65 Enter the game
He wanted her to abandon her family and husband.
"Have you gotten any news?" Wei Ziyan had been waiting anxiously, every moment a torture. Now that she finally saw her father arrive as promised, it was like a savior.
However, the more she listened to her father's words, the more frightened she became.
Lord Yu had betrayed his country, and his token of loyalty was the head of the Second Young Master Wu. Minister Wu wouldn't even exile him; he was going to execute him later! Wouldn't Yan Qizheng and his father be equally doomed?
"How are they now?" Wei Ziyan asked hurriedly, but saw her father shaking his head.
"It is said that Qi Zheng was tortured last night and was seriously injured..."
This was the news Wei Jizhi had finally managed to extract from someone in the Ministry of Justice after much trouble. He hadn't spoken to his wife directly about it earlier, and if his daughter hadn't pressed him, he wouldn't have bothered to tell her, lest she feel uncomfortable hearing it.
"Yan'er..."
Seeing his daughter biting her lips tightly and not saying a word, Wei Jizhi was also heartbroken.
"Dad really can't think of a way to save them, nor can he save the Yan family... The only one Dad can save is you..."
"Save me?" Wei Ziyan was stunned.
Wei Jizhi then told him what the King of Liao had said to him alone after the court was dismissed.
"If you and Qi Zheng are no longer husband and wife, you will no longer have any connection with the Yan family. Perhaps... the King of Liao will let you go."
Wei Ziyan understood that her father meant for her to abandon the Yan family and live alone!
"Dad..." Wei Ziyan shook her head, tears in her eyes.
How could she do this? How could she abandon Yan Qizheng at this moment and not care about his life or death?
"I want to save him..."
Wei Jizhi sighed heavily and took out the anonymous letter.
"Today, I tried to plead for mercy in the palace, but the King of Liao flatly rejected my request. Later, someone quietly handed me this letter. I suspect someone in the palace knows the truth and is kindly warning me. I'm afraid that these two, father and son..."
Seeing his daughter crying while holding the letter, Wei Jizhi paused.
"Yan'er..."
Tears dripped onto the words, spreading out. Wei Ziyan murmured, "It's him..."
This is the handwriting of Yan Qizhen.
"Not many, just sixteen."
"I'll fold another one for your birthday next year. And every year on your birthday from now on, I'll fold one for you."
Wei Ziyan stared at the rat-like "辶" below the "兆" on the letter. Who else besides Yan Qizheng would deliberately write like this? He was trying to tell her that he had written it.
He wants her to escape...
The light was on in the dim study. Wei Ziyan sat there from dawn to dusk, and the ink on the divorce letter beside her had already dried.
"Let's part ways and live happily ever after."
What was his mood when he wrote those eight words last time? Did he know what was her mood when she wrote those eight words today?
Wei Ziyan closed her eyes, forcing herself not to think. She couldn't think, because the moment she did, tears would automatically fall. Her face would wet and dry, dry and wet, over and over again.
But even if she cried all her tears, she couldn't save him. Wei Ziyan wiped her face for the last time, folded the divorce papers, and left the study...
The Yan family was struck by disaster, and the old lady could not bear it. She sweated profusely at night, felt confused, and had several nightmares. After dawn, the servant was ordered to go and get a doctor, but the soldiers guarding outside would not let him out.
When Madam Yan learned of this, she went to the main gate to discuss the matter with the officers and soldiers. Yan Qikuan also arrived shortly afterwards, but his persuasion proved futile and he was so angry that he threatened to take the guards with him and kill them.
The leader of the soldiers drew his sword and shouted, "We have an order from above. Anyone who trespasses will be killed without mercy!"
"I'm going to die anyway, why should I be afraid of you?"
Yan Qikuan took advantage of the situation and drew the guard's sword. He was about to rush out regardless of everything, but was stopped by a sudden voice of "Second brother".
"Sister-in-law..." He turned around and looked at the person walking towards him quickly.
Wei Ziyan rushed over upon hearing the news, fortunately arriving just in time. She shook her head at Yan Qikuan, then walked past him and faced the murderous leader.
"The elderly in my family are sick, and I am worried. I hope you can help me, sir." Wei Ziyan took out a few silver bills from her sleeve and handed them to him with a slight smile.
"The higher-ups didn't say we weren't allowed to call a doctor, did they? If the official is worried, why not send someone to accompany him?"
Seeing her generosity, the chief's expression eased a little.
"Yes, please, but not fast."
"You--" Yan Qikuan was about to explode again after hearing this, but this time it was Xu Ji who held him back.
"I have another favor to ask." Wei Ziyan suppressed the smile on her lips. "I wish to see the Fourth Prince and reminisce about the past. Please, sir, please help me inform him."
Reminiscing about the past? The officer and soldier leader was suddenly stunned.
"You, you really know the prince?"
Wei Ziyan remained calm and remained noncommittal.
"As long as the official conveys the message, he will naturally know whether it is true or not."
Those men weren't stupid; they could read people's expressions and didn't dare offend them easily when they couldn't tell the truth. Furthermore, they had received a bribe. The leader of the troops immediately sent a lackey and a servant to fetch the doctor, while he found someone who acted prudently and spoke tactfully and sent him to the palace to deliver the message.
The door closed again, and Yan Qikuan asked without hesitation: "Does my sister-in-law really know the Fourth Prince?"
"Yes." Mrs. Yan couldn't help but feel curious and even had hope.
If he could use the word "reminisce", he might have some friendship with the King of Liao, and maybe he could save the father and son.
"I met him twice many years ago," Wei Ziyan replied vaguely, "but he might not necessarily meet me."
"Oh..." The light in Mrs. Yan's eyes dimmed again.
"Mother," Wei Ziyan handed her all the remaining banknotes in her sleeve, "Please take them. We are trapped here, and I'm afraid there are many things we need to take care of."
"Where did you get so much?" Mrs. Yan asked in surprise.
"My father gave it to me yesterday."
As she spoke, Wei Ziyan warned Yan Qikuan, "Second brother, you are now the eldest in the family, so don't act rashly. You should help mother with household affairs."
"Why do you sound like you're leaving?" Mrs. Yan felt uneasy.
Wei Ziyan smiled gently, reassuring her: "What if the prince really summons me to see him?"
"Zi Yan..." Mrs. Yan looked at her at this moment and felt that she seemed like a different person.
She was calm and steady, and her negotiations with officers and soldiers were calm and wise, a stark contrast to the headstrong girl who used to be naive and prone to crying. It was as if she had grown up overnight and had taken on the responsibility of the family.
"I'm sorry, Ziyan." Madam Yan held her hand with emotion, "You shouldn't have to endure this..."
"Mother, you're being too formal. This is what a daughter-in-law should do." Wei Ziyan raised her lips slightly, "Let's go see my grandparents."
The two of them went to the other courtyard with Yan Qikuan. The old lady was half asleep, her face haggard, and Mrs. Yan was extremely worried. Fortunately, the soldiers took the money and sent for a doctor within half an hour.
After taking the old lady's pulse, he couldn't find anything seriously wrong; it was probably just excessive worry. The doctor prescribed a spleen-tonifying and qi-regulating prescription, and the servant went with him to get the medicine. This time, the soldiers at the gate didn't stop him.
Upon hearing the news, the two concubines came to the villa. Everyone was disheartened when they heard that there was still no way to save the master and the eldest son. They didn't think that an "old friend" who had only met the King of Liao twice would be of any help.
When she heard that she had to pay the soldiers for business, Ru Niang immediately took out the cash she had hidden with her. Seeing this, Hui Niang also said that she would raise some money later.
The food, clothing, and daily expenses of the hundred or so people in the mansion inevitably require going out to buy things. If I had to bribe the officers and soldiers every time, I wouldn't be able to make ends meet for a long time.
I don’t know when these days will end, but it’s better than having my property confiscated and exiled immediately.
Everyone comforts themselves in this way.
The officer who had gone to the palace to deliver the letter had been gone for a long time, but no one had returned. The officer's leader sent another person, and it wasn't until after noon that a reply came: the Fourth Prince invited Miss Wei to come over.
Not the Young Madam, but Miss Wei...
Silently savoring the name, Wei Ziyan had a premonition that hope was coming.
"Dujuan, help me tie my hair into a new bun."
"Leng Xiang, I want to wear smoky pink. Please choose one for me."
After a while, Du Juan simply fixed her hair and asked her which pearl ornament she wanted to wear. Wei Ziyan only chose a jade hairpin. Her eyebrows and lips were both light in color, a simple and elegant look would be better.
Dressed neatly, Qiu Luo's eyes were already red.
"You really want to come with me?"
Wei Ziyan asked her last, and Qiu Luo nodded firmly: "Qiu Luo will always follow the young lady."
Good girl...
Wei Ziyan's eyes were also filled with tears.
Last night she told Qiu Luo all her secrets, including that what she was about to do might cost her life, but the girl was not afraid at all.
The master and servant walked out of the house. Xu Ji was waiting in the yard and immediately ran up to them: "Young Madam, can you take me with you? I want to help as well."
Wei Ziyan smiled at him: "I know you miss the eldest master, why are you so anxious? There will be a time for you to help him in the future."
"Then..." She raised her hand and pointed at the flowers in the courtyard, "You should take good care of the garden with Aunt Lengxiang and the others first. Don't wait until the eldest young master returns and find it dilapidated and withered, making it unsightly."
When Xu Ji heard her words, he seemed to be certain that the eldest young master would come back, and his eyes became hot with excitement.
"Don't worry, Madam. Xu Ji will definitely take good care of the yard!"
"good."
Wei Ziyan's smiling gaze passed over Xu Ji, and finally the garden came into her mind, along with the two bare jujube trees. Perhaps, she wouldn't see them bloom and bear fruit next year...
Outside the gate, the carriage sent by the palace had been waiting for a long time.
Wei Ziyan said goodbye to Madam Yan and was about to go out with Qiu Luo and get in the car when Qi Zhu quietly caught up with them: "Sister-in-law...if possible, don't forget to mention Lord Yu to the Fourth Prince, okay?"
The first time she begged in a low voice, it was for that man.
Wei Ziyan looked at Qizhu's panicked and cautious face, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately did not tell him about Lord Yu's betrayal.
"Okay." She responded, and turned and left when Qizhu showed a hint of relief.
The carriage went directly to the Prince of Liao's Mansion. Under the guidance of a man who looked like a butler, Wei Ziyan and Qiu Luo entered the mansion and were placed in a side hall.
"The prince has not returned yet. Please wait here and do not move around."
The man then instructed the two maids to take good care of the place, then left, closing the door. One of the maids was about to pour tea, but seeing Qiu Luo had already done it, she quietly stood back a few steps away from them.
Qiu Luo felt uncomfortable and murmured that it would be better not to look after her. Wei Ziyan asked her to sit down and drink tea to calm her mind, while she closed her eyes and carefully thought about how to deal with the next step.
Yu Sugong betrayed the country overnight, and Minister Wu was sentenced to death, and the Wu family was confiscated and exiled. However, Yan Qizheng and his father were left awaiting their fate, and the Yan Mansion was only temporarily sealed off, as it seemed the King of Liao had not yet decided how to deal with the Yan family.
He tortured Yan Qizheng in prison, either because of the Crown Prince or because he had angered him. However, the Liao King used the same method to deal with Wu Shangshu, but he didn't kill him immediately, which shows that he still had some use for himself.
Wei Ziyan thought about it and felt that the King of Liao was very likely to use Yan Qizhen to take revenge on her.
He deliberately criticized her father alone after the court was dismissed. His words "A man who knows the times is a hero" might have been said intentionally for her to hear - he wanted her to abandon her husband and family.
On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, the King of Liao had already intended to kill her, so Wei Ziyan naturally didn't expect him to be obsessed with her. The King of Liao's actions were more like a king who was in control of the situation, looking down on those who allowed him to manipulate them.
However, no matter what his true intentions were, for her, this was an opportunity that she could take advantage of.
The only time.
Time passed extremely slowly, as if wearing away one's patience. The light outside the house turned from bright to dark, and by the time the maid lit the lamp, Wei Ziyan had been left here for two hours.
Perhaps he was deliberately trying to embarrass her, or perhaps he was trying to force her to lose her composure. She clenched her fingers, silently reminding herself to remain calm and not panic. She also kept telling herself that the person she wanted to see wasn't the powerful and ruthless King of Liao, but Brother Zhao, a commoner who had saved her twice...
"She didn't say anything?"
"No, I just sat quietly."
In the study, Li Youxi listened to the military advisor's report on the commotion in the side hall. Her eyes, lowered, were a deep, dark expression. To go to such lengths for her husband, she truly loved him deeply.
"Your Highness," He Yingqing asked in a low voice, "Look..."
"Bring the person here."
"……yes."
He Yingqing took the order and went out, becoming more and more curious about the prince's intentions towards the woman.
Initially, he thought the prince was obsessed with her and was determined to get her because she had returned to the capital early. However, after returning to the capital, the prince did nothing but send people to secretly monitor her, and even nearly killed the woman at the palace banquet that night.
Today, she came to seek an audience, and the prince ordered her to be taken to his private residence rather than the palace. This move was quite intriguing. However, the prince had already returned from the palace and deliberately left her aside, as if he had other motives than he thought...
"Young Madam, the prince invites you."
After pondering for a while, He Yingqing arrived at the side hall. He saw that the woman did not complain to him at all. She walked towards him like a willow in the wind and smiled at him.
"Thank you, Military Advisor, for leading the way."
When she smiled, her eyes were bright and shining, which covered up the haggardness on her face, and she was indeed quite pretty.
"The prince only said to invite the young lady over." Seeing that she wanted to take the maid with her, He Yingqing reminded her.
"I am scared to go see the prince, and it is inconvenient for me to walk. I hope you can allow me to bring my maid with me." Wei Ziyan explained with a faint smile, holding Qiu Luo beside her more tightly.
Seeing this, He Yingqing thought that the prince would have his say when he got back, so he said no more and let the two of them support him as he went to the study.
The master and servant supported each other, each holding onto a firm grip. Wei Ziyan knew Qiu Luo was just as scared and nervous as she was, and they could only draw support from each other.
The road to the study leads to the inner courtyard. Wei Ziyan's heart was beating fast as she secretly noted down the route.
"Your Majesty, the person has been brought here."
The military advisor finally led them into a secluded courtyard and stopped at the door of the central room. Wei Ziyan held her breath, lowered her head, walked in, and bowed to the Liao King who was sitting behind the desk.
"This humble woman pays homage to the Fourth Prince."
The pink figure caught his eye and instantly overlapped with the figure in Li Youxi's memory - the second time they met, she was wearing a riding suit of the same color.
Her hair was tied into a ponytail, neat and clean. She spoke to him in a light tone and with a soft, crisp laugh, revealing the lively and agile spirit of a young girl.
But now, she wore her hair in a bun, called herself a "common woman" to him, and deliberately appeared in front of him in this outfit. Li Youxi was furious when he saw that she was plotting against him.
With a "bang", the brush in his hand was thrown heavily onto the table.
"You still have the nerve to come see this king?"
Wei Ziyan was startled by the sound, and fearing that she would say something wrong and ruin all her efforts, she dropped to the ground, saying nothing. Qiu Luo also reacted quickly, kneeling down immediately after.
"I'm asking you a question!"
Another deep shout was heard. Wei Ziyan bit her lip and raised her head, saying, "The prince concealed his identity from me. I haven't heard from him since we parted ways. I don't know where to start looking for him."
"You mean it's my fault?"
"I'm just stating the truth..." Wei Ziyan's eyes welled up as she sobbed. "If I'd known it was the prince, I wouldn't have married anyone else..."
"But the prince didn't ask any questions and wanted to kill me as soon as we met..."
Li Youxi looked at her coldly as she pretended to be nice.
If you don't know that she has already been engaged to her childhood sweetheart, you will probably be fooled by her pretentious words.
"If you knew it was this prince, you would not marry your fiancé?"
"yes."
"Ha," Li Youxi scoffed. He picked up a dagger nearby and walked around the desk to her.
"Do you think I'm not in the capital and I know nothing about this?" The sharp blade, gleaming with a cold light, pressed mercilessly against the fragile and pale throat.
"Do you want me to tell you everything you did for him?"
The sharp blade pierced into the flesh with a slight force, and the sharp pain made Wei Ziyan cry out in pain.
"Miss—" Qiu Luo screamed, begging for mercy: "Your Highness, please have mercy! I have not betrayed you! I cannot forget you, and have always remained chaste for you. I am not actually married to Master Yan."
The vicious look on Li Youxi's face suddenly froze and he stopped what he was doing.
"What do you mean?"
"Miss--"
"I didn't ask you!" Li Youxi stopped her, lifting Wei Ziyan's chin with the dagger in his hand. "You tell me yourself."
"Your Highness only knows one side of the story..." Wei Ziyan held back tears as she met his sharp gaze. "I did what I did because I couldn't forget Your Highness and didn't want to marry anyone else."
"The prince said he would be back in three to five years. In order to wait for him, I had no choice but to lie to Yan Qizheng and tell him I would marry him, because he didn't want to marry me at all."
"I pretended to like him, pestered him, made him hate me, and dragged out my engagement with him so that my family wouldn't arrange for me to marry someone else. But later, by chance, I saved Yan Qizheng's life, and he married me out of gratitude..."
Thinking of Yan Qizhen who was being tortured in prison at this time, Wei Ziyan's tears became more and more violent.
"He knew I had someone else in my heart, so even though we were married, he never forced me... He promised to cover it up for me, saying that one day when my beloved returned, he would be willing to divorce me and set me free..."
Wei Ziyan took out the folded paper from her arms and presented it to the King of Liao with trembling hands.
"Only when I met the prince at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet did I realize that the brother Zhao in my heart was the prince... Although the prince wanted to kill me, I didn't want to die unjustly..."
Li Youxi listened to her sobbing and unfolded the folded paper in his hand. When the three words "divorce letter" came into his sight, his eyelids twitched suddenly.
"Do you know the consequences of deceiving this king?"
"If Your Majesty doesn't believe it, you can ask your mother-in-law to verify it."
His gaze fixed on her tear-stained face for a few moments, Li Youxu stood up and called out to the door, "Someone come." Military Advisor He, who had been waiting respectfully, immediately lifted the door curtain and walked in, "What are your instructions, Your Highness?"
"Go find a mother-in-law."
"……yes."
"Wait, call the doctor as well."
"yes."
Wei Ziyan was taken to a warm room, where she lay limp on the bed. Qiu Luo stayed by her side, wiping away the tears and the cold sweat from her face with a handkerchief.
The doctor had already treated the dagger wound and wrapped a bandage around Wei Ziyan's neck. Although the stab wound wasn't deep, it still made her pale with pain.
Qiu Luo wiped her tears as she did so, still feeling extremely scared.
That ruthless man, like the King of Hell, had nearly killed the young lady just now. Even if she managed to escape today, she would still have to deal with him in the future, and she would have to live in fear every day.
And the humiliation of being examined...
Qiu Luo couldn't help sobbing. Wei Ziyan glanced at her sideways, held her hand, took the handkerchief, and raised her hand to wipe Qiu Luo's tears.
"Don't cry...it's okay..."
There were other maids in the room, so the master and servant couldn't say much, only using their eyes to comfort her. Not long after, the servants brought the hired maid in, and Qiu Luo was driven out of the warm room.
After waiting for more than half an hour, the grandmother came out and Qiu Luo was able to go in again to help the young lady get dressed.
"Your Highness, the girl is a virgin." Outside the house, the mother-in-law reported the result to the host.
"Sure?"
"I've been testing for twenty years and never made a mistake."
Li Youxi gestured to Military Advisor He, who then led the woman to claim the reward. Li Youxi placed his hands on his hips, looked up to the sky, let out a sigh, and blinked a few times.
After a while, Li Youxu suppressed the complicated emotions in his heart, turned around and walked into the warm room, but saw the master and servant prostrating themselves on the ground with their heads bowed.
"What are you doing?" Li Youxu stepped forward and stretched out his hand to help the man up.
"Your Highness..." Wei Ziyan raised her face, her pair of red eyes shining with resentment and grievance.
"Okay, I didn't say I don't believe you."
This time he was much more amiable, but she still stubbornly knelt on the ground.
"If you have any grievances, get up and tell me."
"I dare not."
I dare not...
Li Youxu couldn't tell whether she was truly afraid or just being stubborn. But he was in a good mood and didn't argue with her.
He exerted force with his hands, pulled her up, and pressed her to sit on the bed. She had already knelt in the study until her legs were weak, and she was still kneeling? Li Youxu's eyes fell on her neck: "Does it hurt?"
"Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty."
Responding to his hesitant tone, Li Youxu snorted a smile: "Are you blaming me?"
Wei Ziyan bit her lip and said nothing, and he lifted her chin.
"say."
"I am afraid to say things that Your Highness will not like to hear." Wei Ziyan raised her eyes and met his gaze with a playful smile.
"explain."
"I dare to ask Your Majesty to show mercy and spare all the members of the Yan family."
As soon as the words fell, Li Youxu's face suddenly fell.
"You really are here to plead for him!"
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