Why Does Mr. Xie Favor Me? Chapter 47

Chapter 47 Leaving Song on an Autumn Night

Ten years of investment in exchange for a husband

The night before Xiao Jue went to the north, in the courtyard of the Peking General’s Mansion in Guzang City, the early autumn evening breeze had brought a bit of coolness, rolling in a few early withered sycamore leaves, making a rustling sound.

The servants had already been dismissed, and the mansion was extremely quiet. Only Xie Heng and Xiao Jue were left.

The army will set out tomorrow, and many trivial matters have been arranged.In the study, Xiao Jue just finalized the final march route with several lieutenants. After seeing them off, he returned to the main hall and saw Xie Heng standing in front of the armor rack.

The Mingguang armor that had been with him for many years was placed neatly on the shelf. Xie Heng did not call for his own soldiers, but walked over and reached out to take it off. The movements were as familiar as if he had done it thousands of times.

“I’ll come.” His voice rang in the silent room.

With a gentle smile in Xiao Jue’s eyes, he stood in front of Xie Heng obediently and spread his arms.The armor was heavy, but Xie Heng lifted it up as if it were light, putting it on for him piece by piece.

Starting from the neck brace and finally the leg brace, his movements were careful and focused, every buckle was checked repeatedly, and every nail leaf was smoothed and straightened.

Xiao Jue looked at him quietly, with warmth flowing in his heart.This was not the first time such a scene happened. Every time before he went on an expedition, Xie Heng would personally organize his armor.This has become a tacit understanding that goes without saying.

“Do you still remember the first time you wore armor for me?” Xiao Jue suddenly said.

Xie Heng kept moving his hands, but his eyelashes trembled slightly.He was silent for a moment and then slowly spoke: “Ten years ago in Lujiang County, the day your father was taken to the execution ground.”

Xiao Jue’s smile instantly froze on his face.

Xie Heng did not raise his head and continued to tie the breastplate straps for him. His voice was as calm as if he was talking about someone else’s business: “I was fourteen years old that year, and I went to Lujiang with my father to investigate the dam collapse case. At the scene of the crime, I saw a young man kneeling in the mud, digging through the ruins with his bare hands. His fingers were dripping with blood, but he was still shouting that my father was not greedy for ink.”

Xiao Jue’s fingers tightened slightly, and his nails dug into his flesh.

“It was raining that day, and you were soaked and covered in mud.” Xie Heng finally raised his eyes and looked directly into Xiao Jue’s eyes. “I stood by the ruins for two full hours, watching you go from crazy to numb, from crying to silent. When my father finally had you dragged away, you were like a rag doll.”

“Stop talking.” Xiao Jue’s voice was hoarse.

Xie Heng did not stop, “That night, when I found you in the backyard of the government office, you were still wearing those soaked dirty clothes, sitting on the stone steps with empty eyes. I asked my entourage to get a set of old armor that had been eliminated from the army.”

He turned behind Xiao Jue and continued to tie the straps on his back, his voice still steady: “I told you that if you want to take revenge and clear your father’s name, put on this armor. Go to the north to join the army and let your military achievements speak for themselves. When you are strong enough, you can overthrow those who killed your father.”

Xiao Jue closed his eyes, his Adam’s apple rolling violently.

“You didn’t say anything at the time. You just stood up and opened your arms.” Xie Heng tied the last strap, turned to Xiao Jue, and gently touched the goggles on his chest with his fingers. “That was the first time I wore armor for someone else. My hands were very raw, and I tied the straps three times before tightening them. But after you put it on, your whole person was different.”

“So the next day, you went to find your father.” Xiao Jue opened his eyes, with bloodshot eyes, “In the name of the Xie family, you stuffed me into the new military camp.”

Xie Heng nodded, “Yes. My father didn’t agree at the time and said I was fooling around. But my father couldn’t resist me, so he agreed.”

The two looked at each other in the candlelight, and the past ten years ago came flooding back.The Lujiang River dam burst and three counties were flooded, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties.

The court was furious, and after a thorough investigation, it was discovered that the project was corrupt. Xiao Jue’s father, Xiao Mingyuan, the director of the Lujiang County Gongcao, was pushed out to take the blame and beheaded in public.The real mastermind behind the scenes is powerful and has complicated relationships.

Xie Xianyuan was ordered to investigate the case. He knew clearly that Xiao Mingyuan was the scapegoat, but he was unable to compete with the alliance of many aristocratic families.In the end, I could only watch helplessly as the Xiao family was ransacked, Xiao Mingyuan was beheaded, and Xiao Jue became a refugee.

“I remember that suit of armor.” Xiao Jue finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse, “It’s very old and has rusted in some places, but it’s very heavy. After putting it on, I felt like I could stand up again.”

“What happened to the suit of armor?”

“I was chopped to pieces on the battlefield,” Xiao Jue said. “The barbarians attacked me at night. I was guarding the camp gate while wearing that armor. A gash was cut in my breastplate. I almost died, but I held on.”

Xie Heng’s fingers tightened slightly: “So I will personally inspect every piece of armor you wear now.”

Xiao Jue looked at him, emotions surging in his eyes.Ten years have passed, from the age of fourteen to the age of twenty-four, from a refugee to a general in Peking, from having nothing to now holding military power.This road was paved for him by Xie Heng himself.

Xiao Jue suddenly asked, “Why did you choose me back then? We have never met.”

Xie Heng was silent for a moment, then slowly said: “Because I saw myself in your eyes.”

He paused and said, “I was fourteen years old at that time. I saw my father being restrained in court, knowing that he was being wronged but could do nothing about it. I hated my own powerlessness. And the unwillingness and hatred in your eyes made me see another possibility. Maybe someone can escape this damn fate.”

“So you bet on me.”

“Yes.” Xie Heng admitted frankly, “I am betting on you. I will use the resources of the Xie family and my connections to send you to the Beifu Army and let you climb up step by step. I know this is cruel, asking you to fight for your future with your life. But I have no other choice. In this world, without military merit, you will never be able to solve the case.”

Xiao Jue suddenly smiled, with bitterness and relief in his smile: “You never told me this.”

“It’s not necessary.” Xie Heng adjusted his shoulder armor for him. “The path you want to take can only be walked by yourself. What I can do is make sure that when you walk, there is a path under your feet and someone behind you.”

The candle flame jumped a little. Xiao Jue looked at Xie Heng’s face close at hand and suddenly reached out to hold his wrist.Xie Heng’s wrist is very thin and the skin is cold. When you hold it in your palm, you can feel the beating of the pulse underneath.

“If I hadn’t met you back then,” Xiao Jue whispered, “I might have died somewhere in Lujiang County.”

“There is no if.” Xie Heng’s voice was soft but firm, “I met you, this is my fate.”

The two looked at each other quietly in the candlelight, ten years of time flowing in their eyes.The unspoken kindness, the needless support, and the trust and bond established in the bloody storm all turned into silent gazes at this moment.

Xiao Jue suddenly lowered his voice, with obvious teasing and intimacy, and his breath almost brushed Xie Heng’s ears: “Aheng looks like one of those young ladies in storybooks who send their husbands off on an expedition, reluctantly packing their bags before leaving.”

Xie Heng’s hand that was tying the armor silk ribbon suddenly paused.

He raised his eyes and looked into Xiao Jue’s smiling eyes.The smile was gentle and narrow, and the straightforward words made Xie Heng’s ears suddenly turn a thin layer of red.

But he quickly regained his composure and instead took a step forward. The distance between the two instantly shortened to the point where he could hear his breath.

“Little lady?” Xie Heng raised his eyebrows, and his fingertips traced the neck guard between Xiao Jue’s throat vaguely. The movement was frivolous and ambiguous, “Did General Xiao forget that who lost to me in the martial arts field last time and promised to call me husband?”

Xiao Jue’s Adam’s apple rolled unconsciously. Xie Heng’s fingers were cold, but the touch felt like an electric current, making his whole body stiffen slightly.

That was a few months ago. The two were competing in swordsmanship in private. He accidentally missed and the tip of Xie Heng’s sword was pressed against his throat.The bet agreed upon at that time, he indeed owed a husband.

“Then…husband?” Xiao Jue followed suit, his voice lowered a bit, with a hint of probing.

Xie Heng raised the corners of his lips in satisfaction, but his hand suddenly tightened the last lace tightly with force.Xiao Jue was caught off guard and groaned, feeling that the breastplate was tightly attached to his body, making him almost breathless.

“Does it hurt?” Xie Heng asked, but his fingers still stayed on the frenulum with no intention of letting go.

Xiao Jue looked at his face, his always dim eyes now filled with light waves. He was no longer the upright and steady Xie Pushe he usually was, but more like a fox teasing his prey.

He suddenly realized that Xie Heng was deliberately teasing and making him lose his temper.

“It doesn’t hurt.” Xiao Jue steadied his breathing and moved closer, the tip of his nose almost touching Xie Heng’s. “My husband tied it with his own hands. It doesn’t hurt at all.”

The distance between the two was dangerously close, and the candlelight cast their shadows on the wall, overlapping them into an intimate group.Xie Heng could clearly see his reflection in Xiao Jue’s eyes, and could feel the other person’s warm breath brushing his cheek.

Xie Heng suddenly smiled, and that smile was different from usual, less restrained and more wanton and romantic.He loosened the laces, but moved his hand upwards, caressing the side of Xiao Jue’s face, and his fingertips gently brushed the shell of his ear.

“That’s what you’re talking about.” His voice was as low as a whisper, “The young lady naturally wants to listen to her husband.”

Xiao Jue felt that his heartbeat had skipped a beat. Xie Heng rarely took the initiative and was so… flirtatious.He could feel the temperature of Xie Heng’s fingertips and see the undisguised possessiveness in the other person’s eyes.

“I always listen to you.” Xiao Jue’s voice was a little hoarse when he heard himself saying this.

“Really?” Xie Heng’s fingers slid to his chin and gently lifted it, “Then I will let you come back safely. Do you remember?”

“Remember.”

“I asked you to be careful in your words and deeds in the north and avoid the Wang family’s overt and covert attacks. Do you remember that?”

“Remember.”

“I asked you…” Xie Heng paused, a dark look flashed in his eyes, “You miss me every night, do you remember?”

Xiao Jue’s breathing was completely messed up. Looking at Xie Heng’s slightly raised lips, he suddenly felt that all his restraint collapsed at this moment.He took a step forward, pressed Xie Heng in front of the armor stand, and placed his hands on his sides.

“Don’t forget this, I’ve never forgotten it.”

Xie Heng looked at the emotions surging in his eyes, and suddenly felt that all his plans and worries became insignificant at this moment.He stretched out his hand to grab Xiao Jue’s shirt and kissed him hard.

The armor was cold and hard, and the two bodies were closely touching each other through the clothing material, but no one paid attention to it.Xie Heng’s kiss gradually turned from rough to gentle, as if he wanted to rub this person into his own bones and blood.

After a long time, the two of them separated, panting. Xie Heng’s lips were tinged with color, his eyelashes were slightly moist, and his usually neat clothes were a little messy.Xiao Jue’s condition was not much better. The tied crown was crooked, and a few strands of black hair fell down, making the glimmer of lust in his eyes even more obvious.

Xie Heng’s voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of rare vulnerability and stubbornness: “Everything is fine outside, remember to think of me.”

Xiao Jue’s heart was burning. She tightened her arms around him and solemnly promised: “Okay.”

There was the sound of the clock beating outside the window, it was already midnight.The two of them separated slightly, breathing calmly.Xie Heng raised his hand to straighten Xiao Jue’s crooked hair crown with careful and gentle movements.

Xiao Jue stood obediently and let him do what he wanted, but his eyes kept falling on his face, as if he wanted to carve this face into his heart.

“I haven’t said anything serious yet.” Xie Heng adjusted his hair crown, took a step back, and returned to his usual calm look. Only the reddish ears and gleaming lip color betrayed the intensity just now.

Xiao Jue also became serious: “You say it.”

The two of them moved to the study, where the border map of the Northern Territory and several secret letters were spread out on the table.Xie Heng took out a thin booklet from the locked drawer and handed it to Xiao Jue.

“What is this?”

“People in the Northern Army who may be of use to you.” Xie Heng pointed at several names on the booklet with his fingertips. “These people may have been favored by me, or have old grudges with the Wang family, or are simply loyal to the court. You can trust them in critical moments.”

Xiao Jue opened the book, which recorded everyone’s personal information in detail, and even some unknown reasons or favors.I don’t know how much effort it would take to compile such a list.

“And this.” Xie Heng handed over another copper talisman. “With this talisman, you can transfer up to 50,000 taels of cash at any bank in Xu’s Changlong in the north. No formalities are required. I have already arranged it.”

Xiao Jue took the bronze talisman and held it heavily.Fifty thousand taels of silver, which is almost equivalent to half a year’s military expenditure for the northern border army.

“This is too risky.” Xiao Jue frowned, “If someone discovers…”

“So you have to hide it.” Xie Heng interrupted him, “It’s freezing in the north and it’s difficult to transport food and grass. If someone wants to make a fuss about this, this money is your retreat.”

Xiao Jue clenched the bronze talisman, with complex emotions welling up in his heart.Xie Heng is always like this, seemingly calm and restrained, but in fact he is extremely considerate.From personnel to money, from open paths to hidden lines, he made all the possible conceivable possibilities and all the preparations he could make.

“Aheng…” Xiao Jue called his name, “Thank you.”

Xie Heng raised his eyes to look at him, candlelight dancing in those deep pool-like eyes.He suddenly stretched out his hand and stroked the side of Xiao Jue’s face, his movement as light as a feather.

“What I want is not thank you.” He whispered, “I want you to come back alive. When you come back, we will make our relationship public. Can I marry you?”

That night, the study was brightly lit.The two of them looked at the map and the list to deduce the possible situations and potential dangers in the north.Outside the window from late night to dawn, sycamore leaves rustle in the morning breeze. The coolness of early autumn seeps in through the cracks in the window, but is dispelled by the warmth and whispers indoors.

It was not until the east was white and the soldiers outside the door gently reminded them that it was time to set off that the two of them raised their heads from the complicated planning.

Xiao Jue checked his armor and sword one last time. Xie Heng stood quietly by the door and looked at him.The faint morning light filtered in through the window lattice, drawing a hazy band of light between the two of them.

Under almost the same moonlight, in the west of Guzang City, Xu Shuhuai’s small courtyard where he could find peace in the bustle was another scene.

After Xu Shuhuai returned to Guzang from Danyang, although he was in a delicate situation, he still lived a free and easy life.There were tea sets and an unfinished game of chess on the stone table in the courtyard. He was leaning on a bamboo chair in the corridor, playing with a warm mutton-fat jade finger on his fingertips, but his eyes drifted towards the courtyard door from time to time, as if waiting.

There was a slight knock on the door, neither light nor hard, three times.

Xu Shuhuai’s eyes brightened slightly, and he stood up and opened the door himself.Outside the door, Xie Nanqiao was wearing a plain cloak and a hood covering his face. He was followed only by a mute slave named Amo.

“You’re here?” Xu Shuhuai let her in with a familiar and natural tone. He took the cloak she took off and nodded to A’mo, “A’mo, there are sweet-scented osmanthus stuffed dumplings on the stove. Go use some.” A’mo looked at Xie Nanqiao, saw her nodding, then bowed and retreated to the side room.

The sweet fragrance of osmanthus floated in the courtyard. Xie Nanqiao walked to the stone table, her eyes fell on the remaining chess game, and the corners of her lips were slightly curved: “Master Xu’s chess still has such a measured advance and retreat, with hidden tricks.” As she spoke, her fingertips lightly tapped a seemingly insignificant position on the chessboard.

Xu Shuhuai walked over and looked along her fingertips, the smile in his eyes deepening: “You are not as thoughtful as the young master, you can always see the key points.”

He sat down on the stone bench opposite her, picked up the purple clay pot that had been kept warm on the small stove, poured her a cup of hot tea, and pushed it over, “The autumn night is cold, drink something hot. I asked someone to add a little more osmanthus nectar from the shop you said you liked last time.”

Xie Nanqiao picked up the tea cup. The warmth spread through the porcelain wall. She took a sip. The sweet scent of osmanthus mixed with the flavor of tea was indeed her favorite flavor. She raised her eyes and looked at Xu Shuhuai: “How did you know I would come tonight?”

Xu Shuhuai took out an object from his sleeve and placed it gently on the stone table. It was the small and exquisite suet-fat jade amulet he had given her before. It was only the size of a woman’s palm. The jade was warm and delicately beaten.”Last time you said that the abacus plectrum was a little loose, so I asked a craftsman to re-strengthen the gold wire.”

He paused and looked at her, “Besides, General Xiao will go on an expedition tomorrow, and Xie Pushe must be worried. With your temperament, you won’t just wait.”

Xie Nanqiao picked up the jade calculation chip, and his fingertips touched the cold and moist jade beads and the solid gold wire, and his heart felt slightly warm.

She said softly, “Brother, the pressure is like a mountain. General Xiao is going to the north, and it is difficult to defend against open and covert attacks. I am in the inner curtain, but I feel that there is some wind recently, and it is blowing in the wrong direction.”

She took out a small folded piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it over, “Some fragmentary information about the remarks that have been deliberately circulated in Shilin recently, as well as the background connections of several ladies and ladies who are trying to get close to me, may be useful to you.”

Xu Shuhuai took it and browsed it quickly. A hint of understanding flashed in his eyes. He did not burn it immediately, but looked at Xie Nanqiao, his eyes focused and gentle: “Nan Qiao,”

He changed his title and lost his usual distant politeness. “This information is very important. But do you know that collecting this information privately, especially if you communicate with me, will be even more detrimental to your reputation if someone with an interest in it discovers it? There are many people staring at the Xie family and me now.”

Xie Nanqiao met his gaze, and there was no fear in her clear eyes. Instead, she had the calmness of standing side by side: “Reputation?”

She shook her head gently, and the curve of her mouth was filled with a look of indifference, “Ever since the day they criticized me with the name of Si Chen, I have understood that the reputation they talk about is just a shackle. My heart is towards the bright moon, and I only want to be worthy of my brother and my true heart.”

She paused, and a very faint smile appeared in her eyes, which seemed to be teasing and testing, “You, on the other hand, do you dislike Nan Qiao for being a burden, or are you afraid of being implicated by me?”

When Xu Shuhuai heard this, he was startled for a moment, and then he chuckled, his laughter clear and clear, which was particularly pleasant in the quiet autumn night. “If I, Xu Shuhuai, were afraid of being implicated, I would not have taken over Duzhi’s mess in the first place, let alone…”

He stopped laughing, looked deeply into her eyes, and his voice was a little lower, with an unprecedented seriousness, “Not to mention, I will give this jade fortune-telling chip to you alone.”

The air seemed to be quiet for a moment, the scent of cinnamon was faint, and the moonlight was melting.

Xie Nanqiao’s heart trembled slightly, touched by the unabashed affection and determination in his eyes.She lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes were lightly covered like butterfly wings, and the tips of her ears were dyed a light pink, but her voice was clear: “What do you mean?”

Xu Shuhuai stretched out his hand, across the stone table, and gently covered her hand on the edge of the table.His hands were warm, dry and calloused.

“What I mean is,” he said slowly and clearly, “in the future, if you are willing to trust me, Amo will deliver this kind of news through the method I know, which is more secure. I will also arrange more capable hidden stakes around you to look after you.”

He held her hand tightly and said in a solemn tone, “When the current situation calms down, Xu will solemnly propose marriage to Xie Pushe. However, the situation is unclear at the moment, and you and I need to be more careful in our dealings to avoid giving others a handle and harming you.”

Xie Nanqiao did not withdraw her hand and let him hold it. Feeling the warmth and strength, she raised her eyes with bright eyes: “I understand. Don’t worry, Nan Qiao is not a ignorant person. It is best to work together to tide over the difficulties together.”

No more words are needed, the minds are already connected.Xu Shuhuai looked at her clear and resolute face, and his heart was filled with tenderness and determination.

Xie Nanqiao stood up and put on her cloak again and walked to the courtyard gate. She turned back and smiled sweetly at him. Although she didn’t say much, it was worth a thousand words.

Xu Shuhuai was in the independent corridor, looking at the direction where her figure disappeared, rubbing the ring finger with his fingertips, and whispered to himself: “Nan Qiao…wait for me.”

This night, two courtyards, two kinds of partings and agreements, intertwined into a network in the early autumn night, connecting the fate of the four people more closely.The road ahead is unpredictable, but people of the same mind are working together.

The next day, outside the north gate of Guzang, the autumn wind blew.Xiao Jue’s army marched out, and Xie Heng sent him off far away from the city tower until the flag disappeared from the sky.Xu Shuhuai quietly appeared beside him, and together they looked at the smoke and dust in the distance.

“Really let him go? The Wang family will not miss this opportunity.” Xu Shuhuai whispered.

Xie Heng’s gaze remained unchanged, looking towards the north: “If they think the sky is high and the road is far away, they can do whatever they want, they might as well give it a try.”

Xu Shuhuai knew that he had made arrangements, so he said no more and whispered: “Nan Qiao came to see me last night.”

He briefly informed Xie Nanqiao’s discovery and the cooperation between the two, and finally said, “She is very determined and bold. You need to know that she is inside the curtain and may not be safe.”

A trace of complexity flashed in Xie Heng’s eyes, with pride and deep concern, “I know, I will send more people to protect her secretly. You have good ears and eyes in Guzang, so please pay more attention to her.”

Xu Shuhuai nodded: “Don’t worry.”