Chapter 19 – Difference

The entire area is lit by the bright campfire that late night, but because of the exhaustion from the road rush, everyone rested early. Aside from the soldiers patrolling, only a few people are seen walking around.

Mei Li washes Yonghe’s used handkerchief in the stream. The spring starry sky formed a radiant dome over the vast plain, it looked so beautiful that it takes one’s breath away. Mei Li crouched on a rock by the stream and gazed up at the invisible Milky Way, mesmerized.

“I got this.” Yonghe, who had been building a fire on the shore, shouted as he set up a section of a horizontal pole with two large tree branches and hoisted an iron pot in which the wormwood juice gradually thickened as the water warmed up.

By the light of the fire, he could see the faint melancholy on her face, “What’s wrong?” He approached her and gently embraced her by her shoulders.

Mei Li nestled in his arms, looking at the deep starry sky and sighed, “Such a vast night sky, I… really like looking into it. It’s much more beautiful than the view in the capital and the palace!”

“It will be difficult to do that for now. But in the future, I’ll take you out of town to see it whenever you want.” Yonghe smiled and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

Mei Li smiled and did not reply. She knew that in the future… there would be fewer opportunities. She is determined to be a good wife, a good daughter-in-law, a good mother. For the whole day, the domestic housework is very complicated. She even needs to go to the palace to socialize. She knew that if she gets married, she won’t have time to enjoy such a leisure.

“I heard my father say that the His Majesty intends him to be released from his governor post. When that time comes, I will also ask Lao Zuzong and the emperor for my resignation so that I can accompany father. In this way…” He rubbed his chin against the top of Mei Li’s head and looked deep into the night sky with infinite longing. “…I can then take you away from all these nasty things in the capital and live a leisurely life freely for a few years. Wherever you want to go, I’ll take you there. To the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan, the culture and customs of Zhejiang.”

She froze and looked up at his handsome face as he spoke with emotion. Deeply engrossed in the happy future he had envisioned for her, she gazed at him gratefully, her eyes gradually blurred. She can’t believe that the warm home she had been seeking for so long is now in front of her… it’s him.

“Yonghe…” she called him swooningly. She is so grateful that happy tears slid down her cheeks.

“Why are you crying?” He let her lie in the bend of his arm, looking down at her beautiful face. Her beautiful eyes that looked like the reflection of the autumn moon from the spring river, the layer of mist made people who see it feel a lot of heartache. His throat moved slightly, his lips have fallen on the pair of clear eyes that took away his three souls and seven spirits¹.

She is too beautiful to be true. Whatever he has to give to have her, he’ll gladly exchange it! Even his life… Not to mention fame and status!

She moaned slightly and trembled at his kiss, but she didn’t dodge it and even raised her arms around his neck in a somewhat unpracticed but determined manner.

He whimpered, moved with great emotion, carrying her from the low round stones tumbling to the grass at the edge of the stream, he gathered her with his arms as if ready to protect her from the slightest harm.

“Mei Li ……” he pinned her to the grass but supported the weight of his body on his elbows. He whispered her name like a sigh, his hot lips kissing her soft cherry lips deeply. As she clenched her teeth, he doted released her already panting mouth. But then he suddenly licked across her fine moist neck; so she cried out in alarm. Yonghe fiercely went back and sucked on her slightly opened lips, sending his fondness into her delicate softness.

She trembled violently and whimpered beneath him. Yonghe felt the heat from his body rushing into his head, and he tugged at her lapels hurriedly. Although he was trying to be gentle with her his desire for her was greater than anything else. He rubbed the soft abundance beneath her thin spring shirt which made her moan a few panicked sound that made him explode.

But then, a cold laugh resounded nearby. Splashing on them like a cold water on an already red metal, watering down the hot fire that was about to melt. Yonghe’s scalp exploded and he quickly covered up the clothes for the already dazed and trembling Mei Li underneath him. He looked up in shame at this undead visitor.

“Jingxuan ge?” He frowned, unapologetically glaredat the guy who was looking at them with an expressionless face; his eyes shone dangerously under the night sky. The number of times he appeared around them… Mei Li had reached a point where she was already suspicious.

“Really? In here? This place less than a few feet from the tents.” He sneered, his tone bitterly, his eyes cruelly fixed on Mei Li who had her back to him in Yonghe’s arms. She gradually stopped trembling “You have no shame, as if you want to die.” He let out a laugh, the insult is so apparent in his loud and mean voice.

Yonghe looked at him for a moment, let go of Mei Li and stood up. “What are you doing here?”

Jingxuan was angered by his disrespectful tone, but he just narrowed his eyes coldly, “Your father is here and I can’t find you anywhere.”

Yonghe frowned and said nothing. He could send his subordinates for such a small matter. But then… if it were really the subordinates who came to witness the scene just now… He was really reckless, he just pursed his mouth in regret. Pulling up Mei Li, he said in a soft voice, “Come and see father with me.”

Mei Li nodded.

“Your father is in Lao Zuzong’s tent right now with a large group of dear and noble women. After not finding you for half a day, you want her to go with you looking like this?” Jingxuan coldly mocked in a low voice, raised his chin in anger and nodded at Mei Li whose clothes are clearly disheveled.

Yonghe felt more guilty. He was really reckless. It was Mei Li who was put in a compromising position.

“You should go first!” Jingxuan ordered irrefutably.

Yonghe was still hesitating but Mei Li motioned at him, telling him not to worry. She pushed him gently. There was really no other way. Yonghe frowned and walked quickly towards the camp.

As he passed by, Jingxuan picked the corners of his mouth and hummed with utmost mockery, “Go ahead and hurry up so you can come back for your toy. Are you afraid that it will fly away? Don’t hurt it, okay?”

Yonghe froze and finally snapped, “Who are you to say that about me? The one who has the least right to accuse me is you!”

Jingxuan’s face did not change, only more morbidly cold, “Is that so?”

“Yonghe, go on.” Mei Li had already turned her back on them and straightened her clothes, calmly and without waves, putting the washed handkerchiefs piece by piece into the already boiling wormood extracts, her softness calmed the men who were about to burst into flames. “Don’t keep your father waiting, I’ll go in the camp after in a while.”

Yonghe smiled, stared at Jingxuan, and walked away quickly.

Jingxuan’s face was finally filled with anger, “Are you really shameless?” He scolded her without any scruples, not afraid of hurting her at all. “You haven’t married him yet!” He took a deep breath, afraid that he would say more vicious words, “You are so close to the tents! What are you gonna do if you are seen by others?? Are you that short of men?!”

Her shoulders trembled lightly, but after a few moments, she managed to actually laugh that Jingxuan’s anger got choked in his chest.

“Your highness, you are really ridiculous.”

“What?!” He was furious. Jingxuan took a few steps forward and grabbed her up. The sneer on her face caused his anger to burn down through his internal organs.

“Yonghe is the husband appointed to me by Lao Zuzong. Whatever he wants to do with me, I will happily oblige.” She had no fear left. Ever since he trampled her last trace of infatuation, he could not hurt her anymore.

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her so hard that she nearly vomited from his shaking, “Why are you like this? Are men the most important thing now?”

She tried to calm her nausea as she sneered, “Yes! Except for Yonghe, I don’t care much about anything anymore.”

It’s ridiculous for him to question her about this! Did he ever think of her situation in the first place? Did he ever think of the reproach and ridicule she would have to face?

Her words pierced the weak spot of his heart. He flinched and loosened his grip, “Mei Li… do you still blame me?”

She couldn’t help but snicker and not look at him. Yeah, he had that luxury, thinking the women’s hearts would always be with him, but unfortunately… she wasn’t anymore.

“I’ve said it many times, young master, your big wedding is coming up, don’t be distracted and worried about our affairs as to be husband and wife.”

His expression became cruel again, releasing his hand, he glanced at her and sneered, “Husband and wife? That’s a generous admission on your part.”

Released from his hands, she continued to stir the handkerchiefs in the wormwood juice with a wooden stick as if nothing had happened. She fished out the cooked ones and putting them into a small clean basin.

Jingxuan looked silently, “Mei Li, you have never done this to me? If you had treated me like how you treated him…” He didn’t want to say something that would make him feel humiliated, he paused for a moment, “How could I have abandoned you then?”

She shook violently and the hot juice splashed onto her hand and she was scalded.

“Be careful!” He snatched up her hand impatiently, throwing both the paddle and the wooden stick she was holding far away. He took hold of her hand, “Where were you burned?”

The pain had passed and she lowered her eyes, abruptly pulled her hand back from his.

“Your highness, the past… is all in the past.”

Maybe he was right, that year she did not know what to do and could not get his love. But everything does not make sense now; who is right and who is wrong, who owes who, these are all meaningless.

“All in the past, huh?” He sneered.

“Your highness, please go back. The current Mei Li and… Jingxuan,” she said his name bitterly, still causing his heart to shrink, “have now become different.”

“Right!” He grunted. Well said. It’s all different now!

Not far away, there was a slight rustling sound in the grass. Mei Li did not notice, but he was alert and said, “Who is there?!”

Mei Li was startled. Before she could react, Jingxuan had already rushed over in the grass and pulled out the shivering Jingxian.

“How long have you been watching here?!” He pinched Jingxian’s neck angrily, with veins bursting on his forehead.

Miri was frightened by him. Why was he so angry?

“No… I didn’t see anything… I just came.” Jingxian shivered so much that she couldn’t stand still.

Jingxuan narrowed his eyes and threw her on the grass. His face had calmed down, but his eyes were still full of forbearing killing intent. “Oh? Really?”

Jingxian was also frightened by his cruelty and nodded desperately.

“If…” he smiled like a bloodthirsty demon, “I hear anything about anything that happened tonight, Jingxian, I don’t need your life. But your father is already old and sick What will happen if you and all your brothers were sent to the frontier? Would your life be easy?”

Jingxian’s face paled and she couldn’t even speak.

Mei Li silently watched. So he minded everything. Was he afraid that Suying would find out that he had said these words to her?

“Bad luck will always befall gossipmongers!” He sneered threateningly at Jingxian, “If I find you still talking to her and fanning the flames behind her back in the future, prepare to go to the frontier with your brothers to serve the country well!” He glanced at Mei Li with a complicated look.

“Let’s go!” He turned back to pull Mei Li who was still in her thoughts.

“My handkerchieves!” She wanted to break free from his hand.

“You!” Jingxuan squeezed her wrist unbearably, it was so painful that tears blurred her eyes. But she refused to cry, and he could only let go of her hand.

Flinging her away, he doused the fire with a basin of water and glared at Jingxian who was still sitting on the grass in a state of disorientation, “Aren’t you going away yet?”

Jingxian shivered, and ran back to the camp.

He picked up the small basin pushed full of handkerchieves and headed for the camp. Mei Li reached for it, and he shoved it into her hands with annoyance and so much force that she took two steps backwards.

“Will you always make me clean up your mess?” He said hatefully.

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Notes:

[1] 三魂七魄 (3 hun, 7 po) In Daoism, a person is believed to have 3 immortal souls representing spirit and intellect, and 7 mortal forms representing carnal life and desires