Jiang Suizhou changed into his court robes early in the morning and left in a hurry.
Court officials were not allowed to bring attendants into the palace. Meng Qianshan escorted Jiang Suizhou out of the residence and then returned to Anyin Hall to serve the expressionless “favored concubine” who remained in the quarters alone.
Usually, this lord of his was quiet and insisted on doing everything himself, so he was easy to serve. But today, Meng Qianshan felt that something was amiss. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was, though.
Madam Huo usually disliked talking, so his silence was not unusual. Normally, he preferred to sit in a corner and read, and today was no different. Everything was the same as usual.
And yet, somehow, the atmosphere in the room felt particularly oppressive today.
It left Meng Qianshan feeling trapped and stifled, like he could barely breathe. He was like a fly buzzing around a room, unable to find its way out.
After much deliberation, Meng Qianshan came up with an idea. Though Madam Huo held neither His Highness nor his trusted eunuch in high regard, he didn’t seem particularly aggressive today. Thus, he wondered if the mistress might be receptive to an attempt to lift his spirits a bit. It wouldn’t do any harm to try, at least.
With this in mind, Meng Qianshan cautiously approached Huo Wujiu and leaned in.
“Mistress, the weather is wonderful today. Why don’t I accompany you for a stroll in the garden?”
Hearing this, Sun Yuan looked outside from where he was serving at Huo Wujiu’s side, only to see a dull gray sky.
Lin’an saw plenty of spring rain, and these past few days had been overcast. Where was this so-called wonderful weather?
Huo Wujiu continued reading his book in silence.
Meng Qianshan had gained enough experience dealing with Huo Wujiu to know he could take this as a “yes,” if he so desired. If Huo Wujiu didn’t explicitly refuse, it meant he was generally ambivalent.
As if he had received an imperial edict, Meng Qianshan quelled his inner joy to cast a glare at Sun Yuan.
“The mistress wishes to stroll in the garden. Why are you moving so slowly?”
Sun Yuan quickly pushed the wheelchair and followed Meng Qianshan out of the courtyard.
The Prince of Jing’s residence was meticulously arranged thanks to its original owner, who was a wealthy and very particular man. He’d created eighteen scenic spots in the garden, each with its own unique theme.
Anyin Hall was located in the best spot, of course, and it served as an ideal starting point for a stroll. After leaving the courtyard and turning south, they entered the residence’s forested garden.
Meng Qianshan had served here for three years and could navigate the garden with his eyes closed. Eager to please Huo Wujiu, he enthusiastically and vividly explained each scenic spot as they passed by.
However, Huo Wujiu didn’t seem interested. He sat in the wheelchair, completely unresponsive, as if he couldn’t hear Meng Qianshan at all.
It was Sun Yuan who listened with great interest, eagerly looking wherever Meng Qianshan pointed. Sometimes he couldn’t help but marvel out loud at the beautiful landscape, which earned him a withering glare from Meng Qianshan.
But the boy was naturally thick-skinned and remained oblivious to Meng Qianshan’s displeasure. He simply enjoyed the scenery with genuine delight.
They strolled slowly through the garden. Eventually, they stepped onto a stone bridge leading to a bamboo grove.
“Look, Madam, this area here is called ‘Listening to the Spring in the Secluded Grove’! But it’s not just any bamboo grove,” Meng Qianshan explained excitedly. “Once we cross the bridge, you’ll see…”
Suddenly, the enthusiasm drained from his voice and he trailed off.
Puzzled, Sun Yuan quickly followed his gaze.
Within the bamboo grove flowed a bubbling stream, and a winding path led into its depths. Beneath a hundred green bamboo stalks stood an open-air game table, exquisitely carved from stone.
At this moment, two people were sitting on the weiqi-playing platform, engaged in a match. One was dressed in red and the other in green.
Meng Qianshan inwardly cried for his ancestors. He wanted to slap himself. Stopping abruptly in his tracks, he grabbed Sun Yuan’s shoulder and forced him to turn around on the narrow stone bridge.
“Ah, your servant misremembered! It actually is just an average bamboo grove! Nothing worth seeing, and look, it’s a dead end ahead, so let’s turn around and head to the next spot…”
Just then, the great dormant beast in the wheelchair spoke up.
“We’ve only just gotten to the ‘listening to the spring’ part,” he said. “Why turn back? Keep going.”
His voice seemed cold and forced through gritted teeth.
Meng Qianshan almost fell to his knees in despair.
So you’ve been listening after all! You’ve just been disregarding me this whole time!
He quickly bowed, preparing himself to persuade the mistress to cease “listening to the spring,” but then he caught sight of Huo Wujiu’s grim expression in profile.
Those icy, pitch-black eyes no longer held the complete indifference they’d had a minute ago. They were sharp and hawklike, staring straight ahead.
For a moment, Meng Qianshan was compelled to envision this man standing on a battlefield with thousands of troops at his back. His eyes blazed with a terrifying intensity, as if he were ready to behead the enemy commander himself.
Meng Qianshan followed his gaze.
The great and terrible war god was looking at Xu Du.