AEOGA CH46

All good scenery belongs to Jiangnan, and of all its wonders, Yunzhou is most famous for Heyue Lake.

True to its name, Heyue Lake was planted full of lotus flowers. In the middle of a midsummer night, melt-soft moonlight spilled across the water, filling the view with a scene of lotuses under the moon and fireflies dancing in flight, a sight of boundless beauty.

Xie Chongjin had toured Heyue Lake times without number. By day, there would be soft-featured, gently endearing men sitting in wupeng boats picking lotuses on the lake. By night, he would ride a pleasure boat, watching the boat lanterns mingle with the fireflies, the moonlight above echoing the starlight. Inside the pleasure boat, a lute player sang Wu-dialect tunes in soft, tender tones while dancing girls performed dances of a thousand seductive charms. Admiring beauties, gazing at fine scenery—anyone seeing it would envy the Emperor for having it so good, able to live so free and uninhibited.

He had never felt free, much less uninhibited. No matter how fine the scenery, he had no heart to admire it.

In his heart, he knew well that whether it was the lotus picker or the singing girls and dancing girls, they were merely calculated ploys arranged by the local prefect to flatter him. Every pleasure boat in the surroundings was manned by security personnel protecting him, and all unrelated passersby had long since been cleared out. For a fair-featured lotus picker to suddenly pop out, every move carrying just the right amount of meticulous design—did they really think he was blind and couldn’t tell?

Yet it was useless even if he could tell. Most players weren’t picky; they would take the lotus pickers or the singing girls and dancing girls into the imperial harem and even bestow rewards upon the prefect who presented the beauties. Every single time left Xie Chongjin utterly speechless, bringing with it a deep disgust for touring Heyue Lake altogether.

But with Lu Xuechao accompanying him, it was entirely different.

The imperial commissioner was under orders to strictly investigate the Prefect of Yunzhou, and the Prefect of Yunzhou was currently in a frantic state of worry over the head on his shoulders. For the moment, no one had the mind to pay attention to the whereabouts of the Emperor and Empress, all assuming the imperial couple was resting in the temporary palace.

Little did they know that His Majesty the Emperor had already snuck out to play with His Highness the Empress.

Every time an emperor went on an inspection tour, there was a mountain of preparatory work: the honor guard, the retinue, the security, clearing the streets… Even if it was explicitly stated to be an incognito visit, not a single secret guard would be missing.

Xie Chongjin was so familiar with these procedures he couldn’t be more familiar. Utterly sick of it all, he only wanted to have a truly free and unrestrained outing with Lu Xuechao, unwatched by anyone, going wherever they pleased and doing whatever they wished.

He wasn’t worried about assassins either. According to the game settings anyway, as long as his Diligence stat didn’t fall below 60, he would never run into assassins.

Even if they really did encounter any, he would certainly protect Lu Xuechao well.

A caged bird bound for far too long, once granted freedom, only wished to soar without restraint.

And so, after ordering everyone to withdraw and announcing that he and the Empress were going to rest, Xie Chongjin dug out two sets of casual black and white attire to change into with Lu Xuechao.

To avoid being spotted by the front gate guards, Xie Chongjin even chose to vault out the window.

With a nimble posture, he propped himself on the windowsill with one hand and flipped right down, looking like a dashing, heroic knight in black.

Lu Xuechao: “…”

Huaiyun was probably driven mad by the confinement.

A ruler of a nation vaulting out a window to run away… where were the manners?

Perhaps this was what it meant to return to one’s true, unadorned self after experiencing the vicissitudes of life.

Lu Xuechao stood before the window, looking down to gauge the height from the ground—about three men tall. Just looking at it made him feel a bit dizzy; he could never jump down on his own.

Besides, an unseemly act like jumping out a window was truly not something a model of gentlemanly etiquette like the eldest son of the Lu family could bring himself to do.

Standing beneath the window, Xie Chongjin held up both hands, looking up with a laugh: “Qingshu, jump down, I’ll catch you.”

Lu Xuechao slowly sat onto the windowsill. He couldn’t match Xie Chongjin’s agility and swiftness; even his movement of climbing over the window was slow and elegant.

With his legs dangling out the window, the peerless young man in white sat upon the flower-blooming windowsill, lowering his eyes to gaze at the young man in black below.

Xie Chongjin still held his arms wide: “I won’t let you fall.”

Having practiced martial arts for so many years, he still had at least this much confidence.

Lu Xuechao closed his eyes and jumped straight down.

Having known and loved each other for so many years, he still had at least this much trust.

This was perhaps the most audacious, recklessness thing he had ever done.

White robes and ink-black hair fluttered briefly in the air before settling firmly into an embrace.

Xie Chongjin said with a smile, “See, caught you.”

Opening his eyes slightly, Lu Xuechao saw Xie Chongjin’s face right before him.

Xie Chongjin said with a beaming smile: “To make the self-restrained Eldest Young Master Lu jump out a window for me, what we have is called…”

May I ask what love is in this world, that it commands a lifelong devotion unto death.

Lu Xuechao spoke: “Called a life-and-death friendship.”

Xie Chongjin: “…”

Lu Xuechao truly was a master of anti-sentimentality; any romantic mood Xie Chongjin had instantly vanished.

Holding Lu Xuechao, Xie Chongjin vaulted onto the horse and put on a mask: “Hold on tight.”

Lu Xuechao unfastened the veiled hat from his waist, put it on properly, and wrapped his arms around Xie Chongjin’s waist from behind.

Having travelled south so many times, Xie Chongjin was familiar with Yunzhou’s terrain second only to Yujing. He spurred the horse into a gallop with practiced ease.

All the way, their clothes rustled loudly in the wind, hair flying wild. Lu Xuechao buried his head against Xie Chongjin’s back; occasionally, the wind lifted a corner of the veiled hat, revealing a glimpse of an incomparable beauty as breathtaking as a startled swan.

Xie Chongjin’s back was broad and imposing, blocking all the harsh wind for Lu Xuechao.

If a passerby saw this scene, they would likely think it was a divine pair of martial arts lovers roaming the world with swords in hand, rather than an Emperor and Empress bound by the shackles of the deep palace.

Because they were filled with an unconstrained freedom.

---

Beside Heyue Lake.

Xie Chongjin swung himself off the horse and helped Lu Xuechao down.

Only when Lu Xuechao cast his gaze across the view did he truly understand what was meant by “green lotus leaves reach up to meet the boundless sky, red lotus blossoms reflect the sun with a unique radiance”.

In the midsummer lotus-picking season, emerald-green lotus leaves in the lake shielded pinkish-white lotus flowers, splashing in lavish beauty as far as the eye could see. A few small skiffs rested upon the lake, lotus pickers busy among them, the boats piled high with lotus seedpods.

Peeling the seedpods to extract the lotus seeds and drying them could produce many dishes, such as rock sugar lotus seed porridge, tremella lotus seed soup, and the like. Lotus seeds could be sold for money; every lotus-picking season, a group of lotus pickers depended on this for their livelihood.

Many wupeng boats were moored by the lake, rentable for just a few dozen copper coins a day, specifically for people to tour the lake or pick lotuses. But few people came purely to tour the lake. In the past, Jiangnan was affluent and bustling with visitors, with out-of-town tourists coming to sightsee. In recent years, as the economy grew increasingly depressed, tourists became scarce; wealthy folks with leisure to sightsee all went to rent pleasure boats, where they could enjoy pastries while watching song and dance performances. Many auctions for shouma courtesans were also held on pleasure boats. These cheap wupeng boats lacked prestige, so those who chose small boats were forced by livelihood.

Xie Chongjin was used to pleasure boats, but felt small boats had a unique flavor of their own, so he specially went to rent one.

Lu Xuechao sat at the bow while Xie Chongjin held the oar. With a light stroke, the oar rippled the water, propelling the small boat forward.

Layer upon layer of lotus leaves covered the lake surface, lotus blossoms blooming in clusters. The lake water was crystal clear to the bottom, where several red carp chased and played beneath the lotus leaves.

In Jiangnan, one can pick lotuses; how lush and dense the lotus leaves are. Fish play among the lotus leaves.

By dusk, as they ventured deep into the lotuses, no trace of other lotus pickers could be seen. All around were emerald leaves and red flowers blocking out the sky and sun, while barn swallows flew in pairs across the pale blue sky, as if only the two of them remained in the entire world.

Lu Xuechao took off his veiled hat, his raven hair draped loosely, loosely bound by only a plain white ribbon, his handsome, gentle brows lowered. He knelt at the bow, head slightly bowed, red lips kissing a lotus flower. A translucent white wrist showed from his sleeve as long, slender fingers toyed with the cool lake water, looking like a transcendentally gorgeous lotus immortal playing in the mortal world.

A faint lotus fragrance lingered; the scenery was like poetry, rendering his features even more picture-perfect.

Xie Chongjin suddenly said: “Truly, reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. In my youth, I read Ballad of Xizhou with you. Where is Xizhou? At the head of the bridge crossed by two oars. At dusk the shrikes fly, the wind blows through the tallow trees… Picking lotuses in the southern pond in autumn, lotus flowers towering over one’s head. Lowering my head to play with lotus seeds, the lotus seeds are clear as water. Though I felt the poetic sentiment was like a painting and deeply memorable, I had never truly seen it until now, when I suddenly understood.”

Lu Xuechao turned his head to look at him, then lowered his eyes again: “The line I remember most, however, is that one—Sea waters, dreams so vast and deep; you sorrow, and I sorrow too. If the south wind knows my heart, blow my dream to Xizhou.”

Countless times in his dreams, he had prayed:
If the south wind knows my devotion, please blow my dream to Xizhou… to reunite with him.

A sudden weight pressed upon his lips.

Lu Xuechao’s eyes widened. His black hair scattered in disarray as he was pressed back against the bow of the boat, the lotus flower in his hand slipping into the water, splashing droplets that wet his fingertips.

Xie Chongjin kissed his lotus-fragrant lips, cradling the back of his head so he wouldn’t get hurt, hair entwined as their eyes met.

In those eyes was tender affection, as well as an inexplicable, subtle passion.

“The south wind knows your intent; this place is Xizhou.”

Lu Xuechao called out softly: “Huaiyun…”

They kissed aboard the wupeng boat, deep amidst the blooming flowers.

Fingers gripped the edge of the boat tight; the itch of being licked on his Adam’s apple made Lu Xuechao tilt his neck back, flushed with a faint crimson.

Even though nothing out of line took place, the experience of being kissed like this under the open sky still made heat surge through his whole body.

Lu Xuechao’s long eyelashes fluttered, feeling cool raindrops hit his lashes, instantly cooling him down quite a bit.

It seemed… it was raining?

Xie Chongjin also noticed the sudden falling raindrops; his expression shifted as he pulled Lu Xuechao into the boat’s canopy.

Rain was common in Jiangnan; a sudden shower was nothing unusual.

He only hoped it was a light drizzle, for watching Jiangnan in the rain from a boat carried a unique charm.

Unfortunatly, Heaven did not cooperate. Whatever one feared, came to pass; the rain grew heavier and heavier, turning before long into a pouring downpour that showed no sign of stopping anytime soon.

Wind blew and rain slanted; even inside the boat canopy, getting soaked was unavoidable.

The wupeng boat was crude, with no shelter at the front or back of the canopy, unable to block the heavy rain from pouring in.

If Lu Xuechao got soaked in the rain, there was a high chance he would fall ill.

Xie Chongjin took off his outer robe and draped it over Lu Xuechao, saying regretfully: “I originally wanted to take you to see the night fireflies and moonlight; this rain came at a bad time, we must return immediately.”

He made Lu Xuechao rest inside the canopy while he went outside to row the oars in the rain.

Because it had been a sunny day when they set out, they hadn’t brought coir raincoats or bamboo hats. Though Lu Xuechao had his veiled hat, it was only for covering his face and offered no rain protection.

Seeing Xie Chongjin thinly dressed, Lu Xuechao wanted to step out and return the outer robe draped over himself.

Xie Chongjin immediately said: “Don’t come out. I have a strong constitution, getting rained on is nothing, but if you catch a chill, you’ll fall sick.”

Normally in a situation like this, calling for the secret guards would allow them to fly over the water with light work to deliver umbrellas and row the boat.

But today, he hadn’t even brought the secret guards.

As expected, one shouldn’t be overly free. Xie Chongjin deeply reflected upon himself.

He had only considered man-made disasters, never anticipating the will of Heaven.

The two quickly reached the shore, where their horses were still hitched under a tree. This time, Xie Chongjin didn’t let Lu Xuechao sit behind him and hold on tight; instead, he had Lu Xuechao sit in front of him, holding him tightly in his embrace.

Shielding him from the wind when they came, blocking the rain for him when they left.

Yet human strength ultimately couldn’t block out all the wind and rain. Noticing that Lu Xuechao in his arms had his clothes soaked through and was shivering slightly from the cold, Xie Chongjin grew anxious.

There was still a distance to the temporary palace; he had to find a place along the way to take shelter from the rain.

Under the blue tiles and grey brick eaves of Jiangnan, dense curtains of rain hung down.

Xie Chongjin dismounted, holding Lu Xuechao’s hand, holding a broad lotus leaf above them as they ran toward a set of eaves in the rain.

It felt almost like a martial arts knight eloping with a noble family’s young master on a rainy night.

Standing under the eaves was a man already sheltering from the rain. Clad in ink-wash-colored robes that seemed to blend into the Jiangnan misty rain, he held an oil-paper umbrella, with a face like fine jade, warm, elegant, and refined.

He saw the two drenched figures hurrying under the eaves to escape the rain. The one in black was soaked through, yet protecting the youth in white with all his strength, tilting the only lotus leaf shielding them from the wind and rain over the other’s head.

They ought to be a loving couple.

Though masked and unable to see their true faces, their aura was extraordinary, ethereal like immortals in a painting.

Xie Chongjin used his internal energy to dry Lu Xuechao’s wet clothes, then dried his own as well.

The man in green observed silently…
Looks even more like a martial arts knight eloping with a noble young master on a rainy night.

After the three stood in silence for a moment, the man in green spoke gently: “This rain probably won’t stop tonight. Seeing as you two haven’t brought an umbrella, I happen to have one here that I can gift to you.”

Only then did Xie Chongjin and Lu Xuechao look toward him.

Lu Xuechao spoke: “Thank you. But Sir, you also have only one umbrella. If you give it to us, how will you shelter from the rain?”

What was even stranger was, since he had an umbrella, why was he standing here sheltering from the rain instead of simply walking away?

The man in green said: “My husband will have a carriage sent to pick me up; I am waiting for the carriage here.”

Xie Chongjin: “…”

He really wasn’t a qualified husband.