Cry of the Midnight Jackdaw

Chapter Twelve,
Distance

Xiao Zuo sat at the top of main reception holding a cup of tea. The tea’s hot steam gradually fumigated his features and appear uncertain, creating some hard-to-say distance and stateliness.

Once he saw Qing Xing come in, he indifferently glanced at her. Qing Xing’s legs went soft due this look of his, and afterwards, she knelt onto the ground, and kowtowed while speaking in a tearful voice, “Duke, this servant was muddled, this servant was wrong……”

Xiao Zuo sipped a mouthful of tea, lifted his eyelids, then glanced at her, “How were you wrong?” He was a person who once sat upon the throne after all- in between the words, there was a slight tone of not allowing for intervention remaining, making people wanting to submit to them.

Qing Xing continued to kowtow, and said with a shaking voice, “This servant shouldn’t have done things without prior authorization, and seduce…… seduce……”

For a small servant girl, this kind of genteel phrase like seducing the superior to stir confusion that only the censorate would use was probably a rare encounter. For them, probably clutching at their hips and scolding “vixen” at each other was enough, now when he had her correctly go through self-analysis while in fear, she shook even more and could not say it out loud, and anxiously spoke through her actions, kowtowing her head to the point blood seeped out.

Xiao Zuo knitted his eyebrows, and waved his hand to have her stop. He deeply knew of the logic behind the paddle and then a sweet date, and after seeing enough, he then sighed, and softened his tone, “Has there been any hardships at home lately?”

Qing Xing froze. Matters of revealing scars typically had reasoning to follow it- if one were to expose it before a large crowd, that shame would be pressed over the grievance, and naturally would make people unhappy; If it was like today, where Zi Wan also retreated, leaving Xiao Zuo alone, this question would be like spring winds turning to rain, dampening those soundlessly.

Qing Xing originally held a thought of being steeped in a pig cage[1], but when she suddenly heard these words, the grievances in the heart then surged out like a dyke breaching, and she instantly had tears filling the eyes to the brim. She used the sleeves to wipe the tears, sniffled, then spoke up.

“This servant…… this servant’s mother had come down with a sickness a few days ago. That day, the doctor wanted an excessively large fee, but this servant’s big sister just married, so the family only has this servant alone, how could we raise the money? Seeing Mother’s illness worse by the day, this servant got blinded, and thought……”

Up to here, Qing Xing got a bit ashamed. She stopped for a moment, then continued speaking, “Thought that if I were the duke’s person, the duke would naturally look after me more…… and then made a big mistake, please punish me, Duke.”

A pitiful person too. Xiao Zuo sighed, “I still have some silvers here, take it to treat your mother. As for punishment, first go outside to sweep the floors for a month, then I will consider it later.”

A personal maid to a sweeping servant girl, naturally was quite a demotion, but compared to what Qing Xing originally thought, it was already a grace as big as the heavens.

And thus, she happily wiped the tears and kowtowed, and repeatedly said some grateful words, making Xiao Zuo drive her out.

Once Qing Xing left, the hall was only left with Xiao Zuo. He carefully thought about it, and felt that this matter gave him a warning. This bedchamber of his was truthfully not too safe- any one serving maidservant could change the incense, sneak into his room, and even climb into the bed and there would be even no one to report it to him. Today, it was merely a servant girl wanting to seek a favour, but if it was an assassin with ulterior motives, who hid in his room and put in a muddling fragrance, and was about to take his life, would it not be as easy as flipping the hand?

Although it could be said that in these days, he was quite taken care of by his Highness the Crown Prince, and the servant girls and boys around the ducal residence were already more respectful towards him, it was merely surface-level work. He, this duke in name, was probably merely a short-lived duke in their eyes, and could be dragged off by the emperor to be beheaded, so no one really cared. Such a big ducal residence was like a paper mush tiger, and once blown by the wind or drenched by rain, it would softly fall, nothing to be hoped upon.

But now, he was merely an unarmed warrior, how does he keep his life in this strange and ever-changing battlefield? Xiao Zuo thought for a long time but could not come up with a way. Zi Wan also already came in to call him for lunch, so he had to put this matter to the side, then brushed his clothes before going to the dining hall.

❀

“Your Highness, please have tea.” He Xuan indifferently glanced at Qing Shuang[2] to the side lowering his head pouring out tea, and with slightly ridicule, reached out and lifted his chin up. The fingertips slightly stroked it, and his voice was slightly hoarse, “They all say Sir Qing Shuang’s talents are crowned to be excellent within the southern mansions[3], seeing it today, these words are certainly……”

He Xuan lazily took back his hand, and curled up his lips, “True. Truly, exquisite colours like those of mandarin duck feathers, with beautiful features comparable to the morning glows.”

“Aye…… Sir Qing Shuang is as he is named, a person like they were carved from ice, nary a false praise there” Xu Yu Hang sat across from He Xuan without any care, and his eyes said with praise, “Typically, I would only accompany you to this southern mansion to sit, and have not even the slightest interest towards those dolled-up, fake and artificial men. However, Sir Qing Shuang does make people enlightened.”

He Xuan took up a cup of tea and sipped it, then lifted his eyelids to look at Xu Yu Hang, and opened his mouth, “Oh? How has Lord Xu been enlightened?”

“I saw that since Sir Qing Shuang came in, he always stood his back straight, your hand……” Xu Yu Hang did not pay heed to He Xuan, and looked at the icy man in front of him on his own. He hung his hands, standing to one side, like a sudden white spirit in this gaudy southern mansion, not conforming with the surrounding merry sounds and laughter.

“Your hands have old calluses. Do not tell me, this is from you practising the qin.”

Xu Yu Hang’s eyes turned swift and fierce, while He Xuan was still lazily leaning on the back of the chair, with the hands holding the cup of tea, nonchalantly turning it, as though this sudden nervous air like drawing swords and bows was not related to him at all, and looked at the person in front of him with a spurious smile.

Qing Shuang’s expression did not have a single ripple to it. He hung his eyes down and indifferently said, “Qing Shuang is a son of a guilty minister, in the past, I have certainly practised in martial arts.” After finishing, he smiled, seeming to be ridiculing himself, “Now that I am a little prostitute, I cannot have even learned martial arts in the past?”

Xu Yu Hang stared at him for a moment, then quickly laughed, “I am merely joking with you, Sir Qing Shuang does not need to take it so seriously.”

“Don’t mind him, a crude person like him does not understand to have a tender heart for the fair [women].” The corner of He Xuan’s mouth grinned, then lifted up a teapot and poured out a cup of tea, and pushed it to the front of Qing Shuang, “Here, as an apology for the beauty.”

“Qing Shuang does not dare.”

“Your Highness.” The beaded curtains by the entrance swayed, and a man in simple clothes came in. That person’s legs wore a pair of long shoes, and between his brows was a scar from a blade, the murderous air on the body was quite heavy, and with one look, they seemed like a person who climbed out from mountains of blades and seas of blood.

He Xuan lifted his eyes, and waved his hand at him, “What is it?”

That person’s skills were ghastly, and with a blink of the eye, he came right to the front of He Xuan, and said something to his ears. The bead curtains lightly swayed, and soon, he disappeared again.

“Yin Xing[4]?” Xu Yu Hang saw the empty entrance, and his mouth was staggering, “What is it? Now your secret guards are doing this kind of business with you?”

He Xuan lifted his leg and kicked the chair Xu Yu Hang was sitting in. Xu Yu Hang stood up quick to the eye, then jumped to the back of Qing Shuang, while his mouth did not forget to tease, “Exposed and now you go from shamed to angry?”

“Beat it.” He Xuan reached out and slowly stroked the edge of the cup, wiping away the stains on the top, and curled his lips, “The little beauty of the south had their bed climbed upon, and actually sent that servant over to sweep the grounds on the next day, say……”

He Xuan dubiously paused. The dim and gentle candlelight in the southern mansion reflected into his features, dispersing the ruthless air in the regular day. He slightly narrowed his eyes, and then, like those other regular lords of the entertainment building, using a slight erotic tone at the end, said, “Is it that servant who was incapable, or is it…… he who was incapable?”

Xu Yu Hang twitched his mouth, and said without understanding flirtation, “What does that have to do with you if he can or not?”

“You’re right.” He Xuan slightly deepened his voice, and looked at that glazed milky-white cup, “I just need to be capable.”

❀

Xiao Zuo did not think that just as he demoted Qing Xing to the outside with his front foot, to the back, He Xuan would come ask about it.

“Where did that personal maid of yours go?” He Xuan drank wine in a small sip, and seemingly asked carelessly.

Ever since He Xuan ate dinner at Xiao Zuo’s, this very noble crown prince seemed like he got addicted, and came to Xiao Zuo’s residence for a meal everyday. He would even bring good wine each time as he extremely disliked that the wine in the poor residence was not to taste.

Now, Xiao Zuo understood this demon’s temper- he definitely did not let oil or salt in, and did not submit to soft or hard methods[5], and needed to use good words to coax before he would give you a good face. Xiao Zuo was also forced to learn a good skill of coaxing people now- he originally did not some hot-tempered nature either, but he was accustomed with being royalty for long, and always found it hard to evade some proud and wilful little tempers of his.

However, this bit of temper was about to smoothed out by this destiny.

Xiao Zuo picked up a salted pork rib for He Xuan, and said, “That maid has committed a slight offence, so I sent her to sweep the floors.”

He Xuan looked at the short rib in the bowl, and picked it up with a spurious smile, “You are quite considerate, you even remembered that Ig like to eat this one.”

“I naturally remember your Highness’ tastes.” Xiao Zuo poured a cup of wine as well, then said, “This is wormwood wine[6] especially prepared for your Highness, do try it.”

He Xuan swayed the finely engraved silver cup. The alcohol within it was dyed in a thin colour, carrying a slight cold green colour to it. He slightly sipped on it, then placed the wine cup on the table without remark, “A slight offence?”

Xiao Zuo’s heart jumped from hearing [those words]. He Xuan laughed, and leaned his body in and spat the words by Xiao Zuo’s ears, “Your Majesty truly is a Liu Xia Hui[7], don’t want one even they’ve sent themselves to your door?”

He Xuan’s words carried the scent of wormwood, making the completely opposite cool and bitterness and the sweet smell curiously intermingle together, creating an unspeakable and peculiar taste and making Xiao Zuo a bit dizzy.

Xiao Zuo blankly looked at He Xuan finish these words, then sit back down as though nothing happened, continuing to eat the short rib in the bowl leisurely.

What did he mean by this?

Xiao Zuo chewed on the diced chicken with half a plate of the red chili without knowing what it tasted like, and absentmindedly thought. Sometimes, he felt like he seemed to understand this person in front of him, but very soon, he would discover, He Xuan, this person, was moody and subject to change. He seemed like the rains of their Nan Liang’s summer afternoons, where even if it fell for hundreds of thousands of years, there was still no one able to tell when there would be a rainstorm, and when it would be clear skies again.