Chapter 53 Bound [VIP]
Chapter Summary: They began their counterattack.
Before dawn, Liu Shiyu stood barefoot in the main hall.
In the distance, beneath the curtains, physicians and palace maids were busy preparing for Lian Yue's funeral. She watched them intently.
Wei Jingshan's Northern Army surrounded Shiguang Hall, and from this moment on, Liu Shiyu had no chance of escape. But as long as Lian Yue could live, this sacrifice was nothing.
Outside the door, Wei Jingshan walked towards her carrying a pair of clean shoes.
Upon reaching her, he knelt down and picked up Liu Shiyu's foot to put on her shoes. Liu Shiyu immediately shook off his hand and said fiercely, "Don't touch me!"
Wei Jingshan heard this but remained silent. He forcibly took back her feet and put the shoes on her.
Standing up again, Wei Jingshan looked at Liu Shiyu's angry eyes with unusual calm.
“Wuxing is fierce. Once he bites into Yongzhou, how can he easily retreat? The Tang family is no longer Shaoyuan's shield. Everything is set in stone. Your Highness, stop struggling. Just be my new wife and I might consider sparing their lives.”
Liu Shiyu smiled, a thousand resentments flashing in her eyes. But as she spoke, she suddenly asked, "That day, you said you would make me queen. Does that still stand?"
"Of course, it counts." Wei Jingshan's words were neither true nor false.
Liu Shiyu raised the dagger in her hand and pressed it against his cold armor. If Lian Yue hadn't been still treating him, and if she hadn't feared that Jinling would be plunged into utter ruin, Liu Shiyu would have wanted to kill him. But she couldn't act rashly; her immediate priority was to stabilize Wei Jingshan and buy herself or the yet-to-be-settled person more time.
"Then I hope that Your Excellency will not break your promise."
Wei Jingshan grasped Liu Shiyu's wrist, removed the dagger, and replied, "Your subject has never lied to Your Highness."
The physician washed his hands and rose, while a palace maid slowly lowered the curtain behind him.
Seeing this, Liu Shiyu shook off Wei Jingshan's hand and walked forward. The physician, seeing her approach, cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, Miss Lianyue's wounds have been properly treated, and her life is no longer in danger. As long as she rests quietly, she will recover in a month or so."
"Thank you, physician."
Liu Shiyu thanked him. The physician bowed again, took his leave, and departed.
Standing in front of the curtain, Liu Shiyu spoke before Wei Jingshan could say, "Lian Yue, stay in Shiguang Palace to recuperate. I will keep a close watch on her."
Wei Jingshan wanted to retort, but after recalling Liu Shiyu's threatening words, he remained silent. He turned and left, standing in front of the palace gate, and said in a deep voice, "Then Your Highness should rest well in Shiguang Palace, and you need not attend the morning court sessions in the coming days. I will handle things for Your Highness. I take my leave."
After saying this, Wei Jingshan resolutely walked out of the main hall.
Liu Shiyu clenched her fists, turning her gaze to the closing palace doors, listening to the sound of chains falling. A profound irony.
In the blink of an eye, dawn broke.
As dawn broke through the carved windows of Shiguang Hall, Liu Shiyu found herself imprisoned, deprived of her freedom. Yet she believed that one day, the light of day would return for her, and she would no longer be bound by such constraints.
...
After this incident, Nanjing was thrown into complete chaos.
Wei Jingshan's southern army besieged Jinling City, while his northern army besieged Wanshe Palace. On the city walls and inside the palace walls, there was a guard every five steps. Even a wild goose flying over the walls would be shot down. Let alone anyone trying to leave Jinling.
Overnight, panic gripped the capital, and rumors spread like wildfire. Everyone blamed Liu Shiyu for the crime.
They said she was ambitious and plotted a rebellion.
They said she was unorthodox and a reincarnation of a demon.
One false accusation after another left Liu Shiyu no room to defend herself. They...in the end, only believed what they saw.
...
Inside the Guiyuan Hall.
Liu Shiyu claimed to be ill and did not come, and Xu Luchuan was also forced to stay at home to recuperate under the pretext of a relapse of his old illness by the Xu family.
The remaining officials who had come to court were all in a state of fear after witnessing He Qianzhang's death the previous day. They dared not speak frankly again.
Liu Zhizhou sat before the palace, gazing at the empty hall and the crowd of onlookers, his hands trembling in resignation. He recalled the day Prince Ling had forced the emperor to abdicate. The silence was still the same, but this time, that resolute figure was no longer by his side.
Liu Zhizhou suddenly realized his mistake and felt ashamed of his suspicions about Liu Shiyu. He remembered saying that he would be her support.
Since it is a promise made by the emperor, how can he break his word?
His eyes, no longer blank, fixed on Wei Jingshan's retreating figure. From that moment on, he decided to fight back.
...
Meanwhile, after single-handedly dealing with those who were chasing Lian Yue, Lian Xing landed safely in Xu Luchuan's Jihanzhai. Holding a bloodstained sword, he deftly broke the iron lock on Xu Luchuan's door and rushed inside.
Xu Luchuan, however, seemed to have guessed that Lian Xing would come, and sat by the window with his eyes closed.
Once the person entered, he opened his eyes and said, "You've finally come."
"Quickly, come with me. Let's save His Highness." Lian Xing ignored him, rushing forward to grab his arm, trying to pull him up. But Xu Luchuan pressed Lian Xing down, trying to calm him down. "Wait, is there anything she wants you to convey?"
Lian Xing shook his head.
After recalling Liu Shiyu's last words, he added, "Your Highness, the only person I can believe in is...you."
Upon hearing Liu Shiyu's words, Xu Luchuan suddenly gripped Lian Xing's wrist tightly, unable to control himself. His voice trembled as he asked, "Is she... alright? What's the situation outside? Tell me everything you know... perhaps there's still a chance."
Upon hearing this, Lian Xing told Xu Luchuan everything he knew.
After speaking, Xu Luchuan, disregarding his anger and heartache, stood before the door, lost in thought. He was currently outnumbered and outmatched; dealing with Wei Jingshan, who commanded a large army, would be no easy task. But for Liu Shiyu's sake, Xu Luchuan would not sit idly by and wait for his demise.
Unfortunately, even if he could figure out a solution, he would still need to find someone to accompany him.
Looking up at the suddenly overcast sky, Xu Luchuan seemed to have a plan. He spoke up: "Lian Xing, since we can't leave Jinling for the time being, do you have a way to get back to Wanshe Palace?"
"Yes," Lian Xing answered firmly. He could not only return, but also come and go freely.
Further on, Lian Xing accompanied Liu Shiyu in Wanshe Palace. Bored, he explored every corner of the palace. Right next to the northeast corner of Wanshe Palace, in Wuchun Palace (the Cold Palace), Lian Xing discovered the secret that allowed him to freely come and go from Wanshe Palace.
It was a secret passage, built and used by an unknown person.
Lian Xing walked over to Xu Luchuan and asked, puzzled, "You... want to enter the palace? When?"
A cold wind howled, and a storm was brewing.
Xu Luchuan's hope was rekindled, but he remained unusually calm. He put his hands behind his back and replied to Lian Xing, "It's going to rain... Let's wait until nightfall. Then we'll go to Wanshe Palace."
"Go see His Highness?" Lian Xing's doubts remained.
Xu Luchuan looked up at the sky, watching the flock of black birds circle away. He was like those birds, undaunted by the impending storm. He calmly said, "No, I'm going to see the Emperor."
...
It was dusk again when three claps of thunder echoed through the dark sky.
Xu Luchuan opened the door of Jihanzhai, hiding his face deep within his black cloak. The two cold iron locks on the gate could not contain his burning heart for Liu Shiyu. He and Lian Xing leaped up, stepping on the ancient rooftops and disappearing into the distance.
After leaving the Xu family, Xu Luchuan wandered through Jinling. He looked around and was surprised to find that every house in the city was closed.
Who would have thought that this once bustling capital would one day become so desolate?
Lian Xing finally caught up with Xu Luchuan, and then led him around the Northern Army's line of sight, heading towards the Wuchun Palace. When they stopped again, Lian Xing carefully raised a tinderbox, parted some weeds, and found the narrow secret passage.
The two exchanged a glance and quickly slipped inside.
Before long, as they emerged from the secret passage, a muffled rumble of thunder arose, followed by the patter of rain.
Xu Luchuan resolutely stepped out of the dark passage and stood in the increasingly torrential rain. In the darkness, his once pure eyes now held a hint of fortitude.
Lian Xing walked through the rain, and Xu Luchuan hurried after her. The two of them disappeared into the Wuchun Palace.
Along the way, they cautiously evaded the Northern Army's night patrols. Even as they passed the Shiguang Hall, Xu Luchuan couldn't help but stop. He stood on a rooftop, gazing at the hall, surrounded by guards but without a lamp lit, his heart heavy with sorrow.
He wondered if Liu Shiyu would be afraid in the cold hall on a stormy, rainy night.
He longed to rush in and pick her up.
"There's movement over there!" A clear shout suddenly reached Xu Luchuan's ears, bringing him back to his senses.
Lian Xing observed the movements of the Northern Army, then turned to him and said, "Your Highness, I'll leave it to you... I'm at ease. You go, leave this place to me."
Xu Luchuan nodded in agreement, and Lian Xing turned and ran, immediately drawing the attention of the patrolling Northern Army. After the danger was over, Xu Luchuan glanced at Shiguang Hall and silently said in his heart, "Ayu, wait for me." Then he headed towards Fenghua Hall without stopping.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning streaked across the night, illuminating the entire hall.
Liu Shiyu, leaning against Lian Yue, suddenly woke up with a start, instinctively exclaiming, "Xu Luchuan!"
But when she fully opened her blurry eyes, she realized it was all a dream. The main hall was still empty, and the rain outside the window mingled with the rumble of thunder. She reached out and took out the jade disc she had won with Xu Luchuan at the Cold Mountain Banquet, and clutched it tightly in her palm.
She pressed the tip of her nose against the jade disc, as if it were pressed against him.
Liu Shiyu's longing spread in the darkness; she longed to hug him again.
...
Outside Fenghua Hall, there was also heavy guard. The only difference was that the lamps inside the hall were still burning.
From the moment he entered Wanshe Palace until now, Xu Luchuan, relying on his excellent memory and keen observation, had figured out the movements of the Northern Army patrol. Taking advantage of the heavy rain, he safely avoided their sight and climbed to the backyard of Fenghua Hall.
As he stepped over the courtyard wall, he hurried forward with his eyes downcast, when he suddenly heard a stern rebuke coming from the back corridor: "Stop!"
As the sound of swords clashing rang out, Xu Luchuan instinctively stepped back.
But the man's sword was fast, so fast that it was already at his shoulder in an instant. The man then raised his sword and flicked at Xu Luchuan's cloak, saying disdainfully, "Take off your hood."
Upon recognizing the voice, Xu Luchuan surprisingly lowered his guard and obediently followed the man's instructions, gently lifting his hood. With the hood off, Lu Cheng saw the person before him and exclaimed in surprise, "Erlang?"
Xu Luchuan turned to look at Lu Cheng, not having time to explain. He hurriedly asked, "Uncle, where is His Majesty?"
[Author's Note]
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 19:28:14 on January 7, 2023 and 19:26:11 on January 8, 2023!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Redemption 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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