An unexpected guest has arrived at Murong House.
Murong Yunshu looked at the person in front of her and pondered for a long time before speaking, "Biaoge."
Hearing this 'biaoge', Hua Lingtian was very relieved and smiled. "I thought Yunshu had long since disowned me as your Biaoge."
Murong Yunshu smiled, too, and that smile of hers was full of one who had seen the ocean and thought nothing of mere rivers. Between them, they are no longer the green plums and a bamboo horse, just like when they were young. "Biaoge, what can I do for you this time?"
"Can't I come just to see you if I have nothing to do?" Hua Lingtian asked her back.
Since Hua Lingtian did not want to tell her, Murong Yunshu did not point it out and just smilingly said, "If Biaoge just came to have a casual meal, that would naturally be more than fine."
"You are still as indifferent and casual as before." Hua Lingtian lamented.
"Murong Mansion hasn't changed, so of course, Yunshu won't change either." Murong Yunshu unwittingly responded.
But Hua Lingtian heard her off-key message――the world has changed, and so have you.
Hua Lingtian did not deny it, nor did he want to. Being in his position, there was too much that he could not do. Reality had forced him to change, to the extent that he sometimes felt strange even when he looked at himself in the mirror. She couldn't understand these things, and he didn't expect her to. She had never been interested in his affairs before, and now that she was another person's woman and a mother, she would be even less interested.
"I came to see how you are doing." Hua Lingtian said.
"Biaoge." Murong Yunshu suddenly stopped smiling, and his eyes were full of detachment, "Now that things have come to this, let's save all these pleasantries. You have national affairs to attend to, and I have family affairs to attend to. We are both people who cannot afford to waste time."
Hua Lingtian sighed lightly at her words and said, "Yunshu, why do you have to be so indifferent to me? Although I am now the ruler of a country, I am likewise your biaoge! This is something that will never change."
Murong Yunshu's brows were also tinged with a faint layer of sadness as she said softly, "But now you have long lost the ability to be a brother. In the past, my Biaoge would launch the army and condemn the other party's sins because of seeing me frowned, and then tried to make me happy. But now, my Biaoge, who is so busy with his day-to-day life, can't even see me frown, let alone amuse me. We have both grown up. Growing up means estrangement between us."
Hua Lingtian suddenly wanted to laugh, but what came out on his face was bitterness and sadness. The Biaomei he had cherished for so long, the one he knew would marry someone else but still hold her in his heart, was now treating him like a stranger.
Such a ridiculous, pathetic situation.
Would things have ended differently between them if he hadn't gone to the capital to become the prince in the first place?
It was a question he had pondered countless times but could not find an answer to.
After fixing his mood, Hua Lingtian calmly asked, "I just want to ask you one question."
Murong Yunshu raised her eyes to him and waited for him to continue.
"Who exactly are you going to help?" Hua Lingtian asked.
Murong Yunshu's eyelashes slightly trembled as she asked casually, "Who does Biaoge wish me to help?"
"You know it in your heart."
"The one whom I will help, shouldn't it already clear in Biaoge's mind?"
"How can I make you change your mind?"
Murong Yunshu did not answer his question but only said, "Yunshu's nature, Biaoge should know it very well."
Hua Lingtian's black eyes moved as he whispered, "Yunshu, I am your kin."
Murong Yunshu turned her back on him and said indifferently, "Biaoge shouldn't have come to Jinling this time."
Hua Lingtian's heart sank at her words. "What do you mean by that?"
"How about Biaoge staying at Murong Mansion for a little while?" Murong Yunshu suddenly brought up something unrelated like wind, horse and ox. Although it was just a question, it carried a strong implication for him to stay.
Hua Lingtian was shocked, "You want to help Hua Yeli deal with me?!"
Murong Yunshu was silent, a tacit acknowledgement of his accusation.
Hua Lingtian was astounded for a long time, then suddenly laughed aloud with an unusually poignant sound. "Good, how wonderful. Even my Biaomei has betrayed me."
Murong Yunshu closed her eyes. She felt as if a knife were being twisted in her heart. Why did she ever have to be in a battle between Heaven and man? When did she ever stop thinking of her former friendship? However, if she allowed her Biaoge to continue on this imperial path which would spill a thousand miles of blood, the ending would only be more tragic.
The seemingly vast Daye Dynasty had, in fact, long since fallen apart. The ministers did not look like ministers, and the Emperor did not look like an Emperor. In the past four years, the economies of both Western Shu and Yanzhou had been developing rapidly. The lives of people from all walks of life, including scholars, farmers, industrialists, and business people, had also improved. On the other hand, the Daye Dynasty was like a ball, gradually rotting from the inside out, with songs and dances everywhere and everyone pretending to be peaceful, seemingly intact, but full of holes. Once Hua Yeli and Hua Tiansheng have split the difference between them, the one who won would launch an attack on the Imperial Court. By then, the towering building of the Daye Dynasty would have collapsed with no possibility of repair.
"Emperor Tian and Emperor Ye have spent these four years nourishing their spirit and store up their vigour, while you have spent four years squandering what little life force is left in the Daye Dynasty. I just want to ask, what are you going to use to fight against them? On what basis do you expect me to help you?"
Murong Yunshu's words pierced Hua Lingtian's heart like a cold knife, so painful that he lost himself, knowing only the pain but not knowing where it was.
Hua Lingtian fell back in his chair as if his strength had instantly drained away, muttering, "You think I haven't tried? I have also tried to grow in strength. But with such a large court, the top and bottom of the court are scattered. What can I do......I have no way......"
Murong Yunshu wanted to say, 'you can't even govern the country when it was given to you, so what are you still doing with it?' But she couldn't say it. No matter how incompetent he was, he was still her family after all. She had tried to break off all ties with him. But after so much experience, especially since Little Murong was born, her family became more precious.
"Stay at Murong Mansion for now. You can still do a lot of things without becoming the Emperor." After leaving these words behind, Murong Yunshu quickly went away.
Hua Lingtian looked forward numbly with an unfocused gaze.
Hua Lingtian had expected Murong Yunshu to refuse. If he hadn't been this desperate, he wouldn't have come to Jinling. But he never predicted that Murong Yunshu would not only refuse to help him but also put him under house arrest.
There were still many things he could do without being Emperor?
Maybe the old him could. But now, he has long forgotten how to be an average person.
*
The following day. Hua Lingtian committed suicide in the Murong Mansion guest room.
Looking at the corpse in front of her, Murong Yunshu only felt a rush of cold blood going straight to her head. Her mind became blank, and her body lost its fulcrum. [+]
"Yunshu!" Chu Changge held Murong Yunshu, who had fainted, and said to the steward behind him, "Get the physician immediately."
"Yes, yes"
*
"There is nothing seriously wrong with her body. Madam was just stimulated before she suddenly fainted. This old man will prescribe two tonic pills for her to nourish her body."
"Thank you." Chief Steward Qian sent the physician out and then ordered a fellow worker to go and prepare the prescription. Finally, when he noticed Lu-er standing in the corner with a sad look, he spoke, "Miss Lu-er, the physician said that Miss is fine. You shouldn't be too sad."
Lu-er shook her head sullenly. "It must have been hard on Miss's heart when she found Young Master Biao to be dead."
With a long sigh, Chief Steward Qian said, "This is all fate. Young Master Biao started and ended here. Things have a good beginning and a good ending. Miss is so wise. She will surely understand."
Lu-er was silent. Others didn't know, but she was clear. Miss' heart was, in fact, very kind. Indifference was just a way of hiding her heart. Pretending not to care so that she could act as if nothing had happened when she lost someone. Then she would not be pitied. But inside, she hurt more than anyone else. When the Old Mistress passed away, Miss was the one who became strong in front of other people, but she was shedding tears behind them.
Young Master Biao, do you know, the life you give up so easily is the one that those innocent dead people could not even hope for even with all of their strength......
*
When Murong Yunshu opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was a shrunken version of Chu Changge, lying on the side of the bed watching over her without blinking. When he saw her wake up, he immediately opened her eyes wide in surprise and called out, "Mom, you're awake!"
Murong Yunshu sat up and looked around. She found that Chu Changge was not in the room and was about to ask Little Murong where he had gone, when she heard Little Murong say, "Dad didn't feel at ease with other people, so he let me stay here to guard Mom, and went to boil the medicine himself."
"I feel even more unease about the medicine he personally boiled." Murong Yunshu responded with a smile. I also feel unease when I found this chapter not at xinshou blogspot com.
As she spoke, she saw Chu Changge walk in with his hands carefully carrying a bowl of medicine that was still steaming. He raised his eyebrows as he pointed out, "If Madam doesn't feel at ease with me, who else can Madam be at ease with?"
Murong Yunshu's heart stirred. She just smiled gently, not even answering his question.
"Murong, move aside."
"Oh." Chu Murong obediently gave the best place to serve Murong Yunshu to Chu Changge, then stood by the bed and said, "Mom, Dad said that you fainted because you were stimulated. Who irritated Mom? Mom can tell Murong. Murong will bring him here to apologise to Mom."
After being reminded by Chu Murong, Murong Yunshu remembered what happened to Hua Lingtian, and the scene instantly filled her heart with dark clouds.
Chu Changge glared at Chu Murong in a bad mood, giving him a 'go where the temperature is cool and stay there' look.
Receiving his father's order, Chu Murong immediately climbed onto a chair not far from the bed and sat down, with his two legs hanging in the air and swinging.
"Don't think so much for now. Just take the medicine." Chu Changge scooped a spoonful of medicine, placed it close to his mouth and blew gently. Afterwards, he brought it to Murong Yunshu's mouth.
Murong Yunshu opened her mouth and was about to drink, but then she saw Chu Murong looked at her with that kind of eyes focused on studying martial arts secrets and in confusion. She couldn't help being slightly embarrassed. "I'll do it myself." She uttered.
But Chu Changge ignored her and asked loudly, "Murong, do you think it's better for Mom to drink the medicine herself or for Dad to feed it to her?"
Chu Murong answered without thinking, "It's better if Dad fed Mom."
What a pair of father and son who became like fog and vapour in one air! Murong Yunshu gave Chu Changge an amusing look. You just found yourself a helper, didn't you?
Chu Changge smugly smiled as he delivered the medicine to Murong Yunshu's mouth.
As soon as she touched the spoon, Murong Yunshu tilted her head to the side and frowned. "Bitter."
"Is it bitter?" Chu Changge would compensate for it. "It's a bit bitter. But after this, it won't be bitter."
Not waiting for Murong Yunshu to understand what he meant by this statement, Chu Changge sealed her lips with a mouthful of medicine. [T/N]
By the time Murong Yunshu came back to her senses, the medicine had already entered her throat. She hadn't had time to feel whether it was bitter or not......
"You…...." Murong Yunshu blushed and pretended to be angry. "Murong is still here!"
Chu Changge raised his sword eyebrows and said, "Son, this is called 'lovely is this noble lady, fit bride for our lord, sought her and could not get her, thus had to use force to coerce'."
"Oh." Chu Murong nodded to his father's teaching.
Murong Yunshu's face was suddenly full of black lines as if she had already seen the glorious image of the handsome and dashing Chu Murong forcibly robbing other people's daughters......
Noob Translator's Little Note
Chu Changge raised his sword eyebrows and said, "Son, this is called 'lovely is this noble lady, fit bride for our lord, sought her and could not get her, thus had to use force to coerce'."
Chu Changge was quoting a few parts from a poem in The Book of Songs called 'The Ospreys Cry'. The translation was translated by Arthur Waley, whom I love the most out of all the translations made for the poem. You can take a visit to Lessons in Archaic Chinese: The 詩經 (UPDATED: Song #3) for the other translations of the same poetry. Though, I couldn't find this part '武力强留' from it. Either Chu Changge took it from another poem, or he just made it himself.
And...Hua Lingtian's death is such a shock to me. Really. I never expected he would choose that road.
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Black Belly Wife