Chapter 168: Destiny 14: The Lies Get Bigger and Bigger
Li Yanze had a strong premonition of danger. He had never felt this way about anyone around him. He trusted them but also felt the danger of them being pricked by a needle.
"Your Highness."
The half-white-haired imperial teacher came over, glanced at Li Yanze, whose neck was pinched, and continued, "We didn't know this person was yours. We are sorry for offending you, and we have come to apologize to you."
Li Yanze felt his throat relax, feeling that the curse had been lifted, and could not help but sigh. Qi Youwei loosened his hand and did not speak, but Li Yanze knew that Qi Youwei was very unhappy.
Maybe it was because the Imperial Master had arrested him, or maybe it was because he had prevented Qi Youwei from getting an answer.
"It's all right with me."
Li Yanze said hurriedly, and then looked at Qi Youwei, meeting his eyes. All his expressions just now were in Qi Youwei's indifferent eyes.
There was no expression on Qi Youwei's face and he no longer smiled.
Li Yanze himself couldn't figure out why he didn't want to answer his question. Telling the truth wouldn't cause any trouble, and it would also make him less angry and keep his emotions stable.
What Aunt Yue said was incoherent and he didn't understand what she was talking about, let alone hiding anything.
But secretly, he chose to trust his intuition.
"Yan Ze said it's okay, so it's okay."
Qi Youwei finally spoke, and Li Yanze actually felt relieved. Qi Youwei smiled, looked at the Imperial Master, and said, "Since we are already at the Imperial Master's residence, then we will trouble the Imperial Master to help us tonight."
The national teacher turned sideways and raised his hand to invite Li Yanze. When Li Yanze walked by, he raised his drooping eyelids and gave him a complicated look.
The Imperial Master's Mansion was more simple than Li Yanze had imagined. The lights were rarely turned on at night, and there were no valuable or rare items displayed everywhere. It was even more simple than the houses of the wealthy merchants that Li Yanze had seen.
"Your Highness has briefly informed me of the situation, but I still don't know to what extent the spiritual power you input can reach."
Li Yanze sighed softly: "It's a pity that my spiritual power has been sealed for unknown reasons. It had clearly improved some time ago. Recently, I can only use a small part of it."
"Tian Que originally had the aptitude to cultivate Taoism, but his weak heart meridians would not be able to keep up with the activities of his physical body. At first, I also thought about injecting spiritual energy into your heart meridians to share the burden, so that you can be no different from ordinary people. But it can only last for half an incense stick of time at most."
"Later, we tried to have His Highness draw Qi into his body and practice forcefully, but the spiritual energy dissipated as soon as it reached his heart meridians."
Li Yanze gathered his spiritual power, raised his hand and touched Qi Youwei's heart, closed his eyes and poured all his spiritual power into his heart. Qi Youwei's complexion improved visibly, and a faint golden light flickered from his heart, warm and inclusive.
Li Yanze breathed a sigh of relief and immediately felt very tired. Qi Youwei was always paying attention to him and immediately put his arm around his waist and raised his hand to help him wipe the sweat off his face. The national teacher looked as if he was used to it, and Li Yanze felt a little embarrassed.
"It is indeed as Your Highness said before, the heart meridians are functioning normally, and there is no leakage of spiritual energy."
Li Yanze was delighted: "So should I extract my spiritual power to refine a pill and give it to him to take, so that his life will be safe from now on?"
The Imperial Master subconsciously raised his eyes and looked towards Qi Youwei.
"Whether it is feasible or not, we still have to try it to know." Qi You said softly, looking at his expression without any ecstasy.
"In this case, you may have to stay in the palace for a while."
Li Yanze's fingertips trembled: "No need, I have already figured out the way here, it will be very convenient for me to come here every day in the future."
After he finished speaking, he was ready for Qi Youwei to refute, or he would show a very sad expression and say: "Are you so impatient to break up with me?"
But Qi Youwei just nodded, his expression unchanged, as if he thought it was no big deal.
"As long as you think that's not troublesome."
Li Yanze couldn't control his expression and looked at him in surprise. Qi You smiled slightly, stood up and took him out of the Imperial Master's Mansion, and this time he stood in front to lead the way for him.
"Are you that surprised?" Qi You slightly lifted the curtain of the carriage and asked him in a calm voice.
"If you don't want to live in the palace, then don't live there. You can come whenever you want. You are always free."
Qi Youwei sat upright in the carriage. Perhaps it was because his attire was too different today, Li Yanze always felt a subtle sense of alienation towards him, as if he were a nobleman...
In the past, he rarely tied his hair up high, with his hair hanging down on his forehead. Even when he wore luxurious robes, they had low-key dark patterns without any fancy patterns, and he looked like a nobleman.
But today he had his hair tied up and wore a crown, the pearl gold crown only made him look noble and unparalleled, his sharp and deep bone structure was undoubtedly exposed, and he was wearing a purple dragon robe, which made him look imposing and intimidating without even showing any anger.
"If it weren't for you, we would still be feeding chickens and growing vegetables in Taoxi Village. At this hour, you should get up and dig the ground. Then I will ask you if you will be back at noon today."
Qi Youwei said this with a slight chuckle.
Li Yanze's tense mood was soothed by his words, and he smiled. "I wonder if the yard has started to grow grass because no one is taking care of it."
Qi You glanced at his smiling eyes and said, "We have been gone for less than half a month, don't worry."
Li Yanze let out a long sigh and whispered, "Yes."
The carriage was shaking so much that Li Yanze's eyelids began to feel sticky. Qi Youwei leaned over slightly but did not immediately embrace him.
"Have I ever told you?" Qi Youwei said softly, bewitchingly. "I won't force you to do anything. For example, you must stay with me, for example... you must like me."
Li Yanze heard it but seemed not to take it in. He hummed softly and leaned against him in a relaxed manner.
"I'll take a nap for a while."
In Taoxi Village, Li Yanze had become accustomed to Qi Youwei being around. Even when he fell asleep, he would be held close to him for support. Li Yanze thought it would be better for him to lean on him.
Unconsciously, he took the initiative to blur the boundaries of ambiguity.
Qi Youwei held him down and laid him down, holding him in his arms and twisting his hair with his fingers.
He has told so many lies that he naturally doesn't mind telling bigger lies now.
*
Li Yanze began to frequently go in and out of the Imperial Master's residence, mainly to discuss the use of medicine with the Imperial Master. Qi Youwei seemed to be busy, and he only met with him a few times in half a month.
It was said that there was a hint of evil spirit causing chaos in the imperial capital, and he was busy trying to resolve the matter before the palace banquet.
Li Yanze really wanted to help, but after that night, he understood a little bit.
I'm afraid that the evil spirits harming people are just a cover, and the palace secrets are the truth.
It was not easy for him to get involved in such things. As for matters related to the royal family, monks like them should stay away from them. The emperor and the royal family, any disturbance would affect the livelihoods of millions of people and the fate of the country.
Of course, he was also curious about what that past event was like.
The evil spirits had ceased to move, and the curfew in the imperial city was naturally lifted.
In the evening, the streets of the imperial capital were still crowded with people. Li Yanze sat in the carriage, lifted a small corner of the curtain and looked out.
Qi Youwei invited him to the palace banquet, but he didn't want to go. But when Qi Youwei showed that aggrieved and disappointed look, Li Yanze softened his heart.
Because it was a palace banquet, the plain clothes he usually wore were even more worn out than the robes of the eunuchs in the palace, and he had new robes tailored according to his measurements.
The blue background of the dress was embroidered with silver threads, and the jade waistband outlined the young man's slender waist, making him look like a smart and beautiful young man. However, he himself was unaware that the dress was much heavier than plain clothes.
With a crown on his head and fluttering hair tassels, he couldn't even walk.
They naturally went through the main gate of the imperial city. The vermilion gate was wide open. Li Yanze leaned against the window and looked out, sensing a subtle fluctuation of spiritual power.
In the past few days, the spiritual power in his meridians has slowly recovered and his keen perception has returned.
"Has the formation been completed?"
Li Yanze thought of the big formation he saw on the first day, turned around and asked Qi Youwei curiously.
Qi Youwei's face was hidden in the darkness. He turned around when he heard the words, and Li Yanze could only see the corners of his lips slightly raised.
“It’s done.”
Li Yanze didn't think much about it. He just watched the vermilion gate slowly swallow the carriage like some kind of giant monster, and a sense of uneasiness inexplicably passed through his heart.
Bang, bang, bang…
Fireworks bloomed from the city gate tower straight into the night sky. Li Yanze looked up and saw a golden light in his beautiful eyes that lit up and then disappeared.
Qi Youwei didn't move, but just looked at him quietly and smiled, his face gradually disappearing in the shadow of the city wall.
After entering the palace, Li Yanze finally understood why the imperial palace was called the Imperial City. There were so many palaces, buildings, pavilions and waterside pavilions that it was too big to see them all.
The palace maids and eunuchs coming and going were all dressed in uniform, walked in unison, and stood respectfully with their heads bowed. Everything was in order.
Li Yanze found it boring and turned away disinterestedly.
Qi You smiled, as if he had seen through Li Yanze's thoughts at the moment.
The palace is such an exquisite and gorgeous cage. People in the cage enjoy the best things in the world, but the price is that they are not allowed to fly out of this golden cage.
Only royal relatives were present at the palace banquet. Li Yanze took a quick look around and found that the only royal uncle of Qi Youwei was Prince Yu.
This is indeed somewhat surprising when you think about it carefully.
Qi Youwei led Li Yanze straight through the crowd. They were wearing golden hairpins and gorgeous clothes. Under the candlelight, all they saw were rich and dignified faces that were charming.
They knelt in two rows, and Qi Youwei grabbed Li Yanze's hand in full view of everyone and pulled him to the front.
"Can I sit here?" Li Yanze's hand subconsciously shrank, Qi Youwei pulled it back and asked him in a low voice: "Don't you want to sit in the front and watch the good show tonight?"
Li Yanze immediately sat down obediently.
Li Yanze looked around and found that there was an empty seat in the front. He wondered which distinguished person had arrived late. And he could have arrived even later than Qi Youwei.
Banquets and music are the same in royal palace banquets, except that there are more levels of hierarchy.
Qi Youwei would turn his head over from time to time to urge him to eat this and that, but since he had heard that there would be a good show, his mind was no longer on the food.
The candlelight in the hall was bright, and as everyone was drunk, a palace maid opened half of the window.
In an instant, the candles in the hall flickered for a moment, and then all the candles were extinguished.
Li Yanze immediately grabbed Qi Youwei's arm and made a hand gesture with his right hand. Qi Youwei leaned against him in the dark, and the faint smell of medicine mixed with the ambergris in the hall came faintly.
“The show is about to begin.”
Li Yanze was stunned. A woman suddenly appeared in the hall. Her features and eyebrows were similar to Qi Youwei's.
As soon as she appeared, a scream of extreme fear came from the direction of Prince Yu in the darkness.
"Who... is she?"
Li Yanze had some guesses in his mind, but he still couldn't help but ask Qi Youwei.
"She is my mother."
Qi Youwei chuckled: "She came here today to seek revenge."
"Are you going to take her in?"
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