Chapter 148: Past Ties Fade into Light and Shadow Here at Last

Seeing Chuxiu off, the Prince of Mu returned to the palace hall where the banquet had been held. The Emperor, along with the Empress and the Noble Consort, had already departed, and the other two princes were nowhere to be seen. Only Nie Peixiao sat alone in his original spot, his thin lips pressed tightly together, maintaining a profound silence. It was a look of frustration and chilliness the Prince of Mu had never witnessed in him before.

Never before, not even on the night Nie Peixiao was pulled out from the cellar of the Prince of Mu's residence, could compare to this moment.

Guilt weighed heavily upon him. Standing at the threshold of the hall, the Prince of Mu pondered for a moment before speaking. "I only wanted you to see the reality clearly... You should cut off these thoughts."

Nie Peixiao remained motionless and silent, seated as though turned to stone. That sense of frustration and sorrow slowly crept forward, impossible to ignore. The Prince of Mu recalled how, whenever the two brothers had a dispute in the past, they always preferred to exchange a few blows, prompting Noble Consort Ye to jokingly call it "resolving problems through force." At this moment, he wished Nie Peixiao still had the energy to throw a punch; no matter how many blows he might receive, he would willingly endure every single one of them.

The Prince of Mu considered himself to have always been exceptionally close to this ninth younger brother. Even when marching into battle to slay the enemy, they had entrusted their lives to one another and protected each other with their lives. Yet now, because of a woman, a rift was forming in their fraternal bond. He believed that although Nie Peixiao did not understand now, one day he would comprehend his good intentions.

After a long silence, it was the Prince of Mu who spoke first to offer an explanation. "Jingduo, Luan Su and I are living proof of the past. You and Madam Chuxiu had no affinity in the past, and given your current status and positions, it is even more impossible now."

Hearing this, Nie Peixiao’s petrified posture finally shifted slightly. A sarcastic smile curled across his lips as he slowly raised his gaze to look at the seventh older brother he admired the most. "So you’ve known all along that she is Hanchu? And you kept it from me the entire time?"

The Prince of Mu remained silent, offering tacit agreement.

With a sharp snap, Nie Peixiao broke a pair of chopsticks in his grip, rose abruptly in anger, and demanded, "You knew I wrote *The Broken Red String* for her, and you knew she was Hanchu! Why didn't you tell me? How many times have I been to Yanlan City? You never once mentioned it!"

"What good would it have come from telling you?" the Prince of Mu replied in a deep, solemn voice. "I only learned that Madam Chuxiu was Hanchu after Yun Ci's death... What would telling you have changed? Jingduo, you are merely captivated by her beauty and talent. This woman is too formidable; she is not suited for you."

"What I truly like about her is something you fail to understand, Seventh Brother. What kind of person she is, I will judge for myself," Nie Peixiao retorted coldly. "Whether she is formidable or weak, it is all because you people forced her into it! Just like tonight—if she hadn't resisted, she would have been stabbed to death by you and Mingzhen!"

"Jingduo!" The Prince of Mu frowned and reprimanded, "What are you trying to imply? Do you have any idea how capable she is? Even I have been outwitted by her more than once... Last time, for the sake of Shen Yu..."

"Does Seventh Brother feel that the accusations heaped upon her are still not enough?" Nie Peixiao’s eyes were bloodshot, his hands clenched tightly into fists. "Shen Yu is her savior! Is it a crime for her to show gratitude and repay kindness? Even if there were something between her and Shen Yu, with that chastity memorial archway of yours pressing down upon her, any truth would have been crushed to nothing!"

"Have you forgotten what you promised me in Yanlan City?" the Prince of Mu asked in a deep voice, pressing forward step by step. "You left that jade flute behind and claimed you were only taken by her beauty, saying you knew how to conduct yourself and had matters under control. Have you forgotten all of those words?"

"Times change, and so do circumstances," Nie Peixiao immediately countered. "If Seventh Brother had simply told me the truth earlier... I wouldn't have ended up in this state!"

"What state?" The Prince of Mu suddenly realized he had underestimated Nie Peixiao's feelings; looking at him now, it seemed he was sinking so deeply he could no longer extricate himself.

Nie Peixiao did not reply further. The veins on his forehead bulged as he struggled to suppress the rage burning within his chest. He stepped out from behind the table and strode toward the door without uttering a word, not pausing for even a second as he passed the Prince of Mu.

"On New Year's Eve, where are you going?" The Prince of Mu grabbed Nie Peixiao’s arm with force. "Jingduo, pull yourself together and stop making a scene."

"I am not thinking straight? I'm making a scene?" Nie Peixiao let out a laugh that sounded utterly devoid of humor, staring directly into his eyes with bloodshot gaze. "She is only nineteen years old! You expect her to live as a widow for the rest of her life, and that is not making a scene? That is not cruel?"

With a fierce jerk, Nie Peixiao shook off the hand gripping his sleeve, laughing with a despairing and mocking irony. "For the sake of power, all of you have gone mad!" With those words, he strode away rapidly.

*****

When Chuxiu emerged from the Yingyuan Palace and hurried back to the Liuyun Manor, it was the third watch of the night. As soon as she stepped inside the gates, Yun Xian and the others rushed out to greet her, every single one of them wearing an expression of deep concern.

For a fleeting second, tears welled up in Chuxiu's eyes as her gaze swept slowly across each face: Yun Xian, Luanqing, Danxin, Xiangrong, and... Shen Yu. In this moment, she knew that none of their worries were feigned.

It was Yun Xian who spoke first, asking, "How is Sister-in-law? Did anyone in the palace give you a hard time?"

Chuxiu shook her head slowly. "No, I am quite well."

"What did the Tongsheng Emperor summon you into the palace for?" Yun Xian pressed further.

Chuxiu was momentarily startled, instinctively wishing to conceal what had happened tonight—especially the matter of the chastity memorial archway. If Shen Yu were to find out...

Daring not to dwell on it, Chuxiu brushed it aside with a vague reply. "It was nothing much, just some bestowals. The official imperial edict probably won't be issued until after the New Year."

"Is it really that simple?" Yun Xian found it hard to believe.

"Am I not back safe and sound? What is there left to worry about?" Chuxiu forced a light laugh behind her hand. "On New Year's Eve, the Emperor surely wouldn't take my life."

"Touch wood! What kind of ominous things are you saying, Madam!" Danxin immediately chimed in. "As long as you're back safely! All of us were worried sick."

"You tell me not to speak of death, yet you utter the word yourself!" Chuxiu scolded with a smile, glancing up at the sky. "The midnight hour is almost upon us. Why is everyone standing around? Go back to your rooms and welcome the New Year!"

The crowd swarmed back into the hall. As Chuxiu walked in the lead and took her first step across the threshold, she paused, stopping dead in her tracks—the table was laden with a full banquet, bowls and chopsticks neatly laid out, untouched as if no one had dared to begin.

Noticing Chuxiu frozen in the doorway, Yun Xian laughed softly from behind her. "Sister-in-law is the pillar of the household. Until you returned, none of us dared to touch the food."

At this, Chuxiu finally shed a genuine tear tonight. Unlike the hollow, theatrical performance in the Yingyuan Palace, this was a movement born of heartfelt emotion. When she had first been elevated to legitimate wife, she had not missed the disdain in Third Master Yun Xian's eyes, nor the indifference in Luanqing's gaze...

Through all the turbulent gossip and rumors, she had finally forged her own success. She had guided the Yun family onto the right path and chosen the right people, earning not only the approval of the Old Madam but also the genuine respect of these individuals. The phrase "pillar of the household" uttered by Yun Xian was worth more than a thousand words of praise and commendation.

In a split second, Chuxiu felt that all the grievances and criticisms she had endured amounted to nothing. Even the terrifying banquet at the Yingyuan Palace tonight could now be brushed off with a smile. She took a deep breath, blinked back her tears, and turned back with a grin. "You all really pity me, knowing I wouldn't get enough to eat in the palace."

Danxin, always quick-witted, immediately instructed the servants to reheat the dishes, prepared several new ones, and bustled off anxiously to boil the dumplings. As steaming platters of dumplings were brought out, she didn't forget to introduce them. "This one with the jade-ice shrimp filling is the one I wrapped; the vegetarian-filled one was wrapped by the Third Madam..."

Looking at the misshapen, lopsided dumplings on the platters, Chuxiu was torn between laughter and tears. "There's no poison in these, is there?"

Luanqing lowered her head in embarrassment and muttered, "There shouldn't... be. They are edible."

Hearing this, the group burst into laughter around the table, making the New Year's Eve banquet remarkably lively after all. Once the meal concluded and the midnight hour drew to a close, they strolled in the courtyard for a while longer.

Yun Xiangrong seemed inexplicably exhausted, rubbing her eyes repeatedly as they walked. Seeing this, Chuxiu spoke with gentle concern, "Are you tired? Why don't you go inside and take a nap? Midnight has already passed anyway."

"No, I can hold on," Yun Xiangrong forced herself to stay awake, but within moments, unable to resist the fatigue any longer, she had to be supported by her maid to go inside and rest.

Shortly thereafter, Yun Xian and Luanqing also claimed to feel sleepy. Chuxiu, however, found herself brimming with energy, and looking at Shen Yu, she noticed he appeared equally alert. Harboring a strange, speculative thought in her heart, after sending Yun Xian and his wife away, she beckoned Danxin closer and asked in a low voice, "Did you tamper with the food?"

Danxin immediately protested her innocence. "Please don't wrong this servant, Madam, this matter has nothing to do with me!" She then took the opportunity to let out a yawn. "Ah, this servant is sleepy too and needs to take a nap." With that, she didn't forget to wink at Chuxiu, casting a sidelong glance in the direction where Yun Xian and his wife had departed.

Chuxiu understood immediately—it was Luanqing! She must have slipped something into their drinks! What was the meaning of this? Were they trying to manufacture an opportunity for her and Shen Yu? Chuxiu lowered her gaze and smiled bitterly, suddenly feeling somewhat constrained and awkward.

Before long, the courtyard truly was left with only the two of them. Shen Yu appeared quite composed as he fixed his gaze on Chuxiu with concern. "Going to the Yingyuan Palace tonight, are you really unharmed?"

Chuxiu felt a slight jolt in her chest. Remembering the chastity memorial archway, she quickly smiled and said, "Why is everyone asking me the same thing? Seeing that I haven't lost any limbs, are you all actually disappointed?"

Perhaps her performance had been too convincing, for Shen Yu seemed to believe her. A gentle reassurance flickered in the depths of his profound, expansive gaze, akin to golden sunlight breaking over a towering, lonely peak, instantly setting Chuxiu's mind at ease.

Yes, as long as he was well now, it mattered more than anything else.

The two of them lapsed into a momentary silence, the courtyard's soft, muted lanterns casting a warm glow over them both. Shen Yu looked at Chuxiu, noticing the faint smile playing on her lips, yet for some reason, he felt that smile never reached the depths of her heart.

Ever since she returned from the banquet at the Yingyuan Palace, Shen Yu sensed that something about Chuxiu had changed, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Although she steadfastly avoided mentioning what had transpired tonight, he could feel that she was deliberately dodging his gaze—not with the fluster and confusion of the past, but with a deliberate, resolute detachment.

Shen Yu could no longer guess what Chuxiu was thinking. She reminded him of a distant green peak rising from the depths of a tranquil lake, its reflection clear and pure, appearing close enough to touch yet lost somewhere deep in the clouds.

Perhaps this chapter of their story had truly drawn to a close. Whether they could pick up where they left off in the future depended entirely on whether he could pull himself together and achieve greatness. Until then, he finally realized that every additional meeting only added a layer of awkwardness, slowly eroding their mutual affection.

Meeting was truly inferior to not meeting at all; only this could force him into a desperate situation where he might find a way back to life. Thinking of this, Shen Yu sighed with a wry smile. "You must be exhausted after entering the palace today. Go back and rest early. I... will take my leave."

"Aren't you going to wait for Xiangrong?" Chuxiu blurted out.

Shen Yu's gaze darkened slightly, faintly betraying a trace of frustration. "No need. With you all here, she will certainly return safely... Tonight was something I borrowed anyway. The more I overdraw, the more I end up owing."

With these words spoken, Chuxiu understood that Shen Yu truly intended to keep his promise—if he could not make something of himself, he would not see her again. The realization brought a pang of distress, prompting her to say in a tightened voice, "Let me walk you out."

"All right." Knowing they would be separated for quite some time, Shen Yu cherished these final fleeting moments. A year? Two years? Five years? Ten years? He couldn't predict how long he could endure, but ultimately, the story belonging to Young Marquis Shen and Hanchu had truly come to an end tonight.