Jing Xin slept through a long afternoon nap before finally waking. The mountain air was far too fresh, and she had been more tired here than in the royal palace.
Shou Quan told her the letter had already been sent out.
A faint smile appeared on her lips as she waited for Qi Shen to return.
She was using the voices of Shen Qingyue and Qin Wuheng to arrange a meeting between them.
Today, Qin Wuheng had already presented Shen Qingyue’s pastries to Qi Shen and had nearly sent her straight into the mouth of a tiger. The next step would naturally be to have Qi Shen encounter the breathtaking mountain fairy, Shen Qingyue.
She had to make Qi Shen understand that Shen Qingyue was the woman his cousin loved before he ever met her.
The letter she forged contained no words, only a single red bean placed inside according to fragments she remembered from the novel. She had also instructed the child to deliver a message: “The acacia tree at the hour of You.” The two people who often met secretly beneath that acacia tree on the farmed hillside would understand.
At dinner time, Qi Shen sent someone to invite Jing Xin to the courtyard for a meal with the feudal lords and ministers.
Jing Xin dressed and went over. Her makeup was even more refined than that of the palace maids. Liang Dynasty makeup usually overemphasized bright coloration and neglected contouring, but she had instructed the maids to apply a style that better highlighted her features. Even the peach-toned eye shadow was an unfamiliar technique. Chang Huan and the maids all praised it as exquisite.
The moment she appeared, she drew everyone’s attention. When Prince Zhou had once presented a beauty to Qi Shen, Jing Xin’s appearance had already shaken the nation. Most of those present were men, with only a few ministers bringing wives or children. Jing Xin was used to this level of attention. In her past life, she had been a campus beauty, with countless art students pursuing her. Thinking of it now, it was almost a pity she had saved her first kiss for another world.
That brief moment of amazement passed quickly. Everyone rose and respectfully greeted her, no longer daring to look directly at her.
Jing Xin bowed to Qi Shen. The man sat high on the throne, his dark blue dragon robe fluttering in the wind. Even though her carefully prepared appearance had surprised him, he quickly shifted to a faint expression of “it is nothing special,” as if he was already accustomed to her beauty in private.
The countryside setting still offered a rich spread of dishes. When most had finished eating, Qin Wuheng stood and excused himself to inspect the surroundings.
Jing Xin covered her sleeve and asked Qi Shen, “Your Majesty, this consort has eaten her fill. Have you finished eating as well?”
He had only taken a sip of wine and was no longer eating.
“Rumor says the sunset on the mountain is beautiful. May this consort invite Your Majesty to view it?” she asked.
Qi Shen said nothing but stood, indicating agreement.
She followed him out, and the crowd respectfully saw them off.
They climbed to a high mountain peak.
The entire landscape was bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun. Jing Xin loved this peaceful scenery. She raised her fingers to frame the distant horizon as if she were composing a painting in her mind.
Qi Shen asked, “What do you see?”
“‘The twilight adds a thousand feet of green, the setting sun casually releases a cluster of flowers.’” She casually adapted a Tang poem and pretended serenity. “This place is so quiet. This consort is grateful that Your Majesty brought me here. It is such a beautiful place. I wish that when I am old, I could still accompany Your Majesty to see such views.”
She suddenly lowered her gaze, looking a little sad. “But when I am old, I will not look good anymore. Your Majesty will surely not like me then.”
She raised her face anxiously. “Your Majesty, will you?”
Her peach blossom makeup suited her face perfectly. In the golden light, her features were soft and intoxicating. Her cautious expectation made Qi Shen’s lips lift slightly, almost amused.
“Of course. I do not like the appearance of women when they grow old and lose their beauty,” he said.
Jing Xin lowered her gaze in disappointment, though inside she wanted to curse him.
Once this is done, I am out.
Being single and thriving sounds much better.
She suddenly let out a soft sound and looked down the mountain. “Someone is meeting secretly down there. That man looks like the Minister of Works.”
Qi Shen followed her gaze.
Below, among the green forest, a pair of figures stood behind large rocks, clearly meeting in secret. From this angle, their silhouettes were visible. He immediately recognized the man as Qin Wuheng.
Qin Wuheng was embracing a woman in red, and she was clinging to him affectionately.
Qi Shen had never seen Qin Wuheng with a woman before. He had even attempted to arrange marriages for him, but Qin Wuheng had always claimed he wished to devote himself to court affairs.
Qi Shen stepped forward, but Jing Xin quickly grabbed his sleeve.
“Your Majesty, that must be a woman brought by the Minister of Works. They look so affectionate. Let us not disturb them,” she said softly.
Qi Shen stopped.
The sun was sinking. He turned to leave.
His stride was large, and Jing Xin had to jog to keep up.
“Your Majesty, please slow down,” she called.
Qi Shen paused briefly, but only for a moment.
The surrounding forest is filled with insects and frogs. He disliked such sounds, especially the buzzing of insects, which reminded him of the abandoned well behind Ningyi Palace.
Jing Xin caught up, slightly out of breath, her scent faintly carried on the wind.
“Your Majesty, wait for this consort,” she said softly.
“Do you have short legs?” he asked.
Jing Xin froze. She prided herself on her long legs, yet was being insulted like this.
“The countryside scenery is so beautiful. Should Your Majesty not stay a little longer to enjoy it?” she asked.
“It is noisy with insects,” he replied coldly.
“Then let us return,” she said.
Halfway down the mountain, Jing Xin saw an old farmer tending fields with an ox, and a child playing nearby.
“Your Majesty, look. Even oxen are led by someone,” she said.
“Yet no one is holding my hand,” she added softly.
Qi Shen finally stopped.
He looked down at her. Her delicate face showed grievance and sadness, but her eyes were full of cautious affection, as though she feared his anger while still longing for him.
At last, he took her hand.
Her face instantly brightened, and even the sunset seemed less brilliant by comparison. Qi Shen’s lips also lifted slightly.
…
The evening wind carried the warmth of summer twilight across the land.
Under the acacia trees at the foot of the mountain, Qin Wuheng held Shen Qingyue for a long time, reluctant to break the silence.
He suddenly said, “From now on, when we meet, let us still use letters with only a red bean. No words.”
“Alright. You are always thoughtful. I will listen to you,” Shen Qingyue replied softly.
Qin Wuheng smiled faintly. Rarely did he show such genuine ease. In court, he was a stern and loyal minister. In front of enemies, he was humble and calculating. Yet here, he could finally be himself.
Shen Qingyue liked his smile. She gently touched his face, and they shared a long silent gaze, relying only on smiles to express everything unsaid.
They had not seen each other for half a year.
After the Shen family was exterminated, she had been taken into the Prime Minister’s residence. As she matured, her beauty grew more striking. Fearing exposure, she was sent to the Yuping farm estate, a place privately controlled by the Qin clan.
There, she studied cooking, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and all skills suited to please Qi Shen. Every day she also read reports of Qi Shen’s daily life sent from the capital. Her life revolved entirely around him, yet the only person she truly cared about was Qin Wuheng.
Revenge could be completed faster. She only wanted to be with him.
Later, Qin Wuheng’s father was executed by Qi Shen, hanged with white silk. The once-glorious Prime Minister’s residence was confiscated. Qin Wuheng was granted a new position but lost his father’s protection. Now he could only rely on Shen Qingyue.
“Ah Heng, I miss you so much,” she said.
“I miss you too,” he replied.
After their intimacy, Qin Wuheng turned serious. “Tomorrow’s plan remains unchanged. Will you resent me?”
“No! Once it is done, I will protect myself and never let that damn emperor touch me,” Shen Qingyue said firmly.
“Qingyue, I have wronged you,” he said, holding her.
Just then, an old farmer appeared from behind a rock, startling Qin Wuheng. A child clung to him, and a black ox followed.
The old man greeted Shen Qingyue, saying he had passed by and did not mean to disturb them.
Qin Wuheng immediately prepared to kill him to silence him.
“Ah Heng, don’t!” Shen Qingyue grabbed his wrist urgently.
The old man pleaded in panic, insisting he had not overheard anything.
Shen Qingyue persuaded Qin Wuheng to let him go. Qin Wuheng finally relented, but as soon as the old man turned to leave, he silently threw a hidden weapon.
The weapon struck the old man’s neck. Another followed instantly, killing him. The child screamed in fear.
Qin Wuheng then moved toward the child, but the boy slipped and fell into a ravine.
He rushed down and saw the child struggling in a pond. After a few flails, the child stopped moving.
Qin Wuheng turned away, expression cold once more.
To achieve great things, one must not be soft-hearted.
Yet he was willing to let Shen Qingyue remain pure in front of him. Let him be the one to bear the darkness.