roccoschili Chapter 85 can't wait any longer!
Chapter 85 can't wait any longer!
In front of the main gate of the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion, carriages and ceremonial guards were all in place, solemn and magnificent.
The imperial guards stood in gleaming armor, holding halberds.
The palace maids stood respectfully with their heads bowed, while the dark black imperial carriage stood quietly at the front.
Qin Mu was already standing beside the car. His black dragon-patterned robe accentuated his tall and straight figure, and the morning light bathed him in a pale golden glow.
Su Wanqing and Lu Wanning stood a little distance behind him, one on each side. Su Wanqing's makeup was exquisite, and she looked radiant, with a hint of satisfied languor and glow in her eyes and brows.
Lu Wanning was still somewhat timid, but her complexion was rosy and her eyes were bright.
Both of them formed a stark contrast to the haggard Jiang Qingxue.
Xu Longxiang led the civil and military officials of the northern border, a sea of black kneeling in respect to see off the emperor.
When Jiang Qingxue walked over, supported by a palace maid, Xu Longxiang's lowered eyes lifted almost imperceptibly by a slit.
His gaze instantly fell upon her.
The figure he longed for was still dressed in the magnificent attire of a noble concubine, but her once aloof and elegant face now bore an obvious trace of weariness.
The faint bluish-black under-eyes, the pale, bloodless skin, the slightly pursed, somewhat dry lips, and the downcast, unfocused eyes...
Everything about her tells the story of how she didn't sleep well last night, and perhaps even went through some unspeakable torment.
Xu Longxiang felt as if his heart had been ripped open by an invisible hand; a sharp pain accompanied by boundless heartache instantly overwhelmed him.
What's wrong with Qingxue? Why does she look so tired and fragile?
Various speculations gnawed at Xu Longxiang's heart like poisonous insects.
He longed to rush up to her, pull her into his arms, wipe the weariness from her brow, ask her what had happened last night, and tell her not to be afraid…
"Let's set off!"
With a long, drawn-out announcement from the guard, Qin Mu was the first to board the carriage.
Su Wanqing and Lu Wanning were helped by palace maids into a slightly smaller but equally exquisite carriage behind them.
Jiang Qingxue paused almost imperceptibly before stepping onto the carriage.
Her gaze swept very quickly over the figure kneeling at the front, dressed in a black python robe.
It was just a fleeting glance, so quick it was almost an illusion. Then she lowered her head and, with the help of a palace maid, entered another magnificent carriage belonging to the Imperial Concubine, right next to the Emperor's carriage.
The carriage curtain fell, separating the inside from the outside.
Xu Longxiang, along with the crowd, shouted, "Respectfully bidding farewell to His Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
The convoy slowly started, drove out of the palace, passed through the long street of the northern capital, and headed south towards the imperial city.
Xu Longxiang remained kneeling until the convoy disappeared at the end of the long street and the dust gradually dissipated. Only then did he slowly stand up with Fan Li's help.
"Have those people been dealt with?"
A cold glint flashed in Xu Longxiang's eyes as he asked in a deep voice.
Fan Li sighed and said, "Those people were well protected, and we didn't find an opportunity to make a move."
This result was within Xu Longxiang's expectations. He wasn't too angry, and simply said:
"It's alright, we still have a chance. It's not too late to make a move after they arrive in the capital. Making a move now would only arouse the suspicion of that dog emperor Qin Mu."
Fan Li said in a deep voice, "Yes, Your Highness. I will personally take action to ensure everything goes smoothly."
Xu Longxiang nodded and said nothing more.
His gaze remained fixed on the direction the carriage had left, his eyes revealing a hint of murderous intent and reluctance.
……
Inside the carriage, Jiang Qingxue leaned alone against the soft cushions.
The wheels rolled on, vibrating rhythmically.
She gently lifted a corner of the brocade curtain from the car window and looked outside.
The familiar northern scenery was rushing past the window.
Rugged city walls, fluttering "Xu" character royal flags, traditional houses with a heavy architectural style, and distant, rolling gray mountains...
These were scenes she had seen for twenty years, scenes that had become ingrained in her very being.
It is now gradually moving away, becoming increasingly blurry, and finally being left behind, becoming a scene in memory.
The last time she left the North was a month ago, when she was forced to board a carriage bound for the capital.
My feelings at that time were pure fear, despair, humiliation, and a deep resistance to the unknown fate.
And this departure...
Jiang Qingxue lowered the carriage curtain, slowly closed her eyes, and unconsciously stroked the smooth silk cushion with her fingertips.
The state of mind is so different.
The North remains her home in her memory, but something in that "home" seems to have shattered and is now covered in dust.
Xu Longxiang remains her deepest attachment, but that attachment has somehow become entangled with too many complex emotions.
Disappointment, doubt, and an indescribable sense of distance.
There was even the anxiety and uncertainty that she herself despised, stemming from Qin Mu's absence last night.
The imperial city, the deep palace she once regarded as a den of dragons and tigers, a place of endless humiliation.
At this moment, what comes to mind is no longer just the cold palace walls and suffocating rules.
There is... Qin Mu.
The man who took everything from her and inflicted endless humiliation and pain on her has also become the absolute center of her life in the past few months.
His scent, his body temperature, his unpredictable tenderness and cruelty, the kind of despairing yet inescapable habit he brought...
Like vines, it unknowingly entangled part of her mind.
This complex and contradictory feeling, like a tangled mess, was stuck in Jiang Qingxue's chest.
She didn't know what lay ahead, what awaited her upon returning to the capital, or whether there was any hope for her and Xu Longxiang's uncertain future.
They don't even know what they are suffering from or what they are feeling lost about.
The carriage jolted, startling her from her chaotic thoughts.
Jiang Qingxue sat up straight again, looked at the gorgeous yet cold decorations inside the carriage, and sighed softly.
This departure seems to have left a part of herself forever in that snowy homeland.
What she took away was an even more broken, confused "Snow Consort" who couldn't even see herself clearly.
The road continues forward.
........
The convoy, like a long dragon, wound its way along the official road leading to the imperial city.
It came swiftly like the wind, and returned steadily like a mountain.
Three thousand imperial guards, clad in gleaming armor, marched in perfect unison, their black banners fluttering in the wind, protecting the few unassuming yet imposing carriages in the center.
It has been three full days since we left the Northern Kingdom.
The harrowing ambush at Luoying Gorge on the way here seemed like a distant legend.
The return journey was unexpectedly peaceful.
Officials in the prefectures and counties along the way had already received the notice and had cleared the roads and prepared inns in advance. The journey was smooth and almost monotonous, with no offenses committed against the people.
However, beneath this surface calm,
Inside the third luxurious carriage, which belonged to the Imperial Concubine, was a completely different world.
........
Jiang Qingxue sat alone in the car.
This carriage was smaller than Qin Mu's imperial carriage, but its interior was still luxurious.
The carriage walls were made of rosewood and covered with thick Persian carpets. The windows were draped with double-layered brocade curtains, one thick to block the wind and the other thin to let in light.
A snow-white fox fur was spread on the soft couch, and a bronze incense burner was fixed on a small table in the corner, from which the calming sandalwood incense was rising.
But she felt no warmth or comfort whatsoever.
For three days in a row.
For three whole days, Qin Mu did not step into her carriage.
She rarely even saw his face.
Every day when the caravan stopped for meals and overnight stays, she could only hurriedly get off the carriage with the help of palace maids and see from afar that the figure in black was surrounded by Su Wanqing and Lu Wanning as they entered the palace or villa prepared by the local officials.
Then, she would be led to another side courtyard or wing room to settle in.
At night, she was always alone, facing the unfamiliar tent roof, listening to the unfamiliar sounds of the wind and insects outside the window, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
On their last night in the North, Qin Mu did not sleep with her. Although she felt uneasy, she could barely convince herself otherwise.
Perhaps His Majesty was tired from days of feasting, or perhaps I had done something wrong to displease him.
But a day passed, two days passed, three days passed...
It was eerily calm.
The calmness made her uneasy.
"Out of favor..."
These two words, like a cold, venomous snake, had quietly taken root in her heart from some unknown time.
And in every quiet night, it spits out a terrifying tongue.
How is that possible?
Without any warning!
Back in the North, he still doted on her, embracing her in public, announcing her background, searching for her relatives, and even bestowing upon her the title of Imperial Concubine!
Those gentle whispers, those intimate touches, those seemingly affectionate eyes… were they all fake? Was it all an act?
If it was acting, why did he suddenly stop acting?
Was it because she didn't do a good enough job?
What does it mean to fall out of favor?
Jiang Qingxue knew better than anyone else.
In the deep palace, the fate of concubines who lose the emperor's favor is often more tragic than that of those in the cold palace.
The jealous glances of the past will turn into open and covert attacks, the Imperial Household Department's allowance will be cut off day by day, and the palace maids around you will gradually become neglectful.
Even more frightening is that she will completely lose access to core secrets and the means to pass on messages.
Xu Longxiang was still waiting for her.
Waiting for her intelligence, waiting for her inside man, waiting for the key to coordinate an attack from within and without when the enemy is at the gates.
If she falls out of favor and is trapped in a corner of the palace, isolated from the outside world, how will she complete her mission?
How can we live up to Xu Longxiang's expectations and... sacrifice?
Thinking of Xu Longxiang, Jiang Qingxue felt another sharp pain in her heart.
She clearly saw the pain and hope intertwined in his eyes during their hasty farewell in the cave that night.
He placed all his hopes on her.
She cannot fall, cannot retreat, and even more so, cannot... lose her value.
Does she not want to fall out of favor?
No! That's not how it works!
She just... just couldn't afford to lose the chance to deliver the message! She just couldn't let her brother Longxiang down! She just...
Jiang Qingxue shook her head vigorously, as if trying to shake off the chaotic thoughts in her mind.
Can't sit still.
Whatever the reason Qin Mu was neglecting her, she had to find out and... win him back.
initiative.
This word, which was completely foreign to her, became the only way out at this moment.
She was not entirely ignorant of the methods women used to vie for the emperor's favor in the inner palace.
She knew a thing or two about Su Wanqing's gentleness and thoughtfulness, Lu Wanning's charming dependence, and even the more blatant methods that other concubines might have used.
But she couldn't do those things.
Her pride, her aloofness, and the temperament she had developed over twenty years all made her ashamed to be like those women who deliberately flattered or flaunted their charm.
But circumstances are beyond our control.
.......
On the evening of the fourth day, the convoy arrived in Gangneung County.
Jiangling is a vital transportation hub between the north and south, a prosperous and wealthy place. Although the villa arranged by the prefect is not as grand as the royal palace, it is still exquisite and elegant with pavilions and towers.
Qin Mu was still welcomed into the main courtyard, "Chengxinzhai".
Su Wanqing and Lu Wanning naturally followed to the adjacent "Lanyue Pavilion" and "Qinfang Garden".
Jiang Qingxue was led to "Shuyingxuan", which was a little further away from the main courtyard.
The name is elegant, and there are a few late-blooming plum trees in the courtyard, but the location is remote and the lights are noticeably dim.
The palace maids tidied the room silently and quickly, but their movements were not as attentive and meticulous as when they were with Su and Lu.
Dinner was served as ordinary dishes, which was not considered a neglect, but it was a world of difference compared to the standards served in the North a few days ago, or even during the previous journey.
All signs were silently confirming that terrible suspicion.
Jiang Qingxue sat in front of the dressing table.
"I can't wait any longer," she whispered to herself in the mirror.
The voice was soft, yet it carried a resolute determination, as if the ship had been thrown into the water.