Chapter 55
Temple of the heart
"Breathe"
I hear the sound, echoes beneath
Where angels and skylines meet,
And I'm straining to reach
The light on the surface, light on the other side.
I feel the pages turning,
I see the candle burning down
Before my eyes, before my wild eyes.
I feel you holding me tighter, I cannot see.
When will we finally breathe, breathe, breathe?
Breathe, breathe, breathe.
I feel the pages turning,
I see the candle burning down
Before my eyes, before my wild eyes.
I feel you holding me tighter, I cannot see.
When will we finally breathe, breathe, breathe?
Breathe, breathe, breathe.
As the summer heat plays on the petals of an open flower field, the warm winds blew across, carrying the dandelions, the princess of the lawn. Roses stood as the queen of the gardens, lotus as the fairy of shallow and murky waters, and the sunflower thrived even in drought-stricken soil, pushing all living things to grow and shine under the sun.
At the heart of the summer forest, a lover's haven, the tranquil sounds of bamboo swaying in the breeze brought peace, but the calm was suddenly disturbed by swarming bees and butterflies.
The sweet honey at the heart of the lovers' home held secrets that were slowly unfolding, carrying both sweetness and bitterness.
Chu Qiao, for the first time in her life, had the best sleep. She woke up and found her husband lying peacefully, his head nestled sweetly, undisturbed. His face, like calm waters, soothed her soul.
She slipped on her slippers and went out of their room to boil some water. Suddenly, a man appeared in the distance, sweat dripping from his brow, walking toward their lodge.
Chu Qiao sensed no threat from the man and relaxed. She stepped out to greet him, but just as he neared their home, he sat by the well, drew up a pail of water, and drank deeply.
Chu Qiao nostalgically tried to recall where she had met him before. Was it yesterday, or perhaps in her distant past?
Yue Qi, unaware of her presence, was slightly surprised when he saw her and softly whispered, "Xinger?"
Chu Qiao, equally perplexed, responded, "Master Zuo? Xinger, who?"
"What are you doing here?" Yue Qi, in a somewhat childlike fascination, thought to himself that he had finally met his master Yuwen Yue's wife.
"I should be asking you that. What are you doing here? Spying on me? I think I saw you yesterday," Chu Qiao said, her eyes widening as she suddenly remembered. "You were one of the customers at the Kowloon house, right?"
Sensing her suspicion, Yue Qi responded, "First, I live here too, as my master lives here. Second, I wasn't spying. I'm just a regular customer who loves noodles."
Yue Qi's slight corner smile irritated Chu Qiao. "So I was right! You followed me all the way here?"
Yue Qi, admiring her cleverness, was about to respond when a familiar, cold voice interrupted.
"Maybe?" Yuwen Yue, her husband, approached from behind.
Chu Qiao, startled, began to speak. "Ra Yue, is he..." but Yuwen Yue finished her thought.
Exchanging a brief glance with Yue Qi, Yuwen Yue said simply, "He's my brother."
Yuwen Yue had already shared some details with Yue Qi, but Yue Qi had never asked about his wife.
Chu Qiao, still somewhat confused, tilted her head and squinted at Yuwen Yue. "What's his name?"
"I'm Yue Qi," he answered, then paused, glancing at Yuwen Yue's cold face before adding, "Ra Yue is my master and my brother."
Chu Qiao, still uncertain but happy to meet someone from Yuwen Yue's family, welcomed him. "Yue Qi, I'm sorry we haven't had time to get to know each other properly as family, but you are welcome to stay here with your master and brother."
Still trying to piece together the mystery, Chu Qiao thought that Master Zuo Zong resembled Yue Qi more than Ra Yue, but if Yuwen Yue said he was family, she accepted it.
Yue Qi, dressed in a simple peasant Chinese-collar garment, set down the bamboo he had gathered. In a passing glance, Chu Qiao noticed the scars on his body.
Returning to the lodge, Chu Qiao found Yuwen Yue already preparing to leave. "When I come back, make sure to pack everything. We're leaving this place."
"Leave? Why?" Chu Qiao asked, surprised by his sudden request.
"Illegal channels. Walls have ears. I'll explain later," Yuwen Yue replied, his cold but calm expression assuring her that everything was under control.
"Okay, as long as my husband comes back, and this place is neat and clean."
Yuwen Yue kissed her temple and said, "My wife obeys, and I'll have a bright future ahead."
"Will your little brother go with you?" Chu Qiao asked.
"Yes. See you later," Yuwen Yue said before walking away, Yue Qi following closely behind.
Chu Qiao began packing, unaware of what had transpired the night before. The surroundings, once a chaotic mess, were now clean and orderly. As she packed, she retrieved her Canhong sword and, under the sunlight, began practicing her swordplay.
In front of her fierce eyes, the Canhong sword gleamed as she unsheathed its dark red blade. Closing her eyes to meditate, she recalled the lessons Master Xie Tai Shan had taught her, how to grip the sword and the proper stance. She also remembered the stories about Tai Yueshen, Yuwen Yue's mother, and the secret techniques discussed under the bonfire in the cold forests between Wei and Liang borders.
Chu Qiao's movements were precise as she twirled and cut through the air, her commanding presence evident in the shadows she cast. With a final flick of her wrist, she pulled the sword down between her brows, her fierce eyes focused.
"Shua!"
The sound of the blade slicing through the air was followed by a soft thud as the bed linen tore, revealing a note hidden beneath the quilted sheets.
She read the note aloud: "Hauntingly beautiful, in your arms, in this bed, your lips became mine."
Chu Qiao's face flushed red, her heart pounding like a drum. Could Yuwen Yue be cheating on her, in their marriage bed?
Furious, she smashed the bed, revealing bloodstains beneath the pillows. The scent made her choke.
Is it the death of her body or the death of her heart?
The body can heal if cut, but a heart wounded deeply, only time can tell if it will ever mend.
Inside her, a fire rages, burning her feelings and reducing her trust and confidence to ashes. She can no longer feel love for her husband and is consumed by the desire for revenge.
In her rage, Chu Qiao picked up her sword and resumed her practice. But this time, her practice was not about precision or grace; it was about destruction. She slashed through the lodge, her blade marking every corner and surface. This was not just an angry woman, it was a wife who felt betrayed, played, and shattered.
After unleashing her anger, she made a promise to herself: she would find the girl who had corrupted her husband, burn her alive, and feed her body to the vultures.
Like any woman scorned, Chu Qiao felt cheated. In this moment, reason abandoned her, leaving only rage.
She wrapped her sword in a thick, dirty, woven canvas to conceal it. Among the wreckage of the lodge, she sat in a Zen position, meditating as if nothing had happened. In her left hand, she clutched the short note; in her right, she held her engagement and wedding rings.
No one could predict what would happen when Yuwen Yue returned. No one knew what she intended when they faced each other.
It would be best if the Lion didn't return to his den, lest he find it in complete disarray, with the tigress showing her dominance. The Lion would have to choose carefully. A wrong decision could end their whirlwind romance and marriage, left like an unopened parcel that, though not consumed, could expire. It takes grace to remain kind in cruel situations.
Suddenly, Yuwen Yue's parrot, restless from lack of sleep, flew to the window and called her former name: "Xinger!"
Three times the bird called, and Chu Qiao, softening, looked at it. Her eyes, guilty with tears, filled again. She approached the bird and spoke bitterly: "You always call me Xinger, and I've been okay with that, but not today. Just this moment, your master is a heartbreaker. This time, I have the right to be selfish. I don't want to share him, not even with you..."
As she was talking to the bird, it suddenly said, "Yuwen Yue, Yuwen Yue, Yuwen Yue." Chu Qiao was astonished. She stopped and wiped her silent tears, for she had never uttered that name until she heard the bird speak it so clearly.
"Do you know the Fourth Young Master of Greenhills Courtyard?" she asked, but the bird did not respond. Tears fell from her eyes once again as she whispered, "In fact, I'm going to that place right now. Do you want to come with me?"
"Let's visit his cenotaph."
"I just have to say a few things to him... Even if it's just to the wind, may my whispers reach the heavens."
Chu Qiao, having passed from the peak of her anger to an empty, mellow feeling, wondered whether she should wait for Yuwen Yue or simply leave on her own. Without complications, she could leave him a note and disappear, leaving everything hanging in the air.
She was deeply hurt, and the need to release that pain was overwhelming.
For the first time in her life, she had truly loved a man. She had given him her heart without doubt or hesitation. She had protected their marriage. But Chu Qiao could not settle for anything less.
She believed this was her fair share, Yuwen Yue was not a ration to be divided or a piece to be shared. He was her world, her moon, her sun. Justice and fairness were what mattered to her.
She did not even want to walk down the path of betrayal, for she didn't yet know the full truth of what her husband had done. But the signs of unfaithfulness spoke louder than words, louder than she could bear to ask him.
In this moment, she felt as if she had already died.
"I have survived many fights, won many wars, but right now, I can no longer tell if I am still alive or already burned to ashes. Consider me gone from this world. Ra Yue... What have you done?"
Chu Qiao picked up her sword. The bird scratched out her final words from the tears she shed, and she read them aloud:
The best fight is not to fight at all.
When you are ready to face the bullet of truth
And stop playing with fire,
Maybe, it won't be too late.
Stars hide from the moon,
And the sun casts a shadow on the world.
If we ever cross paths again,
Then you will know...
I loved you for a hundred lifetimes.
On her last step, her shadow passed through the door as she quietly walked on the forest ground, her silent tears still falling from her eyes.
The bird on her shoulder remained quiet too, seemingly unaware of what its new master was feeling or doing, and it didn't sense anything strange in her behavior.
On the other side of Xue Fu Street were the hotels, with the penthouse at the top belonging to Zuo Zong. This was also where Yuwen Yue's spy quarters were installed.
Yue Qi, on the other hand, pretended to be a guest. Yuwen Yue had given him access to one of the rooms, allowing him to remain unnoticed as they continued their covert operations as allies.
"Yue Qi, we have all the time in the world to discuss the icy lake, but right now, we have eyes watching us from all directions. We were compromised last night," Yuwen Yue said.
Yue Qi, with his usual calm stance from their days in the Green Hills Courtyard, replied, "KongZi, don't worry about me. Go where you need to, and I will follow."
Yuwen Yue paused briefly and, with a cold gaze, said, "I just found you again. I've never felt so fortunate as I did last night."
Yue Qi smiled and replied, "I'm the lucky one here, and I've never doubted you for a second."
Yuwen Yue, slightly amused, said, "Suit yourself. Here, take this, you know where to find me in this building."
Inside the Liang State court, Xiao Ce, accustomed to his father's stern questioning, used his silvery tongue to explain his escape from the palace the previous night. He even romanticized the story to the King's officials, swaying their opinions in his favor and that of his escorts.
King Tang had issued a decree and was awaiting its verdict, which would depend on Xiao Ce's reasoning. The disposition of the case would determine whether the Crown Prince's violation of Royal Palace protocols would be pardoned.
For the moment, the entire escort team of the Crown Prince had been dismissed and imprisoned in the Liang Garrison grounds. The execution ax, displayed prominently, awaited its victims, sharp blades gleaming like the jaws of a beast ready to strike, should Xiao Ce fail to justify his actions.
Xiao Ce, ever cunning, continued his explanation. His final crime had been the fire at JinWu Palace, set under his command, though he claimed it was all part of an experiment, he had simply wanted to test a new method of cooking and serving turkey. His reasoning, absurd as it seemed, spared the Kitchen Ministry head, and the kitchen boy who delivered the charred turkey was freed and even promoted by the King's officials. However, Xiao Ce didn't agree to the promotion, stating, "No."
Xiao Ce had, in fact, hidden this kitchen boy Ping'An, after he was bullied and thrown out of the Yan army for serving General Chu Qiao. When Xiao Ce found him, he was beaten nearly to death. Xiao Ce had saved him, asking, "You were thrown out of the Yan palace because you were Chu Qiao's personal aide?"
Ping'An, unable to speak through his bruises, nodded.
"Very well," Xiao Ce said, "will you serve me and tell me what happened to Chu Qiao?"
Ping'An reached out for Xiao Ce's hand, and from that moment, the boy became an important figure in the Crown Prince's life. When Ping'An recovered, Xiao Ce discovered his incredible martial arts skills and sharp-shooting abilities, even at his young age, an enemy should not underestimate him.
Xiao Ce grew fonder of Ping'An, but kept his true identity hidden, treating him as a little brother only when no one was watching.
Chu Qiao, not recognizing him due to how much he had grown, saved Ping'An again when the Liang King's royal escorts came to fetch him in front of the Crown Prince.
Ping'An longed to embrace his former master but knew he couldn't, as revealing his identity would jeopardize the Prince. So, he remained silent.
Xiao Ce, with his foxy eyes, turned to the Queen of Liang as he finished his romanticized defense. He passed the ball to his stepmother, asking, "Mother, have you ever been in love?"
The Queen of Liang paused for a long moment before finally answering, "I was. Once."
Her eyes shifted to Emperor Tang, who sat on his throne. Her gaze carried a message, that she was a wife to a husband, not a mere subject to his reign.
Pierced by her look, the Emperor sighed. "Unsack them," he commanded, then turned to the Liang officials and the rest of his court. Finally, casting his vote, he said:
"When the moon chases the stars, and the stars chase the Earth, the Earth has its own world. When the moon travels, the stars twinkle. The Crown Prince of Liang is both unreasonable and wise. But today, he can pass this verdict. Oh Emperor, you must understand, there is more than one path to the mountaintop. Climbing the beautiful walls of Daoming Palace gives me a bird's-eye view that, if I missed, I'd be doomed to this house."
Xiao Ce's foxy smile, anticipated by all, slayed the court when he said, "I'm bored to death. If you behead them all, there will be no prince left to rule this country. I'll step out first and offer my neck, so I don't have to watch them die."
Jaws dropped. Some murmured, "Does Prince Xiao Ce know the consequences of an acquittal?"
Nevertheless, Xiao Ce returned to the palace, unscathed and unharmed. However, as a consequence of violating palace protocols, he would be grounded for thirty days, unable to enter or exit the palace until his punishment was fulfilled. His royal escorts, reduced to the status of slaves, would not be allowed to serve the palace until their sentence was over.
Emperor Tang retracted the decree and put away the seal of execution.
"Thus, it is unnecessary to behead the Crown Prince and his pawns today," the King said. Rising from his seat, he led everyone to the banquet hall.
Xiao Ce, realizing his actions
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