Chapter 156: Sending the Bright Moon Across a Thousand Miles (Part I)

"Who sent you here?" Nie Peixiao asked, his face as dark as water and his tone laced with displeasure.

The concubine had eyes only for Nie Peixiao, paying no heed to Chuxiu. She replied earnestly, "Seeing the rain outside growing heavier and knowing that the old wound on your shoulder is most prone to flaring up in this kind of weather, I came to bring you a cloak."

"Get out!" Nie Peixiao ordered with a frown, his expression growing even uglier. He couldn't help but glance at Chuxiu. Seeing her expressionless face made him feel all the more irritated, yet he had no idea how to explain himself.

If Chuxiu had shown even a shred of displeasure just now, he would have been overjoyed; but if this incident actually annoyed her, he would be profoundly troubled. The more Nie Peixiao thought about it, the more contradictory he felt, and he ended up shifting all his pent-up anger onto the concubine. He shot a cold, knife-like glare in her direction, causing the concubine's heart to skip a beat. Realizing she had come at the wrong time, she made a motion to withdraw.

"Since Your Highness is nursing an injury, you ought to take care of your health," Chuxiu said softly at this moment, stepping in to relieve the concubine's awkwardness.

"A minor old ailment is of no consequence." Nie Peixiao wanted to explain, but found no way to begin. Left speechless, he could only gaze intently with his handsome eyes, hoping Chuxiu would look back at him.

The concubine, still standing by the door, only then heard the voice and looked over at Chuxiu. At a single glance, she praised in genuine admiration, "You are... truly beautiful."

Acting as if she hadn't heard, Chuxiu gave Nie Peixiao a faint smile. "Old ailments require proper rest. I shall not disturb Your Highness any further and will take my leave."

As she spoke, she rose once more, intending to walk out. To her surprise, Nie Peixiao reached the doorway two steps ahead of her and casually took the cloak from the concubine's hands. "The rain is heavy and the weather cold outside. Madam, please take this cloak with you." A moment ago, Chuxiu had relented and agreed to stay a little longer, but now she had changed her mind again... Knowing full well that he had once again achieved the opposite of what he intended, Nie Peixiao dared not utter another word to persuade her to stay.

Seeing Nie Peixiao's action, Chuxiu caught a flash of desolation cross the concubine's face. Only then did she slowly let her gaze fall upon the cloak: purple and gold embroidery, coiling dragon and cloud patterns, of moderate thickness. The material was clearly of the finest quality, but the style was undeniably meant for a man. How could Chuxiu possibly accept it? With a polite smile, she declined, "There is no need. Please keep it for your own use."

Nie Peixiao had survived several life-or-death battles. Back when he was deep in the Jiang territory leading troops into battle, he had been ambushed by poison-using Jiang tribesmen. His right rear shoulder had been stung by a toxic creature, and a chunk of flesh had had to be brutally carved out to save his entire arm. Whenever rainy or snowy weather struck, this shoulder injury would act up. In the past, he could always endure the pain, but right now, this old ailment felt dozens of times more violent than usual, sending searing agony through every limb and bone, boring straight into the depths of his heart.

Nie Peixiao knew that if he continued to pester her, it would be utterly base—especially under today's circumstances, where Chuxiu had caught him with his concubine, and he could not explain it clearly. Perhaps Chuxiu didn't care at all, but he could never manage to feign nonchalance to escape this awkwardness. Thinking of this, Nie Peixiao dropped his insistence and said in a deep voice to the concubine, "Lin Shan, go find a cloak for Madam, and bring an umbrella as well."

So this concubine's name was "Lin Shan." Chuxiu's thought was fleeting; before she could utter a polite refusal, Lin Shan had already scurried out of sight in a flash. Chuxiu said helplessly, "Actually, Your Highness didn't need to go to all this trouble."

"The Marquis of Hexin's Mansion is in the north of the city, a very long way from the Prince Mu's Mansion, and the rain outside is so heavy... If Madam insists on leaving, you must at least let me have peace of mind." Nie Peixiao paused for a moment, then added, "Lin Shan and I are not what Madam imagines... The person she fancies is not me."

The person she fancied was not him? How could Nie Peixiao say this with such righteous confidence? Chuxiu suddenly felt a strong urge to snap back at him: "Is she not your concubine?"

"She is," Nie Peixiao admitted.

Chuxiu let out a mocking chuckle upon hearing this. "And have you never shared physical intimacy with her?"

"We have." Nie Peixiao desperately wanted to deny it, but it was the truth. Lin Shan was indeed his concubine, and he had shared physical intimacy with her. Even though their hearts had never truly met.

Only then did Chuxiu press her lips into a smile. "Then I ask that you cherish the person before you."

"But the person before me is you," Nie Peixiao blurted out before he could even process his thoughts. He gazed deeply into Chuxiu's beautiful eyes, seeing his own reflection in her pupils. She, and she alone, was the person before him.

Knowing that Nie Peixiao was deliberately twisting her words, Chuxiu chose not to explain further. She gazed into the curtain of rain in the distance, listening to the rushing sound of the downpour, and said, "Put on the cloak, Your Highness. Do not let someone else's kind intentions go to waste."

Nie Peixiao stared fixedly at Chuxiu for a moment before replying, "Very well." Since she had spoken, he naturally wouldn't refuse. He truly draped the cloak sent by Lin Shan over his shoulders and tied the strings.

The two stood side by side outside the door in silence, exchanging no further words. A moment later, the concubine Lin Shan hurried back carrying a cloak and a paper umbrella. "Madam," she said, "I have never worn this cloak."

Chuxiu knew that if she didn't accept the cloak and the umbrella today, Nie Peixiao would undoubtedly vent his anger on the concubine. With no other choice, she took both items from Lin Shan's hands and smiled, "Thank you for the trouble."

Just as her voice trailed off, Nie Peixiao's bodyguard, Feng Fei, came hurrying over with an umbrella. He was cradling an oil-paper package in his arms and had an umbrella tucked under his armpit. Faintly visible on that umbrella were pink floral embellishments, suggesting it was meant for a woman.

Arriving at the corridor, Feng Fei quickly saluted and said, "Your Highness, Madam, the steward of the Yun Estate just sent someone over with a cloak and an umbrella, along with a large carriage. They said they are standing by to escort Madam back to the estate."

In weather like this, a large carriage was naturally much steadier and safer. Yun Zhong proved himself worthy of being the veteran steward of the Yun Estate, thinking through every detail with meticulous care. Finally, Chuxiu felt a bit less awkward. She handed the two items she was holding back to Lin Shan and smiled once more, "Sorry to have put you through a wasted trip."

With that, Chuxiu naturally took the oil-paper package from Feng Fei's hands and added, "Please summon my bodyguard inside."

Feng Fei acknowledged the order and strode away under his umbrella, calling Zhuying, who had been waiting outside. Zhuying immediately understood, took the oil-paper package from Chuxiu, and extracted the cloak inside. Chuxiu draped it over her shoulders, opened an oil-paper umbrella, and gracefully took her leave. "The rain is heavy outside, Your Highness need not walk me further."

The mist was hazy, the autumn rain fell in drizzles, and the beauty departed gracefully under a pink-blossomed oil-paper umbrella, resembling a frosty chrysanthemum standing proudly in the rain. Yet mercilessly, gusts of wind swept past, rain splattering against Nie Peixiao's face, piling on layer upon layer of lingering parting sorrow, soaking his inner thoughts and throwing his seven emotions and six desires into utter turmoil.

Every autumn rain brings another chill; after this parting, who knew when they would meet again?

*****

The day-long downpour made the sky heavy and dark, and the muddy paths difficult to traverse. By the time Chuxiu returned to the Yun Estate, it was already close to noon.

The gray sky was still pouring torrents of rain without the slightest sign of abating. A few leaves, still showing a hint of green before the estate gates, could not withstand the wind and rain, falling onto the red oil-paper umbrella Chuxiu held, covering the exquisite peach blossoms painted by the artisan and casting a sense of desolation over her mood.

Though she had ridden in a carriage the whole way and wore a cloak, a large section of Chuxiu's hem was still soaked. Returning to Zhiyan Pavilion after alighting, she first instructed Zhuying to tip today's carriage driver, then changed her clothes, dismissed the attendants, and pulled out Shen Yu's letter to read.

Despite being carefully guarded within her sleeve, the letter had still gotten damp. Chuxiu broke the sealing wax and unfolded the paper, only to find a few sparse words written upon it:

"Do not use the memorial archway as an excuse; it is merely a cold, inanimate object, bound to collapse in days to come..." There was one final sentence, but the handwriting had been blurred by rainwater into a pitch-black smudge of ink. Chuxiu strained for a long time, but truly could not make out what it said.

Yet these few words alone were enough to wrench her heart. What did Shen Yu mean by this? Did he intend to tear down the chastity archway? An archway cast from solid white jade stone—was it something that could just collapse whenever one wished? "Bound to collapse in days to come"—Shen Yu certainly had not uttered those four characters casually.

Chuxiu knew he was angry—angry that she hadn't told him about the chastity archway matter. Recalling what Nie Peixiao had just said about Shen Yu making things difficult for Helian Qi at the Ministry of Punishments... for some reason, her heart grew annoyingly restless and overwhelmingly guilty.

Chuxiu suddenly had an ominous prehension, feeling that Shen Yu would not find peace in the capital city. And this feeling had not lasted long before it was confirmed by a piece of news.

On the very day she returned from Prince Mu's Mansion, the rain grew even heavier after lunch instead of letting up. Seeing this, Chuxiu decided to give Yun Cheng a half-day break. The rain was simply too fierce; not only was the child in no mood to study, but her own mind was in utter chaos, whether because of the weather or because of a certain someone.

In the end, Chuxiu burned Shen Yu's letter. Just as she finished reducing the paper to ashes, she heard Zhuying's voice reporting from outside: "The Second Concubine is here to see you."

Hua Wuying? Why would she come in such heavy rain? Returning to the Yun Estate from the capital, Chuxiu had almost forgotten about this person; she neither wanted to see her nor mention her, treating Hua Wuying as if she didn't exist. Now she had to admit that the Dowager had been entirely right: among the second branch, only Yun Xiangrong was a ruthless character, but having raised a daughter like Yun Xiangrong showed that Hua Wuying possessed her own cunning as well.

Acting foolish and throwing tantrums was also a form of skill, after all. Chuxiu could almost imagine what Hua Wuying was about to cry and complain to her about, and replied impatiently to Zhuying, "Let her wait a while."

Half a cup of tea later, Zhuying returned to report: "The Second Concubine hasn't left yet; she's sitting in the small parlor."

"Let her in." Chuxiu rested her chin in her hand as she sat in the main seat. Seeing Hua Wuying hurry in with a disheveled and pitiful air, she knew her guess had hit the mark. Chuxiu asked politely, "What is the matter with Second Concubine?"

With a dull thud, Hua Wuying said nothing and dropped straight to her knees.

Chuxiu was long weary of this trick, having seen it played too many times by the other woman. With a sigh, she said, "If Second Concubine has something to say, just say it straight. There is no need to kneel every time. You are getting on in years; what if kneeling brings about some ailment?"

Acting as if she hadn't heard, Hua Wuying put on a deeply aggrieved expression. "Madam! You must seek justice for us mother and daughter!"

Mother and daughter? Did this involve Yun Xiangrong again? Chuxiu's heart grew even more irritated. "Zhuying, Danxin, help the Second Concubine up." She then looked back at Hua Wuying. "If you are so fond of kneeling and cannot speak properly, then you needn't say anything at all in the future."

In the past, this tactic of Hua Wuying's had worked every single time, and Chuxiu had repeatedly fallen for it. To her surprise, Chuxiu was so resistant this time that the trick didn't work at all. Realizing this, Hua Wuying dared not make too much of a scene. She quickly dried her tears, got up from the floor, and blurted out anxiously, "Madam, word just came from the capital that my son-in-law wants a divorce from Xiangrong."

"A divorce?" Chuxiu couldn't help repeating, "Out of the blue, why would they divorce?"

A mutual divorce was different from casting off a wife. "Casting off a wife" meant the woman was at fault and abandoned by her husband's family; whereas a "mutual divorce" meant neither husband nor wife was at fault, and following the principle of "harmony is precious," they parted ways of their own accord to remarry and have nothing more to do with each other.

Back in the capital, Shen Yu and Yun Xiangrong had still seemed perfectly fine—what on earth had happened now! "Who did you hear this from? Why are they talking about divorce?" Chuxiu couldn't help but grow concerned.

Hua Wuying lowered her head and stammered for a moment before replying, "I heard that Xiangrong made a mistake during the New Year's Eve banquet, but my son-in-law never knew. Later, he must have heard someone whispering gossip... Anyway, he was furious when he heard about it, quarreled fiercely with Xiangrong several times, and has now openly demanded a divorce..."

A mistake made on New Year's Eve? What else could it be? It had to be the incident where Yun Xiangrong mistook Nie Peixiao for Shen Yu and caused a massive scene at Liuyun Manor...

Thinking of this, Chuxiu's heart sank. She waved her hand at Hua Wuying. "I will handle this matter. Second Concubine, you may return."