Chapter 46: 46

The young emperor acted swiftly, and three days after Qi Yan and Chu Anyu entered the capital, he publicly announced the crimes of Duke Chen and ordered his disposal.

Duke Chen used a jade mine for personal profit, deceived the authorities, formed a party in his interests and in order to cover up the crime did not hesitate to assassinate a court official. His crimes were unforgivable, he was sentenced to be beheaded in public, the men in the family exiled and the women sent to the palace as slaves.

The end result was exactly the same as that of Xia Hongxi.

Qi Yan hesitated but decided to tell Xia Xun about it.

To his surprise, Xia Xun did not react much but only asked:

“What about Chen Jingyin?”

Qi Yan said, “Chen Jingyin is fine. Do you remember the young man who accompanied her on the way out of the capital? He obtained a marriage certificate, saying that Chen Jingyin had a marriage contract with him for a long time and could not be considered a member of the Chen family, and His Majesty allowed him to marry Chen Jingyin and decided not to pursue the matter any longer.”

Xia Xun thought of his elder sister Xia Yin; when Xia Hongxi was convicted, the whole family was implicated, but Xia Yin stayed out of the matter because she was married to someone else.

He asked Qi Yan: “Do you know the recent situation of my elder sister? How… is she doing?”

Qi Yan was slightly displeased.

“Do not call her elder sister again, she does not have you as a brother in her heart, she—”

The two of them looked out at the same time.

Outside the house, a woman in a wedding dress rushed in recklessly, the servants hurriedly following her, but no one dared to stop her.

Without having to look closely, Xia Xun could guess that this woman could only be Chen Jingyin.

She was dressed in a green brocade dress, wearing a flower hairpin on her head; her eyebrows and eyes were painted exquisitely and there was a touch of vermilion on her lips.  Clearly dressed for a wedding, she held a fan in her hand.

She was in the sedan chair before running out; today was the day of her wedding but she was as reckless as ever. Full of confusion and questions, she had to find Qi Yan to ask him clearly face to face.

Xia Xun got up and wanted to leave: “I’ll go back.”

Qi Yan told him to stay. “No need to go, I have nothing to hide from you.”

Chen Jingyin had already come to the door, and Qi Yan went towards her, meeting her gaze and giving her a light salute: “Today is Miss Chen’s big wedding day, please go back so that you don’t miss the auspicious time.”

Chen Jingyin’s eyes were red. She was holding back her tears, clutching the fan in her hand.

“Lord Qi, our Chen family has suddenly suffered a calamity. Although my father deserved it, I still don’t understand one thing no matter how much I think about it. If I can’t get your answer, I’m afraid I can’t let it go in my heart.”

Qi Yan said calmly: “I will definitely tell you everything.”

Chen Jingyin’s eyes were wet with tears.

“His Majesty said that you have done a greatly meritorious deed verifying my father’s guilt. I would like to ask you, was your meritorious deed the greatest?”

Qi Yan said, “I don’t think I should call it the greatest. Duke Chen has committed a lot of injustice. Fortunately, Your Majesty was wise and decisive, but… Duke Chen’s fate is his own fault and it has nothing to do with Miss Chen.”

Chen Jingyin took a deep breath and said in disbelief:

“…they all said that you approached me with ulterior motives. I refused to believe, I did not expect, did not expect…?!”

Qi Yan did not say anything, as a kind of acquiescence.

Chen Jingyin suddenly became excited and questioned him loudly:

“Why?! Why did you do this? Why— to do this to me?!!!”

Qi Yan said calmly: “I am an official of the court, working for His Majesty. His Majesty ordered me to go to investigate Duke Chen and I had to do my best. As for Miss Chen’s grievances… I can understand them but I can not agree. Miss Chen and I are neither relatives nor friends. It can be said that there is no relationship between us. Even though Duke Chen’s crimes were unveiled by me, Miss Chen has no reason to blame me.”

Chen Jingyin turned from sorrow to anger, and hissed in fury:

“Neither relatives nor friends? A few years ago, my father wanted to marry my eldest sister to you and even His Majesty issued a decree, but you refused to marry her to the point of resisting the decree! Since then, you have been at war with my father! But a few months ago, you saved me in the garden and let the famous embroideress make silk flowers for me! Everyone knows that you are the coldest official in the court and even His Majesty said that if one got a little closer to you, they would get frostbite! But you were so kind to me, so tolerant in every way! Now you are telling me that you have no relationship with me and that from the beginning to the end, it was me alone who was making a fool of myself!”

Chen Jingyin’s tears finally flowed down, and the round handle of the fan was almost crushed by her.

“So all of that was a lie! You were just using me!!! Qi Yan, I’m asking you, do you have a heart? Is your heart made of flesh?!!!”

Qi Yan’s expression gradually dimmed, and after a while, he said quietly:

“Miss Chen, I am not a friendly person. At this moment, I’ll tell you the truth, and these words will be from the bottom of my heart.”

He took a deep breath and said word by word:

“I’ve only loved one person in my life, from beginning to end, inside and out. Even my whole heart belongs to him. I don’t have a tiny bit left for myself, so how can I have any extra to share with others?”

Chen Jingyin was thunderstruck. Her mind was blank, her face so pale it looked bluish. With a confused expression, she staggered backwards a few steps, suddenly broke the handle of the fan and smashed the broken fan to the ground: 

“Before I came to you, I told myself that if you said you liked me and wanted me, I would never marry anyone! As long as you had me in your heart, I would rather be punished and sent to the palace as a slave, than to fail you! Even if I die, I would still be willing to do so! Who knew, who knew…”

She laughed sadly, falling to the ground listlessly.

“I thought I was right, I didn’t think… you really are as cold as ice, Qi Yan!”

Qi Yan was calm and indifferent, ordering his subordinates, “Pick up Miss Chen and send her home.”

A voice came from outside the door, “No need to bother, Lord Qi, I’m coming for her myself!”

Everyone raised their eyes, and the man coming in was the same young gentleman who had once escorted Chen Jingyin. He was riding a horse, wearing a magnificent red wedding dress; he must have gotten the news of Chen Jingyin’s escape and rushed to find her.

He jumped down from his horse, walked into Qi Yan’s house and helped Chen Jingyin, who was crying, back to her feet.

Chen Jingyin was limp, leaning against him, unable to say a word.

The young man wiped away her tears and said softly, “Come on, let’s go home.”

Chen Jingyin trembled. “I… do I still have a home…?”

The young man said firmly: “From now on, my home is your home. As long as you believe in me, I will never let you down in this life.”

Chen Jingyin clutched his sleeve, like grabbing the last straw.

The two of them snuggled up to each other and stepped out of the gate of Qi Mansion. The young man helped Chen Jingyin onto his horse, turned to Qi Yan to salute, took the reins and led his soon-to-be wife to her new home.

Qi Yan closed his eyes. Right now he felt a bit regretful; he should have let Xia Xun leave to avoid this scene.

He returned to the house and saw that Xia Xun’s face was really unsightly.

Xia Xun stood up and said coldly:

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“I have always found it strange, why every time you need to accomplish something, you have to use such cunning means? You are actually happy to see others fall in love with you and suffer for you, right? Did you tell me to stay just so that I could see a familiar scene recreated once again?”

Qi Yan hesitated for a moment, walked up to him and put both hands on his shoulders.

“If I knew Chen Jingyin would act like this… I would have never let her in— I didn’t mean to remind you of the old things, but between you and me, there are really too many misunderstandings. If the wounds keep festering, it will hurt forever. If you are willing to listen, I will tell you everything that happened… you—”

Qi Yan suddenly stopped talking.

Xia Xun tightly closed his eyes, his eyelashes fluttering, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, his chest violently heaving.

Qi Yan knew at a glance that Xia Xun was holding back tears.

Chen Jingyin cried in front of him, shedding pearl-like tears, but he was indifferent. Seeing Xia Xun cry made him feel as if a knife was plunged into his heart.

He pulled Xia Xun around, put his hand gently on the back of his head and whispered soothingly:

“It was my fault from start to finish… don’t be sad, you didn’t do anything wrong…”

Words did not work; Qi Yan slowly leaned down and tried to place a kiss between Xia Xun’s eyebrows.

Xia Xun suddenly opened his eyes and pushed hard, his hand shoving at Qi Yan’s wound.

The wound close to Qi Yan’s heart had not yet healed; in pain, he covered the injury and bent down.

Xia Xun said in a trance:

“You just said you only ever loved one person? I don’t know exactly who you are talking about, but I know very well that person… was never me!”

He bypassed Qi Yan and fled.

Seven years ago.

Xia Xun’s injuries were getting better day by day; his left hand was hurting him less as the time went by.

Qi Yan brought the fish tank into the room and placed it right in front of Xia Xun’s bed so that he could see the koi in the tank any time he wanted.

That day, Xia Xun was reclining on the cushion on his bed, eating the porridge that Qi Yan fed him, when he suddenly heard a vague cry coming from outside the courtyard.

He asked Qi Yan, “Why is someone crying?”

Qi Yan counted the days and told him:

“Today is the seventh day of Xia Xing’s death, so it should be the funeral for him in Xia Mansion.”

Xia Xun was chewing the rice and when he heard what Qi Yan said, he chewed more and more slowly.

Qi Yan scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his mouth, but Xia Xun shook his head, indicating that he didn’t want it.

“I’ve been at your house for so long, isn’t it… time to go back?”

Qi Yan did not let him go.

“What does Xia Xing’s funeral have to do with you? Are you going to mourn him? Your injury is not yet fully healed, wait until it is healed.”

Xia Xun said, “No, how can the bandits who kidnapped me be kind enough to treat my wounds? And also take me in, wait for my injuries to heal and let me go home in peace? That way… no one believes it! Besides, I can’t stay in your house for the rest of my life.”

Qi Yan asked rhetorically, “Why not?”

He was very serious, not meaning it as a joke at all.

Xia Xun thought about it and suddenly got excited.

“It is not impossible, but we both have no money, it will not take long to starve to death! I used to be able to do some wood carving and could make money to feed you, but now… I’m afraid it won’t work! So— hey?!”

He hadn’t finished yet when Qi Yan hugged him.

“You’re right.” He said in a low voice. “I am a poor boy and will have to rely on Young Master Xia to support me. So you have to take good care of yourself, don’t let me… don’t let me go hungry in future.”

Xia Xun made a solemn promise, “Trust me!”

Qi Yan slowly released him: “Do you really want to go back?”

Xia Xun nodded: “I can not always hide; I should also go back home to see what has become of the family.”

Qi Yan said with a hidden anger: “Is Xia Mansion your home? It is clearly a dragon’s den, a place where people are eaten without a second thought.”

Xia Xun smiled helplessly, “Even if it is a dragon’s den, I still have to go back, Shaobo is still there, my dog is still there, if I don’t go back, who will protect them?”

In order not to arouse suspicion, the day after Qi Yan picked up Xia Xun, he made Shaobo go back to Xia Mansion.

Qi Yan couldn’t argue with him, “If you really want to go, then go back tomorrow.”

Xia Xun was puzzled and asked, “Why? What is the difference between today and tomorrow?”

Qi Yan said indignantly: “Xia Xing’s spirit will be gone today, later there will be the funeral. If you go back tomorrow, you will not see his coffin.”

Xia Xun didn’t care: “What’s the difference! I’m not afraid of him! Not to mention seeing his coffin, even if he comes to me in the form of an evil spirit, I can still pull his head off and give it to Yuzhu as a ball!”

Qi Yan pinched the tip of his ear: “I know you are bold, you are brave, but you must listen to me on this matter. Go back tomorrow. Xia Xing was such a despicable and sinister man, he does not deserve to see you.”

Xia Xun always listened to him and nodded obediently.

After the meal, he was soon sleepy again and said to Qi Yan, “…I’ll take a nap first.”

He rubbed his eyes, pulled up the quilt and fell asleep not long after.

Qi Yan came out of the room and closed the door tightly.

Qi Hui stood outside with a heavy heart, waiting for his next orders.

Qi Yan lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then raised them again, already full of determination: “I’m going to do it.”

Qi Hui asked anxiously, “My lord, have you really thought about it?”

Qi Yan said in a deep voice: “We can’t wait any longer, Xia Hongxi is ruthless and cunning. Now that Xia Xing is dead, he will be even more panicked. There is no guarantee that he won’t do anything to Xia Xun. What if he kills Xia Xun and uses his body to plead guilty to His Majesty.”

Qi Hui was worried: “If you really do it, the young master will definitely feel resentment towards you, and then—?”

Qi Yan shook his head and rubbed his tightly furrowed brows: “His Majesty is bent on eradicating Xia Hongxi and wants to uproot the entire Xia family. Doing this is the only way to keep Xia Xun alive… No need to discuss it anymore, change your clothes and follow me into the palace.”

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