Chapter 91 Heartache
Li Yang was speechless again.
For a moment, I even doubted that I had heard correctly.
But Zhuang Dongqing's bright eyes and slightly smiling expression didn't seem fake.
Suddenly, many overlooked details were quickly retrieved from the pool of memories.
The old men in the Prince's Mansion were always very polite to Zhuang Dongqing. They had worked together for two years, and had interacted with Liu Qi, Hao San, Xu Si, and even the legendary doctor Zhao Ye from the Southwest and Li Yang. They were quite familiar with each other, and they all affectionately called Zhuang Dongqing "Young Master".
It wasn't something she took for granted from the beginning; Li Yang always felt they were being too polite and asked why they addressed her that way.
Manager Liu replied that Zhuang Dongqing was young and already held an official title, so it was appropriate to address him that way.
Commander Xu's replies varied slightly, with some saying that Zhuang Dongqing was the son of an official, so there was nothing wrong with calling him "young master."
Both of them answered too naturally, and Li Yang had only asked casually without thinking too deeply about it. Now, upon careful consideration, he discovered many inappropriate things. For example, Liu Qi and Xu Si had followed Cen Yan to the capital since childhood, and based on the people they had met, Zhuang Dongqing's status was completely inadequate. How could he be worthy of being called the young master in their mouths?
For example, Liu Qi calls him Third Brother, and respectfully addresses him as the Third Prince. He often includes his name in private as well. The Third Prince Li Zhuo is a bit presumptuous for Liu Qi's status, but Liu Qi doesn't care. In addition, he has been Cen Yan's companion since childhood and is now the head steward of the Dingxi Prince's Mansion. Their statuses are different, so even if he is improper, no one dares to question him.
When on official business, Liu Qi, Hao San, Xu Si, and Master Zhao would never eat at the same table as Cen Yan, if they had the opportunity.
But Zhuang Dongqing could. The conditions were simple: everyone in the Prince's mansion would eat together. There were more tables, so it was just Zhuang Dongqing and Cen Yan. He always ate at the same table as Cen Yan.
Furthermore, while Zhuang Dongqing was publicly known as a retainer of the Prince's mansion, to be honest, in the past two years, Li Yang had never seen Zhuang Dongqing offer Cen Yan any advice. When the two interacted, it was very natural, but not in the way of superiors and subordinates, and Cen Yan even took care of Zhuang Dongqing quite a bit... "Are you thirsty? Are you hungry? Do you want to rest?" These were the kinds of questions Li Yang had only heard Cen Yan say to Zhuang Dongqing...
Too many details highlight Zhuang Dongqing's unique existence.
The summaries were so sudden that some parts couldn't be fully compiled in a short time.
Li Yang: "..."
Seeing Li Yang's expression slowly change from shock to complexity, Zhuang Dongqing remained silent. In fact, most of his attention was on the environment, but being too tense was not necessarily a good thing, and talking was a way to divert his tension.
Even though they were talking about a relationship that seemed to have remained unseen by anyone.
Li Yang: "You..."
Li Yang: "Your Highness..."
For a moment, things became somewhat chaotic.
Man: "I'll go out and take a look. After this post, the back mountain is just beyond. At this time, the guards usually take a nap."
Girl: "Brother, be careful."
Zhuang Dongqing instructed, "Be natural."
He paused, then added, "Even if we get spotted, it's okay. You can distract the guard, and we can go past him from where he can't see us, then wait for you."
"If there is only one guard."
The man glanced at Zhuang Dongqing. Actually, he was also a little nervous. If there were only three people, it would be much easier. But there were four, and with one more person, the risk would increase considerably.
"You seem to know a lot about these things?" the man said.
Zhuang Dongqing swallowed and tried her best to remain calm, saying, "I've seen it done before, and the results were pretty good."
When Cen Yan was memorizing the names of herbs to Master Zhao and was about to break down, he would always use the excuse of talking to Master Zhao's disciples to cover for Zhuang Dongqing so that he could sneak out for some fresh air.
Therefore... his knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine is still quite mediocre.
The man left.
Li Yang seemed to have regained her sense of logic, lowering her voice to say, "From the very beginning, you weren't a retainer of the Prince's mansion?"
Zhuang Dongqing: "More or less."
Although it had nothing to do with Cen Yan at the beginning, it was indeed even less related to his retainers.
Li Yang: "..."
Zhuang Dongqing: "Are you surprised?"
"I'm a little shocked, I thought..."
Li Yang looked in the direction the man had left, as if she had regained her senses, and said softly, "But it makes sense. There are actually many pieces of evidence in our interactions, but I just didn't think about it that way."
"I always thought you just favored the prince more."
That's not wrong either.
But Zhuang Dongqing felt it was inappropriate to say this at this time, so she shut her mouth and reminded him, "Once the person comes back, they'll run away. You should concentrate on your work."
"good."
He responded in this way, but still looked somewhat dazed.
Li Yang suddenly asked, "If Mr. Hu doesn't come back in the future, do you think he will regret it?"
Zhuang Dongqing: "..."
Zhuang Dongqing: "You have to get out of here first before you think about these things. If you can't get out and can't go back, you'll just have each other on the road to the underworld."
Li Yang: ".
He actually smiled upon hearing this and said seriously, "What you said makes sense."
Zhuang Dongqing was somewhat intimidated by his laughter.
Li Yang is acting strangely.
Just as they were about to ask a few more questions, the man returned and said that the guards were fast asleep. He told them to let them pass while he stayed by their side. If they made any noise and the guards woke up, he would come out and smooth things over.
The girl looked at her brother with concern as always.
Zhuang Dongqing and Li Yang should get along.
They tiptoed to the gate and found only one guard fast asleep. The man beckoned for everyone to move. The girl, being the lightest, flipped over first, followed by Zhuang Dongqing. However, she landed on a leaf and heard a cracking sound. Zhuang Dongqing quickly crouched down, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest.
Fortunately, the guard did not wake up.
In the end, Li Yang knew that the princes in the palace all had to practice martial arts to strengthen their bodies. In addition, he had been working at the grassroots level for the past two years and had seen many different situations. He was quick and agile and did not cause any trouble. The man was also found.
The four of them breathed a sigh of relief.
Then comes a stretch of open, flat land with nothing in it, which is the easiest place to spot, but once you get past it and enter the dense forest, things will get much better.
Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating. They had made it a good distance quickly and quietly when suddenly a burst of fire appeared in the distance. Someone shouted, "Fire!" "Move quickly!" "Check everyone..." The noise was deafening. The fire illuminated the sky and woke up the guards. As soon as the guards opened their eyes, the four figures were exposed to their line of sight.
The four people: "..."
guard:"……"
The guard shouted, "Someone has escaped! Chase after them!"
After yelling, he immediately picked up the gong beside him and banged it loudly.
Man: "Run!"
Zhuang Dongqing didn't say anything, but immediately took off and rushed into the woods.
The other three realized what was happening and immediately ran after them.
They ran wildly all the way.
It was quiet behind me when I entered the woods.
However, perhaps because the private army camp was different from others, and there were rumors that the heir was on the mountain (but in reality, Cen An was not in the hands of these people), either of these situations would be a capital offense if outsiders found out. Therefore, when torches were being carried behind him and the sound of horses' hooves was heard, Zhuang Dongqing was not surprised.
Not surprising, but bad luck is real.
Looking back, Zhuang Dongqing realized they were still far away and asked the man, "Do you have a route? Should we split up?"
The man remained silent for a moment, but the girl had a particularly good idea: "We can't separate. There are several locust trees in this forest. If we walk alone, we'll get lost and won't be able to find our way out."
Zhuang Dongqing: "!"
The world setting of this novel is really something else!
A chill ran down Zhuang Dongqing's spine, but at the same time, she knew that this was not an impossible thing.
While fleeing for their lives, they also have to guard against ghosts and monsters. What kind of new kind of hell on earth is this?
The girl's words reminded the man, who said in a deep voice, "Follow me."
“There are wild horses on the mountain. Escaping is a serious crime. They may not know that you are prisoners who have escaped. They may treat you as if you were people from the camp who had escaped.”
Li Yang: "What method?"
"Deal with them on the spot, kill them without mercy!"
Zhuang Dongqing: "..."
I'm numb.
Zhuang Dongqing: "Would being captured expose my status as a prisoner of war?"
That way, even if they are caught, the other party might have some reservations and let them live.
The man replied, "They're chasing us with bows and arrows, firing stray arrows as they go. If you're still alive, you can give it a try."
Zhuang Dongqing wanted to shout, but she held back and gritted her teeth as she charged forward.
Horses are naturally much faster than them, so they have no advantage on flat ground. There's no other way for the men but to walk on steep slopes.
The man and the girl moved nimbly.
The slope was too steep, and Zhuang Dongqing fell several times, her palms burning. But she couldn't care less; she could only get up immediately and keep up.
Li Yang wasn't much better off.
They are not residents who live near the mountains; some things are not innate but rather require practice to master.
After crossing the steep slope, the sound of pursuit behind them grew closer. The man said, "There's a grove of locust trees ahead, and it's even harder to traverse on horseback. I'll lead the pursuers in there, and you guys stay outside."
Zhuang Dongqing, her eyes still blurry with tears, said, "Thank you."
The man gave him a strange look and said stiffly, "Conserve your energy."
Zhuang Dongqing wiped her face. "I'll try my best."
By this time, he was breathing very heavily.
Zhuang Dongqing was feeling unwell because she was losing energy too quickly, but she dared not stop.
He closed his eyes, thinking of Cen An'an's tender little face. When they parted, he mumbled to him, "Then you have to come back soon, An'an misses you~" A little bit of strength gathered in his heart. He had to go back. No matter what, he had to try his best!
With less air in her lungs and feeling almost completely drained, the girl pointed to a few places and then slipped behind a large rock.
Li Yang didn't see clearly and wanted to ask again, but the girl was gone. Then Zhuang Dongqing pulled him into a place, where they squatted down side by side and hid together.
"Brother Dongqing..."
"Shut up and squat down!"
Zhuang Dongqing's palm stung, and she interrupted Li Yang's question without allowing any room for argument.
She stopped abruptly, her breathing becoming uncontrollable. Zhuang Dongqing had no choice but to cover her mouth and force herself to lower her volume.
There was a metallic smell of blood between his mouth and nose, from the scrapes he had sustained falling down the steep slope, but he didn't have time to check them.
As long as I can still move, that's fine.
Before long, the cavalrymen chased them into the woods from their side.
Zhuang Dongqing: "He'll be back in a bit. Keep an eye on him, my eyes are getting blurry."
Unexpectedly, a weak but calm voice came from beside him, saying, "I can't run very fast anymore."
Zhuang Dongqing: "?"
Zhuang Dongqing turned to look at Li Yang and read sincerity in her eyes, as well as a blankness devoid of any will to live.
Suddenly enlightened, Zhuang Dongqing finally understood Li Yang's unusual behavior that night.
This is not right. People with a strong will to survive are not in this state.
Li Yang... seems to be experiencing some psychological issues.
On second thought, it makes sense. Two years ago, her biological mother passed away, and without Consort Shu's protection, her positive feelings towards Emperor Shengwu shattered. Although their relationship was somewhat repaired later, Emperor Shengwu's guilt made up for it more. Li Yang and Emperor Shengwu could never go back to the way things were when Consort Shu was alive.
Now, it's his brother's men chasing him again...
Yes, the environment is indeed quite harsh.
but!
They're trying to escape!
Zhuang Dongqing stared intently at Li Yang, wanting to say a lot in an instant, but time did not allow him to linger.
Zhuang Dongqing lowered her voice, trying her best not to get agitated, and said, "But I want to get out, to get out alive!"
Zhuang Dongqing: "My family is still waiting for me!"
After a pause, Zhuang Dongqing said, "Didn't you say a few years ago that you wanted to perform a ritual for Consort Shu? Now, don't you want to make up for it, even if it's later?"
Li Yang's gaze suddenly changed.
Zhuang Dongqing couldn't understand it, but he could sense that the man was in great distress.
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhuang Dongqing saw the man rush out. Without saying a word, she grabbed Li Yang and got up. Together with the girl, they rushed in another direction.
Li Yang said she couldn't run anymore, but her stamina was still better than Zhuang Dongqing's.
She even managed to grab him halfway through.
Zhuang Dongqing felt like she was about to die.
We came to another downhill slope, and then we heard the sound of horses' hooves behind us. They were coming after us.
Man: "Be careful, try to avoid the trees."
That being said, Zhuang Dongqing, being completely incapable of sports, felt as if she had suffered several abrasions on her body.
Zhuang Dongqing gritted his teeth, tasting the metallic flavor in his mouth.
After a while, his vision began to darken, and Zhuang Dongqing's hands and feet were no longer under his control.
There was a moment when I wanted to give up, but I struggled to continue.
Although it was just a feeling, Zhuang Dongqing still felt that if something happened to her, Cen Yan would probably go crazy.
Run away! Run away! Run away!
It definitely can!
Get out of here! Get out!
The original owner's and Cen An's storylines end there; once you've progressed...
A slight whooshing sound rang out, but by the time Zhuang Dongqing realized the airflow was off, it was too late.
A burst of blood erupted from his right shoulder. Propelled by the arrow's momentum, Zhuang Dongqing fell to the ground. Due to the mountainous terrain and its slope, he rolled several times before crashing into a large tree.
Zhuang Dongqing let out a sigh of relief; it hurt so much.
I struggled to get up, my limbs weren't twisted, but I really had no strength left.
Everything in front of me was black.
Physical fitness strikes before willpower.
Then Zhuang Dongqing heard the sound of horses' hooves.
Perhaps, sensing the ground beneath his hands moving, he turned back and saw, in the firelight, a cluster of gleaming silver arrows being drawn up, aimed directly at him, and the bowstring pulled back…
Zhuang Dongqing subconsciously closed her eyes.
The expected excruciating pain did not come.
Zhuang Dongqing opened her eyes again and was immediately stunned.
He saw an arrow pierce the forehead of the pursuing soldier on horseback, causing him to fall from his horse instantly. The arrow that was coming towards him also went astray, passing by him at the same time.
Zhuang Dongqing thought she was hallucinating.
Has it gotten to the point where we're starting to have illusions?
The thought had barely formed in his mind when several arrows pierced the air, raining down on the pursuers from behind him.
Some roots remained embedded in the center of the forehead, while many others pierced the eye sockets, and some even shot towards horses.
The scene was chaotic for a moment, and Zhuang Dongqing couldn't think straight. He subconsciously shrank back uselessly towards the tree roots.
Then he heard a familiar voice say,
"Shoot their horses! Their horses are no good!"
As soon as he finished speaking, another volley of arrows rained down, and the sounds of horses neighing filled the air.
Zhuang Dongqing felt she should be grateful, but it was too perfect. She also wondered if she was already dead, if everything before her was a dream, and if she could see the arrow in her chest the next moment.
"The Prince of Dingxi's residence! Who comes here?"
Hao San's voice.
"Your Highness, it's me." Li Yang's voice was distant and indistinct.
Zhuang Dongqing felt relieved.
"Li Yang? Where's Zhuang Dongqing? Didn't she come with you?"
"You didn't bring him?!"
After a faint sound of bowstring vibration, repeated "Your Highness" and "Master" rang out, as if something had changed.
Zhuang Dongqing wanted to know, but once she relaxed, all her strength was drained, and she was completely unable to move.
I blinked, and my vision darkened considerably.
Zhuang Dongqing tried to speak, but couldn't get a sound out.
Li Yang: "Yes, yes, we got separated and are in the woods."
His voice inexplicably trembled, and he uttered words one by one. Zhuang Dongqing couldn't understand why Cen Yan's expression was as frightening as that of pursuers.
"try to find!"
There was a rustling sound again.
But Zhuang Dongqing was no longer afraid.
"Young Master?"
A horse stopped in front of them, and the rider immediately dismounted, took a few steps forward to confirm, and shouted loudly, "Here! The young master is here!"
"Young...Young Master, you..."
With a thud, someone knelt down in front of him on one knee, their voice trembling inexplicably. Zhuang Dongqing wanted to speak, but instead, she coughed repeatedly.
I ran all the way, it was so dry, and my throat hurt.
The guards quickly found a water bag on the horse and carefully fed Zhuang Dongqing.
Zhuang Dongqing gulped down a large mouthful of water, then heard the sound of people moving around, and then stopped right in front of him.
Zhuang Dongqing realized something, but still wanted to drink water, so she couldn't think of anything else for the moment.
"Slower."
The hand holding the water bag was switched to the other.
Zhuang Dongqing recognized the hand, including the calluses on the palm and the wrinkles on the knuckles of the back of the hand.
I drank a few mouthfuls of water too quickly and choked a little, but I felt much better afterward.
When Zhuang Dongqing opened her eyes again, the water pouch had been removed, and she saw the face in her heart.
"Is this... real?"
His voice was hoarse, and his throat was so dry it sounded awful.
I tried to say something witty, but it didn't seem to work well.
"Yes. Don't say anything unlucky."
Her voice was soft and gentle; she even tidied his disheveled hair.
Zhuang Dongqing wasn't sure if she was imagining things, but she felt her hands trembling as she fiddled with her hair.
Their eyes met.
Cen Yan is dressed very differently today.
She was dressed in a tight-fitting, all-black outfit with no extra fabric, and her slender figure was quite attractive.
Zhuang Dongqing blinked, and her vision blurred again.
"It's like the wind got into my eyes, I can't see clearly..."
"no."
With just two words, Zhuang Dongqing could detect extreme restraint, accompanied by gritted teeth.
She paused, then softened her voice, "You're bleeding. I've already gone to get something. It'll feel better if you get bandaged up."
Startled, Zhuang Dongqing looked down and blinked. Oh, there was no arrow stuck in her right shoulder, but there was a patch of blood on her right upper arm, which looked like it had been grazed by an arrow.
Zhuang Dongqing: "You weren't hit by an arrow. You're really lucky."
He smiled.
The surroundings grew increasingly quiet.
Cen Yan's chest heaved for a few moments, then he lowered his eyes and looked up again, trying to force a smile, but failed.
"Yes, it's fine."
Those few words were even harsher than his.
It seemed as if he was desperately suppressing an overwhelming killing intent.
He sighed inwardly.
Staring intently into those light-colored eyes, Zhuang Dongqing wanted to say "don't do this," but couldn't bring herself to say it.
After a deep gaze, Zhuang Dongqing finally whispered in that gaze, "I escaped..."
When he parted ways with Xu Si, he asked Xu Si to convey to Cen Yan that he would find a chance to escape.
He did it.
The item finally arrived. To make it easier to treat the wound, Cen Yan pulled Zhuang Dongqing close for support. Their clothes were torn open, and Zhuang Dongqing's blurry vision told him that it was a very deep wound.
The person leaning against him gasped. The movement was actually very small, but he could still feel it because of the weight.
"..."
Zhuang Dongqing was defeated and confessed dejectedly, "I tried my best..."
"Know."
The sounds around me started to become unsteady.
Zhuang Dongqing's chest heaved as he leaned against something, and finally, everything went dark as Cen Yan's hand blocked his view of the wound.
His breathing was disordered and rapid; his voice was almost forced out.
"Our love..."
"Very impressive."
If it weren't for the hand covering his eyes also trembling slightly and uncontrollably, Zhuang Dongqing would have truly believed it was a compliment.
Not knowing what to say, Zhuang Dongqing kissed Cen Yan's palm.
The next moment, a light kiss landed on his forehead, and Zhuang Dongqing seemed to feel a slight dampness on the edge of the kiss.
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