Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Jiangnan, with its beautiful mountains and clear waters, offered a leisurely life that Rong Tang had never experienced in his many lifetimes in the capital.

The group of four set out from Suzhou, leisurely traveling by horse carriage everywhere. Rong Tang finally realized his ultimate dream of playing poker with the four of them, and Su Huaijing couldn’t help but laugh seeing him so happy.

Ke Hongxue, having grown up in Jiangnan, knew the best places to visit and eat. He introduced everything in detail, even where he sat on a stone as a child watching other healthy kids play.

With Su Huaijing present, Mu Jingxu would definitely not want to leave halfway; and with Rong Tang there, Su Huaijing naturally hoped his young lord would have a great time.

Capturing Rong Tang's heart was all Ke Hongxue needed.

And the Young Master’s heart was easy to win over - play, drink, and food were all it took, and Ke Hongxue knew them like the back of his hand.

On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, they returned to the small courtyard in Lin Garden. The kitchen was making mooncakes. Rong Tang, after playing for half a month, felt adventurous. Seeing the cook's movements, he couldn’t resist trying it himself, making several mooncakes. He also made a little rabbit for Su Huaijing and a little snowman for Ke Hongxue, then after much thought, made a little cat curled up with its tail around itself for Mu Jingxu.

Ke Hongxue laughed, asking on the spot, “Young Master, is this what you're making for the mooncake?”

Rong Tang justified, “Flour and filling, a pastry for the Mid-Autumn Festival, we always call them mooncakes in my family.”

Ke Hongxue squinted his eyes with a smile, looking at Su Huaijing, “Is that so?”

Su Huaijing was kneading dough, his tone indulgent and gentle: “Everything in my family is decided by Tang Tang. He can call it whatever he wants.”

Rong Tang instantly lifted his chin and looked up proudly at Ke Hongxue, lightly snorting through his nose.

He was incredibly proud.

Amusement filled Su Huaijing's eyes and brows as he looked at the three differently shaped ‘mooncakes’. He thought for a moment and then made a little fox, placing it face-to-face with the white rabbit.

After finishing, he pondered for a while and then crafted a smiling arc with his hands.

Ke Hongxue felt a sour pang in his heart watching the display of affection between the two, instinctively turning to seek solace from his senior brother. However, he saw Mu Jingxu tenderly looking at Su Huaijing, his face showing a freshness and softness that Ke had not seen in many years.

Just at that moment, as the autumn wind started to rise outside the kitchen, Ke Hongxue, watching the three people inside, each with different movements but all smiling happily, suddenly lost the urge to act spoiled with Mu Jingxu.

He watched quietly for a while, and perhaps because the most boisterous person had been silent for so long, it aroused suspicion. Mu Jingxu looked up, confused, and his gaze met Ke Hongxue's.

Ke Shaofu was momentarily startled, then a genuine smile blossomed from his heart.

How wonderful.

His winter snow was beginning to melt.

……

The oddly shaped mooncakes, made joyfully, were plump when taken out of the steamer. Their eyes and mouths had enlarged significantly, and cracks appeared all over them, exposing the filling.

Ke Hongxue bent over laughing, teasing Rong Tang with his sharp tongue. The Young Master's face turned slightly red, embarrassedly glancing at Su Huaijing.

Su Huaijing, however, naturally picked up the little rabbit and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly: “It’s very tasty.”

Rong Tang was instantly cheered up!

Ke Hongxue was just talking nonsense!

Su Huaijing’s opinion was the real one!

He happily picked up the little fox, too reluctant to gobble it up, breaking it into pieces before eating it bit by bit.

The moon was full in the sky, autumn arrived on earth, and a pot of osmanthus wine sat on the stone table in the courtyard. The scent of golden osmanthus filled the air, and yellow persimmons hung from the trees, ready to fall.

Su Huaijing was peeling crabs for Rong Tang. He tilted his head back, closed his eyes to feel the evening breeze on his face, and murmured softly, “I don’t want to go back.”

Su Huaijing’s hands, busy with the crab, paused for a moment, and he remained silent.

Rong Tang, not seeing his expression, quietly enjoyed the breeze, hearing Ke Hongxue laugh, “If the Young Master finds the capital boring, why not travel to Lingnan after the New Year? Next spring, the flowers there will be in full bloom, a sight to behold.”

Rong Tang opened his eyes, somewhat tempted.

Su Huaijing interjected, “The miasma in Lingnan is heavy; Tang Tang’s constitution is not suited for such a place.”

He separated the crab meat and roe, placing them on a small plate in front of Rong Tang, then lifted his eyes and casually glanced at Mu Jingxu: “Lord Mu doesn’t seem in the best of health either, probably not suitable for such a trip.”

The smile on Ke Hongxue’s face froze instantly, and Mu Jingxu’s hand tightened around his chopsticks.

Su Huaijing turned his head and said softly, “The medicine prescribed by the doctor is almost finished. Tang Tang needs to return to the capital to get a new prescription.”

Rong Tang’s face fell at the mention of medicine, pouting and muttering softly, “I was just saying. Mother also sent a letter a few days ago urging me to return.”

“Hmm,” Su Huaijing responded, “We can take it slow on the way back and enjoy the journey.”

Rong Tang’s mood instantly brightened, his eyes curving into a smile: “Great!”

“Thump” –

A bird pecking at fruit on the tree top dropped half a persimmon, splattering its pulp on the ground. Rong Tang looked at the spilled fruit with a hint of regret, “I haven’t even tasted it yet.”

Su Huaijing said, “I had Shuangfu pick a basket of them two days ago. They’ve been ripening under the eaves. I’ll give you some tomorrow.”

Rong Tang immediately cheered up. He swung his feet while sitting on the stool, sneakily drank half a cup of osmanthus wine, and was yawning when Su Huaijing sent him back to his room to sleep.

Ke Hongxue, observant as ever, noticed that Mu Jingxu hadn’t moved and understood the two had something to discuss. Pretending to be overwhelmed by alcohol, he staggered back to his room.

After seeing Rong Tang to his room, Su Huaijing returned to find Mu Jingxu still sitting in the same place, a plump cat-shaped mooncake in front of him.

He smiled and asked, “Don’t you like it?”

Mu Jingxu looked puzzled, “Why did he make a cat for me?”

Specifically, a cat curled up with its tail, sleeping.

Su Huaijing: “Tang Tang probably thinks you lack a sense of security, Brother.”

Mu Jingxu looked up, still confused in his gaze.

Su Huaijing: “His logic is actually quite easy to understand. He thinks you are like a cat – aloof yet gentle, difficult to approach but soft and adorable. He feels this animal suits you best, Brother.”

Mu Jingxu frowned and stared at the mooncake for a long time, unable to comprehend Rong Tang's thought process. He gave up trying to interpret it and instead asked Su Huaijing, “You hesitated just now. What were you thinking about?”

When Rong Tang casually mentioned not wanting to return to the capital, Su Huaijing froze, a flicker of contemplation and struggle passing through his eyes, which Mu Jingxu, sitting opposite, saw clearly.

Su Huaijing smiled softly, pushing the wine jug aside and pouring two cups of tea: “For a moment, I also didn’t want to return to the capital.”

Mu Jingxu’s expression tightened slightly, he spoke softly, “You could—”

“I cannot.” Su Huaijing interrupted him, placing a tea cup in front of Mu Jingxu, then looked up calmly into his eyes, “How many chronic illnesses do you still have in your body?”

Mu Jingxu fell silent, appearing like a child who had done something wrong and yet did not know how to repent, especially calm in front of Su Huaijing.

Su Huaijing: “You want to say, I could stay away from the capital, with you there, you would achieve the outcome I desire, is that it?”

Mu Jingxu nodded, “It should have been my responsibility.”

Su Huaijing chuckled softly, “Then what about Cheng Shengli?”

“I poisoned him,” Mu Jingxu said softly.

Su Huaijing looked at his brother with slight surprise.

Mu Jingxu continued, “Before heading south, my mother gave me some drugs – feigned death, disguise, assassination, lifesaving... nearly everything you can think of, she provided.”

The autumn wind swirled in Lin Garden, the surroundings silent and empty, only the last season’s cicadas straining their cries.

Su Huaijing was stunned, both by the mention of Mu Jingxu’s mother and by the glimpse of truth about those past years he was finally able to see.

“I originally thought she had only prepared these for me, but later I found out she also gave a skin mask to the bodyguard.”

The Empress Mother was not a typical empress in the conventional sense, devoted to supporting her husband and nurturing her children, and representing the epitome of motherhood. Instead, she was lively, alert, playful, well-educated, and intelligent, possessing many admirable qualities that one could find traces of in her.

As a child in the palace, several princes even envied the Crown Prince.

Not because of his position as the Crown Prince or his status as the legitimate son, but simply because he had a mother like no other in the world.

She could treat illnesses, prepare medicines, do handicrafts, and take her son out of the palace for fun. Aside from not being able to cook, it seemed there was nothing she couldn’t do.

Then, quite soon, she overcame this limitation too.

Because the Crown Prince learned how to cook.

“A gentleman stays far from the kitchen,” let alone a prince of the nation.

Yet, the Empress Mother frequently attempted to cook, only to emerge from the kitchen each time in a disheveled and dejected state. The Crown Prince, feeling sorry for his mother, learned to make scrambled eggs with tomatoes at the age of three from the royal kitchen. Proudly, with his little face all smudged, he brought the barely recognizable dish to his mother in Fengqi Palace, beaming with joy.

This led to the children in the harem envying the Crown Prince for having such a cool mother, and the consorts in the harem envying the Empress Mother for having such a considerate son.

However, everyone soon realized that despite her unconventional and whimsical nature, the Empress Mother was equally kind to all her children, always making sure that whatever her own son had, the other princes and princesses had as well.

Even if a young royal was punished by their mother for not studying well and forbidden to eat, if they ran crying and aggrieved to Fengqi Palace, the Empress Mother would immediately prepare a feast for them. She would not let them leave until their bellies were full and round, then have the eunuchs and palace maids take them out to play and digest.

If a consort impatiently came looking for her child, the Empress Mother would hand over lecture notes from the Imperial Academy, saying, “Memorize this. Then mock your son/daughter, saying even at such a young age they are not as smart as you. Let's see if they won’t study harder out of shame.”

The consort: “?”

The princes and princesses: “??”

She was masterful at subtly undermining people.

But no one disliked her.

Before heading south, Mu Jingxu visited Fengqi Palace. The usually playful and lively Empress Mother was sitting under a lamp reading an ancient book. Seeing him, she gently smiled, exuding a gracefulness akin to a celestial goddess.

She handed over the medicines one by one to Mu Jingxu, repeatedly instructing how each should be used, emphasizing they must not be used incorrectly, and should not be used rashly unless absolutely necessary, earnestly admonishing him for a long time.

The young Third Prince gazed intently, noticing countless blisters formed on the Empress’s delicate white hands.

Everyone expects the royal family to quell rebellions and invasions, and the officials expect the prince to lead by example, but the Empress only wishes for her children to live safely and peacefully.

Mu Jingxu dared not ask how much medicine she had prepared, or how she had tirelessly concocted them over several sleepless days. He simply bowed deeply, respectfully saying, “Mother, please take great care of yourself.”

He didn’t even dare to promise to return and fulfill his filial duties.

He could bluff his younger brother into coming back to go rabbit hunting with him, yet he knew this journey was more likely to bring misfortune than good fortune.

Mu Jingxu had no intention of using those medicines. As a prince who had enjoyed years of honor and privilege, he believed he should be willing to die for the realm. However, on the night Lu Junxian planned to act, the Imperial Guards, for the first time, knocked the emperor unconscious and secretly escorted him out, leaving a disguised guard in the tent to face the traitors.

It wasn’t just Lu Junxian that couldn’t be avoided.

At that time, Dayu was plagued with disasters and chaos everywhere. The armies sent to suppress the rebellion in the south were hastily assembled.

The emperor himself had no resources to spare to protect the capital, let alone provide well-trained soldiers for the Third Prince to take with him.

Only when everything was a foregone conclusion did Mu Jingxu see the severed heads on the rebel army’s flag from afar and realize what had happened.

Then he knew he could no longer afford to die.

He had to return to the capital. There were many things he still had to do.

……

The autumn wind rustled the leaves in the courtyard.

Mu Jingxu spoke slowly: “Sheng Chengli sought me out himself, saying he wanted to fight for his legitimate right and asked if I could help him. I asked him what he could offer me, and he said his life.”

He was an ambitious young man; Mu Jingxu knew this the moment he first saw him.

Ke Hongxue thought he was unaware, but having faced the deepest and most severe betrayal, how could Mu Jingxu not see through it? He just had to pretend he didn’t.

“So I poisoned him, with the agreement to provide an antidote once a month,” Mu Jingxu said lightly, not at all like the bloodless, white-robed figure from Rong Tang’s memories.

Su Huaijing was momentarily stunned, his hand hanging by his side, unconsciously clenched.

His brother should not be like this; he was supposed to be as distant and pure as the wind and the moon.

Su Huaijing collected himself and asked, “What did you tell Ke Hongxue?”

Mu Jingxu frowned slightly, “I told him that I wanted to choose a wise ruler for the world. Among the princes in the palace, only Cheng Shengli could be of use to me. His nature is not bad, and perhaps he can be trained.”

Su Huaijing: “Did he believe you?”

“I don’t know,” Mu Jingxu shook his head, his expression a bit lost, “I can’t figure him out.”

Ke Hongxue had his own set of principles for dealing with the world, not necessarily contradictory to Mu Jingxu’s, but he just couldn't understand Ke Han Ying.

Just like he still didn’t know how back in Linyuan Academy, Ke Hongxue managed to recognize him and why he was so certain he was an old acquaintance.

“Brother,” Su Huaijing called out to him, and Mu Jingxu looked over, hearing him ask, “So what do you think? Do you really want to cultivate a wise ruler for the world?”

The scent of osmanthus and persimmons wafted through the courtyard, rich and fragrant.

Mu Jingxu remained silent for a moment, then counter-asked, “Who in that palace do you think can become a wise ruler now?”

The two looked at each other for a long time. Su Huaijing fell silent for a while, then lowered his head and laughed, “No wonder you are reluctant to admit it.”

They were both people who crawled out of hell, walking on the edge of a knife. One misstep could mean complete destruction. How could his brother pull someone else into this, to die alongside him?

“As long as Ke Taifu is alive, as long as Uncle Ke still controls the economy of Jiangnan, no matter who sits on the throne, Ke Hongxue will always have a natural immunity. How could you possibly let him risk his life with you?” Su Huaijing chuckled softly, shaking his head, sighing, “Brother, you and Tang Tang are the same, both unable to see your own hearts clearly.”

Or rather, they both saw it clearly but neither wanted to admit it.

Author’s note:

The main theme of these four characters is that none of them ever speaks the truth to each other.