004
When she knew Zhao Li Xin and Fu Hong Wen had went to get a grace, Imperial Concubine Liu was so angry she smashed the teacup in front of his face. The taste of having the situation go out of her control was unacceptable.
“Mother, don"t be angry. If your body breaks from being so angry, Father would be hurt.” Zhao Li Xin delightfully lifted up his teacup. “I think Mother would be thinking of the same thing. Mother wouldn"t want Father to know what it was that had angered you to the point breaking down, isn"t that right?”
Hearing Zhao Li Xin"s threat in his words, Imperial Concubine Liu"s chest suffocated a bit, unable to keep up her normal charade, “Are you threatening me?”
“I would not dare.”
For so many years, this was the first time Imperial Concubine had closely looked at this son of hers. Due to a long period of dressing up as a girl, his beauty could no longer since be described as either masculine nor feminine. Only that pair of eyes that stayed neither overbearing nor servile had made her feel discontent in her heart, making her feel unsatisfied.
She had thought that when the foreigners arrived, it would be best if that prince would look upon and propose to him. This way, he could be sent off far away, putting her heart at ease. Then, Ming Zhe would have one less threat to worry about. Who knew that this uncouth child would turn his head and receive a grace from the emperor with the grand tutor.
Although the Princess will enter the Princess residence after getting married, just thinking about how this thorn would stay in the capital and p.r.i.c.k her at each and every moment, it would make her feel like things were not going her way, and made even sleeping feel restless.
"Think about it carefully, Mother. Had I married far off far away, I would meet a bad end either way[1]. I"d rather willingly spend my entire lifetime as the Princess of the imperial family.” Zhao Li Xin could not understand Imperial Concubine any more better, and what she feared in her heart the most, “If I married to the Grand Tutor, I would also become in-laws with the Fu family. Plus, Imperial Brother still has to call Grand Tutor his teacher. Mother if it were you, how would you choose?”
This was the first time in her life she had been threatened by another person like this, and this person was a child that came out of her own stomach that she had tightly controlled. Imperial Concubine Liu gnawed at her teeth, staring at him, “Is this your idea of giving me a choice?”
“Has Mother ever given me a choice?” Zhao Li Xin arched his brows, lightly laughing, every twinkle and smile carrying similarities to Imperial Concubine Liu when she was at that age, “Is this not what Mother chose on my behalf?”
At last, Zhao Li Xin had forced Imperial Concubine Liu to come to a compromise, even as far as promising to not lay her hands on the Fu family. Following the day to greet foreigners, Imperial Concubine Liu had even found a way to cover for him.
Finally, the day of marriage came. In front of the Emperor, Imperial Concubine had no choice but to act like a loving mother, as far as having forced the Third Prince who had always looked down on Zhao Li Xin to piggyback him into the bride"s sedan.
The path from the palace to the sedan was very long. On the way, the Third Prince endlessly babbled on with a sour face. Other people had thought that the older brother was upset about having to marry off his little sister, but the Zhao Li Xin at his back could hear his words crystal clear.
“A man, to actually have no sense of shame to the point of taking on the ident.i.ty of a woman and getting married to another man.”
“But this is also good. This way, you will forever have no chance of fighting with me for the throne. This Imperial Brother should really thank ‘Imperial Sister" for granting me this.”
Ke, this was the son that Imperial Concubine Liu and the Emperor had thought of as good, who was thought to have a good nature and know of nothing else. Imperial Concubine Liu had even go as far as doing all the dirty work herself to protect this son of hers. Unbeknownst to her, the other party was well aware of everything, even going as far having use this Mother who put her heart and organs out like a spear.
“Imperial Sister, you must get along with your husband for a hundred years to come.”
The pearl curtain had blocked Zhao Li Xin"s vision, he laughed, tenderly, “Thank you for your lucky words.”
From this day forth, he would be Princess Chun An[2] . For Fu Wen, he would lawfully be his husband.
Whole-heartedly, to be by each other"s side for a long time. Fu Hong Wen, I hope you will not forget your vow to me.
The day after marriage, after paying a visit to the Fu residence to serve tea, Fu Hong Wen brought Zhao Li Xin to the streets to walk around. The s.p.a.cious sleeve very carefully pulled his hand, while the corners of the mouth donned a big smile, “Every time I go to the town, I would think about how if we were like an ordinary couple, I"d bring you along, and if you had anything you like, I"d help you buy it, and bring anything you want in front of you.”
“Fortunately, it would be as I wished.”
The warmth from the hands had made Zhao Li Xin felt a bit novel, and could not help but pinch the other"s finger. Who knew Fu Hong Wen"s ears would turn red from it. After clearing his throat, he put on a serious face and said, “Don"t make a fuss.”
This expression could not help but amuse Zhao Li Xin. He released his hands then clasped his hands with all ten fingers interlaced.
“You should hold my hand like this.”
“Xin"er, I feel like I am in a dream right now.” The other party"s eyes brimmed with vigour, like a wave of affection enveloping him as though covering the sky and the earth.
“I feel like that too.”
But isn"t this a dream?
When Zhao Li Xin woke up, the place beside him was cold yet again. He expressionlessly got dressed, faced towards the bronze mirror, looking at his princess clothing.
Having no children despite being affectionate for three years, Imperial Concubine Liu had borrowed this excuse to gift a few beauties. In the beginning, Fu Hong Wen, without a mistake, did not touch them. But on a certain day, an outsider had exploited an advantage, and became pregnant the first time. Zhao Li Xin understood- Fu Hong Wen and him could never go back.
That day, the dispirited Fu Hong Wen looked at him with shame and regret, and said “I"m sorry.”
That child had not been born, but it was like it had opened a gap, bringing out a flood of water out in torrents- one after another, children appeared. And every time, he would give those beauties abortion drugs, all right in front of Fu Hong Wen.
Knowing that he was in the wrong, Fu Hong Wen did not dare to stop him. Those beauties would cry and beg him, don"t be so heartless as to take away their child from them.
There would even be some beauties who, while hugging Fu Hong Wen"s leg, would question him.
“Did you[3] not say you would treat me well when we were engaging in a harmonious time[4]? The Princess can"t give birth, but I want to leave an heir- for the sake of the Fu family, and for the sake of you.”
As for Fu Hong Wen, he would turn around, hug him and coax him, and explain to him, he was only blinded in the moment.
He would also take out some rare treasures from time to time to coax him, but Fu Hong Wen grew to be more and more unfamiliar to him.
There was a rumour of a bone engraver who would inscribe the name of the other party into the bones of another, making them unable to forget them for a lifetime. When he heard a subordinate found the rumoured bone engraver, Zhao Li Xin, without the slightest hesitation, knocked Fu Hong Wen out, and brought him along together.
It was a inconspicuous wooden door, to which after entering through it, was a long hallway. Trying to go further in, they were met with a chiffon hanging, blocking off the view past it.
After a deep breath, Zhao Li Xin, in a clear, loud voice asked, “Excuse me, is there anyone inside? Is your Excellency perhaps the legendary bone engraver?”
A pair of hands lightly parted the chiffon, the beauty in front had made Zhao Li Xin entranced for a bit. But when the other party opened their mouth, he found out he was a man. “For whose bones do you want to engrave?”
“I want to have my husband"s bone engraved, I hope that his Excellency will allow for it.” Zhao Li Xin cupped his hands, “Once this is done, I will most definitely be thankful- if it exists in this world, I will bring it to you as a remuneration.”
The bone engraver looked up at the still faint Fu Hong Wen, and coldly laughed. “I don"t want any strange or rare treasures. When the time is right, the reward will naturally come to me. But for this unfaithful husband, is it worth it?”
Having heard this, Zhao Li Xin had also asked himself- is it worth it?
Fu Hong Wen was his one and only redemption- the moon of his heart, not the Fu Hong Wen in front of him right now. If he could change him back into the past Fu Hong Wen, then he felt, it would be worth it.
“And if it requires you to pay with something more significant to you?”
Having thought a bit, Zhao Li Xin laughed, “In the past, I may have had Fu Hong Wen, but the me right now has nothing, what is there that would be more important to me? I only want my Fu Hong Wen to come back.”
“Engraving the bone is nothing more than simply inscribing your name inside his bones, whether it would be heartfelt love, or resentment that seeps down to the bone, you won"t have a guarantee- have you made your decision?”
“I"ve made up my mind.”
Either way, he no longer had his brilliant moon- if worst came to the worst, they can just suffer together.
[1] The expression is “A jade and stone together are burned alike”
[2] The name Chun An to be more direct- means genuine and peaceful.
[3] The way this person addresses Fu Hong Wen and herself using “darling” and “concubine/mistress” throughout the entire time she speaks.
[4] Very much refers to intercourse.