Cry of the Midnight Jackdaw

Chapter Twenty-three,
To Share the Burden

“Just some snacks.” Xiao Zuo took a glance at the maid to the side. He Xuan seemed to have perceived something, yet did not speak up and only indifferently made an en sound, then turned around and continued walking ahead.

The corridor to the study wound and meandered, while the tops climbed with dense and bare vines, blown by bone-seeping cold winds that let out low and deep cries like they were about to fall.

Xiao Zuo recalled there was this kind of corridor in Nan Liang’s imperial palace as well- in the summer, shady green leaves would hold up clusters of wisteria, possibly sounds of warblers entering the ears in between, fading into this land of flowers that was like a waterfall. That year when he sat on a bench at the corridor underneath the vast clear skies while eating grapes, he probably never would have thought there would be a day when the flowers would wither and the warblers would grow old.

He Xuan walked very fast, and once Xiao Zuo came to, he could only see the hem at the corner. He hurriedly caught up, and no longer submerged into old dreams.

“Give it a try, Ling Xiang’s tea-steeping skills are not bad.” He Xuan leaned on the back of a chair, and turned his head to signal Xiao Zuo. As Xiao Zuo had concerns in his heart, he absentmindedly took a sip, and did not taste anything either. He smiled at He Xuan “It is good tea.”

He Xuan slightly knitted his eyebrows, he could see that Xiao Zuo had something to speak with him about, but did not point it out, and like a well-experienced hunter, he waited by the trap for the dumb prey to fall into the net by itself with some interest. He Xuan waved his hand and had Ling Xiang retreat, then no longer opened his mouth, and only looked at the letters sent from various places on his own, and dipped in some ink and wrote a few words from time to time.

There were a few times Xiao Zuo wanted to open his mouth, but he did not find an appropriate time- he blankly stood to the side in a hard-pressed spot, and even the palms started sweating.

“Your Highness……” When He Xuan put the brush down and drank tea, Xiao Zuo hurriedly took one step forward at the available opportunity, and because of nervousness, the voice was slightly shaking, “I have something I want to give you.”

He Xuan did not get in a single word inside during this cup of tea at all. He hung his eyes down and swept by the remarks he randomly wrote down just now, there was no heads or tails to it, unclear what it meant. He inconspicuously sighed for a bit, then lifted his eyes up, “What is it? Bring it to megu.”

Xiao Zuo pursed his lips, and slightly nervously wiped the sweat from his palms onto a handkerchief, then went up and opened that food box, and carefully took out the first layer. He Xuan took one glance, and saw that the bottom was placed with a square object wrapped in gold silk fabric.

“Please take a look, your Highness.”

He Xuan vaguely recalled something, he went up and undid that silk fabric, revealing a box engraved with dragon patterns on it. He Xuan picked it up and weighed it, it was fairly heavy, “This is…… Xing dynasty’s imperial jade seal?”

Xiao Zuo nodded his head, “That year, the grieved emperor’s descendant brought this imperial jade seal and escaped to Nan Liang, and later on, the imperial jade seal was left in the imperial palace. ”

“Oh? Why give it to me?” He Xuan did not open the box. He took one step back and sat back in the chair, with his expression indifferent, and his gaze deeply looking at Xiao Zuo.

“Right now…… Jin outshines the rest, going to war year after year, the commoners are long already are sick of it too. A long separation beseeches gathering, if Jin is able to unite the four countries, it is also the commoners’ fortune.”

He Xuan smiled in neither agreement nor denial, “Is that so? Then what benefit is it to you?”

“I hope that your Highness is able to use this and speak about the current situation of Nan Liang with his Majesty, the garrison envoy……” Xiao Zuo lowered his eyes, and his voice got a bit quiet.

“With just this?” He Xuan took back his smile. His fingers lightlytapped on that delicately-engraved box, and slightly narrowed his eyes. The light in his eyes was dark and unsteady, “Xing has long perished. In the final year, greedy and corrupt officials were in power, while commoners exchanged their sons for food, and has lost much of their popularity. Jin has no need for Xing’s imperial jade seal.” He Xuan stared at Xiao Zuo’s pale lips, and took one step forward.

“You must be doing it for that oracle.” He Xuan’s breath was wrapped with a piercing cold hint of frost and the pride from a determination to obtain [victory], “The country naturally has its fate, how could it be tied to an inanimate object?”

He lowered his voice, if another person were to hear it, it would seem like the soft mutterings between lovers, “What I, He Xuan want, I will use my own power to take.”

After finishing, his two fingers gathered together, and pushed the box forward, “Is there anything else?”

Xiao Zuo blankly looked at He Xuan, and his expression uncontrollably sunk into dejection. Before he came, he originally had the resolution of being rejected, but when really standing before He Xuan, he did not know why he had some delusions he should not have. Just like when he was young, no matter whatever cakes he wanted to eat, toys he wanted to have, as long as he acted artfully and played smart, even the glittering moon of the highest skies could be obtained without lifting his hands.

But people would eventually have to grow up. After leaving Nan Liang’s Ji Le Palace, he was no longer that little highness whose wishes all came true, he became a bird trapped in a cage.