Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 24

Wei Xiu did not sleep well all night. Perhaps it was because she had returned to a familiar place, and memories from her childhood came flooding back. Those sealed-away past events, those wounds she dared not touch, were all torn open, bloody and raw, in her dreams.

The room was pitch-black. Wei Xiu lay flat on the bed, and as she slept, cold sweat beaded on her forehead, layer after layer. A massacre, filled with cruel, bloody light, appeared in her dream.

Amid the flames, her father roared, and with a slash of his sword, the bl00d of some unknown person splattered across his face. Her mother fell, lying in a pool of bl00d. The crimson bl00d soaked her clothes, and the gentle murmurs before sleep were gone forever. Her father, his eyes red with slaughter, turned and bellowed at her and her brother, “Go! Don’t all die here!”

The moment his words fell, he was engulfed by the deadly fray.

Her elder brother protected her as they fled, but how could a fifteen-year-old boy fend off so many wolf-like pursuers? He hid her in a thicket of grass, his voice as soft and gentle as ever. “A’Meng, you hide here. Don’t make a sound. Big brother will lead them away.”

He was only fifteen, with the tender face of a youth. He too was afraid of death, but at this moment, he had to bear this heavy responsibility. The young her dared not make a sound. She knew that for her brother to go was to go to his death, so she clutched his sleeve tightly, refusing to let go. Her brother bent down, lowered his voice, and coaxed her to release her grip. In the end, he was unreconciled. His young life was about to end here. He had fought on the battlefield and, under their father’s lead, had already slain countless enemies. But today, he was to die by the blades of his own countrymen. Tears streamed down her brother’s face as he whispered in her ear, “A’Meng, live on, and avenge Father and Mother!”

Her brother rushed out of the woods. The jackal-like pursuers quickly surrounded him. He drew his sword to face them, fighting as he ran. Through the gaps in the branches, she saw the firelight move and heard shouts and miserable screams. Her brother’s martial skill was excellent, but he did not get far before he died under a flurry of blades.

Having killed the Grand General’s son, the pursuers left. The person behind them was now at ease. Her face was covered in tears. She could finally cry out loud, but she couldn’t. The sounds of sorrowful wailing echoed in her heart, yet no cry would come out. Her legs had been slashed by a blade. She forced herself to run out of the thicket. The withered branches on the path tripped her countless times, but she felt no pain. Amidst the corpses littering the ground, she found her brother.

His face was covered in bl00d, he still held his sword, and his eyes were still open. The wounds on his body were too numerous to count. One of his arms was gone.

Darkness, firelight, and bl00d that stained the earth iron-red—all of this filled Wei Xiu’s dream. The moment her mother fell, her father fighting drenched in bl00d, her brother’s eyes that would never close in peace—they replayed over and over in her dream. Every scene reminded her not to forget how they died, not to forget how she survived, and not to forget that she must avenge them.

She awoke with a start, her heart still pounding with fear. No matter how many years had passed, the memory of that night was a bone-deep hatred. Wei Xiu opened her eyes. The faint light of dawn was already filtering through the window. She stared blankly for a while as the light grew from dim to brilliant. What was once a small bright spot beneath the window gradually filled the entire room with light.

A tear slid from the corner of her eye, but Wei Xiu was unaware.

A knock came at the door. Wei Xiu returned to her senses. She turned to look at the door, raised a hand to casually wipe away the tear, and said, “Who is it?”

Her voice was steady, her tone as light and unconcerned as ever.

Outside the door was A Rong. “Young Master, the Princess has arrived.”

Wei Xiu frowned slightly, then said in a gentle voice, “Please ask Her Highness to wait a moment.”

Before long, Wei Xiu came out.

Puyang was seated in the main hall, dressed in palace attire with a long skirt and wide sleeves, her hair in a cloud-like coiffure with a phoenix hairpin. Seeing her approach, she stood to greet her. Wei Xiu bowed. “Greetings, Your Highness.”

She did not look well; there was a faint dark shadow under her eyes. Puyang couldn’t help but ask with concern, “Did you not sleep well last night, Sir?”

Wei Xiu smiled and shook her head. “I have trouble sleeping in new beds. It’s nothing serious. I’ll be fine after a few nights once I’m used to it.”

“That’s good.” Puyang didn’t press further, but her suspicion grew heavier. Was it really trouble with the bed, or had she recalled some past event?

The maids served breakfast—plain congee and side dishes, very refreshing and homely.

Wei Xiu was gentle and composed, inviting Puyang, “It is still early. I imagine you have not had breakfast yet?”

Puyang naturally accepted. When she looked at Wei Xiu again, she found that apart from the dark circles under her eyes, there was not a trace of gloom in her expression. She appeared open and magnanimous, as if she had nothing to hide.

In the palace, who wasn’t skilled at pretense, at hiding a dagger behind a smile? Puyang had long been accustomed to not judging by appearances.

After they finished breakfast, Puyang stood up and walked to the door. The warm autumn sun spilled down, illuminating the stone-paved path in the courtyard. A westerly wind rose, rustling the branches and leaves. Those leaves that could no longer hold on were swept away, to become mud in the spring.

It was a fine autumn day.

“Sir, since you have just arrived, you are likely unfamiliar with the layout of the residence. I have some leisure time today, so shall I accompany you on a walk?” Puyang said.

Wei Xiu thought for a moment and nodded. “Very well.”

The Grand General commanded all the troops in the realm. When a minister was appointed to the position of Grand General, he was granted the right to establish his own administrative office and staff. This residence was originally built to such specifications. The front courtyard served as the administrative office, complete with all the necessary offices for various aides, while the rear courtyard was the living quarters.

This suited Puyang’s intentions perfectly. Sooner or later, she too would have her own official residence. With the foundation already here, there would be no need to move or rebuild in the future. Thus, many parts of the residence had been kept as they were.

Puyang walked beside Wei Xiu, with A Rong pushing the wheelchair. The other maids and eunuchs trailed far behind.

Puyang first pointed to a bamboo grove and said, “I chose this place because of this grove. I thought you would surely like it, Sir.”

The grove by day was different from the night, brighter and more verdantly lush. A pang of pain shot through Wei Xiu’s heart. She surveyed the entire grove, then nodded with a smile. “Slender bamboo stays green through all four seasons. Even in the vast white of winter, one can still see a touch of green here. I like it. Thank you, Your Highness, for your thoughtfulness.”

Puyang discreetly observed her expression, seeing nothing amiss. It was as if a weight had been lifted from her heart, and she felt much more at ease. Her smile was soft, her gaze gentle. “But this was, after all, planted by a previous owner. If there is anything you dislike, Sir, I will have someone change it.”

“This is very good as it is.” Wei Xiu turned back and smiled at Puyang. “Your Highness always treats me with such great care, as if fearing it is not enough. I understand and am very grateful for Your Highness’s kind intentions.”

Puyang’s heart softened again. She smiled and said, “It is enough that you can be sincere with me, Sir. Why speak of gratitude, which sounds so distant?” She then glanced at a quiet and elegant path nearby. “Not far from here is Tai Garden. It’s quiet and has a grove of maple trees. This season is perfect for viewing the maples. Would you care to go see it, Sir?”

Tai Garden was the garden of the old matriarch Xu’s residence.

Puyang had heard that the old matriarch Xu was benevolent and loved to watch her children and grandchildren play and frolic in the garden.

If Wei Xiu had indeed escaped from the Yeting Palace, it must have been with the help of all the female members of the household, which showed how doted upon she was in the residence. This Tai Garden must have held many of her childhood joys. No one could revisit a place of their past after experiencing a life-and-death separation and remain completely unruffled.

Puyang’s heart ached with reluctance. To see a crack in Sir’s composure was tantamount to viciously tearing open her old wounds. But the thought that she might be harboring malicious intent, using her, or even harming her, filled her with extreme resentment.

Wei Xiu’s tone was ethereal. “There is a maple grove in this residence?”

“Indeed.” Puyang watched every minute change in Wei Xiu’s posture and expression.

Wei Xiu said to Puyang, “It is a rare occasion that Your Highness is also here. Let us go and enjoy the view.”

Her interest seemed high, her eyes filled with pure longing, and nothing else.

The two went to the maple grove together. The maple leaves had indeed all turned red. Countless fallen leaves had accumulated on the ground, forming a thick layer. It was truly a quiet and peaceful place.

The maple leaves drifted down, random and natural, like flowing water, like distant mountains, conforming to the great Dao of the world, as if unchanged for a hundred years. A look of nostalgia gradually appeared in Wei Xiu’s eyes. Puyang’s heart tightened. She placed a hand on Wei Xiu’s shoulder. The body beneath her palm trembled slightly, as if startled.

Wei Xiu turned her head and smiled, as if responding to her closeness, or perhaps she was simply startled by Puyang’s sudden movement.

A tranquil and serene place. How wonderful it would be if they were simply admiring the scenery. Puyang truly did not want to test her further, but she could not bear to leave this suspicion, this knot, in her heart.

Strolling slowly forward, Puyang turned back and began to lay her trap. “Do you know who originally resided here, Sir?”

Wei Xiu said, “Yesterday, when I entered through the front courtyard, I saw that all the offices were in good order and the buildings were numerous. It did not seem to be the standard layout of a princess’s residence, so it must have been pre-existing. To have such a layout, it must have belonged to someone of the Three Ducal Ministers or Three Grand Marshals.” The Three Ducal Ministers and Three Grand Marshals all had the right to establish their own administrative offices.

Puyang smiled. “Correct. This was the residence of the former Grand General Xu Luan. Do you know of Xu Luan?”

“He was executed for treason three years ago. His Majesty was furious and decreed the extermination of three generations of his clan. Not even male infants in swaddling clothes were spared. The female relatives were somewhat fortunate; through the intercession of various in-laws, they were only confiscated and enslaved in the Yeting Palace. Even so, the Xu clan was destroyed overnight.”

She knew the details very clearly.

Puyang asked again, “How do you know of this in such detail, Sir?”

Wei Xiu said, “It was a major case back then. If Your Highness were to go out and ask now, most people could tell you a little about it. Although I was in the mountains, I was not so isolated as to be ignorant of worldly affairs.”

It was a watertight explanation; Puyang could find no flaw. But Wei Xiu asked, “What does this have to do with Your Highness?”

“The palace is going to release some palace attendants. It also coincides with the memorial ceremony for the Empress Dowager. His Majesty wishes to accumulate merit for the Empress Dowager, so the families of condemned officials are also included in the amnesty. However, the number of spots is limited. Therefore, a few of the Xu clan’s in-laws who were not implicated have come to me for help.” The first half was true, but the part about the Xu clan’s in-laws seeking her out was false.

If Wei Xiu were truly a descendant of the Xu family, she would certainly not pass up this opportunity. Among them might be her mother, her sisters, all those connected to her by bl00d. With such a golden opportunity, she would surely try to rescue them.

After speaking, Puyang looked at Wei Xiu and sighed with feigned difficulty. “The crime of treason is a grave one, and it has only been three years. Who knows if Father still holds it in his heart. I do not wish to get involved in this messy affair, but hearing their pitiful pleas, I truly cannot bear it.”

Wei Xiu gripped the armrest, her body stiffening for a moment, but she quickly controlled herself and said with a serious expression, “Please wait a moment, Your Highness. Let us speak of this in detail when we return to the house.”

Puyang looked at the black hair behind her and felt an inexplicable sadness. She was so solemn and tense; she clearly cared. Recalling the flicker of nostalgia in her eyes in the maple grove, Puyang’s heart sank to the bottom of a valley.