Chapter 113 Xiao Che, don't abandon me, I...
Xiao Jue led the Imperial Guards to the Pixiang Palace in a grand procession, causing quite a stir.
He deliberately leaked the news, and soon the news that "the Third Prince led troops to surround the Pixiang Palace, and was colluding with Yan Xiao from the inside to plot a rebellion" spread like wildfire. Before noon, the news had spread throughout the entire palace.
The matter sparked heated discussions both in the court and among the public. Led by Jia Wei, officials from humble backgrounds did not believe that Xiao Che harbored any rebellious intentions. They argued on his behalf, stating that the Second Prince had been deposed and the Crown Prince had suffered a serious injury after falling from his horse, which had not yet healed. In contrast, the Third Prince had cleared himself of any bloodline controversy and had made significant contributions to disaster relief in Huaizhou, the establishment of the Xiuwen Academy, and the compilation of the "Yudi Zhi" (Gazetteer of Geography). He enjoyed great prestige among the people and was on a winning streak. They believed it was impossible for him to harbor any rebellious intentions and ruin his future.
However, some aristocratic officials countered, "That's not necessarily true. The Crown Prince is still recovering from his serious injuries, but he may still be fully healed one day. He has not committed any major offenses, so how can he be deposed so easily because of his injury? His Majesty has not yet issued the decree to depose the Crown Prince. As long as he does not issue the decree, the First Prince will remain the Crown Prince. It's hard to guarantee that some people will not be able to wait, and given his current high position, their ambitions have also swelled, which is why they would take such a risk."
"After all, the facts are clear: the Third Prince led his troops to ambush near the Pixiang Palace before dawn, and Yan Xiao happened to lead his troops out of the city at that time. Wasn't the timing chosen because it was the anniversary of Consort Jiang's death, and His Majesty would definitely go to the Pixiang Palace to pay his respects, while the Pixiang Palace was poorly guarded?"
The debate raged on for a time.
...
The turmoil had already escalated. Xiao Che's unauthorized ambush of the imperial city with his own troops and Yan Xiao's unauthorized transfer of the imperial guards were no small matters. Emperor Wei Yuan had no choice but to issue an edict to imprison the two men.
However, he did not immediately convict him of treason, but said that the matter was serious and he would have to conduct a thorough trial before making a final judgment.
——
Deep within the dungeon, where the sun never shines, there is a chilling and damp atmosphere that seeps into the very bones.
Yan Jiarou, standing in the middle of it, felt her body trembling uncontrollably and instinctively pulled her cloak tighter around her.
The stone steps were slippery, and she needed the help of a jailer to walk slowly forward, carrying the food box.
Xiao Che's cell was located at the end of the corridor, and she had to walk through the long corridor to see him.
The passageway was deep and dark, so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face. Only the broken oil lamp on the wall emitted a faint light. Suddenly, a cold wind rose from somewhere, making the candle flame flicker and make it seem even more eerie and unsettling.
Behind the iron bars on both sides, the prisoners, seeing someone pass by, stretched out their withered hands from the bars, grinning maliciously as they tried to grab the hem of her clothes.
Suddenly, she heard a squeaking sound under her feet. Looking down, she saw several rats scurrying past her feet, their bright black eyes looking even more eerie in the dark cell.
Yan Jiarou let out an "Ah!" and almost instantly burst into tears from fright.
The jailer quickly reassured her, "Princess, don't be afraid. I've already chased the rat away."
"The dungeon is filthy; it's not a place for a princess. Why don't we go back first?"
Yan Jiarou's eyelashes trembled slightly. Although she was trembling with fear, she forced back her tears and bit her lip, saying, "I'm not going back."
The little princess looks gentle, but she has a stubborn personality.
It seems that she and the Third Prince truly have a deep sibling bond.
Upon hearing this, the jailer stopped trying to persuade her and continued to lead the way, guiding her to the end of the passageway.
When they finally arrived at Xiao Che's cell door, the jailer opened the door for Yan Jiarou and bowed before leaving.
Yan Jiarou took a deep breath and slowly walked in.
The cell was dimly lit, with only an oil lamp on the table providing a meager illumination.
Xiao Che leaned against the wall, bent one leg, and rested one hand on his knee. Hearing the noise, he slowly opened his eyes.
The flickering candlelight illuminated his face, revealing a face as smooth as jade, captivating even in the dim light.
His face was expressionless, and his brown eyes looked at her indifferently.
Yan Jiarou's hands, hanging by her sides, gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, then slowly loosened. She took a few steps forward cautiously, finally mustering her courage to walk to his side, squatting down, and timidly calling out, "Third...Third Brother..."
Xiao Che glanced at her coldly: "What are you doing here?"
"I..." Yan Jiarou opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Xiao Che scoffed, "Coming to see me make a fool of myself?"
“Yan Jiarou, listen carefully,” Xiao Che slowly straightened up and looked at her, saying each word slowly and deliberately, “Go back and tell Xiao Jue not to be too happy yet. I’m not done yet. He’ll see. It won’t be long before I get out of here.”
"As for what you and Xiao Jue owe me, I will collect it all back one by one in the future."
After he finished speaking, he leaned back, his eyes drooping wearily, as if he didn't even want to look at her one more time: "Now, get out."
Yan Jiarou burst into tears almost immediately: "I won't leave... Why did I say those things to Xiao Jue? He and I aren't one, you and I are..."
"Ha, so you're one with me?" Xiao Che looked up at her and chuckled briefly. "Yan Jiarou, how can you say such a thing? You're one with me, yet you betrayed me for Xiao Jue? You're one with me, yet you lied to me again and again for Xiao Jue? Yan Jiarou, what do you take me for?"
His eyes gradually turned bloodshot: "I'm human too, I feel pain too, you know that?"
He grabbed her chin, his fingertips tightening slightly, and leaned closer to her, saying, "A night of marriage is worth a hundred days of kindness. We've been together for so many nights, how can you not care about our feelings at all?"
"You like Xiao Jue that much?" A vein bulged on his forehead, and a sudden surge of hostility rose within him: "You like him to this extent?"
He finally closed his eyes tightly, calmed the anger within him, and abruptly withdrew his hand: "You traitor."
The force was so great that Yan Jiarou turned her face slightly to the side.
She slowly turned her head back to look at him, her clear black and white eyes misty with tears, her eyes red-rimmed, her usual pitiful expression replaced by an unprecedented firmness in her gaze: "I don't like him, I only like you."
Xiao Che was taken aback, then chuckled as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world: "You like me?"
"You were sleeping with me while you turned around and tipped off Xiao Jue. Is this how much you like me?"
He swept his gaze across her with utter indifference: "Speak, what else are you trying to lie to me about?"
“I didn’t mean to lie to you,” Yan Jiarou said, her long, thick eyelashes trembling slightly, wet with tears. She seemed unwilling to discuss the topic any further. She reached for the food box beside her and carefully took out plates of pastries, saying, “Xiao Che, the food here must not be very good, so I brought you some snacks. Hmm… there are jade dew dumplings, milk pudding, and cream cheese, all your favorites…”
“I specially had someone buy these from Rongjizhai outside the palace,” she said, presenting a plate of pastries to him like a treasure. Her fair, fleshy cheeks were still wet with tears, but her eyes were bright as she looked at him. She pursed her lips and said, “I haven’t eaten any of them.”
Xiao Che glanced at the plate of pastries expressionlessly and scoffed, "Who told you I like this kind of sticky, sweet stuff?"
He said, "I hate eating this kind of thing the most."
Yan Jiarou looked up, somewhat helplessly, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her fair, slightly reddish fingertips gripping the edge of the plate tightly: "But...but you always buy this kind..."
That's because you like it.
Xiao Che gave her a cold look: "When I'm with you, all the meals and pastries I prepare are your favorites. Don't you know that?"
A look of surprise flashed across Yan Jiarou's face: "Xiao Che, I..."
"See? He doesn't even know what I like to eat, yet he says he likes me? Well, he's just a tool, a medicine, why should I care about his preferences?"
"Whether it's your mouth on top or your mouth on the bottom, you're both the same—you're an ungrateful wretch."
“No, Xiao Che, it’s not like that…” Yan Jiarou said, tears streaming down her face again. “I’m sorry, I didn’t pay attention to your preferences, I didn’t notice your feelings. I will change, really, I will change in the future, please believe me…”
"The future?" Xiao Che's hand resting on his knees curled slightly, his voice cold and flat: "Between us, there is no future."
Yan Jiarou stared at him blankly, momentarily forgetting even to cry: "What did you say?"
A buzzing sound filled her ears, and an unprecedented panic gripped her. She didn't know what was wrong with her; she only felt a dull, aching pain in her chest.
Xiao Che has made her unrecognizable to him, so how can he say he doesn't want her now?
"Xiao Che, don't you want me anymore?" She cried and threw herself into his arms like a helpless child, only able to vent her emotions through tears.
"You said you would be with me forever. How can your words and vows not stand?"
"Do you know how sad it makes me to say that?"
He felt a damp touch on his neck and frowned slightly: "Stop crying, Yan Jiarou. What else can you do besides cry? If you're going to cry, don't cry in front of me. It's just making me feel upset."
"I don't want to! I want to stay by your side! If you... if you really hate me that much, just kill me, kill me, and I'll stop crying... Waaah... Killing me is as easy as crushing an ant, I know... Just kill me, consider it revenge for yourself, anyway, I don't want to live anymore..."
Are you going to act like a scoundrel?
"Yes, I've never been a reasonable person. Is this the first time you've realized that!"
Xiao Che finally sighed softly, "Yan Yan, between us, you betrayed us first."
"I didn't betray you..." she sobbed, taking a few steps back, her tears flowing freely. It took her a long time to recover. "Xiao Che, please listen to my explanation. I didn't know things would turn out like this..."
“I didn’t betray my own people. I just wanted Xiao Jue to stop. I didn’t want to see him continue down this wrong path. You want to take back the crown prince position from him, and naturally I hope you can achieve that as well. I want you to be happy… But the charge of treason is too serious. I’m really afraid he’ll lose his life because of it. After all, he’s my brother. I can’t stand idly by and watch him walk down this path of no return…”
"So Xiao Che, I really didn't mean to. I don't know why he knew you were setting up a trap for him, and he even turned the tables on you. If I had known it would be like this, I would never have revealed this to him... Really, I swear!"
Xiao Che: "You don't know? Yan Jiarou, even a fool could figure this out. How could a girl like you, who never cares about court affairs, possibly know that he intends to rebel? Of course, you can only find out from me."
“You said you were worried about his life, but Yan Jiarou, he is Xiao Yuangan’s own son. Even tigers don’t eat their cubs, so how could he really want him dead? At most, he would be demoted to a commoner and exiled. What Xiao Yuangan wanted was never his life; he just wanted him to give up that position, nothing more.”
Yan Jiarou stared at him blankly, sobbing, "I'm sorry, brother, I didn't know, I was so stupid, I didn't think of these things, I'm so sorry..."
"Yes, you don't know anything. All you know is to turn around and tip off Xiao Jue."
Yan Jiarou shook her head, crying, and said, "Brother, I really know I was wrong. I'm still young, and it's inevitable that I'll make mistakes. As the saying goes, 'No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. To know one's mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue.' You can't never forgive me just because I made one mistake..."
"I can't live without you, please don't leave me, I beg you, sob sob..."
"Alright, stop crying." Xiao Che glanced at her deeply. "I've told you, I don't like seeing you cry."
Upon hearing this, Yan Jiarou immediately stopped sobbing, pouted, and forced back her tears: "If you don't like it, I... I won't cry anymore..."
She leaned closer, a little shyly, and said, "Brother, could you kiss me? If you kiss me, I definitely won't cry anymore..."
Xiao Che laughed in exasperation: "Do you think I'm flirting with you?"
Yan Jiarou shook her head in disappointment.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, she quickly got up, took off her cloak, bent down and draped it over his shoulders: "By the way, this cloak is made from three inches of soft fur from under the armpits of a white fox. It takes a hundred foxes to make one. It's very warm to wear. I thought that since it's autumn and the nights are especially cold, I was worried that the thin blankets in the prison cell wouldn't be enough to keep warm, so I specially wore this and brought it in. Wearing it will at least keep you warmer."
Xiao Che glanced at her: "You gave me the cloak, aren't you cold?"
That sounds more like a sign of concern.
Yan Jiarou raised her lips, smiled, and shook her head, saying, "I'm fine."
Xiao Che's Adam's apple bobbed, and his gaze shifted downwards, noticing the mud and what appeared to be tear on the hem of her ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress). He frowned and asked, "What happened to you?"
Yan Jiarou glanced down and said, "Oh, the dungeon was so damp and slippery, I slipped and fell. It's okay..."
Does it hurt?
"……ah?"
"Tell me, does it hurt?"
"Oh, it did hurt a little... but it doesn't hurt anymore!"
"Actually, that's nothing. What really scared me was encountering a huge rat in the passageway earlier!"
Xiao Che frowned, looking at her with an ambiguous expression: "...If you're afraid, why did you come in the first place?"
Yan Jiarou was taken aback, and slowly lowered her eyelashes: "Because I'm more afraid of you not wanting me than of being afraid of mice."
Xiao Che's fingers unconsciously curled slightly. He looked at her quietly for a long time before finally speaking:
"I have something to tell you now, so listen carefully, my royal sister."
Yan Jiarou nodded obediently and gave a soft "Mmm," trying her best to appear well-behaved.
I don't know why, but I've become unusually nervous, as if I'm waiting for some kind of verdict.
"I don't blame you for this. In the end, if I hadn't spoiled you so much, you wouldn't have had the chance to betray me. So, I don't blame you."
"But Yan Yan, this is the end for us."
"I'm utterly exhausted by your repeated treatment of me."
“I remember telling you that I have been burdened with many things since my mother passed away.”
“I promised my mother that I would fulfill her wish. My mother is perhaps the only person in this world who truly loves me. Her life has been bitter enough. Since I promised her, I must do it. So, as long as my life is still useful, I will keep it. I will never put myself in danger again, nor will I expose my weaknesses in front of others, so that those who want to harm me will have an opportunity.”
"And Yan Yan, you are my greatest weakness. You are also the person most likely to lead me into danger. If others want to harm me, they only need to start with you, and they will easily grasp my lifeline."
"Yes, even now, I still love you. I despise myself for loving you like this. But if I continue to indulge myself and keep you by my side, one day I might lose my life for you, or even die at your hands."
Yan Jiarou just shook her head, crying, and threw herself into his arms again, sobbing uncontrollably: "No, I love you so much, how could I possibly hurt you..."
“Then what happened today is nothing,” Xiao Che pushed her away, looked at her for a while, and finally raised his hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes: “Alright, stop crying. You’re all grown up now, so you can’t cry all the time.”
Yan Jiarou then gripped his hand tightly, her eyes red and brimming with hope and pleading as she looked at him with intense longing: "No, Xiao Che, you know I can't live without you. Please don't leave me, okay... I'll be good, I promise, I'll be good from now on! I'll do whatever you ask me to do..."
“You said you can’t live without me. If you mean the strange illness, I will go to Yan Xiao again. At worst, I’ll take some unorthodox methods. There’s always a way… Your condition has progressed so quickly. I asked Yan Xiao not long ago. It’s because you didn’t drink the medicine the mute doctor gave you. You disliked the bitterness of the medicine before and never drank it. Now you can’t.”
"If you start taking that medicine again, it might be able to suppress the condition once more, and then blood transfusions will be sufficient."
Yan Jiarou looked at him in disbelief: "Xiao Che, what do you mean?" "Why did you help me cure that illness? You want to sever ties with me, cut off this connection, and never have to talk to me again, is that it?"
Xiao Che lowered his gaze and remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Yan Jiarou's face suddenly turned pale. She forced back her tears, stood up abruptly, her chest heaving, and looked at him, saying, "I'm telling you, I don't agree!"
She was genuinely angry. Once she got angry, she didn't want to cry, and she didn't want to lose the upper hand in their confrontation.
"I know, I know you don't believe me, you still think I betrayed you, that's why you won't forgive me, right? But Xiao Che, I want to tell you, everything I said is true, I didn't lie to you! If you still don't believe me... I... you wait, I'll prove it to you!"
After she finished speaking, she ran out without looking back.
——
Inside the East Palace, Xiao Jue was teasing the birds by the window.
He had been in a good mood these past few days. Li Rong brought him a green parrot from outside the palace, saying that the little creature was quite intelligent and could help His Highness relieve boredom.
Xiao Jue teased it for a few days, and it did have some merit. He poked it a few times with a bird teaser and said, "Say it, Jia Rou only loves me."
The parrot flapped its wings a few times and mimicked, "Jiarou only loves you, Jiarou only loves you..."
Just as Xiao Jue was getting into the fun, he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps coming from outside the palace gate.
He turned his head and saw Yan Jiarou push open the door and enter. Upon seeing him, she immediately ran towards him with a very anxious expression. She took his hand and tried to lead him to the door: "Crown Prince, come with me!"
"Jiarou, where are you taking me?"
"Go to the dungeon! I need you to explain things to Xiao Che!"
Xiao Jue paused, stopping in an extremely strange posture: "Explain to Xiao Che?"
"Oh? What can I explain to him?"
He stopped on his own, but Yan Jiarou couldn't pull him away at all. She could only turn around and look at him, almost crying with anxiety: "He won't talk to me anymore. He thinks I betrayed him with you. Please help me explain to him that I only told you not to rebel, lest you suffer utter ruin. I didn't say anything else, and I definitely didn't deliberately set a trap for him with you. This was all your doing, it has nothing to do with me..."
"Oh? Just for this? Is it that important? You've already done it, Jiarou, why bother with unnecessary explanations?"
"It's very important! I absolutely have to explain! Only if I explain it clearly will he have any chance of forgiving me!"
Xiao Jue frowned: "Does it really matter whether Xiao Che forgave you or not? Jia Rou, you still have me. Let's not do without him, okay?"
"No! I want him!"
Xiao Jue took a deep breath, his patience almost running out: "What if I don't go?"
"I don't care, you have to come with me today!" Yan Jiarou became stubborn: "If you don't come with me, I'll never talk to you again!"
Xiao Jue sneered: "If you reconcile with Xiao Che, what difference does it make whether you talk to me or not?"
"You..." Yan Jiarou was never expected Xiao Jue to be so unreasonable. Enraged, she recklessly declared, "If you don't listen to me, Xiao Jue, don't blame me for telling Father the whole story. While Xiao Che's scheme against you may have had its own motives, and Father might blame him, your crime is ten times greater. In Father's eyes, I've always been innocent and naive, not clever, and naturally, I have no cunning, much less the ability to lie. Do you think he'll believe you or me?"
"If you won't help me, then nobody's going to have a good time! I made him angry because of you, and now you're not helping me? How could you do this!"
Xiao Jue narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice deepening: "Jiarou, after so many years of friendship, you're actually threatening me for Xiao Che's sake?"
"I didn't want this to happen either!" Yan Jiarou cried, "You forced me to do it first!"
As the two faced off, Yan Jiarou suddenly became breathless, and her cheeks gradually flushed. Her body went limp uncontrollably, and she was about to fall to the ground when Xiao Jue quickly went to support her.
Looking at Yan Jiarou in his arms, who looked unbearable, her forehead covered in sweat, and who was moaning incessantly, Xiao Jue's heart clenched: "Jiarou, what's wrong?"
"Xiao Che..." Yan Jiarou's eyes were unfocused, her gaze moist, and her soft, red lips parted slightly as she softly uttered a name: "I want Xiao Che..."
Xiao Jue's throat tightened. It wasn't that he didn't understand matters between men and women; Yan Jiarou's current appearance clearly showed that she was aroused.
Just like the revival of all things in spring, those wild animals in the mountains enter their mating season.
Oh no, he thought, her strange illness has flared up again.
His heart sank.
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