Xia Niangniang - Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Entering the late summer, the weather had become hotter.

The Blind Concubine sat on the serving quarter’s soft divan. His head leaned on the pillar. His eyes were slightly closed.

Since the last time Jue Yu came to visit, half a month had passed. Since Xiao Bao had left the Palace, also had been half a month.

That child was brought out to the Palace without having the chance to bid his farewell. He went just like that. They even hadn’t the chance to meet for the very last time. Whatever wellbeing-wish he wanted to say, now he no longer had the chance to say it anymore. He couldn’t part with Xiao Bao, he couldn’t part with the child who accompanied him for seven years. Nevertheless, he had to harden his heart in the end.

Didn’t know whether or not that child would hate him. Whether he would nag at Jue Yu. Also he didn’t know, if he had had a good sleep during the journey. Now he actually had sent him out to the outer world safe and sound.

In this lifetime, he would never see that child anymore.

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In the middle of July, the heat was great. His appetite was not good at all. Couldn’t eat anything. He even couldn’t gulp down the porridge. The Palace’s servants who served him in the serving quarter, all were frightened to death. All of them knelt down and begged him to eat something. He endured the urge to vomit and swallowed the food. The more he ate, the more he suffered. Finally he threw up. Vomited on the quilt and on the bed and made them dirty.

The Blind Concubine’s body, by each passing day had become more and more thinner. The Emperor couldn’t help but feel very worried.

The Imperial Physician didn’t dare to give him much prescription. Everyday only letting the Palace’s servants to decoct medicinal porridge mixed with lotus seed and honey as his supplement to compromise his Qi and blood circulation.

The Blind Concubine reclined on the soft divan, once he reclined, it would be for the whole day. This soft divan was the same divan they brought along when they moved out from the Cold Palace. Xiao Bao ever seated on it, Yu Li ever leaned on it, but at the present, remained him alone to use it.

When the sun had inclined, the Palace’s servants would move the soft divan to the yard, placed it under a shady tree. The Blind Concubine when he was reclined outside would feel as if he went back to the little yard at the Cold Palace. Xiao Bao sat on the rattan chair not far from him, Yu Li laid prone by his side, he only needed to stretch his hand a little, he could already touch the slippery and smooth fur of Yu Li.

He recalled only those memories, the memories which put himself behind the screen, with each particular display it would absorb his already weak strength to live on.

The Emperor would come to accompany The Blind Concubine straight after court. To the point he handled the government affairs along with other affairs from the serving quarter. Whenever The Blind Concubine laid on the soft divan, he would surely let The Blind Concubine to rest his head on his lap, to make him more comfortable.

He talked to The Blind Concubine, The Blind Concubine would close his eyes. Once in a while he would give a “hm” sound as a response, not knowing if he was actually listening or not.

The Emperor hugged The Blind Concubine, lowered his body, with his lips he touched the Blind Concubine’s forehead, “What do you want me to do so you would be able to forgive me?”

The situation with The Blind Concubine didn’t improve at all, the Young Monarch’s expectation had already grown smaller.

He loved Wen Mu Yan, yet Wen Mu Yan hated him.

He wished that Wen Mu Yan could let go of his hatred and live comfortably with ease.

A gentle breeze passed by, the hair on The Blind Concubine’s forehead fluttered a bit.

He opened his mouth, softly he said: “Let me out of the Palace.”

From these past three days, this was the first time he talked with the Emperor in a complete sentence.

The Emperor pursed his lips, slowly replied to him: “Fine, I agree.”

In the end, he couldn’t bear to see his most beloved person suffering, gritting his teeth, he made a promise.

The Blind Concubine was taken to the inner room. The Emperor’s attendant moved forward and bowed: “Your Majesty will really let the Blind Concubine out from Palace?”

The young Monarch gazed forward, his eyes faced the faraway place, “I have said that I will never let him go.”

The attendant carefully tried to inquire the Emperor’s meaning, “So, Your Majesty wants to…..”

“Inside the Palace, there is a secluded pavilion, built in the middle of a lotus pond. It has been uninhabited for a long time. You, take some people to sweep and clean it, arrange and decorate the appliance according to an ordinary household. After several days, let Wen Mu Yan move into that pavilion.”

After he received the order, the attendant excused himself.

On one early morning, at the first glimmer of dawn, The Blind Concubine was helped by the Palace’s servant to enter a horse carriage. Travelling for roughly an hour, the horse carriage slowly stopped. The Palace’s servant lifted the carriages’ curtain, “Master, we have arrived.”

The Blind Concubine was curled up in his brocaded quilt, didn’t even open his eyes, lightly said: “That’s good if we have arrived.”

They led him to enter the house. Hearing the Palace’s servants move the implements they brought along, he only stared blankly, didn’t utter a word.

After the sun inclined, the Palace’s servant came to report : “Master, everything has been put in order properly. This house is very far from the Imperial Palace, also very far from the downtown area, very quiet and peaceful, surrounded by a pond, there is only a bridge which connected this place to the outside. Master in here can recover better. Your humble subjects will go back to the Imperial Palace to report.”

The Blind Concubine answered him: “Alright.”

Palace’s servants left one by one, only leaving behind a small attendant to help him draw the water and clean the house.

The Blind Concubine softly asked him: “Are there any fish in the pond?”

The small attendant replied: “Answer, Master. There are lotuses on the pond. The whole pond is covered by the lotus leaves, maybe there are fish there.”

On the lips of The Blind Concubine, slowly a smile appeared, “Well, it must be very beautiful.”

“Yes, It is. It is very beautiful”, the small attendant happily told him, “The Lotus’s leaves are of fresh green, The Lotus itself are of a pinkish color, seemingly they wanted to reach the heaven. Extremely beautiful.”

The Blind Concubine gently laughed: “Is that so?”

He finally got out from the Palace. Suffering for a very long time, finally he could leave the Palace forever.

The Emperor from a place not far from him secretly fixed his eyes on him.

After a very long time, for the first time he could see a smile on that pale face again.

He had almost forgotten the smiling expression of Wen Mu Yan.

So, when he could see it again today, he felt that it was as beautiful as the first time when he saw it.

Wen Mu Yan thought he had already left the Palace to a faraway place, moved into an ordinary house somewhere in Capital.

He couldn’t go to him, also couldn’t make a sound.

He could never chat together with Wen Mu Yan again.

Could only like this, secretly, silently, stand on the pavilion, from faraway, gazing lovingly at him.

His personal attendant asked him: “Your Majesty, will come again tomorrow?”

The young Monarch unable to shift his eyes from him, nodded his head slowly.

He wished that he could be like this for many years ahead.

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The Blind Concubine since then lived peacefully in that house.

He wasn’t aware for how long he had been living there. He only knew that the summer had passed. Autumn had gone by. The winter also had passed through. This was another beginning of the spring time in another year.

His face gradually regained the color of blood, his fingers also weren’t the same pale color as before.

He finally had some strength to live. Wanted to speak to someone. Or maybe held a little idle chat. However, there was only a dreadful stillness in the house.

There wasn’t the slightest bit of a human voice in the house.

He ever earnestly hoped, Xiao Bao and Yu Li could be together forever with him. Smelling the fragrance of the blossoming flowers. Listening to the sound of the insects. Basking in the sun during the day. At night, sitting under the starry sky. Randomly chatting about whatever. Staying together forever. Together for a very long long time in the future. Remaining as they were.

Xiao Bao and Yu Li had already agreed.

He thought it would come true.

But now, Yu Li had already died, Xiao Bao also wouldn’t come back anymore. The one who left here was him alone.

There was hatred that resided in his heart. Resented himself for staying alive, to be able to move about. He didn’t know if he actually ruined the one he hated or actually ruined himself.

Actually, he really wanted to see Yu Li’s white as snow fur. Wanted to see Xiao Bao’s face. Wanted to see the small, soft and fair face of the Little Prince, his roundish body. He also wanted to see what would General Qi look like in his formal attire. Wanted to see the shining brightly black hair and eye-stroking red clothes of Jue Yu.

But this kind of thing would be impossible to fulfill.

The Blind Concubine exhaustedly reclined on the soft divan. Slowly closed his eyes.

He had always wanted to leave the Imperial Palace. Going back to the town and to have resided in an ordinary house with a yard.

Wished for so many years, finally he could fulfill his wish.

He was no longer The Blind Concubine. There were also no more people who would call him The Blind Concubine.

He actually had a name, a very beautiful name at that.

However, the people who would call him by that beautiful name, there wasn’t a single person anymore.

He soundlessly reclined on the soft divan. He suddenly felt that his surroundings were excessively quiet.

His eyes were unable to see, reclined in this place and reclined in the yard at the Cold Palace, actually didn’t have much difference.

At that time, Yu Li was cuddling in his arms, once in a while would swing her tail. Xiao Bao would run about to splash the water, doing chores, feeding the two birds which hanged on the eaves.

But now, there wasn’t a single sound anymore.

He was already unable to distinguish, was he actually still alive or already dead. He was already broken up into pieces.

At first, it was only his eyes that unable to see, now, his heart also had become a blank space.

Previously, there was someone who would secretly look at him attentively from quite a distant, despite he would never be able to see forever.

But now, that person would never look at him anymore.

Didn’t matter if that person’s heart was sincere or not. He didn’t want it.

Because he wanted to leave the Palace badly, from the very start, he had prepared to give up everything.

Sometimes he would also feel pain.

From the bottom of his heart raised a kind of sharp pain like being gnawed.

When he felt that kind of pain, his body would tremble greatly. He would curl his body into a circular form while his face was covered with tears.

But only at that time, his heart would be at ease.

He could only be certain.

He was alive.

End of The Blind Concubine.