Tan Hua - Chapter 60

Jingguo – Kingdom of Jing

 

When Song Liqing learned it was Jun Qiyu, the smile of relief on his face gradually faded, and he pushed Jun Qiyu away.

 

Jun Qiyu’s hands were empty, and his heart suddenly ached. He forgot to withdraw his hands, leaving them awkwardly hanging in the air.

 

“Liqing, are you okay?”

 

The joy of regaining what was lost overwhelmed Song Liqing’s coldness.

 

Jun Qiyu suppressed the bitterness in his heart. He couldn’t imagine how the blind Song Liqing had managed to wander from the capital of Jingguo all the way to the royal city of Loulan. He couldn’t bear to think about the suffering and humiliation Liqing must have endured along the way.

 

“Your Highness, don’t worry.”

 

Song Liqing leaned against the wall, wrapping his arms around himself, his lips barely moving.

 

“I won’t die just yet.”

 

Jun Qiyu looked at him, his brows furrowed with a faint sadness.

 

“Liqing, don’t be like this. I had a hard time finding you…”

 

“Finding me? For what?”

 

Song Liqing resisted Jun Qiyu with a mocking attitude.

 

Jun Qiyu spoke earnestly, “I was very worried about you. For months, I haven’t had a single night of peaceful sleep. Liqing, maybe you won’t believe anything I say now, but I can’t live without you. I really love you…”

 

“There’s no need.” Song Liqing interrupted his confession. “Thank you, Your Highness, for saving my life. I have nothing to repay this kindness.”

 

“You don’t need to repay me.”

 

Jun Qiyu wanted to say more, but Song Liqing cut him off.

 

“Then let’s call it even. We owe each other nothing.”

 

At that moment, Wuer Shan, who had been observing outside, understood that the fierce man was the Crown Prince of Jingguo. Seeing that Song Liqing and the Crown Prince seemed distant, he felt slightly relieved and boldly stepped in to kneel.

 

“Your Highness, I was just about to report this vile person to you. He dared to steal the dragon child of the Jingguo royal family, planning to make your heir acknowledge a thief as his father. He wanted to raise him and then plot to have you two kill each other. When I heard this vile person’s malicious intent, I couldn’t help but take action and teach him a lesson.”

 

“Royal heir…”

 

Jun Qiyu was confused. He didn’t have any royal heir.

 

“Oh, so according to you, you beat him up to vent my anger?”

 

Wuer Shan nodded fervently. “Yes, I met him at Jiayuguan. He said he wanted to escape the borders of Jingguo and was willing to serve as a slave or servant. I was fooled by his pitiful state at the time, but later found out that the child he carried was your royal heir. This is no small matter. I was just thinking of returning the child to you when you showed up.”

 

“A slave or servant? He said that?” Jun Qiyu asked expressionlessly.

 

Wuer Shan asserted, “Absolutely, he even… even shamelessly tried to seduce me. I imagine on his journey from Jingguo’s capital to Loulan, he must have offered himself to countless men.”

 

“Then I should really thank you.”

 

Jun Qiyu said with a faint smile, though his deep eyes revealed a chilling sharpness.

 

With just a few words, Jun Qiyu understood that Wuer Shan was cunning and manipulative, saying whatever suited his audience. How could Jun Qiyu not know Song Liqing’s character?

 

A scholar, pure in nature and blind, could never have outmaneuvered someone like Wuer Shan.

 

Wuer Shan kowtowed again.

 

“Your Highness, you’re too kind. I’m not here to ask for a reward, but… but the reward of 100,000 taels you mentioned in your notice, cough, cough…”

 

Jun Qiyu smiled, but this smile was sharper than a blade glinting with killing intent.

 

He glanced at the crying baby on the bed.

 

“This is the royal heir you found for me.”

 

Wuer Shan eagerly claimed credit, “Yes, the little heir has been starved and mistreated by this vile person, not even getting a drop of milk. Fortunately, I’ve been taking good care of him along the way, feeding him the freshest camel milk every day. Look at how healthy and plump he is now!”

 

Jun Qiyu had no patience left for his nonsense.

 

“And the wounds on his body—those are from your beatings?”

 

“Someone who betrays Your Highness deserves to be beaten to death!” Wuer Shan said indignantly.

 

“Oh.”

 

Jun Qiyu’s cold gaze fell on Wuer Shan as if he were already a dead man.

 

“You found him for me, so I’ll reward you with 100,000 taels of gold. Take this money and go spend it in the underworld…”

 

Before he finished speaking, Jun Qiyu’s hand moved to the hilt of his sword.

 

A flash of steel crossed Wuer Shan’s face. He didn’t even see Jun Qiyu’s hand move before his vision suddenly spun, and then his head fell to the ground. Only after that did the blood spurt out.

 

The room fell into a dead silence.

 

“People die for wealth, birds for food.”

 

Jun Qiyu didn’t blink. He wiped the few traces of blood off the blade on Wuer Shan’s corpse and then sheathed it.

 

Only then did Wuer Shan’s servants, shocked and terrified, begin to scream.

 

“Jun Qiyu…” Pei Xingxu was also greatly shocked. “How could you kill someone so easily?”

 

Jun Qiyu remained unmoved.

 

“Not only did he hurt Liqing, but his filthy mouth alone was enough for him to die a thousand times over.”

 

Pei Xingxu frowned. “I understand, but this is still the royal city. Besides, I just conferred a title on Wuer Shan. If he committed crimes, I would have taken him back for trial and punishment.”

 

“I couldn’t wait.”

 

The killing intent on Jun Qiyu disappeared entirely when he turned his gaze back to Song Liqing.

 

Song Liqing, hearing the commotion, could roughly guess what had happened.

 

“Xingxu…”

 

Pei Xingxu no longer wallowed in regret and took the initiative to speak.

 

“Liqing, I’m sorry I came late.”

 

As soon as Song Liqing heard this voice, the slight frown on his face smoothed out. Though his eyes were still unfocused, they shone with joy.

 

“Xingxu!”

 

Xingxu…

 

Hearing this name, Jun Qiyu felt as if his heart had been struck hard.

 

He called him so intimately and eagerly.

 

But clearly, Song Liqing used to call him this way, calling him “Qiyu” without ever addressing him formally as “Your Highness.” And now, all that was left was a distant and unfamiliar “Your Highness.”

 

Pei Xingxu had taken the place that should have been his.

 

In the next moment, Jun Qiyu saw Song Liqing and Pei Xingxu embrace tightly, and he was filled with rage.

 

Pei Xingxu was filled with guilt toward Song Liqing.

 

“I’m sorry, you were trapped in the Loulan capital, and I didn’t realize it until it was too late.”

 

“It’s okay. Although there were some difficulties, I still got to see you,” Song Liqing said happily. “It wasn’t that hard.”

 

Pei Xingxu still blamed himself. “I should have been more careful, and you wouldn’t have had to suffer like this. Liqing, how did you end up coming to Loulan alone?”

 

“It’s a long story, I’ll tell you slowly when we have time.”

 

Song Liqing felt his way to the bedside and picked up the baby, Guansheng. After crying for a while, the baby’s face was still wet with tears but unharmed. Song Liqing gently stroked his smooth little cheek, and Guansheng, as if recognizing him, grasped one of his fingers and let out soft, cooing sounds.

 

“See, I wasn’t alone. I had him with me. His name is Guansheng. His mother is the one who saved my life,” Song Liqing said, holding the baby up for Pei Xingxu to see. “Even now, I don’t know what he looks like. Could you describe him to me?”

 

“He… his eyes are big and bright, his ears are small, his nose is small, and his mouth is small too. He looks a bit like you.”

 

Pei Xingxu also reached out and tapped the baby’s nose.

 

Although he didn’t know how Song Liqing had ended up with a baby, seeing how close Liqing was to him, he could tell the child was cherished.

 

Song Liqing had traveled a long way with a baby to Loulan; he must have endured a lot of hardships.

 

“Do you like him?” Song Liqing asked.

 

“If you like him, then I do too.” Pei Xingxu placed his hand on Song Liqing’s shoulder. “Liqing, it’s not safe to stay here for long. Let me take you back to the palace. Your injuries need to be treated.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Pei Xingxu took off his cloak and draped it over him, then wrapped an arm around his shoulder and led him out.

 

Jun Qiyu’s gaze followed them as they walked away. He opened his mouth to speak but suddenly felt like an unnecessary person.

 

Song Liqing stood beside Pei Xingxu, holding a baby in his arms—what a harmonious and beautiful scene. All Jun Qiyu knew was fighting and killing; he seemed completely out of place.

 

But Jun Qiyu was not one to back down easily. He mounted his horse and followed them back to the palace.

 

After Song Liqing had his wounds treated, he entered Pei Xingxu’s chamber.

 

Jun Qiyu, anxious outside, felt somewhat relieved when Pei Xingxu came out after a short while.

 

“Is he asleep?” 

 

Jun Qiyu immediately asked, stepping forward.

 

Pei Xingxu nodded, and Jun Qiyu moved straight to enter, but Pei Xingxu reached out to stop him.

 

Jun Qiyu, with hostility in his voice, said, “Don’t think that just because he temporarily trusts you, you have the right to stop me. He just hasn’t forgiven me yet…”

 

But this time, Pei Xingxu didn’t back down.

 

“He’s exhausted in both body and mind. He needs proper rest.”

 

“I want to stay with him,” Jun Qiyu stubbornly insisted.

 

“Don’t disturb him, or he won’t be able to sleep peacefully.”

 

Pei Xingxu refused to let him in, so Jun Qiyu tried to force his way through. Without any martial arts training, Pei Xingxu was no match for Jun Qiyu’s brute strength.

 

“Jun Qiyu, have you forgotten our bet?” Pei Xingxu said.

 

Jun Qiyu stopped and turned to ask, “And if I haven’t, what then? We both found him at the same time. I didn’t lose.”

 

“Don’t forget, I’m the one who found Wuer Shan’s residence.”

 

“So what? You can’t even recognize Liqing’s handwriting, yet you dare to claim victory?”

 

Their gazes clashed, both unwilling to back down.

 

“Fine.”

 

Seeing the stalemate, Pei Xingxu relented slightly.

 

“There’s no point in us arguing. Why don’t we let Liqing decide for himself?”

 

“You really are despicable.”

 

This struck at Jun Qiyu’s insecurity. He knew that Song Liqing currently resented him, and he didn’t stand much chance.

 

“Are you afraid?” Pei Xingxu taunted. “Haven’t you already lost? You lost Liqing back in the capital of Jingguo. Jun Qiyu, you may be favored by the heavens, but you can’t have everything your way.”

 

“Pei Xingxu, don’t try to provoke me. I won’t fall for it.”

 

Jun Qiyu sneered.

 

Pei Xingxu looked slightly surprised. Given Jun Qiyu’s impulsive nature, he had expected him to immediately rise to the challenge.

 

“Heh, they say you should look at a person with fresh eyes after not seeing them for a few days. You really have changed. You’re much more composed now.”

 

Jun Qiyu stepped forward, glaring at Pei Xingxu with fierce determination.

 

“I’m not only composed; I’m willing to sacrifice everything. For Liqing, I’ll give up everything!”