The dark sky seemed tinged with the dull gray of an approaching snowstorm. The mountains along both banks had shed all traces of green, exposing bare earth that resembled the dry, withered skin of an old man stretched over a gaunt, bony frame. Thick mist drifted across the river, and the dust-veiled haze made the world around them feel increasingly closed in.
Compared to the Capital, where winter brought a world of ice and snow, the winters here, though cold, rarely saw heavy snowfall.
The young man gazed ahead with misty eyes, as though lost in thought. Despite being wrapped in fox fur, his slender figure seemed almost frail, standing ramrod straight at the prow of a ship like a javelin. Beneath his soft ink black hair, his complexion was pale as jade!
In one’s youth, there should be no idle sorrows, so why did he let out a sorrowful sigh?
“What are you thinking about?” A man dressed in black and wearing a black gauze hat emerged from the cabin.
ZiLi exhaled lightly, watching the white mist dissipate before turning back to say, “Nothing, just daydreaming!”
“If you don’t want to talk about it, then forget it. Come inside. Your body cannot withstand such heavy cold!” The man dressed in black said disapprovingly and turned to enter the cabin first.
The cabin, warmed by a brazier, was noticeably warmer than outside. ZiLi sat on a felt, watching the man dressed in black warming up the wine. He wanted to speak but then hesitated.
“Is there something you want to say?” Even with the black gauze between them, ZiLi could still feel the man’s questioning stare.
ZiLi brushed away the moisture from his hair and hesitated for a moment before saying, “Thank you for helping me leave the Imperial palace. We have come far enough, and it should be safe now. I think…… it’s time to say goodbye.”
The man dressed in black chuckled softly, “Heh, you are quick to tear down the bridge after crossing the river
过河拆桥
Guò hé chāi qiáo
This literally means ‘cross river, dismantle bridge’.
It figuratively means that once someone has achieved their goal, they cast aside the person who helped them, or even harm them.
1 , huh?”
Guò hé chāi qiáo
This literally means ‘cross river, dismantle bridge’.
It figuratively means that once someone has achieved their goal, they cast aside the person who helped them, or even harm them.
“That is not what I meant!” ZiLi frowned and explained, saying, “I just mean I have troubled you for long enough and don’t want to trouble you anymore!”
Please read His Majesty's Hostage Chapter 111 on Project Bezemwagen :-)
The man dressed in black took a leisurely sip of the warm wine and said indifferently, “You’ve already caused me plenty of trouble. A little more won’t make any difference!”ZiLi pondered the man’s words for a moment then changed the subject, “I have known you for so long, but I still don’t know your name. Always calling you ‘Holder of Panacea’ feels distant!” Actually, ZiLi was more curious about why that man always wore a black gauze hat. Could it be that the other’s face was disfigured and unfit to be seen?
“No comment!”
After an awkward silence, ZiLi asked again, “Why are you helping me?”
“Because I want to!”
ZiLi pursed his lips. This person……
“Then can you tell me where we are going next?”
“Isn’t your goal to get away from the Emperor of Chu Jing? As long as you’re away from him, why care where we go?”
ZiLi was slightly taken aback and then felt a pang of sadness in his heart. He turned his head away and stopped talking, staring lost in thought at the river outside the cabin.
To avoid drawing attention, the two traveled south by boat. They entered the boundary river between Chu Jing and Dan Meng, then followed the current for a while before finally disembarking at a dock in the country of Dan Meng.
By the time they entered the city, it was already late. They chose an inn to stay in, but due to the large number of guests, the private rooms were mostly booked, so the two had to squeeze into one room for the night.
Please read His Majesty's Hostage Chapter 111 on Project Bezemwagen :-)
The already narrow bed felt even more cramped with the two of them sharing it. In the darkness, ZiLi lay awake with his eyes wide open. The blanket was very hard and emitted a moldy smell, causing the extremely cold averse ZiLi to shiver. Unable to help himself, he found his thoughts drifting to Hong Xu’s warm and comfortable embrace.“Missing him?” The sudden question from beside him in the darkness made ZiLi’s heart tighten. He realized that the other man always seemed able to guess what he was thinking, and it made him feel rather uneasy.
“No, I am not!”
“I hate people who say one thing and mean another the most!” The other’s tone suddenly became harsh.
“……” ZiLi remained silent, clutching the corner of the quilt.
“Running away won’t solve any problems!”
“I’m not running away,” ZiLi argued, “I just……” His words suddenly faltered, and he fell silent.
“Can’t find an excuse, can you?” The man gave a soft scoff. “Clearly deeply in love, yet you feel inferior and think you are unworthy, so you choose to hide far away. If this isn’t running away, then what is it?”
Stung by the man’s painfully accurate words, ZiLi was left stunned for a long while. Yet in the end, he could only weakly repeat, “I’m not running away!”
The person beside him suddenly sat up. Even in the darkness, ZiLi could feel the other’s sharp gaze upon him, and he held his breath, not daring to move.
With a loud bang, the other person had already left the room and walked far away!
ZiLi let out a soft sigh. What a strange moody and unpredictable person. What on earth did he say wrong to make the other so angry?
After tossing and turning for a long while, ZiLi eventually drifted into a hazy sleep. When he woke the next morning, he realized that the ‘Holder of Panacea’ had never returned. After washing up, he went downstairs and found that the inn was already filled with many diners. Among the ordinary people of the city, that one leisurely man dressed in black was particularly conspicuous.
ZiLi walked to his table and sat down, asking, “Where did you go last night? Why didn’t you come back to the room?”
The ‘Holder of Panacea’ put down his teacup, “Do I need to report to you where I go?” Clearly, his anger had not subsided!
Please read His Majesty's Hostage Chapter 111 on Project Bezemwagen :-)
ZiLi shrugged his shoulders, truly a petty person!“Waiter, two baskets of soup dumplings
灌汤包子
Guàn tāng baozi
Something like this, I think:
2 , please.”
Guàn tāng baozi
Something like this, I think:
“All right, esteemed guest, please wait a moment!”
Holding the hot tea to warm his hands, ZiLi patiently waited for his breakfast.
Outside the door was a street bustling with people coming and going. A thin layer of frost covered the ground, which turned slick and slippery once touched by the winter sun. Bundled up in thick clothing, pedestrians walked cautiously, afraid that one careless step would send them tumbling onto their backs.
“The soup dumplings are here. Please enjoy your meal, esteemed guests!”
The steaming buns were wrapped in thin, delicate skin and filled with rich filling. Their shape resembled white chrysanthemums, their spotlessly white surfaces as flawless as fine porcelain. Lifted with chopsticks, they dangled like tiny lanterns. Lift them gently, slowly let them sway. First pierce a small opening, then drink the soup within, and one bite fills your mouth with fragrant soup!
Just as he was completely absorbed in his meal, a sudden thud on the table startled ZiLi, causing him to shake his hand and drop the dumpling, spilling its hot filling all over the table.
ZiLi was angry, and so was the ‘Holder of Panacea’. The two of them suddenly raised their heads and glared furiously at the person who had come.
We have reached the fourth and final volume ⸜(*ˊᗜˋ*)⸝
The title of this Volume is: The Battle for Supremency
Translation Notes
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