Chapter 126

Chapter 126

Rong Tang, who had crossed over at the age of twenty, had experienced over a hundred bouts of illness during the nine years spanning three lifetimes: three years, four years, and another two years.

From minor colds and dizziness to serious unconsciousness and loss of control, he had become accustomed to these ailments.

The system told him that these were inherent weaknesses of his current body.

It said that if he completed tasks well and earned system currency to exchange for medicine, he could alleviate the pain and lessen the severity of his condition.

After two lifetimes, Rong Tang had no doubts about this.

So much so that on the eve of this serious illness, feeling the pain seeping from his bones, he could still smile and say to the system, "Looks like there will be a heavy snowfall this year."

His health was linked to the seasons. With the sudden drop in temperature and the imminent snowstorm, it was normal for Rong Tang and many elderly people with poor health to fall ill, and it wasn't something to be overly concerned about.

It was just that if the pain became too severe, he would need to inform Su Huaijing in advance to avoid worrying him.

The next day, Rong Tang got up as usual, had breakfast as usual, and with Su Huaijing attending court, he took a carriage to visit Mu Jingxu.

Yuan Yuan was studying in the study, while Rong Tang and Mu Jingxu sat in the hall, chatting by the fire, watching the gloomy sky outside and the approaching winter snow.

Then Rong Tang stood up, suddenly feeling an intense, piercing pain in his head, as if a thorny needle was being twisted into his flesh. He nearly stumbled and fell.

Rong Tang quickly steadied himself and said with a smile in Mu Jingxu's astonished and worried gaze, "I've been sitting too long, feeling a bit dizzy."

Afterwards, he chatted nonchalantly for a while, then turned to leave and got into the carriage heading back to his residence.

Along the way, passersby hurried along under the darkening sky, leaving Rong Tang feeling an inexplicable, vague anxiety, unable to settle his emotions.

Until a thunderous sound from the north seemed to split the heavy clouds, with the continuous, piercing sound of firecrackers echoing throughout ten miles of Yu Capital.

The carriage horse got spooked. Rong Tang was momentarily startled, suddenly regaining his focus without a clear reason.

He took a moment to compose himself, then asked the system softly, "Is it the completion of Sheng Chengli's residence?"

The system, a swirling orb of light, anxiously circled around Rong Tang. Hearing the question, it lowered its voice, careful not to disturb its host or to be too quiet for him to hear, sounding like a child who had done something wrong: [Yes, Tangtang.]

Rong Tang closed his eyes and nodded, "I see."

How to explain all these events? Rong Tang found it increasingly difficult to fathom and predict.

The two clouds in his mind changed every day, subtle but real.

The grey fog became clearer day by day, almost revealing the hidden space of the system beneath it; the black fog weakened daily, as if eroded and diluted by the grey, until the dense black turned to grey, and the grey turned transparent.

Rong Tang held onto this hope, waiting for the day when it would become completely transparent.

But since Duke Wu Kang's conspiracy, one side of the grey fog indeed became increasingly transparent, while the other side's blackness thickened and condensed again, as if it had gained some kind of support.

Until just now, when he looked, vast swathes of black fog began to extend its claws toward the other side.

That was Sheng Chengli, Rong Tang was almost certain.

After the Duke Wu Kang incident, Emperor Ren Shou showed even more affection for the fifth prince. Despite the delay of a year, the male lead could still follow the path the heavens hoped for him.

The second prince left the capital, the third prince's influence grew, the fourth prince passed away, the sixth prince was destined by heaven, while the seventh and eighth princes were too weak to contest for the throne.

Whether to save the Emperor or to balance the court, Sheng Xuyan needed Sheng Chengli, a prince like him, to be his target.

The weakening of the black fog was due to Sheng Chengli leaving the capital; its resurgence was because Sheng Chengli once again stepped into the Emperor's presence, becoming his beloved prince.

Rong Tang unconsciously wondered, what was he then?

And what exactly did all his pain amount to?

The system whirled anxiously as Rong Tang closed his eyes, enduring the pain silently as he had always done.

Snow began to fall outside the window, the sound of horse hooves on snow rustling softly, very pleasant to hear.

On the other side of the capital, a grand and imposing residence was completed, marking the emergence of a new and real noble in the capital.

-

Zhou Gang resigned, leaving the position of the Censorate Minister vacant, and Su Huaijing's ascension to the role was almost universally accepted by all in the court and beyond.

Inside the Censorate, several senior censors were organizing documents, smiling at each other, "The fifth prince’s new residence is completed, what gifts have you all prepared to congratulate him?"

"The Imperial Censorate must remain impartial and upright. It's best for you, Sir, not to associate too closely with the prince."

"It's just a matter of presenting gifts," the first speaker said nonchalantly. "It's neither sycophancy nor forming cliques. Congratulating the prince on his coming of age and moving out of the palace is something even His Majesty tacitly approves of. Why do you make it sound so serious?"

As he spoke, he turned his head to ask someone who hadn't participated in the conversation: "What do you think, Sir Su?"

Su Huaijing, unfazed, put down his brush and looked up with a smile, "His Majesty is benevolent and values family bonds. Indeed, there's no need to escalate this to the level of forming factions for personal gain. If word gets out, it might lead to criticisms that the Imperial Censorate is rigid and inflexible, unable to adapt."

The initial speaker's lips curled up triumphantly, finding a supporter, and he asked cheerfully, "In that case, Sir Su, why don't you join me after your shift to congratulate the Fifth Prince on his housewarming and perhaps share a drink?"

"No, thank you." Su Huaijing declined succinctly, his eyes curving slightly, "It's going to snow today. The roads will be difficult to travel later, and I need to return home."

"Why does Magistrate Su always hurry back to his mansion every day after his duties? He neither socializes with us nor stays a moment longer in the office," someone wondered aloud.

Su Huaijing replied calmly and openly, "My husband needs to go to bed at the fourth quarter of the 'xushi' hour every day. I finish my duties at the 'shenshi' hour, and it takes two quarters of an hour to travel back home. Dinner takes another two quarters. Altogether, my husband and I only have one hour and six quarters to spend together each day, not even two full hours. How could I dare waste any of this time?"

At these words, the room fell silent. Some officials, newly appointed after this year's imperial examinations, even opened their mouths in surprise, evidently astounded.

However, Su Huaijing smiled lightly and continued, "It would be better for all of you to return home early after your duties as well. Your spouses have been waiting all day at home. If we can't even devote this small amount of time wholeheartedly to our families, then what was the purpose of binding our hair together in marriage and drinking the wedding wine?"

As the bell signaling the end of the workday rang, Su Huaijing stood up, gathered his things, and bowed slightly, ready to leave.

Before leaving, he said, somewhat ambiguously to the official who had first spoken, "Although His Majesty might not mind, the monarch's heart is unfathomable and unpredictable, and officials should know better than to guess at His Majesty's intentions. However..."

He paused, then with a smile said, "I wonder if the Third Prince and Marshal Xia will attend the completion ceremony of the Fifth Prince's mansion?"

After saying this, Su Huaijing nodded once more and finally left the office.

The officials in the room, who had been planning to visit the Fifth Prince's residence that evening, froze for a moment, then exchanged glances filled with a sudden realization and fear.

"The Emperor's heart is inscrutable, so one should never assume to know his thoughts based on his momentary preferences. Recently, His Majesty has shown great favor to the Fifth Prince, but even this favored son once spent over a decade in the cold palace and half a year guarding the imperial mausoleum."

"Who can guarantee that such immense wealth and favor will not be withdrawn someday?"

"As for the Third Prince..."

"As long as Noble Consort Hui and Marshal Xia stand, the Third and Sixth Princes will always be prime candidates for the heir apparent. If they join together to congratulate the Fifth Prince today, what would the Third Prince think?"

Shivering slightly, someone quickly regained composure, gathered their documents, and said with a laugh, "My wife told me she’s made soup and asked me to come home early tonight. I’ll see you gentlemen tomorrow."

One by one, the others quickly followed suit, each making their own excuse to leave.

"My rascal son has been neglecting his studies these past few days, infuriating his mother several times. I must take charge and deal with it today."

"My wife has been longing to watch a play for quite some time. Today, I finished my duties early, so I should take her to see one."

"My wife..."

"My mother..."

"My daughter..."

Suddenly, everyone in the government office dispersed to return to their homes. That day, not a single official from the Censorate attended the grand feast at Sheng Chengli's new residence.

Su Huaijing sat in the carriage on his way back to Yong'an Lane, watching the heavy snow falling outside the window, feeling a surge of anxiety.

"Tangtang had some pain yesterday. I added an extra pain-relieving herb to his medicinal meal, but with today's heavy snowfall, I'm worried that might not be enough to help Rong Tang endure."

"We have enough coal at home since before winter began, but staying all day in a stuffy room can be suffocating for anyone."

"These days, Rong Tang has been accustomed to visiting his elder brother for fun. Sometimes, they sneak out in disguise with Yuan Yuan, buying him snacks and toys, taking him to watch plays and listen to storytellers, living even more freely than those pampered young masters in the capital who have been well-off since birth."

"I'm not happy about it, but I can't stop Tangtang from going out."

"But today, it's snowing..."

Lost in thought, Su Huaijing's brows furrowed slightly. He pushed open the closed carriage door and said in a low voice, "Drive faster."

"If Tangtang is in pain, I need to be there immediately to apply moxibustion and medicine."

Before the carriage even came to a complete stop, Su Huaijing jumped out impatiently, unable to wait even a second longer.

"The snow on the steps covered the surface of his shoes, quickly soaking a large patch."

Feeling displeased, he headed straight for the bedroom, but Rong Tang was nowhere to be seen, nor was anyone in the study.

Just when Su Huaijing thought Rong Tang might have stayed at Mu Jingxu's house for dinner, Shuangfu passed by the door and called out in confusion, "My lord?"

Su Huaijing turned around: "Where's Tangtang?"

"In the kitchen," Shuangfu replied. "The young master said he wanted to have goose soup today and is discussing how to make it with the cook."

Su Huaijing's anxiety immediately dissipated, and he let out a sigh of relief, heading towards the kitchen.

Rong Tang was peeking out from behind the stove, his cheeks flushed red from the firelight, looking like a ripe, delicious apple.

Su Huaijing's heart stirred at the sight, and he called softly from the doorway, "Tangtang."

Rong Tang paused, then turned his head, smiling gently upon seeing who it was: "You're back?"

Su Huaijing nodded and extended his hand: "Come here."

Rong Tang immediately dropped the wood he was about to put in the stove, patted his clothes, and ran over with a small leap.

Su Huaijing chuckled, pulling him close by the wrist as his expression momentarily changed, then quickly returned to normal. He smiled, picking off bits of straw from his hair and pulling him close: "Why aren't you waiting for me in the room?"

Rong Tang casually explained, "I suddenly got a craving."

Su Huaijing, noticing the forced ease on his face, didn't point it out but whispered, "But Tangtang, you stole half a quarter of an hour from me."

Rong Tang froze, looking at Su Huaijing without fully understanding.

The latter led him by the hand towards the main hall, turning a corner where the lanterns glowed red and the heavy snow fell beyond the light.

Su Huaijing tightened his grip, their positions shifting, and Rong Tang found himself pressed against the wall, the lantern swaying, casting shadows across their faces.

Su Huaijing leaned in, his gaze lowered, looking into his eyes, his smile gentle and his hold firm.

As their breaths intertwined, Rong Tang heard him whisper softly, "Tangtang, you owe me."

Kisses landed near the lips as the heavy snow fell in the courtyard.

One concealed their panic, the other hid their secret; both were fiercely silent.