AEOGA CH62

With the alcohol taking full effect, Helian Xi couldn’t care less about what Qin Yulong was saying. Holding tight to Qin Yulong’s hand, he vomited until the world turned upside down, spilling it all over him.

Qin Yulong wanted to shake him off, but seeing how miserable Helian Xi’s stomach felt, he feared shoving him away would only make him suffer more. He hesitated for a brief second, and in that moment, found himself covered in filth.

Qin Yulong: “…”

Why on earth did he care if Helian Xi suffered? Now he was the one suffering.

“The hangover soup is here!” A servant hurried over holding the freshly brewed hangover soup. Seeing their master clinging tightly to Noble Consort Qin, and Noble Consort Qin standing there with a dark, terrifying face covered in vomit from sleeve to chest, the servant’s hands trembled so violently that the bowl nearly flipped over and shattered on the floor.

It was over. The two already had a grudge, and now this would only pile enmity upon enmity. Would Noble Consort Qin strangle the Prince to death on the spot…?

Qin Yulong said in a voice as cold as ice, “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and feed… him… the… soup!”

“Y-Yes, at once,” the servant replied hastily, then added timidly, “Noble Consort Qin, please step into the side hall to change your clothes.”

Although Zhongyu Palace, where Qin Yulong lived, was closest to Helian Xi’s Feiquan Palace, it was still a bit of a walk. They couldn’t possibly let him walk back covered in all this mess.

Qin Yulong couldn’t stand the filth either. “You go feed him,” he said. Shaking off Helian Xi’s grip, he swiftly stepped out of the bedchamber.

The servant froze, muttering inwardly that if it was that easy to break free, how had he managed to get covered in vomit in the first place…?

Qin Yulong walked to the side hall, where another servant took one look at his state and understood immediately. Asking him to wait a moment, the servant went to fetch a change of clothes.

Before long, the servant returned with a garment: “This one is brand new—our master has never worn it. Please change, Noble Consort.”

Qin Yulong’s face darkened the moment he laid eyes on it. “Why is it this color?”

The outfit was admittedly quite beautiful—embroidered with large peach blossoms, intricately stitched, in a soft, tender shade of pink. It was a pink palace robe.

In this palace, only Hua Yan wore that color. Hua Yan was as striking as peaches and plums; wearing pink didn’t look vulgar on him at all, but rather enchanting and beautiful. But Qin Yulong was handsome with sharp, defined features, and usually wore neat, clean black-and-white martial outfits suited for practicing martial arts. Wearing this shade of pink would make him look utterly ridiculous.

Helian Xi usually loved wearing red and was never seen in pink either. Qin Yulong almost suspected that the entire staff of Feiquan Palace knew about their bad blood and was intentionally making things difficult for him by handing him this outfit.

The servant hurriedly pleaded, “Noble Consort, please forgive us, but this is the only garment that will fit your frame!”

Qin Yulong was eighteen, while Helian Xi was only sixteen this year—a full size smaller than Qin Yulong. The other clothes were visibly too small for Qin Yulong. The servant had searched all over before finally finding this single, slightly larger robe.

Qin Yulong believed it even less. “Other clothes don’t fit, but this one does? Does your master shrink and grow at will? I’ll go pick one out myself!”

It would also give him a chance to search around and see if there was anything suspicious in Helian Xi’s palace. That covert thought crossed Qin Yulong’s mind.

Helian Xi concealing his high martial skill had, after all, aroused his vigilance. Deep down, he didn’t want to doubt Helian Xi, but as a general protecting the realm and a descendant of the Qin family, turning a blind eye out of personal feelings while knowing something was amiss would be irresponsible to His Majesty and irresponsible to Changli. He had to inspect things for himself.

If there was no issue, that was for the best; if there was… he would never be soft-hearted.

Since it wasn’t an unreasonable request, the servant thought about it and decided not to stop him. It made no difference if Noble Consort Qin went in himself—he hadn’t lied; those other clothes truly wouldn’t fit.

Qin Yulong stepped into the inner room and began sorting through the clothes. Helian Xi’s garments were a uniform sea of red. Qin Yulong liked neither pink nor red, yet he had to admit that red looked exceptionally good on Helian Xi. On normal days, he was bright and striking, but on the day of the Six Arts riding and archery tournament, seeing Helian Xi dressed in fine robes atop a spirited horse, drawing his bow and setting his arrow beneath the scorching sun with boundless vigor—it had been a brilliant sight that dazzled his eyes.

Qin Yulong paused for a second, then picked up a few pieces to measure against himself. They were indeed much too small.

Only then did he remember that Helian Xi was only sixteen years old. In Changli, that was an age where one had just come of age, a time when many were still acting spoiled at their father’s knee. Yet Helian Xi had been sent off to a foreign land for a political marriage, alone without family on Mid-Autumn night.

He had indeed gone too far tonight.

By age, Helian Xi could be his younger brother; why was he squabbling with a kid?

…Yet at the thought of that delicate pink robe, Qin Yulong was still unwilling to compromise, rummaging through the chests and cabinets to find something he could wear.

As he searched, he pulled open the bottommost drawer and suddenly froze.

Inside lay a set of armor, neatly folded and stored.

He stared blankly at the armor for a long while before picking it up and unfolding it.

It was standard Xifeng-style armor, common enough that every Xifeng soldier had one.

However, this armor was not brand new; a piece was missing at the shoulder blade, and dried bloodstains remained upon it. Qin Yulong remembered every single spot—it was the blood spilled when he had wounded that “female general.”

The size of the armor matched Helian Xi perfectly.

Qin Yulong’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Back then, he had assumed Xifeng women were small in stature, but thinking about it now, it was simply because the youth had been so young.

He had harbored doubts all along. Helian Xi’s eyes and features looked so much like that person’s, and his temper was just as fiery—especially the way Helian Xi rode his horse and shot his arrows, which almost overlapped with that memory.

Yet he had never dared to confirm it. He feared even more that the subtle affection he had for Helian Xi—feelings he himself was reluctant to admit—was merely treating Helian Xi as a stand-in for someone who was already dead. That would be deeply disrespectful to both Helian Xi and that “female general.”

Now, everything became crystal clear.

“She” wasn’t dead; they were the exact same person.

That joy lasted for only a split second before Qin Yulong’s smile stiffened.

So, a young man so capable of leading armies and winning battles had been sent away for a political marriage by Xifeng simply because he lost a battle.

A fine general sent off for a marriage alliance—it was no different from a jade dragon snapping its spear.

In temper and in predicament, they were so alike.

No wonder Helian Xi loathed him so much.

Now, their relationship had deteriorated to the point where… even a living Buddha couldn’t mediate between them.

Qin Yulong did not regret defeating Helian Xi. He was a general of Changli, and his loyalty would forever lie with Changli.

He was merely filled with remorse.

Had he known earlier, he wouldn’t have provoked him like that.

He folded the armor neatly, placed it back as it was, and closed the drawer.

–

In the end, Qin Yulong made a compromise and changed into the pink palace robe, looking somewhat dazed and absentminded.

When he returned to Helian Xi’s bedchamber, he found the servant sweeping up shattered porcelain from the floor. “What happened?”

Seeing him, the servant was first startled by the extremely bizarre sight of Young General Qin in pink, then hurriedly bowed. “Noble Consort Qin, my master refuses to drink the hangover soup and knocked the bowl over…”

“Bring another bowl. I’ll feed him myself.”

“Huh? Ah… alright.”

Our master drank alcohol, but did Noble Consort Qin take the wrong medication?

Why is everyone acting so strange?

The hangover soup had been cooked in a big pot, so a second bowl was brought up swiftly.

Helian Xi was leaning against the head of the bed resting with his eyes closed. Qin Yulong dismissed everyone, sat down by the bedside, and prepared to feed Helian Xi.

Helian Xi pursed his lips and shook his head. “Take it away, I’m not drinking it.”

Qin Yulong asked, “Why won’t you drink it?”

Helian Xi closed his eyes and murmured softly, “Someone said things I didn’t want to hear. I want to drown my sorrows in wine. If I wake up, I’ll only worry again.”

Qin Yulong paused, then said, “I’m sorry, I apologize to you. But if you don’t drink the hangover soup, it’s your own head that will hurt. Only when you wake up can I properly make it up to you.”

“I don’t want to wake up,” Helian Xi shook his head. “I don’t want to wake up.”

“Father, Elder Sister…” Helian Xi muttered to himself dejectedly. “Today is Mid-Autumn. I wonder if they’re thinking of me the way I’m thinking of them… Xifeng must be hosting a Mid-Autumn banquet too. I lost the battle and was sent away for a marriage alliance, bringing shame upon them. The Empress will surely use me to mock them…”

I lost the battle…

He really was “her.”

Qin Yulong didn’t know how to comfort him for a moment. After pondering for a long while, he could only say, “…A political marriage makes one a contributor to the nation, why would they mock you?”

“You don’t understand.” Helian Xi let out a laugh. “You don’t understand how much I envy your Changli.”

“I envy your Changli for having a wise and great Emperor—deeply devoted, single-minded, and enduring in his love.”

“Even though I’ve only been in Changli for a few months and have only seen His Majesty and His Highness the Empress a handful of times, I believe they can last forever.”

“I loved the atmosphere at tonight’s banquet—a true, harmonious joy, where smiles were genuine and happiness was real. Such happiness could never exist in the palace of Xifeng.”

“Do you know why I cried tonight?” Helian Xi whispered softly. “It wasn’t just because I missed my father and imperial sister. I was even more worried that they might be harmed—by the Empress, Consort Shu, Consort De, or even… Mother Empress.”

“Even a tiger wouldn’t eat its own cubs,” Qin Yulong asked. “How could the Xifeng Emperor kill your sister?”

“That’s why I envy you guys,” Helian Xi said. “I heard the Changli Emperor has no brothers, and the late Emperor allowed only the late Empress to bear a child. He never experienced such a cruel battle for the throne, treats His Highness the Empress so well, and can heavily rely on the worthy while purging the wicked.”

“But Xifeng isn’t like that.”

“My father was also Mother Empress’s childhood sweetheart, marrying and serving her since he was young. Mother Empress once said she truly loved him, yet that couldn’t stop her love from fading as his beauty aged and new people kept arriving.”

“I have over forty siblings—so many that I don’t even recognize them all myself. Naturally, Mother Empress can’t recognize them all either, let alone feel affection for them.”

“When I was little, besides my birth sister, the one who treated me best was my Third Sister. I loved playing with her. Her birth father, Noble Consort Zheng, also treated me very well. He was from a family of generals, a close friend of my father, and taught me how to ride and shoot arrows. But they died—bestowed death by Mother Empress.”

“Because Noble Consort Zheng was accused of framing the Empress and the Second Princess, the Zheng family was charged with treason. Implicated in it, they couldn’t escape death. But in truth, there was no such thing; it was the Empress who was jealous of Noble Consort Zheng’s favor and wanted to eliminate the Third Princess, who might contend with the Second Princess for the succession, so she framed them. Mother Empress knew this clearly, but because Noble Consort Zheng’s natal family held military power and their merit overshadowed the sovereign, Mother Empress feared maternal relatives meddling in politics. She used that excuse to purge the Zheng family, reclaim military power, and eliminate Third Sister.” Helian Xi sneered. “Yet the Zheng family… was fiercely loyal. The Zheng family to Xifeng was just like the Qin family to Changli. It was Mother Empress whose suspicion was too heavy, harming loyal subjects and not hesitating to kill her own flesh and blood.”

“Tell me, doesn’t the Zheng family look like a dish of crabs, neatly reunited in the underworld?”

“My father is an enemy of the Empress—will he become the next Zheng family?”

“I wanted to make a name for myself, achieve military distinction, and help my father and sister. I’m very capable; I was unwilling to just casually find someone to marry and become a tool for a political marriage like the other princes. But… but I encountered a once-in-a-century military genius of Changli, Qin Yulong. He—he really is amazing, even more amazing than me; I couldn’t beat him.” The more Helian Xi spoke, the more guilt filled his voice. “I couldn’t help them, and I even dragged them down by giving the Empress leverage over them…”

He said with deep regret, “Since Zhou Yu was born, why must there also be Zhuge Liang?”

“And he even said nobody loves me…” Helian Xi said resentfully. “So what if nobody loves me! In this world, only my father and sister ever loved me. Father loves me, but he loves sister more. Sister loves me, but she loves imperial power more. Marrying into Changli, the Emperor only loves the Empress. I tried to be brave and dragged them down; I don’t even know if father and sister miss me or blame me.”

“Wanting love in the imperial family is a fool’s errand to begin with.”

“The Changli Emperor and His Highness the Empress are the most absurd yet realistic beautiful dream I’ve ever seen.”