AEOGA CH70

The next day, Helian Xi indeed sent hand-crafted clothes to every palace. Liu Yansheng received a jade-green robe embroidered with bamboo, Shen Hezhou a moon-white brocade robe with cloud patterns, Lin Chanzhi a ginger-yellow short jacket, and Hua Yan a light-pink shenyi with peach blossom embroidery… Each piece was made according to precise visual measurements, perfectly tailored to fit every person’s size and build.

It was evident that Helian Xi possessed meticulous attention to detail. The clothes he crafted for each individual matched their stature and disposition, utilizing the most flattering color schemes and styles.

As for Fu Xinian and Wang Yiming, Helian Xi mentioned that time was limited, so he hadn’t finished theirs yet and would send them over in a couple of days.

Due to his status, Helian Xi didn’t make any clothes for Xie Chongjin. Making garments for his fellow consorts was a sign of deep brotherhood, but making them for the Emperor carried an implication of seeking favor, which was improper. Xie Chongjin didn’t mind either; even if Helian Xi had made something for him, he wouldn’t have worn it anyway to avoid suspicions.

During those months spent staying inside Feiquan Palace, Helian Xi hadn’t stayed idle for a single moment, keeping busy with needlework. When he first arrived, he had felt lonely and helpless in a foreign land. Yet everyone in the imperial harem had treated him as a friend, playing pitch-pot and cuju together, reciting poetry, matching verses, and sharing laughter. The scenario he had once envisioned—where coming here meant “merely switching from one place to another to engage in intrigue and power struggles”—did not exist at all. This past year had been the most relaxed and joyful time of his life since birth.

In the past, within the imperial palace of Xifeng, Helian Xi had to tread carefully at every step, lacking true friends while his blood siblings regarded one another as enemies. These friends in Changli were, to him, more like brothers than his real family ever were.

His gratitude was beyond words. Since he possessed exceptional skill in embroidery, it proved useful now, allowing him to stitch clothing as gifts for his friends.

Upon receiving the gifts, everyone was deeply grateful and returned even grander reciprocal presents. Hua Yan went so far as to immediately change into his new outfit and visit every single palace, showing off in full bloom.

As he flaunted his new clothes from place to place, his grand tour eventually brought him to Zhongyu Palace.

As a master of social engagement, dropping by wasn’t unusual for Hua Yan, but today, the master of Zhongyu Palace wasn’t particularly welcoming toward this uninvited guest.

“Young General Qin, doesn’t this outfit of mine look splendid?” Hua Yan displayed his gorgeous, brilliant pink attire, smoothing down the hair at his temples with a face as bright as a blooming peach blossom. “Helian made it for me. I made a special trip to check out everyone else’s palaces, and none of the clothes Helian made for them look as good as mine, nor do they have as much embroidery. Helian truly is a good brother to me; he put the most effort into the clothes he made for me.”

Qin Yulong: “…”

He wasn’t Fu Xinian and couldn’t appreciate Hua Yan’s beauty that rivaled flowers. Looking at that stunning outfit, his heart held only one word: sour.

Two words: jealous.

He had worn that previous pink garment before and knew Helian Xi had made it for Hua Yan. That dress had been torn to pieces that night, clearly different from this one.

Helian Xi had made two outfits for Hua Yan.

…While he had received none at all.

Yet Hua Yan poked right at his sore spot: “Young General Qin, what kind of clothes did Helian send you? Mind taking it out for me to see? I’d love to admire it too.”

Qin Yulong’s expression turned even darker.

He just had to bring up the one topic he shouldn’t.

Noticing Qin Yulong’s dismal look, Hua Yan feigned surprise: “No way, no way… Don’t tell me someone actually didn’t receive any clothes made by Helian?”

Naturally, he was asking despite knowing the answer. The dynamic between Qin Yulong and Helian Xi was thoroughly suspicious, and even last night, it had still looked off. Hua Yan’s inner gossip demon burned fiercely; he was immensely curious about what on earth could have driven the two into such a rift that they hadn’t put it behind them even after several months.

Even back when they shared the enmity of a marriage alliance, he hadn’t seen the two stand in such a complete deadlock. Moreover, ever since Helian Xi discovered that coming to Changli for the marriage alliance meant not palace intrigue but gaining a whole group of friends, his resistance toward the marriage alliance had softened, and his hostility toward Qin Yulong had grown far less intense.

It had taken so much effort to show signs of breaking the ice—how had things frozen over like this again?

Hua Yan now felt that bickering meant they had a good relationship; when things were truly bad, it was just like now, where Helian Xi ignored him entirely.

He had a closer relationship with Helian Xi. For matters Helian Xi was unwilling to mention, Hua Yan wouldn’t be so tactless as to pry directly in his face, yet his heart was itching to find out the truth, which was why he came over to probe around Qin Yulong.

“Though Xinian and Little Wang haven’t received theirs either,” Hua Yan feigned comforting him. “After all, Helian is just one person, and making clothes for so many people is overwhelming. He even specifically sent word asking them to wait two more days. I imagine in a few days, Young General Qin will have new clothes to wear as well.”

It would have been fine if Hua Yan hadn’t tried to comfort him, but this comfort hit Qin Yulong like an arrow straight to the heart.

—He didn’t even get a messenger sent from Feiquan Palace.

Helian Xi had considered everyone in the inner palace, even sending word to explain things to Fu Xinian and Wang Yiming whose clothes were still unfinished, yet he had omitted him alone.

They clearly lived the closest to each other, yet he was overlooked so completely, as if he didn’t exist at all.

Qin Yulong had waited for a night and a full day, his anticipation gradually turning into heartbreak.

Perhaps in Helian Xi’s eyes, he truly couldn’t be counted as a person—just a beast who didn’t deserve proper attire.

Lonesome in spirit, Qin Yulong couldn’t hide his emotions, his dejection written all over his face: “Done showing off? You can leave now.”

Hua Yan narrowed his eyes: “Something’s not right.”

He took a few steps around Qin Yulong: “Something is very wrong here.”

“You ought to say, ‘Who cares about his stuff?’ otherwise it doesn’t fit your mutually incompatible relationship,” Hua Yan reasoned meticulously. “Even if you felt guilty because you hit him, your attitude shouldn’t have shifted so quickly.”

Qin Yulong was startled and flustered: “Who hit him?!”

Could Hua Yan possibly know about them clashing on the battlefield?

He had never mentioned to anyone that Helian Xi was once a general of Xifeng—he hadn’t even mentioned it to His Majesty or His Highness the Empress. That identity was far too dangerous; keeping it quiet was the greatest protection for Helian Xi.

How could Hua Yan know… Or could it be that Huaman Pavilion’s intelligence network had reached such a formidable extent?

Seeing his reaction, Hua Yan took it as a sign of a guilty conscience, pressing closer step-by-step: “On Mid-Autumn night, do you dare claim you didn’t hit him?”

“…” Qin Yulong relaxed, struck speechless for a moment. “Why on earth would I hit him?”

On the battlefield, he had no choice but to fight, but as for daily life… He wasn’t someone who loved picking fights. Although in the heat of an argument he might impulsively wish to have a good fight to clear the air, it was only a fleeting thought that he would never act upon.

Being framed for this out of nowhere was truly an injustice.

Observing his expression, Hua Yan discarded his previous guess.

“Since you didn’t hit him, yet you did him such a great wrong that Helian finds it embarrassing to speak of and hides it away…” Having successfully eliminated one option, Hua Yan’s tone turned absolutely certain: “Then there can only be one truth—”

“You lost your sense after drinking and took liberties with him!”

Qin Yulong froze entirely.

Hua Yan had only been guessing, but seeing Qin Yulong suddenly go rigid, he was caught slightly off guard himself.

“No way…” His eyes widened in shock.

He had actually guessed correctly?

Feiquan Palace.

“Your Highness, the clothes for all the palaces have been delivered. Only this set remains…” Ah Lu asked cautiously, “Should we send it to Zhongyu Palace?”

It was a set of silver-white battle armor.

Holding the Jade Dragon Silver Spear while clad in this silver armor would be an absolute match.

Out of all the garments, His Highness had invested the most effort into this suit of armor, working without rest for a long time. There was no embroidery anywhere on it, only hard, silver-glinting armor plates belonging exclusively to a general.

Ah Lu didn’t even need to think to know who it was made for—who else was a general in the palace besides that one…

Yet today, while all the other clothes had been sent out, this suit of armor that had cost the most painstaking effort remained in his hands.

Helian Xi said, “Send it for what? Don’t send it.”

Ah Lu understood instantly: “Yes, yes, yes, this servant won’t send it. We’ll wait for Your Highness to deliver it in person.”

“What ‘deliver in person’? It wasn’t made for him anyway,” Helian Xi flatly denied it. “I made it for myself.”

“Even if I can never go to the battlefield again… Am I not allowed to have a general’s dream?”

Ah Lu murmured softly, “But the dimensions…” They were made completely according to that Young General Qin’s measurements.

Helian Xi: “I am still growing, so naturally I made it slightly larger. Otherwise, wouldn’t I be unable to wear it in the future?”

Ah Lu: “Ah, right, right, right.”

“Ninth Prince,” a palace servant from Chongxue Palace suddenly announced from outside. “His Highness the Empress requests your presence at Chongxue Palace.”

Helian Xi was puzzled, wondering what business the Empress had with him alone.

“Understood, I’ll go right away,” Helian Xi called back, then whispered to Ah Lu, “…Put this silver armor away and hide it well.”

Chongxue Palace.

“Your Majesty, Your Highness.” Unsurprisingly, Helian Xi spotted Xie Chongjin inside Chongxue Palace once more. Changli’s Emperor practically treated the Empress’s residence as his home, rendering Zichen Palace where the Emperor resided a mere ornament.

It was nothing like Xifeng, where the Empress could only spend a brief moment alone with the Empress Regnant on the first and fifteenth of every month.

…Though at least Xifeng’s Empress had the first and fifteenth; his own royal father rarely got to see the Empress Regnant even once in half a year.

Fortunately, his royal father had long given up on the Empress Regnant, seeking no imperial favor and focusing entirely on guarding his two children.

Instead, it was Helian Xi himself who made his royal father worry.

Every time Helian Xi witnessed the deep affection between Changli’s Emperor and Empress, he couldn’t help but feel deeply moved.

Both were royal families, yet how could the difference be so vast?

“Dispense with ceremony. Sit.”

Helian Xi took a seat and asked curiously, “Your Highness summoned me here—is there something you require?”

Lu Xuechao said, “In another two months, the New Year will arrive, and Xifeng’s envoys will be coming.”

Helian Xi nodded. He was aware of this matter. When Xifeng was defeated, the conditions for stopping the war and seeking peace included sending a prince for a marriage alliance and paying tribute for three years, which would be delivered by a delegation of envoys during the New Year.

This was not a glorious matter—at least not for him as a prince of Xifeng.

Changli’s Emperor had been absurd for three years, severely damaging the nation’s strength. However, Xifeng’s royal princesses were engaged in severe internal strife and couldn’t endure prolonged external conflict either. When Xifeng’s Empress Regnant initiated the war, she had assumed Changli was severely weakened and bound to lose, never expecting there would be a invincible Young General Qin. Ending up in this situation was truly reaping what she sowed.

Xie Chongjin came straight to the point: “I heard you have an elder sister.”

Helian Xi was taken aback: “Yes.”

“When she arrives then, you siblings can be reunited.” Since the envoys had not yet arrived, Xie Chongjin used the word “if”, but everyone knew deep down that the one coming would definitely be Helian Yu.

The status of envoys from a defeated nation could not be too low, usually being members of the royal family. However, paying tribute to a foreign country was hardly an honorable task—it was a thankless chore that other royal princesses would refuse to undertake. After her military authority was revoked, Helian Yu had been treated cold-shouldered continuously and urgently needed to accomplish an assignment to regain heavy reliance. Furthermore, as Helian Xi’s full sibling from the same father, whether for public duties or private reasons, the envoy would be her.

In his past life, Helian Yu had remained quiet for two years starting from age nineteen. As Xifeng’s Empress Regnant aged, she grew excessively obsessed with preserving her youth, and it was only after Helian Yu presented a method for youth preservation that she regained the Empress Regnant’s favor. The moment she gained real power, she began deploying a grand plan to usurp the throne.

Xie Chongjin felt that this timeline could be moved forward by two years.

At the thought of his elder sister coming, Helian Xi could hardly conceal the joy on his face, though he forcefully suppressed it: “There are still two months until then. For Your Highness to bring it up now is a bit too early…”

“Naturally, it is not just this matter,” Lu Xuechao said.

“Yesterday’s play was also performed for you to see.”