“Yuan’er is, after all, the Emperor’s personal appointed companion, and should do his duty before the Sixth Prince finishes his studies at the age of 14.”
An Huaishou had actually anticipated this answer. He just clung to the hope that his sister would change her mind.
"No regrets? You're really willing to gamble your youth on a man with an eccentric personality and deep cunning?"
An Yuan'er smiled and said, "Brother, my relationship with him isn't a game. I used to think that I was the one accompanying him. But now I feel that he's the one who's being understanding of me. Choosing him did require overcoming a lot of fear, but I don't regret it. Because I'm happy with him."
When the girl spoke of Yi Chenli, her eyes sparkled as if starlight was shining; it was a joy that emanated from her very being.
The older brother was overwhelmed with mixed feelings, and a chill ran through him from the bottom of his heart.
"Yuan'er, you have feelings for him..."
An Yuan'er said frankly, "He is Yuan'er's best friend."
"Friend... friend," the older brother murmured to himself.
When are you leaving?
"We'll leave tomorrow. It's been over a year, Yuan'er has been delayed for too long."
The older brother pulled An Yuan'er back. He didn't stop his sister's decision, but suddenly said seriously, "Yuan'er, you must protect yourself. Never..."
"What?" An Yuan'er's eyes were misty, not knowing what her brother was talking about.
An Huaishou was naive and innocent, still very young, and didn't know how to warn her to be careful of a man who had been eyeing her for a long time.
"Brother, don't worry about Yuan'er. Yuan'er can take care of herself."
After An Yuan'er finished speaking, she waved to An Hui and went back to her room.
An Huai looked forlornly at Yuan'er's retreating figure, muttering to himself, "Yuan'er, are you really just a friend? I'm worried..."
The youthful friendship has long since transformed into another kind of hazy, innocent emotion with the passage of time. However, those involved are often blinded by their own feelings and deeply immersed in the situation, perhaps unaware of it.
*
Time flies, and two years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Inside Chenyang Palace, all was calm, but outside, the struggle for the crown prince had already turned into a bloody battle.
The most fiercely competing were the eldest son, Yi Chenxuan, and the fifth prince, Yi Chenqi, who were backed by Consort Li and the Empress, respectively.
The emperor was undecided, and officials in the court who supported the two camps engaged in a heated debate for countless rounds, but the emperor did not show any inclination.
After An Yuan'er improved her skills in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, she lost interest in them. She spent her days in Yi Chenli's study, researching medicinal herbs for treating leg ailments.
An Yuan'er inquired with Li Gui and learned that Yi Chenli's legs were intact, but he lost sensation below the thighs after being crushed by a stone.
When Yi Chenli was young, he had consulted famous doctors in Shengjing, but all the doctors concluded that the meridians in his legs were completely severed and that even a god could not save him.
From then on, Yi Chenli never saw a doctor again, and his leg ailment became a taboo topic in Chenyang Palace, with no one daring to mention it.
Even Yi Chenli himself has accepted his fate, let alone the others.
But—
There are always special people.
An Yuan'er studied ancient books, and one of the rare ancient books recorded that the Lan family, a family of medical saints, was good at treating hand and leg disabilities. The book also recorded a case in detail that was similar to Yi Chenli. Yi Chenli had been unable to move his legs since childhood, but under the treatment of the Lan family, his meridians were restored and he was given a new life.
This discovery delighted An Yuan'er for a long time; she was willing to try anything as long as there was even the slightest hope.
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