Fish Meat – Chapter 158
by Little PandaThe Third Year of Zhao Wu
The Lamp Behind the Curtain, the Sword in its Case (17)
Wei Tingxu and Xiaohua entered the tea pavilion. Zhen Wenjun didnβt follow them, not even staying behind to watch from afar. She seemed completely uninterested in what Xiaohua and Wei Tingxu might discuss, and naturally walked away.
Wei Tingxu watched the moon hanging above the towering Qinghu rocks [decorative garden stones]. In early spring, all things were coming back to life, and the lush courtyard was filled with the sounds of insects and birds, unusually disturbing her peace of mind.
βLongqi Peakβ had been renamed to βBoya Cliffβ. It seemed somewhat inappropriate, but better than keeping the name Longqi Peak and arousing the Emperorβs suspicions.
βI shouldnβt disturb my lady so lateβ¦ *cough* *cough* *cough*β¦β Xiaohua was breathing heavily, βbut this servant was worried about my lady, so I had toβ¦ disturb youβ¦β
βXiaohua, sit down first,β said Wei Tingxu.
Xiaohua sat down.
βDo you know why I kept you at the Wei Mansion?β
βMy lady naturally cares for this servant and worries about my health, butβ¦β
βItβs good that you understand. Whether Zhong Ji can truly cure the Ghost Dove Poison remains uncertain. Now that Second Brother has returned, and Li Yanyi is eyeing the Wei family like a tiger watching its prey, what I must do is extremely dangerous. Your current condition likely cannot withstand it. I just hope you can recover well at the Wei Mansion, and when the Ghost Dove Poison is eliminated, you can return to my side.β
Xiaohua remained silent for a while.
βMy lady has long known the Ghost Dove Poison cannot be eliminated. Thereβs no need to comfort this servant with such words. This servant doesnβt fear death, only fears dying without accomplishing anything. Lying in the room at Wei Mansion, being spoon-fed three meals a day. Each nightβs sleep might be my last before seeing tomorrowβs sun. This servant walks on the edge of a ten-thousand-foot cliff, not knowing what lies in the abyss. All people will fall into that darkness, and none can return alive. This servantβs life is worthless, death means nothing. But this servant hasnβt yet helped my lady achieve her great cause, hasnβt helped the Wei family clear their name. Even in death, this servant would not rest easy.β Xiaohua prostrated herself on the ground, βThis servant only hopes to continue assisting my lady before death, contributing the last bit of humble effort, to witness the Li family meet their deserved fate, and bring peace to the First Young Masterβs spirit in heaven!β
Wei Tingxu slowly turned her head, her face frost-like: βYouβre reminding me that I shouldnβt forget the vengeance for my elder brotherβs brutal murder, nor should I forget the humiliation at Rangchuan.β
Xiaohua clenched both fists: βI have never doubted my ladyβs determination. What my lady has personally experienced, others cannot truly understand. In this world, only my lady knows best which path the Wei family should take.β Xiaohua used almost her last strength to say, βThis servant only wishes to live long enough to witness my lady fulfill her childhood ambitions, to rise to ministerial position, and rule over all under heaven!β
After speaking these words, Xiaohua coughed violently, her entire skin flushing blood-red, like thin candy paper, as if one more forceful cough would tear her skin open, and blood would emerge like earthworms [traditional metaphor for something writhing] across her surface.
Wei Tingxu helped Xiaohua up, whose eyes were filled with tears and eager anticipation.
βNo need to say more,β Wei Tingxu said gently, βI have never forgotten my elder brother, never forgotten the Wei familyβs pain, and could never cast aside everything that happened at Rangchuan.β Her hand pressed against her abdomen, βAs long as I live, these permanent ugly scars will remind me of the path Iβve walked to reach today, and why I endured humiliation to stay alive.β
Xiaohuaβs tears fell like rain as Wei Tingxu embraced her, gently stroking her back.
After crying herself tired, Wei Tingxu led Xiaohua to sit down and wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
The teapot remained on the stove, the water still hot, and Wei Tingxu personally poured her a cup of water.
Xiaohua hurriedly stood up, but Wei Tingxu tapped her shoulder: βJust sit, donβt move.β
Xiaohua obediently sat back down.
βDrink.β
Xiaohua drank a cup of water.
βRecently, Wenjun seems to have noticed something.β Wei Tingxu looked down from the tea pavilion, which was located in the center of the Zhuo Jun Mansion, overlooking most of the estate. She saw the lights in the main courtyard had just been extinguished.
βI donβt know if she discovered it herself or if Li Yanyi gave her clues, but with Wenjunβs intelligence, catching even a glimpse of fur would let her identify the whole horse [Chinese idiom meaning to deduce the whole from a small detail]. Just now, Wenjun asked if I could retire from the central government. I knew it was her way of testing me, offering me a chance to step back, to withdraw. If I were to stop now, we might still coexist peacefully, and she might be able to painfully let go of her hatred and continue our current life.β
These words from Wei Tingxu made Xiaohua tense up again: βMy lady, to be honest, for several years now, I couldnβt tell if your treatment of Zhen Wenjun was still about using her to find the Li familyβs secret scroll held by Ruan familyβs Ah Qiong, orβ¦ if youβd developed genuine feelings for her.β
Wei Tingxu closed her eyes briefly, then slowly opened them.
βMy lady must have developed real feelings, otherwise after using her to eliminate Xie Fuchen, you had many ways to threaten Ruan familyβs Ah Qiong through her, to force Ruan to reveal the scrollβs location. Yet you neither tortured Ruan, only keeping her confined in silk clothes and fine food [under comfortable house arrest], nor did you use Ruanβs life to threaten Zhen Wenjun. Back then, you spread rumors about the Changge Kingdom of the Gulun Grasslands having a secret technique for women to bear children with women, making Li Yanyi eagerly send Ah Liao to search for it. Through this journey, Zhen Wenjun seemingly coincidentally learned about her heritage. Youβve been gently guiding Zhen Wenjun to discover that sheβs a descendant of Su Lian from the Changge Kingdom, to learn about her motherβs identity and family history, hoping she would continue investigating and eventually understand the scrollβs whereaboutsβ¦ Even if she proved too foolish to figure it out, you could have used the same tactics again, giving her clues to solve the scrollβs mystery. My lady, you couldnβt bear to let Zhen Wenjun suffer at all, taking great pains to protect her.β
Wei Tingxu didnβt refute Xiaohuaβs words.
All along, Xiaohua had been standing silently aside, observing everything.
βMy lady, youβre so gentle with her, but what happens when she learns the whole truth? When she discovers that from the very beginning, the portrait of her βlife-saving benefactorβ was fake, your trap, that Yunmeng was actually the Wei familyβs strategist who guided Xie Taihang step by step, forcing Alai, actually Xie Fuchenβs long-lost daughter, to come to your side, to be used by you, to harm her father and destroy her clanβ¦
When she realizes all her clever survival tactics were actually rewards you granted her, that the love she takes pride in was also your scheme, will this long-dormant wolf still be content to remain as your loyal dog? You know the answer better than anyone. Currently, the secret scroll in Ruanβs possession can still protect Zhen Wenjunβs life, but what about after obtaining it? When youβve pulled Li Yanyi from the throne and fulfilled your and Old Master Weiβs long-cherished wish? Are you confident you can keep her from ever knowing the truth, keep her forever in your service, forever immersed in love without regret?β
βEven the tightest weave may have a loose thread [Chinese idiom meaning no plan is perfect]. Just like my ladyβs plans have always been meticulous and far-reaching, with every move interconnected, yet you couldnβt anticipate developing genuine feelings for your prey, becoming unable to make the kill. One day, when Zhen Wenjun learns the truth, she might turn spear and strike, hatred driving her to strike without hesitation. It could be tonight, tomorrow night, or some moment when my lady is off guard in countless nights to come. Must my lady guard against her for a lifetime? Who can maintain vigilance for a lifetime? Even for my lady, a lifetime is truly too long.β
After drinking the water, Xiaohuaβs strength returned somewhat, and she earnestly tried to make Wei Tingxu understand, as if wanting to cut open her own heart to show her true feelings.
βWhether my lady now seeks the secret scroll or canβt bear to part with Zhen Wenjun, this servant has no right to say more, onlyβ¦ only hopes my lady will prioritize the greater cause. There are many ways to make Ruan speak, and oneβs own flesh and blood is the best weapon. My lady must not follow in Xie Fuchenβs footstepsβ¦β
βYou mean I will end up like Xie Fuchen, dying by Wenjunβs hand because of being soft-hearted?β
Xiaohua clenched her teeth and agreed: βYes, thatβs exactly what this servant means! If my lady hadnβt been soft-hearted, Ruan and her daughter would have perished long ago! With the secret scroll in hand, the Wei familyβs overthrow of the Li dynasty would be within reach! Unlike now, where my lady moves as slow as a snail, hesitating to strike β this isnβt like my lady. Perhaps my ladyβs heart has grown somewhat soft and reluctant, but you must understand, when life and death are at stake, no one hesitates! Hesitation means mortal danger! Look at Li Yanyi β no matter how much kindness she received from my lady, once she ascended to the throne, once she wanted to eliminate the Wei family, she showed no regard for past favors. As with Emperor Ming, so with Li Yanyi, and so it will be with Zhen Wenjun!β
βIf we continue to delay, I fear complications will multiply. Once the Li family and Zhen Wenjun join forces, even my lady might find it difficult to handle. If ten years of careful planning by my lady and Old Master Wei is ruined because of one person, how could our deceased relatives rest in peace in the nine springs! My ladyβ¦ please think this through carefully.β
Xiaohua hadnβt been this emotional for a long time, weeping and wailing uncontrollably.
In Wei Tingxuβs memory, Xiaohua had always been like her β able to maintain a cold facade and stay composed, never flinching no matter what obstacles lay ahead. It was precisely because of Xiaohuaβs resolute character that Wei Tingxu had chosen her as her closest subordinate.
In this grand scheme, Xiaohua was a participant, while Lingbi, who was sentimental and easily swayed by emotions, was merely one piece of the plan. Lingbi was also very important to Wei Tingxu, having loyally followed her through extremely difficult times. But Wei Tingxu knew Lingbiβs weakness well, and had once told Xiaohua:
βLingbi is soft-hearted, sheβs a good person, but not someone suited for great undertakings.β
So from the very beginning of setting her plans, Wei Tingxu had excluded Lingbi, as she looked down on those who could be swayed by emotions back then.
She had managed to draw Xie Fuchenβs daughter into her scheme, and was even confident enough to make Alai willingly serve her. When she noticed Alaiβs different inclinations, even the possibility of using seduction, Wei Tingxu quickly made up her mind to bring her completely under her command.
All plans were progressing step by step according to her careful arrangements. Xie Fuchen died, and Li Yanyi, with her vulnerabilities, ascended to the throne with Wei Tingxuβs subtle manipulation. This female emperor, having ascended hastily, would surely have an unstable foundation. As a woman, her position was sensitive, and after taking the throne, she would urgently need to promote women to official positions and grant female noble titles to consolidate her rule.
When that time came, Wei Tingxu would naturally be the only choice.
She would climb upward using Li Yanyi as a stepping stone, consolidating her power and making the Wei family the empireβs premier clan.
Everything had been calculated, except for the development between her and Alai.
Initially, at the Cold River, when she played the γMiddle Departure Songγ on the percussion instrument [zhu], listening to young Alaiβs uncontrolled weeping behind the hanging curtain, Wei Tingxu was merely pleased with herself for finding the right person.
Alai was a sentimental yet clever person.
Clever people could handle matters well, and sentimental people were easier to control than cold-blooded ones. More importantly, clever people had a kind of arrogance, a self-confidence in their ability to control direction and accomplish great things. So when Zhen Wenjun gained some advantages and successfully transmitted information out, she didnβt realize Wei Tingxu was orchestrating everything behind the scenes, believing instead in her own victory.
Once these factors were confirmed, Wei Tingxu could peacefully unfold her schemes.
It was Wei Tingxu who elevated her position in the Xie family. The closer she got to the center of political enemies, the more likely she would attract Xie Fuchenβs attention, allowing him to connect with his biological daughter, after which everything else could proceed smoothly.
Wei Tingxu had calculated every detail, except for the possibility that she herself would develop feelings.
Emotions were more complex than the worldβs most intricate mechanisms, more unpredictable than the most supreme martial arts.
Now Wei Tingxu found herself unable to strike decisively because of her reluctance to let go.
She had even asked herself a questionβwouldnβt it be fine to just maintain these happy days forever?
βHappinessβ was a demon, a heart demon [Buddhist term for mental affliction] that disturbed oneβs mind. It made people weak and caused them to fall from grace, willingly accepting both weakness and degradation.
In the days under Zhen Wenjunβs care, she had grown increasingly gentle and refined.
When she was no longer sharp-edged, she would be unable to kill anyone.
She would once again become that nine-year-old girl imprisoned in Rangchuan, with broken legs, unable to either live properly or die.
This was what she feared most.
LP: This is so sad for Alai but I crave the angst
I want to create a house near a mountain for xiao xiao and alai where they’re living their life in content without any worries…. π