But Xue Shu didn't expect that day would come so soon.
Yin Chengyu's health was damaged in his early years in the imperial mausoleum, and he later suffered several assassination attempts, which made his health deteriorate. Within three years of ascending the throne, he was exhausted and seriously ill. He traveled around the world, looking for famous doctors and rare medicines, but he still couldn't be cured.
Those mediocre doctors always sighed and said: It's my incompetence.
It seemed as if they would never say anything else except this sentence.
Xue Shu refused to believe in fate.
He fought with King Yan for his life, hoping to keep the person by his side.
But Yin Chengyu was like the quicksand that he was desperately trying to hold in his hand. The tighter he held it, the faster it flowed away.
He could only watch Yin Chengyu grow weaker and thinner. His originally pale skin was almost bloodless, and he could even see protruding blue veins on his exposed neck. When he lay on the wide dragon bed, he only took up a small space, like a fragile glass doll.
He can neither be taken lightly nor taken seriously. He can neither be given up nor kept.
In the emperor's bedroom, the smell of medicine lingered all day long.
Yin Chengyu always drank the dark bitter medicine sent by the imperial physician without changing his expression. Although he was so pale and fragile, his bones were stronger than anyone else.
He tried hard to live, but he was never afraid of death.
Even in the final days, he calmly arranged all the arrangements for Yin Chengyue's future.
However, Xue Shu had already known his own fate and was ready to be buried alive with him.
He is the biggest threat to Yin Chengyue's throne. If Yin Chengyu can't survive, he will also have to die.
fine.
In the past, when Yin Chengyu was angry, he would scold him for being disobedient, but this time, he just gave in to his wishes. This short time was earned by him with great difficulty, and now they could die together, which was a happy ending.
He never thought about living alone.
But how cruel was Yin Chengyu? They were already separated in life, and he even refused to give him the chance to be buried together in death.
Just because of his last words, Yin Chengyue and the country of Dayan both weighed heavily on his shoulders.
He wanted to follow her, but he was afraid that he would be disappointed when they met in the underworld.
The old friend is gone forever, and the past has turned to ashes. There is no way back after him. The traveler with no place to return to can only carry the expectations and entrustment of the deceased and continue to move forward.
From then on, life and death, honor and disgrace, had nothing to do with him anymore.
…
Xue Shu broke free from his great grief and stared blankly at the ceiling above his head, his eyes unfocused.
After lying quietly for a long time, he finally moved.
Ignoring the pain from the wound on his back, he got off the bed and searched aimlessly in the tent.
There was no mirror in the tent, only a basin of water.
He stood by the basin, looking down at his reflection in the water.
The face reflected in the water is young and tender, untouched by the wind and frost. Only the eyes are dark and gloomy, full of wind and snow.
He stared silently for a long time, his past and present lives rushing through his mind. Finally, the wind and snow stopped, and everything returned to silence, frozen on that unforgettable face.
That youthful liveliness is what he longed for day and night in the next five years, but he could never see it again.
Xue Shu closed his eyes and recalled the coldness of the ice coffin in the underground palace. That bone-chilling coldness chilled his lungs and made him unforgettable.
He was a little afraid of the cold, so he pulled his clothes tight and reached out to touch the water.
The water surface shook, ripples appeared, and the face reflected on it became blurred.
Xue Shu stared at her without blinking, and suddenly he felt a huge fear in his heart, afraid that all this was just his imagination caused by his crazy longing.
He was eager to meet Yin Chengyu and confirm the authenticity of everything he saw.
He hurried out without even putting on his coat. The night watchman was awakened and rushed forward to stop him, but he was pinned to the spot with one sentence: "Shut up and don't call anyone."
The child looked at him in fear and stepped back.
Before leaving the house, Xue Shu glanced at the medicine box placed beside the little boy, which was filled with medicines for treating his injuries.
He stopped in front of the medicine box and searched for a while. When he found what he wanted, he strode out.
It was already three o'clock in the morning, and even the soldiers who were rushing to search for the injured had rested. In the entire camp, except for a few bonfires that had burned to the end, only the patrolling soldiers had not rested.
Xue Shu avoided the patrolling soldiers and found the main camp where Yin Chengyu was.
He lurked in the darkness, created some noise to lure away the guards at the door, and then sneaked in quietly.
There was only one eunuch on duty in the main account room, and he was already asleep on the couch. Xue Shu approached quietly, pressed his finger on the vein in his neck for a moment, and the eunuch passed out.
He stayed there for a while before moving step by step towards the bed behind the screen.
The person on the bed was sleeping soundly.
When Xue Shu stood beside the couch, he was still unaware. He slept in a very upright position, with his hands folded on his abdomen, his long hair disheveled and spread out on the pillow, making his cheeks look small and pointed.
If all people in the world were created by Nuwa, then he must be the one Nuwa loves the most.
Xue Shu looked at him greedily, his eyes lingering from his trembling eyelashes to his plump, full lips.
There is no place that is not fresh.
His eyes were filled with tears, and he touched his cheek with trembling fingers. When he felt the warm body temperature, he could no longer hold back and buried his face in his neck, greedily absorbing his scent.
The person in deep sleep seemed to be aware of something, his brows slightly furrowed, and his eyeballs moved under his thin eyelids, as if he was about to wake up in the next moment.
Xue Shu raised his head and looked at him for a long time with unclear eyes. Finally, before he woke up, he covered his face with a handkerchief he found in the medicine box.
This handkerchief had been soaked in Ma Fei San. The medicinal power was not very strong, but it was enough to make a person continue to fall into a coma.
The trembling eyelashes calmed down again, and Yin Chengyu fell asleep peacefully with long breathing.
Xue Shu put away the handkerchief, took off his shoes, got on the couch, positioned him so that they were facing each other, and held him tightly in his arms.
He vented his thoughts without restraint.
From his tightly closed eyes, straight nose, to his plump lips...no part was left out.
He kissed her fiercely and wantonly, yet was careful not to leave any marks.
Five years have passed, and the dream lasted only a moment in the real world. To others, it may just be a long dream, and when they wake up from the dream, they have an unpleasant memory.
But for him, he spent his entire life trapped in a dream, exhausting all his love and hate.
He and Yin Chengyu have been separated for five years.
During those five years, he lived a torment every day, with no one to complain to about his hardships.
He followed Yin Chengyu's will, assisted the young emperor, expanded the territory, and created a prosperous era for Dayan.
He does not form any clique or engage in personal gain; he does not fight for power or profit.
From a treacherous villain with blood on his hands, he became a highly praised loyal minister. He retracted his fangs and lived the way Yin Chengyu expected.
Everyone said that he had changed, and that the late emperor had a sharp eye and was not wrong about him.
No one knew that after Yin Chengyu left, he couldn't sleep at night and missed her like crazy.
He did not believe in gods or Buddhas before, but after Yin Chengyu passed away, he could only find a moment of peace when he chanted the mantra for rebirth.
He sought Buddhism and the Way, built many Buddhist temples and Taoist monasteries, and summoned eminent monks and Taoists from all over the world to chant sutras and pray for Yin Chengyu.
But I never dared to hope for the afterlife.
When the body dies and the soul is destroyed, is there any afterlife?
I can only rely on memories to prolong my life.
Yin Chengyue once scolded him and said he had gone crazy.
Actually, that’s true.
It is always easier to be crazy than to live soberly, and it is always better than to tell yourself every moment that the person is gone.
That feeling is too painful.
It's like cutting out a piece of flesh from my heart.
Just recalling it, Xue Shu's body began to tremble slightly in pain.
He hugged Yin Chengyu tightly, gasping for breath like a fish out of water, trying hard to absorb warmth from him. He held Yin Chengyu's hand tightly, put his fingers in his mouth, and restrainedly rubbed them with his teeth.
I could not help but tremble all over.
Every wailing soul was clamoring to possess him, to possess him as it had before.
It viciously swallowed his flesh and blood into its stomach, and the two became one, so that it would no longer suffer the pain of loss.
However, in the end, he didn't even leave the slightest trace on Yin Chengyu.
He held her in his arms and kissed her for a long time. Only when there was a little light outside did he stand up with a calm look.
She gently wiped the water stains on his face and hands, tidied his messy hair, adjusted his sleeping position to its original state, and covered him with the quilt.
Everything is the same as before.
Finally, he leaned over and put his forehead against Yin Chengyu's. After a long while, he stood up and left.
Xue Shu had been out for a long time and had not returned yet. The child guarding the tent was getting very anxious.
I finally waited for him to come back and went to greet him eagerly, but was frightened by his gloomy expression. I stopped in fear, looking at him hesitantly as if wanting to say something.
Xue Shu glanced at him, his expression gloomy: "Don't mention what happened tonight."
The little boy nodded in agreement.
Seeing the red gauze on his back, he said with fear: "The wound on the eunuch's back may have broken open. We need to change the bandage and rebandage it..." Perhaps because he was afraid that Xue Shu would not agree, he hurriedly mentioned the crown prince: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince specifically instructed us to take good care of the eunuch and not make any mistakes."
Xue Shu's steps were steady, the frost and snow in his eyes melted away, revealing a hint of tenderness.
He looked at the child and his tone softened: "Go get the medicine." He paused and said, "And find a mirror."
The child didn't know what he needed the mirror for and didn't dare to ask. He just searched around and finally found a bronze mirror.
Xue Shu sat at the table, and a little boy was behind him tending to his broken wounds.
The bronze mirror stood right in front of Xue Shu.
Xue Shu looked at the mirror, and the person in the mirror was also looking at him.
All of them had gloomy faces.
He stared at the mirror for a long moment before trying to adjust his expression.
At this age, there were no deep wrinkles between his brows yet. His habitually furrowed brows relaxed, and the furrowed brows in his eyes disappeared. He was the same as before.
He curled his lips slowly. The young man in the mirror was full of vigor and vitality, which must be the look that Yin Chengyu liked.
The boy reapplied medicine and changed the bandage for him, then left.
Xue Shu practiced in front of the mirror at the table for a long time and finally got rid of the shadow of his past life.
He pulled the green jade ring out from his lapel, rubbed it with his fingertips for a while, then bent down and kissed it.
He should be whatever His Highness likes his appearance.
The author has something to say:
Gou Gou: I have all the looks that Your Highness likes.