Чистое сердце в нефритовом сосуде

Глава 102

Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 86 of the main text.

Chapter word count: 3932 Update time: 09-08-27 09:03

Even though the imperial court was urging them to act quickly, the battlefield was still the battlefield, and things couldn't always be done as anyone said. Within the five days stipulated by the imperial court, Shizhou remained in the hands of Xuan Ying, even though Du Zhai had personally led troops to attack it.

After retreating back to Qingzhou, Du Zhai remained calm and continued to discuss feasible strategies with others every day. He ignored all subsequent official documents from the court.

Shen Zexuan doesn't seem to care much about the war. He doesn't seem to be as persistent as I imagined when it comes to the Shen family's empire. It's always Du Zhai who's worried about it, while he seems relaxed. Maybe I'm wrong about some things?

Every evening, the lakeside in the backyard is bustling with activity. After several days of practice, they've all become quite good swimmers, spending increasingly longer periods in the water. I know that swimming at this time is a very pleasant experience, and if it were me, I'd also want to stay in the water forever. Seeing everyone having so much fun in the water, I feel envious and retreat to the side. I always have to wait until they leave before I can go into the water, by which time the water is already a bit cold.

Sitting on a rock in the corner, I casually tossed pebbles around, my eyes occasionally glancing into the crowd. They were all quite open-minded now; except for Shen Haoyu, they were all swimming in just pants, their upper bodies bare, revealing well-defined, muscular physiques—a truly impressive sight. Shen Zexuan's skin was especially flawless, smooth and firm, glowing faintly in the red light of the setting sun… Peeping from this distance, I regretted not bringing binoculars… My nose felt hot, so I quickly looked away, tilting my head back, only to see a smiling face right above me.

I exclaimed with delight, "You're back?"

Gan Lin sat down next to me and said, "I wonder what's going on this time?" He then pointed towards Shen Haoyu and the others.

"Oh, the young prince and the others fell into the water a few days ago, so I asked Zinuo to teach them how to swim, so we don't have to worry about them anymore," I explained, feeling a little uneasy, wondering how much of my embarrassing behavior he had just witnessed.

The two sat together without saying a word, quietly watching the people swimming over there. I didn't ask him where he had gone. I didn't ask the first time, and I certainly won't ask again. I know he has a special status and must have many things to take care of. I'll just wait until he's done and then come back to find us. This kind of friend really has that "gentleman's friendship is as light as water" feeling.

After watching for a while, I smiled at Gan Lin and said, "Aren't you going to join them?"

Gan Lin shook his head: "No need."

The sun had completely set, and the water was still. After dinner, I went for a walk. When I reached the backyard and saw no one around, I took off my coat and went into the water. The water was slightly cool, and a crescent moon cast a faint shadow on the surface. It was already June. I floated on my back, watching the thin clouds drift slowly overhead, making the moon appear even more hazy.

I closed my eyes, letting my body sway gently with the waves—it was even more comfortable than sitting in a rocking chair… No, I'll fall asleep if I keep going like this. I rolled over and swam away with all my might, but then I heard a splash behind me. I turned around and saw a head emerging from the water.

Who is it? Should we go check it out?

Hesitating, he heard the man call out again, "Huai'en, wait for me." It was Shen Zexuan's voice.

I sighed helplessly and swam back. Although they had learned quite a bit, it was still somewhat dangerous for him to go into the water alone at night.

I swam to Shen Zexuan's side, and Shen Zexuan smiled slightly at me. The moonlight was enchanting, and his smile was even more enchanting. What a femme fatale!

I swallowed hard, about to persuade him to come ashore, when he interrupted, "Huai'en, you don't know, you looked so beautiful lying on the water...like a mermaid." He still remembered the mermaid story I had told him, and comparing me to a mermaid made him secretly feel pleased.

“This pose looks great, teach me,” Shen Zexuan said. Faced with such a face, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse. My previous resolve was crumbling. Beauty really is a harmful thing.

I only taught Zinuo the breaststroke; I didn't teach him the other strokes. After all, practicality is key. Tonight, I ran into Shen Zexuan (or maybe he was already waiting for me), so I had to teach him the techniques and points to note for the backstroke, telling him that this stroke is more energy-efficient. Under my guidance, Shen Zexuan slowly learned, turning, moving his arms, kicking... step by step, very seriously. I couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. Seeing my student working so hard naturally made me happy.

Seeing that he was getting the hang of it and was tired, she looked up at the sky. The moon was almost overhead and the water was getting cold. She said to Shen Zexuan, "Your Highness, it's getting late. Let's go back. We can practice again tomorrow."

Shen Zexuan laughed happily, his radiant face dazzling my eyes even more than the daytime sunlight: "You mean, you'll come teach me again tomorrow night?"

"What?" I mean, he can continue practicing tomorrow. I didn't say I would teach him. Haven't I already taught him everything I was supposed to?

Before I could object, Shen Zexuan swam toward the shore: "Okay, I'll come back tomorrow night."

I was furious: "No, you'll practice by yourself tomorrow!" Shen Zexuan replied: "I don't care, I'm not going back if you don't come!"

Frustrated, he splashed water high in the air. He shouldn't have been so soft-hearted; he shouldn't have been momentarily blinded by beauty! Now look what's happened! He's gotten himself into big trouble, and all his previous efforts are probably going to be for nothing!

After feeling depressed for a while, I swam back to shore, put on my coat, and started walking back. After a few steps, I felt something was wrong. I looked back and saw a person standing under the tree. I squinted to make out the figure and couldn't help but gasp: Good heavens, what day is it today?

Seeing that I had discovered him, Shen Haoyu slowly walked out from under the tree. Although the moonlight was weak and I couldn't see his expression clearly, I could still clearly feel his anger. As he approached step by step, I weakly took a step back. After thinking for a moment, I finally put down the leg that was about to step back and stood there obediently. Before Shen Haoyu could speak, I said, "My encounter with the Third Prince was by chance."

Shen Haoyu snorted coldly: "You've got some nerve, ignoring my words over and over again!"

I stood silently, waiting for him to say something more, but he flicked his sleeve and strode away. After a few steps, he stopped and said coldly, "You don't need to stay here anymore, and don't mention swimming again. Tomorrow we'll move to Shizhou and leave this place!"

Shen Haoyu had gone quite a distance, and I still didn't understand what he meant. Shizhou hadn't been captured yet, so why move there? Had he lost his mind in anger? I shook my head, went back to my room, took a shower, and then finally fell asleep comfortably.

The next day, just as dawn broke, while I was sound asleep, Zinuo came running and banged on the door loudly: "Sis, get up quickly, it's time to pack your things!" I kicked off the thin blanket irritably and angrily opened the door. Zinuo was startled: "Sis, what's wrong?"

"I've been woken up from my sweet dreams!" I practically yelled. In this sweltering heat, this is the coolest time of day, and I've been woken up and can't go back to sleep.

Zi Nuo glanced at me sideways and said indifferently, "The young prince said that everyone should pack their things, as we are going to Shizhou today."

"What?" I exclaimed, my eyes widening.

"Don't you know? Last night, taking advantage of the Xuan Ying army's change of strategy and withdrawal of a large force from Shizhou, the Shizhou garrison commander broke with Xuan Ying and annihilated all 20,000 Xuan Ying troops. This morning, the letter of surrender was delivered, indicating that they have returned to our dynasty." Zinuo spoke eloquently, but I still couldn't believe that Shizhou, which we couldn't conquer for so long, had been returned so easily. There were just too many things I couldn't understand.

Zinuo then said, "Is it strange? It's just that we used a divisive tactic to make them fight amongst themselves."

Really? But why is the timing so perfect? The surrender document only arrived this morning, yet Shen Haoyu already knew about it last night. Perhaps, if I hadn't heard what he said yesterday, I wouldn't have these worries.

I washed my face to refresh myself, quickly packed my bags, and headed to Shizhou with the group. From the moment we met in the morning until we entered Shizhou city, Shen Haoyu didn't even glance at me, let alone say a word. I let him be; this wasn't the first time he'd acted like this. The thought that continuing to teach Shen Zexuan backstroke was going to be dropped made me happy again. This way, I wouldn't have to worry about losing control when we were alone together.

Although the Deng-surname garrison commander of Shizhou surrendered voluntarily, he was ultimately a traitor. He was demoted to a nominal captain, and his troops were incorporated into the Iron Army and placed under Cui Lang's command. At this time, Cui Lang was already a lieutenant general.

The accommodations arranged for me in Shizhou City were far inferior to the private residence of the former governor of Qingzhou City. They were incredibly stuffy and hot, and there were hardly any good places to cool off in Shizhou City. I kept wiping away the sweat, pacing around the room in the heat. Lin Zhao grew impatient: "Just be quiet for a while. It's no wonder you're hot if you keep moving around like this."

Those few days really ruined my temper. Now that it's a little hot, I can't stand it. What should I do? Listening to the incessant chirping of cicadas outside, I feel even more irritable. I feel like every part of my body is agitated.

"Why don't you fetch some well water and soak in it in your room without coming out?" Zinuo suggested, knowing me very well.

Although it's not good to soak in water for too long, the weather is just too hot these days, and I can't just wear a few clothes (look at me now, I'm wearing at least two layers), so I have no choice but to soak in the water.

I glanced at Song Zhixuan and the others. Although they were also sweating profusely, they weren't as extreme as me. Why am I getting less and less tolerant of the heat every year? I shook my head in frustration and went to get some water.

As evening fell and the air finally cooled, I stepped outside and sat down on the swing set in the courtyard. I touched the stone bench; it was still warm, so I abandoned the idea of sitting on it. I gripped the swing ropes. Swings are so far removed from my life; I haven't swung on one in years. And here I am, unexpectedly encountering one. Anyway, everyone here knows who I am, so swinging shouldn't be shameful, right?

Thinking this to myself, my feet started moving, and the swing swayed gently. My technique wasn't great, and I couldn't swing very high, but I still had my fun. I sat a little crookedly, resting my head on the rope, letting the breeze caress my face, and humming a soft song. Just as I was enjoying myself, I felt some pressure on the rope. I looked up and saw Gan Lin standing beside me, smiling, one hand on the rope: "Enjoying yourself?"

I smiled and nodded, "Yeah, it's only comfortable at night. It's unbearable during the day." As I spoke, I raised my arm, "Look, after soaking in the water for so long, my skin is all wrinkled."

Gan Lin shook his head slightly, but asked a different question: "Can't it swing?"