Chapter 047 The Ambitious Regent 9
Consultant Shan didn't know the emperor's nickname, but when he saw Pei Mingjue's expression, he naturally understood who he was calling.
The current situation was really weird. Both of them stood still stiffly, staring at Jian Ziyan without blinking, not knowing how to deal with it.
Jian Ziyan, on the other hand, looked as if nothing had happened. He tried to sit up casually, but because his body was too weak, his arms gave way halfway.
Four hands stretched out swiftly at the same time, supporting his body which was about to fall.
Jian Ziyan looked a little confused. He held his forehead with his hand, then naturally held Pei Mingjue's hand and leaned back to sit up.
Consultant Shan withdrew his hand sadly, and Pei Mingjue felt the long-lost trust from Jian Ziyan and couldn't help but have tears in his eyes.
"What's going on..." Jian Ziyan muttered to himself, with a look of great confusion on his face, "Why am I so weak?"
Pei Mingjue's breathing stagnated. He cautiously asked, "Teacher...are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"
According to Jian Ziyan's previous state, it would be absolutely impossible for him to face them with such a calm and gentle attitude. However, everything now seemed as beautiful as a dream, making him want to indulge in it.
"I don't know, I feel like..." Jian Ziyan shook his head in confusion, swallowed the word "abdominal pain", and turned his attention to Pei Mingjue, looking over with clear eyes, "Qingjie, what time is it now? Why did you come to see me today?"
Pei Mingjue was stunned, and then a cold and sticky feeling of fear like a venomous snake quickly climbed up his spine, making his blood seem to coagulate.
Consultant Shan was also startled. He looked at Jian Ziyan carefully and found that he was very different.
Although the corners of his eyes and lips were still dark red, there was no trace of sinisterness or coldness between his brows. Instead, his expression was gentle, with a slight smile at the corners of his lips. He looked at Pei Mingjue with gentle and concerned eyes, as if that was where all his attention was.
Is this really... Jian Ziyan?
"Regent, do you still recognize me?" Advisor Shan asked in a deep voice.
Jian Ziyan finally looked at him, his expression was obviously a little more indifferent than when he looked at Pei Mingjue, but he still maintained a gentle smile: "Who are you calling, Master Gu? I forgot to greet you just now, please forgive me."
His official position is much higher than that of the powerless consultant, so this cannot be considered as neglect.
Consultant Shan's face suddenly changed.
"Qing Jie, you haven't answered me yet." Seeing Pei Mingjue remained silent for a long time, Jian Ziyan pursed his lips slightly, and his tone was very worried, "Did something happen? Just tell me, I will find a way."
Pei Mingjue could no longer bear it. His chest heaved violently and his eyes were filled with tears. However, he was afraid that Jian Ziyan would see it, so he turned away immediately and lowered his voice deliberately.
"No... I just heard that the teacher was not feeling well, so I came to visit him. If the teacher is fine, I will take my leave first."
After saying this, without waiting for Jian Ziyan's reply, he lifted the curtain with force and walked out.
Consultant Shan's eyes darkened slightly, and he met Jian Ziyan's eyes as he looked at him again.
"Young Master Gu, the prince seems to be in a bad mood today. Due to his different status, he may not be willing to talk to me. As his close friend, I hope you can care about him and comfort him."
Jane Yance
He was not worried about why he was feeling unwell or so weak. His heart and eyes were full of Pei Mingjue. Although his words were gentle, they were also earnest and sincere.
Consultant Shan squeezed out a voice from his throat: "Yes, please... Please rest assured, Master, I will definitely comfort the prince."
Jian Ziyan nodded with satisfaction and watched his back as he fled in panic.
…
"What on earth is going on!?"
Consultant Shan walked out of the hall and saw Pei Mingjue's lonely and silent back. He asked anxiously without caring about the difference between the monarch and his subjects.
Pei Mingjue turned around, with traces of tears still on his face, but his expression had returned to calm. If it weren't for the obvious pain in his eyes, one would almost think that he had no emotional fluctuations.
"Isn't it obvious?" he said hoarsely, "The teacher has lost his memory."
"Lost his memory? How could he have lost his memory?" Consultant Shan turned around twice anxiously like a trapped beast, looking at Pei Mingjue, "So, he is not the regent now, but... the prince's tutor six years ago?"
Pei Mingjue nodded silently.
Jian Ziyan became the top scorer in the imperial examination at the age of fifteen, and was appointed as the prince's tutor at the age of eighteen. At that time, he was the prince, but he was only thirteen years old.
Although he was the crown prince, his mother died early and his father told him that he was busy with state affairs so he inevitably neglected to accompany him. He grew up almost alone. Although the servants were not negligent, they were not very attentive to such a taciturn crown prince. He suffered from loneliness alone in the deep palace.
Until the arrival of Jian Ziyan, that young man as elegant as the bright moon came into his life, bringing him love, care, and hope.
Jian Ziyan knew that with his temper, he would not have a good life in the palace, so he spent a lot of time accompanying him and paid close attention to his surroundings. If anyone in the palace dared to neglect him, he would definitely stand up for him and condemn them.
Because of this, Jian Ziyan inevitably gained a reputation in the palace as being arrogant and domineering, but he was deeply favored by the emperor and no one dared to make things difficult for him in person.
Those people treated Jian Ziyan with more respect and fear than they treated him, the crown prince, simply because Jian Ziyan could get close to the emperor, but he could not.
I think those rumors about seducing the master must have first come from these people.
It was then that he felt tenderness and care for the first time, just like a drowning man clinging to a piece of driftwood. He loved and relied on Jian Ziyan so much that his love was so intense that he was afraid of being rude and disrespectful to the other party, so he took great pains to hide his feelings and only treated him with the courtesy of a teacher.
However, all this goodness changed due to Jian Ziyan's sudden change in attitude overnight.
Pei Mingjue's pupils trembled. He still could not forget the day that changed his life. It was like waking up from a dream. He returned to his former palace overnight.
In the huge palace, the whole court was silent and there was no one who could warm his heart.
And now, his teacher, the person who once loved him the most... is back?
In addition to his worry about Jian Ziyan, Pei Mingjue also felt an irrepressible, hidden and despicable joy deep in his heart.
After confirming that everything that happened in the past was true, he knew that no matter what secrets Jian Ziyan was hiding, he and Jian Ziyan could never go back to the past. All he was doing now was just to try his best to delay Jian Ziyan's death so that he would not owe him so much.
But what if Jian Ziyan was the Jian Ziyan who was wholeheartedly good to him six years ago?
Although Shi Chengshan was not as deep-minded as Pei Mingjue, he was not stupid either. He watched the expression in Pei Mingjue's eyes change several times. Knowing a lot about Pei Mingjue's past, Shi Chengshan immediately realized what he was thinking.
"Your Majesty, you are not having any dangerous thoughts, right?" Consultant Shan looked straight into Pei Mingjue's eyes, "The most important thing now is to cure the regent of the poison and restore him to normal."
Consultant Shan's voice shattered Pei Mingjue's dream. He suddenly realized that even if Jian Ziyan had lost his memories of these years, he was no longer the top scholar who was as bright and gentle as the bright moon, but exuded a clean and aloof look.
Because he had not been able to sleep for many days, Pei Mingjue's face was pale with a hint of blue. He lowered his eyelashes to hide the look in his eyes. The 19-year-old boy finally revealed some fatigue and fragility.
"Of course." He answered hoarsely, "Now I only wish that the teacher will be healthy. Nothing else... nothing else."
…
After a lot of coaxing and deception, Jian Ziyan finally got the imperial physician to check his "safe pulse".
According to the imperial physician, his anger caused the reverse flow of his qi and blood, and perhaps some unknown medicinal effects of the Nine-Leaf Lotus added to the shock, which led to Jian Ziyan's memory confusion.
Both Pei Mingjue and Consultant Shan thought that he had simply lost his memory of the past few years, but reality soon dealt them a heavy blow.
Because of Jian Ziyan's amnesia, he treated Pei Mingjue completely back to the way he did six years ago, full of concern and gentle attitude. Several times when Pei Mingjue met his eyes, he almost couldn't help but burst into tears. Fortunately, he was no longer the weak and naive little prince, so he managed to hold it back.
But in the end he could not refuse Jian Ziyan's gentleness. Even though he knew that everything now was fake and full of deception, he still couldn't help but indulge in it, like a moth to a flame. Even though he knew that the bright flame would burn him to death, he still rushed in without hesitation.
Although he lied to Jian Ziyan that there was nothing wrong with his body and he was just overworked, his actual physical condition was still as bad as ever and he needed to take tonics and drugs to suppress the toxicity of the Dichen Powder regularly.
When it was time to take the medicine, Pei Mingjue personally took the medicine bowl and brought it to the tent.
"Teacher, although it's nothing serious, I still found some tonic, you should drink it soon."
According to Jian Ziyan's thinking at that time, he would definitely frown and pretend to reprimand him for spending money indiscriminately, because Pei Mingjue's life was not very good at that time and he was not well off. He was rejected several times when he wanted to buy some gifts for Jian Ziyan. He didn't want to waste Pei Mingjue's money on him.
Pei Mingjue had even prepared a speech in his mind, thinking about how he would explain the origin of the tonic when the teacher became angry.
When he thought about Jian Ziyan blaming him for this issue, a sweet yet bitter pain spread in his heart, and a complicated smile appeared on his face.
However, Jian Ziyan did not accuse him of spending money recklessly. He stared at the bowl of medicine from far to near, and his expression quickly became ugly.
Pei Mingjue immediately sensed that something was wrong. Before he could react, Jian Ziyan suddenly struggled to get off the bed. Due to his weak body, he even rolled to the ground with the quilt.
The sudden change made Pei Mingjue stunned on the spot with the medicine in his hand. Consultant Shan beside him didn't have time to hold him back. With a muffled sound, Jian Ziyan fell to his knees on the ground.
"Your humble servant, I pay my respects to His Majesty!"
Pei Mingjue felt a chill coming from the bottom up, freezing his body and making the smile on his face freeze.
Consultant Shan was also stunned, and had the same guess as Pei Mingjue: "Have you...recovered your memory?"
Jian Ziyan seemed not to have heard his words. He maintained his deep kowtow, his voice low and sad.
"Your Majesty is the ruler of all people. You must not make a big mistake just because of a mere appearance and be laughed at by the world for no reason!"
Pei Mingjue seemed to be hit head-on by something. He staggered back a step, his expression as miserable as a ghost.
He met Consultant Shan's shocked gaze and nodded with great difficulty.
Jian Ziyan... mistook Pei Mingjue for the late emperor again.
Judging from his words, when the late emperor just revealed his lust for him, he was trying to reject and wake him up.
He thought that the late emperor was just temporarily bewildered by beauty and wanted to make him wake up as soon as possible.
Seeing his proud and resolute figure lying on the ground, Pei Mingjue's voice became hoarse as if it had been scraped by a knife: "I..."
He was speechless after uttering only one word.
What should I say? I have never had any improper thoughts about you? Will I become the wise ruler you expect me to be? I will not use those despicable means to torture you for three years, forcing you to bear the crime of killing the emperor and seizing power, and being disloyal and unjust?
He knew that these must be the words that Jian Ziyan had longed to hear six years ago. If he had heard these words back then, both Jian Ziyan and Pei Mingjue might have had completely different lives.
But they were all destroyed.
What kind of mood was he in when he said this?
Is it full of sorrow and regret, or the determination to perish together with the enemy?
Pei Mingjue felt as if his heart was being torn apart bit by bit, with emotion and reason clashing fiercely in his mind.
Say it out, Pei Mingjue, say it out.
Even if it's just to lie to him, this is the answer he has been longing for for six years, so tell him!
…But even if he said this, would those six years no longer exist? Would those real injuries and humiliations be erased?
How could he say that! →This→work→is→made→by→
Seeing Pei Mingjue's pale face, his expression of struggle and pain, and Jian Ziyan could no longer hold on and his body began to tremble slightly, Consultant Shan anxiously wanted to go forward and help him up first.
"Your Majesty will never do such foolish things. Get up first. Your body can't bear it..." He raised his red eyes and looked at Pei Mingjue with pleading eyes, "Is that right, Your Majesty?"
Pei Mingjue's Adam's apple moved slowly, as if all his strength had been drained away.
"...Yes." He answered almost silently.
At this moment, he seemed to see the considerations in Jian Ziyan's heart. Perhaps in his heart, both he and his father were equally hateful, which made him disappointed and disgusted.
This realization made him feel ashamed, but he could only stand here and bear the sins of him and his father.
Jian Ziyan then tried to get up tremblingly. He seemed to be not very conscious and his eyes were confused, as if his soul was imprisoned on this day six years ago and unable to return to the present world.
The gradually cooling temperature in the bowl reminded Pei Mingjue. He swallowed the bloody taste in his mouth and walked towards Jian Ziyan with the bowl in his hand.
This bowl of medicine is the antidote made from Nine-Leaf Lotus, and Jian Ziyan must drink it no matter what.
However, when he saw him approaching, Jian Ziyan's expression, which had calmed down, immediately changed again.
There was fear in his eyes, as if he had seen some ferocious beast, but he used all his self-control to control himself from retreating.
"emperor……"
His lips trembled slightly, and he suddenly knelt back on the ground. Controlling his instinct to retreat, he took a few steps forward on his knees and grabbed Pei Mingjue's hem with force.
He raised his head, revealing his fragile neck. Although there was fear on his face, it was full of pleading.
"I will obey you. Whether it's bamboo punishment or carving, I will obey you and will never resist again. I beg Your Majesty, please don't do anything to Qing Jie, okay?"
Consultant Shan tried to hold his arm but froze on the spot.
He slowly raised his head and looked at Pei Mingjue's expression.
When Jian Ziyan pounced on him, Pei Mingjue subconsciously raised his arms to prevent the medicine bowl from being knocked over, and then his whole body was enveloped by this sentence. His eyes widened, and because of excessive shock, there was no expression on his face. He just stared at Jian Ziyan, losing all emotions and movements.
"What did you say?"
Jian Ziyan didn't notice his reaction and continued to beg, his voice miserable and humble. No matter whether it was the former tutor who was as bright as the moon, or the later sinister and aloof regent, there was no trace of their shadow in him at all.
He was so lowly that he pressed himself into the dirt and begged for mercy for his beloved child.
"Your Majesty, I have not lied to you. From now on, I will never try to rebel against you again, and I will never displease you again. You can do whatever you want to me, but I beg you not to do anything to Qing Jie... He is your biological child! He is only fifteen years old and poses no threat to you. Please have mercy on Qing Jie and give him a chance to live... Please!"
Pei Mingjue's whole body trembled violently. If he hadn't remembered not to spill the medicine in his hand, he would have probably fallen to the ground.
What did he hear?
Father, do you want to kill him?
Want to kill his prince?
And his teacher, his tutor, the person he loved the most in his life and to whom he owed the most, actually fell to the ground in such a humble manner, begging his father in sorrow, even giving up his dignity, just for
To ask my father not to kill him...
His teacher was such a noble and proud person, who would stand tall even in the most embarrassing times, and would not show any fear even when being criticized by thousands of people. Only when...being insulted...would he cover his face and not want others to see it.
Such a person was willing to humble himself to the dust just for a chance to let his students survive.
This was even more shocking than hearing that his father wanted to kill him. It was a hundred times more shocking and a hundred times more painful.
Pei Mingjue's pupils trembled violently. He was worried that he was about to do something crazy, and he used all his strength to suppress himself.
When Jian Ziyan saw that the "Emperor" had no intention of agreeing, an expression of extreme anxiety appeared on his face. He pondered for a moment in horror, and suddenly a trace of sadness and determination flowed through his eyes.
"Your Majesty, I promise you everything. Your Majesty, don't you want your body? I will give you everything. From now on, I will never get close to the Crown Prince again. I will never speak to him again. Please, Your Majesty..."
As he spoke, his thin, pale fingers touched his collar. Although he was trembling and didn't even find the right place at the first try, he moved resolutely and quickly unbuttoned his collar.
As the other two were stunned, the prominent and graceful collarbone and the large area of skin under the front were soon revealed, so white that it was almost blinding.
As soon as Consultant Shan woke up, he grabbed the quilt beside him and covered Jian Ziyan with it, his eyes full of shock and grief.
Jian Ziyan was very frightened. He kept struggling to take off the quilt, but how could he resist the strength of Zhilishan? After failing, he looked at Pei Mingjue with fear and pleading eyes, and his clear tears fell like dewdrops under the bright moon.
"Your Highness, I didn't mean it..."
Pei Mingjue's arms were shaking so much that he could hardly hold the medicine bowl, and the juice inside began to fluctuate.
He slowly squatted down, put the medicine bowl in a safe place, stared blankly into Jian Ziyan's eyes that were filled with tears, and asked in a voice that no longer belonged to him: "What did I do to the prince? Why do you think I am harming the prince?"
Consultant Shan looked at him silently, but still did not stop him.
Jian Ziyan seemed stunned for a moment, wondering if Pei Mingjue was lying to him, but he soon realized that there was no need for the "Emperor" to lie to him.
The moment he attacked Qing Jie, the "Emperor" had already won, completely won. He had no capital to begin with, and was only relying on his arrogance to fight against the imperial power. And now, his only weakness was firmly grasped. With everything lost, what qualifications did he have to be deceived?
Jian Ziyan tried hard to pull up the corners of his lips, revealing a smile that was sadder than crying: "Your Majesty, why do you have to test me... I have a basic understanding of medicine. You clearly put the Hundred Ghosts Pill in the cake you gave Qing Jie. If my cat hadn't eaten it by accident and died, I'm afraid I wouldn't have discovered it. Your Majesty is indeed smart..."
Pei Mingjue felt as if he had been hit hard, and fell to the ground helplessly.
cat……
The cat that was once his, and was later given to Jian Ziyan to take care of, but was poisoned to death?
He once thought that it was the evidence that Jian Ziyan could not tolerate him!
Pei Mingjue frantically searched his memory for memories about pastries, he still remembered.
That day he met his father, whom he rarely saw, in the imperial garden. He excitedly went up to greet him. His father rewarded him with a plate of freshly made pastries and encouraged him to continue studying with his teacher.
It turned out that the pastry contained a poison that could kill him?
In the silence, Jian Ziyan's expression suddenly changed again. His fear and pleading disappeared. He stared at Pei Mingjue expressionlessly for a while, and suddenly grabbed Pei Mingjue's hand.
"Qing Jie!" He looked anxious, and nervously looked around, and said very quickly, "I don't have much time, you must remember everything I say!"
Pei Mingjue seemed unable to understand what he said. He moved his eyes numbly and looked at Jian Ziyan's familiar yet unfamiliar face.
"From now on, no matter what the emperor gives you, you must not eat it! Even if you don't need to eat it, you must see the imperial physician first!" Jian Ziyan's eyes showed suppressed pain. He lovingly brushed a strand of hair from Pei Mingjue's cheek behind her ear, and said in a light and trembling voice, "From now on, the teacher can no longer accompany you. You must remember that no one in this palace can be trusted, including the emperor. You must grow up safely, leave this cannibalistic place when you grow up, and never come back. Promise the teacher that the teacher will not harm you."
Pei Mingjue stared at him blankly.
"Hurry up and promise me, I'm running out of time!" Jian Ziyan anxiously grasped his hand, squeezing it so hard that veins popped out on his arm. "Remember, never trust the emperor, and don't eat anything he gives you..."
He hadn't finished his words when his expression suddenly froze and he fell into Pei Mingjue's arms.
Behind him, Consultant Shan slowly put away his knife and met Pei Mingjue's gaze. He said in a deep voice, "I think... this will be better for both of you."
Yes, Jian Ziyan's body was already riddled with wounds, how could he withstand such an intense emotional outburst.
It would be better for him to let him faint.
Pei Mingjue sat on the ground, motionless as he watched Consultant Shan gently pick up Jian Ziyan and put him back on the bed. He suddenly said, "Teacher didn't say that to me back then."
Consultant Shan paused, turned around and looked at him.
Pei Mingjue had no expression on his face, but tears were pouring out of his eyes. His face was in tears and his voice sounded like it was cut into pieces by a knife.
"The teacher...was fantasizing that if he had said those words to me bravely back then, would we all have been saved?"
"He was asking me for help."
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