Tan Hua - Chapter 56

Wuer Shan held onto Song Liqing, his hands sliding down the smooth skin of Song Liqing’s back. Song Liqing pressed himself firmly against the bathtub, feeling a sickening sensation, as if he were being coiled by a snake.

 

“What does the Crown Prince of Jing’s man taste like? Hahaha!”

 

Wuer Shan lowered his head to kiss him, but Song Liqing turned his head away to avoid it.

 

After several failed attempts, Wuer Shan started to get angry. Although he could subdue Song Liqing, he found it impossible to force him to comply.

 

*Slap!*

 

Song Liqing received a harsh slap across the face.

 

“I told you not to move! You’ve already been slept with by the Crown Prince of Jing who knows how many times! You’re just a worthless slut—what’s so precious about your body? If it weren’t for that face of yours, I wouldn’t even look at you!”

 

Wuer Shan’s ferocity was now fully revealed.

 

It was then that Song Liqing truly understood how vicious Wuer Shan could be.

 

His ears buzzed, and he tasted blood in his mouth—his teeth had cut into the inside of his cheek. In this desperate moment, his mind raced. He bit down harder on the wound, letting more blood seep out.

 

“Hmph, lift your head!”

 

Wuer Shan grabbed Song Liqing’s chin. Just as he leaned in close, Song Liqing suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, splattering it all over Wuer Shan’s face and body, staining the bathwater red.

 

Wuer Shan was caught off guard by the sudden turn of events. He wiped the blood from his face, only to smear it everywhere.

 

“Mr. Wu, I’ve contracted a serious illness, a septic infection like syphilis. You should wait until I’m cured before proceeding.”

 

Wuer Shan was genuinely shaken by the amount of blood Song Liqing had spat out.

 

As for Song Liqing’s claim, Wuer Shan was half-skeptical, half-convinced.

 

“You think you can scare me with a few made-up lies?”

 

“Would Mr. Wu risk his life for a moment of pleasure?” Song Liqing replied, acting touched. “If you truly care for me, then you’re better than the Crown Prince of Jing. He abandoned me because of this illness…”

 

Wuer Shan’s face twitched, and he hurriedly jumped out of the bathtub.

 

He had been acting impulsively, but he wasn’t about to gamble with his life.

 

“I’ll find someone to verify whether the Crown Prince of Jing really abandoned you. If you dare to lie to me, you’ll pay dearly!”

 

Song Liqing responded, “Feel free to investigate, Mr. Wu.”

 

“Is your illness really something you contracted from someone?”

 

Wuer Shan, still fuming and fearful, ran out, probably looking for clean water to wash up. Before leaving, he instructed a few maidservants:

 

“Keep an eye on him, and don’t let him escape!”

 

Once Wuer Shan left, Song Liqing’s tense body finally relaxed.

 

He hurriedly climbed out of the water, fumbling to put on his clothes, and wrapped himself in a sheepskin cloak. Despite being bundled up, Song Liqing couldn’t stop trembling.

 

“Wuer Shan is temporarily deterred by my illness, but I can’t fool him for long. Sooner or later, he’ll discover the truth.”

 

But this was Wuer Shan’s home, filled with his spies and servants.

 

Song Liqing was unfamiliar with the place; escaping on his own would be nearly impossible.

 

The only thing he could be thankful for was that Wuer Shan hadn’t yet completely turned on him, as the maidservants brought in his baby, still alive.

 

It wasn’t out of a sudden burst of conscience on Wuer Shan’s part, but rather because the baby’s life wasn’t important to him. Keeping it around served as a means to control Song Liqing.

 

Song Liqing held the baby close. The child nestled into his embrace, soothed by his scent, and finally stopped crying, holding onto one of Song Liqing’s fingers as he fell asleep.

 

Song Liqing felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Away from the capital, he was nothing. In this savage place, what good was all the knowledge and etiquette he had learned?

 

No wonder Jun Qiyu had developed the habit of ruling through force. If he hadn’t been so domineering and ruthless, how could he have survived among these barbaric Westerners?

 

If only Jun Qiyu were here, he would surely be able to handle everything.

 

Jun Qiyu…

 

The first person who came to Song Liqing’s mind was Jun Qiyu.

 

This realization shocked even him.

 

The man who had hurt him the most…

 

“I’ve been missing for so many days now. Given Jun Qiyu’s cold and indifferent nature, even if he felt a tiny bit of guilt or regret for me, he’s probably forgotten all about me by now.”

 

…

 

The snow fell incessantly over Jiayuguan in the twelfth lunar month, swirling through the air like blades, stinging any exposed skin.

 

The snow on the ground was so deep that it could reach a person’s thighs, and the streets had to be cleared daily to make them passable.

 

Jun Qiyu, riding a horse, stopped at the pass. Beyond this point lay Loulan.

 

He paused, looking around in confusion, unsure whether he should go forward or turn back. The cold wind whipped his robe, making it flap loudly.

 

A young man in a green robe passed through the crowd. A gleam of recognition flashed in Jun Qiyu’s eyes. He spurred his horse forward, leaping off to grab the slender figure.

 

“Liqing!”

 

When the man turned around, Jun Qiyu’s intense expression frightened him.

 

“My lord… I’m just a law-abiding citizen. I haven’t committed any crimes…”

 

Jun Qiyu, disappointed, let him go.

 

“Sorry, I mistook you for someone else.”

 

Jun Qiyu’s guards caught up to him.

 

“Your Highness, you mistook him. This person only slightly resembles him from behind.”

 

“Even a slight resemblance can’t be overlooked!” Jun Qiyu said firmly. “I’ve already lost him once…”

 

But Jun Qiyu was growing more desperate. It had been over two months now.

 

Song Liqing seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth, no matter how hard he searched.

 

Jun Qiyu had traveled back and forth four times between the capital and Jiayuguan, scouring the route repeatedly, yet there was no trace of Song Liqing.

 

He had deployed many people to search everywhere, nearly turning over every possible place Song Liqing could have gone, but there was still no news.

 

Song Liqing was truly gone.

 

“Liqing… where are you?”

 

Frost and snow clung to Jun Qiyu’s eyebrows and eyelashes. His eyes had grown much dimmer than before, and blue stubble sprouted from his temples and jaw, showing that he hadn’t bothered to shave. He looked utterly despondent, as if he had aged several years.

 

“I’d rather believe that you’re hiding, avoiding me… Just give me some sign, and I swear… I won’t disturb you anymore. Just let me know that you’re safe, Liqing…”

 

Jun Qiyu’s entire spirit was hanging by a thread, terrified that any bad news would snap that final thread in his heart.

 

“Your Highness!” Jun Qiyu’s personal guard began to persuade him, “Let’s return to the capital. I fear the young master of the Song family might be beyond saving…”

 

Upon hearing this, Jun Qiyu turned his head slightly and gave the guard a long, cold look.

 

“Forgive me, Your Highness.”

 

The guard trembled with fear, for in the past, such words would have sparked Jun Qiyu’s anger.

 

But this time, Jun Qiyu’s expression remained calm, though his eyes appeared lifeless, like ashes.

 

“I don’t blame you,” Jun Qiyu said softly, lowering his head. “He… He told me my temper was too severe and that I shouldn’t always punish my subordinates. I’m just following his advice.”

 

The guard knew who he was referring to.

 

The Crown Prince had changed drastically in recent times, often recalling Song Liqing’s words.

 

“But you’re wrong—he’s not just the young master of the Song family. He’s the master of the Qilin Mansion, my Crown Princess.” Jun Qiyu’s voice was low and grave. “Don’t call him wrong again.”

 

“I understand,” the guard responded, nodding in acknowledgment. “Your Highness, we’ve already deployed many eyes and ears. If the Crown Princess shows up, our scouts will report it. The road ahead is long, and you’ve worn yourself out these past days. Continuing like this is futile; it would be better to return to the capital and wait for news…”

 

“I’m not going back.”

 

Jun Qiyu stubbornly insisted.

 

“But the Qilin Mansion and the court are both waiting for you,” the guard continued to persuade him.

 

“I’m afraid to go back. As soon as I return to the Qilin Mansion, I miss him desperately. When I wake, I think of him, and in my dreams, he’s there too… How could I have been so foolish? Why did I drive him away? Why did I do such stupid things!”

 

Jun Qiyu had returned to the Qilin Mansion several times, but even though there were no longer any traces of Song Liqing’s life there, the red wedding characters on the walls and the candles in the rooms still remained, constantly reminding him of the happiness he once had in his grasp—happiness he had thrown away with his own hands.

 

Jun Qiyu could hardly sleep properly at the Qilin Mansion. At night, he would start to hallucinate. At first, he thought he saw Song Liqing in the places he used to sleep or at his writing desk, and later, Jun Qiyu even began to hear things.

 

Seeing Jun Qiyu so dejected and dispirited, the guard could hardly bear it.

 

“Your Highness! Please wake up—the Crown Princess isn’t coming back. Why do you persist?”

 

Jun Qiyu couldn’t accept any advice of this sort.

 

“Do you believe me? I know he’s still alive… I can feel it. He’s waiting for me somewhere.” Jun Qiyu muttered, raising his head to look northwest. His gaze grew firm. “I’ll go to the capital of Loulan one more time.”

 

…

 

When the door was pushed open, a beam of white light appeared in front of Song Liqing, and he instinctively held Guansheng tightly.

 

Wuer Shan entered the room, sitting down and scrutinizing Song Liqing.

 

“I’ve already inquired about it,” Wuer Shan said after a pause. “You were abandoned by the Crown Prince of Jing.”

 

Song Liqing remained silent.

 

“But then why is he offering a reward of ten thousand gold taels to find you?” Wuer Shan asked, bewildered.

 

Though Wuer Shan was a well-traveled merchant, he had no means of investigating the inner workings of the royal palace of Jing. He only knew bits and pieces from the rumors floating around, with little idea of what was true or false.

 

“The Crown Prince isn’t doing it for me,” Song Liqing said softly. “He’s doing it for him.”

 

Wuer Shan was even more puzzled. “Him? This little baby?”

 

“He’s the bastard son of the Crown Prince with another woman. I secretly took his son away—how could he not be anxious?”

 

Song Liqing spoke calmly, but his heart was filled with tension.

 

“The royal bloodline of Jing!”

 

Wuer Shan was startled. He knew that the Emperor of Jing only had the Crown Prince, Jun Qiyu, as his precious heir—the sole bloodline of the royal family. If this was indeed Jun Qiyu’s son, then he was the legitimate heir of the Jing royal family!

 

It all made sense now!

 

Wuer Shan’s eyes widened as he said, “No wonder he’s offering ten thousand taels to find you. It’s all for his bloodline. I knew it—no matter how much the Crown Prince loved you, he couldn’t bear to lose you!”

 

But as Wuer Shan thought it over, he broke into a cold sweat.

 

He had actually kidnapped the legitimate son of the Crown Prince of Jing!

 

Wuer Shan felt a wave of dizziness. Though he had been reckless, he wasn’t stupid.

 

As long as this little baby remained safe, it was fine, but if anything happened to him, the King of Loulan would gladly offer up Wuer Shan’s entire family to appease the wrath of Jing.

 

—

 

**Author’s Note:**

 

Liqing, forced to lie =.=