Love Beyond the Grave

When Fang Xianye returned to his room and lit the lamp, he looked up to see a figure clad in black sitting calmly on a chair, watching him. His hand paused briefly before he moved the lamp further away, ensuring the visitor’s shadow wouldn’t fall on the window.

“Not surprised at all?” Duan Xu, dressed in a lightweight night suit with an inky black hair ribbon, rested his chin on his hand as he asked.

Fang Xianye took a seat on a nearby chair, picked up the teapot, and poured himself a cup. “The guards mentioned earlier that a thief seemed to have entered the residence. They searched several times but found nothing. I guessed it was you.”

“Your newly hired guards are quite sharp.”

“No matter how sharp they are, they’re no match for the assassins of Echo Pavilion. You slipped up.”

Duan Xu’s fingers, tracing the rim of the teacup, stilled for a moment. He chuckled softly. “My reflexes have been a bit slow these past couple of days. I’ll recover in a few days. What’s Duke Pei’s arrangement for the Ministry of War?”

“Sun Zi’an was executed, Qin Huanda lost his real authority, and Consort Yu’s witchcraft case dealt them a heavy blow. Duke Du is also keeping a close watch. Duke Pei wants the position of Minister of War to remain vacant for now, with a vice minister acting in the role until the situation cools down before making further arrangements. As for Duke Du’s side—will it be you or Meng Qiaoyan?” Fang Xianye asked.

Meng Qiaoyan was Meng Wan’s father, who had distinguished himself in suppressing the southwestern rebellion and commanded the Southern Capital’s imperial guards. Before Duan Xu took up his military post, he had been Duke Du’s strongest military ally.

“Most likely Meng Qiaoyan. My father believes Duke Du will keep me in the military to replace Qin Huanda’s position. But if Meng Qiaoyan becomes Minister of War, Duke Du and he will undoubtedly use me to insert their own people into the army. At that point, it’s uncertain whether the troops will truly be mine or Duke Du’s.”

Fang Xianye nodded. “Meng Qiaoyan is cautious in words and deeds, but his sons are useless—they hold nominal military posts and do nothing. His third son is especially hot-tempered. If we can provoke him into causing a major incident in the army, Meng Qiaoyan’s path to promotion won’t be so smooth. However, if the Minister of War position remains vacant, Duke Pei will eventually install his own man, which would only create more obstacles for you in the military.”

“For Duke Pei, as long as the position doesn’t go to Duke Du’s faction, it’s a victory. In that case, a compromise—pushing for someone without clear allegiances—wouldn’t be a bad choice. I think Cao Ruolin would be a good candidate. He also participated in suppressing the southwestern rebellion and has done well in the Ministry of Justice. He has no deep-rooted connections but is quite capable and firm in character. I’ve heard he greatly admires your poetry and essays. If someone else recommended him, he might not feel indebted, but if it’s you, he’d surely be grateful. His gratitude to you, combined with your status as Duke Pei’s protégé, would make him, from Duke Pei’s perspective, one of your Pei Party. With careful handling, you could quietly turn him into your own man.”

Fang Xianye and Duan Xu exchanged glances, sharing a knowing smile.

“Recently, the Emperor plans to expand the Yun Province Horse Ranch and appoint a Yun-Luo Border Patrol Envoy to oversee military and administrative affairs in both provinces. I want that assignment,” Fang Xianye said.

Having spent so much time in the Ministry of Revenue, he had come to realize how war burned through money like water—not just provisions, but also weapons and warhorses. The horse ranches and mines in Yun and Luo were crucial resources for reclaiming lost territories in the future, and he couldn’t trust others to manage them.

After all, those lands had been won by Duan Xu at the cost of his life.

Moreover, this was an extremely important assignment. Achieving success here would guarantee a high-ranking promotion upon his return to court.During the war, the Emperor had sent Zheng An to the front lines. This border inspection envoy position would likely fall to Zheng An, who had seniority, deep-rooted influence, and would certainly choose his own trusted aides to accompany him—leaving Fang Xianye inevitably excluded.

Duan Xu thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers and said, "Soon it will be time for the Heaven Worship Ceremony. As per tradition, an Invocation Essay must be prepared to read to the heavens. His Majesty places great importance on Invocation Essays—back then, Duke Du gained the Emperor's favor precisely because he excelled at writing them. If you can prepare an Invocation Essay that impresses His Majesty, then requesting an appointment would give you a strong chance of success."

Invocation Essays were memorials and prayers offered to the heavens, demanding strict formality and ornate language, testing one's literary skill to the fullest. Few in the entire court could compose them well. Duan Xu leaned closer to Fang Xianye and whispered, "Actually, Duke Du can't write Invocation Essays either. Every year, my father writes them for him."

Fang Xianye raised an eyebrow.

Duan Chengzhang had been idle due to illness for so long, yet he still held a place among Duke Du's faction—wasn't it precisely because of his ties to Echo Pavilion, which controlled vast amounts of intelligence, and his exquisite writing brush?

"I know he's already finished writing one. One of these days, I'll sneak a look and memorize it for you."

"You want me to copy his?"

"Of course not. The brilliantly talented Fang Xianye would never need to copy his work. But you should first see how he writes it, get a feel for it—know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll never be defeated." Duan Xu said with a beaming smile.

Fang Xianye fell silent for a while, studying his expression before remarking leisurely, "People outside say that the third young master of the Duan family suffered a sudden mishap at his wedding, spent a fortune searching for his bride, and has been physically and emotionally devastated, shutting himself indoors. But Young Master Duan seems to be in exceptionally high spirits."

From the start, Duan Xu had spoken with a smile. Though he usually laughed often, today his grin was especially radiant, brimming with delight.

Duan Xu touched the corner of his lips and smiled even more brilliantly. "Putting on a gloomy face in public is too stifling. I just don’t feel like pretending in front of you. Speaking of which, I should leave early today. Ours fell ill with a chill yesterday after painting in the courtyard with wet hair. I need to go back and take care of her."

Fang Xianye was astonished. His teacup froze mid-air. "You don’t mean… that one from last time…?"

"It's her—the Ghost King."

"Ghosts can get sick?"

"She's special." Duan Xu stood up and stretched. "I’ve added another lifelong wish to my list—after reclaiming the seventeen northern states beyond Guan River, I’m going to become the He family’s live-in son-in-law."

Fang Xianye stared at Duan Xu, wide-eyed and speechless. Duan Xu patted his shoulder and laughed. "We agreed long ago—I’d wield the sword and ride to war as your general, and you’d govern the realm as prime minister with your ivory tablet. I don’t mind if the birds are gone and the bow is stored. When the time comes, I’ll retire, and you can rule the world well."

With that, Duan Xu tied on his face covering and slipped out the window in a flash—this time, his movements were more agile than when he arrived, and he didn’t alert the manor guards. Long after Duan Xu had left, Fang Xianye finally lifted his teacup and finished the last sip, shaking his head. "Is this man actually insane?"When Duan Xu returned to his Bright Moon Residence with the medicine, He Simu was drowsily leaning against the bedside with her legs hugged to her chest. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded across the bed, shining and lustrous, contrasting sharply with her pale complexion. The most vibrant thing about her was the crimson inner robe she wore, reminiscent of the paintings she had once drawn on his body.

Black branches, red plum blossoms, white snow—He Simu.

Chen Ying crouched by the bed, watching He Simu with a worried expression. Spotting Duan Xu, his face lit up, and he nudged He Simu’s shoulder excitedly. "Sister Simu, the medicine’s here. Time to drink it."

Duan Xu sat beside He Simu as she opened her eyes, still groggy, and reached out vaguely before taking the medicine bowl, ready to down it in one go. Duan Xu immediately pulled the bowl away. "No, it’s too hot."

He Simu finally roused herself a little more, rubbing her eyes and glaring at Duan Xu with a hoarse voice. "Being human is such a hassle. Just a bit of wind and you fall sick."

Every time she exchanged senses with Duan Xu, some misfortune seemed to follow—whether it was being stabbed like a sieve in prison, attacked by the Rakshasa Hall Master, or catching a cold like now. At the moment, she was dizzy, muddle-headed, and short of breath—in one word: miserable. Though she was the one who had carelessly caught a chill, she blamed this mishap squarely on Duan Xu.

Duan Xu chuckled, scooping up a spoonful of medicine and blowing on it before holding it out to her. "Rare opportunities like this—experiencing illness is just another way to round out life, isn’t it?"

He Simu turned her head to sneeze, then drank the medicine Duan Xu fed her while rubbing her nose. "Experiences like this are better kept to a minimum."

After swallowing the medicine, she found a candied date stuffed into her mouth by Duan Xu. He Simu mumbled, "I can’t even taste anything, and bitterness doesn’t bother me. Why give me sweets? Just give them to Chen Ying."

Duan Xu popped a candied date into Chen Ying’s mouth as well, then leaned down to whisper in He Simu’s ear, "But I’m afraid of bitterness."

"So?"

"I’ll be kissing you later."

"..." He Simu glanced sideways at Chen Ying, who was blinking his big eyes curiously, and pushed Duan Xu away. "Control yourself. Do you want to get sick too?"

Despite her words, she still ate the candied dates Duan Xu gave her. And so, sip by sip, one sweet after another, she finished the entire bowl of medicine. Considering this was how Duan Xu usually took his medicine, she couldn’t fathom just how much he feared bitterness. Was he really this delicate?

Chen Ying wasn’t left out either. With a candied date in his mouth, he reached up to press a hand against He Simu’s forehead. After a moment of serious contemplation, he reported to Duan Xu, "Sister Simu’s forehead isn’t hot anymore."

Duan Xu smiled. "Good. That means her fever’s gone."

Chen Ying’s gaze darted between He Simu and Duan Xu’s faces before he ventured excitedly, "Third Brother, you and Sister Simu... have you two... pledged yourselves to each other?"

He Simu thought, This little one’s grasp of idioms has improved quite a bit in just a few months. Before she could answer, Chen Ying continued eagerly, "Sister Simu, Third Brother likes you so much! Do you like him too?"

Chen Ying’s big eyes stared at her expectantly, and so did Duan Xu’s. After a brief silence, He Simu affectionately patted the back of Chen Ying’s head. "It’s been a while. Let’s test your studies, shall we?"

The smile on Chen Ying’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a pitiful expression.Recently, he had been learning martial arts together with Duan Yiqi. Duan Yiqi had started his training much earlier and, despite being around the same age, surpassed him in every aspect. While he was still confused by the questions their instructor asked, Duan Yiqi could answer them immediately. Feeling deeply frustrated, he dreaded nothing more than Duan Xu quizzing him on his studies.

Now that his elder sister had arrived, the instructor, knowing his sister was visiting, gave him a few days off. But to his dismay, his sister also started questioning him about his studies.

Chen Ying hung his head and stammered, unable to answer, so Duan Xu stepped in to report on his recent progress. He Simu shook her head and said in a muffled voice, "I entrusted Chen Ying to you. You can't just leave him to the instructor, can you? At the very least, you should teach him martial arts yourself."

Duan Xu thought for a moment, then turned to Chen Ying and said, "Learning martial arts from me will be extremely tough—a hundred times harder than what your current instructor puts you through. Do you still want to train with me?"

Chen Ying looked back and forth between Duan Xu and He Simu, on the verge of tears, before nodding reluctantly. "...Alright, I will."

Everyone in the room except Chen Ying smiled approvingly. Chen Ying thought to himself—hadn't he just asked a simple question? How had it led to such a miserable outcome?

After Chen Ying left the room to rest in the guest quarters of Bright Moon Residence, Duan Xu wrapped an arm around the drowsy He Simu's shoulders, patting her lightly as he chuckled, "When will you recover from this illness?"

"What for?" He Simu mumbled sleepily.

"You've been cooped up indoors for days—it's time to go out for a change. There's a polo match in a couple of days. Would you like to watch me play?"