Chapter 181: You Were Buried Under The Nine Springs, Where Your Bones Turned Into Mud1.
The scream of the maidservant escaping, was the first sound to break the silence of the night sky. Before the Imperial Bodyguards outside the bedchamber could react, Xie Chungui had already locked the doors of the bedchamber, and blocked the windows with tables and chairs. As soon as he looked back, he saw that Xiao YuAn had taken off his coat, and was using it to try and stop Yan HeQing's bleeding. His coat was dyed red, and since Yan HeQing wasn't able to support himself, he fell down shakily.
"Yan-ge! Yan-ge!" Xiao YuAn sat in a corner with Yan HeQing in his arms. Because of the massive blood loss, Yan HeQing felt extremely dizzy. As he felt that his consciousness was starting to blur, he struggled to open his mouth; as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he wasn't able to utter a single word.
"Yan-ge, don't say anything. Don't talk, everything will be alright." Xiao YuAn was on the verge of collapsing, his mind filled with the thought that Yan HeQing wouldn't die. However, Yan HeQing's breathing began to gradually become faint, and his consciousness was lax as he slowly closed his eyes.
Xiao YuAn immediately panicked as he pressed his hands on Yan HeQing's shoulders, shouting at him: "Yan-ge, don't fall asleep! Don't sleep, look at me, look…." Xiao YuAn's words were interrupted when he was suddenly grabbed by the collar and pressed against the wall.
Xie Chungui's eyes were bloodshot as he tightly clutched Xiao YuAn's collar: "Your Majesty, what are you doing? Don't you remember? He's the one who killed the soldiers of the Northern Kingdom! He's the one who conquered our country! Shouldn't you hate him? Why don't you hate him? Your Majesty, do you still remember your own name? It's Zhou Yu! You're our Emperor! You're the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom!"
Xiao YuAn couldn't answer. Instead, he kept shaking his head, murmuring 'sorry' again and again. The sound of his voice was like that of a heinous sinner; a sinner that was finally punished, leaving only endless remorse and unforgiven sins behind.
"Enough! Your Majesty, why do you keep apologizing? Why!?" Xie Chungui roared, but he didn't get an answer for a long time.
Suddenly, outside the bedchamber, the sound of the doors being hit, the hurried horses' hooves, as well as the shouts of Xue Yan, could be heard. It seemed that the soldiers who escorted the Emperor had arrived in a hurry.
Xie Chungui's face was calm and extremely cold. As he picked up the dagger that was still dripping with Yan HeQing's blood, he was about to rush out the door. However, he was pulled back by Xiao YuAn, who shouted pleadingly: "Don't go, you'll die! Chungui, go away, escape. You'll definitely be able to escape. Go back to Taoyuan Village, go back."
"Your Majesty, there's no way I can go back." Xie Chungui shook his head and slowly withdrew his hand. His tone of voice was calm, but it also seemed extremely cruel, as he said: "Your Majesty, the descendants of the Xie family have only two ends. They either die of old age in the prosperous Northern Kingdom, or they die in the battlefield. Three years ago, I was unable to follow my Xiongdi. Now, it's time for me to go find them."
After saying that, Xie Chungui righteously waved his dagger and rushed out without any hesitation; his determination was so heavy that it could make people shudder.
AD
As soon as Xiao YuAn knelt on the ground, leaning on the last unbroken string in his mind, he turned back and continued to press on Yan HeQing's wound, repeatedly shouting at him to not sleep. Then, someone rushed in, stopped Xiao YuAn, and restrained him, pressing him to the ground. After that, Xiao YuAn was dragged outside, and someone hurriedly arrived to treat Yan HeQing's wound and stop the bleeding.
Everything seemed to be mute, lost its color, leaving only chaos and confusion behind. Xiao YuAn wanted to ask if Yan HeQing was alright, but he was dragged out of the bedchamber in a mess. Outside the bedchamber, the snow was flying around, and the weather was cold. Xue Yan's face was pale with anger and fear. When Xiao YuAn was escorted to his feet, he heard Xue Yan say: "Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, how could you be so cruel? How could you take advantage of His Majesty's feelings for you, and assassinate His Majesty together with the remnants of the Northern Kingdom? How could you be so vicious?"
Xiao YuAn didn't reply, and didn't try to defend himself. He simply curled up on the ground, without being able to shed any tears. He was a complete mess; his whole body was hurting and his limbs were aching. He kept asking himself over and over again why has this happened, but he didn't know where to find such an answer.
Perhaps, from the moment he thought that he could protect the Northern Kingdom, he was doomed to end up like this.
Xue Yan has always done things simply and decisively, and he knows that the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom can no longer stay. Yan HeQing's insistence on doing things his own way in the past, can still be considered as acts made out of undying love. But if Yan HeQing still kept him around even after an assassinations attempt, he can only be reduced to a laughing stock!
Today, the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom must die.
The wind was howling, the snow was icy cold, and the weather was piercing. Xue Yan exhaled a mouthful of white fog, slowly pulled out his sword from his waist, and said: "Does the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom have something else to say?"
Xiao YuAn's body still carried Yan HeQing's blood on him, and his clothes were soaked by the falling snow. Black and white mixed together. Covered by the snow, Xiao YuAn supported his body, slowly getting up. His limbs were frozen because of the cold, his eyes were numb and lightless when he asked: "Yan-ge, is he okay?"
Xue Yan clenched the sword in his hand, and stared at Xiao YuAn for a long time. Seemingly unable to believe that even at this moment, Xiao YuAn would be thinking about Yan HeQing. He was silent for a while before he answered truthfully: "His Majesty isn't in a life-threatening situation."
"That's wonderful…." Xiao YuAn's voice trembled as he smiled and burst into tears.
Xue Yan then realized that he may have misunderstood the man in front of him. However, for Yan HeQing's sake, for the Southern Yan Kingdom's sake, and for the world's sake, he won't be merciful to this man today: "If the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom doesn't have anything else to say, then be on your way."
Chapter 182: I'm Still Living In This World, With My Hair White As Snow1.
Unexpectedly, Xiao YuAn shakily stood up, wiped his face with his sleeve, and said: "General Xue, can I request two things from you?"
"You want to request something from me?" Xue Yan couldn't believe it.
"Yes."
"There's no harm in asking."
Xiao YuAn said: "The first request: after tonight, can you send Xie Chungui's body back to the Xie mansion?"
"The Xie mansion… so is it true that the man just now was the son of the Xie family, who died for the country back then?" Xue Yan murmured. "Loyalty and righteousness should be respected. Alright, I promise you this. What's the other request?"
Xiao YuAn looked into the distance. The huge Imperial Palace still has the shadow of the Northern Kingdom in every corner. Every plant, every three, every flower, every stone, every sculpture, every painted building, and every pavilion. However, none of them can be reflected in Xiao YuAn's eyes, because his eyes were empty. "For this closure, can you let me do it myself?"
Xue Yan was stunned, but then he nodded, and handed over his long sword.
Xiao YuAn took the sword, backed up a few steps looking for a high open space full of thick snow, and knelt down. He took a deep breath, placed the long sword in his hand on the side, and then kowtowed thirteen times. Each time, he would say 'sorry'. At the last kowtow, his forehead was bleeding, dripping down his face.
'I'm sorry, I'll let the tiger return to the mountain2. I'm sorry that I couldn't protect the Northern Kingdom. I'm sorry that even now, I still want to see Yan HeQing ruling over the four Kingdoms. I'm sorry that even though I got this body, I still wanted to be Xiao YuAn.'
'I'm sorry, I tried my best. But in the end, I was still defeated by the statement of Heaven, that I won't be able to change this fate.'
AD
'If that's the case, then can I make amends with my own life?'
'Just like how I once took my own life in order to compensate my brother, who hated me so much for abandoning him.'
'Would it be possible to get rid of all the grudge and hatred this way?'
After kowtowing, Xiao YuAn endured the pain and dizziness he felt, lowered his eyes, and picked up the long sword beside him. As he placed it on his neck, he turned to Xue Yan, and said: "General Xue, I have something that I want you to tell Yan HeQing for me."
Suddenly, a cold wind raged past them. The whole world felt desolate, and the roaring snow almost covered Xiao YuAn's voice.
At the same time, Yan HeQing, who was in his bedchamber, slowly opened his eyes. The Physician beside him said joyfully: "Your Majesty, are you awake? How do you feel?"
Because of the blood loss, Yan HeQing's lips turned white, and his mind was in a trance. It took him a few seconds to remember what had happened before he fainted. Then, regardless of the four people trying to stop him, he covered his wound, and stood up. "Xiao YuAn?"
"Xiao YuAn? Who is this? Ah! Your Majesty! Your Majesty, your wounds!" The Physician was swatted away by Yan HeQing's arm, the words he shouted were in vain.
Yan HeQing staggered outside and ran away from his bedchamber, holding onto the pillar outside. As he gasped for breath several times, he didn't fall down. He raised his head, anxiously looking around for Xiao YuAn's figure. Once his eyes were fixed on the person kneeling in the snow, Yan HeQing's eyes shone with joy. He tried to shout, but because he had lost a lot of blood, he couldn't produce any sound. He could only try his best to walk towards that place, leaving behind a trail of blood on the white snow, which was immediately buried under the strong wind and snow.
Not far away, Xiao YuAn, who was kneeling on the ground, placed the long sword on his neck. Then, he turned his head to Xue Yan, and said: "Tell Yan HeQing that he has to live well for the rest of his life. I want to see… I want to see what his prosperous, peaceful and flourishing world, his country, would look like."
This sentence spread word by word rushed into Yan HeQing's ears. As he seemed to realize that something was wrong, he wanted to rush over in an instant, but his body was weak, and his footsteps were slow. Everything in front of him seemed to be blurred into the tragic white falling snow. When he pressed on his wound, the wound in his abdomen immediately brought him a sharp feeling of tearing pain, but Yan HeQing only hated that this pain wasn't painful enough to keep him awake a little bit more. As he stretched out his hand, he shouted madly: "Xiao… Xiao Yu-…"
However, the wind and the snow were too heavy; Yan HeQing's voice was too weak to reach him. In the end, Xiao YuAn never looked at Yan HeQing's direction from the beginning to the end. He simply closed his eyes, holding the hilt of the sword with shaking hands.
Then, the silver light cut through the sky, and entered the bottom of Yan HeQing's eyes.
For an instant, the world turned red and white as Yan HeQing helplessly watched Xiao YuAn's body falling down. This action occurred very slowly, but when he hit the ground, the impact was so heavy, that the snow on the ground immediately flew up a few inches. Yan HeQing also fell to his knees with him; his chest feeling like it was pierced as his heart was ripped out of his body, and repeatedly smashed on the ground. Yan HeQing murmured the last word 'An' as he fainted on the snow because of the blood loss.
As the scarlet penetrated into the snow, and stained the earth, their hands were only a few meters apart.
—The author has something to say—–
About President Xiao…
When he was young, he witnessed his mother's suicide. This event made President Xiao understand from an early age that there existed such a way to die. Later, his brother's resentment also shaped his character, that he could easily fall into extreme self-remorse and guilt. Therefore, President Xiao is actually a person who is always smiling on the surface, but in fact, he's extremely fragile inside.
Chapter 183: Descending To The Depths Of The Yellow Springs.
It's said that after death, people can see a kind of ferry transport, Ox-Head and Horse-Face1; and Meng Po2 in the Yellow Springs.
But as soon as Xiao YuAn opened his eyes, the only thing he was able to see was a white and foggy chaos. As he stood in place, he looked around in a daze.
Suddenly, someone ran past him in a hurry. That person was Xie Chungui.
Xie Chungui kept shouting 'wait for me, wait for me' over and over. Then, a figure appeared in front of him.
That man slowly turned around. He had dignified facial features, but the smile on his face was quite silly. He held Xie Chungui, who had stumbled while running, and said: "I'm waiting, don't worry. I've been waiting all this time."
Xie Chungui's eyes slowly turned red. There was a trace of grievance on the face of General Xie, who was known for being intrepid on the battlefield. As he choked slightly, he said: "General Li, I…. I failed to protect the Northern Kingdom…. I couldn't save my Xiongdi…."
Li Wuding stretched out his hand to rub his hair: "You, ah, how old are you? You're always trying to act like an adult, always carrying all the burdens on your shoulders. Why didn't you come back to me as an 80 years old man? What was the hurry? I've been waiting for you all this time, haven't I? Come on, stop crying. Our Xiongdi are waiting ahead, we can't let them see you like this. It's enough for me to know that you look like this."
Xie Chungui wiped away his tears, and nodded heavily: "Yes."
Li Wuding laughed and rubbed his hair until it became a mess, then said a few words to him. He then turned around to look at Xiao YuAn.
Xiao YuAn looked at him, and whispered: "I'm sorry…."
Li Wuding shook his head and replied with a smile: "Your Majesty, sometimes it's more painful to keep living. Do you think that it would be better to live with the conscience of treason, or to die for your Country? Moreover, when you removed the treacherous Ministers for the sake of the common people, we all saw it with our own eyes. Protecting the Monarch and the Country was the path chosen by the Xiongdi themselves. So, what are you blaming yourself for?"
AD
After Li Wuding finished speaking, he clasped his fists and gave a military salute to Xiao YuAn. Then, he turned around and left side by side with Xie Chungui. The two of them gradually disappeared into the white fog in the distance.
Xiao YuAn couldn't help but chase after them for a few steps, when suddenly, he heard someone calling him: "Your Majesty."
That voice was so familiar, that Xiao YuAn's body trembled as he turned around abruptly.
She was exactly the same as the first time he saw her, with her hair styled in a bun and a green pigmented robe. Her voice was as gentle as he remembered, and with a smile on her face, she saluted Xiao YuAn: "Your Majesty."
Xiao YuAn's eyes widened in surprise: "Hong Xiu…."
"Your Majesty, it's me. What can I do for you?" Hong Xiu asked with a smile on her face.
Xiao YuAn looked at her smile, and said with a hoarse voice: "I…. I'm not the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom. I…. I'm not your Emperor…."
'I'm not the Monarch of the Northern Kingdom. I wonder if Hong Xiu, who gave her life for the Emperor in the past, has ever regretted it?'
Hong Xiu was puzzled. She thought for a moment, and then asked: "When I was sick, the one who took care of me and made me laugh, was it you?"
Xiao YuAn was stunned for a long time before he replied: "It was me…."
"The one who allowed me to go out of the Imperial Palace to visit my sister, and also personally wrote an Imperial edict so that I could take the Imperial Physician with me without any problems. Was it you?"
"It was me…"
AD
"The one who gifted me a carefully selected red hairpin, was it you?"
Xiao YuAn nodded slowly: "It was also me…."
Hong Xiu smiled, turned to look at Xiao YuAn, and firmly called: "Your Majesty."
Xiao YuAn suddenly burst into tears like a spring.
Hong Xiu stepped forward and gently wiped away Xiao YuAn's tears: "What happened, Your Majesty? Is something wrong?"
Xiao YuAn burst into tears and his voice choked with sobs. Unable to say a single word, he only shook his head incessantly.
Hong Xiu smiled and said with a soft tone of voice: "Your Majesty, I hope that you can have a good life. Take good care of yourself, and don't take your own life lightly, alright?"
Xiao YuAn sobbed and nodded his head. Hong Xiu held his shoulders and pushed him in the opposite direction: "Your Majesty, someone is still waiting for you. Go quickly."
After the sudden push, Xiao YuAn opened his eyes.
Chapter 184: Something's Wrong With This Foreplay.
The sky was slightly bright, but the light surrounding was so obscure that it was nearly impossible for a person to know whether it was early morning or late afternoon.
Xiao YuAn stared blankly at the golden veil in front of him, feeling that this scene was oddly familiar. As he tilted his head to look around, he couldn't help but curse inside his heart.
'Isn't this my bedchamber?'
'I'm…. I'm not dead?!'
Memories of the past suddenly flooded into his mind as Xiao YuAn sat up violently. His black, silk-like hair slipped down his shoulders and scattered in front of his eyes. Probably because of Xiao YuAn's sudden movement, a person lying beside him seemed to be disturbed as they expressed an uncomfortable 'hum'.
Xiao YuAn turned his head to look, and was surprised to see Yan HeQing sleeping beside him.
The bedchamber gradually brightened, so it turned out to be early morning.
As he looked at Yan HeQing, Xiao YuAn stretched out his hand and pinched himself.
'Shit! it Hurts! There's a bruise!'
'This isn't a dream, ah! Not a dream!'
'Then, could it be that those events were just a nightmare?!'
AD
'Yan HeQing and I are still fine, so nothing happened? But why is the pain, the suffering, and the fresh blood dripping so clearly engraved in my mind? And why can't I forget it?'
Xiao YuAn was a little confused for a while, but the joy of regaining his life washed over him, making him feel so excited that he almost burst into tears. Xiao YuAn laid down on his side and wrapped his arm around Yan HeQing's waist. As he adjusted his posture and leaned comfortably on Yan HeQing's chest, he found something strange.
Yan HeQing's face was flushed. He was short of breath, and his body temperature was unnaturally hot. His eyebrows were tightly knitted, as if he was having a nightmare, and his hands were clenched tightly into fists.
'What's going on? Does he have a fever?'
"Yan-ge? Yan-ge?" Xiao YuAn got up in a panic as he touched Yan HeQing's forehead.
When Yan HeQing, who was in a daze, felt a trace of coolness in his forehead, he subconsciously rolled over and pressed himself against Xiao YuAn. His breath gradually turned heavier.
A hot and firm 'thing' pressed against Xiao YuAn's leg, making him feel horrified. Only then did he realize that Yan HeQing may not have a fever.
'Such excitement so early in the morning. Is he at his limit?'
Yan HeQing shouted Xiao YuAn's name in a daze, and Xiao YuAn hurriedly responded: "It's me, I'm here. Yan-ge, let me help you."
Xiao YuAn raised his head to kiss Yan HeQing, as he slowly stretched out his hand towards Yan HeQing's lower half. However, who would've known that Yan HeQing would fiercely block his mouth right after he spoke, unrestrainedly invading every part of his mouth. Yan HeQing's hands mercilessly tore Xiao YuAn's clothes apart, ravaging his waist and buttocks, leaving behind bright red marks on Xiao YuAn's body.
The taste of blood quickly filled his mouth, and Xiao YuAn couldn't bear the pain caused by Yan HeQing's roughness. As he gasped for breath, he subconsciously pushed Yan HeQing away: "Yan-ge, it hurts! Wake up… you're hurting me!"
'Damn it!'
AD
'This foreplay is too wild. If we do it to the end, I'll die in this bed!'
In order to avoid the tragic case of murdering one's own husband, Xiao YuAn pressed his hands against Yan HeQing's shoulders, and shook him a few times: "Yan-ge! Hello! Daxiongdi1! Baobei2, dear! Darling! Husband! Hubby! Please wake up, I don't want to be fucked to death, alright?"
After a few more shakes, Yan HeQing gradually opened his eyes, and immediately stopped teasing Xiao YuAn. Yan HeQing then blankly propped himself up, as if he was thinking about something, and his eyes gradually brightened.
Xiao YuAn took a long breath and collapsed on the bed. Most of his undergarments were spread out, and the marks on his body showed a shocking sight. When Xiao YuAn looked up at Yan HeQing, he was about to laugh and complain, but he suddenly saw how wide Yan HeQing's eyes became, filled with disbelief.
Chapter 185: I Must've Woken Up The Wrong Way.
Yan HeQing sat up violently and took half a step backwards. His eyes and voice carried an undisguised anger: "Why are you here?!"
Xiao YuAn was confused by the question.
'Where would I be, if I wasn't here?'
"Huh? I…. I…." Xiao YuAn didn't even know how to answer Yan HeQing.
Yan HeQing began to realize that there was something wrong with his body when a dry heat ran through his limbs and bones, making him feel thirsty and dizzy. At this, he immediately looked down.
Xiao YuAn followed Yan HeQing's gaze towards his lower half, carefully swallowed, and then rubbed it over: "Let… let me help you…."
However, as soon as he said that, Xiao YuAn's collar was suddenly grabbed by Yan HeQing, strangling him until he was almost out of breath. Yan HeQing's voice was extremely cold. The anger in his eyes was like a burning fire, as if he would swallow Xiao YuAn at any given moment. He shouted: "You dared to drug me?!"
'Drugs?!'
'How could I drug Yan HeQing?'
'I don't want to die in the bed, alright?!'
In the original book, Yan HeQing gave a great performance when he spent the night with ten women. So why the hell would he need to be drugged for?
AD
As his collar was clenched tightly, Xiao YuAn felt that he couldn't breath. He was uncomfortable as hell. When he reached out to stop Yan HeQing's actions, he argued: "I didn't drugg-…"
However, before he could finish what he wanted to say, he was thrown off the bed by Yan HeQing.
Since Xiao YuAn's clothes were still in a disheveled state, red marks and scratches appeared on his body when his bare skin rubbed against the ground. He rolled on the ground several times, without being able to stop himself, until his head knocked against the corner of the table. Immediately after, blood started to slide down from a wound on his head, dying his eyes red. Xiao YuAn's black silky hair was scattered and wretched; as he covered his forehead, his eyes were dazed from the pain. He felt like he would faint at any moment.
But Yan HeQing didn't even bother to look at him. He simply shouted with a cold tone of voice: "Get out!"
Xiao YuAn was completely dumbfounded, frozen in place. Even if he was slow, he knew that something was wrong, but Xiao YuAn didn't know what was wrong. So, he cried out pleadingly: "Yan-ge?"
This pet name was the final straw that provoked Yan HeQing's anger. Yan HeQing's eyes were filled with bitterness and disgust as he got out of the bed to heavily press Xiao YuAn's head against the ground. Yan HeQing's voice was even more frightening because he was suppressing his anger: "Will you dare to call me like that again?"
Right after that, Xiao YuAn was thrown out of the bedchamber.
It was snowing outside, and Xiao YuAn, who was half naked, was thrown into the snow. It was cold, and there were maids and Imperial Bodyguards who passed by from time to time. They all looked at him with pity and ridicule in their eyes.
Xiao YuAn remained in the same position after being thrown out, blankly staring at the closed doors of the bedchamber that were so familiar to him. His body was covered with red marks and scratches, the bleeding coming from his head hadn't stopped. Once he was covered by the cold snow, it was like he was in pain again. A maid who couldn't bear seeing him like that anymore, walked forward to help Xiao YuAn get up and fix his clothes: "Xiao Jun Wang1, let's go back."
Xiao YuAn suddenly looked up at her, and shouted: "Xiao what?"
The maidservant was so frightened that she said weakly: "Jun Wang."
Xiao YuAn suddenly stood up, pulled up his clothes, and looked around. Because he wasn't wearing boots, he had to walk barefooted in the snow, to the point where his feet became numb and red due to the cold. Finally, a shallow pool appeared in front of him, and Xiao YuAn rushed forward only to kneel at the edge of the pool.
AD
The pool was covered with ice, and it was dazzling under the warm light of the early morning. When Xiao YuAn looked at his face reflected in the ice, he couldn't say a word for a long time.
In the original book, Xiao PingYang lived in the Northern Kingdom for a period of time before agreeing to Yan HeQing's marriage proposal, in order to protect the Western Shu Kingdom from the invasion of war. At that time, Xiao PingYang was called 'Xiao Jun Gongzhu2'.
At this moment, the frozen lake wasn't reflecting the delicate and beautiful face of the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom; but a clear and handsome face, smooth like porcelain, with pupils like the full moon, eyebrows full of tenderness. He showed a curved smile on his lips, but with a wanton behaviour, expressing a rare freedom in a world like this.
This face was exactly the same as the one Xiao YuAn had in his previous life.
Chapter 186: He Must've Ascended The Throne The Wrong Way.
Xiao YuAn's forehead was still bleeding, his lips were pale, his body was covered with a thin undergarment, and his skin was marked with red bruises. If he even moved a bit, he would feel pain. No matter how good-looking he was, he still looked extremely miserable right now.
'So I did die? And I was reborn again? Reborn in the body of the former Xiao Wangye of the Western Shu Kingdom? How long has it been since my death? And why is "he" in the Southern Yan Kingdom?'
There were too many questions, coming one after the other. As Xiao YuAn covered his forehead, he knelt on the ground feeling overwhelmed. His body was trembling, but he didn't know whether it was due to the pain, the cold, or a combination of both. The maid servant who had tried to help him a while ago, trotted over and placed a coat over Xiao YuAn: "Xiao Jun Wang, this servant will send you back to your bedchamber."
Xiao YuAn nodded his head, and stood up with the help of the maid.
Xiao YuAn's temporary bedchamber was on the West side of the Imperial Palace, which was often used to entertain guests, and was also the place where the foreign envoys lived. The maid went to the Taiyi Hall to ask for medicine for Xiao YuAn's bruises, and cleaned the wound on his forehead. Xiao YuAn looked around the bedchamber until he found a book handwritten by the original owner of this body. After Xiao YuAn read the book, and asked some maids, he finally understood what was going on.
Three years ago, the Western Shu Kingdom began to be in a state of regime separation. First of all, the Emperor of the Western Shu Kingdom died of an illness, and for a long time, there was no one who could succeed the throne. The Western Shu Kingdom is a country dominated by women, and both Princesses and Princes can fight for the throne. The Imperial Court is extremely complex, and there isn't anyone, besides Xiao PingYang, who can monopolize the throne. Meaning that during the process of fighting for the throne, there were many instances where both sides have suffered defeat.
At the same time, the Western Shu Kingdom was hit by natural disasters, popular uprising, barbarian invasions, and other chaotic events. The country that was once peaceful and stable, had turned into a mess.
However, during the past three years, the throne of the Western Shu Kingdom had changed from a highly desirable sweet steamed bun to a burning hot potato1; and the people who originally wanted to seize the throne, died during the fight for power. Xiao Wangye is a man that has a 'being in harmony with the rest of the world2' kind of temper, always aspiring for a leisurely and accommodating type of life. But since his country has turned into this state, with the matter of survival at hand, Xiao Wangye doesn't have a way to bear such burden on his own.
Who would've known that before these internal fights for power could be solved, external problems would arrive.
After the unification of the Three Kingdoms, the Southern Yan Kingdom began to eye the Western Shu Kingdom. Ever since the defeat of the Western Shu Kingdom, the country was divided by the barbarians around it. So, in this situation, fighting against the Southern Yan Kingdom would be like hitting a stone with an egg3!
In order to save the Western Shu Kingdom, Xiao Wangye reduced himself from a Prince to a commoner. By lowering his dignity, he showed his goodwill. Saying that he was willing to pay tribute to the Southern Yan Kingdom every year, with the condition that the country's territory will be preserved, and the Western Shu Kingdom's title wouldn't be taken away.
AD
However, Yan HeQing didn't want to do it this way, making it clear that he wanted to unify all of the kingdoms into one, and that he didn't want a vassal state. Xiao Wangye was at a loss at what to do, but in the end, he traveled all the way to the Southern Yan Kingdom to bow his head, and surrender himself. Even if he can only delay it by one day, it's still a whole day.
When a Monarch reaches such a state, he ends up looking both cowardly and sad, but also laughable and helpless.
When Xiao Wangye came to the Southern Yan Kingdom to proclaim himself as a subject, a year had passed since the assassination attempt, so when Yan HeQing heard the name of Xiao Wangye, he was eager to meet with him. However, he then left with a cold face.
Xiao Wangye tried every means to curry favor, but he failed again and again to meet Yan HeQing's eyes, not to mention that he failed to discourage Yan HeQing from sending troops. Xiao Wangye, finding himself in a desperate situation, met a person. With the help of that person, he entered Yan HeQing's bedchamber at night, with the intention of drugging Yan HeQing, so that he would escape after a night of pleasure.
But after drugging Yan HeQing, Xiao Wangye felt ashamed and humiliated; like a prostitute from the red pavilion, who had to rely on being bought in exchange for profit. The years of repression instantly defeated the Monarch's last line of defense, filling his mind with suicidal thoughts. Impulsively, he drank some poison.
And then, President Xiao woke up.
Xiao YuAn closed the handwritten notes, shook his head, and sighed with great emotion. Then, he whispered: "Thank you for your hard work."
'I don't know who's the one who helped Xiao Wangye, since he was vaguely mentioned in his notes. But since he was able to let Xiao Wangye enter Yan HeQing's bedchamber in the middle of the night, he must be a person with high authority and credibility.'
'Unexpectedly, a year has passed since my death. A year isn't a long nor a short period of time, and I don't know how Yan HeQing spent it.'
Xiao YuAn brought over a brush, ink and paper; as he dipped the brush in the liquid, he studied the ink. Then, he turned to the last page of the notebook, and on top, he wrote the word "Revenge".
He wrote: Things to take revenge on. Domestic violence, of all kinds. Not letting me call him Yan-ge… wait, don't. I won't call him like that ever again! Not anymore! Damn it! Next time I'll call Yan-ge a dog instead!
Xiao YuAn aggressively closed the notebook, but after a while, he silently opened it again and added the word "barking" after the last sentence.
Chapter 187: Yan HeQing Open The Door, Open The Door, Open The Door!
"Xiao Jun Wang, this maidservant will help you clean the wound. It may hurt a little, but if you can bear with it, this maidservant will try to be as gentle as possible." The maidservant beside him said softly, as she carefully bandaged the wound on Xiao YuAn's forehead.
Before, Xiao YuAn was confused, trying to understand what was going on and felt dizzy. At this time, when he had finally calmed down, he found that the maid had been helping him all along.
Xiao YuAn was about to raise his head and thank her, but when he saw the maid's face, he froze midway.
The maid hadn't noticed the strange look in Xiao YuAn's eyes, so she carefully applied the medicine for him: "Xiao Jun Wang, the bruises on your body should be washed with hot water, this maidservant will go to-…"
Xiao YuAn interrupted her abruptly, and asked urgently: "What's your name?"
The maidservant was slightly stunned as she replied: "My…. nono. This maidservant's name is Tian, Tian Xiang."
Xiao YuAn took a deep breath, and asked: "Do you have a sister?"
Tian Xiang nodded: "How did Xiao Jun Wang know? This maidservant has an older sister, called Hong Xiu."
As soon as Tian Xiang said those words, Xiao YuAn began to cry and laugh. She was so scared, thinking that she had said something wrong, she quickly knelt down to apologize. However, Xiao YuAn hurriedly stopped her and pulled a stool for her to sit down: "Why did you enter the Imperial Palace to become a maid?"
After Hong Xiu died, Xiao YuAn not only buried her, but he also sent a reward to her younger siblings; a hundred taels of gold, so that they could each get married and start a business. This way, even if the Northern Kingdom fell, Tian Xiang wouldn't have to reduce herself to the point of entering the Imperial Palace as a maidservant.
Although she didn't know why Xiao Jun Wang was curious about her life, Tian Xiang replied with honesty: "Xiao Jun Wang, this maidservant doesn't have parents. Since childhood I've been living with my older sister and my brother. A few years ago, my sister had an accident, so my brother and I relied on small handmade items to make a living. But later, the Northern Kingdom was conquered, and for a time, no one was interested in those small items anymore. My older brother is old enough to get married, so this maidservant tried to enter the Imperial Palace, and got selected."
AD
Xiao YuAn frowned tightly: "After your sister's accident, didn't the Imperial Palace send a reward?"
Tian Xiang nodded: "Someone came to appease my brother and I. They gave us the reward His Majesty sent."
Xiao YuAn asked: "How much was it?"
Tian Xiang blinked, and said: "It was a lot! One tael of gold!"
Xiao YuAn: "….. One tael?"
Tian Xiang: "Yes!"
Xiao YuAn: "…. FUCK!"
'Mmp! The Minister that went to deliver the reward was really greedy!'
Xiao YuAn was infuriated. When Tian Xian looked at Xiao YuAn's irritated face, she was slightly scared. Since she was the humblest maid in the Imperial Palace, if there was a hard or tiring type of work, she would be the first one to go. The day before yesterday, when she was sent to serve Xiao Jun Wang, she heard from the other maids in the Imperial Palace that this foreign official, Jun Wang, had a bad temper. They said that he might even beat and scold the maids sent to him, so Tian Xiang thought that she should pay close attention to her words.
Tian Xiang was restless and didn't know what to do as she saw Xiao YuAn suddenly getting up and rummaging through the cupboard. Since this Xiao Jun Wang used to be the Monarch of a Country, no matter matter how miserable he was, he still should have some money. Sure enough, after a short while, Xiao YuAn found a pile of gold and silver.
Xiao YuAn stuffed all the things he found into Tian Xiang's hands, and said: "Take these first, I'll definitely give you those 99 taels of gold in the future."
Tian Xian stammered and asked: "99 taels of g-go-gold?"
Xiao YuAn nodded his head without hesitation.
As a Tyrannical President! If you say that you'll give a hundred taels of gold, you will give a hundred taels of gold! Not a single cent less!
At this moment, as a woman who just met a Tyrannical President, Tian Xiang looked at the gold and silver in her hands with only one thought in her mind.
'In the end, Xiao Jun Wang was driven out of the bedchamber by the Emperor himself this morning. If he became crazy after being subjected to 'submission', what should I do?'
…
In the early spring, the green branches began to sprout, but the few cold snowflakes refused to disappear.
Outside the Emperor's bedchamber, a man was relentlessly arguing with the Imperial Bodyguards at the door: "Let me see your Emperor! I've something important to say to him!"
"Xiao Jun Wang, His Majesty has gone to bed, please don't shout. Please go back." The Imperial Bodyguard at the door, with a cold face and his hand on his sword scabbard, ruthlessly drove Xiao YuAn away.
'Daxiongdi1, it's just Youshi2 hour ah! The sun is still hanging on top of the mountain. Time to sleep my ass!'
The Imperial Bodyguard said profoundly: "Although it's only Youshi hour, His Majesty has his own reasons."
Xiao YuAn: "…"
Another Imperial Bodyguard couldn't stop himself, and whispered: "Xiao Jun Wang, don't make it difficult for us. After the last incident, His Majesty was so angry that he dismissed all the Imperial Bodyguards that were in charge of his bedchamber. Recently, His Majesty has also been in a bad mood. Why does Xiao Jun Wang want to anger His Majesty?"
AD
The Imperial Bodyguard's words were subtle, but Xiao YuAn understood that the last 'incident' he was referring to, was the fact that Xiao Wangye had sneaked into the Imperial Bedchamber to drug the Emperor.
Originally, Yan HeQing intended to drive Xiao Wangye back to the Western Shu Kingdom, but the Ministers advised him to not do it. Xiao Wangye came to the Southern Yan Kingdom to present himself as a subject. But he was also the Monarch of the Western Shu Kingdom, so it wasn't in line with the etiquette and rules to drive him away like this. After considering the advantages and disadvantages, Yan HeQing didn't drive him away. But he didn't want to see Xiao YuAn.
In his mind, Xiao YuAn had made up a lot of plans to let Yan HeQing know it was him, but it was useless.
Today, since Xiao YuAn was still unable to see Yan HeQing, he returned feeling unhappy. Tian Xiang couldn't bear to see him like that, so she tried to persuade him: "Xiao Jun Wang, everyone in the Imperial Palace knows that His Majesty is an extremely devoted man, and that there's already someone else inside his heart. This maidservant heard others say that after the death of that man, His Majesty would go to his tombstone to worship, as long as he's free, every single day! So please, don't provoke His Majesty more than you already have."
After spending a few days together, Xiao YuAn found that Tian Xiang's temperament was very different from Hong Xiu's. Hong Xiu was extremely cautious in both her speech and behaviour. After having served the Emperor for many years, Hong Xiu had long since developed a delicate and understanding personality. Tian Xiang, on the other hand, was simply a young girl. Even though she was deliberately disguising it, the straightforwardness in her bones was still present, so she would often say what she really thought.
"I know he has someone in his heart." Xiao YuAn melancholy said.
"If Xiao Jun Wang knows, then why are you still provoking His Majesty, ah?" Tian Xiang didn't understand.
'Because I'm the one who Yan-ge has inside his heart!'
However, Xiao YuAn simply waved his hand and didn't explain.
Since Tian Xiang knew that he must have his own reasons, she could only sigh helplessly.
Just when Xiao YuAn was thinking about how to meet with Yan HeQing, he suddenly heard that he had a visitor. As Xiao YuAn wondered who would come to visit 'him', he saw Huang Yue walking in with his hands behind his back.
Huang Yue immediately ordered the maid and the Imperial Bodyguard to wait outside, leaving only the two of them inside the bedchamber. Huang Yue wasn't polite and didn't wait for Xiao YuAn to open his mouth. He directly sat down, grabbed a cup of tea and slowly took a sip before asking: "Xiao Jun Wang, have you changed your mind about the plan we've discussed last time?"
AD
Xiao YuAn: "…"
'What last time?! What plan?! Why did Xiao Wangye and Huang Yue collude with each other?! Isn't the second half of the original book known for Yan-ge building his harem? How come it ended up turning into a conspiracy plot when I'm the one involved?!'
When an idea suddenly appeared in Xiao YuAn's mind, he pretended to be serious as he said: "I still need to think about it. But, I wonder if General Huang can introduce me to His Majesty?"
However, as soon as he said those words, Huang Yue stared straight at Xiao YuAn, making his back lightly shiver.
Chapter 188: Open The Door, Open The Door! Don't Hide Inside In Silence!
After a long silence, Huang Yue said with a smile on his face: "I've long ago advised Jun Wang to listen to me, to don't such a dirty and humiliating thing such as drugging His Majesty. Unfortunately, Jun Wang didn't believe me. Is Jun Wang trying to threaten me? It's a pity that His Majesty doesn't want to see you. I would like to advise Xiao Jun Wang again. Xue Yan is in a conflict with His Majesty right now, he has no power and no influence. If it weren't for the newly promoted Chen Ge, he wouldn't even have a say in the matter. I hope that Jun Wang will see the situation more clearly."
After saying this, Huang Yue sneered, got up and left.
Xiao YuAn, with a confused expression on his face, went to read Xiao Wangye's notes, only to find that there wasn't any mention of Huang Yue. It seemed that their 'friendship' was extremely shady, and Xiao Wangye was afraid of leaving any evidence behind, so he didn't mention it altogether.
'Could it be possible, that even if Li Wuding isn't here to compete for the merit against him, Huang Yue still has the intention to commit treason?'
"Aaahhh, if you want to commit treason, then do it! If you want to scheme, then scheme! It doesn't matter. But could you let me see Yan-ge first?!" Xiao YuAn put aside the handwritten notes, held his head, and howled: "Wait!"
Xiao YuAn suddenly remembered something and hurriedly called Tian Xiang to ask her: "Tian Xiang, you said before, that His Majesty would go to worship in his spare time every day?"
Tian Xiang nodded: "That's right."
Xiao YuAn's eyes lit up as he asked eagerly: "Where's this place?"
Tian Xiang guessed what he was thinking about and waved her hands in panic: "Xiao Jun Wang, no one is allowed to enter that place except for His Majesty! If you go there, you'll lose your head! Please don't think about that place, Xiao Jun Wang!"
"Tian Xiang, as long as I meet His Majesty, I'll be fine. Trust me!" XiaoYuAn said.
"Xiao Jun Wang, what can you do? That's a forbidden place!" Tian Xiang still refused.
AD
Xiao YuAn said with a smile: "I'll sing a song for His Majesty."
"Sing… sing a song?"
"That's right!" Xiao YuAn cleared his throat, and sang: "The river flows eastward~! The stars in the sky join the Big Bear Constellation ah~! The stars in the sky join the Big Bear Constellation~1! What's with that expression? Don't worry, if this method doesn't work, then I can also recite the Party Constitution2 and influence His Majesty with the brilliance of the Socialist values!"
While Xiao YuAn was still talking, Tian Xiang stood aside completely speechless.
'Xiao Jun Wang is….'
'A complete fool!'
'How will that work?!'
As soon as Xiao YuAn's words were finished, Tian Xiang choked and said: "Xiao Jun Wang, I know that it's hard to be in a foreign country, but you have to be strong, ah. Wait for me, this maidservant will go to the Taiyi Hall, to ask if there's any kind of medicine for calming the mind. You have to make sure to rest for a couple of days! This maidservant will take good care of you!"
However, in the end, she was unable to resist the softness of his words, and Tian Xiang took Xiao YuAn to the place where Yan HeQing worshipped.
Unexpectedly, that place was actually the former Northern Kingdom's Altar of Heaven. Tian Xiang led Xiao YuAn towards the altar while telling him about the rumors.
It was rumored that Yan HeQing hugged the corpse of that man and cried for three whole days. It was also said that the man was buried in bright red wedding clothes. The rumors also said that when the Emperor worshipped, he would often speak nonsense; things such as 'transmigrated soul', 'rebirth' and other confusing words. He would also ask the tombstone again and again: 'When will you come back to me? I'm sure that you'll be able to come back.'
"He cried for three whole days?" Xiao YuAn couldn't breathe right. He has never seen Yan HeQing cry. After all, Yan HeQing's nature has always been stoic. No matter how difficult and sad things were, he would only clench his teeth and swallow them. Besides, in the original book, he has never been described as showing any kind of expression of great joy or sorrow.
Tian Xiang nodded: "His Majesty is extremely devoted to that person. Ah, Xiao Jun Wang, you must never do the same foolish thing you did before."
Xiao YuAn laughed and said: "Don't worry, it won't happen again."
As soon as Tian Xiang breathed a sigh of relief, she heard Xiao YuAn say with a smile: "From now on, we'll have the greatest opportunity to love each other freely."
Tian Xiang: "….."
'Xiao Jun Wang is no longer a fool! He's insane! He's out of his mind! How will that work out?!'
Chapter 189: You Were Capable Of Domestic Violence, So Why Aren't You Capable Of Opening The Door?
After they found the forbidden area, Xiao YuAn stood in place for a long time, unable to speak.
The forbidden area was located on the hillside where the Altar of Heaven used to be. This place was renovated into a small house with a courtyard surrounded by a fence, where mulberry and hemp were planted. There was also a small pond, and inside the pond, the leaves of the lotus plants had withered due to the cold winter. In the summer, it must make a beautiful scene of endless blue, with a small fish shaking its head and tail under the floating leaves.
That small house was exactly the same as the one where Xiao YuAn lived in Taoyuan Village.
Tian Xiang whispered: "For fear of disturbing the peace of this place, His Majesty only arranged the Imperial Bodyguards to patrol nearby, but they aren't allowed to be here."
Xiao YuAn expressed a hollow sound, but when he felt that his voice was choking up a bit, he hurriedly lowered his head to calm his heart. Then he went forward and pushed open the door of the house. Tian Xiang hastily pulled him back: "Xiao Jun Wang! No one can enter here except for His Majesty! We'd better not go inside. Let's just take a look from outside. If His Majesty finds out, we'll be sentenced to death!"
Xiao YuAn patted Tian Xiang's hand to appease her: "It's alright, Tian Xiang, trust me. If you don't want to go in, just wait for me outside. I'll go in and have a look."
Tian Xiang didn't stop Xiao YuAn this time, simply watched him push open the door and walk into the small room. The only thing she could do was twist her sleeves with worry, as she stood outside.
The furnishings inside the house were, indeed, exactly the same as the wing room inside the mansion where Xiao YuAn lived in Taoyuan Village. The only difference was that there was a tomb in the center of the room. In front of the tomb were offerings, copper coins, paper money and a small incense burner. There were three incense sticks placed in the small incense burner, and the smell was so clear, that it seemed like a dream. When Xiao YuAn approached the tomb, he saw a jade flute hanging on the tombstone, the same one he had gifted Yan HeQing. When he looked at the tombstone, unexpectedly, Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing's names were engraved on it!
It was as if someone had heavily punched Xiao YuAn in the chest, making his heart feel stuffy and sour. Xiao YuAn's eyes were red as he squatted down in front of the tombstone, carefully tracing Yan HeQing's name with his finger over and over again, whispering: "I'm sorry, I made you wait again….."
It took Xiao YuAn a long time to stabilize his emotions. As he stood up, he couldn't help but mutter: "How does this count? This burial can't be considered as my own, right?"
Xiao YuAn muttered for a while, until his eyes locked on the jade flute hanging on the tombstone. The red tassel of the jade flute had long turned into a dark red, showing how old it was. After Xiao YuAn reached out for the jade flute, he gently rubbed it with his fingertips with a touch of nostalgia.
The jade flute was the only relic in the room, after all, it was the only thing he had left behind for Yan HeQing. The scene of Yan HeQing teaching him how to play it suddenly flashed through his mind, making Xiao YuAn feel slightly moved as he put the jade flute on his lips.
Suddenly, a loud angry roar came from behind him: "Put that down immediately!"
Xiao YuAn was so frightened that he involuntarily trembled. Without being able to hold it steady, the jade flute slipped from his hand and heavily hit the ground!
With a clear and crisp sound, the jade flute smashed against the ground, breaking in half and miserably rolling on the ground several times.
For a moment, the whole world seemed submerged in silence.
Yan HeQing's eyes overflowed with disbelief at first, as he stared blankly at the two broken pieces of the jade flute on the ground. As he staggered forward to pick it up, he frantically tried to put the jade flute back together. However, it didn't matter how many times he tried, the moment the two pieces were connected, they could only pitifully break again.
Yan HeQing's hands were slightly trembling.
He had once searched all over the land under the vast sky, but he couldn't find any news of that man. He didn't know what brought that person to his side, but he also didn't know what took him away. Yan HeQing blamed himself day after day, asking himself; 'Why was I unable to protect Xiao YuAn that time?' Questioning himself every night; 'Why did Xiao YuAn commit suicide in the first place?'
He was tormented day and night, and yet, he couldn't get an answer.
Even now, the things that he left behind were so easily destroyed. Yan HeQing couldn't even protect a jade flute. He couldn't even protect this thing properly!
Xiao YuAn was stiff, but he reacted extremely fast. He stepped forward and squatted in front of Yan HeQing, who was still trying to put together the jade flute, and held his wrist. Then, he spoke quickly and clearly: "Yan HeQing, look at me, I'm-…."
However, before he could finish what he wanted to say, Yan HeQing suddenly raised his bloodshot eyes, grabbed Xiao YuAn's throat, and heavily slammed him against the wall.
Chapter 190: Xiao? Throw Yourself Into My Arms? Yu? Didn't Work? An? Are You Kicking Me Out? My Beloved Wife!
The hit was so strong, that Xiao YuAn's internal organs were almost knocked out of place. His eyes were blurry and a sharp pain emerged in his throat as the air was forcibly taken out of his lungs. Feeling like his neck would be crushed and twisted at any given moment, Xiao YuAn could only hiss helplessly as he tried hard to struggle; but his movements were stopped by Yan HeQing. Right after that, he was slammed into the wall again. But this time, Xiao YuAn's head was hit, making him feel like his mind was buzzing, and his vision blurred.
Yan HeQing didn't give Xiao YuAn a chance to explain himself, since he already had the intention to kill set in his mind!
Xiao YuAn tried to make Yan HeQing listen to him, but he was being choked so hard that he could hardly breathe, let alone speak. If this kept going, he really would be strangled to death by Yan HeQing!
Xiao YuAn's body felt very cold as he relied on pure instinct to keep struggling. At the same time, his mind was filled with all the curses he couldn't wait to shout at Yan HeQing, for trying to murder his own husband!
Seeing that Yan HeQing's hands were like merciless iron chains, getting tighter and tighter, a person suddenly rushed in. As that person knelt down in front of Yan HeQing, they kept kowtowing and shouting: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please don't be angry! Your Majesty, you can't kill in this place! It'll be stained by the blood! It'll disturb its purity! Your Majesty! Please, have mercy!"
This person was none other than Tian Xiang.
Tian Xiang's words slightly brought back Yan HeQing's sanity, and when he realized what he was about to do, he looked back at the tomb, slowly letting go of Xiao YuAn's neck.
Xiao YuAn then fell to the ground, prostrated himself awkwardly, and rubbed his neck, trying to breathe as he coughed and gasped incessantly. His neck was now filled with blue and purple bruises, where the darkest colors looked like rotten fruits and vegetables. He wanted to tell Yan HeQing that he was Xiao YuAn, tell him about their past together. But as soon as he opened his mouth, he found that he had lost his voice. His throat was extremely sore, and he could merely pronounce powerless mumbling sounds.
After Yan HeQing coldly ordered them to get out, he leaned over to pick up the jade flute.
Tian Xiang hurriedly picked up Xiao YuAn and struggled to take him away. As Xiao YuAn reluctantly turned back, he suddenly froze in place.
Yan HeQing, who was half-kneeling in front of the jade flute, was holding one of the remains of the jade flute that was still lying on the ground, with one hand. As if he was unable to pick it up, he silently closed his eyes, and shed a clear line of tears.
"
"
Xiao YuAn broke away from Tian Xiang, desperately wanting to run back to Yan HeQing, and shake his shoulders so that he would look at him. However, the sound of the Imperial Bodyguards patrolling the place where the Temple of Heaven used to be, was heard. As they entered the small house, they pressed Xiao YuAn on the ground, and then dragged him out.
Xiao YuAn struggled madly. Even though his throat was very dry and sore, he wasn't afraid of losing his voice as he shouted with all his might. Until finally, the mumbling sounds formed a word: "Yan…. Yan….!"
'Yan HeQing! Look at me! Please, you have to look at me!'
The forbidden area had always been peaceful. But this time, it wasn't properly guarded, and it was considered a great crime to let those two people sneak in. Now this man, who was still yelling, was disturbing that peace. If the Emperor gets angry, the consequences will be unimaginable, and the Imperial Guards were really scared as they viciously covered Xiao YuAn's mouth, dragging him away.
…
At the Western side of the Imperial Palace, Xiao YuAn was resting in his bedchamber with a white cloth covering his neck. As he held a brush, he dipped it in ink, and wrote a full page of things to take revenge on.
Once Xiao YuAn stopped writing, he looked at the paper in a daze.
Xiao YuAn had never seen Yan HeQing act like that, so ruthless, cruel and vicious.
It could be said that Yan HeQing has always been this ruthless and resolute, just like in the original book, but he had been hiding these sharp blades from him ever since the beginning, leaving only the tenderness behind.
After thinking about it, Xiao YuAn's heart suddenly changed from bitterness to sweetness.
'Why is the script completely different from what I imagined, before going to the forbidden area?!'
'Wasn't it supposed to go like; Yan HeQing, after sobbing at the tomb, ran towards me, hugged me with both arms, and heard me say: Don't cry, look at me and let me recite a paragraph of the basic principles of Marxism for you?'
"
"
'Instead, I was attacked, directly pushed against the wall, and almost choked to death! What's going on?!'
Xiao YuAn was thinking, when Tian Xiang suddenly came in with a basin and medicine: "Xiao Jun Wang, is your throat still sore today? This maidservant will change the bandages for you."
Xiao YuAn nodded and allowed Tian Xiang to remove the white cloth from his neck. After a few days, the terrible scratches on his neck began to disappear, and Xiao YuAn's voice had returned to normal.
Tian Xiang took a deep breath, and said: "It seems to be fine, this maidservant has been worried these past few days, always feeling that His Majesty will punish you. Fortunately, by the blessing of Heaven, His Majesty didn't come."
"I wish he could come." Xiao YuAn muttered.
"Xiao Jun Wang, don't be silly, and please beg for His Majesty to be really busy these days, so that he won't think of us." Tian Xiang sighed shortly.
Xiao YuAn bent his fingers, gently tapping her on the head. Then, he smiled and said: "You're too young to sigh all the time. Besides, I'm in love with His Majesty, so of course I will hope for him to come."
Tian Xiang didn't expect Xiao YuAn to be so blunt. As she covered her forehead, and gulped for half a second, she tried to persuade him: "But, His Majesty has someone else in his heart!"
Xiao YuAn kept smiling as he replied to Tian Xiang: "I already know that."
"Xiao Jun Wang, His Majesty isn't the only man in the world! There are still a lot of very good people out there! You're also the Monarch of the Western Shu Kingdom, so who can't you meet after you leave the Southern Yan Kingdom?"
"No matter how good other people are, it's none of my business. I like His Majesty, even if there are plenty of fish at the sea1, I still think that His Majesty is the best option."
Tian Xiang stamped her foot anxiously: "Xiao Jun Wang, there was once someone who presented a beautiful man to His Majesty. Not only was His Majesty not happy, but he became so furious that he even dismissed that man from his Official position. If you go on like this, you'll be looking for death!"
AD
Xiao YuAn's smile got even bigger. As he clenched his fist, he shouted majestically: "Drink the strongest wine, tame the wildest horse, sleep-…..2"
"Xiao Jun Wang!"
A loud shout coming from the door interrupted the conversation between Xiao YuAn and Tian Xiang. It turned out to be an Eunuch with an Imperial decree. The Eunuch first kindly inquire about Xiao YuAn's injuries, and after receiving the good news that he was practically healed, the Eunuch unfolded the Imperial decree in his hands and said: "Xiao Jun Wang has come all the way from the Western Shu Kingdom to the Southern Yan Kingdom to become a Minister, and since he was indeed sincere, His Majesty has conferred on him the title of 'Jun Wang'. But now, His Majesty feels that it's inappropriate for Xiao Jun Wang to be a Minister, so His Majesty kindly asks for Xiao Jun Wang to leave today, and return to the Western Shu Kingdom."
After having said that, the Eunuch put away the Imperial decree, and said to Xiao YuAn: "Xiao Jun Wang, the luggage and the carriage are ready for you, so please depart at once."
Xiao YuAn couldn't believe it: "Depart? Yan-…. His Majesty wants to drive me away?"
'It turns out that he didn't punish me before, because he was thinking of getting rid of me?!'
'I know that the runaway wife of the Tyrannical President is a classic plot in that kind of novel, but at least in those cases, the wife actually wants to escape. Ah, I tried everything I could to make him throw himself onto my arms, and he's kicking me out?! What the fuck?!'
The Eunuch didn't reply directly, but simply smiled and said: "Xiao Jun Wang, hurry up and start your journey."
Then the Eunuch made a gesture of invitation; clearly acting very polite, but his attitude and tone of voice were in fact quite tough, leaving no room for negotiation.
Xiao YuAn understood that if he went back to the Western Shu kingdom at this moment, he would have to wait several months, or even years, to meet Yan HeQing again. Perhaps, he won't be able to see him again in his life!
In History, before this could happen, Sima Zhao invited Liu Chan to a banquet3, where he was very happy and didn't miss Shu4. Later on, Zhao Kuangyin, Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty, gave a residence in Bianliang to the last Emperor of the Southern Tang Dynasty5.
So, how come that when it's Yan HeQing, he would simply drive people away?! As the Male Lead with a Protagonist Halo, he really can do whatever he wants, huh?!
Chapter 191: There'll Always Be a Cannon Fodder Making Trouble.
Xiao YuAn was really anxious as he stepped forward, and said: "I won't go, let me see your Emperor!"
As soon as he said those words, two burly, expressionless and oppressive Imperial Bodyguards immediately surrounded Xiao YuAn, from left to right.
The Eunuch was still smiling as he said: "His Majesty is extremely busy with government affairs, and he doesn't have the time to see you. Xiao Jun Wang, listen to my advice and go peacefully. You must go, even if you don't want to. So please, don't make things more difficult for us or embarrass yourself."
Xiao YuAn forced himself to calm down, and said: "Alright, I'll leave. But as a Jun Wang, my intention was to come pay tribute to the Southern Yan Kingdom, so how can I leave so hastily? At least, let me report my leave to His Majesty."
The Eunuch shook his head and finally lost all his patience. As he waved his hand, several Imperial Bodyguards came forward and tried to restrain Xiao YuAn, to forcibly take him away.
When Tian Xiang saw this, she hurriedly rushed over to protect Xiao YuAn, waving her arms and shouting: "What are you doing?! This is Xiao Jun Wang!"
An Imperial Bodyguard came forward to pull Tian Xian away, but Xiao YuAn wrenched his wrist free and threw him away. Then, Xiao YuAn said: "Don't touch her."
Knowing that to keep persisting like this would only bring more and more difficulties, Xiao YuAn took a long breath, and said: "Enough! I'll go, I'll go with you."
"Xiao Jun Wang….." Tian Xiang looked at him as her hands were tightly clasped together, feeling extremely uneasy.
Xiao YuAn patted her head to appease her, then walked up to an Imperial Bodyguard, and said: "Daxiongdi, let me borrow that dagger on your waist."
The Imperial Bodyguard didn't react nor did he move for a while. Xiao YuAn lost his patience and pulled out the dagger himself. He then cut off a corner of his robe, and looked around to find something that he could use to write with, but since he couldn't find anything, he simply cut his finger with the dagger.
"Xiao Jun Wang!" Tian Xiang shouted.
Xiao YuAn used his blood to write the sentence "I Love You" in English, on the piece of robe. Then he folded it, and handed it to Tian Xiang: "Tian Xiang, please help me and bring this to His Majesty."
"Is this for His Majesty?" Tian Xiang was puzzled: "Xiao Jun Wang, what am I going to do after giving this to His Majesty?"
"As long as His Majesty sees the calligraphy and painting on this cloth, he'll know everything." Xiao YuAn said solemnly.
The Eunuch couldn't understand what Xiao YuAn was trying to do, but since he didn't want to keep pestering Xiao YuAn, he simply winked at the Imperial Bodyguards. The Imperial Bodyguards, after receiving the order, went forward and restrained Xiao YuAn.
"Xiao Jun Wang, Xiao Jun Wang!" Tian Xiang shouted in vain, as she helplessly watched Xiao YuAn being escorted away.
…
The next morning, Tian Xiang was keeping watch on Yan HeQing's way back to his bedchamber after the morning Court. As she clutched the cloth in her hands, she looked extremely nervous, to the point where her hands began to sweat. Last night she stared at the blood stains on the cloth more than a dozen times, over and over again. However, she couldn't understand what that painting was, and inevitably her heart began to waver, feeling at a loss at what to do.
'What if it makes His Majesty angry?'
Xiao YuAn and her got along only for a few days, was it really worth risking her life for him like this?
Suddenly, she remembered the way Xiao YuAn looked at her when he was being taken away. His eyes were full of desperation and powerlessness, as if he had put all of his eggs in one basket1. As Tian Xiang shook her head, throwing these thoughts out of her mind, she focused on waiting for Yan HeQing to pass by.
Tian Xiang's unusual behaviour had long aroused the suspicion of the Imperial Bodyguards. As an Imperial Bodyguard stepped forward, he asked fiercely: "You! What's your name?! What are you doing here?!" Tian Xiang was startled and unconsciously covered the cloth in her hand.
AD
"I- my name is, I, I, I-I'm just walking around."
"Walking?" With a sneer, the Imperial Bodyguard suddenly reached out to grab the cloth from Tian Xiang's hand!
Tian Xiang's reaction was quite fast as she clutched the cloth with both hands, and yelled: "This is mine! What are you doing?! What are you doing?! Stop, let me go!"
But, how could she compete with an Imperial Bodyguard? After a few pulls, the cloth was taken away by him!
As the Imperial Bodyguard examined the cloth over and over again, he couldn't find anything weird, only finding that the blood on the cloth was a quite frightening sight: "What a piece of shit! All right, go back now. His Majesty is going to pass through here."
After reminding Tian Xiang, the Imperial Bodyguard left and threw the cloth into the small pond next to him!
Tian Xiang shouted and jumped over to pick up the cloth, but the cloth was already wet. The blood on it was blurred by the pond water, leaving only a vague image.
Tian Xiang held the wet cloth for a long time, unable to come back to her senses for a while.
Chapter 192: I Don't Have Any Regrets In This Life After Transmigrating To This Book, But I Want To Sleep With Yan HeQing.
At this moment, outside the Imperial City of the Southern Yan Kingdom, Xiao YuAn, who was holding onto a big tree with boths hands, had an 'I won't fucking leave! What are you gonna do about it?!' attitude as he kept shouting: "I'm dizzy! I won't go back and sit in the carriage!"
The few Imperials Guards that were accompanying him, dragged him back and advised him: "Xiao Jun Wang! You don't know how to ride a horse, and you don't want to ride a carriage. We can't go back to the Western Shu Kingdom walking, can we?!"
Another Imperial Guard with good intentions also advised: "Xiao Jun Wang, once you return to the Western Shu kingdom, you'll still be the Emperor. Above all of the people, you can have all of the wind and rain as you like1. So why do you want to stay in this dangerous place? Here, you're always being oppressed by others. How come you haven't killed yourself yet?"
Xiao YuAn said: "I don't want to be the Emperor of the Western Shu Kingdom wahh wahh! I want to sleep together with Yan HeQing! If I can't sleep with Yan HeQing, then what's the meaning of life? I don't have any regrets in this life after transmigrating to this book, but I want to sleep with Yan HeQing!"
The Imperial Guards: "…."
'How dare he call His Majesty by his name?! How dare he call His Majesty by his name and make fun of him?! How dare he make fun of him?! How dare he?!'
In the end, the few Imperial Guards escorting Xiao YuAn made great efforts and finally stuffed him into the carriage. Xiao YuAn vainly tried to lift the curtain and escape several times, but he was forcibly suppressed every time.
Because of this, Xiao YuAn began to talk off the ears of the Imperial Guards, trying to poison them mentally: "I've consulted someone to read my fortune, and they told me that your Emperor's fate is incomplete without me. It's true, and let me tell you, don't pay attention to your Emperor's usually cold and heartless appearance; because in fact, he has taken over the miserable script of the Second Male Lead! Ha! I didn't expect that! Speaking of which, my Yan-ge is actually really good! He once tried really hard to keep his desire from hurting me. This is true love, my friends! Hey, why couldn't I notice his feelings for me earlier?"
The Imperial Guards were on the brink of having a mental breakdown.
However, after the carriage gradually moved further away from the Imperial City, Xiao YuAn began to get quieter and quieter. As he lifted the curtain to look at the back of the carriage without any hesitation, he was eagerly waiting for something, until he finally lost it. His mood was so high, that he could almost lose his mind. But after a short journey, where he anxiously stared back, waiting for someone who never came, Xiao YuAn tasted the joy and sorrows 2 of life in his heart.
Seeing how the Imperial City of the Southern Yan Kingdom was getting farther and farther away, becoming so small that even if Xiao YuAn leaned out of the carriage he couldn't see it anymore, a sudden burst of fear clutched Xiao YuAn's heart.
AD
'Did Tian Xiang not send the cloth with the "I Love You" to Yan HeQing?'
'Are we going to be separated once again? Then, when are we going to meet again? A few months? A year? Several years? What if I never get a chance to see Yan HeQing again in this life?'
These thoughts slowly took root in Xiao YuAn's mind, as if they were tiny silver needles stabbing Xiao YuAn all over his body, causing him pain.
All of a sudden, Xiao YuAn lifted the carriage curtain, looking panicked as he murmured: "No, I have to go back. I must go back. I want to see Yan HeQing."
"Xiao Jun Wang!" The Imperial Guards didn't react in time when they saw Xiao YuAn unexpectedly jumping out of the carriage, without any second thoughts.
Although the speed of the carriage wasn't particularly fast, it was still quite easy to get hurt when jumping off a moving carriage. When Xiao YuAn fell on the ground, he rolled twice, and disregarding the pain, he was about to run towards the Southern Yan Kingdom.
The Imperial Guards on the carriage hastily pulled the reins, forced the horse to stop, and went after Xiao YuAn: "Xiao Jun Wang!"
However, out of nowhere, several men dressed with black clothes appeared from the bushes around the road, and surrounded them all, completely blocking Xiao YuAn's way.
Xiao YuAn was stupefied as he took a few steps back and looked back at the Imperial Guards. Unexpectedly, those Imperial Guards were also at a loss, as they shouted at the men in black while drawing out their swords: "Who are you?! What are your intentions?!"
But those black-clothed men didn't say a word. As one of them stared closely at Xiao YuAn, he made a gesture. In an instant, and without any communication or warning, the several black-clothed men fiercely drew out the swords from their waists. With a merciless killing intent, they directed their swords at Xiao YuAn with slashing motions.
Chapter 193: Yan-ge: Shit, Where's My Wife?
"Before you try to assassinate me, at least give a long, fierce speech or an explanation ah! I've never seen someone swinging their swords so quickly! Why aren't you following the procedure?!" Xiao YuAn quickly retreated towards the Imperial Guards and screamed.
The Imperial Guards rushed over to protect Xiao YuAn, but they were quickly outnumbered, and they weren't strong enough to defend him. The Imperial Guards were injured, with many bloody cuts on their bodies. Some of them even fell to the ground, trembling uncontrollably. A man in black saw that there was a great opportunity and took advantage of it, as he waved the sword at Xiao YuAn.
Xiao YuAn narrowly dodged the attack, hitting the man on the back of his neck with his elbow. The man in black was hit so hard that he fell to the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
"Hmm?" Xiao YuAn was a little surprised as he moved his wrist.
In the past, when he was inside the body of the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, his body was too weak and his hands had the strength of a chicken. So, even with such a simple hit, he wouldn't have been able to knock people unconscious. Moreover, Xiao YuAn wasn't able to use any strength, plus his hands and feet felt extremely uncoordinated. However, this new rebirth didn't feel like that at all.
Xiao YuAn was slightly distracted by this new discovery that he didn't realize that several black-clothed men had grouped up to attack him, and the shadows of the swords instantly pounced on Xiao YuAn. At that instant, Xiao YuAn retreated in a panic and dodged the swords several times, but it was hard to beat them when he was outnumbered. In the end, Xiao YuAn was unable to resist them. When a black-clothed man saw that Xiao YuAn revealed a flaw, he clenched the sword in his hand, and aimed at the other's chest without mercy.
The silver light cut through the sky, and as the carriage curtain rattled, warm blood splashed on Xiao YuAn's face.
…
After a year of wandering around, the separation provoked by death, left behind an air of emptiness and sorrow. In the Imperial Palace of the Southern Yan Kingdom, Yan HeQing was attentively listening to a Minister's report to the Imperial Court. But, at the beginning, Yan HeQing was overcome with grief, and some people asserted that he wouldn't be able to deal with the government. Some even took the opportunity to rebel and try to usurp the throne; but in the end, they got their heads chopped off by Yan HeQing after the first sign of a plot appearing.
Instead of being as depressed as others had speculated, Yan HeQing devoted almost all of his energy into building up the government of the country and the military system. He made himself so busy, to the point where he wouldn't be able to think about anything else, vowing to have a stable society, as well as a peaceful and prosperous united country.
"Your Majesty, the foreign envoys from the Western regions should be here in a few months to pay tribute." A Minister leaned down to present his case.
AD
Yan HeQing 'hmphed' and asked: "Are they the ones who broke apart the Western Shu Kingdom?"
"Answering to His Majesty, yes. This foreign country from the Western region can't be underestimated. Even though it's a small nomadic country, it's also filled with fierce and barbaric people. However, even if they were able to break apart the Western Shu Kingdom's territory, they can't completely annex the Western Shu Kingdom. So, they'll come to pay tribute because they want to use our hands in order to annex the Western Shu Kingdom in one fell swoop."
Yan HeQing frowned.
As the Minister saw Yan HeQing's displeasure, he hurried to say: "Your Majesty, I know that you also want to take over the Western Shu Kingdom. However, in this Minister's humble opinion, we should make an alliance with them instead of establishing such a powerful rival force at a time when our national strength is still in process of becoming strong."
Yan HeQing rubbed his eyebrows, thought about it for a while, and then said: "We'll welcome the envoys first, and then we'll make plans."
After dealing with political affairs and other important matters, it was already noon when Yan HeQing finally got up and walked back to his bedchamber. Since he didn't like to make a big fuss, no matter where he went, he would never bring a large number of people with him, only a few Imperial Bodyguards.
The Emperor's indifference was well known throughout the Imperial Palace. In order to avoid being punished, the moment Yan HeQing returned to his bedchamber, the maids and Imperial Guards chose to avoid his way back as much as possible. So, when a maid suddenly flew over from one side, the Imperial Bodyguards around Yan HeQing froze in place.
But, right the next second, the Imperial Bodyguards reacted quickly as they reached to stop the maid, who seemed to have gone mad as she desperately lunged at Yan HeQing. When she was stopped and pulled away, she knelt on the ground, cut her finger, then wrote something on the ground with her blood.
Tian Xiang then shouted as she wrote: "Your Majesty, please look at this. Please look, this servant begs His Majesty to look at this."
"What a mad woman! Get the hell out of here!" One Imperial Bodyguard roared as he went forward to pull Tian Xiang away, his action was so rough that he even aimed at Tian Xiang's neck. However, someone suddenly held his wrist, stopping this motion. When the Imperial Bodyguard turned around and saw that it was Yan HeQing, he was scared to death: "Your Majesty, this lowly one failed to carry out his duty. This lowly one will take this mad woman away."
Yan HeQing looked at him coldly, and a sense of overwhelming oppression fell on the Imperial Bodyguard, silencing him immediately.
Tian Xiang was still kneeling on the ground, still writing with her bleeding finger. Yan HeQing half crouched down, reached out to stop her, and asked: "What's the problem?"
AD
Tian Xiang shook her head violently and pointed at the ground: "Your Majesty, Look at this! Look at this!"
Chapter 194: Chasing.
Yan HeQing took a look at the distorted blood on the ground, but he couldn't understand what Tian Xiang had written. He could only assume that this girl must be mentally unstable. So, he stood up, and told her to leave.
When Tian Xiang saw that Yan HeQing had no reaction after seeing that design, she immediately lost her breath. She dejectedly sat on the ground, until someone kindly reached out to help her up.
On the other side, Yan HeQing stopped abruptly after taking two steps. As if he thought of something, his breath became short and hurried. Then he abruptly turned around and walked back to the place where Tian Xiang had just painted with her blood. Before, he was looking at the words facing Tian Xiang, so he couldn't understand that pattern at the beginning; but now, he was looking at that pattern in the same way Tian Xiang saw them.
The bloody words were crooked. There was a great separation between the horizontal and vertical strokes; but when Yan HeQing looked at it, his eyes suddenly fluttered and he started to tremble all over. His jaw tightened, his hands clenched, and suddenly, he turned and ran towards Tian Xiang.
After being helped up, Tian Xiang was waiting for her punishment to be arranged with a sad look on her face, but suddenly, her shoulder was held from behind with great force. When Tian Xiang looked back and saw that it was Yan HeQing, she was frightened to death.
Yan HeQing couldn't even speak fluently at this time. With the last trace of reason, he asked Tian Xiang with a trembling voice: "Who taught you to write this?"
…
Xiao YuAn stared blankly at the scene in front of him.
Just now, the eyes of the man who wanted to kill him were full of consternation and panic. After spitting out a mouthful of blood, the long sword, which was a few millimeters away from Xiao YuAn, fell on the ground with a clang, while a sharp arrow pierced through the man's chest.
Just at the most critical moment, the sound of horse's hooves suddenly came from a distance. A sharp arrow whistling through the sky, steadily passed through the chest of the black-clothed man who wanted to stab Xiao YuAn.
A man with a bow and arrows, led several Imperial Guards to a gallop as he shouted: "Stop! Who dares to touch Xiao Jun Wang again?!"
AD
After seeing that the situation had reversed, the black-clothed men hurriedly retreated, each running in a different direction, and disappearing in a short while.
Xiao YuAn, who had just survived an assassination attempt, sat down on the ground and let out a long breath. Only then did he realize that his clothes had been cut by the sword, his body also had some deep and shallow wounds that looked kinda ugly.
Chen Ge, who came to the rescue, came forward on his Imperial horse, stopped in front of Xiao YuAn and dismounted. As he stretched out his hand to pull him up, he said: "Xiao Jun Wang, have you been seriously injured? I was late."
Xiao YuAn waved his hand: "It's no big deal."
Chen Ge took a long breath: "Fortunately, we arrived in time. Otherwise, the consequences would've been unimaginable."
Xiao YuAn suddenly realized something. He immediately grabbed Chen Ge's arm with shining eyes, and his tone of voice was slightly higher: "Did His Majesty send you to come to me?"
Looking at Xiao YuAn's expectant gaze, Chen Ge's face showed some reluctance. After he deliberated for a long time, he finally opened his mouth: "No, it wasn't His Majesty. Ah, it was General Xue who asked me to come, because he had the feeling that someone would have bad intentions, silently waiting for the right opportunity to ambush you on the road and kill you. So, he asked me to keep you safe. Ah right, even though General Xue Yan has already begged for his old bones1, and he's no longer a General, I just can't help to keep calling him like that. I ask Xiao Jun Wang to not mind it."
Xiao YuAn's eyes darkened, and with a trace of hope, he asked: "Can you take me to see the Emperor?"
Chen Ge scratched his head in distress and said: "Xiao Jun Wang, I can't take you to see His Majesty. But I'll let my subordinates send you to the Western Shu Kingdom safely. Moreover, with your status, why do you need to humiliate yourself in the Southern Yan Kingdom? You'd better go as soon as possible and leave the Southern Yan Kingdom's territory."
Finally, under the half-persuasion and half-pushing of everyone, Xiao YuAn once again got in the carriage, resuming his journey to the Western Shu Kingdom. After Chen Ge instructed his subordinates to make sure that Xiao YuAn would be sent back to the Western Shu Kingdom safely, he then watched as the carriage went away.
A Deputy General next to him asked: "General Chen, the next time we'll meet with Xiao Jun Wang, will also be the time when we'll 'meet' with the soldiers of the Western Shu Kingdom, right?"
Chen Ge sighed: "The Western Shu Kingdom has good relations with the Southern Yan Kingdom. In order to avenge the destruction of our Kingdom, His Majesty attacked the Northern Kingdom, and in order to take back the conquered territory of our Kingdom by the Eastern Wu Kingdom, His Majesty conquered the Eastern Wu Kingdom. However, it's against his good faith to attack the Western Shu Kingdom. But, since someone a while ago said that they wanted to see His Majesty's unified land, he….. Ah….. Forget it, let's not speak about it. We should go back."
AD
As soon as Chen Ge said those words, the sound of urgently galloping hooves suddenly came from a distance. When Chen Ge turned his head with confusion, and after seeing the man more clearly, he was momentarily surprised. As the horse neighed in the dusk, the dust left behind by the horse was flying in the air, and the shadow of a solitary figure grew longer and longer. As soon as the man pulled the reins on the horse, stopping right in front of Chen Ge, he glanced at the blood stains on the ground and the corpse of a black-clothed man. The indifference in his eyes became extremely dark and deep as he asked with an unkind tone: "Where is he?"
Of course, that man didn't mention any name, but for some reason, Chen Ge suddenly understood who he was asking for, and quickly pointed in the direction: "He's not far away!"
Without hesitation, the man raised the whip, and after hitting the horse, the white horse galloped like an arrow towards the direction pointed by Chen Ge.
Chapter 195: I Want Us To Know And Cherish Each Other, Living A Long Life Together1.
The carriage was forced to stop. At that moment, Xiao YuAn was supporting his head, thinking hard about what to do next. When suddenly, the horse pulling the carriage was frightened as it made the carriage sway left and right a few times before settling down. Xiao YuAn was a little stunned by the sudden movement, and when he heard a noise coming from outside, he immediately became quiet.
'What's going on?!'
'Is it another assassination attempt?! Is it not over yet?'
Xiao YuAn was puzzled. When he lifted the curtain, he saw a white horse in front of the carriage, blocking the way. Riding the horse, there was an elegant and handsome young man. When he looked over, he also met Xiao YuAn's eyes for a moment.
'Why were we separated for such a long time, when I can't fall asleep alone at night? Why weren't the letters I sent to you with great care replied? Why is it so difficult to mend the broken Luan mirror in the clear sky2? Why are we looking at each other without saying a word?'
Xiao YuAn couldn't take his eyes away from him at all. As he jumped off the carriage, his hands and feet didn't dare to go forward, feeling at a loss on what to do.
Yan HeQing then dismounted, held the reins, and continued to stare at Xiao YuAn without saying a word.
'This scene it's too familiar.'
Even though they were silent, their eyes had already told each other thousands of words.
Xiao YuAn had once imagined the scene of meeting Yan HeQing again countless times, and he even thought of the countless types of words that he could say, to prove that he was Xiao YuAn. But now, when he was actually faced with this scenario, Xiao YuAn found himself completely unable to say a word. The only thing he wanted to do, was to look at the person in front of him, greedily staring at his eyebrows and eyes.
Xiao YuAn thought to himself: 'How could I make this man wait for me over and over again?'
AD
In the year of Xiao YuAn's first rebirth, when they were apart from each other because of the war, he wished that he would just die.
In the year of his death, Yan HeQing offered a strong wine sacrifice, asking him to come back.
Feeling as if his heart was being pierced by a knife, he was anxious and helpless, as if he had woken up from a dream that was both happy and sad.
Finally, Xiao YuAn took a deep breath, took two steps forward, raised a warm smile to Yan HeQing, and said softly: "When we separated the first time, I offered a toast to Heaven and Earth for you, my words were the wine, and the three wishes were the cups. Now, I want to ask you three questions: Can I be there when you come back from the war? Can I walk the same path as you, and hold your hand? If you're happy and healthy, with no worries in your life, can I watch over you? Now that I finally understand what you didn't want to forget, then don't. But now, can you tell me if I understood too late?"
After finishing his speech, Xiao YuAn's voice was already shaking and choking.
Even though it was early spring, the wind was still bitterly cold. As some snowflakes danced in the air, his eyes were red, and his head was slightly covered with white.
Yan HeQing didn't reply, he simply closed his eyes, and took out a hairpin from his bosom.
The jade hairpin had some cracks in it, which made it look distorted and hideous due to the re-adhesion. As Yan HeQing slowly raised his eyes, his palm went up, handing over the jade hairpin to Xiao YuAn. If Yan HeQing's fingertips weren't trembling, he would've thought that he was as cold as usual.
'The year when I was punished to kneel in the snow, surrounded by the cold weather. The year when the smell of wine was overflowing in the Yuhua Tower. The year when we parted ways in tears. The year when we didn't know how to communicate our feelings for each other, in the deep of the mountain. The year when I made my feelings clear in your residence in Taoyuan Village. The year when you were in danger in the enemy's army, when I searched and searched for you. The year when I wanted to reunite with you so badly that I rode alone for thousands of miles. The year when you waved the sword to kill yourself, when I cried and howled.'
'That was the origin of our fate and demise3, as well as the endless greed and infatuation I feel for you.'
Now, as Xiao YuAn slowly reached out his hand, he pressed the jade hairpin back in Yan HeQing's palm, and held his hand tightly. Xiao YuAn burst into tears as he said: "This time, I won't let you smash it again."
…
AD
At dusk, in the Imperial Palace of the Southern Yan Kingdom, at the Emperor's bedchambers, two maids were talking as they worked. One of the maids had just been sent to take care of the Emperor's bedchamber, and as she shook out the bedding, she said: "How come His Majesty isn't in his bedchamber at this hour?"
"It is quite normal for His Majesty to be busy with the affairs of the country, so he doesn't sleep in his bedchamber that often." The other maid replied.
"Jiejie, is it true that His Majesty is as beautiful as the stories say? If so, then do you think that he can't stand being in such a big bedchamber without a concubine to accompany him, because it feels cold and silent?" Since there was no one around, the new maid couldn't help but wonder, and asked in a whisper.
The other maid scolded her and knocked her head: "Why are you so curious? We shouldn't be curious about His Majesty's affairs. Is there something else we can talk about?"
The new maid stuck out her tongue, but still didn't hold back: "I just don't believe it. Maybe His Majesty is hiding a little beauty somewhere here?"
As soon as she spoke, the door of the bedchamber was suddenly kicked open, and the maids trembled with fear. When they looked back, they immediately knelt, and said with a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, Yo-your Ma-majesty!"
Yan HeQing walked in with big steps as he held someone in his arms. Of course, his posture was very steady, but Yan HeQing's arms were tightly clenched; as if he loosened them for even a little bit, the person in his arms would break free and run away.
"Get out, close the door and don't let anyone disturb me." After Yan HeQing threw out those words, he went straight towards the bed with that person in his arms.
The two maids hastily got up and walked out of the bedchamber with their heads bowed. When the new maid closed the door, she just so happened to see Yan HeQing throwing the man in his arms onto the bed.
The other maid murmured: "This is the first time I've been His Majesty so angry…."
The new maid expressed an 'ah-ha', and said: "Could it be that….?"
"Shh, don't talk nonsense."
AD
At that moment, Xiao YuAn was also a bit confused when he was suddenly thrown onto the bed by Yan HeQing, and before he could react, Yan HeQing had already untied his belt. Then he pulled Xiao YuAn's hands up and used the belt to tie his hands to the bedpost.
When Xiao YuAn had just regained his senses, his hands had already been firmly tied. Although the person in front of him was as expressionless as always, Xiao YuAn could feel his anger. Like the calm breeze before a tsunami, where after the breeze brushed the tips of your hair, a sudden gust of wind appeared, followed by the roaring, huge waves that relentlessly swallowed everything.
"Yan, Yan, Yan-ge…." Xiao YuAn shouted cautiously.
Yan HeQing, as if he hadn't heard him, stretched out his hand to tear open Xiao YuAn's clothes. Xiao YuAn instinctively shrank his body, trying to cover himself, but because his hands were bound he couldn't move freely. He was like a fish on the cutting board4, at the mercy of Yan HeQing.
The moment his clothes were torn open, the deep and shallow scratches on Xiao YuAn's body were reflected into Yan HeQing's were left from the fight with those black clothed men. Yan HeQing's eyes were as dark as black jade, and his whole body was covered with a faint layer of anger. As he looked at the wounds, and reached out to touch them, Xiao YuAn said softly: "It's all right, they don't hurt. They will heal by tomorrow."
After saying that, Xiao YuAn leaned forward to kiss Yan HeQing, but Yan HeQing inclined his head, dodging his approach. Xiao YuAn was slightly stunned, and his eyes flashed with a trace of panic. When Yan HeQing looked up at him, he leaned down and lightly kissed the scratch on Xiao YuAn's waist.
"Mm-hmm…." Xiao YuAn's body was very tense, and he could only lean against the bedpost, unable to escape at all. As the soft tongue licked the wound, he felt an itchy and tingling sensation coming from his waist. It was slightly painful, like dense fine needles and light feathers, sometimes pricking, and sometimes tingling.
Xiao YuAn began to breathe quickly, but his reason hasn't been completely swallowed up as he asked softly: "Yan-ge, are you angry?"
The kiss suddenly turned into a bite, and the pain from the wound on his waist made Xiao YuAn frown as his abdomen trembled slightly. When Yan HeQing raised his head, and looked into Xiao YuAn's eyes, he asked: "Xiao YuAn, when you placed the sword against your neck, did you even think of me?"
With a lump in his throat and misty eyes, Xiao YuAn bowed his head and thought: 'At that time, I said so many apologizing words, and kowtowed so many times, thinking that my life would, more or less, compensate for some of the accumulated resentment. But now that I'm once again reborn, I owe nothing to anyone.'
'But, who would've thought that, in the end, I still had a debt. Even though this time is just to one person, the debt is extremely high, and I don't know how to repay it.'
'Death can feel so easy, because you're just running away without looking back. But from then on, the world has one more person alone, one more person in distress, someone who will grow old, waiting.'
AD
'Those who are alive are the ones who suffer the most.'
'And Yan HeQing's pain was given by me.'
'Even if I could grow a thousand mouths, no matter how clever I am, I would still not be able to argue.'
Xiao YuAn was still silent, when suddenly, he felt that his own lower body was cold. When he realized that his pants had been taken off, he saw how Yan HeQing slightly moistened his fingers, and inserted them into Xiao YuAn's body.
Xiao YuAn was in pain, and he couldn't help but want to retreat, but since his hands were tied in the bedpost, there was nowhere to run. As Yan HeQing inserted a second finger, his eyes were slightly red and his tone was quite cold as he asked Xiao YuAn: "Xiao YuAn, you're always thinking about dying for others, but have you ever thought of living for me?"
Chapter 196: Yan.
TRIGGER WARNING: Dubious consent at the beginning of the chapter.
Xiao YuAn wanted to reach out to hug Yan HeQing and kiss him, but his hands couldn't break free, so he had to softly cry for help: "Yan-ge…."
"Xiao YuAn, I'm willing to wait for you, but could you at least tell me, when you go, for how long do I have to wait for you to come back? A year? A decade? 20 years maybe? Or do I have to stop waiting all together?" Every time Yan HeQing asked a question, his eyes would turn red, but when he asked them, he was trembling with fear.
When Xiao YuAn saw Yan HeQing in a state like this, his heart was filled with remorse and distress. For Xiao YuAn, parting ways with his loved one was just commiting suicide by cutting his throat with a sword. But for Yan HeQing, it was like the sunny days turning white, and the beautiful flowers blooming in March looking disgustingly red1.
After those questions, there was a long silence, and anger gradually engulfed Yan HeQing's reasoning. As he lowered his head, he gnawed at Xiao YuAn's nipples. Yan HeQing wanted to tease this man a little more, so that he could understand that everything in front of him wasn't a dream, letting himself feel that this man had really come back.
Compared to a lovingly type of sexual intercouse, for Yan HeQing, it was more like venting his anger. But Xiao YuAn didn't want Yan HeQing to be soft to him, because he thought that the sin he committed was deserving of a punishment. He thought that he deserved the roughness.
But after all, it still hurts. Xiao YuAn's hands were tied and he couldn't hug or kiss Yan HeQing, so he felt very aggrieved. He wasn't afraid of pain, and he didn't think that it was humiliating to be on the receiving end, but he wanted to hug Yan HeQing. After being reborn for so many days, he couldn't even hug Yan HeQing once.
"Yan-ge, I, I want to hug you….." Xiao YuAn pleaded in a low voice, his voice was filled with tears and pleading as he said every word while shaking: "Yan-ge, let me hug you…."
After calling at him a few times, Yan HeQing's sanity came back slightly. Yan HeQing took a light breath as a trace of regret gradually flashed in his eyes. As soon as he withdrew, trying to stabilize his mood and stop hurting Xiao YuAn, Xiao YuAn panicked when he saw him retreat: "Yan-ge, don't go away Yan-ge. I, listen to me, I….. I never wanted to live for others before…. In my previous life, I lived in hatred for my father and in guilt for my brother, so when I killed myself, I didn't have any hesitation. But this time, when I cut my throat, I was actually really scared. Yan-ge, I was so afraid, afraid that I couldn't see you again. I was really scared….."
Xiao YuAn's voice was so choked that some words were inaudible, so he had to stop and slow down. After saying all that, tears fell from his eyes as he continued: "Yan-ge, I don't know how to apologize, or how to compensate you. I won't mind if you tie me to the bed day and night, you can do whatever you want. I really don't mind, it doesn't matter. But, can you at least let me hug you now…..?"
Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn for a moment. Then he slowly stretched out his hand to untie his belt as he lowered his head to kiss the tears falling down Xiao YuAn's cheeks and rubbed his red wrists. So devoutly, so gently. As soon as Xiao YuAn's hands were loosened, he immediately put his arms around Yan HeQing's shoulders. When he felt that man's body temperature, his breathing and heartbeat, he burst into tears once more.
AD
"Xiao YuAn….." Yan HeQing said with a hoarse voice: "Don't leave me again. I can't stand it anymore….."
Xiao YuAn, buried in Yan HeQing's neck, nodded again repeatedly: "I won't go, I would never leave you again."
Yan HeQing reached out and cupped Xiao YuAn's chin, lifted his head, and gave him a tender and loving kiss, which made Xiao YuAn stop crying. Yan HeQing then touched the place where they were connected, but Xiao YuAn felt some shame and stretched out his hand to stop him. At this, Yan HeQing asked: "Does it hurt?"
'It really hurts, okay?!'
Xiao YuAn shook his head and stammered in reply: "N-no, it's fine, it d-do-doesn't h-hurt."
Yan HeQing gently raised his eyebrows…..
Then, Xiao YuAn hugged Yan HeQing tightly, grasping his back and begging for mercy: "Yan-ge, slow…. slow down."
"Mm-hmm." Yan HeQing kissed the reddened corners of Xiao YuAn's eyes. Surprisingly, he actually restrained himself and slowed down.
Xiao YuAn noticed Yan HeQing's tenderness and his heart softened. As he hugged his neck, he said: "Yan-ge, look at me."
When Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn, he saw how Xiao YuAn curved his eyes and smiled at him: "Yan-ge, I like you so much."
His appearance was obviously very different, but that smile was so familiar, as well as those warm smiling eyes reflecting Yan HeQing's figure.
Back then, this was the same smile that dispelled the humiliation and abuse he was put into, melting the ice and snow of the North.
At this point, the thousands of mountains and rivers, the wind and clouds, the flowers blooming in Spring, as well as the everlasting bright moonlight, were no match for that bright smile, the only light of Yan HeQing's life.
Yan HeQing kissed Xiao YuAn, who was drenched in sweat and whose limbs were lying limply on the bed, and reached out to pull the quilt, tightly wrapping him. Then he dressed himself and went out of the bedchamber to instruct the maids. After a while, a large wooden bucket filled with hot water was sent into the bedchamber. After Yan HeQing called them to go back, he picked up Xiao YuAn, carefully placing him into the hot water, stepped in as well, and cleaned him up.
The wooden bucket was very large, so the two of them didn't feel cramped at all. However, Xiao YuAn would lazily nest against Yan HeQing's body, who then gently wiped his body with a towel in the mist of the hot water.
Xiao YuAn rested for a while until he finally recovered his strength, and as he maintained the posture of sitting with his back against Yan HeQing's chest, he said with a smile: "Speaking of which, Yan-ge I've been wanting to ask. When we parted ways that time, if I had taken the white jade hairpin, would you have tied me and taken me back despite everything?"
Yan HeQing didn't reply and only looked straight at him.
Xiao YuAn thought to himself: 'I've already been tossed around over and over. Now, it's my turn to tease Yan HeQing, right?'
So, not only did Xiao YuAn not stop, but he also laughed relentlessly, and said: "But, even if you took me back, if I had struggled and begged for mercy, would you have let me go? Yan-ge, you're always specially afraid of me getting hurt, right? But, the day I was reborn again, someone kicked me directly out of bed. At that time, my forehead was cut open and it even bled, it hurt so badly! My eyes were also blurry with pain."
Yan HeQing breathed slowly.
Xiao YuAn rubbed Yan HeQing's lower body and continued: "Later, that same person didn't want to see me. I complained and cried bitterly, trying my best to see him, since it wasn't easy to meet with him. But then he grabbed my neck, and almost choked me to death!"
Yan HeQing: "I….. I….."
It was the first time that Xiao YuAn saw Yan HeQing stammering. He was extremely shocked, but also filled with the pleasure of having successfully teased him without limit. As he reached out his hand, he took Yan HeQing's hand and placed it on his neck. As he smiled, he said: "Can you help me and take a look at it for me? Do you see any scratches or bruises?"
Yan HeQing felt like he was touching a burning hot iron, and quickly withdrew his hand. But then, he carefully stroked Xiao YuAn's fair and long neck, where there were still some small scratches and bruises on the skin. Surrounded by the steaming water, Yan HeQing was able to feel the pulse beating in Xiao YuAn's neck.
AD
Xiao YuAn pretended to sigh exaggeratedly: "Moreover, I was even driven away by that person! And when I think about it, I feel really aggrieved. I should just forget him, leave here and go to the Western Shu Kingdom to live a peaceful life. After all, there are plenty of fish in the sea-….."
Before Xiao YuAn could finish what he wanted to say, he was suddenly lifted by Yan HeQing. As the loud sound of the water moving was heard, Xiao YuAn's entire body was surrounded by Yan HeQing, pinned against the wall of the wooden bucket. As Yan HeQing placed his arms on both sides of Xiao YuAn, a very narrow space was formed.
Yan HeQing's chest rose and fell violently as waves of shock surged in his eyes. But in the end, he couldn't argue or refute Xiao YuAn's words. He could only hold it back, feeling suffocated and anxious.
Xiao YuAn laughed out loud, pecked Yan HeQing's mouth, and said: "A day without you is not a peaceful day. Even if you drive me away a hundred times, I will still come back to find you a hundred times more. I don't want anyone else but you. It can only be Yan HeQing-….. eh?"
While Xiao YuAn was speaking, he suddenly felt a hot spot between his legs. As he reached out his hand, making Yan HeQing retreat, Xiao YuAn laughed: "Yan-ge, are you up again?"
Yan HeQing didn't say a word, and just when he was about to release Xiao YuAn to solve the 'issue' by himself, a pair of legs suddenly wrapped around his waist.
Xiao YuAn smiled and seduced him: "What are you doing? Come here."
Yan HeQing paused, and said: "You…."
"Me?" Xiao YuAn smiled wantonly: "Are you worried that I won't be able to stand it? I'm full of energy now, even if we do it several times, I would still stand it! If you don't believe me, maybe we can try? Yan HeQing, if you don't hold me now, I'll run back to the Western Shu Kingdom tomorrow."
Yan HeQing's eyes sank as he leaned over and pressed himself against Xiao YuAn.
After that sentence, for the rest of the night, no matter how much Xiao YuAn cried and begged for mercy, he still had to bear with the fierce and unforgiving 'impact'. In the end, when he was dazed and confused, he could only feel that his insides would regret this in the morning.
Chapter 197: Even If You Express Your Love Openly, It's Impossible Others Will Understand.
The next morning, when the dawn was about to break in the East, Yan HeQing got up early and went to the Court, while Xiao YuAn was still sleeping soundly. Yan HeQing knew that he was already quite tired from yesterday's activities, so he bowed his head to tenderly kiss his beloved. His eyes, which used to be cold as ice, softened a lot.
Xiao YuAn, who was kissed twice, subconsciously grabbed the quilt to cover up his head. However, Yan HeQing reached out to pull down the quilt and teased him a little bit more before reluctantly standing up.
Yan HeQing walked two steps away when he suddenly turned back in a hurry. After he saw Xiao YuAn lying peacefully on his bed, he breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing that he shouldn't do it, he ruthlessly pushed down his inner fears and forced himself to go out of the bedchamber. It was hard for him to walk away from the bedchamber, but as soon as he got out, he suddenly saw that there was a thick layer of snow outside. Just like how the red and white intertwined in one that depressing day. Yan HeQing was stuck in place, panic emerging in his eyes. Right then he turned around, walked back to the bedchamber, leaned down and pressed himself against Xiao YuAn as he kissed him for a bit. Feeling the warmth of the man in his arms, Xiao YuAn vaguely cried 'Yan-ge' before giving up.
"Yan-ge? Are you going to the morning Court?" Xiao YuAn was still half-asleep and asked vaguely.
Yan HeQing hummed.
Xiao YuAn said intermittently: "Then, I'll wait… for you… to come back."
Yan HeQing's eyes fluttered as he lowered his head and kissed Xiao YuAn on the forehead: "Alright."
When Xiao YuAn woke up, it was already noon and the sun was hanging high in the sky. Xiao YuAn moved his soft limbs and slowly opened his eyes. When Tian Xiang, who was standing at the side, saw that he was finally awake, she hurriedly came forward: "Xiao Jun Wang, you're finally awake. This servant was waiting to help you change your clothes."
Xiao YuAn looked around and asked: "Where's His Majesty?"
Tian Xiang said: "His Majesty has gone to the Court. Don't worry, Xiao Jun Wang, His Majesty won't come back for a while, don't be afraid."
'Hiss…. Why is she saying such strange words?'
AD
Xiao YuAn held his waist and tried to sit up, but when he leaned forward, he suddenly felt pain coming from a 'certain place'. With a miserable cry, he laid on his back again.
'My waist ah, my waist! Why did I have to flirt with the Male Protagonist of a Stallion novel who spent a night with 10 women? This is retribution! Punishment!'
When she saw Xiao YuAn's miserable appearance, Tian Xiang's eyes suddenly turned red. When Xiao YuAn saw her like that, he forgot about his pain and quickly asked softly: "What's wrong? Who bullied you?"
Tian Xang shook her head and sobbed: "This maidservant is all right. It's just that this maidservant feels sorry for Xiao Jun Wang. Why do you have to suffer like this when you're such a good person?"
'What, what the hell?'
Xiao YuAn was confused, and Tian Xiang was still wiping her tears: "If I had known this would happen, this maidservant wouldn't have shown that pattern to His Majesty. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been brought back to the Southern Yan Kingdom by His Majesty, and you wouldn't have been insulted like this. It's all this maidservant's fault."
Xiao YuAn: "No…. No….. Tian Xiang, you misunderstood. I'm not…. I know what it looks like…. But I wanted to do it. It's not what you think."
Tian Xiang: "I know, Xiao Jun Wang, that you're willing to do it for the sake of the Western Shu Kingdom, but this maidservant thinks that you shouldn't suffer this kind of crime. It's too miserable! Waah wah!"
Xiao YuAn stroked his forehead with one hand as he thought; 'How the hell am I supposed to explain this?'
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from outside the bedchamber. Yan HeQing, who hurried back from the morning Court, walked in at a quick pace. Tian Xian wiped her tears in a hurry, bowed, and retreated to the side in fear.
When Yan HeQing saw that Xiao YuAn was awake, he sat on the side of the bed and reached out to touch his hair: "Do you feel any discomfort?"
Although they did a lot last night, Yan HeQing did a good job in cleaning him and massaging him afterwards, so Xiao YuAn just felt tired, not really feeling hurt. He shook his head as he said with a smile: "No."
AD
Yan HeQing asked again: "What would you like to eat?"
Xiao YuAn said lazily: "I'll just have some porridge and noodles with a clear soup. I felt really hungry when you mentioned that."
Yan HeQing hummed and got up to order the food personally, emphasizing a few times that they should be quick before returning to the bedside.
Xiao YuAn asked: "Do you still have Court affairs to deal with?"
Yan HeQing nodded: "Mm-hmm."
"Then you should go ahead, don't worry about me." Xiao YuAn waved his hand boldly. Suddenly, he saw that Tian Xiang was carefully glancing at them, so he waved his hand towards Yan HeQing's hand, and said: "Yan-ge, come closer."
Yan HeQing leaned down, only to be kissed by Xiao YuAn. Then he laughed and said: "Yan-ge, I really love you. How about you?"
The corners of Yan HeQing's mouth raised slightly as he replied: "Mm-hmm."
Xiao YuAn was dissatisfied with that reply: "Hum, what does that mean?"
Yan HeQing: "Me too."
Now Xiao YuAn was more satisfied, even kissing him on the cheek several times before letting him go.
After Yan HeQing left, Xiao YuAn looked at Tian Xiang with a smile on his face, thinking; 'My words may be weak, but my actions should be more convincing.'
AD
Tian Xiang didn't say anything, she simply bowed her head and helped Xiao YuAn change his clothes in silence. While she was still busy tying up his clothes, she suddenly started to cry.
Xiao YuAn was startled and hurriedly wiped her tears in a panic. Before he could ask why she was crying, Tian Xiang cried: "Waaaahhh His Majesty obviously has someone in his heart, but he's still deceiving you with your feelings and hurting you. Waaahh, Xiao Jun Wang, please don't get emotional, if you do, it'll be all over! You will definitely be used! Waaahh!"
Xiao YuAn said: "I, this…. This is…. Ah, forget it. Whatever."
…
At this moment, in General Huang Yue's residence, Huang Yue kept tapping the table with the four fingers of his right hand. His frown was also tightly knitted as his subordinate reported: "General Huang, Xiao Jun Wang's journey to the Western Shu Kingdom was suddenly interrupted by His Majesty and he was brought back to the Imperial Palace. Our assassination attempt hasn't succeeded yet. General Huang, although your subordinates haven't revealed their footing, it could be estimated that Xiao Jun Wang and Xue Yan have already guessed who sent the assassins."
Huang Yue sneered and said: "That's not a problem. What waves can be caused by a General who had his armor removed because he had a conflict with the Emperor, and a desperate Emperor who had to submit himself for the sake of his Country? It's just that Xiao Jun Wang took refuge with Xue Yan and won't join us. I originally wanted to assassinate him and then negotiate with the Western Shu Kingdom, but it seems that this scheme had to be put aside."
The subordinate said: "General Huang, Chen Ge is their other force. Chen Ge shouldn't be underestimated."
Huang Yue: "Although Chen Ge is a General, he isn't an issue because of his restrained behavior. However, I heard that the Emperor himself went to intercept Xiao Jun Wang, is that true?"
The subordinate said: "It's true, General Huang. I'm afraid that Xiao Jun Wang will expose to His Majesty that you have recruited him as a party member!"
Huang Yue shook his head and said: "No, he should know that I have a lot of incriminating evidence in my hands that can bring him back to hell. With this incriminating evidence, even if I send him to prison first and then report the evidence to His Majesty, His Majesty will still not blame me."
The subordinate wanted to say something, but stopped himself and asked meaningfully: "Then, General Huang, are we now…."
Huang Yue's fingers, which were tapping on the table before, finally knocked heavily on the wooden table: "Don't make a single move. As we plot to take over the throne, we can't afford to make any mistakes!"
AD
…
Xiao YuAn rested for an entire day, and he was finally recovered by the next day, completely forgetting about the pain. As he pressed himself against Yan HeQing, he asked for a morning kiss.
"Come, come, give your Husband a smile." Xiao YuAn, lying on top of Yan HeQing, playfully scratched his chin and laughed.
As the night light dawned on the tiles and the fog closed on the heavy eaves, Xiao YuAn's long silk-like black hair slipped from his shoulders. The morning light that entered through the widow, as well as that bright smile, were reflected together in the bottom of Yan HeQing's eyes.
Just like how the swallows danced and the warbles sang1 on that day.
Chapter 198: It's Impossible To Go In.
Xiao YuAn relentlessly pressed himself against Yan HeQing as he playfully laughed: "Come, come, come give your husband a smile. Make your husband happy and I'll give you whatever you want!"
Yan HeQing thought for a moment, and raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a stiff smile.
Xiao YuAn was stunned at first, but then he covered his stomach and rolled around the bed as he laughed out loud: "With a smile like that, no matter who it is, you'll scare them away!"
Yan HeQing: "…"
Xiao YuAn laughed enough and then he pressed himself on top of Yan HeQing as he said: "Or, I can give you a smile." After saying that, Xiao YuAn bent his eyes towards Yan HeQing and smiled. Then, he reached out, waved his hand in front of Yan HeQing and said: "I'm selling my smile, you have to buy it."
Yan HeQing leaned over slightly to kiss Xiao YuAn's fingertips, but then he opened his mouth to lick and gently bite at them.
Xiao YuAn earlobes were slightly red as he quickly withdrew his hand with panic. But then, he heard Yan HeQing ask: "How can I buy it?"
Xiao YuAn coughed softly, calmed his mind, and then replied: "It's not expensive. I see that you suit my taste, so I'll give you a discount. How about you give me a kiss and I'll give you a smile? Let me tell you, other people won't get that price!"
As Xiao YuAn scratched Yan HeQing's chin while waiting for his beloved kiss, Yan HeQing actually narrowed his eyes as he said with a bad tone of voice: "Others?"
Xiao YuAn: "….Yan-ge, you're focusing on the wrong point."
Yan HeQing opened Xiao YuAn's belt, reached into it, and rubbed Xiao YuAn's sensitive area as he dragged his voice word per word: "What's the price for others?"
AD
Xiao YuAn, who was being rubbed, shivered and hurried to say: "What other people? There is no one else! Even if I, Xiao YuAn, sell myself or my smile, the only one I will sell it to is Yan HeQing!"
Yan HeQing calculated in his mind the hour when the morning Court would start, turned over, and pressed Xiao YuAn down. Then he simply stripped them both naked, and Xiao YuAn was able to sell everything he could sell.
…
After Yan HeQing went to the morning Court, Xiao YuAn narrowed his eyes and rested for a while, until he finally slowly woke up. As he smoothed the confusion of the past few days, he finally cared about the assassination attempt, as well as the relationship between Xiao Wangye and Xue Yan.
According to the original plot, Xiao YuAn guessed that Huang Yue should be seeking power to rebel, so he tried to get Xiao Wangye on his side, wanting to make the Western Shu Kingdom his own force.
However, Xiao Wangye didn't form an alliance with Huang Yue, which provoked Huang Yue into trying to kill him. After all, if he died, the Western Shu Kingdom could have another Emperor. At this, Huang Yue could once again persuade the Western Shu Kingdom into becoming his own power. Without the support of the enemy, Huang Yue won't be able to compete with Yan HeQing at all.
Xiao YuAn muttered to himself: "It's not easy to dare to usurp the throne under the dazzling aura of the Male Lead."
'It wouldn't have been easy for him to return home, and, if he dared to have bad intentions against my Yan-ge, that means that he should've hated him fiercely.'
Xiao YuAn thought that, maybe, there would be a clue in the bedchamber where Xiao Wangye lived before, so he dragged Tian Xiang to go there together and find anything. But, Xiao Wangye was a delicate and meticulous person, so Xiao YuAn ended up spending half a day searching in vain.
Xiao YuAn sighed as he sat cross legged, when suddenly, he saw that a man was looking at him.
It turned out to be Chen Ge.
Chen Ge stepped into Xiao YuAn's bedchamber, and was dumbfounded when he saw the mess inside: "What's going on here? Xiao Jun Wang, were you attacked again?"
"
"
Xiao YuAn was struggling to put back the things he had just turned out, and waved his hand: "It's a long story. You can sit down wherever you like."
Chen Ge stepped over one pitiful object after the other, pathetically lying on the ground, thinking that even if he didn't want to be informal, he could only be informal ah!
Chen Ge walked towards Xiao YuAn, seeing that he was squatting on the ground, touching his neck as he faced the mess of objects on the ground in distress.
Chen Ge, who was condescending, fixed his eyes on Xiao YuAn's neck, seeing a trace of ambiguous red marks. Chen Ge strangely thought, 'Even though it's Spring, it's still too cold, and there shouldn't be any mosquitoes around.' So, he asked: "Xiao Jun Wang, are you sick and have a rash? Remember to go to the Imperial Physician when you're sick, you shouldn't endure it on your own."
Xiao YuAn was confused: "Ah? No."
"But your neck….."
Xiao YuAn suddenly realized what he was talking about and pulled up his collar with a light cough. At one side, Tian Xiang curled her lips with grievance, rubbed her eyes, and continued to clean the bedchamber.
Chen Ge noticed that the atmosphere had suddenly turned odd, but at that moment, Chen Ge remembered that the Emperor had gone on his own to intercept Xiao YuAn. As the sudden understanding hit his mind, he started to stammer: "His Majesty, he…. has he… to you…. you…."
Xiao YuAn didn't bother to hide it. He simply nodded and said: "Well, yes."
Chen Ge was stunned for a moment, his eyes were filled with a disbelieving look, but then his expression gradually became intolerant. Finally, he clenched his fists and shouted: "Is His Majesty torturing you? Xiao Jun Wang, are you hurt anywhere? Is His Majesty forcing you to talk about Huang Yue? Or is it related to General Xue? How can His Majesty abuse and inflict this selfish torture on you?!"
Xiao YuAn: "…..No, you misunderstood. Why do you all-….This is, is, is, this is…. Forget it. What can I do for you?"
Chen Ge then remembered why he came to find Xiao YuAn: "Xiao Jun Wang, when you were attacked on the road, General Xue and I suspected that they were sent by Huang Yue. General Xue is worried that Huang Yue will try to attack you again, so he specially asked me to see if there's anything I could do to help."
Xiao YuAn lifted his head, looked up at Chen Ge, and asked: "Xue Yan?"
Chen Ge nodded: "General Xue hopes to meet with you tomorrow. I wonder what Xiao Jun Wang thinks?"
Xiao YuAn smiled: "Yes, of course we have to meet."
Chen Ge said: "Alright, then I'll come back to find Xiao Jun Wang tomorrow."
After saying that, Chen Ge clasped his fist, bid his farewell and went away. But before he could walk half a step, he turned back and said: "Xiao Jun Wang, take care. In fact, His Majesty is actually not a cruel and merciless person, it's just that…."
Even after a while, what he tried to say, wasn't said in the end.
Xiao YuAn couldn't stand it and completed what he tried to say: "It's just that he lost his true love and his temperament changed drastically. But in reality, he's not a tyrannical person."
Chen Ge: "Right, exactly."
Xiao YuAn: "'Right' my ass! This is a hickey! This isn't toture! What 'cruel and merciless' person? Don't misunderstand my Yan-ge. My Yan-ge is the best in the whole universe!"
Chen Ge was stunned at first, but then he took a deep breath, and said: "What?! What?! That's impossible! His Majesty isn't that kind of person at all!"
Xiao YuAn said: "I am Xiao YuAn!"
Chen Ge: "I know! But even if you have the same name as His Majesty's lover, His Majesty can't treat you like a substitute!"
AD
Xiao YuAn: "….Do you even know about the 'substitute'1 thing?"
Cheng Ge: "Xiao Jun Wang! Even if His Majesty is genuinely mistaken, you should realize it as soon as possible! That in the end, you will be reduced to a situation in which your body will get injured, and your feelings will get hurt!"
Xiao YuAn: "…..You're trying to figure out my ending now? Thank you very much! Turn to the right and you'll find the door, I won't send you off, goodbye!"
In the end, Chen Ge was driven away in a hurry. By the time Xiao YuAn and Tian Xiang finally finished cleaning up the messy bedchamber, it was already dusk.
Tian Xiang diligently put the bedding on the bed, and said: "Xiao Jun Wang, I'll help you tidy up the bedding, so you can sleep directly afterwards. I've been drying the bedding in the sun these days, so don't worry about moisture and dust."
Xiao YuAn: "Ah? I'm not sleeping here."
"Then where are you going to sleep?"
"I'll sleep with the Emperor!"
Tian Xiang's hands, which were tidying the blanket, stopped as she turned back eagerly and advised: "Xiao Jun Wang! Have you forgotten that you were sent away when you went to see His Majesty before? Even though you stayed in His Majesty's bedchamber a few days ago, it was because of what he did to you…. Now that you're not in a serious condition anymore, His Majesty for sure…. Waaahh, Xiao Jun Wang, you're so pitiful!"
Xiao YuAn quickly took a clean plain silk handkerchief to wipe Tian Xiang's tears as he helplessly said: "Don't cry, why are you crying again? I'm sure this time I won't be stopped when we go back!"
Tian Xiang sniffed and said: "Really?"
Xiao YuAn: "Really!"
AD
However, when the two of them returned to the Imperial bedchamber, they were stopped.
The Imperial Bodyguards, one on the left and the other on the right, clashed their swords against the other, blocking the door of the bedchamber: "Xiao Jun Wang, please go back!"
Xiao YuAn: "…"
Tian Xiang: "Waaahh wahhh!"
Chapter 199: If It's Impossible To Make Trouble, Then Don't Make Trouble.
Xiao YuAn asked: "Is His Majesty not in his bedchamber?"
The two Imperial Bodyguards replied: "No! So please go back Xiao Jun Wang."
Tian Xiang tugged at Xiao YuAn's sleeve, and said: "Xiao Jun Wang, let's go back."
Xiao YuAn patted her reassuringly: "It's alright, we'll wait. It may be that His Majesty forgot to pay attention to this."
Tian Xiang said anxiously: "Why are you waiting on such a cold day? It might even snow in a while!"
Xiao YuAn didn't care about his image, so he simply pulled Tian Xiang to sit on the steps with him and smiled: "I have to wait. If Yan-ge doesn't see me when he comes back, I'm sure he'll be worried, and I can't make him feel anxious anymore.
Tian Xiang was so anxious that she stamped her foot in a hurry, almost blurting out the phrase 'Xiao Jun Wang, don't flatter yourself'. But in the end, she couldn't persuade Xiao YuAn, so she had to wait with him.
The Imperial Bodyguards on the side wanted to say something, but stopped mid-way. Since Xiao YuAn didn't try to rush in, they were too embarrassed to say anything else. They could only feel that this Xiao Jun Wang looked really miserable and desperate as he sat on the steps
After a while, as Tian Xiang said, the temperature dropped drastically and it began to snow. As the snowflakes fell, the surrounding sky was covered with clouds. Tian Xiang then couldn't help but advise: "Xiao Jun Wang, you'd better go back. It's windy and cold here."
Xiao YuAn rubbed his hands and breathed out a white fog as he smiled: "It's indeed a bit cold. Why is it still so cold in the North when it's already Spring?"
Tian Xiang thought that her persuasion may be useful, but then she saw that Xiao YuAn took off his robe and put it on herself. Xiao YuAn then laughed and said: "You've been wronged into having to wait with me, so you shouldn't freeze."
AD
Tian Xiang's face turned red as she waved her hands repeatedly, but Xiao YuAn's attitude was tough, saying that girls can't stand the cold, so they shouldn't freeze. While, on the other hand, it was alright for him to be exposed to the cold since his body was very healthy. Because of this, since Tian Xiang couldn't stand the cold, he should give her his robe.
Tian Xiang sighed and said aggrieved: "Xiao Jun Wang, what makes you think that you should suffer?"
Xiao YuAn laughed: "What suffering?"
"Why do you have to suffer these kinds of hardships?!"
Xiao YuAn's smile didn't diminish: "I'm not suffering. Not only is there no suffering, but also my heart is quite happy."
In the middle of the conversation, a pair of black boots with cloud patterns suddenly appeared in front of Xiao YuAn's eyes. As soon as he was about to raise his head, he was grabbed by a person's hand, who helped him to stand up. Tian Xiang panicked and hastily followed to get up as she saluted, completely terrified: "Your Majesty!"
Yan HeQing covered Xiao YuAn's frozen and red hands with his own. His eyes were full of uncontrollable heartache: "Why are you sitting here instead of going in?"
Xiao YuAn smiled and said: "I was stopped and wasn't allowed to get in."
Yan HeQing suddenly understood what had happened and looked coldly at the Imperial Bodyguards guarding the entrance of his bedchamber. At that single glance, the Imperial Bodyguards abruptly felt a cold chill running down their backs, as if they had been nailed to the wall by ten thousand arrows.
Xiao YuAn stood in the way of Yan HeQing's gaze and said with a smile: "Yan-ge, you can't blame everything on them."
Yan HeQing withdrew his gaze, lightly hummed, and lowered his eyes. Looking at Xiao YuAn's frozen fingertips he then lightly kissed them: "It's my fault."
At that moment, a loud 'thud' was heard as the young Imperial Bodyguard's sword fell on the ground.
AD
The other Imperial Bodyguard, who was more experienced, was still calm as he looked at the younger one reproachfully. However, his own sword fell to the ground right after, when he saw that Yan HeQing had grabbed Xiao YuAn by the waist, only to pick him up.
Under the eyes of everyone present, Yan HeQing went towards his bedchamber with Xiao YuAn in his arms.
Xiao YuAn was so surprised by this that he instinctively hugged Yan HeQing's neck. After hugging Yan HeQing's neck, he couldn't help but sigh: "Indeed, my Yan-ge has won the essence of the Tyrannical President. Hey! Young comrades, pick up your swords, you've dropped them. Hm? Don't open your mouth so wide, the snow will blow inside."
After Yan HeQing carried Xiao YuAn into the bedchamber, he dismissed all of the maids, and gently placed Xiao YuAn on the bed. Then he stripped Xiao YuAn of his snow drenched clothes.
Xiao YuAn was just about to ask for a kiss when Yan HeQing suddenly stuffed him into the bedding and wrapped him into a tight silk ball.
Xiao YuAn: "…..-ove, I can't move."
Yan HeQing hugged the tightly wrapped wall, leaned over in front of Xiao YuAn's eyes to kiss his lips, and asked: "Are you feeling warmer?"
Xiao YuAn replied: "I, I feel a b-bit wa-wa-warmer."
Hearing Xiao YuAn stammering, Yan HeQing couldn't help but slightly raise the corners of his mouth. As he rubbed his forehead, he said: "Then warm up a little more. I'll go change my Court clothes."
Xiao YuAn nodded, covered half of his face with the quilt, and said in a jarring voice: "I, I'll wa-wait for you."
In the end, when Yan HeQing came back from changing into more comfortable clothes, Xiao YuAn had already fallen asleep. Yan HeQing blew out the candle and slowly laid down beside him. Xiao YuAn rolled sideways into Yan HeQing's arms, and when he finally found a comfortable position, he fell asleep completely.
Yan HeQing kissed him lightly on the forehead, and closed his eyes after he hugged Xiao YuAn tightly in his arms.
AD
…
The next day, after Yan HeQing went to the morning Court, Chen Ge's subordinate soon found Xiao YuAn: "Xiao Jun Wang, General Chen went to the morning Court, so he asked me to come pick you up."
"Let's go." Xiao YuAn didn't dawdle, and after confirming his identity, he followed him.
The road on the carriage surprisingly wandered out of the Imperial Palace.
When Chen Ge's subordinate saw Xiao YuAn lifting the curtain suspiciously, he hastily explained: "Old Xue now lives in the outskirts of the Imperial City, he's not in the Imperial Palace."
Xiao YuAn nodded but didn't reply. Chen Ge's subordinate, afraid of his suspicion, continued to explain: "When the assassination attempt occured in the Imperial Palace in the past, Old Xue led his troops into the Imperial Palace and commited the taboo of moving the troops without His Majesty's permission. Afterwards, Old Xue took the initiative to ask for retirement, and His Majesty didn't ask him to stay. We thought that Old Xue would return to his hometown, but we didn't expect that he would live in the outskirts of the Imperial City."
Xiao YuAn said with a warm smile: "Old Xue must be worried that His Majesty won't be able to hold back since he's still young. If something goes wrong, he can assist him in time. After all, he was once powerful and mighty in Court, he's still an old Minister of two generations."
Seeing that Xiao YuAn had a thorough understanding of everything, the subordinate was stunned. The carriage slowly drove all the way to the outskirts of the Imperial City, until finally, it stopped in front of a fenced courtyard.
After Xiao YuAn jumped out of the carriage, he caressed the fence with his hand. His mind was filled with different emotions as he raised his eyes to push open the fence. In the small courtyard, a man with gray temples was sitting at a stone table, holding a worn-out book, and squinting at it with his back against the sun.
It was the first time that Xiao YuAn saw Xue Yan without an armour. Xue Yan was dressed in clean and plain grey linen cloth. Although his eyebrows and eyes were still stern, he also had a kindness that Xiao YuAn had never thought he would see on him.
After hearing footsteps approaching, Xue Yan raised his head. When he saw that it was Xiao YuAn, he pointed to the stone bench opposite to him and said: "Xiao Jun Wang, please sit down."
Xiao YuAn saluted and sat down opposite to Xue Yan. Then Xue Yan asked someone to make tea and asked Xiao YuAn: "Xiao Jun Wang, I know that it's not easy for you to go out of the Imperial Palace, so I'll make it short. Has Huang Yue looked for you recently?"
AD
Xiao YuAn held up the tea brought by a servant and smiled: "Is General Xue worried that I will join hands with Huang Yue to plot against the Emperor?"
However, Xue Yan shook his head: "His Majesty has long been aware that Huang Yue is trying to usurp the throne, he's simply waiting for unquestionable evidence. That's why he hasn't taken any action just yet. After all, Huang Yue is a powerful person with a strong party. If there weren't enough evidence, His Majesty may be charged with killing a good Minister. I'm worried about His Majesty, but also, I'm worried about you."
Xiao YuAn lifted the tea cup lid, and when he spoke, his tone of voice was slightly raised: "Me?!"
Xue Yan sighed: "At first, when you sent a letter from the Western Shu Kingdom asking me for help in persuading His Majesty into assisting you with resisting the foreign countries from the Western regions in the name of the old days, when the Western Shu Kingdom and the Southern Yan Kingdom had formed an alliance, I didn't had the power at that time. So, I had no other choice than to give you the bad idea of coming to the Southern Yan Kingdom to present yourself as a Minister. Now, I regret it greatly."
Xiao YuAn: "Don't regret it! Never regret it! I'm grateful to heart! Thank you for your advice! The flowers bloomed and fell- cough, I almost started to sing."
Xue Yan: "Xiao Jun Wang is really good-tempered. I've made you miserable, but you don't blame me. On His Majesty's side, I'll ask Chen Ge to persuade him for you. Then, I will certainly escort you back to the Western Shu Kingdom safely. As for Huang Yue, please be careful. Huang Yue will certainly attack you again in order to gain the power of the Western Shu Kingdom."
Xiao YuAn quickly said: "There's no need for Chen Ge to waste his words persuading. As for Huang Yue, I'll be careful, thanks General Xue for reminding me."
Xue Yan nodded: "Then don't delay your time, Xiao Jun Wang. If His Majesty finds that you came looking for me, he will certainly dislike you even more. So, Xiao Jun Wang, please go back as soon as possible." Xiao YuAn didn't bother to explain, and after bidding his farewell, he followed Chen Ge's subordinate out of the small courtyard. After he took two steps, Xiao YuAn turned back to see Xue Yan pick up the military book again and squint at the words. His temples were as white as the snow of the North, his cough was similar to that of General Sun, and his posture was similar to Eunuch Zhao.
Xiao YuAn suddenly spoke: "General Xue, His Majesty understands your good intentions. It's just that he doesn't know how to face them."
When Xue Yan heard this, he raised his head but then lowered his eyes again, as he faintly said: "I know. He's the child I saw growing up, how could I not know?"
Xiao YuAn saluted again and went back to the Imperial Palace with Chen Ge's subordinate.
Xiao YuAn wanted to go directly back to Yan HeQing's bedchamber, but who would've known that Chen Ge's subordinates would send him to the bedchamber on the West side of the Palace. Xiao YuAn didn't say much, thinking that he should walk back by himself.
AD
However, when they arrived at the bedchamber, they saw a group of people rummaging through the cabinets and digging three feet into the ground. Xiao YuAn's bedding, clothes and objects were all thrown out of the bedchamber, leaving behind a mess on the ground.
Tian Xiang was struggling, trying to stop them: "What are you doing?! This is Xiao Jun Wang's bedchamber! What are you doing? Let go! Let go!"
A fierce guard, impatient with her tugging and pulling, pushed her away hard: "Get out of here!"
Tian Xian stumbled backwards, and when she was about to fall to the ground, someone grabbed her by the shoulders, stabilizing her. When Tian Xiang lifted her head, she shouted in surprise: "Xiao Jun Wang!"
Xiao YuAn patted Tian Xiang's head and told her to go hide. Then he stepped forward to face the guard by grabbing his throat and then twisting his arm behind him as he pushed the guard to the ground. Xiao YuAn then smiled and said: "Dage, are you single? Don't you know that you have to be gentle with women? You deserve to be single. Look at me, I'll write a poem for you; There are two orioles singing on the willow, and you're the only single dog1!"
The guard was in so much pain, that he was sweating coldly as he shouted for help: "General Huang!"
Xiao YuAn was stunned. Just when he was about to look up and around, he was suddenly surrounded by dozens of people. In an instant, the situation changed abruptly. This time, it was Xiao YuAn who got his arm forcibly twisted as his head was pressed down and he was forced to kneel on the ground.
Chapter 200: Let's Take A Bath Together.
President Xiao began to think about life again.
'Me! Who once aspired to be handsome and rich! Wicked, charming and wild! A doting lover! The! Tyrannical! President!'
'Me! Who once memorized the 300 quotations of the Tyrannical President!'
'Me! Who has once read all kinds of dog blood routines!'
'But now, I suddenly felt!'
'That is better to be tied to bed by Yan HeQing, in all honesty?'
'Let go of me! You're holding down the invisible wings of this Tyrannical President!'
'But, ah, it's really fucking hard to be a Tyrannical President.'
Xiao YuAn was still lamenting in his mind, when Huang Yue calmly walked in front of him. The guards forced Xiao YuAn's head up with a scabbard, forcing him to look at Huang Yue.
Huang Yue looked down at him, and asked: "Xiao Jun Wang, do you know what crime you had committed?"
Xiao YuAn smiled: "I know."
AD
Huang Yue was stunned, but his expression immediately returned to normal. Then he said meaningfully: "Then, Xiao Jun Wang, what crime did you commit?"
Xiao YuAn smiled: "This fox has charmed the Male Lead. Ah, I can't help it. Who let me be so good-looking? Even His Majesty is fascinated by me."
Huang Yue: "….."
Xiao YuAn clearly saw Huang Yue's mouth and eyebrows twitching, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Huang Yue: "Xiao Jun Wang is quite optimistic, he even has the courage to joke at this time. No, should I use different words and say that you're actually very pitiful? Since you're still trying to win His Majesty's favor?"
After Huang Yue said this, he threw a dozen letters in front of Xiao YuAn: "Xiao Jun Wang, do these look familiar to you?"
Xiao YuAn said with all honesty: "They don't look familiar."
"Xiao Jun Wang, I have a witness. Don't try to deny it." Huang Yue thought that he was just a dead duck with a hard mouth1, so he simply sneered at him.
Xiao YuAn showed an innocent expression and said: "I really haven't seen them before."
"Alright, then I'll help Xiao Jun Wang remember."
It turned out that when Xiao Wangye was depressed in the Southern Yan Kingdom, he thought of assassinating Yan HeQing! Even if the idea of assassinating the Male Lead was Xiao Wangye's idea, he inadvertently left the handle in Huang Yue's hands!
That's why Xiao Jun Wang had befriended Xue Yan before, but then he had to deal with Huang Yue. It can be said that he was trying to survive through two sides. What a tragedy, no wonder he chose to commit suicide by taking poison in the end.
AD
The evidence in Huang Yue's hand was conclusive, and Xiao YuAn couldn't defend himself. Because of this, he was thrown into prison without delay.
Outside the prison, Huang Yue's confidant whispered in his ear: "General Huang, I saw Chen Ge's subordinate in the crowd before. He left in a hurry after watching for a while, I think he should have sent Chen Ge a message."
Huang Yue disagreed: "Even if Chen Ge knows, what can he do? He doesn't have the ability to erase the fact that Xiao Jun Wang intended to assassinate the Emperor."
As soon as he said that, there were hurried footsteps coming their way.
When Huang Yue and his subordinates looked back, they were so shocked that they hurriedly knelt down, saluted with their fists and shouted: "Your Majesty!"
Yan HeQing didn't even give them a glance. His face was as cold as ice as he hurriedly entered the prison. Huang Yue went forward to kneel down in front of Yan HeQing, blocking his way: "Your Majesty, please listen to this Minister's words."
Then Huang Yue began to recount Xiao YuAn's crimes in detail. He knew that Yan HeQing would ask questions, so he prepared a speech in advance. What he said was reasonable and convincing. However, he was unexpectedly interrupted by Yan HeQing right in the middle of his speech.
Yan HeQing's tone was extremely cold, as if he was suppressing a monstrous anger. There was an abyss of ice in the depth of his eyes as he said: "Are you done talking?"
Huang Yue was caught off guard by the interruption and froze: "This Minister…. Minister… has finished his report to His Majesty….."
Yan HeQing didn't answer again, directly bypassing him and entering the prison.
Huang Yue was shocked.
'How could this happen?!'
'Xiao Jun Wang has been in the Southern Yan Kingdom for a year, and Yan HeQing has never looked at him. It's unlikely that Yan HeQing came here to save him!'
'Could it be possible that after His Majesty heard the evidence of Xiao Jun Wang's assassinaton attempt, he became extremely furious, and is ready to deal with Xiao Jun Wang by himself?'
Huang Yue looked at Yan HeQing's back as he walked into the prison, a trace of cunning and delight flashed across his eyes.
…
Inside the prison, Xiao YuAn was chatting with the Jailer. He sat in front of the cell door, raised one leg and leisurely asked the Jailer at the door: "Hey, xiao-xiongdi2, come on and chat with me."
At first, the Jailer was still holding his stance as he reprimanded Xiao YuAn with a stern face: "This Heavenly Prison3 is very important, don't speak out loud!"
Xiao YuAn shrugged his shoulders and stretched his hands: "I wasn't speaking out loud, I was talking properly. Right, xiongdi, do you have a girlfriend?"
Jailer: "….. What is a 'girlfriend'4?!"
Xiao YuAn laughed: "It's a 'wife', do you have a wife?"
The Jailer replied: "Oh, um, no!"
Xiao YuAn asked again: "Do you have a boyfriend then?"
The Jailer asked, puzzled: "….. What is a 'boyfriend'?!"
AD
Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: "A 'husband', 'husband'5, do you understand?"
The Jailer: "…"
"Xiao-xiongdi, don't be silent, ah! Do you know the words 'tacit agreement6'? 'Tacit agreement' means…."
The Jailer interrupted him with an impatient tone of voice: "I don't!"
Xiao YuAn: "Ah! That's terrible! I do!"
The Jailer: "….. When will the other guard come to replace me?!"
Xiao YuAn was so happy that he couldn't help but burst into laughter. After he finished laughing out loud, he began to think about the current affairs as he crossed his hands behind his head and leaned against the cell's door.
In the original book, the evidence of Huang Yue's plot for rebellion was exposed by Xiao PingYang to help Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing once wanted to impeach Huang Yue directly, regardless of what people may say about him, but he was finally persuaded to calm down by Xiao PingYang.
Later, Xiao PingYang and Yan HeQing acted in a wicked plan. Xiao PingYang pretended to take refuge with Huang Yue, helping him to usurp the throne on the surface, while secretly joining hands with Yan HeQing. Until finally, they were able to seize Huang Yue's fox tail.
Xiao YuAn took a long breath as he thought to himself: 'How can I help Yan HeQing?'
As he was thinking about it, a panicked shout came from outside the cell: "Y-your Ma-majesty?!"
Xiao YuAn stood up and turned his head, only to see Yan HeQing walking towards him at a calm pace. His icy eyes became warm the moment he looked at Xiao YuAn.
AD
The Jailer kneeled on the ground as he shouted 'Your Majesty!' in a panicked state, but Yan HeQing didn't say a word. He simply stretched out his hand and pulled out the sword from the Jailer's waist, cutting off the lock on the prison's door.
Yan HeQing pushed the door open and stepped inside. Then Yan HeQing pressed down on Xiao YuAn's shoulder as he checked him back and forth, feeling slightly relieved once he saw that Xiao YuAn wasn't injured.
Xiao YuAn smiled and said: "Yan-ge, I'm fine."
Yan HeQing hummed: "I'll take you out."
"Wait!" Xiao YuAn grabbed Yan HeQing's arm, and said: "I've something to discuss with you."
When Yan HeQing saw that Xiao YuAn's eyes were gazing at the Jailer, he understood immediately and sent everyone away. Then, he looked at Xiao YuAn.
Xiao YuAn said: "Yan-ge, you've been waiting for an opportunity to impeach Huang Yue, right?"
This was the first time Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing would talk about political affairs, and when he saw Yan HeQing nodding his head, Xiao YuAn said everything he knew in detail. Then, he finally said: "I have an idea."
Yan HeQing asked: "What?"
Xiao YuAn smoothed his thoughts and said: "Yan-ge, don't get me out of prison. Lock me up for a few days, and then I'll-…."
"No."
Xiao YuAn's speech had just started when he was suddenly interrupted by Yan HeQing. Xiao YuAn froze, and said: "It'll only be for a few days, just tell the Jailers to not hurt me-…."
AD
Yan HeQing said inexorably: "No."
"Yan-ge, I'm not afraid of being in the dirty and smelly prison. Besides, a few days of imprisonment won't be a problem."
"No."
Xiao YuAn: "…. Yan-ge, let me help you."
Yan HeQing no longer said any more words and went forward to pick Xiao YuAn up. However, who would have thought that Xiao YuAn would step back, avoiding his hug.
Seeing that Yan HeQing's body trembled, slightly angered and how his eyes suddenly turned cold, Xiao YuAn hurried to explain: "I'm dirty, I've been sitting in this prison for a while, don't hug me yet."
Yan HeQing: "I don't care."
Xiao YuAn: "Even if you don't care, I do! Since I'm not allowed to stay in prison, then wait for me to get out and take a bath before hugging me. Alright?"
Yan HeQing was silent for a long time before he finally nodded his head.
When the two of them left the prison, Yan HeQing instructed the servants to prepare clean clothes. All the way back, Xiao YuAn was reluctantly saying that he wanted to help Yan HeQing, until finally, he quieted down for a moment after they arrived at the bath.
Xiao YuAn took off his clothes and soaked into the pool, but then he saw that Yan HeQing was standing on the side, seemingly not intending to leave or getting in the pool. Xiao YuAn smiled and splashed him with water: "Let's bathe together."
After being splashed, Yan HeQing reached out to wipe the water on his face, but he couldn't prevent being dragged into the pool by Xiao YuAn, who silently swam to the edge of the pool.
AD
The water splashed everywhere as Yan HeQing fell into the pool, drenched from head to toe, looking slightly wretched.
Xiao YuAn smiled as he put his hands on Yan HeQing's shoulders. Yan HeQing was wearing black clothes, and his sleeves were floating in the water, wrapping around Xiao YuAn's white body, just like a white space in an ink painting. Then, Xiao YuAn said with a smile: "Yan-ge, are you angry because I didn't hug you in the prison?"
Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn for a moment, until his dark eyes were filled with the water mists. As he stretched out his hand, he slowly traced Xiao YuAn's spine with his fingertips, little by little, from his neck to the end of his spine. Then, he asked: "Xiao YuAn, do you want to help me?"
Xiao YuAn, who was touched so suggestively, couldn't help but shiver with pleasure. It took him a long time to calm down, and stop shivering, before he could say: "I want to!"
Suddenly, Xiao YuAn's eyes brightened up: "What is it? Did you figure it out? Yan-ge, let me tell you, I have this bitter plan7….mmh-!"
Xiao YuAn's voice stopped abruptly, because half of a finger was pushed inside him.
Yan HeQing leaned over his ear. His breath was warm and his voice was hoarse as he said: "Xiao YuAn, why don't you use 'this' to help me 'down there'?"
Xiao YuAn: "….. Ta-t-talk properly! Why are you sp-speaking with a-a y-yellow, yellow a-accent8! ….Forget it, you can use it. But why do you have to look so handsome as you speak with a yellow accent, why?!"
