Tan Hua - Chapter 68

Jun Qiyu was surprised and only then recalled the royal surname of the Kingdom of Ili.

 

When he was a young general, under the guidance of Song Qing, he conquered the Kingdom of Ili in less than three months. The royal surname of that small, remote country had only stayed in his memory for a year or two before being forgotten.

 

Jun Qiyu had no habit of remembering the names of defeated enemies. He hadn’t even bothered to ask for the real name of Hu Nu’er.

 

“How do you know…”

 

The bandit leader, whose identity had been exposed by Song Liqing, couldn’t believe it.

 

“My brother would never have told you his name! He wouldn’t have told you… You’re his enemy!”

 

Song Liqing didn’t say anything more, instead coughing uncontrollably.

 

The bandit leader, unwilling to accept it, shouted, “Say something! My brother would never tell his enemy about himself!”

 

“You’re noisy. Sparing your life is already a mercy.”

 

Annoyed by the noise, Jun Qiyu tied the bandit leader’s hands to the saddle, then mounted the horse and continued toward the far side of the lake.

 

The entire lake was frozen over. Beneath the ice were many frozen blue bubbles, and occasionally, one could see a bird or two, caught by the cold before they could migrate south, now encased in ice like sculptures.

 

It took some time to cross the wide expanse of the lake. At the lake’s end, there was a warm spring shrouded in mist.

 

Though called a warm spring, it was actually just a subterranean hot spring. In the ice and snow, the water felt relatively warm, and the rising steam created a hazy, dreamlike scene. In the spring, a black and a white swan were entwined, their necks gracefully intertwined.

 

“Liqing, it’s a pity you can’t see this. This place rivals the heavens.”

 

Song Liqing felt the warmth of the spring’s steam, and it seemed to drive away all the cold from his body.

 

“This place is so wonderful… Let’s stay here today.”

 

“No.” Jun Qiyu insisted, “The sacred mountain is just ahead. There must be another *blood cistanche* there. We can’t afford to waste time.”

 

Song Liqing chuckled softly, “Why must there be one?”

 

“Because… because it’s a sacred mountain.”

 

Jun Qiyu knew this reasoning wasn’t convincing, but right now, he needed something to hold onto, some spiritual support.

 

“They revere the mountain as sacred because it must be effective. As long as I’m sincere, the sacred mountain will surely grant my wish.”

 

Song Liqing lowered his head, his tone soft, “This place is so warm, can we stay for just one day?”

 

Jun Qiyu couldn’t refuse him, so he followed Song Liqing’s wish and found a sheltered spot where he set up a simple camp.

 

After lighting a bonfire, the two huddled closely together for warmth. Jun Qiyu warmed his hands by the fire, then rubbed Song Liqing’s hands to transfer the heat to him.

 

“Do you feel better?” Jun Qiyu asked.

 

“Mm.”

 

Jun Qiyu turned to look at Song Liqing and suddenly noticed that his once-dull eyes had regained some sparkle, and his pale cheeks were now flushed with color, no longer the lifeless white from before.

 

“Liqing!” Jun Qiyu exclaimed joyfully, “Your complexion has improved!”

 

“Really?”

 

Song Liqing touched his cheek. He did indeed feel much more energetic. Before, he had been constantly drowsy and lethargic, but today, he wasn’t feeling sleepy at all.

 

Jun Qiyu shouted excitedly, “I told you the sacred mountain must be effective! Look, you didn’t even need the blood cistanche. Just being at the foot of the mountain has blessed us!”

 

“Yes, it has.”

 

Song Liqing felt something magical. He had never been to this place before, but it felt like he had returned to the homeland of a previous life. There was no fear of being in an unfamiliar environment.

 

Perhaps the sacred mountain really was blessing him.

 

Or perhaps it was because his birth mother had also died in this very lake.

 

“Liqing, stay here and don’t wander off. I’m going to fetch some water and catch a few fish.”

 

Jun Qiyu had already prepared a wooden fishing spear. In winter, the lake of Silimu froze over, and the fish gathered in the warm spring, making them easy to catch.

 

Song Liqing sat quietly while the bound bandit leader still refused to give up.

 

“Hey, Crown Princess,” the bandit leader called out. “You and my brother were enemies, weren’t you?”

 

Song Liqing turned his head slightly, “You could say that.”

 

“Then why did he tell you his name? It doesn’t make sense. He would never reveal it to anyone he didn’t trust completely.”

 

The bandit leader couldn’t figure it out.

 

Why?

 

Song Liqing thought, perhaps it was the compassion he had shown to Hunur that had earned his trust. Or maybe, after being alone for so long, Hunur wanted to leave his name behind after his death, which is why he was willing to tell him.

 

Song Liqing asked, “What’s your name?”

 

“I…”

 

The bandit leader hesitated for a moment.

 

“Su Zhao,” he said. “It’s the name of the legendary guardian of the sacred mountain.”

 

Song Liqing nodded.

 

“My brother trusted you, so I’m willing to tell you too.”

 

When the kingdom of Yili fell, Su Zhao and his brother got separated in the chaos of war. Su Zhao was protected and escaped with his life, but with no home to return to, he and his followers became bandits near the desert, making a living by attacking passing merchant caravans. The next time he heard news of his brother, he learned that his brother had been captured by the Crown Prince of Jing and taken to the capital under the alias of Hu Nuer.

 

Su Zhao had no way of communicating with Hu Nuer and could only inquire about him through passing merchants. He learned that his brother had become the slave of the Crown Prince of Jing, who had also married a Crown Princess.

 

Su Zhao had once glimpsed Jun Qiyu from afar, the man he loathed to his very core. All these years, he had never forgotten the face of his enemy.

 

Su Zhao observed the peculiar Crown Princess. He seemed to be someone of noble status, yet lacked the arrogance typical of the Jing nobility. His demeanor was cool and distant but not in a way that repelled others; in fact, it made people feel drawn to him.

 

As for his appearance…

 

He was the most beautiful person Su Zhao had ever seen.

 

But he looked sickly, far too thin—so thin that it had distorted his features.

 

What kind of breathtaking beauty would he be if he were healthy?

 

“Are you staring at me?” Song Liqing suddenly turned his head and asked.

 

Su Zhao was startled. “Aren’t you blind?”

 

“I can feel it.”

 

When one is blind, their other senses become sharper.

 

“You seem quite smart, figuring out my identity despite the language barrier,” Su Zhao said curiously. “So why did you marry that dumb prince, who only knows how to throw tantrums and kill people?”

 

Song Liqing was stumped by the question.

 

His feelings for Jun Qiyu were complicated.

 

“Love comes without reason and runs deep.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Su Zhao blinked, not entirely understanding.

 

Song Liqing coughed a couple of times, and an unusual flush appeared on his face.

 

“Are you sick?” Su Zhao asked bluntly.

 

“Yes,” Song Liqing replied with a smile. “I’ll probably die soon.”

 

Su Zhao was surprised. “And you’re this calm about it?”

 

“It’s better than living half-dead.”

 

Song Liqing suddenly felt unusually energetic today, his body even stronger. He knew this wasn’t a sign of recovery, most likely the fabled burst of energy before death.

 

A final mercy from the heavens.

 

Jun Qiyu returned with water and began roasting fish over the coals. This type of cold-water fish didn’t require seasoning to taste delicious, and Song Liqing ate several pieces.

 

“Liqing, you should rest early.”

 

“I’m not tired,” Song Liqing said, his eyes sparkling. “Jun Qiyu, let’s talk for a while.”

 

His suggestion caught Jun Qiyu by surprise.

 

“Alright.”

 

Jun Qiyu’s throat tightened with emotion. It was so rare for Song Liqing to initiate conversation!

 

“Do you remember the first time we met?”

 

Song Liqing asked casually, as if it were just small talk.

 

“Of course, it was at the academy. On the first day of class, we sat at the same desk,” Jun Qiyu replied.

 

Song Liqing shook his head. “No, it was at your first birthday celebration.”

 

“Birthdays don’t count. We were too young to remember anything.”

 

Jun Qiyu had been so small back then, so of course he had no memory of it.

 

Song Liqing lowered his eyes, his voice soft.

 

“I remember.”

 

Jun Qiyu turned to look at him in surprise.

 

“You were only three years old. How could you remember?”

 

“I don’t know either,” Song Liqing shrugged. “I can barely recall anything before I was five, but I distinctly remember that day. That was the day I became part of the Song family, and I saw a little boy dressed in bright yellow robes crawling around the floor. He grabbed everything he could and clung to it like a little bandit. Then he wouldn’t let go of me and started gnawing on me. In the end, he wet his pants and soaked my clothes.”

 

Jun Qiyu felt a bit embarrassed hearing about his childhood antics.

 

“My father didn’t mention anything about wetting my pants…” Jun Qiyu rubbed his nose.

 

“They had to protect your reputation as the Crown Prince,” Song Liqing chuckled. “So later, when we met again at the academy, it was actually our second meeting. I recognized you immediately.”

 

“You should’ve told me then. Why were you still afraid of me?” Jun Qiyu asked regretfully.

 

“With the way you acted, who wouldn’t be scared?”

 

At the academy, Song Liqing had often been frightened to tears by Jun Qiyu, frequently bullied until he cried, his tears never-ending.

 

“You were such a troublemaker at the academy, giving all your classmates nicknames, even calling the old teacher ‘Old Turtle’ because he was so slow. You even slipped him a laxative just so you could skip class and go play. You bullied boys and girls alike, causing mischief everywhere. Fortunately, your father kept you in check. Whenever you were punished, you’d drag me to the bathroom to help you apply ointment to your backside. Haha…”

 

As he reminisced about their childhood, Song Liqing couldn’t help but laugh.

 

Jun Qiyu’s face flushed red as he listened.

 

If it had been anyone else but Song Liqing, he would’ve been furious with embarrassment.

 

“Jun Qiyu, those were the happiest days of my life,” Song Liqing said.

 

In his faint tone was a sense of regret for things that didn’t go as planned, and sorrow for what had changed over time.

 

“No worries, Liqing. From now on, I’ll treat you even better than when we were kids. I’ll make up for all the suffering you’ve been through.”

 

Song Liqing’s lips curled up slightly. Jun Qiyu wasn’t just someone who said hurtful things—he could speak tenderly too.

 

“Jun Qiyu, after I die, what kind of Crown Princess will you marry?”

 

The smile faded from Jun Qiyu’s face.

 

“Liqing, I forbid you to ask such a question.”

 

“I’m just saying, if it happens. Tell me, I want to know,” Song Liqing said.

 

“I won’t marry anyone!” Jun Qiyu said, a bit agitated. “There will never be another Crown Princess. You are my only one.”

 

“No, even if you don’t want to, your father will force you to marry someone else,” Song Liqing thought for a moment and said, “How about this? I’ll allow you to remember me for a hundred days, maybe a year. After that, you can forget me.”