Chapter 9: Consolation

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ANNOUNCEMENT

Completed Chapter is on my ko-fi page, thank you

                       🌸 Completed Chapter

In Consort Qin’s letter, she had only mentioned that her health hadn't been great lately. It was a brief sentence at the very end, looking quite insignificant. But Xia Xi knew his mother’s handwriting; though the style was the same, the strokes were weak and shaky in several places. Being meticulous, he had felt something was wrong—his mother’s illness could not be as simple as she claimed. Sure enough, the first sentence of Xia Hui’s letter spoke of his mother's death.

Xia Hui had even included the date. It had already been three months since she passed.

Xia Xi sat slumped on the ground, tears falling like broken pearls, quickly drenching his face. Cai Huan had never seen him cry like this. Even when they first arrived and she couldn't stop weeping, Xia Xi had remained calm and comforted her. Seeing him so heartbroken now made her chest ache, yet she could only offer useless words of comfort.

Chu Lan returned after receiving the envoys, clutching two items in his hand. He was walking quickly, eager to see Xia Xi. As he approached the bedchamber, he heard Cai Huan’s frantic voice. His heart skipped a beat, and he practically ran inside. Seeing the weeping Xia Xi, his face filled with alarm, and his tone toward Cai Huan was sharp. "What happened? Why is Xi'er crying?"

Cai Huan was startled. Her face turned red, and for a moment, she couldn't speak. It was Xia Xi who recovered first, hurriedly wiping away his tears and offering a strained smile. "The King has returned."

Seeing his eyes red and swollen, Chu Lan felt a sharp pang in his chest. He half-knelt beside Xia Xi, his voice much softer. "What’s wrong? Who upset you?"

Xia Xi shook his head gently. "It’s nothing... I just saw some items from home and felt a bit sentimental..." He tried to hide the letters, but Chu Lan had already noticed them. He reached out, picked them up, and scanned them. Understanding the situation, he said, "So that’s it... Xi'er, you... please restrain your grief."

Sensing Chu Lan’s desire to comfort him, Xia Xi held back his tears and nodded softly. Since learning the news, he had been despondent. Though he stopped crying, he lost interest in everything and ate only half his usual portions. He was already slender, but now he grew even thinner—his chin became sharp and his waist more delicate. Worried, Cai Huan tried everything to get him to eat. Seeing him sitting blankly by the vegetable garden, she brought over the box of sweets Princess Hui had sent. "Princess, you barely ate at lunch. Are you hungry? You haven't tried the preserved fruit Princess Hui sent. Would you like a taste? This shortbread is very fragrant too."

Xia Xi’s hollow gaze swept over her. "I'm not hungry. You eat it."

Cai Huan grew frantic. "How can I do that? Princess Hui sent this specifically for you! She’s been so good to you—sending food, new books, clothes..."

Xia Xi interrupted her. "The clothes were sent by my mother. I recognize her needlework."

Cai Huan realized she had misspoken and quickly shut her mouth. After a moment, she said piteously, "Princess, please eat something. If you keep getting thinner, you’ll get sick. The King will worry... and I worry, too." Her eyes welled with tears as she spoke.

Xia Xi reached out to pat her head. "I am truly not hungry right now. Eat it yourself. Perhaps I’ll be better in a few days."

Cai Huan sniffed and closed the lid. "Then I won't eat it either. I’ll save it for when you want it." She carried the box away. Xia Xi stared blankly ahead, feeling only a hollow, empty void. After a while, he heard footsteps again. Thinking it was Cai Huan, he said, "Cai Huan, let me sit alone a while longer."

"The wind is picking up," Chu Lan’s voice rang out. "Sitting here in such thin clothes, aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"

Xia Xi started and looked up in a panic. He instinctively wanted to kneel but stopped himself. Standing up hurriedly, he asked in surprise, "Wh-why have you come? At this hour, shouldn't you be handling state affairs?"

"I have a good uncle and a good second uncle; state affairs don't require my attention," Chu Lan replied with a touch of mockery, his lips curling downward. Xia Xi understood the reason for his tone. Though Chu Lan was King, he had no real power—it was all held by his uncles.

After Chu Lan spoke, his expression and tone quickly returned to normal—becoming even gentler. "I was worried about you, so I came to see you." He stared at Xia Xi with an earnest gaze, his eyes tracing every inch of the older man's face, making Xia Xi feel both flustered and tense. It was only then that Xia Xi realized that, at some point, Chu Lan had grown over an inch taller than him. His view of the other had shifted from looking down to looking level, and now, he actually had to look up.

Chu Lan stared at him for a long time before suddenly pulling something from his robe. He cupped his hands around it with a mysterious smile. "When Sang Sangmu returned, he brought many things from the Xia Kingdom, including fruits I’ve never seen or eaten. I tasted a bit of everything, and I thought this one was the best, so I saved it for you. I wanted to give it to you a few days ago, but you were in a bad mood. Smell the fragrance and see if you can guess what it is."

He held his hands up to Xia Xi’s nose. Xia Xi immediately caught a rich, familiar scent. Chu Lan asked, "Recognize it?" He laughed. "If you guess right, I’ll take you somewhere fun."

Xia Xi hadn't been in the mood for games, but seeing how hard Chu Lan was trying to comfort him, he couldn't bear to rebuff the kindness. He said, "Is it a fragrant mango?"

Chu Lan beamed. "Exactly! Xi'er is so clever." He opened his broad palm to reveal a mango. Such fruit didn't grow in barbarian lands; they were found only in the far south. Even in the Xia capital, they were rare, reserved for the Emperor via high-speed tributes. This fruit had traveled from the south to the capital and then to the northwest; its skin was wrinkled, but its aroma remained intoxicating.

Xia Xi said, "The scent is very unique, so it was easy to tell. Chu Lan, I’ve had them before. You should eat it."

Chu Lan chuckled. "I want to eat it with you." As he moved to peel it, Xia Xi quickly intervened. "Let me. I don't want you to get your hands sticky." He took the mango, carefully peeled it to reveal the golden flesh, and held it to Chu Lan’s lips. Chu Lan took a small bite and said, "You eat the rest."

Xia Xi resisted, making him take a few more bites before slowly finishing it himself. He ate with an elegance that Chu Lan seemed to adore; the youth watched him with unblinking intensity. Suddenly, Chu Lan said, "When I conquer the Xia Kingdom, I will give you this fruit every day. And everything else—I'll have people pick the freshest ones just for you."

Xia Xi’s heart trembled. He whispered, "Thank you."

Chu Lan, watching his reaction, frowned. "You don't like the idea? Or you don't want me to do that?" He suddenly grew irritated and defensive. "You are a Xia person. You still think of yourself as one, so you don't want me to attack your homeland, do you?"

Startled, Xia Xi looked at him with panic-filled eyes. After a long hesitation, he whispered, "I... I just don't wish for war. War is cruel... so many people die..."

Chu Lan snorted. "As long as there are people, there will be conflict. Even if I don't attack the Xia, do you think they won't attack me? If they invade, what will you do? Run back and betray me?" Being young, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. "The only reason it took so long to defeat the internal traitors was because they had Xia support! Since the Xia Emperor dares to interfere in our internal affairs, I won't let him off easy! Xi'er, you are my Queen. You are going to have my children. I will never allow you to betray me. Your life is bound to mine. If I win the world, you will be above all others. If I fail, you will come to hell with me!"

The boy's tone was sharp, his gaze as cold and piercing as the curved blade at his waist. Xia Xi felt a chill down his spine. After a long silence, he whispered, "I have no intention of betraying you..."

Seeing Xia Xi’s pale face and trembling lips, Chu Lan's rage evaporated instantly. He grasped Xia Xi’s sweaty hand, leaned in to kiss his cheek, and spoke much more softly. "I'm sorry. I've frightened you. I was frustrated and spoke too harshly."

Xia Xi hadn't expected an apology. He sat in a daze as Chu Lan pulled him into a firm embrace, burying his face in Xia Xi’s neck as if suppressing something. Xia Xi gradually relaxed and, realizing the boy was troubled, patted his back gently. "Chu Lan... did someone make things difficult for you?"

Chu Lan gave a muffled "Mhm." He whispered, "I have no power right now. I'm just a figurehead. No matter my ambitions, they are just empty talk."

Xia Xi understood that his uncles must have dealt him a blow. Seeing him so lost, Xia Xi’s heart softened, and his own grief faded slightly. He said softly, "Take it slow." To change the subject, he asked, "Didn't you say you were taking me somewhere?"

Chu Lan perked up. He looked at Xia Xi with a brilliant smile. "I'm taking you to Zhang City for a few days."