Chapter 26 Why did he care about a cloud?
The Lu residence in Shizi Hutong.
The candlelight flickered, casting shadows on the slender figure of the young scholar from the Hanlin Academy.
"Young Master, it's late, you should rest," Wen Lin said as he entered.
On the desk were three stacks of yellowed official gazettes, and the "Illustrated Explanation of the Nine Borders" with its corners curled up was spread out. The tip of the wolf-hair brush hung on the rice paper for a long time without falling, and a drop of ink "splattered" and made a black spot.
"I understand." Lu Xiuran frowned, then simply tucked his sleeves and put away his pen.
He got up and walked towards the courtyard.
The moonlight was lonely, and he stood with his hands behind his back, his blue robe looking as if it were stained with snow in June.
Lu Xiuran pinched his brow and asked in a low voice, "Wen Lin, has there been any news from the Imperial Prison?"
Wen Lin shook his head, somewhat indignantly saying, "No, that lousy place is practically an impregnable fortress."
Lu Xiuran didn't say anything.
Thinking of the people imprisoned inside, Wen Lin couldn't help but feel worried, "I wonder how Sister Yunxi is doing inside."
This time, the silence was even longer.
Wen Lin hesitated. "Young Master, how did Sister Yunxi come back to life? There are rumors that she orchestrated the fall off the cliff."
"Do you believe it?" Lu Xiuran turned and glanced at Wen Lin.
Wen Lin hesitated for a moment before saying, "I think it's possible. Sister Yunxi has a terrible temper. After the Fan family treated her like that, she must hate those people and never want to see them again." Thinking of what her master had done back then, Wen Lin suddenly stopped talking.
I never want to see him again in my life?
Lu Xiuran clenched his fist.
Yunxi was having a dream.
In her dream, she escaped from the swamp prison and fled to the city gate. Just as she was about to rush out of the city gate, the city gate suddenly slammed down in front of her.
A voice that sent chills down her spine rang out behind Yunxi. She slowly turned around and saw Xiao Shenjing riding a tall horse, with countless imperial guards behind him.
He stared at her with a half-smile, "Go ahead and run, I want to see where you can escape to."
She tried desperately to fight her way out, but there were just too many people, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't kill them all.
Xiao Shenjing watched from afar, as if he were watching a play.
And she was the actress on stage.
It was also a monkey scratching its ears and cheeks in the tree.
He leisurely enjoyed watching her struggle, observing the despair on her face, and then burst into disdainful laughter.
She was furious; she wanted to kill him.
As she charged forward with her longsword, thick iron chains suddenly surged forth from all directions.
She was firmly bound to the iron chair.
No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free. Suddenly, Xiao Shenjing appeared in front of her. "Yunxi, where can you run to?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Xing Zhao stepped out from behind Xiao Shenjing, holding a thin, sharp needle in his hand, and suddenly stabbed it towards her finger.
"No!" Yunxi screamed, suddenly waking up from her nightmare.
She was panting and covered in sweat.
The cell was so quiet that only her heavy breathing could be heard.
Xiao Shenjing deliberately tortured her like this, so that she would beg him without any dignity, which he would then enjoy with amusement before killing her.
This was his revenge on her.
Knowing she couldn't escape, she remained silent and didn't say much when the jailer came to take her away the next day.
Even though she had told herself countless times that she would not let Xiao Shen succeed.
But she underestimated the cruelty of the instruments of torture.
As she closed her eyes, unable to bear it any longer, Xing Zhao smiled and warned her, "Miss Yunxi, do you know that there is a form of torture in this Zhao prison that can cut off a person's eyelids without harming their eyes?"
"Guess what, if I did that to you, would you still be able to close your mouth?"
No one could remain calm under such punishment.
Even Yunxi was afraid of pain, afraid that such punishment would befall her.
Her eyes glazed over with disgust. "When is Xiao Shenjing planning to kill me?"
This time, Xing Zhao tossed aside the knife he had just used to skin her, looked at her with a strange expression, and asked, "Why does Miss Yunxi think His Majesty will kill you?"
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the bloodied man who had been stripped halfway through his body again, and Yunxi couldn't help but gag again.
Xing Zhao waited for her slowly and deliberately. After she finished vomiting, he even ordered someone to bring her warm water to rinse her mouth.
Once she had recovered, he asked again, "Why do you think His Majesty would kill you, Miss Yunxi?"
"What does Xiao Shenjing want me to do?"
"Miss Yunxi is so smart, she must know that."
Yunxi smiled at Xing Zhao, but said nothing more.
She also wanted to know why Xiao Shenjing hated her so much.
Even though she once liked him, and even though he despised her feelings, she never hurt him in the slightest. So why did he hate her so much?
If he doesn't show up at her wedding, it's clear that she and he will never have any contact again in this lifetime.
Yunxi didn't want to say these words to Xing Zhao, nor to anyone else.
Because she knew that even if she cried her eyes out and begged Xiao Shenjing on the ground like a dog, he would only kick her away and then look down at her and mock her.
He just wanted to see her like that before killing her to vent his hatred.
She won't do as he wishes.
Even if it means death, she has to escape.
"What did she say?" In the imperial study, Xiao Shenjing paused in his work of reviewing memorials and looked at the edict.
"Miss Yunxi didn't say anything, but..." Xing Zhao coughed lightly and glanced at Xiao Shenjing.
"Go on," Xiao Shenjing said, lowering his eyes and continuing with the reply in his hand.
“Miss Yunxi just smiled and then said nothing more,” Xing Zhao answered truthfully.
Xiao Shenjing put the memorials he had reviewed aside, then opened another one, but did nothing else for a long time.
Just as Xing Zhao couldn't help but look up, he suddenly heard Xiao Shenjing chuckle.
"It seems she still refuses to admit her mistake?"
This means "continue," and Xing Zhao accepted the order and withdrew.
Yunxi desperately wanted her injuries to heal, because only then could she wield the sword and have a chance to escape.
However, when she woke up the next day, she felt dizzy and lightheaded.
She forced herself to drink half a bowl of porridge, but when she watched the executioner pour salt water on the skinned prisoner, she vomited again.
Her scalp tingled, and a chill ran through her bones, making her shiver.
When the punishment ended, Yunxi's legs were weak as she stood up from the iron chair, and Sun Bin reached out to help her.
Yunxi's body went limp, and she didn't dodge in time, allowing Sun Bin to touch her hand.
The tender and cool touch instantly made Sun Bin's heart itch.
When locking Yunxi's cell door, he deliberately lingered outside the cell for a while.
When Yunxi felt dizzy even while lying on the straw, she knew she had a high fever.
I don't know if it's because of the cold or because the wound has festered.
She lay there for a while, then forced herself to sit up. She vaguely sensed something was wrong and looked towards the cell door, as if she saw a dark figure dart into a corner.
Thinking it was her imagination, she looked a few more times, unsure, but found nothing there.
She then suppressed her nausea and slowly turned her back.
After untangling the fabric that was almost stuck together, I discovered that the wound on my arm had begun to fester.
In the prison cell, even the water she drank was rationed and she couldn't even clean her wounds.
If this continues, she will die in this prison even without Xiao Shenjing killing her.
How can I escape?
Yunxi tried to think for a while, but finally succumbed to the dizziness caused by the high fever and fell into a deep sleep.
In the morning, Xing Zhao noticed that Yun Xi was acting strangely. After thinking about it, he sent someone to report it to the palace.
Xiao Shenjing was discussing state affairs in the Imperial Study, and even Eunuch Fu dared not enter.
Over the years, although Xiao Shenjing was known as the emperor's killer, apart from massacring powerful families, he had always practiced benevolent governance, allowing the country to recuperate and develop its border defenses.
He was diligent and hardworking, and even when he was sick, he would not neglect state affairs.
As long as people can have enough to eat, he is undoubtedly a good emperor with an iron fist in their eyes.
He valued military prowess and was adept at employing talented individuals. Under his diligent governance and sweeping reforms, Jingsheng gradually reached its zenith.
Inside the West Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, the chill from the ice chest couldn't quell the summer heat. Xiao Shenjing tapped the secret memorial on the table, covered in yellow mud. It was brought back from Kaifeng by an inspector disguised as a disaster victim, with half a moldy grain of relief millet still stuck to the corner.
In the summer, when natural disasters like the Yellow River floods occurred, Xiao Shenjing spent days discussing with his ministers how to ensure that the imperial relief grain truly reached the disaster victims.
"Five days ago, the Ministry of Revenue reported that 30,000 shi of grain had been distributed to Kaifeng." The young emperor's voice was clear and cold, like shattered jade, but his brows were like unsheathed embroidered spring knives. "Why does this report say that the disaster victims received only old rice mixed with sand?"
"Your Majesty," the Left Censor-in-Chief suddenly stepped forward, "I request a thorough investigation of the Tongzhou granary! Three days ago, a merchant ship carrying new millet sailed south along the Grand Canal, but its flag indicated it was a Ministry of Revenue disaster relief ship!"
The elderly cabinet minister Qian Hong coughed as he tried to smooth things over: "Your Majesty, please calm down. The most urgent matter is to issue the replacement."
Xiao Shenjing suddenly chuckled softly.
In the deathly silence of the room, his voice was firm and resounding: "By imperial decree, on the day the granaries are opened, all those who receive grain shall leave their fingerprints in cinnabar. I want to see 100,000 bright red fingerprints ten days from now."
"One seal is missing." He stroked the mold on the sealed document. "I will chop off a finger from the Ministry of Revenue to make up the difference."
Xiao Shenjing learned that Yunxi was sick with a high fever in the evening.
He didn't take it to heart.
Yunxi wasn't one of those delicate noble ladies; she could withstand any hardship. It was just a minor fever, and she would soon be full of energy again.
The jailer knocked on the bars, brought over half a steamed bun, and scooped up a ladle of cold water.
These past few days, Yunxi has been vomiting soon after eating, but she feels she should get up and eat so that she can recover faster.
Only then did she have the strength to escape.
She tried to stay upright for a long time, but in the end, she couldn't get up.
As her mind grew increasingly foggy, she broke out in a cold sweat, repeatedly muttering, "Don't look for me, don't look for me."
In her dream, the prisoners being tortured rushed towards her one by one, whispering in her ear, "Save me, save me!"
Outside the cell, beside the wooden table.
A group of prison guards are having their dinner.
Wang Hongda, sitting opposite Sun Bin, saw him and asked with a smile, "Brother Sun, what big thing are you up to tomorrow? Are you changing shifts tonight?"
"What nonsense are you asking about, kid?" Sun Bin rolled his eyes at him.
Sun Bin had worked there for a long time and had some prestige.
After a few words of conversation and laughter among the prison guards, Sun Bin suddenly lowered his voice and said, "I managed to get my hands on a jar of Xinghua Fenjiu today. Shall I share a few cups with you guys?"
A newcomer scratched his head and said, "Didn't the higher-ups say we can't drink it?"
Wang Hong slapped him on the head. "Just don't let the higher-ups know, okay? Drinking less won't interfere with business."
Most of the people there were old foxes, and it was common for them to have a few drinks and snacks while on night duty.
Who would be foolish enough to sit there blankly all night?
Stealing a drink is perfectly normal.
Soon after, Sun Bin brought out a jar of wine.
"This wine is smooth and easy to drink, a fine wine!" Wang Hongda said with a burp.
"Quick, let me try it, let me have a taste!"
The jar of wine was finished in no time.
In the palace, Xiao Shenjing finished his dinner and was about to go to the Imperial Study to review memorials.
Seeing that he had finally gotten a break, Eunuch Fu carefully reminded him, "Consort Xue caught a cold a few days ago and hasn't fully recovered yet."
Xiao Shenjing paused for a moment when the name was mentioned.
Although he now has more than ten women in his harem, he has never favored any of them; some of them were only sent to the palace to keep him company.
When Grandpa Fu saw that he didn't speak, he thought that he had talked too much again and wanted to slap himself a few more times.
However, the gift sent by Consort Xue was indeed quite valuable.
Xiao Shenjing remained silent for a few moments before deciding to go and take a look.
Consort Xue was the younger sister of Xue Qingping, the Minister of Rites, and came from a surviving aristocratic family.
Although Xiao Shenjing suppressed powerful families, things always turn around when they reach their extreme. Giving someone a slap on the wrist and then offering them a treat is the art of managing people.
Moreover, the Yellow River floods will inevitably require the powerful families to bleed money, so it's necessary to offer them some incentives first to appease them.
No one could have predicted Xiao Shenjing's plans, so when he arrived at Jingren Palace, where Consort Xue lived, the people in the palace were startled, but then overjoyed.
Xiao Shenjing, dressed in casual clothes and not wanting to cause a commotion, gestured to keep his hands down.
The palace maids and eunuchs knelt silently in large numbers.
Consort Xue, however, was unable to sleep due to her persistent cough.
And because he was only sixteen or seventeen years old, he still retained a bit of childlike innocence.
There was a slight cool breeze in the courtyard, but she was reluctant to go inside because she wanted to stay cool.
Seeing fireflies flitting about in the flowerbeds, I couldn't resist using my fan to catch them.
When Xiao Shenjing walked in, Consort Xue had just stomped her foot in annoyance because the firefly had flown away from the fan. "This firefly is so cunning. I don't believe I can't catch you today."
Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her pink lips were slightly pouting, making her indescribably charming and beautiful.
Xiao Shenjing slowed his pace.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." At this moment, the palace maids and eunuchs serving nearby noticed Xiao Shenjing standing on the steps and were so frightened that they immediately knelt down.
A large number of palace maids and eunuchs in the courtyard knelt down in unison.
Consort Xue, who was holding a round fan, was also startled. Her expression changed slightly, and she coughed as she tried to curtsy while still holding the fan.
Xiao Shenjing said at the opportune moment, "Rise."
Consort Xue straightened up and looked cautiously at Xiao Shenjing.
Upon seeing this, she couldn't help but blush slightly.
With the bearing of a dragon and the grace of a phoenix, she seemed like a celestial being descended to earth.
In a daze, Xiao Shenjing had already approached. "I heard that my beloved concubine is ill. Are you feeling better today?"
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am much better now." Consort Xue blushed and her heart pounded. She couldn't help but look up at Xiao Shenjing.
Their eyes met, and Xiao Shenjing was slightly taken aback for a moment.
She has almond-shaped eyes just like Yunxi's.
But her eyes held a shy and timid look.
Yunxi never looked at him like that; even when she expressed her liking someone, she did so with a smile.
No.
Xiao Shenjing's expression froze for a moment; she was indeed gentle and considerate towards that alien creature.
"Your Majesty?" Consort Xue called softly.
Xiao Shenjing realized what was happening and reached out to support Consort Xue's hand as they walked towards the room. "You're unwell, you should rest early."
Consort Xue never expected Xiao Shenjing to do this; her face lit up with joy, her delight barely concealed.
Xiao Shenjing has never been interested in sex, let alone obsessed with it.
Even when he was teaching, he was always distracted by flowers and plants, and after ascending the throne, he was busy with state affairs and had no time for anything else.
At this moment, upon seeing Consort Xue, he unexpectedly felt a stirring of desire within him.
"Your Majesty, would it be alright if we stayed at Jingren Palace tonight?"
Xiao Shenjing stared into the pair of eyes before him.
Those were eyes filled with tenderness, affection, and anticipation.
They are completely devoted to him. If he shows them any mercy, they will be grateful and do everything in their power to please him. They will become as tender as vines clinging to a tree.
I absolutely dare not give him the cold shoulder.
There are so many beautiful women in the world, why should he care about Yunxi?
Reckless and impulsive, unyielding and stubborn.
He was nothing more than an incorrigible outlaw.
"His Majesty"
The warm yellow candlelight flickered.
The beautiful face before me was captivating, and her slightly parted lips, like blooming crabapple blossoms, seemed to beckon one to pluck them.
Xiao Shenjing lifted her chin with his hand.
Bending over.
As they drew closer, Consort Xue's flushed cheeks grew even redder. Xiao Shenjing stared at her flushed face, but frowned deeply.
"In the morning, Miss Yunxi developed a high fever."
She must look like this now, having burned for a whole day!
Consort Xue had no idea what had happened until he left.
Your Majesty was clearly aroused just now, so why didn't you continue?
When Eunuch Fu saw Xiao Shenjing walk out with a livid face and lowered eyelashes, he was stunned for a moment.
Could it be that Consort Xue is being unreasonable, not seizing such a good opportunity, and instead causing trouble?
Upon leaving Jingren Palace, Xiao Shenjing uttered three words: "Go to Zhaoyu Prison."
He wanted to see just how tough Yunxi could be.
After being tormented in the Zhaoyu prison for several days, even the hardest bone would be sharpened.
He said he would make her apologize and beg for forgiveness willingly, and obey him obediently from then on.
Zhaoyu (a prison).
The wine that Sun Bin brought was easy to drink, but it was quite strong.
Shortly after midnight, the jailer began to feel weak all over and stopped paying attention to important matters.
Sun Bin had been holding back for a long time, but by 11:45 PM he could no longer resist the urge.
After pretending to inspect the place with another jailer, he knew he would have half an hour to spare before the people sobered up and got things done.
So he used the excuse of losing something to sneak towards Yunxi's cell.
Yunxi, lying on the straw, was completely unaware when the iron lock on the cell was opened.
She huddled on the straw, drenched in sweat from the recurring nightmares.
Everything she had witnessed over the past few days was now relentlessly attacking her in her weakest moment.
When Sun Bin came in, he saw that her face was flushed, her lips were slightly parted, and her hair, damp with sweat, was sticking messily to her face.
That alluring look instantly stirred Sun Bin's heart.
He strode over eagerly, almost tripping over himself because he was walking so fast.
As soon as he regained his footing, he eagerly pulled a thin hemp rope from his clothes.
“My beauty, you are truly a rare gem,” Sun Bin said, grabbing the thin hemp rope with one hand as he lunged at Yun Xi.
As the heavy object pressed down on her, Yunxi couldn't help but let out a weak groan.
The sound instantly made Sun Bin's body go numb, and all the blood rushed to his head.
In his excitement, he forgot about the rope in his hand and reached out to touch Yunxi's face.
The high fever made Yunxi dizzy, and she realized something was wrong when she felt a rough touch on her face and vaguely saw a strange and lewd face in front of her.
The smooth, tender flesh he touched made Sun Bin even more eager. "Since we're all going to die sooner or later anyway, little beauty, why don't I take good care of you? You won't have to stay a virgin forever."
These words struck Yunxi like lightning, instantly making her tense and bringing her back to her senses.
Just as Sun Bin's thick, alcohol-smelling lips were about to touch hers, she mustered her last bit of strength and slapped his fat face.
Sun Bin's face turned to the side after being hit, and before he could react, he was kicked in the stomach.
"Ouch!" He was kicked so hard that he fell backward and landed hard on his butt.
For days, Yunxi had been vomiting everything she ate, couldn't sleep well at night, and her wounds had started to fester. Her body had long since reached its limit.
After she made that move, she almost exhausted all her strength.
Supporting herself on her arms, panting heavily, she forced back her dizziness and yelled, "Get out of here if you don't want to die."
However, at this moment, she was like a paper tiger.
The porcelain-white skin beneath the tattered clothes rose and fell rapidly, like alluring claws.
Enraged, Sun Bin grabbed the rope and lunged at him recklessly.
"Help!" Yunxi's expression changed as she struggled with all her might and shouted.
But before he could utter a single word, Sun Bin covered his mouth with his large hand and said, "Shut up, or I'll kill you right now."
Yunxi wouldn't listen. With her eyes burning red, she fiercely bit his hand.
"Ouch!" Sun Bin cried out in pain and let go of her hand.
"Slap!" As Yunxi took the opportunity to shout, she was slapped hard across the face.
Sun Bin used almost all his strength in that palm strike, and Yun Xi was so struck that her ears rang and she even lost consciousness.
Taking advantage of this moment, Sun Bin turned her over, pressed her heavily onto the rotting straw, then sat on her lap and tied her hands tightly behind her back with a rope.
As they tied her hands behind her back, Yunxi realized what was happening and began screaming wildly, struggling violently.
"Shut up!" Yunxi's cry for help had barely left her lips when a large hand slammed her face hard onto the straw.
Sun Bin sat on her struggling legs.
The pain from the festering wound was excruciating, making it impossible to exert any strength; even the sound of his voice had turned into a weak, incoherent whimper.
But she is Yunxi.
Even though she was in so much pain that her whole body was convulsing, she gritted her teeth and squeezed out a bit of strength to flip over a strong man like Sun Bin.
"Help! Someone help me!" Yunxi gasped for breath, her disheveled hair plastered to her face, her body limp as she ran toward the fence.
“You slut.” Sun Bin reached out and grabbed her leg, pulling hard.
She lost her balance and fell to the ground.
Even with the cushioning effect of the straw, the fall almost knocked her unconscious.
"Let you run!" Sun Bin didn't expect her to be so stubborn. He dragged her onto the straw and, afraid she would scream again, took out a crumpled handkerchief from his pocket and stuffed it into her mouth.
He hurled insults and tore her skirt open with one hand.
The already tattered clothes instantly revealed the white undergarment underneath.
Seeing her fair skin, Sun Bin immediately forgot his anger and chuckled twice, "She's obviously a virgin. Let me see if she bleeds when I play with her."
While tearing at her clothes, Sun Bin hurriedly kissed her face.
Xiao Shenjing saw this scene when he walked outside the prison cell.
Yunxi was pinned down on the straw by the man, her messy hair plastered to her flushed and swollen face, her eyes slightly open as she looked out of the fence.
It was as if he had lost consciousness.
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