きつね : Sorry for being missing for nearly a week. I had been so busy with my work. 🙇♀️
Continued from the previous chapter→
Nie Qing was silent for a short while before saying, "I am also a cabinet member." Or the Chief Minister. He added in his mind.
Chu Changge raised his eyebrows in understanding and then said to the ministers present, "I already have a solution to the plague."
The crowd was thrilled. They were waiting for Chu Changge to tell them what his solution was. However, Chu Changge's following words were——"My dear courtiers should do what my dear courtiers need to do. Zhen has important matters to consult with the Empress."
Murong Yunshu looked at him strangely. About what?
Chu Changge returned her an incomparably honest look. Idle chatter is also an important matter.
The ministers still wanted to ask Chu Changge about his way of controlling the plague, but once they met his 'take care and I won't bother seeing you out' look, they lost all their courage. Fine, fine. If His Majesty said there was a way, then there must be a way.
Apart from Nie Qing, the ministers exited one after another.
Chu Changge glanced at him irritably, "Is there something wrong?" That tone of his was icy and carried a clear hostile intent.
Nie Qing was silent for a moment before he said, "The capital is empty, and I can't help worrying. I want to go back there as soon as possible."
"What do you have to worry about when you have Huberg in the capital? He has even accurately foretold that I would be the Emperor, and if something will happen in the capital, he will be able to predict it with a pinch of his fingers and will naturally inform you." Chu Changge did not use 'Zhen', indicating that he was now speaking to Nie Qing as Chu Changge, rather than an Emperor playing a game with his cabinet minister. It's better to read this chapter on the translator's original site at xinshou blogspot com to support her effort.
Nie Qing understood, so he stopped using the word 'this small official' and said directly, "I did not believe in Huberg's prophecies when I supported you as the Emperor. His prophecies are merely to save the trouble of convincing the others."
"Huberg is in the capital? Isn't he on the street telling fortunes?" Murong Yunshu asked in surprise, interrupting their conversation.
Chu Changge: "He changed his profession a long time ago. Don't you realise that a person is missing from the mansion?"
Murong Yunshu: "I knew he had stopped living in the mansion long ago. However, I thought he had moved out and gone to a cheap inn because he didn't have the silver to pay for the room."
Three black lines appeared on Chu Changge's forehead. She had both her ears shut to what went on outside the window and only cared about counting her silver at home.
"I want to go out of Jinling City." Nie Qing stressed again whether the couple wanted to talk to him or not.
Chu Changge glanced at him coldly and replied, "Rejected."
Nie Qing: "I am not infected with the plague."
"Maybe it just didn't kick in yet." Chu Changge responded indifferently.
The corners of Nie Qing's mouth twitched slightly. Did he genuinely want him to catch the plague? Nie Qing knew that Chu Changge didn't see eye to eye with him, but he didn't expect that Chu Changge would bring his emotions into the relationship between a ruler and his minister at this juncture. "I must leave Jinling." Nie Qing stressed again. This time, he looked deeply at Murong Yunshu, hoping that she could persuade that particular person he had some difficulty dealing with to put the general interest first. Yet this glance, wrapped in breeziness, failed to hide the deep feelings in his heart.
Murong Yunshu originally wanted to ignore Nie Qing's gaze, but his gaze was too hot, one degree hotter than searing heat, making her somewhat unable to bear it. She had seen such a burning heat in Chu Changge's eyes, and she had also seen it in Hua Yeli's eyes. The former had touched her, and the latter had made her feel apologetic. At this moment, the burning heat in Nie Qing's eyes left her at a loss for words.
Although Murong Yunshu never said it, their friendship for so many years had made her regard Nie Qing as a companion. In this time, where the fire of war was everywhere, companions were deeper bound than friends.
For the first time, in all the time they had known each other, she could see the passionate fire beneath his indifferent exterior through those deep, unruffled eyes.
I'm sorry, Nie Qing. In my view of life, the world of relationships is one-to-one. You are not my destiny, and I'm not yours to keep either. Murong Yunshu said softly in her heart, then smoothed out her inner turmoil and said to Chu Changge, "Let him go out of the city. Your throne will not be secure without your trusted aide in the capital."
The word 'trusted aide' hit Nie Qing's heart hard, making him unable to connect with it for a moment, and then, a few moments of delight showed in his eyes. Yes. Delighted. Although they were not meant to be in this life, it was worth it to have her trust.
Although Chu Changge was hostile towards Nie Qing, he had to admit that he trusted him the most out of this group of ministers. Not for any other reason, just because he was someone from the Murong Mansion. "You can leave the city in three days."
Nie Qing frowned and wanted to ask why he had to wait until three days later but was worried that if he did, the result would be that he would leave the city in six days. So he swallowed his question back into his stomach. He had been waiting for thirty days, so what was the harm in waiting for another three days?
*
The next day. Nie Qing understood why Chu Changge wanted him to leave in three days. It was because Feng Cheng was coming.
If he had left yesterday, he would have brushed past Feng Cheng. Even so, Nie Qing was not grateful to Chu Changge. Missing out on Feng Cheng would not be a pity for him; on the contrary, he would be glad to see it happen.
He did not reject spending his life with Feng Ling, but he had his own principles. Once married, even if he didn't love her, he would treat her wholeheartedly. Marriage meant that his feelings for Murong Yunshu would be completely sealed, which was too complicated and too hasty for him to do right now.
"Big Brother!" Feng Ling jumped into Feng Cheng's arms like a child and questioned, "Big Brother, why did you only come now? If you haven't come, you'll have to come and collect my corpse instead."
"Don't say something unlucky." Feng Cheng pushed Feng Ling away. His face was still so white, natural white.
"It's true." Feng Ling pouted and said, "The plague is so terrible that I don't dare to go out......"
Feng Cheng: "Who told you not to study medicine properly before? You deserve to have your heart in your mouth!"
"It's good that you're here, Big Brother! You're good at healing anyway. With you around, I won't die." Feng Ling said with a smirk, and she laughed mischievously afterwards.
Feng Cheng: "I can't stay with you until you're old either. One day, you'll have to marry someone. In case you marry far away, how can I save you?"
Feng Ling immediately dropped her head and bit her lip to stop herself from smiling at the mention of marrying someone.
Feng Cheng frowned and asked Murong Yunshu, "What's wrong with her?"
Murong Yunshu looked at Nie Qing. "Ask him."
Feng Cheng looked at Nie Qing with puzzlement and suddenly realised. "You're finally willing to marry Ling-er?"
"Big Brother――" Feng Ling grumbled flirtatiously. With her nine turned, eighteen curved tones, it seemed like she was singing in a play, making everyone roar with laughter.
"You don't even feel shameful following him for five years, yet you suddenly become shy when I just spoke about this one thing?" Feng Cheng joked.
"Big Brother!" Feng Ling stomped her foot, frowning and biting her lip in shyness.
Looking at Feng Ling, who was overjoyed but embarrassed to show it, Feng Cheng's heart jerked. When he first took Xie-er's hand many years ago, she was also very shy. At that time, she was so domineering. But as soon as she saw him, she put away all her spoiled girl's tempers and would ask him whether he felt hot or cold and broke through all his defences like an overwhelming hurricane. She penetrated his heart and took root. No matter how he pulled her out, it was to no avail.
"Big Brother?" Feng Ling called him softly.
Feng Cheng returned to his senses. "I agree to your marriage."
"You just suddenly become absent-minded." Feng Ling was more concerned about the situation he was in. Although it was only for a moment, she saw the grief on her brother's face that was so thick. The kind of grief that took away his entire life force and only came out when he thought of Big Sister Xi. [+]
"Something significant suddenly came to mind." Feng Cheng passed it off lightly. His pale face was already as calm as water.
Murong Yunshu knew that beneath this stagnant water-like silence were terrifying suppressed waves that would one day turn into something that could hold back rivers and overturn the seas.
Feng Cheng had not yet released Chu Xiyue from his mind. Murong Yunshu hung her head, afraid he would mistake the loss in her eyes for sympathy. She should have known long ago that some people would have difficulty letting go of some of their feelings. If it were her, even if everyone told her that Chu Changge was dead, rather than being scared out of her wits, she would still believe that he was still alive and would keep looking for him. It was because he was her faith. Without this faith, she did not know where to go next or whether she should go on at all.
Chu Xiyue was Feng Cheng's faith. How could he let go of his faith? He couldn't. He could never let it go. So Feng Cheng still did not set Chu Xiyue free. Murong Yunshu thought Feng Cheng had let go of his aimless search for Chu Xiyue, as her memories would live forever in his heart. They would occasionally sting his conscience and sometimes make him happy.
Murong Yunshu bowed her head and did not say anything. While Feng Ling also hung her head and bit her lip remorsefully. She should not have exposed her brother's scars. Chu Changge just patted Feng Cheng's shoulder helplessly without saying anything. No more words would help ease his pain.
A terrible silence fell over the hall, making everyone uncomfortable.
"I will treat Ling-er well." Nie Qing, who always treasured his words like gold, broke the awkward situation.
"I know." A faint smile lifted from the corners of Feng Cheng's mouth. Once he discovered what was on Nie Qing's mind, he felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from his heart.
"Honestly, have you ever worried Feng Ling won't get married?" Chu Changge teased.
Feng Cheng laughed. "Of course I did. She's so dead set on marrying Nie Qing that she won't consider anyone else. I'm worried that if, in the end, Nie Qing marries someone else, she'll become a nun and spend the rest of her life as the oil lamp in front of Buddha."
"Nie Qing is not going to marry anyone else!" Feng Ling said with conviction. Her statement caused another laughter coming from everyone present.
Nie Qing also smiled. It was a blessing to have someone so deadly devoted and blindly in love with him. In the past, his eyes had been chasing the person in front of him. So he hadn't noticed that the person chasing him behind him was just as eager as he was in wishing for the person in front to slow down and allow himself to catch up. Luckily, fortunately, the person behind him did not walk away when he turned back.
"Thank you." Nie Qing held Feng Ling's hand as he expressed his gratitude.
"Thanks for what?" Feng Ling was so focused on asking this question that she didn't even notice Nie Qing was holding her hand. Only after a long moment did she realise. Her reaction was to lower her head, bite her lip down, and secretly smile. But she didn't dare to move her hand. She was afraid that Nie Qing would let it go if she did.
This was the first time Nie Qing had held her hand. Feng Ling felt that her heart was already overflowing with happiness.
Seeing that Nie Qing had finally figured it out, Murong Yunshu sighed in relief.
While everyone was rejoicing over Nie Qing and Feng Ling, Chu Changge said, "There's no time like the present to perform a marriage ceremony between the two. I've already asked Chief Steward Qian to prepare everything."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Chief Steward Qian walked into the hall, followed by a steady stream of maids entering and leaving. Soon, the wedding hall was presented to everyone.
Everyone in the room was dumbfounded, including Murong Yunshu.
"Can you explain to me what this is all about?" Murong Yunshu asked.
"Getting things done early so as not to let them have a long night fraught with dreams. Don't you think so too, Brother Feng? "Chu Changge stared at Feng Cheng.
Feng Cheng nodded. "The plague is so severe, and I don't know if anyone can survive today. Let's do things early so as not to leave any regrets behind."
You are afraid that your brother-in-law will change his mind at the last minute! Murong Yunshu rolled her eyes in her mind.
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Black Belly Wife