Chapter 95: The itching gnaws at the bone, simmering slowly, and she has it under her control...
King Hui mobilized his troops, and this matter concerned the fate of the country. No matter how much he tried to persuade him with kind words, there was nothing he could do if King Hui did not agree.
But we have to persuade King Hui and prevent him from rebelling. It is easy to invite the Buddha but difficult to send him away. The difficulty lies in finding the right balance.
Yun Yang was really curious about how Xue Yu managed to accomplish this task in the short time it took him to take a bath and have a meal after chatting with the princess.
"Hold me, I'll tell you." Xue Yu smiled, wrapping his arm around Yun Yang's waist. His gentle, clear voice flowed slowly into her ears. "Prince Hui's mother was taken from a minister by the late emperor. Her status was not legitimate, and even Prince Hui's lineage was questioned. This is a source of worry for Prince Hui. His ambition stems from his desire to clear his mother's name. But if he harbors the intention of usurping power, it will lead to a catastrophe and the condemnation of all officials. Wouldn't that only further confirm the accusation of illegitimacy?"
"I told King Hui that it would be better to clearly follow the orthodox principles. Supporting the crown prince during this turbulent time would earn him the reputation of a wise king and set the record straight."
"...When you say that, aren't you clearly saying he's not legitimate? Is he angry? What if he wants to kill you to vent his anger..." Yun Yang couldn't help but tighten his grip on Xue Yu's collar. "Why are you saying anything?"
"I told him that I wasn't the only scholar in Dazhao. There were countless scholars who supported orthodoxy. Does the prince want to kill all the scholars and cut himself off from the officialdom?" Xue Yu smiled faintly. "I even promised him that I would persuade His Majesty to never reduce the power of the feudal lords."
His surname is Xue, and he comes from the Xue family, a family with a history of a hundred years. He is also the youngest capable minister in Da Zhao. His words are enough to make King Hui trust him.
As for reducing the power of the princes, the emperor is old now and the prince is still young, so reducing the power of the princes is a matter of a long time in the future. If the prince really wants to do this after he ascends the throne, Xue Yu thinks that he will definitely mention the incident of King Hui rescuing him today and let the prince remember the relationship between uncle and nephew.
"What did King Hui say?" Yun Yang was very nervous.
"King Hui asked, aren't you afraid that after arriving in Shu, I might go back on my word, rise up in rebellion, destroy Li Hong, and then march north to take the crown prince's life? Aren't you afraid that the Xue family's century-old reputation will be ruined, and the historians will label you as a traitor who welcomed me into the imperial city?" Xue Yu said, as if immersed in the situation at the time, with an expression of arrogance and determination.
At that time, King Hui's Yulin Guards stood fiercely on both sides, and the hall was silent.
Xue Yu only remembered that he subconsciously replied, "If I became an official for power, wealth, or a good reputation, then I was born with them. There are many things in this world that are more important than fame and career, such as morality and conscience."
"Then what did you answer?" Yun Yang asked anxiously.
Seeing the worry in her beautiful eyes, Xue Yu touched the hair on her temples. He was not in a hurry to tell her, but said softly, "Give me a kiss, and I'll tell you."
Hearing his gentle tone, Yun Yang became angry again and said angrily: "No! Now you let me kiss you, and now you tell me these things to make me worry, what were you doing before!"
Xue Yu was confused and didn't know why she was so inexplicably angry. Just as he was about to pull her, she shook his hand away, looking as if she wanted to stay away from everyone, and pretended to go back to the carriage.
Xue Yu grabbed her wrist and asked her patiently, "Why are you angry? What did I do wrong?"
The mountain breeze was cool, and Yun Yang's breathing became rapid. Listening to him casually recount his battle with King Hui, she could imagine how dangerous it had been. He had gone to King Hui's camp all alone!
If something happened to him, where would she go to find him if there was no one to collect his body?
Yun Yang had her back to him, her thin shoulders trembling slightly, and her tone was slightly cold, "I'm not angry."
"It was my fault that I left you in the Nanzhao Palace." He pursed his lips and admitted his mistake. Wrong is wrong, no matter what the starting point was. "I'm sorry."
"You go first. You promised Lord Wen and the others that you would return within five days. This is the deadline. My sister is so weak and has been tortured by that priest many times. It is not convenient for her to travel so fast under the stars. Go ahead and we will catch up later." Yun Yang said as they walked, "You go now."
Xue Yu followed and said, "Okay."
Yun Yang didn't say anything more and walked quickly towards the carriage. The next moment, his wrist was grabbed by him and he pulled her into his arms.
His breathing was unstable, his face pressed against her slightly cold cheek, and then he opened his cloak and pulled her into his arms, wrapping her tightly and completely.
Yun Yang narrowed his eyes slightly as a familiar breath hit him, but he still wanted to struggle, twisting in Xue Yu's arms.
"Don't move. Let me hold you for a while. It's cold." Xue Yu buried his face in Yun Yang's hair and whispered, "Just hold you for a while, then I'll leave."
She couldn't help but hug him too, drawing circles on his strong waist and abdomen with her fingers. He trembled slightly and lowered his head for a kiss, but Yun Yang turned his head away.
"Don't touch me." She said in a bad tone, "If you touch me again, I'll run away with my sister and never come back!"
"You dare." He gritted his teeth and said, "Bad girl, Yangyang, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing, I don't want to listen to you, just go away." She said sullenly.
He gently stroked her back and coaxed her like he was comforting a child, "If anything happened, or if someone made you unhappy, tell me."
She snorted softly, said nothing, and just pinched his waist.
How should I put it? Could it be that you, old thief Xue Yu, did something to me without my permission when we had sex?
Thinking of this, she was furious. She stood on tiptoe, ripped open his collar, and bit him hard on that familiar spot. Her arms wrapped around his neck like vines and refused to let go. "You bad guy, you are so bad. You look like a gentleman on the surface, but you are not. You are just a hypocritical hypocrite..."
There was a sharp pain in the collarbone, followed by a faint, bone-eroding itch.
She was like a little beast, licking it carefully after biting it, and he was her prey, helpless and helpless at her mercy...
His breathing was a little disordered. He was driven to the point of wanting more than he could stop. His ears were red and he suppressed his breath in confusion. "Do you miss me?"
Yun Yang bit his collarbone hard again, then pushed his chest hard with her fingertips and turned away.
Xue Yu endured the pain and felt quite helpless. After a moment, he chased after her and lifted the car curtain. He saw her looking at him indifferently and pointing at the sleeping Yun Jia as a warning, meaning that he was not allowed to speak anymore.
Xue Yu took a deep breath, lowered the curtain, gave the young man some instructions, then lifted his robe and mounted the horse.
*
There is little sunlight in Shu in winter. After leaving the ancient post road, we returned to the Wudu River. There was a thin cloud of mist and the air was filled with moisture, making even clothes wet.
After the Banpo camp, which was once filled with soldiers and armor, was suddenly attacked and burned down, it was rebuilt on the ruins. King Hui's army stayed here and took in the people who were left homeless by the war.
"Auntie, this is just ordinary benzoin, used to calm the nerves. It's not a poison. You've misunderstood this sister." A woman's clear voice echoed in the cold wind. "This sister must have seen that you always toss and turn at night, so she gave you benzoin to help you sleep."
"Oh, is that so? Oh, young lady, I was wrong about you..." The wary old lady revealed a look of relief, and then said to Yun Yang, "Thank you, little girl. Otherwise, I would have really taken your kindness for granted."
More and more people fled the war, and after Shuzhou City fell, many fled. However, due to the shock of death, even though they were in the same camp, everyone still looked out for each other and was even wary. Only this girl with her sickly sister was enthusiastic and lively, helping the refugees to the best of her ability, and won her a lot of favor.
"It's okay, no need to thank me. It was you who helped my sister yesterday." Yun Yang laughed out loud, "We should help each other."
Her tired voice was full of vitality, which lifted the spirits of the listless refugees beside her. Yes, they were already displaced, and it was fate that they could gather together, so why should they be suspicious of each other?
King Hui's army is unstoppable and will surely kill the rebels soon, allowing them to return home.
It doesn't make much difference to the common people who becomes the emperor. What matters most is that they can be free from war and live and work in peace.
Because Yunjia hadn't walked for a long time, his calves were swollen at night when he walked a little these days.
Yun Yang knew that her sister was not sick, but had suffered physical and mental torture in the past two years.
Although my sister used to be quiet, she wasn't this listless. She often stared blankly, and when Yun Yang called her, she was always slow to respond, her eyes hollow, as if she was lost in thought.
It was late at night. A candle was lit in the small tent, the flame flickering and the warmth lingering in the cold night. Yun Yang carefully tucked the corner of the quilt for his sleeping sister. His fingertips accidentally touched his sister's bony collarbone. The snow-white flesh was only a thin layer covering it. Yun Yang's heart tightened instantly, and his chest felt unspeakably stuffy.
How did my sister get tortured into this state? [Taxue Exclusive]...
At that time in the high tower, she could hardly believe her eyes. The skinny person in front of her, wrapped in a complicated divine robe, turned out to be her sister whom she had been looking for. Just as she was about to get closer, she was slapped back by the tall man.
She didn't even see how the other party attacked, nor did she see what weapon the other party had, before she fell heavily to the ground.
Later, she used all her life's knowledge, but every move she made was always easily broken down by the opponent. Yun Yang knew in her heart that if the priest of the gods had not nodded, she would not have been able to take her sister Yun Jia away.
With such a huge disparity in power, it would be a fantasy for her to avenge her sister. Xue Yu's trip to Nanzhao was to seek reinforcements, so even if she wanted to use the power of the enemy to bully others, it was not the right time, so she had to leave in disgrace.
But now, looking at his sister's pale face, Yun Yang felt angry and helpless, and for the first time he felt a desire for strength and power.
I really want to destroy Nanzhao and kill that damn priest, only then can I get rid of the hatred in my heart!
After drinking the calming soup, Yun Jia slept more soundly, and his frown relaxed.
The small clay stove was burning brightly, and there was a faint warmth in the tent. Yun Yang covered his heart, which was aching dully from worrying about his sister, and lay on his sister like a little animal, extremely dependent.
Fortunately, she found her sister. After things here were settled and the roads were open, she took her sister back to enjoy life.
Suddenly there was a loud noise, and Yun Yang hurriedly covered her sister's ears. Fortunately, Yun Jia just frowned and fell asleep again.
Yun Yang got up quietly and ran out on tiptoe. She saw a lot of people gathered not far from their tent. They were standing on tiptoe or stepping on stones to look at the Shuzhou City where flames were rising into the sky.
"Is this a fire attack? We're about to break through. His Royal Highness Prince Hui has swept away the traitors and rebels. He truly came at the right time to save us from this dire situation..."
"I heard that if we can break through the rebels' last defenses tonight, we'll win. The fire attack method seems to have been devised by the counselor close to His Royal Highness the King."
"What kind of counselor? He's actually a high-ranking official sent by the emperor. He's said to be from an aristocratic family."
"Aristocratic family? Just like the Zhang family in our city, what good ideas can they come up with?"
"This family is not like that. The Xue family is a family of scholars that has been cultivated for generations. Each generation has been selected through the imperial examinations. They are not a family of aristocrats or local tyrants. They are the true essence of scholars." A young man with a scholarly appearance explained, "Although Lord Xue is a scholar, he is not the nerd you think. He is in the city right now. We will definitely win this battle."
"There are still many people who haven't come out. What should we do after the fire attack..." someone else said worriedly.
After Yun Yang settled his sister down, he asked the aunt who worked during the day to help keep an eye on her, then he picked up his spear and headed towards Shuzhou City.
She had been in Shu for two or three days, and she had not thought of going into the city to find Xue Yu, because she did not want to delay his business. Moreover, the war was at a stalemate at this time, and he could not take care of her. She was not a young child who needed care, so she stayed in the camp with her sister.
To say she wasn't worried would be a lie. From the words of the refugees over the past few days, she had gotten a glimpse of the danger of the battle in the city.
Since this is the last battle, she wants to go and take a look, at least for a moment, and she can't let him get into any trouble.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com