Chapter 52 Do you still want to kill me?
May 27th.
Boling has rebelled!
Yongzhou has rebelled!
Jizhou has rebelled again!
"Depose the tyrant and welcome a wise ruler!"
The winter wind carried the scent of gunpowder, and the checkpoints on the outskirts of Beijing were crumbling one after another. The refugees, clinging to a sliver of hope, rose up in frenzy and resistance.
Chen Mian stood calmly on the tower amidst the wailing of soldiers, his hands clasped behind his back. Seeing the messenger horse carrying dying soldiers enter the capital, he smiled faintly and issued a command to the heavens.
"The refugees are rioting! The entire Xiao family must immediately besiege the city and protect the capital for His Majesty!" At the same time, an order was given in the capital, and the well-equipped soldiers quickly took control of all the city walls.
Xiao Yuanjing glanced at the panicked guards at the palace gate, then slowly drew his long sword.
"What... what does Lord Xiao intend to do?"
The two at the front gritted their teeth, while Xiao Yuanjing remained calm:
"Gentlemen, let's take precautions."
The blade was already visible, and the clanging light forced the unfinished words of the group back into their stomachs.
The tide has turned; the emperor's power is waning. The capital is sealed off, awaiting only the final ultimatum.
Who will be the one to take the lead in this outrageous act?
In the palace, Yan Xifang, dressed in white brocade, lightly stroked the young man's cheek with her bright red fingernails. Seeing his droopy eyelids and obedient smile, Yan Xifang whispered:
"Brother, did you enjoy today's meal?"
Yan Dibai was wrapped in a thin blanket, only half of her face, a mixture of red and white, was visible. Upon hearing this, she slowly nodded, and a barely audible "Okay" escaped her lips.
The maids and servants behind Yan Xifang grinned and began to praise the princess's hard work that day.
Finally, as usual, Lady Yue Rong came to pay her respects with her maid, and Yan Xifang let her in. Wen Puti greeted her immediately upon arrival, then looked into the eyes of the unconscious boy:
"Princess."
“Take good care of His Majesty.” Yan Xifang stopped and smiled at her, “Bodhi, would you like to come with me to see Erlang? He’s been busy with military operations lately and is exhausted. If a beauty like you is here, he’ll surely be able to boost morale.”
“I am not suitable,” Wen Puti said, bowing her head.
Yan Xifang sneered: "What's inappropriate about it? Erlang was your fiancé. You had no choice but to marry into the palace back then."
Finally able to speak openly about the past, Wen Puti's gentle face showed a hint of emotion.
The Wen family daughter from Taiyuan and Li Erlang from Longxi were considered a perfect match even before their engagement. They met only a few times, but Li Erlang was a dashing and handsome man whose fame resounded throughout the Northwest. The Wen family daughter was virtuous, beautiful, and talented.
It was indeed a perfect match.
However, this perfect match was abruptly cut short by the young emperor, so Li Er remains unmarried to this day, and a woman from the Wen family entered the palace as a concubine.
If Li Erlang hadn't appeared, Wen Puti would probably have given up on the idea long ago. However, Li Erlang's escort of the princess back to the capital was like lighting a fire on a haystack, igniting a lonely heart.
The sorrows of women confined to their palaces are a common theme, one that few can escape. Wen Puti truly longs for Taiyuan.
To avoid gossip, although she avoided Li Mingshao's return to the capital, she still had to curry favor with the princess afterwards. It was only thanks to her ability to assess power and seize opportunities that she was able to continue to maintain her position safely.
Looking back on this period, Wen Puti prides himself on having done everything perfectly. Now, given the current situation, he needs to leave before the capital is completely sealed off.
If they don't leave now, they'll have to be buried with the young emperor along with those foolish concubines.
She only verbally refused, not taking it seriously. Yan Xifang was well aware of this. She dismissed the servants and beckoned Wen Puti over.
"Your Majesty has been born a eunuch, and you have suffered these past few years. If you are willing, I will arrange for you to marry Erlang after this coup succeeds. What do you say?"
Wen Puti asked in surprise, "Your Highness, what's going on?"
Yan Xifang's smile deepened: "Just tell me, okay?"
Having a powerful backer is certainly a good thing. She's not that old, so there's nothing wrong with that.
However, Wen Puti remained calm: "Will the new emperor... dislike it?"
Yan Xifang's eyes suddenly flickered: "Feng'an?"
She laughed: "What does this have to do with him? Bodhi, are you willing?"
The princess's words seemed to conceal a turbulent undercurrent, and Wen Puti suddenly realized that he had been somewhat carried away, immediately lowering his eyes:
"I dare not. I... will follow your lead."
"Is that so, Bodhi? You're quite obedient." Yan Xifang's smile was faint.
"Go back to your Jade Flower Palace first."
She didn't say anything more, her tone light and ethereal.
Wen Puti nodded, "Yes."
After the person left, Yan Xifang's smile suddenly turned cold. "Shaolang."
"Fangniang, I'm here." A tall man strode in from behind Yan Dibai's bed curtains; it was none other than Li Mingshao, who had been the subject of much discussion earlier.
He wore thin armor, his expression cold and stern. He calmly embraced his stepmother, and then heard her sobbing.
"If I hadn't inadvertently spread Bodhi's good name to the capital, wouldn't you and she have become a perfect couple long ago?"
"Then the child will not be born from my womb, nor will it call me mother." The woman grasped the man's hand and placed it on her lower abdomen, her slender back rising and falling gently. The softness of his palm remained unchanged. Li Mingshao sighed.
“I don’t like her. Fangniang, I will approve of whatever you do. You don’t need to be sad or anxious.”
“I was ruined by a bowl of medicine from a thief, and I can no longer have children. Shaolang, if you were here at that time, I would not have ended up like this—” Yan Xifang silently shed tears.
"Why should I break with my own brother? Shaolang, I don't want to hurt him."
“Someone has to step up and end this chaos. Your plan avoids war and benefits the people.” Li Mingshao hugged her tighter: “The young emperor is tyrannical and cannot be tolerated by the world. Once Feng’an ascends the throne, you can slowly rule from behind the curtain, and we can raise another child, register him under his name, and support him as the new emperor. That will surely be a good era with favorable weather and abundant harvests.”
The young emperor was right beside them, yet no one paid him any heed; they openly discussed how to seize his throne.
It's truly ridiculous.
However, the young man's arms were strong and sturdy, as reliable as a mountain. This was enough to offset that little bit of guilt, or rather, almost none at all.
Yan Xifang's tears slowly stopped.
A change of ruler can be achieved without bloodshed, which is the best possible reform for the world.
Li Mingshao said, "There's no need to worry about Xiao Yuanjing. He's surrounding the capital only to ensure Feng'an's smooth ascension to the throne. I won't take any action; I'll just put on a show with a little resistance."
Feng An oscillated between two forces, always presenting a double image. Xiao Yuanjing harbored ambitions to use his status as regent and gradually seize control of the court. All his plans were being carried out under the watchful eyes of Li Mingshao and Yan Xifang.
Everything along the way, every single footprint, has been left by people.
All that's missing now is a "legitimate" legitimacy. Once the new ruler arrives in the capital, the self-righteous Xiao Yuanjing will be trapped like a turtle in a jar.
"Longnan has always been the territory of my Li family. The Xiao family may occupy it for a while, but they can't take it all away." With both old and new grudges rising in his heart, Li Mingshao scoffed.
Yan Xifang smiled and agreed a few times, but then a difficult problem came to mind: "I can't easily take action against Xiao Yuanshu. She's as unruly and arrogant as a wild horse, and she's definitely not suitable to stay in the palace. But my brother will need someone to keep an eye on him then..."
Xiao Yuanjing was a young hero, not someone to be trifled with. That's why she secretly leaked information, inducing Xiao Yuanjing to send his sister to the palace. This was a way to gain leverage over him. However, Xiao Yuanshu was unsociable, even difficult to tame. Yan Xifang didn't say anything outwardly, but she disliked this girl just as much.
She sighed, "Not just her. I don't trust that commoner surnamed Yang either."
Yan Xifang had wanted to kill her ever since she returned to the palace, but she always felt that there was something strange about her.
Yan Dibai treated her strangely as well.
Despite her repeated attempts to test him, she discovered that her brother could still give up her special qualities, but she was still uneasy.
That strand of glossy, smooth hair... it seems to still linger on her fingertips, never falling. It stirs up unease in her heart.
Li Mingshao: "Since we have agreed to Feng'an's request, we should not interfere rashly. Let's just give him face. Fangniang, the time is approaching. I will keep watch. You return to the palace in a while, and I will inform you immediately if there is any news."
He gave the beauty a comforting kiss on the forehead, "Good girl."
Although Yan Xifang was reluctant to part, she nodded, "Even though we have taken all the necessary precautions, you still need to be careful."
The young man smiled and said, "Okay."
The imposing figure disappeared through the side gate, while Consort Jin and her servant, who had been waiting quietly to the side, bowed tremblingly. Li Mingshao, however, seemed oblivious, his armor gleaming coldly in the light.
Consort Jin clutched her heart. Inside, the princess gently called for her to come in and take good care of His Majesty. Consort Jin hurriedly agreed and was about to step forward when a crisp, shattering sound suddenly rang out in the hall.
"Brother?!" Yan Xifang exclaimed in surprise. The two looked at each other in bewilderment. The princess suddenly said:
"Get out!"
Consort Jin stopped awkwardly and silently retreated. Another crisp sound rang out, and Yan Xifang stared in astonishment at the mess on the ground. Her white robes frantically brushed against the porcelain shards, barely stopping in place.
Yan Xifang stared in astonishment at the boy, half of his body dangling outside the bed, her voice trembling with fear:
"you?"
Crimson blood trickled from her withered fingertips, staining the white porcelain with red plum blossoms. Yan Dibai, who should have been asleep, lay curled up in her loose nightgown, her bloodshot eyes gazing silently.
It is murky, yet also clear.
Yan Xifang twisted her ankle, but forced a smile: "Little brother woke up very early today, are you hungry? I'll go get you some—"
"No need."
Yan Dibai clenched the shards in his palm, his voice hoarse as he calmly stared at the stiff-faced woman.
Meeting that indifferent gaze, Yan Xifang's urge to escape was suddenly suppressed.
Too.
What can he do in his current state?
Forcing a smile, Yan Xifang stepped aside to clear the broken pieces. "Why did you wake up so early, little brother? I was chatting with someone for a while; I hope I didn't disturb you?"
Her gentle, inquiring smile only made Yan Dibai feel a sudden sense of boredom.
Yan Xifang held her breath slightly. The boy lay half-reclined, a bright spring scene blooming serenely on his thin, silent face.
Like withered trees blossoming in spring, or dead things coming back to life. So beautiful it takes one's breath away.
He almost sighed softly, his eyelashes trembling, his expression a question that seemed both in fact and in fact:
"Does my sister really intend to kill me like this?"
At that moment, all the blood in her body seemed to ignite, and Yan Xifang almost lost her composure: "What nonsense are you talking about, little brother—"
“Sister,” he raised the corner of his eye, his dark pupils flickering slightly, with an all-knowing calmness, “Sister hates me every single day and has wanted to kill me for a long time.”
Yan Xifang froze, her heart pounding. She dared not look into Yan Dibai's unusually calm eyes, but clenched her fists and forced a smile: "You're still half asleep, let me get you some water."
Yan Dibai tilted her head, grasped the porcelain shard again, and used the pain to dispel her weakness. There was a tinge of regret.
“I gave my older sister many opportunities.”
The woman's attempt to retrieve the Five-Stone Powder abruptly stopped, and the boy, gazing into the distance, parted the thin veil that had been separating the two.
"I accepted Wen Puti as you wished, disrupted her marriage with Li Mingshao, and secured your position as the mistress of the Li family."
"Upon receiving your letter, I immediately began planning your return to the capital, so that you could return to your homeland with your head held high."
"I took the elixir of immortality and continued my tyrannical rule, earning the contempt of the world. You, on the other hand, rose to fame and won the hearts of the people."
Each flat, monotone sound struck the woman's sore spot. Her body trembled. Yan Dibai, however, remained calm, both puzzled and curious:
"I've done everything for you, yet you still want to kill me?"
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Author's Note: I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed... I don't want to finish it hastily, but I really lack the motivation. I hope I can adjust by tomorrow.
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-11-20 20:29:10 and 2023-11-27 21:36:12!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Qunzi (1 person);
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Coffee Coffee 10 bottles; Shuhujinyan i 6 bottles; Mingque 3 bottles; Yuesheng and Huanmuji 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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