Chapter 113 was ultimately a miscalculation; perhaps he was even greedier than he thought…
Jihengfu (Imperial Household Department)
When Yu Nie arrived at the bedroom, Huan Xun was lying face down on the couch with his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling slightly.
There were only a few people in the bedroom, besides two maids and Aunt Wu.
Aunt Wu, with her gray hair, sat on a wooden stool by the bed, holding a bowl of medicine in her hand, quietly wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes.
Yu Nie stepped inside the door and moved quietly to the bedside.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aunt Wu enter and hurriedly stood up to greet her.
Yu Nie reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, indicating that she did not need to stand up and bow.
Looking at the person on the bed, her heart was torn apart by anxiety, her mind aching with worry, and tension and unease overflowed from her almond-shaped eyes. She lowered her voice and bowed to Aunt Wu, asking, "Why did Lord Huan suddenly vomit blood?"
It's understandable that he suffered internal injuries from so many lashes. But Physician Li had clearly examined him and said that the executioners had shown mercy and wouldn't damage his internal organs; he only suffered superficial wounds.
She hasn't been gone long, how could something like this suddenly happen?
Aunt Wu wiped away her tears and shook her head: "I don't know either. Doctor Li just came by, but even he couldn't find out what was wrong. He only said that we can only wait for Zijing to wake up and then ask him carefully to see if there are other reasons."
After saying this, Aunt Wu, despite Yu Nie's attempts to stop her, insisted on getting up and apologizing to her:
“Such a trivial matter should not have troubled the princess, but when I saw Zijing vomit so much blood, I was at a loss and had no choice but to ask Attendant Lu to invite the princess.” She bowed and said, “I hope the princess will forgive my rudeness.”
Yu Nie quickly reached out to support her arm: "Aunt Wu, what are you saying? Lord Huan has helped me a lot. Now that he has something to do, it's only natural that I have to come and see him. If you continue to be so polite, it will really make me feel uncomfortable."
Aunt Wu looked at her with kind eyes and a grateful expression: "Princess, you truly have the heart of a Bodhisattva. I am at ease that you do not blame me."
As she spoke, she glanced at Huan Xun on the couch, her voice tinged with hesitation: "But... but this old woman has a favor to ask, and I would like to trouble the princess for a moment. Is that alright?"
Yu Nie: "Aunt Wu, please just say what you need. As long as it's within my power, I will definitely do it."
With her words, Wu secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "It's not a big deal, but the medicine in my hand has gone cold. I have to go to the kitchen myself to oversee the brewing of another batch. But if only the maids are taking care of things here, I really can't rest easy."
She cautiously inquired, "I wonder if the princess could stay here and look after Zijing for the time being?"
Upon hearing that it was such a simple matter, Yu Nie agreed without any hesitation.
Upon seeing this, Aunt Wu thanked her repeatedly before leading her maids out of the room.
As she passed the window, she deliberately stopped and turned her head to look inside.
Yu Nie had already taken a seat on the wooden bench, his gaze fixed on the person on the couch with concern.
Aunt Wu's eyes, which had been cloudy due to her age, suddenly became incredibly clear, and her wrinkled face was utterly indifferent.
After pausing briefly, she continued towards the kitchen.
Yu Nie stared intently, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment.
I bent down and reached out to touch his forehead. Fortunately, he didn't have a fever.
She sat back down on the stool, turned around and whispered instructions to Song Ai, who was standing behind her.
"Ju Ling, go back to the courtyard first and tell Junior Sister that I will be back late tonight, so she doesn't need to worry. As for Li Xing, I will discuss the specific plan with Huan Xun as soon as possible after she wakes up."
Song Ai's gaze darted back and forth between the two of them before she respectfully accepted the order: "Yes, Princess."
The sound of a door closing came from the doorway.
In the blink of an eye, only the two of them remained in the room.
Vomiting blood...
She subconsciously recalled that historical records said he also died of illness.
After years of fighting, he must have had many injuries.
Is there a connection between these two things?
For some reason, when she looked at his pale face, she had the idea of saving him.
She initially thought he was just like the people described in history books, and thus harbored prejudice against him from the start.
But after all these events, she began to think that those descriptions of him as tyrannical, cruel, and a scourge on all sides were perhaps exaggerated and not true at all.
Since they met, he has never done anything to harm civilians. He Renzhi, Zhao Shuhuai and the like deserve to die.
When he arrived in Jian'an, he did not exhibit any tyranny or indiscriminate killing of innocent people.
She thought to herself that the things he experienced at this time were different from what he would have experienced ten years later, which made him seem like a completely different person.
Previously, she didn't think she could save anyone, but at this moment, she changed her mind. She wanted to stop him from going astray; she didn't want him to end up like that again.
The idea seemed absurd to her, but she was certain she would do it.
She stared at his face, a face that, upon seeing him again, filled her with fear, a fear that made her want to stay away.
At that moment, the fear of that night vanished, becoming transparent, turning into ethereal smoke, and disappearing without a trace.
...
In her unwavering gaze, time seemed to flow by like water, passing swiftly.
The crimson clouds in the sky faded, the moon rose above the branches, and the light inside the room was instantly filled with the dim yellow candlelight.
He slept for what felt like an eternity.
As he slowly opened his eyes, a familiar, beautiful face came into view.
A strand of her dark hair fell loose beside him. Her eyes were lightly closed, her head resting on her arm. She lay silently on the edge of the bed, breathing shallowly, the worry in her eyes still visible.
The boy paused slightly, his usually indifferent gaze gradually melting into ice under the blazing sun, transforming into a gently flowing stream, warm and smooth as satin, reflecting the sweet, sleeping face so close to him.
Huan Xun unconsciously softened his breathing and quietly gazed at the person in front of the bed.
This is how he sees her from this angle, and a familiar flutter in his heart suddenly surges up, fierce and scorching, burning his chest, pounding heavily and powerfully in his chest cavity.
He had never looked at a person or a woman so intently before.
In a daze, he suddenly had a thought he had never had before: if he could live out the rest of his life quietly like this, that would be fine too.
Outside the window, the gauze lanterns under the corridor swayed gently in the night breeze, and the leaves of the nearly ten-foot-tall pear tree in the courtyard rustled, making the room even quieter.
The incense smoke curled gently, and the candlelight illuminated her soft profile.
The chaotic, unexpected kiss inside the carriage vividly flashed into his mind during this long gaze.
He almost subconsciously raised his hand with difficulty, unsure whether he wanted to secretly touch her or tuck her loose strands of hair behind her ear. Perhaps he was more greedy than he thought, wanting to do both.
Just as his fingertips were less than an inch from her cheek, he suddenly stopped, looked up at the door, his knuckles slightly curled, and quietly withdrew his fingers.
The soft footsteps outside grew closer, and then the door was gently pushed open.
Xie Cheng tiptoed in.
Xie Cheng was overjoyed to see that he was awake. He was about to speak when Xie Cheng made a shushing gesture to stop him.
Seeing this, Xie Cheng immediately swallowed back the words that were about to come out, and even walked more lightly.
Huan Xun didn't speak, but gave him a look, his gaze falling on Yu Nie, who was sleeping soundly by the bedside, and then glancing at the wardrobe next to him.
Xie Cheng was stunned for a moment, but quickly realized that he was asked to cover Yu Nie with something.
He dared not ask any more questions, and quickly turned around to search through the wardrobe. Unable to find a suitable one, he finally took out a soft cloak, tiptoed over, and respectfully draped it over Yu Nie's shoulders.
After he finished doing all this, Huan Xun asked in a low voice, "What happened?"
Xie Cheng glanced at Yu Nie, knowing his concerns.
Huan Xun remained expressionless and said, "I'm talking to you."
Knowing his lord's decisive nature, Xie Cheng didn't ask any more questions and whispered, "A secret letter has arrived from the Northern Frontier. Grand Commander Guan inquired about your health and said that no matter how many people the aristocratic families send out this time, he will make sure that none of them return alive."
"Furthermore, the Grand Commander mentioned that there seems to be some unusual activity in Nan Yin. I'm afraid Xiao Daozun is already impatient and is about to launch a northern expedition. If that happens, Bei Ye will be caught in two battlefields, one in the north and one in the south, and the situation will be extremely unfavorable. He has already secretly written to Yang Du, the Grand Secretary, asking him to inform His Majesty and strongly recommend that you lead the army south. He doesn't trust the other generals."
At this time, most of the soldiers of Beiye were on the northern frontier battlefield. Xiao Daozun's northern expedition at this time was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Nanyin.
With the main force of Beiye currently concentrated on the northern frontier battlefield, if Xiao Daozun were to launch a northern expedition at this time, it would indeed be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Nan Yin.
If we wait until Beiye has completely pacified the northern frontier and is free to deal with the situation, it will be the biggest disadvantage for Nanyin.
Xiao Daozun wanted a weakened Beiye, and a Beiye hampered by the Xiutu people. The former's situation might be debatable, but the latter was a given.
Moreover, once the war breaks out in Nan Yin, it will greatly alleviate the pressure faced by the Xiu Tu people. They, who were already showing signs of decline and were considering retreating, will surely regain a chance to catch their breath and rekindle their fighting spirit.
What Zhao Yunfu feared ultimately came to pass.
Therefore, in order to maintain the overall situation, Zhao Yunfu would be even less likely to harm the aristocratic families at this time.
If internal and external turmoil occurs simultaneously, it will undoubtedly be adding insult to injury for Beiye.
After Xie Cheng finished speaking, the room fell silent.
The flickering candlelight reflected in Huan Xun's unfathomable eyes.
Nan Yin, Zhao Yunfu, Yan Yue, the aristocratic clans... His original plan was to eliminate the aristocratic clans before Yan Yue returned to the capital after pacifying the northern frontier, then use Zhao Yunfu to kill Yan Yue, force Zhao Yunfu to step down and take the throne, then support that child to take the throne, and then launch an expedition against Nan Yin.
Now it seems he can no longer follow the plan.
He had to spare Yan Yue's life, but these aristocratic families would inevitably have to die first.
Otherwise, if they send troops out and these people are left to hold the rear, who can feel at ease?
Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Xie Cheng called to him in a low voice, "My lord... what do you think we should do next?"
Huan Xun remained silent for a moment, then his gaze swept over the person sleeping peacefully beside the bed.
After a long pause, he said in a thoughtful tone, "Reply to my godfather and say that I understand his meaning and that he can rest assured that I will follow his orders."
Although he said that, he clearly disagreed with Yan Yue's arrangement.
However, he had to wait for someone to say these things before he could bring them up himself.
Yan Yue was quite autocratic in some respects. He was sometimes very confident in his own judgment and disliked people making objections.
There was one exception, whose name he had already mentioned himself.
"Yes, I will go and report back to the Grand Commander immediately."
After Xie Cheng left, the door was closed, and the room returned to silence.
He then looked at the figure lying quietly, his tone playful: "After hearing so much, if you keep pretending to be asleep, I'll have to 'kill you to silence you'."
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