Literary Longing

Chapter 5 (Page 1/2)

Yu Sui's day and night research into the Strange Fire finally paid off.

Initially, she thought the Five Elements Light Core was nurtured by the Strange Fire. After she crushed five of them, she clearly noticed that the birth rate of the Five Elements Light Core slowed down significantly.

She also felt her mental energy was depleted, her eyelids grew heavy, and she had difficulty breathing, eventually passing out.

The next day, the Mute Woman found her collapsed beside the Liudan Jade Stone and rushed to wake her. Seeing Yu Sui's dazed expression, she frowned.

Yu Sui tried to play it off, but the Mute Woman still reported it to Lady Su.

Lady Su asked her what happened. Yu Sui claimed she couldn't sleep last night and got up to study, then fell asleep by the Liudan Jade Stone because it was cool near it.

She managed to get away with it.

These minor matters were insignificant, so Lady Su didn't dwell on them.

Yu Sui also learned the limit of her current ability to recreate the Five Elements Light Core.

Throughout that summer, Yu Sui visited Gu Gan's home every few days. By winter, she had read almost all the books in the study.

As the weather turned cold, the restless Strange Fire brought her another benefit.

After winter set in, the Liudan Jade Stone in Yu Sui's room was replaced by the Mute Woman and others. Instead, they hung Taoist School's "Four Seasons Rest Talisman" under her courtyard eaves, preventing the winter chill from approaching, keeping the room warm as spring.

Yu Sui stood under the eaves in a single layer of clothing, looking up at the falling snow. She reached out her hand, and the snowflakes melted before they could get close to her palm.

She didn't need to go to the Imperial Academy in winter, but she wasn't idle. She began frequently accompanying Lady Su to banquets. As the year drew to a close, the King's Mansion also hosted a banquet, and the Nangong Clan would be invited to spend New Year's Eve there.

The holiday season was actually Yu Sui's busiest time.

She had to attend a minister's banquet today, a general's banquet tomorrow, and a palace banquet the day after. Even if she just went as a mascot, a mascot representing the Nangong King's Mansion, she had to be present.

However, most of the time, Yu Sui went with Lady Su. Occasionally, other madams would go too. Only for today's banquet at General Zhenguo's Mansion did the master of the King's Mansion, Nangong Ming, also go.

Nangong Ming stood by the carriage and waved to Yu Sui, who had just exited the King's Mansion's main gate, signaling her to come over.

Yu Sui obediently went over and called him "Father." Nangong Ming patted her head, told her to get in the carriage first, and spoke a few words with Lady Su outside before they parted ways.

After Lady Su got into the carriage, she closed her eyes to rest. Yu Sui rolled her eyes, wondering whether to chat with her or remain silent.

After she had been silent for a while, Lady Su spoke, "What is your relationship with the Zhongli family's child?"

Zhongli Ci, the General Zhenguo of Qingyang, was known as one of the Military School's Three War Gods. The Zhongli were a prominent Military School clan, with generations of ancestors serving as distinguished Great Generals with outstanding military achievements in Qingyang.

Their descendants all had great talent in the Military School path, mastering the arts of military formations and entrapment. Not only that, but they also possessed a peerless family swordsmanship. They were considered one of the top ten most powerful clans in the Xuangu Continent's Six Kingdoms today.

They were also among the most influential people in the Qingyang Nation.

General Zhenguo Zhongli Ci's wife was an ordinary person with no background in the Imperial Capital. They had one son and one daughter.

The son, Zhongli Shan, was ten years old, and the daughter, Zhongli Que, was six years old. She was the same age as Yu Sui and also studied at the Imperial Academy.

Yu Sui had seen Zhongli Que a few times at the Imperial Academy but had never spoken to her, mostly because she spent most of her time sleeping.

Yu Sui often heard the name Zhongli Que, but it was always from Princess Shangyang.

Princess Shangyang felt greatly slighted because Zhongli Que did not join her clique of sisters.

The little princess usually got whatever she wanted and rarely encountered anyone who defied her. Zhongli Que was one such person. For a time, she frequently caused trouble, even escalating to the point where the Empress had to intervene to mediate before it stopped.

The Zhongli family's status was evident. Compared to the Nangong family, the only collateral royal family, they were on par.

Facing Lady Su's question, Yu Sui quickly reviewed the information in her mind and replied truthfully, "Not very close."

Lady Su opened her eyes and glanced at her. Yu Sui thought she was going to criticize her social skills, but instead, Lady Su closed her eyes again and said indifferently, "No need to get too close."

Yu Sui nodded.

It seemed the relationship between the two families was not very good.

*

Today was the birthday banquet for the eldest legitimate son of General Zhenguo. Many people attended. Just looking at the Zhongli family members made Yu Sui's eyes blur.

The Zhongli family was a flourishing clan.

Great General Zhongli Ci had three full brothers. As these brothers married and had children, the younger generation numbered nearly eleven or twelve, not including collateral and distant relatives.

Yu Sui followed Lady Su, acting as a mascot.

The benefits of high status became apparent at this time. At least she didn't have to greet everyone she met. Most people addressed her respectfully as Young Princess.

After the customary greetings, everyone began to mingle. The men gathered to discuss men's affairs, and the women gathered to discuss women's affairs.

The children also played with other children.

The servants in the mansion had cleared the accumulated snow in advance. Red plum blossoms adorned the branches along the path, and stone lanterns were lit, dispelling the darkness of the night.

Princess Shangyang also came. She was happily playing with the other children. As she ran ahead, she casually called out to Yu Sui, who was lagging behind.

Drowsy, Yu Sui walked at the back with her head drooping. She heard the call and looked up, immediately spotting Zhongli Que, who was trying to avoid Princess Shangyang.

Under the cover of her maids, Zhongli Que, holding up her skirt, hurried through the red plum grove, her cheeks flushed and her breath misting in the cold air.

She ran out of the plum grove and met Yu Sui on the path. Both of them froze.

As a county princess of the King's Mansion, Yu Sui had people meticulously dressing her every day. She didn't pay much attention to it, as she thought everything looked good on her.

Before going out, the maid first styled her hair into a Hanging Bun. The hair on top of her head was coiled into two small buns, then two strands of black hair were braided and fastened. Finally, the remaining long hair was divided into two long braids that hung down her back. Thin red strings were woven through the braids, tied at the ends.

At this moment, Yu Sui looked at Zhongli Que, who stood a few steps away. Their hairstyles were not exactly the same, but identical. They had even chosen crabapple flower hairpins, with red strings woven through their long braids, and two gold beads adorning the ends of the red strings.

The two girls looked at each other, neither speaking. Hearing someone call Yu Sui's name again from ahead, Zhongli Que lowered her head and quickly ran away.

Yu Sui raised her hand to touch the cool hairpin on her head and walked forward.

Zhongli Que ran for a short while before looking back, her gaze hesitating as she watched Yu Sui walk away.

*

Yu Sui's memory of that day was limited to bumping into the young lady from the General's Mansion over their hair accessories. That was also her memory of Zhongli Que.

It wasn't until spring that Yu Sui returned to the Imperial Academy to study and saw Zhongli Que again.

But the two still had no interaction.

It was Princess Shangyang who, after repeatedly hitting a wall with Gu Gan, tried to win Yu Sui over to work for her.

Yu Sui asked her, "What do you want me to do?"

Princess Shangyang put her hands on her hips and said, "Keep an eye on him. You have to tell me everything he does!"

Yu Sui shook her head and quickly refused.

In his year at the Imperial Academy, Gu Gan had gone from offending all the instructors to now earning their admiration and sincerely teaching knowledge.

Yu Sui occasionally felt that Gu Gan was the one with the protagonist's script.

Gu Gan had a mysterious background, perhaps carrying deep-seated hatred. Nangong Ming cherished his growth, he himself was exceptionally talented, the arrogant and overbearing Princess Shangyang liked him, many boys also liked to befriend him, and even the teachers he had offended were won over by him.

The carriage arrived at the King's Mansion. Yu Sui lifted the curtain and glanced at her three elder brothers. Not only did the protagonist have a network of relationships, but there were also villain characters who often troubled Gu Gan and looked down on him.

Add to that herself, his childhood sweetheart, and the "person he would protect with his life" setting personally stamped by Nangong Ming, Gu Gan's future was boundless.

Then what about her future?

She would either die because her identity as the World Destroyer was exposed, or die because of the struggle for the Primordial Soil.

Yu Sui raised her hand and rubbed her face, thinking absentmindedly: Maybe I should just be a villain.

The villain who brought disaster to the Xuangu Continent.

Destroying the world should be easier than saving it.

*

Yu Sui's impression of Zhongli Que deepened in the summer when she was seven years old.

Her room was redecorated with Liudan Jade Stone. At night, unable to sleep due to the heat, she sat by the Liudan Jade Stone, refining new Five Elements Light Cores from the Strange Fire.

During the day, she slacked off and slept at the Imperial Academy.

Yu Sui did not deliberately socialize. In the past few years, apart from Princess Shangyang who took the initiative to talk to her, she had not made any friends her age.

But she was well-liked by boys.

It was boys older than her, who all liked to treat her like a younger sister.

These friendships were gained from attending banquets with Lady Su. They met at banquets and would chat a bit more when they encountered each other at the Imperial Academy.

Especially her eldest brother Han Bing's friends, who were four or five years older than the Young Princess and were all well-mannered boys. Due to their good relationship with Han Bing, they were also very kind to Han Bing's sister and helped Yu Sui a lot with her studies.

There was a Little Brother Lin, who had two buck teeth when he smiled, sincere and kind. In Yu Sui's eyes, he was a very gentle young master from a noble family.

She heard that his family had recently run into trouble. His father was imprisoned and had not been released after three days of interrogation, and his mother was desperately seeking help.

Young Master Lin was only twelve years old. The usually gentle and cheerful boy had become extremely silent.

Before Young Master Lin found Yu Sui, she was napping at her desk. During lunchtime, the instructor left, and everyone else paired up to eat lunch.

Yu Sui rubbed her eyes and stood up. Zhongli Que was walking towards her from afar. From a distance, her gaze towards Yu Sui already indicated that something had happened.

But Yu Sui at that time couldn't see it. She was walking towards the outer door. Because she was closer, she was faster than Zhongli Que.

Seeing Yu Sui about to leave the classroom and go outside, Zhongli Que became anxious and shouted, "Nangong Sui!"

"Don't go out!"

As Yu Sui stepped out of the classroom, she was grabbed by the sleeve by the rushing Young Master Lin. He knelt on the ground, completely losing his usual elegance, and kowtowed to Yu Sui, shouting:

"County Princess, I beg you, please save my father, he's been wronged!"

The force with which he grabbed Yu Sui's wrist almost pulled her down.

Yu Sui's ears buzzed.

"My father guarded Tongzhou for over twenty years, intercepting and killing hundreds of people transporting and selling poisonous herbs. My ancestors were all poisoned to death, so how could he collude with drug traffickers and be corrupt!"

"I implore the County Princess to tell the Prince to re-investigate this matter!"

"County Princess, I beg you! Beg the Prince to release my father!"

Young Master Lin's actions attracted a crowd. Yu Sui had not rested well last night, and now she was dizzy from the barrage of information. She pulled her hand back and said, "You, you get up first."

At this moment, Young Master Lin had completely regarded her as his last hope. He knelt before her, kowtowing until his head bled, and refused to let go, desperately recounting his father's injustice and begging for another investigation.

Zhongli Que stood behind, turning her face away in annoyance. It was over, she was too slow. She would be in trouble when she got back.

Yu Sui was almost pulled down by Young Master Lin, but thankfully her elder brother Han Bing and others arrived in time. They forcibly pulled Young Master Lin away from her and shielded her behind them.

This incident caused a huge stir, involving court officials and the bureaucracy. It was no longer something that could be brushed aside as mere childish play.

The mediocrity Yu Sui had displayed over the years had not harmed her. She tried her best not to attract attention and minimize her presence. However, due to her status as a King County Princess, avoidance was sometimes impossible.

The impression of stupidity she left on others also served to reduce her presence within the elite circles of the Imperial Capital.

Up to this point, Lady Su had accepted her foolishness and lack of talent with great calmness. Nangong Ming, on the other hand, couldn't understand how he could have such a foolish daughter.

Young Master Lin usually kept close to the King's Mansion's Great Young Master and had a good relationship with him. Yet, when trouble arose, he sought out the King's Mansion's future heir, County Princess Nangong Sui.

No matter how foolish she was, she represented the most noble person in the King's Mansion and wielded power that some could not obtain.

However, Yu Sui's reaction in handling this matter was clearly poor, which caused Nangong Ming to express his dissatisfaction with her for the first time.

That evening, after Yu Sui returned, she was punished by being made to kneel before Lady Su's door.

Lady Su frowned and glanced at her, saying nothing.

As Nangong Ming returned from outside and walked past Yu Sui, she felt, for the first time in a long while, that chilling, oppressive sensation of being bitten in the throat by a venomous snake.

As soon as the man sat down, he sighed and, with a wave of his hand, slapped Yu Sui across the face from a distance.

Yu Sui covered her reddening cheek and looked up, her eyes full of tears.

"Sometimes, being too foolish comes with a price," Nangong Ming said, smiling as he looked at Yu Sui. "You shouldn't be so foolish as to forget your identity. You represent the entire Nangong King's Mansion, you represent me. When he was full of lies, you told him to get up first."

"Sui Sui, look, who can tell you to get up first today?"

Tears fell from the girl's eyes, plip-plop.

Yu Sui wiped away her tears and thought, indeed, wanting to live by being foolish comes with a price.

"It was my fault," she said softly.

Nangong Ming asked, "What was your fault?"

Yu Sui replied, "I shouldn't have tarnished the King's Mansion's reputation."

With such a vague answer, Nangong Ming sighed and let his foolish daughter go.

Yu Sui knelt at Lady Su's door all night.

That night, Young Master Lin's father was convicted and died in prison. His entire family was arrested. Yu Sui never saw him again.