Repeatedly broken branches

Chapter 109 Thoughts

Wei Hao adopted his usual gentle expression and looked at her with concern, saying, "I'm sorry, Miss Jiang, I was too serious and frightened you... However, it is indeed not suitable for women to stay in the military camp."

"Enough." Jiang Qi said sharply, "Don't bring up women. What's the difference between men and women? Men can go to the battlefield, and so can women. I know you think I'm a burden and don't want to take me with you, but I was approved by the Emperor."

“That’s not what I meant, Miss Jiang.”

"Then what do you mean? We already made it clear on our wedding night that we would not interfere with each other. You should not interfere with me, and I will not dwell on your past."

The past. He almost forgot that Jiang Qi actually knew everything.

He suddenly felt a pang of guilt. She knew everything, yet she silently bore it all.

But why would Jiang Qi, knowing his relationship with You, still marry him? Given her temperament, if she knew all this, she probably wouldn't obey even if ten men forced her into the bridal sedan chair.

Based on the fact that she gave herself to him on their wedding night, he would stay with Jiang Qi and protect him for the rest of his life, but it would be difficult for him to give her his heart.

"Miss Jiang, you should stay in your tent and not go anywhere. I'll find a way to send you back to the capital tonight."

Jiang Qi leaned back, angrily saying, "Even my parents can't control me, so what right do you have to?"

Wei Hao remained noncommittal, unable to think of any words to provoke her, so he walked to the table, took out a roasted rabbit leg, and presented it to Jiang Qi, smiling as he said, "This is a wild rabbit hunted by one of my soldiers. They took two rabbit legs to offer to me and General Zhou. I noticed there was no meat for lunch, so I left them for you. That's why I called you in earlier. After you finish eating this, you can stay in my tent and read some stories... I'll take you back to camp tonight, okay?"

Trying to bribe me with a rabbit leg?

"No... you think you can make me go back with just a rabbit leg?" Jiang Qi's tone faltered, tinged with sarcasm.

Wei Hao pondered for a moment and said softly, "Then... I'll give you the rabbit skin too... You can make a rabbit fur bracelet for winter."

"No, my second brother loves hunting and has already given me several rabbit fur bracelets."

Wei Hao asked softly, "Then how can you go back?"

Originally, Wei Hao was the first to disagree with Jiang Qi's desire to join the army! But unfortunately, the Emperor and the two elders of the Jiang family had already given their approval, and he was just a deputy general, so what right did he have to speak?

The soldiers all secretly thought that Jiang Qi couldn't bear to part with him, that he had to go to the battlefield less than a month after his wedding, so he came along.

Only he knew that Jiang Qi had made up her mind. Every time he returned to the courtyard, he could see her practicing swordsmanship under the tree. From her initial clumsiness to her later improvement, Wei Hao had witnessed it all.

The two agreed not to interfere with each other, but for Jiang Qi's safety, he still didn't want her to get involved in the battlefield. Besides, he had never actually seen a woman go to the battlefield.

Jiang Qi glanced at the rabbit leg he was holding and said firmly, "No matter how you threaten or entice me, I will not go back. Now that you know my identity, I ask you to turn a blind eye and not expose me. I am eighteen years old and I will take responsibility for my actions."

Wei Hao was speechless for a moment. He looked around for a while and watched Jiang Qi leave the tent. Only then did he realize that his hand, which had been holding the plate, was sore and aching.

When Ah Chu saw Jiang Qi emerge from Wei Hao's tent looking so angry, he curiously stepped forward and asked, "What did General Wei ask you to do? You seem unhappy."

"No."

"What did he say to you? Did he ask me anything? Did you put in a good word for me with him? He..."

"Shut up!" Jiang Qi rubbed his temples in annoyance. "None of what you're saying is true."

"Ah," Ah Chu sighed, "It must be that General Wei doesn't like you."

Jiang Qi glared at him fiercely, and A Chu was startled. He shut his mouth in a huff, thinking to himself... He's really fierce.

……

Lotus flowers bloom all over the pond in summer.

I see neither old friends nor beloved ones; only my heart remains adrift.

The lotus pond in the palace was full of flowers, and many green lotus pods had also emerged. The palace servants would row boats to pick lotus pods from the pond, and in the early morning they would collect the dew from the lotus leaves to take back to their masters to make tea.

"My beauty, these are fresh lotus seeds. I've already peeled them and removed the hearts. Please have some."

Yuan Yuan brought over a bowl of peeled lotus seeds, each one white, tender, and round, looking extremely tempting.

Chen Lanhe put down her pen, glanced at the lotus seeds, and continued copying the scriptures on the paper. Since becoming close to Xia Yunxu, she had also started copying scriptures to pass the time, and even had a string of Buddhist prayer beads on her hand.

She said softly, "No need, you can have it."

"Ah, my beauty, these were picked by Yu'er, who serves Consort Kangyan, by boat. Please have some."

Consort Kang Yan, is she the second young lady of the Xu family who recently entered the palace? The palace is never short of women, just like fresh flowers, one wave blooms and withers and another comes.

The second daughter of the Duke of Xu is known in the capital for her virtue and gentleness. It is said that Yin Fu'an has long been fond of her, but he was only able to enter the palace today due to his status.

He had the leisure to take concubines even when the war was intense, while his younger brother, Yin Wuchen, was busy fighting for him.

Chen Lanhe chuckled to herself; it turned out that the only person he didn't want to see was herself.

"Beauty, what are you laughing at?" Yuan Yuan put down the plate of lotus seeds and looked at her in confusion.

“I laugh at myself for being so foolish and unlovable. Look at the concubines in the palace, one after another. He is so busy. I am now more than four months pregnant. It has been more than four months since we last met.”

Yuan Yuan stared at her thoughtfully for a while, then said softly, "This servant doesn't understand. Isn't that how it is in the imperial family? There are many beauties in the harem, and no one is the sole favorite."

Chen Lanhe raised her eyes and slowly looked out the window. Suddenly, she remembered the scene when she visited her sister in the palace as a child and went boating with Deng Yizhi.

She was six years old then.

She was lost and bewildered in the palace. Many places here were the same, making her dizzy and disoriented. In the past, she was always accompanied by a nanny, but the nanny went to get the pastries that her sister wanted her to take out of the palace, and told her to wait where she was. Unable to resist her curiosity, she ran around everywhere and got lost by the lotus pond.

She looked toward the center of the pond, where a young man in a white brocade robe was slowly approaching, carrying lotus flowers in his arms.

It must be Deng Yizhi, the son of Minister Deng. I met him at my sister's birthday party.

He was so gentle and refined that the women in the capital all praised him highly. So what was so good about him?

"Sister Lanhe! I'm giving you lotus flowers!" he shouted from afar, attracting much discussion among the palace staff.

Chen Lanhe was filled with shame and indignation and just wanted to leave.

But to everyone's surprise, Deng Yizhi had no intention of getting off the boat. Instead, he pulled her onto the small boat as well, causing the boat to wobble and rock in the water.

Startled, she quickly pulled on Deng Yizhi's sleeve.

He actually smiled shamelessly!

When I get back, I'll tell the young ladies of noble families in the capital that the gentle and refined Deng Yizhi they speak of is actually a big bad guy!

"Lanhe, here's a lotus for you." Deng Yizhi held up the lotus he had just picked in front of her again, the petals still covered with fresh water droplets.

Chen Lanhe turned her head and craned her neck to look towards the shore, afraid that she would miss the old woman when she arrived. She said to Deng Yizhi without any politeness, "Hurry up and row back. The old woman will be worried if she can't find me."

Deng Yizhi smiled and said, "I just saw your nanny on the other side of the pond. She asked me to take you back."

"true and false?"

He continued with a smile, "Of course it's true. I just came out of the Imperial Study and bumped into your maid, Granny Ya."

Chen Lanhe finally believed what he said. If she hadn't actually met the old woman, how would she know that the old woman's surname was Ya?

They chatted a lot on the small boat. Deng Yizhi wasn't as bad as she had just thought; on the contrary, he was quite meticulous, no wonder everyone praised him.

From then on, Chen Lanhe visited the palace more and more frequently, staying for almost half a month at a time. Since her elder sister was favored, no one objected to her staying longer.

Even her older sister didn't see through Chen Lanhe's little schemes. The little girl kept pestering Granny Ya to go play outside the Imperial Study every day.

It wasn't until she was fifteen that she slowly came to understand her own heart, but by then it was already too late, and her brother Yizhi was no longer the same as before.

He clearly said that if they still share similar interests when they grow up, they will get married.

He broke his promise, and he is still resentful, unable to escape his memories, unable to trace back to the lotus pond of his childhood.

"Yuanyuan, I want to go boating." Suddenly, Chen Lanhe looked at Yuanyuan and smiled, a rare sight for her.

Yuan Yuan was overjoyed. After all, her master hadn't smiled like that in a long time. She was determined to make her happy, even if it meant her own death.

She had a good relationship with Yu'er, a maidservant of Consort Kangyan. Yu'er was from the same hometown as the palace servants who managed the boats; otherwise, ladies below the rank of Noble Consort would not be allowed to use small boats at will. She must have gotten in through connections.

Yu'er exchanged a few words with the palace servant in charge of the small boat and easily obtained the right to use it, for which Yuanyuan was extremely grateful.

She gave Yu'er the white jade earrings that Chen Lanhe had previously bestowed upon her, and Yu'er marveled at her generosity.

As the summer heat dissipated in the evening and the sun gradually set, fewer people remained as they all went home for dinner.

To avoid drawing attention, Yuan Yuan dressed Chen Lanhe in a simple and elegant manner, with only a smoky pink gauze dress and her long, dark hair tied up with a light purple ribbon. Her skin was as white as snow, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and she was graceful and charming.

Sure enough, the air here is exactly the same as it was more than ten years ago, making people feel refreshed and instantly free from worries.

However, with her old friend no longer by her side, the mood was not the same as before. She looked up at the sunset, which was also a different kind of beauty.

"My beauty, look at that lotus flower, it's in full bloom, let me pick it for you."

Chen Lanhe stopped her, saying, "Forget it, isn't it better to keep them for viewing? Besides, I don't like lotus flowers."

Yuan Yuan scratched her head and asked, "Why does that beautiful lady want to go boating?"

Chen Lanhe sighed deeply and said sullenly, "It's just missing old friends."

Yuan Yuan thought the old friends she was talking about were Chen Yuan and Chen Zhuo, since Chen Lanhe hadn't even seen them one last time.

"Your Majesty, it's been so long since you've had dinner with me. I thought you no longer liked me," Consort Qing said coquettishly, clinging to Yin Fu'an's arm.

"I heard His Majesty caught a cold. Is His Majesty alright now?"

Yin Fu'an frowned. "I'm busy."

"Oh dear, I know Your Majesty is busy, so I haven't been bothering you all this time."

"Hmm, how's the harem these days?"

Consort Qing rolled her eyes and said, "Consort Kangyan has no respect for me at all, and rarely comes to pay her respects."

"And then there's Consort Song and Noble Consort Liang, they don't even respect me! They come to pay their respects as infrequently as Consort Kang Yan!"

Yin Fu'an responded indifferently, "Mm."

"And there's Consort Chen, she..."

Yin Fu'an narrowed his eyes and glared at her. "I told you she doesn't need to pay her respects. She's pregnant."

Consort Qing said with dissatisfaction, "But her pregnancy does not prevent her from paying her respects, Your Majesty."

"Enough." Yin Fu'an felt extremely annoyed and wanted to look at the lotus flowers in the pond to cleanse his eyes.

Unexpectedly, I spotted a girl in a gauze dress boating on the pond.

The girl had clear eyes, red lips and white teeth, and her limbs were slender and her waist was soft. She showed no signs of pregnancy whatsoever.

As they drew closer, the girl's features became clearer; her long, black hair fluttered in the wind, and her fair skin seemed to glow.

She sat quietly on the small boat, slowly turning her head. Yin Fu'an met her clear, pool-like eyes, where emotions seemed to be secretly surging. He could no longer calm his heart.

"Your Majesty. What are you looking at?" Consort Qing looked in the direction he was looking, and her expression changed instantly. It was that vixen, using her little tricks to seduce the Emperor again.

Chen Lanhe panicked immediately, stood up and bowed gracefully to Yin Fu'an in the distance, her lips slightly raised, revealing a gentle smile.

Yin Fu'an turned to leave, but just as he turned around, he heard a thud, followed by Yuan Yuan, the palace maid beside Chen Lanhe, calling for help.

"Help! A beauty has fallen into the water!"

Without a second thought, Yin Fu'an turned and ran towards the pool, jumping into the water without hesitation and swimming towards where Chen Lanhe had fallen in.

Consort Qing shouted, "Your Majesty, please come up here quickly! Your cold is still not better!"

"emperor!"

No matter how much she shouted, Yin Fu'an seemed not to hear her, and only focused on swimming desperately towards the drowning girl. Only then did Consort Qing see panic in his eyes.

To be able to make an emperor, an emperor surrounded by many women, panic, shows just how important this person is.

Even when Consort Shu gave birth to the princess, Consort Qing was never this anxious and worried.

Finally, he caught the drowning girl and swam to shore with her in his arms. Consort Qing watched as Yin Fu'an frantically wiped the water from her face with his sleeve, gave her breathing, and kept calling her name, "Hehe, Hehe."

Has he ever called his own name so affectionately?

Consort Qing clutched her handkerchief, wanting to wipe the water droplets from his forehead, but he forcefully pushed her away; his eyes were only on Chen Lanhe.

She stood by, her eyes bloodshot, watching all this unfold, until Yin Fu'an tried everything but couldn't wake Chen Lanhe. He then picked her up and ran, shouting for the imperial physician.

She simply couldn't accept that the man she loved so deeply was treating someone else like this; it was more painful than killing her.

In the dim candlelight, Yin Fu'an held Chen Lanhe's hand tightly, feeling extremely guilty. He blamed himself for neglecting her, for refusing to see her, and for being so cruel.

If Chen Zhuo insults me while drunk, I'll let him insult me. If he forcibly takes a woman, I'll just sit idly by. If he embezzles and gambles, I'll just turn a blind eye. Why do I have to wipe out the entire Chen family?

It's truly pitiful that she's all alone now.

Yin Fu'an reached out and stroked her soft hair, his fingers tracing her features from her eyebrows to her lips. She was so delicate and pitiful.

He had been ruthless for so long, but he finally broke down completely when she fell into the water.

Yuan Yuan brought over a bowl of medicine to help with the pregnancy and said remorsefully, "It's all my fault for not watching over the beauty properly, which caused her to fall into the water. Fortunately, the imperial physician said that the beauty is fine, otherwise I would be guilty of a thousand deaths."

Yin Fu'an took the medicine bowl and said indifferently, "I'll take care of it." He then glanced at Yuan Yuan and said, "This is none of your business. You can go now. I'll stay with her."

Yuan Yuan was overjoyed and quickly replied, "Yes." Then she lowered her head and left the inner chamber.

Yin Fu'an gently scooped up a small spoonful of the medicine, patiently blew on it, and carefully brought it to Chen Lanhe's lips, but unfortunately her lips were tightly closed, and she couldn't get a single drop of medicine in.

He had no choice but to put down the medicine bowl, take a big gulp, and slowly lean in front of Chen Lanhe, kissing her lips and feeding her the medicine little by little. He couldn't help but frown; the medicine was so bitter.

The warm liquid flowed into Chen Lanhe's body little by little.

Before long, the bowl was empty.

Yin Fu'an leaned against the couch, holding her hand, without saying a word, but his eyes were full of heartache. She was already so thin and weak, and now she had fallen into the water and caught a cold. He didn't know when she would wake up.

For a moment, he only wanted to be an ordinary man, living with her in a secluded wooden house in the bamboo forest, tilling the fields and weaving as the sun set, and having several lovely and playful children.