Chapter 048 The Ambitious Regent 10
Pei Mingjue knew that he was dreaming, even though the scenes in the dream were extremely real.
He was in the imperial garden, surrounded by familiar scenery. He squatted behind a rockery, calling "Mimi" softly.
When he lowered his head, he saw that the hem of his satin clothes with a dragon pattern was exactly the prince's attire back then.
A young voice, small hands, the prince's attire, and a cat named "Mimi", this is...
Pei Mingjue's heart skipped a beat and he tried hard to stand up, but he was unable to control this body in his dream.
He could hear and see everything in the dream, but his consciousness was imprisoned in one place, and he could only watch himself move in the dream.
But his heart couldn't help but pound.
At that time, the young prince was walking alone in the imperial garden because there was no one to talk to. He met an orange kitten. No one knew which palace the kitten ran from, and it seemed that it had been wandering for a long time. The cat was skinny and had tangled hair. The prince felt sorry for the kitten and liked it. So he secretly raised the kitten in a hole in the rockery and saved his own food from time to time to bring it to the kitten.
He called it "Mimi", and it was a secret only known to him, until...
"Your Highness, what are you looking for when you squat here?"
The real Pei Mingjue and the Pei Mingjue in the dream both felt a huge shock in their hearts and looked up suddenly.
One of them was excited while the other was panicked. The soul that had traveled through six years attached itself to a young child and saw again the scene that had made him fall in love at first sight.
It was a warm day with a clear sky. Wisps of cotton-like white clouds floated over the man's head. Even though the light was against him, it did not diminish his radiance in the slightest.
The eighteen-year-old Jian Ziyan was dressed in a white official robe of an imperial tutor. He bowed slightly and looked at the young prince. He had long eyebrows and phoenix eyes, with a gentle smile between his eyebrows, yet there was also a sense of aloofness and arrogance.
This kind of pride is not arrogance, but comes from the confidence in one's own talent. The aura is not overbearing at all, but makes anyone who sees him can't help but sigh, what a gifted young man.
He raised his cup and looked up at the blue sky, which was as bright as a jade tree standing in the wind. At that moment, Pei Mingjue's heartbeat was unbalanced and he was almost stunned.
Even six years later, Pei Mingjue still couldn't help but fall under this charm again, but he reacted faster than little Pei Mingjue. He stared at Jian Ziyan's smile infatuatedly and couldn't help wanting to raise his arm to touch his face. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't control even a finger.
Seeing that the little prince didn't say anything, Jian Ziyan stretched out his arm from under his official robe to shield the little prince from the sun. The robe slid down, revealing his beautiful and clean forearm as white as jade, which was even whiter than the clothes.
"Your Highness, I, Jian Ziyan, will be your new tutor from today on. Are you satisfied with me?"
A breeze blew by, and the hair hanging down from Jian Ziyan's temples brushed against his handsome features. In an instant, he became as beautiful as jade, as if he were a person in a painting.
Six years later, Pei Mingjue looked at him infatuatedly, completely ignoring the little prince's flustered and reserved return gift.
At the age of thirteen, he was as tender as a bamboo shoot that had just broken through the soil, and had no idea how to get along with others. But from today on, a shadow as bright as the bright moon was firmly engraved in his heart. ↓
On this sunny day, he saw his moon.
As the cat's cry began, Jian Ziyan quickly discovered the little prince's little secret. The little prince was very nervous because in this palace where strict requirements were placed on him, he was not allowed to have such a soft-hearted thing as a pet. If he was discovered, the kitten would have no choice but to be killed.
However, Jian Ziyan quickly and gently grasped the little orange cat's front legs and held him in his arms.
"Is this your Highness's cat?" Under the panicked gaze of the little prince, Jian Ziyan stretched out his slender and shiny fingertips to scratch the kitten's chin, lowered his eyes and smiled, "Very cute."
"It...it is..." The little prince racked his brains, trying to find a reason.
Before he could come up with a reason, Jian Ziyan stretched out his index finger and gently placed it on the little prince's lips. With a burst of warm and refreshing fragrance, the moon-like figure came over and winked at him slyly.
"When I saw this kitten, I liked it very much. If Your Highness is willing to give it up, I will take good care of it. From now on, as long as Your Highness passes the exam, I will bring it to play with Your Highness for half a day. What do you think?"
The little prince was startled, and the tension in his body gradually relaxed.
"Okay, then... that's troublesome." The little prince looked up at the boy who was five years older than him, with twinkling lights in his eyes, like bright stars, "Master."
Pei Mingjue looked at the smile on Jian Ziyan's face, his heart torn between endless regret and love.
This was their first meeting, and Jian Ziyan saved his kitten calmly and gently, but later they became strangers, and the cat... also became a victim of the power struggle.
Pei Mingjue gazed at Jian Ziyan's every frown and smile with longing and greed. Only in his dreams could he see him like this again.
However, the surrounding environment suddenly fluctuated. Pei Mingjue realized something and was filled with fear. He let out a silent roar: "No!"
The scene around him changed very quickly. The two years with Jian Ziyan's devoted company passed by like flowing water, and he could only catch a glimpse of fragments.
Jian Ziyan brought Mimi to visit him.
Jian Ziyan brought his favorite snacks and candied haws from outside the palace, saying, "Your efforts will not be hurt by the reward."
Jian Ziyan came specially late at night when he had a high fever, wiped the sweat off his face and changed his clothes without taking off his clothes, taking care of him all night long.
Jian Ziyan was walking in front reciting poems, and he followed closely behind him. Jian Ziyan recited a sentence and he followed. The two of them walked slowly on the flower-filled path. Jian Ziyan's mind was full of his country and the world, but he was only filled with his back.
…
So many scenes flashed before his eyes, and before he knew it, Pei Mingjue was already in tears.
His nails almost pierced through the palm of his hand, but he still couldn't suppress the regret and hatred in his heart.
How could he forget this? These were the only two years of his life that had any joy or meaning.
No matter how much he wanted to go back and keep that time, he could never go back.
Soon, two years passed and Pei Mingjue stood firm again. When he saw the surrounding environment clearly, a faint fear emerged in his heart.
The night was as cool as water, dark clouds obscured the cold white moon, and only tiny starlight sprinkled on the ground, like falling stars, and the white moon had no eyes.
Pei Mingjue heard his voice become a little hoarse.
: "Teacher, what does this mean?"
Jian Ziyan was still wearing the same white robe, but his expression was cold, with a hint of fatigue between his brows. At this moment, he no longer had that warm pride. His thin shoulders were wrapped in the robe, making him look a bit bleak and cold.
"If Your Highness didn't hear clearly, I will repeat it again." His voice was no longer as clear as before, but had the hoarseness and gloom of a regent in later generations. "Your Highness is now nearly fifteen years old. If you continue to do these childish and childish things, you should be punished."
Pei Mingjue followed the body's gaze and slowly fell on the purse that was casually thrown on the ground.
His body began to tremble slightly.
He had heard that for common men and women, giving a purse to their loved ones was the most subtle and gentle expression of affection, so he disregarded his status and worked for half a month to barely embroider this messy purse.
Even though he knew it was ugly, he believed that his teacher would not dislike it and might not regard it as a sign of love. However, since it was a gift from him, it would definitely be properly preserved like Mimi.
However, reality gave him a head-on blow, and his hard work was thrown to the ground with such contempt, not even worth a glance.
"Teacher..." The fifteen-year-old prince couldn't understand why the tutor had become like this after just one day of not seeing him. He was filled with panic and wanted to grab the other's sleeve, "Why are you..."
However, Jian Ziyan had already turned around, and the cold cuffs stained with night dew slipped from the prince's fingertips, and he could not catch them even if he reached out his hand.
That last glance from her eyes was chilling even more than the night dew.
He just turned and left, taking away the only remaining warmth in Pei Mingjue's life. Pei Mingjue was left standing there alone with his fingers stretched out, unable to put his shattered self back together.
Pei Mingjue knew it was this scene, but he still experientially experienced it again without moving. The despair and coldness he felt at that time seemed to still linger in his heart.
On this calm and gentle night, he lost his moon.
He was confused at the time, but now when he recalled the secret agent, he was so heartbroken that he could hardly breathe.
At this time, you have already seen the true face of your father and started to protect me... right?
What was he thinking at that time?
He thought of Mimi who was poisoned to death.
I was unwilling to believe what others said, that he was poisoned to death by Jian Ziyan himself, but now that it has come to this, I have no choice but to believe it.
Unexpectedly, Jian Ziyan hated him so much that he took his anger out on a cat. The cat died of poisoning, and its death was extremely miserable. He went to see it for the last time.
Now thinking of the cat's shattered body, he seemed to see the future of himself as the prince.
The first step was his cat, so shouldn’t it be his turn in the second step?
From then on, he was on guard against Jian Ziyan. His two years of careful companionship finally ended in this farewell. The teacher and student were more like enemies than strangers.
Pei Mingjue stared at the white figure, no matter how much he wanted to rush forward and hug him, telling him not to go back, not to walk down this road that was doomed to nowhere, not to endure the suffering that he should not have to endure...but he could only stand there and watch the white figure being swallowed up by the dark night, just like the moonlight being blocked above his head.
His heart was torn in pain, and he could do nothing but let the scene change rapidly. He tried his best to see Jian Ziyan's face clearly in these skipped fragments, but all of them were crushed into broken pieces.
All of a sudden, his sight paused, and he suddenly saw Jian Ziyan's face in front of him again, but this time he was wearing the black robe of the Regent, and the corners of his eyes and lips were a strange crimson, and his eyes were full of incomparable fear.
He opened his lips slightly and said:
——"Your Majesty, please."
As if thunder exploded above his head, Pei Mingjue suddenly opened his eyes.
He raised his head from the bed where he was lying prone. Jian Ziyan was sleeping uneasily, his face pale and his chest barely moving.
Pei Mingjue fearfully placed his fingers under his nose, and after noticing the almost nonexistent breathing, his tense shoulders suddenly collapsed.
He looked at Jian Ziyan's sleeping face, and the despair and regret in his dream just now surged into his heart. He carefully held Jian Ziyan's hand, which was full of acupuncture marks, and pressed his forehead against it, crying silently.
…
On this quiet night, the young emperor could no longer fall asleep. He tidied his clothes and went to Chen Huihai's residence again.
After that day, Pei Mingjue mobilized an excellent imperial physician to prolong Chen Huihai's life, so even though he was barely alive, Chen Huihai was still alive.
The old man, who was already on his deathbed, heard the voice, opened his eyes and saw the emperor's face as pale as a ghost, and sighed deeply.
"Your Majesty... I know that there will be a day when you will come to see me alone."
Pei Mingjue sat gently on the bedside, holding down Chen Huihai's body as he tried to stand up and salute: "No need to be polite, sir."
Chen Huihai's perception had basically disappeared, but he could still feel that the temperature of Pei Mingjue's hand was colder than that of him, an old man who was about to die.
"Your Majesty, please take good care of yourself." The old man said sincerely, "No matter what happened, it is all in the past. Your Majesty is now the ruler of the world, and you should take good care of yourself for the sake of the people."
Pei Mingjue listened, but his heart was not moved at all. He looked at the old man who might be the only one who knew the truth, and said in a light voice: "Eunuch Chen must have something else to say to me that day. Since no one else is here today, you can tell me everything."
Chen Huihai's eyes flickered, and he covered up by saying, "Your Majesty, I have told you everything I know."
"Really?" Pei Mingjue's eyes were heavy. "Then I ask you, don't you know that my father wants to kill me?"
Chen Huihai's breath was choked, and sadness appeared in his eyes: "So the emperor even knows this."
Pei Mingjue had a cold and indifferent expression. He seemed to have no emotion at all when he talked about how his biological father once wanted to kill him. He just stared at Chen Huihai coldly, with a sharp aura emanating from his body.
"I thought that this secret could be kept until I die. Even if the regent tells the emperor in the future, the late emperor can't blame me." Chen Huihai sighed, "Your Majesty may remember that when the late emperor finally stopped pretending and did those foolish things...his health was not good. This was the result of years of seeking immortals and medicine. At that time, he became so bad that even I dared not recognize him. He was obsessed with power and beauty, and thought that everyone was coveting his throne, even you, his appointed prince."
Pei Mingjue originally thought that there was no greater shock that could crush him, but after hearing this, his pupils widened, and he almost didn't know how to ask: "He... thinks I'm coveting the throne?"
"Yes..." Chen Huihai's chest made a bellows sound, "He was suspicious of anyone who was close to him, and even the regent was suspicious of him in the end... What a sin."
Pei Mingjue's eyes suddenly turned red, but he suppressed it and remained silent for a long time, like a silent sculpture.
"Since the emperor is fine, don't blame the late emperor too much. Death is like the extinguishing of a light. After all, the late emperor still valued you as the prince, but in the end he was not in his right mind and was out of control..."
Chen Huihai was still chattering. After all, he had been taking care of the late emperor since he was a child. Even though he could distinguish right from wrong, he still had to side with the late emperor in terms of emotions.
However, Pei Mingjue just said coldly: "He was out of control in his later years because he was unconscious, but he took those pills in his early years, so he can't blame others."
Chen Huihai stopped talking and just sighed deeply.
Pei Mingjue did not stop there, as he had already gotten the answer he wanted.
…
When he returned to Yeonbokgung Palace, the sky was already dimly lit. He wandered outside the palace gate for a long time, wanting to go back quickly but also afraid to do so.
Finally he stopped and looked up at the bright moon hidden behind the clouds as the sky brightened.
"Perhaps I will never see such a beautiful moon again." He murmured, then walked into the palace.
Because of Jian Ziyan's situation, he withdrew all the palace servants from Yanfu Palace, and all of Jian Ziyan's food, clothing and other expenses went through his hands.
Although Consultant Shan really wanted to stay here all the time, this was after all the inner palace, which was against etiquette. Moreover, he had not taken good care of himself after being tortured twice, and even his strong body was affected. Pei Mingjue forced him to have a good rest.
But Consultant Shan was not an obedient person. He still came every day. Even though it was still early today, he rushed over as soon as the palace gate opened and was pouring a pot of hot water in the hall.
Jian Ziyan was still asleep, and the two of them stared at each other in silence. Consultant Shan greeted them silently.
Pei Mingjue naturally no longer cared about these false formalities. He nodded lightly and pulled up the curtain.
Jian Ziyan on the bed curled up unconsciously in pain again, Pei Mingjue was immediately heartbroken, he took the silver needle, gently held Jian Ziyan in his arms, and carefully took off half of his clothes.
"Teacher, don't be afraid. I'm just giving you acupuncture."
Even though he knew Jian Ziyan couldn't hear him, he still explained in a hoarse voice.
Hearing this voice, Consultant Shan turned his back consciously, observing the etiquette of a gentleman and not peeking into the tent.
However, perhaps because of the unbearable pain, Jian Ziyan, who should not have woken up, actually opened his eyes tremblingly.
Pei Mingjue's heart trembled, and just as he was about to explain, he saw strong hatred in Jian Ziyan's eyes.
In just a short moment, the hatred was taken back. Not only did Jian Ziyan not resist, he also stretched out his body docilely, his voice hoarse and suppressed, as if he was trying his best to suppress his instinct to resist.
"Your Majesty, you have a needle in your hand. What kind of pattern do you want to carve on my body?"
Pei Mingjue's hand trembled as he picked up the needle, and Consultant Shan outside also looked gloomy.
The two knew very well that Jian Ziyan had mistaken Pei Mingjue for the late emperor again.
Pei Mingjue forced himself to get used to the pain. However, listening to the hoarse voice, Pei Mingjue remembered the clear voice that he had almost forgotten but heard again in his dream last night. He could not help himself and tears fell from his already red and swollen eyes.
Such a beautiful voice, once praised by scholars and men of letters as "graceful and melodious, like the sound of jade and ice water colliding", was actually made mute by poison.
"I am here to cure your illness, not to carve anything on your body." He suppressed his tears and said calmly, "Don't be afraid, my dear."
A hint of sarcasm flashed across Jian Ziyan's eyes, followed by depression and humiliation. He subconsciously wanted to clench his fists, but was afraid that the "Emperor" would see the rebelliousness in his heart, so he quickly let go.
Pei Mingjue saw all of his reactions. It was clearly the silver needle that was meant to cure Jian Ziyan, but he just couldn't bear to insert the needle.
He knew that this was to cure Jian Ziyan's illness, but in Jian Ziyan's cognition and memory, this was something that brought him pain and humiliation.
But he had no choice.
Pei Mingjue made up his mind and inserted the silver needle into the soft and pale skin.
Jian Ziyan shuddered all over.
As the needles pierced into him one by one, he seemed to be immersed in a terrible nightmare. When Pei Mingjue realized something was wrong, his pupils had dilated and he was semi-fainting.
"Teacher!" Pei Mingjue didn't dare to move him. He stumbled to his knees beside the bed and held up his face. "Wake up!"
Consultant Shan did not care about the gentleman's precautions and anxiously opened the curtain to come in, but was stopped in his tracks by the scene before him.
On Jian Ziyan's bloodless wrist, a gorgeous blood lotus appeared from nothing and slowly blossomed on his pale skin, like white snow soaked in blood, full of fragile and enchanting beauty.
“This, this is…”
"This is the eagle green that allowed me to recognize the identity of my savior." Advisor Shan said in a deep voice, "This eagle green appeared when the emperor and the regent... last time, but I don't know why I have never seen it on weekdays."
Pei Mingjue stared at the blood lotus, and a tragic bitter smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Fairy Light Gold Powder." He said in a voice that was almost inaudible, "It is a color powder that looks beautiful, but it needs human blood to nourish it. The coloring process is to scratch the skin with a needle tip, then sprinkle gold powder on it, let the gold powder blend with the blood, wait for the wound to heal, scratch again along the scar, and then sprinkle gold powder... Repeat this seven times to make a perfect 'Fairy Light'.
This is a technique unique to the royal family."
So you said you wanted to carve some patterns... That's what you meant...
Consultant Shan was shocked. He stammered, "Then why can't we see him on weekdays?"
Pei Mingjue closed his eyes.
"Because the Immortal Light Seal will only appear when the owner's body temperature rises. For example, when there is strong stimulation, or when... passion."
Consultant Shan was speechless for a long time.
Pei Mingjue swallowed the bitterness in his throat and covered the blood lotus while enduring the heartache.
This must be a mark of shame for the teacher, and he or she certainly does not want to show it to others.
He no longer forced Jian Ziyan to wake up, but gently closed his eyes and pressed his sleep signal.
If being awake means being stuck in this nightmare for you, then just sleep for now.
…
Jian Ziyan has not yet come to consciousness. He either treats Pei Mingjue as the little prince or the late emperor. His emotions fluctuate too much. Pei Mingjue is worried that it will put a heavy burden on his body, so he has to press the sleep button on him whenever he becomes overly emotional so that he can carry out follow-up diagnosis and treatment.
But this was not a long-term solution after all. He watched Jian Ziyan's face becoming more and more haggard and thinner day by day, and for the umpteenth time he wanted to just kill himself with a knife.
Having come to this point today, he has no one to blame but himself for being blind and trusting a hypocritical villain for 19 years, which ended up pushing the only person who cared about him into the abyss of death.
He was self-righteously taking revenge on him and punishing him, but he didn't know that all this would have its own consequences, and the evil force would be repaid, and he would have to taste all the bitter fruits himself.
Pei Mingjue stared blankly at Jian Ziyan's sleeping face, and had no reaction when Consultant Shan walked over to him.
"Your Majesty, the people we sent out have brought back news." Advisor Shan said softly, "Do you... want to take a look?"
Pei Mingjue moved, numbly took the pigeon from his hand, and took out a small note from the pigeon's leg.
After seeing the words clearly, he didn't care that he was in front of Jian Ziyan's bed. He kicked over the stool and stood up, his whole body in great shock and fear.
Consultant Shan hesitated for a moment, but still picked up the note from the ground and saw that it read.
"Hundred Ghost Pill is a highly toxic drug. Anyone who eats it will die suddenly within half a month. The cause of death is unknown. Only the rumored highly toxic Di Dust-Clearing Powder can dilute the drug's properties and fight poison with poison."
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