AEOGA CH59

Hua Yan was holding a pink chrysanthemum, inhaling its soft fragrance, when Qin Yulong’s shocking statement caught him completely off guard. Even as a bystander, Hua Yan found it infuriating. Turning his head, he indeed saw Helian Xi clenching his fists tightly, looking as though he were exercising immense self-restraint to keep from starting a fight.

Today was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and both His Majesty and His Highness the Empress would be arriving shortly. A brawl on such a fine occasion would ruin everyone’s mood for enjoying the festivities and banquet.

Helian Xi’s teeth ached with rage, his knuckles popping as he tried his best to convince himself not to land a punch squarely on Qin Yulong’s face.

Seeing this, Hua Yan quickly stepped over, thrusting the chrysanthemum into Helian Xi’s hands to divert his attention: “Helian, look how pretty this chrysanthemum is. Don’t you think?”

He then pulled Qin Yulong to the side and lowered his voice, disapprovingly remarking, “Young General Qin, it’s one thing to bicker with him normally, but to act so sarcastically and say such harsh things during Mid-Autumn Festival is far too inconsiderate. He’s all alone in Changli, so he’s bound to feel sad on a day meant for reunions. He was already upset, and you just had to twist the knife in his wound. I know you two don’t get along, so I usually refrain from stepping in, but please just yield to him today.”

Hua Yan was smooth, tactful, and remarkably popular, able to talk with everyone in the harem. His closest confidants were Fu Xinian and Helian Xi—studying popular novels with the former and discussing cosmetics with the latter, effectively making them his intimate friends.

As Helian Xi’s good friend, Hua Yan naturally hoped Qin Yulong and Helian Xi could ease their tension instead of drawing daggers every time they met, exchanging subtle jabs and overt mocks. Wouldn’t it be better to interact amicably? He also hated seeing his dear friend constantly taking the brunt of someone else’s temper—though Helian Xi wasn’t purely on the receiving end either, as he frequently picked fights with Qin Yulong, making the two fairly evenly matched.

Had it been anyone else, Hua Yan would surely have mediated to turn their swords into plowshares. But these two shared an extraordinary grievance: Qin Yulong had personally led the army that defeated Xifeng, leading to Helian Xi being sent for a political marriage alliance. Even Hua Yan couldn’t fathom how such a grudge could ever be resolved, so he simply hadn’t bothered. Besides, neither ever truly lost out in their squabbles.

Today was different, though. Helian Xi genuinely missed his family, and Qin Yulong poking his sore spot was going too far. Hua Yan couldn’t just stand by and watch.

Qin Yulong frowned: “When was I being sarcastic with him? I was clearly comforting him.”

He turned his face away: “Though I find him annoying, I wouldn’t go so far as to gloat over his misfortune or kick him while he’s down.”

Hua Yan was astonished: “Were you being ironic? Who comforts someone like that? You almost comforted him to tears!”

Given that Qin Yulong and Helian Xi had a poor relationship, Hua Yan could understand those words as mockery, even if he didn’t approve.

But to claim those words were intended as comfort…

Hua Yan didn’t understand, but he was utterly shocked.

To genuinely treat those words as comfort… how could he even say that out loud?!

Had Young General Qin’s emotional intelligence suffered a slight, fatal glitch?

Yet Qin Yulong wasn’t entirely to blame.

He had been raised by Grand General Qin himself. The Grand General had spent his entire life in the saddle, teaching Qin Yulong horsemanship, archery, martial arts, and military tactics, but never worldly wisdom or delicate tact. The moment he reached adulthood, Qin Yulong was tossed into the military camp, spending his days with a bunch of rough men who spoke with straightforward bluntness.

Having practiced martial arts from childhood, Qin Yulong had naturally endured hardship. Whenever he fell, sustained injuries, or scraped his skin, he never received soft words of comfort; he simply wiped away his tears and continued training. Gradually, he stopped crying altogether. Men shouldn’t shed tears so easily; Grand General Qin always said the Qin family had guarded the peace and prosperity of Changli for generations, and its descendants were all steadfast and unyielding. Countless commoners suffering far worse out in the world needed the Qin family’s protection; if one couldn’t even overcome a minor hurdle like this, they weren’t worthy of the Qin surname.

With such family values, Qin Yulong grew up upright, brave, and resilient. He disliked delicate, teary-eyed men, holding immense admiration for female generals who were equally strong and valiant.

Qin Yulong had long heard that the women of Xifeng Kingdom were formidable heroines who favored armor over cosmetics. Their men, by contrast, were delicate, frail, and fond of makeup. The first time he met Helian Xi, he felt the ninth prince was extraordinarily beautiful—surpassing the other Xifeng women, and far beyond the rough men in the army camp. Apart from His Majesty and His Highness the Empress, he had never seen such a handsome man.

He had thought the little prince was remarkably stunning, his cinnabar mark between his brows far more vivid and unique than that of other Xifeng men, though the thought lasted only a fleeting moment. He was a Changli general, while the other was an enemy hostage prince; their positions were fundamentally opposed. Moreover, this person was delicate and prone to crying—the exact type he usually despised most.

He ought to dislike him.

Yet strangely enough, in his heart, he didn’t actually dislike the little prince.

It was just that the little prince kept cursing at him. Qin Yulong wasn’t a masochist; being cursed at naturally didn’t make him happy, so he didn’t like Helian Xi either.

Later, when Qin Yulong calmed down and reflected on it, he realized it was only human for Helian Xi to cry over leaving his home for a political marriage, and entirely normal to curse at an enemy general—it could hardly be called overly dramatic. However, the grudge between them was already set. Helian Xi clearly couldn’t stand him and never had a good word for him, so there was no need for Qin Yulong to initiate a reconciliation. The Qin family had only taught him to be unyielding, never how to back down.

Helian Xi wasn’t anyone special to him, so why should he back down? The other party might not even appreciate it.

And so, they became sworn rivals.

Palace life was dull anyway; having someone to bicker with and watching his face flush with anger was actually quite entertaining.

That blushing face was remarkably captivating, too.

Qin Yulong knew where to draw the line. When he teased Helian Xi on normal days, he made sure not to say anything too harsh, picking only harmless topics. He liked seeing the man’s face turn red from anger, but he had no desire to drive him back to his palace in tears.

He didn’t think it was because he couldn’t bear to see his rival cry.

…Perhaps he just disliked men weeping and wailing.

Yet Hua Yan said… he had comforted the man to tears?

Sarcasm had worked fine a thousand times, so how did a single attempt at comfort end up bringing him to tears?

Qin Yulong knitted his brows and walked up to Helian Xi: “Are you crying?”

“Who’s crying!” Helian Xi snapped as he raised his head, a genuine glint of tears in his eyes.

He had initially been homesick, and though he grew angry, the anger eventually gave way to sadness once more.

Seeing him genuinely distressed, Qin Yulong felt somewhat at a loss, simply saying, “Don’t cry.”

“…” Helian Xi desperately wanted to roll his eyes.

Qin Yulong added, “I’m sorry.”

Helian Xi was so startled he even swallowed back his tears: “Are you apologizing to me?”

Qin Yulong maintained a stern face, though his tone lacked its usual firm vigor: “I spoke out of turn. I’m clumsy with words and don’t know how to comfort people. I can drink three cups as a penalty to beg for forgiveness.”

He poured three cups of the strongest Manjianghong and downed them in one gulp.

“Spoke out of turn? Haven’t you spoken out of turn enough times usually?” Helian Xi looked at him coldly. “What’s with the crocodile tears today?”

Qin Yulong said earnestly, “Normally, I only mean to make you angry, not sad.”

Helian Xi: “…You bloody did it on purpose to anger me!”

Qin Yulong shook his head, then said after a moment, “When you’re angry, you blush, and you look very handsome when you blush. Though you look very handsome crying too, such beautiful eyes shouldn’t weep.”

A straight-laced man’s flirtation is the most fatal of all.

Helian Xi’s expression flickered unpredictably: “Qin Yulong, are you drunk?”

After all, Manjianghong was the strongest liquor; it was only natural for someone to talk nonsense when not clear-headed.

“No,” Qin Yulong pointed to the drunken crabs on the table. “Not as drunk as these.”

Every drunkard claims they aren’t drunk.

“Don’t you dare mention crabs again!” Helian Xi shuddered at the memory of the description “a whole family of crabs reunited in the underworld.”

Qin Yulong asked, “Why? Did it scare you just now?”

He repeated once more: “I’m sorry.”

Helian Xi felt Qin Yulong must definitely be drunk; even his speech had become abnormal.

The Young General Qin who didn’t lash out with tongue-in-cheek remarks, apologized obediently, and even praised his looks? He must be possessed.

Helian Xi instructed a palace attendant, “Bring a bowl of sobering soup to help Young General Qin clear his head.”

“Understood.”

Before the attendant could return, an announcement echoed through the hall:

“His Majesty has arrived! His Highness the Empress has arrived!”

Everyone rose from their seats, bowing in salutation: “Greetings to His Majesty, greetings to His Highness the Empress.”

Xie Chongjin took his seat alongside Lu Xuechao at the head table: “Dispense with ceremony.”

“Thanking His Majesty, thanking His Highness the Empress.” Everyone resumed their seats.

“For today’s Mid-Autumn Banquet, esteemed consorts may suit yourselves without rigid decorum,” Xie Chongjin said.

“Understood.”

For a crab banquet, the main dish was naturally crab.

The various ways to eat crab had been devised by Lu Xuechao years ago. Steamed crab, stir-fried crab, boiled crab, drunken crab… hundreds of cooking styles were available for everyone to taste one by one.

Plump, cooked red crabs rested on jade platters, accompanied by small hammers, scissors, and other tools for eating crab. Those who didn’t wish to dirty their hands could have palace attendants shell the crabs for them. Those who wanted to experience the joy of shelling and eating crabs themselves could do it on their own.

Yun Luo and Shuangjiang stepped forward to shell the crabs, but Xie Chongjin said, “You two need not attend to this; This Emperor will do it personally.”

Yun Luo stepped back: “Understood.”

Xie Chongjin picked the largest crab and peeled open its shell, revealing a full mound of golden crab roe. He used a spoon to scoop a large portion of crab roe into a small bowl, then scraped out the tender meat inside the body as well. He then picked up the hammer to tap away, using the scissors to snip open the claws and extract all the tender white meat from within.

Just watching the process made one’s mouth water.

Xie Chongjin wiped his hands on the prepared damp cloth and passed the bowl filled with crab meat and roe to Lu Xuechao: “Qingshu, give it a try.”

Lu Xuechao said, “Don’t just focus on shelling for me; eat some yourself. I’ll get sick of eating so much.”

Xie Chongjin smiled: “When Qingshu gets sick of it, you can give the rest to me.”

Seeing this, Liu Yansheng also shelled a crab for Shen Hezhou, placing the crab meat into Shen Hezhou’s bowl.

Shen Hezhou smiled knowingly.

Their affair had already been brought to light before His Majesty and His Highness the Empress. Originally, Liu Yansheng hadn’t intended to speak of it—after all, even as consorts in name, the nominal status remained. Openly cuckolding the imperial family wasn’t something the Liu family or the Shen family could easily bear the consequences of.

It was His Highness the Empress who had summoned them, with His Majesty present as well, stating he had already noticed their secret affection. Just as the two were about to kneel and beg for forgiveness, His Highness the Empress helped them up. His Majesty explained that their entry into the palace was merely an expedient measure; once the time was right, he would strip everyone of their consort status and bestow a marriage upon them. Having someone he loved himself, His Majesty understood the helplessness of love, allowing them to act as husband and wife within the palace so long as they kept it quiet from the outside world for the time being.

With the permission of His Majesty and His Highness the Empress, the two had fewer misgivings, displaying their affection more and more openly.

Hua Yan was green with envy, muttering in a low voice, “Every single one of them has someone shelling for them. When will the romance from these storybooks ever land on me?”

Moments later, a pile of shelled crab meat appeared in his bowl.

Hua Yan turned his head: “What are you doing?”

Fu Xinian said calmly, “Didn’t you want someone to shell for you?”

Hua Yan quickly added, “Of course I have people to shell for me! I have palace attendants! Besides…”

He lowered his voice: “They are husband and wife, so it only makes sense when a husband shells for his wife. What meaning is there between us…”

“If you are willing, it can have meaning too.”

“What?” Hua Yan asked.

“…Nothing.” Fu Xinian turned his head back with an unbothered expression, though his face was slightly flushed.

Helian Xi watched every movement of the couple at the head table, saying enviously, “His Majesty is truly so good to His Highness the Empress.”

Qin Yulong, having finished his sobering soup, heard this and remarked, “What? You want someone to treat you like that too?”

Looking around, Xie Chongjin, Liu Yansheng, and Fu Xinian had all shelled crabs for their beloveds. Since Lin Chanzhi hadn’t arrived from the capital suburbs yet, Wang Yiming was left on his own, eating with great relish.

That left only the two of them, the sworn rivals.

Qin Yulong held a crab in his hand, extracting the crab roe.

Helian Xi blinked, unsure of what he was expecting.

Qin Yulong stuffed a mouthful of crab roe into his own mouth: “Too bad nobody loves you.”

Helian Xi: “……………”

He was utterly rendered speechless.