Chapter 53: Unfaithful Man
Even in the depths of the palace, Prince Fu could sense the turmoil outside. The sound, coming from far away and drawing near, was like waves, rippling through the tranquil night. The water beneath the pond was already surging.
The burning sensation on his skin was sticky and painful, and he couldn't get rid of it. Especially late at night, this feeling was even more excruciating. Prince Fu's spirit had been suppressed to the brink of collapse. He thought of the past when he had warmed his palace with the spring tent, and the romantic past, but now it was gone forever.
"Your Highness."
A deep male voice came.
"National Master!" The prince was like seeing his savior. "National Master, you are finally here. What happened outside?"
"The Yuanming realm has been broken."
"The Yuanming Realm has been broken?!" The Crown Prince's face turned pale. He stared at the Imperial Preceptor in a daze. "Where are the Guardians of Ming? Did they go and kill those things?"
"Your Highness, don't worry. The Gu family is here."
"The Gu family..." The prince then remembered that in addition to the Zhang and Li families, there was also the Gu family who were good at making weapons. They had been in seclusion for many years. They must have known that the court was in trouble, so they came to support it.
"Your Highness, don't you care how this impregnable Yuanming Realm was broken?" The voice of the Imperial Master came faintly from under the mask.
"How, how did it break out? Could it be the Li family? Or the Zhang family?"
"Your Highness is wise. This was indeed Li Yuanying's doing. She said she went to find the Arctic Frost Lotus not to re-form the seal, but to use it to break through the Yuanming realm."
The prince sat up suddenly, the pain in his lower body making him break out in a cold sweat: "She! Why did she do this?"
"Your Highness, if you are the only one in this world who has the ability to defeat the demon race, but you have to be controlled by others, what would you think?" The national teacher approached the prince and lowered his voice.
The prince's lips were trembling. "You mean, the Li family wants to become emperor? How bold!"
"If it were a peaceful and prosperous era, the Li and Zhang families would be nothing more than sidekicks playing with crooked ways. But in this era of rampant demons, things are different. We have to rely on their abilities to survive, and rebellious hearts are bound to grow. That's human nature."
"So, she broke through in order to let the demon tribe invade Chang'an so she could reap the benefits?"
"I'm afraid it's not that simple."
"What do you mean?"
"I have already sent a large force to protect the Emperor, so I came to see His Highness to prevent any villains from harming His Highness."
"Father... No, I want to go see Father!" The prince said and wanted to get out of bed.
However, the imperial teacher held the prince down.
"National Master, what do you mean?"
"Your Highness, are you really going to save the Emperor? You must think carefully. This is Li Yuanying's opportunity, but it's also yours."
Master Fu Yu's voice lingered in the prince's ears like a ghost.
"National Master, you mean..."
"Now that you are in this state, I can only say that I will do my best, but I cannot guarantee a 100% recovery. If the emperor has other ideas, we will be powerless to save you."
"But, he is my father..." When the prince heard this, his whole body began to tremble.
"That's why I sent a large force to protect the emperor. However, since you are unable to move around easily now, it would be best for you to stay in the East Palace. What do you think?"
The prince looked at Master Fu Yu helplessly. He remembered the emperor's face. He was always strict with himself and placed his hopes on himself, but Prince Fu knew his own limitations and that he could not bear his father's expectations of him.
"If I had any other choice, I wouldn't choose a loser like you!"
Zhao Yu once scolded him like this.
No.
Not once, but many times.
"Yes... I, I'm in so much pain now that it's inconvenient for me to move..." He answered tremblingly.
Master Fu Yu touched the prince's head and said, "Yes, Your Highness, you should rest well now. Leave everything to me."
"Okay, Imperial Master, I'll listen to you." As he spoke, the prince choked up.
What else could he do? If he didn't make a decision at this time, all initiative would be lost.
He didn't want to be a fish on the chopping board.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Eunuch Xue rushed in, breathing heavily and looking very nervous.
"What's the hurry?" the Imperial Master scolded.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince... a fox demon just now... broke into the palace, and the Emperor... the Emperor..." Eunuch Xue knelt on the ground.
The prince's heart was in his throat. He expected to hear that answer, but he didn't dare to believe it.
"What happened to the Emperor..."
Eunuch Xue cried out, "The Emperor is dead!"
The prince suddenly felt a ringing in his ears, and then he felt dizzy.
Although he had just assumed this in his mind, when he actually heard these words, he still couldn't bear the blow for a while.
He held the Imperial Master's hand tightly: "Imperial Master...Imperial Master...please don't leave."
"Don't worry, Your Highness, I won't leave. I've already set up a barrier in the East Palace, so no monsters will get in. Don't worry."
After saying this, Imperial Preceptor Fu Yu turned to Eunuch Xue and said, "Please, Eunuch Xue, please prepare. We must set off and leave this place immediately."
Eunuch Xue crawled away to prepare money for the prince's travel.
"Where are we going?"
Imperial Preceptor Fu Yu gently held the Crown Prince's hand, stroking the back of his hand, and said coldly, "Let's go to Yaoshui County first to meet with Li Zhongdao."
*
Li Yuanying felt herself in darkness, when suddenly a ray of light shone in. The light was very warm, like a ball of orange flame.
She slowly opened her eyes and saw Fifteen looking at her with a torch.
Next to her stood a middle-aged woman who still had charm. She was wearing a goose yellow embroidered brocade coat, pearl hairpins and jade rings, and looked exquisite and graceful.
"Fifteen... Is this your mother?" Li Yuanying sat up.
"Yes." Fifteen nodded.
"You can just call me Embroidery Lady." The woman spoke, and handed Li Yuanying a bowl of medicine. "Drink it."
Li Yuanying took the bowl and looked around, only to find that she was in a room on a large ship.
Li Yuanying took a sip of the medicine, and the bitter taste filled her mouth. She couldn't help but frown.
"Embroiderer, aren't you unable to transform into a human form?" Li Yuanying asked.
The embroiderer smiled and said, "Thanks to you, that stubborn spirit has transformed into my current body. I am now following its guidance and going to settle accounts with that unfaithful man."
"You saved me?"
"Yes, when I came to look for Fifteen, she brought me to look for you. You were imprisoned in the water dungeon and were nearly dead. We had no choice but to take you with us. We'll make plans after you wake up."
"Xiu Niang, how is Chang'an now?"
Seeing Li Yuanying's worried expression, the embroiderer shook her head. "Those people sacrificed your soul to forge the Yuanming Realm. Are they still worth your worry?"
"Has the Yuanming realm really been broken?" Li Yuanying guessed the ending, but she still wanted to struggle a little longer. Perhaps Qilang would not be so cruel.
The embroiderer nodded: "Yes, the Yuanming realm has been broken."
Li Yuanying felt a breath of pent-up air rushing up to her chest, and she began to cough violently.
"Hey, drink some water." The embroiderer quickly handed the water to Li Yuanying. "Look how anxious you are. Chang'an is fine. I heard that the Gu family arrived in time, so there were no heavy casualties."
There was no expression of surprise on Li Yuanying's face. It must be that her father had guessed that this day would come, so he asked the Gu family to come and rescue her.
Before they went to Yanshan, Li Yuanying sent a letter home, the main content of which was to ask Li Zhongdao to take his family to the Gu family for refuge. The Gu family had been in seclusion for many years, hiding in a place where even the imperial court could not find them. Therefore, she asked Li Zhongdao and his family to go to the Gu family, so that they would have fewer worries.
"only……"
Li Yuanying raised her head and stared at the embroiderer's face: "Just what?"
"But the emperor is dead." The embroiderer said this softly.
Li Yuanying paused. The emperor is dead...
"What about the prince?"
"It is said that the people from the East Palace have already fled."
Li Yuanying frowned. What a lucky Prince! She really underestimated him.
"Miss Li, I think you should stop thinking about it. Just come with me to find that ungrateful man for revenge. You find your ungrateful man, and I find mine. Do you think that's okay?" The embroiderer curled her lips and gently stroked Li Yuanying's face.
Unfaithful man?
Li Yuanying's heart tightened, and the handsome face of the young man appeared in her mind. She suddenly didn't recognize him. His cold eyes and icy breath made it seem as if they had never met before.
"The pursuit is heading towards Blackwater. I think your unfaithful man should have returned to Blackwater. Do you want to go?"
Li Yuanying smiled awkwardly: "Go, how can you let it go so easily?"
The embroiderer laughed even harder: "That's right. Come, drink this medicine and take good care of your body. That way, we can go and settle the score with them, right?"
Although it takes a long time to travel from Chang'an to Heishui by water, it is the safest way. After the Yuanming Realm was broken, most monsters went to Chang'an by land, so the water route was much safer.
Li Yuanying looked at the shimmering river surface, but her mind was a mess.
When did he start planning?
She had originally thought he approached her simply to kill her, so he could break through. But she had underestimated him; his ultimate goal had always been to break through, not to kill her directly. That was why he had stayed with her, even accompanying her to Yanshan to obtain the Polar Cold Lotus. It was only when they arrived in Chang'an that he revealed his true colors.
Even at the very end, he was able to hide it perfectly, which made her let her guard down and easily give herself to him.
It really is a bad thing.
"You are really beautiful, like a tempting fruit. I think every man would like you." The embroiderer lay on the head of the bed, looking at Li Yuanying, a smile on her lips.
Li Yuanying was confused: "Really?"
"Of course, I'm never wrong about people."
Li Yuanying felt a tightness in her chest.
Was it because of his own appearance that he suddenly became lustful and decided to consummate the marriage with her before doing anything else?
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