There was a lively and joyful atmosphere in the Bai family mansion in Youzhou, but the scene in the post house in Weizhou was quite different.
It was such a cold season and also the end of the year, and it was rare to drive a carriage or horse in the deep snow. They were the only passengers in the entire post station.
During the festival when families reunite, post houses always seem particularly deserted.
Huan Xuan ordered the postmaster to prepare the best wine and food, and asked the guards to gather in the hall to drink and comfort their homesickness. To him, Chang'an was no different from being away from home, but the guards all had families.
Guan Liulang remembered that today was not only New Year's Eve but also the birthday of the King of Qi, so he specially asked the kitchen to prepare some longevity noodles.
Because the King of Qi did not like the smell of mutton, the noodles were cooked in chicken soup.
The postman brought the noodles over. The soup was still boiling hot and white steam was rising from it.
Huan Xuan stared at the white mist, which gradually cleared up, as if there was a pair of gentle eyes on the other side of the white mist.
His hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly. Before he put the noodles into his mouth, the blood in his chest surged and his throat felt sweet.
He put down his silver chopsticks, picked up the wine glass and took a sip, suppressing the fishy sweetness in his throat, and said to the crowd, "Enjoy your meal, I'll leave you first."
The King of Qi had just recovered from a serious illness and was still weak. He always went to bed early, and the guards did not think it was strange. They all stepped aside and bowed, respectfully seeing him off.
Only Guan Liulang glanced at the bowl of longevity noodles that had not been touched, looked at the back of King Qi and sighed secretly.
Huan Xuan turned off the lights early and lay on his bed. It was another year-end when he was alone in his quilt, but his mood was very different from last year. At that time, he was in the military camp in Huaixi and was eager to return home. But now he felt like he was trekking in the snowy plains. Everywhere he looked was a vast expanse of desolate land with no place to return to.
The next morning, the window paper was still dim. Huan Xuan was awakened by the crackling sound of firecrackers in the courtyard. He got up, put on his fox fur coat and went to the courtyard. Sure enough, he saw the guards setting off firecrackers in the courtyard.
Guan Liulang saw him and said, "Your Highness, may the time of Yuanchen be auspicious."
Huan Xuan nodded slightly: "Congratulations."
They stayed in the post station for half a day and set off after having lunch.
The King of Qi hurried to Youzhou and traveled day and night, but he was in no hurry to return to Chang'an. He rode in a carriage at a leisurely pace, stopping only once a day.
As they slowly walked back, the government and the public had already been in an uproar over his affairs.
The Prince of Qi claimed to be ill and had not attended court for months. He even did not show up at the palace family banquet on New Year's Eve and the New Year's Day court. Naturally, suspicion arose in the court and the country. After the New Year's Day court meeting, the prince sent his trusted eunuchs and the doctors of the East Palace Medicine Bureau to visit his brother who was "bedridden". It turned out that the Prince of Qi was not in the palace or in the villa at all.
The prince was shocked and immediately went to the palace to report to the emperor. The emperor asked Gao Mai, the chief eunuch of the Prince of Qi's palace, about the truth, and he could not hide it.
It would be fine if the Prince of Qi was just a powerless prince, but he was in charge of the Third Wing Army, so leaving the capital without permission was naturally no small matter.
Not long after, the news that the Prince of Qi had left the capital secretly spread like wildfire, and it was said that it was for a woman. The court and the public were immediately in an uproar, and impeachment memorials were submitted to the emperor's desk one after another.
Huan Xuan received the emperor's imperial edict at Taiyuan Post Station urging him to return to the capital, but there was still no trace of anxiety on his face. He just wrote a private letter to explain the reason and continued to travel to Chang'an at a leisurely pace.
When the King of Qi and his entourage returned to Chang'an, it was already a season of spring with birds singing and flowers growing.
The spring scenery in Chang'an is beautiful. In the Qujiang River area south of the city, willow branches are swaying on the banks, and apricot blossoms are like clouds. Men and women in light spring clothes riding horses for spring outings can be seen everywhere.
However, the bright and auspicious Lichun scene had nothing to do with Huan Xuan in the carriage.
He returned to the palace, immediately washed and bathed, changed into court clothes, and went to Penglai Palace to apologize.
The emperor had just finished discussing state affairs with his court officials and came out of the Sizheng Hall with the crown prince. When he saw the third son, he picked up his rosewood cane and was about to hit him.
Fortunately, the prince stopped him and said, "Father, calm down. Don't get yourself in trouble. It would be disgraceful for the officials to see you."
He turned to Huan Xuan and said, "Sanlang, you are too naughty. You know you left the capital without permission. How worried is Aye about you?"
Huan Xuan simply glanced at him indifferently, bowed his head to the emperor and said: "My son deserves death, please punish me, father."
The emperor pursed his lips and said nothing, his anger remaining unchanged.
The prince advised: "Aye, let's go back to the bedroom first."
The emperor glanced at his three sons and nodded.
When they arrived outside the Greenhouse Palace, the emperor said to Huan Xuan, "Go to the steps and kneel for two hours."
Huan Xuan knelt down on the ground without saying a word.
The prince helped the emperor back to his bedroom, personally served him ginseng soup, and gently persuaded him: "Aye, don't get angry with him. Sanlang is just a person of character. He already knows he is wrong."
He paused and said, "Son, he looks very thin and haggard. I think he must be tired from the long journey and kneeling for two hours in a row. I'm afraid he can't bear it."
The emperor snorted coldly: "Kneeling for two hours is nothing. I am already very generous not to beat him to death."
The prince's eyes moved slightly, and he was about to say something else, but the emperor waved his hand and said, "You don't have to beg for that rebellious son, just let him kneel."
He knocked the Longquan celadon bowl heavily onto the rosewood table, and the ginseng soup spilled all over the table.
"Don't worry about this matter," the emperor said to the prince. "There have been a lot of things going on in your palace recently. Go back early. Let him kneel for two full hours before we talk."
The prince had no choice but to say, "Then my son will take his leave first."
Huan Xuan had just recovered from a serious illness and had been traveling long distances for months. He was weak and out of breath. After kneeling for less than an hour, cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He gritted his teeth and continued kneeling from the afternoon until dusk.
The last rays of setting sun brushed across the glazed tiles, and finally a eunuch ran down the steps, helped him up from the ground, and helped him onto the sedan chair: "Your Highness, the King of Qi, His Majesty invites you."
Huan Xuan knelt on the cold and hard golden brick floor for two hours, and his knees almost lost all feeling.
When he descended from the sedan chair and entered the emperor's bedroom, his legs were still trembling.
The emperor looked at his pale, emaciated son, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and a trace of pity flashed across his face.
"Your response is too rude." He slammed the table heavily.
Huan Xuan bowed again and said, "Please punish me, Father."
The emperor glared at him unhappily and said, "Do you want to kneel for another two hours or until your legs become broken?"
He paused, then sneered, "It's better to be a waste, so you don't have to run thousands of miles away for a woman."
Huan Xuan lowered his eyelids and said nothing, his thick eyelashes casting a blue shadow.
The emperor suddenly thought of another face, another son. He sighed deeply and said, "I ran all the way here, but I still can't find him?"
Huan Xuan pursed his lips and shook his head.
The emperor stroked the string pattern on the edge of the table and said, "You have just conquered Huaixi, and so many eyes in the court are staring at you. I am afraid that they will not be able to find any mistakes of yours, and you will cause some trouble."
He paused and asked, "Did you do what happened to Prince Wu'an?"
Huan Xuan did not refute, nor did he show the slightest surprise on his face. The emperor was determined to investigate, and he could not hide the grudges between him and Zhao Qinghui.
The emperor frowned and slammed the table again: "Nonsense! You attacked your family's Wu An's only son just for a woman. How do you want me to explain to you?"
After a pause, he continued, "So many court officials have impeached you recently. Wu An has done so many things behind the scenes. Do you know that? Even if I want to protect you, I must give an explanation to the officials. How do you plan to end this matter?"
After he finished speaking, he stared at Huan Xuan with hawk-like eyes.
Huan Xuan bowed again and kowtowed, "I am a general, but I have left my post without permission. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
As he spoke, he untied an object from his waist and presented it with both hands. It was the Tiger Talisman of the Yi Wing Army.
The emperor hesitated for a while, and finally took the tiger talisman: "Well, I'll keep it for you for now, and stop the gossip first."
He paused, patted his son's shoulder and said, "Why is it that a trip to Youzhou is more exhausting than fighting in a war? Take good care of yourself while there is nothing happening at the border. If war breaks out again, I will want you to serve the country."
Huan Xuan said "Yes, sir".
The emperor said, "Stand up and talk."
Huan Xuan thanked him for his kindness and stood up. The emperor allowed him to sit on the couch and said, "You entered the palace right after returning to Beijing. You didn't even have time to have lunch, right?"
He said to the eunuch, "Go and serve the meal."
He then said, "Ask the kitchen to bring some ginseng soup first."
Huan Xuan accompanied the emperor to finish his dinner, left Penglai Palace, and then returned to the Prince of Qi's Palace.
The next day, he asked Gao Mai to move his belongings from Shanchi Courtyard back to Qi Wang Mansion, and to withdraw Madam Gao and all the servants back to the palace, as well as Uncle Fu and the doorman.
He packed Sui Sui's few belongings into boxes one by one and placed them in the small courtyard where she had lived.
Finally, a big lock fell, and the entire mountain and pond courtyard became a deserted house.
…
On the third day after Huan Xuan returned to the capital, the emperor issued an official edict, temporarily removing the King of Qi from his post as commander of the First Wing Army due to overwork and worry, and allowing his deputy general to temporarily take charge of the army.
Within half a day, the news spread throughout Chang'an City.
After hearing the news, the prince went to the Prince of Qi's mansion to visit his brother in person and told him to rest assured and take care of himself.
The second person to come to "visit the patient" was the Lord.
She was shocked to see Huan Xuan's appearance. After the trip to Youzhou, he looked very thin. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he looked skinny and bony, and there was not a trace of blood on his face.
Huan Xuan briefly recounted the incident of catching a cold in Youzhou. Although he made it sound light, the great lord could imagine how serious the illness was.
She couldn't help but look at her brother carefully. Compared to before he left Beijing, he had become unusually calm. There was no sadness or anger in his face, and his previous madness was gone too, as if nothing had ever happened.
At first she thought he had finally let go of the matter of Lu Suisui, but then she noticed that he looked a little abnormal.
He even smiled at her, but that smile was just as empty. The Lord almost doubted whether his insides had been hollowed out, and if a stone was thrown in, an echo could be heard.
The princess felt bitter in her heart. She was worried when he was crazy before, and now that he is not crazy, she is even more worried.
But worrying is of no use, I can only chat with him casually, hoping to distract him.
She naturally knew that the incident of the Prince of Qi leaving the capital secretly had caused such a big stir, and it must have been the Prince's doing, but since both of them were her brothers, she could not say much and avoided talking about the matter of the tiger talisman.
The two played a game of chess. The big master's mind was not on the game, and he was killed by the big dragon in a short time. He admitted defeat.
As the two of them put away the chess pieces, the eldest master suddenly remembered something: "During the time when you were away from the capital, something happened in the inner house of Ningyuan Marquis's mansion. It might have something to do with Ruan Yuewei."
When Huan Xuan heard the news about Ruan Yuewei, he looked indifferent. Even the name seemed very far away and could not cause any waves.
The Queen knew that he no longer had such thoughts about Ruan Yuewei, so she did not shy away from talking about her. She continued, "One of the Crown Princess's concubines committed suicide."