66 Farewell
◎The young lady is dead◎
"You have deep feelings for him!" Li Youxu turned away from her unhappily, and the moment he turned around, the corner of his clothes was grabbed tightly.
"Your Highness, it's not that I have feelings for him..." Wei Ziyan held him back and explained hurriedly, "If I had feelings for him, why would I still be a virgin? It's just that he saved my life, Your Highness, you should know that."
Guanyun Villa, hunting her and Liu Yuer.
She was nearly stabbed to death in a street robbery.
Thinking of the good things Fang Jikai had done, Li Youxu slowly turned his head.
"You want me to spare the Yan family. Why do you think you can influence my decision?"
"I dare not have any delusions, but I just have a little obsession in my heart..." Wei Ziyan met his heavy gaze from below, "I want to see the man standing before me now, Brother Zhao, whom I still miss so much..."
"If Your Highness still has any regard for our past friendship, please spare the Yan family and spare me the shame and infamy of abandoning my husband."
"If this is my own wishful thinking, I will leave immediately and never appear before His Majesty again, causing him no trouble. Or, if His Majesty hates me deeply, then His Majesty will take my life..."
Having said this, Wei Ziyan couldn't help but burst into tears and could hardly continue.
"Alright, how many more times are you going to cry?" Li Youxi spoke again, his tone softening. "I just used the knife to scare you. If I really wanted to kill you, would you still be sitting here?"
Wei Ziyan wiped her tears sadly: "Your Highness said so, is releasing the horse also to scare me?"
Li Youxi was silent when she suddenly brought up the previous incident.
"Didn't I save you in the end?"
He spoke softly, but only realized it after he said it. Because of her question, which sounded like resentment and anger, he had the illusion that there was something awkward between lovers.
Li Youxu believed that he did not have deep feelings for her. The reason he wanted to take her life was not because of resentment for not getting what he wanted, but because of the hatred and unwillingness of being betrayed and played tricks.
However, today, knowing the misunderstanding and knowing her persistence in being with him, he was truly pleased and felt a sense of relief.
"Zhao" was the nickname given to him by his mother.
When he was little, his mother called him "Zhao'er". And back then, it was the little girl who smiled at him with her face tilted up, and the call of "Brother Zhao" touched the softest part of his heart.
She did not betray him. To him, it was not only that she kept her promise, but also that she kept the only thing that he cared about and cherished.
In the past, she didn't care about his identity and only recognized him as Brother Zhao. But from childhood to adulthood, because of his status as the son of a guilty concubine, how many people treated him so frankly and innocently?
Now, she is willing to risk her life to beg him to let the Yan family go, just as pure and kind as she was before.
She really hasn't changed.
Li Youxi stared at the woman in front of him without blinking, and couldn't help but believe what she said a little more.
"I can promise you that I won't touch the Yan Mansion for now, but if I find that the Yan family is causing trouble again, I will show no mercy!"
"I bow to thank the prince!" Wei Ziyan knelt down.
"Get up."
However, Wei Ziyan did not get up, her forehead still knocking against the ground: "Your Highness, please calm down. I still want to plead for the Wu family."
Sure enough, after these words were spoken, Li Youxi's eyebrows and eyes became fierce again.
"Wu Minglu's crimes are unforgivable and unforgivable!"
"Miss Wu and I are like sisters. She is engaged to the second son of the Yan family and should be considered a member of the Yan family. According to the law, she can be exempted from exile. I beg Your Highness to show mercy."
All of a sudden, she went from pleading for mercy in one government office to pleading for mercy in one person. Li Youxi frowned and saw through her little tricks.
However, a second young lady cannot cause any trouble, so she might as well fulfill her wish.
"I agree."
"And Young Master Wu..."
"Wei Ziyan!" Li Youxi finally shouted in a deep voice, "Don't push your luck."
"Your Highness, please calm down. I won't dare to do it again." Wei Ziyan knew when to stop.
She knew very well that it was impossible for her to save everyone, so the best she could was the one.
"One more thing..." Wei Ziyan begged again.
"The divorce agreement hasn't been signed yet, so I'm still a member of the Yan family. Therefore, I want to go to the prison right away and have Yan Qizheng sign it, so I can be free again."
"Now?" Li Youxi was surprised.
It was already dark by then.
"Yes. To prevent any further delays, I do not wish to wait any longer. I hope Your Highness will make the arrangements."
She was so eager to sever ties with the Yan family, so why wouldn't Li Youxu be unwilling? The words "common woman, common woman" sounded particularly harsh to him. Li Youxi immediately called He Yingqing and told him to prepare a carriage to go to the prison.
Less than half an hour later, Wei Ziyan and Qiu Luo got off the carriage and stood outside the prison, looking up in silence.
The people who came with them from the Liao Palace showed the prince's token, and the jailer respectfully led them in. The dark and damp air, with a strong smell of blood, made Wei Ziyan almost breathless.
The thought that Yan Qizhen's blood was mixed in here made my heart ache.
"arrive."
The jailer stopped, and Wei Ziyan also stopped, looking eagerly into the cell.
The person inside was lying on the haystack, covered in blood. Wei Ziyan was about to burst into tears, but she forced herself to hold them back.
The jailer unlocked the door, pushed open the iron gate, and motioned her in. Wei Ziyan asked Qiu Luo to wait outside and walked in alone. She walked lightly, but Yan Qi heard the sound while he was unlocking the door.
He lay drowsy with a high fever. Amidst the noise of the door opening, he seemed to hear a woman's voice, which instantly sobered him up. Yan Qi was slowly turning his head towards the source of the sound, when his blurred vision caught the glimpse of a pink skirt.
He blinked twice in disbelief. A pink figure was already walking towards him. Yan Qizheng raised his head and then struggled to get up from the haystack.
"Why are you here?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Yan Qizheng looked towards the prison door warily and lowered his voice: "I'm not asking you to leave, quickly ask your father to take you out of the capital!"
There was no surprise in his eyes, no pain of missing her, only fear for her. Wei Ziyan suppressed the bitterness in her heart and raised her lips slightly.
"I'm here to say goodbye to you." She took out a piece of letter from her sleeve, unfolded it, and held it down in front of him.
Yan Qizheng recognized the letter paper, but the words on it...
He knelt on the ground, with his face tilted up. His eyes, which had been tense for a moment, suddenly lifted up and fell on the familiar, calm face above him.
"I'll wait for you to come back."
The memory of her lingering, worried look from yesterday morning was still vivid in his mind, warming and yet piercing. He had felt guilty countless times since being imprisoned. Every time he thought of how sad she must be, of how he had implicated her, the pain in his heart was like a knife gnawing at his bones...
"You said before that you would set me free." Wei Ziyan didn't dare to guess what he was thinking at the moment, and continued calmly: "So, please put your handprint on this divorce agreement. From now on, we will part ways and have nothing to do with each other."
Yan Qizhen's eyes were still fixed on her.
"You want to use the divorce papers to beg him to save me and my father?"
This was the only reason he could think of at this moment.
Even though they weren't actually married, they were close friends, and he didn't believe she would come up with a divorce agreement for no reason. The only explanation was that she wanted to use herself in exchange.
"I would rather die than have you beg him."
"But I don't want to die!" Wei Ziyan raised her voice. "I'm not as noble as you think. Husband and wife are birds of the same forest, but when disaster strikes, they fly away separately. I don't want to die with you. While the Fourth Prince still cares about our old relationship, why can't I fight for a way out for myself?"
“…”
Yan Qizhen's eyes suddenly darkened, his face full of disbelief.
"You...you want to live with him forever?"
"It's good for both you and me."
"Hehe..." After a moment's silence, Yan Qizhen smiled coldly, supported his knee with one hand, and slowly stood up.
"Wei Ziyan, how could you... say that..."
As the last three words left his mouth, his eyes flushed crimson. Wei Ziyan gritted her teeth, her nails digging deep into her flesh, and she breathed silently.
"I hope you can help me... After all, you know I've been waiting for the prince to come back."
Yan Qi was dragging his feet and taking a step towards her, and Wei Ziyan quickly took two steps back.
"Qiu Luo——"
The conversation in the cell had already made Qiu Luo very worried, and he immediately ran in when he heard the lady calling him.
"Master Yan has an injury on his hand and is having trouble moving. Please help him."
Wei Ziyan handed her the ink pad in her palm. Qiu Luo glanced at the eldest master's face. He looked straight at the young lady, as if he didn't recognize her.
Qiu Luo bit her lip, lifted one of his fingers and pressed it on the ink pad, then quickly pressed it on the divorce agreement.
"Young Master Yan has done a good deed. Wei Ziyan will remember this in her heart. We will say goodbye now."
Wei Ziyan took the divorce papers and, without even glancing at him, turned and left the prison. Qiu Luo followed closely behind her. She walked briskly, as if the wind was blowing under her feet, but after getting on the carriage, she collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.
Miss……
Qiu Luo went forward to help her up, but Wei Ziyan grabbed Qiu Luo's hand, leaned against her and cried silently.
Sometimes, it is not love but hate that cheers people up.
Qiu Luo knew that the young lady was deliberately trying to make her son-in-law hate her. At this moment, she could only accompany the young lady and shed tears silently. However, the walls had ears, and the master and servant dared not make a sound...
"...The young lady left with such determination that the man probably hasn't recovered yet and is sitting there motionless."
The jailer finished his report and stood with his head bowed. Li Youxi gave Military Advisor He a look, who said to the jailer, "The prince has heard. You may now go and claim your reward."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
After watching the jailer leave, Military Advisor He turned to the person in the upper position and asked, "Your Majesty, are you really planning to let Yan and his son go?"
"Killing people and destroying their hearts."
A hint of coldness appeared on Li Youxu's lips. Sometimes it is boring when the knife falls too fast.
"I don't understand."
"This king wants to see how long a person who has lost all hope can linger. Pass my order to confiscate the Yan Mansion and expel everyone."
He Yingqing thought about it and realized that the prince still had a grudge against that person! Killing him would not be a relief, he wanted to see him tortured to death.
Now he was dismissed from his post, his official residence was confiscated, he lost his prince and his wife. The once high-spirited Prince Qilin became penniless overnight. It was a huge blow.
He Yingqing went to carry out the king's order. Wei Ziyan finally calmed down and took the divorce letter to see the King of Liao.
"Keep it for yourself." The red handprint on it was pleasing to the eye, and Li Youxu couldn't help but relax. "I have informed the Ministry of Justice that the Yan family father and son will be released tomorrow morning."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Wei Ziyan bowed.
"Yeah." Li Youxu walked over and gently supported her. "Do you like the warm room today?"
Wei Ziyan remained calm: "Your Highness's place is naturally good. It's getting late, I should take my leave."
"Goodbye? Where to?"
"Return to the Wei Mansion."
"Now that you've divorced, there's no Miss Wei anymore in this world." Li Youxu's tone brooked no disobedience. "Stay in the palace."
"Your Majesty, I..."
"Do you still want to go back to your husband's house?"
"I don't think so."
"There's no point in thinking about it. This king has already ordered the confiscation of the Yan family mansion. Everyone must leave the mansion tonight."
Wei Ziyan's heart suddenly trembled: "You promised me not to touch the Yan Mansion!"
"I only promised to spare them, but I didn't say I would allow them to continue living in the palace."
Thinking about the whole family suddenly losing their shelter and the old lady still being sick, how could Wei Ziyan feel at ease?
"Why, are you feeling sad?"
"I just feel a little regretful..." Wei Ziyan forced a smile, "After all, I've lived here for a while, and I can't bear to see it fall into disrepair."
"That's easy. I'll give you this house."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Yes." Li Youxi showed a happy expression and raised her chin with his hand: "How are you going to thank me?"
A meaningful look fell on her lips. How could Wei Ziyan not understand what it meant? She lowered her eyes respectfully and said softly, "Your Highness, please allow me to bathe first."
Half an hour later, in the warm room, Li Youxu sat on the edge of the bed, silently staring at the pale and thin face sleeping on the couch.
At first she suddenly fainted in the bathroom and everyone thought it was a trick she was playing, but after taking her pulse the doctor said she was in poor health and seemed to have suffered internal injuries and needed to rest and recuperate.
Her maidservant told him that the young lady had fallen down a steep slope while fleeing from Guanyun Villa, injuring her internal organs. Later, when she was kidnapped on the street, she was also seriously injured in a car overturn. Only then did he realize that she had suffered such hardships because of him.
"Your Highness, the imperial physician is here."
Li Youxi came to his senses, stood up and made room for the imperial physician to diagnose the patient. In a moment, the physician reported back to the King of Liao.
"Your Majesty, I observe that this young lady's pulse is weak and thready, indicating a deficiency of both Qi and blood, a sign of physical weakness. Her chronic illness has not yet healed, and her mental and emotional strain has resulted in a clouded consciousness and weakness in her body."
The imperial physician's words were similar to those of the doctor. Li Youxu asked in a deep voice, "How long will it take to recover?"
"At least a month, at most several months."
Li Youxi was silent for a moment, then ordered, "Use the best medicinal herbs."
"yes."
Wei Ziyan was bedridden from that day on. She would take the medicine that was delivered to her on time. Later, when the person Li Youxi had placed beside her to monitor her relaxed a little, she secretly poured out most of the medicine under Qiu Luo's cover.
The imperial physician advised against excessive worry, and to reassure her, Li Youxu allowed her to write a letter to her parents. Li Youxi also sent a message to Wei Jizhi from within the palace, promising that his daughter would be well-treated and raised in the palace.
Yan's father and son were released, but when they returned, the door of their house was sealed and no one was inside.
On the night she was driven out of the house, Madam Yan dismissed most of the servants and temporarily found an inn to house the elderly and children.
There was no time to pack up and take away many gold, silver, valuables, house deeds and land deeds, so Xu Ji volunteered to go back and check the situation.
Early in the morning, before daybreak, seeing no soldiers guarding the area, Xu Ji crept in. He first wandered around the eldest lady's room, then returned to Fuxi Hall. Everywhere showed signs of ragtag, messy search, but it seemed too hasty, not as thorough as a house search.
Seeing the flowers in the garden spared from being ravaged, Xu Jikuan felt relieved and his nose ached. He really missed the time when the young lady and the others sat here drinking...
After wiping away his tears, Xu Ji fertilized and watered the flowers. No matter what, as long as he could still get in, he would remember the young lady's instructions and take good care of the flowers until the eldest son returned.
Perhaps God heard his thoughts, and when Xu Ji climbed over the wall again, he actually saw the eldest son and the master.
"Young Master!"
"master!"
Xu Ji cried as he told the others what had happened. When the three of them arrived at the inn and met the others, they were filled with mixed feelings of sadness and joy, and almost everyone burst into tears.
Yan Qizheng's wound became inflamed, and he had a fever for two days. He fainted while crying. Madam Yan quickly called a doctor, who treated him, but Yan Qizheng didn't wake up until three days later.
Master Yan and his wife were discussing when to leave the capital for his wife's hometown. The Liao King had spared them this time, citing "coercion from the Crown Prince and sincere repentance." But he wondered if he might one day change his tune and accuse them of treason. Leaving the capital's troubled past quickly would provide peace of mind before the Liao King changed his mind.
But the old lady wasn't fully recovered yet, and they worried she wouldn't be able to handle the travel, so they'd have to stay in the capital for a while longer. However, staying in an inn for a long time wasn't a long-term solution for a large family, and renting a suitable house in the short term was difficult. After all, everything cost money, and Madam Yan only had the banknotes left by Wei Ziyan, which she couldn't spend all in the capital.
Yan Qizheng thought of a ready-made house. He had paid three months' rent for it, which was just right for his family to stay in for a short period of time. So about twenty people moved in from the inn. Although it was a little small and crowded, it finally felt like a "home".
On the evening of their move-in, the family gathered together for dinner, and the old lady even came out to sit for a while, a rare occasion. However, the meal was filled with sobs, and no one mentioned the missing person in their reunion.
Yan Qizhen was the first to leave. He returned to the house alone and looked at the night sky outside the window.
After a long while, Xu Ji knocked on the door and came in, placing a pot of crabapples he had just secretly brought back from the mansion on the table. At this moment, Yan Qi was stunned.
"This pot of crabapples should be sent to the study."
"Put it wherever you want. If you don't buy enough, buy more tomorrow."
He didn't know much about flowers, so she told him that this was called "Four Seasons Begonia" and that it would bloom all year round if properly cared for. So the pot of begonia always sat on his desk, as if it would bloom whenever he noticed it.
In just a few days without anyone taking care of it, the earlier flowers have withered, but no new buds have emerged.
"When the young lady left, she was very reluctant to leave the flowers at home."
Xu Ji's original intention was to cheer the eldest son up a bit. The flowers in the yard were planted in the ground and difficult to reach, so he took this potted one, which was already there. After all, it was one that the eldest son had liked in the past. But now, looking at the eldest son's expression, he saw that instead of being relieved, it had become gloomy.
"Don't mention her anymore..."
Yan Qi was rubbing his fingertips with his head down. The blood-red marks on two of his fingers had not yet faded.
"Young Madam... is dead."
…
In a blink of an eye, more than half a month passed. One day in early September, Li Youxu went to the royal cemetery to pay homage to his mother.
"With Uncle Xu by your side, you won't be bored."
Li Youxu stood before the tomb, reminiscing about his childhood. Back then, Eunuch Xu wasn't even a eunuch, but an unnamed illegitimate child of the previous dynasty's Shangshu Mansion. He had no sense of existence in the Xu Mansion, and the servants could humiliate him at will.
His mother saved him once by chance, encouraged him not to give up on himself, and recommended him to work as a minor yamen runner in the government office.
After that, he entered the palace and became a eunuch. He had no chance to serve his mother, but after his mother left, he came to him and said that he would help him take revenge and seize the throne at any cost.
Including his worthless life.
For this reason, he stayed by Emperor Jingren's side for sixteen years.
Li Youxi stood silently for a long time, and finally placed a gray brick made of ashes in front of the mound.
In the evening, he drank too much at the banquet and went into Wei Ziyan's room when he returned home.
The door suddenly swung open, startling both the master and the servant. Behind the screen, Wei Ziyan hurriedly tucked the things in her hand under the covers, while Qiu Luo went to greet the incoming King of Liao.
"Get out! Everyone, get out!"
At the order of King Liao, the two maids outside quickly retreated. Qiu Luo stopped there uneasily. Wei Ziyan came out from behind the screen and gave her a look, indicating that she should do as she was told.
Li Youxi closed the door, grabbed Wei Ziyan's hand, and pulled her onto his lap. His fingers brushed across her face, revealing her delicate skin. Then, moving to her soft, red lips, Li Youxi leaned in for a kiss. However, the face in front of him dodged to the side, avoiding him completely.
"Your Highness has drunk too much." Wei Ziyan said softly.
Li Youxi clamped her chin and twisted it back, a hint of anger on his face: "No touching?"
"Yes, I don't want to be looked down upon by the prince."
belittle?
"Everyone outside knows that the only daughter of Wei Taizhong has passed away due to illness. Wei Ziyan is now just a nameless person without any status or position. Your Highness is taking a commoner girl here hastily. Isn't that degrading?"
Wei Ziyan's eyes warmed up and she choked up, "I am not even as good as the beautiful concubines in the prince's mansion."
Seeing her eyes reddened and her aggrieved and pitiful expression, Li Youxi's drunkenness faded a little. He then remembered the imperial physician's words that she wasn't fully recovered and would need some time. So he lifted his grip on her chin and gently caressed her face.
"Blame me for wronging you?"
"How dare I?"
The pitiful voice with a hint of coquettish complaint made Li Youxi feel a little happier.
"Why wouldn't you dare? Who else would dare to reject me like you do?"
Wei Ziyan remained silent, tears dripping down her face.
"Alright, I don't blame you." Li Youxi wiped her tears and asked softly, "What title do you want? Princess?"
"I dare not ask for anything more than that. I just want to be my parents' daughter again."
"That's not easy. Just tell everyone that Wei Taizhong longs for his daughter and has adopted a girl with a similar face as his goddaughter."
"Are you serious, Your Majesty?"
Li Youxu smiled lightly: "Are you satisfied this time?"
"Thank you, Your Highness, for your consideration... When can I go home to see my parents?"
Thinking about it, her words do make some sense. Only with status can one be qualified to talk about status. Besides, she has been detained for so long, so it is not too much to go back and see her parents.
"When do you want to go?"
Wei Ziyan almost didn't think twice.
"The ninth day of the ninth month."
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