BLPSG Chapter 37: When you die, you lose everything

Xie Bufeng chose a spot that was a blind spot for the guards.

 

After a few glances and seeing no one, they returned to their original positions.

 

At this time, Xie Bufeng finally slowly removed his hand from Wen Qingci’s lips, but the corner was so narrow that their bodies remained tightly pressed together.

 

Through the thin fabric of early summer, Wen Qingci could even feel Xie Bufeng’s heartbeat and the contours of his muscles.

 

He instinctively moved forward, trying to dodge.

 

But the young man’s arms, strong as cast iron, did not give Wen Qingci that chance.

 

“Wait a bit longer, about the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, and they will leave this place.”

 

The bitter fragrance spread at the corner.

 

Xie Bufeng’s voice, unbeknownst to him, became increasingly deep.

 

Wen Qingci slowly nodded.

 

“Okay…” As he spoke, he felt his own voice turn somewhat hoarse and strange.

 

Perhaps to cover up the increasingly loud heartbeat, Wen Qingci couldn’t help but lower his voice and say, “Your Highness has good skills.”

 

Xie Bufeng had concealed his presence very well, Wen Qingci had not realized where he had appeared from.

 

And the young man’s movement to bring himself to the corner was also particularly crisp and decisive, obviously well-practiced, unlike himself who only knew light-footed skills and hidden weapons.

 

In fact, after they became familiar with each other, Xie Bufeng no longer deliberately hid this.

 

But it was not until just now that Wen Qingci clearly realized that Xie Bufeng’s martial arts… might be even better than he had imagined.

 

His stubbornness and humiliation when he first entered the palace were largely feigned.

 

Wen Qingci had asked, but he had not thought that Xie Bufeng would carefully answer this question.

 

However, after a few seconds of pause, he heard Xie Bufeng softly say, “I learned it while guarding the mausoleum in Suzhou.”

 

In the cramped corner, the young man explained the whole story to Wen Qingci in just a few words.

 

—The guards of the Suzhou mausoleum rotated every few months.

 

After observing for a long time, the Consort Lan finally sent her people to blend in, to find out exactly how Xie Bufeng was doing.

 

And the young man took the opportunity to send a message, telling her that he wanted to study and practice martial arts.

 

Consort Lan, of course, agreed to Xie Bufeng’s request.

 

She took a risk and secretly arranged for someone to bring books to Xie Bufeng.

 

The mausoleum was crowded with people, and the person sent by Consort Lan did not dare to have any extra interaction with Xie Bufeng.

 

After all, he was a prince, and the guards of Suzhou had barely taught Xie Bufeng to read.

 

And Xie Bufeng relied on that little foundation to painstakingly get through book after book…

 

Such perseverance even made Wen Qingci marvel.

 

Similarly, Xie Bufeng’s words finally answered a question that Wen Qingci had before.

 

Due to the limitations, Xie Bufeng and Consort Lan could only exchange letters every few years, and almost all of their communication was about his studies.

 

The thirteen years in the Suzhou mausoleum were spent in natural growth.

 

The complete lack of emotional exchange forcibly stripped normal feelings from Xie Bufeng’s body.

 

Perhaps it was not intentional, but this peculiar communication ultimately led to the original Xie Bufeng in the story having only respect for Consort Lan, without much affection.

 

Xie Bufeng spoke in a voice only they could hear.

 

He had nothing to do while guarding the mausoleum in Suzhou, so he learned a variety of things, including classics, history, military strategy, and even arithmetic and craftsmanship.

 

Wen Qingci listened intently, nodding gently from time to time.

 

The soft long hair brushed past the young man’s cheek—if Wen Qingci moved a bit closer, he could feel that Xie Bufeng’s heart was not as calm as his tone.

 

—This was once the young man’s secret, but Wen Qingci wanted to know, so he told him.

 

Facing Wen Qingci, Xie Bufeng felt the desire to open his heart for the first time.

 

As they spoke, the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea passed just like that.

 

Accompanied by the sound of armor clashing, the guards stationed on one side walked towards the other end as Xie Bufeng had said, seemingly about to change shifts.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

As soon as Xie Bufeng’s words fell, he took Wen Qingci and leaped over from the end of the high wall, then pushed open the door and flashed into the side hall where Xie Guanzhi was confined.

 

It was still bright outside at this hour, but there was not a single lamp lit in the side hall, so dark it was suffocating.

 

Wen Qingci and Xie Bufeng had not yet made a move when they found that the guards stationed here had been knocked unconscious at some point.

 

The two exchanged a quick glance.

 

“Your Highness, let’s go in and take a look,” Wen Qingci said.

 

As soon as he finished speaking, he had already bypassed the screen and arrived at the living area.

 

The next second Wen Qingci saw—

 

Xie Guanzhi, dressed in purple, sat expressionlessly on the bed, his eyes red as if he had just cried.

 

In his hand, he held a long sword snatched from a guard, his knuckles white from tension and force.

 

The young man’s wrist bore a fresh cut, and his complexion had turned pale from blood loss.

 

…He was indeed planning to end his own life, just as written in “Supporting the Ming Hall”!

 

Wen Qingci’s heart leaped to his throat.

 

A flash of silver streaked through the hall.

 

Before Xie Guanzhi could react, the long sword in his hand had already been snatched away by Xie Bufeng.

 

“What are you doing?!” Xie Guanzhi stood up and asked sharply.

 

Xie Bufeng did not answer him, but just glanced at Xie Guanzhi and threw out two words with a contemptuous tone: “Fool.”

 

“Worthy of being the prince ‘most admired’ by His Majesty, before he even made a move, you were ready to die.”

 

After speaking, he looked at Xie Guanzhi with a slightly mocking smile.

 

The Second Prince instinctively wanted to retort.

 

But before he could speak, he realized… Although Xie Bufeng’s words were harsh, it seemed to be true on the surface.

 

The Emperor wanted to get rid of him but had not yet found a good reason, and he had “thoughtfully” ended his own life first.

 

Wasn’t this exactly what he wanted?

 

The Second Prince’s face turned ashen, and in an instant, he even forgot his grief and indignation.

 

Xie Bufeng casually threw the sword aside.

 

He should have eradicated the roots, watching Xie Guanzhi die would have been right…

 

But today, he came here with Wen Qingci and stopped Xie Guanzhi.

 

Suppressing his instincts, he hid his viciousness.

 

Suddenly, the hall fell silent.

 

It was not until then that Xie Guanzhi finally noticed that Wen Qingci had been silent since he came in, his gaze falling on his still-bleeding wrist.

 

The young man felt somewhat guilty and slowly hid his hand behind his back.

 

At this time, Wen Qingci finally spoke: “Your Highness, do you know what ‘death’ is?”

 

His face was unusually devoid of smiles, his tone calm but not as gentle as usual, instead carrying an unprecedented pressure.

 

Xie Guanzhi slowly clenched his fist.

 

This was a question he had not expected.

 

What is “death”?

 

The hall suddenly fell into silence.

 

Xie Guanzhi couldn’t help but ponder deeply, following Wen Qingci’s words.

 

After an unknown amount of time, Xie Guanzhi finally shook his head silently, like a child who had done something wrong.

 

Then, a drop of blood fell from his wrist to the ground with a “plop.”

 

…

 

The Emperor might have wished for Xie Guanzhi’s escape, as it would provide a perfect pretext for further action.

 

Therefore, although there were many guards around the Second Prince, the security was not tight.

 

Xie Bufeng had already figured out the rhythm of the palace guards’ shifts.

 

After the time it takes to burn an incense stick passed, the sky gradually darkened.

 

Several figures flashed out from where Wen Qingci and Xie Bufeng had entered the courtyard.

 

Wen Qingci said he would take them somewhere.

 

Silently following behind him, it wasn’t long before they reached the foot of the hill where the temple at the edge of the palace was located.

 

Wen Qingci did not lead them up the hill but instead circled around the small mound and left the palace.

 

A modest temple appeared before them.

 

“What is this place…”

 

Wen Qingci had just simply bandaged Xie Guanzhi’s wound with a silk handkerchief, and now the young man, clutching his wrist, asked him with a bewildered face.

 

Wen Qingci did not answer but gently pushed open the door and walked in.

 

“This—” Xie Guanzhi couldn’t help but exclaim softly.

 

By the moonlight, he saw that the small temple, not very large, was… filled with people?

 

No, they were dead.

 

Dozens of wooden planks were densely packed here, topped with corpses!

 

Xie Guanzhi couldn’t help but step back.

 

Even Xie Bufeng frowned at the sight.

 

“Usually, around large temples, there are such halls,” Wen Qingci’s gaze slowly swept over the place, and he said softly, “This is where the monks in the temple pray for the souls of the unclaimed dead.”

 

After speaking, he coughed lightly.

 

In other words, this was their place of obligatory prayers.

 

Some of the unclaimed bodies that the original owner had dissected came from here.

 

Xie Guanzhi’s face turned particularly unsightly.

 

But due to pride, he still stood in place and did not leave.

 

These unclaimed bodies were not covered with white cloth.

 

With the moonlight, one could easily see their bruised skin.

 

A primal fear spread instantly.

 

Wen Qingci remained silent, slowly walking to one of the bodies to tidy it’s disheveled hair bun.

 

The hall was silent.

 

The night wind blew in, stirring the hems of the garments.

 

Finally, Wen Qingci stood up and looked around, saying faintly to Xie Guanzhi, “Your Highness, this is ‘death.'”

 

“Death is the loss of all hope, all possibilities, joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure dissipating like smoke and clouds, only to lie here, unaware and unconscious.”

 

Wen Qingci stepped toward Xie Guanzhi, stopping half a meter away from the young man.

 

“Whether nobles or commoners, it’s all the same,” his dark eyes looked at Xie Guanzhi, “If His Highness had not taken the sword from your hand earlier, then you would be lying somewhere just like them, unaware and unconscious.”

 

“The world does not cease for anyone’s absence; time moves forward even after they die.”

 

“…But everything that follows is no longer related to those lying here.”

 

Silence, the lifeless bodies were as quiet as plants.

 

Xie Guanzhi had never been so close to death.

 

The thought that he almost ended up like these people… Xie Guanzhi’s body suddenly began to tremble uncontrollably.

 

“Your Highness, do you still wish to end your own life?” His tone was still so gentle.

 

Wen Qingci never thought death was a cowardly choice.

 

But an impulsive, even spiteful end like Xie Guanzhi’s was tantamount to joking with life.

 

Dying for the Emperor was not worth it at all.

 

Xie Guanzhi’s teeth chattered, unable to utter a word for a long time.

 

Unlike him, Xie Bufeng’s gaze had always been on Wen Qingci.

 

…From the words of the person before him, he heard helplessness and a profound reverence for life.

 

Xie Bufeng suddenly remembered what Wen Qingci had once said to him—if there really was a ‘destiny’ or gods and Buddhas in this world, perhaps only by practicing medicine could one directly contend with them.

 

The young man’s heart began to beat heavily.

 

This is the Wen Qingci that only he knows…

 

A secret joy arose in his heart.

 

To get to this point, Wen Qingci relied on more than just his superficial love for medicine.

 

It is also a reverence and cherishment for life.

 

The greatest temptation behind all the rules of medicine is to fight against fate…

 

Xie Guanzhi finally couldn’t hold back his tears.

 

He was suppressing his emotions at first, but then he couldn’t help crying out loud.

 

The pair of beautiful fox eyes inherited from Consort Hui turned red at this moment, no longer having the arrogance of the past.

 

“Okay, let’s go.” Wen Qingci glanced at the moonlight from afar, and finally led the young man out of the Buddhist temple.

 

The thin wooden door closed gently behind him.

 

Isolating the world on the other side.

 

The summer evening breeze also brings a little warmth.

 

When the breeze blew on his body, his originally heavy mood finally felt a little relieved.

 

Wen Qingci’s tense nerves slowly relaxed.

 

It was not until this moment that he realized… Xie Guanzhi seemed to be able to cry even more than he thought?

 

The second prince covered his eyes with his hands, trying hard to control himself and not let others notice his loss of composure.

 

Wen Qingci sighed helplessly, took out an unused silk handkerchief and handed it to Xie Guanzhi.

 

“Thank you… cough, thank you…” The young man took the handkerchief.

 

Just when Wen Qingci handed over the handkerchief and wanted to take his hand back, Xie Guanzhi suddenly stretched out his hand and instinctively wanted to grab Wen Qingci’s sleeve.

 

Wen Qingci was stunned.

 

In a vulnerable moment, the young man couldn’t help but recall the memory of crying on his mother’s shoulder as a child.

 

But before Xie Guanzhi could figure out what he was going to do, Xie Bufeng, who had been standing next to Wen Qingci, suddenly stepped forward without saying a word to stop him, and pried open his fingers that were clutching Wen Qingci’s sleeve.

 

Xie Guanzhi looked up subconsciously.

 

Then he saw that Xie Bufeng was looking at him with a smile – but his eyes were frighteningly cold.

 

“Let’s go, Second Prince,” Xie Bufeng reminded with a hint of sarcasm, “If you don’t leave now, you don’t have to commit suicide. Your father will probably send you here directly.”

 

Xie Guanzhi was stunned.

 

At this moment, he actually saw a glaring hostility in Xie Bufeng’s eyes that he had never seen before.

 

Strange……

 

He’s clearly already in a bad state, so why is he still hostile to him at this time?