Pei Hengyu’s temporary residence in Kunluo was personally arranged by Linghu Xinglang. It was a mansion situated on the western edge of the city, right next to the military barracks.
By the time Pei Hengyu arrived at the residence, the sun was already dipping below the horizon. Bathed in the glow of the fading sunlight, he stepped through the entrance only to be met by Shuangxi, the head attendant, who rushed forward to greet him.
"Oh, my goodness! Your Majesty!" At the sight of Pei Hengyu, before he could even speak, tears began to stream down Shuangxi’s wrinkled cheeks like beads from a broken string. "What has happened? It has only been half a day, how could you, how could you..."
Shuangxi choked on his sobs as he gazed at Pei Hengyu’s white hair. The other attendants kneeling in the courtyard did not dare to raise their heads.
Caught in this awkward situation with Shuangxi tugging at his sleeve, Pei Hengyu could not bring himself to scold the man. Shuangxi had served him since childhood and had always been incredibly devoted; he could not bear to make the old man lose face in front of the others.
Pei Hengyu had no choice but to change the subject. "The person An Ming brought over this afternoon—have they been settled in?"
"Yes! They have!" Shuangxi recalled the beauty An Ming had delivered and replied, "They are at the Listening Wind Pavilion. If Your Majesty wishes to see them, I shall send someone to summon them immediately!"
"No," Pei Hengyu said gently. "Have An Ming lead the way. I will go myself."
"Very well! Very well, Your Majesty," Shuangxi said, moving to lead the way before pausing to turn back. "Your Majesty, I observed that Yuwen Shuangyue knows martial arts. Should we send a dose of medicine first before you grant an audience?"
*Hmm?* Where was this old attendant’s mind wandering?
Pei Hengyu waved his hand repeatedly. "No need. You may all withdraw for now; only An Ming needs to accompany me."
***
Half an hour later, having failed to find Yuwen Junan at the Listening Wind Pavilion, Pei Hengyu followed the Little White Dragon’s lead toward the southwestern corner of the residence.
The Little White Dragon coiled around Pei Hengyu’s wrist, chirping in the twilight, "Here, it’s here... this courtyard, this is where Yuwen Junan’s scent is."
Pei Hengyu came to a halt. To his right lay Luoyue Lake, where countless lotus leaves floated in overlapping layers. The white lotus flowers atop them had closed their petals, sleeping quietly in the heavy night air.
To his left, tucked away in the southwestern corner by the lake, was a small courtyard. A modest plaque hung above the entrance, sparsely inscribed with the words "Luoyue Studio."
Pei Hengyu frowned slightly. It was the middle of the night; why would Yuwen Junan be in such a small, secluded courtyard instead of sleeping at the Listening Wind Pavilion?
An Ming, following behind, was equally puzzled. Why would the Emperor spend the middle of the night circling half the residence to find such a tiny courtyard?
Luoyue Studio stood right by the lake. The stifling heat of the day had dissipated, and a night breeze rippled across the water, bringing with it a trace of coolness.
The restlessness in Pei Hengyu’s heart eased, and he found his breathing grow easier. He walked inside, his strides steady.
The interior was lit by a soft, glowing light. The pebble path was free of fallen leaves, as if it had been specially cleared for someone to live in.
The master and his servant made their way into the inner courtyard, encountering no staff. It was eerily quiet. Pei Hengyu looked up and saw Yuwen Junan, now in different attire, climbing the only large banyan tree in the center of the courtyard.
It was a banyan tree that had lived for at least a century. Its aerial roots were dense and long, and its canopy stretched far above the roof. The leaves were thick and layered, obscuring half the courtyard’s moonlight.
Yuwen Junan was draped in a vibrant red robe, looking like a flamboyant red butterfly, swaying precariously as he inched upward along the thick trunk toward the roof.
*Is he trying to escape?*
Pei Hengyu watched the "red butterfly" on the trunk in silence. An Ming stood quietly behind him.
The night was uncannily still; even the night owls had tucked themselves away, not daring to make a sound.
Suddenly, Yuwen Junan lost his footing. His body swayed violently, and he plummeted backward...
Yuwen Junan’s arms flailed in the air, his red robes fluttering in the wind, looking as clumsy and comical as a fledgling bird attempting its first flight.
The banyan canopy was lush and thick, and the aerial roots below were dense and tangled. Yuwen Junan grabbed at them, but they snapped under his weight as he continued to fall!
Suddenly, his waist tightened. His plummeting body was caught by an arm, and his direction changed instantly. Within a heartbeat, he was hoisted above the branches he had been struggling with for half a day, standing atop the canopy.
Yuwen Junan realized belatedly that he was being held. He began to struggle in a panic. The person behind him did not hold him tightly, and at the slightest movement, the man released his grip.
Without support, Yuwen Junan began to sink, falling again.
The man bent down, reached out, and hauled him back up.
This time, Yuwen Junan dared not move. He glared at the man with a reddened face, but the moment he caught sight of the man’s features, his fiery demeanor withered instantly. Yuwen Junan stammered,
"Your... Your Majesty?"
Pei Hengyu stood in the night, his expression faint. He looked toward the wall, beyond which thousands of military tents were visible. He said,
"This spot is right next to the outer wall, yet there are very few guards patrolling here. Do you know why?"
Yuwen Junan’s face was already burning red. His voice was barely audible.
"I... I don't know."
He leaned toward Pei Hengyu, effectively hanging off him.
Pei Hengyu’s voice was cold. "Outside this wall, one hundred thousand soldiers of the Dasheng Dynasty are stationed. They have just breached Kunluo City, and their bloodlust has not yet faded. Do you think that if you climb over from here, you can escape their forest of blades and rain of arrows?"
The arm around his waist tightened abruptly, and Yuwen Junan gasped as his side was pinched painfully.
"No," Yuwen Junan’s eyes clouded with mist, his voice trembling. "I wasn't trying to climb over, I wasn't trying to escape..."
He whispered in his defense,
"Tonight is the fifteenth day of the seventh month. There are White Lotus Lamps on the streets. I heard it was very lively. I thought that since this place was high up, I might be able to see the lotus lamps sending off the spirits. I wasn't trying to escape, truly, I wasn't."
*Did I misunderstand him?*
Pei Hengyu looked down to see Yuwen Junan pressing against him, head tilted back, looking up at him with those innocent, pathetic eyes in a plea—the very picture of bashful, unspoken longing!
*Bastard!*
*He’s using that look to seduce me again.*
Pei Hengyu cursed inwardly, deliberately hardening his face as he prepared to rebuff him. However, before the reprimand could escape his lips, the Little White Dragon darted out with a shout:
"Go! Go! Go... go with Yuwen Junan and see this 'White Lotus spirit-sending'!"
Pei Hengyu snapped coldly,
"Go where? Why are you stirring up trouble? Go back!"
Ignoring Pei Hengyu’s annoyance, the Little White Dragon leaped between the overlapping leaves of the banyan canopy, shouting, "White Lotus spirit-sending—it sounds like some kind of evil sorcery is at play! In the previous life, after Yuwen Junan died, vengeful spirits rose across the land, and Yin Sha spread everywhere. Doesn't the Human Sovereign find that strange?"
Pei Hengyu asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Seeing that he had piqued Pei Hengyu’s interest, the Little White Dragon stopped talking. With a flash, it vanished!