"Moonlit Palace" - Chapter 014: Fan Qing's Tenderness, A Story from the Past

page views:1 Publication date:2023-05-04 08:16:33

Blue sky and white clouds, an endless expanse of plains, so vast and beautiful that it is breathtaking.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and the fresh air filled with the scent of grass will make your body and mind feel exceptionally comfortable.
"Do you like it here?" Fan Qing had appeared behind her without her noticing.
He nodded: "It's beautiful here."
"Then let's stay here one more night."
"good."
As the man gently led her hand and they strolled across the vast plains, Qi Fei felt a little dazed as she gazed at his handsome profile.
After that conversation, the guards were dispersed, and their journey began to slow down, sometimes only traveling a dozen miles a day. For the past half month, just as he had said, Fan Qing had been focused on staying by her side. They played chess, played the zither, and chatted like close friends.
This is a new beginning; it's the first time Qifei has been able to spend time with Fanqing without any reservations.
He was even more considerate and gentle than she had imagined. He would greet her with a smile at the door in the early morning, carefully draw her eyebrows and do her makeup, and paint her portrait while she admired the scenery. At first, she had refused, expressing her unwillingness, but when she met Fan Qing's gentle gaze, she could no longer say anything.
More often than not, he simply held her hand, walking beside her at the same pace as she did now. He treated her like a fragile treasure. Whenever he heard her rejection, a forlorn smile would appear on his face afterward.
This left Qi Fei somewhat confused. She knew Fan Qing loved her, but there had always been an invisible chasm between them, inexplicable and inexplicable, yet it existed. But now, Qi Fei was uncertain. It seemed that Fan Qing had taken that step at some point, standing right in front of her, and if she had the courage to reach out, she could truly touch him.
Suddenly, Fan Qing stopped beside her. He released her hand, and as Qi Fei turned around, he had already picked a brightly colored, beautiful little flower from the roadside. He carefully scraped off the tiny thorns with a knife and placed it in her hand.
"Isn't it pretty?"
The elegant and handsome Langming Emperor carefully picked wildflowers by the roadside, just to make her smile.
"Mmm," Qifei responded subconsciously.
"I'm glad you like it."
Looking at the gentle, smiling face of the man before her, Qi Fei was stunned. She and Fan Qing had known each other for three lifetimes and were bound together for three lifetimes. In her eyes, he was the shrewd young master of the Fan family, the aloof Yue Hao, and now the majestic and dignified emperor. She was also familiar with his smile, which seemed gentle but carried no warmth.
Now, she felt somewhat lost.
His smile was so natural and gentle, without a trace of gloom, calculation, or pretense.
If they hadn't met in the very beginning, and he could have smiled at him so gently like he does now, would everything have been different...?
She almost instinctively touched his face.
Fan Qing was stunned for a moment, then an indescribable joy rose in his heart. He trembled slightly as he tightly grasped Qi Fei's hand, which was trying to pull away after she came to her senses. He wanted to ask, "Qi Fei, have you already forgiven him? Do you like him even a little bit? Can you be with him? Will you treat him the way you treat Yue Ran one day?"
He wanted to say so much, but he couldn't speak when he saw Qifei lower her head.
He told himself he couldn't be too hasty, or he might push her heart further away with his recklessness.
Even at this moment, he wanted to say to her: Qifei, could you... be my empress?
"Fan Qing, this place is so beautiful." Qi Fei changed the subject somewhat awkwardly. She didn't know why she had been so captivated by that smile at that moment, as if she were bewitched.
Seeing Qi Fei's slightly flushed face, he lowered his head in embarrassment. Fan Qing's earlier sadness vanished, and he suddenly wished that the road back to the capital could be very, very long.
"Qifei, let's go to Yushan together."
"Hmm?" Qi Fei looked up at him in surprise. "Are you talking about that snow-capped mountain in the east of Langming, known as the Second Changshan?"
"Yes, that's where it is."
Qi Fei was somewhat tempted. Yushan was the second highest mountain on the entire continent and was regarded by the world as the second sacred mountain after Changshan.
She knew they had been heading south, and didn't understand why Fan Qing had suddenly changed her mind.
Yushan is located to the southeast of Langming, and it is like the western part of the sky.
There is a lovely ethnic group on the snow-capped mountain. They belong to Langming, but they don't feel a sense of belonging to Langming. However, they are very hospitable and warmly welcomed Qifei and the others.
The clan chief's fourteen-year-old granddaughter, Tata, was very fond of Qifei and kept talking to her. Qifei thought she was cute, and in no time, the two became inseparable.
Tata wanted to let Qifei eat and play with all the delicious food and fun things.
"When you come here, you must go up the sacred mountain. Although it is not as high or as steep as Changshan, it is the root of our people. We have lived here for generations and we are very happy."
Suddenly, as if struck by a sudden thought, she pouted and complained, "Those nobles are so annoying! They come to our sacred mountain, yet they say it's not as majestic as Changshan, nor as vast as the northern snowfields, and they even nitpick over the furs we offer. Clearly, our sacred mountain is the best! And it has beautiful legends too!"
"Legend?" Qi Fei asked curiously. She drank the blood soup offered by the girl and found it to be not fishy at all, but rather refreshing and cool. It was indeed delicious.
"Yes, our mountain has been visited by gods!" The girl proudly raised her chin.
"Oh?" Qifei became interested. "Really? Tell me!"
"I knew you'd believe me, sister." The girl cheered, but still pouted slightly. "Those people never believed me. You're the best, sister. I'll tell you the complete legend, I grew up listening to it!"
Long, long ago, Yushan was covered in snow and ice year-round. Our Turner people were divided into noble and lowly classes. There was an ordinary young slave who fell in love with his master's daughter. But he knew he could never win her love, so he was in great pain. He would always climb the snow-capped mountain to tell himself about his unrequited love, and then tell himself that he only wished to stay by the girl's side forever, just to be able to see her.
He had been by her side for a long time, from her childhood to her youth, until she was about to marry far away. But the day before her wedding, an accident happened. The girl fell ill and suddenly fell into a coma. Neither witch doctors nor physicians could cure her. She would wake up every few days, growing weaker and weaker. Her people tried everything, but nothing worked. To make matters worse, those who cared for her also began to contract various illnesses.
The girl's tribe said that this was a terrible disease and that the girl should be executed and burned, otherwise it would bring misfortune to the entire tribe.
Upon learning the news, the boy begged the girl's father to let him take her with him. He was severely beaten, but he didn't give up. He knelt for three days and three nights, finally persuading the girl's father to relent. He took the girl to the sacred mountain, where he used his accumulated resources to build a thatched hut and settled the two of them there.
He had no money to buy herbs for the girl, so he dug them himself; when he had no food, he hunted. He did everything he could to care for her, but he couldn't cure his beloved's illness.
Months later, the girl was dying, and he felt despair. So he took her to the top of the sacred mountain, no longer hoping for a miracle, only wishing to go to the underworld with her.
"And then?" Qifei asked, her curiosity piqued. "Did they encounter immortals?"
Tata's eyes gleamed with longing: "They encountered a goddess."
"goddess?"
"Yes, the boy carried his lover to the mountaintop and saw a goddess dressed in red, whose face he could not see clearly. On the frigid mountaintop, the goddess wore a light, fiery red feathered robe, and then asked the boy a question."
Will you love her forever, without scheming, without abandoning her, and with whom she will live and die?
Qi Fei was taken aback. For some reason, the story felt strangely familiar to her, and she was unsure whether she had heard it before.
「少年回答，我愿意，如果能救活她，他愿意以命换命。神女阻止了要自尽的少年，只是将手放在了少女额头上一小会儿，就治好了少女的病。然後还没等感激，就消失不见了。少年知道自己是遇到了神仙，他对着神女消失的方向磕了几个头，然後带着自己健康的爱人下了山，对族里的人说了一切。
族里因爲少女生病的人也在一夜之间痊愈，大家都知道，原来圣山真的来了仙人，少年成了族长的女婿，不久之後继承了族长之位，再後来，我们族里人人平等，不再有奴隶。
姐姐，这个传说很棒吧！「
还在忡怔的栖绯反应过来，微微一笑：「嗯，很好！」
梵倾站在远处，看着栖绯和当地人开怀地谈笑，心底竟有一种别样的满足，也许能这样看着她幸福，已是他最大的心愿。
「主上，有人找您。」一旁的侍卫走道梵倾身旁低声禀告。
「是一直跟着的那人？」
「正是那位大人。」
梵倾暗自叹了口气：「派人留在此处护着，我去去便回，不要惊动栖绯。」
「是。」
他知道有战羽一直尾随，也料到他会前来，所以在军帐中看到他时并无任何意外。
「梵倾，你不应该带栖绯来这里。」战羽握着剑，立在帐中，面色微沈：「钰山最近地动频繁，你又派人挖山掘地，在这时候还带栖绯来这里，你就怕她出事麽！」
「这事我自有打算。」梵倾淡淡道。
「自有打算？」一向沈默不言的战羽难得地显出几分恼怒：「那你就更不应该在这时候牵扯栖绯！明知道最近钰山时有地动还将她带到这里，你到底在想什麽？」
梵倾抿起薄唇，显然他此时的心绪也不平静，但他还是强忍着道：「战羽，你可知道，千年前，栖绯曾离开月都三个月，你可知道，她那时去过何处？」
战羽皱了皱眉，他不知梵倾爲什麽在此时又提起从前的事。
月都大变之前？那一年月都正乱，轩辕氏，梵氏，宇文氏勾结月都各大氏族，意图另立新皇。栖绯却在关键时候离开皇宫，他那时对栖绯又爱又恨变没有仔细找寻，只是竭力在朝堂上保下她的皇位。直至三个月後，楚风在昶山找到了她，带回了月都。
没有人知道，栖绯在离开月都时去了哪里，发生过什麽事情。
可所有人都知道，在那之後月皇栖绯一改之前的软弱，不再对皇夫月冉言听计从，相反，爲了计划迁都，她开始大肆揽权。也是从那时开始，她同月冉分殿而居，同掌权大臣们，各大氏族们争斗不休，更是在月都出事前一月，将反对她迁都的各大氏族族长的继承人尽数屠戮，惹得月都大乱，而後终於成功的将将月都八成民衆半威胁半利诱地撵出了月都。
谁也没有想到，正是那时栖绯不同以往的强硬手段，才让月都的大部分人活了下来。一月之後，栖绯在昶山死去的同时，月都带着它余下的成百上千万的臣民彻底覆灭而栖绯在那三月间去过哪里，见到了谁？他在那之後再也没有机会知道。此时，梵倾提起从前，又是因爲什麽？
「这和我们此刻来这里有何关联？」
「我曾派人探过，那一年，栖绯离开月都只去过几个地方，而其中之一便是这里。」
看到战羽似有所觉，梵倾继续道：「你也许猜到了，那时候的栖绯，怕是在找寻解祸之法。」
「月族人大罪，而最後一任王，必然要承担月族的最後的罪责，栖绯知道月都将毁，可那还有无数无辜的人，她屡次下命迁都，却因爲各大氏族的强烈反对未能成行。
无望之下，她无视离开月都必死的诅咒冒险离开，寻找解决死局的办法，虽然我不知道到底发生过什麽，但钰山必定有栖绯千年前留下的什麽线索。
更何况，我在这一路上曾经屡次探问过栖绯，明明是发生过的事情，她却唯独少了这段记忆，这不是很奇怪麽？
而月冉同样可疑，爲什麽过了这麽久，甯可接受我们，却一直都不愿让栖绯离开无名镇，又是因爲什麽，在三年之後的今天，在栖绯与楚风亲近却并无多少好转之後，才默认一切，让我将栖绯带来朗鸣？「
战羽沈默不语，这些他不是没有想过，只是他更想栖绯随心所欲的生活下去，她喜欢哪里就留在哪里，喜欢和什麽人在一起，就和谁在一起……
他故意忽略了这一切，只要她开心快乐，哪怕她不记得那些遥远的记忆，不记得那时候残忍冷血的他最好。可他也明白，这不过是自欺欺人罢了，有些事情，它早已在那里，哪怕可以忽略遗忘，它依旧在那里存在。
「战羽，你在害怕，害怕自己被栖绯怨恨吧？栖绯会知道，不仅仅是这一世，上一世我们也同样伤害过她。」梵倾低垂着眼，看不清神色：「现在，哪怕有我们共同爲她续命，她又能健康几年，我不想也不能眼睁睁看着她衰弱，然後死去。我们在那个时候都做过错事，哪怕被她怨恨，也是应该的。」
战羽握着剑鞘的手紧了又紧，他何尝不知道这些，如果是他，也会和梵倾做出同样的选择。
「战羽，我必须带栖绯来钰山，因爲我相信这里有栖绯延寿的关键，山上有一个洞窟，我已派人挖掘守护，只等栖绯去。
钰山虽曾地动，可我不想在等下去了。挖山掘地又如何，哪怕这钰山尽毁，生灵涂炭，只要能找到那个契机就足够了，所以我带栖绯来了。「
「我明白了。」战羽没有再听下去，他掀开帐帘丢下一句话。
「不管你想做什麽、会做什麽，我都会护栖绯周全。可梵倾，我也请你记得，无论谁伤了她，都是我战羽的敌人。」哪怕我自己也一样。
看着战羽从营帐中走出去，梵倾的心情并不平静。
他何尝不怕栖绯因爲前世遭受的背叛远离他……可怕又怎样，如果栖绯不能健康的活下去，如果她在不远的未来衰弱死亡。那他怎麽办？他会在漫长的生命中等待死亡的到来，还是在疯狂中毁灭一切？
他只知道，自己甯可被怨恨，也不愿隐瞒这一切，他已经尝够了隐瞒的苦果，千年前尝过，那异界的未来也尝过，而以後他再也不想要了……
栖绯正和塔塔聊得正开心，忽然听到不远处传来一阵喧哗声。循声看去，是一队陌生的人马，看穿着像是朗鸣驻军。她正奇怪着，就听到那些人与当地人的对话。
「货准备好了麽？」
「已经好了，现在就搬麽？」
「正是。」
人越来越多，栖绯和塔塔被人挤进了角落。
「他们怎麽又来了！」塔塔在一旁拉着栖绯偷偷抱怨着。
「最近的驻军忽然多了好多！」
「怎麽了？」
「那些人讨厌透了……」塔塔红着脸抱怨着，眼神游移，像是在人群里找着什麽人。
栖绯觉得好笑，眼前的小姑娘或许是在驻军中有了什麽意中人吧。
站在一旁的一个少年却把塔塔的话当了真，说道：「塔塔你这麽说就不对了，至少我们的东西有人收了。更不用跑到远处才能把东西卖出去。再说，这些人也算有礼，从来不曾强要什麽，价钱又公道……」
「知道了，知道了。」小姑娘翻着白眼，打断了少年的话：「就你什麽都懂。」
少年在旁边憨憨地笑，对着栖绯介绍到：「姑娘第一次来，您看，那边都是驻军，就在山脚下。」
栖绯顺着少年指着的方向看去，隐约能看到在钰山山脚下有一排排的土黄色的营帐，在山脚下连成一线，仿佛将钰山紧紧围住，看起来甚爲壮观。
「往年这里只有在远在百里开外才有千人的驻军，今年山脚下就有上万人。」
栖绯听了，也觉得怪异，这里虽然是朗鸣的东部边境，可是北东南被钰山围绕，西边便是朗鸣腹地，并没有驻军近万人的必要。
保护梵倾和她？不可能。就算是以前梵倾身边的护卫也不多，更何况他现在身上具有天地之力，除了月哥哥以外，怕是只有那些家夥堪爲对手。
「栖绯，在想什麽？」
「梵倾，你回来了！」想不通，就暂时放下，在无名镇一住三年，既然出山，她自然渴望着他处不同的美景：「我们何时上山？」
Seeing Qi Fei's radiant smile, Fan Qing was slightly taken aback, and the gloom that had followed his conversation with Zhan Yu instantly vanished. He stepped forward, resisting the urge to kiss her, and took her small hand in his, holding it tightly in his palm.
"No rush, it's been foggy these past few days. Let's walk around for a bit first, and then we'll head up the mountain once the fog clears."

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