Chapter 45 Before our marriage, you and His Majesty...
Lou Xueying sat on the cruise ship, still shaken, her back drenched in cold sweat.
Fortunately, there was little wind today and the sun was strong; otherwise, she would have been sweating profusely, and the wind on the water would have likely made her sick again when she got back.
She picked up the tea on the table and gulped down a large mouthful before she could barely calm her wildly beating heart.
The boat swayed gently on the water. Li's mother had never been on a boat before and was a little scared at first, clinging to her arm and not daring to let go. Later, she got used to it and became bolder, even daring to lean out and dip her hand into the water to touch it.
“It’s the same scenery, but the feeling is really different when you see it from the shore and when you see it from the water,” Li’s mother said with great interest.
Lou Xueying forced a smile and said, "If Mother is happy, that's good."
She held the teacup and secretly patted her chest.
The experience was completely unexpected; she never dreamed that while accompanying Li's mother on a trip, she would encounter the Crown Prince in disguise.
Unlike her previous encounters with Emperor Jinghui, she was completely unprepared this time, as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight, and almost couldn't catch her breath. If it weren't for the surrounding voices pulling her back to reality, she probably wouldn't even know where to run.
How could the Crown Prince have appeared? I've never heard of the Crown Prince having a hobby of traveling incognito.
And why is Yao Biyue involved with the Crown Prince again? Could it be that she still can't refuse the Empress?
This really can't go on. I have to find Yao Biyue again another day and get the details of the situation.
Lou Xueying cautiously raised her eyes to look at the stone bridge in the distance, but the Crown Prince and the others were no longer there.
She was always afraid of meeting the Crown Prince, but despite all her precautions, she ended up running into trouble in the most unlikely place for her to encounter him: the common people.
She couldn't help but recall the look in the Crown Prince's eyes when he looked at her today—half amazed, half stunned—it was exactly the same as in her past life.
She was about to break out in a cold sweat again.
Lou Xueying secretly comforted herself, telling herself not to overthink it, and not to be afraid of ropes for ten years after being bitten by a snake once.
So what if the Crown Prince was only attracted to her looks? In his previous life, he was only interested in her. After learning that she was a noble lady who was going to a banquet, he had the Empress summon her to the palace, which led to further contact.
In this life, she is already the Lady of the Marquis of Wu'an, not some unmarried young lady. He couldn't possibly harbor ill intentions towards her just because he glanced at her—no matter what he became in his previous life, at least now, he is not that kind of person…
I don't think so...
Moreover... and his father is about to take action against him, so even if he wanted to, he wouldn't have the time...
Lou Xueying thought to herself in a bit of a panic.
To be fair, she never wanted the Crown Prince or the Emperor to die. She wouldn't dare have such a treasonous thought even if she had a hundred lives. Besides, if something happened to the Emperor and the Crown Prince, the world would be thrown into chaos, and she didn't want to become a scourge that brought ruin to the country.
That day, Emperor Jinghui said he would kill the Crown Prince, but nothing has happened since. Even Yao Biyue has heard about the conflict between father and son, so it's unlikely to be unfounded. It's highly probable that Emperor Jinghui doesn't want to bear the charge of "unjustly killing the Crown Prince," which is why he hasn't acted directly but is waiting for the right opportunity.
When? Lou Xueying didn't know.
The current crown prince is almost flawless in his actions and enjoys a good reputation among his ministers. To expect him to commit a crime serious enough to warrant execution is nothing short of a pipe dream.
Unless it's a deliberate setup...
Lou Xueying didn't want to think about it anymore.
In truth, she felt that it was indeed somewhat unjust for the Crown Prince to be executed by the Emperor, who possessed memories of his past life, even though he had done nothing wrong. However, if the Emperor actually took action, she would not make any statement.
If the Crown Prince dies... then so be it. All the past is gone, and she is no longer anyone to him. Whether he lives or dies, what does it matter to her?
Love and hate are both too exhausting; she just wants to live a peaceful life in a secluded corner.
After spending half a day sightseeing, it was getting dark. Lou Xueying found a small restaurant on the shore, had a meal with Li's mother, and then took the satisfied Li's mother back home.
It was time to sleep again, but Lou Xueying lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
She stared at the dark tent ceiling with her eyes wide open, and the question the Crown Prince had asked her earlier that day, "Is Miss alright?" involuntarily came to mind.
He was clearly a virtuous and upright gentleman, so why did he end up like that in his past life?
She didn't know if he was the same in front of the ministers; she only knew that he was a completely different person in front of her. She had never known that Zhang Jinxiu could utter so many filthy words, nor had she ever known that those affectionate eyes could flash with a blood-curdling ferocity.
She didn't understand. He was the Crown Prince, and should be the person in the world who understood the power of the royal family best. He said she had betrayed him, but what did he want her to do? Was she to spend her whole life in the palace, resenting the emperor and forbidding him from getting close? Or should she secretly contact him, pour out her helplessness and bitterness, and try to gain his understanding and sympathy?
Lou Xueying didn't actually hate him that much. She just couldn't understand it.
She couldn't understand why, even though she had already accepted reality and let go, he hadn't. Was he truly so deeply in love with her? So deeply in love that he was willing to kill his father to seize power and possess her again?
Lou Xueying recalled the cage that imprisoned her, where everything inside was top-notch, even the window lattices were made of the most expensive Western Region glass.
He was willing to support her like this, so he must have feelings for her. But why did he say he hated her and then act on that hatred?
She couldn't understand it. She thought about it from her past life to this life, but she still couldn't figure it out.
Lou Xueying lay quietly, lost in thought.
Suddenly hearing a very faint click, Lou Xueying snapped back to reality and sat up.
What was that sound? She looked around in confusion, but couldn't find anything moving.
She thought she had misheard, so she was about to lie down again, but as soon as she pulled up the blanket, she suddenly saw that the window outside the bed curtains had been opened!
The lanterns under the eaves had been extinguished sometime ago, and only the clear moonlight streamed into the room through the open windows.
The moonlight was bright and clear, flowing across the ground like shimmering water.
Lou Xueying stared blankly as a dark figure skillfully vaulted into the room, then looked up and met her gaze.
She was stunned, and so was he.
Lou Xueying gasped sharply and cried out, "Come on—uh!"
The man took a big step and rushed towards her. He was so fast that he almost pounced on her and covered her mouth with his hand.
With a ripping sound, the closed green gauze curtain was violently torn apart, and it floated lightly between her and the uninvited guest.
"Don't shout!" he whispered. "It's me, Li Pan!"
Li Pan?!
Lou Xueying stared blankly at the figure on her body, wondering if she was dreaming.
Seeing that she had stopped struggling, Li Pan took a deep breath, stood up, picked up the curtain that was in the way and threw it aside, then went to close the window.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Li Pan returned to the bedside, touched her face, and found it dry, which was alright.
Lou Xueying looked at him, pinched herself, and realized it wasn't a dream.
"W-how could you be here?" Her eyes widened. "You weren't...you left a long time ago, weren't you?"
Li Pan smirked: "I'd like to leave, but someone won't let me."
Should we stop him from leaving?
Lou Xueying thought for a moment, then uncertainly held up a finger: "Me...?"
Li Pan: "Who else could it be?"
Lou Xueying suddenly realized what was happening, and her face changed drastically: "You really didn't leave? What are you planning to do? If people find out you're still staying in the capital, you'll lose your head!"
Li Pan: "You don't need to worry about these things. I came to you because there's something I want to ask you about."
Lou Xueying was stunned and asked, "What?"
Li Pan put one hand on his hip, licked his slightly dry lips, thought for a moment, and said, "Then I'll get straight to the point, it's just... before we got married, did you know His Majesty?"
Like a thunderclap from a clear sky, Lou Xueying sat frozen on the bed, feeling as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
Why would Li Pan suddenly ask her such a question? Did he discover something? How did he discover it? Was he following her when she met Emperor Jinghui that day? But how did he manage to do that, without even the royal guards noticing his presence?
Seeing her blank and silent, Li Pan's heart sank.
"What kind of question is that?" Lou Xueying said with difficulty. "How could I possibly know His Majesty? Only my father and His Majesty can be considered acquainted in my family. Even my two elder brothers only saw His Majesty once during the palace examination."
Li Pan: "Really?"
Lou Xueying: "Of course it's true."
She gripped the blanket tightly, so nervous that her breathing became erratic.
It's fortunate that it's nighttime, so many of her expressions are not clearly visible. If it were daytime, she would probably have already given herself away with her guilty conscience.
Li Pan sighed softly, "Susu, actually I wanted to come see you a few days ago. It's inconvenient for me to show myself during the day, so I can only come at night after everyone has gone to bed. But you're all asleep at that time."
He lingered by her bedside many times, wanting to wake her, but remembering how she had been plagued by nightmares, he couldn't bear to disturb her rare peace.
He took a gamble, betting that based on his understanding of the border, now didn't seem like the time for trouble.
He took a gamble, betting that the emperor's decision to send troops regardless of the opinions of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War must have some hidden reason.
He left his warhorse to Wu Zhao, instructing Wu Zhao to widen his shoulders, increase the height of his shoes, and put on his Li Pan armor before leading the others on their continued journey as ordered.
Even if the body shape is imitated, the appearance will be completely different. There is no such wonderful method of disguise in the world that can directly replace a person's face with another person's.
However, Li Pan taught Wu Zhao a trick. Anyone who frequently rides at high speed knows that when a horse is going fast, the wind blowing in your face can sting. Therefore, it is perfectly normal for those who travel long distances to wear a scarf to protect themselves from the wind.
When Wu Zhao led his troops through the post station, they refused to stay overnight, only taking some dry rations and water before leaving. By citing the reason that they dared not delay military operations, the post station officials naturally did not insist that they stay to rest.
In this way, Wu Zhao, playing the Marquis of Wu'an, only needs to show his eyes outside, stand far away at the entrance of the post station, and order a "subordinate" to show the general's token to obtain supplies before he can set off immediately.
The officials at the post stations had only seen Li Pan once on his way back to the capital, and might not have known him very well. Even if they felt that the Marquis of Wu'an seemed different from what they remembered, they would only think that they were mistaken—who would have thought that someone would dare to use a real general's token, ride a real general's warhorse, and wear real general's armor to impersonate the Marquis of Wu'an! And who would have thought that the real Marquis of Wu'an would dare to disobey the imperial decree while outwardly complying!
For the past few days, Li Pan has remained in the capital, investigating Lou Xueying's premarital social interactions with Lü Gui. However, no matter how hard they investigated, they couldn't find anything suspicious.
Li Pan then investigated the Emperor's dealings with the Lou family himself, but all he could find were details about the men in the Lou family. There was no private interaction whatsoever; Lou Xueying and the Emperor had never even appeared in the same place together. In other words, they had no public interaction whatsoever.
And it was on this very day that Li Pan received a secret letter from Hasulemi of Wusun.
The secret letter was obtained by Wu Zhao from the sentries along the way. He had obtained Li Pan's permission in advance, read the secret letter first, then resealed it and had the sentries relay it back to the capital.
Hasule's reply was simple: he said the border was peaceful and nothing was wrong, and he also asked when Li Pan would return to the Northwest.
Hasule's rise to the throne of Wusun was largely due to Li Pan's support. Back when the Great Yue and the Quanrong were at war, the Wusun royal family stirred things up, taking advantage of the chaos. Enraged, Li Pan bound the previously unknown seventeenth prince, Hasule, and brought him before him, asking if he wanted to be the King of Wusun.
The unassuming Hasul immediately nodded.
So Li Pan, under the guise of eliminating the enemy, colluded with Hasule from within to kill all of his rebellious uncles and brothers, leaving only Hasule's pure royal bloodline, allowing him to conveniently seize the throne. But the royal family also had collateral branches, and Hasule wasn't entirely without worries. What would Hasule do if Li Pan were no longer in the Northwest?
After reading Hasule's reply, Li Pan's first reaction was, thankfully, the border was safe.
His second reaction was that he was right; there was indeed a problem between Lou Xueying and the emperor.
When he and she went to the palace to express their gratitude, the emperor was perfectly fine, but the next day he fell ill and was unable to attend the morning court session. A few days later, as soon as he went to court, the emperor impatiently banished him from the capital.
He was wondering where the emperor got his secret intelligence, and how he could know about the movements on the northwest border faster than he could.
Although the border is currently peaceful, allowing Wu Zhao and his companions to slow down their pace and not rush their journey, they will eventually have to reach the Northwest to fulfill the imperial decree. At that time, Wu Zhao will no longer be able to impersonate Li Pan, so time is running out.
Tonight, Li Pan was determined to wake Lou Xueying up. They had agreed to be husband and wife, sharing joys and sorrows; what kind of relationship was it to keep things from him instead of discussing them together?
Who would have thought that she was still awake?
Even if she's not asleep, I'll take advantage of her being awake and get all the answers I need to say.
Lou Xueying looked at Li Pan and suddenly remembered the sound she heard when she had a fever the night he "left the capital"—
"That night, it really was you?!" she exclaimed in astonishment.
"Keep your voice down." Li Pan placed his finger on her lips. "Only you and Lü Gui know that I'm still in the capital. You must not let this get out."
Lou Xueying: "Even Mother doesn't know?"
"If she knew I was defying the imperial decree, she probably wouldn't be able to sleep either." Li Pan suddenly stiffened. "Don't change the subject, let's get down to business!"
Lou Xueying flinched.
Li Pan took in all her reactions, sighed, and said, "That night, when I came back to see you, you were delirious with fever and mistook me for someone else."
Another person?
Lou Xueying was stunned.
She only remembered feeling very unwell that night, as if she had a lot of messy dreams, but as time went by, she had almost forgotten them, leaving only the impression that "Li Pan seemed to have come by."
Lou Xueying swallowed nervously.
Given Li Pan's personality, he wouldn't ask her about her relationship with the emperor for no reason, nor would he fabricate a story about mistaking someone for someone else to deceive her. The only explanation is that she was indeed delirious from her illness and mistook someone else for someone else, which aroused Li Pan's suspicion.
She was completely convinced that she had done it.
More than once before, she had mistaken the mute maid who came to check on her at night for the new emperor. The maid and the new emperor were very different in physique, and she could mistake them even in a daze, let alone the fact that she had been ill a few days ago and had just met with Emperor Jinghui during the day, leaving her exhausted and unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.
Therefore, it is reasonable for Li Pan to admit his mistake.
But how could she admit it? How could she admit to her husband that she was having an affair with another man?
So she composed herself and asked, "Whom have I mistaken for, the Marquis?"
Li Pan: "I don't know, you just..." He paused for a moment before continuing, "You just begged me to let you go."
He ultimately didn't say everything, leaving room for interpretation.
Lou Xueying pursed her lips tightly.
In that case, Li Pan couldn't possibly have made it up. Without a doubt, she did indeed mistake Li Pan for the new emperor that night.
But how did Li Pan come to the conclusion that it was about the emperor?
But there's no time to worry about those details now. Li Pan hasn't been reborn, and in this life, she has no connection with the emperor or the crown prince. As long as she insists that she knows nothing, Li Pan can't do anything to her.
"I actually said such a thing?" Lou Xueying feigned surprise. "I do sometimes have nightmares, but I didn't know I could talk in my sleep. I also don't know who I mistook for the Marquis in my dream, because it sounded so pitiful."
Li Pan sighed for the third time tonight.
"Shushu." He said, enunciating each word clearly, "Since you still remember seeing me, Li Pan, that night, do you also remember what you said to me, Li Pan?"
Lou Xueying was bewildered.
What did she say?
Li Pan said, "You said, 'Li Pan, you have to believe me.' But Susu, you asked me to believe you, but did you ever believe me even a little bit?"
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Author's Note: Thank you everyone for the lightning bolts and nutrient solutions! *kissing emojis* [kissing emojis][kissing emojis][kissing emojis]
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