HNYWEF -Chapter 152 Learning to Avoid Suspicion

In the 4th year of Zhenguan, twelfth lunar month, thirtieth day.

New Year’s Eve.

The threshold of the Marquis’ residence was almost worn flat.

Starting from morning, visitors bringing gifts had not stopped.

The craftsmen from the Ministry of Works came in groups of three or five, each carrying something.

Some carried chickens, some ducks, and some carried tightly wrapped parcels of pastries. A few even hauled slabs of pork, saying it was freshly slaughtered at home and wanted the Marquis to have a taste.

Zhou Xiong stood in the courtyard, watching them come and go.

His expression didn’t change at all, but he didn’t avoid them either.

A young craftsman walked up to him, placed his gift on the ground, then bowed deeply.

“Marquis, I’ve remembered everything you said that day. I’ll work hard from now on and won’t bring you shame.”

Zhou Xiong looked at him for a couple of breaths.

Then he nodded.

“Mm.”

Just a single word.

The young craftsman straightened up, his eyes a little red, but he smiled and ran off.

Old Chen was busy at the gate, barely touching the ground as he received and recorded gifts, muttering, “This one to the east wing… that one to the storeroom… chickens and ducks to the kitchen.”

Zhou Hong stood under the corridor, looking at the piles of gifts, scratching his head.

“Brother, are you trying to take back half a year’s salary from the Ministry of Works?”

Zhou Xiong ignored him.

Zhou Yi squatted in a corner of the courtyard, drawing lines on the ground with a tree branch.

He drew for a while, then looked up at the gate, then lowered his head and continued.

After a while, he suddenly spoke.

“Father.”

Zhou Xiong turned to look at him.

Zhou Yi asked, “How are we spending tonight?”

Zhou Xiong thought for a moment.

“Whatever.”

Zhou Yi froze slightly.

Whatever… what did that mean?

Just as he was about to ask further, the sound of a carriage came from outside.

A rolling rumble, clear in the narrow alley.

Zhou Yi stood up and looked toward the gate.

The carriage stopped at the Marquis’ residence.

The curtain lifted. Empress Changsun stepped down first, followed by Li Chengqian, Li Tai, and Li Lishang.

Zhou Yi froze.

He turned to look at his father.

Zhou Xiong stood there, still expressionless.

Empress Changsun led the children in and stopped in front of Zhou Xiong.

“Sir Zhou, Happy New Year.”

Zhou Xiong looked at her.

He looked for two breaths.

Then he nodded.

“Happy New Year.”

Empress Changsun smiled.

She glanced inside.

“Is the New Year’s Eve dinner ready?”

Zhou Xiong said, “It’s ready.”

He paused, then asked,

“Where is Li Er?”

Empress Changsun shook her head.

“He’s not coming.”

Zhou Xiong said nothing.

Empress Changsun looked at him and said softly,

“He’s afraid that coming would only agitate you again.”

Zhou Xiong stood there motionless.

Something moved faintly in those murky eyes of his.

He still didn’t speak.

Then he turned and walked inside.

After a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

Without turning back, he said,

“Come in and eat.”

Empress Changsun smiled.

“Alright.”

She led the children in after Zhou Xiong.

Zhou Yi stood where he was, watching his father’s back.

He suddenly remembered what had been said during the family banquet that day.

It was right that the Emperor didn’t come.

At least tonight, it could let this New Year pass in some peace.

Li Lishang ran up to him and looked up.

“Brother Zhou Yi!”

Zhou Yi came back to his senses.

“Mm.”

Li Lishang smiled, revealing two little tiger teeth, and grabbed his hand.

“Let’s go inside.”

Zhou Yi let her pull him along.

A few hours earlier, in the imperial palace—

In the Liangyi Hall, the charcoal fire burned strongly, filling the hall with warmth.

Li Shimin sat on the couch, holding a memorial. He had been reading it for a long time, but hadn’t turned a single page.

Empress Zhangsun was sitting beside him, holding a needle and thread, embroidering patterns onto Li Licheng’s clothes. It was a bright red plum blossom design, almost finished.

“Your Majesty,” she said.

Li Shimin didn’t look up.

“Hmm?”

Empress Zhangsun asked, “You’re really not going tonight?”

Li Shimin fell silent for a moment.

He put down the memorial and looked out the window.

Outside, it was already dim and overcast; night was approaching.

“No, I’m not going,” he said.

He paused.

“If I go to his current state, I might just end up provoking him into something worse.”

Empress Zhangsun set down her needlework and looked at him.

“Your Majesty, I think Zhou Xiong is much better than before now.”

Li Shimin shook his head.

“Better doesn’t mean he’s healed.”

He kept looking outside.

“He can speak normally now, he can go to the Directorate of Imperial Manufactories, he can even curse me, complain about things. But when I look into his eyes, the chaos underneath is still there. It hasn’t gone away.”

He paused again.

“If I go and say something wrong, do something wrong, and trigger those memories again…”

He didn’t continue.

Empress Zhangsun looked at him for a while.

Then she let out a soft sigh.

“Your Majesty, you’ve changed.”

Li Shimin froze slightly.

“Changed?”

Empress Zhangsun nodded.

“In the past, you always thought about how to help him, how to reward him, how to make him appreciate your kindness. Now you think about how not to provoke him, how not to disrupt him.”

She smiled faintly.

“That change… I think it’s a good one.”

Li Shimin said nothing.

He stared out the window for a long time.

Then he suddenly let out a quiet laugh.

It was soft, tinged with bitterness.

“If I had thought like this earlier, he wouldn’t have gone mad.”

Empress Zhangsun stood up and walked to his side, taking his hand.

“Your Majesty, the past cannot be undone.”

Li Shimin looked at her.

Empress Zhangsun said, “Tonight I’ll take the children over. You stay here and rest well.”

Li Shimin nodded.

“Go and… take a look at him for me.”

Empress Zhangsun smiled.

“I will.”

Footsteps came from outside. Li Chengqian, Li Tai, and Princess Lichang ran in.

“Father! Mother! When are we leaving?”

Empress Zhangsun glanced at Li Shimin.

Li Shimin waved his hand.

“Go.”

The three children cheered and ran out again.

Empress Zhangsun straightened her clothes, walked to the door, and looked back.

“Your Majesty, I’m leaving.”

Li Shimin nodded.

She lifted the curtain and stepped out.

The footsteps faded away.

The hall grew quiet.

Li Shimin sat on the couch, staring at the swaying curtain.

He watched it for a long time.

Then he lowered his head and picked up the memorial again.

Glanced at it.

Put it down.

He looked out the window.

Outside, the sky had already turned completely dark. Nothing could be seen.

Only the wind occasionally passed by, howling softly.

Suddenly, he thought of when Zhou Xiong first arrived in Chang’an.

Back then, Zhou Xiong didn’t speak; his eyes were empty.

Now Zhou Xiong could curse people, but the chaos still lingered beneath his gaze.

He didn’t know whether that counted as recovery or not.

He only knew one thing: he couldn’t provoke him anymore.

Some debts cannot be repaid just by trying.

Some people cannot be healed just by helping.

He sat there for a long time.

Until the night watch drum sounded outside.

One strike. Two strikes. Three strikes.

Midnight had come.

A new year had arrived.

He stood up and walked to the window.

Looking into the pitch-black night outside.

Then he softly said a sentence.

So softly it barely carried.

“Xiong-ge, Happy New Year.”

The wind scattered his words.

No one heard them.