Chapter 132

At the sight of Qin Cheng worshiping the Heavens together with him, Su Jingmo suddenly felt his eyes become filled with tears.

At that moment, Su Jingmo remembered that on his wedding day with Lin Qing, she had refused to bow. Originally, Su Jingmo had planned to threaten Lin Qing in order to make her cooperate. But for some unknown reason, Su Jingmo had allowed Zhang Jing to continue with the ceremony, and he absurdly bowed to the Heavens by himself….

“Worshiping together means that this marriage will be recognized before the Heavens.”

Su Jingmo heard the Ghost Official’s cautious voice beside him, and he turned to suspiciously look at him.

The Ghost Official looked silently at Su Jingmo, and continued: “Bowing before the Heavens may seem like nothing more than a formality, but for souls, it is a contract. A contract that binds two souls together for the rest of their lives. This person…. no, this soul, by worshiping the Heavens and Earth with you, regardless of life or death, has bound himself to your soul as husband and wife.”

“Husband and wife….” Su Jingmo softly repeated these words, completely lost in thought.

Suddenly, his thin lips curved into a smile, which slowly evolved into a laugh that echoed in waves down the hall. As Su Jingmo had always been someone who was rather indifferent, this burst of laughter filled with apparent happiness countered with his usual coldness, giving a touch of hoarseness to the joyous laughter.

“Husband and wife?” Su Jingmo’s bottomless pupils stared at the man in the image, noting how Qin Cheng was gently holding ‘his’ hand in silence. Su Jingmo thoughtfully witnessed the fact that Qin Cheng was actually standing right there, with a foolish smile on his face, while ‘he’ was oblivious to it all…..

‘ It turned out that from beginning to end, Qin Cheng has always been the only one for me. ’

Suddenly, Su Jingmo’s eyes grew moist. As he looked down, his eyelashes trembled slightly. The hand that had been touching the image on the wall also fell limply, at the same time, a solitary tear slid down his cheek, tracing a path from the corner of his smiling mouth until it gathered on his jaw to finally fall into emptiness.

The young Ghost Official, standing next to him, witnessed all of this with utmost clearness. Despite being a Ghost Official who has served under Lord Yama for hundreds of years, he still couldn’t avoid feeling a slight pain in his heart as he witnessed the Emperor’s appearance.

The Emperor in front of him didn’t even seem to know what crying was! No weeping sounds came from his mouth. He just stood there, letting the tears fall, one after another, from his eyes.

The Ghost Official dared not say anything and quietly withdrew, knowing that he shouldn’t disturb such a private matter.

Su Jingmo, on the other hand, was left all alone in the darkness. He felt as if the slightest carelessness would send him tumbling into an abyss, never to recover.

…

As night fell, the Eastern Palace adorned with colorful curtains held a sixty-seat banquet to entertain the parents and relatives of the Crown Princess, the Consort of the East Palace, as well as the Ministers and Officials of the Imperial Court. The fragrant scent of wine permeated the air, while the melody of the bamboo instruments and the movement of the dancers’ silks set the mood with a lively atmosphere. Su Jingmo drank cup after cup of wine that was presented to him as a toast, while Qin Cheng closely followed him.

Qin Cheng knew that excessive alcohol consumption could harm the body, and even though he didn’t know the alcohol percentage this ancient white wine had, Su Jingmo drank one glass after another as if it were plain water, which could only lead to trouble. Qin Cheng anxiously followed Su Jingmo, fearing that the man in front of him might stumble and fall at any moment if he wasn’t careful.

“Congratulations to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, for meeting such a beautiful person and forming a blissful marriage.”

A soft voice reached Qin Cheng’s ears. This voice was so light and ethereal that it seemed almost disconnected from the world. Qin Cheng couldn’t refrain himself from turning his gaze to the owner of the voice.

As Qin Cheng turned, he was met with a benevolent-looking monk with a friendly countenance, accompanied by a young monk holding a cup of tea. The older monk held up the teacup instead of a cup of wine, and nodded with a faint smile towards Su Jingmo: “On this joyous occasion, this monk offers tea instead of wine to His Highness to congratulate him.”

“Master Xuyun.” Su Jingmo, upon seeing the newcomer, revealed a slightly more respectful expression, and nodded in acknowledgement. “I’m honored to have Master Xuyun here today.”

‘ Xuyun? ’ Qin Cheng was taken aback. ‘ This man doesn’t look a day over 30. Is this really the renowned Master Xuyun? ’

Still unable to come out of his astonishment, Qin Cheng was unable to resist carefully observing the man in front of him. He was of average height, dressed in a simple dark brown robe with a red Kasaya ¹ over it. The garments looked worn and slightly discolored, but this only added to the feeling that this person was outside the Human World, as if he was a living Buddha….

‘ But…. it was this man who installed that great formation….. ’

‘ If not for him, Jingmo wouldn’t have been trapped in that dark tomb for thousands of years. He wouldn’t have disappeared into ashes….’ However, despite thinking this, Qin Cheng knew that this man wasn’t to blame. ‘ If Jingmo hadn’t asked for it, this monk wouldn’t have taken such an action…. ’

With that thought, Qin Cheng slightly frowned and his gaze became complex as he watched the monk exchange pleasantries with Su Jingmo.

It wasn’t until Su Jingmo walked away that Qin Cheng averted his gaze and closely followed from behind.

However, Qin Cheng failed to notice that the moment he had turned around, Master Xuyun’s gaze had landed on him.

“Master, just now, the one following behind the Crown Prince….”

Xuyun shook his head, indicating for his disciple not to say anything else. Master Xuyun simply stood there observing the figure of the two individuals, dressed in identical wedding robes, gradually walking away across the banquet. At that moment, Xuyun let out a faint sigh.

…

Although Su Jingmo had a high alcohol tolerance, today was a special occasion, so he ended up drinking more than usual. Now that he had Ning Yunze and Zhang Jing by his side to block those who came to toast with him, Su Jingmo no longer needed to toast with every person that came to him, making him end up even more drunk than he already was. Besides, if he kept drinking, how would he make it to the bridal chamber? Would he go completely intoxicated?

While Su Jingmo loved wine, he also loved beauties. Thus after toasting with some of his close friends and relatives, Su Jingmo excused himself with the excuse of feeling dizzy, as he retired first.

The wine that had been served at today’s banquet was a wine that was brought as tribute from the Yelang ² lands of the Southern Barbarians. The fragrance of the wine could be perceived even without taking a sip. When tasted, the wine revealed a smooth and mellow flavor. The lingering aroma of aged herbs indicated that it wasn’t an intoxicating beverage. As a result, as he drank the wine, Su Jingmo didn’t realize how drunk he actually was, and only realized it when walking under the gentle night breeze, as his footsteps had become unsteady.

“Your Highness, be careful!” A servant at his side rushed over to help Su Jingmo.

Su Jingmo rubbed his forehead, slowly straightened his posture, and said: “I didn’t expect the aftereffect of the wine would be so powerful. Just a couple of cups threw me off balance.”

“Those weren’t just a couple of cups, Your Highness. This old slave has seen the Crown Prince drink a lot tonight.” The servant said as he helped Su Jingmo sit in a pavilion nearby. “Your Highness, would you like this old slave to bring you some soup to sober you up?”

Su Jingmo nodded: “I’m afraid all the servants are probably busy in the Main Hall, so go to the kitchen and prepare it yourself.”

“Very well. Should this old slave call a couple of Palace Maids to serve Your Highness?”

Su Jingmo waved his hand at his words with disdain: “No need. Just go quickly.”

“Understood.”

After the old servant brought the sobering soup, Su Jingmo drank it in one gulp and lingered around to enjoy the night breeze for a while, feeling more clear-headed. Then, Su Jingmo looked around, only to become surprised to see a pond full of blooming crimson lotus flowers in front of him.

On his wedding day, the Consort of the East Palace was supposed to be waiting in the bridal chamber located North of the East Palace. However, in an unexpected way, Su Jingmo had walked all the way to the South side of the East Palace.

Su Jingmo couldn’t help, but burst out laughing at the realization that he got himself drunk and hadn’t realized it.

“Your Highness, should we go to the bridal chamber now?”

Su Jingmo looked at the pond of blooming red lotuses in front of him. He couldn’t help, but be drawn to the inexplicable charm and serene beauty emanating from it.

“Upright and graceful, the crimson lotus bloomed in the jade-like waters. With such a beautiful sight in front of my eyes, how can I miss it?”

“Then….”

“The time is not appropriate yet. You may retire first.”

The old servant hesitated. Not knowing what to do, he ended up standing there without speaking.

Su Jingmo sighed softly and said: “You may go for now. Come find me when the right time comes.”

“Understood.”

Once the old servant left, Su Jingmo slowly stood up and walked to the edge of the pond.

These red lotuses were brought from the Jiangnan ³ region, but among all the exquisite things brought to his Residence, only these red lotuses weren’t liked by Su Jingmo. It’s often said that lotus flowers are the purest and most pristine objects in the world. But Su Jingmo believed that in a world like this, no such thing as purity existed. Whether it was emotions or people, they were all tainted with impurities and selfishness. Although these lotus flowers appear pure at first glance, weren’t they also rooted in the mud underwater?

As Su Jingmo didn’t like them, naturally, these lotuses weren’t planted under his orders, but by the former Crown Prince, his elder brother. His elder brother had even built a pavilion over the pond to enjoy the view of the lotuses. However, in the two years that Su Jingmo has been Crown Prince, and moved to the East Palace, he had never once come here.

Since Su Jingmo has never visited this place, it’s only natural for the servants not to care for the lotuses in the pond. As a result, the pond was now overgrown with weeds. Even then, a few lamps had been lit around the pavilion. After a moment of contemplation, Su Jingmo pushed aside the weeds and, unconcerned about the state of the decaying wooden corridor leading to the pavilion in the middle of the pond, walked straight towards it.

Qin Cheng naturally followed close behind.

Inside the pavilion, there was a round table and two stools. When Su Jingmo entered the pavilion, he casually brushed off the accumulated dust from the stone stools and sat down. Qin Cheng imitated him and sat on his left.

The summer wind was hot and dry, but as he sat in the pavilion, the wind flowing in felt much cooler.

When Qin Cheng saw the wind blowing the hair at Su Jingmo’s temples, making it gently float upwards, Qin Cheng was unable to prevent himself from feeling a tingling sensation in his heart. It was as if that hair had lightly brushed against him, making him feel all tingly inside. Unable to resist any longer, Qin Cheng slightly leaned forward and gave Su Jingmo a gentle kiss on the face.

However, at the same time as Qin Cheng planted a kiss on his face, the kissed person suddenly opened his mouth to speak. Almost as if he had caught Qin Cheng doing something he shouldn’t have. Blushing out of embarrassment, Qin Cheng hastily withdrew.

“I don’t like lotus flowers, so I had never come to see them.” Su Jingmo had said with a faint smile directed at the lotus in front of him. “However, I never thought the red lotus would be so beautiful. Not only is it charming and beautiful, but it also exudes a touch of purity.”

Upon realizing that Su Jingmo wasn’t speaking to him, Qin Cheng slowly leaned back and looked at the hand Su Jingmo had laid across the stone table. After hesitating for a moment, Qin Cheng gently placed his hand on top of Su Jingmo’s, and said: “Yes, the scenery it’s truly beautiful.” Qin Cheng looked at the person in front of him, smiled like a fool, and sighed: “But not as beautiful as you, Jingmo….”

‘ In my dreams, you and I support each other. Just as this red lotus is so mesmerizing that it lingers in one’s mind like its reflection in the crystal clear waters, I hope to share a life together with you. I hope to share happiness with you. I hope, I hope Jingmo and I will meet again, recognizing each other in another life…. ’

“I love you.” With his eyes closed, Qin Cheng hid all the pain he felt deep inside. While a slight smile formed at the corners of his lips, Qin Cheng murmured: “Su Jingmo, I love you….”

His eyes trembled slightly, and Su Jingmo couldn’t resist the urge to look to his left. However, the only thing he found beside him was an empty space.

‘ Just now…. Did I sense that someone was there? ’

Su Jingmo blinked again, but no matter what, the place beside him remained empty. Su Jingmo then shook his head slightly and laughed to himself for being so paranoid.

Returning his attention to the red lotus flower pond, for some reason, Su Jingmo felt that he could no longer bear to look at it.

“Your Highness, if you don’t go to the East Palace Consort’s room soon, it will be past Zi Hour ⁴ .” The old servant, who had arrived at some point, said to Su Jingmo in a low voice.

In the wedding ceremony, the marriage must be consummated before midnight, as it was considered unfortunate to do so later. Su Jingmo was well aware of this.

Su Jingmo nodded and stood up: “Then let’s go to her chambers.”

“Of course.”

Su Jingmo walked away, and since this was his wedding night, Qin Cheng wasn’t foolish enough to follow after him. Instead, Qin Cheng simply stood in the pavilion, watching as Su Jingmo walked farther and farther away. On his wedding night, Su Jingmo would be intimate with a woman, and that was something Qin Cheng didn’t want to see nor imagine.

As he stepped out of the pavilion, Su Jingmo’s footsteps stopped dead in their tracks once he was no longer standing on the wooden pathway.

When the old servant noticed that his master had stopped short, he asked with some confusion: “Your Highness? Did you drop something?”

Su Jingmo remained silent, and simply turned his head to look towards the pavilion in the pond. For some reason, a slight dull ache arose in his heart.

“Your Highness?”

“Did you see anyone around the pond just now?”

“Someone?” The old servant was puzzled. “No, um, when this old slave came to look for His Majesty, I didn’t see any servants around.”

“Is that so….”

“Your Highness….” The old servant, noticing that his master didn’t seem to have the slightest intention of leaving, reminded him: “It’s getting late….”

Su Jingmo ignored him and continued to look out at the pavilion, lost in thought. A moment later, Su Jingmo finally spoke up: “Today….I don’t feel so well. So I won’t go to the East Palace Consort’s chamber.”

The old servant was overly surprised and looked at Su Jingmo in shock: “But, but…. the Consort of the East Palace is, she’s waiting….”

“I will return to my own chambers.” Su Jingmo said. While standing up straight and with his hands behind his back, the expression on his face became even colder. “Do I have to repeat myself?”

The coldness in Su Jingmo’s voice made the old servant shudder with fear, to the point of making him fall to his knees on the ground and bow in haste: “I dare not, I dare not! This old slave deserves to die….!”

“Then rise up quickly.” Su Jingmo looked at the old servant still kneeling on the ground, who didn’t dare to get up.

“Yes!” The old servant hurried to stand up, took the lamp he had brought with him, and led the way for Su Jingmo to the Crown Prince’s bedchamber.

As the distance between Su Jingmo and the pavilion in the pond wasn’t far, along with the quiet night, Qin Cheng could naturally hear everything Su Jingmo was saying.

The moment Su Jingmo had turned around to see the old servant, Qin Cheng heard him say that he wouldn’t go to Lin Qing’s chamber, and his heart was filled with happiness. Therefore, Qin Cheng lifted his feet and hurried to follow behind him.

The Palace servants guarding the Crown Prince’s bedchamber didn’t expect that the Crown Prince would return to his own chambers on his wedding night. So when they saw him arrive, they hurried to prepare his clothes and bring hot water to attend to him. By the time everything was prepared, Zi Hour had passed.

Su Jingmo waved his hand, letting the servants know they could retire, and then laid down on the bed. Perhaps because he felt so exhausted, Su Jignmo didn’t even bother to pull down the curtains of his bed, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Qin Cheng stood on the other side of the door, outside the bedchamber, waiting until the room fell into complete silence. Then, Qin Cheng opened the door and walked inside.

Slowly, Qin Cheng approached Su Jingmo’s bed, his eyes fixed on his sleeping face. At the sight of those pink lips, and even though Qin Cheng knew he couldn’t touch him, he couldn’t resist doing so.

Unexpectedly, his fingertips felt the vivid warmth those lips emanated, causing Qin Cheng to freeze in surprise.

‘ I…. did I just…. touch Jingmo? ’

This was rather hard for Qin Cheng to believe. After a brief pause, Qin Cheng’s trembling hand touched Su Jingmo’s cheek.

The feel was soft, accompanied by a certain warmth….

Before Qin Cheng could fully comprehend what was happening, the sleeping person let out a soft moan, as if he was being disturbed. Then, Su Jingmo suddenly raised his hand, to remove that which was disturbing him.

Qin Cheng attentively watched as Su Jingmo’s hand pushed his own hand away. Qin Cheng’s eyes then moved past Su Jingmo’s slightly furrowed brow, to his pursed lips, and finally, to his slightly opened shirt collar….

Qin Cheng’s heart skipped a beat.

Qin Cheng thought: ‘ I’ve never seen Jingmo sleeping like this before…. looking so defenseless…. ’

As he felt his heartbeat becoming increasingly uncontrollable, Qin Cheng’s face suddenly became flushed. Qin Cheng then leaned down, rested both hands on both sides of Su Jingmo and…..

Gently kissed Su Jingmo’s lips.

With his eyes wide open, Qin Cheng looked at Su Jingmo. Upon seeing that Su Jingmo hadn’t woken up, Qin Cheng tentatively deepened the kiss…..

Time passed, but Qin Cheng didn’t know how much, he only knew that he had kissed Su Jingmo until his emotions became agitated. Until both of their breaths became erratic. Until the person in Qin Cheng’s arms responded to kiss by raising his hands up to embrace.

Qin Cheng’s heart grew hot, and in a moment of sobriety, he reached up to pull down the curtain beside the bed….

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE:

Aaaaaaa did you see that? Xuyun saw Qin Cheng in the past!!

sdfglkjfgh that last part 👀👀 are they finally gonna??? sjssj 👀👀

Ko-fi Goal for Extra Chapters ~~ ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ

Footnotes

<ol><b>袈裟</b> <b>jiā shā</b> ; A Buddhist monastic robe, typically worn by monks. It’s a long, loose-fitting garment that’s often draped over the shoulders and extends down to the feet. The design and style of the Kasaya may vary depending on the Buddhist tradition or sect. It’s considered a symbol of the monastic lifestyle, worn during religious ceremonies and rituals. Looks something like <b>THIS</b> . <b>夜郎</b> <b>yè láng</b> ; The “Yelang Kingdom” was a small Barbarian Kingdom established by the ancestors of ethnic minorities in Southwest China. It lasted for 200 years until the Yelang tribes fell before the Eastern Han Dynasty [25-220 AD]. <b>江南</b> <b>jiāng nán</b> ; A region in China, located to the south of the Yangtze River, known for its picturesque landscapes, historic water towns, traditional gardens, and delicate cuisine. <b>子时</b> <b>zǐ shí</b> ; 11 pm to 1 am in the system of two-hour subdivisions used in ancient China.</ol>