha," the man laughed heartily and said, "Look how happy she is, she's so clever. She wouldn't let me pick this flower just now, but she agreed when I said I wanted to give it to you. But then she wanted me to pick it for you myself. I'll pick the stamen for you myself."

"Your Majesty... I am terrified. How could I, your humble servant, dare to accept such a compliment? Please, my husband, do not take this young lady's words seriously. It is good that the flower remains on the mountainside," said the woman called Flower Bud.

“But I’m determined to pluck it for you.” The man laughed. “It’s been many years since I’ve climbed a mountain wall. Thinking about it now, I still miss it.” After saying that, the man rolled up his sleeves and tied up his robe.

"No, no, absolutely not!" The woman was so frightened by the man's actions that her face turned pale.

Seeing the woman's panicked expression, the man smiled slightly and said to her, "There's nothing wrong with it! I just want to give you what you like. Wait for me here." After saying that, the man found a low spot on the courtyard wall as a starting point and began to climb up the cliff. Under the moonlight, the man in his forties moved steadily, showing no sign of panic, climbing higher and higher, one step at a time.

"Your husband loves you very much, so why are you always so sullen?" Watching the figure moving along the mountain wall, Xiao Xuan said softly, "Not every man will climb rocks and pick flowers for a woman."

A moment of silence fell over her. Xiao Xuan turned to look at the woman. In the moonlight, the woman's face, which was etched with tears, was looking up at the mountain wall.

Why is she crying?

The woman bit her lip hard, watching the body moving on the cliff face, and suddenly said, "I hate him."

Xiao Xuan thought she had misheard, and she stared wide-eyed at the woman named Hua Rui.

"Why? Why do you hate him? He's been so good to you, what could possibly make you hate him? It's inevitable for couples to have disagreements; mutual understanding is key. From the moment he entered the nunnery, he tried every possible way to remove this peach blossom for you, and now, for your sake, he's even climbed such a high mountain. If a man can treat you so well, what knot in your heart can't be untied?"

The woman smiled bitterly and said, "Little sister, you don't understand. No one in this world can understand my heart."

"Sigh, I don't know what you're unhappy about. But shouldn't people be happier in life?" Xiaoxuan said to the woman. "Life is only a few decades long. A hundred years is a hundred years, but how many people can actually live to be a hundred? What's the point if you live in sorrow every day? You have a man who loves you in front of you, why can't you get along well? I don't know what he did that you hate, but I know that he has you in his heart."

"Young lady, let me ask you this: if you already have a husband, but he dies because of you, and a few days after his death you are forced to become his wife, should you love him or hate him?" the woman asked.

Xiao Xuan was speechless. She had no idea that there was such a complicated story between this seemingly loving couple. "I don't know..." Xiao Xuan said weakly. Her heart, which had been surging with passion just moments before, plummeted to rock bottom after hearing the woman's words.

"I want to kill him! I want to kill him! I want revenge for my husband. He's never existed in my heart. I only love my husband. We used to drink and sing together under the flowers and moon, but now I'm all alone. I'm a coward. I should have died long ago to be with him, but I've been clinging to life." The woman was very emotional. She looked at the figure on the rock wall and said softly, "I always deliberately provoked him, thinking he would kill me, but every time he pretended not to know, every time he didn't care at all. The better he treated me, the more I hated him! I... I hate myself even more. Why am I still alive?"

"If that's the case, you should have been happy when he went up to climb the wall and pick flowers. Why were you so scared and panicked when you saw him trying to pick flowers?"

The woman gave a bitter smile and said, "I'm afraid, afraid something will happen to him. If anything happens to him, those people outside won't let me off the hook."

Xiao Xuan's heart was in turmoil. This matter was far more complicated than she had imagined. At this moment, she didn't know how to speak to the woman beside her. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Your ex-husband must have loved you very much. He's dead, yet you still can't forget him. This man in front of you is good to you, but you still remember your past love. He's truly fortunate to have a woman like you who only has his heart. If he knew this from beyond the grave, he would surely feel gratified. Living is a blessing, because only by living can we remember, cry, and laugh. If you die, then you truly have nothing left. Life is your own. Even if you harbor great hatred, you should still live well." She didn't know what love and hatred this woman was filled with, and she had no right to judge other people's love. Looking at the figure faintly visible on the mountain wall under the moonlight, she said, "If you have hatred, forget it for today. Hate it tomorrow. You are happy right now; enjoy this moment of happiness before you hate."

Upon hearing this, the woman cried even harder.

After a long while, the man finally climbed back, a peach branch he had broken off dangling from his mouth. He leaped down from the courtyard wall, brushed the mud off his clothes, removed the branch from his mouth, and walked towards Xiao Xuan and his wife who were standing to the side. By the moonlight, he saw that his wife's face was covered with tears.

The man stood before the woman and Xiaoxuan, looking at the woman's tear-streaked face. He hesitated for a moment, then pretended not to see it, and handed the peach branch to the woman, saying, "I broke this for you." The woman hesitated to take the peach branch, and the man withdrew his hand, feeling dejected and embarrassed.

"She called you an idiot!" Xiaoxuan suddenly blurted out. "Aren't you brave to die on such a high cliff? Flowers will bloom sooner or later, but you only have one life. Children don't understand this, but surely you, a grown adult, understand?"

The man paused, his eyes fixed intently on the woman, and asked, "You...were worried about me?"

Seeing the woman's bewildered expression, Xiao Xuan said, "This must be what happiness tastes like. I think if this peach blossom truly had a spirit, it would be happy too. Hmm, I should go to the main hall and add some oil to the lamps." As if talking to herself, Xiao Xuan finished speaking and headed towards the main hall, leaving the two of them in a quiet corner of the backyard.

Inside the main hall, Xiao Xuan, having tidied everything up, retrieved her belt and tied it around her waist.

"Bodhisattva, I'll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning. From now on, you'll have to protect yourself. Have a good night's sleep tonight." Xiao Xuan said goodnight to the Bodhisattva, then turned and saw the couple standing at the temple entrance. The woman holding the peach branch entered the temple, came to Xiao Xuan, took a gold hairpin from her hair, and gently inserted it into Xiao Xuan's hair, saying, "This is for you." Then she gently embraced Xiao Xuan and whispered in her ear, "You're the first person in all these years to mention him to me. Thank you for the peach blossoms, they're beautiful." After saying this, the woman smiled at Xiao Xuan, turned, and walked out. Xiao Xuan quickly followed her out of the main hall.

At the palace gate, the man smiled at the gold hairpin in Xiaoxuan's hair and said, "Since Madam has given me a gift, how can I be stingy?" He then took out the bright pearl from his bosom and handed it to Xiaoxuan, saying, "Your peach blossoms are priceless, and I only give them to those who are destined to receive them. My pearl is also priceless, and I only give it to those who are destined to receive it."

Xiaoxuan took the beads and said with a smile, "Then thank you, Uncle."

The man looked at Xiaoxuan and smiled gently, saying, "I also thank you for your peach blossom luck."

Under the moonlight, the man and woman walked out of the nunnery together, and Xiao Xuan watched them leave. On the torch-lit mountain path, the couple walked slowly. Looking at the large, bright pearl in her hand, Xiao Xuan shook her head and said, "My darling, my darling, I never thought you'd end up like this, that you'd fall into my hands."

Turning back to the nunnery, Xiao Xuan bolted the door, went inside to tidy her clothes, and then lay down to rest. The next morning, Achi's barking woke her up. Knowing that she was going home, Achi was even more excited than Xiao Xuan, barking incessantly from early morning, forcing Xiao Xuan, who wanted to sleep in, to get up and admit defeat.

Leading Achi, she opened the door to the nunnery, only to find a complete stranger already waiting there. Seeing Xiaoxuan open the door, he quickly bowed and said, "I'm here on my master's orders to escort you home, young lady."

Oh? Could that man from last night be his master? I might as well ask him who his master is. Just as I was about to ask him, the man had already started walking down the mountain.

I have no idea how to get home! Xiao Xuan hurriedly followed the man. When we came here, an old monk led the way, but if no one takes us back, I don't know how many years it will take.

She boarded the strange man's carriage, thinking that chatting with him would naturally reveal who the man and woman were. However, after the driver asked where they were going, he remained silent, as if he were mute, focusing solely on driving and arranging food and lodging. He refused to utter a single unnecessary word to Xiaoxuan.

Empress of Khitan - Empress Dowager of Khitan Chapter Twenty-Seven: Ascending to the Throne

Updated: 2008-09-20 16:53:58 Word Count: 3472

"Fine, say what you want, or don't. I'm not going to argue with you." The journey was tedious, but they finally reached the border. She had expected things to be difficult at the border; the gold she'd swindled from Yelü Talie's mansion was all gone. What would she use this time? After much thought, she remembered the gold hairpin the woman had given her. Although she felt it was a waste, she figured she'd spend the money to get back. But things were much simpler than she'd imagined. The coachman had said something to the guards, and her carriage passed through the border without even being checked.

After crossing the border, the carriage traveled a short distance before Xiaoxuan called for it to stop. They couldn't let them know they came from the Liao Kingdom; this was Han territory, and getting off here would make it easier to find their way. Thinking this, Xiaoxuan alighted from the carriage, took her pony from behind, and said, "I live near the border. Thank you for your trouble on the journey. You can go back now." The driver sighed deeply upon hearing this and said, "Take care on your journey." Then he spurred the carriage and turned back.

Watching the carriage gradually disappear from sight, Xiao Xuan mounted her horse and said, "Achi, let's go home. I don't know the way, you don't, do you?"

With a neigh, the pony began to gallop.

Just as Xiao Xuan set foot on Han territory to return to Liao, a major event occurred in Liao.

In February of the nineteenth year of the reign, Yelü Jing, accompanied by Xiao Siwen, Yelü Xianshi, and others, went hunting in the Black Mountains once more. This time, he was extremely displeased. He was angry that Xiao Siwen wasn't with him, intending to cause him trouble. But having him with him only made him angrier. Seeing him reminded him of his daughter, Xiao Chuo, who had vanished without a trace! Although he had given the order forbidding anyone to search for her, he had secretly sent people to look for her, but she had disappeared without a trace, as if playing hide-and-seek with him. This infuriated him. This time, he didn't bring Xiu Ge, but secretly ordered him to retrieve his prey. That girl, he couldn't bear to let her suffer without being taught a lesson.

This hunting trip was no different. Whether it was his mood affecting the hunt's success, or the poor haul increasingly impacting his mood, his temper grew even more volatile. During the day, his arrows lost their aim, striking not wild animals, but the soldiers accompanying him. This terrified his men, preventing them from charging forward, which further enraged him. He pointed at them, shouting and cursing, and dragged out several men, killing and dismembering them. Finally, night fell. Completely drunk, Yelü Jing wanted to eat. His attendants rushed to prepare something for him, but before it was ready, he started yelling for the food to be brought out. Seeing the half-cooked food, the attendants were beyond tears. If they brought it to him, he would surely die. So, the cook, Xin Gu, along with the attendant Hua Ge, and six other attendants, hacked the drunken, weak, and powerless Yelü Jing to death and quietly escaped from the campsite. Seeing Yelü Jing's unusual behavior during the day, and hearing his strange cries at night, everyone assumed he was simply intoxicated. Furthermore, Yelü Jing had always decreed that when he was hunting and camping, no one was allowed to enter his sleeping quarters without permission, under penalty of execution. With this decree in place, and considering his actions during the day, no one bothered to question him further.