Chapter 51: Fighting the Whole World
Qingqing thought she had misheard, but Yan Dibai repeated in his hoarse voice, "Get out!"
Qingqing stood there, stunned.
This push seemed to have used all his strength; Yan Dibai half-collapsed to the ground, his body hitting the black bricks with a dull thud. The silk curtains wrapped around him loosened at the sides. His uncontrollable panting floated in the air; even though his body was limp and hot, he didn't forget to mock the stunned girl opposite him:
"Where did this lowly servant come from? How dare you trespass into my bedchamber? Are you asking for a beating?"
It was a familiar yet long-lost tone, yet the words spoken were unfamiliar.
Did Yan Dibai not recognize him?
Fortunately, they'd seen their fair share of minor squabbles this year. Qingqing only hesitated for a second before decisively grabbing his hand and solemnly reiterating:
"Your Majesty, this servant, Yang Liuqing, has come to escort you out of the palace. Please follow me—"
Before she could finish saying the word "move," she was immediately taken aback by the sensation in her hands.
Sharp, stiff, and scalding hot. She couldn't see it clearly, but the moment she touched it, she was horrified.
Qingqing even wondered if she had touched the wrong thing, but after grabbing the chicken claw-like five fingers and then tentatively touching it upwards, the texture was clearly that of an arm and clothing.
No, she suddenly froze.
My arms were stiff and burning! When I looked around my hand, my thumb and forefinger could actually close together, and there was even a section of finger bone protruding far beyond them!
Qingqing felt as if struck by a heavy blow and abruptly let go. Ignoring Yan Dibai's low moans of resistance, she staggered to the cabinet in the outer hall. This was the place she had to handle every day during her duty. Inside the cabinet were tinderboxes and candles. She suppressed the turmoil in her heart, biting her lower lip as she silently searched, finally finding a few cylindrical sticks scattered haphazardly.
It doesn't resemble the carefully arranged square formation she used to form at all.
…It seems like it hasn't been properly maintained for a long time.
She exhaled, clutching the object, and returned to her original spot. Yan Dibai watched the girl's hurried figure, his thin lips pressing even tighter. Noticing that she seemed about to blow on something, the boy's eyes widened instantly:
"If you don't get out, I'll kill you!"
But he only made harsh words; he didn't actually lift a finger.
This is completely out of character for Yan Dibai.
Qingqing's mood grew increasingly heavy. She took one last deep look at the boy hidden in the darkness, frowned, and blew on the tinderbox. The orange-yellow, thumb-length flame flickered, and Yan Dibai inevitably tensed his weak body. In the blink of an eye, the girl's healthy and pretty face was fixed on him without blinking.
For the first time ever, Yan Dibai was speechless, struggling to keep himself upright as he silently met her gaze.
The light was only a small circle, but it was enough to illuminate the boy hiding behind the firelight.
Wearing a thin, delicate gauze dress, its hem disheveled, Yan Dibai's face was flushed. Her hands, hidden within the wide sleeves, resembled sticks of firewood, looking at them at first glance like two withered branches. Faint scratch marks, resembling scratches, were faintly visible on the backs of her hands.
The muscles in his sunken cheeks were pulled apart by the clenching of his back teeth, and the purple veins on his skin were faintly visible. Even his dark eyes revealed a sense of exhaustion.
The once handsome and arrogant young emperor has become emaciated and his condition has deteriorated to the extreme.
Yan Dibai stared at the girl, who was frozen in place, his gaze instantly falling on the tinder in her hand. He momentarily wanted to reach out and knock away the obstructing flame. But as soon as he moved his hand, he frowned.
Unable to exert any effort.
Qingqing's lips were slightly parted, her burning gaze fixed on his face. After several dramatic changes in expression, she suddenly became helpless.
I was utterly shocked, bewildered, and incredulous.
Yan Dibai's previously indifferent heart tightened without warning, as an overwhelming sense of humiliation silently washed over him. He abruptly lowered his eyelids and gripped the ground tightly with both hands.
His messy black hair partially obscured his eyes, and in the silence, only his short, weak voice rang out: "...Get out."
Qingqing felt a lump in her throat; all the things she had to say before coming here seemed powerless and helpless in the face of this scene.
What happened to Yan Dibai?
How did the arrogant and unrestrained young emperor become like this?
A deathly silence fell over both sides, the ashes of the tinderbox slowly drifting away. Qingqing took a deep breath, then another. Just as Yan Di's frail arms were about to give way, the girl kneeling before her suddenly let out a long sigh:
"Your Majesty, how did you get yourself into this state?"
As if the light of day had pierced through the black mist, Yan Di was stunned for a moment, her gaze hesitantly peeking out from behind her thick bangs.
Her voice was very soft.
Yang Liuqing's tone was always calm and gentle. The few times she raised her voice and spoke coldly, it was always for the young emperor when he was having an outburst.
But this had nothing to do with temperament; it was just that his temperament was too wicked, and she was really desperate.
Seeing Yan Dibai's current disheveled state, Yang Liuqing was as gentle as spring water. It was as if she was simply asking him why he wasn't eating or sleeping.
The girl frowned slightly, and her eyes, which were now shimmering with a strange light, looked at him.
"Your Majesty, is someone trying to harm you?"
She suddenly leaned forward, trying to catch his swaying body. Yan Dibai immediately reached out to push Qingqing away again. Qingqing's eyes sharpened; she was prepared. She grabbed his feigned hand, ignoring Yan Dibai's cold gaze, and said, each word emphatically:
"I smelled a strong fragrance as soon as I came in, but I didn't notice it then. Now, however, I feel a little feverish. His Majesty likes to smoke tobacco because it helps him fall asleep and makes him feel better. But tobacco doesn't taste like this. This is medicine, isn't it?"
Her breath collided with his unintentionally, intertwining with the truth so close at hand, leaving Qingqing unable to calm down.
“Your Majesty, you know someone is trying to harm you, and you know who it is. You allow yourself to be tormented and degenerate. I don’t know what you are thinking, but I know you are not a good-for-nothing who is only interested in wine, women and licentious pleasures.”
What can make someone become extremely thin, feel weak and hot, and have unfocused eyes in a short period of time?
Yan Dibai looked at her reddened eyes, his throat bobbing, and Qingqing's voice was nasal:
"You took the Five-Stone Powder, didn't you?"
His lips trembled.
As expected. Qingqing let out a long sigh: "I should have known sooner that high-ranking officials and nobles often favor Wushi Powder. His Majesty never touched it before, nor did he ever show the slightest curiosity. So I thought it was impossible."
Little did she know, there were many people who could place drugs in his daily life without her noticing.
Yes—what could she possibly perceive?
She never touched Wushi San.
The items were purchased by Wang Bi's subordinates and then reviewed by a specialist before being presented. Wo Xue couldn't find anything out, so naturally it wasn't her turn.
Furthermore, in this chaotic era, Wushi San was regarded as a divine medicine by nobles and especially sought after by scholars; it could not be considered a harmful poison at all.
Even if the person behind it is found out, they can easily make excuses and get away with it.
Qingqing was genuinely shocked. Unbeknownst to her, every aspect of the palace had already been thoroughly infiltrated.
Yan Dibai remained silent for a long time, gazing into her eyes filled with mixed emotions, before suddenly smiling:
"Who do you think you are? You're so presumptuous... putting on this pitying act for me. What does my taking Five-Stone Powder have to do with you? I summoned you here?"
"Your Majesty?" Qingqing's heart skipped a beat. Yan Dibai, panting heavily, laughed even more heartily, impatiently cutting her off:
"I like it, I'm happy to. Trespassing into my secret passage is a capital offense, and I'll kill you! I have beautiful women by my side, the finest wine and the best singing voices in the world, I lack nothing. I'm about to ascend to heaven, do you, a lowly commoner, think you can stop me from ascending?"
She couldn't listen anymore, grabbing Yan Dibai's sleeve and gritting her teeth: "What is Your Majesty saying? Ghosts and gods are nothing but illusions, unbelievable. Has Your Majesty gone mad?"
Yan Di rolled his eyes in mockery: "Crazy? I'm perfectly fine. I took the Immortal Elixir, and an immortal granted me life. Once I ascend to the divine palace, I will slaughter them all—"
"Slap!" It was the sound of a crisp slap.
"--you?!"
The boy raised his head, which had been knocked to the side, in disbelief. The red mark on his left cheek, which was half-hidden, swelled up at a visible speed.
Yan Dibai had never been hit before. Even when he was a child, no one dared to lay a hand on him. He stood there stunned for a few moments, then instinctively raised his eyebrows in fury, ready to unleash a vicious attack on Qingqing, who had the audacity to do such a thing.
His harsh words froze under that single tear.
Qingqing stared at him expressionlessly, wiping the coldness from her right cheek. She lowered her head and used the crook of her arm to wipe away the tears that gushed out.
Tears streamed down the girl's lively face, making her cheeks and nose tinge red. She looked so pitiful, so very pitiful…
I couldn't bear to be blamed.
Her crimson lips unconsciously clenched, and Yan Dibai's jawline tensed. All emotions vanished.
Qingqing only cried for ten seconds. In the eleventh second, she raised her face and asked, "Your Majesty, I will ask you one more time, are you leaving or not?"
In the vast darkness, this was the final ultimatum from Yang Liuqing, a subject who had risked his life and carried everything on his shoulders.
The tinderbox will burn to the end.
The boy's pupils seemed veiled in mist. After a while, footsteps sounded outside. Qingqing felt tense, but Yan Dibai seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
He smiled, his eyes crinkling, and his laughter was utterly merciless, shattering Qingqing's last remaining hope without reservation:
"Yang Liuqing, you really think too highly of yourself?"
-
The vermilion gate creaked open, and Consort Jin covered her nose, waving away the smoke. "Damn it, where is this imperial seal? Is it any different from the other one?" a maid complained from behind, but Consort Jin silenced her.
"I'll go check on His Majesty; he should be awake by now."
She entered gracefully, but Consort Jin exclaimed in surprise upon seeing her: "Your Majesty, why are you lying on the ground?! Chaolu, quickly help His Majesty up!"
The maidservant did as she was told, and added a few more sticks of incense as well.
The boy slept peacefully, as if he had never woken up. This was not right. Consort Jin said, "Strange. Chaolu, go and invite the princess down!"
Late at night, Yan Xifang's sedan chair arrived at Xianning Palace. After the messenger arrived, Woxue felt something was amiss. However, Yang Liuqing had not yet emerged, and he felt uneasy. Just as the messenger was about to arrive again, a strange, eerie sound suddenly came from the well.
Wo Xue quickly waved for him to wait, and when she peeked out, she saw Yang Liuqing's dark hair under the moonlight.
He immediately pulled her up: "How is His Majesty?"
Qingqing walked out silently, and Woxue quickly tugged at her sleeve: "What are you doing!"
Filled with anger and disappointment, Qingqing took a deep breath, and for a moment she really wanted to blurt out, "I quit!" Seeing the anger on her face, Woxue suddenly understood something and touched the tip of her nose.
"You don't have to leave, do you? What would I do if you left?"
Qingqing paused, her reason returning abruptly at Woxue's strange behavior. She stopped abruptly, coldly meeting Woxue's eager gaze:
"what's on your mind?"
Wo Xue: "..."
A sudden thought flashed through her mind: "You know he takes Five-Stone Powder?"
Wo Xue felt as if she had been doused with a bucket of ice water. She wanted to explain, but after seeing her reddened eyes, she was speechless: "I, I,"
Qingqing stood up and took a step closer to him: "You knew but didn't tell me. He can't move around in his current body. Woxue, what are you up to?"
Yan Dibai's mocking words still echoed in my ears.
On the mile-long journey back to the well via the secret passage, Qingqing thought about many things. So many things.
He has too many flaws.
Yan Dibai knew it was her, but initially pretended not to recognize her. Her repeated verbal attacks were all aimed at getting him to leave.
Why is he staying here?
The mission log clearly states that this year is the year Yan Dibai will die.
After calming down, Yang Liuqing didn't think he would believe in the so-called ascension to immortality. As the supreme ruler, he would understand that ghosts, gods, and religions were merely tools to manipulate people's hearts.
She was both doubtful and angry. Should she continue with this messed-up task?
She was truly bewildered. If it weren't for Wo Xue's question, perhaps Qingqing would have already... never mind.
Unable to avoid Qingqing's close gaze, Woxue felt weak and breathless.
He gritted his teeth: "Since you've asked, I'll tell you the truth. I know."
“Wang Bi had long since pledged allegiance to the princess. Everything had to pass through his hands, and he was the one who put the Five-Stone Powder in there.”
Before Qingqing could ask, he raised his hand: "I didn't understand it from the very beginning either. You didn't notice it when you were serving me closely before, did you? I was offered an olive branch once, the night before I asked you to go see Consort Jin together."
An unidentified man sat outside the window and softly called him by his real name.
"Grandma Zhang left."
His legs tightened, and he stood up, cursing as he responded.
The male voice seemed to know everything about him. He knew that he had impersonated a fellow villager to enter the palace, that he had used his cunning to climb up to the young emperor, that he had acquired a private residence outside, and that—he was beginning to waver.
The male voice laughed and told him to respect the princess, promising him that he would return home in glory soon, no longer needing to serve others, and would live under her protection for the rest of his life.
Wo Xue was almost about to agree.
"...Why didn't you answer?" Qingqing remained silent.
“Because I am not the most intelligent person, they have ulterior motives. I have walked on thin ice all my life, and I don’t know how many people have beaten and scolded me. I am different from you, my life is much cheaper than yours. Yang Liuqing, at least you were born a free person. You had parents who raised you until you were fourteen, and you gained the emperor’s favor in just one year after entering the palace.”
"Do you know what kind of road you're walking on? It's the road to heaven, a road that someone of your birth can only dream of!"
Wo Xue said indignantly, "I really don't know why you are so favored by the heavens. Back then, in order to gain favor with His Majesty, I had to lick the old eunuch's urine on my knees. While licking, I smiled and thanked him for his great favor! But when you come, everyone has to make way for you! You think you are kind and unassuming on the surface, but in reality, you get the most!"
Qingqing frowned involuntarily.
Unbeknownst to her, Wo Xue had secretly struggled a great deal...
Wo Xue took a deep breath. "I won't say anything more. My position has been precarious since you came. His Majesty is also unpredictable. He might kill me any day. But when that person came to me, I—I actually thought you were reliable enough not to harm me, so I gave up on the idea."
The young emperor had been kind to him, and he was also a well-known confidant of the young emperor.
Even if he agrees now, who knows if they will spare his life later?
My reply was ambiguous.
To others, it was already a subtle rejection.
Therefore, after refusing, Wo Xue was gradually expelled from Xianning Palace. Worried about the group's strange power, Wo Xue chose to protect herself and pretended to know nothing.
The night wind was bleak, and after a long silence, Qingqing and Woxue sat together by the well. In this vast place, only the two of them were present. It felt somewhat desolate.
“Those who are prominent all love to eat that stuff to show off. I’ve seen it quite a few times and I can vaguely sense it.” Wo Xue sighed, “In the end, His Majesty and I are nothing more than master and servant.”
"My greatest skill in life is reading people's expressions and moods, but I've never been able to understand him."
The young eunuch covered his forehead: "Qingniang, why are you so devoted to him? You can't really be in love with His Majesty, can you? You should know he's not a good man."
Whether he is a good man or not is none of my concern. I only know that he is the person I must save.
Wo Xue was speechless again, still incredulous: "Now that things have come to this, you still want to save him? Do you know that there might be ears listening behind us?"
"If we don't save him, neither you nor I might survive."
“That is indeed true. One must be prepared to die when embarking on this path. But let me give you a heads-up: if His Majesty is as thin as you say, he will die if he does not take the Five-Stone Powder after he comes out. Not to mention whether the two of us can be effective, we cannot afford the Five-Stone Powder alone.”
The girl remained silent. Her slender frame stood stubbornly upright.
Yan Xifang wouldn't let Yan Di die in vain so quickly. Consort Jin was her apparent stepping stone.
…She and Li Mingshao were not the only ones who wanted to seize power over the world.
Qingqing's voice was very firm and resonant:
"I will never give up unless Yan Dibai dies before my eyes."
As Wo Xue gazed at her defiant profile, he suddenly found it quite strange.
On a spring night in the fifth year of Deming, all things flourished, and new buds sprouted everywhere, waiting for their chance to break through the soil.
Suddenly, the girl stood up, looked up at the sky and stamped her feet on the ground, and innocently vowed to fight against the whole world.
-----------------------
Author's Note: I personally believe that Qingqing's persistence doesn't stem from love. She's always been passive in matters of the heart; when she'll fall in love is still unknown and uncertain (actually, she has fallen a tiny bit, but Yan Dibai will definitely love her more in the future).
Thank you on 2023-11-17
Little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 23:59:09 and 2023-11-20 20:29:10, please like and share!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: 1 bottle of Phantom Snow Evening;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
