Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 108

In both her past and present lives, Puyang had given all her love to Wei Xiu. She wasn’t afraid of Wei Xiu seeing her vulnerable side. She thought that having someone before whom she could let down her guard, someone who didn’t require her to maintain the lofty air of an emperor, was a blessing in itself.

The only bad thing, perhaps, was that A Xiu no longer loved her.

There was nothing to be done about it. Puyang saw this clearly, yet she couldn’t fully accept it. She knew Wei Xiu would not fall for her, yet she felt that in this life, she would be unable to let her go.

“They are all fine. Three of them sustained minor injuries while fleeing, but a physician has already seen them, and it’s nothing serious,” Puyang said, taking the initiative to report the situation.

Hearing this, the tension in Wei Xiu’s expression eased considerably. She asked, “What will it take for you to release them?”

“That depends on you,” Puyang said.

She now held the bargaining chip, neither advancing aggressively nor retreating. Wei Xiu looked at her, her gaze shifting upward to the exquisitely crafted phoenix hairpin in her hair.

In just three months, she had already taken on the air of an emperor. With her first move, she had seized Wei Xiu’s vital point, leaving her with no choice but to obey. The tea in the cup seemed to have gone cold, offering no warmth to her body, so Wei Xiu set it down.

She didn’t beat around the bush and said directly, “The realm is settled, and the people desire peace. The Prince of Han and the Prince of Teng lack their brothers’ foundation and cannot stir up any trouble. If I were to persist stubbornly, I would only be sending more people to their deaths for nothing. I am no longer fixated on revenge.”

She was already disheartened and weary; even if she wanted revenge, she could no longer summon the energy for it.

The world was ultimately ruled by the imperial court, and the court was in Puyang’s hands. Wei Xiu knew she had no path left. After speaking, she took a piece of paper from her sleeve and placed it on the table before her. “Among these people, a few are old subordinates of the Zhong Clan, but most I recruited later. They are all on this list. Under heaven, all land belongs to the sovereign. Your Majesty was able to capture them once, you can capture them twice. With this list, perhaps you can be at ease?”

Puyang took the paper but did not unfold it to look, instead tucking it directly into her sleeve.

“As for me,” Wei Xiu lowered her eyes to the small table before her and gave a faint smile. “If Your Majesty trusts me, you might as well let me go. I will return to the mountains and forests and not meddle in worldly affairs for the rest of my life. If Your Majesty does not trust me, you can also imprison me. In Your Majesty’s hands, I can only be dealt with as you see fit.”

Her health was poor, but her dark eyes had always been bright, her smile always gentle and refined. Even when she was bedridden with a sallow complexion, one could feel the will to live emanating from her. Now, however, her eyes were dim, and her smile seemed shrouded in shadow.

How could Puyang dare to keep her, to watch her wither away day by day? “I will let you go.”

Wei Xiu seemed somewhat surprised, not expecting her to agree to let her go so readily.

Puyang smiled bitterly. “For you, staying by my side is nothing more than being ‘imprisoned.’ I am reluctant to part with you, but I will not go so far as to force you. You may take all your people with you. I have only one wish: that you live well in this world.”

Wei Xiu said neither yes nor no. She looked at Puyang; this was likely the last time they would meet in this life. Her eyes were dry, her gaze like the lifeless water in a dry well, only showing a slight ripple when it fell upon Puyang’s face. She tried her utmost to bury her lingering love deep in her heart, to gather up all her reluctance. She gave a faint nod, turned her wheelchair, and left.

Puyang watched her leave without a moment’s hesitation. She remembered the long, peaceful years they had shared, she remembered A Xiu in her arms on the sickbed, breathlessly saying she wanted to spend a lifetime with her, she remembered the wine she had brewed for her, she remembered her in the small courtyard in the bamboo grove, her posture relaxed, like a famous scholar of the mountains, she remembered the Lantern Festival, where she stood amidst the waning lights, holding a lotus-shaped lantern and smiling at her, she remembered their wedding day, when Wei Xiu, dressed in the groom’s ceremonial cap and gown, had married her, shared the ritual meal with her, drank the nuptial wine with their arms entwined, and promised her, “In this life and forever, we will weather storms together, hand in hand, supporting each other.”

An overwhelming sorrow flooded Puyang’s heart. She had never truly possessed her, but today, she had lost even the right to see her.

Wei Xiu had reached the door. Panic seized Puyang—she would never see her again. She stumbled forward two steps. “Will you remember me?”

Wei Xiu stopped. She did not turn back.

Puyang watched her back, inching closer step by step, and asked softly, “A Xiu, will you remember me?”

Wei Xiu tilted her head back. After a moment, she said, “Our fate ends here. It is better that we forget each other.”

The hall doors opened. Wei Xiu steadied her wheelchair and went out.

Puyang’s heart was riddled with a thousand holes. She hadn’t left her even a final shred of hope; she had been so heartless. Puyang stopped walking, watching as Wei Xiu disappeared through the doorway.

It was early winter. The chill was deepening, and a cold wind rustled. The entire imperial palace was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere.

The Emperor suddenly issued an edict, stating that the Imperial Consort had suffered a relapse of an old illness and needed to leave the capital to recuperate in peace.

That Wei Xiu was frail was common knowledge in the capital. Last year, she had fallen gravely ill, a perilous situation she had barely survived, all thanks to the then-Princess who had tended to her day and night without even changing her clothes. Everyone still remembered this. Thus, no one questioned the claim that she had suffered a relapse of an old illness. Only Grand Tutor Wei was very worried that after the Prince Consort left the capital, the Wei clan’s favor would wane. He repeatedly submitted memorials to inquire after the well-being of the central palace.

Puyang ennobled Grand Tutor Wei as a Founding County Duke and Wei You as a Count, bestowing great imperial favor upon the family. Only then did Grand Tutor Wei feel reassured and stop inquiring about the Prince Consort.

After dealing with the court officials, Puyang felt utterly exhausted.

Before leaving, Wei Xiu had taken nothing with her. The jade xiao, the hairpin, the jade crown, even a piece of calligraphy and a scented pouch—she had left them all behind. Just like how she treated Puyang’s affections, discarding them without a trace of mercy.

Puyang chose a clear day to go to the Hall of Containing Light and put all these things away.

She had lived in this palace for over a decade in her youth, while Wei Xiu had been here for merely three months. Yet those short three months were deeply engraved upon Puyang’s heart.

Wei Xiu had said it was better to forget, but Puyang knew she could never forget. If she could, she wouldn’t feel her heart ache with wounds, unable to control herself, just by stepping into this palace.

She ordered it to be well looked after, then fled as if escaping, returning to the Hall of Proclaimed Virtue.

Even more difficult for her to set foot in than the Hall of Containing Light was the former Princess Manor.

Day after day, Puyang counted the days since Wei Xiu’s departure, each day like another cut upon her heart. She thought that if this continued, one day she too would come to hate her—hate her for being so cruel, hate her for being so heartless.

But when she stepped into the Princess Manor again, she felt that she could never resent her.

When they were in this manor, A Xiu had been too good to her. She was meticulous, gentle, and considerate. No matter how Puyang tried to recall, she could not find a single fault in her. And so, she could only sink deeper into the past, her longing for Wei Xiu deepening with each passing day of her absence.

The clear pond in the bamboo grove was a verdant green. Puyang dismissed her attendants, found a stool, and sat by the pond to fish.

The pond water was clear, with a few clumps of water plants floating on top. The plants had also withered and turned yellow, floating drily on the surface, adding a touch of desolation. The sound of the cold wind whistling through the bamboo forest filled her ears. Puyang stared at the water’s surface, completely focused.

Throughout the entire day, she caught a total of three fish, enough to fill her stomach for the evening meal.

Puyang watched the fish quietly for a long time, then bent down and released them all back into the pond.

Wei Xiu had not gone far. She was on Mount Mang, still living in that thatched cottage.

The land she had previously instructed A Rong to buy was for settling her old followers. Now it came in useful.

They no longer needed to follow her. To remain here would only mean a life of solitude; it was better for them to leave. That place was adjacent to the Zhong clansmen, so they could look after one another. Yan Huan and the others were loyal to their former master, and seeing that revenge was hopeless, they naturally preferred to support their clansmen. The Zhong Clan had always produced talented individuals; perhaps in a few decades, it could flourish once more. It was not impossible.

A Rong had wanted to stay, but Wei Xiu, feeling she could no longer face her people, did not permit it.

The thatched cottage soon became empty.

Only three or five servants and a maidservant to attend to Wei Xiu at close hand remained.

They were house servants Wei Xiu had purchased. When Wei Xiu had gone to the capital, she had left them to look after the cottage. Now that Wei Xiu had returned, they once again have a master, and their faces bore many more smiles.

The maidservant’s surname was Ye. Wei Xiu called her A Ye.

The people she selected, she naturally valued loyalty above all.

A Ye continued to address Wei Xiu as “Young Master.” After learning she was a woman, she neither exposed the fact nor changed her form of address. Perhaps because the cottage had no visitors and there were few people to talk to, A Ye preferred to serve by Wei Xiu’s side in her daily life.

Wei Xiu never forbade her from approaching, nor did she speak much with her, simply going about her own business.

She would occasionally read or write, occasionally burn incense and brew tea. When the weather was fine, she would also sit for a while in the forest, take up a bamboo xiao, place it to her lips, and play a melodious tune.

Such days were extremely pleasant, free from both troubles and worries.

Such days were also extremely dull, devoid of both hope and novelty.

A Ye sometimes found it boring and wanted to go down the mountain to have a look, but Wei Xiu seemed oblivious to what loneliness was, doing similar things and looking at similar scenery every day.

Her words were gentle, and she never made things difficult for the servants. Her talent was exceptional, her knowledge vast. Such a person should have been a refined and graceful scholar, living in a humble cottage, waiting for her fated lord.

But A Ye felt that beneath the Young Master’s gentle smile was a heavy air of twilight. Here in the mountains, she was merely waiting for an end.

The mountains were damp and cold, and winter was bone-chilling. While it was still clear skies down the mountain, snow had begun to fall up here.

Wei Xiu, draped in a crane-feather cloak, sat under the eaves of the corridor while a servant swept snow in the courtyard.

A Ye hurried over, holding a hand warmer with fresh coals, and knelt on a mat beside her.

Wei Xiu remained motionless for a long time, as if lost in her own world.

A Ye finally couldn’t resist and asked in a low voice, “What is the Young Master thinking about?”

Wei Xiu seemed to have only just noticed her. She turned to look at her, smiled gently, and said, “I’m thinking about my fish.”