Chapter 14
In the second year after Xiao Ziyu married Yuan Heng, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince personally led his troops to the west, forced Liangzhou to retreat, and expanded the border of Daliang to the west by hundreds of miles.
After more than ten years of harassment by the barbarians from the west, the people living in the border areas of Daliang can finally live and work in peace and cultivate the land. While the whole country was celebrating, Crown Prince Yuan Heng was lingering with Wang Jun on the couch in the East Palace, "Nanzhu is my lucky star."
He firmly believed that it was because he met Xiao Ziyu that he had such invincible luck.
Xiao Ziyu was speechless, and with red eyes he hugged Yuan Heng's neck tightly. In order to punish him for his delay in taking action, the King of Shu has not sent any medicine for two months. The poisonous insects in his body are ready to move, and the surging blood and qi bring endless pain and itching.
He couldn't tell whether he felt more joy or pain. When he finally had time to catch his breath, he leaned over Yuan Heng's ear and whispered, "How are you going to celebrate, Your Highness?"
"I will go hunting with other generals this autumn." Yuan Heng's breathing was equally deep.
The Liang people were warlike and held autumn hunting activities every year, but Yuan Heng never took Xiao Ziyu with him. Firstly, Xiao Ziyu did not know martial arts and could get hurt easily, and secondly, the hunting ground was a training ground for Daliang's troops and no outsiders were allowed to enter.
Xiao Ziyu suppressed his pounding heart and said in a soft voice, "Your Highness, I also want to go to the autumn hunt this year."
"A few days ago, the Eighth Prince said he went hunting for a muntjac. It looked like a young deer and had a docile look. I also want to hunt one and raise it as a pet."
"Yuan Ye is here to provoke you again," Yuan Heng bit his chest in dissatisfaction, but still responded vaguely, "Then I will take you with me. When the time comes, you will ride on the same horse with me. Don't run around, otherwise you will be hunted as a deer."
Xiao Ziyu knew that Yuan Heng was joking with him, and said softly: "Then I will naturally only hunt for Your Highness."
Yuan Heng's eyes turned red from his desire, and he held her thin waist and demanded more.
By the time it was Yin time, Yuan Heng was already asleep. Crows flew in with the thin morning light in the sky. Xiao Ziyu stood by the window with his long hair hanging down. He stuffed the written note into the mailbox. The King of Shu would then send his assassins to cooperate with him and make sure that Prince Liang died in the wilderness.
Xiao Ziyu has been worried these days. The attack of the poisonous insect was like a thousand arrows piercing his heart. Yuan Heng asked the imperial physician to see him, but he could not find the cause of the disease at all.
Until the day before the autumn hunt, Yuan Heng held him and sat on the couch, his eyes full of pity: "When did you get this mental illness? If there is any way, I am willing to take your place."
Xiao Ziyu had just walked over for a while, his underwear soaked with sweat, and he raised a finger to Yuan Heng's lips: "Your Highness is a noble man, please don't say such unlucky words again."
"I just have a headache. Maybe if I go out for some fresh air tomorrow, I'll be fine."
Yuan Heng agreed to everything he asked for. He held him in his arms with his long arms and refused to let go even when he fell asleep.
Xiao Ziyu stared at the lonely crescent moon outside the window without closing his eyes the whole night.
He should be happy that he could complete the task. He would be able to see his master and the others when he returned. He missed Xiao Ziyan the most. He picked that boy up from the roadside. He was only ten years old when he left Shu. He should have grown up over the years.
Yuan Heng usually sleeps deeply, but tonight he seemed to be feeling uneasy. He buried his head in Xiao Ziyu's neck, exhaling hot breath and occasionally mumbling a few words in his sleep.
He has been with Yuan Heng day and night for five years, and they have grown up together from youth to adulthood. Yuan Heng is not as bloodthirsty and violent as the outside world says, but he is ambitious, good at literature and respects martial arts. Allowing him to expand his influence will definitely be a disaster.
Xiao Ziyu stroked the other's handsome profile. He looked gentle on the surface, but his heart gradually became colder and harder.
Not to mention that the people of Shu were innocent, if he wanted to survive, he had to kill Yuan Heng.
The next day, the two of them went hunting together in autumn. When the generals who were traveling with them saw them, their expressions changed. The prince of Daliang married a male wife as if nothing had happened. It was truly unprecedented. When I saw the prince in person today, I always felt that her face was feminine and beautiful, like the face of a concubine who would bring disaster to the country.
Even so, no one from the old emperor to the grand empress dowager dared to interfere with Yuan Heng's marriage to a male wife. It was obvious who was in charge in the palace. Moreover, Yuan Heng was skilled in strategy and often led his troops to battle in person, eating and living with the soldiers. Even if the old generals had complaints, they had no chance to speak.
Being stared at by everyone, Yuan Heng felt annoyed by their presence, so he asked his attendants to leave, and left first with Xiao Ziyu in his arms, leaving him far behind.
At this time of year, deer and muntjacs are gaining weight and their nimble figures are moving through the woods. Yuan Heng, dressed in black riding clothes, drew three arrows from the quiver with one hand and shot them all at once, forcing the two muntjacs to a rock wall.
This was a dead end. The muntjac was spinning in circles impatiently, with tears in its gentle eyes. Yuan Heng aimed at its hindquarters, but an arrow came from nowhere and pierced through the muntjac's head.
No one in Daliang dared to snatch the prey from the Crown Prince. Yuan Heng noticed something was wrong and hurriedly turned around to run into the woods. The shadows of the trees were sparse and his retreat was blocked. He was unable to move while protecting Xiao Ziyu in front of him. After several fights, he was suddenly shot in the right arm and fell off his horse.
"Don't touch him!" Yuan Heng roared, "Come at me!"
The assassin paused, as if he found it ridiculous: "You are just a Peking Opera performer, yet Yuan Heng is so infatuated with you. Xiao Ziyu, it seems that you have some skills."
Under Yuan Heng's incredulous gaze, Xiao Ziyu swiftly jumped off his horse and drew out the soft sword he had prepared in advance from his waist. The terrain here was remote and it would be easy to escape after completing the mission.
Yuan Heng came back to his senses from the shock, and could no longer feel the dull pain of the arrow piercing his flesh: "Xiao Ziyu, my good prince, you hid well enough."
"When you were pinned down by me all those years ago, did you imagine chopping me down with one sword like you are doing now?"
The corners of Xiao Ziyu's eyes were red, and he felt sour and bitter. He shouted in a low voice: "Stop talking!"
Although Yuan Heng lost an arm, his fighting power was not reduced at all. He was as wild as a beast. Several of his assassins were killed and they could hardly suppress him. Someone shouted, "Xiao Ziyu!"
Xiao Ziyu's body was as agile as a wild kite in the forest. He took advantage of the fact that Yuan Heng was forced to unable to dodge and got close to him. The soft sword popped out from his sleeve and went straight into Yuan Heng's chest!
Xiao Ziyu's lips were trembling, but his hand holding the sword was steady. He didn't dare to look at the other person's expression. He could only smell the strong smell of blood mixed with the ambergris.
"Retreat!" He gave the order, but another soldier fell beside him. Even those hiding in the woods were shot down by the rain of arrows.
Although the generals were looked down upon by His Highness, they did not take the order seriously and retreat. They rushed over after hearing the unusual noise, and their eyes turned red after seeing Yuan Heng lying in a pool of blood. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had been in the military camp and hanging out with them since he was fourteen. When had he ever suffered such a serious injury?
In a moment, the situation reversed. Xiao Ziyu was pinned to the ground with a knife, his wrists and ankles were twisted and he could not move. He was sweating profusely from the pain, but he didn't say a word.
"Your Highness, I will execute this traitor on the spot!" an old general shouted in pain.
"Don't..." Yuan Heng stretched out his hand, his voice weak but firm, "No one is allowed to touch Xiao Ziyu, take him back and temporarily imprison him in the Heavenly Prison."
After saying this, he passed out without realizing it.
Xiao Ziyu turned his head suddenly, and his eyes that had been dried by the wind regained consciousness, and tears flowed uncontrollably down his face.
He knew that he was finished. All these years of lurking and testing, the pain of being tortured by the poisonous insect, and... the true and false feelings between him and Yuan Heng, were all over.
There were all kinds of chaotic images in his mind. One moment, it was Yuan Heng holding him and mumbling, the next moment, it was the man holding him against his chest on horseback, and the last one was a pair of dark eyes. Even though he was seriously injured, those eyes were still arrogant and looked down upon him.
Yuan Heng hated him.
I hate the person who was so lingering on me the night before, but now he is turning his sword against me. He hated that he was willing to suffer the pain of illness for Xiao Ziyu, but Xiao Ziyu showed no mercy when killing him.
Xiao Ziyu forgot that he was filming a scene. He took out his sword from his sleeve, but he couldn't stab it.
Putting aside the grudges between the two countries, the dispute between him and the King of Shu was caused by him being the first to betray Yuan Heng.
He lost his composure and fell from the roof, but before the feeling of weightlessness hit him, the wire had already firmly grasped his core. Yuan Heng whipped the man and brought him into his arms.
"Cut! Cut!" Tang Lin shouted from below. He had noticed that something was wrong with Xiao Ziyu just now. The original plot was that the medical immortal encountered Lin Buwei in the village, and fled after fighting with him. However, Xiao Ziyu fought hesitantly, did not escape completely, did not retreat decisively, and even threw away his sword.
Xiao Ziyu's chest was still heaving with shock, and ambergris rushed into his mouth and nose. Yuan Heng's throat seemed to be stimulated by the cool breeze, and he was a little hoarse: "What's wrong?"
"Can't do it?"
Xiao Ziyu just shook his head in fear, avoiding his gaze, but in his heart he was thinking about the two muntjacs that were forced into a desperate situation, and whether they were also so panicked under Yuan Heng's arrows.
Yuan Heng refused to let him go: "You are not in a stable mood. Even if you thrust your sword out, it will be off target."
Xiao Ziyu suddenly closed his fluttering eyelashes. It was because of him that the sword had missed the target that year that Yuan Heng was able to survive.
Any accidents could happen in a wire drama. The two were hanging in the air, and the wire instructor adjusted the angle experiencedly and slowly let them down.
Xiao Ziyu's legs were still weak after he landed, and he did not fall thanks to Yuan Heng's hand supporting him on the lower back.
"Zi Yu, you performed very well this morning," Tang Lin wondered, "Are you nervous for your first scene with Teacher Yuan?"
"You are not decisive at all. He is the Demon Lord, not your lover. Why are you hesitating?"
Tang Lin was impatient, so he talked about the problem first. After he finished talking, he realized that Xiao Ziyu's face was pale, and even his lips were bloodless, as if he was possessed by something in mid-air. He was immediately startled, "Hey, what happened? Go and have a rest first."
Luo Li had already quickly dragged over a chair and glucose water, "Brother Xiao, drink some first."
Xiao Ziyu didn't have time to say thank you. He held the cup and took a sip. The warm liquid entered his abdominal cavity, and his stiff joints came back to life.
"Are you okay?" Luo Li touched his forehead worriedly. There was a cough behind him, and Luo Li turned around: "Teacher Yuan."
Even though he was hanging around in front of Zheng Hong, he still felt a little awkward when facing the big boss.
Yuan Heng nodded, pulled a chair and sat down in front of Xiao Ziyu: "Were you distracted just now?"
"I'm fine." Xiao Ziyu had recovered. "It was my mistake just now. I'm sorry that you have to retake the scene."
"Are you sorry only for this?" Yuan Heng stared at him intently.
Xiao Ziyu raised his head suddenly, and his heart, which had finally calmed down, began to beat wildly again, "I..."
"You stepped on my foot when you landed just now," Yuan Heng pointed at his boots, and sure enough, there was a dusty mark on it.
Xiao Ziyu was caught: "I'm sorry..."
"Don't be afraid, I won't eat you." Yuan Heng's eyes had returned to normal, as if the violent and out-of-control behavior just now was an illusion.
He took out a box of mints from his handbag, poured out a few and ate them first, then threw the box to Xiao Ziyu, "Put one in your mouth."
Xiao Ziyu poured out a piece of it and put it in his mouth. The cool feeling really calmed him down. Then he heard Yuan Heng slowly say, "Although the stand-in actor doesn't show his face, your actions reflect the emotional state of the character. If the emotions are not in place, the filming will naturally not be acceptable."
Xiao Ziyu said listlessly: "Hmm..."
"You gave me the impression just now that Wei Qiao simply couldn't bring himself to kill Lin Buwei," Yuan Heng looked at him with a half-smile, "What does this mean? A doctor's heart of compassion?"
Xiao Ziyu raised his head like a deer and looked at him vigilantly. The vague feeling of oppression came back, and he wished he could stay away from Yuan Heng right now.
"It's just right." Tang Lin praised as he passed by, "It's the kind of emotion that you want, where you feel hatred and fear but can't resist."
Xiao Ziyu suddenly realized that Yuan Heng was trying to get him into the play. Perhaps he was too nervous and felt that the other party was also testing him. After all, Yuan Heng did not seem to have any memories of his past life.
His tense back relaxed, not knowing whether he was relieved or disappointed. Xiao Ziyu said softly, "I understand. Thank you."
"Don't be so polite," Yuan Heng said sympathetically, "Just treat me to dinner tonight."
Xiao Ziyu, who had only worked one day and hadn’t even received his wages, said: “…Okay.”
After receiving a positive answer, Yuan Heng raised the corners of his lips and kindly reminded: "You dropped something."
Xiao Ziyu lowered his head and saw two thin breast stickers lying at his feet.
Embarrassed, he quickly picked up the breast sticker and said, "This is for waist support."
"Yes," Yuan Heng nodded lightly, "See you tonight."
Seeing the man fleeing in a panic, Yuan Heng slowly exhaled, and the cool and spicy taste of mint penetrated deep into his lungs. He reached out and gently touched his chest. Two and a half fingers below his ribs, near his heart, his heart was beating disorderly.
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