Strong Winds Return Home

The room was silent. Only a short candle flame danced with the breeze, jumping an inch high.

Liu Xian’an set down the empty cup in his hand and went to the cupboard to find a lampshade. It looked old, but was still a rare commodity. Talented scholars and beauties were portrayed in detail on it, and the two layer lampshade wobbled and turned when it was scorched by the heat. In a small river floated a lotus lantern with mandarin ducks and handkerchiefs. Liu Xian’an said: “There is a similar night parade in Baihe City, with lights floating all over the river. A-Ning and I went once.”

Thus the already crowded night parade became even more crowded as everyone stood on their tiptoes to see Second Young Master Liu, and they stopped putting handkerchiefs into the river, simply grasping them in their hands and throwing them at him. As a result, many “talented scholars” who had written poems had no girls willing to read them, and were very dissatisfied. When they returned home, they immediately wrote many sour poems to scold him.

“But my elder brother scolded them all back for me, “Liu Xian’an said.

Although Liu Xianche always used the ruler to teach his younger brother lessons, and couldn’t stand how a Liu family child could be so ignorant, once he heard outsiders chattering, and especially because his younger brother hadn’t done anything wrong and had just gone out for a bit of activity, he became immediately dissatisfied at the yammering and personally led disciples to find the homes of those sour scholars, then sat down directly in the front halls and asked for an explanation.

And The First Young Master Liu’s prestige in Baihe City was almost equal to that of Master Liu. He was even more terrifying when he was unsmiling, and those who had written poetry dared not see him at all, so it was mostly their parents who came to apologize. Liu Xianche treated them all the same, and only then did he grudgingly get up and leave. When the family was eating, he still said, it’s really unreasonable, my little brother  finally went out for a walk, how could he meet those idiots?

Liu Xian’an said: “It seems that other than my mom and dad, everyone in Baihe City is afraid of my elder brother.”

Liang Shu said: “Then the next time we go to Baihe City, I’ll treat him to a drink.”

“Elder Brother doesn’t drink much, but one or two drinks should be fine,” Liu Xian’an said. “He even wrote a letter a while ago, telling me to stay by the prince’s side with peace of mind, and whether I go south or north, in any case, I don’t need to rush home.”

Liang Shu’s opinion of this future brother-in-law was immediately elevated: “All right, then you can always stay and be at ease.”

The word “always” could be replaced by “for a lifetime,” because “always” meant continuously, constantly, and without end. Holding an empty teacup, Liu Xian’an felt that it sounded like a promise, but it was also a little weightless. He asked in a roundabout way: “The Emperor, what sort of brother is he?”

“Emperor Brother is serious in speech and manner, but is always kind in front of me,” Liang Shu said. “My mother concubine passed away very early, so my father entrusted my care to the Empress. She came from a family of military officials and seemed to be cold-spoken, but was in fact soft and kind-hearted, and Emperor Brother also treated me very well.”

Liu Xian’an asked: “Is that all?”

Liang Shu smiled: “That is all. There is no rivalry between brothers, and no calamities in the Imperial City. Brother Emperor has cared about the common people’s affairs since childhood, and has compassion for every plant and tree in Dayan territory. But I am different, I am lazy by nature and have no ambition. I simply want to keep the surrounding land safe and secure, and after it is stable, just find a tranquil place and return to the fields, and live the life of a hermit amongst the peach blossoms and flowing water.”

Born lazy, without ambition. Liu Xian’an thought, it turns out that the prince’s estimation of himself is so inaccurate.

But the life of a hermit amongst peach blossoms and flowing water could be lived together. He suggested that there was a big mountain outside Baihe City with many small villages upon it. There were streams and seas of flowers, and according to A-Ning, it was very beautiful. The prince might as well live there in the future.

Liang Shu asked: “Then what about you?”

Liu Xian’an said: “I can also go with you.”

Liang Shu looked at him: “That will be many, many years from now.”

But Liu Xian’an thought, how many years can there be, the world is only for a moment.

Liang Shu stretched out his fingers, wanting to touch that cheek that looked so soft under the candlelight, but there was a sudden, stabbing pain in his heart. In recent days, he had been spinning around endlessly day and night without a good rest, and the old injury that was not serious awoke at this time. He reached up to press his forehead and leaned forward almost imperceptibly so that the hard edge of the table was against his chest, trying to suppress the pain. But Liu Xian’an had already noticed his abnormality: “The prince is not feeling well?”

Liang Shu said: “It’s nothing.”

Liu Xian’an grasped his wrist and read it for a while, then frowned: “It is still the old injury?”

Liang Shu nodded.

“It is because you’re too tired.” Liu Xian’an released his hand. “You need much more rest.”

Liang Shu said: “I can’t sleep well. I always have dreams when I sleep.”

As for the specific dreams, he feared that if he said them, he would be treated as a scoundrel by A-Ning and be reported to the officials. But Liu Xian’an didn’t ask closely. He took his wrist and tugged him to the side of the bed. “The prince should lie down for a while, ba. I have some soothing medicated oil here, which is very useful.”

The pillow was familiar, and the quilt was also familiar, but there was a new medicinal fragrance on them. Lying on the bed, Liang Shu didn’t know why he was unable to suppress his obscene thoughts when an old injury had just recurred. Thinking that his quilt had once wrapped around his sweetheart, a wicked fire burned in his chest. Liu Xian’an, who was vigorously procuring the medicine, was also taken aback and leaned over to press the back of his hand to his forehead: “The prince has a fever? Wearing such thin underthings in such cold weather, the prince likely caught a cold.”

Liang Shu said: “I don’t have a fever.”

Liu Xian’an didn’t listen, and placed a cool handkerchief on his forehead first. He sat on the edge of the bed again and helped to untie his belt, then massaged slowly with his hands dipped in cooling medicated oil. His fingertips were soft and strong, like pieces of cool, delicate jade, very comfortable when they fell on his hot body. Liang Shu was in a daze. He put the back of his hand on his forehead and asked belatedly: “I really have a fever?”

Liu Xian’an grabbed his hand: “En, put it down, don’t move around.”

Liang Shu sighed resignedly: “This illness really picked its time.”

Under the effects of the medicated massage and the oil, the tingling pain in Liang Shu’s heart dissipated by a lot, and he stretched out. Liu Xian’an looked at the intertwined scars on his body and said: “I’ll make some scar-removing medicine another day. The prescription my elder brother developed is very useful.” 

Liang Shu asked: “They don’t look good?”

Liu Xian’an: “En.”

Liang Shu choked, and stretched out a hand to tug his hair band: “At this sort of time, shouldn’t you say a few nice words about family and country?”

“I can say something nice, but it still doesn’t look good.” Liu Xian’an wiped his hands. “I’ll ask A-Ning to cook some medicine to reduce fever and calm the nerves.”

After he went out, Liang Shu opened his clothes and looked at the criss-crossed scars on his chest. Gao Lin returned in a daze from examining the files and met Second Young Master Liu downstairs talking with A-Ning. When he went upstairs, he heard that the prince was in the next room, so he knocked on the unlocked door and stuck his head in. Before he could say “Your Highness,” he lost his words. Wasn’t this picture too strange in the middle of the night? 

With his elbows propping him up and his clothes disheveled, he turned his head to look toward the door: “Are you coveting me or something, and can’t bear to leave?”

Gao Lin’s heart crumpled. He closed the door behind his back, and his tone was like that of a thief: “Why is the prince lying on Second Young Master Liu’s bed without proper clothes?”

Liang Shu folded his hands and lay back down: “Because this lord is sick and can’t walk.”

Of course Lieutenant General Gao would not believe this sort of nonsense. After all, if his prince only had one breath left, he would still be able to kill the enemy with sword and horse. Sick and unable to walk, this was losing one’s head over lust.

Liang Shu asked: “What did you find out?”

“While the file for Wan Yuan’s case was detailed, the writing was messy and contradictory, and there were many loopholes in the logic.” Gao Lin saw that his prince had managed with difficulty to crawl into the bed of Second Young Master Liu, so he tried to keep the story short. “In short, eighty percent of the dossier was fabricated by Li Liang or someone else. There is also the information on those missing persons, which was all a mess and not up to standards.”

Compared to this, the three-page military report that he squeezed out with all his brains could be called an eloquent, eternal manuscript.

Gao Lin sighed with feeling: “It is also on this trip that I discovered I not only possess material arts strategy, but also a trace of literary talent.”

Liang Shu: “……Where can that be seen?”

There were footsteps on the stairs, and Gao Lin immediately shut up: “The prince should continue to be ill first. Don’t worry, even if the sky falls tonight, I’ll stand guard for you!”

Loyal and faithful, worth giving a raise.

Liu Xian’an carried the medicine into the room, lowering his head to stir it as he walked. He was lithe and slender, wearing white robes and walking like an immortal. As a result, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang’s condition worsened on the spot, and he couldn’t even lift his hands. “I have no strength.”

After Liu Xian’an stuffed his usual back pillow behind him, he spooned up the liquid medicine to feed him, and Liang Shu said: “Too hot.”

He had too many faults to count, he was pretentious, and he was just looking for trouble. In an ordinary family, it was likely that his father would have already picked up the broom and beat him. But Second Young Master Liu had a very good temper, and just lowered his head to blow on it since it was hot, coaxing this violent and fearsome demon of Dayan to such an extent that he became conceited and arrogant. Liu Xian’an felt that the other party was very well-behaved — he had seen his cousin give medicine to his little nephew, and he cried tragically. Spoons and bowls flew everywhere, and he almost got his head smashed just walking by.

Liang Shu asked: “What are you so happy about?”

Liu Xian’an replied: “Because the prince drank his medicine so nicely.”

Liang Shu was puzzled: “Hm?”

Liu Xian’an smiled and pushed him back to lie down: “I’ll burn a good-smelling incense. The prince can sleep peacefully and recover by tomorrow.”

Liang Shu held his wrist: “No need.” Then he moved his fingers up wrongly and tugged the other person’s forearm, dragging him to sit on the edge of the bed. “The scent of medicine on your sleeves smells very good.”

Liu Xian’an had never felt that there was a fragrance on his body. He thought, perhaps it had soaked in after years in Baihe Mountain Village.

He leaned down slightly, letting his sleeves spread beside the other person’s pillow. He felt tired after a while, so he just sat there on a step stool and continued to watch over the feverish person in a trance.

Liang Shu fell asleep quickly, perhaps because of the effect of the medicine. However, he had always slept lightly, and even in such a quiet and peaceful environment, he woke up in just two hours. He turned his head and saw that there was still a person lying on his stomach beside the bed, so he picked him up.

Liu Xian’an made a semi-conscious questioning sound.

“It’s nothing.” Liang Shu wrapped him in the quilt and pulled the other’s slightly cool body into his arms to warm him up. “Don’t wake up, keep sleeping.”

Thus, Liu Xian’an really didn’t wake up.

The scent of sandalwood spread throughout his dreams.