Part 2
Clearly possessing all the capital to be a silk-pants dandy, yet Xie Qianli was annoyingly successful. Young Duke Xie’s future was brighter than the sun; who dared offend him?
Thus, Xie Qianli became acquainted with Xiao Xi.
Following that, regarding the existence he had personally stood up to protect, Xie Qianli naturally cared a bit more, visiting Fanglan Hall intermittently.
Peers always became familiar very quickly.
Compared to the heart-stopping thrill of their first meeting, when he came to Fanglan Hall again, with Young Duke Xie paving the way, naturally no one dared to stop him.
Only then could he observe the usual Xiao Xi—sitting kneeling before a desk, grinding ink and practicing calligraphy. The profile was plated with a layer of lustrous, jade-like thin light by the sunlight coming through the window.
Xiao Xi was steady and quiet, with beautiful bearing, making one dare not look directly easily. Cold, solitary, and seeming to possess divinity.
Even the palace servants serving in Fanglan Hall rarely spoke to Xiao Xi.
In the end, he was different.
Seeing the other person smile at him, Young Duke Xie’s heart bloomed with tree after tree of magnolias.
Equally shocking as the appearance was Xiao Xi’s knowledge.
Knowing astronomy, geography, skilled in painting, able to play chess… even understanding the art of war.
When Xie Qianli explained the principle of “surrounding the enemy if you have ten times the force” (shi ze wei zhi), Xiao Xi debated rigorously:
“If I only have sixty or seventy percent of the military force, yet dare to surround the enemy army, causing their morale to plummet, or forcing them to retreat and change routes, winning with the weak against the strong—does this count as a kind of deception?”
“Juer (Foal), ‘surrounding if ten times the force’ is half true and half false.”
“I am not deliberately opposing you, just worried you are limited by the military books.”
How enjoyable was that expression of worry.
Looking across Chang’an, Young Duke Xie finally had a playmate who was his match.
The most magical thing was that his white horse and fledgling hawk were not shy with Xiao Xi at all. Even without any guidance from him, they competed to get close to Xiao Xi.
There was another person in the world who could easily ride his untamable mount and carry away his male eagle, and Xie Qianli was not stingy in the slightest.
Fanglan Hall became even more attractive.
It seemed the two should have known each other; their meeting was just unavoidable fate, right?
It was just that despite asking many times, Xiao Xi still didn’t mention identity, nor did he ask for help to escape.
Out of respect, Xie Qianli continued to keep this secret. The most outrageous thing he did was sneak Xiao Xi out of the palace for fresh air, then return him unharmed.
Xie Qianli knew the limits well.
Over time, the palace servants turned a blind eye to him.
The shadow guards couldn’t beat Young Duke Xie more and more, and they didn’t dare to complain.
Time flew.
From twelve to fifteen, Xie Qianli had known Xiao Xi for three years.
As Young Duke Xie went out to gain experience, he became more knowledgeable about worldly affairs.
He began to understand that Emperor Yuantai was absurdly lecherous. He saw the real side of his Uncle, who engaged in many behaviors he considered inappropriate.
And that mysterious Fanglan Hall was cast with a layer of ambiguous shadow.
Xie Qianli began to guess: why was a peerless beauty trapped in prison?
Did Xiao Xi exist to satisfy his Uncle’s fetishes? A beauty hidden in a golden house, or a forbidden plaything?
In that instant, the whiteness of the magnolia was stained with mud. He developed contradictory feelings toward Emperor Yuantai—still respecting and loving him, but finding it inconceivable.
Until one winter day at Fanglan Hall, when Xie Qianli couldn’t resist visiting Xiao Xi again, he was astonished to find the palace doors wide open. The servants had been replaced for no reason, and there were more shadow guards.
He had a strong premonition of something ominous.
He entered the inner hall. Broken porcelain covered the floor, as if someone had chased or argued here.
Hearing his footsteps, Xiao Xi poked a head out from the corner. Xie Qianli discovered that Xiao Xi’s white-jade-like cheek was injured!
He knew how to examine wounds; he clearly saw blue and purple finger marks. Fingerprints covered Xiao Xi’s neck. He had been bullied. His eyes were red through as he looked at him. Those usually calm-as-water eyes were filled with the desire to get out, accumulating a monstrous grievance.
Xie Qianli ignited with intense anger.
He wanted to flare up and seek justice for the person, but he discovered a jade pendant smashed by Emperor Yuantai.
Xie Qianli’s pupils tightened abruptly.
The secret worry he had harbored for a long time finally turned into cruel reality.
A boy’s growth comes from witnessing the imperfections of the world. Details enriched Xie Qianli’s imagination; a sense of crisis squeezed down on Fanglan Hall like layers of dark clouds.
The little immortal in the clouds was about to fall into hell.
He couldn’t bear for Xiao Xi to be forced by his Uncle to serve the monarch, just as Xiao Xi worried about him offending the Emperor: “Juer, I fell and broke it myself.”
Today.
With the intention of saving someone from deep water and scorching fire, Xie Qianli planned and paved the way, asking for a birthday gift. He wanted Xiao Xi, then he would set him free.
Anyway, Uncle had countless beauties in the harem; those willing to serve were innumerable. He wouldn’t miss this one, Xiao Xi.
Xie Qianli publicly asked for the person at the night banquet.
But he touched Emperor Yuantai’s reverse scale. Emperor Yuantai associated it with certain unpleasant memories of failing to get what he wanted. Emperor Yuantai was furious!
The Emperor scolded him for trespassing in Fanglan Hall and berated his nephew for not learning well at a young age, punishing Xie Qianli to kneel outside Weiyang Palace until dawn.
However, Xie Qianli had never suffered such unjust grievance of being blamed by the guilty party.
Impulse caused the nephew and uncle to speak without thinking.
Kneeling before the hall, Xie Qianli protested loudly to Emperor Yuantai: “Uncle is forcing someone against their will, stealing someone’s love; this is contrary to the way of a gentleman!”
“I pledged my love to Xiao Xi first and intend to marry Xiao Xi into the Duke’s residence with proper ceremony!”
“I will never take a concubine in this life; Xiao Xi is my only beloved wife!”
“I want to marry the noble person who holds the main seat of Fanglan Hall!”
“…”
He had actually always been low-key, even knowing his status was precious.
Acting like this was completely different from his usual self. To others, Xie Qianli had undoubtedly been possessed.
Moreover, Xie Qianli dared to accuse the Emperor!
In an instant, the silk and bamboo music fell silent. Guests looked at each other in dismay. The Weiyang Palace night banquet fell into a dead silence.
Emperor Yuantai was furious at this and ordered the guards to punish Xie Qianli heavily.
Then Grand Princess Huining pleaded for mercy. Xie Ji executed the punishment personally. Right there at the palace banquet on Xie Qianli’s fifteenth birthday, he whipped the person with a horse whip until he was covered in cuts and bruises, almost dying.
It was just that Xie Qianli had a stubborn personality.
Until he was beaten to the point of losing consciousness, when the whip tip landed on his body, he was still mechanically repeating: “I want… I request to marry…”
—Xie Qianli’s fifteenth birthday gift was a severe beating.
Because of this massive farce, the fact that a mysterious person was hidden in Fanglan Hall was exposed. This person’s identity had to be explained.
Although Emperor Yuantai coveted beauty, he ultimately retained some humanity. He didn’t commit the atrocious act of a father and son (adopted) competing for the same beauty, or incest.
Ying Xi moved from darkness to light and was officially proclaimed Crown Prince.
…
When he learned that Xiao Xi was neither a girl nor a forbidden plaything, Xie Qianli was speechless.
It turned out Ying Xi had been deceiving him for a long time.
Recalling how he had made a big scene at Weiyang Palace for him back then, and said who knew how many words that made him blush with embarrassment just thinking about them…
Xie Qianli went from speechless to wanting to bury himself in a hole.
He recuperated from his injuries for a month because of this and was locked in a small dark room in the Duke’s residence for two months.
And Young Duke Xie, who had always been open and bright like the moon and breeze, now bore the charge of: Frivolous and dissolute, ruining the Crown Prince’s reputation.
His parents’ punishment for him was: Contact His Highness the Crown Prince less in the future, pay attention to avoiding suspicion, and keep your distance.
Recommended Reads
