Chapter 110: He wasn't allowed to think calmly, yet there was a hint of madness and obsession within him...

*

Upon receiving the news, Yu Jingliang rushed home as fast as the wind could carry him.

Upon seeing the person standing outside the door from afar, he paused for a moment, then slowed his pace and gently exhaled to even out his breathing. By the time he reached the person, he could no longer hear any panting.

He stepped forward and called out, "Father."

At this moment, the side door on the right opened, and Granny Yu came out and said to Yu Zhiheng, "Madam said that since you have come to see the young master and young lady, she will not stop you."

After the group entered the mansion, they no longer needed to hide from others or be overheard by outsiders. Following Shen Linlang's instructions, Granny Yu explained Yu Jingxian's situation.

Yu Zhiheng's expression grew increasingly solemn as he listened, and he finally let out a long sigh.

Yu Jingliang accompanied him, and the father and son parted ways with Granny Yu and headed towards Yu Jingxian's courtyard.

The courtyard was quiet; apart from the two maids guarding the gate, no other servants came in or out.

Yu Jingxian, still shaken, rushed over and hugged Yu Zhiheng when she heard that her father had come to see her. Her fear turned into resentment.

"Father, you've finally come to see your son! I can't take it anymore... Waaah..."

"You have to endure it whether you like it or not." Yu Jingliang couldn't stand it and his attitude was very firm.

“Father, listen to this. These days, I have less and less status in this family. Even Erlang dares to speak rudely to me and doesn’t respect me as his elder brother at all.”

"If you want others to respect you, then you should act like an elder brother." Yu Jingliang sneered, his tone even more unfriendly. "Look at the things you've done. It's one thing to be clueless, but you even dared to get involved with such harmful things. How can you expect me to respect you?"

Yu Zhiheng frowned. "Second Brother, your elder brother must already know he was wrong. You should say less."

He then said to Yu Jingxian, "Eldest brother, you must never touch those harmful things. After you are cured, remember to always remind yourself not to repeat the same mistake."

"Father..." Yu Jingxian felt even more wronged, "Why are you criticizing me too?"

“We don’t want to talk about you. If you weren’t so disappointing, your parents wouldn’t be so worried about you.” Yu Jingliang looked down on him even more, but he had to patiently advise him, “Now that Ali has been betrothed to His Highness Prince Chen, our whole family should be more careful with our words and actions, lest we be caught making a mistake, which would not only disgrace our own family, but also make His Highness lose face.”

"Ah Li, Ah Li, you only have eyes for her!" Yu Jingxian muttered, but he was still afraid and dared not shout out his dissatisfaction. "Father, listen to this, Erlang doesn't care about you at all."

He thought that if he said that, even if Yu Zhiheng didn't side with him, he would still reprimand Yu Jingliang to save face.

Unexpectedly, Yu Zhiheng not only did not blame Yu Jingliang, but also said earnestly, "Eldest brother, second brother is right. Times have changed, and we should all be more careful."

Yu Jingliang was also somewhat surprised, but after thinking about it again, he felt that it should be so.

Regardless of whether Yu Jingxian listened or not, Yu Zhiheng still gave him a long lecture.

He answered absentmindedly, his face growing increasingly impatient, and his expression slowly becoming irritable. Suddenly, he grabbed Yu Zhiheng, mumbling incoherently.

"Dad, buy me some... I only need it this once..."

Without saying a word, Yu Jingliang immediately knocked him unconscious with a chop to the neck.

Hearing the commotion, the maidservant outside rushed in. Seeing that the man had fainted, she said, "My lord, Second Young Master, the eldest young lady has prepared medicine for the eldest young master. He will fall asleep soon after taking it."

"Ah Li is so thoughtful." Yu Jingliang rubbed his wrists and moved the person to the bed.

Yu Zhiheng had never seen anything like this before and stood there stunned, unsure how to react. Even after he and Yu Jingliang left the courtyard, he was still somewhat dazed.

Yu Jingliang recounted some of his recent observations and experiences, and concluded by saying, "That thing is extremely harmful. Tang'er tried to use it to harm Mother, but fortunately, Ali saw through it."

“Ah Li…” Yu Zhiheng looked at the person walking towards him and subconsciously squinted his eyes.

Shen Qinglu quickly approached and called out, "Father."

His tone was ordinary, neither intimate nor cold.

Yu Zhiheng opened his mouth, but after a long while, he managed to utter two words: "Congratulations."

Shen Qinglu's reply was also the same two words, "Thank you."

"Thank you for your concern regarding your elder brother's matter."

This would make them seem even more distant.

Shen Qinglu was even more distant than him, saying, "If Father is worried, he can take my elder brother away."

He quickly waved his hand, "With you and your mother here, your father is at ease."

"Father, are you really at ease?" Shen Qinglu's dark eyes stared at him intently, a hint of sadness gradually appearing on her face. "Father, is there something else you need to discuss with us this time?"

"No." He took a deep breath, his expression somewhat unnatural, as if he was thinking of something. "You didn't grow up by our side since you were little, and your mother feels guilty about it, which makes me feel bad too. Fortunately, you not only recovered but also have such good fortune, which makes me very relieved. I only hope that you will have no more worries in the future."

Yu Jingliang looked at this and then at that, feeling utterly bewildered.

Shen Qinglu was the same.

She hadn't expected Yu Zhiheng to say such a thing; it was truly unexpected.

After Yu Jingliang saw the person off, she asked Xia Chan behind her, "Didn't you say that Yu Tang went to see him a couple of days ago? Why didn't he come earlier? He only came after the marriage was already arranged. It's hard to guess his intentions."

“Perhaps the master has realized his mistake and has already developed a rift with Miss Tang’er,” Xia Chan replied.

She shook her head. "He doesn't seem like the type to come to his senses on his own. Oh well, let's just wait and see."

After speaking, his gaze lingered, as if looking beyond the high walls, his dark eyes revealing a mocking expression.

"Yu Tang schemed and plotted, but in the end it all came to nothing. I wonder what her expression will be when she learns that I have been betrothed to Prince Chen?"

Of course, I was shocked and furious.

"A marriage decreed by imperial decree? How is that possible?"

Yu Liuzhu refused to believe a single word, her voice urgent and shrill, "It must be a mistake! His Majesty dotes on Prince Chen, how could he possibly marry him off to someone who has been mentally challenged for over a decade? You, go and inquire again, find out the truth for me!"

She directed Qin's mother, her face growing increasingly gloomy. Even with her exquisitely applied makeup, thick and powdery white, she still gave off a somber feeling.

Qin's mother did not refute that she had heard it clearly and that the news must be correct, so she had no choice but to obey her order and hurry out the door.

They returned half an hour later, and of course, the result was unchanged.

“I went to the Shen residence specifically, and all the servants coming in and out were talking about this.”

She lowered her head, as if she dared not look at Yu Liuzhu.

Not to mention her, even Yu Qingxue is now terrified of Yu Liuzhu. Despite being her own mother, her every word and action is obsequious, her demeanor and tone as if she were several degrees inferior.

“Prince Chen wants to compete with Prince Xin, and His Majesty is also on Prince Chen’s side. They must be eyeing the Shen family’s military power, and they must not be very satisfied with that wicked child.”

"What do you know!" Yu Liuzhu snapped, her tone less like a daughter to her mother and barely better than a servant. "You raised such a fine daughter, she stole everything from me. If it weren't for her, I would definitely be the one betrothed!"

People who died in their past life are living well in this life.

Why?

She glared at Yu Qingxue with hatred in her eyes, "If you had acted more decisively, she wouldn't be alive now, and she wouldn't be in my way!"

Yu Qingxue was also filled with regret and anger, but it was too late. Moreover, the speculation that arose in her mind because of her words turned into astonishment in an instant.

"Tang'er, you can't think like that. How can that wretched child be the same as you? She is her, and you are you. It's her business that she was betrothed. If it were you, you would just marry into the Marquis's mansion."

She recalled Yu Qingxue's initial intention—to have her marry into the Mu family—and was instantly enraged. "How can a Marquis's heir compare to a prince? Are you my mother, or hers?"

"Of course I am your mother. Everything I do is for you. You must not have any improper thoughts just to compete with her. As for His Highness Prince Chen and you... you are not suitable for each other."

"What do you mean we're not a good match?" She grew even angrier, abruptly standing up and taking a few steps to Yu Qingxue, her face ashen and her eyes like knives. "Are you implying that I'm inferior to her?"

"That's not what I meant..." Yu Qingxue's expression changed. "Tang'er, listen to me, you absolutely mustn't have those kinds of thoughts about His Highness Prince Chen. It's wrong, you two..."

Qin's mother was extremely anxious, "Madam..."

Yu Qingxue was startled awake by the call, her expression immediately becoming flustered and her gaze unfocused. "Tang'er, some things are not to be done. If Prince Chen succeeds, the Shen family will be useless, and that wretched child will not fare well either."

If things fail, then there's even less good.

"You know nothing!" Yu Liuzhu gritted her teeth. "I can overlook everything else, and I can give it to her, but this is the one thing I can't do! The person Prince Chen should care about is me, and I am the one who should marry him."

"Tang'er!" Yu Qingxue exclaimed in shock, "You can't think like that!"

"Why can't I think that way? This marriage should clearly belong to me..."

"No, you cannot have inappropriate thoughts about Prince Chen. You cannot disregard moral principles."

"What ethics?" Yu Liuzhu grabbed Yu Qingxue's collar, her eyes filled with surprise and suspicion. "Explain yourself!"

Qin's mother was extremely anxious and came forward to persuade them. Not daring to confront Yu Liuzhu, she could only stand behind Yu Qingxue with a pleading look on her face, "Young lady, Madam has devoted her whole life to you. Listen to her, she won't harm you."

Yu Qingxue also chimed in, "Tang'er, listen to me. I'm doing this for your own good. I won't hurt you."

Yu Liuzhu's surprised and suspicious gaze darted back and forth between them before she finally released Yu Qingxue. Qin Mama immediately helped her up, and the two of them, with remarkable tacit understanding, simultaneously took several steps back.

The room was filled with an indescribable silence.

After a moment, Yu Liuzhu waved her hand and said, "You may all leave."

Yu Qingxue's limp body was almost leaning against Qin's mother. Hearing this, she quickly said, "Then you should calm down. We won't bother you anymore. If you need anything, just call us."

Yu Liuzhu watched them leave, her expression growing increasingly gloomy, before slowly sitting down in front of the mirror.

She looked at herself in the mirror, slowly stroking her face, her eyes flashing with an unnatural light, "I won't lose!"

*

"I have lost again."

A casual, lazy voice came from a hall in Changming Palace. Those guarding outside the hall were used to it and thought to themselves that only in front of that person would His Majesty reveal his true nature.

On the right side of a chessboard sat a man of extraordinary dignity, none other than the most noble person in the world, the current emperor, Phoenix Emperor Feng Ji.

The Phoenix Emperor fiddled with the white jade chess pieces, squinting and smiling at the person opposite him. "Ever since you were ten years old, I knew I would have a hard time beating you. Sure enough, these past few years have made it even harder for me to beat you."

If it were anyone else, they would surely be terrified to hear such words. However, the person being addressed remained calm and composed, showing no emotion whatsoever.

"Your Majesty's mind is not at peace, which is why I was able to gain an advantage."

Upon hearing this, the Phoenix Emperor lowered his eyes slightly, a hint of melancholy in them, but said, "Wujin, you've grown up, and you're about to get married. Your brother is truly happy for you."

The person he referred to as "Unrestricted" was Mu Hanshi.

Mu Hanshi's original name was Feng Chi, and his courtesy name was Wu Jin.

The palace they were in was not the brothers' bedroom, nor the residence of the concubines in the harem, but the former residence of Mu Hanshi's birth mother, Consort Yue.

Consort Yue was a concubine of the late emperor when he was still a prince. She had not given birth for many years, so she adopted the son of a low-ranking beauty who had died of illness, namely the sixth prince Feng Ji.

When the Phoenix Emperor was adopted by Consort Yue, he was only seven years old and was raised until he was fourteen and left the palace to establish his own residence.

Three years after he moved out of the palace, Consort Yue gave birth to a son, named Feng Chi. When Feng Chi was three years old, Consort Yue passed away. The concubines in the palace who had no children fought over him, but in the end, the child went to a prince who was not yet married.

It is said that the Phoenix Emperor himself took the initiative to request it. At first, the late emperor did not agree, but later, for some unknown reason, he agreed.

"If Mother were still alive, she would be overjoyed."

The Empress Dowager that the Phoenix Emperor spoke of was Consort Yue, who was posthumously honored as Empress Dowager after he ascended the throne.

From his tone and manner, it was easy to discern the deep mother-son bond between him and Consort Yue.

"Your Majesty raised my elder brother for ten years and me for three years. Compared to me, Your Majesty should miss my elder brother more."

Mu Hanshi's words immediately brought tears to his eyes.

He gazed at the palace, which was exactly the same as before, his brows furrowed with reliance and nostalgia. "The Empress Dowager was the kindest and most unassuming person. All she hoped for in her lifetime was that you and I, brothers, could be carefree princes, not concerned with politics, not vying for power, and live a life of wealth and peace."

Then, he sighed softly, "It is my fault for being unfilial, causing my mother to worry even in the afterlife."

Then, looking at Mu Han, his gaze gradually softened with satisfaction. "I have met that girl from the Shen family. She and you are kindred spirits. No wonder you are fond of her. Your Majesty is very pleased that you have married the one you love."

Upon hearing this, Mu Hanshi showed no joy.

If the person you love does not reciprocate your feelings, how can you feel truly happy?

Even so, one must hold on tightly to the person they should hold onto, even if it's not out of their own free will, even if the marriage is merely for the other party's benefit.

He thought calmly, yet a hint of madness and obsession flickered in his eyes.