BLPSG Chapter 33: Through Wen Qingci’s eyes, see a different world

Three days later, the boat navigated past the treacherous shoals, and the river suddenly opened up wide.

 

The first stop of the southern tour, Dengcheng Prefecture, had been reached.

 

This place was already renowned as a land of fish and rice, and after the completion of the Yinchuan Grand Canal, it developed rapidly, leaping to become a major town in the south, and a source of pride for the current emperor.

 

Upon arrival, the emperor took a carriage and began touring around.

 

To the people of Dengcheng Prefecture, a key town along the canal, Emperor Xie Zhaolin was definitely a good emperor who got things done.

 

The Wei Dynasty was known for its open and liberal customs, and along the way, the people threw flowers and cheered, creating an incredibly lively atmosphere.

 

The emperor couldn’t help but be overjoyed, and even the symptoms of his headache seemed to ease.

 

“Your Majesty, look, the grain from our Dengcheng Prefecture is loaded onto ships at this port and transported to various places,” the prefect of Dengcheng, with his four fingers pressed together, introduced the scene ahead to the emperor with a beaming face, “These merchant ships in front of us are preparing to head to Yongdu.”

 

Wen Qingci, who accompanied the emperor as a Hanlin scholar, stood not far behind him.

 

He also looked in the direction pointed out by the prefect, towards the river.

 

The wide channel of the Yinchuan Grand Canal was filled with cargo ships brimming with goods.

 

A bustling scene of a hundred boats racing on the water caught his eye.

 

Seeing this, the emperor smiled with satisfaction.

 

But Wen Qingci, standing behind him, couldn’t help but inwardly criticize…

 

The small city where he lived in his past life had a climate very similar to that of Dengcheng Prefecture.

 

He hadn’t eaten pork, but he had seen pigs run.

 

Wen Qingci, after all, knew a little about the growth cycle of rice.

 

It was only early summer now, far from the season for harvesting early rice, so how could there be a scene of merchant ships rushing to transport rice?

 

Everything in front of him was a show put on by the prefect for the emperor.

 

And Emperor Xie Zhaolin himself was enjoying it.

 

As an emperor, his penchant for grandeur was very evident.

 

While Wen Qingci was lost in thought, the prefect’s topic somehow shifted from the merchant ships to something that happened a few days ago.

 

“The Second Prince not only arranged the southern tour meticulously, but he even thought of the boatmen, distributing medicine to them,” the prefect of Dengcheng praised with a slightly exaggerated tone, “He truly is accomplished at a young age!”

 

Everyone in the Wei Dynasty knew that the Second Prince had been favored since childhood and was the most likely among the princes to be named the Crown Prince.

 

Therefore, the prefect of Dengcheng also followed suit in supporting him.

 

The emperor’s expression remained unchanged: “Indeed so…”

 

As per tradition, when the emperor toured, the empress should always accompany him.

 

Since the dynasty had not yet established an empress, the emperor’s companion had become Consort Lan.

 

Hearing this, Consort Lan, who had been silent until now, also smiled with satisfaction and nodded, “The Second Prince indeed has some of Your Majesty’s youthful grace.”

 

The emperor’s expression suddenly stiffened for a moment.

 

Had Wen Qingci not been silently observing him from behind, he might have missed this fleeting change.

 

“Do you think so too, my consort?” he suddenly turned around and asked somewhat abruptly.

 

Consort Lan paused, then hurriedly laughed and replied, “Such attentiveness and compassion for subordinates, isn’t it just like Your Majesty in his youth?”

 

The emperor squinted his eyes, looking towards the canal, and finally murmured slowly, “It is, it is…”

 

His voice was slightly hoarse, hiding all his emotions within.

 

It wasn’t the first time someone had said that the Second Prince possessed the emperor’s youthful grace, but it was the first time Consort Lan had said so.

 

Unlike the court officials.

 

Consort Lan had known the emperor since he was the Crown Prince of Suzhou.

 

If Consort Lan said so, did it prove that… Xie Guanzhi really resembled him in his youth?

 

Thinking of this, the emperor suddenly developed a headache.

 

He pressed his temples hard, then swallowed a Fuxuan Flower pill and turned around, saying, “Alright, the canal wind is strong, and my head hurts a bit, let’s rest elsewhere.”

 

Upon hearing this, everyone hurriedly agreed and walked together towards a high platform not far from the riverbank.

 

At the moment of turning around, Consort Lan silently breathed a sigh of relief.

 

And she exchanged a quick glance with Xie Bufeng, who was walking at the end of the procession.

 

—The words just now were taught to her by the young man.

 

Before this, Consort Lan did not understand the significance of Xie Bufeng’s actions.

 

But after she spoke those words, the fleeting wariness in the emperor’s eyes seemed to make her understand.

 

Xie Bufeng was using her to create a rift between the emperor and the Second Prince.

 

Consort Lan’s steps involuntarily paused.

 

…Her son seemed to always grasp the emperor’s unknown, elusive negative thoughts.

 

Thinking of this, her palms broke out in a cold sweat.

 

Although he was her own flesh and blood, sometimes, Consort Lan was actually afraid of Xie Bufeng.

 

His eyes seemed to see through everything, mocking all things.

 

Only around the imperial physician did he seem like an ordinary youth…

 

Dengcheng Prefecture was famous for its seafood, among which the shad fish was exceptional, a tribute item for dynasties past and present.

 

The highlight of today’s lunch was this fish.

 

In his previous life, Wen Qingci liked to study cooking.

 

But the shad fish was too troublesome to prepare, and he had never attempted it.

 

So, since arriving in Dengcheng Prefecture, he had been looking forward to this day’s lunch.

 

A maid in a light-blue silk skirt brought up a secret-colored porcelain plate.

 

Dengcheng Prefecture’s cuisine emphasized freshness, and the fish was steamed.

 

The only special feature was that, before serving, someone used special tweezers to pluck out each fishbone.

 

Wen Qingci picked up his chopsticks, but before he could taste it, he was interrupted by the emperor’s words.

 

The Yinchuan Grand Canal had been completed nearly twenty years ago, and during that time, it had been dredged three times, and now it was almost time for the fourth.

 

The emperor had been discussing this matter with the relevant officials just now.

 

As he spoke, he suddenly brought up the Second Prince.

 

“Guanzhi, do you have any thoughts on the dredging of the canal?”

 

Everyone at the banquet stopped eating and looked over.

 

But before the Second Prince could answer, the emperor, as if he had just remembered they were still at the lunch, smiled and waved his hand, saying, “Never mind, let’s not talk about this at the banquet. Think about it carefully, and after a while, write it down in a small scroll for me to see.”

 

The emperor’s tone was full of expectation for his son.

 

As if he already regarded him as the heir apparent.

 

But the constant tapping of his fingers under the table betrayed his unsettled emotions.

 

With that, he drank down the wine in his hand.

 

The symptoms of heavy metal poisoning in the emperor’s body had been somewhat alleviated.

 

But Wen Qingci’s medicine treated only the symptoms, not the root cause.

 

Anxiety and unstable emotions, like a time bomb, one never knew when it would explode.

 

Xie Guanzhi’s excellence and the adoration of the people undoubtedly accelerated this process.

 

No one present thought much of the emperor’s words, everyone naturally assumed that the Second Prince’s succession was a done deal.

 

Consort Hui also couldn’t help but lean in and remind Xie Guanzhi to take this matter seriously.

 

For this southern tour, Dengcheng Prefecture had specially built a temporary palace.

 

After the banquet, the emperor went back to rest, and the others enjoyed themselves within the palace grounds.

 

Xie Guanzhi, who had official matters to attend to, originally had no interest, but just as he was on his way back to his residence, he turned around and saw a familiar figure in the corridor.

 

Consort Lan’s personal maid Mingliu was supporting her for a walk.

 

The two were casually chatting… about the events at today’s banquet.

 

“Wait.” He stopped the eunuch beside him.

 

Xie Guanzhi instinctively took a half step back, retreating behind the corner.

 

“Ah… Consort Hui is inferior to Your Highness in every way, except that the Second Prince is promising,” seeing that there was no one around, Mingliu’s words became a bit more unrestrained, “If the First Prince could be as favored by His Majesty as the Second Prince, the person who has been in the spotlight these past few days would be you, Your Highness.”

 

“Mingliu!” Consort Lan couldn’t help but scold her, then suddenly sighed, seemingly speaking offhand, “Being in the spotlight is not necessarily a good thing. During the southern tour, the most important person should be His Majesty.”

 

“Indeed…”

 

As they spoke, the two figures disappeared around the corner of the corridor, but Consort Lan’s words lingered in Xie Guanzhi’s mind, unable to dissipate for a long time.

 

The young man slowly furrowed his brow.

 

Consort Lan was right.

 

By some twist of fate, as a prince, he seemed to have overshadowed his father during this southern tour.

 

…This was not his intention, nor was it a scene his father would want to see.

 

Xie Guanzhi may be willful, but he is no fool.

 

Perhaps a few months ago, he would have scoffed at Consort Lan’s words.

 

But after being punished to reflect along with the Third Prince, the relationship between him and the Emperor had subtly changed.

 

For instance, he finally realized clearly that he could no longer treat the Emperor as an ordinary father.

 

Consort Lan’s words, like a pebble, stirred ripples in the Second Prince’s heart—

 

Calming incense was lit within the temporary palace.

 

Smoke swirled, and a purple haze rose.

 

“This is my second southern tour, and in the blink of an eye, it has been seventeen years…” The Emperor, supporting his forehead with his hand and eyes slightly closed, droned on, “The last time I took this journey, I had none of these ailments. Tell me, do you think I have grown old?” His speech was slow, making his voice sound particularly hoarse and deep.

 

After speaking, he slowly lifted his eyelids to glance at the medicine bowl on the table.

 

Contained within was medicine to dispel wind, overcome dampness, and relieve pain.

 

The Emperor cared greatly about his age and maintenance.

 

Wen Qingci did not directly answer his question but analyzed from a professional perspective: “Your Majesty, your issues mainly stem from cold and dampness entering the body, unrelated to age.”

 

The person on the throne slowly smiled.

 

“When the plans for the Yinchuan Grand Canal were laid before me, I was only a few years older than Xie Bufeng and Xie Guanzhi are now.”

 

Speaking thus, he seemed to fall into reminiscence, slowly squinting his eyes.

 

The canal was constructed in the first year of Tianchu, with the Emperor overseeing its construction for a full ten years.

 

However, the plans must have been drawn up and prepared several years prior.

 

Indeed, he continued: “When those plans were completed, the previous Emperor, Emperor Ai, was still alive…”

 

The Emperor had long since regarded Wen Qingci as a confidant.

 

During routine consultations, he always liked to chat with him.

 

Wen Qingci was not talkative, even somewhat taciturn compared to the court officials and attendants around the Emperor.

 

But what the Emperor needed was such a listener.

 

Others sought fame, profit, wealth, and rewards, but only Wen Qingci was devoted to medicine, undistracted and uninvolved with court affairs.

 

Usually, when the Emperor spoke, those around him would eagerly respond with tenfold anxiety, which was overwhelming to hear.

 

But Wen Qingci always listened quietly, only answering his questions at critical moments.

 

Wen Qingci gently inserted a silver needle into the Emperor’s forehead, and even then, the Emperor clad in bright yellow continued to softly reminisce about the past.

 

After a while, Wen Qingci withdrew the needle.

 

As the consultation was about to end, Xian Gonggong suddenly came in with a small scroll from outside the hall.

 

The Emperor raised his eyelids and asked indifferently, “What is this?”

 

“Reporting to Your Majesty, this is a small scroll written by the Second Prince… about the dredging of the Yinchuan Grand Canal.”

 

Hearing this, the Emperor, who had just appeared drowsy, suddenly opened his eyes.

 

“Bring it here for me to see.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Xian the eunuch presented the scroll with both hands, then hesitated before retreating from the hall.

 

After receiving it, the Emperor’s previously relaxed brows suddenly furrowed tightly.

 

He briefly skimmed the first page, then quickly flipped through, finishing the entire scroll in no time.

 

Then, he suddenly threw down what he held in his hand.

 

The small scroll, bound with string, scattered in an instant.

 

Seeing this, Wen Qingci, who was packing up the medicine box, paused in his movements.

 

He set down what he was holding, slowly stepped back two paces, and knelt on the ground.

 

The negative effects on emotions brought about by heavy metal poisoning had not disappeared, only suppressed.

 

When there were many people, the Emperor himself would be more restrained, but once alone, it was different.

 

This was not the first time Wen Qingci had seen the “benevolent-hearted” Emperor lose his temper in private and show his unpredictable nature.

 

He couldn’t help but lower his gaze to the scattered scroll on the floor.

 

Xie Guanzhi had written very earnestly, detailing how to coordinate and oversee the dredging.

 

…What was there to be so angry about?

 

In the next second, the Emperor’s words provided half the answer.

 

“When did Xie Guanzhi learn to act so discreetly?” After a pause, the Emperor murmured to himself, “Who taught him all this?” He then looked deeply at Wen Qingci, waiting for his response.

 

Wen Qingci: “…”

 

Consort Hui had a flamboyant personality, and the Second Prince half inherited that personality and half was favored by others. On the surface, he also developed a temperament similar to that of his mother.

 

Ordinarily, he would have taken on the role of supervisor in writing the dredging proposal.

 

But this time, he took a step back, assuming the role of a collaborator, and wrote a noncommittal suggestion.

 

Wen Qingci could not reveal that he had peeked at the scroll, so he could only follow the Emperor’s lead and answer from the perspective of “discretion.”

 

“Perhaps the Second Prince has just matured a bit, being a year older.”

 

His tone was calm, but his nerves were inevitably tense.

 

Wen Qingci realized that the Emperor had grown suspicious of Xie Guanzhi, and no matter his answer, it held no significance to the Emperor’s ears.

 

Over the years, Dengcheng Prefecture had earned a considerable sum from the canal, and the temporary palace was built even more luxuriously and spaciously.

 

The Emperor’s voice was not loud, and Xie Bufeng, who was waiting outside for Wen Qingci, heard nothing but the loud noise when the scroll was thrown.

 

But in the next second, the Emperor’s voice once again rang clearly in his ears.

 

—The more agitated a person’s emotions, the louder they sounded to Xie Bufeng.

 

“Yes, he has grown a year older, he is now seventeen.”

 

“At his age, I had already begun planning for succession…”

 

A prince growing a year older meant a greater threat to a suspicious ruler.

 

Hearing this, Xie Bufeng suddenly lowered his gaze and coldly smiled, lightly rubbing his finger over the wool bracelet on his wrist.

 

Walking the dog was indeed interesting.

 

The previous words were deliberately made Consort Lan say to Xie Guanzhi.

 

Beneath the Emperor’s seemingly upright exterior lay a heart filled with unease and fear.

 

—He disliked those who were flamboyant and stole his limelight, but what he truly feared were princes like himself in the past, who hid their ambitions and bided their time.

 

The more low-key and restrained Xie Guanzhi became, the more anxious the Emperor grew, and the more he couldn’t help but want to make a move.

 

As expected.

 

“The older he gets, the greater the threat.”

 

“…It would be better to act sooner rather than later.”

 

The Emperor’s inner thoughts fell clearly upon Xie Bufeng’s ears.

 

“You may leave now.” The Emperor took another pill of Fuxuan Flower Dan and closed his eyes heavily.

 

Wen Qingci picked up the medicine box and walked out of the hall with light steps.

 

Only when the sunlight fell upon him did Wen Qingci recover from the atmosphere and remember… in the original story, the Second Prince’s end was due to palace intrigue.

 

The beginning of that event seemed to be his outstanding performance during a certain autumn hunt, which gradually incurred the Emperor’s displeasure.

 

As far as Wen Qingci knew, there was no autumn hunt scheduled for this year.

 

That is to say, the current progress of the story was at least a year ahead…

 

Moreover, the Emperor’s behavior seemed even less anxious and restless than in the original story.

 

It was as if someone had been silently stirring his emotions and accelerating the plot all along.

 

The so-called southern tour was a grand affair.

 

Nearly half of the nobility of Yongdu came to Dengcheng Prefecture by boat.

 

According to the old rites of the previous dynasty, all members of the royal family should accompany the Emperor.

 

The Emperor not only brought Xie Bufeng, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince, who were a bit older, but even the youngest Fourth Prince and the less than half-year-old Xie Fuyin were also brought along.

 

In modern times, a trip for a few months old child would be uneventful.

 

But in this era, with overall backward medical standards, a minor cold or fever could claim a life, and the mortality rate of children was exceedingly high.

 

Although he was no longer Consort Lan’s “personal physician,” Wen Qingci would still visit if he was free during the journey.

 

The temporary palace of Dengcheng Prefecture was built against a mountain.

 

The mountain was not tall, and compared to the perilous peaks thousands of meters high near Yongdu, it might be more appropriate to call it a small hill.

 

But it was a famous Buddhist mountain in the Jiangnan region, rumored to be the practice ground of a certain Bodhisattva.

 

After resting in the temporary palace for two days, Consort Lan planned to go up the mountain to burn incense.

 

She also invited Wen Qingci, who had come to visit the little princess, to join her.

 

The road up the mountain is not long. It is paved with bluestone slabs. There are tall sycamore trees on both sides, which cut the sunlight into pieces and scatter it to the ground.

 

“…Fuyin has been very caring these past few days thanks to Physician Wen,” Consort Lan said as she walked away, expressing her sincere gratitude, “As a mother, I am not as attentive as you.”

 

Wen Qingci quickly shook his head: “This is all part of my duties.”

 

Consort Lan paused in her steps, turning to shake her head at him, “How can this be considered ‘part of your duties’, physician Wen? You are not even supposed to be doing this.”

 

She knew that Wen Qingci was giving extra care to Xie Fuyin because of her young age and the fact that she was still on the ship.

 

Consort Lan had once feared the rumors about Wen Qingci’s “demonic charm,” but since he had saved her using poison, she had changed her opinion on this matter.

 

The benevolence of a healer…

 

Wen Qingci, now a member of the Hanlin Academy, had no obligation to look after Xie Fuyin.

 

At this point, Consort Lan suddenly glanced back at the Yinchuan Grand Canal.

 

She paused, as if recalling something, and said, “The First Prince was born on a ship during the southern patrol.”

 

Could there be such a coincidence?

 

But on second thought, it seemed that the Yinchuan Grand Canal had been completed exactly seventeen years ago.

 

And the Emperor’s first southern patrol by ship was just when it had been completed.

 

…One wonders if Xie Fuyin was already called a “monster” when he was born, and if anyone cared for him then?

 

It seemed Consort Lan had just thought of this too.

 

She said in a slightly softer voice, “The First Prince was born without the sense of pain. After his birth, no matter how the midwife spanked him, he wouldn’t cry, just opening his amber eyes wide and looking around, which worried everyone on the ship…”

 

So it was true that Xie Bufeng had been discovered to lack pain sensation from the moment of his birth.

 

Hearing this, Wen Qingci couldn’t help feeling a bit sad, and he involuntarily turned to look at Xie Bufeng.

 

That glance landed right in the eyes of the youth who had been watching him.

 

The light of the hour was soft and warm.

 

Like gold leaf, it sprinkled into the depths of Wen Qingci’s dark eyes.

 

And with the light movement of his gaze.

 

It spilled out boundless tenderness.

 

Xie Fuyin couldn’t help but pause, his mind shaken in an instant.

 

He clenched his fist tightly.

 

Just as Wen Qingci was about to turn back, the youth who had been standing behind him with a cold face suddenly smiled at him gently.

 

The sunlight, filtering through the gaps in the parasol trees, also fell on Xie Bufeng’s face.

 

This smile was completely different from his usual mocking, disdainful sneer.

 

It was pure, without any impurities or excess emotions.

 

It was so pure that Wen Qingci didn’t know what words to use to describe it.

 

The usually cold amber eyes also seemed to warm up a bit.

 

“Watch your step,” the youth reminded softly.

 

“Mm…”

 

In a daze, Wen Qingci almost forgot the path under his feet.

 

He quickly turned back, taking a long, slow breath where no one could see.

 

The incense at this ancient temple had always been prosperous, but recently, with the royal family’s southern patrol, the temple had been cordoned off by guards, not allowing outsiders to visit.

 

The main hall was exceptionally empty, and every step echoed.

 

Here, Wen Qingci’s breathing rhythm inevitably slowed down a bit.

 

Consort Lan walked up slowly, took three sticks of incense from Mingliu’s hand, held them solemnly to her forehead, then knelt on the cushion.

 

After silently chanting a few times, she finally put her hands down and inserted the incense into the censer.

 

This series of actions looked very practiced.

 

She stood in front of the incense for a few seconds, then turned and introduced to Wen Qingci softly, “The Bodhisattva here is very efficacious. Wen Xiansheng, if you need, you can also come and worship.”

 

It seemed Consort Lan had come for her father and brothers.

 

Wen Qingci didn’t know what the original owner’s family situation was like, he initially wanted to refuse, but then he thought of his foster parents in the modern world.

 

…He also didn’t know how they were doing now.

 

Wen Qingci originally didn’t believe in these ghostly tales, but now that he had inexplicably traveled into a book, he couldn’t help but start to believe in reincarnation.

 

“Alright.” After a few seconds’ pause, he nodded lightly to Consort Lan and also took three sticks of incense from Mingliu’s hand, slowly inserting them into the censer.

 

Then he walked out of the main hall with Consort Lan.

 

After leaving the gods and Buddha, Empress Lan’s voice finally got a bit louder, “I’ve known Wen Xiansheng for a long time, only knowing that you are from Songxiu Mansion, but I don’t know how your family is.”

 

The image of the original owner being taken up the mountain to gather herbs by his family flashed through Wen Qingci’s mind again.

 

But by the time he reacted, he had already subconsciously answered, “They have passed away.”

 

He was referring to his situation in his previous life.

 

In the past, whenever Wen Qingci brought up this matter, he couldn’t help but feel sad.

 

But now, perhaps because he had also died once, his answer to this question was unexpectedly calm and composed, unlike himself.

 

“They have passed away…” Consort Lan’s face turned unsightly for a moment.

 

After a silence, Consort Lan suddenly said somewhat inexplicably, “In the past few years, many people have left Songxiu prefecture… Now, two or three out of ten of the people there are from other prefectures around.”

 

There was such a thing?

 

“Supporting the Ming Hall” did not record this event unrelated to palace intrigue, and even for this southern patrol, it didn’t elaborate much.

 

If it weren’t for Consort Lan’s words, Wen Qingci would have had no idea.

 

He couldn’t help but turn back, wanting to listen carefully to what she was saying.

 

But Mingliu, walking beside him, suddenly became nervous, “Consort Lan, look over there, there’s a red string, why don’t you go wrap one too?”

 

She was obviously changing the subject, but Consort Lan also seemed to be suddenly reminded by her, realizing that what she had said was somewhat inappropriate, and forcibly shifted her attention.

 

In the center of the temple stood an ancient tree.

 

Its branches were rough, covered in scars, and it was unknown how many years it had lived.

 

“Alright,” she said with a smile, “let’s go take a look together.”

 

After saying that, she took Mingliu’s hand and invited Wen Qingci to walk over slowly with them.

 

Having been reborn once, Wen Qingci had come to believe a bit in the mysticism of reincarnation.

 

But he still had little interest in such blessings.

 

However, since Consort Lan had called him over, he stood by and took a few more glances.

 

It seemed that Consort Lan realized that Wen Qingci had no interest in praying to gods and Buddhas, so after tying the red string, she no longer invited him to join her, but went alone with Mingliu to worship in several halls around.

 

With the arrival of summer and the absence of bone-chilling cold winds, Wen Qingci felt much better.

 

But after climbing a small mountain today, he couldn’t help but cough lightly a few times.

 

Wen Qingci thought for a while and finally sat down in a corridor to rest.

 

And Xie Bufeng, who had been following behind him, also came forward and stood beside Wen Qingci.

 

“Aren’t you going to look with Consort Lan?” he asked.

 

“No.”

 

As he spoke, a look of unmistakable disgust and even hatred appeared in the youth’s eyes.

 

Wen Qingci suddenly realized—although he had already told Xie Bufeng that his lack of pain sensation was just a disease.

 

But other people of this era still firmly believed that the young man’s problem was caused by ghosts and spirits.

 

The name “monster” came from this.

 

Even Xie Bufeng himself had grown up in such an environment.

 

He despised all of this.

 

“You go ahead,” Xie Bufeng said indifferently.

 

Wen Qingci didn’t expect to hear his words, but shook his head and said, “The tales of ghosts and gods may be false.”

 

His tone was exceptionally calm, like a stream flowing into the heart of the youth.

 

In this era, everyone revered and feared gods and ghosts.

 

Such straightforward words from Wen Qingci were the first Xie Bufeng had ever heard.

 

The youth couldn’t help but turn back and gaze deeply at Wen Qingci.

 

The physician smiled slightly, then turned his head to look at the old tree in front of him.

 

He said to Xie Fuyin, “But the thoughts and wishes left here are real.”

 

Xie Bufeng’s mind was shaken, he didn’t understand what Wen Qingci meant.

 

Just now, Wen Qingci had followed Consort Lan to that tree.

 

He accidentally saw that Consort Lan had tied a red string on the tree for blessings of health and safety.

 

And on it, besides the little princess, Xie Bufeng’s name was also carefully written.

 

Wen Qingci felt that praying for blessings was a rather private matter, and as an outsider, it was better not to mention it.

 

But in the moment of eye contact with Xie Bufeng, he suddenly changed his mind…

 

“Your Highness, for example, Consort Lan has left her wishes here for your safety and health.”

 

After not seeing each other for over a decade, the estrangement between Consort Lan and Xie Bufeng was indeed real.

 

But they had been forced apart all those years ago, how could Consort Lan be devoid of feelings for Xie Bufeng?

 

All of this was merely obstructed by the insurmountable span of thirteen years and the reserved expressions of the ancients.

 

Although there was no evidence at the moment, the martial arts and knowledge that Xie Bufeng revealed, as well as the respectful ending he had towards Consort Lan in the original work, indicated that the two must have had secret interactions over the years.

 

Consort Lan had always been there to help Xie Bufeng.

 

When Wen Qingci spoke these words, his tone was exceptionally sincere and gentle.

 

Like a feather brushing lightly over the surface of a lake, perhaps unintentionally, yet causing ripples.

 

Did Consort Lan also pray for herself?

 

…How could anyone pray for the mercy of the gods upon a demon?

 

Xie Bufeng should have found it absurd and laughable, but Wen Qingci’s words made him realize…

 

He could only hear the malice in people’s hearts, and over time, he had forgotten that besides the heavy “evil” hidden in the voices behind the scenes, there might also be good intentions that he was unaware of.

 

“How come you’re really a wolf that can’t be tamed, a stone that can’t be warmed?”

 

—This was the heart’s voice of Consort Lan that Xie Bufeng had once heard.

 

In the past, he only knew it as the evil in Consort Lan’s heart.

 

But he naturally overlooked the message hidden behind these words.

 

Perhaps Consort Lan had also tried to get close to him.

 

But Xie Bufeng relied too much on listening with his ears and forgot how to feel with his heart.

 

All of this, he had inadvertently overlooked.

 

“Your Highness… Your Highness?”

 

Wen Qingci didn’t expect that his casual remark would elicit such a big reaction from Xie Bufeng.

 

He stood there, motionless for a long while.

 

Wen Qingci couldn’t help but reach out and wave his hand in front of Xie Bufeng’s eyes.

 

The medicine jade on his wrist jingled, emitting a crisp sound.

 

Accompanying this was a bitter fragrance.

 

Seeing this, Wen Qingci couldn’t help but wonder… Did his words just now truly touch Xie Bufeng?

 

Thinking of Xie Bufeng’s lonely ending in the original work, he couldn’t help but say a few more words.

 

Wen Qingci smiled slightly, seemingly casually saying, “Not only Consort Lan, but the little princess seems to rely on Your Highness as well.”

 

These past few months, Wen Qingci had always been subtly encouraging Xie Bufeng to hold Xie Fuyin.

 

And the little princess seemed to really like her brother, whose embrace was exceptionally solid and steady.

 

Subconsciously following Wen Qingci’s words, Xie Bufeng recalled the moments he spent with his sister.

 

Just then, Consort Lan finally finished touring the temple and came over, accompanied by Ming Liu.

 

As they descended the mountain, Xie Bufeng, who had been walking behind Wen Qingci, silently quickened his pace to walk alongside him.

 

The familiar bitter fragrance was like a silk thread, silently binding the two together.

 

The youth couldn’t help but wildly guess—how did Wen Qingci really view him behind his back?

 

At this moment, in his heart, was he still no different from that rabbit?

 

As the group reached the foot of the mountain, they saw a small figure from afar.

 

The nurse was holding the little princess, waiting for them there.

 

“Does Fuyin miss her mother?” said Consort Lan with a smile, walking forward and teasing her with her finger.

 

And the little princess, only a few months old and unable to speak, actually responded in her own way, babbling.

 

Seeing this, everyone laughed.

 

Wen Qingci saw her reaching out towards where Xie Bufeng was, as if inviting him to hold her.

 

“Your Highness, look, the little princess really likes you, why not go and hold her?” Wen Qingci smiled and casually said to Xie Bufeng.

 

In his previous life, Wen Qingci was an only child and always envied friends who had siblings.

 

Seeing Xie Fuyin’s demeanor, his nerves, usually tense in the palace, relaxed.

 

Just as Xie Bufeng looked at his sister, the little girl suddenly squinted her eyes at him and giggled.

 

As if greeting her brother.

 

When Consort Lan was pregnant, she deliberately controlled the size of the baby.

 

When Xie Fuyin was born, she was only a pitifully small creature, like an ugly monkey.

 

But now, she had been fed by the nurse into a little chubby girl.

 

Only a few months old, with just one tooth peeking out of her mouth, her smile was especially amusing.

 

Seeing this, even Xie Bufeng’s expression softened a bit.

 

The mountain was still the same mountain, the water still the same water.

 

But at this moment, it was as if he saw a completely different world through Wen Qingci’s eyes.

 

A world as gentle as Wen Qingci.

 

The youth hesitated for a moment, then suddenly did something he would never have done before.

 

Xie Bufeng walked over slowly, cautiously opened his arms, and for the first time, as Wen Qingci had said, carefully took Xie Fuyin from the nurse’s hands into his own.

 

His movements were not skilled, even somewhat stiff, but incredibly careful.

 

Just as Xie Bufeng took the little princess into his arms, Consort Lan suddenly turned around, biting her lip and her eyes reddening.

 

In that instant, all Xie Bufeng could hear was Xie Fuyin’s babbling voice.

 

Before him was Wen Qingci’s slightly surprised but tender gaze, and a faint smile.

 

The wind at Dengcheng Prefecture seemed much gentler than in Yongdu.

 

The air was filled with the sweet scent of grass and trees.

 

At this moment… Xie Bufeng suddenly wished that time would pause right there.