Hutong

For a moment, Jiang Xun thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

The large patch of vermilion was even hotter than the raging fire, with a navy blue mandarin square bearing a crane embedded right in the center of the vermilion. Jiang Xun's vision was blurred by the smoke and firelight; he could only faintly see blurry blocks of color, yet he still recognized the person who had come.

In the entire Great Wei, there was no one else who could wear the official uniform as properly and handsomely as him.

...But Shen Que, why would he be here?

Jiang Xun was still staring blankly when his wrist was suddenly clasped. Immediately after, a tremendous force transmitted through his wrist as Shen Que forcefully pulled him over: "Your Majesty, this way, come with me."

His grip was extremely strong, pulling Jiang Xun into a stumble. He hastily grabbed the edge of the bed, but before he could struggle, Shen Que pinned him down.

The Imperial Tutor had rushed into the sea of fire at some unknown point. He gave his own wet handkerchief, which had been covering his mouth and nose, to Jiang Xun, using one hand to cover his face tightly.

As the damp fabric was pressed over him, the burning pain on his skin eased. Jiang Xun blinked with difficulty, his blurry vision focusing on Shen Que.

...It really was him.

Jiang Xun was a little bewildered.

Why was Shen Que here? Why did he come in? Could he not see that there was a fire here, that it could burn people to death?

Was he... trying to save him?

But why? He had ruined Shen Que's reputation, turning him from a noble and pure scholar into a deep-palace male favorite. He had flogged Shen Xiu and imprisoned Xue Jin. He was a definitively judged incompetent ruler in the annals of history; what was the point of saving him?

Without him, things would be better.

Xue Jin would do better than him, Shen Que would live better, the world would become better, everyone would be better.

While Jiang Xun was dazed, Shen Que had already confirmed their escape route. He spoke hoarsely, his voice as rough as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper, "Your Majesty, please hold onto me, cough, cough cough cough..."

Without the handkerchief to cover his face, the rising smoke made Shen Que cover his lips and start coughing.

His usually straight back bent down, unable to suppress the coughing from his throat. Jiang Xun paused, then began to struggle violently.

The fire scene was filled with various harmful gases, as well as carbon monoxide produced by incomplete combustion. Shen Que could not inhale this kind of thing.

He wanted to break free from Shen Que, return the handkerchief to him, and then push him out of the fire, telling him, "You go first, I'm not leaving."

Shen Que could not stay here. He was the cornerstone of Great Liang, the Blue-robed Chancellor praised by tens of thousands in later generations. He still had a very long way to go, and many, many achievements yet to accomplish. But Jiang Xun's story had already ended, and System 55's mission was not yet completed; he had to stay and finish it.

For them to part ways here was the best ending.

But the Imperial Tutor's hand pressing on the handkerchief was so tight, his restraining movements so forceful, so tight that Jiang Xun couldn't even open his mouth, nor could he struggle. He could only let Shen Que hold him in his arms and lead him out.

As if sensing the emperor's lack of cooperation, Shen Que patted him and comforted him, "It's alright, cough cough cough, Your Majesty, don't be afraid, cough cough cough, follow me... hold my hand."

Speaking in a fire was a very risky thing. The hot air drilled down his throat, causing a pain like being cut by knives and scorched by fire, yet Shen Que seemed to have no reaction. He merely repeated over and over, "Your Majesty, don't be afraid, please hold onto my hand tightly."

Jiang Xun was not afraid, but he hesitated for a moment before grasping it.

As he raised his hand, he brushed against Shen Que's sleeve. Something hard fell out from inside and landed right in his palm. Jiang Xun felt it with his fingers for a moment and froze.

It was a strangely shaped woven grass object with sharp points sticking out here and there, looking like a little bug.

A grass grasshopper.

This grass grasshopper was big, bigger than any he had owned when he was little. The grass leaves were rough, made from weeds that could be seen everywhere in the courtyard, not matching the refined and elegant Shen Que at all. Jiang Xun found it hard to imagine that the Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion would carry such a thing in his sleeve.

Jiang Xun held it blankly, suddenly feeling at a loss.

It fell out of Shen Que's sleeve; did Shen Que fold this?

Jiang Xun couldn't see clearly, but he only needed a slight confirmation with his fingertips to know that it was folded in his mother's style, exactly identical to his memory.

The big grasshopper he had yearned for and searched for everywhere in his childhood had fallen out of Shen Que's sleeve at the very last moment of his life.

"..."

The Imperial Tutor still tightly held his hand, their ten fingers forcefully intertwined, as if afraid he would break free or shake him off. With steady steps, he protected the emperor and moved forward step by step through the sea of fire.

Roof beams fell behind them, and curtains burned above their heads, turning into blinding firelight, but Shen Que merely said, "Your Majesty, please follow me."

As if no matter what happened, he would never let go of the emperor's hand.

Jiang Xun staggered a few steps behind him and suddenly spoke in a very small voice, "Minister Shen, I want to learn how to weave a grasshopper."

Flames shot up into the sky all around them, the high temperature distorting the air. The Emperor's words were baffling and untimely, but Shen Que smiled and actually agreed, "Alright, I will teach Your Majesty how to weave a grasshopper."

His voice was harsh and hoarse, yet Jiang Xun could imagine how gentle and pleasant Shen Que's tone would sound if they were not in this situation.

Suddenly, Jiang Xun didn't want to stay behind anymore.

He wanted to continue holding these hands, to learn from him how to weave grass grasshoppers once again.

As soon as this thought arose, it took root in his heart, and then rapidly grew, sprouting a newly born greenness on a barren field. Like weeds brushed by the spring breeze, it spread out densely, impossible to suppress any longer.

By now, he had been pulled a distance by Shen Que. In just a few more steps, they would leave the fire.

Jiang Xun paused his steps slightly, his fingertips curling and digging into his palm, as he asked softly, "System 55?"

'...Can I leave with him?'

Jiang Xun remembered their initial contract, the restriction of 85 points. If it wasn't achieved, everything before his eyes would turn into an illusion.

System 55 was already crying in anxiety. It watched helplessly as its host stood motionless, the fire already singeing his feet, yet still refusing to say he would go back. Now it nodded hastily, its tone carrying a crying edge, "You can! You can leave! Host, hurry and leave! I lied to you, I don't need 85, I only need 50, boohoohoo! Let's go, Host, let's go! I'm begging you..."

The little system sobbed and whimpered, revealing its hand completely.

Jiang Xun was stunned and released his resisting force.

Shen Que then pulled him up, leading the emperor out.

The firelight of Chenglu Hall had alarmed the palace servants. As soon as Jiang Xun and Shen Que came out, people hurried over carrying wooden buckets to put out the fire.

This location was remote, with no other building complexes around, and the high palace walls also prevented the fire from spreading. Before long, the fire was extinguished.

Wang An led a large group of people to surround them imposingly, wiping the emperor's face and changing his clothes. Jiang Xun let them manipulate him without making any movements.

After the fire, the ground was covered in scorched earth, and the roof beams had collapsed. Jiang Xun stood in a safe place, staring blankly back. His eyes were hazy, not knowing what he was looking at.

Shen Que hadn't let go of Jiang Xun's hand. His wrist was trembling slightly, causing Jiang Xun to tremble along with him. The emperor raised his eyes in bewilderment, staring blankly at him as if asking, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Shen Que suppressed this insignificant physiological reaction. He drank a couple of mouthfuls of water to moisten his throat, his tone becoming gentle once again, "This place is no longer habitable. How about Your Majesty returns to Qianqing Palace?"

Jiang Xun pursed his lips: "No..."

Qianqing Palace was to be left for Xue Jin. He had already messed up a part of System 55's task, he couldn't mess it up anymore.

Jiang Xun repeated, "I want to leave the palace."

He didn't like this Imperial Palace, not one bit.

To the side, Wang An revealed a look of surprise.

The emperor naturally should live in Qianqing Palace. Leaving the palace late at night conformed to neither etiquette nor rules, and Shen Que happened to be the person who valued etiquette and rules the most. In the head eunuch's mind, the Imperial Tutor should refuse and remonstrate with him.

But Shen Que merely straightened the hair on the emperor's forehead under the head eunuch's astonished gaze, asking gently, "Where do you want to go? How about Baili Hutong?"

Baili Hutong was that small courtyard where Master Xun planted loquats.

Jiang Xun was taken aback.

His thinking was sluggish. He wanted to ask when Shen Que had found out, but his chin was cupped. The Imperial Tutor leaned in close to look at his eyes, frowning as he asked, "Are your eyes injured?"

His eyes were hazy and unfocused.

Shen Que carefully observed the emperor's eyes, looking at those beautiful amber pupils. His breathing was almost right beside Jiang Xun's ear. Jiang Xun gripped the hem of his clothes, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

Jiang Xun took two steps back to break free from him, lowering his eyes and using his sleeve to wipe them: "I'm fine, they were just irritated by the smoke. They'll be fine after a few days of rest."

The skin under his eyes was delicate, while the royal clothes were stiff and broad, the hem embroidered with gold threads, hard and abrasive. How could he use his sleeve to wipe them?

Shen Que held him down and used a handkerchief instead. The emperor's glass-like pupils looked over, yet they seemed covered by a thin layer of mist.

His hand trembled imperceptibly but quickly steadied itself.

System 55 gave the diagnostic result: "Mild vision impairment, will fully recover in about two months."

Jiang Xun breathed a sigh of relief.

It wasn't that he was afraid of going blind. It was just that he made it out alive and needed a reason to yield the throne to Xue Jin. Therefore, the emperor having an eye disease and being unable to see became the perfect excuse.

Jiang Xun then tugged at Shen Que's sleeve: "I want to go to Baili Hutong."

Shen Que nodded slightly: "Alright."

Jiang Xun paused and added, "You're coming with me."

Shen Que: "...Alright."

The grasshopper was carefully put away in Jiang Xun's sleeve. That very night, a sedan chair exited the Imperial Palace through a side gate, heading in the direction of the hutong.

Shen Que draped his overcoat over Jiang Xun's head, covering him securely. Having been tossed about all day, Jiang Xun was tired and sleepy. This time, without Shen Xiu's shoulder for him to choose, he hesitated for a moment before leaning against Shen Que.

The Imperial Tutor patted the emperor's back gently, like comforting a child who refused to sleep: "Go to sleep now."

"When you wake up, I'll teach you how to weave a grass grasshopper."