Chapter 30 "That Imperial Attendant Yang, how did my younger brother..."
She was charming and graceful, with a pair of melancholy and timid eyes. Even in her plain clothes and without makeup, she was still breathtaking.
Just as rumored, Yan Xifang was extremely beautiful.
It seemed to encompass all the hardships of the past few years; this voice was like a lament, a sob. Yang Liuqing felt her heart tremble for no reason upon hearing it.
Not to mention Yan Dibai, who had been eagerly awaiting her sister's arrival.
Yan Di's white eyes flickered. When that voice, which she hadn't heard in four years, entered her ears exactly as she remembered, she felt a strange and indescribable bewilderment and her lips trembled slightly.
He must be happy that his sister is back.
Those things are all in the past, aren't they?
He smiled again, "Sister."
The boy was dressed in grey linen, his long hair disheveled and matted by the winter wind. His eyes shone with an eerie heat, showing not a trace of imperial bearing.
If it weren't for that even more striking and beautiful face, Yan Xifang would have thought she was being greeted by a beggar on the street.
She was stunned for a moment, then remembered her younger brother, who had been pampered, obedient, and sensible before she left, and was taken aback.
Li Mingshao reminded her softly, "Mother."
Yan Xifang finally came to her senses and got out of the car. She had been a little uneasy because her younger brother hadn't responded for a while, and she unconsciously glanced at her stepson, Li Erlang. Finally hearing him call her, her heart calmed down a bit. She took a few steps forward and curtsied to the large group of people following behind Yan Dibai.
"Thank you all for your hard work."
Without an emperor to lead the way, no one else dared to say anything. They could only bow to the princess.
The emperor was ignorant of etiquette, but this princess, who had suffered mistreatment since childhood, was completely different. Few of her ministers had ever seen her, and her palace servants had changed many times over.
Many past events have become stories.
Seeing few familiar faces, Yan Xifang lowered her eyes and looked again at her younger brother who was staring straight at her.
Just as I had imagined when I arrived. He was taller than he had been four years ago, but still just as thin. He was still so strikingly handsome, yet...
Yan Xifang frowned slightly as she looked at the stains on Yan Di's white undergarment.
She had heard before that the current young emperor was mad and tyrannical, and when others asked her about it mockingly, Yan Xifang always said no.
My younger brother is well-educated and reasonable, and rarely gets angry. Although he is a bit cold-hearted, it's not as exaggerated as the rumors suggest.
Unfortunately, later...
It seems that tremendous changes have taken place in the years she was away.
Yan Xifang was about to offer a subtle hint, but seeing Yan Dibai's smiling expression, she was rendered speechless.
At this point, they were speechless.
She lowered her eyes slightly, then her gaze settled on Yang Liuqing, who was huddled in the crowd.
As the older sister, I should know something about my younger brother's deeds.
Even though I was in the Northwest, I heard that the young emperor had recently taken a liking to a maid from the inner palace, and had carried her all the way to the Xianning Palace to become his attendant. For that maid, he had even forgotten his previous wives and spent his days indulging in debauchery with her.
Everyone said that the little maid was of ordinary appearance, but she was very good at bewitching people. She was also the same age as the young emperor, so naturally they could play together even more easily.
When the maidservant told her, Yan Xifang didn't believe it either.
But seeing it today, all my disbelief was overshadowed by the facts.
This maid was indeed only plain-looking, like a simple dish of scallions and tofu. My brother prefers radiant beauties, and her appearance was quite different from the lush and beautiful women of the empress and concubines.
After taking another careful look, one could see that the body was covered in grime, the hair was slightly disheveled, and there were patches of dirt on the legs... Upon closer inspection, there was a faint smell of blood.
It's not respectable.
The group from the Li family, who were behind, were considering when to step forward and kneel. Seeing this, they also fell silent. Li Mingshao suppressed the surprise he felt for the young emperor and waited patiently.
But the boy seemed dazed, half-asleep. They couldn't stay in this stalemate forever. Yan Xifang caught her stepson's gaze and smiled as she spoke:
“Brother, this is my stepson, Li Mingshao, the second son of the Li family. He took care of me when I was in Longxi, and he also escorted me all the way to the capital. Second son, come and pay your respects.”
Li Mingshao bowed. "Your Majesty."
Yan Dibai seemed to have been awakened, but he was still staring at Yan Xifang:
"I understand. I will reward him handsomely."
Li Mingshao hurriedly refused: "How dare I accept the reward? It is my duty to protect my stepmother."
After Yan Xifang said a few kind words, Li Mingshao withdrew. She then asked Yan Dibai curiously:
"Was that young lady the first imperial attendant personally appointed by my younger brother?"
"I overheard some interesting conversations on my way here."
Gossip always travels faster than serious matters. Especially along the way, the closer we get to the capital, the more we hear about the young emperor's concubines, his recent favorites, and so on.
Yang Liuqing, who had been keeping a low profile, suddenly tensed up.
As Yan Dibai frowned, Yan Xifang beckoned to her, who had been keeping her head down, and asked, "Little girl, what's your name?"
Red fingernails adorned her plain dress, and the woman's voice was as gentle as a clear stream, drawing Qingqing's gaze.
I was a little stunned.
Princess Xifang spoke gently and kindly, the complete opposite of Yan Dibai.
However, this was originally a scene of siblings reuniting, but it has now dragged her into it again.
Seeing the smiling face, Qingqing immediately stepped forward to reply, but Yan Dibai, who had been calm and collected all along, seemed to suddenly snap out of it, stepping forward to block her path. He snorted unhappily through his nose:
"Her name is Yang Liuqing. Yang Liu as in willow, and green as in green. Very rustic. Why are you asking her, sister? She's not your brother."
...How can you be jealous of this?
Qingqing was a little shocked.
Could it be Yan Dibai? A chilling possibility suddenly occurred to her.
Looking at the siblings again, their eyes were slightly unfocused.
Yan Xifang's expression hardened slightly when she saw Qingqing being stopped halfway. She seemed a little awkward and gave her an apologetic smile. Yan Dibai, however, rushed forward and grabbed her sleeve.
"Sister, are you cold? How did those lowly servants treat you! Where is my imperial carriage? Never mind, sister, get in the carriage, and we'll ride together to the palace!"
Yan Xifang exclaimed in surprise: "How can this be! There's no such rule!"
However, Yan Dibai immediately said, "I am the emperor, sister, don't be afraid. I can do whatever I want!" After saying that, he took Yan Xifang's cold hands and willfully pulled her into the carriage.
Before Yan Xifang could say anything more, the boy shook her arm affectionately.
"Sister, please sing me a song."
She frowned, then smiled helplessly. She squeezed his hand back, just as she always had:
"good."
Those behind breathed a sigh of relief as they watched the coachman nervously drive the carriage into the palace gate.
Li Mingshao and his entourage were at a loss, but fortunately, Wo Xue arrived later and arranged for Li Mingshao to stay at the post station. Qingqing was suddenly forgotten and limped into the palace gate.
She had only taken a few steps inside when Woxue stopped her: "Don't come to serve me today. It's the Winter Solstice, and His Majesty and the Princess are having a reunion dinner. Take my waist token to the Imperial Pharmacy and get some good medicine to treat your injury."
Qingqing did not take the waist tag that was handed to her.
Wo Xue snorted coldly: "Do you want it or not? I don't have time to waste with you here."
She said silently, "Thank you, sir."
A moment later, Xiao Yuanjing, who had gone out to search for the person without success, returned. On the way, he saw the Li family's carriage and immediately knew that Princess Fang had arrived.
It seems the young emperor is alright.
It wasn't hard to find out that the Li family lived in the royal post station. After looking around at the entrance, Xiao Yuanjing returned to his rented residence in the capital.
Chen Mian came running at the sound, "So Li Er really stayed in the capital?"
"Hmm." Xiao Yuanjing nodded: "Perhaps because of the princess, the young emperor treated him with great respect."
"Isn't Li Er really afraid of something happening in Longxi, risking his life to escort the princess back to the capital?" Chen Mian smiled slyly. Then he remembered something else: "My lord, Young Master Feng'an has something he asked me to pass on."
Xiao Yuanjing took off his winter coat: "You tell me."
The young man's expression was meaningful: "He said that back in his hometown, a girl had pestered him to marry her. He refused, but the girl wouldn't give up. She might have even followed him to the capital."
Xiao Yuanjing stopped what he was doing, a subtle expression on his face:
"What did that woman look like? Was she literate?"
"She was fairly pretty and loved to wear pale yellow. She couldn't read a single word; she was just a country girl."
"If I encounter her, I will send someone to escort her back to Jizhou." Xiao Yuanjing entered the room, ate his meal first, and then chatted with Chen Mian about the events of the day.
After taking a sip, Chen Mian chuckled.
"That's good, a princess and a prince. They're all here. I just wonder when Young Master Feng'an will grab the jade pendant and go to claim his family? Hmm, it's a pity the young emperor definitely doesn't want any brothers."
Xiao Yuanjing put down his bowl and chopsticks and began to peruse books under the lamp. "I need to find a way to infiltrate the palace. Once I'm settled in for a couple of years, I can reveal my true identity. The late emperor had many children, so it's not uncommon for a few to be overlooked."
It was unusual for Xianning Palace to be devoid of singing and dancing. When Qingqing returned to her residence with the medicine, she found that neither Tanyue nor Tanhua were there.
The huge courtyard was excessively deserted.
I cleaned the wound again carefully and applied medicine. Someone brought food from outside. I lifted the lid and saw a bowl of soup noodles floating on top of oil.
Why the sudden gift of this?
The eunuch replied, "Your Majesty, His Majesty, pitying the princess for losing her husband and son, specially ordered the kitchen to prepare these mutton pies to nourish her body. Seeing that the princess liked them, he was so pleased that he bestowed them upon the entire palace."
“…Like this.” Qingqing gave him a few copper coins, took out the bowl, and smelled it.
The mutton's gamey aroma.
She smiled and contentedly picked up her chopsticks. The moon-gazing and flower-picking enthusiasts returned late, beaming with joy.
Qingqing opened her eyes in her sleep, blinked, and lay back down.
The following day, Yan Dibai did not summon them. However, Tan Hua and Tan Yue went to work as usual.
For the next few days, there was no summons. It was as if the maid named Yang Liuqing had been forgotten overnight.
One crisis after another arose in the palace. Everyone said that with the princess's return, His Majesty spent all his time with her, and the imperial attendant surnamed Yang was once again being disliked.
The one currently favored is the eldest princess's favorite, Tan Hua and Tan Yue.
I wonder if he still remembers the grudge she held against him for attacking his penis and then choking him.
"..." Well, that's fine, it'll help her recover. She can't wander around too much, otherwise the medicine that Wo Xue kindly gave her will be wasted.
Upon hearing this, Qingqing suddenly understood something.
Did Wo Xue anticipate this outcome and that's why she sent her to get the medicine?
This made her even more curious about the relationship between Yan Dibai and Yan Xifang, the siblings.
According to Yan Dibai, he was born with a genetic defect that rendered him impotent. Without truly breaking the taboo of blood ties, what exactly are his feelings for his older sister?
That day, I saw that Yan Dibai seemed to have a strange possessiveness towards his sister.
love?
This alone is not enough to make a conclusion.
Qingqing lay in the yard basking in the sun. Tired from thinking, she slowly shrank her neck and closed her eyes.
Those bright red fingernails inexplicably appeared before my eyes.
Do we not need to remove our armor when we are in mourning?
Anyway, it's beautiful.
"My sister's nail polish has faded, I'll repaint it for her."
Inside the Xianning Palace, Yan Dibai carefully held Yan Xifang's fingers and wrapped them in hemp cloth, layer by layer.
After spending these past few days together, Yan Xifang had a general idea of her younger brother's current temperament. Sometimes he was well-behaved, and sometimes he was strange.
“Brother, you’re more lively than before.” But also willful and cruel.
Yan Di, without raising her white hair, smiled as she added cinnabar: "Didn't my elder sister often tell me to smile more? You must be very happy now, right? I smile even when I'm killing people; I'm very kind."
Yan Xifang's expression stiffened slightly: "It's best to avoid killing."
The boy's hand, wrapped in cloth, hovered for a moment, then he innocently raised his face:
"Does my sister dislike seeing blood?"
Yan Xifang shook her head, forcing a smile: "My brother must have had a reason for killing me. It's just that I'm currently in mourning..."
As if recalling the unpleasantness of Longxi, the beauty's brows furrowed with sorrow. Yan Dibai immediately stopped smiling and earnestly apologized, "It was my fault! Sister, please don't think about that old man anymore."
He leaned his head and rested his head on her lap. “My sister sent so many letters, each one reminding me to take care of myself. I was so happy. When I saw those letters, I felt like I was back in my childhood.”
He hid those letters very well, and forbade anyone to see them.
“Sister,” Yan Dibai stretched comfortably across his chest, “I realized you’re not angry with me anymore, and I wish I could run to Longxi to find you right away.”
He suddenly brought up a past she didn't want to recall, and Yan Xifang's body went cold. The shame of those years surged up, and she hurriedly tried to stop him: "I'm not, I'm not angry. How could I be angry? Brother, you're making me feel terrible. I..."
“I understand, little brother.” Yan Dibai sighed softly, interrupting her urgent words. He felt extremely ashamed and covered his face, saying, “It is my incompetence that I failed to give my elder sister an heir. It is also my incompetence that my elder sister married with resentment. It is still my incompetence that my elder sister became a widow at such a young age.”
"I am incompetent, I have let my elder sister down!"
As he spoke, he suddenly burst into tears. After hastily wiping away his tears, he looked at the terrified Yan Xifang with red eyes and said:
"From now on, sister, live a good life in the palace and don't dwell on the past."
Yan Dibai touched her stiff hand and smiled again: "Whatever elder sister wants, your younger brother will give it to her. Now I am the emperor, and no one can restrain me."
"Let bygones be bygones, sister, please don't hold it against me anymore."
The boy took all the blame for what happened back then as a matter of course.
So calm and composed, without the slightest sense of shame.
Yan Xifang fell silent.
Many times, she would say, "Okay," as she stroked the boy's cheek.
"My sister has long forgotten about it."
Yan Dibai was satisfied, letting her older sister stroke her like a cat, enjoying the soft warmth of her hands. After a while, Yan Xifang asked:
"And you? When will you have an heir?"
His eyes suddenly darkened. "Why did you suddenly ask this, sister? You know I'm incompetent."
Her fingers trembled slightly, then she gently combed his thick hair: "If it's an illness, then it should be treated. Besides, you were young at the time," she hesitated for a moment before saying, "...Actually, it's not your fault."
"The sooner you have a prince, the better it will be for you."
The weight on his knees suddenly disappeared, and Yan Dibai stood up. Yan Xifang was stunned: "Brother?"
Yan Dibai sat calmly to her side. Yan Xifang frowned and quickly said:
“I’m worried about you. After all, you only have me, your useless older sister, and no brothers. I’ve seen many powerful families eyeing you covetously these past few years.”
"I see!" The young man smiled broadly, overjoyed. "I understand your good intentions, elder sister. I will do whatever you say! Oh, oh, arrange a concubine for me to favor!"
Outside, Wo Xue hurriedly responded, while Yan Xifang was filled with unease at his unpredictability.
There's no rush.
Yan Dibai exclaimed again, "I won't be having my way with you!"
Yan Xifang: "...What does my brother think about Imperial Attendant Yang?"
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-09-11 23:45:04 and 2023-09-16 22:18:03!
Thank you to the little angels who watered with nutrient solution: Xie Ning (20 bottles); and Lue Lue Lue (2 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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