Chapter 62 Assassin
When going to bed at night, Zhao Yuzhang always looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Shang Junnian knew what he wanted to say, which was simply that he shouldn't have been so rude to Chen Yingqi today. After all, the other party had good intentions.
Thinking of this, Shang Junnian suddenly felt like laughing: Yes, they are all good people, kind people, and he is the only one who is a bad person.
He washed himself with cold water from the well in the yard. He was already too cold to sleep, and now he couldn't sleep any more. Shang Junnian sat in a corner of the porch, not walking back and forth on the floor like others, stamping his feet to keep warm. Instead, he closed his eyes and stroked the painful wound on his shoulder through his clothes, looking thoughtful.
It turns out that even if new flesh and blood grows on the wound, an uneven scar will still be left.
Shang Junnian often felt lonely. It started when he was in a high position. Power and splendor always filled the void. Now that he had fallen into poverty overnight, that feeling became even stronger, quietly eating his food in the middle of the night. Even though he had his best friend Zhao Yuzhang by his side, their final destinations were different.
Zhao Yuzhang used to be an unfavored bastard in the cold palace. Even though he was sent thousands of miles to the fairyland as a hostage, he actually did not lose anything. He just moved from a relatively cold place to another colder place. When he returned three years later, he was still the crown prince.
He didn't understand what Shang Junnian had lost.
He also doesn't understand that not everyone is like him and can go back to the past.
It's not just the wound on his shoulder, it's not just the martial arts he's practiced for many years, it's not just the country he once defended with his life, it's not just... the life that should have been glorious...
At that time, Shang Junnian himself couldn't understand why he was so hostile to Chen Yingqi. It was not until many years later that he realized that it was not vigilance but jealousy.
Yes, jealousy.
The man was competing in the snow, and he was better without a sword in his hand. He was young and frivolous, full of vigor and vitality. Such a dazzling demeanor was always stinging Shang Junnian's eyes and heart, reminding him that he could never hold the sword as he did in the past.
I was never a good person to begin with, and after what happened, I will never be a good person again.
Zhao Yuzhang had eaten a chicken today, and his face was obviously full of blood. He climbed onto the big floor and whispered in Shang Junnian's ear: "I left you half a chicken, buried in the corner of the yard, you can eat it tomorrow."
The prince and the prime minister, who used to live a life of luxury, now have to hide their wealth for half a chicken. If this were made public, people would inevitably laugh at them.
Shang Junnian opened his eyes and saw Zhao Yuzhang looking at him worriedly. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "It's getting late, go to bed."
Zhao Yuzhang had a pure heart, he had known it for a long time, otherwise he would not have chosen to support him as the crown prince among so many princes. He did not understand Shang Junnian's hatred, nor did he understand Shang Junnian's thoughts, which was fine, because if he really understood, that would be terrible.
Just as everyone in the house was getting ready to fall asleep, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside, and a team of Golden Crow Guards rushed directly into the yard. The old man in the lead was dressed in the uniform of a palace servant, with a dust whisk draped over his arm, and a white face without a beard. He was actually a eunuch.
Eunuch He walked into this shabby house and looked around, passing by those frightened faces, and finally set his sights on Shang Junnian in the corner:
"Mr. Prime Minister, please come with us."
His old voice was slightly feminine, which made people feel creepy for some reason.
Zhao Yuzhang suddenly jumped up: "What does King Fengling want to do now! He has already humiliated us to such a state, isn't that enough?!"
Shang Junnian subconsciously touched the healed wound on his shoulder, knowing that he might not be so lucky to escape this time. He put on his clothes and stood up. He was the calmest among the people: "Thank you, Eunuch Lao, for leading the way."
Zhao Yuzhang grabbed his wrist and said with an unpleasant expression: "You are crazy! You knew that the pervert had bad intentions, and if you went over there, you would be walking into a tiger's mouth!"
When Eunuch He heard him scolding Prince Fengling as a lecher, he coughed heavily and said, "Prince Yuzhang, please be careful with your words. Although this place is sparsely populated, it is also a fairyland. We are under the feet of the emperor. If the news gets out accidentally..."
Zhao Yuzhang sneered: "So what if it gets out? If you have the guts to let him lock me up again, I will be dead anyway!"
Shang Junnian was worried that Zhao Yuzhang would say something he shouldn't, so he frowned and grabbed his shoulders: "Shut up!"
Eunuch He flicked his whisk and said, "Look, the Prime Minister is still sensible. Come with us now, and don't let His Highness wait anxiously."
"Jun Nian!"
Zhao Yuzhang was about to step forward to stop them, but was held back by Liu Quedan and the others. He could only watch Shang Junnian being taken away, his eyes red with anxiety: "Let me go!"
Liu Quedan watched Eunuch He and his men leave the mansion, then he let go of Zhao Yuzhang and said in a low voice: "Brother Yuzhang, you know that King Fengling is narrow-minded and lustful, so why do you deliberately provoke his servants? Otherwise, not only will Shang Junnian be unable to escape, I'm afraid you will be implicated as well!"
Zhao Yuzhang growled angrily, "Are you going to let me just sit there and watch Jun Nian being taken away and tortured?!"
Torture?
Not necessarily.
Shang Junnian left the hostage house in a carriage and came all the way to Fengling Palace. At that time, Lu Yan had just finished practicing sword and was lying on the rosewood couch reading a book in a casual white robe with a green jade pendant tied around his waist. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and looked much more vigorous than before.
He ordered his maid to prepare a table full of fine wine and delicacies, and also light some warm incense. He then leaned against the window and read a book alone, waiting for Shang Junnian to come.
Although it was winter, the attic was bright and warm, and moths would occasionally seek warmth and fly toward the burning candles, burning into a puff of green smoke.
Lu Yan heard the slight burning sound and lifted the lampshade to hide the candle. The candlelight, which was not too bright to begin with, became even dimmer. He closed his eyes, pressed the corners of his eyes, and continued reading.
Sweep the floor fearfully to protect ants; protect lamps from moths with a veil.
Shang Junnian saw this scene when he came in. The gentleman was dressed in white and was as gentle as jade. In a trance, he almost thought that the person in front of him was not the infamous King Fengling, but a handsome young man who was brought up in a noble family with poetry and books.
Shang Junnian came back to his senses, lifted the hem of his robe, knelt down and saluted, his waist straightened: "Junnian has seen your highness."
Hearing this, Lu Yan put away his book and looked at Shang Junnian. The illusion of tranquility just now was broken. He seemed to have turned into the shameless and vulgar person in Zhao Yuzhang's mouth again, and said frivolously: "One day without seeing you is like three years. I didn't know the pain of missing you before, but now that I see you, the Prime Minister, I understand the taste of it."
Shang Junnian closed his eyes and said calmly, "Your Highness, I have made you worry. Junnian deserves to die."
Lu Yan put the book aside and stood up from the couch: "I just hope you don't curse me in your heart. Get up. You don't need to kneel in front of me in the future."
These words startled people. It seemed as if there was a needle hidden under the man's casual attitude that could easily pierce his thoughts.
This is not a good sign. The person in a higher position cannot have his or her thoughts read through by others, and neither can the person in a lower position. Otherwise, they know each other well and are on guard against each other. How can they support and rely on each other with confidence?
Shang Junnian's eyes darkened and he slowly stood up from the ground. He saw that Lu Yan was wearing thin clothes, so he took the fox fur cloak beside the couch and put it on him. His hands had been used in martial arts, and they were not as pretty as Lu Yan's, but slender and strong.
Shang Junnian's voice was low and slightly cold, and it made people inexplicably taste some different meanings: "Your Highness is Junnian's support. Junnian only hopes that Your Highness will live a long life. How could he curse Your Highness to be damned?"
"Really?"
Hearing this, Lu Yan suddenly hugged his waist and with his fingertips, he directly loosened Shang Junnian's not-so-thick clothes. His half-exposed chest came into contact with the cold air, and he couldn't help but shiver for a moment.
Lu Yan opened the clothes on his shoulders and saw that the last penetration wound had scabbed over. "Is the wound healed?"
Shang Junnian thought that Lu Yan wanted his body, and said, "My wounds have healed, and I can serve Your Highness now."
Lu Yan placed his palm against his ribs, and slid down slowly, like a swimming snake, and finally stopped at Shang Junnian's stomach, which was a little sunken due to hunger, and asked without thinking: "You haven't eaten yet?"
Shang Junnian was stunned and didn't know how to answer.
Lu Yan smiled and said, "I knew you didn't eat. Please sit down and have dinner with me first."
He let go of Shang Junnian's waist and pulled him to sit at the table. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he put a chicken leg in the bowl opposite him: "Try it, the kitchen's newly made roasted chicken."
Shang Junnian would give the cold shoulder to Chen Yingqi, but he would never give the cold shoulder to Lu Yan. When he saw the chicken leg in the bowl, he paused, said "Thank you, Your Highness", then picked up his chopsticks and started eating without saying a word.
Seeing this, Lu Yan felt happy, as if he had finally gotten back at ease for the anger he had suffered in the afternoon. He picked up the book he had just thrown away and read it to relieve his boredom. Occasionally, he would pick up a few pieces of food for Shang Junnian, but he didn't eat much himself.
Shang Junnian took his actions into his eyes and couldn't help but stop his chopsticks: "Your Highness, don't you want to eat?"
Lu Yan hummed casually: "I am not hungry."
Shang Junnian realized it later. When he left the hostage house, it was already late at night. Ordinary people would have had dinner and gone to bed, let alone the luxurious Fengling Palace. This meal might have been prepared for him on purpose.
"Younian is terrified."
He didn't know what to say, so he could only utter this sentence with mixed feelings.
After the meal, a maid came to help him wash his hands and rinse his mouth, and even extinguished two candles. Lu Yan yawned a little, feeling a little sleepy, but he hadn't finished reading the book in his hand, so he tried to stay awake.
Shang Junnian had already accepted his fate. Seeing that all the servants in the room had left, he took off his outer shirt without saying a word. Although his white inner shirt was a little worn, it was washed exceptionally clean.
Lu Yan was reading a book and didn't notice this. When he reacted, someone had already climbed onto the bed. Shang Junnian half-knelt at the edge, his eyes lowered so his expression couldn't be seen clearly, and he said the same words as before: "Your Highness, please have mercy on me."
Listening carefully, the reluctance in the voice seemed to be less.
Lu Yan put down the book and looked at him with interest: "But I don't know how to show mercy. Why don't you teach me, Prime Minister?"
He was clearly making things difficult on purpose.
Shang Junnian had endured too much humiliation, so what was this? Hearing this, he remained calm and fired a ray of dark energy, extinguishing the last lit candle in the room. The light suddenly dimmed, slightly alleviating his shame.
Shang Junnian pushed Lu Yan down on the bed.
Press down...
Lu Yan was dumbfounded for a moment. He just wanted to tease this icy beauty, so why was she so ferocious?
Shang Junnian was obviously a jerk, his movements were unruly, but he was very serious. He untied Lu Yan's belt in a few seconds, and kissed him clumsily in the dark. His nose was filled with the refreshing scent of agarwood, which felt soft to the touch. It didn't seem as disgusting as he had imagined, and his wrinkled brows finally relaxed a little.
Lu Yan was bitten so hard that it hurt. He turned over and pressed the man under him. He licked the corner of his bitten lips and couldn't help laughing: "Is the Prime Minister deliberately taking revenge on me, or do you think that the people of Wuyun are dogs and will bite each other even when they are having sex in bed?"
Shang Junnian: “…”
Shang Junnian then realized that there was a slight taste of blood in his mouth. He pursed his lips, inexplicably showing a bit of embarrassment. He hated Lu Yan so much in his heart that he wanted to sleep with him, but he didn't take the initiative and forced him to take the initiative, yet he still complained about this and that.
He was planning to sacrifice his integrity to seek the other party's protection, but Lu Yan was going too far!
Facing Shang Junnian's murderous gaze, Lu Yan realized that he had teased him too much. He raised his hand and touched the tip of his nose. Just as he was about to say something, a strong gust of wind suddenly blew from above the roof. Lu Yan's face changed, and without thinking too much, he immediately hugged Shang Junnian and rolled to the ground.
“Whoosh!”
There was a dull sound in the darkness, and I saw a thin, long, sharp hidden weapon appeared on the place where I had just been lying on the couch, and it had penetrated more than three inches.
A man in black broke in through the window, holding a long sword and stabbed at Lu Yan fiercely, saying in a fierce voice: "Dog Prince! Give me your life!!!"
Suddenly, there was a chaotic sound of fighting outside the house. It seemed that there was more than one assassin, and even Eunuch He was entangled and unable to escape. Lu Yan did not want to expose his martial arts skills, so he pushed Shang Junnian to a corner in the dark, whispered "Hide", and then rolled on the ground to avoid the assassin's sword.
In the eyes of outsiders, King Fengling is uneducated and naturally cannot fight against the assassin.
Lu Yan could only use the cover of darkness to shout that there was an assassin while pretending to dodge in panic. His movements were obviously disorganized, but he was able to dodge the assassin's attacks every time, which made the opponent very angry.
A cold shout came from outside the window: "Junior sister! Hurry up and do it! This old lady supervisor is too powerful! My brother and I can't stand it anymore!"
The assassin in the room had a flash of anxiety in his eyes when he heard this. This time he was really ruthless and looked at Lu Yan with murderous eyes: "I'll see where you can run!"
She actually threw away the sword, flipped her hands, and the springs in her sleeves popped out. Her ten fingers were suddenly covered with a layer of sharp iron armor like eagle claws. She shouted angrily and rushed towards Lu Yan to kill.
This is a close combat.
The assassin's movements were as fast as a shadow, and Lu Yan's space for dodging was greatly reduced. In addition, he could not reveal his body movements, so it was inevitable that he had to work harder. The tables and chairs in the room were affected, all falling apart, and wood chips flew everywhere.
Lu Yan was already busy, and at this moment, a short figure suddenly appeared from the corner, with a flash of cold light in his hand, and stabbed him in the back fiercely -
"careful!"
A familiar voice echoed in the darkness.
Shang Junnian attacked without warning, and slashed at the assassin's wrist with his palm, directly deflecting the sword. However, his scapula was pierced, so the palm strike only had 30% of its force, pulling the tendons in his shoulder, causing excruciating pain.
In just a blink of an eye, Lu Yan had already sensed the danger behind him and quickly distanced himself.
"You're looking for death!"
The short assassin was angry at Shang Junnian for causing trouble, and suddenly stabbed him in the chest with his sword, causing blood to gush out instantly. Shang Junnian was unable to dodge, so he had to take the blow head on. He clamped the sword with his two fingers, and forced his internal energy to break the assassin's sword with a "clang". He seemed to have discovered something, and narrowed his eyes coldly:
"Mechanical Sword, you are from Tianji Palace!"
The assassin was shocked when he heard this, and immediately said to his companions: "Retreat!"
He had figured out that this dog prince Lu Yan was very cunning and not so easy to kill. They had already wasted too much time and their identities had been discovered. If they delayed any longer, once the palace masters arrived, none of them would be able to escape!
In an instant, the assassins inside and outside the house scattered in all directions like a tide, avoiding the pursuit of the guards, and Shang Junnian finally couldn't hold on any longer. His body swayed, and he knelt on one knee, spitting out a mouthful of blood with a pale face.
"Shang Junnian!"
Seeing this, Lu Yan quickly caught his body. He couldn't explain why, but his heart suddenly panicked, as if this scene was familiar to him.
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