The room was cooled with blocks of ice, making it much more comfortable than Su Zhenzhen's own room.
She sat on a round stool, her ten fingers wrapped up tightly.
Lu Hexu's bandaging skills were truly quite poor.
Su Zhenzhen reached out and tried to bend her fingertips. The bandages were wrapped so thickly that she couldn't move them much, only managing a tiny curve.
She reached for the teapot on the table.
Lu Hexu raised his hand, picking up the teapot a step ahead of her, and poured her a cup.
Inside was barley tea with honey.
The roasted aroma of barley mixed with sweet honey and crushed ice; with just one sip, her entire body felt refreshed.
"Your Majesty, Miss Su, what would you like to eat?" Wei Heng bowed as he entered to ask.
Su Zhenzhen had been busy on the mountain all day and hadn't eaten a single bite until now.
She subconsciously swallowed.
"I want to eat small wontons."
Wei Heng smiled and nodded. "And Your Majesty?"
"Small wontons."
A moment later, Wei Heng brought the food in.
Because the weather was so hot, it was difficult to stomach heavy or greasy foods.
Wei Heng delivered a few plates of cold dishes and two bowls of small wontons, accompanied by a bowl of watermelon balls served over ice.
Su Zhenzhen's hands were inconvenienced, so she tried to pick up the spoon.
She couldn't hold it; the spoon slipped right down and clinked against the edge of the bowl.
Lu Hexu raised his hand, scooped up a small wonton, and brought it to her lips.
Su Zhenzhen paused and glanced at him.
The man sat beside her. His eyelashes were slightly lowered over his fair face, and the usual hostility surrounding him was nowhere to be seen. Under the glow of the glazed lamp, he actually revealed a rare, unprecedented gentle softness.
Su Zhenzhen carefully opened her mouth and ate the small wonton, only to immediately start panting from the heat.
Lu Hexu frowned, placing his hand by her lips. "Spit it out."
Su Zhenzhen looked at the hand in front of her. The joints were distinct, with a faint hint of pink showing on the knuckles.
She couldn't bear to do it, so she rolled her tongue.
And swallowed the small wonton.
"I sw... swallowed it."
Lu Hexu's frown deepened.
He extended two fingers and parted Su Zhenzhen's lips.
His knuckles pressed against her teeth as he carefully inspected her mouth.
Su Zhenzhen felt very embarrassed and turned her head to hide, but Lu Hexu caught her chin.
Lu Hexu stared for a moment, confirming she wasn't burned.
He used a spoon to take a relatively large piece of crushed ice from the watermelon bowl and fed it to Su Zhenzhen's mouth.
Right now, Su Zhenzhen only knew to open her mouth.
The freezing ice entered her mouth.
The burning sensation from earlier was instantly dispersed.
Su Zhenzhen swallowed the coldness of the ice in her mouth, her gaze involuntarily darting toward Lu Hexu's face.
"Let it cool."
He stirred the small wontons with his spoon, and the swirling hot steam wafted up.
The wontons were temporarily set aside, and Lu Hexu speared a piece of watermelon for her.
The watermelon in the porcelain bowl was soaked in ice. Taken from the sweetest part in the center and scooped out with a silver spoon, the plump little round balls crowded together, looking like crimson jade beads soaked in cold jade.
The watermelon balls were exactly bite-sized for Su Zhenzhen.
The ice in her mouth had just melted.
Su Zhenzhen opened her mouth to eat the watermelon ball.
The ice-soaked watermelon ball brought a piercing, refreshing chill straight to her chest the moment it entered her mouth. It was sweet but not cloying, crisp and refreshing, instantly suppressing all the irritable heat in her body.
After she ate a few watermelon balls, the bowl of small wontons was almost cool enough.
Lu Hexu then fed Su Zhenzhen half a bowl of small wontons.
When Su Zhenzhen couldn't eat anymore, the man finished the remaining half bowl along with his own.
Over there, Wei Heng came over with two young eunuchs behind him.
The two young eunuchs were carrying something.
Su Zhenzhen glanced at it curiously.
Wei Heng explained, "Miss Su, this is an icebox."
An icebox?
An ancient version of a refrigerator?
It was Su Zhenzhen's first time seeing such a thing.
It was a half-human-tall wooden chest made of ebony, with a steady design and dark copper wrapping the corners. The patterns were simple, and the body of the box was hollow-carved with fine, intertwining branches. The lid was half-open, revealing solid ice freshly taken from the ice cellar stacked inside. Each block was translucent and white. The chill slowly seeped out from the gaps, condensing on the wooden edges into a thin layer of damp coolness.
Wei Heng placed the lacquer tray in his hand on the table.
On the lacquer tray was a clean handkerchief.
Su Zhenzhen had cried so much her eyes were red and swollen. They were still a watery red, as if coated in a thick layer of rouge.
Lu Hexu picked up the handkerchief, took a piece of ice from the icebox, wrapped it up, and then stood up to sit on the cool couch by the window.
"Come here."
Su Zhenzhen blinked. Her eyes hurt slightly; she had cried so hard earlier that they were still uncomfortable.
She walked over and sat down beside him, following Lu Hexu's wishes.
The handkerchief wrapped with ice was gently pressed against her eyes.
His movements were incredibly light. The soft handkerchief wrapped around the ice was slightly damp, and the coolness spread through the fabric, bringing a lot of comfort to Su Zhenzhen's red, swollen, and stinging eyes.
She couldn't help but close her eyes and tilt her head back further.
A hand supported the back of her neck, then trailed down the line of her neck to rest on her shoulder, pressing down slightly.
Following Lu Hexu's guidance, Su Zhenzhen lay down.
Her head rested on his lap, her cheek touching his silk robe.
The soft fabric brushed against her skin, and Su Zhenzhen caught the unique scent belonging to Lu Hexu.
She couldn't quite describe what the scent was, only that it smelled very good.
It smells so good.
Lu Hexu's movement over her eyes paused slightly.
He extended a finger, lightly brushing over the woman's cheek to move a strand of hair stuck to her face.
The man's movements were very gentle, with perfect propriety, as the ice-wrapped handkerchief moved along the contours of her eye sockets.
It wasn't freezing, just very comfortable, cool and moist.
Su Zhenzhen narrowed her eyes in comfort, then took advantage of the moment Lu Hexu was icing her left eye to carefully open her right eye.
The man was looking down at her. Their gazes collided, and Su Zhenzhen looked into his deep, dark eyes.
She subconsciously buried her face, then suddenly felt the back of her neck tighten.
Lu Hexu pushed her forward a little and sat back slightly himself.
"Face outward."
The man's voice was slightly hoarse, but the fingers pressing against the back of her neck showed no intention of relaxing.
Su Zhenzhen lay there stiffly, even her breathing becoming rapid.
She shifted her body.
But the hand pressing on the back of her neck suddenly exerted a bit more force.
Su Zhenzhen couldn't move.
He told her to face outward, yet he was gripping the back of her neck.
Finally, just as Su Zhenzhen was about to lose her composure, the hand released her.
Su Zhenzhen immediately sat up straight. "I... I can do it myself."
She kept her head down and reached for the handkerchief in Lu Hexu's hand.
Her gaze accidentally caught a glimpse of something, and she immediately looked away.
The man was wearing a loose robe.
Lu Hexu sat there without a hint of shame on his face. Instead, he propped his chin on one hand and tilted his head to look at her, appearing extremely serious.
Su Zhenzhen: ...
Su Zhenzhen kept her head lowered, applying the ice to her eyes herself.
Her eyes darted around erratically, simply not daring to glance at Lu Hexu.
The ice in her hand had melted quite a bit, wetting the handkerchief and seeping down her skin to dampen her cuffs.
"The ice has melted."
Lu Hexu raised his hand and took the ice from Su Zhenzhen, then stood up and tossed it into the copper basin.
Besides the icebox, there were several copper basins in the room. The ice blocks inside were a full meter high, thick and heavy, radiating a piercing chill.
Just standing there, Su Zhenzhen felt refreshed all over.
You rich people really live comfortably.
"Go to sleep."
Lu Hexu raised his hand and parted the bed curtains.
Su Zhenzhen looked at the bed, then at Lu Hexu.
"I... I can just sleep in the guest room."
This mansion is so big, there must be a guest room, right?
"There are no guest rooms."
Su Zhenzhen: ...
"Then I'll go back and sleep."
"Your shop has completely burned down."
Su Zhenzhen: ...
"Come here."
Su Zhenzhen stood up dawdlingly.
Although it wasn't as if they hadn't shared a bed before, this was the first time facing a clear-headed Lu Hexu after five years.
Su Zhenzhen was very nervous.
She subconsciously glanced at the side of the pillow on the bed.
That box containing the silver needles was actually still there!
"My... my hand hurts. I can't sleep."
Su Zhenzhen stood by the bed, not daring to approach.
She stretched out her palm, which was wrapped up like a rice dumpling, toward Lu Hexu. But the very next moment, she let out a huge yawn, so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open.
Su Zhenzhen: ...
Su Zhenzhen tried hard to widen her eyes. "Look, I'm not sleepy at all."
"I had Wei Heng brew you a soothing potion."
She didn't want to drink it at all.
Sitting on the round stool under Lu Hexu's gaze, Su Zhenzhen was fed by the man, swallowing the bowl of soothing potion little by little.
The effects of the soothing potion kicked in quickly.
The bed had been freshly made with silk bedding. It clung softly to her body, making it feel as though she were wearing nothing at all.
Su Zhenzhen had also been changed into silk clothes. Because her hand was injured, Wei Heng had called a maid to help her bathe.
Being a southerner, Su Zhenzhen wasn't used to being so exposed even around other women. Fortunately, the bath was quick.
Carrying the scent of soap locust, she fell asleep clean and refreshed.
It had been a long time since she slept in a big bed, and it was actually made of silk.
Lu Hexu walked into the room and raised his hand to open the tea-green bed curtains.
Inside the canopy, the woman was curled up, covered by a thin layer of silk.
Her long black hair cascaded down like a dark veil.
Lu Hexu watched quietly, feeling his heart inexplicably fill with warmth.
Just looking at her brought him a sense of peace.
He sat down sideways, his fingertips brushing across Su Zhenzhen's eyebrows, the tip of her nose, and the corners of her lips.
The man lay down along the edge of the bed. The second layer of jade-green gauze curtains fell, covering their silhouettes.
Inside the curtains, it was a world of its own.
Lu Hexu quietly watched Su Zhenzhen's sleeping face.
He had dreamed of her before.
Many times.
But every time he opened his eyes, there was only endless loneliness and coldness beside him.
Lu Hexu's fingers slid up and down against Su Zhenzhen's skin.
So warm.
He moved closer and pulled her into his arms.
The man's broad frame hovered over her, completely enveloping the woman's soft body beneath him.
His loose dark robe pressed against her delicate, soft pink silk nightgown.
Lu Hexu let out a low sigh and bowed his head to kiss Su Zhenzhen's fine black hair.
Faint sounds came from outside the curtains.
Wei Heng pushed the door open and entered.
He placed the porcelain bowl he was carrying onto the table.
The freshly brewed medicine carried a bitter, astringent, and heavy scent.
"Your Majesty, the medicine is ready."
As soon as the words left Wei Heng's mouth, he realized something was wrong.
There were sounds coming from inside the bed curtains.
The next moment, a hand reached out from the curtains, and Lu Hexu looked at Wei Heng with a displeased expression. "You are too loud."
Wei Heng stood there with his head bowed, saying nothing.
Lu Hexu got up and stepped out, but after one step, he realized something was wrong.
He turned around and saw that a corner of his robe was pinned under Su Zhenzhen's head.
Lu Hexu raised his hands and untied his outer robe.
The black robe was left on the edge of the bed, so gently that it didn't disturb the sleeping woman at all.
Then, the three layers of curtains were lowered.
Wearing only his inner garments, Lu Hexu walked over to the table, cast down his eyes to look at the porcelain bowl, opened it, and picked it up.
A pungent medicinal smell wafted out, but Lu Hexu was used to it.
He walked to the window.
There was a banana tree by the window.
It wasn't very big yet, only about half the height of a person.
Lu Hexu raised his hand, and all the medicine in the porcelain bowl was poured onto it.
Then, he handed the empty porcelain bowl back to Wei Heng.
Wei Heng: ...
A gentle summer breeze drifted in from outside the window, carrying the bitter scent of medicine.
Lu Hexu rested one hand on the windowsill, rubbing his thumb against the frame, then took the handkerchief Wei Heng offered to wipe the medicine stains off his hand.
"Wei Heng, she thought that was my grave. She went to dig up my grave."
Wei Heng stood behind Lu Hexu, holding the empty porcelain bowl, which now contained only a few dregs of medicine at the bottom.
Wei Heng: ???
The man stood sideways by the window. Shaded by the banana leaves, he lowered his eyes slightly, his long eyelashes casting faint shadows under the lamplight, his jawline sharp and elegant.
The next instant, the corners of the man's lips curled upward very lightly and slowly, the curve barely noticeable.
From Wei Heng's angle, he could see this smile perfectly clearly.
Although he didn't know what His Majesty was so happy about, Wei Heng clearly sensed that it must have something to do with Su Zhenzhen.
"I cannot drink the medicine." Lu Hexu's gaze fell back onto the porcelain bowl in Wei Heng's hands.
If he recovered, she would leave.
Lu Hexu's eyes darkened again.
"Wei Heng, she cannot leave."
"And she cannot die."
He couldn't bear the thought of her dying. Just the mere idea of Su Zhenzhen's death made Lu Hexu feel as if ten thousand needles were piercing into his heart all at once. This pain was worse than anything he had ever felt.
Those needles pierced him densely, then twisted inward inch by inch, stabbing right into the softest part of his heart.
Lu Hexu had originally thought he had no heart.
But ever since he met Su Zhenzhen again, his heart had been aching constantly.
Sour, tender, and painful.
Outside the window, the banana leaves rustled slightly.
The next moment, Shadow One flipped inside silently and knelt on the ground.
"Your Majesty..."
Lu Hexu looked down at Shadow One, his eyes dark and full of warning.
Shadow One didn't understand why, but immediately fell silent.
Lu Hexu turned his head to glance behind the bed curtains, where the faint silhouette of a woman could be seen.
After taking the soothing potion, Su Zhenzhen was sleeping very deeply.
Lu Hexu turned and walked out of the room.
His robes fluttered slightly, sweeping past a gust of wind tinged with medicine.
Shadow One got up and followed.
Lu Hexu stood under the eaves, glanced at Shadow One, and said, "Speak."
Shadow One knelt on the ground. "As you instructed, we intentionally let one person go, and then sent someone to follow him. We found a courtyard outside Yangzhou City."
"That courtyard is heavily guarded and has death squads. It is not easy to infiltrate."
"We suspect that the reason the Yangzhou courtyard is guarded so strictly is likely because the illegitimate eldest son of Prince Su has come in person."
Lu Hexu stood under the eaves, raising his hand to stroke the tassels of the gauze lantern hanging above his head.
The tassels were very long, a pale pink color.
"Since he has delivered himself to our door, then kill him."
A voice came from behind.
Lu Hexu turned around and saw Su Zhenzhen, who was supposed to be asleep on the bed.
Su Zhenzhen stood there looking slightly dazed, clutching Lu Hexu's robe in her hands.
Ordinary soothing potions had little effect on her.
She woke up after dozing for a short while.
She hadn't expected to wake up just in time to hear Lu Hexu say he was going to kill someone.
Su Zhenzhen remembered this Lu Changying.
Lu Changying, the eldest illegitimate son of Prince Su, was born to a mother who was originally a lowly courtesan. Because of his humble origins, he grew up marginalized within the cracks of the prince's estate.
Without the backing of a maternal family or the favor of his father and brothers, Lu Changying grew up in the dust. Having seen enough of the fickleness of human nature, his heart had grown as hard as iron.
Therefore, he resorted to any means necessary, even murdering his father and brothers.
For a man like him, his lifelong obsession was to rise above all others. What he feared least was climbing up from the very bottom.
Such scheming and striving even excited him.
He looked down on Lu Mingqian's weakness and incompetence. How could such a person become the King of Pingliang?
The position of Prince Su rightfully belonged to him.
But Lu Changying's ambitions went far beyond that.
Today, he would become the King of Pingliang; tomorrow, he could become the ruler of the world.
In the original novel, after Shen Yanci ascended the throne, there was a period of rebellion among the vassal kings. The instigator was this ambitious illegitimate son of Prince Su, who intended to imitate the late emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty and force Shen Yanci to abdicate.
Shen Yanci had already experienced such a thing once when he was a child.
Now, the same life challenge was placed before him again.
He would never repeat his father's disastrous mistakes.
The rebellion of the vassal kings lasted for three years.
The empire that Shen Yanci had bloodlessly reclaimed from a tyrant was plunged into war once more.
The ambitions of these men would be sacrificed with the blood of the people of Great Zhou.
Their eyes met, and Su Zhenzhen said, Stay safe. I will wait for you to come back.
Lu Hexu's heart softened. His eyes flickered gently as he slowly nodded. Alright.
Um, if possible, bring me a piece of plum blossom cake on your way back.
As the night fell, the Yangzhou villa was immersed in deep, quiet ink-like darkness.
A light mist veiled the night, and moisture crept over the vermilion railings. Only a few corner lanterns were lit in the courtyard, their dim yellow halos mostly swallowed by the darkness. The pool water was silent, and the tree shadows slanted across.
Inside the main house, the doors and windows were tightly shut.
In the heavy night, a gray pigeon pierced the silent sky and landed precisely in front of the window.
Coo, coo...
The window was opened, and a hand reached out from inside to pull the pigeon in.
A man sat behind the desk and untied the secret letter from the pigeon's leg.
The man looked to be around thirty years old with an ordinary appearance, but his eyes were steeped in eager, utilitarian ambition. Like a hyena, his face was soaked in greed.
It failed.
Lu Changying's face instantly darkened.
He raised his hand, removed the lampshade, and burned the secret letter.
Not only had they failed, but out of the eleven men sent out, only one had returned.
The assassin who had desperately fled back stumbled through the door. His clothes were soaked in blood, clinging stickily to his body, with shallow and deep wounds crisscrossing. He looked as if he was on his last breath.
He fell to the ground, and as he opened his mouth, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
What exactly happened? How could Lu Mingqian, a useless weakling who can not even truss a chicken, injure you all like this?
Lu Changying did not care at all whether his subordinate lived or died.
However, he still called for someone to treat him, as he needed to know what had happened.
A physician soon arrived with a medicine chest.
Examining the wounds, stopping the bleeding, and administering medicine.
After a series of procedures, the man's condition finally stabilized.
Lying on the ground, he slowly began to reply, Originally, according to the plan, we wanted to create an accidental fire to burn the young heir to death inside. But he discovered it and smashed the doors and windows to escape, so we entered the courtyard to intercept and kill him.
And then? Lu Changying had little patience; he only wanted to know the result.
Was Lu Mingqian dead or not?
The young heir was screaming. Afraid of attracting attention, we wanted to end the battle quickly. To create the illusion of thieves and bandits killing him after a failed robbery, we did not kill him in one strike. But strangely, a group of Brocade Guards suddenly appeared outside. Not just Brocade Guards, but also a man... The man had a hidden guard by his side, and that hidden guard's martial arts were exceptionally good... They rescued the young heir...
He was not dead.
He actually did not die!
Brocade Guards, a hidden guard... Lu Changying's mind raced.
The information given to him by that scar-covered old man in black was indeed true; Lu Mingqian was hiding in the Su family pharmacy in Yangzhou City. But why were there so many Brocade Guards around him? And even a hidden guard protecting him?
Lu Changying cast his eyes down at his trusted assassin in front of him.
This time, to completely kill Lu Mingqian, Lu Changying had specially brought his trusted team all the way from Pingliang.
It could be said that these were all of his elite trusted troops.
Where exactly did things go wrong? Who did Lu Mingqian find to help him?
Master, someone has broken in! A commotion came from outside.
Lu Changying immediately reacted.
He looked down and glared at the assassin lying on the ground.
You useless thing, you can not accomplish anything but ruin everything!
Lu Changying lifted his foot and stomped hard on the assassin's chest.
The assassin clutched Lu Changying's foot, spat out a mouthful of blood, and completely lost all signs of life.
The physician knelt beside them, trembling, not daring to look up.
Lu Changying stepped out of the room, his gaze falling on the firelight ahead.
They really followed him here.
Retreat.
Lu Changying led the remaining assassins, preparing to retreat from the residence.
But the other side did not give him any time to escape.
The neighing of fine horses echoed through half the courtyard.
A man in a black robe rode in on horseback. The horse was tall, and the man riding it seemed even taller.
The man and his horse blocked the corridor, almost touching the ceiling.
The overwhelming aura, as heavy as Mount Tai, made Lu Changying secretly gasp.
Standing there with his path blocked, he had no choice but to confront the man.
Who exactly are you, sir?
Lu Hexu did not speak; he merely raised his hand to draw an arrow.
Shadow One followed behind Lu Hexu, watching the man nock the arrow and draw the bow.
His Majesty had not taken action himself in a very long time.
The sharp arrow pierced through the crowd, aiming directly at Lu Changying, who was protected behind the assassins.
Lu Changying raised his hand to block the arrow, only to find the force of the arrow was so great that it directly knocked the sword out of his hand.
The longsword fell to the ground. Before Lu Changying could react, another long arrow shot towards him.
His palm was pierced and pinned to the door panel.
Lu Changying let out a shrill, miserable scream.
What exactly do you want? I can give you anything! I can even put you on the imperial throne!
That position was what Lu Changying desired the most.
Therefore, he believed he had offered to trade the most important thing he had.
But the man seemed not to care for it at all.
In the next instant, many more arrows pierced Lu Changying's arms, legs, and body.
Lu Changying practically became a human target for the arrows.
Lu Hexu sat on his horse and glanced at the sky.
It was almost dawn.
The plum blossom cakes were about to come out of the oven.
Surround them, and burn it down.
Lu Hexu turned his horse around and rode away.
Shadow One led the hidden guards to tightly surround the residence. A raging fire burned, and any assassins attempting to escape from inside were slain.
As the sky grew faintly bright, Lu Hexu returned to the house carrying freshly baked plum blossom cakes.
He raised his hand and parted the bed curtains. Su Zhenzhen was not yet awake.
There were two layers of curtains. Lu Hexu reached up and untied the outer layer, letting the drapes fall, and the inside of the bed instantly darkened.
Lu Hexu pressed his knee against the edge of the bed, leaned over, and rested his head beside Su Zhenzhen.
The morning sun from outside slowly filtered into the room.
Lu Hexu's breath suddenly caught, and he instinctively drew closer to Su Zhenzhen.
He pulled up the silk quilt, draping it over the two of them.
In the dim light, Lu Hexu's gaze fell upon Su Zhenzhen, who was sleeping beside him.
His arm was wrapped around her waist.
Lu Hexu spread his hand and slowly closed it, his fingertips feeling the steady rise and fall of the woman's breath against her abdomen.
It was not enough.
Lu Hexu slowly leaned over. The distinct knuckles of his other hand gently brushed against Su Zhenzhen's slightly cool cheek. His fingertips softly caressed her skin, as if trying to confirm that she was still warm.
His fingers tightened slightly as he cupped the back of her neck, but he immediately eased his grip, pressing down with only the utmost gentleness. "Alive."
Lu Hexu murmured softly.
For the first time, Lu Hexu felt that being alive was a wonderful thing.
He leaned in, lowering his head until his lips, carrying the faint tang of blood, pressed against Su Zhenzhen's soft ones.
Su Zhenzhen was kissed awake.
Unable to catch her breath, she raised her hand to push him away, a sharp pain shooting through her fingertips.
The man pressed her down, kissing her with deep, lingering tenderness.
