Consolation
Ye Youqing knew she couldn’t stay too late. Even though Shi Li had tried to divert the people tailing her, if she stayed too long, those people would eventually become suspicious. So, she sighed softly, groped in the dark to put on her clothes, and got out of bed, carefully stepping over the sleeping Ci Ke.
She squatted down in front of Ci Ke, using her hand to measure her temperature. She was still a bit feverish, but fortunately, she was sleeping soundly.
“I can’t stay out too long. I have to go,” Ye Youqing whispered in a voice barely audible. Ci Ke’s expression was gentle in her sleep, her cherry lips tightly closed, and her eyelashes fluttered with her breath.
Ye Youqing felt a bit reluctant. She lowered her head and kissed Ci Ke’s palm, which was resting on the pillow, murmuring, “I love you.”
“Do you love me?”
After she said this, Ci Ke’s eyebrows seemed to move. Ye Youqing immediately held her breath, and everything around fell silent, except for the sound of snow outside breaking off broken branches.
Seeing that Ci Ke didn’t wake up, Ye Youqing took one last look at her and walked out into the clear, bright night.
Even so, by the time she returned to the house, it was already a bit late. The guards outside were already restless. Fortunately, Shi Li had kept making excuses that she had a cold and couldn’t see anyone, which managed to stave off their suspicions.
That night, Ye Youqing didn’t sleep well. She tossed and turned for half the night, and when she did fall asleep, she had dream after dream, leaving her mind exhausted.
Ever since she realized two years ago that she liked Ci Ke, aside from longing, another thought occasionally popped into her mind.
Actually, after being here for so long, she had long since fully adapted and almost never thought of her past life. It was as if she had always been the legitimate daughter of the Duke’s Household. But whenever she recalled her encounter with Ci Ke, a small thought would emerge, telling her that perhaps Ci Ke liked only Ye Youqing.
The more one cherishes, the more one tends to overthink things.
Ye Youqing had never been a cautious person; she had never loved anyone before and thus had never experienced the anxiety of gaining and losing. But when she heard Ci Ke’s words, the thought lingered in her mind like a demon’s spell.
Her usually clear mind began to repeatedly recall Ci Ke’s attitude when she first arrived in the Qi Dynasty, searching for any trace of Ci Ke’s affection.
The morning sunlight was even more dazzling because of the white snow. The accumulated snow had broken the tree branches, and with a crash, it fell to the ground. Only then did Ye Youqing suddenly open her eyes and turn to the side to cough.
She turned over and got up. The brazier on the ground had already gone out, and the room was very cold. She had to put on her outer clothes and add some charcoal to the brazier.
Shi Li, who was sleeping on the couch beside her, also woke up, sat up, and fanned the brazier with a palm-leaf fan.
“Yesterday, I saw you were dispirited and didn’t ask you. Is Ci Ke alright?” Shi Li asked as she put on her outer clothes.
“It’s nothing serious, just a cold and fever. I don’t know if she’s better now. And the frostbite on her feet, she must remember to apply the medicine,” Ye Youqing sighed, tying her loose hair at the back of her head.
“Don’t worry, she will take care of herself,” Shi Li comforted her.
This snowfall was indeed the last one of the year in Bianjing. After the sun came out, it began to melt. The melting spring water flowed everywhere, nourishing the roots of trees and grass. A few days later, many treetops had already turned green, looking from afar like a green mist.
Now, due to her status, Ye Youqing hardly left her home. Apart from eating and sleeping, she spent her days sitting in her room thinking. After thinking for a long time, she would occasionally zone out, making Shi Li full of suspicion. But every time she asked, Ye Youqing remained silent.
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The capital city was still teeming with hidden currents, but Ye Youqing seemed to have nothing to do with them. She didn’t step out of her front gate or even her second gate, until the guards who were monitoring her had lost their patience.
On this sunny day, the sun was shining brightly. It warmed the originally chilly wind, making it feel like a spring breeze caressing one’s face. Ye Youqing sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, basking in the sun, and flipping through a thick stack of papers in her hand. Some of the papers were worn and yellowed, looking quite old.
Shi Li saw that Ye Youqing had started feeling the sadness of spring and autumn, and silently drank tea by her side.
In fact, Ye Youqing was only calm on the surface. After flipping through the papers in her hand, she got up and paced around the four corners of the small courtyard. She didn’t know how long she had been walking until Shi Li, who was dizzy from watching her, reached out and dragged her back to the stone bench.
“Xiaoqing, are you worried about that matter? But now is not the right time. You said we just need to wait. You used to be the most calm, so why have you been so absent-minded these past few days?” Shi Li put the teacup in her hand.
“Really?” Ye Youqing smiled, taking the teacup to warm her hands. “It’s just boredom.”
Shi Li responded with a hum, her eyes full of disbelief.
Seeing that Ye Youqing remained silent, Shi Li didn’t press further and changed the subject: “By the way, the messenger just brought news from the other side. They said a batch of refined iron is ready and will be transported to the border soon.”
Speaking thus, she handed a letter to Ye Youqing, containing only a few characters.
Ye Youqing lowered her head to read it, the corners of her mouth slightly curved up in satisfaction as she nodded.
“Inform the Emperor of this news later,” Ye Youqing handed the letter back to Shi Li.
As Shi Li was putting away the letter and nodding, she suddenly turned her head alertly. After a while, there was a knock on the door.
“Who could it be now?” Shi Li muttered as she got up, leaned her back against the wall, reached out, and slid the bolt from the door, pulling it open. The person outside slipped inside quickly.
Ye Youqing rose quickly, ready to defend herself, when she suddenly heard a familiar voice say “Sister.” Only then did she widen her eyes and step forward quickly to greet the visitor.
“Why have you come?” Ye Youqing said, while signaling Shi Li to close the door again, looking in surprise at the Sixth Prince, whose face was mostly hidden by a crane cloak.
The Sixth Prince had little color in her face. The blue crane cloak (a traditional Chinese garment, often worn by royalty or nobles) accentuated her clear and elegant appearance, but it couldn’t hide her fatigue. Ye Youqing hurriedly reached out to invite her to sit down and looked out the door.
“Don’t worry, I made sure no one was watching before I dared to come in,” the Sixth Prince took a sip of the tea that Shi Li had poured, “I have actually wanted to see you for a long time, Sister, but every time there were guards, I didn’t dare to show my face.”
Ye Youqing nodded and smiled lightly. As it happened, she needed to know what was going on in the palace, so the Sixth Prince’s visit was most timely.
“How are things in the palace now?” Ye Youqing did not waste any time and asked directly.
Upon hearing this, the Sixth Prince also became serious, placing her hands on her knees, and spoke in a low voice, “After the suggestion that day, Father Emperor has already sent General Dai with several squads of personal soldiers to the border. They should be arriving soon. Hopefully, after General Dai arrives, the situation at the border will change.”
“Over two years now, Western Xia is already a spent force. The advantage of Western Xia lies in its well-trained and robust army, which is overall more valiant compared to the Central Plains. However, their weaknesses are also very apparent, as their provisions are far less abundant than those of the Qi State. Although they win more than they lose, it is difficult for them to sustain in the long term,” said Ye Youqing.
“Therefore, I am not very worried about the war itself; I am more concerned about the power struggle within the court,” Ye Youqing said seriously, lowering her eyebrows. “How is the Emperor’s health?”
The Sixth Prince was startled, “Father Emperor has concealed his illness from the public, but according to the Noble Consort, his health is increasingly weak. A mere breeze can cause him to catch a cold that lasts for a long time. Even renowned doctors from among the common people have been secretly summoned to treat him, but there has been no improvement.”
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When the Sixth Prince mentioned the Emperor’s illness, not only did she not show any worry, but there was a hint of ruthlessness and satisfaction in her expression.
This is good, Ye Youqing thought. Not being swayed by emotions is a prerequisite for achieving great things. The Sixth Prince is ruthless enough in her actions, clear in her likes and dislikes, kind at heart but not excessively so; she is good material for an emperor.
What is even more remarkable is that, despite being a woman, she has disguised herself as a man since childhood, demonstrating unimaginable resilience.
“But…” a trace of anger and frustration appeared on the Sixth Prince’s face, “From the talk of marriage that day, I suspect that Father Emperor still leans towards the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince has the Empress’s support above and the backing of court officials below. No matter what is said, he is the only choice for succession in Father Emperor’s eyes.”
The veins on the back of the Sixth Prince’s hand were visible, showing her deep concern.
“Given your status, it would naturally be difficult to ascend the throne under normal circumstances, but if you use soldiers in a surprising move (unexpected strategy), it is not entirely impossible.” Ye Youqing saw her distress and suddenly spoke.
The Sixth Prince’s eyes, clear and distinct, suddenly looked up.
“Sister, the Noble Consort said that perhaps you might have a suggestion.” The Sixth Prince stood up as she spoke, but Ye Youqing gestured with her hand for her to sit back down, which she did slowly.
“I do have a method that you might try,” Ye Youqing said, opening her lips. “The Emperor’s attitude is too ambiguous, possibly weighing between the two of you. No one knows what he is truly thinking. But now, in terms of usefulness, there is almost no difference between you two. Not only are you worried, but the Crown Prince also regards you as a formidable rival.”
“At such a critical moment, if one side loses their composure and does something rash, it is most likely that they will lose.”
“You mean…” The Sixth Prince quickly understood her meaning, half astonished, half delighted.
Ye Youqing beckoned her over and whispered something in her ear, then straightened up and said, “There is nothing to lose, you might as well give it a try.”
The Sixth Prince nodded vigorously. Recently, the Crown Prince had been targeting her more frequently in the court, presumably because he was becoming impatient seeing the Emperor’s health deteriorate.
Having finished discussing matters of the court, the Sixth Prince was eager to leave and stood up to take her leave, but Ye Youqing called her back.
“Besides these matters, do you have anything else?” Ye Youqing asked probing.
The Sixth Prince was stunned, looked at the person beside her, Shi Li, and then turned her gaze back to Ye Youqing, touching her hair.
“What other matters are there?” she cautiously asked.
Ye Youqing’s disappointment was visibly evident, her phoenix eyes lowered, yet she forced a smile: “Nothing, I was afraid you had forgotten something, but since there is nothing, it is of no consequence.”
“If there are any significant changes in the court, remember to send someone to inform me.” She added, then folded the stack of papers she had been reading and handed them to the Sixth Prince. “And this, help me deliver it to Ci Ke.”
The Sixth Prince smiled gracefully at her, bid farewell, and turned to leave. The smile on Ye Youqing’s face quickly faded, replaced by a sense of loss.
Watching the main door close, Ye Youqing sighed. Her originally elegant posture now lazily slumped as she walked back to sit on the stone bench. Suddenly, she heard the door creak again, and the Sixth Prince squeezed back in.
“Just as I stepped out, I remembered that I did indeed forget something.” The Sixth Prince said with an embarrassed smile, pulling a crumpled envelope from her bosom and handing it to Ye Youqing. “This is something Ci Ke asked me to give to Sister a few days ago, but I never found the opportunity and it slipped my mind.”
Seeing the carefully sealed exquisite envelope, Ye Youqing’s previously sinking heart suddenly leapt, creating small ripples.
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“Oh.” She received it with a stern face, her fingers rubbing over the thick stack inside.
After watching the Sixth Prince finally leave, Ye Youqing hurriedly tore open the envelope, pulling out the delicately scented xuan paper (宣紙, a type of high-quality paper used for Chinese calligraphy and painting). This prompted Shi Li, who was observing from the side, to remark, “Look at you, anxious like a little daughter-in-law.”
Ye Youqing ignored her, focusing solely on reading Ci Ke’s letter. However, sheet after sheet contained no words, only some cleanly drawn lines, depicting two small figures, one tall and one short. Though not lifelike, they were quite expressive.
On the first drawing, the taller woman was shielding the shorter woman behind her, holding a stone in her hand, looking disdainfully at a man on the ground who had been knocked unconscious.
On the second drawing, the shorter woman had fallen into the water, and the taller woman was reaching out a hand to pull her up.
On the third drawing, the taller woman, illuminated by the sky, was extending her hand to the fallen shorter woman.
On the fourth drawing, the taller woman, with grass leaves in her hair, was helping the shorter woman catch a snake.
……
It was not until the last drawing that Ye Youqing belatedly felt her eyes redden, as a warm understanding spread from the bottom of her heart.