Chapter 58... Yang Liuqing?
"Is Your Highness still troubled by the Xiao family?"
A woman's voice came from behind him. Feng An's eyes turned cold as he regained his senses and said, "Yes, I am indeed uneasy because I have not captured Xiao Yuanjing. I will have to trouble my elder sister and Lord Li again."
Yan Xifang put down her teacup: "What's the big deal? We're siblings. Xiao Yuanjing may have escaped, but we're not the only ones who want to kill him."
Feng An lowered his head and smiled faintly. Yan Xifang's gaze swept over him for a moment, then she smiled:
"You seemed distracted when you came in. Is something on your mind?"
With just a smile, Feng Anxin understood perfectly. He then made a helpless expression.
"Your Majesty has keen insight. Your humble brother... has some disagreements with Lady Xue. He punished her by sending her to the Cold Palace, and now he doesn't know whether he should recall her."
Yan Xifang asked this question precisely to test Feng An's feelings for Xue Ying'er.
Feng An initially showed no concern for this woman. On the day of the palace coup, Xue Ying'er escaped in the chaos but was captured, providing a seemingly legitimate excuse to behead her. However, Feng An suddenly changed his mind, mentioning the life-saving grace she had received and begging for her life.
Looking at the earnestness on his face, Yan Xifang felt a complex mix of emotions and gently went along with his wishes.
Although she had a general understanding of this younger brother who appeared out of nowhere and knew about his background, he was not like Yan Dibai, who had been raised by her since childhood.
The scene of the weary young man beheading the old man in front of the Li residence to prove his loyalty, just years ago, is still vivid in Yan Xifang's mind. Blood splattered everywhere, a memory Yan Xifang can never forget.
His hands trembled, but his eyes were filled with unwavering determination.
…It's never unreasonable to be cautious. Even close brothers need to keep clear accounts.
Feng An's thoughts were completely contrary to his appearance; he was a deep and thoughtful person. Perhaps it was his youthful impetuosity that ultimately made him unable to hide his true nature. This Xue Ying'er… Yan Xifang secretly observed the conflict on his face, and with the forbearance of an elder:
"You like her, don't you?" With her success all the way, Yan Xifang was quite confident.
If Feng An is truly a boy with only memories of this one life, she thought that what she had glimpsed might be true.
only……
Feng An's face contorted like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on, his eyes widening in surprise: "Little brother—"
Yan Xifang's smile widened, her face laced with mockery:
"She saved you and took good care of you for a long time. She's also quite beautiful. It's perfectly normal for you to like her. You've repeatedly broken the promises you made to yourself for her, so you probably like her even more than you think."
Feng An's handsome face flushed slightly as his thoughts were exposed: "How could that be!"
His expression seemed to be a testimony to Xue Ying'er. She scolded him helplessly, saying, "Alright, go ahead. But you won't be this carefree after you marry a proper wife."
The boy froze: "...You mean, my elder sister?"
Yan Xifang: "The Empress has not yet been chosen, but there are several candidates in mind. You are not very young, and it would be good to have some suitable women by your side."
Her smile became insincere: "These things are beyond our control."
Feng An remained silent, then smiled with his face down: "My brother understands."
Yan Xifang's men ultimately did not provoke Xue Ying'er. Feng An emerged from Zaiyue Palace, his face filled with sorrow. Passing palace servants cautiously glanced at his expression, but by the time they turned another corner, the young emperor had already adopted a completely different demeanor.
It has been a day and a half since that last dream.
At first, I just wanted to close my eyes and take a nap, but the dream seemed to have a captivating and eerie quality. Gradually, I sank into it and slept until dawn.
Before his death, his heart was burning with resentment. If it weren't for Yan Xifang who had come so abruptly, Feng An would have almost lost his temper.
The young man had a cold expression.
That fool Xue Ying'er! He specifically ordered that not a single grain of rice be sent to her. She's probably scavenging for food in the Cold Palace right now.
As Feng An walked on the cobblestone ground, he found it amusing to recall Yan Xifang's description of unease and frustration written on it today.
She could poison her own brother, yet she was so afraid of those around her. No wonder the two siblings shared the same blood. They also disbelieved in everything.
…When will Yang Liuqing be able to win over Yan Dibai by getting involved herself?
Stopping in place, Feng An looked to his left. Wo Xue trembled, gripping his broom tightly, hiding in the bushes, too afraid to move.
She was forced to work with her leg still broken. If she displeased them, Qingniang's life, which she had traded her life for, would be in danger.
Feng An smiled as he looked at the part of his clothes that was showing.
The so-called imperial seal was nothing more than a "pretense" to him.
He manipulates everyone in the world.
*
It hasn't rained in the palace for the past two days.
For two whole days, Yan Dibai remained lying in the same spot. Sometimes he would have drug withdrawal symptoms and convulse, and other times he would be drowsy and weak.
The few moments of lucidity were also consumed by hunger.
He woke up on the cold ground at dusk, his angry eyes peeking out from his messy hair.
Hungry.
Unbearable hunger.
He couldn't help but wonder: What's going on?
Did Yang Liuqing think he was ungrateful and go back home? There was no food, no medicine. There was no cursing from the gatekeeper either.
He was so hungry.
His frail body suddenly felt hunger; his stomach growled incessantly, urging him to find something to eat. Yan Dibai tried several times to endure the hunger, but had to abandon the idea of relying on sleep to combat it.
His parched lips trembled uncontrollably, and his cloudy eyes searched the puddles on the ground. After a long while, he found a small, reflective puddle, fixed his gaze on it, and crawled over on all fours, bowing his head to suckle.
Goo, goo, goo.
The icy, muddy water tasted awful. Yan Dibai glanced at it greedily one last time, then lowered his lips in disappointment.
there is none left.
He suddenly became enraged, his eyes turning as sinister as a wild dog hunting its prey. After a long while without success, his gaze flickered and then suddenly fixed on the threshold where a sliver of light had peeked through.
Yan Dibai swallowed hard.
He gripped the ground with his fingers, hesitant. After a moment, Yan Dibai climbed to the threshold, his eyes searching under the door.
Green grass, withered trees, broken bricks... the boy's anxiety slowly turned into a sinister look.
He saw everything, except for Yang Liuqing, who had previously vowed to stand by him through thick and thin.
He gritted his teeth and slammed his fist into the door. His hoarse voice roared, "Yang Liuqing!"
The cry of a trapped beast. He naturally received no response, and Yan Dibai froze. His clenched fist hung suspended in mid-air, unsure for a long time whether to slam it down again.
The boy's skin is still "flawless," yet frail and vulnerable.
His bent knuckles were bleeding, a few drops of blood trickling down. Yan Dibai lay motionless at the crack, trembling violently for a long time before hysterically slamming his fist on the door again.
"Yangliuqing! Yangliuqing!"
"Yangliuqing!!!"
No matter how much he shouted, it seemed to be in vain. Yan Dibai's head suddenly slammed to the ground, his dark pupils staring blankly at the light.
After a long while, Yan Dibai lowered his eyes and chuckled. He laughed until tears streamed down his face, then he scrambled to his feet against the door, his hand trembling as he reached for the bolt.
He didn't truly not want to live. No one was genuinely there for him.
Then save yourself.
He was begging for food. They wouldn't let him die.
Yan Dibai stared indifferently at the door bolt, which was three times thicker than his arm.
Light gradually seeped in through the creaking door, and the boy sat in the center, letting the warm sun expose his filth.
The light was blinding. Yan Dibai's eyes glazed over, and with trembling hands, he used the door latch as a crutch, trying to support himself as he walked out. However, after only a few steps, Yan Dibai's hunched figure seemed to be struck by lightning.
Below the steps lay a girl whose buttocks were mangled and bloody. Though no blood was visible, her blue cloth dress was stained purplish-black. Faint streaks of red blood were visible on the ground below the steps.
She was thin, but not excessively so. Her hair was disheveled and covered with green leaves.
Her hands moved weakly, grasping at something listlessly. The quarter of her face exposed outside her arms was pale and serene. Even with her brows furrowed, she looked pitifully pleasing to the eye.
It was a face he hadn't seen in a long time, yet it kept appearing before his eyes.
The boy thought he was seeing things and blinked repeatedly, but he didn't dare to actually look.
"Snap." The door bolt slammed shut. Suddenly, dark clouds filled the sky.
Yan Dibai's eyes were bloodshot, and her words were almost choked with emotion:
"...Yangliuqing?"
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Author's Note: I will finish updating this chapter. Happy New Year everyone! Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2023-12-06 23:49:03 and 2024-01-01 23:38:55!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Xie Ning, asdfghjkl 10 bottles; 49110111 5 bottles; Huanmuji 4 bottles; Qunzi 3 bottles; Yuesheng, Huanxuezhixi 2 bottles;
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