Chapter 89 When the pain reaches its peak, tears truly well up in one's eyes.
Dao Yi's heart skipped a beat when he saw Xiao Shenjing's expression.
Thinking of all that His Majesty and Empress Yun had gone through over the years, Dao Yi knew that he absolutely could not repeat the same mistakes this time.
But now it seems that Empress Yun still has feelings for Xu Yuansi.
How could His Majesty, with his temperament, remain indifferent and watch Empress Yun take such a risk?
But if we forcibly bring Empress Yun back to the palace now, it will definitely result in a lose-lose situation.
We need to think of a way.
At least it will change Empress Yun's opinion of His Majesty.
So what should we do?
"That's definitely a classic hero saving the damsel in distress!" Dao Er exclaimed excitedly, leaping up from the bed. "Brother, isn't that how it's always been portrayed in plays?"
Dao Yi's eyes lit up, and he patted Dao Er's head happily, "I didn't expect you to be so smart at such a crucial moment."
"You want me to be a hero and save the beauty?" The next day, Dao Yi brought up this matter with Xiao Shenjing early in the morning, and Xiao Shenjing asked again in surprise.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Dao Yi said confidently. "The journey from Datong to Taiyuan won't be smooth sailing." Even if nothing happened, he would create the conditions, but he naturally wouldn't say this aloud. He simply said, "Your Majesty's rescue of Empress Yun from danger will surely change her mind."
Xiao Shenjing thought about it and did not immediately reject it.
Dao Yi waited and waited, but His Majesty still did not speak.
He immediately formed a plan in his mind and happily withdrew.
After Yunxi sets off.
Xiao Shenjing's carriage followed in the distance.
However, inside the carriage, the emperor, who was looking at the memorials, could never concentrate.
After walking for most of the day, I hadn't even reviewed many of the memorials.
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
There was a hint of fatigue at the corners of her eyes.
Now, he really has no better way.
He originally thought that as long as she was in a safe place, he could take his time and do his thing.
But she was determined to risk her life in the Turkic Khaganate again.
How could he just let it go unchecked?
However, although Xiao Shenjing was unwilling to admit it, he really had no better solution at the moment.
It doesn't really matter anymore; he's going to meet her eventually, no matter what the consequences.
In early autumn, the black horn flag of Desheng Escort Agency drooped listlessly on the mule cart.
To make the journey easier, Yuanxiao was carried by her wet nurse in the carriage, while Yunxi and Xiaobei each rode their own horses.
The journey was smooth sailing until the car passed the boundary marker of Yangqu County. There, the bodyguards were chatting in small groups, some of them shouting dirty jokes.
Before the laughter subsided, suddenly, the sound of rolling hooves came, and the swirling yellow dust rose up, obscuring the sky.
Dozens of bandits charged straight at them.
"There are bandits!" Zhang, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), changed his expression drastically, but the镖组 (bodyguard/escort formation) became a ridiculous mess. Two镖师 had just raised their long swords when they were caught by the lasso around their necks and pulled off their horses.
Yunxi's expression hardened, and he immediately drew his sword and flew onto the carriage.
Xiao Bei moved with her, and the two of them surrounded and protected the carriage.
Yunxi never expected that a group of bandits would be so well-trained.
In the blink of an eye, the ten bodyguards she had hired were pulled off by lassoes and dragged away screaming.
Before she and Xiao Bei could even make a move, they were surrounded by dozens of robbers.
Let alone the fact that she had her family with her, it would be difficult for her to break through such a dense encirclement even if she were alone.
Yunxi and Xiaobei exchanged a glance.
Before Xiao Bei could react, the scarred-face leader asked, "Where are you going to make your fortune, young lady?"
"Searching for relatives in Taiyuan." Yunxi's voice was as steady as a mountain rock. He gripped his longsword tightly, looked at the group of bandits in front of him, and narrowed his eyes.
This group of people stood in such a neat formation that they blocked the retreat on both flanks and left a gap in the center. It was clearly the Three Talents Formation commonly used by border troops.
"I happen to need a wife to take as my concubine!" Scarface laughed loudly. "Brothers, let's snatch this little lady back for me."
As soon as Scarface finished speaking...
A group of bandits blew their whistles and excitedly charged toward the carriage.
Yunxi gripped his longsword, kicked away the bandit who was charging at the front, and shouted to Xiaobei, "Xiaobei, take Yuanxiao and charge out!"
With a furrowed brow, Xiao Bei was about to plunge his dagger into the horse when suddenly the earth trembled violently, as if a thousand horses were charging towards them.
At this, the bandit leader's expression changed. "Quick, retreat! The government troops are coming!"
The soldiers' iron hooves kicked up a cloud of yellow dust that blotted out the sun, and hundreds of hook-and-sickle spears formed a moving thicket of thorns, instantly locking more than thirty "bandits" in the middle of the official road.
The scattered soldiers met their match against truly iron-willed soldiers.
The bandits instantly lost all will to resist.
"Take them all back to me." The captain pointed his sword at the scarred man.
Almost in the blink of an eye, the bandits were forcefully forced to their knees by the soldiers.
Obstacles were cleared away.
The captain practically rolled off his horse, his movements so fast they created a gust of wind. Without hesitation, he took several steps back, bowing deeply until his head was almost buried in the dust.
His posture was one of unprecedented respect.
Without any orders, the remaining officers and soldiers, as if drawn by invisible threads, moved backward in unison with an almost panicked order, bowing their heads and making way for the wide central road.
Hundreds of people did all this in complete silence and solemnity; the air seemed to freeze, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the tense, suppressed breathing of the officers and soldiers.
Everyone felt as if an invisible, bone-chilling pressure had seized their hearts.
They dared not raise their heads, dared not be presumptuous.
Amidst this breathless silence and wave of awe, a few riders approached from afar.
Even from a distance, when Yunxi clearly saw the face of the leader among the riders, she felt her blood run cold for a moment.
With her hands and feet ice cold, she had to exert all her strength even to swallow saliva.
Xiao Shenjing.
She's been discovered again.
What awaits her next?
Is it about facing humiliation and torment again and again?
How long can she hold on this time?
Yunxi felt suffocated, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
The leader reined in his horse and slowly brought it to a stop in front of her.
He was not wearing a dragon robe or a golden crown, but only a black brocade robe with dark cloud patterns, over which he wore a thin woolen cloak of the same color. He sat upright on a black horse that was as black as ink and exceptionally swift. His figure was as upright as a lone pine tree on a cliff, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist.
Even in simple clothes, the inherent nobility and the invisible pressure honed from long years of being in a position of power made all those being watched instinctively want to lower their heads and give way.
However, to the emperor, the submission of these people was nothing more than the most common sight in the world. He looked at these soldiers who bowed like waves of wheat, and his dark phoenix eyes were fixed on Yunxi from beginning to end.
Even if it wasn't intentional, his gaze was like an invisible net that firmly bound Yunxi within it.
When Yunxi felt that familiar sense of oppression again, she experienced a sense of helplessness and frustration for the first time.
She ran away three times.
My first time falling off a cliff.
He fled to Dali for the second time.
The third time, they even fled to Datong, a remote border town.
But there was no escaping it.
He was the emperor, the ruler of the world, so he had henchmen everywhere. At this moment, she felt a despair that felt as if the world was vast but there was nowhere left to hide.
"Yunxi." Seeing her grip on the sword so tightly that it turned white, Xiao Shenjing sat upright on his tall horse, lowered his eyes, and called out to her.
The voice no longer carries the same haughty air it once did.
But Yunxi couldn't tell at this moment, or perhaps she didn't care at all.
She merely curled her lips, as if asking with a smile, "Xiao Shenjing, what do you intend to do this time?"
Xiao Shenjing gripped the reins, pursed his pale lips, and said, "It's getting late, let's find a place first." He paused, then awkwardly added, "Is that alright?"
He was asking for her opinion.
But for Yunxi, it was even more ironic.
The left and right sides are nothing more than handouts from those high above.
“What if I say no?” she asked, standing by the horse, tilting her head slightly.
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.
"Where are you going? I'll take you," Xiao Shenjing said.
Yunxi laughed for real this time, but the smile was unmistakably sarcastic. "So, Xiao Shenjing, you won't let me go no matter what, is that right?"
Xiao Shenjing explained, "Yunxi, I think we need to talk."
After he finished speaking, he stared at her intently, as if afraid of missing any of her expressions.
“Okay.” Yunxi nodded. “I think we really should have a serious talk.”
When they met again, the two did not turn hostile and confrontational as expected.
Instead, there was an indescribable calmness, as if it were a friend I hadn't seen for many years.
But for some reason, Xiao Shenjing couldn't put his mind at ease.
Like the brief calm before a storm.
Yangqu County was exceptionally prosperous, attracting goods and merchants from all over Shanxi. The town was lined with shops and bustling with markets. The provincial administration, judicial administration, military administration, and the Taiyuan prefectural government, as well as the Yangqu county government, were all located here, resulting in a large number of officials, clerks, and servants.
As soon as Xiao Shenjing entered the city, he was greeted by people clearing the way.
When the emperor traveled, those kneeling in the streets had to hold their breath, and no one dared to look up at the emperor's face.
In the solemn atmosphere, the group headed straight for the Provincial Administration Office.
It was already dusk, and the golden rays of the setting sun seemed to favor this emperor, making his profile even more distinct. His phoenix eyes, thick eyelashes, high nose, and thin lips, in the interplay of light and shadow, made him appear handsome, noble, and unapproachable.
Xiao Bei lifted the carriage curtain, glanced at the dark mass of people kneeling all the way outside, and asked with a tense face, "Miss, are we really going to live with them?"
"Don't be afraid, there will be no danger," Yunxi said calmly, wiping her short dagger without looking up.
But for some reason, the more she said that, the more flustered Xiao Bei felt in her heart.
He suggested, "Miss, let's think of a way to escape tonight and go to the master. The master will definitely have a way."
Yunxi slowly sheathed the sharp dagger and instructed, "Xiao Bei, never mention Fan Zishi again, understand?"
Xiao Bei realized she had misspoke and immediately nodded.
No matter how clever or meticulous the master is, the other party is the emperor.
The emperor is the ruler, and the master is the subject.
I wonder how much this emperor knows this time, and whether he has already found out that the young lady escaped from the palace with the help of her master.
Thinking of this, Xiao Bei's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a cold sweat instantly soak through his back.
Deceiving the emperor is a serious crime punishable by the execution of the entire family.
Xiao Bei panicked instantly.
Even if he's very composed, he's only eighteen or nineteen years old.
Yunxi suddenly raised her hand and patted his shoulder, saying with a smile, "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. With me here, you and your brother will both live well."
Completely bewildered, Xiao Bei didn't realize that what he said was wrong.
He nodded emphatically, as if grasping at a straw.
He always believed in Yunxi.
She said she would definitely do what she set out to do.
After the carriage stopped, Yunxi picked up Yuanxiao, whom she had been holding horizontally, and was about to get up when she noticed that he had woken up groggily.
Before she had fully opened her eyes, she hugged Yunxi's neck and rubbed against her.
Yunxi held the soft glutinous rice ball in her arms, buried her face in his neck and rubbed against him, as if drawing courage from him.
When getting off the carriage, Xiao Bei was the first to jump down.
The wet nurse behind her lifted the carriage curtain, and Yunxi bent down, standing on the carriage, and habitually handed Yuanxiao to Xiaobei.
As a result, a pair of arms reached out even faster than Xiao Bei.
After seeing the face clearly, Yunxi paused.
Xiao Shenjing's outstretched finger twitched, but he remained steadfast and refused to retract it.
At this moment, a large group of people knelt down, heads bowed, waiting for the emperor.
This time, Yunxi did not object and handed the Yuanxiao (sweet rice balls) to him.
Upon receiving the soft and fluffy glutinous rice balls, Xiao Shenjing couldn't help but smile.
One arm steadily held the Yuanxiao (sweet rice balls), standing by the carriage waiting for Yunxi to get off.
Yunxi jumped down nimbly, ignoring the people kneeling on the ground, and walked towards the gate first.
Emperor Xiao Shenjing, on the other hand, was relegated to the back, demurely holding the child, and the scene didn't seem out of place at all.
Both Dao Yi and Dao Er couldn't help but smile like proud mothers.
Empress Yun finally came to her senses.
His Majesty's suffering has finally come to an end, and they no longer need to live in constant fear.
Having eaten what Xiao Shenjing had given her, Yuanxiao wasn't shy at all, and hugged his neck as she looked around.
As soon as Yunxi stepped onto the platform, the Provincial Administration Commissioner bowed and walked to Xiao Shenjing's side, saying, "Your Majesty, dinner is ready."
Holding the child, Xiao Shenjing asked Yunxi, "Would you like to have a meal first, or take a bath and change your clothes?"
The Provincial Governor swallowed hard, his heart filled with growing apprehension.
The emperor's sudden arrival sent everyone into a panic.
I thought it was a matter of national importance, but it turned out to be just a temporary stop along the way.
However, it's unclear what the identity of the child is that would make the emperor condescend to hold him personally.
Could it be...?
Thinking about it this way, the governor felt even more that he dared not offend this woman.
The emperor has no heir now, so this child may become the future crown prince.
Yunxi had no idea what everyone was thinking. She patted her stomach and said, "Let's eat."
She was indeed hungry; she needed to eat first before she could talk about anything else.
So she waved her hand and said to the provincial governor, "Please lead the way."
"This way, sir," the provincial governor said hastily, bowing.
Yunxi strode ahead, and Xiao Shenjing followed in her footsteps, carrying Yuanxiao.
During this time, he turned his head to look at her several times.
They quickly looked away.
The emperor wanted to tease the soft, cuddly child in his arms, but he was not good at it.
Finally, almost ingratiatingly, he extended his index finger and pinched the soft flesh of Yuanxiao's chin, only to be met with Yuanxiao turning her head away in disgust.
As dusk settled, the once imposing and majestic rear courtyard of the Provincial Administration Commission was now shrouded in an almost deathly silence and tension; all the servants and maids had been dismissed.
The air was as still as mercury, with only the occasional crackling sound of the candle wick popping.
In the large flower hall, only six people remained: Xiao Bei, Governor Zhou Ran, Dao Yidao Er, Yun Xi who was engrossed in eating, and Xiao Shenjing who was holding Yuanxiao and scooping egg custard with a silver spoon.
Among them, Zhou Ran, the provincial governor, was someone Yunxi requested to stay.
The suffocating silence was broken by the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks.
Sitting diagonally opposite Xiao Shenjing, Yun Xi was completely oblivious to the mountain-like pressure in the hall. She picked up a piece of stir-fried asparagus with her chopsticks, put it in her mouth, and chewed slowly. Occasionally, she would look up and glance at Xiao Shenjing, who was holding the child with a slightly awkward posture. Her eyes were calm and undisturbed.
The emperor's attention was entirely focused on the exquisitely beautiful Yuanxiao in his arms.
A few strands of his dark hair, which were not tied up tightly, fell from the side of the jade hairpin. Xiao Shenjing's aloof eyebrows and eyes were incredibly soft in the candlelight. At this moment, there was even a very faint, almost invisible smile on his lips.
"Come on, open your mouth." He coaxed her in a gentle tone he had never used before, carefully bringing a spoonful of smooth egg custard to Yuanxiao's lips.
Yuanxiao obligingly took a big gulp and smacked her lips contentedly, then reached out her chubby little hand to grab the exquisitely crafted silver spoon.
Xiao Shenjing took out a clean, soft towel and gently wiped away the egg custard stains from the corner of the child's mouth.
His movements were clumsy yet gentle, a stark contrast to his usual decisive and life-or-death command.
Yunxi picked up another piece of chicken slices and ate it politely.
She watched as Xiao Shenjing wiped the residue from the child's mouth, and watched Yuanxiao giggle as she reached for his hand. Suddenly, she called out, "Xiao Shenjing."
How dare they address the emperor by his given name?
Governor Zhou Ran's jaw almost dropped to the ground.
Who exactly is this woman?
Xiao Shenjing looked up at Yun Xi and asked, "What's wrong?"
Yun Xi glanced casually at Governor Zhou Ran and said, "The child you're holding is yours. It seems you already know?"
Zhou Ran looked up at Xiao Shenjing in utter astonishment.
A rare look of panic flashed in Xiao Shenjing's eyes.
If he says yes, it means he's telling Yunxi that he discovered her a long time ago, and she'll definitely be angry.
Even if I say no, she probably already knows, and she will definitely be angry.
A simple question stumped the emperor, who remained silent for several breaths.
However, Yunxi didn't seem to care about his answer.
She wiped her mouth clean, stood up, and slowly strolled towards Xiao Shenjing.
Although there was no murderous intent in her eyes, Dao Yi and Dao Er immediately tensed up and stared intently at her every move.
It seemed as if they were afraid that Yunxi would suddenly erupt in the blink of an eye.
However, Yunxi did not. She simply bent down and took Yuanxiao from Xiao Shenjing's hands.
The sudden emptiness in his embrace made Xiao Shenjing instinctively want to hold on, but when he saw Yunxi kiss Yuanxiao, his fingertips twitched.
When Yuanxiao was being kissed by Yunxi and giggling, she turned her head and looked at the emperor with a smile, asking, "Xiao Shenjing, what are you going to do to me this time?"
"Yunxi," Xiao Shenjing called out.
This name almost sent Governor Zhou Ran to his death on the spot.
Yunxi, isn't that the name of the late empress?
"I can forgive and forget everything that happened in the past."
"And then?" Yunxi asked.
Xiao Shenjing: "You will come back to the capital with me."
Seeing her expression of "I knew it," the emperor explained, "If you don't like the palace, then you don't have to live there. I won't force you anymore. You can keep the child with you, but you must stay where I can see you."
This was the biggest compromise Xiao Shenjing could make.
Yunxi didn't reply immediately. She handed Yuanxiao to Xiaobei and said gently, "It's too late, Xiaobei, you should take Yuanxiao and rest first."
She watched Xiao Bei leave.
He no longer had any of the previous hostility on his body.
Both Dao Yi and Dao Er subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as they can talk, their relationship won't be damaged, and Empress Yun and His Majesty will surely find a solution that satisfies both of them.
"What will you do if I don't accept your conditions?" Yunxi asked, pacing back and forth with an innocent expression.
“Yunxi, this is for your own good.” Xiao Shenjing tried to explain, “Yuanxiao is my offspring, and you are my empress. If you are used by someone with ulterior motives, you will become my weakness.”
Yunxi nodded and then asked, "If I go back to the palace with you during the Lantern Festival, will you let me go?"
Xiao Shenjing frowned slightly and asked, "You are my Empress! Where are you going?"
How naturally that determined her entire life.
For the rest of her life, she could only cling to Xiao Shenjing like a vine.
To live by his breath and his expression.
All his feigned weakness now is merely bait, drawing her step by step into his trap, where he will then pull out her teeth and break her wings.
One day, she will become a dog wagging its tail and begging for his mercy.
Just thinking about that scene made Yunxi feel a chilling despair, like a poisonous vine, instantly coil from her feet to her heart, almost suffocating her.
In her short life, she tried her best to escape three times.
Every single time!
Every time she thought she had escaped, he would find her and drag her back!
In his eyes, she was just a mouse caught by a cat, and even the "freedom" he gave her was just her struggling in the gilded cage he had drawn!
She could never escape it, never break free from it, for the rest of her life.
Is she going to continue living like this?
Does she want it?
No!
I'd rather die.
Without warning, without screams, only an anger and despair powerful enough to incinerate everything erupted within Yunxi.
Like a ferocious beast driven to the brink of despair, it suddenly drew the dagger tightly held in its sleeve and, with a mad urge to perish together with Xiao Shenjing, thrust it straight into Xiao Shenjing's heart!
The cold, sharp blade flashed a blinding light under the oil lamp.
Too fast! Too close! Too decisive!
Xiao Shenjing's pupils suddenly contracted, but he only had time to hurriedly turn his body to the side.
With a dull, teeth-grinding thud, the sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh exploded in the deathly silence.
"Your Majesty," the sword flashed, his eyes wide with fury.
Time seemed to freeze in an instant.
Yunxi gripped the hilt of the dagger that was deeply embedded in Xiao Shenjing's left chest.
Warm blood, carrying a strong, metallic smell, gushed out instantly, soaking the brocade and spreading into a deeper, more shocking dark color in the dim light.
Xiao Shenjing looked down at the dagger embedded in his chest in disbelief, then suddenly looked up at Yun Xi, who was standing close by.
A sharp pain, shock, and a shattered sense of bewilderment.
Just as Dao Yidao was about to subdue Yunxi, even the Provincial Governor rushed over, trembling with fear.
"Don't touch her!" Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he glared at the two like a demon.
Dao Yi trembled all over, and before he could say anything, he flew off to find a doctor.
Yunxi simply stared at Xiao Shenjing, her face devoid of any expression, only a deathly gray. Her once lively and gentle eyes were now as deep as two dry wells, reflecting the flickering, cold lamplight.
"Cough cough" Xiao Shenjing swallowed the blood and foam that rose in his throat, but it made his vision turn into a scarlet fog. It turns out that when a person is in extreme pain, their eyes can really shed blood and tears.
It hurts so much.
Even knowing the consequences of killing him, she wouldn't be able to survive.
They already have a child, yet she'd rather kill him.
So, he had driven her to this dead end again?
"But, I never thought of hurting you, cough cough." In this excruciating pain, more and more blood gushed from his mouth, but he still had to speak, straining so hard that his veins looked like they were about to explode.
More blood rolled down Yunxi's lips, but he raised his trembling arm, wanting to touch her face one last time, but when he managed to lift it halfway up, it fell limply.
Large drops of blood rolled down his fingertips.
Yunxi released the dagger and took a step back, as if afraid of getting her dress stained with blood.
Under any circumstances, this action would have enraged the emperor.
But at this moment, Xiao Shenjing was in so much pain that his vision blurred, and his body even convulsed and twitched from the excruciating pain, yet he still tried his best to see the person in front of him clearly.
Can
The whole world was blood red.
"Yunxi," he could only manage to say with his last ounce of strength, "Yes."
No.
Before he could finish speaking, his tall body could no longer support him and, like a felled giant tree, crashed to the side!
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