Chapter 30: Overwhelmed by Favor
Just as Qi Xiao had predicted, he and Fu Yunzhi were carried onto the warship, carried into the inn in Yinshui City, and then carried onto the ship back to the capital, with no chance to meet the entire way.
Langxuan did not plunder the people on the island, only taking the auction items and returning them to the Lord of Yinshui City. The pirates who were willing to surrender would follow the Langxuan warships back to the capital to serve in the army and atone for their crimes. The old, weak, women, and children were left in Yinshui City to live honestly.
The Jianghu people and Qi Xiao’s group parted ways in Yinshui City. Before leaving, Mu Linglong also won the bid for the Wuluo Grass for Fu Yunzhi.
And although Qi Shaoling urged him to stay, Qi Shaofeng still insisted on wandering the world and did not return to the capital with them. After saying goodbye to him, Qi Xiao and his group continued their journey back to the capital.
When they docked, Rong Feijun was waiting for them at the pier with a few guards. Behind him were many ordinary people, likely the families of the soldiers. By this time, Qi Xiao and Fu Yunzhi had recovered, and the two of them walked off the ship side by side.
“Welcome back.” Rong Feijun hugged them. “I’ve heard everything… I’m glad you’re alright.”
Qi Xiao looked at Rong Feijun and the familiar capital behind him. The city was much more desolate than when they had left. It was late autumn, and the trees were bare, with winter just around the corner. He was also filled with emotion and returned the embrace. He was much taller than the other two, and with his arms outstretched, he enveloped them both in a hug.
“We all came back alive.”
Besides the main warship, the remaining ships also gradually docked. The soldiers disembarked one by one, searching for their relatives. The pier was filled with the joy and warmth of long-awaited reunions.
Qi Shaoling and Duanmu Ling also stepped onto the pier. Seeing Qi Xiao and Fu Yunzhi talking with Rong Feijun, Duanmu Ling said to Qi Shaoling, “General Qi and Yunzhi will probably go to the palace with the Emperor to catch up. Shall we go back first?”
Qi Shaoling nodded.
Duanmu Ling happily linked arms with him. Home, back to our home.
As Duanmu Ling had said, Qi Xiao and Fu Yunzhi did indeed go to the palace.
In the imperial study, they told Rong Feijun about their experiences and discoveries, including the portrait in the pirate king’s room. Fu Yunzhi immediately took a brush and ink and drew a picture of the pirate king for him.
Qi Xiao and Rong Feijun had long known that Fu Yunzhi was proficient in the four arts and had achieved a high level of skill. But seeing him sketch a person’s likeness with just a few strokes still surprised them.
[Translator’s Note:
The Four Arts : Refers to the four traditional arts of a Chinese scholar: playing the zither, playing Go, calligraphy, and painting .]
To draw such a lifelike portrait in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn was something an ordinary person could not do.
“This is her. Does Your Majesty have any impression?” Fu Yunzhi pointed to the portrait.
Rong Feijun studied it for a while. “No, I have never seen this person… However, she looks very much like someone…”
“Who?”
“My imperial uncle, Prince Huaide. But he was dealt with by my father long ago for treason.”
Fu Yunzhi and Qi Xiao exchanged a look. Could this woman be a descendant of that Prince Huaide? How else could it be explained?
“We couldn’t find this woman,” Qi Xiao said. “It’s as if she vanished into the sea.”
“She is the king of the pirates and has lived in that sea for many years,” Rong Feijun smiled. “It’s natural that she is more familiar with the area than you are. It’s not surprising that you couldn’t find her.”
He clapped his hands, and a maid brought in tea and snacks. “Let’s not talk about business. Let’s have a good get-together. You two will stay here tonight, and we won’t go home until we’re drunk!”
As if remembering something, he said, “Now that you’re back, I can rest assured. I’ve decided to leave for Shahan next week to treat my illness.”
“Shall we go with you?” Qi Xiao asked.
Rong Feijun shook his head. “You two will watch over the capital for me. It’s enough for me to take Mo Yan. He is the commander of the imperial guards. While I am away, the imperial guards will be handed over to Ah-Xiao.”
Qi Xiao nodded.
The Qi family only had one person serving as an official, so Rong Feijun felt at ease entrusting power to them, and Qi Xiao accepted it without worry, not fearing that someone would be jealous of the Qi family and move against them. Old General Qi had long since let go of things after knowing that his son was capable of supporting the family and got along well with the Emperor, and had gone off to wander the Jianghu.
Qi Xiao had a servant bring some wine. “This first cup is to send the Emperor off on a safe journey.”
Fu Yunzhi also poured some wine. “Return safely.”
Rong Feijun smiled and returned the toast. The three of them stayed in the small imperial study until dawn, just like when they were young, spreading a blanket, huddling by the stove, reading and chatting together, and falling asleep as they talked, waking up to find it was already morning.
Neither Qi Xiao nor Fu Yunzhi mentioned the confession from that day, as if it had never happened.
A week passed peacefully. After Qi Xiao and Fu Yunzhi saw Rong Feijun off, winter arrived, and the branches were heavy with snow. The capital was a sea of white, with only the plum trees by the street blooming luxuriantly, their red blossoms standing out against the white.
The courtyard of the Fu manor was filled with these flowers that grew more vibrant in the cold. Walking along the corridor, Qi Xiao couldn’t help but feel that the Fu manor had been the same for ten years. He remembered the first time he had come here, the first time he had seen Fu Yunzhi, and it had looked just like this.
Fu Yuncai walked beside him. “Second Brother has gone to the literary academy and hasn’t returned yet. Shall I take you to his study to wait, General Qi?”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
After leading him to the study, Fu Yuncai left.
Qi Xiao, bored, browsed Fu Yunzhi’s bookshelf. Hmm, all great literary works that he couldn’t understand.
Huh…?
He noticed a thin book with a different style from the others. He couldn’t help but take it out to look. On the cover were several large characters…
Pregnant and Fleeing the Marriage: The Evil Alliance Chief’s Vicious Little Cult Leader
Qi Xiao: “…”
Isn’t this my debut work?
Did Yunzhi buy it to read? Why would he buy it to read!
Qi Xiao covered his face, his feelings a mix of shame and a sense of accomplishment.
After putting the book back exactly as he had found it, he couldn’t help but wander around the study.
This feeling of peeking into his wifey’s daily life was just too good! Maybe he could even discover some secrets… like a smut book?
Fu Yunzhi’s study was neat and tidy, the layout meticulous. It was crowded, with a desk and countless bookshelves. This wasn’t the first time Qi Xiao had been here, so he knew that the number of books in this room was constantly increasing, and the bookshelves were constantly being expanded or added.
Wifey is truly learned.
Qi Xiao felt a strange sense of pride.
Just then, he noticed a scroll hanging in a corner of the study. He thought it was probably Fu Yunzhi’s work, so he curiously went closer to examine it.
Qi Xiao was a martial artist, and a highly skilled one at that. His hearing was sharp, and he was particularly sensitive to sound. So, he immediately caught the faint sound of wind behind the scroll.
Wind?
If there’s wind, could there be a secret compartment behind this scroll? Qi Xiao thought.
He immediately became excited. A secret compartment, isn’t that for hiding things? Fu Yunzhi would definitely hide his secrets here!
After lifting the scroll, he saw that there was indeed a secret compartment. Inside were a pile of rolled-up Xuan papers. He roughly estimated there were about a hundred rolls!
What is all this…
Qi Xiao unrolled one of the papers and was stunned.
It was a painting.
And the person in the painting was himself.
He continued to unroll the other scrolls and saw that every single one was a painting of himself.
Qi Xiao on horseback, Qi Xiao daydreaming, Qi Xiao smiling, Qi Xiao angry, Qi Xiao drinking…
Ten-year-old Qi Xiao, fifteen-year-old Qi Xiao, eighteen-year-old Qi Xiao, twenty-year-old Qi Xiao…
It was all Qi Xiao!
After rolling up all the paintings, he sat down in one of the chairs, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.
Yunzhi is painting me…
Yunzhi has painted so many pictures of me…
Qi Xiao couldn’t explain why Fu Yunzhi would so diligently paint so many pictures of him and hide them away.
Could it be…
An image of one of the paintings appeared in his mind. In it, he was holding Fu Yunzhi on horseback, riding towards the city gate of the capital, with thousands of high-spirited troops behind him. This had happened recently, wasn’t it during the battle against Sheng Luo with the King of Shahan?
Qi Xiao’s dazed eyes gradually regained their focus and lit up. The corners of his mouth couldn’t help but lift.
“Ha, ha…”
“Hahahahahahaha!”
He stood up excitedly and looked for more scrolls hanging in the room. As expected, there were secret compartments behind the other scrolls as well, and what was hidden inside were more portraits of himself.
He roughly estimated that there were ten secret compartments in this study, and each one had about a hundred scrolls… Qi Xiao couldn’t help but throw his head back and laugh again.
Fu Yunzhi hadn’t returned yet, so he continued to unroll the paintings one by one. He unrolled one of a ten-year-old version of himself, practicing with his sword in the Qi family’s backyard. But the technique in this painting was very unrefined, the skill very raw. He looked at the date at the bottom; it was painted when Fu Yunzhi was eight.
A jolt went through his heart. So Fu Yunzhi started painting me when he was eight… no wonder there are so many.
Then, he saw paintings from when Fu Yunzhi was eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen…
Qi Xiao’s eyes grew hot. Why have I been so oblivious…
He never knew that Fu Yunzhi…
Creak—
The door was pushed open, and Fu Yunzhi walked in, bringing a gust of cold air with him.
“Qi…”
His voice died in his throat. He saw Qi Xiao standing in front of one of the secret compartments, holding a painting he was all too familiar with, and he froze on the spot.
“You…” A look of helplessness flashed in Fu Yunzhi’s eyes.
Qi Xiao couldn’t hold it in any longer. He put the painting aside and walked towards him.
“Don’t come over…” Fu Yunzhi took a few steps back.
Qi Xiao reached out, wrapped an arm around his waist, and lowered his head for a deep kiss.
