"Nowadays, I am the one managing the affairs of Huainan," Li Che sat down beside the table. "The rebellion of the remnants of the Prince of Huainan had a great impact on my father. Since then, he has hardly intervened here, only occasionally inquiring about it."
As dusk fell, candles were lit in the room, and the maids served bowls, chopsticks, and wine cups before retreating to the side, leaving the four of them to dine face to face.
"By the way," Li Che picked up his chopsticks and after a thought added, "If elder brother wishes to see father, I can arrange it for you."
"There's no need," Su Shiyu said, "I was ordered to come here to investigate the affairs of Huainan. Since the prince has already distanced himself from the turmoil, why bother him?"
Li Che smiled, "Then I'll follow elder brother's wishes."
Chu Mingyun glanced at him and asked bluntly, "What exactly happened during the rebels' uprising?"
"...It was sudden, and actually, I can't explain it very clearly," Han Zhongwen spoke slowly, "That night, a great fire suddenly broke out in the city. I hurriedly sent people to rescue, and then out of nowhere, many elite soldiers appeared. The city was in chaos, and outside the city, their main forces were fiercely attacking. Although I immediately sent troops to resist, we were no match for their internal and external coordination. Countless soldiers in the city were sacrificed, and in the end, we were still defeated. I am ashamed of my failure."
"You should be ashamed," Chu Mingyun looked at him, "And then, how did they disappear overnight?"
Han Zhongwen lowered his eyes, "This... I really don't know."
Watching Chu Mingyun withdraw his gaze and focus on eating, Su Shiyu pondered for a moment and suddenly asked, "Have either of you seen the reinforcements led by Luo Xin?"
"No," Li Che shook his head, "These days I've heard some speculations in Chang'an, and I think that's what they are referring to. Elder brother, I know Luo Xin is someone you value, and it might be hard to accept, but I'm afraid he really has defected."
"I think so too," Han Zhongwen agreed, "After all, Luo Xin was originally a man of the Prince of Huainan."
"It's still too early to conclude. Even if many people say so, speculation is just speculation," Su Shiyu said indifferently, "If speculation alone were enough to prove it, I wouldn't have needed to come to Huainan in person."
"Elder brother is still the same as always," Li Che laughed and after a moment's thought said, "Although Han and I haven't seen Luo Xin, there are soldiers who reported seeing someone entering the city to communicate with the rebels that night."
Su Shiyu slowly ran his fingers over the wine cup, smiling faintly without a word.
Suddenly, there was silence at the table. Li Che hurriedly laughed and raised his wine cup, "Regardless, both of you, as important ministers of the court, have traveled thousands of miles for the affairs within my Xiling sealed nation. On behalf of my father, I toast to you." With that, he tilted his head back and drank the wine in one gulp.
"The crown prince is too polite."
Chu Mingyun casually lifted his cup, but his gaze sharpened slightly. He saw that when Li Che raised his cup, the wide sleeve of his robe slid down, revealing a narrow, dark red scar on his pale arm, "What happened to your arm, crown prince?"
"Oh, this," Li Che adjusted his sleeve to cover the scar, "It's nothing, I just got hurt by accident while hunting."
"Is that so?" Chu Mingyun's eyebrows raised slightly, "It looks more like a sword wound to me."
"You also look pale, have you been unwell recently?" Su Shiyu scrutinized him.
"Sort of, I had a serious illness before, and only recently have I started to recover," Li Che answered vaguely.
Su Shiyu nodded, "Then you should drink less."
"Thank you for your concern, elder brother," Li Che smiled, "It's no longer a problem."
Chu Mingyun slowly finished the wine in his cup, tapped the porcelain lightly with his fingertips, and suddenly chuckled, emotionless.
"What's wrong?" Su Shiyu looked at him.
"Suddenly I thought of the woman who was recruited by Hongxiu before," Chu Mingyun said casually, "If she's not dead, there might be some clues."
Su Shiyu thought back briefly, "Are you talking about Miss Jingshu? It's a pity, if we could have stopped her in time..."
"Her identity was exposed and she was silenced by her own people, which is nothing out of the ordinary. What's there to pity?" Chu Mingyun interrupted him, paused for a moment, and couldn't help but grab his hand, "Shiyu, if you're so good to everyone else, I might really get jealous."
Before Chu Mingyun finished speaking, there was a 'clatter' from the opposite side, and the chopsticks fell to the ground and rolled away. Li Che maintained his original action with an empty hand, staring down in a daze, while the other three also looked at him unanimously, each with a different expression.
Han Zhongwen was the first to react, calling for a maid to replace a pair of chopsticks, then turned his head and stared directly at their clasped hands, his face complex and indescribable, "What... what is the relationship between you two, sirs?"
"Can't you tell?" Chu Mingyun glanced sideways.
Han Zhongwen stiffened for a moment, then chuckled, "I can tell."
Lifting his chopsticks and then putting them down, Li Che raised his head and drank another cup of wine, then finally curled his lips and laughed, "Lord Chu and my brother... really gave me a shock."
Chu Mingyun withdrew his gaze meaningfully, and Su Shiyu also smiled faintly as if in thought.
A moment of silence, and the sound of cicadas from somewhere entered the room, reaching the end of their path, adding a few more raspy and strained notes.
After a while, Li Che put down his empty wine cup again, and without any warning, asked in a low voice, "Brother, have you really taken a liking?"
Han Zhongwen was taken aback again, and even Chu Mingyun couldn't help but slowly raise his eyes to look at Li Che.
Su Shiyu narrowed his eyes slightly, calm and undisturbed, "Why do you ask?"
"Because I find it hard to believe, brother, you've never liked anything before," Li Che said, "Why would you like him?"
Chu Mingyun's eyes gradually deepened, and he lowered his eyelids without any expression, pressing his lips tightly and remaining silent.
"I remember when we were children, brother always seemed to want nothing, never desiring anything, everything was dispensable. Not like me, who could fight over little trinkets with others to the death," he couldn't help but laugh at this point, then continued, "Brother has always been kind to everyone, it's just that brother has a good nature, being kind to everyone, always making people mistake it for liking, but actually it has nothing to do with liking.
They say that in terms of emotions, brother seems to be naturally indifferent, but that's not a bad thing, it can save a lot of worries and hesitations."
"After growing up and leaving Chang'an, I had little contact with brother, and all the news I heard was second-hand. I heard people say that others couldn't touch brother's preferences, and even trying to bribe him was impossible, which made me laugh for a long time. Then suddenly I heard that brother had taken in one or two entertainers and musicians in his mansion, and they got along very well. I thought brother had finally taken a liking, but not long after, I learned that those women had their own agendas, and then they were disposed of by brother without mercy. At that time, I couldn't help but sigh, brother really hasn't changed..."
"Prince." Su Shiyu interrupted him.
Li Che glanced at him with a smile, took a sip of wine, and rambled on, "Brother won't get angry, I understand, because brother doesn't care about anything, so of course, he won't get angry. So I always feel... there's nothing in this world that brother would like."
Su Shiyu's voice faded even more, "What exactly are you trying to say, prince?"
Li Che gripped the wine cup tightly, laughing softly, "Father always hoped I could be a bit more like you. When I was young, I was often defiant when I heard this, but now, I feel the same way... If only I could be like brother."
Suddenly, the wine cup was placed on the table, making a light clink, and Chu Mingyun stood up and walked out.
"Sorry, I must excuse myself." Su Shiyu frowned slightly and stood up as well.
Here is the translation with improved formatting:
Han Zhongwen, who had been unable to get a word in, followed him for two steps before turning back to look. Li Che sat alone at the table, emptying cup after cup of wine.
The breeze in the corridor was gentle. Chu Mingyun glanced at the waiting attendants and said, "All of you, leave."
"But sir, it's very dark in the courtyard at night, I'm afraid you won't be able to see..." The lantern-bearing maid spoke timidly, but upon catching Chu Mingyun's gaze, she quickly bowed her head and left.
The night in the bamboo garden was deep. Su Shiyu subconsciously grabbed Chu Mingyun's wrist. The man walking in front stopped abruptly and turned around. The moonlight was blocked by dense leaves, making the winding path seem even more secluded, yet Chu Mingyun's eyes were clear. Su Shiyu saw him staring for a long time before his brows slowly lifted, and he smiled.
Chu Mingyun raised his held hand, palm open.
Su Shiyu looked at him, puzzled, and after a moment, he couldn't help but chuckle softly, releasing his wrist and instead taking his hand.
Then, he was held tightly, fingers interlocked. Su Shiyu felt the coolness of his fingertips and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Chu Mingyun said nonchalantly, walking slowly side by side with him, "I'm afraid if I stay any longer, I won't be able to resist hitting him."
Su Shiyu smiled, "Do you think the crown prince is the owner of Yongle Square?"
"That scar's location is too unique; it feels familiar, but his reaction doesn't confirm anything," Chu Mingyun said. "I've figured out something about Luo Xin."
"What?"
"Let's assume Luo Xin really did defect. At that time, the situation was favorable, the rebels were in the ascendant, so why did they suddenly disappear, losing the cities they had previously captured? The situation turned passive, all harm and no benefit; why didn't they take advantage of their growing strength and pursue victory to take down the entire Huainan? At least, we can be sure of one thing."
"The rebels didn't receive the support army from the court," Su Shiyu said, turning his head to look at Chu Mingyun.
Chu Mingyun laughed, "Then how did Luo Xin and the support army disappear? Where are they and the rebels now?"
Su Shiyu pondered for a moment, "Han Zhongwen and the crown prince's words may not be reliable, in any case, we need to investigate further."
As he spoke, the hand he was holding loosened, but Chu Mingyun grasped it tightly, frowning at him, "What are you doing?"
Su Shiyu couldn't help but laugh, gesturing to the brightly lit courtyard ahead, "I've arrived, your residence is over there."
Chu Mingyun lifted his hand and rubbed it with his chin, "It hasn't been long, do you really have the heart to make me sleep in a separate room?"
"This is Han Zhongwen's mansion, not like on the road, do you still plan to stay here every night?" Su Shiyu said with a light laugh.
Chu Mingyun turned his head, his brows furrowed as he looked at him, "Shiyu..."
"No acting spoiled," Su Shiyu decisively cut him off.
Chu Mingyun sighed leisurely, "You don't care for me anymore now that you've become the Imperial Censor."
"...Chu Mingyun," Su Shiyu looked at him.
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore." Chu Mingyun couldn't help but chuckle softly, and when he looked up again, his expression was serious, "The atmosphere in the entire Shouchun City is very strange, there might be a problem with Han Zhongwen's place, do you really not need me to accompany you?"
"I will be careful," Su Shiyu said with a faint smile, "It would be too extravagant to ask the Grand Commandant to be a bodyguard, I can't afford it."
"Where is it extravagant," Chu Mingyun said with a smile, "kiss me more tonight, call me 'husband' a few times, not to mention an ordinary guard, I'd be happy to stay close to you."
"Go to sleep early," Su Shiyu nodded at him and turned to leave.
"Wait." Chu Mingyun quickly pulled him back, "Are you really leaving?"
Su Shiyu turned back, and Chu Mingyun looked at him, then said in a low voice, "I should go to the military camp tomorrow, won't you say something?"
Su Shiyu thought for a moment and said warmly, "Remember to eat on time, don't be picky, and don't kick the covers at night..."
"...When have I ever kicked the covers?" Chu Mingyun said.
Su Shiyu looked at him with a smile, "Then drink less and don't stay up late."
"...," Chu Mingyun looked at him silently for a long while, finally sighed helplessly, "You really can't be coaxed into a single word of affection." After a pause, he suddenly said softly, "Shiyu."
"What?"
"You seem to have never said you liked me," Chu Mingyun's eyes gradually calmed down.
A sudden tremor in his heart, Su Shiyu was stunned, unable to speak.
Chu Mingyun looked at him seriously, slowly smiling, he held Su Shiyu's face, "I knew you're too shy to say it, so let me say it again for you." His eyes, reflecting the lights of the courtyard, shone brightly as he drew very close, "I like you." Soft yet certain, "I like you."
Su Shiyu's fingertips trembled sharply, facing Chu Mingyun's eyes full of joy, unable to look away. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but his throat was choked up and he couldn't speak. Chu Mingyun then kissed him.
At the end, Chu Mingyun watched as Su Shiyu's figure disappeared behind the door. He stood silently in place for a moment, casually broke off a branch, glanced at it, and in an instant, he shot into the dark forest like a shadow, a dull sound of something hitting flesh and bone, the scent of blood mingling with the fragrance of bamboo leaves, wafting through the air.
Chu Mingyun leisurely straightened his sleeves and said, "Leaving you alive is to let you go back and tell your master that not everyone can be monitored. Be well-behaved, understand?" The rustling sound in the woods was faint, then it became completely quiet.
He looked up once more towards the courtyard, then chuckled to himself.
Inside the room, Su Bai had already tidied everything up. As soon as he saw Su Shiyu return, he couldn't help but blurt out, "Young Master, did you see Lan Yi in Xiangyang?"
"I did."
"Then, is it true that you carried her back?" Su Bai asked nervously.
Su Shiyu looked at him amusingly, "Didn't Lan Yi tell you the reason?"
"She did, but... but," Su Bai scratched his head and steeled himself to say, "Such heavy lifting, how can we let the Young Master do it? Next time, let me take the burden..." His voice trailed off quieter and quieter.
Su Shiyu shook his head with a smile, pushed open the window, and saw Chu Mingyun's retreating figure. He stood in front of the window, gazing at the tall figure disappearing into the distance, his eyes filled with utmost tenderness.
It was the time when the lamps were half dim, and the moon was half bright.