Chapter 65

Chapter 65

When Rong Tang returned to the dining hall, Ke Hongxue had just finished talking with Sheng Chengming. He looked up to see two figures entering the hall and smiled, "Young Lord, did a bug bite your ear?"

Rong Tang halted his steps, almost turning around to leave.

Su Huaijing grabbed his wrist, preventing him from fleeing. He glanced at Ke Hongxue, who, surprisingly, didn’t tease Rong Tang further and instead sipped his tea, a lingering smile in his eyes.

Sheng Chengming also noticed the bite mark on Rong Tang’s ear – it was hard to miss.

The Young Lord of Ningxuan was like a snowman made of white porcelain, his features only highlighted by black, glass-like eyes and pale pink lips. Where else could there be skin red as if about to bleed?

The excessive redness naturally drew attention, revealing the faint white marks on the earlobe.

Having mixed with Qin Pengxuan and others in the capital's pleasure houses, Sheng Chengming knew exactly what those marks signified.

Even the most unrestrained courtesans in the pleasure houses wouldn’t leave such marks on their patrons. His lord had boldly marked his own husband's ear, making a clear claim.

Sheng Chengming truly didn’t know what to say. He was once again grateful he had only spoken once about Rong Tang's inevitable demise, fearing what else Su Huaijing might do if he hadn’t restrained himself.

Sheng Chengming looked at them and turned to instruct his eunuch to bring a towel-wrapped ice pack for Rong Tang, then said, "The summer heat brings numerous insects. Cousin, please use this ice pack to reduce the swelling first."

Rong Tang was taken aback and looked up in surprise at Sheng Chengming, who appeared genuinely to believe the mark on his ear was from an insect bite.

As Rong Tang was about to thank him, Su Huaijing smoothly accepted the towel from Sheng Chengming with a smile, pulling Rong Tang to sit beside him. He diligently used the ice towel on Rong Tang’s ear while serving him food.

Rong Tang glared at him, to which he blinked innocently, seemingly unaware of why his husband was upset.

Ke Hongxue, sitting beside them, couldn’t help but shake his head despite having witnessed the couple’s interactions before.

Lost in thought, he found himself missing his own mentor.

Not wanting to interrupt Su Huaijing and Rong Tang, Sheng Chengming turned the conversation to himself, inquiring, “Master Ke, any progress on the case of Lu Junxian?”

Ke Hongxue paused, giving Sheng Chengming a fleeting glance, his gaze sliding over Rong Tang and Su Huaijing, and then asked, “Didn’t the Young Lord and his spouse inform you?”

Puzzled, Sheng Chengming directly asked, “What should they have told me?”

Rong Tang frowned, feeling the temperature on his ear had cooled enough. Su Huaijing withdrew the towel.

Rong Tang didn’t look at Ke Hongxue, increasingly finding him somewhat peculiar.

Not only did Ke Hongxue often speak ambiguously, but he also habitually steered conversations towards them, leaving Rong Tang unsure whether it was probing or genuine interaction.

But as for Lu Junxian’s case, given his and Su Huaijing’s public identities and standings, how could they possibly know?

Rong Tang frowned at Ke Hongxue, “We didn’t pass through Hangzhou on our journey south, nor have we met Lu Junxian. How could we know anything about his case?”

The dining room became momentarily tense. Ke Hongxue looked at them with a half-smile, then glanced at Su Huaijing and said, “Indeed, I presumed too much. If Young Lord had known such a significant secret, Lu Junxian wouldn’t have remained as the Jiangnan Inspector for so long. He would have been reported to the Emperor and apprehended long ago.”

Rong Tang felt a jolt, realizing it must have been uncovered by Sheng Chengming.

He turned to look at Su Huaijing.

The antagonist seemed indifferent, uncaring whether Lu Junxian lived or died, or the magnitude of his crimes.

Suzhou, a land of fish and rice, was now in a season rich with aquatic produce, but also troubled by the flood. Recently, the Lin Garden had been abundant with fish and shrimp.

A pot of thick white crucian carp soup was stewed on the table, accompanied by a dish of spicy crayfish. Su Huaijing, knowing Rong Tang's love for spicy food, had specifically asked the kitchen to add extra chili, and now he was attentively peeling shrimp for him.

Su Huaijing was genuinely unconcerned about Lu Junxian's fate, until he heard Ke Hongxue reveal, “Lu Junxian is the long-lost brother of the late Empress and the biological uncle of the First Prince...”

Su Huaijing froze, his composure momentarily lost. He looked up at Ke Hongxue with confusion in his eyes, like a child urgently seeking answers.

Ke Hongxue sighed silently, affirming his suspicion as likely true.

His tone became serious, “In the last years of the former emperor's reign, the border frequently faced barbarian invasions. The late emperor… was unworthy of his position.”

Rong Tang frowned, looking at Ke Hongxue, but noticing the sarcasm in his eyes, he realized this preamble was intended for Sheng Chengming.

Silently, Rong Tang stood up and poured a cup of clear tea for Su Huaijing, then lowered his gaze without a word.

Ke Hongxue continued, “The Emperor ascended under divine mandate, rising up from the south. The late emperor sent the First Prince south to persuade surrender, and Lu Junxian accompanied the southern troops as an official.”

Su Huaijing seemed lost, his head bowed as his emotions briefly showed before being reigned in again, staring into his teacup while listening to Ke Hongxue's steady explanation.

“At that time, foreign enemies invaded the northern borders, and the Duke of Xian's youngest general, along with the Crown Prince, went north. With the old general aging and the young commander at war, there was no one capable left in court. The First Prince, going south alone, was a concern, so the Empress had him take Lu Junxian, then a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, as his scribe.”

“And this Lu Junxian, in fact, was a bastard son of the Empress's father from an affair, never dared to be brought home until he passed the imperial examination and became an official, then revealed to the Empress by her father.”

Ke Hongxue said, “Being an illegitimate child meant he had no legitimate status. Even in high office, his ancestral roots couldn’t be traced. The Empress sent her brother with the First Prince, hoping if they achieved military success, upon returning to court, it would grant Lu Junxian a notable status to acknowledge his lineage.”

As Sheng Chengming listened, he frowned, finding it increasingly implausible, “The Emperor's uprising was a mandate of heaven; how could their actions be considered meritorious? It’s nonsensical.”

Rong Tang noticed Su Huaijing's hand, clenched under the table, a man so fond of cleanliness now oblivious to the chili oil smeared on his hand.

Rong Tang felt a pang of heartache, quietly standing up to fetch a basin of water to clean Su Huaijing's hands.

As he began to stand, Su Huaijing reached out, as if to hold him, but then hesitated, realizing his hand was dirty, and retracted it with pursed lips.

Rong Tang's heart ached unbearably, and he promptly grasped Su Huaijing's fingers.

Su Huaijing looked up in surprise, as Rong Tang instructed Shuangfu to bring a basin of water and joined him in washing their hands in it.

Oil stains are notoriously hard to remove, and Rong Tang scrubbed their fingers with soapberries, gently and patiently cleaning Su Huaijing's hands.

While Ke Hongxue continued speaking of tortured confessions in the background, Rong Tang intently and carefully washed Su Huaijing's hands, as if they were precious jade.

"True jade should not be tainted," Rong Tang thought, momentarily resonating with a phrase Ke Hongxue had mentioned earlier.

“Having seen true jade, how can one appreciate mere stones?”

Rong Tang dried Su Huaijing's hands with a towel, meticulously completing the task as Su Huaijing quietly observed, neither teasing nor acting coquettishly, just silently watching Rong Tang’s focused actions.

Then Ke Hongxue said, “But at that time, the Emperor was blessed by heaven, advancing northward invincibly. Knowing he had no hope of returning, Lu Junxian chose to betray. He drugged the First Prince, beheaded him, and rushed to the Emperor's camp overnight, offering the head of his nephew as a token of loyalty.”

Nobody at the dining table was eating anymore; the plate of shrimp that Su Huaijing had peeled lay untouched, quietly listening with them.

Upon hearing “beheaded with a machete,” Su Huaijing’s body trembled slightly, his hands fumbling under the table, unsure if he was reaching for his waist token or Rong Tang’s hand.

But soon his palm found a cool, soft hand. Rong Tang held his, gently squeezing, a silent reassurance: “I’m here.”

Their actions were discreet, so much so that even Sheng Chengming, sitting closest, did not notice anything unusual, despite Su Huaijing’s momentary loss of composure.

He hid his emotions well; aside from the initial confusion and sudden grief, no one would know that the person being discussed at the dinner table was in fact his elder brother.

Ke Hongxue paused in his narration, seemingly reluctant to speak further. He briefly informed Sheng Chengming, "Regardless of whether Lu Junxian truly defected, his relation as the First Prince's maternal uncle is undeniable. The Emperor detests anyone associated with the former emperor. If His Majesty learns that Lu Junxian even concealed his true identity while defecting, nobody would be able to protect this Jiangnan Governor."

Sheng Chengming's mood lifted immediately, feeling delighted. He instinctively turned to share his joy with Su Huaijing, but just then, Rong Tang, holding Su Huaijing's hand, stood up and excused himself with a light cough, "I'm feeling unwell and would like to rest. Please don't be offended, Your Highness."

Sheng Chengming, momentarily stunned, quickly stood up, offering warm words of concern before letting Rong Tang and Su Huaijing leave.

He had intended to continue the conversation with Ke Hongxue, but the latter, watching the departing couple, chuckled and excused himself, "I've been away for long; my senior must have woken up by now. I should bring him his dinner. Please excuse me, Your Highness."

Sheng Chengming was perplexed.

"Alright, I understand."

……

The gardens of Suzhou were lush with greenery. In early July, a faint moon hung in the sky as Su Huaijing was led back by Rong Tang.

It was only upon entering their room that Su Huaijing realized something was amiss and, concerned, stopped Rong Tang: "Where do you feel unwell?"

Rong Tang felt discomfort everywhere. With candles lit, casting a warm, gentle light, and the faint sound of insects outside the window, he replied, "My heart."

Su Huaijing's face changed drastically. He reached for Rong Tang's wrist, but Rong Tang dodged, his voice tinged with irritation: "Rong Tang!"

Finally, some liveliness, Rong Tang thought.

The Su Huaijing he had just seen was unlike any version he had known in his three lifetimes.

He had never seen such a listless, helpless, despondent antagonist.

In his eyes, the Seventh Prince should always be strategizing, and the Imperial Censor should always be cunningly amiable.

It turns out that even the great antagonist, when he first arrived in the capital at seventeen, would unconsciously reveal emotional fluctuations over matters related to his family.

Rong Tang softly said, "My bones hurt too."

Su Huaijing’s pupils involuntarily dilated, his palms sweating, but then he heard Rong Tang continue: "My stomach hurts."

"My stomach aches."

"My eyes hurt."

“……”

Su Huaijing was baffled for a moment, then gradually calmed down. Sitting opposite Rong Tang, he studied his expression in the candlelight, puzzled, "What's wrong, Rong Tang?"

Rong Tang, who could endure even the worst pain, had never been so seemingly unreasonable in expressing his discomfort.

Su Huaijing softened his voice, gently coaxing, "What happened? Tell me, I'll help you solve it."

Rong Tang shook his head: "Nothing happened."

"I just feel a lot of pain all over, and I don’t want to sleep alone tonight." Rong Tang lifted his head, his bright eyes looking at Su Huaijing, softly asking, "Can you stay with me tonight?"