Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Strange Dreams (1)

I’ve learned a lot while staying below the cliff to recuperate. It turns out that the often cold Feng Yin can also have such a noisy side.

Being supported by Feng Yin, when you glance up, you can see his cautious appearance. As though he was holding a priceless item that could be shattered if he isn’t careful. He’s making a huge deal out of it.

As soon as the door is opened, there would be the smell of flowers. The vivid flowers and the green grass on the ground can be seen everywhere. People would want to get on and lie down on it. The beautiful flowers seemed to go on forever, like the sea, as singing birds and butterflies danced beneath the blue sky. This breathtaking scenery was the most peaceful in the world. It’s like a fairyland with the curling zither sound from Qingheng’s room. It has the ability to make individuals forget about their worries at the moment.

I didn’t expect this fairyland below the cliff, and it’s no wonder that Feng Yin doesn’t want to go back to the palace. Now, even I wouldn’t want to go back. It is a great blessing to be able to avoid the turmoil of the world and spend the rest of my life below the cliff.

“Ziqing, isn’t the scenery here beautiful?” Feng Yin said.

“It’s like a fairyland.” I sighed.

“It would be great if Ziqing could live in seclusion here with me…” There was a little melancholy in his words.

I was startled, “Your Majesty, what did you say?”

Feng Yin smiled and sighed in between, “Nothing.”

“Actually, this subordinate just wanted to help His Majesty. After all, the tiger’s claws were less than a grain of rice away from His Majesty’s back. This subordinate did not know that the stones under his feet could not bear the weight. This subordinate did not intend to pull His Majesty off the cliff.” I was talking nonsense on the side and explaining it sincerely. 

“I know it myself.”

After listening, I felt relieved. I finally got rid of this serious crime of murdering the emperor.

“Your Majesty, who is Qingheng? Why haven’t I seen him before in court?” After hesitating for a moment, I expressed the doubts in my heart.

“Qingheng is a national teacher. He has never been to the court, and Ziqing naturally wouldn’t know about it.”

“So that’s the case.” After a while, I said, “Feng Yin, I’m a little thirsty, can you fetch me some water inside the house?”

I asked carefully, after all, this is the first time I called Feng Yin his name, or  asked him to fetch water for me, um… Ninety-five supreme will inevitably have a big temper. I’m ready to bear his anger…

However, I seemed to be mistaken.

Where’s the anger between Feng Yin’s eyebrows and eyes? Instead he looked a little… flattered?

Illusion, this must be an illusion.

“Ziqing, wait, I… I’ll go and get some water now.” He slightly hooked the corners of his lips and brought out the habitual elegant smile.

Is it just me… Er, how do I put it? Why does it seem to have such an inexplicable meaning?

After Feng Yin left, I walked around, looking for a way to climb the cliff.

The cliff was very steep, and when I looked up, I could only see the mists and the blue sky above.The sky was full of clouds, and nothing else.

There was a green shadow in my eyes, going straight to the top of the cliff. I was curious at the moment, I slowly stepped forward, pulled the green vine, and sighed in my heart. Looking at the thorns on the vine, they were small, but were not prickly at all.

I don’t know if I can climb the cliff by pulling the vine.

In the spirit of inspecting the weak vine knot, I pulled hard and the vine fell down along the cliff. In order not to cause disaster to my head or skull, I put down the vine from my hand and ran back fast, so as to avoid the embarrassment of being hit by it.

When I ran away and looked back, all the vines had fallen. I found a flat place to lie down and lay still on the green grass. Listening to the footsteps not far away, Feng Yin was coming, and when I looked up, I was right.

I got up, took the tea from Feng Yin, drank it slowly, and didn’t forget to thank him when I handed out the empty cup.

“Ziqing, the master had said that a rumor had spread throughout the palace that both of us had died below the cliff. The ministers in the court were in panic. Moreover, other countries launched an invasion and threatened to swallow up our country. We had to go back to the palace the next day.” Feng Yin frowned, with a little impatience in his words.

I am slightly confused. Although I prefer this plain and arbitrary day, and am extremely reluctant to get close to the noisy world, but… my heart was inexplicably agitated.

Si Ran was still in the mansion, right? If I don’t accompany him in that remote place, he will be sad according to his temperament.

I won’t let you feel lonely, and I won’t let you suffer any grievances!

It was a promise we made together, and I have never forgotten it.

Anyone who has bullied you or who has been indifferent to you, I’ll let them repay you one by one.

This is what I should do and the only thing I can do…

Si Ran…

With a straight face, I replied seriously, “in this situation, His Majesty should go back to the palace as soon as possible, so as to stabilize the situation.”

Feng Yin nodded, heavy and unwilling.

The sun set and the moon rose. When I fell asleep, it was another dream. The dream was the same. I was still unable to see people’s faces, but now it felt extremely real. I saw a thin man stumble and ran out of the market in front of me. His clothes were disheveled and tattered. Looking at a passer-by, he came forward, grabbed the man’s clothes and said something anxiously.

A beggar?  An idiot? Could it be a lunatic? 

The man being held was clearly irritated, so he kicked the insane man aside, shook his clothing in disdain, spit on the ground, and walked away without looking back. He moaned towards the ground and hurried away, as if the person on the ground was ominous.

I wanted to help him, but the thin man just passed right through me. I knew I couldn’t do anything but stand there and observe.

His legs and feet appear to be in poor condition. The man who was kicked to the ground staggered and couldn’t stand up. He crawled on his arms. He still grabbed a person’s hem and asked. Ignored, repeating like this, the injuries on his body increased, but he didn’t feel tired, he was stubborn in his bones. I followed behind, my hands clenched into fists, and every time I couldn’t bear to throw a fist at the person who kicked him, I always passed through that person’s body. I tried to turn around or take another fork of the road, but was blocked by the invisible force behind me. In the end, I could only hold back the anger and follow, continue to watch.

He was kicked to the ground again, and a kid who ran from nowhere laughed and picked up stones to throw at him and he hit him most of the time. The man curled up helplessly, holding his head in his hands,  weeping and sobbing.

While weeping, there were vague words in between, but every word entered my mind.

“Si Ran…Si Ran, where are you? Si Ran…it hurts…ahhh…it hurts—”

Si Ran…

My face sank, and the thought arising in my heart startled me.

This, this… it’s not me…

Looking at the small half of the jade yusui (chalcedony) on him, I knew I was looking at myself.

Yusui (chalcedony) was a pendant on the jade ornament that the Empress rewarded. There were only two pieces of jade under the heavens. One was in my place, and the other was with… Si Ran?

Translator’s Note

chalcedony=mixture of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz and morganite

I think (?) the Empress mentioned there was the mother of Feng Yin.