Chapter 65 Beauty
Lu Yan left the palace under the cover of night. When he returned to the palace, he was covered in snow and had half a warm Blood Toad Pill in his arms. He didn't even bother to throw away his umbrella. He got off his horse and quickly headed towards the side hall where Shang Junnian lived, wanting to give the pill to him as soon as possible.
Eunuch He followed closely behind, his figure like a ghost, his footsteps leaving faint traces in the snow: "Prince, don't worry, Master Shang can't get away."
Lu Yan stopped dead in his tracks when he heard this, turned around and looked at him, saying in a bad tone, "Are you worried that he will run away?"
He was obviously worried about something else!
Eunuch He smiled. He was a man with a gloomy face, so it was not suitable for him to make such an expression. It looked like he had bad intentions. "Your Highness, are you still worried about what you promised His Majesty today?"
Lu Yan thought of what he had promised the Emperor today, and his expression became serious: "Even Longquan Division couldn't do it, but they handed it to me. Father is clearly deliberately making things difficult for me."
He took out the warm gold box from his arms, tossed it twice in his hands, and said to himself: "My Lord Prime Minister, my Lord Prime Minister, if you don't pledge your love to me this time, it would be really unreasonable."
Lu Yanyu opened the curtain to block the wind and walked in quickly. However, after looking around, he saw that the room was empty, with only the charcoal stove still burning. He subconsciously looked at the maid who was bowing beside him: "Where is the person?"
The maid knelt on the ground in panic, stammering, "My Lord, Master Shang...Master Shang has gone to the dungeon."
Lu Yan frowned: "Dungeon?"
It was rumored that the dungeon of Fengling Palace was three times scarier than Yanluo Palace, and only the dead could come out of it. Although Lu Yan had told the people in the palace before entering the palace that Shang Junnian could walk around freely in the future, which was equivalent to half a master, why would he go to the dungeon for no reason?
The family feast was over, and this was probably the last snow of this winter. Lu Yan walked across the white snowy road, and accompanied by Eunuch He, he once again stepped into the dark and gloomy dungeon. The stench of rotting wounds and the smell of blood penetrated into his head, making it hard to breathe.
From time to time, there were sobbing sounds coming from the darkness, sad and miserable, echoing in the huge dungeon, like a ghost's lair.
Lu Yanfang walked lightly to the place where the assassin was imprisoned, and happened to see a familiar figure walking out from the corner. The man was dressed lightly, with only a fox fur cloak draped over his shoulders, and his long hair, like ink, was tied up and tied with a green jade crown, which made his eyebrows and eyes look even colder, as if he was a banished immortal.
If it’s not Shang Junnian, then who else could it be?
But he held a bloody dagger in his hand, and he lowered his eyes and wiped it slowly with a white handkerchief. There were still bits of flesh on the blade, which made people feel terrified for no reason. He turned from a banished immortal into a soul-claiming Yanluo in an instant.
Lu Yan was startled when he saw this, then he quickly stepped forward and said, "My beautiful lady, why are you here?"
Eunuch He raised his eyebrows secretly, thinking whether His Highness was blind or not. Shang Junnian had such a strong smell of blood on his body, did he really not see it or was he pretending not to see it? Although the beauty is beautiful, she still has to take care of her life.
Oh, what a sin! How could a servant like him talk about his master?
Eunuch He secretly clapped his hands and hurriedly followed.
Shang Junnian heard Lu Yan's voice and paused for a moment, but he had no intention of hiding it. He slowly wrapped the blade with a handkerchief and asked, "Your Highness has already entered the palace, why are you here?"
Lu Yan walked up to him and tied up his loose cloak, as if he hadn't seen the knife. "I went to your room to look for you, and the maidservant said you were here. The dungeon is very cold, and your wounds haven't healed yet, so how can you stay here?"
He stopped talking and grabbed Shang Junnian's cold right hand, wanting to take him out, but he pulled twice but failed to move.
Shang Junnian lowered his eyes and looked at his hand: "Your Highness, don't you want to ask me why I came here?"
Lu Yan's curiosity was not that strong. He turned around and looked at Shang Junnian. His profile looked even deeper in the shadow of the dungeon. His eyes always contained the gurgling spring water that did not match this dark place. His smile was like a crescent moon, which made him look even more romantic. "Prime Minister, if you want to say it, then say it. If you don't want to say it, then don't say it. This king will not doubt you."
He held Shang Junnian's cold hand tightly and used the temperature of his palm to warm him up: "It's just that this is not a good place, you'd better not come here."
He treated Shang Junnian so well. If they were a king and a minister, he gave him enough trust. If they were a lover, he cared for him very much. Even a heart made of cold iron could be warmed by him.
Shang Junnian just stared at him motionlessly, his eyes slightly raised, and he said lightly: "I just killed someone."
Lu Yan was stunned: "Are they the assassins?"
Shang Junnian nodded, which was considered as his agreement.
Lu Yan smiled and said, "Kill them if you want. They are just a group of assassins. If they want to kill me, they should be prepared to be captured. After all, it is the path I chose. You can kill as many as you want. Just let the guards do it. You don't have to dirty your hands."
He took the dagger from Shang Junnian and handed it to Eunuch He. Shang Junnian seemed to be comforted by him, but he was not angry at all. "I lied to you. Those assassins are not dead."
Lu Yan blinked his eyes, looking a little innocent: "Then why did you tell me that you killed someone just now?"
Of course, it was to test Lu Yan's attitude.
Shang Junnian turned his head away and said, "I'm not kidding Your Highness. The assassins' mouths have been pried open and they have revealed the hiding place of the rest of the people. They are hiding in the Guxu Palace."
This answer was both unexpected and reasonable.
Lu Yan was more curious about something else: "How did you pry open their mouths?"
I heard from Eunuch He that those assassins had been subjected to every possible torture device in the dungeon, but no one was willing to open their mouths. They were really hard-headed people. I had originally planned to hand them over to the palace for punishment by the Emperor, but I didn't expect that they would be discovered during Shang Junnian's interrogation.
Shang Junnian didn't seem to think this was a big deal. He lowered his eyes and rubbed the blood stains on his sleeves. He said calmly, "In Tianji Palace, the art of machinery is the most important thing. The most important thing for the people in the sect is a pair of hands. I cut the tendons of the leader's hand first. If he doesn't say anything, I will cut the tendons of his junior brother's hand in front of him. I will destroy a finger every other incense stick."
"There is no such thing as a mouth that cannot be pried open. They don't care about their own lives, but they care about the lives of others. When I said I was going to cut the tendons of his junior sister's hand, he finally couldn't stand the torture and blurted out the words."
Eunuch He was secretly surprised when he heard this. He walked quickly to the back without making a sound and took a look. He saw three half-dead corpses lying in the cage inside. The tendons of their fingers and hands had been pulled out, and the skin and flesh were peeled off. Even the bones could be seen. It was really cruel and efficient.
Eunuch He's heart sank. This Shang Junnian was truly a ruthless character. If he was lurking beside His Highness with evil intentions, that would be like inviting a wolf into the house.
Eunuch He stood in the dark and nodded imperceptibly to Lu Yan, indicating that what Shang Junnian said was true. Then he shook his head, indicating that the scene was too bloody and there was no need to go in to see it.
Lu Yan retracted his gaze upon seeing this, without showing any expression. He held Shang Junnian's hand and walked outside. As soon as they left the dungeon door, the biting cold wind outside blew towards them. Although it was dark, the snow in the yard was so white that it was dazzling.
Shang Junnian frowned and closed his eyes. He had stayed in the dark dungeon for too long, and when he suddenly came out, his eyes could not bear it.
"Close your eyes for a while to avoid being blinded by the snow."
Lu stretched out his hand to cover Shang Junnian's eyes, and the warm touch of his palm was transmitted to the other's eyelids. He felt the itch of Shang Junnian's eyelashes trembling, and chuckled in his ear and said, "Prime Minister Shang, since you have done this, I think there is no need to recruit the people from Tianji Palace. Otherwise, if they hold a grudge and bite back in the future, it will be bad."
Shang Junnian felt his ears itching, and turned his head away uncomfortably, frowning and saying, "In the court, there are two factions, civil and military, which are as hostile to each other as fire and water, let alone a mere martial arts sect. Since I said I have a way to recruit them for Your Highness, I will definitely recruit them."
As he spoke, the hand covering his eyelids fell down.
The first thing Shang Junnian saw was not the snow in the courtyard, nor the lights in the corridor, but Lu Yan's smiling face. His eyes were as cunning and smart as a fox, his skin was white and his lips were red. Under the exquisite palace lights, he looked three times more beautiful than the new snow. It was said that his biological mother was the most beautiful woman in the four countries, and it was true.
Shang Junnian had a cold heart and was stunned for a moment.
But Lu Yan, this vixen, came up to hold his hand, rubbing it gently to keep warm, and breathing on it: "Prime Minister, you are so good to me. It seems that I should treat you better."
When Shang Junnian heard this, he didn't take it seriously at first, thinking that Lu Yan was just sending some silks, satins and delicacies. However, he never expected that when he went to bed at night, he suddenly came over with Eunuch He.
Shang Junnian was originally sitting at the head of the bed applying medicine to the wound. Seeing this, he paused and stood up subconsciously. He pulled up the scattered collar without leaving a trace. The wound was not wrapped with gauze, and the blood was peeking through the chest. "Your Highness came here at midnight, is there something important?"
Even if the other party was thinking about the trivial matter on the bed, there was no need to rush at this time because his injuries had not healed yet.
Lu Yan glanced at the bloodstain on Shang Junnian's chest, waved his hand to signal Eunuch He to leave, and then asked, "Why don't you ask the imperial physician to change your medicine?"
Shang Junnian didn't trust anyone, so he didn't explain too much: "It's getting darker and the dew is heavier, there's no need to bother."
He had been on the march and fought in battles before, so although the sword wound to his chest was dangerous, it did not hit his heart, so it was naturally nothing to him.
"Your problem is not a problem. If you don't want to call the imperial physician, calling me will do the same."
Lu Yanyu pulled Shang Junnian to sit down beside the bed and stretched out his hand to pull open his collar. The latter froze for a moment, but did not dodge, leaving his scarred body exposed to the air. He asked in an emotionless voice, "Is your highness so nice to everyone?"
"Of course not."
Lu Yan took the medicine bottle and sprinkled the powder on the wound to stop the bleeding. His movements were careful and careful, as if he was afraid of hurting him. He said in a low voice:
"You are the only one who has risked his life to save me over the years. I will never be so kind to anyone else."
He seemed to know that what Shang Junnian liked was not silk and satin, but that kind of unique thing, so he gave them all to him without hesitation.
Shang Junnian raised his eyes slightly when he heard this, and a hint of ambiguous arc appeared on his lips: "What if there is a second person who is willing to sacrifice his life for Your Highness?"
Lu Yan smiled and said, "Then he is also late. He is only the second one, not as good as you who are the first one."
As he spoke, he had already wrapped the gauze around Shang Junnian's neck. Then, he suddenly remembered something and took out a small brocade box from his sleeve. He opened the lid and saw half a bright red pill lying quietly inside. "Take it. It will be good for your wound."
Shang Junnian had never seen the Blood Toad Pill, but when he saw that the medicine was as clear as glass, he knew it was no ordinary item. It was either the best poison in the world, or the best medicine in the world.
Shang Junnian picked up the half pill, looked at Lu Yan, and swallowed it without changing his expression. Because there was no water, he couldn't help swallowing it dryly, and an extremely bitter taste lingered in his throat.
Lu Yan smiled and handed him a cup of hot tea: "Aren't you afraid it's poisonous?"
Shang Junnian took a sip of tea, and when he lowered his eyes, the mist curled up, blurring his vision and making it slightly warm. "If Your Highness wants to kill me, there is no need to go through the trouble of using poison."
Lu Yanrao was interested: "Then how should I kill him?"
Shang Junnian's voice echoed softly in the air, and then gradually disappeared like ripples: "Those without roots and stalks are the easiest to kill. Your Highness, just abandon me and let me die on my own."
His attitude was so calm that Lu Yan had the illusion that Shang Junnian seemed to have anticipated his future fate. Three years later, when the hostage returned to the country, Wu Yun would never exchange him back, and the emperor was unwilling to let the tiger go back to the mountains. His only ending was death.
Yes, he is so smart, how could he not guess his own ending.
Suddenly, a hot body pressed against Shang Junnian's back and he was unexpectedly held in someone's arms. He turned his head subconsciously and almost kissed the man's fair cheek. The temperature in the air rose rapidly and the thin clothes could not stop it.
Shang Junnian asked in a surprised voice: "Your Highness?"
Lu Yan avoided his wound and hooked his chin with his fingertips, letting his warm breath linger on his neck, expressing his inexpressible affection: "Prime Minister, you risked your life to save me, how could I not want you? The medicine I just gave you can cure your hidden injury. Don't worry about the future, I will definitely protect you."
I don't know if it was the effect of the blood toad pill, but Shang Junnian felt his whole body was boiling, and there was a warm current surging in his dantian. His originally pale skin was like rouge gradually spreading in the water, stained with a layer of light red. He subconsciously grasped Lu Yan's hand and said in a daze: "Your Highness..."
He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say. He had never met anyone who respected him so much in his life, and he couldn't even think of scheming at all.
At this moment, Shang Junnian inexplicably recalled that in the past during the time of Wu Yun, Zhao Yuzhang was assassinated. He also used the same torture method to deal with a group of assassins. The assassins couldn't bear it and had a big fight with him.
Although Zhao Yuzhang later realized that the palace was full of twists and turns and was no longer as kind-hearted as before, Shang Junnian knew that deep down, the other party still did not agree with his method, but because they were close friends, they would not oppose it openly.
Although both of them provide support, Zhao Yuzhang and Lu Yan are similar, yet different.
Zhao Yuzhang would not warm his hands or feed him medicine like Lu Yan did, nor would he remember his food preferences like Lu Yan did, and he would not hug him and say that he would never abandon him and protect him for the rest of his life like Lu Yan did.
This is not to say that Zhao Yuzhang is not a good person, but that after so many years, he did not understand what Shang Junnian lacked or what he wanted.
"Your Highness, are you treating me sincerely or insincerely?"
Shang Junnian slowly grasped Lu Yan's wrist and asked the same question as he did that day. The difference was that last time it was a helpless decision due to the situation, but this time he really wanted to know the answer.
"Sincerely, of course I am sincere. Prime Minister, if you don't believe me, why don't you dig out my heart and see?"
Lu Yan held his cold hand and placed it directly on his chest. Under his palm was a piece of warm and delicate skin, and his heart was beating strongly inside. For a moment, Shang Junnian really wanted to cut open the chest of the man in front of him and touch the bloody heart to see how hot it was.
There is a ferocious beast in my heart that is ramming wildly against the cage, and the shackles are shaking and about to fall off.
Shang Junnian couldn't help but clench his fingertips, and Lu Yan inhaled a breath of cool air subconsciously in pain. Seeing this, he lowered his eyes slightly and said in a hoarse and dark voice: "Your Highness can't even bear this little pain, and you dare to ask me to dig out your heart?"
But in his heart he thought, fortunately he blocked the assassin's sword last night, otherwise this delicate and fragile little prince would have died in pain.
Lu Yan thought that beauties are indeed thorny, and the prettier they are, the more they prick your hand. He held Shang Junnian's hand and brought it to his lips and kissed it, smiling brightly: "My Lord Prime Minister, are you really willing to dig out my heart?"
Shang Junnian: “…”
Shang Junnian had only been here for a few days when rumors spread throughout the palace that King Fengling had been bewitched by a fox spirit. However, Shang Junnian felt that he was really wronged, as the fox spirit might not be someone else.
When it was time to go to bed at night, Lu Yan did not leave. He blew out the candles, lay down on the bed and got into the quilt, and said something particularly caring and sweet: "It's cold and snowy at night, and the bed is hard to warm. I will warm the bed for the Prime Minister."
When Shang Junnian lived in the hostage house, it was not a big deal for a bunch of people to sleep in the same quilt. But now that Lu Yan was lying with him, he felt indescribably sensitive and strange. He pursed his lips slightly and said, "My injury has not healed yet. I am afraid I can't serve Your Highness."
Lu Yan put his hands under the quilt and hugged his waist, his chin resting on his shoulder, and said lazily: "Don't think about it, Your Highness is not such a beast, go to sleep, I won't do anything."
He just likes to be close to Shang Junnian.
Shang Junnian didn't know what to say, so he closed his eyes and went to sleep. He was born with a cold body, and just after taking half of the unknown pill, and with Lu Yan hugging him in the quilt, he felt warm all over, and slept soundly, without even dreaming.
The next morning, sunlight shone through the diamond-shaped window, and the semi-transparent bed curtains swayed gently, casting a drifting shadow.
Shang Junnian woke up slowly from his sleep and subconsciously reached out to touch his side, but there was only a sense of empty warmth and no trace of Lu Yan.
He frowned, and suddenly threw back the quilt and sat up: "Your Highness?!"
The maid outside heard the noise and quickly lifted the curtain and walked in, bowing respectfully and saying, "Master, you are awake. Would you like me to help you wash and dress?"
Shang Junnian didn't expect it to be a group of maids, so he asked in a deep voice, "Where is King Fengling?"
The maid bowed her head and said, "The prince had to go out this morning for something, so he asked us to help him wash up. The breakfast has been prepared in advance and is warming on the stove. They are all light dishes that are good for recovery from injuries."
Shang Junnian frowned and looked at her, not so easy to fool: "Out? Where did you go?"
The maidservant didn't dare to say anything at first, but she remembered that Lu Yanlin had told her before he left that Shang Junnian would be half the master of the mansion and must not be neglected, so she said fearfully:
"The prince went to the hostage house."
Shang Junnian paused and asked, "What are you going to do at the hostage house?"
The maid hesitated, "They said...they wanted to bring back the other three protons..."
The maidservant kowtowed heavily to the ground after she finished speaking, not even daring to raise her head. She tensed and closed her eyes, and there was only an eerie silence in the air.
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