Fish Meat – Chapter 203
by Little PandaThe Fifth Year of Zhao Wu
Secrets in the Sleeve (23)
Ah Xin had prepared herself to rush into the Imperial Study.
With Chongjin pressing from the south, Li Yanyi was gravely ill and vomiting blood. She immediately abandoned thoughts of leaving the capital and returned to the Forbidden Garden to see Li Yanyi. All her heartbreak, difficulties, guilt, and self-preservation meant nothing in the face of Li Yanyi’s life being at stake.
It was quite laughable – how long had it been since she wrote Li Yanyi that letter severing ties? She hadn’t even left the Son of Heaven’s territory before she changed her mind, without any hesitation.
The token Li Yanyi gave her allowed free passage throughout the Forbidden Garden, yet she was stopped at the Imperial Study’s entrance by the Zhuiyue Guards.
“The Son of Heaven is occupied with important matters and cannot see the lady.”
“I too have urgent matters to discuss.”
That Zhuiyue soldier actually said: “Didn’t the lady already write to Her Majesty to sever all ties? Why return now so shamelessly to seek Her Majesty?”
Ah Xin asked her: “Were these words instructed by the Son of Heaven?”
The soldier fell silent, and Ah Xin didn’t leave.
Ah Xin wouldn’t leave, and no one dared to truly drive her away – they even brought her food and water, showing concern for her well-being.
Ah Xin wrote many letters to Li Yanyi, keeping vigil at the Imperial Study’s entrance without moving an inch, but Li Yanyi refused to see her. Now with Runing’s situation so urgent, Ah Xin could no longer care about propriety or shame, and planned to break down the door.
Just then, after sending away Empress Dowager Geng and the princes, the Son of Heaven opened the grand doors for her.
Entering the Imperial Study, unexpectedly, a strong smell of alcohol assaulted her nose.
The sound of silk and bamboo instruments drifted from behind the screen, while scattered about her feet were bamboo slips, inkstones, and even unwritten imperial edicts on sheepskin scrolls, all carelessly discarded.
Ah Xin stepped over the scattered items and around the screen, where a sensual scene lay before her.
Li Yanyi lounged carelessly in a soft chair, disheveled and embracing companions on both sides. The small table was covered in toppled candlesticks and fruit plates, with two consorts in loosened robes nestled in her embrace, feeding her food and drink. The consorts were incomparably beautiful, their exposed white flesh in the dim room making Ah Xin’s eyes ache. On the ground, besides overturned wine cups and bamboo slips, lay the Begonia Brocade Pouch, now wrinkled and stained with wine.
Seeing someone arrive, the two showed no shame, their loose robes remaining open without any attempt to close them. One poured strong fragrant wine into the wine pavilion [้ ไบญ | jiว tรญng | decorative wine vessel], drenching the jade dragon within until it gleamed; the other held a wine cup to Li Yanyi’s lips, coquettishly coaxing her to drink more. Li Yanyi, with eyes covered by a black silk ribbon, laughed and said:
“If my beloved consort wants me to drink, you should remove this ribbon, lest I accidentally spill wine all over myself, wouldn’t that be troublesome?”
The consort persisted, clinging to Li Yanyi like a boneless creature, saying the black silk was for pleasure and mustn’t be removed. Li Yanyi had no choice but to giggle and lean closer, wanting to drink from her hand.
Ah Xin stepped forward, snatched the wine cup and placed it back on the small table, then said to the two consorts: “Leave now if you wish to live.”
The two were startled by Ah Xin’s rudeness and complained to Li Yanyi: “What savage dares to trespass into the Forbidden Garden and disturb…”
Ah Xin drew her sword from behind, struck down, cleaving the small table in half, and roared: “Get out!”
The two exchanged terrified glances and hurriedly fled. Ah Xin turned to look at the musician, her eyes filled with murderous intent. The musician quickly gathered her skirts and departed, leaving only her and Li Yanyi in the Imperial Study.
The wine pavilion had toppled, wine spilled everywhere, the smell even stronger than before, making Ah Xin’s eyes sting and her jaw clench hard as stone.
Li Yanyi’s hand found the wine jar, shook it to find it still half full, and was about to bring it to her lips when Ah Xin grabbed her hand.
“Who is this?” Li Yanyi reclined back, laughing, “That voice sounds like an old acquaintance of mine. What’s this? Didn’t you sever all ties with me? Didn’t you despise me for being too tyrannical, hurting your friend and killing your master? How dare you come crawling back? Do you think you can come and go from my presence as you please? You think too highly of yourself. I’ve figured it out these days – there are so many beautiful women in the world, why should I be faithful to just one? Without you, I’ve been having a wonderful time!”
Ah Xin ignored everything Li Yanyi said and moved forward to untie her black silk ribbon.
Li Yanyi suddenly jerked back, not letting her touch it.
Ah Xin studied her face carefully.
“You’ve lost a lot of weight.”
Li Yanyi’s entire body stiffened, her previous smug expression frozen as if caught in ice.
The embarrassment deepened when her theatrical performance was completely ignored.
“How are your eyes? Let me look.”
Ah Xin reached out again, and Li Yanyi immediately stood up – too quickly – causing her body to sway precariously, almost falling.
Embarrassment turned to anger as Li Yanyi raised her voice:
“Did you not understand my words? I am weary of you, weary of these childish back-and-forth games! That master of yours – I’ve long wanted him dead, could have had him sliced into pieces with just one word! And that what’s-her-name, Ah Wen… But don’t misunderstand, I didn’t harbor killing intent because of you, nor was it jealousy. I am the Son of Heaven, above tens of thousands – why would I need to be jealous? Why do you think I fought for this throne? If anyone dares to have even the slightest improper thought about what’s mine, how could I let them live?”
“I later learned my master wasn’t killed by you, but by the Empress Dowager’s doing.”
“What difference does it make whether the Empress Dowager killed him or I did? From forcing him to consume Furong San to his eventual death, it was all done by the Empress Dowager and me working together, even your return to Furong San…”
Ah Xin interrupted: “I didn’t return to it. I went to the Night Temple only to find my master’s whereabouts. You told me not to touch Furong San again, so I didn’t, not even a trace. My master and I never had any feelings beyond that of master and disciple. I, Ah Xin, in this life and all lives, love only you.”
Li Yanyi couldn’t finish the latter half of her sentence; she couldn’t speak it.
Li Yanyi fell silent for a moment, her lips parting slightly, when suddenly a violent fit of coughing bent her body forward. Her back heaved with the intensity of the coughs, and Ah Xin supported her, fearing she might fall.
Li Yanyi covered her mouth, but blood still seeped through her fingers.
Ah Xin untied the black silk, finally seeing her eyes. The sockets were bloodshot, turned a frightening purplish-black, and those beautiful eyes that had gazed at her countless times were now empty and lifeless.
Ah Xin embraced her, breathing deeply, finding comfort in her familiar scent.
“It’s alright. In this world, everything has its counter, where there’s poison, there must be an antidote. Once we leave this place, we’ll dedicate ourselves to finding the cure. We must…”
Li Yanyi laughed: “I’m already dying, why bother comforting me with such sweet lies? Ah Xin, haven’t you realized yet? Our meeting was a mistake. *cough cough cough*… That literary gathering shouldn’t have happened, I shouldn’t have deliberately sought to approach you, none of this should have begun.”
“If not for that gathering, if not for our meeting, I, Ah Xin, would already be bones beneath the yellow earth. So how can you speak of all these ‘shouldn’ts’? No need to say more – come with me, let’s leave right now!”
“With the nation in crisis, you want me to be that foolish ruler who abandons their city? To let my subjects’ flesh and blood become stepping stones for my escape?”
Ah Xin’s breath caught, unable to answer. Li Yanyi hung her head, and after a while, smiled bitterly: “It seems this is the only way.”
Ah Xin looked at her.
Li Yanyi picked up the wine jar and found two toppled cups, placing them before them: “Throughout history, every emperor who abandoned their city has been cursed for generations. When I read about them in ancient texts, I only thought them incompetent, but now that I’m in their position, I understand their feelings. Why do we only have one life? Only by living can we see the day these traitors are driven out, only by living can we see the wind, moon, and beautiful scenes again, only by living can I see you again.”
Ah Xin’s heart trembled. Li Yanyi drank her cup in one gulp and pushed the other cup toward Ah Xin. Ah Xin shook her head: “This is no time for drinking, I need to stay clear-headed.”
Li Yanyi nodded, her struggling gaze turning gentle and intimate. She leaned in, embracing Ah Xin’s neck, kissing her. The long-missed intimacy made Ah Xin’s heart flutter. At first, when Li Yanyi passed the wine from her mouth during their passionate kiss, Ah Xin thought nothing of it, but later realized amid their increasingly passionate embrace that Li Yanyi was forcing her to drink the wine.
As the strong wine slid down her throat, Ah Xin realized she had been tricked.
“Huaichen!”
Ah Xin dared not use too much force, as Li Yanyi was now too weak – even slight force might hurt her. Li Yanyi, knowing Ah Xin wouldn’t be rough, continued to embrace her tightly until she had forced enough wine down Ah Xin’s throat. Only then did she pull away from her lips, breathing heavily.
“I thought you’d never call me that again. Dearest…” Li Yanyi lay against Ah Xin, looking at her intently, no longer aggressive or petulant, but carefully and reluctantly lingering on her lips.
“Escape would be easy, and with only one life, of course I’m reluctant to part with it. I fear death, but I fear bringing shame to the Li family even more.” Li Yanyi pulled out a small porcelain bottle from her waist, removed the wooden stopper, and drank the liquid inside in one gulp.
Ah Xin tried to stand, but her body lost all strength and grew numb, her vision darkening in waves.
“The wine… drugged?” Soon even speaking became incredibly difficult.
“Yes, there was indeed a sleeping drug in the wine.” Having taken the antidote, Li Yanyi moved freely as she stood up.
The Imperial Study doors opened wide, where a hundred Zhuiyue Guards had been waiting outside.
“Have the Empress Dowager and my princes been sent away?”
“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager and others have reached the ferry crossing and are sailing south!”
“Good… What of the Chongjin army? How far are they from Runing?”
“Your Majesty, Chongjin’s vanguard has begun attacking the city.”
“How many in the vanguard, and how many troops defend the city?”
“The vanguard numbers ten thousand, with an estimated main force of one hundred fifty thousand. The defending troops… approximately seven hundred men.”
“What of Zhen Wenjun?”
“If she departed immediately upon receiving the imperial edict, at fastest speed, it would take… about seven days to arrive.”
“Seven days.” Li Yanyi smiled, reflecting, “Actually, thinking about it, it’s very simple. If death is certain, why fear swords? Let them come – after all, I still have twenty thousand hidden troops, twenty thousand! Let me use these eyes to see the true face of these hu thieves! To see what these demons who slaughter my people look like! Dearest.” Li Yanyi turned back, in the endless darkness, through a narrow gap, finding her Ah Xin.
What use were a thousand words? She left only twoโ
“Go now.”
When Zhen Wenjun was still three days’ journey from Runing, she heard that Runing had fallen, with Chongjin forces breaking into the city. Now the entire capital had fallen, and the hu barbarians were setting fires everywhere. Many citizens had fled, though some were captured on the road. The hu barbarians were inhuman, killing anyone they saw, worse than beasts.
“So quickly!” She and Bu Jie and others were making camp in the wilderness when they received the spy’s report from within Runing city. The steamed bun in her hand nearly fell to the ground.
“What of the Son of Heaven?”
“The Son of Heaven held firm until the last moment. When the hu thieves broke in, the soldiers covered her retreat, but it’s unlikely she escaped.”
Zhen Wenjun sighed: “At least she held firm until the last moment, not abandoning her people. How many troops remain in Runing city now?”
The spy shook his head: “I’m truly not sure, this humble one was lucky enough just to escape.”
“Many thanks for your service! Wensheng, do we still have any cypress leaf wine?”
The spy’s eyes lit up at the mention of wine.
“We do!” Bu Jie brought the wine jar, intending to pour a bowl for the spy. This cypress leaf wine was a ten-year vintage, precious for its ability to ward off evil and generate warmth. Unexpectedly, Zhen Wenjun lifted the entire jar and handed it to the spy. Overjoyed, the spy hugged the jar and tilted his head back, incredibly drinking it all in one go. Bu Jie stood beside them, wanting to speak but holding back, full of regret.
The wine’s effects hit the spy, and he began treating Zhen Wenjun as a close friend. Zhen Wenjun personally saw him to rest, then prepared the horses, planning to depart that night.
“The situation in Runing is complicated; it’s too dangerous for you to go there now.” Bu Jie advised her, as did Zhu Maosan and other followers.
Zhen Wenjun hung the tiger tally at her waist: “It’s precisely because it’s complicated and dangerous that I must go. Surely others have already made their move.” Remembering that Wei Tingxu had positioned troops in four counties south of Runing, she knew she had planned ahead. Moreover, with her mother still caught in the chaos, how could she abandon her?
This time, no one was threatening her – this was her choice.
The age of chaos had arrived, and opportunities were rare – she had to compete.
“Too many people would hinder movement. You all stay here and make camp, await my news!”
Seeing her determination, Ah Xi threw her a scroll of maps: “This is a shortcut to Runing, it can reduce three days’ journey to one. But the path is treacherous, be careful.”
Zhen Wenjun nodded, clasped her hands to everyone, then with a crack of her long whip, vanished like a gust of wind.
Zhu Maosan, worried, wanted to follow, but was stopped by Bu Jie.
“The lady is right. Following her would likely be useless and might even burden her. Years ago, Wen Ciqian [ๆๆฌก้ช | wรฉn cรฌ qiรกn] single-handedly penetrated enemy lines and killed hundreds, unmatched in bravery. In this age, perhaps only three people could achieve such a feat.”
“Who?” Zhu Maosan and Ah Xi asked simultaneously.
“Wei family’s second son Wei Zilian is one, Xie clan’s Ah Xin is another, and the remaining one is, naturally, our lady.”
As Zhen Wenjun raced toward Runing like wind and lightning, a small dark shadow secretly pursued her relentlessly.
Meanwhile in Runing city, this two-hundred-year-old ancient capital that carried countless precious memories, tongues of flame were rapidly spreading, devouring everything.
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