Looking at the Sword by Lamplight (Seventeen)

Li Yan's gaze fell on the bronze incense burner. Wisps of white smoke drifted faintly from the carved incense burner into the hall. He looked respectfully at the beauty leaning on the pearwood armchair, "Your Majesty, how can there be right or wrong in this world?"

She raised her ambitious eyes.

"There's only winning and losing in this world."

Flattery requires some skill. If the other person only wants to get a little flattery, superficial pleasure, then of course exaggerated flattery is more likely to win their favor. However, most people in high positions don't fall for this kind of flattery, because it makes them look very vulgar.

Li Yan knew full well that Concubine Wen, who had ruled the Western Territory for decades, had disregarded the brother she had raised and allowed her former persecutor to languish under his power. Even if she had been virtuous and nurtured by the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues in her youth, her character must have been altered by this drastic change. She did not need others to judge her.

So, even if Wen Chaohua's tears flowed more violently than the rain outside the hall, his face filled with worry and confusion, Li Yan wouldn't overestimate her abilities and say a single word. Her usually cold face held no particular emotion, but her brow furrowed slightly, her eyes tinged with a sadness of empathy that deeply moved Wen Chaohua.

Wen Chaohua propped himself up, took the silk handkerchief handed to him by the female official serving him, and wiped away the tears on his face.

She whispered, "Only my wife understands me."

Li Yan showed an expression as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, and then gave a subtle smile.

She said, "Your Highness is truly sincere to His Highness, and He will know that. The situation is critical now, and the villains are ready to make a move. His Highness is worried, and perhaps he has been a little impatient with Your Highness. Your Highness, please don't overthink it."

Wen Chaohua still said "hmm" softly. Looking at his expression, he really looked like a dodder flower that was kept in a deep house and was ignorant of the world.

"I never ask for anything. I just hope that His Majesty gets what he wants." Her cold yet soft hands reached out from the other side of the table and held Li Yan's hand. Her eyes were sincere and her tone was earnest. "Madam, you are the person I trust the most. You treat me sincerely. I will also tell you the truth. I am afraid that the Western Territory cannot be saved."

Li Yanxin mentioned it and subconsciously held Wen Chaohua's hand.

"My Lady, we are not at the end of our rope yet..."

Wen Chaohua motioned Li Yan to silence, then shook her head and said, "Your Highness has a long-cherished wish that can only be fulfilled by returning to the capital. The Western Territory is under siege on all sides, and I can only help Your Highness to make a desperate move. Madam..." She slowly let out a heartfelt sigh, "I consider you a friend, unlike those in the Western Territory who seek to survive by living a life of mediocrity and seeking wealth and fame."

"I still want my wife to survive and live a normal life. You should take the people around you and leave tonight."

In Wen Chaohua's shimmering eyes, Li Yan saw herself looking frightened and determined. She heard the faint sound of a sword being drawn outside the hall, and out of the corner of her eye she saw a silhouette of a person struggling silently reflected on the hall door a few dozen steps away from her, while the female official beside Wen Chaohua was still serving her tea with trembling hands.

A surge of life-or-death emotions surged in Li Yan's heart, and this surge of emotions reached her ears.

She was very familiar with the sound, it was the roar of the sea waves when she was young.

The successful choice was once again delivered to her.

So, she firmly said to Wen Chaohua: "The Great Yu court is trying to harm me, but I will stand with the prince and his wife!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the cup of tea, which had been shaking since it was brewed, was finally placed steadily next to her hand.

Before Wen Chaohua could say anything, a voice, neither loud nor soft, suddenly came from outside the palace: "What's going on? Who is in the palace? Is the queen in trouble?"

The next moment, Zhang Qionggou was freed by the soldiers restraining her. She flung open the palace door and scrambled to Li Yan's feet. Looking up, she saw Li Yan and Concubine Wen clasped hands. All the words she wanted to say died in her throat, and tears welled up on her face. Li Yan frowned just right: "It's unbecoming of me to behave in front of the Empress!"

Wen Chaohua still had a weak expression, as if waiting for someone to speak.

Zhang Qionggou breathed a sigh of relief, but her face was extremely conflicted. Her panicked eyes moved around the faces of the people in the hall, and finally she turned around to look at the empty hall door, as if looking for the person who had just kidnapped her, but found nothing. She could only shake her head and apologize in frustration.

Li Yan let go of Wen Chaohua's hand, walked around to kneel in front of Zhang Qionggou, and wanted to apologize together. Wen Chaohua signaled the female official to help him up.

She asked Li Yan to continue drinking tea, and looked at Fang Changjun who had barged in without permission, her expression cold: "General Fang, please leave."

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Fang Changjun knelt on one knee, bowed his head, and refused to leave: "I have something important to ask you, Your Majesty."

Wen Chaohua's face showed annoyance. "Then please ask General Xiaofang to wait outside."

In the past, Fang Changjun wouldn't have even dared to trespass, let alone oppose her. Xi Zhongting's secret letter arrived with a swift and urgent message. Chunxiangzhou had been mercilessly ravaged by the Western Border Army, and the news of the Emperor's serious illness kept him awake night after night. He had no time left. If Prince Liang were to act even more recklessly, disregarding the imperial order and forcing an attack, and Prince Jingxi and his men were captured, there would be no turning back.

He stood there like a motionless statue.

Wen Chaohua's eyes became colder and colder.

Li Yan's fingertips gently stroked the outside of the hot teacup. After thinking for a moment, she leaned over to whisper in Wen Chaohua's ear.

"Your Majesty, time waits for no one. General Xiao Fang is determined to continue this entanglement. If there is anything you need, please tell me to do it immediately."

Wen Chaohua's chest heaved a few times. He smiled at Li Yan and ordered the female official to send Li Yan out, especially telling her not to forget the fragrance he had given to Li Yan.

Li Yan bowed and lifted her skirt, then told Zhang Qionggou to follow, passing Fang Changjun who was still keeping his head down.

She commanded most of the prefecture's garrison troops, so of course her visit to the palace wasn't just for entertaining Wen Chaohua. After thanking Concubine Wen's ladies-in-waiting, she went to see the King of Jingxi as usual to report on the recent rotation of defenses in the city.

Li Yan waited outside the unnamed palace, casting bored eyes towards the rising sun, and softly asked Zhang Qionggou, "Are you okay?"

Zhang Qionggou slightly hunched his back and whispered, "Don't worry, Madam. They just covered my mouth."

With her back to the long-unrenovated palace, Li Yan speculated on the likelihood of the King of Jingxi summoning her. She and Bian Hongqiu hadn't exaggerated when they'd told her that the King of Jingxi didn't care about matters. Even if she had earned his favor and been granted the power to command the garrison, she'd likely have discussed important matters with the Wen siblings.

Over the years, except for the two brief appearances when the King of the Western Border personally ordered the attack on Lanzhou, he rarely formally summoned officials from the Western Border.

The rising sun emitted an extremely bright light, but Li Yan remembered the night when he played tricks in Tongyunhai Palace.

The inner chambers of Tongyunhai Palace were damp, cold, and eerie. Concubine Hui's portrait hung in the hall, and King Jingxi himself huddled on his small couch, feeling aggrieved. His "old friend" had unexpectedly entered his dream, and he sobbed like a child, his constant chatter revolving around "Concubine Hui," cursing Emperor Wu, the previous emperor, and his own nephew, who now held the throne.

There is a sentence on Hui Fei's scroll: "After thirty-five years of separation, I revisit the old place, the deceased soul returns and drinks Meng Po soup together."

Drink Meng Po soup together...

Li Yan was distracted when Zhang Qionggou behind her suddenly pulled her sleeve.

She composed her expression and turned back to see the attendant bowing and inviting her into the palace. The old palace was filled with an air of decay. Forced here, the King of Jingxi had haphazardly tidied up a few available palaces, leaving no time for extravagant, fresh furnishings. From outside the palace, Li Yan spotted the elderly, white-haired King of Jingxi seated at the head of the table, clutching the scroll she had often seen.

Halfway into the hall, Li Yan gathered his sleeves and felt the chill on his back as the sunlight was gradually withdrawn.

She glanced at Wen Jiyun, whose face was ashen, and after paying her respects to King Jingxi, she asked Wen Jiyun how he was.

King Jingxi is already on the decline in both age and overall situation, but Wen Chaohua, who devotes all his energy to him, is still in his prime.

Li Yan had a close relationship with Wen Chaohua, and had heard Concubine Wen lament her unhappy past. After divorcing her husband, she returned to the Wen household and enjoyed only a few days of peace before Prime Minister Wen died while saving Emperor Ling. Her uncles, always unmotivated, had done nothing amid the chaos in the capital, leading to the rapid decline of the Wen family. After Prime Minister Wen's death, the Wen household became even more deserted.

Although Fang Duan was banished from the capital, his tactless brother began to pester him.

The rumors all over Beijing had subsided. The incident of Fang Duanzong's mother killing her daughter had died down, but instead she was being criticized for being entangled with her brother-in-law before the divorce, and even the biological father of her daughter was questioned.

Her brother resented Emperor Ling and the court because of their father's death and had no time to care about her.

There is only the King of Jingxi.

Only then was the King of Jingxi, who lived in seclusion in the capital and had a noble status, willing to hire her as a concubine and take her away from the capital.

From above, the obviously old voice of King Jingxi was heard.

He is the current emperor's uncle, and is actually quite old. Regardless of the situation in the Western Territory, he remains the most powerful individual. However, in recent years, he has disdained fine wine and meat, and has found few women to his liking. He has a special fondness for elixirs and cultivating immortality. Consequently, his demeanor is thin and ethereal, unlike the rebellious king who once brought harm to countless cities and civilians along his way west.

King Jingxi coughed a few times and didn't listen to Li Yan's report very carefully. He half-lay in his chair, staring at the scroll in his hand in a daze.

Li Yan continued with his previous thoughts.

——Even though everyone knew that Concubine Wen was able to sleep with King Jingxi in Tongyunhai Palace because she looked somewhat like her aunt, Concubine Hui.

And she only let the person pretending to be Concubine Hui say one sentence.

"Your Highness, you have been so aggressive and aggressive, and have disregarded ethics and moral principles. Dayu has been suffering for decades. I am very sad."

So, when Huangquezhou was captured, the King of Jingxi narrowly escaped death thanks to the troops that Wen Jiyun and Wen Chaohua had secretly stationed in the mountains of various states, but he denounced them. He didn't ask what their motives were, whether they were seeking to replace him or defect to the court. He simply asked, "I told you that your aunt dislikes bloodshed. Why did you force the people to enlist without telling me?"

The West is his.

He turned a blind eye, neither taking action nor allowing those who helped him to act with their hands tied. This last dream would dismantle his self-deception. He would not mention the evil he had done, nor the people he had killed; it was all the fault of the Wen brothers and sisters.

Just like now, he closed his eyes, waved away Li Yan, and said to Wen Jiyun impatiently: "Don't persuade me anymore. The weapons and guards in the city are exhausted, so just surrender with King Liang and Xi Zhongting. I want to meditate for a few days, so you don't have to come to see me again." Many years ago, he took advantage of Emperor Ling's generous rewards to him and the instability when Emperor Xue just ascended the throne to make Dayu fall apart. Countless lives were wiped out lightly, and countless officials with lofty ambitions joined his account in a daze.

Now that he no longer has the strength to fight the imperial court, he may have found a way out for himself, but he has not considered anyone around him.

He was even more indifferent as to how these people would be liquidated by the court.

Li Yan stepped out of the hall, the sun glaring so brightly that she had to shield her eyes with her hands. She took out the incense gift from Concubine Wen from her sleeve. This was Wen Chaohua's fault for her own deceased daughter. When she fled the capital, she had taken her daughter's ashes with her and had buried them in Yuechan Island ever since.

She would make different incense for her daughter every year and write many poems for her.

She would also come up with all kinds of legitimate reasons to torment Fang Duan, making this incompetent father kneel in front of his daughter's grave and cry bitterly.

This delicate concubine, often weeping profusely in her presence, even outweighed Wen Jiyun in the decisions regarding the Eighteen Continents of Zuo Dan. The King of Jingxi's infamy spread throughout Dayu, but the tactics employed since the beginning of the Ming Hunzhou invasion were largely the work of Wen Chaohua. Though she appeared weak, she never resorted to shady tactics, drawing blood and slaughtering every official still serving under the King of Jingxi.

She could have stood out from behind King Jingxi earlier.

Li Yan couldn't imagine how many large ships Wen Chaohua could easily own if he wanted.

But she hated a man because of her daughter's death, and she was still dependent on another man because of the predicament she had already gotten out of.

Li Yan looked at the square box in her hand. Wen Chaohua's cold body temperature was still in her palm. He smiled and said to her like a poisonous snake, "I treat your wife as a friend."

Friends.

She sighed and replied in her heart: Chaohua, why do you rely on yourself but lie to yourself that men are reliable?

The servants guarding the palace glanced at her with confusion. Li Yan nodded and walked away.

Zhang Qionggou followed closely behind her.

Li Yan looked back and saw cold sweat on her forehead, so she comforted her, "Don't worry, we will be able to meet Minghe soon." She reached out and stroked the carvings on the square box. Golden light flickered and shimmered through the clouds, as if there would never be another day when heavy rain came to the Eighteen Continents.

"It rained heavily last night. I spent the night on the couch and I think I caught a cold."

Bian Hongqiu, looking weak, fell on Meng Shizhuang, who quickly pinched her chin. He sighed helplessly, unable to detect any abnormal warmth on her cheeks. Looking down, he was dazzled by Bian Hongqiu, who had gotten up early to dress. He couldn't help but pinch Bian Hongqiu's face and look her over.

Bian Hongqiu let him do what he wanted and raised her chin softly.

Meng Shizhuang half frowned and half admired, and finally let go without saying a word.

He was a little curious. Who had taken away Bian Hongqiu's shyness and ability to know when to advance and retreat?

It was clear that during his recovery, Bian Hongqiu had to think twice before speaking, and even raised his hand, thinking for a long time. Now he really is... so shameless.

Meng Shizhuang picked up his sword and was about to go downstairs to eat, but the words that Lao Ju, who was seriously ill in bed, had teased him suddenly came into his ears.

Lao Ju said, "If there's a girl you like, don't neglect her and let her down. Save enough for the betrothal gifts and make every effort. Marrying someone is a lifelong endeavor. Think about whether you're willing to dress her up and cook for her for the rest of her life. Think it through before you go."

Wearing flowers and cooking for the rest of my life.

Bian Hongqiu's face looks beautiful even when she is old, so wearing flowers in her hair must be a beautiful thing.

Meng Shizhuang turned the stairs and caught sight of his own smile in the mirror in the brothel. Suddenly, he realized he had let his imagination run wild. His heart sank as he realized his thoughts were no longer under his control. But Bian Hongqiu was truly a problem.

Besides, a lifetime... a lifetime is too long.

If he wants to start a family, the other party must have the same status as Lao Ju in his heart.

He was only twenty-three years old and didn't want to experience another separation.

A person's life shouldn't only be twenty-three, right? If he were alone by then, how would it end?

Hengbo returned from outside with the letter and was immediately met with Meng Shizhuang's ugly face.

She was about to ask a question when Bian Hongqiu followed Meng Shizhuang.

Business was urgent, so Hengbo immediately stepped forward and said to Bian Hongqiu, "Your Highness, the news has reached General Xi."

"Also, Madam Li said she would come to see Your Highness again tonight. This is a matter of great importance to the lives of the people of the Eighteen Continents."