Chapter 82 Is forgetting this feeling painful?
Mingying watched him drink the medicine, and after removing the bowl, he talked to her for a long time.
He was simply reminiscing about old stories, subtly pleading for her forgiveness.
She didn't want to bring up those things. Perhaps it was because she had just schemed against him. He was a very meticulous person, and she couldn't help but feel uneasy, afraid of arousing his suspicion. She could only listen to him talk calmly, as if to comfort him.
She was only able to leave when a military commander came to discuss the route for deploying troops.
Walking through the empty streets, stepping on the sparse moonlight.
She loosened her clenched fist and realized that her hands were damp with sweat.
The medicine was given to her by He Lianqing, and in addition, someone in E Li Fang secretly relayed messages for them.
She learned that the medicine did indeed come from the Wuhuan region, and it was exactly the same as the medicine Pei Xiaoyun had used on her years ago, capable of making a person lose their memory of another person, but the antidote seemed to be different.
These days she deliberately softened her attitude towards him, making him mistakenly believe that she had changed her mind, just to lower his guard so that one day she could get close to his personal medicine.
She has finally gotten this great opportunity today.
The dosage of the medicine was specially prepared; after just one dose, its effects would take root and spread throughout the body, causing one to let go of their obsessions and slowly forget the person they cared about most at that moment.
By the time he recalls what she did to him today, he will probably have already forgotten her.
He was an emperor, and his petty love affairs were insignificant in the eyes of others. He Lianqing did not help him, and no one in the court wanted him to indulge in love affairs. There was no other way to break the curse.
He loved her madly, and his feelings might have been genuine, but she didn't want to accept this twisted love.
Their feud will never be resolved.
With the court unstable and the country in turmoil, if he could truly secure his throne and do things that benefit the people, she would still hope that he would live a long life.
However, don't bother her.
She will live quietly in another place.
They are like two parallel lines, and they can never intersect again.
—
After drinking the medicine, Pei Xiaoyun felt much clearer-headed. What pleased him most was that Mingying was willing to sit down and talk to him.
He seemed to see a glimmer of hope.
Thinking of this, he grasped the brush and ink, quickened his wrist movements, and in one go, a sketch was laid out on the table—a map of the troop route to attack the Wuhuan.
He knew his own body well; his injuries were almost healed, and the remaining minor wounds were nothing to worry about.
This campaign must be swift, ideally launched while the enemy is still regrouping after their defeat, catching them completely off guard.
After finishing the sketch, he folded the item in half and stuffed it into the envelope.
"Send this drawing to Shen Mingshu. If he finds anything wrong with it, have him revise it and send it to me."
Undeniably, Shen Mingshu was a genius in military campaigns. Although there were many brave and capable generals in the court, he valued Shen Mingshu more.
Just to be on the safe side, he decided to discuss this draft roadmap with him first.
Late at night, after receiving the item, Shen Mingshu quickly glanced at it.
This map is exquisitely and meticulously drawn. Every route has been carefully considered and is airtight, revealing the mapmaker's superb military strategy. The messenger said that it could be added or modified at will.
He put the painting back in its original packaging, saying, "This painting is excellent; I have no objection."
Once the route map is determined, the marching order and supply routes must be discussed. Once all these are finalized, troops can be deployed.
Judging from Pei Xiaoyun's speed and formation, he figured that in less than half a month, they would be engaged in a real battle with the Wuhuan.
The Northwest has been deeply troubled by this tribe. Over the years, countless people have suffered persecution at their hands. He had long been eager for this battle.
After the waiter took the letter away, he went to Mingying's side and saw her sitting by the window, playing with the parrot in the cage.
“When war really breaks out, you should go back to the Northwest.” He didn’t hide it from her, guessing that she had overheard what he had just said.
Mingying opened her palm, letting the parrot peck at the yellow rice in her hand: "I'm not going back. At least, I have to wait for your triumphant return, brother."
When war breaks out, there will inevitably be wounded soldiers at the front. If she stays in the city, she can help treat the wounded together with He Lianqing.
How could she possibly hide back in the Northwest?
Moreover, if there are no abnormalities on Pei Xiaoyun's side, he will gradually let go of his obsession with her and will no longer remember her.
Once this battle is won, he will return to the capital in triumph, and she and her brother can settle down anywhere.
—
Since parting ways with Mingying that day, Pei Xiaoyun had been hiding in his room for several days, sketching and arranging his troops.
He had already discussed and finalized the general route for the deployment of troops with the generals from all sides, and the troops were ready for battle.
Recently, however, he has been so engrossed in military affairs that he seems unable to think about anything else. Although he is busy with his own affairs, he feels empty inside.
"Your Majesty, didn't you say you were going to Goose Pear Workshop again this afternoon?" The servants, who had received his order early in the morning, had already prepared the carriage.
Pei Xiaoyun put down the charcoal pencil in her hand and frowned slightly.
Elli Square?
His gaze sharpened slightly, and the two broken lines were finally connected.
Yes, he was thinking of seeing her one last time before setting out to say goodbye properly.
She won't come unless you go to see her.
"Someone, take this letter to the camp." He put away his pen and ink, put on a plain yet dignified everyday outfit, and was about to leave when a servant came in to report.
"Your Majesty, Miss Ming has arrived."
Pei Xiaoyun's breathing became heavy. Upon hearing her name, her face seemed no longer as deeply etched into his mind as before.
He needed a moment to think about what her features looked like. Only when her face appeared in his mind did he say, "Let her in."
Mingying came here today to test how far he had progressed after being drugged.
She was still afraid that he would find out in advance and find some way to solve the problem, which would make all her efforts futile.
Pei Xiaoyun was dressed in a wide-sleeved, dark blue robe. He stood tall with broad shoulders and long legs. His face was like a flawless piece of jade, and he looked much better.
Mingying watched him walk over and said, "I have something to tell you."
Pei Xiaoyun's brows relaxed when he saw her come to him. "I was just about to come to you. Come in and talk."
Mingying noticed that his tone and expression remained unchanged, and his face was expressionless.
Could it be that the medicine was ineffective for him? Or had he already discovered it?
But considering that he had just addressed her as "朕" (the imperial "I"), and had said that he wanted to be closer to her, he wouldn't need to use that term anymore, his change of address today showed that he had reverted to being the same aloof and supreme emperor who made no exceptions for anyone.
She recalled the scene where he had drugged her, and it seemed that she hadn't forgotten him overnight.
Rather, it is at a certain moment that the past is gradually forgotten, and the face and features of a person become increasingly unfamiliar.
In the end, my thoughts were like a broken thread, impossible to piece together. I could only let them become more and more scattered, until finally, I completely forgot about that person.
She knew perfectly well how painful and unbearable it was.
She followed Pei Xiaoyun inside to his study. He had been taking medicine for days, and the bitter scent of the medicine permeated the air with the aroma of ink and brush.
"Are you feeling any better?" she asked.
Pei Xiaoyun's expression shifted slightly, but the ripples in her eyes were shallower than raging waves.
Is she worried about him? Why would she worry about him?
He paused for a moment, then his forehead throbbed, and his voice trembled: "What did you just say?"
Mingying was very close to him and saw through his confusion: "You've recovered from vomiting blood that day, haven't you?"
The undisguised surprise on his face made her heart leap. She understood this fleeting bewilderment better than anyone.
"I'm much better now." Pei Xiaoyun gazed at her intently, his eyes widening as he spoke in a low, slow voice, "I didn't expect you to come. Is there anything you wish to say to me?"
Mingying first gave him a few instructions, telling him not to doubt or suppress his elder brother, and to take good care of him if necessary on the battlefield. Pei Xiaoyun agreed to everything.
Of course, these words are unimportant; they're just a pretext.
"Do you still remember what you promised me?" She looked at him, her gaze meeting his dark eyes, and revealed the purpose of her visit. "You said you would stop bothering me and that you would set me free once you went to war."
In reality, it was impossible for him to say these words.
She was deliberately testing him to see his reaction.
If his feelings for her weren't as deep right now, and she were just an insignificant commoner standing in front of him, he might not have blurted out a rejection.
Sure enough, silence spread through the room.
Pei Xiaoyun pondered her words over and over, unable to grasp the beginning or the end of the sentence: what was meant by entanglement? She couldn't understand the conclusion either. Should she be set free?
Why did he agree to her and make such a promise?
He only saw her white teeth opening and closing, but felt as if he were sinking into a cloud of mist.
Such a long silence was enough to answer Mingying's question: he was indeed gradually forgetting about her, which was exactly what she wanted to see.
Pei Xiaoyun looked away, her lips moving slowly: "I'll think about what you have to say."
He didn't want to agree to her request because he didn't know why he would make that promise to her, and he didn't know what reason he had to keep her.
Mingying continued, "You cannot break your promise. You made it in front of me and my brother."
No matter what she said, Pei Xiaoyun insisted, "I will give you an answer, but not now."
He seemed to be clinging tightly to something important that was about to slip away, unwilling to let go.
The more Ming Ying spoke to him, the more his forehead throbbed with pain. Her words surged in his mind, like a lone boat being torn apart by the waves, plunging him into a vortex that felt both real and unreal. He felt as if half his strength had been drained from his body, and he braced his hands on the table.
Mingying took in his reaction and suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
He will gradually erode his memory of her, and perhaps, when he wakes up tomorrow morning, he will have completely forgotten her.
His every move was reflected in her eyes, her knuckles clenched into a fist, as if she were crushing the past into dust in her palm.
She really wanted to ask him if this feeling was painful, and if it was even worse than what she had experienced back then.
She said she wanted him to experience this feeling too.
"Ah Ying..."
His sharp voice suddenly became hoarse halfway through.
Mingying's shoulders and back trembled, and her thoughts suddenly froze.
Pei Xiaoyun lowered his head, lost in the shadows, and chuckled softly a few times.
No wonder he felt this way, both painful and lonely.
It's as if millions of insects are gradually gnawing away at his heart, pulling out the most important thing inside.
Is she trying to use the same trick on him again?
His dark, lifeless eyes fixed on her, taking in her face intently, and he voiced his suspicions: "You drugged me, didn't you? When was it? Was it the day you took my medicine and brought it to me?"
-----------------------
Author's note: Guess if it will work out [doge emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
