Broken Jade - Chapter 122

Chapter 122

Wei Heng’s eyes lit up at her words.

For no apparent reason, he suddenly grew somewhat flustered, the tips of his ears quietly turning bright red.

“Have you had dinner?”

Sheng Zhaoning looked at him and shook her head. “Not yet.”

She had expected Wei Heng to come looking for her, so she had deliberately not stayed at Sheng Mansion for dinner.

Wei Heng gave a light cough and looked away. After hesitating for a moment, he awkwardly brought out a food box from behind his back.

“Shall we eat together?”

Sheng Zhaoning agreed without a second thought.

Wei Heng had carefully wiped the stone table in the courtyard until it was spotless. Thick, plush cushions had been placed on the stools, and a brazier stood nearby, its fire sending waves of searing warmth through the air.

He arranged the dishes from the food box one by one. They were all foods she usually liked: four hot dishes, a plate of pastries, and a bowl of sweet soup.

At the very bottom of the food box, a bowl of longevity noodles was brought out last.

She suddenly noticed a trace of white flour clinging to the edges of Wei Heng’s fingernails. Her gaze then fell on the several dishes laid out on the table, none of which were particularly refined, and a thought flashed through her mind.

“Did Your Highness make these dishes yourself?”

Sheng Zhaoning asked outright.

Wei Heng had not expected her to notice so quickly. He froze for a moment, and his face instantly grew hot, as if it had been set ablaze.

He did not understand why he became so flustered and helpless whenever he faced Sheng Zhaoning. He only knew that every moment he spent with her left his wildly pounding heart unable to calm down.

Wei Heng had not intended to say anything, but he had not expected her to see through him at a glance. Unable to deny it, he could only lower his head and answer softly, “Mm.”

Sheng Zhaoning looked at the man before her, his face flushed as he avoided meeting her eyes, and felt her breathing grow uneven.

A gentleman keeps away from the kitchen.

With Wei Heng’s status, if it had not been for her, he might never have set foot in that place filled with firewood, cooking oil, salt, and smoke for his entire life.

She picked up a bite of the nearest dish and tasted it. Unexpectedly, it was not bad at all. It was merely a little too salty, and the heat had been slightly too high.

It was clear that he had put a great deal of thought into it.

The noodles, however, had been even more difficult to prepare. He had needed to start by kneading the dough, making sure it was neither too soft nor too hard, then spread and roll it flat before layering it repeatedly and cutting it into fine strands, one slice at a time.

For someone who had never set foot in a kitchen before, that could only be described as exceedingly difficult.

She did not know how long it had taken him to learn to make them, or how many failures he had endured, starting over from the beginning time and time again.

The people from the Shangshan Directorate had probably spent quite some time trembling in fear alongside him.

Suppressing the sour ache that kept rising in her heart, Sheng Zhaoning silently committed the taste of every dish to memory, treasuring and preserving it with utmost care.

After the fireworks’ brief flash of brilliance, the surroundings once again faded into darkness.

Only the full moon overhead remained, gentle and pure.

Wei Heng led her up onto the roof of the old palace hall, where they stood bathed in moonlight and looked down together upon the vast Imperial City.

The spring breeze was light and lingering. He took out a Kongming lantern he had prepared long ago and placed a vermilion brush in her hand.

“Make a wish upon a sky lantern. May every year pass free of worry.”

Sheng Zhaoning handed the brush back and looked at him with solemn focus. “I want Your Highness to write the wish for me.”

What he hoped for was also what she hoped for.

Seeing the sincerity in her eyes, Wei Heng took the vermilion brush back into his hand.

He raised the brush and gazed at her features, writing every hope he held onto the lantern paper, stroke by solemn stroke.

-Ningning, may you live in peace and joy.

Wei Heng wanted nothing else.

Sheng Zhaoning looked at that short, simple line, yet she knew it was the loftiest wish one could have in this mortal world.

If one could remain free of illness and disaster and share a life of happiness with the person one loved, what more could one ask for?

She thought of the chaos of war in Liangzhou, the covetous designs of the Zhenbei Prince’s Mansion, and the countless open attacks and hidden arrows aimed at Wei Heng…

The moment Wei Chengjun returned to Liangzhou, all this peace and tranquility would be shattered.

Sheng Zhaoning did not know how much longer these days would last.

But even if they lasted only another moment, that moment would still be precious beyond measure.

She took the lantern back and wrote an identical wish beside the first.

-May Ah Heng be safe and joyful.

The two lines rested side by side, nestled against each other, every character intertwined.

Something stirred in Sheng Zhaoning’s heart. She took out the Plum Blossom Vermilion Seal she always carried close to her and stamped it beside his name.

She had never believed in gods or Buddhas. Yet as the sky lantern swayed its way upward, Sheng Zhaoning closed her eyes and prayed with utmost solemnity.

Her Ah Heng had to be safe.

It was the only thing she would ever ask for in this life. She wanted nothing but his safety.

“Ningning, open your eyes.”

The breeze carried his gentle, clear voice to her ears.

Her lashes slowly lifted, trembling in the wind.

She opened her eyes. Everywhere she looked, countless lanterns were rising from every corner of the Imperial Palace, ascending one after another like stars into the night sky. They illuminated the long darkness, transforming the mortal world into a dazzling river of stars.

Tonight, sky lanterns rose from all across the Imperial Palace.

No one knew why.

Only the person beneath the moon in the abandoned hall gazed upon the myriad lanterns, their pupils trembling.

May the lanterns burn bright forever. May joy abound, and peace endure.

This was Wei Heng’s magnificent blessing, and Sheng Zhaoning’s one and only wish for him.

Beneath the countless lanterns, he solemnly placed a Bronze Tally in her hand.

“Changle, stay safe.”

……

Half a month later, the spring hunt began as scheduled.

The grand procession departed from the Imperial City and made its way toward Yanzhou.

The entire Yulin Guard was deployed to escort and protect the emperor.

It had been a long time since the emperor had traveled on such a scale. Even after taking a shortcut on their journey through the spring countryside, another half month had passed by the time they reached Yanzhou.

The borderlands stretched vast and open, displaying the splendor of the realm in full.

The Emperor of Wei was in excellent spirits. Rather than enter the city, he chose a broad, level stretch of land beside a stream and ordered camp to be made there. The surrounding area for dozens of li was designated as the hunting ground, and the Yulin Guard was sent ahead to inspect it.

After two days of rest, the spring hunt officially began.

The hunting grounds consisted mostly of wooded mountains, and every civil and military official in attendance had changed into riding attire.

The court had been anticipating this grand occasion for some time. Many officials had long been itching to test their skills. They had practiced for weeks beforehand and eagerly drew lots to determine their teams, each determined to emerge victorious.

Li Ji hurried over to Sheng Zhaoning with his bamboo lot in hand. Craning his neck, he asked, “What color did you draw, Lord Sheng?”

The lots divided them into seven teams by color: red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, blue, and violet.

Sheng Zhaoning pulled out her bamboo lot and glanced at its painted tip.

“Green.”

Li Ji waved his own lot.

“Mine is blue. It seems I won’t be on Lord Sheng’s team this time.”

Despite his words, there was little disappointment in his voice.

Li Ji secretly thought that while he could not compete with Lord Sheng in looks, surely he could beat her in riding and archery for once.

This time, he was determined to redeem himself!

Sheng Zhaoning did not particularly care. She was far more interested in which color Wei Heng had drawn.

She was just about to walk over to him when a sudden commotion erupted nearby.

“Who hasn’t drawn yet? There’s only one lot left!”

“It belongs to Your Highness the Heir.”

“Someone hurry and take it to His Highness!”

“Wait, let me see what color His Highness drew.”

“It’s green!”

Sheng Zhaoning froze midstep.

Slowly, she turned and stared at the bamboo lot being held aloft and waved through the air.

Its green tip filled her vision.

She gritted her teeth, suddenly seized by the urge to snap the bamboo lot in her hand clean in two!