The child brought
Although Lin Xiaomei was in excruciating pain, she didn't want to burden the old nanny, so she gritted her teeth and kept running. Just as the old nanny had said, there was a house that had been empty for a long time ahead. Lin Xiaomei was helped onto the bed, and then the old nanny started packing her things, muttering as she did so, "Your Highness, I've felt your belly, it's so hard, you're probably about to give birth. We can't run too far, let's give birth to the little prince first, then we'll go. Don't worry, you're premature, it'll be easy." Lin Xiaomei touched her belly, which was already starting to contract, and although she was a little scared, she knew that at this critical moment, if she didn't give it her all, the baby might also be in danger. Enduring the pain, she gritted her teeth and said, "Nanny... I entrust everything to you. If anything happens, save the baby first."
Wen Yunsheng, bored at home, decided to go for a stroll. Just as he reached the gate, the steward handed him a walking stick. "Young Master Wen, if you're going out alone... take this with you! The streets are crowded and chaotic lately; you might bump into something." Although Wen Yunsheng couldn't see clearly, he knew it was a walking stick. He initially wanted to refuse, but then thought it might be fun to carry, so he accepted it. "Thank you, Steward, I'll take this." Wen Yunsheng knew the streets had been chaotic these past few days, and this morning he'd heard that the Crown Prince's entire family was to be executed. Walking slowly along the road, he unknowingly arrived at the Duan Prince's residence. Hearing the horrific screams from inside, Wen Yunsheng shook his head. "Such a good family, what a tragedy..."
"Have you heard? The Protectorate just massacred the Prince Duan's residence... The Crown Prince... sigh..." Hearing the gossip behind him, Wen Yunsheng couldn't help but move closer to the side so he could hear more clearly. "That's right, how could the Crown Prince's benevolence be considered a traitor..."
"Are you out of your mind? Talking about the Crown Prince right under the city walls... Mind your own business, you old hag!"
"I just heard about it! Sigh... what a pity, but... it seems the Crown Princess has escaped."
"How far can a pregnant woman run? I heard the baby is almost full-term... Sigh, walking can't keep up with a horse's speed. If she's dragged back, she definitely won't survive."
Listening to the people behind him discussing the Crown Prince's affairs, Wen Yunsheng shook his head. They say good things often come with difficulties, but the Li Yunrui family seems to have ruined all the good things; misfortunes never come singly! Holding his cane, Wen Yunsheng entered a teahouse. He thought that since he was out for fun today, staying at the entrance of the Duan Prince's mansion for so long was bound to make him feel uneasy. Wen Yunsheng touched his chest, feeling a strange discomfort. Entering the teahouse, he didn't bother choosing a seat, just randomly finding one and sitting down. Just as he was about to speak, someone bumped into him. "Are you blind?!" Wen Yunsheng slowly got up, his brow furrowing at the insults around him, but he didn't say anything, only smiling. "I was just resting on the chair, how could I be blind?" The man, seeing Wen Yunsheng's closed eyes, teased, "Oh! Blind man!" He waved his hand in front of Wen Yunsheng's eyes. "You really are!"
"Husband... let's go, let's go. We still have to take care of the children at home. What's the point of fooling around with a blind man?" The woman was clearly the man's wife. Wen Yunsheng patted his soiled clothes, and then he heard the waiter next to him say, "Are you alright, sir? Sigh, that Wang Daikui is like that. He's a scoundrel on that street. He's always asking shops for money, and he doesn't even pay for his meals. He bullies respectable women everywhere." Wen Yunsheng slowly sat back down, picked up the teacup on the table, and started drinking. "Where does he live?" "Wang Daikui? He lives in the west of the city." Wen Yunsheng sat with his face down, listening to the folk songs playing in the teahouse, and made up his mind.
After leaving the teahouse, Wen Yunsheng inquired at several houses before finally finding out where Zhang Daikui lived. Looking at the house, which was significantly taller than the others, Wen Yunsheng smiled. Seeing children playing outside, he approached and asked, "Are you Zhang Daikui's children?" "Yes!" came the voice of a boy about seven or eight years old. Just then, Wen Yunsheng heard a baby crying. The boy quickly comforted him, "Oh dear, don't cry. If it weren't for you, my parents wouldn't have let me out." Wen Yunsheng slowly knelt down. "You're taking care of him all by yourself?" The boy nodded. "Yes! My parents are asleep, and my little sister keeps crying, so they asked me to come out and comfort her." "Sister?" "Really... Do you want your sister to behave a little?" Looking at Wen Yunsheng's smiling face, gentle as a spring breeze, the boy naturally agreed. He slowly handed the baby to Wen Yunsheng, then rubbed his hands together carefully and asked, "Will this really make my sister obedient?" Wen Yunsheng nodded, drew a silver needle from her sleeve, and inserted it straight into the baby's head. As the needle gradually sank into her skull, the baby slowly stopped crying. Wen Yunsheng gently held the baby, squatted down, and said, "See, isn't your sister no longer crying?" The little boy turned his head to look at his swaddled sister, lying quietly in Wen Yunsheng's arms. "You're so amazing! Can I become obedient too?"
"Of course," Wen Yunsheng's smile gradually turned sinister. He covered the boy's eyes with one hand, found the acupoints, and forcefully stabbed them. Then, the boy's heart-wrenching cries were heard: "I...I can't see! Dad...Mom...Waaah..." Wen Yunsheng covered the boy's mouth, whispering in his ear like a demon, "Tell your parents that this blind man took him away." Then, ignoring the boy's cries, Wen Yunsheng, carrying the infant bleeding from all seven orifices, disappeared into the alley.
Yang Fei led a few men to search for Lin Xiaomei's whereabouts. Riding his horse, he weaved through the low houses, then heard a noise. Looking at the soldiers around him, he ordered, "You go check ahead. I'll check this area again. Don't miss anyone, or we won't be able to explain ourselves." Once the soldiers were out of sight, Yang Fei dismounted and gently pushed open the door. A strong smell of blood filled the room. Yang Fei frowned, unsure what had happened. He quietly went inside and saw an old woman throwing a basin at him. If he hadn't reacted quickly, the blow would have cracked his skull. Yang Fei grabbed the old woman's hand... He whispered, "Don't be afraid, I won't kill you. Is the Crown Princess inside?" Before the old woman could speak, Lin Xiaomei's voice rang out, "I'm here..." Her voice was weak and breathless. Yang Fei lifted the curtain and saw Lin Xiaomei sitting on the bed, covered with a blanket, holding a baby whose blood hadn't been wiped away. Lin Xiaomei's face was haggard, her lips pale, and her face covered in sweat. "The Protectorate, is it...? Kill me, but please spare my child. He was just born, please!" Lin Xiaomei's voice trembled; it was clear she had no strength left to speak. She was already at her limit just sitting up. Yang Fei stepped forward and said, "I won't kill you. The Crown Prince hasn't done anything unjust or immoral; it's just that His Majesty has been blinded by greed. He'll likely regret the massacre of the Eastern Palace in the future. So, rest well and leave quickly!" Lin Xiaomei looked at Yang Fei, seeing that he wasn't lying, gritted her teeth, straightened her posture, and said as loudly as possible, "My lord, your kindness is immeasurable, but I may not be able to leave..." Lin Xiaomei smiled bitterly, almost pleadingly, and asked Yang Fei, "My lord, could you take the child with you? Don't let the child fall into the hands of thieves." Yang Fei was initially puzzled, but after approaching Lin Xiaomei's bedside and smelling the pungent stench of blood, he yanked off the blanket covering her, revealing her... The sheets were soaked in blood, so much so that the blood had seeped down to the floor. Yang Fei remained silent for a moment, then removed his mask. Lin Xiaomei stared in shock at his actions. The Protectorate had a strict rule against revealing one's face to outsiders, so everyone wore a mask. Yang Fei's action completely bewildered her. "Your Highness, as you know, the Protectorate forbids removing masks in front of outsiders. I removed mine so you could see my face clearly. The one who took the young prince away is Yang Fei, the Deputy Director of the Protectorate. I hope you remember that!" Yang Fei then knelt before Lin Xiaomei's bed and said, "As long as I, Yang Fei, live, I will ensure the young prince's safety."
Lin Xiaomei handed the child to Yang Fei, then, as if her body had reached its limit, she collapsed heavily onto the bed, gasping for breath. "Lord Yang... this jade is His Highness's birth gift for the child. You must pass it on to him in the future. This child is named Li Lin'an, the Lin'an of 'Lin'an, where light rain falls and flowers flutter, wind sways tree shadows and moonlight chases,' and also the Lin'an of 'blessing and peace.'" Lin Xiaomei's body was already cold, and her voice was becoming increasingly broken. She was clearly only breathing, barely able to exhale. Yang Fei placed the child... She took him in her arms and told Lin Xiaomei, "Don't worry, I have my own way." Lin Xiaomei struggled to hold Li Lin'an's little hand, when suddenly the image of Li Yunrui flashed before her eyes. When the child first arrived, it was late spring, and the crabapple blossoms in the courtyard were in full bloom. Li Yunrui stood under the crabapple tree, waving at her. Lin Xiaomei gently took Li Yunrui's hand and slowly said, "Your Highness, they say that fate is promised for three lifetimes. I hope that in the next life we can both be born into ordinary families, and grow old together peacefully and steadily. This promise in this life will surely be fulfilled in the next."
Seeing Lin Xiaomei, who had already closed her eyes and breathed her last, a slight smile appeared on her lips, as if she had seen something joyful. Yang Fei stood up without delay, wanting to get the little prince to a safe place before Sima Ru mustered his troops. Before leaving, he glanced at the Crown Princess lying on the bed, then turned back to cover her with a blanket before going out and mounting his horse. The old nanny who had delivered Lin Xiaomei in the room had also been released by Yang Fei. Yang Fei tightened the reins, about to crack the whip, when he saw a scholar standing on the deserted street, holding a child in his arms. "My lord, rescuing the little prince is a crime of treason!" Yang Fei drew his long sword from his waist, intending to kill him to silence him, but unexpectedly heard the scholar say, "Don't misunderstand, I'm here to help you." He then hung the child on his cane and handed it to Yang Fei. "Everyone knows the Crown Princess is pregnant and about to give birth. If you rashly take the little prince away, you might bring trouble upon yourself. Using her as a substitute will ensure your safety." Yang Fei took the child with suspicion, only to find the child's face covered in bruises and blood flowing from all seven orifices. Even Yang Fei, a man who had killed countless people, was somewhat frightened. "Why are you helping me?" The scholar smiled. "No reason, I just want to atone for my sins."
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