Chapter 60 is great!
Listening to her echo, the last word was finally forced back to the back of her tongue.
Strange, yet inexplicably reasonable, Yan Dibai wasn't angry.
He just stared at the light shining through the crack in the door, looking troubled.
Occasionally, something would block his view, creating a hazy, intermittent light. This mirrored the increasingly difficult-to-express state of mind he had been experiencing lately.
-
"The late emperor's hysteria has recurred. To prevent him from harming people during his attacks, the area around this palace has been sealed off, and anyone who is summoned inside will be executed on the spot."
The Zaiyue Palace issued an order. When the news reached Bishu's ears, he couldn't help but look at Feng'an, who was reading a book, with considerable worry.
The young man was holding the scrolls he had brought from the Wende Hall in the past, and a few memorials were scattered on the table.
He was not given important tasks, so these were all trivial matters. As soon as Yan Xifang gained power, he was impatient to firmly grasp it in his hands, and no one could get a share of it.
During the day, Bi Shu, under the guise of interrogating Xue Ying'er, secretly delivered items to the deposed emperor and his servant, which clearly angered Yan Xifang. Feeling provoked, Yan Xifang deliberately issued this order as a warning, publicly embarrassing Feng An.
Bi Shu was displeased. She touched the wound on the back of her hand: "Your Majesty, is the princess being too wary of you? If it weren't for your presence..."
Feng An didn't answer, but instead glanced at the red mark on the back of his hand: "Did she scratch you?"
Upon hearing this, Bi Shu became annoyed: "Madam Xue's strength is indeed honed in the countryside. Before I even opened the door, she reached out and scratched me a few times from a distance, almost smashing the fine gilded carved box in two."
Such is the lack of manners of a village girl. He complained, and looking at his hands, he felt even more distressed, but he still told the truth: "She kept shouting that she wanted to go back to Jizhou and wanted you to see her. I tried to comfort her, but Madam Xue only got more worked up and kept cursing."
Feng An had long been familiar with Xue Ying'er's foul language. Back when he was bedridden, he'd overheard her hurling insults at villagers over half a piece of fruit, her mouth filled with excrement and swear words. She thought she couldn't hear, and every time she entered the house, she'd feign a quiet demeanor. In reality, she was uneasy, her eyes darting around. It was quite comical.
Feng An smiled, but no anger appeared on his face: "Get some good medicine."
Such a good temper...
Bi Shu sighed inwardly, lamenting that her complaint had yielded no results. But how could she say another word? She answered and left. Just as she was about to exit the palace, Feng An suddenly called out to her.
Bi Shu turned around, and the white-robed emperor had already tied his long hair behind his back, his clear and gentle eyes calm and gentle.
"Take something and send it to Zaiyue Palace to apologize. Also send the golden seal and the memorial. Tell her that I would be more pleased if the princess could rule from behind the curtain."
-
The guards, fearing the stench, avoided coming, and the Cold Palace became entirely their domain. Although they still ate one meal a day apart, at least their lives were starting to stabilize.
Qingqing made a plan for herself in her mind. It was roughly divided into three stages: changing the status quo, striving to live a better life, and regaining the world.
We're currently working on the first phase of change, but unfortunately, my backside is still a mess, so I can't do most of the work. I can only do some minor things to improve my life.
Now that I have some free time, I can take a closer look. Everything is lacking here. The only saving grace is that there are some old, broken jars piled up against the wall, which can be used to store water. However, the water, having been stagnant for so long, is full of microorganisms and dust, making it undrinkable. The most urgent and feasible thing to do right now is to install a filtration system.
Over the past few days, Qingqing has collected a lot of broken bricks and tiles from the ground, and with the fabric torn from her body, she has stacked them up in layers, which is barely enough to give it a try.
Now that her legs and hips were less sore and she could stand up, she decided to filter the water from the several broken earthenware jars she had saved up and give it to Yan Dibai to drink.
As soon as she started moving, the door slammed shut, shattering the filters she had carefully stacked.
Qingqing: ……
The person inside only moved slightly and still ignored her. Qingqing could only sigh and silently clean up the mess.
Come to think of it, she felt that Yan Dibai's personality had become even more unpredictable.
She called him but he didn't respond; if she didn't call him, he would start yelling. Every now and then she would call him at the exact moment, and he would inexplicably remain silent for a while, then suddenly grab something and bang on the door.
…They've only been down on their luck for a short time, yet they've already made a comeback.
Qingqing was helpless. She looked around, picked a small flower, and slipped it into the crevice.
Yan Dibai then saw a hand reach out from Fengli.
The person outside the door opened their hand, revealing a brand-new little yellow flower lying in their palm.
"Your Majesty, flowers have bloomed in the corner."
These yellow flowers sway gracefully in the breeze; though their stems are broken, their vibrant colors remain.
Yan Dibai, seeing this, suddenly became angry: "Get out."
The fair hand placed the flower down, and after a barely perceptible sigh, her clothes scraped against the ground as she left.
A gentle breeze blew the little flower inside. Yan Dibai lay expressionless on the stone bricks, letting the flower slip to his side without moving.
Irritable.
He was frustrated and didn't know what to do.
"Yang Liuqing!" he suddenly called out to her in a loud voice.
Qingqing was crawling on the ground picking up pebbles when she heard his loud voice, which he was trying to suppress. She knew he was about to lash out again, so she lowered her head and replied, "I'm here."
The young man, who had locked himself inside, paused for a moment, then sneered, "Don't think you can impress me like this!"
Qingqing didn't even look up: "Okay."
Yan Dibai: ...
It was like punching cotton. She was used to playing dumb, and now she was doing this to him again. Yan Dibai gritted his teeth in anger, but the waves of soft, burning heat all over his body made him too weak to make a sound.
…It's not that he can't figure it out. Many things have been flashing through his mind in a hazy state these past few days. Although most of them are not very clear, he still can't find a definite problem with Yang Liuqing's purpose.
Strands of gray hair hung down his body. He moved his hands, then suddenly lowered his eyes, caught the flower, and gently pinched it between his fingertips.
Wildflowers that were once the most inconspicuous and only fit to grow at the base of walls have now become something that brings joy to people.
Just like now, he can only rely on her, who has nothing to rely on.
He paused, then suddenly said in a sinister tone, "It was you who insisted on staying by my side."
This is both a reminder and a verification.
Qingqing smashed the pebbles, making them even smaller. When he asked this, she replied without hesitation, "Yes, Yang Liuqing will always follow Your Majesty."
Yan Dibai lacked a sense of security, as even emperors probably lacked. He didn't trust her, yet out of necessity, he began to believe her somewhat, only to distrust her again for various reasons.
Qingqing finished the last step, looked at the simple filter and took a breath, suddenly remembering the time when Yan Dibai was still incredibly honored.
He violently tackled her to the ground and pressed his hand firmly against her chest.
She suddenly sighed softly: "Your Majesty has already asked for my true feelings once. If you ask for them again now, you will have to go out in person and cut my heart out to see it."
Yan Dibai's forehead twitched, and after a moment of staring, he remembered.
What he wanted... whether through coercion or bribery, she had revealed her true intentions several times.
Yan Dibai felt a little hot.
He inexplicably thought of Li Mingshao. His eyes were filled with thoughts of his elder sister, and Li Mingshao, who had cut down all those who stood in her way.
"..." After a moment of silence, Yan Dibai, for some unknown reason, raised his neck high and said, "I will never open the door. Your little scheme will be in vain."
"Oh." She answered crisply, but after a moment, she still asked, oblivious to the awkwardness, "Your Majesty will lock yourself up for the rest of your life?"
Before he could answer, Yang Liuqing smiled and suddenly felt an urge to open her heart and lay bare all her thoughts.
She stared at the high pile of stones on the raised bed. The higher and narrower it was, the more filth the water would pass through during filtration.
You have to go through the most difficult hurdle to get even a little bit of clean water.
"Your Majesty is indignant, ashamed, and dares not face me. In the past, you were high above me, and I was as lowly as a pig or a dog. But now the description is different."
"Beneath the pines and cypresses, no grass grows. Through the rise and fall of dynasties over the millennia, commoners like myself have always been lowly. Your Majesty was born in a land of splendor and cares not for it. But from now on, Your Majesty can only rely on me, on this lowly weed."
"Since Your Majesty is trapped and unable to save yourself, I will pull Your Majesty out and prevent you from drowning in the deep pool."
"I also wish to follow His Majesty and witness firsthand what it means to 'restore order to a chaotic world and restore order.'"
The guard knocked on the door, and Qingqing glanced at the crack one last time. She softened her voice and said, "I have read the Gongyang Commentary that His Majesty gave me carefully."
On several late nights, by the light of moonlight and candlelight, she sat on her bed, pointing to each word one by one. She could recognize the characters, but she struggled to decipher their deeper meanings.
Then one day, she closed the book and stared blankly at the bright moon for a moment.
She found it strange.
Perhaps, he is capable?
…
There was a soft pattering sound of water outside the door. But there was no leak, indicating that it was still a sunny day.
Yan Dibai silently stared at the food that had been delivered, his hand gripping the elixir so tightly that his knuckles seemed to pierce through his skin.
The woman's voice echoed in his ears like a demonic whisper, and Yan Dibai's mind was filled with murderous intent. How could he kill her?
The despicable woman who took the opportunity to manipulate him.
He smiled and raised his face, showing no anger at all.
They even felt so happy that they wanted to burst into song.
"Thank you so much, Brother Guard!" Qingqing finished the food that was brought to her, her mind filled with worry as she thought about the Imperial Seal.
What exactly is it? The less we can find it, the better, but it won't do if we can't find it at all.
Ask Yan Dibai? She didn't intend to hide it, but it didn't seem to be the right time yet. More than that, she regretted not being able to get the ignition device today.
Just as she was thinking about it, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
“Yang Liuqing,” Yan Dibai said from inside, in a very calm and matter-of-fact tone.
"I feel itchy and need to take a bath."
Taking a bath? There's no water, something's not right—"Your Majesty?" Qingqing was about to answer instinctively, but then she realized what she was doing and froze. She turned her head, and with a click, the tightly closed door opened.
As the light seeped in inch by inch, she couldn't help but swallow.
The gaunt boy, whom she hadn't seen for several days, sat cross-legged. On his pale face, a pair of bright, peaceful phoenix eyes, unlike before, gazed serenely at her.
Qingqing opened her mouth.
A thousand words welled up in her heart in an instant. She suddenly remembered her unsightly state—she hadn't showered or changed her clothes in ages—and all the arrogance she'd displayed in front of Yan Dibai vanished. Qingqing awkwardly lowered her head, but Yan Dibai ignored her, calmly observing her loosened collar as she tried to cool herself.
"Also, I'm hungry."
If we want to restore order to a chaotic world, it is absolutely essential to have enough to eat and drink.
She stood there for a long time, as if she had just come to her senses, then suddenly raised her face and gave him a radiant smile she had never seen before.
Qingqing rushed to him, her voice dry and hoarse: "Okay."
Perhaps it was the bright sunlight. Yan Dibai felt a sudden emptiness in his heart. His gaze fixed on the girl's soft, shapely, firm, and fair face. He almost pounced on her, biting open her skin and sucking her flesh to fill his withered body.
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Author's Note: Thank you for your comments on 2024-01-16 18:09.
To the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between February 29th and February 14th, 2024 at 1:07:59 AM:
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Moonrise 2 bottles; Snowy Evening 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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