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墨書 Inktalez
The two jumped out of the window, and the night at the Young Master's residence became exceptionally quiet. Only a few patrolling guards carrying lanterns occasionally passed by; it was rare for anyone to be out at such a late hour.
They crossed the Western Garden and passed by the place where Ying lived. The lights were still on, and through the sheer curtains, two silhouettes could be faintly seen. One was sitting, and the other was standing, facing each other in a tranquil and harmonious manner. Although Ji Xun's expression could not be seen at this moment, one could still sense his sadness and deep pain.
He must be grieving for that unborn child...
San Chun couldn't help but stop for a moment, feeling a pang in her heart. If there is a kind of love that can transcend romantic love, it must be familial love. In her heart, perhaps a child is more important than anything else.
Dong Dong approached her, "What's wrong? Do you want to say something to him?"
She shook her head; what was there to say at this time?
As she turned to leave, she accidentally kicked a copper water pot with her foot. She wondered which careless gardener had left it there after watering the flowers.
The two people in the room heard the noise, and someone leaned out of the window.
"Quickly go," Dong Dong pulled her, and they quickly ran forward.
Seeing the window open, Ying asked, "Young Master, what happened?"
Ji Xun suddenly ran out and stood at the door looking around. Was it his illusion? He actually saw San Chun; how could she possibly be here at this time?
Ying had just given birth and couldn't move around freely, but she anxiously tried to get up, calling out, "Young Master, Young Master—."
Hearing her call, Ji Xun hurriedly turned back to support her. "You’re not well; lie down for a while. I'll be right back."
The nightingale did not let go, tightly gripping his sleeve. "Where are you going, Young Master?"
Ji Xun did not answer. Seeing his expression, the nightingale understood and sighed softly, "So you still can't let her go. She has long ceased to be yours; why must you cling to her?"
"You should get some rest," Ji Xun said as he shook her off and pushed the door open to leave.
It wasn't that he couldn't let go; rather, he didn't want to. His feelings for San Chun were beyond what a nightingale could comprehend. He knew she was trying every means to sow discord between him and San Chun, and he pretended to be indifferent towards San Chun as she wished.
But he wasn't truly indifferent; his heart for her had never changed. Seeing her sad made him feel sad too. The reason he acted this way was merely to protect her in a different manner.
It wasn't until he ascended to the throne that he realized the dangers surrounding him were far too many. For some unknown reason, his body seemed weaker than before; he often fell into unconsciousness and had been poisoned twice in the manor. If he hadn't become accustomed to the smell of poison, he might have bled to death by now. Then there was the incident with the nightingale's horse going mad, which seemed like an accident at first, but upon investigation, he found a needle wrapped in soft cloth placed on the horse's body. As it rubbed against the saddle, it gradually pierced into the horse's acupoints. If it weren't for the groom who got pricked while unloading the cart, this cleverly designed trap might have gone unnoticed.
His manor was filled with dangers at every turn; no one knew who would be next to suffer. He dared not get close to San Chun; in Zhao Country, where she had no one to rely on, if she gained his favor, she would likely perish faster than anyone else.
But would this temporary neglect drive her away? No, he didn't believe that. He needed to confirm whether San Chun was in her room.
In a hurry, he went to the Western Garden. San Chun's room was locked; after several attempts to push it open, he still couldn't get in. In the adjacent room, several maidservants had already fallen asleep. He knocked for a long time before finally waking someone up.
Seeing Ji Xun, the maidservants were startled. "Young Master, what brings you here?"
Ji Xun snorted coldly. "Where is Madam?"
"Madam is unwell; she should be resting," one of them replied.
Should they? As close maids, they didn't even know what the mistress was doing. It seems that the recent rumors in the mansion about the maids neglecting San Chun are not without reason.
He said, "Lead the way."
"Yes."
The maid guided him to the main house, but it seemed that the door was locked from the inside, no matter how hard he pushed, it wouldn't budge.
Ji Xun walked over; the window was open with a large gap. He opened the window and peered inside. The bed was empty, and there was no sign of San Chun. The room was silent except for the wisps of smoke rising from the incense burner.
She left, truly left him behind.
"It’s better this way, better this way." He sighed deeply, feeling a mix of emotions—afraid she would leave yet wanting her to go. His heart was in turmoil.
It seems he is fated to be apart from her in this life. He had missed her once again; was their fate truly at an end? Truly at an end?
With his hand resting on the window sill, tears nearly brimmed in his eyes. If he had known it would come to this, he wouldn't have asked his father for permission to marry her; instead, he ended up losing her.
If he had known that gaining the title of Crown Prince would mean losing her, then he should never have sought that position.
A faint sourness and desolation filled his heart. He spent the entire night in this room, sitting on her bed, gently caressing her clothes. In a daze, he seemed to see a woman gracefully walk into the room and sit across from him, smiling brightly.
"You've returned..." he chuckled softly, reaching out to touch her hair, feeling as if a gentle breeze passed by, bringing with it a fragrant scent...
Second, when the maid of the Western Garden discovered him, he had already fainted on the bed that the Second Lady once slept in.
Just like that day when he suddenly collapsed in the room, without any warning, his vitality seemed to have been drained by something. Several doctors were called to examine him, but they could not find any symptoms of illness. Someone boldly pinched his philtrum, but there were no signs of awakening.
This fainting lasted for seven or eight days. When he finally regained consciousness, his mind was distant and hazy, as if he had merely been dreaming.
*
San Chun and Dong Dong came out of the mansion. Sure enough, a carriage was waiting at the back door. They got into the carriage and headed straight for the city gate.
The city gate opened at dawn. They waited until it was light before leaving Handan City and turning towards the State of Yan.
On the way, Dong Dong kept urging her to go to Wei Kingdom, saying that Chengyang Jun was waiting for her and wanted to see her very much. San Chun just smiled at this.
Right now, she only wanted to live a peaceful life. It was impossible for her to accept Zhong Xue anytime soon.
Zhong Xue had advised her that if she truly did not wish to, she should never be forced. Seeing that she could not be persuaded, Dong Dong had no choice but to safely send her to the State of Yan.
At the border of Yan Kingdom, San Chun asked the carriage to stop. For the rest of the journey, she wanted to walk alone.
Dong Dong touched her nose and asked, "Do you really want to live alone from now on?"
"Yes."
"Don't you want a man?"
San Chun shot him a glare. Dong Dong, feeling embarrassed, could only walk away. After all, he wasn't particularly keen on following her, so escaping early was a good thing.
After Dong Dong left, San Chun went to the city of Jiancheng alone. This city held the deepest feelings for her; if possible, she truly wished to spend her life here.
After leaving the Zhao Kingdom, she brought many valuable items with her. Although currency was not interchangeable among the Seven Kingdoms, the appreciation for valuable items was universal. Especially in the Yan Kingdom, where jade and stones fetched high prices.
San Chun pawned some items to exchange for coins and bought a small courtyard in Jiancheng. It had only three rooms: one main room for herself and the other two for storage.
In truth, she didn't have much to store; it was just that she felt an emptiness inside and always wanted to fill it with something. So she bought a lot of wood and filled the other two rooms completely. Looking at the packed rooms, she didn’t feel they were full at all; instead, her heart felt even emptier.
What should she do? How should she proceed?
After isolating herself for two or three days, she finally remembered she needed to go out. It wasn’t that she had come to her senses; it was simply that her stomach was growling, and she couldn't stand it any longer.
Living alone made everything inconvenient, especially since she couldn't cook. Every time she tried to start a fire, she nearly set the house ablaze. She thought it wouldn’t do to eat out all the time, so she asked a local matchmaker in the city to help her find a maid.
Having lived in Jiancheng for a year before, San Chun was somewhat familiar with the area. Finding someone wasn't too difficult; within a few days, she found a girl.
She called herself Winter Bamboo Shoot and looked to be around thirteen or fourteen years old. She seemed quite clever but wasn't very talkative. San Chun liked this kind of person; being quiet suited her current state of mind.
As time passed, two months flew by. During these two months, she lived very quietly with Winter Bamboo Shoot. Sometimes they wouldn't say a word to each other, just silently sitting together in peace.
From her true heart, San Chun was really not someone who could live a quiet life. When she was in Niushan Village, at least she had Qing by her side; there were people to bicker with, and someone to clean up the mess when trouble arose. She didn't find life too tedious. But now, living a life of seclusion and facing Winter Bamboo Shoot, who was like a closed-off gourd, she initially managed to endure it, but eventually, it became unbearable.
She began to miss people—she thought of Qing, Uncle Qi, even Ji Xun and Zhong Xue, reminiscing about their past together.
Although she tried to convince herself to forget everything from the past and truly become a recluse, it was clear that she couldn't fully achieve that. Enduring for two months had already reached her limit.
She sighed; it seemed that the stimulation from the outside world wasn't enough, or perhaps she should find something to do.
Then she started learning how to cook, practicing cutting vegetables. However, several times she ended up cutting her hands, leaving several cuts on her delicate white fingers. She sighed deeply; even when she used to lift heavy objects or kill, her hands had never been this clumsy. Eventually, even the usually taciturn Winter Bamboo Shoot couldn't help but frown and ask her, "Miss, why don't you just stop learning to cook? The weather outside is nice; why not take a walk?"
San Chun felt tempted. For the first time in two months, she changed into men's clothing and went out with Winter Bamboo Shoot.
The sunlight outside was great; it was a sunny day, and just looking at it seemed to lift her spirits. She took a deep breath and stepped out confidently.
Winter Bamboo Shoot followed behind and asked, "Miss, where are we going?"
"Anywhere is fine."
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