Chapter 62 Chapter 62 There is no shelter under the court, and the rain touches the green willows. …

A cold shout came from the secluded courtyard.

Chen Mian comforted her in a low voice, "It's already a miracle that Miss survived their clutches. We can't ask for anything more. We can only hope that we can successfully launch a counterattack this time, which will give us leverage."

The two people speaking were none other than Xiao Yuanjing and his servant, whom they hadn't seen in a long time. The young man, with a solemn expression, was still clean and tidy, and apart from the slight stubble on his beard that made him look a little tired, he still looked as energetic as ever.

However, upon hearing the secret report, the solemn aura surrounding him noticeably diminished.

Chen Mian was helpless.

The princess, having long harbored ulterior motives and colluded with the Li family, unexpectedly prepared a killing formation in the capital. She also allied with powerful clans in Longxi to block the main road, preventing the lord from returning to Longnan. The group fled in disarray, suffering heavy losses several times before finally managing to find refuge in this remote border region.

This place is even further northwest than Longxi, with only about six towns. The able-bodied men mostly work as blacksmiths, trading their wares in the surrounding areas. The women cultivate the land and fetch water to support their families. Because the mountains are high and treacherous, devoid of any greenery, powerful families are unwilling to invest the effort in developing the area, thus allowing a band of outlaws to take root and grow stronger. Formerly engaged in banditry, they now also amass an army. Their leader, Zhu Rong, a barbarian bandit, has, after a series of battles, proclaimed himself a general. He has already controlled three of the towns, firmly establishing himself as a local lord.

The coup in the capital was sudden, and everyone in the region was plotting their own schemes. Zhu Rong's rise to power was also due to a confluence of favorable circumstances. He had received guidance from a wandering Taoist nun and had foreseen the changes, using the situation to recruit many talented individuals into his ranks. Several years ago, he had learned of the abilities of General Xiao Yuanjing of Longnan. Upon hearing of Xiao's downfall, he immediately guessed that Xiao would return to Longnan to regroup. So he sent people to secretly search for him, and they indeed found Xiao Yuanjing, whom they treated as an honored guest.

Although they were the lowest of the Five Barbarian tribes, Xiao Yuanjing was still grateful for their help and wisely became sworn brothers with Zhu Rong. From then on, he established a stronghold in the three towns and began to slowly recover the power in Longnan.

It's a pity that Xiao Yuanshu was imprisoned in the deep palace as a hostage. She was spoiled and arrogant since childhood, and I'm afraid she will hurt herself with anger.

Chen Mian was frustrated. His lord was clearly the one destined to become emperor, but he was being thwarted by petty men and women, suffering setbacks since arriving in the capital. Li Mingshao seemed to have their whereabouts under control, like a persistent leech that couldn't be shaken off.

Xiao Yuanjing clenched the corners of the bottle in his large hand and exhaled.

"I knew their relationship was extraordinary. I thought Li Mingshao would also use the emperor to command the princes, but I never expected that they would be so audacious as to change the candidate while the late emperor was still alive. Princess Xifang and the late emperor were born of the same mother, why would they do this?"

This was precisely what the group had been puzzled about all this time. How could Yan Xifang, so delicate and charming, be so heartless?

Most people believe that women are born gentle and docile, and that their struggles are only for the sake of the household and men, making them naturally inept at politics. And indeed, this is true. Having a younger brother in power is entirely beneficial. Even if there's an urgency, there's no rush; these few short years are not worth it. One could emulate Empress Lü and Empress Feng, ruling from behind the curtain and then supporting a new ruler.

This move truly caught everyone off guard. Not only Xiao Yuanjing, but all the forces in the world were stunned at the same time.

Although everyone was used to the absurdities of various monarchs, this was, after all, the largest dynasty in the Nine Provinces. Faced with such a sudden coup, should they go and pay their respects to the new ruler?

Speaking of the new emperor...

Chen Mian sighed, "The origin of Feng An is indeed strange upon closer examination; it was our carelessness that led to this."

The boy's past was extraordinary, far more complex than the simple, tragic account he made during their visit. This information was relayed by Zhu Rong, who even unearthed the remains of the old man who had once protected him on his journey to Longxi.

Chen Mian felt a chill run down his spine. Feng An was cunning and ruthless, completely unlike the gentle and kind person he remembered. His acting skills were superb, completely deceiving him.

Alas!

Xiao Yuanjing's forehead vein throbbed. Chen Mian pondered, staring intently at the sudden glint in Xiao Yuanjing's eyes, carefully analyzing the current state of the world, then patted his feather fan heavily in his hand:

"We still have 50,000 troops hidden deep within. Why not join forces with General Zhu Rong to first recapture Longnan? Then we can blow up the ancient Longxi road, preventing merchants from entering or leaving. We can then launch a night raid on Longxi amidst the chaos, giving Li Mingshao a shock. Once the world sees his weakness, they will surely be eager to try and enter the Central Plains. The emperor can no longer command the feudal lords, so naturally a new emperor will be established among them. Now, no one is more capable than you of securing the throne. At that time, we can welcome back the young lady and then control the deposed emperor—"

Chen Mian's expression was grave: "The palace spies say that the deposed emperor and Yan Xifang had long been on the verge of breaking off relations. Now that he is imprisoned in the cold palace, his life has taken a sharp turn for the worse, and he only has a maidservant by his side. If Miss Yuan Shu can offer help in his time of need, it might open up another avenue for him. Why not use those undercover agents?"

Xiao Yuanjing: "I'll discuss this with Brother Zhu Rong."

"If it is feasible... assemble the army in three days."

Zaiyue Palace.

"How did such a large army come from the Northwest! Where is Feng An? Summon him and ask him the reason!"

Having taken full control of the government for only a few days, Yan Xifang was still quite composed when handling trivial matters, but before she could delve deeper into studying the Northwest, she suddenly launched an attack.

The Northwest was the place they feared least. The Li family, with hundreds of thousands of troops, was already the local tyrant. After driving out Xiao Yuanjing, they had recovered Longnan many years later, making their territory even more secure. But they never expected that those bandits in the desert would dare to rise up, and even use Xiao Yuanjing's name!

The bandits of the Northwest were notorious, like locusts. However, their numbers were extremely small, unlike an army of hundreds of thousands. When Yan Xifang first married into the Longxi tribe, she was robbed and harassed by bandits on the way, but was chased away by the escorting soldiers.

Her abilities were too limited to cause much trouble, so she hadn't paid any attention to the bandits at the time. Now, however, the bandits had successfully captured several cities through night raids, and were no longer to be underestimated.

But that's not what was agreed upon at the time!

After Feng An traveled a long way to find her and establish her identity, he meticulously mapped out all the current powers, specifically emphasizing that the Northwest was the safest territory. He believed that capturing Xiao Yuanjing would eliminate all other threats.

At first, she didn't believe her half-brother, but on his advice, the Li family had secretly grown stronger over the past three years. Yan Xifang listened to Feng An's analysis again and tentatively wrote a letter to Yan Dibai. Sure enough, she successfully paved the way back to the capital and made many connections with powerful families in the capital.

In this line of work, almost nothing ever went wrong. Yan Xifang had undeniable confidence in Feng An's abilities, yet she was extremely wary of him. She used this younger brother only as a tool, giving him no real power and ensuring he had no ability to resist in every aspect. When she sent him to infiltrate Xiao Yuanjing's camp, she planted many hidden agents around him, ready to capture and interrogate him if he did anything amiss.

Only in this way can one be free from worries.

And now?!

One city lost in a day, and Longnan was lost!

Upon receiving the urgent report, Li Mingshao rushed off to handle it. Yan Xifang, left behind, was furious, her hair disheveled, clutching a handful of memorials and shouting angrily. The maidservants dared not approach and hurriedly went to offer their greetings.

In stark contrast to the chaotic situation outside, Xianning Palace remained tranquil and serene.

Feng An was sipping tea when he heard this and knew that Yan Xifang had fallen into a trap that had been laid long ago. He couldn't help but smile and fiddle with the white porcelain in his hand as he looked at the rising sun. "Bi Shu, did you ever see my sister so distraught when you were in Longxi?"

The young man seated there was strikingly handsome, and his speech possessed a uniquely soothing gentleness. One could easily let one's guard down in his presence.

Bi Shu, who had come to report, lowered her head and said, "Your Majesty, I am not familiar with the Li family at all."

Feng An smiled.

The servant of the Li family of Longxi, an informant specially planted to keep him in check, actually dared to say such things so brazenly. If Yan Xifang knew, she would probably vomit blood.

Bi Shuyi replied sincerely, "Your subject has long sworn to be loyal to you and will never have any disloyal thoughts."

Feng An's psychological manipulation was like a gentle spring breeze, subtle and silent. This question was to confirm which side he had decided to stand on. In truth, he was not unaware of Bi Shu's wholehearted devotion, but at this moment, he needed to express his stance.

Over the past few years, the things I've carefully arranged step by step according to my past life memories have begun to connect with the array, and I'm about to reach the final step, where there's no room for error.

Bi Shu knelt down with a thud: "Your subject will follow your lead."

Feng An's smile remained unchanged. "Very good."

"Have the noble families in the capital been informed yet? I am unwell and can only invite them for a gathering after today." The young man lay down peacefully, showing no intention of obeying the order to go to Zaiyue Palace.

Bi Shu: "Everything is settled, we just need to wait for the princess to fall into the trap."

"good."

"Royal brother!" A moment later, Yan Xifang, having waited in vain, took a deep breath and came looking for him. He was met with a closed door, and unable to contain his anxiety any longer, he ordered someone to knock on the door.

A loud crash resounded, and Yan Xifang's stern shouts could not be stopped even by several doors:

"Your judgment is wrong! Besides Xiao Yuanjing, there are several other major threats! Tell me, what exactly is going on?"

"The matter of the Imperial Seal is still unresolved, and troubles have arisen before everything is even stable. What should we do in the future?!"

"Feng'an, come out and see me!"

Bi Shu glanced sideways. The palace attendant sighed, letting her smash the palace gates until they were about to call for help to break down the vermilion gates. Only then did the young man nod to Bi Shu.

Bi Shu stared intently, then stepped forward and opened the door. With a creak, it was kicked open the moment she moved. Bi Shu hurriedly retreated, and Yan Xifang, her face contorted with anger, strode inside.

"explain!"

The young man in the white shirt was standing under the window. As if he had just heard the sound, he slowly turned around and gave Yan Xifang a smile.

"What does my elder sister want to hear me say?"

Yan Xifang frowned and clenched her fists tightly.

"Yan Feng'an, what do you mean by this?"

"Your Majesty, please don't be anxious." Feng An walked over slowly. "Let's explain everything clearly."

He was clearly feigning ignorance. Yan Xifang sensed something was wrong and patiently asked, "The Northwest is in dire straits, and Xiao Yuanjing has reappeared. What do you think?"

Feng An opened his mouth in surprise, then lowered his head to ponder: "Although I have cultivated some Taoist magic, the secrets of heaven cannot be revealed. All things in the world cherish each other, so sudden changes are nothing out of the ordinary."

Seeing that his attitude had softened, Yan Xifang asked in a slightly gentler tone, "How can this be resolved?"

A glint suddenly flashed in Feng An's eyes: "There is no solution."

Yan Xifang Leng.

The young man suddenly raised his hand, and Bi Shu, who had been standing motionless to the side, suddenly rushed away, and the vermilion gate closed.

As dawn broke, Yan Xifang exclaimed in surprise, "Bishu!"

The servants who should have been under her command hung their heads and remained silent.

Yan Xifang gasped, and when she looked at the seemingly harmless young man in front of her who had been wholeheartedly giving her advice, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart.

“Some things are inherently difficult to reconcile. Since you have already decided to dethrone the emperor, why are you so fixated on the imperial seal? If you want to unify the country, why station the entire army in the capital? It’s simply not feasible to keep asking for more.”

Feng An's expression was ambiguous, as if he were smiling but not smiling, and he seemed to have the appearance of a ghost.

"Princess," the young man suddenly changed his address.

"Everything we need requires choices; only by giving up something can we gain something."

Yan Xifang was shocked: "...What did you say? These were clearly your suggestions. You said that half of the troops needed to be stationed in the capital. You said that Yan Qi left the Imperial Seal to Yan Dibai...It was you!"

Her face contorted with rage, and she completely lost her composure: "Why are you suddenly telling me all this? Yan Feng'an, you—"

“Princess,” Feng An chuckled, calmly taking over the conversation. But the words that came out lacked the humility and respect he had shown when facing Yan Xifang.

"Haven't you figured it out yet?"

Yan Xifang: "Understand?"

He raised his eyebrows slightly.

I understand—the fact that he was able to return to the palace smoothly, poison the young emperor, and seize imperial power was all because of his deliberate indulgence.

He orchestrated everything with effortless ease. And Yan Xifang took this ease for divine intervention, for destiny.

Feng An was lazy and didn't want to act anymore.

"My intention in staying indoors this time was to save you the last shred of face." But you've torn that face to shreds. Why bother? Feng An watched with satisfaction as Yan Xifang's face turned deathly pale, and then launched another attack without hesitation:

"In fact... if the young emperor had put up even a little resistance, you wouldn't be enjoying this period of success."

Yan Xifang's eyes widened in fury: "What did you say?!"

"I didn't want to break off relations so quickly, so I made up many excuses to delay. But the princess and the Li family lost their way after gaining power, and their plans were even worse than I had imagined." Feng An sighed.

Before gaining power, Yan Xifang could still be patient and restrained, but once she rose to power, she gradually could no longer hide her true nature. If she had been able to restrain herself for a while longer, things wouldn't have descended into chaos so quickly.

In comparison, the young emperor he once regarded as a useless piece of trash was actually far superior to this princess. For a deposed emperor to live a life of seclusion in a remote corner of the country could hardly be considered a display of great wisdom disguised as foolishness.

The surroundings fell silent for a moment, and Yan Xifang even staggered.

The young man before me was handsome and dignified. Apart from his limp, he was excellent in every way.

It wasn't like this before.

The younger brother who knelt before her in Longxi, weeping and recounting the tyranny of the late emperor and their shared suffering, earnestly trying to find a way for her to establish herself, affectionately calling her "elder sister," was someone she regarded as a pawn.

He originally considered her as a potential pawn.

“Li Mingshao loves you so much that he has blinded himself to it, putting you first in everything. He is no longer the so-called young talent. Such a person cannot see the big picture and is not fit to be a hero in troubled times.”

Suddenly, thunder rumbled in the sky, signaling the start of another downpour.

Bi Shu, who was guarding the door, silently made way for her. With a loud "boom," the imperial guards who were supposed to be hers suddenly surrounded her. Yan Xifang's red lips trembled, and she still struggled to say through gritted teeth, "You wolf in sheep's clothing! I truly misjudged you!"

Feng An turned her back to him, her silk robes fluttering in the wind and rain, looking otherworldly.

As if unable to bear seeing the beauty weep, he smiled with a pained expression, his eyes crinkling:

"Princess, rest assured. With me here, the world will still belong to the Yan family."

-

"It's raining!"

"Isn't Your Majesty going to take a bath? Quickly take off your clothes!"

Qingqing hurriedly carried out the bottles and jars, as raindrops pounded down with the thunder. Yan Dibai, who was half asleep with his heart pounding, felt the door being pushed open and a pair of warm, slender arms grabbing him and pulling him outside.

He was so light that he was lifted to the threshold with almost no effort.

Yan Dibai subconsciously swallowed the rising blood, his dim eyes slowly emerging from his roughly combed hair.

The sky was overcast, and a torrential downpour began.

It rained again after several days.

No wonder Yang Liuqing was so happy.

The girl's supple wrist lay across his cheek, still slightly damp with sweat. It smelled faint, just warm. He instinctively found a comfortable position in her arms, shifting his head slightly.

Qingqing bent her knees, letting his head and back press against her chest, and scooped up the half-full jar of water, looking at Yan Dibai's pale face, and said:

"Your Majesty, can you move?"

She used the strength of her arms to support Yan Dibai, and couldn't help but start to worry again.

He is in very poor condition.

Qingqing naturally assumed his health would gradually improve. After all, because of Yan Dibai's outburst, the guards were bringing him food a little more frequently, and it wasn't too spoiled anymore. Yan Dibai didn't say anything more and silently ate it all. Being able to eat was a blessing, and for the first two days, he did have more strength in his speech, occasionally willing to answer her questions, and he didn't resist Qingqing's quiet cleaning and arranging rooms for them to eat, wear, and live in.

They have enough to eat, and their water is filtered. Aside from bathing, everything is manageable. For a normal person, living under these conditions wouldn't be difficult.

But Yan Dibai is not.

This brief resurgence of energy lasted only two days. Starting the day before yesterday, Yan Dibai's condition deteriorated rapidly. For an entire day, she couldn't eat anything, her breathing was hot and rapid, her skin was extremely itchy, and her eyes turned an unnatural scarlet. She even howled in pain at night, behaving like a wild animal, completely out of control.

Trembling with fear, she held him tightly in her arms, only to discover, upon touching his damp, fishy-smelling flesh, that Yan Dibai had torn her arm raw. She didn't know what to do. In the darkness, the boy was still twitching, his eyes rolled back, gurgling in his throat, yet a smile lingered on his lips.

If Qingqing hadn't been so worried and watching closely, Yan Dibai would most likely have bitten off the base of his tongue during his convulsions. At that time…

Qingqing suddenly dared not look.

Feeling helpless as she experienced his burning body, she only seemed to snap out of her daze after a long while. She stuffed her clothes into Yan Dibai's mouth, then took out the precious water and roughly wiped Yan Dibai's body to cool him down.

Pale skin, purplish-red veins. All you can feel is bone.

The water was far from enough and was quickly used up. But Yan Dibai's temperature remained high, and he even subconsciously resisted Qingqing's wiping by clutching his trousers. She had no choice but to watch over him until dawn, her eyes dark with embarrassment.

Fortunately, he was like an unkillable cockroach; his body temperature gradually dropped after the sun came out. But after all that commotion, he was too weak to get up, and Qingqing had to carefully feed him food and water. He also couldn't control his urination; whenever she looked back while working, if she saw Yan Dibai's body trembling slightly, the robe beneath him would be stained with a damp, fishy smell.

He would furrow his brow when he lost control of his bladder, possibly indicating some awareness. However, this body had still lost most of its perception of the outside world, making him practically half-dead.

It took Qingqing one night to go from shock to disbelief to acceptance.

She couldn't sleep all night. Only then did she realize how much she had underestimated the power of drugs and how much she had underestimated Yan Xifang's hatred for Yan Dibai.

Fortunately, they are together day and night now, and Yan Dibai has let her guard down. But apart from that, she can only beg the guards again and again. After being told to leave, she stays by Yan Dibai's side and calls out to him from time to time to make sure he is still alive.

The boy's chapped lips remained closed.

"It's raining...a timely rain." Qingqing sighed, muttered a few words, and then loosened Yan Dibai's collar, cleaning from his sternum to his abdomen and then to his legs. She focused on cleaning the scars he had scratched, and then it was his turn to clean his messy hair.

Although it had been cleaned, it still had a lot of dust. I washed it three or four times in the rain and it finally got a little cleaner, but I couldn't feel any oil stains.

Drug addicts often struggle to maintain their hygiene, and a dirty environment is a major cause of health problems. This was the only way she could clumsily buy him a little more time to live.

Living a life practically isolated from the world, they naturally had no way of knowing what was happening outside. Just as the new massacre in the palace was drawing to a close, Qingqing had just soaked all the washable clothes in the rain and scrubbed them vigorously.

The sound of rain was loud enough. The girl took off her clothes and stepped into the rain, quickly removing them. Her waist, which was covered in wet white fabric, swayed like a willow branch a few times as she bent down to pick up the wet clothes hanging there.

Another thunderstorm struck, startling everything.

A crackling sound rang in his ears. Yan Dibai suddenly felt a chill. He was still completely unaware of the strangeness in his body, only feeling as if he had been in a long dream. His lower body was wet and uncomfortable.

A chill ran through his head, cutting to his very bones, and he couldn't sleep. He felt as if he were drowning in a lake.

Her fingers twitched, and Yan Dibai opened her eyes. Then, her bloodshot pupils suddenly contracted.

There is no shelter under the courtyard, and the rain caresses the green willows.

He saw a silhouette of white interspersed with red. He bent down, leaned forward, lifted his leg, and gathered his clothes.

Her body barely cut off the raindrops falling on her, outlined in detail by silver threads, the youthful curves hinting at the beginnings of adulthood.

His eyes shouldn't be able to see clearly.

Even from several feet away, Yan Dibai could clearly count the seven strands of wet hair clinging to her slightly protruding breasts.

Yan Dibai felt his spasming fingers begin to twitch.

Qingqing tied the last knot and went barefoot through the water to see Yan Dibai. He was sleeping peacefully. She knelt down and was about to wring out his wet hair again when the boy suddenly opened his eyes to her.

"Listen." With her delicate eyelashes fluttering, Yan Dibai calmly let her listen to the rain.

What a refined taste! Qingqing paused for a moment, then smiled reassuringly: "Your Majesty was awakened by the sound of rain?"

Steam rose from the water, and strings of glistening beads rolled down her face. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders and face, and when you glanced down, it had grown to her waist.

He stared intently at her glistening cheeks, moistened by the water, his expression faint.

"No."

She parted her red lips, as if apologizing: "Did I disturb you?"

"..." Yan Dibai turned his head and looked at the dilapidated palace gate.

"They're here."

Qingqing was stunned. Almost in the blink of an eye, the door was slammed open. An old man slowly walked in.

I hadn't seen Prime Minister Lin for a long time. He was leaning on a cane, and his hair was even whiter than the last time I saw him.

He sighed deeply: "Your Majesty, are you well?"

-----------------------

Author's Note: Zhu Rong is the historical figure Erzhu Rong, a key figure who laid the foundation for the Sui and Tang dynasties. The author uses his character and some events to illustrate this point.

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