《How To Survive as a Villain》 Chapter 1: This President is Really Normal. Xiao YuAn was the President of a Company. Probably because both his Father and Grandfather were Tyrannical Presidents themselves, his family had always wanted to make him into a Tyrannical President as well. A Tyrannical President should be handsome and rich, evil and arrogant, someone that¡¯ll spoil his loved ones, and above all: he must be able to memorize by heart, the 300 quotes from the previous Presidents. Unfortunately, Xiao YuAn could only be the first. But that didn¡¯t matter at all. The Xiao Family firmly believed that they could turn Xiao YuAn into a man who is loved by all women and makes all men jealous. Someone that spreads powerful pheromones everywhere! A Tyrannical! President! The Xiao Family had two important Family Mottos. There¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be solved by money. If there is, then just double the price! If you have money, you can do whatever you want!!! Looking at these two awe-inspiring, passionate and shocking family mottos, everyone could understand why the Xiao Family wanted to make Xiao YuAn into a Tyrannical President. However, Xiao YuAn himself, wasn¡¯t quite able to understand their reasons. He felt that the loyal dog, warm man type was good enough. His family firmly believed that the only reason for him to think like that, was because he hadn¡¯t met his true love yet. His true love must be someone who isn¡¯t rich or too beautiful, it¡¯s even better if she¡¯s from a small city, preferably a low-level employee of the Xiao Family Company. She can¡¯t be too pretty, but she must be ¡®kind¡¯. She must have the goddess halo, someone that ispassionate and reasonable, even when facing her love rivals. She must not be too clever, and she absolutely can¡¯t refuse her male partner. And even when facing her love rivals, She Must! Not! Seek! Revenge! It¡¯s also better if she, from time to time, picks up a stray dog or a cat from the street. Just perfect! That day, while getting off work, Xiao YuAn actually bumped into someone like that. Literally. Bumped. Into. One! It was all because this young woman, who was running through the Company¡¯s lobby, ran into him. The young woman then fell to the ground, with tears flowing from her eyes. The flower vase in her hands also fell, shattering into pieces. Xiao YuAn quickly helped her to get up: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, how much does this flower vase cost? I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± However, the young woman shook off his hand and angrily shouted at him: ¡°Who wants your money! Do you rich people really believe that money can buy everything? You better apologize to me!¡± ? ? ? ¡®But I apologized to you¡¯, Xiao YuAn thought. ¡®And it was you who bumped into me.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Xiao Yuan thought that the young woman might not have heard him, so he just repeated himself. In order to express his sincere apology, Xiao YuAn took out his wallet. ¡°How much do I owe you?¡± ¡°Who wants your money!¡± The young woman knocked the wallet out of his hands, resulting in it falling on the ground. ? ? ? Wow, she¡¯s not like those women who are flirtatious and pretend to be humble on the outside, she¡¯s so unpretentious~ As a Tyrannical President, Xiao YuAn should¡¯ve that thought. However, Xiao YuAn only felt that there was something wrong with the young woman¡¯s brain. He picked up his wallet, and by following the idea that her stupidity might be contagious, he left as fast as he could. After the Xiao Family heard about this, they thought that this type of woman might not be suitable for Xiao YuAn, so they arranged a party for him. At the party, Xiao YuAn met a young rich Missy1. The name of this young Missy was: Lin¡¤MeiDieBingjingZiPoLiYeHuang¡¤Ling Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t want to meet her. He felt that a normal Chinese person wouldn¡¯t have such an inexplicable name. But because his family had put a lot of pressure on him, he had no other choice than to go and talk to her. Xiao YuAn¡¯s first thought when he saw Missy Lin¡¤MeiDieBingjingZiPoLiYeHuang¡¤Ling, was: ¡®What the fuck?2 There¡¯s people out there who are bold enough to dye their hair rainbow colors?¡¯ In this era, when the 90¡¯s generation started to lose their hair and began balding at such a young age, this young woman¡¯s approach was truly painful! Too shocking! Too horrible! This Miss Lin¡¤MeiDieBingjingZiPoLiYeHuang¡¤Ling, is very clean and tall, she got a PhD at the age of 14, and is proficient in piano, chess and calligraphy. She has the mark of a red spider lily flower3 on her forehead, and when sheughs¡­ Oh, it¡¯s a good thing that she doesn¡¯t have petals falling off her face when she smiles, otherwise, materialist thinkers would be crying on the toilet. Faced with such a vivacious, beautiful and intelligent young woman, Xiao YuAn only said two words. ¡°Good bye.¡± The Xiao Family felt disheartened, their chest hurts as if they had angina4, a muffled pain in their precordial region. You can¡¯t even like this type of woman. What type of woman do you like, Xiao YuAn?! Suddenly! The Xiao Family realized something! Fuck, Xiao YuAn, he¡­ He! May! Be! Gay! ¡­¡­ Xiao YuAn originally wanted to say that he would like someone who is in and normal, but since the entire Xiao Family had alle to such a decisive conclusion, Xiao YuAn was toozy to argue with them. Because he had never liked a woman nor a man. Maybe he really was gay. Unsurprisingly, he actually met a Shou5. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ´óС½ã d¨¤ xi¨£o jie; A woman from a wealthy family, who generally gives a polite and elegant image. Sometimes it¡¯s used in a sarcastic way to refer to a woman with a Princessplex.
  2. ÎÔ²Û w¨° c¨¢o; It¡¯s a Chinese inte ng, because it sounds simr to ÎÒ²Ù w¨¯ c¨¡o (fuck you/fucking). It¡¯s used this way because of the online Chinese censorship for some curse words, these would be seen as ****, so people started to get imaginative and started using other ¡°simr-sounding¡± words to express these curse words online. It can mean either: ¡°Fuck¡±, ¡°What the fuck?¡±, ¡°Shit¡±. Or in context means: ¡°Awesome¡±, or express someone¡¯s feeling of surprise or frustration.
  3. ±Ë°¶»¨ b¨« ¨¤n hu¨¡; Lycoris radiata, or Red Spider Lily, is member of the Amaryllis family. It¡¯s a bulbous perennial boasting eye-catching umbels of 4-6 brilliant coral-red flowers with a golden sheen, adorned with elegantly curled petals and exceptionally long stamens. Blooming inte summer to early fall. It looks like THIS.
  4. ÐĽÊÍ´ x¨©n ji¨£o t¨°ng; A type of chest pain caused by a decrease in blood supply to the heart.
  5. ÊÜ sh¨°u; Used as a ng word to refer to the Bottom on a rtionship. Shou = Uke. The original meaning of this character is: To receive/to ept/to suffer/subjected to/to bear/to stand.
Chapter 2: This Plot is Really Weird. A Tyrannical President just met a lovely and cute Shou¡­ His beauty makes women jealous. He has big watery eyes and bright lips. His character is naive and gentle. And he has a wicked female friend by his side. He likes to cry, especially when the President forces himself onto him. He would cry ¡®no no no¡¯ while also not pushing back, and then he¡¯ll cry over the loss of his own virginity. But don¡¯t worry! Since he can somehow forgive the Tyrannical President afterwards! Ah, that¡¯s love, I guess. ¡­¡­ This love is bullshit1!!!!!!!!! Xiao YuAn yelled in his heart, ¡®I can go to the street and find a young woman who is a hundred times better than you!!! Someone that will not make trouble! And will not cry all the time!¡¯ Faced with this kind of Shou, Xiao YuAn felt that even if he was gay, he might be scared straight. The Xiao Family noticed this. Wait, something isn¡¯t right. Why don¡¯t you even like the typical Tyrannical President¡¯s Shou? Could it be!!! Holy shit??? Is Xiao YuAn a Shou himself? Hiss2. The Xiao Family felt depressed, corrupted, and like they were falling into tragedy. This was beyond the Family Motto. But it doesn¡¯t matter, since he can¡¯t walk the road of the ¡®Tyrannical President¡¯, they can still solve it by transforming him into the Seductive Shou President. For example, if he meets a Mafia Boss; a tyrannical, ck-bellied gangster that emits S aura everywhere. After leaving work that day, Xiao YuAn found that his car had been damaged, and then saw that a piece of paper was stuck on the door of the car, asking him to negotiate apensation. Xiao YuAn dialed the man¡¯s phone saying that it was okay and that there wasn¡¯t a need topensate him. The man sneered and said: ¡°Do you even know who I am?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I don¡¯t care who the fuck you are!!! Why did you put a scratch on someone else¡¯s car!! Is it too difficult to just apologize??!!!¡¯ ¡®Wait, those words sound just like the quotes of a Tyrannical President!¡¯ Sensing that Xiao YuAn was silent, the manughed and gave his name. He turned out to be an actual Mafia Boss, the type that ignited fear by mentioning his name. He asked Xiao YuAn toe, saying that no matter how much money he asked for, he could afford it. Xiao YuAn thought, since he didn¡¯t have the potential of bing a Tyrannical President himself, he might as well go and see what an actual Tyrannical Boss looks like. So Xiao YuAn went to meet him. However, Xiao YuAn soon realized that this guy was sick. Because they didn¡¯t talk about thepensation at all. They didn¡¯t even talk much to begin with, when the Mafia Boss said that he wanted to imprison him. Xiao YuAn said to him that he wasn¡¯t an M, and he wasn¡¯t interested in SM or BD. The Mafia Boss said that it was okay; ¡°I will transform your body with bondage y, imprisonment y, and many other kinky things. You will fall prey to lust every day and for the rest of your life, until you became my submissive. In the end, we¡¯ll finally fall in love. We¡¯ll try to kill each other and being together will beplicated, forever tangled into a sadistic abusive rtionship!¡± Hmmm¡­¡­ It sounded inspirational, but Xiao YuAn still felt that this guy had a serious problem. After all, he doesn¡¯t suffer from Stockholm Syndrome. This Tyrannical Boss was very bossy. Lifting up his chin and pinching his waist, saying things like he¡¯ll tie him up and force him into imprisonment. Then, he was beaten up by Xiao YuAn. After all, Xiao YuAn had practiced self-defense ever since he was a child. After the beating, Xiao YuAn felt even more nervous. He felt at a loss with his role as a ¡°Tyrannical President¡±, and now his role as a ¡°Seductive Shou President¡± went downhill as well. ¡®Forget it, love affairs are way too frustrating, it¡¯s better to just keep doing my work.¡¯ So Xiao Yuan worked diligently. Intending to be a positive figure of society, to be a good young man, an excellent member of his political Chinese party, and to serve the people for the rest of his life. And then, he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. °®Çé¸öp°¡; the P here stands for ƨ p¨¬, a vulgar way of saying ¡°Nonsense / Rubbish¡±.
  2. Ë» s¨©; Sound of the air being sucked between the teeth, indicating hesitation or thinking something over.
Chapter 3: This Book is Really Toxic. When Xiao YuAn got his medical examination results, his face darkened for a long time. Then he went back and read 233 Tyrannical Presidential novels, but he wasn¡¯t able to find a single story with a President being diagnosed with a terminal illness. However, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t care and instead developed a surprising hobby. And that was. Reading novels! Reading! Web! Novels! He couldn¡¯t find his role in life, and couldn¡¯t cure his disease. So why don¡¯t use thest of his existence to read novels andfort his soul. But in the end, when Xiao YuAn wanted to find spiritualfort from novels, the heavens had to p him hard in the face again. Xiao YuAn was reading a novel that was on the top ten of a certain online list. There are thousands of masterpieces in this world, but Xiao YuAn just had to immerse himself into a novel in which he wanted to bury the author alive after he finished reading it. This novel was way too toxic and cruel. The author fed the knives to the readers, as if they were flies molesting everyone; they couldn¡¯t be avoided, and they were like those big Spanish flies! After reading, Xiao YuAn flipped through thement section of ??the novel, and as expected, the readers kindly showed the author the lower limit of their cursing skills. [A perfectly good historical novel got fucking turned into a stallion novel1!!! I¡¯m aaarghhh!!!] [Author,e out. Aaaaahhh I promise I won¡¯t hit you! I¡¯ll just cut you with a de!!!] [The first half of the book was amazing, but then the second half arouses my desires to kill!! This novel is stupid!!!] In thement section, the insults were original, but they weren¡¯t fun. There were some who were insulting the characters, and some others who were insulting the plot. True fans vs anti fans, it was truly chaotic. Everything and everyone was being insulted. In the end, most people didn¡¯t even know what they were insulting anymore. Xiao YuAn saw an interesting longment, the general content was like this: [As a fan of historical fiction, and as someone who once held this book close to my heart but now sees it as pure dirt, I feel I have something to say¡­ And I have a lot to say!!! First, let¡¯s take a closer look at the name of this book: ¡°The History of the Four Kingdoms¡±. Listen! You guys listen! What an orthodox name! How elegant! How meticulous! How awe-inspiring! And this novel starts out very decent too! Let me briefly exin the story for those who haven¡¯t read it. It tells the story of the Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom, who was captured and taken prisoner to the Northern Kingdom. The Male Lead, who used to be a Prince, was tortured, humiliated and abused in the Northern Kingdom. But even then, he endured the humiliation and was able to escape from the Northern Kingdom. However, the country in which he used to live, was already at war. The people suffered and thend was upied by enemy countries. From then on, the Prince relied on his hatred and in his talent, summoning his subordinates, recruited troops, and defeated the Northern Kingdom in one fell swoop. He even killed the Young Emperor with his own hands. Afterwards, the Prince went further and further on his road of unifying the Four Kingdoms into one. Friends!! Look! Look at the rise and fall of this Country, look at the mountains and rivers that are breaking down. What an exciting novel this is! However!!! Ever since the author finished writing the Male Lead defeating the Northern Kingdom, it seems as if they were high on drugs!! His ego began to let go of the status quo! The Female Generals of the Western Shu Kingdom, the Erotic Prostitutes of the Southern Yan Kingdom, the Twelve Singers of the Eastern Wu Kingdom. The Male Lead was like a walking aphrodisiac, growing his harem while also fighting a war. Growing! His! Harem! While! Also! Fighting! A! War! Why haven¡¯t his subordinates killed him yet!!!!! Wherever he went, the girls would climb onto him without asking for anything in return, it looked like an open invitation. And just like that, he unified the nation, out of thin air! It¡¯s fine to write it as a stallion novel, even having ten girls a night is fine too. But writing an historical fictional book as a harem drama fiction is really too¡­ Ah forget it! But what the hell is a soul reanimation potion? Howe there is fantasy too?? What?? Although the Princess of the Northern Kingdom is the moonlight brightening the Male Lead¡¯s heart, and she¡¯s the reader¡¯s number one and only goddess, there¡¯s no denying that she¡¯s the Female Lead. But! She is dead! She was killed by the author! How many years has it been since she passed away! She¡¯s not a cold corpse anymore! She¡¯s a rotten body! To hell with the soul reanimation potion!! Still, you self-centered prick!! Author, doesn¡¯t your conscience hurt?!! Does! It! Not! Hurt?! And! Even when the Male Lead is described to have many lovers, why did you have to write a paragraph about him looking like he was in true love with her??? It¡¯s so confusing!!] After seeing thisment, Xiao YuAn thought about it for a while, and then replied giving his own opinion. [The Male Lead should¡¯ve been in love with the Princess of the Northern Kingdom. But the Princess not onlymitted suicide because of him, she also didn¡¯t ept him until her death, which is why the Male Lead became like thatter, right? If the Princess of the Northern Kingdom showed a hint of love for him, I think the Male Lead will only love her for the rest of his life.] Footnotes
  1. ÖÖÂíС˵ zh¨¯ng m¨£xi¨£o shu¨­; A term used to describe novels with protagonists that have a special charm effect that attracts almost every women they met. Most of these kind of novels tend to be harem.
Chapter 4: This Suicide is Really Apathetic. Xiao YuAn¡¯s health began to deteriorate day by day, and he had no intention of relying on expensive treatments to continue his life. Xiao YuAn decided to anonymously donate his money to a hospital, and then put all of his remaining assets into a bank ount. After doing this, Xiao YuAn quietly left the hospital and went to a nursing home in the suburbs. This was a very high-end nursing home, a ce where even the middle-ss families couldn¡¯t afford to enter. Making one wonder: Capitalism is really dark! Stained with the blood of the working ss! Xiao YuAn was familiar with this nursing home and easily found a rather luxurious room. A young nurse walked out of the room and was slightly surprised when she saw Xiao YuAn: ¡°Mr. Xiao?¡± ¡°Is he in a good mood today?¡± Xiao YuAn asked. ¡°He¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Would you like to go in and see him, Mr. Xiao?¡± ¡°Yes, please tell others not toe in while I¡¯m inside, even if they hear any noise.¡± ¡°Understood.¡° The nurse nodded and walked away silently. Xiao YuAn took a deep breath and took a look at his phone. Well, the Company¡¯s affairs have been dealt with, and there is no problem with his testament. Just as Xiao YuAn was about to put back his phone, a message suddenly popped up on the novel website. Xiao YuAn thought it was a hate reply to thement he sent that day. After all, on a normal day he wouldn¡¯t even look at it. But today he felt different. Xiao YuAn then followed his curiosity and opened thement section. It wasn¡¯t a hate reply. Not only it wasn¡¯t a hate reply, but also the person and the content of the reply made Xiao YuAn feel very surprised. The message was sent by the author, and the content was a single sentence: [Only you understand him.] ¡®I understand him?¡¯ Xiao YuAn was confused. ¡®Who do I understand? Was it the Male Lead?¡¯ After wondering what the author meant, Xiao YuAn put his phone away, pushed open the door, and entered the room. The room was bright and spacious, the long curtains swayed in front of the clear windows. In the middle of the room, a young man in a wheelchair was holding a cat¡¯s neck and pushing it into a goldfish tank. He was emotionlessly looking at the cat who was struggling from drowning. He didn¡¯t even raise his head when he heard the sound of the door opening. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xiao YuAn went to him and asked. ¡°The nurse said it likes fish, but the fish is in the water, so I¡¯m helping it get it.¡± The man¡¯s voice didn¡¯t fluctuate. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Xiao YuAn murmured softly, ¡°Oh by the way, I¡¯m leaving.¡± The man suddenly trembled. He looked at Xiao YuAn and his hand went ck, loosening the strong grip on the cat¡¯s neck. At that moment, the cat hurriedly ran away. leaving the floor wet. ¡°For how long will you be gone?¡± The man asked. ¡°I will not being back.¡± Xiao YuAn answered. The man nodded and rolled his wheelchair to the coffee table. He reached for a cup and threw it hard at Xiao YuAn. The cup urately hit Xiao YuAn¡¯s forehead, the pain he felt apanied the sound of the cup shattering on the ground. Xiao YuAn was shocked by the sudden hit. Instinctively, he touched his forehead and some blood spreaded through his fingers, then falling down towards his eye. ¡°Do you still remember what you said to me on our mother¡¯s grave?¡± The young man asked. ¡°Yes, I do remember.¡± Xiao YuAn took a breath and tried to relieve the paining from his head. ¡°What did you say!!!¡± The man suddenly shouted. ¡°I said that I would take care of you for her, for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°There was more!!!¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t do it, I will die ¡­¡± ¡°Then fucking die.¡± ¡°I¡­ I transferred all my assets to your bank ount, you¡­¡± ¡°Fuck you! Go to hell!¡± ¡°For now on, you will have to take care of yourself, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Shut up! And die for me!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Xiao YuAn walked right to a window, opened it, and then jumped down from the fifth floor. Chapter 5: This Transmigration is Really Tragic. Chapter 5: This Transmigration is Really Tragic. Xiao YuAn was dazed by the light gauze drapery and dazzling smoke that surrounded him. He slightly nodded his head and found himself covered with a slightly fragrant bedding quilt. On this bedding quilt was embroidered a majestic Golden Dragon, this Dragon was breathing mes, his sharp teeth and dancing ws1 made him look very much lifelike. Xiao YuAn braced himself and sat up on the bed. Suddenly, long silk-like ck hair fell down his shoulders like a waterfall. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Xiao YuAn grabbed a few strands of hair and pulled hard. ¡®Ouch, it hurts.¡¯ Xiao YuAn¡¯s mind began to think at a rapid speed, and then he felt extremely confused. ¡®Could this be a rebirth?¡¯ Is Marx¡¯s coffin te still sealed? ¡°Your Majesty, are you awake? This maidservant will help you change clothes.¡± The door of the bedchamber was gently pushed open and a beautiful, young woman walked in. In her hands, she was holding a basin with water to help him wash his face. She was dressed in a in cyan robe and her hair was tied up in a bun, decorated with a bronze ancient hairpin. ¡®Your Majesty?¡¯ Xiao YuAn felt a little bit sad, it wasn¡¯t easy to be reborn to begin with and this setting turned out to be a realistic one. He wouldn¡¯t be able to experience the pleasure of a Cultivation World. Although Marx will cry on his grave, Newton can rest at ease. ¡°Are there any Monsters or Immortals, or anything of the sort in this world?¡± Xiao YuAn asked. The young woman was stunned: ¡°Your Majesty? Are you nning to go to the Temple to worship? ¡®Oh, so it¡¯s not a Fantasy setting either.¡¯ Xiao YuAn showed an expression of disappointment. ¡°Your Majesty, thete Emperor has entered the Western Paradise2 for so many days now, don¡¯t be sad; you should be careful to not damage your body health.¡± The maidservant, who was closely observing Xiao YuAn¡¯s movements, tried tofort him with a gentle voice. ¡®Oh? So his soul is inside a new Emperor¡¯s body, that just recently inherited the throne?¡¯ ¡°Is there a mirror?¡± Xiao YuAn asked the maidservant. The maidservant immediately brought a bronze mirror, bowed and knelt in front of the bed, handing it over to Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn took the bronze mirror and studied his face features. Ah, he¡¯s really good looking, clear and handsome. His eyebrows and eyes were well defined, his skin was very pale and beautiful, his lips were naturally red and his eyes were bright. This was the face of a young and beautiful teenager. Xiao YuAn quietly sighed, and silently defined himself inside his heart. ¡®A young Emperor.¡¯ ¡®This kind of Monarch, either the Military power is not in his hand, and he ended up as his mother or uncle¡¯s puppet. Or he¡¯s a hot-minded youth, who doesn¡¯t know how to rule a Country, and is determined to spend his days in luxury and corruption.¡¯ ¡®Either way, I already know that this kind of road, at the beginning, is not an easy path to walk on.¡¯ ¡®However, rebirth is a strange opportunity, one that I got among a thousand people; even if I¡¯m not the Protagonist, I won¡¯t be a simple cannon fodder that appears on one page!¡¯ Xiao YuAn was suddenly in high spirits. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Xiao YuAn asked the maidservant. The maidservant was clearly confused for a brief moment, but she still replied in a respectful way regardless: ¡°This maidservant¡¯s name is Hong Xiu.¡± ¡°Hong¡­¡­¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡®Wait a minute, this name, why does it sound so familiar?¡¯ ¡®Young Emperor? Thete Emperor died?¡¯ Xiao YuAn hesitated several times, but in the end, he managed to ask: ¡°What has Princess Yongning been busy withtely?¡± ¡°Answering to His Majesty.¡± Hong Xiu knelt on the ground and bowed her head. ¡°This maidservant heard that the Princess has been learning to y the guqin recently.¡± Xiao YuAn, who just a moment ago was very satisfied with his current situation, after listening to what the maidservant said, flopped on the bed stiff as a corpse. ¡°Your Majesty? What happened, Your Majesty? Are you feeling sick? Your Majesty?¡± Hong Xiu was extremely shocked at his reaction, asking him in a flustered voice. ¡°Life grabbed me by the throat and then gave me a loud p in the face.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°I know that only true warriors would dare to face the painful reality of life, even if blood is dropped.¡± ¡°Your¡­Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Now my fate is sealed. In this world where the human hearts are not the same as they used to be in ancient times3, and where everything they care about is materialistic desires, only this quilt has a little warmth left.¡± ¡°Your Majesty! What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯ll summon the Imperial Physician right away!¡± Hong Xiu stumbled a few frightened steps and hurried to call someone for help, but Xiao YuAn quickly stopped her. ¡°Everything is fine, I was just running away from reality.¡± Xiao YuAn waved his hand weakly. Xiao YuAn has fully understood that he wasn¡¯t reborn at all. He had transmigrated4 into a book. He got transmigrated into the stallion novel ¡°The History of the Four Kingdoms¡± that he read before dying. In the original book, Hong Xiu was the personal maidservant of the Young Emperor of the Northern Kingdom. Now, he¡¯s also that same Young Emperor that gets tortured alive at the hands of the Male Lead. Xiao YuAn, in the midst of Hong Xiu¡¯s panicked questioning expression, rolled over on the bed facing the wall with a miserable look adorning his face. ¡®Ah, it would¡¯ve been better to have the role of a cannon fodder after all. As a President at my prime of youth5, I wasn¡¯t even able to meet my soulmate when I suddenly got diagnosed with a terminal illness. This alone is enough toin for a lifetime, but now I also had to transmigrate into such aplicated supporting role¡­ Ah, my life is really miserable, and sorrowful.¡¯ After finishing organizing his thoughts and feeling dispirited, Xiao YuAn got up and asked Hong Xiu, who was already feeling very disoriented: ¡°Where¡¯s Yan HeQing?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, this maidservant¡­. is ignorant and doesn¡¯t know what His Majesty is asking about?¡± Hong Xiu was at a loss for words and fell to her knees to kowtow6. Xiao YuAn quickly pulled her up: ¡°It¡¯s the Male Lead, wait no, it¡¯s the captured Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom, mmh? You still don¡¯t understand? I¡¯m talking about the Prince that was captured alive by my father, oh right, by thete Emperor of the Northern Kingdom who conquered his Country.¡± Hong Xiu¡¯s face was still showing a very confused expression. Xiao YuAn bowed his head and thought for a few seconds after finally saying: ¡°The Prince that I want to take as a male concubine.¡± Hong Xiu suddenly realized: ¡°Oh, this maidservant knows!¡± Xiao Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± ¡®So I just had to say that for you to finally understand?!¡¯ ¡®Why do I feel like I¡¯m getting closer and closer to being tortured to death?!¡¯ Chapter 6: You Cant Just Mess With The Male Lead! He was very bold but not very astute1. This was the impression that Xiao YuAn had of thete Emperor of the Northern Kingdom in the original book. In the original book, the aplishments of thete Emperor of the Northern Kingdom were probably all due to good luck. At that time, the Northern Kingdom had a good harvest year after year, the Country was rich and themon people were prosperous. Therefore, thete Emperor of the Northern Kingdom had the ambition of conquering the Southern Yan Kingdom. It also coincided with the fact that the Southern Yan Kingdom had suffered from sessive years of famine, and also, the Monarch of the Southern Yan had just passed away. This was a terrible amount of bad luck for them. Because of this, thete Emperor of the Northern Kingdom took advantage of this rare weakness and invaded the Southern Yan Kingdom in one single stroke, capturing thest Prince alive, seized its property, and divided thend. However. Thete Emperor, who was good at fighting and very brave in the battlefield, was also quite negligent in government affairs. After the war ended, he just pped his ass and went back home! He! Went! Back! Home! Dage2, Armstrong traveled 380,000 kilometers to the moon and even he knew that he must leave behind a g. So you just worked so hard fighting for thisnd, but you can¡¯t even be bothered to leave your g behind?? Do you only know about the essence of how to bend a bow that can shoot down a big eagle3? Later, the Southern Yan Kingdom was partly seized by the Eastern Wu Kingdom by setting the house on fire4. The remainingnd was barely managed by the Uncle of the Male Lead. After winning the war, thete Emperor of the Northern Kingdom lived day and night in leasuresy, absurdity and in obscenity; squandering the treasury obtained from the Southern Yan Kingdom. In the end, it wasn¡¯t a surprise for anybody when the Emperor drank himself to death. The Crown Prince soon seeded the throne, and this youthful Monarch who had grown up hearing about thete Emperor¡¯s immoral and ruthless way of ruling the Country, also became inept, a truly hopeless case. It could be said that when the Northern Kingdom was destroyed by the Male Leadter on, in such a short period of time, it wasn¡¯t an event that urred out of nothing. The root of this misfortune had already been deeply buried between thest two generations of Northern Kingdom¡¯s rulers. ¡­ Xiao YuAn hurriedly went to the dungeon inside the Imperial Pce, and when he entered through the iron gate, a dense rotting smell pped him in the face. The Jailer obviously didn¡¯t expect for the Emperor toe to such a ce. Trembling with fear, he fell on his knees to kowtow, feeling how his heart was beating at a rapid speed. ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re the Golden Dragon¡¯s noble body, how can His Majesty enter such a filthy ce? If there¡¯s anything His Majesty needs, he can justmand Weichen5 to do it!¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s Imperial Bodyguard shouted while kneeling on the ground. ¡°We¡¯re all pieces of meat formed by cells with 23 pairs of chromosomes, there¡¯s no need to differentiate yourself from me.¡± Xiao YuAn said with a serious tone of voice to the Imperial Bodyguard. Imperial Bodyguards: ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°Knowledge is a good thing.¡± ¡°What??¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we should fight against blind fate in favor of science.¡± ¡°Huh???¡± ¡°Never mind, I was just teasing you.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled at the bewildered-looking Jailer and stepped through the iron gate. Three secondster, Xiao YuAn covered his nose and jumped out. It¡¯s so¡­ the smell is way too unpleasant, he needs to slow down a bit. Under the torture of the unpleasant smell, and by following the theory of survival of the fittest, Xiao YuAn gradually got used to the fishy smell, and entered again. Inside the dungeon, there weren¡¯t many prisoners and the cells on both sides were empty. Xiao YuAn followed the Imperial Bodyguards through a dark tunnel, which led all the way to the deepest part of the dungeon, and then they stood in front of the door of an ordinary cell. One of the Imperial Bodyguards took the key and opened the door. Immediately afterwards, he quicklyid ayer of clean straw on the ground, fearing that Xiao YuAn¡¯s boots would get dirty. It¡¯s really good to have reliable people around him. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but look at this Imperial Bodyguard a few more times. When he advanced forward, a strong bloody smell pped him right in the face. The flickering candles inside the cell trembled due to the faint breeze brought in by Xiao YuAn¡¯s walking. In a corner of the cell, sitting on the dirty ground, there was a man. His white tunic had long been stained with blood and filth, resulting in the original color could no longer be seen. The thick iron chains were almost embedded in the wounds on his wrists and ankles, making it impossible for him to move a single bit. In the dark cell, Xiao YuAn could see that he was injured. There was blood and flesh out in the open and his long ck hair was loose, covering his face, and hiding his facial features. Even when the man heard some noise around him, he still didn¡¯t move. However, behind an opening in the thick curtain of ck hair, a single eye could be seen. Xiao YuAn looked at this eye; inside the pupil was a cold feeling, very indifferent, but absolutely determined. There¡¯s people who live in thend of wealth and glory, but their eyes can¡¯t hide the fact that they¡¯re dead inside. Meanwhile, there¡¯s some people who, even in prison, the filth can¡¯t cover up their eyes that shine like stars, and that are strong and sharp like swords. With a simple nce, Xiao YuAn understood that if he didn¡¯t kill him this day, the next day he would be the one being killed. Without uttering a single word, Xiao YuAn suddenly pulled out a sword from the waist of an Imperial Bodyguard beside him, the sharp de came out with a ¡°clunk¡± sound; shocking everyone inside the cell. Because of this sudden action, the man sitting on the ground finally moved his body. However, because of the pain from his injuries, and with his eyebrows turning into a frown, he was only able to make very little movements. He looked extremely miserable. Xiao YuAn then thought to himself, the description of the Male Lead in the original book were just words after all. Right now, after seeing with his own eyes the tragic situation that the Male Lead was in, the only thing he wanted to say was¡­ ¡®Author! You! Are! A! Big! Evil! Parent!¡¯ ¡®This is your own son! You¡¯re way too heartless!¡¯ Xiao YuAn clenched the hilt of the sword, his heart was inexplicably swelling with a dense, painful emotion. This emotion was called heartache. Saying that you wanted to kill someone was very easy, and Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t even need to do it by himself. Right now he¡¯s the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, the person in front of him was as weak as an insect, and he was surrounded by loyal servants; he just needed to snap his fingers and then there would be no more Yan HeQing in this world. However, Xiao YuAn in the end couldn¡¯t do it. ¡®Never mind, I already know how the plot will develop anyways. If I don¡¯t follow the path of the Young Emperor towards his death, then maybe the Country won¡¯t be destroyed in the end.¡¯ If he can¡¯t kill Yan HeQing, then he will have to observe how things will develop from now on; and while the male lead is still a captive of the Northern Kingdom, Xiao YuAn will make the effort to be extra nice to him, spoil him to the skies, and maybe he¡¯ll think of a good strategy. Finally, he will be able to make it to the end with a full body, right? Xiao YuAn, who already died once, right now the only thing he wanted to do was to survive. With a sigh, he silently returned the sword to the Imperial Bodyguard. However, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t have the intention of leaving with empty hands. In the original book the Male Lead¡¯s face was described as being stunningly beautiful, so blindingly handsome that it could be really hard to find another face like his in a lifetime. Xiao YuAn was curious enough to take a few steps ahead, kneel beside the man, and reach out to lift his disheveled hair. As soon as Xiao YuAn extended his hand, Yan HeQing suddenly turned his head and bit Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand fiercely. After getting bitten for no reason whatsoever, Xiao YuAn became speechless out of astonishment. The man in front of him had no strength at all, and although the bit brought a little pain to Xiao YuAn, it wasn¡¯t strong enough to draw out blood. Because of the position Xiao YuAn was in, the Jailer and the Imperial Bodyguards behind him could only see Xiao YuAn¡¯s back, so they weren¡¯t able to see him being bitten. Xiao YuAn waited for a while, and when he found that Yan HeQing hadn¡¯t let him go yet, he said in a helpless voice: ¡°Has your anger not been relieved yet?¡± Xiao YuAn guessed that Yan HeQing was irritated from the killing intent of the hand that held the sword he borrowed a few minutes ago, so that¡¯s why he reacted the way he did. ¡°It hurts, you know?¡± Xiao YuAn murmured in a low and gentle voice. ¡°Loosen up, the Imperial Bodyguards will get suspicious if I stay like this after such a long time.¡± Yan HeQing was very confused by Xiao YuAn¡¯s good-natured attitude towards himself and froze in ce, his mouth loosened open. Xiao YuAn rubbed the tooth marks on the back of his hand and hid it on his sleeve. After standing up, he said to the Jailer and Imperial Bodyguards: ¡°Release him from prison, and then send him to the Imperial Physician to get his wounds properly treated.¡± After giving his orders, Xiao YuAn turned around and walked out of the cell. And after tossing and turning inside the Imperial Pce for a while, the day became a starry night when Xiao YuAn finally returned to the Imperial bedchamber. When Hong Xiu saw that Xiao YuAn¡¯s body had stirred up a bloody smell from his trip to the Imperial dungeons, she quickly took him to take a bath. Xiao YuAn used the bath as if it was a hot spring, soaking up with dizziness. After a while, Xiao YuAn vaguely heard that Hong Xiu asked him something, but because he was in a daze, he couldn¡¯t understand her at all. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t care about what she said to him, so he just casually ¡°hmmmed¡± and soaked in the water for nearly an hour. When Xiao YuAn finally finished his bath, Hong Xiu was carefully waiting for him to get dressed. Xiao YuAn remembered that in the original book, Hong Xiu was very clever and smart, she knew how to read the Young Emperor¡¯s mood with just a nce and help him fulfil his deepest desires. However, at the same time, she could also be a very ruthless woman. She was responsible for the discipline of the Young Emperor¡¯s male concubines. For these male lovers, Hong Xiu was never a merciless type of person. If she thought that someone didn¡¯t serve the Young Emperor well, it was very likely that she would punish them bycerating their flesh. Xiao YuAn looked at the tranquil young woman, who was helping him get dressed with a serious and concentrated face, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel like it was very difficult to ce that description of her from the original book with her physical body. ¡®What was the ending of Hong Xiu in the original book?¡¯ Xiao YuAn bowed his head in contemtion, but before he could remember something about it, Hong Xiu called out to him: ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s time to go to bed.¡± ¡°Um, alright.¡± Xiao YuAn came back to his senses and put that question behind his head. After walking back to the Imperial bedchamber, Hong Xiu didn¡¯t follow him in. Instead, she gently closed the door. There wasn¡¯t a single candlelight inside the bedchamber, so Xiao YuAn waited for his eyes to get adapted to the darkness around him, and then groped for his bed with the help of the moonlight that fell in through the hollowed-out wooden window casket. Inside the bedchamber it was very calm and quiet, the smoke from the burning incense curled up in the air, extremely silent. However, what Xiao YuAn never expected, was that there was another person inside his bed. Footnotes
  1. ÓÐÓÂÎÞı y¨¯u y¨¯ng w¨² m¨®u; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, used to describe when someone does certain things or fights over something in a rush, with no strategy whatsoever, and just goes for it in reckless way.
  2. ´ó¸ç d¨¤ g¨¥; Eldest Brother / Big Brother, as a polite address for a man of about the same age as oneself / Gang Leader / Boss.
  3. Íä¹­Éä´óµñ w¨¡n g¨­ng sh¨¨ d¨¤ di¨¡o; A line from the poem ¡¶ÇßÔ°´º¡¤Ñ©¡·(q¨¬n yu¨¢n ch¨±n xu¨§) ¡°Snowfall in a Garden of Flowers¡±. Describes someone that is only good for Martial Arts and nothing else. Written by (ëÔó¶« m¨¢o z¨¦ d¨­ng) Mao Zedong [1893-1976].
  4. ³Ã»ð´ò½Ù ch¨¨n hu¨¯ d¨£ ji¨¦; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means to take advantage of a fire to rob someone. This is used as a metaphor to describe when someone takes advantage of someone¡¯s danger to seek personal gain / To profit from somebody¡¯s misfortune. From¡¶Î÷Óμǡ·(x¨© y¨®u j¨¬) ¡°Journey to the West¡±, written by (Îâ³Ð¶÷ w¨² ch¨¦ng ¨¥n) Wu Cheng¡¯en [1500-1582] from the Ming Dynasty [1368-1644].
  5. ΢³¼ w¨¥i ch¨¦n; This Small Official / Humble Servant / Modest wordmonly used by Officials and Ministers in ancient times.
Chapter 7: You Cant Sleep With The Emperor. In the Tyrannical President rule book, when you¡¯re faced with the embrace of a young woman, of course the Tyrannical President must hold her tightly, and with an evil smile say: ¡°Beauty, you asked for this.¡± However, when Xiao YuAn, a former President, felt that someone got into his arms and started to undress him¡­ He! He rolled over, and with a standard defense move, he grabbed the person¡¯s arm by the wrist and twisted it over, pressing down the person¡¯s head with his other hand, holding them down! Holding them down! Xiao YuAn¡¯s first reaction after restraining that person was¡­. ¡®My path as a Tyrannical President ispletely hopeless!!!¡¯ That person, who was being held down by him, was also extremely stunned. With a trembling voiceced with hidden fear and tears, they said: ¡°Your Majesty, Your Majesty, could you be a little bit more gentle?¡± ¡®Huh, this voice was very soft, sweet and cute.¡¯ ¡®But it¡¯s a male¡¯s voice!¡¯ Xiao YuAn quickly released him: ¡°Sorry sorry sorry, you scared me, that¡¯s all.¡± The young man slightly curled up: ¡°This ve, this ve didn¡¯t mean it, Your Majesty. Please don¡¯t be angry.¡± Xiao Yuan touched his forehead. Suddenly, he remembered two important things. Firstly, this Young Emperor, he¡¯s a fucking cut sleeve1! Secondly, while he was taking a bath earlier, Hong Xiu must have asked him if he needed someone to sleep with at night! When the young man saw that Xiao YuAn had been silent for such a long time, he thought that Xiao YuAn was angry with him. Panicked, he took out a rope from beside the bedside and said: ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t get angry, you can tie up this ve. Didn¡¯t His Majesty say that he wanted to whip this ve with a rulerst time? This servant has the ruler ready, Your Majesty?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s head started to hurt even more. ¡®I already knew that the Young Emperor was a cut sleeve, however, I didn¡¯t know that he was an S2!¡¯ ¡®Not only that, he was also born with the beautiful body of a Shou, but his heart was the one of a Gong3! He really dared to challenge fate like that?! So thoughtful! So innovative!¡¯ Xiao YuAn¡¯s strange attitude suddenly made the young man panic, he ripped off his own clothes, and then wrapped his hands and feet around Xiao YuAn¡¯s body, hugging him tight. His clothes fell down to his wrists, and his smooth chest and shoulders were all exposed. Then, the young man¡¯s voice trembled: ¡°Your Majesty, this ve wants you so bad, please, give it to this ve.¡± Xiao YuAn held the young man¡¯s trembling hand and smiled slightly: ¡°I won¡¯t give anything to you, I will definitely not allow it.¡± The young man became speechless out of astonishment, his panicked expression was somewhat broken and pale. ¡°Well then? Have you finally calmed down?¡± Xiao YuAn patted the young man¡¯s head as gently as an Elder Brother would, and then reached out his hand to help him fix his clothes. The young man couldn¡¯t say anything, he was so scared by Xiao YuAn¡¯s unusual behavior, that he froze in ce. ¡°Hong Xiu, Hong Xiu.¡± Xiao YuAn called twice in a loud voice. Suddenly, a candlelight outside the Imperial bedchamber¡¯s door flickered, and Hong Xiu pushed the door open. Hong Xiu quickly lit the candles around the bedchamber, illuminating everything around them. After that she knelt down in front of the bed, and with a respectul voice, she asked: ¡°Your Majesty, what¡¯s wrong? Did this ve not serve you well?¡± Xiao YuAn felt that the young man behind him suddenly shrunk, he was obviously shivering: ¡°No, he¡¯s very good. I¡¯m the one that lost interest. Take him back and don¡¯t forget to give him a reward.¡± Hong Xiu nodded and waited for Xiao YuAn to lie down again. Then she blew out all the candlelights, and led the young man away. Surrounded by silence, Xiao YuAn closed his eyes, but then opened them again. He subconsciously reached out to take his phone beside the pillow, but after half-way stretching out his hand, he silently withdrew it. Xiao Yuan had a problem. When he sleeps, he must be surrounded by the sound of other people¡¯s breathing. In modern times, Xiao YuAn could use his phone to record and then y it when he needed it. However, the current situation made Xiao YuAn feel really helpless. After unsessfully trying to fall asleep, Xiao YuAn sighed heavily. He sat up, rubbed his temples for a while, and then decided to go out for a walk. The entrance to the Emperor¡¯s bedchamber was heavily guarded, so after Xiao YuAn pondered for a while, he finally decided to go out from the window. The two Imperial Bodyguards on the night-watch were stunned when they saw that a man jumped out of the Emperor¡¯s bedchamber, rolled around on the grass, and then stabilized himself. The two Imperial Bodyguards drew out their swords and then pointed them at the strange man¡¯s neck Xiao YuAn raised his head and looked straight at the two Imperial Bodyguards. The swords in the Imperial Bodyguards hands ttered to the ground. ¡­¡­ Xiao YuAn stood up and calmly removed the weeds from his head, then he patted the Imperial Bodyguards on their shoulders: ¡°Comrades, you¡¯ve worked hard. It turns out that the windows are also heavily guarded.¡± The Imperial Bodyguards felt their knees going soft, and quickly knelt on the ground. Xiao YuAn helped one of them to get up and then asked: ¡°Which road is less guarded?¡± The Imperial Bodyguard, while shivering all over, pointed his finger towards a stone path in the south. Xiao YuAn nodded with satisfaction, and with his hands behind his back, he was about to walk towards the stone path. The Imperial Bodyguards quickly shouted out to him: ¡°Your Majesty, the night is too dark, if you go alone¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to be alone, like the fluttering colorful wings of a Phoenix4.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I pity the cold food of Qingming5. Can you talk less?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Just let the Dragon City Commander fly away6. If you say another word, I¡¯ll beat you up.¡± After seeing that the Imperial Bodyguards were really afraid to say another word, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but sigh withment: ¡°The 300 Tang poems, really are the crystallization of wisdom.¡± With thosest words, Xiao YuAn hummed a small tune and left, leaving behind the two Imperial Bodyguards, who were at a loss for words: ¡°What are the 300 Tang poems¡­¡± The Imperial Bodyguard didn¡¯t deceive Xiao YuAn, the South side of the Imperial Pce was uninhabited. The moonlight was barely lost behind the clouds, and from time to time, it will spread a soft light, gently brushing on Xiao YuAn¡¯s body. It was the beginning of winter in the Northern Kingdom, and the wind was particrly cold; so Xiao YuAn, who was dressed in thin clothing, felt that he couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. In the end, he decided to go back to his bedchamber. Just as he turned around to walk back from the same path, the dazzling sound of a guqin was suddenly heard. Footnotes
  1. ¶ÏÐä du¨¤n xi¨´; The allusion to ¡°cut sleeve¡±es from the Western Han Dynasty [206 BC-8 AC]. Emperor Ai, because his sleeve was trapped under Dong Xiang¡¯s body, and because he couldn¡¯t bear to wake up his lover, drew out his sword to cut off his own sleeve. Later on, it was often said that Emperor Ai had a thing for getting his sleeve cut everytime he was mentioned, therefore, ¡°cut sleeve¡± became a synonym for male homosexuality since then.
  2. S = sadomasochism.
  3. ¹¥ g¨­ng; Used as a ng term to describe the Top on a rtionship. Gong = Seme. The original meaning of the character is: To attack/to use/to study.
  4. ÉíÎ޲ʷïË«·ÉÒí sh¨¥n w¨² c¨£i f¨¨ng shu¨¡ng f¨¥i y¨¬; A line from the poem¡¶ÎÞÌâ¡·(w¨² t¨ª) ¡°Untitled¡±, written by (ÀîÉÌÒþ l¨« sh¨¡ng y¨«n) Li Shangyin [813-858], a poet from the Tang Dynasty [618-907]. The poem writes about the cut of nostalgia, the pain of longing, and the hate of not having the wings of a colorful phoenix, so you can fly over to your lover.
  5. ¿ÉÁ¯º®Ê³ÓëÇåÃ÷ k¨§ li¨¢n h¨¢n sh¨ª y¨´ q¨©ng m¨ªng; A line from the poem¡¶³õÈëÇØ´¨Â··êº®Ê³¡·(ch¨± r¨´ q¨ªn chu¨¡n l¨´ f¨¦ng h¨¢n sh¨ª) ¡°When I first entered Qinchuan Road, I met with the Cold Food¡±, written by (Àî¡»ù l¨« l¨­ng j¨©) Li Longji, personal name of the seventh Tang Emperor, Emperor Xuanzong [685-762], who reigned from 712 to 756. The poem refers to the day before the Qingming Festival, where the food is served cold. The Qingming Festival takes ce between mid andte spring, it originates from ancestral beliefs and rituals of Spring rituals in ancient times. The two main themes of Qingming are: praying to the ancestors, and tomb-sweeping, which have been passed down in China since ancient times.
  6. µ«Ê¹Áú³Ç·É½«ÔÚ d¨¤n sh¨« l¨®ng ch¨¦ng f¨¥i ji¨¡ng z¨¤i; A poem line from the famous poem ¡¶³öÈû¡·(ch¨± s¨¡i) ¡°Out Of The Frontier¡±, written by (Íõ²ýÁä w¨¢ng ch¨¡ng l¨ªng) Wang Changling [698-757] a writer from the Tang Dynasty [618-907]. This is a famous poem about a frontier fortress, it mainly describes the story of the Qin [221-206 BC] and Han [206 BC ¨C 220 AC] Dynasties attacking the Huns, showing the hardships of the expedition outside the fortress and the heroic ambition of guarding the frontier. The Dragon City was also a frontier fortress used in the Tang Dynasty [618-907 AC] to defend against foreign invasions.
Chapter 8: You Can’t Walk Through The Main Door. That person wasn¡¯t sleeping at night, instead, they ran out to y the guqin. Either they have the same illness as himself, or they¡¯re the Male Lead, or Female Lead. Anyways, it didn¡¯t matter who they are, they¡¯re very likely to be an enigmatic character! The sound of the guqin was endless, and as Xiao YuAn looked up at the star-filled sky, he followed the sound of the guqin while deep in thought. The Male Lead, Yan HeQing, doesn¡¯t know how to y the guqin. So this must be the Female Lead, Princess Yongning? Could it be that Yan HeQing, who¡¯s injured and might be unable to fall asleep due to the pain, felt too lonely so he came out for a walk, and identally met Princess Yongning while she was ying the guqin at night? And when their eyes meet each other, they decide to spend the rest of their lives together? No, in the original book, the way these two meet doesn¡¯t happen like this. Xiao YuAn was extremely curious, but when he saw that the Pavilion was close by, he identally stepped on a wooden branch, making a slight noise. The sound of the guqin suddenly stopped, and Xiao YuAn, with an ¡°oops¡± inside his mind, took a few steps over. Just then a man hurriedly came over, inevitably colluding with Xiao YuAn. The man first shouted out a ¡°who¡±, and after seeing Xiao YuAn¡¯s face, he suddenly knelt down: ¡°Your Majesty! Why are you here?¡± Xiao YuAn took a closer look at him, and then he immersed himself deep in thought once again. This person was neither Yan HeQing nor Princess Yongning. However, Xiao YuAn recognized him. He was the reliable Imperial Bodyguard who has been guarding Xiao YuAn earlier today, and he was also the one that spread clean straw for him in the cell. ¡°Were you the one ying the guqin?¡± Xiao YuAn asked. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡± The Imperial Bodyguard panicked: ¡°I also heard the sound of the guqin and came looking for the source, but I couldn¡¯t see any suspicious figure.¡± The Imperial Bodyguard¡¯s voice trembled, his hands were clenched into fists, and his eyes were looking around. Xiao YuAn knew that the Imperial Bodyguard was lying, however, he was toozy to delve deeper into it. Compared to the mysterious sound of a guqin, Xiao YuAn was more curious about what character the Imperial Bodyguard was: ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Judging by the name, he will know if he¡¯s good or bad. After all, Xiao YuAn already knows the plot! ¡°My name? Your Majesty, didn¡¯t you know¡­¡± The Imperial Bodyguard looked confused and suspicious, but he stopped his words in time. He cleared his throat, and said: ¡°Answering to His Majesty, this servant¡¯s surname is Yang, name LiuAn.¡± Xiao YuAn whispered: ¡°Yang LiuAn¡­¡­¡± It was like a round pearl rolled down Xiao YuAn¡¯s throat, until finally, it reached his heart and pressed down hard on it. This sudden reaction made Xiao YuAn shiver. Xiao YuAn could only remember a few of the cannon fodder characters from the original book, however, Yang LiuAn was a special one. Because in the original book the Young Emperor was an homosexual, it wasn¡¯t rare that there were some girls with all kind of dirty fantansies1 about him; therefore, all sorts of ships were flying around the BL-zone. Xiao YuAn never navigated the BL-section, filled with these kinds of fans. However,ter on, a fire rted to Yang LiuAn burned at the bottom of thement section. Because Yang LiuAn died. The Imperial Bodyguard was an upright and resolute man. He was one of the Young Emperor¡¯s few followers that couldn¡¯t be regarded as a viin by the readers. However, when the Young Emperor¡¯s tyranny aroused themon people¡¯s anger, he suffered from an assasination attempt one day he went out of the Imperial Pce to y. Yang LiuAn tried to protect his Ruler, but in the end, he miserably died under the sharp de; his body was cut into pieces. Although Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t know whether the original plot would change because of himself or not, there was no doubt that Yang LiuAn¡¯s loyalty to the Young Emperor was beyond doubt. Xiao YuAn looked at Yang LiuAn with aplicated mood, as he reached out to help him get up: ¡°Don¡¯t kneel.¡± Yang LiuAn thanked his Monarch for his kindness, and as he stood up, he said: ¡°Your Majesty, where were you going? Weichen will apany you.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t going anywhere, it¡¯s too cold already, let¡¯s go back.¡± Xiao YuAn said. Yang LiuAn was about to take off his coat without a second thought. Xiao YuAn quickly stopped him: ¡°It¡¯s just a short walk, I¡¯ll get warm after walking for a while.¡± Yang LiuAn was very hesitant, but he didn¡¯t insist. After a while, they arrived at the back of the Imperial bedchamber. Xiao YuAn suddenly remembered something, he facepalmed and then said to Yang LiuAn: ¡°By the way, tomorrow, could you take me to where the Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom is being treated?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll obey His Majesty¡¯smand.¡± Yang LiuAn cupped his fists2. Xiao YuAn nodded his head and then walked towards the window of the bedchamber. The two Imperial Bodyguards from before were still frozen in ce, guarding. When they saw that Xiao YuAn came back, they were relieved. ¡°Comrades, you worked hard. Go get some rest.¡± Xiao YuAn waved his sleeve and climbed into the window in front of the shocked Imperial Bodyguards. Footnotes
  1. YY = ÍáÍá (w¨¡i w¨¡i), is a pinyin acronym for ÒâÒù (y¨¬ y¨ªn). It has many meanings such as: when someone fantasizes about something / When someone has a sexual fantasy / To have an unrealistic expectation / When someone interprets something in a narcissistic way. Íá w¨¡i on its own means crooked, nted and evil.
  2. ±§È­ b¨¤o qu¨¢n; To cup one¡¯s fist in the other hand, as a sign of respect.
Chapter 9: You Can’t Pretend To Sleep. Chapter 9: You Can¡¯t Pretend To Sleep. The next morning, Hong Xiu came to help Xiao YuAn wash and change clothes; only to find him sitting on the bed, stiff as wood, with tired eyes and heavy ck circles under them. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Hong Xiu was so scared by the shock that she almost dropped the pot of water in her hands. Xiao YuAn suddenly came back to reality: ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What happened, Your Majesty? You couldn¡¯t sleep well?¡± Hong Xiu asked, very worried. It wasn¡¯t just that Xiao YuAn hadn¡¯t slept well, he hadn¡¯t slept at all! There was no way Xiao YuAn could fall asleep without the sound of breathing beside him. Staying up all night was harmful to his body. Xiao YuAn rubbed his temples and got up to let Hong Xiu help him change his clothes. Xiao YuAn was a person that was good at adjusting his mood. Staying up all night made his heart feel flustered, so he decided to find something to distract himself from anxiety. For example, going to look at the Male Lead, and then the Female Lead, to feel what it¡¯s like to bathe in the Protagonist¡¯s halo. Yan HeQing, the Male Lead, was getting his wounds treated by the Imperial Physician. After eating his breakfast, Xiao YuAn happily rushed towards the Imperial Physician. It was just after dawn, so it was still very early in the morning, and in winter, the wind at this hour was extremely cold. Inside the Imperial Physician Hall, a very pleasant medicinal smell was in the air; and in the middle of the Hall under a row of cabs filled with all kinds of medicine, was an old Physician wrapped in a thick robe, he was nodding and dozing. After hearing some noise, the old Imperial Physician raised his head. When he saw it was Xiao YuAn, he knelt down showing respect and shouted ¡°Your Majesty!¡± As soon as the old Physician knelt down, his old arms and legs began to creak, scaring Xiao YuAn so much that he quickly helped him up: ¡°Where¡¯s the man that was sent from the prison yesterday?¡± ¡°Answering to His Majesty, he¡¯s resting in the inner room. He just took an anesthetic, so he must be sleeping right now.¡± The old Physician replied. ¡°Take me to him.¡± The old Physician nced at the group of Imperial Bodyguards and Maidservants following Xiao YuAn, and his face became embarrassed: ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m afraid that the inner room is too small for so many people to go in.¡± Xiao YuAn picked out Hong Xiu and Yang LiuAn: ¡°I¡¯ll take these two with me.¡± The old Physician didn¡¯t dare to neglect anymore, and hurriedly led the three of them towards the inner room. As expected, the inner room was really small, a single bed upied almost the entire room. On the bed, there was a man sleeping on it, and Xiao YuAn, who was really hard to suppress his inner excitement, slowly walked over. That man was the Male Lead himself, Yan HeQing, the one that can take ten girls in one single night. He either already got a new girl, or he was on his way to get her. He¡¯s the kind of man that always gets all the girls he wants, while also conquering the world! The Male! Lead! However, when he looked at his face, Xiao YuAn froze in ce. The man in front of him was no longer the mess he was when he was in prison. His clothes were also changed into a clean set of clothes, his hands were wrapped with white cloth to stop the bleeding, and his whole body looked fresh and clean. But somehow, his face was covered with ck charcoal, so it waspletely impossible for him to see his original appearance. Seeing the puzzled expression on Xiao YuAn¡¯s face, the old Physician hurriedly exined to him: ¡°This thing on his face, it was something that this man said that he would rather die than wipe clean.¡± Xiao YuAn thought of something from the original book, and suddenly realized what this was about. In the original book, the Young Emperor, just like Xiao YuAn did, released Yan HeQing from prison. Because Yan HeQing could guess the real intentions of the Young Emperor, he insisted on covering his face with ck charcoal. One day, when the Young Emperor remembered about Yan HeQing, he got curious and went to see him. However, what he saw was a ghost-like face and became disgusted with him. In the end, he stopped asking for Yan HeQing from that point on. Therefore, Yan HeQing escaped from the possibility of being forced into bing a male concubine. Hong Xiu, as clever as she was, after seeing the depressed expression on Xiao YuAn¡¯s face, asked: ¡°Your Majesty, should I go get a basin of water and wash his face?¡± ¡°No need, it¡¯s fine like this.¡± Xiao YuAn waved his hand. ¡®Anyway, I¡¯m not in a hurry to see his face. I can always see what Yan HeQing¡¯s face looks like on another asion.¡¯ Although the man sleeping on the bed was slightly frowning, his breathing was long, steady and calm. Xiao YuAn was very clear in the fact that perhaps, a year and a halfter, this man who was peacefully sleeping in front of him, would certainly torture him to death. He couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmed withplicated emotions, and after having that thought, a sudden dissatisfaction arose inside his heart. ¡®Why is he able to sleep so soundly! When I couldn¡¯t sleep for the whole night!¡¯ Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t care about this unequal treatment1. He didn¡¯t care about it at all, and yet, he still sighs regretfully, thinking that if there¡¯s no breathing sounds around him¡­ ¡®Wait a minute, breathing sounds?¡¯ Xiao YuAn took a look at the sleeping Yan HeQing,pared the size of the bed, and after nodding his face with satisfaction, he pushed Yan HeQing to the side of the bed, and then heid down. Heid down!!! The other three people present froze in ce for a few seconds. The old Physician was so frightened, that he knelt down to Xiao YuAn: ¡°Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised, have you never seen anyone who¡¯s so sleepy that they drop to the floor to sleep?¡± Xiao YuAn was kind enough to appease the old Physician. The old Physician¡¯s heart was roaring and shouting: ¡®I¡¯ve never seen it! I¡¯ve really never seen it!!¡¯ ¡°Your Majesty, this¡­ this¡­ this?¡± Yang LiuAn was also at a loss for words. Fortunately, the reasonable Hong Xiu was still present. She helped the old Physician to get up and said to Yang LiuAn: ¡°Bodyguard Yang, His Majesty couldn¡¯t sleep wellst night. Right now, he¡¯s feeling very sleepy so he wants to take a nap. You go out first and guard the inner room¡¯s door.¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help butment inside his mind: ¡®This maidservant is really worthy of being the Young Emperor¡¯s favorite! She understands him so well!¡¯ Yang LiuAn looked at Xiao YuAn, saw him nodding his head, and then went out of the inner room to guard the door. Hong Xiu and the old Physician remained behind, and while undressing and fixing the bedding for Xiao YuAn, she advised him: ¡°Your Majesty, this bed is small and cramped. If you really want this person, then why don¡¯t you let someone bring him back to the Imperial bedchamber.¡± Xiao Yuan: ¡°¡­¡± ¡®¡­¡­.. Girl!!! I was wrong about you after all, and I definitely took back what I said about you understanding everything about me! I¡¯m just trying to sleep, please don¡¯t bring up the issue about a male concubine! He¡¯s the Male Lead. I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t have enough flesh left behind after being cut into a human stick.¡¯ Xiao YuAn was really tired, and he was tired because he was sleepy, so he simply didn¡¯t bother exining to her. Heid down on the bed and closed his eyes. Finally falling asleep. Hong Xiu probably didn¡¯t expect for Xiao YuAn to actually fall asleep. After feeling a little bit dumbfounded, she quickly wrapped the quilt around the both of them, and quietly left the room. Chapter 10: You Can’t Be Patient. When Xiao YuAn finally woke up, he realized that it was already afternoon. He sat up andzily stretched himself, rubbing his neck and looking to the side. Yan HeQing¡¯s posture changed from lying on his back to lying on his side, with his hand under the pillow. Although his face was covered with ck charcoal, Xiao YuAn could still faintly see the beauty of his facial features. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help butment: ¡®The Male Lead looks so harmless when he sleeps!¡¯ If it weren¡¯t because Xiao YuAn already knew the plot of the original book, he wouldn¡¯t believe that this person in front of him wouldter on conquer the Northern Kingdom in one fell swoop, washing the Imperial Pce with Royal blood. Like if he was in a nightmare, Yan HeQing¡¯s hands suddenly clenched into fists, his brows deeply frowned, and his lips began to tremble. Xiao YuAn quickly reached out and patted him: ¡°Hey, is everything okay? Where¡¯s your Protagonist¡¯s halo? Where¡¯s your strength?¡± This was serious. Xiao YuAn discovered that Yan HeQing was having a fever, his extremities were boiling hot. ¡°Water¡­¡± Yan HeQing murmured deliriously in a low voice. Xiao YuAn got up in a hurry. After searching through the inner room, he found a porcin pot and a small bowl. Xiao YuAn filled the small porcin bowl with water and then carried it to the bedside. He reached out for Yan HeQing and asked him to lean on himself to feed him the water. After hearing some noise, there was a soft knocking from the door, it was the old Physician: ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s time to change the patient¡¯s bandages and apply new medicine.¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Come in.¡± The door of the inner room was gently pushed open, and when the old Physician saw the scene in front of him, he was so frightened that the medicine in his hands ttered to the ground. Hong Xiu followed close behind and at a first nce, she became extremely anxious, taking a few steps over: ¡°Your Majesty, how can you do this kind ofbor, let this maidservant do it instead.¡± ¡°Everything¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve already done it.¡± Xiao YuAn put down the porcin bowl and helped Yan HeQing to lie back on bed, then he turned around and asked the old Physician: ¡°He has a fever, what should be done?¡± The old Physician was shaking as he knelt to the ground to pick up the fallen medicine. When he heard Xiao YuAn¡¯s questions, he quickly stood up: ¡°Answering His Majesty, he¡¯ll be okay, the fever will soon subside. After that, the patient¡¯s condition will naturally get better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really good.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded his head. ¡°Then I¡¯ll trouble you to take good care of him.¡± The old Physician was terribly trembling with fear, as he nodded his head like a pestle. Having slept for such a long time while also being beside the Male Lead made Xiao YuAn be in a very good mood, so he happily prepared to get back to the Imperial bedchamber. Hong Xiu, who was extremely careful, asked Xiao YuAn in a low voice: ¡°Your Majesty, when this man recovers, should this maidservant arrange him to go to Jing Yang Pce?¡± The Jing Yang Pce was where the Young Emperor¡¯s male concubines lived, and Hong Xiu was in charge of it. Xiao YuAn helplessly touched his forehead: ¡°No, no, no, no.¡± ¡®Girl, please quickly erase those dangerous ideas!¡¯ Hong Xiu froze in ce: ¡°Then, where does His Majesty want him to go?¡± Xiao YuAn pounded his fingertips on his head with annoyance, wondering to himself as to where the Male Lead lived before meeting the Female Lead: ¡°Send him to¡­ to¡­.Oh, right, let him go to the House of Internal Affairs.¡± ¡°House of Internal Affair?!¡± Hong Xiu, who had always known how to control her emotions, couldn¡¯t help but blurt out her thoughts. After all, no matter how you looked at it, the Emperor clearly cared a lot about this man very much. However, instead of taking him as a male concubine, the Emperor decided to make him do chores like a normal ve. This was too strange. ¡°Mn-hmm, yes, the House of Internal Affairs. Eunuch Zhao is the one in charge of it, right?¡± Xiao YuAn asked. ¡°Answering to His Majesty, yes, he is.¡± Hong Xiu recovered herposure and replied. ¡°Perfect, send him to the House of Internal Affairs.¡± Xiao YuAn finished giving orders and then turned to look at Yan HeQing, who was still quietly sleeping. ¡®Yang HeQing, Eunuch Zhao is a great viin, and you may have to suffer for a little bit from now on; but all of this is for the sake of you meeting with Princess Yongning after all, so you will have to bear with it.¡¯ Chapter 11: I’ve Never Seen Someone So Stupid. Chapter 11: I¡¯ve Never Seen Anyone So Stupid. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t expect that there would be a day, after transmigrating here, in which he wouldn¡¯t feel bored without TV, struggle without WiFi, or feel anxious without air conditioning. Instead, he was worried about not being able to sleep! Not! Falling! Asleep! After Xiao YuAnid on the bed for a long time, unable to fall asleep, he simply turned over and climbed up to harass Yang LiuAn, who was on the night shift, standing guard outside the Pce Hall. Imperial Bodyguard Yang was scared to death, but despite that, he still apanied Xiao YuAn to talk about life. Xiao YuAn: ¡°If the sea is full of water, and the horse has four legs, Heaven, why won¡¯t you let me sleep?¡± Yang LiuAn¡¯s mouth was twitching, and his mind was confused, but as the Emperor¡¯s Bodyguard, this was his duty. However, listening attentively to Xiao YuAn¡¯s ramblings could be quite overwhelming for the Imperial Bodyguard. ¡°By the way, LiuAn, do you have a wife and kids?¡± After Xiao YuAn recited Iprehensible words for a while, he asked all of a sudden. ¡°Answering to His Majesty, no, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°How about your parents?¡± Yang LiuAn hesitated for a while, but in the end, he answered honestly: ¡°Weichen1 was born from a maidservant, and I don¡¯t know who my father is. Weichen grew up in the Pce and received the favor of thete Emperor, for which I was given the position of Imperial Bodyguard. Now Weichen serves His Majesty, and I¡¯m willing to wholeheartedly devote myself for His Majesty until I die.¡± Inexplicably remembering the fact that Yang LiuAn¡¯s body was pierced to death in the original book, Xiao YuAn frowned, feeling uneasy, and changed the topic. After chatting blindly for a while, Xiao YuAn remembered that the Young Emperor had the attribute of being a cut sleeve. Xiao YuAn was then afraid that if he kept talking privately with Yang LiuAn like this, Yang LiuAn¡¯s innocence couldn¡¯t be protected from gossip. In the end, Xiao YuAn went back to bed, stayed upte andid stiff as a corpse. After staying like that for a while, he saw the candlelight flickering outside the Pce Hall. It was Hong Xiu: ¡°Your Majesty, are you asleep?¡± ¡°Hmm? I¡¯m not sleeping, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiao YuAn wondered. Hong Xiu held antern in one hand and a porcin bowl in the other: ¡°This maidservant heard from Imperial Bodyguard Yang that His Majesty couldn¡¯t sleep at night, so I boiled a calming soup to calm His Majesty¡¯s mind.¡± Xiao YuAn felt warm in his heart: ¡®In this story, where all the considerate girls will be collected by the Male Lead, you¡¯re definitely a stream of fresh air Hong Xiu!¡¯ ¡®Besides, Hong Xiu already knows the Young Emperor only likes men, so her behaviour couldn¡¯t be mistaken with the intention of searching for some kind of intimacy! Hong Xiu understands ¡°his¡± temperament the best, so¡­.¡¯ All of a sudden, Xiao YuAn came up with an idea and asked Hong Xiu: ¡°It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t drink the soup. But, Hong Xiu, could you stay with me at the bedside? Just wait for me to fall asleep.¡± Hong Xiu was stunned: ¡°Does His Majesty feel that the long night is boring? Your Majesty, should this maidservant call a male concubine to apany you?¡± ¡®Stop calling those little devils toe here. I really can¡¯t walk the road of the Tyrannical President! As soon as they arrive, they¡¯ll stick to my body as if I was a delicious meal! I can¡¯t shake them off!¡¯ Xiao YuAn had no choice, but to say: ¡°No need. I recently have decided to advocate by the principle of Heaven and destroy all human desire2.¡± ¡°D-destroy all human desire?¡± Hong Xiu was so shocked that she almost bit her tongue off. ¡°Your Majesty, why do you want to be modest all of a sudden?!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± As soon as she said those words, Hong Xiu felt that what she said was inappropriate. In fright, she fell to her knees: ¡°This humble maidservant was imprudent. I beg His Majesty to punish this lowly ve.¡± Xiao YuAn, who felt like he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep from now on, wanted to cry without tears: ¡°It¡¯s alright, just get up and don¡¯t kneel anymore.¡± Hong Xiu sighed in relief. Since the verbalmunication had failed, Xiao YuAn was about to give up. But all of a sudden, Hong Xiu stopped talking nonsense, took the initiative to blow out the candlelight, and then stood beside the Imperial couch. Xiao YuAn was moved to tears. As he turned over, he went to meet the Good of Dreams3 in peace. ¡­ Now that his top priority-sleeping at night-was resolved, Xiao YuAn thought that he could finally rx for a couple of days. But the main plot of the original book had to p him hard on the face. The General of Beiping came toin!!! Xiao YuAn chewed the sweet-scented osmanthus cake and nkly asked Yang LiuAn, who came to report the news: ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Your Majesty! It¡¯s General Sun!¡± Yang LiuAn felt like crying. Xiao YuAn choked on a mouthful of the osmanthus cake and coughed for a long time. Yang LiuAn quickly brought some water for him: ¡°Your Majesty, are you alright? Don¡¯t worry, eat slowly.¡± ¡®Eat slowly my ass!¡¯ Xiao YuAn drank the water in a hurry. When he was done, he gave Yang LiuAn the porcin cup back, as well as the te of osmanthus cakes: ¡°You can have all of them. Where¡¯s General Sun?¡± Yang LiuAn, seeing his arms inexplicably filled with stuff, replied: ¡°The General is waiting for His Majesty in the main hall.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t dare to neglect the General, so he got up and rushed towards the main hall, with an uneasy expression on his face. ¡®Unexpectedly, this is the original plot!¡¯ Old General Sun was a very important character. He was over 60 years old, and by following three generations of Northern Monarchs, he conquered the world, obtaining outstanding war achievements. Due to this, he was respected by thousands of people. After following thete Emperor¡¯s crusade against the Southern Yan Kingdom, he was appointed as the Great General4 of Beiping, holding half of the Military Power of the Northern Kingdom. Listen, it¡¯s! The! Great! General! Of! Beiping! So cool! So powerful! Besides this, the Monarch and his Ministers were always inws. This old General was also the maternal grandfather of the Female Lead, Princess Yongning! However, in the original book, this old General was almost beheaded by the Young Emperor! He was almost killed by that fool! Killed!!! Since ancient times, the most loyal way for a Minister to die was probably by remonstrating, or fighting a war. This old General, who had been fighting for more than 40 years on the battlefield, wasn¡¯t able to die for his Country in war, but he nearly died by quarreling with the Emperor. The plot of the original book went like this: The old General came over and scolded the Young Emperor, ¡®Why are you so foolish? The treasury has been wasted by you, yet you still have the time to sing and dance everyday? To eat, drink and have fun? You¡¯re going to destroy the Country! How did you be so ipetent, young brat? I¡¯ll have to take care of you in regards to your father, thete Emperor!¡¯ Even though the old General scolded him like this, the Young Emperor had to put up with it because of his status. However, this old General had a bad temper, and he ended up scolding the Young Emperor for, at least, half an hour. The Young Emperor was so angry at this, that he sent the General to prison! The highly respected old General Sun was put on death row!!! At that moment, the Imperial Court was in chaos, and there was turbulence for a while. In the end, the Young Emperor wasn¡¯t that stupid, and when he calmed down, he realized he was wrong. After letting the old General go, he put the matter behind, but kept throwing the same banquets everyday, living his promiscuous and absurd life like usual. The old General was really angry as he said: ¡°Ah, fuck it! Do whatever you want, I don¡¯t care anymore!¡± Then, he walked away, resigned from his post, and went back to his hometown in the countryside to farm and feed fish. Just like that, the Northern Kingdom lost an old General who not only possessed the ability to stabilize the army, but also had extremely high skills in military arts. When Xiao YuAn read this part for the first time, he couldn¡¯t help but feel: ¡®After this, it wouldn¡¯t make any sense if this country wasn¡¯t fucking destroyed!!!¡¯ Chapter 12: I’ve Never Seen A Man So Obedient. When Xiao YuAn arrived at the main hall, the old General was there dressed in armor and a blood-stained robe. At first nce, he seemed toe with a decisive decision. Seeing Xiao YuAn, the old General with silver hair knelt down, lifted his cape and held his fist in one knee. ¡°Your Majesty!¡±, he shouted. How could Xiao YuAn withstand such worship? He knelt in front of the old General with a plop: ¡°Right!!! General, you¡¯re right! I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± Old General: ¡°¡­Your Majesty, I haven¡¯t said anything¡­ ¡° Huh? Haven¡¯t said anything yet? I cried out with tears just now,I thought I was starting to persuade him after theint began. Xiao YuAn knelt down and reached out to help the old General: ¡°Speak, speak.¡± The old General didn¡¯t get up and bowed again: ¡°Your Majesty! Thete Emperor fought for several years in exchange for this Land¡¯s peace, you should beg for your ancestors mercy.¡± Xiao YuAn hurriedly said, ¡°Yes! You¡¯re right! I¡¯m going to beg for their forgiveness!.¡± The old General bowed again: ¡°Now the treasury is nearing empty, but you¡¯re still holding banquets feasts every day, indulge in eating, drinking, and ying. You don¡¯t even ask about the state¡¯s affairs. This is a clear sign of the destruction of the country!¡± Xiao YuAn once again paid his respects: ¡°Yes! You¡¯re right! Old General, you¡¯re absolutely right! I¡¯ll change! I¡¯ll change everything¡± Old General: ¡°¡­? What happened? Why is his Majesty so obedient! Am I too old to be this confused?! Xiao YuAn picked up the old General with a silly face and sat down with him: ¡°General Sun, don¡¯t kneel, sit here, I¡¯ll stand and listen to your scolding.¡± Old General: ¡°???¡± Despite being caught off guard by Xiao YuAn¡¯s attitude, the old General calmed down and started to scold him. Even if he really scolded him for half an hour, Xiao YuAn responded with just three sentences: You¡¯re right! What you said makes sense! I¡¯ll listen to you! Although these three sentences seemed extremely perfunctory, Xiao YuAn¡¯s attitude was very meticulous. Not only did he ept the advice of the old General of withdrawing all the banquets, but also started to deal with the government affairs every day. The old General was moved to tears: thete Emperor appeared! Xiao YuAn: Pull it down! Don¡¯t show me that spirit! Wasn¡¯t the adultery that the young Monarch inherited from thete Emperor! With Xiao YuAn acting like this, the old General naturally didn¡¯t want to leave. After a period of turmoil, Xiao YuAn would no longer waste his time anymore, and the national treasure will gradually turn from loss to full. But not everyone was happy. With Xiao YuAn being in power all day long, there were some people with a gloomy aura inside the pce. That was in the Jing Yang Pce, where the young Monarch¡¯s male lovers lived. Although the young Monarch couldn¡¯t help but to like men, he never had a concubine; even if his male lovers were his concubines, they were inferior in status and couldn¡¯t bepared with female concubines. If the young Monarch ignored them and didn¡¯t give them rewards and love, their status would be the same as the lowest ve. In Jing Yang Pce, people mourned and sighed everywhere, but there was also themon people. Although it was the beginning of winter, the Northern Kingdom froze for thousands and thousands of miles, and the snow could be seen everywhere. The cold inevitably spreaded through every corner of the imperial Pce. Xiao Fengyue got up early, he wrapped himself with a thick coat and outer robe, then he swept the snow outside the door of his room. Although Xiao Fengyue was born in the Southern Yan Kingdom, since childhood he had never witnessed such a snowy scene. However, the fascination had already disappeared, reced by the fear of cold. Xiao Fengyue was originally a Qin yer1 in the Southern Yan Kingdom. After the fall of the state, he was captured by the Northern Kingdom, and because of his good temperament and handsome appearance, he was selected by Hong Xiu and appointed in the Jing Yang Pce. Fortunately, the young Monarch likes the soft and flirtatious ones, so he never showed interest in him. Xiao Fengyue¡¯s life in Jing Yang Pce could be described as monotonous. Xiao Fengyue swept away the snow in front of the door, and while entering his room with red hands, he felt someone suddenly covered his eyes behind him. Xiao Fengyue smiled and reached out to touch the hand that was covering his eyes: ¡°LiuAn.¡± ¡°Ah, you recognized me again.¡± Yang LiuAn withdrew his hand and scratched his head embarrassedly. ¡°Come in, don¡¯t let anyone see you.¡± Xiao Fengyue quickly pulled Yang LiuAn inside the room, closing the door behind him. ¡°Your hands are so cold.¡± Yang LiuAn held Xiao Fengyue¡¯s cold red hands and rubbed them until they got warm. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Xiao Fengyue looked down, but in his tone he couldn¡¯t hide his smile. ¡°Anyway, his Majesty gave me some osmanthus cake a while ago. I bought them for you to have a taste.¡± Yang LiuAn drew out an oil paper bag from his arms, carefully opened it and picking up a small piece, he fed it to Xiao Fengyue¡¯s mouth: ¡°Is it delicious?¡± Xiao Fengyue nodded and smiled gently: ¡°It¡¯s delicious, by the way, I yed the Guqin in the pavilion for you before, but I was heard¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it was his Majesty.¡± Seeing Xiao Fengyue¡¯s face turning white, Yang LiuAn quickly waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t panic, his Majesty hasn¡¯t inquired about it.¡± Xiao Fengyue whispered with fear: ¡°That¡¯s good. But, how can youe here while you¡¯re on duty?¡± ¡°I can apany you all day, because his Majesty doesn¡¯t want the imperial guards and maidservants following him today.¡± Yang LiuAn replied. Xiao Fengyue was puzzled: ¡°Huh? Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°His Majesty said it to me, but I couldn¡¯t understand it.¡± Yang LiuAn sighed. The Emperor has be more and more amiable recently, but his words became stranger day by day. ¡°Why? What did his Majesty say?¡± ¡°He said he was going to peek at the meeting between the male lead and the goddess.¡± Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ÇÙʦ q¨ªn sh¨©; yer of a stringed instrument.
Chapter 13: I’ve Never Seen Such A Sad And Miserable Man. Xiao YuAn was hiding behind the bushes in the Imperial garden. In winter, the wind was icy cold and the bushes were covered in thick snow. Although it was very cold outside, Xiao YuAn was actually quite excited. Because half a month after the old General¡¯s remonstration, Yan HeQing and Princess Yongning, in the original book, meet each other for the first time at the Jinfeng Yulu Pavilion, now in front of Xiao YuAn! Fiction bes reality, and Xiao YuAn was looking forward to it rubbing his hands in anticipation! But it was now the evening, and the male lead Yan HeQing hadn¡¯t appeared yet. The snow was constantly falling from the sky, and Xiao YuAn was so cold that he wasn¡¯t able to speak, but he was reluctant to leave. He could only wrap his clothes tightly and keep breathing. After a while, he heard the sound of footsteps. Xiao YuAn lowered his body, and quietly looked to where the sound came from. Yan HeQing was still covered with ck charcoal, which made Xiao YuAn disappointed. After the disappointment, Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart was filled with surprise. Obviously, it was the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the days when water still dripped from ice, but Yan HeQing was wearing thin linen clothes, and he didn¡¯t even have a windbreak robe. Yan HeQing¡¯s hands were also frozen and cracked because of the cold, some blood had solidified and dried up. Withplicated eyes, he took the broom to sweep the snow. Xiao YuAn estimated that this job was assigned to him by Eunuch Zhao. Yan HeQing went to the Jinfeng Yulu Pavilion, but didn¡¯t immediately start to sweep the snow. Instead, he showed pain in his face, and covering his abdomen with one hand, he pressed it hard. Then he grabbed the snow from the floor and stuffed it right into his mouth. Oh my God, this is horrible ??? Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart was filled with sadness, how could an stallion protagonist be disgraced to this degree! He¡¯s so starved to point of eating snow! Forget it, he will soon meet Princess Yongning, and someone will be punished because of this. Xiao YuAn sighed and continued to observe quietly. However, although Yan HeQing was embarrassed to look like this, when he picked up the broom, his posture was very tall and straight, his temperament was extraordinary, and he had an imposing aura. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but shout in his heart: Look! The male lead makes a broom look like a sword! If you really dare to bully Yan HeQing, you clearly can¡¯t see his Emperor¡¯s spirit and protagonist halo!!! While bullying him, did you not feel the cold running through your spine, did your neck not hurt?!! However, these people obviously didn¡¯t, because just after Xiao YuAn finished shouting in his heart, a ve came from nowhere and kicked Yan HeQing¡¯s knee. Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡± A cannon fodder viin! Do you know what you¡¯re doing! You¡¯re kicking the male lead! This is the peak of your life! You must remember it well!!! Yan HeQing was caught off guard, he stumbled but he steadied himself in time, he didn¡¯t kneel down. Unexpectedly, the ve mended his foot and scolded him viciously: ¡°Oh, you have the courage? Won¡¯t you even kneel?¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s knees fell to the snow, but his back was straight. ¡°You see, look.¡± The servant pointed at the snow around them with a strange voice. ¡°Didn¡¯t Eunuch Zhao ask you to sweep the snow before Youshi1 hour?¡± Yan HeQing was neither humble nor overactive: ¡°Xushi2.¡± The servant pped Yan HeQing and scolded him: ¡°You don¡¯t work hard, and yet you¡¯re quick to talk back?¡± Hiding behind the bushes, Xiao YuAn felt that he was a great man and couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, he began to feel sorry for Yan HeQing. After all, the original work was just a textural description, but now it was real in his eyes, his feelings were totally different. The ve scolded him for a while, and then said a sentence to punish him by having him kneel there for the whole night. If he dared to run, tomorrow he will break his leg! Then, the ve snorted and turned away. This cannon fodder viin style was too ssic, which made Xiao YuAn can¡¯t help but apud with conviction. But let the male lead kneel for an entire night? Cannon fodder, aren¡¯t you afraid of bing a joke, in half an hour, Princess Yongning wille to grace us with her presence! To! Save! The! Protagonist! Xiao YuAn secretlyforted Yan HeQing in his heart. Yan HeQing, it doesn¡¯t matter how impatient you are, your true goddess, your white rose, your moonlight will soone to save you! Then half an hourter. Princess Yongning, wasn¡¯t here. In another half an hour. Princess Yongning still hasn¡¯te. Half an hourter. Princess Yongning still didn¡¯te. As the night got darker, the wind and snow mixed. Yan HeQing knelt in front of the Jinfeng Yulu Pavilion, his hands were tightly clenched into fists, his lips turned white and his whole body was trembling. After waiting for another half an hour, Xiao YuAn began to roar inside his heart: Princess Yongning! Are you waiting for your hair to turn white?! Where are you?! What¡¯re you doing?! If you don¡¯te, your husband will freeze to death. Don¡¯t you know?! The temperature suddenly dropped, Xiao YuAn felt that he couldn¡¯t bear the cold anymore even if he was wrapped in a fur coat, not to mention Yan HeQing who was starving and was dressed in thin clothes. If he went on like this, he would definitely freeze to death. But Princess Yongning didn¡¯t even appear. There must be something wrong. Xiao YuAn started to think fast: it was after half a month from the remonstration, General Sun¡¯s appearance was not wrong, nor was Jinfeng Yulu Pavilion. Even the story of Yan HeQing¡¯s being bullied was not different from the original. But why did the key figure, Princess Yongning, not show up! In the original book, Princess Yongning sent General Sun back to his hometown. When she passed by the pce, she ran into Yan HeQing being punished. She couldn¡¯t bear such a thing. Wait. What the fuck? Wait!!! In the original book, Princess Yongning was sent to beg for the old General¡¯s life, so she passed by this ce. But now, because of Xiao YuAn¡¯s modest attitude, the old General didn¡¯t n to go back to the countryside to farm! Therefore, Princess Yongning naturally didn¡¯t need to send back her grandfather. How could she pass by this ce? How could shee to save Yan HeQing?! What the fuck! Xiao YuAn was trying to understand what happened, while taking off his robe, he ran towards Yan HeQing. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ÓÏʱ y¨¯u sh¨ª; The period of the day from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  2. Ðçʱ x¨± sh¨ª; The period of the day from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Chapter 14: I’ve Never Seen Such A Shocking Thing. Xiao YuAn rushed to Yan HeQing and wrapped his body tightly with his robe: ¡°Are you alright? Are you okay?¡± Yan HeQing struggled with hisst strength, looked up at Xiao YuAn, and then fell facedown to the ground. Xiao YuAn threw him into his back and nearly fell to the snow. He stabilized his body and hugged Yan HeQing, who was already frozen: ¡°Don¡¯t sleep! Brother, wake up and hold on for a while. Your harem of beauties are waiting for you.¡± As Yan HeQing wouldn¡¯t wake up even after being called a few times, Xiao YuAn was also feeling a little anxious. In a panicked strike he took off his coat, wrapped Yan HeQing tightly, and ran towards Taiyi1 Pce. The old imperial physician that stayed on the night watch in the Taiyi pce, who in over half a year had never encountered a major event, was almost scared to death by Xiao YuAn. He whispered: ¡°Your Majesty!!! What¡¯re you doing??¡± Why are you alone!! Why are you wearing so little on such a cold day! Who¡¯s the one you¡¯re carrying?! How can you carry someone with your own body!! The imperial physician had too many questions, he didn¡¯t know where to start in asking them!! Xiao YuAn yelled in his heart: The fuck you¡¯re asking2!! You should just save people!! ¡°Inn-inner room.¡± The imperial physician was so frightened that he could barely speak. Xiao YuAn carried Yan HeQing inside the inner room. He picked up his clothes which had be wet by the snow, and put him inside the quilt of the bed, then, he rubbed his hands to get them warmer and covered Yan HeQing¡¯s chest. The imperial physician quickly boiled a bucket of water before putting Yan HeQing inside. When they saw that Yan HeQing¡¯s breathing and body temperature was gradually returning to normal, Xiao YuAn could finally breathe relieved. The imperial physician asked anxiously: ¡°Your Majesty, how are you feeling?¡± Xiao YuAn felt a cold sweat and panted slightly: ¡°Me? What¡¯s the matter?¡± The imperial physician: ¡°But your Majesty, your face is flushed and you¡¯re breathless. How about you let me exam-¡­¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t hear what the imperial physician was saying to him before he suddenly fainted. When he woke up again, he was in the Imperial bedchamber. There were a lot of people kneeling down, including the Imperial physician, the maid servants and ves. When they saw that Xiao YuAn was awake, they all shouted: ¡°His Majesty is awake! He woke up!¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s head was buzzing, there was too much noise, so he simply covered himself with the quilt. Noticing this, Hong Xiu started to dismiss the crowd. ¡°Wait, is the imperial physician still here?¡± Xiao YuAn took a ck and asked while lifting the quilt in a single move. ¡°Yes, yes I am.¡± The imperial physician was a ¡®yes-man¡¯. ¡°How is Yan HeQing?¡± Xiao Yu¡¯an asked. ¡°Answering to his Majesty, he¡¯s no longer in danger.¡± The imperial physician replied. He¡¯s worthy of being the male lead. He wrapped himself with threeyers of clothes inside and threeyers outside, but still he managed to get a fever. Yan HeQing froze for such a long time, but nothing happened to him. Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Take good care of him.¡± After the imperial physician finished his duty, he withdrew from the Imperial bedchamber. Hong Xiu covered her mouth and chuckled: ¡°I have never seen his Majesty caring so much about someone.¡± If I don¡¯t care about him, he will eviscerate me alive! Unexpectedly, what I did changed the original plot entirely. What should I do next? Xiao YuAnughed bitterly and propped up from the bed with one hand, trying to sit up. Hong Xiu quickly stepped forward and gently supported Xiao YuAn: ¡°Does his Majesty want to drink some water?¡± Seeing that Xiao YuAn nodded, Hong Xiu quickly brought the clear water to feed Xiao YuAn. At the same time, Yang LiuAn came to report: ¡°Your Majesty, Princess Yongning is here.¡± Xiao YuAn choked wIth a mouthful of saliva and gulped down in the air: ¡°Who? Who¡¯re you talking about? Yong- Princess Yongning?¡± Yang LiuAn hadn¡¯t answered yet when a voice that sounded like jade beads falling came from the door of the bedroom: ¡°Imperial Brother.¡± Xiao YuAn looked up. In the original book, a poem was quoted to describe Princess Yongning: There¡¯s a beauty in the Northern Kingdom, whose appearance is unparalleled in the world. Her refined nature is superior to that ofmon people. If she looks at the soldiers who guard the city, she can make the city wall fall; if she looks at the Monarch, the country will be defeated3. And now, Xiao YuAn¡¯s head is full of that sentence: independent from the rest of the world. So this is the beautiful face of the legendary female lead?! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeh! The danger is huge!!! Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. Ì«Ò½ t¨¤i y¨©; Imperial physician/Doctor.
  2. Óè°²±íʾÎʸöP°¡£¡The P here stands for ƨ, which means ¡®fart¡¯ or in this case a vulgar way of saying ¡°Nonsense/Rubbish¡±¡¯.
  3. ±±·½ÓмÑÈË£¬Ò»¹ËÇãÈ˳ÇÔÙ¹ËÇãÈ˹úµÄÄÇÊ× b¨§if¨¡ng y¨¯u ji¨¡r¨¦n, y¨© g¨´ k¨¥ng r¨¦n ch¨¦ng z¨¤i g¨´ k¨¥ng r¨¦n gu¨® d¨¬ n¨¤ sh¨¯u; from ¡¶ººÊ顤ÍâÆÝ´«¡·(h¨¤n sh¨±¡¤w¨¤iq¨© chu¨¢n), ¡°History of the Former Han Dynasty ¨C a Biography of Waiqi¡±. Written by (°à¹Ì b¨¡n g¨´) Ban Gu [32-92 AC], a historian from the Eastern Han Dynasty [25-220 AC].
Chapter 15: I’ve Never Seen Such A Frank Person. Princess Yongning was dressed in pure silver and gold Phoenix robes. She wore bracelets made of silver bells on her lotus-like wrists and her long silk-like hair was tied up by a white jade hairpin. When she saw Xiao YuAn was sitting on the bed powerless, Princess Yongning rushed forward with her deer-like eyes full of worries: ¡°Imperial Brother1, why are you suddenly ill?¡± Because you never went to save your husband! So he spent the whole day and night getting himself frozen! Xiao YuAn knew that this matter couldn¡¯t be med on Princess Yongning, and he can only me himself. While thinking about the possibility of binding Yan HeQing and throwing him directly at Princess Yongning¡¯s arms, he waved his hand and said: ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, if you¡¯re not careful enough¡­Cough.¡± Princess Yongning reached out and patted Xiao YuAn¡¯s back: ¡°The weather is getting colder by the day, you should pay more attention to your body. I made some soup for you, here try it.¡± With that said, Princess Yongning took the food box from the hands of a maid behind her. Hong Xiu seeing this, respectfully approached her: ¡°Princess, let this handmaid do it for you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Princess Yongning handed the food box to Hong Xiu. Hong Xiu opened the lid of the food box and went to take the soup bowl with her bare hands. Princess Yongning saw this and shouted in panic: ¡°Be careful, it was just taken off the fire, it¡¯s hot!¡± Obviously, this warning was toote. Hong Xiu expresed a soft ¡®ah¡¯ sound and the bowl slipped from her hands hitting the ground, the porcin broke and the soup sshed all over Princess Yongning. Suddenly, there was a whole second of silence inside the bedroom. Hong Xiu suddenly knelt down to the ground, kowtowing with an ashamed expression: ¡°This servant is too stupid! I ask for the Princess to punish me! It was this servant¡¯s fault!¡± Xiao YuAn was just about to call for Hong Xiu when Princess Yongning took the first step, leaning over and helping Hong Xiu to rise with a smile: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, it doesn¡¯t matter. I didn¡¯t tell you beforehand that the soup was boiling hot, so it was my fault. His Majesty won¡¯t me you, right, Imperial Brother?¡± Oh, my God! Mistress, you¡¯re glowing! Is this the pure light of greatpassion from the Goddess of Mercy, hallelujah! ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t me you¡± Xiao YAn nodded. Unexpectedly, the Emperor who had always doted on the Princess didn¡¯t get angry, yet Hong Xiu was still full of fear. ¡°Imperial Brother, I¡¯ll go to cook another pot for you.¡± Princess Yongning stood up with a smile. Hong Xiu said with a flustered tone: ¡°But princess, your clothes¡­¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Princess Yongning nced down at the dress stained with soup. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯ll change into my Imperial Brother¡¯s clothes.¡± Speaking of which, Princess Yongning found the clothes in the young Monarch¡¯s Imperial bedchamber and walked into the inner room to change her clothes. When she reappeared, Princess Yongning was dressed in neat men¡¯s clothing. She carefully tied up a wide area, looking 100% handsome. ¡°Then I¡¯m going to the Imperial Kitchen, take a good rest Imperial Brother¡± Princess Yongning mischievously gave Xiao YuAn a courtier¡¯s gift. Looking at the figure of Princess Yongning leaving, Xiao YuAn felt very sad. There¡¯s a big reason why ¡°The History of the Four Kingdoms¡± was so popr, and that was because the image of the female lead in the first half of the story was extremely sessful. As the female lead, Princess Yongning doesn¡¯t hold back: she¡¯s not stupid nor does she cry or haw, she¡¯s not delicate and weak, and she doesn¡¯t flirt with any man. Because the image of Princess Yongning doesn¡¯t have the spirit of a white lotus2, and also she gives a kind of frank and lovely feeling to people, she has be the favorite of many geek male readers. That¡¯s why no one expected the story to develop into a stallion novel! So when the author wrote the death of Princess Yongning, everyone was dumbfounded! It! Was! Madness! Just when everyone thought that this was part of the author¡¯s plot and Princess Yongning was pretending to be dead. The author gave a determined sentence: She¡¯s really dead, cold. Thement section immediately fired! Howling and crying in distress! It was full of hatementsining about this evil mother. While Xiao YuAn was still sobbing, Princess Yongning had already cooked the soup again and went back to the Imperial Pce: ¡°Imperial Brother, please try it.¡± Because the soup was warm, Xiao Yu¡¯an felt the cold gradually dissipating. ¡°Is it delicious?¡± Princess Yongning curved her eyes. ¡°Very delicious.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded and thought: How can I let the two protagonists meet again and make a spark!!! Xiao YuAn was thinking about Yan HeQing, and at the same time, there was someone else that was thinking about Yan HeQing. That was Eunuch Zhao of the House of Internal Affairs. ¡°You¡¯re telling me thatst night His Majesty took Yan HeQing, the prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom, away from the snow?¡± Eunuch Zhao was sitting on a chair, with his index finger pointing at someone. The ve who bullied Yan HeQingst time knelt at his feet, only to promise him: ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Eunuch Zhao thought for a while, his eyes were sinister and his tone was not good: ¡°Where¡¯s Yan HeQing now?¡± ¡°Answering to Eunuch Zhao, he¡¯s still at the Taiyi Pavilion.¡± ¡°Well, in a few days, when Yan HeQing returns to the House of Internal Affairs, you will find some people and show him a lesson in my regards.¡± Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. »ÊÉϸç¸ç hu¨¢ng shang g¨¥ ge; lit tranted as: the Emperor/Your majesty The Emperor/His Imperial Majesty Older Brother.
  2. °×Á«»¨ b¨¢i li¨¢n hu¨¡; White lotus/Inte ng that refers to someone, usually a woman, who pretends to be sweet and innocent while is often engaged in maniption and scheming.
Chapter 16: There’s Always Villains Seeking To Harm The Male Lead The sky was cold and grey. It was early winter, and the weather was bing colder day by day. In the early morning light, the sound of a rooster screaming three times could be heard, most of the servants and maids in the pce haven¡¯t yet woken up. Meanwhile, Yan HeQing had picked up the broom and was ready to start his work of sweeping the snow at the courtyard. In the yard, the thick snow covered the tree branches and railings. At a first nce, there was a vast expanse of white mixing up with the sky; except for a red plum in the corner of the courtyard, which was very bright and eye-catching. Seeing no one around, Yan HeQing took the broom as a sword and danced a beautiful sword formation technique. Yan HeQing calmed his emotions and swept the floor diligently. After half an hour, the snow in the courtyard had been swept away. Just when he was about to return to his room, a snowfall suddenly hit him on the head. Inside the snowfall was a hidden stone. The pain exploded on Yan HeQing¡¯s forehead, and when he reached out to touch it, sure enough, he saw blood on his fingers. ¡°Hahaha.¡± Two lowly ves pointed at Yan HeQing and startedughing. ¡°Hello, surnamed Yan, I heard that His Majesty saved you not long ago, so why don¡¯t you go to Jing Yang Pce?¡± The little fatty said whileughing, with extreme mockery. ¡°You see how he looks with a charcoal face all day long, can His Majesty even look at him?¡± Another sneered. Yan HeQing¡¯s face was extremely cold, he didn¡¯t say a word and turned away, intending to enter inside his room. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go..¡± The fatty ve quickly stopped him. ¡°We just want to talk to you..¡± Yan HeQing bowed his head and wanted to bypass him. Another ve reached out and grabbed Yan HeQing¡¯s back cor pulling him back: ¡°Oh, embarrassed, right? Have you seen His Majesty¡¯s temper? You can¡¯t even talk about it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The fat servant wasn¡¯t happy with this and brutally pushed Yan HeQing. However, even if he was insulted like this, Yan HeQing wasn¡¯t angry at all and endured everything silently. In a darker hidden ce, Eunuch Zhao, who was seeing everything, frowned. ¡°Eunuch Zhao, I think this man is such a coward, he won¡¯t even avoid suffering.¡± Steward1 Feng, the one that made Yan HeQing kneel on that snowy night, whispered to Eunuch Zhao. ¡°Humph, fool.¡± Eunuch Zhao nced coldly at him. Steward Feng was being a tterer. Trying to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice used to lure it2, he didn¡¯t want to be like that. He immediately blushed and tightened his neck. Eunuch Zhao held his hands behind his back: ¡°The ones that can tolerate pain are the most terrifying. Take a good look at his eyes.¡± Steward Feng quickly extended his neck and looked over. Because Yan HeQing kept his head down, it was difficult to see his eyes; but asionally when he did looked up, his eyes were full of perseverance and fearlessness: like the sharp de of a sword, like the burning fire, like the running rivers and the sea, more like the peak of the mountains that hadn¡¯t break for hundreds of millions of years. At one nce, though, one couldn¡¯t help but shiver with fear. ¡°This¡­¡± Steward Feng was stunned. ¡°You understand now? This man is a caged beast. If one day he¡¯s able to escape from this prison, he will tear and crush anyone that had hurted him into pieces. He will swallow it down, no residue will be left!¡± Eunuch Zhao¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, his tone dangerous, ¡°This person¡­must never stay.¡± ¡°Eunuch Zhao, what¡¯re you suggesting?¡± Steward Feng made a decapitating gesture. Eunuch Zhao shook his head: ¡°Although the Inner Court doesn¡¯tck servants, His Majesty won¡¯t pursue anything, and after all, he¡¯s the prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom. Nheless, he was saved by His Majesty several days ago, so we can¡¯t touch him. The best way to deal with a beast is not to kill them..¡± Steward Feng bowed respectfully: ¡°Eunuch Zhao, please enlighten me.¡± Eunuch Zhao said slowly: ¡°For such a wolf-like man, only by grinding off his ws, pulling out his fangs, breaking off his spine, make him be a servile servant bit by bit, make him kneel on the ground for his entire life, so that he could no longer stand, only like this we will be able to rest assured. Steward Feng, do you understand?¡± ¡°This servant understands.¡± Steward Feng leaned down again. ¡°Go ahead if you understand.¡± Eunuch Zhao waved his sleeve and turned away. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ¹ÜÊ gu¨£n sh¨¬; Steward: One of the crew¡¯s titles. It¡¯s in charge of managing affairs, conducting and preside over them / A person employed to manage housework or chores. Higher status than ordinary servants.
  2. ͵¼¦²»³ÉÊ´°ÑÃ× t¨­u j¨© b¨´ ch¨¦ng sh¨ª b¨£ m¨«; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means that by trying to gain an advantage you will only ending up worse. From ¡¶ËµÔÀÈ«´«¡·µÚ25»Ø (¡°shu¨­ yu¨¨ qu¨¢n chu¨¢n¡± d¨¬ 25 hu¨ª), ¡°The Story of Yue Fei¡±, chapter 25. Written by (Ç®²Ê qi¨¢n c¨£i) Qian Cai, a novelist with an unknown birth and death date from the Qing Dynasty [1644-1911].
Chapter 17: There’s Always A Cannon Fodder Asking For Death. Chapter 17: There¡¯s Always A Cannon Fodder Asking For Death. In there, the fat and thin servants were debating whether they were done with the instructions given by Eunuch Zhao and if they should let Yan HeQing go. In the end, as soon as they looked up, they saw Eunuch Zhao¡¯sckey, Steward Feng, walking over. ¡°Steward Feng!¡± The two servants hurriedly nodded and bowed to him, showing their respect. ¡°Hmm.¡± Steward Feng waved his hand arrogantly as he looked at Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing lowered his head without saying a word. Steward Feng wasn¡¯t annoyed with this, he simply raised his foot and kicked Yan HeQing as hard as he could: ¡°Kneel.¡± Yan HeQing stumbled over, hitting his knees heavily against the ground. ¡°What? Weren¡¯t you happy to talk backst time? Why aren¡¯t you talking this time?¡± Steward Feng circled Yan HeQing, reached out, and fiercely pinched Yan HeQing¡¯s cheeks, forcing him to look up. Steward Feng originally intended to intimidate and insult Yan HeQing, but who would have thought that by looking at Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes, he would feel so agitated. Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes showed contempt and disgust, looking nothing like a humble man. This, of course, sent a shiver down Steward Feng¡¯s back. ¡°You, you, how dare you stare at me?!¡± Steward Feng pped Yan HeQing, and then pulled the fat servant. ¡°Youe here. Punch him on the mouth.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The fat servant smiled heatedly, walked forward, swung his arm, and hit Yan HeQing twice. Steward Feng looked at him coldly, but then he was greatly rmed. In cases like this, ordinary people would be afraid of making the bullies burst into anger. However, not only did Yan HeQing endure the humiliation, but he also never bent his back! ¡®This man isn¡¯t a coward at all. Eunuch Zhao, that old fox, he knows how to judge people.¡¯ Steward Feng felt that Yan HeQing¡¯s straight back was too unpleasant to see, so he walked forward to kick him in the waist. After being kicked, Yan HeQing fell face-first to the ground. At that moment, an object rolled out his sleeve. The eyes of the thin servant were sharp. As he picked up the fallen object, he noticed that it was a finely crafted jade hairpin: ¡°Steward Feng, look at this.¡± At that instant, Yan HeQing hurried to touch his sleeve, with an rming expression of panic adorning his face. Steward Feng took the hairpin and said with disdain: ¡°Heh, what a piece of cheap garbage.¡± ¡°Give it back!¡± Yan HeQing suddenly got up intending to fight for the hairpin. However, he was blocked by the fat and thin servants. After seeing Yan HeQing reacting like this, Steward Feng raised a sly smile: ¡°Although it looks like garbage, it should still be worth a few coins. Since you don¡¯t need it, you can honor me with this gift1.¡± ¡°What gift? I want to be honored too.¡± Xiao YuAn whispered close to Steward Feng¡¯s ear. Steward Feng shouted with fright and turned around to scold the man behind him: ¡°Are you stupid or¡ª¡­.. Your Majesty!!!???¡± The three servants were frightened to death by the sudden appearance of Xiao YuAn. Their faces turned ashen, and their bodies trembled uncontrobly as they kowtowed incessantly: ¡°Y-yo-your M-ma-majesty, wh-why i-is H-his M-ma-majesty h-here?¡± Naturally, Xiao YuAn came to see Yan HeQing. But who would¡¯ve thought that he would run into Yan HeQing being humiliated? ¡®How long has it been since he got punished to kneel on the snow? Why are these cannon fodder making trouble again? Are all these viins so dedicated to their work nowadays? Don¡¯t they ever take a break? Is this task that important?¡¯ Xiao YuAn stretched out his hand in front of Steward Feng: ¡°What item were you talking about?¡± Steward Feng hurriedly presented the jade hairpin with both hands. When Xiao YuAn saw it, he became so frightened that he almost dropped it by ident. ¡®Oh, for my third aunt, sixth aunt, and seventh uncle¡¯s sake2! Do you even know what this is?! Show honor to you?! You should honor your coffin te, you dumb fuck!¡¯ ¡®This jade hairpin is a relic of the Male Lead¡¯s mother! Not only that, but it¡¯s also a token of love that Yan HeQing will give to Princess Yongning in the near future!!!¡¯ ¡®How dare you want this?!¡¯ ¡®How are you even still alive?¡¯ ¡®Did get tired of living?¡¯ ¡®Do you want to die a horrible death?!!!¡¯ Xiao YuAn was so scared of damaging the jade hairpin by ident that he turned around to shove it into Hong Xiu¡¯s hands: ¡°Hong Xiu, hold this carefully for me. Don¡¯t break it!¡± Hong Xiu nodded. Then, Xiao YuAn patted his chest and looked at Yan HeQing. When Xiao YuAn saw Yan HeQing dressed in thin clothes, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh helplessly. ¡®In his early stage, the Male Lead was really miserable.¡¯ Xiao YuAn walked over, took off his robe, and wrapped it around Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing¡¯s body stiffened and his brow furrowed. He showed resistance, but in the end, he said nothing. ¡®You¡¯re already so miserable, can you stop hating for the time being?!¡¯ Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°Can you get up?¡± Yan HeQing nodded, but when he attempted to rise, he staggered with an unsteady posture. Xiao YuAn turned his head and said: ¡°LiuAn, take him inside.¡± Yang LiuAn sped his fist in a salute and followed the order, assisting Yan HeQing into the room. Only then did Xiao YuAn look back at the three servants kneeling on the ground. When they felt Xiao YuAn¡¯s gaze upon them, the three servants shook with fear. ¡®What are you so afraid of? Why weren¡¯t you all scared to die when you bullied the male lead not long ago?¡¯ ¡°Come on, get up.¡± Xiao YuAn raised his hand. The three servants scrambled to their feet in a panic. Xiao YuAn: ¡°Stand in a row, stand at ease, and look to the left.¡± The three servants: ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°-Huh-what? Stand still.¡± Xiao YuAn squatted down, rolled three snowballs, and then stuffed them inside the three servant¡¯s clothes. The three servants immediately gritted their teeth, while their faces twisted due to the cold. ¡°Come on, repeat after me.¡± Xiao YuAn patted the snow on his hands and said: ¡°If he doesn¡¯t suffer, I won¡¯t die. Viins must rely on their brains.¡± The three servants: ¡°Huh¡­.?¡± ¡°Again with ¡®huh¡¯?¡± Xiao YuAn smashed their heads one by one. ¡°Repeat!¡± The three servants: ¡°If he doesn¡¯t suffer, I won¡¯t die. Viins must rely on their brains¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°If I¡¯m not smart enough, I¡¯ll die. Only a fool would mess with the Male Lead.¡± The three servants: ¡°¡­.If I¡¯m not smart enough, I¡¯ll die. Only a fool would mess with the Male Lead.¡± ¡°Alright! Go back and recite it out loud. Remember it well, this will be on the final exam.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded with satisfaction and said, ¡°Well, what should I do now?¡± It seems that the three servants didn¡¯t expect that Xiao YuAn would let them go so easily, so after looking at each other, they shouted their thanks to the Emperor and hurried to run away. Xiao YuAn was about to enter Yan HeQing¡¯s room to see him, but he suddenly felt Hong Xiu staring at him, so he asked: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­.¡± Hong Xiu fell back into a trance, hesitating for a long time until finally asking: ¡°Since His Majesty is so concerned with the Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom, why didn¡¯t His Majesty vent his anger on his behalf just now?¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± Xiao YuAn was confused. Hong Xiu said: ¡°Naturally, His Majesty should have punished those three servants in front of the Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom. Like digging out the servants¡¯ eyes, cutting off their tongues and hands¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.¡± ¡®Hong Xiu! Why have you be so sinister all of a sudden?! Or is this your true essence, and I¡¯m just finding out?!¡¯ Xiao YuAn pondered for a moment and said: ¡°The House of Internal Affairs has always been disciplined. When bullying takes ce, do you think Eunuch Zhao won¡¯t interfere?¡± Hong Xiu suddenly realized: ¡°Your Majesty, you mean-¡­.?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled faintly: ¡°Yes, they were acting ording to orders.¡± Hong Xiu¡¯s face showed doubt: ¡°But why would Eunuch Zhao want to humiliate the Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom?¡± Xiao YuAn sighed: ¡°Because of the Northern Kingdom. Because of me¡­.¡± This sentence, on the contrary, made Hong Xiu more puzzled: ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Xiao YuAn looked at Hong Xiu, who was twinkling her eyes confused, and said: ¡°Hong Xiu, you have to promise me one thing. No matter what, you won¡¯t do anything to Yan HeQing. Alright?¡± Hong Xiu hurriedly saluted: ¡°His Majesty can rest assured, this maidservant will keep it in mind.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded reassuringly and stepped into the room. Chapter 18: The Male Lead’s Fate Will Always Inevitably Be Full Of Misfortunes. What do you mean that the bedside room is leaking and there¡¯s no dry ce? Where does it originate, the rain leak and why is it not being fixed? Where¡¯s the cloth quilt that has been cold for many years? Xiao YuAn felt that he had seen everything today. The ce where Yan HeQing lived, which couldn¡¯t be called a house, was clearly a firewood room. There wasn¡¯t even a single table and chair, let alone a bed; and at a nce, except for the broken wall, only the corner was pitifully filled up with firewood. Xiao YuAn was afraid that as soon as he raised his head, he will see the bitterness hanging on the hanging beam. It¡¯s so miserable¡­ Xiao YuAn¡¯s robe was given to Yan HeQing. The room was leaking and the cold wind was blowing, making everyone tremble. Yang LiuAn said, concerned: ¡°Your Majesty, this ce is too cold, you¡­¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°It¡¯s a bit cold indeed. LiuAn, go back to the pce and bring me a robe.¡± After Yang LiuAnplied, he walked out of the room in a hurry. Xiao YuAn turned his head to look at Yan HeQing, who was standing at the side of the pestle, with blood dripping off his forehead. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath of cold air. Who did it! What should I do if you damage his face! That face will be used to conquer the world! ¡°Hong Xiu, go get some hot water and some medicine to cure his wound.¡± Xiao YuAn ordered Hong Xiu. Hong Xiu nodded, walking out of the room. Suddenly, the silence broke inside the room, Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing were left alone. Xiao YuAn turned around twice in the room and found no ce to sit. He simply sat on the firewood stack, saw that Yan HeQing was still standing there, and patted the firewood around him: ¡°Come, sit.¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t move a single muscle. ¡°Didn¡¯t you bite mest time in prison? Come on, and give it another bite.¡± Xiao YuAn stood up and handed his hand towards Yan HeQing¡¯s mouth. Yan HeQing pursed his lips, but his expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Rx, I don¡¯t have that kind of intention towards you. If I had it, I would¡¯ve already done something.¡± Xiao YuAn pulled back his hand and went back to sit on the woodpile again. After that, Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes finally moved, he raised his head slightly and looked at Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn gave him a small smile, and calmly looked at Yan HeQing. After a while, Yan HeQing finally opened his mouth, and in a hoarse voice he asked: ¡°Then why did you do this¡­¡± Xiao YuAn answered in a serious tone: ¡°Because I¡¯m the investment that you need to recharge into your ount.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Cough¡­ actually, because of love, I don¡¯t easily feel sorrow, so everything should be happiness.¡± Xiao YuAn sang out loud! Yan HeQing¡¯s expression was somewhat broken. Xiao YuAn held back his smile and waved his hands again and again: ¡°I¡¯m joking, joking, don¡¯t get angry. In short, you can rest assured that I don¡¯t harbour any ill intentions towards you. As for why, I may tell you if there¡¯s a chance in the future, now you can choose whether to believe me or not.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes were a little heavy: ¡°But when I was in prison¡­¡± Can you stop being so vengeful, male hero?! Am I pulling my sword in front of you right now?! After pulling it out that time, I didn¡¯t do anything to you! How can you still remember that now! ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m afraid of you.¡± Xiao YuAn told him the truth. Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes cleared and mysteriously shed: ¡°Afraid of me?¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t exin himself yet when Hong Xiu suddenly walked in, with a basin of hot water on her hands. She handed the healing medicine to Xiao YuAn: ¡°Your Majesty, the water is ready.¡± Xiao YuAn took the medicine: ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. By the way, give me the hairpin.¡± Hong Xiu took the hairpin carefully from her sleeve and gave it to him. As soon as Xiao YuAn turned around, he saw Yan HeQing staring intensely at the hairpin in his hands. Xiao YuAn smiled and walked in front of him, handing out the hairpin: ¡°Here, take it.¡± Yan HeQing stared at Xiao YuAn for a long while, finally reaching out to take it back. Unexpectedly, Xiao YuAn suddenly turned his hands and smiled. His smile didn¡¯t change: ¡°Wait, I have a condition.¡± Yan HeQing received an empty space, he was neither anxious nor annoyed, he silently looked at Xiao YuAn again. Xiao YuAn said: ¡°If you wash your face and apply the medicine, I will give you back the hairpin.¡± Knowing that it was meaningless to cover his face with ck charcoal, Yan HeQing went to the basin filled with water and started to wash his face. Xiao YuAn looked at him instantly. The water in the basin gradually became dirty. Yan HeQing washed his cheeks and hands, and raised his head. There were thousands of mountains and rivers inside his eyes, and the water was shining between his lips and tongue, look at the bright moonlight, and the ten thousand lights. It¡¯s all about the beauty of his face; look at that mountain again, look at the ovepping mountains again, it¡¯s all about the straightness of his nose. Xiao YuAn sighed with emotion: Ah! These eyes. Ah! These eyebrows. Ah! These lips. Ah! The beauty. No! I have to look at it again. Ah! These eyes. Ah! These eyebrows. Ah! These lips. Ah! The beauty. Yan HeQing wiped his face clean, and set his eyes on the jade hairpin in Xiao YuAn hands. What are you looking at? I didn¡¯t say no to you. Don¡¯t look at me with that burning eyes of yours. I know you¡¯re going to use this to beg for a wife. Xiao YuAn handed the jade hairpin to Yan Heqing with a smile: ¡°Take it, after all, it¡¯s a relic from you mother.¡± Yan HeQing stiffened and looked at Xiao YuAn, his face showing a shocking expression. This hairpin, he had never talked about it with no one from the Northern Kingdom! Ignoring Yan HeQing¡¯s surprise, Xiao YuAn turned to Hong Xiu and said, ¡°Hong Xiu, wait outside first, and don¡¯t let anyone get inside here for a while.¡± Chapter 19: There’s Always A President Who Can’t Be Tyrannical. After finishing her duties, Hong Xiu turned around and walked out of the Imperial bedchamber, closing the door behind her. Xiao YuAn sat back on the firewood stack and pointed to his side. ¡°Come here, I have something to discuss with you.¡± Yan HeQing put away the hairpin, and took a seat in a tight position. Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes were very different than before. ¡°Why do I know about the hairpin origin? I will tell you if I have a chance in the future.¡± Xiao YuAn casually patted his clothes. ¡°I just had an idea, I want you to move to Jing Yang Pce.¡± Before Yan HeQing could say anything, Xiao YuAn hurriedly said, ¡°I know that Jing Yang Pce is ¡®that kind of ce¡¯, but I really don¡¯t mean that to you. Besides, you should also be aware of this: there¡¯s someone in the House of Internal Affairs that regards you as an eyesore. Eunuch Zhao is the head of the House of Internal Affairs. He won¡¯t care even if I say a few words to him, so you can¡¯t stay here. It¡¯s better for you to go to the Jing Yang Pce, there¡¯s no one there that wishes to harm you.¡± Yan HeQing gently lowered his eyshes, not knowing what to think about it. Xiao YuAn was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t agree. After all, staying here will get him either killed by Eunuch Zhao or freeze to death. He earnestly advises again: ¡°Look, I sent Liuan and Hong Xiu away, wanting to discuss this matter with you alone, because I don¡¯t want to embarrass you.¡± Yan HeQing was still silent. Xiao YuAn began to feel uneasy in his stomach, concerned with petty interests. Him! A president who has been given high hopes! And although on the road to bing a Tyrannical President, he ended up walking a normal path! However! Yeah, he also walked on that road! As a Tyrannical President, you must work hard, be action-oriented, and act arrogantly. Therefore, Xiao YuAn decided to tie up Yan HeQing and take him directly to Jing Yang Pce. Xiao YuAn encouraged himself! He stood up aggressively! He rolled up his sleeves with bad intentions! Then the cold wind of the broken room blew! He¡­! He shuddered steadily¡­¡­ In the cold room, Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn¡¯s sleeves, as if looking at a fool. ¡­¡­ Why is he so cold!!! His aura is so cold that it could kill you!!! Xiao YuAn quietly put down the sleeve that he had just rolled up, and thought that he really didn¡¯t have the talent to be a Tyrannical President. Then he raised his eyes and saw that Yan HeQing had taken off the robe he put on him before and was handing it over. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t¡­¡± A cold wind blew, and the rest of Xiao YuAn¡¯s words were frozen in his throat. Yan HeQing wasn¡¯t allowed to put the robe around him, so he handled it into Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands: ¡°Put it on.¡± Xiao YuAn handed it back to Yan HeQing: ¡°No, no.¡± You shouldn¡¯t inadvertently exude a flirtatious aura!! I was scared! Yan HeQing said: ¡°I promise you, I¡¯ll go to Jing Yang Pce.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes got bright: ¡°Really?¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°False.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°I have a condition.¡± ? ? ? Why is this sentence so familiar! ¡°What are the conditions?¡± Xiao YuAn asked. Yan HeQing said indifferently: ¡°If you put on your robe, I will go to Jing Yang Pce.¡± So for the flirtatious aura you inadvertently exude, you do have B points1 in your heart!!! To fight or not fight over it, convinced, I¡¯m being obligated to ept. Xiao YuAn obediently put on his outer robe, but only felt a headache, stomachache and toothache: ¡°Satisfied?¡± Yan HeQing nodded approvingly: ¡°Yes.¡± After finally reaching a consensus, Xiao YuAn breathed a sigh of relief, got up and walked out of the firewood room. Hong Xiu stood at the door waiting, when she saw Xiao YuAning out, she greeted him: ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Hong Xiu, please arrange for Yan HeQing to go to Jing Yang Pce.¡± Hong Xiu seemed to have been expecting this for a long time, and with an ambiguous smile she said: ¡°At your Imperial Majesty¡¯smand.¡± Xiao YuAn pretended not to see the smile on Hong Xiu: ¡°By the way, arrange a ce for Yan HeQing to live that is near Princess Yongning¡¯s bedroom.¡± Hong Xiu¡¯s face showed doubt, but still nodded nheless. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. Inte ng. It means: ¡°Don¡¯t you already know that?¡±, but like, in a more rude way of speaking.
Chapter 20: There’s Always A Supporting Role For Big Things. Yan HeQing was about to leave the House of Internal Affairs, but it came to Eunuch Zhao¡¯s knowledge half a dayter. Steward Feng finished reporting to Eunuch Zhao in a ruthless manner. He thought that Eunuch Zhao would be dissatisfied. Who would¡¯ve known that he would just nod, and say in a disapproving tone: ¡°It was a matter of time.¡± Steward Feng scratched his head and said with embarrassment: ¡°Eunuch Zhao, in case Yan HeQing bes the next favorite of His Majesty, he will whisper sweet nothings to his ears. The life of this lowly servant, I¡¯m afraid¡­haa, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s hard to protect.¡± Eunuch Zhao sneered: ¡°What are you afraid of? Your head, even if he mentions a word about it to His Majesty, he would look petty.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Steward Feng nodded and bowed his waist. ¡°This servant will be relying on Eunuch Zhao.¡± Eunuch Zhao leisurely sipped his tea: ¡°You must get ready and prepare beforehand. After two days, I will go and talk to the maidservant Hong Xiu.¡± ¡°The maidservant Hong Xiu?¡± Steward Feng¡¯s heart jumped, the headmaster of Jing Yang Pce? Eunuch Zhao nced at Steward Feng and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Aren¡¯t you free? Would you refuse, even when you said you¡¯re relying on me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not busy, not busy at all.¡± Steward Feng was a spirited man, then he quickly retreated. Hong Xiu never imagined that Eunuch Zhao would actuallye to find her. Although they were both in charge of the same job, there was no interaction between them. One doesn¡¯t visit a temple without a cause1. Hong Xiu could probably guess who Eunuch Zhao wasing for. She thought of what Xiao YuAn had said to her before, and became alert at once. Eunuch Zhao saw the look on Hong Xiu¡¯s face and smiled: ¡°Maidservant Hong Xiu, won¡¯t you invite me to take a seat?¡± Hong Xiu quickly asked Eunuch Zhao to sit down and hurried the ves to pour tea: ¡°This maidservant was disrespectful, neglecting Eunuch Zhao. I ask Eunuch Zhao to forgive me.¡± ¡°Hong Xiu must be joking. It seems that my old face is still useful in other ces besides the House of Internal Affairs.¡± Eunuch Zhao teased, lifting the lid of tea and blew on it, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the favorite maidservant of His Majesty, Hong Xiu, will being here today. In fact, I want to be acquaintances with the maidservant Hong Xiu.¡± It was a little unclear what Eunuch Zhao wanted to say. He was an old ve that served for three dynasties. He bathed in favor from generation to generation and took care of the House of Internal Affairs for more than 10 years; not to mention, thete Emperor regarded him like a rtive. Hong Xiu said: ¡°Eunuch Zhao must be joking, this maidservant was just doing her job.¡± Eunuch Zhao meaningfully said: ¡°Yes, just doing things within your capabilities.¡± Hong Xiu continued: ¡°Eunuch Zhao, you¡¯re also a very experienced person in the pce. We servants, what we should do and what we shouldn¡¯t do, I believe, you should understand?¡± Hong Xiu wanted to remind Eunuch Zhao that Yan HeQing was already in Jing Yang Pce, and he should stop any persecution n. However, Eunuch Zhao wasn¡¯t annoyed when he heard this. He smiled and said: ¡°Maidservant Hong Xiu truly deserves the favoritism of His Majesty. After all, this matter of doing things, oh yeah, it¡¯s not good enough. What you¡¯re afraid of, Hong Xiu, is not what you should do, but if you don¡¯t do what you¡¯re supposed to do. Aren¡¯t we, the ves, the biggest negligence?¡± Hong Xiu was stunned: ¡°¡­What does Eunuch Zhao mean?¡± Eunuch Zhao took a sip of tea, and then continued: ¡°I heard that the male concubines in Jing Yang Pce must go through the guidance of Maidservant Hong Xiu before they can serve His Majesty?¡± Hong Xiu said: ¡°That is natural, but the two of us, you and me, have it very clear in our hearts, that some of these people, and not us the ves, can move as they please.¡± Eunuch Zhao suddenly sneered: ¡°Can¡¯t I move? Maidservant Hong Xiu, there¡¯s some people here, in the House of Internal Affairs, that are my ves. All I need to do is to make them my ves. What do I care? Maidservant Hong Xiu, you need to understand that the concubines at the Jing Yang Pce are going to be sent to His Majesty¡¯s bedside. If you send a wolf, it will hurt His Majesty¡­¡± Eunuch Zhao paused just right in time, and Hong Xiu was startled. ¡°Maidservant Hong Xiu, you don¡¯t need to hurt his life. You just need to make those that should be forbidden to be forbidden. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re supposed to do? Yeah, we¡¯re all ves; isn¡¯t the biggest part of our duties to worry about His Majesty¡¯s business?¡± Eunuch Zhao finished his speech slowly, got up, said goodbye, and then left. Leaving Hong Xiu at a loss. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. Ÿoʲ»µÇÈýŒšµî w¨² sh¨¬ b¨´ d¨¥ng s¨¡n b¨£o di¨¤n; it¡¯s a Chinese idiom, refers to the Buddha Hall. It means to visit someone with an ulterior motive / To ask for something / Having a hidden agenda.
Chapter 21: It’s Confirmed That His Eyes Are Full Of Hatred. ¡°Hong Xiu, Hong Xiu?¡± After a few calls, Hong Xiu finally came back to reality. She suddenly fixed her gaze and found that the cup in front of her was also full, but she was still pouring. ¡°Ah!¡± Hong Xiu shouted, and hurriedly took a cloth to clean it, ¡°Your Majesty, forgive me!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Falling in trance, are you sick?¡± Xiao YuAn asked worriedly. ¡°I¡¯m not sick, Your Majesty. Thank you for your concern.¡± Hong Xiu bowed her head. Xiao YuAn took a closer look at her and saw that there were indeed no signs of illness, so he didn¡¯t pursue it: ¡°I will go to Jing Yang Pceter.¡± Hong Xiu wiped her hands: ¡°Your Majesty, are you going to see Yan Heqing?¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Yes, I will go by myself. Don¡¯t do anything unnecessary.¡± Hong Xiu advised: ¡°His Majesty should bring an Imperial bodyguard.¡± Xiao YuAn thought about it, strolled to the door of the dormitory, and brought Yang LiuAn in: ¡°Comrade Yang, I¡¯ll go on a trip to investigate the Leader, will you apany me?¡± Yang LiuAn was stunned: ¡°Forgive Weichen1, I¡¯m stupid and didn¡¯t understand what His Majesty meant.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled: ¡°You don¡¯t need to understand, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll bathe in the glory of the male lead.¡± The two came to Jing Yang Pce and went directly to Yan HeQing¡¯s wing-room. Yang LiuAn was about to push the door open but was stopped by Xiao YuAn. Yang LiuAn was puzzled and saw Xiao YuAn stepping forward, tapping the door lightly three times. Yang LiuAn was shocked and speechless. Who is this Yan HeQing, and why His Majesty should be so sincere and fearful! Seeing Yang LiuAn¡¯s shocked face, Xiao YuAn asked doubtfully, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Yang LiuAn struggled to utter his words, ¡°Well, what exactly does this man mean to you? Why should you call him ¡®Leader¡¯?¡± Xiao YuAn thought for a while: ¡°Male Lead, he! The focal point of the world¡¯s contradictions! The embodiment of the central idea! Everything rotates around him and we¡¯re all bound to jump with our eyes closed!¡± Yang LiuAn was stunned! The door was opened with a squeak, and Yan HeQing, dressed in white, appeared in front of them. Yang LiuAn turned to look at Yan HeQing in shock! Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Xiao YuAn saw that Yan HeQing had put cakes in the center of the clear house, went inside to take a te, stuffed it into Yang LiuAn¡¯s arms and said: ¡°LiuAn, you can go and eat cakes elsewhere.¡± Yang LiuAn was caught off guard: ¡°Your Majesty, but ¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Go ahead.¡± Seeing that Xiao YuAn had a tough attitude, Yang LiuAn had to obey the order. He gave Yan HeQing aplicated look and turned away with the cakes. Unlike from the previous embarrassment, Yan HeQing was clean and fresh this time; with his ck long hair tied up in a high ponytail, beautiful and handsome emerging to the world, it¡¯s really a face rarely seen on earth. Seeing Yan HeQing blocking the door while looking at him, Xiao YuAn smiled and asked, ¡°Won¡¯t you invite me to take a seat?¡± Yan HeQing stared at him for a while, and turned sideways. Xiao YuAn walked leisurely into the house from his side and sat down next to the round yellow wooden table at the middle of the wing room. Yan HeQing reached out to close the door, and Xiao YuAn shouted violently: ¡°Don¡¯t close the door!¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s action made him look at Xiao YuAn and his voice was cold: ¡°Why?¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°I¡¯m afraid you will cut me into pieces. There¡¯s no ce where I can escape to if you close the door.¡± Yan HeQing was silent for a second and mmed the door shut. Xiao YuAn jumped three feet high and subconsciously ran towards the window. Yan HeQing turned around and gave him a look: ¡°Since you¡¯re so scared of me, why did you persuade the Imperial bodyguard to leave just now?¡± ¡°For your innocence! If there¡¯s an Imperial bodyguard at the door, the people in this Jing Yang Pce will know that I came to see you. And although these concubines are men, there must be some of them that will get jealous. You don¡¯t worry about being the target, but I¡¯m worried about you!¡± Xiao YuAn grabbed the window and was ready to turn it over at any time. Yan HeQing was stunned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a knife.¡± Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°What about a dagger?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Sword?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°And what about a hammer?¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­What¡¯s a hammer?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Then here I am, deceiving a puppy.¡± With that in mind, Xiao YuAn sat back at the table while remaining vignt. He coughed twice to cover up the gait, and then pretended to be deep: ¡°Comrade Xiao2-Yan.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡± Xiao YuAn continued, ¡°Did you get ustomed in living here? Are you cold sleeping at night? Do you usually like to go out for a walk? Princess Yongning¡¯s pce is on the east side of your wing room. Do you understand what I mean?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s smile is very amiable! Very meaningful! Very thought-provoking! Yan HeQing calmly replied, ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Oooh! You¡¯re really worthy of being the protagonist! Look at this realization! Look at this ability to distinguish between primary and secondary conflicts! Look at this consciousness of grasping the main contradiction! I admire you! Yan HeQing continued, ¡°I will not go to the east.¡± Xiao YuAn almost fell off the stool. You must go!!! You must go for me!!! Please!!! If you don¡¯t go, you will miss your first wife. You don¡¯t understand anything!! Xiao YuAn swallowed: ¡°I didn¡¯t mean this¡­¡± Yan HeQing said, ¡°I understand.¡± You don¡¯t! You don¡¯t understand! Forget it. It¡¯s better to ask Princess Yongning if she needs a bodyguard. Xiao YuAn shuffled a few more words, and then got up and left. Yan HeQing said nothing, and watched silently. When Xiao YuAn left, those seemingly indifferent eyes were instantly cold and calcting. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ΢³¼ w¨¥i ch¨¦n; this small official/humble servant.
  2. С xi¨£o; Its original meaning is fine dust particles, and by extension, it means tiny, and from tiny, it means lowly, young, or young people, etc. It¡¯s also used as a humble way of referring to oneself, someone or something rted to oneself. As an adjetive, it¡¯s used before a surname, first name, ranking, etc.; to express a nickname. As a noun, it¡¯s used to refer to young people, extended to the younger generation.
Chapter 22: I’ve Confirmed That His Eyes Are Luring And Scummy. Walking out of the wing-room, Xiao YuAn wandered around looking for Yang LiuAn, but he didn¡¯t got to take a few more steps when he heard a surprise call behind him: ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Xiao YuAn turned around confused, he saw a man dressed in red looking at him with delight. He was a man, but he had extremely charming and beautiful facial features. His posture was twisted, and even his voice was deliberately pinched into a thin tone. He rushed onto him to hug him, the fragrance between his sleeves almost made Xiao YuAn faint. Xiao YuAn quickly stepped back, avoiding the man¡¯s intended hugging attack. The man fell on an empty space, feeling grieved, throwing a tantrum almost bursting into tears: ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in days, Your Majesty, don¡¯t you want A-Yu anymore?¡± You, you, you talk properly! No way! Don¡¯t cry! Wait! Don¡¯te any closer! Xiao YuAn dodged again, trying to buy time while he tried to remember who this person was in the original book. This man was briefly mentioned in the original book, but Xiao YuAn feels that he can still remember him. He also thanked the female fans who pestered thement section with this topic. His full name is Qin Yu. He¡¯s the most favored one among the male concubines and the only one that was mentioned in the original book. When the Northern Kingdom was about to be defeated by Yan HeQing, the young Monarch poisoned all his male concubines, but left Qin Yu alive. He even wanted Qin Yu to escape with him to the North, it seemed that he really felt deep love for Qin Yu. However, in order to survive, Qin Yu betrayed the young Monarch and he was caught by Yan HeQing at the entrance of the Pce. This plot twist, in the original book, was described in a few paragraphs, but it touched many fangirls¡¯ nerves. For a while, the book reviews were full of him being described as a scum Shou, sadomasochistic, with deep emotions and so on. At that time, Xiao YuAn wanted to ask these girls: How do you know that Qin Yu is a Shou! The original book doesn¡¯t mention it at all! Now Xiao YuAn just wanted to say: Do y¡¯all have an unique talent to recognize who¡¯s a Gong and who¡¯s a Shou?! When Qin Yu saw that Xiao YuAn kept avoiding him, he bit his lower lip tightly, and his eyes glistened with tears: ¡°Your Majesty? Why? What did I do wrong? Did I make His Majesty unhappy? I heard that His Majesty has been very busy day and night. This time, you finally came to Jing Yang Pce, but you didn¡¯te to see this servant?¡± Xiao YuAn answered decisively: ¡°No.¡± Qin Yu: ¡°¡­¡­¡± As soon as Qin Yu¡¯s eyes closed, he burst into tears. When he opened them again he looked very pitiful and beautiful with his tears falling like rain: ¡°It seems that His Majesty has found another love recently, then, a-Yu will leave now. He won¡¯t be offending His Majesty anymore.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded: ¡°Okay, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.¡± Qin Yu was instantly immersed in shock because of Xiao YuAn¡¯s sudden singing voice. He then found that the tears that had been sessful before, were useless this time! Xiao YuAn really turned away and left! Fearing that the entanglement with Qin Yu would cause him troubles, Xiao YuAn hurriedly left to continue searching for Yang LiuAn. Just when he was puzzled as to where to go to find him, the familiar sound of a Guqin suddenly came. It was on that day when Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t fall asleep, when he went out for a walk, he heard the sound of the Guqin before running into Yang LiuAn near the Pavilion. Xiao YuAn was puzzled, he followed the Guqin sound towards a small yard where willows were nted. Unexpectedly, at the moment he stepped into the yard, the Guqin sound was quietly silenced until it disappearedpletely. It was quiet all around. Xiao YuAn raised his head in doubt and happened to see Yang LiuAn hurriedly approaching. Seeing Xiao YuAn, Yang LiuAn was surprised, and then kneeled down on one knee to salute: ¡°How did youe here, Your Majesty?¡± Regardless of why I came, why is there a theme song every time you appear? Xiao YuAn looked at the man with his own theme song: ¡°Don¡¯t kneel, get up. Have you finished all the pastries?¡± Yang LiuAn got up and said, ¡°Answering to His Majesty, yes I did.¡± Seeing Yang LiuAn empty-handed, Xiao YuAn asked, ¡°Well? What about the te?¡± Yang LiuAn suddenly supported himself, his voice was stuttering: ¡°-te, W-we-weichen lost it.¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not a valuable thing. Let¡¯s go back to the Pce.¡± Yang LiuAn took a long breath and saluted again: ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 23: I’ve Confirmed That His Eyes Were Indeed Cruel. In the dead of the night, Hong Xiu was still serving Xiao YuAn as usual; she then waited for him to rest before leaving. Xiao YuAn was just lying on his bed when he suddenly asked, ¡°Hong Xiu, is there a famous Qin yer in Jing Yang pce?¡± After thinking for a while, Hong Xiu replied: ¡°Answering to His Majesty, there is.¡± Seeing Xiao YuAn nodding his head, Hong Xiu asked with sincerity: ¡°Does His Majesty want to¡­¡± ¡°No! I was just asking! No other meaning! Don¡¯t over-interpret!¡± Xiao YuAn interrupted her quickly. Hong Xiu bowed her head to salute and said, ¡°This maidservant was too stupid. Xiao Fengyue has been in the Pce for a year, but His Majesty has never seen him. Why is His Majesty suddenly asking about him today?¡± After all, I heard the sound of the Guqin twice by ident and I¡¯ve always wondered who was the one ying it. So his name was Xiao Fengyue. Xiao YuAn searched the name back and forth twice in his mind, but he didn¡¯t have any recollection of it. It seemed to be a character not mentioned in the original book. Xiao YuAn said: ¡°I was just curious, don¡¯t worry.¡± Hong Xiu nodded and extinguished the candlelight beside the bed. Xiao YuAn, who had breathing sounds next to him, soon fell asleep. Seeing Xiao YuAn sleeping, Hong Xiu leaves quietly. Outside the Pce, the moon was bright in the sky, but the night was really dark; and Hong Xiu, wrapping the clothes, was full of worries. Eunuch Zhao¡¯s words were still lingering inside Hong Xiu¡¯s heart. In the past, she would go back to rest by now, but this time she couldn¡¯t help but walk out towards the Jing Yang Pce. Yang HeQing¡¯s wing room is on the far East side of Jing Yang Pce. Because of the curfew, at this time, Jing Yang Pce is quieter at night. Hong Xiu was only thinking about things when unconsciously she got there. When she was about to leave, she saw a figure in the East part of the courtyard! Hong Xiu¡¯s heart was shocked. Holding her breath she saw Yan HeQing standing in the middle of the courtyard, facing South, staring at the moon. The night was as cold as water, and the bright moonlight was falling on the cool snow, on the dry tree branches and in the eyes of Yan HeQing, for quite a while. The vastnd ten thousand miles away from this ce was his hometown, and the white bones buried under it were his ancestors. Yan HeQing held the jade hairpin tightly in his right hand. There was unwillingness, remorse and determination in his eyes. When he raised his eyes again, they were flowing with murderous intent. Hong Xiu was horrified, and her head was filled with Eunuch Zhao¡¯s advice: The people in Jing Yang Pce are going to be sent to His Majesty¡¯s bedside. If you send a wolf, you will hurt His Majesty¡­ At this time, Eunuch Zhao sat on a chair drinking tea. While Steward Feng was massaging his legs for him, he asked: ¡°Eunuch Zhao, you said that this Hong Xiu is just a maidservant; after listening to your words, what else can she do? I¡¯m afraid that Yan HeQing¡¯s days at Jing Yang Pce will be veryfortable.¡± After hearing this, Eunuch Zhao sneered and shook his head: ¡°The only thing I¡¯m worried about is that she didn¡¯t listen to my advice.¡± ¡°Huh? Did Eunuch Zhao make some arrangements in Jing Yang Pce?¡± Steward Feng was surprised. Eunuch Zhao looked at Steward Feng with disgust: ¡°You, why don¡¯t you just ask directly?¡± Steward Feng was a yes-man: ¡°Instruct me Eunuch Zhao.¡± Eunuch Zhao said, ¡°Do you know how many years has Hong Xiu been in the Pce?¡± Steward Feng wiped the cold sweat: ¡°This ve is stupid, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Humph.¡± Eunuch Zhao sneered. ¡°She, ah, she entered the Pce at the age of eighteen and she has been in charge of the Jing Yang Pce for more than five years. Do you know why it took her only three years to be the head master of the Jing Yang Pce?¡± Steward Feng stuttered: ¡°This s-ve¡­¡± Eunuch Zhao continued: ¡°I will tell you something, one of these male concubines was once found to be an assassin. This assassin should have been executed immediately, but his appearance was extremely pleasing for His Majesty. His Majesty¡¯s heart was very itchy and impatient, but he was also afraid of the beautiful man¡¯s force, so he handed the man over to Hong Xiu. Later, the next day, the assassin¡¯s tendons were cut and his teeth were broken. Then, he was sent to His Majesty¡¯s bedside.¡± After finishing his speech, Eunuch Zhao disregarded the fright in Steward Feng¡¯s face and stood up from the chair. He knocked on his old leg with the back of his hand and said: ¡°There¡¯s some things that can¡¯t be changed.¡± Chapter 24: I’ve Confirmed That His Eyes Are … Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Chapter 24: I¡¯ve Confirmed That His Eyes Are ¡­ Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Xiao YuAn has been going to Yongning Pce recently. On the first day, Princess Yongning was learning to y the Guqin. When she saw Xiao YuAn, she was very happy and yed a piece of music for him. Her slender jade fingers were flying, and the scenery was beautiful. Xiao YuAn was amazed, and then, went right to the point: ¡°Ning¡¯er, do you want a personal Imperial Bodyguard?¡± Princess Yongning hooked the strings and looked up doubtfully: ¡°No, thank you for your concern, Imperial Brother.¡± Why don¡¯t you want! How can this be! Why are you both, young couple, so frustrating! Why! Xiao YuAn smiled kindly: ¡°Why not?¡± Princess Yongning did not understand: ¡°Why should I?¡± Because he can develop into your husband!!! Xiao YuAn said: ¡°He can serve you.¡± Princess Yongning said: ¡°Yongning is very happy with her personal servants and doesn¡¯t need one more person.¡± ¡°He can protect you.¡± ¡°The pce is safe day and night. Yongning doesn¡¯t need to be protected.¡± ¡°He can talk with you.¡± Princess Yongning smiled: ¡°If Yongning feels lonely, why can¡¯t I talk with Imperial Brother? Instead, I have to deal with someone I don¡¯t know?¡± Xiao YuAn said with difficulty: ¡°In case I¡¯m busy with politics, I¡¯ll have no time to apany you.¡± Princess Yongning blinked mischievously: ¡°Then Yongning is willing to wait for Imperial Brother to find me when he¡¯s free. At that time, Imperial Brother will certainly talk with Yongning, right?¡± Xiao YuAn breaks down and caresses his forehead: ¡°Yes¡­Yes¡­¡± For fucks sake! Princess Yongning sweetly smiled and said, ¡°You are so nice, Imperial Brother!¡± Nice my ass! The next day, Xiao YuAn said firmly to Princess Yongning, ¡°I still think you need a bodyguard.¡± Princess Yongning¡¯s face showed grievance: ¡°Why? Because Imperial Brother doesn¡¯t want to talk to Yongning anymore?¡± Don¡¯t twist my words! You believe that just because you look sad, I will be soft hearted and I won¡¯t arrange a bodyguard for you! Then Xiao YuAn became soft hearted, and didn¡¯t mention the matter of the bodyguard for the whole day. On the third day, Xiao YuAn made psychological preparations beforehand and went straight to Yongning Pce. Princess Yongning was also very happy to see Xiao YuAn: ¡°Imperial Brother, I¡¯ve found a bodyguard!¡± Xiao YuAn stared at her with wide eyes. What! So I don¡¯t need to know when you two ran into each other, so I¡¯m not necessary for the plot to develop?! They¡¯re genuinely worthy of being the male and female protagonists. Xiao YuAn felt that he was worrying for nothing. ¡°If you found him, then that¡¯s good.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled like a father and nodded. ¡°But she¡¯s not a guard yet. Yongning wants to ask Imperial Brother to give her a position.¡± Princess Yongning shook Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand. Xiao YuAn said kindly: ¡°I understand, I understand.¡± ¡°Great, I¡¯ll let her see Imperial Brother!¡± Princess Yongning said happily, and quickly sent her maid to bring someone. Xiao YuAn took a long breath. Ah, this seems like a strange illusion of marrying a daughter. As soon as Xiao YuAn finished this feeling, Princess Yongning brought a tiger with a wide back and a big waist. They were like two Xiao YuAn¡¯s wide bodies. A woman. This woman, who resembled Lu Zhishen1, was so embarrassed that she gave Xiao YuAn a polite gesture: ¡°This maidservant salutes His Majesty.¡± Xiao YuAn stumbled and asked Princess Yongning: ¡°This, this is the bodyguard you are looking for?¡± Princess Yongning smiled: ¡°Yes! Do you feel at ease?¡± Yes!! Can¡¯t refute!! ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± Xiao YuAn hesitated, ¡°She gives people the feeling that ¡­no, it¡¯s not like she would be able to protect you.¡± Hearing Xiao YuAn¡¯s words, the woman suddenly exhorted, covered her face and began to cry: ¡°Your Majesty, this maidservant, this maidservant will do everything to protect the Princess! I swear! Wuwuwu!¡± Princess Yongning quickly patted her on the back: ¡°It¡¯s okay, Cui¡¯er don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t be aggrieved, Imperial Brother just doesn¡¯t understand you.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± I don¡¯t understand!! I really don¡¯t understand! Princess Yongning said: ¡°Just show Imperial Brother that you can protect me, okay?¡± Cui¡¯er wiped away her tears, nodded carefully, then reached for the porcin cup on the table and easily crushed it with her bare hands. Crushed¡­¡­ With her bare hands¡­¡­ Xiao Yu¡¯an was still immersed in shock. When Cui¡¯er ran out of the Yongning Pce, after finding a tree with thick branches, she embraced it with both arms. She then roared and suddenly uprooted it! Then she took another small step and shook it two or three times, weak willow¡¯s leaves were falling down. Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Princess Yongning: ¡°Look Imperial Brother! She can serve me, right?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°And protect me!¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± ¡°And talk to me!¡± ¡°This¡­¡­¡± Princess Yongning finalized: ¡°Okay, it¡¯s decided that she¡¯s the one!¡± Xiao YuAn was very tired, he put his head on the table and his hands fell on his sides. A lifeless look on his face, he couldn¡¯t even drink the delicate porridge in front of him. Hong Xiu asked anxiously, ¡°Your Majesty, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Xiao YuAn replied weakly: ¡°The cold leaves are floating all over my face, and my daughter¡¯s rebellion hurts my heart.¡± Hong Xiu was used to Xiao YuAn¡¯s amazing words for a while now. She bowed her head and asked: ¡°Is His Majesty¡¯s internal fire attacking him, is his heart burning? Should this servant arrange a little ve for His Majesty to extinguish the fire?¡± Xiao YuAn held his head with both hands: ¡°Ah, poof¨C¡± Hong Xiu advised: ¡°I know that His Majesty is worried about the country and the people, and is now very obsessed with the government. But if this internal fire doesn¡¯t go away, it will also hurt your body.¡± Xiao YuAn tried to change the topic: ¡°By the way, how has Yan HeQing been recently? Tomorrow I will¡­ Forget it, you can call him over now.¡± Xiao YuAn decided to forcibly follow the plot moving on it¡¯s own, and let Yan HeQing and Princess Yongning meet by chance! If the two of them don¡¯t spark this time, he doesn¡¯t care! It doesn¡¯t matter!! Suddenly, Hong Xiu screamed: ¡°Your Majesty, but, this maidservant thinks he¡¯s not ready yet.¡± Xiao YuAn was puzzled: ¡°Ah? What are you going to prepare him for?¡± Hong Xiu froze, then saluted: ¡°This maidservant understands.¡± After saying that, Hong Xiu immediately left. After Xiao YuAn finished the porridge, he waited at the left side of the Imperial Pce then he waited at the right, he waited until it was time to sleep. Suddenly, Hong Xiu reappeared: ¡°Your Majesty, it has been arranged properly. ¡± Xiao YuAn nodded and went back to the bedchamber with Hong Xiu. She didn¡¯t get inside and instead closed the door gently. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t care too much, thinking that she wanted to give him and Yan HeQing some privacy. Anyway, he didn¡¯t expect the room to be without lighting, he couldn¡¯t see anything clearly. On top of that, the fragrant incense burner was sending out a sweet smell, which made Xiao YuAn feel kind of dizzy. Xiao YuAn felt strange and was about to call for Hong Xiu. But suddenly, he was struck by lightning and understood what was going on, quickly approaching the bed. After seeing the person lying on top of the bed, Xiao YuAn¡¯s back went cold and his knees trembled in fear, almost kneeling down. Chapter 25: I’ve Confirmed That His Eyes Gave Up Thinking. Xiao YuAn first stumbled and backed away a few steps, but then he realized that he was mistaken. So he went back, nced at the situation at the bed, took a deep breath of cold air, and backed away ten or so meters, turning around intending to escape. It was so silent around that even the sound of a needle dropping would be heard. Suddenly, a painfully sob came from the bed right towards Xiao YuAn¡¯s ears. Xiao YuAn abruptly stopped, meditated three times in his heart that escape would be shameful, then took a deep breath and ran back towards the bed. Yan HeQing was blindfolded by a ck cloth, and his mouth was covered with cloth strips, his white clothes were open and his body was bound by hemp ropes. He struggled too hard and his naked skin was already crimson because of the ropes, even a little bit of blood could be seen. Xiao YuAn took off the cloth on Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes and mouth. Under it, Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, but his lips were pale. Xiao YuAn was ready to be scolded and bitten. Unexpectedly, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t say a word, curled up and breathed heavily. Xiao YuAn reached out to untie Yan HeQing¡¯s robe on his body, but suddenly, he felt something was wrong. Yan HeQing¡¯s consciousness was extremely unclear, and he was left nk except for his empty eyes. His whole person was lying on the bed in a daze, without a trace of movement. Even when Xiao YuAn kept talking to him, it was like talking to a puppet, without any response. Yan-ge1, why are you so stupid!! The world will be depending on you to be saved! The rope was extremely fancy, and it could be described as bondage, but it was more like a preference. Xiao YuAn had never been exposed to these kinds of knots before. In a hurry, he was very confused, and for a while he wasn¡¯t untying anything; instead he was making the knots moreplicated. In a rage, Xiao YuAn pulled out a small part of the rope that was finally untied! Then after that, tied a bowknot¡­¡­ Xiao YuAn abandoned himself and cried out with a trembling voice: ¡°Hong Xiu!¡± After several shouts, the candlelight flickered at the entrance of the bedroom, and Hong Xiu hurried in, kneeling beside the bed: ¡°Your Majesty, what happened?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s brain was a mess. He didn¡¯t know where to start, he could only say: ¡°You, you, you first untie this rope for me.¡± Suddenly, Hong Xiu seemed to realize what she had done wrong. Her face went pale, and she quickly got up to untie Yan HeQing¡¯s rope. ¡°Is he stupid?¡± Xiao YuAn looked at Yan HeQing, who all this time didn¡¯t give any reaction, he suddenly felt that his internal organs were all mixed together. Hong Xiu untied the rope, and then knelt back to the ground again: ¡°Answering to His Majesty, for fear that he will rebel and hurt His Majesty, this maidservant gave him the overpowering drug, he is not really stupid. As long as he takes the antidote, nothing will happen to him and he will only need to rest for one night.¡± Xiao YuAn patted his chest and let out a long breath: ¡°Where¡¯s the antidote?¡± Hong Xiu took out a small porcin bottle containing the antidote and handed it over. Xiao YuAn took over the white porcin bottle, sat down beside the bed, reached for Yan HeQing, and fed him the antidote carefully. After drinking the antidote, Yan HeQing quickly fell into a deep sleep. Xiao YuAn pulled his clothes on and covered him with the quilt. After a long time of work, he turned around and found that Hong Xiu was still kneeling there. Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Don¡¯t kneel, get up.¡± Hong Xiu doesn¡¯t obey, lowering her head: ¡°This maidservant begs His Majesty to punish her.¡± Xiao YuAn stretched out his hand and pulled up Hong Xiu. He said with a wry smile, ¡°Why the punishment?¡± ¡°Hong Xiu knows that His Majesty dotes on this man and ordered Hong Xiu to not touch him before, but this man is too dangerous! Hong Xiu couldn¡¯t help but send him to His Majesty¡¯s bedside. But now that His Majesty saw his injury, he can¡¯t bear to go any further¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Xiao YuAn grabbed the keywords, ¡°Injury, what injury?¡± Hong Xiu answered stupefyingly: ¡°The whip wound on his back ¡­¡± Xiao YuAn inhaled and exhaled, then inhaled and exhaled again, and then turned over the cabs. Hong Xiu was puzzled: ¡°What are you looking for, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Gold and silver, jewelry, expensive clothing and other valuable things.¡± ¡°Why are you looking for these?¡± ¡°Run away! No! No, we are not running away, we are going to, what is called, strategic shifting!¡± Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ¸ç g¨¥; Elder brother.
Chapter 26: Fake Medicine Harms People. ¡°Y-your Ma-majesty, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you running away? Where are you going?¡± Hong Xiu panicked and pulled Xiao YuAn who was running around. Xiao YuAn stopped and looked quietly at her soft hand. Yeah, where can he go? Xiao YuAn calmed his mind, stood up, and asked Hong Xiu, ¡°What have you done to him?¡± Hong Xiu bites her lower lip and her hands were twisting in front of her belly, finally she bowed her head to answer: ¡°Answering to His Majesty, this maidservant wanted to teach him how to serve His Majesty, but I haven¡¯t had the time to do so; so I had to use the drug first.¡± ¡°What about the whish?¡± ¡°During the curfew, he wandered in Jing Yang Pce without permission, so he was punished.¡± ¡°Besides that?¡± ¡°Nothing more.¡± The situation seems to be saved!! The main issue is how to solve the problem that Hong Xiu keeps wanting to send Yan Heqing to his bed every day. Xiao YuAn put his hand on his chin, walked back and forth, and after two rounds, stopped. He stood in front of Hong Xiu, pointed to Yan Heqing on the bed and with a serious tone, he said: ¡°Hong Xiu, do you think that I like him?¡± Hong Xiu did not hesitate: ¡°You like him because he¡¯s handsome.¡± Xiao YuAn turned and lifted the cab, then he put it down, then lifted it again, then put it down. When he calmed down, he turned around and shouted to Hong Xiu: ¡°I don¡¯t like him!¡± Hong Xiu didn¡¯t understand: ¡°But his Majesty thinks about him day and night.¡± Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°Think about it, do I like this type of appearance?¡± Hong Xiu was stunned, silently thinking about it. His Majesty really only likes the seductive, gorgeous type. Although Yan HeQing is so handsome to astonish nature, he¡¯s not what His Majesty prefers. Hong Xiu asked in a small voice: ¡°Then why is His Majesty¡­¡± Xiao YuAn pretends to be deep: ¡°Winning hearts is better than violence1. I¡¯m preparing for another Southern expedition in the future!¡± Hong Xiu was shocked, and enlightened: ¡°His Majesty is wise!¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°When you see me favor him, it¡¯s actually an illusion. I¡¯m just spying on the enemy, so I¡¯m not interested in him at all, and you don¡¯t have to bother to teach him anything.¡± Hong Xiu salutes: ¡°This maidservant understands, this maidservant will take him away.¡± Xiao YuAn nced at Yan HeQing, who was sleeping on his bed, and couldn¡¯t bear it, so he blurted out: ¡°It¡¯s sote, forget it, let him sleep here tonight.¡± Hong Xiu: ¡°¡­Your Majesty you really don¡¯t¡­¡± Xiao YuAn interrupts her firmly: ¡°Really! No!¡± Xiao YuAn talked a lot with Hong Xiu, he pointed towards the sky and thend around them, he vigorously shouted to observe the moon¡¯s reflection. This ability to talk made Hong Xiu turn from someone skeptical to firmly believing without a doubt. Xiao YuAn, who persuaded Hong Xiu to leave the pce and suffered various attacks and tortures in one night, could finally rest. ¡°Ah.¡± Xiao YuAn sighed, sat beside the bed, leaned against the bedpost, and closed his eyes trying to sort out his thoughts quietly. After a long time, Xiao YuAn opened his eyes, rubbed his temples and turned his head to look at Yan HeQing. Suddenly, he felt a chill passing through his chest and his blood began to boil. Yan HeQing didn¡¯t know when he woke up, and his eyes were still bloodshot. At that moment, he nced at Xiao YuAn with a fierce re, cruel like a ghost. She said that you¡¯ll wake up after a good sleep! Fake medicine does harm to you! As a president¡­as a president who was once asked to memorize tyrannical quotes, Xiao YuAn¡¯s mind thought of various sentences in an instant. Say, do you want cash or a check? Anyway, love, I definitely can¡¯t be without you. Don¡¯t worry, I will be responsible. One million is enough. Since you have caught my breath, you will be my man all your life, and you will never escape. Man, did you feel my deep lovest night? President Xiao quickly searched through these golden sentences, and immediately made a final decision. He reached out his hand and pointed out at the window, his expression and his tone were calm: ¡°Look! It¡¯s flying, cough, an airne!¡± That¡¯s right, Xiao YuAn was scared. While Yan HeQing was still in a daze, Xiao YuAn got up, took a step and exerted force. Just at the moment of his escape, his wrist was grabbed fiercely, making Xiao YuAn fall onto the bed in a mess. The next second, Xiao YuAn¡¯s neck was tightly held, and he could only scream four big words inside his head. My life is over!!! Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ¹¥ÐÄΪÉÏ£¬¹¥³ÇΪÏ£¬ÐÄսΪÉÏ£¬±øսΪÏ g¨­ngx¨©n w¨¦i sh¨¤ng, g¨­ng ch¨¦ng w¨¨i xi¨¤, x¨©n zh¨¤n w¨¦i sh¨¤ng, b¨©ng zh¨¤n w¨¨i xi¨¤it; It¡¯s better to attack a person by his/her heart than attack him/her in battle. Firstly, one must not order troops to attack without knowing the hearts or situation of the enemy or an unknown opponent. From¡¶Èý¹úÖ¾¡¤ÊñÖ¾¡¤ÂíÚÕ´«¡·(s¨¡n gu¨® zh¨¬¡¤sh¨³ zh¨¬ m¨£ s¨´ zhu¨¤n), ¡°History of the Three Kingdoms ¨C Records of Shu ¨C Biography of Ma Su¡±. Written by (³ÂÊÙ ch¨¦n sh¨°u) Chen Shou [233-297 AC], a historian from the Western Jin dynasty [265-316 AC].
Chapter 27: Learn About Modern Civilization. Xiao YuAn was struggling to hold Yan HeQing¡¯s tight grip with one hand, until finally he was able to raise his hand tremblingly between the two of them. He gasped briefly and held out a finger: ¡°I-I want to say that I didn¡¯t touch youst night.¡± Yan HeQing turned his hands and grabbed Xiao YuAn fiercely, his strength wasn¡¯t weak: ¡°I know that, although my consciousness was chaotic, I have memories.¡± Xiao YuAn felt relieved and began to struggle: ¡°Cough if you cough have something to say, let¡¯s talk about it first. Yan HeQing! You¡¯re strangling me now, have you thought about how you will escape after this?¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes were shining with cold light, and his ck hair covered his face. With a sad smile he said: ¡°Escape? Where can I escape? To my destroyed country, to my dead family? Sumbed by the abuse of authority, I was taken away home, and now we will die, jade and stone burned together1. Even if my body is torn apart, limb for limb by five horses2. I will not regret it.¡± Xiao YuAn understood that Yan HeQing hadn¡¯t listened to what he said to him before in Jing Yang Pce! I said that I will not harm you! But you want to die with me, give me a break! Yan HeQing, you¡¯re too ruthless, you¡¯re cruel, and you make trouble for no reason! Xiao YuAn could already feel suffocation and pain, and even his eyes began to see ck. He was trying his best to get Yan HeQing¡¯s hands away from his neck. Until in the gap between panting, Xiao YuAn shouted: ¡°Yan HeQing, I will not harm you!¡± Yan HeQing sneered: ¡°You and I are enemies, why would you¡­¡± Xiao YuAn roared and interrupted him: ¡°Because I¡¯m not the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom!!!¡± The fierce strength on his neck rxed. Xiao YuAn, relying on his desire for survival and in his experience in self-defense, turned over and lifted Yan HeQing away from his body, he quickly pulled back Yan HeQing¡¯s hands, put his knees against his waist, and tried to mp him down. Xiao YuAn instinctively restrained Yan HeQing, but the Emperor¡¯s body was weak so Xiao YuAn failed to grasp Yan HeQing¡¯s hands, allowing him to break free. Yan HeQing was naturally not willing to let him go, so he turned around and twisted Xiao YuAn¡¯s arms to his back. Seeing that they were entangled together, Xiao YuAn hurriedly shouted: ¡°Stop stop stop!¡± Right at that time, they both rxed their strength, each upying a corner of the bed. Xiao YuAn covered his neck, panting, there were only 10.000 MMP3 sentences left in his heart. He eased his mind and repeated: ¡°I¡¯m really not the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom¡­¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes were dark and gloomy, finding it hard to believe in him. Because he was strangled, Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice was hoarse and his words were intermittent: ¡°I know that the jade hairpin is your mother¡¯s relic and I can testify¡­¡± Yan HeQing asked in a deep voice, ¡°Who are you then?¡± Xiao YuAn thought for a while: ¡°I¡¯m your Daddy¡¯s friend.¡± Your father is equal to the author. This is what Xiao YuAn came with at the end. Yan HeQing frowned: ¡°Daddy?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Yes!¡± I was almost strangled to death, why can¡¯t I take advantage of this?! Yan HeQing asked: ¡°¡­ what is a Daddy4?¡± Xiao YuAn was powerless: ¡°The mysterious power from the modern civilization.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn rubbed his neck: ¡°I know what else you want to ask me, ¡®how did you pretend to be the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom.¡¯ You may think I¡¯m crazy or I¡¯m being stupid, ying the devil, but I¡¯m telling you the truth. I died in myst life, and then I became the Emperor as soon as I opened my eyes. I can¡¯t help it, but I¡¯m not really him.¡± Yan HeQing stared at Xiao YuAn¡¯s face as if he wanted to see right through him. Both of them looked at each other for a long time, Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes showed a hard-to-detect sh of coldness, like sharp ice, a sharp de, under this cold light, you could feel a terrifying murderous intent. Xiao YuAn felt like his heart was being strangled. Every bone in his body was trembling with fear, chills was running through his spine, swimming amongst his four limbs. Yan HeQing doesn¡¯t believe him! I think that, in this case, how can a weak excuse be convincing? Looks like I have to think of another strategy. Almost at the same time, the two acted together. Xiao YuAn jumped out of the bed but was instantly grabbed. He was pulled back, with huge force from top to bottom, Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoulder was held down and his back hit heavily on the bed. The bed board made a deafening noise. Xiao YuAn took a deep breath and his eyes were full of pain. Yan HeQing went again for Xiao YuAn¡¯s throat mercilessly. Xiao YuAn eyes twitched quickly, he held Yan HeQing¡¯s wrist and twist it with force. Yan Heqing frowned with pain, his hands went loose and his knee hit Xiao YuAn¡¯s lower abdomen. The lower abdomen wasn¡¯t protected by bones and was the most vulnerable part of the human body, so Yan HeQing used all his strength. Xiao YuAn¡¯s neck was tender and weak, and the corner of his mouth was bleeding, shaking with pain, he suddenly realized something. Yan HeQing really wants to kill me! If I don¡¯t think of a way out, I will die here! Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. Óñʯ¾ã·Ù y¨´ sh¨ª j¨´ f¨¦n; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means the destruction of good and bad alike. From ¡¶ÉÐÊ顤طÕ÷¡·(sh¨¤ng sh¨±¡¤y¨¬n zh¨¥ng); ¡°Book of ssics ¨C Yin Zheng¡±. One of the Five Confucian ssics.
  2. ÎåÂí·Öʬ w¨³ m¨£ f¨¥n sh¨©; a form of death sentence in ancient China.
  3. MMP; it¡¯s a curse, forbidden word in Sichuan dialect, something like: ¡°Your mother is a bitch¡±. Which equals to: ¡°Son of bitch¡±.
  4. °Ö°Ö b¨¤ ba; informal way of addressing Father.
Chapter 28: Speaking From The Bottom Of My Heart. Getting To Know Each Other. Inside his heart, Xiao YuAn shouted the nationwide cursed wordsmonly used1 back and forth, repeatedly shouting them a hundred times, then he went to protect his abdomen with one hand and punched Yan HeQing with his other hand clenched into a fist. Yan HeQing was able to avoid this punch, and when he turned around to suppress Xiao YuAn one more time, a knock came from outside the bedchamber! Yang LiuAn¡¯s voice immediately sounded: ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Your Majesty? Weichen heard a loud noise.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes shrank, feeling panicked inside his heart. He quickly reached out and tried to cover Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t!¡± Xiao YuAn just shouted a word, and the rest of them were silenced by the palm of Yan HeQing. ¡°Your Majesty? Emperor? Are you okay?¡± The knocking sounds and Yan HeQing¡¯s breath started to get hurried. Yan HeQing knew that if the imperial guards came here at this time, not only he wouldn¡¯t be able to kill the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, but he would also die without a burial ce! Yan HeQing covered Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth tightly with one hand, and stuck his other hand on Xiao YuAn¡¯s throat once more. Naturally, Xiao YuAn will not let himself be ughtered. Taking advantage of Yan HeQing¡¯s panic, he fiercely bit down trying to break free from the hand covering his mouth. Outside the bedroom, there was constant knocking at the door. Yang LiuAn said anxiously, ¡°Your Majesty? Your Majesty, if you don¡¯t reply, Weichen wille in!¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s hand was bitten by Xiao YuAn and blood started to flow. He couldn¡¯t take any actions under pain and the whole situation seemed settled. Yan HeQing closed his eyes in despair. A squeaking noise came from outside the door, and right at the same time, Xiao YuAn yanked away Yan HeQing¡¯s hand, unable to even catch his breath, and shouted loudly, ¡°Don¡¯te in!!!¡± For a moment the world went silent, and the door that was being opened, closed again. Yang LiuAn¡¯s uneasy voice came from outside the bedchamber: ¡°What happened to your voice, Your Majesty? Are you really fine?¡± Yan HeQing was speechless, staring nkly at Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn coughed a few times, and then shouted with all his strength: ¡°I¡¯m fine, nothing serious happened, you can go and keep guarding the door. And no matter what you hear, don¡¯te in.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll obey His Majesty¡¯s order¡± When the door was closed, everything went silent once more. After those few words, Xiao YuAn had lost all his strength. He covered his lower abdomen and curled up on the bed like an useless man. Yan HeQing was no longer in danger. He mumbled for a long time and finally asked with disbelief: ¡°Why¡­¡± Xiao YuAn opened his eyes and wanted to look at Yan HeQing, but his eyes were dazzled, unable to focus: ¡°I said, I¡¯m not the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom. If I really wanted you to die, then I would¡¯ve given the order the first time I met you in the prison, and you would already be dead by now. Since I didn¡¯t do it that time, then I won¡¯t have that idea anymore.¡± Yan HeQing lowered his eyshes gently, not knowing what to think. Xiao YuAn made a swear gesture, his eyes were serious and his expression was solemn: ¡°Yan HeQing, I¡¯m swearing an oath to the heavens and the earth¡¯s conscience that I didn¡¯t lie to you just now, and I will not hurt you in the future, no matter what.¡± Yan HeQing raised his head to look at Xiao YuAn, his whole being was still on alert. They both looked at each other for a few seconds, but Yan HeQing didn¡¯t mean to rx at all. Xiao YuAn feeling discouraged, pulled up the quilt, covered himself andid down closing his eyes. Yan HeQing asked incredulously: ¡°¡­what are you doing?¡± ¡°Sleeping.¡± Xiao YuAn wrapped tightly inside the quilt felt pain all over his body, his throat seemed to have been burned by fire, it was hoarse, dry, it felt painful and inmed: ¡°I believe I said everything that needed to be said, even if you believe me or not. And if you want to strangle me, you should do it now. Anyways, I already died once, what¡¯s so scary about dying a second time?¡± After that, there was no sound behind him. Xiao YuAn was really exhausted, and now he could finally rest and sleep. After what felt like a century, Xiao YuAn was finally falling asleep, but then he felt that the person behind him was lying down slowly. Xiao YuAn gave him half of the quilt by instinct. A long awkward silence followed, but in the end, Yan HeQng took the quilt and wrapped his body. Xiao YuAn woke up a little bit and muttered in a low voice: ¡°I know you can¡¯t fully believe in what I said. It doesn¡¯t matter. I will be by your side for a long time, anyways, I¡¯m yours.¡± After a pause, the wording felt wrong, so Xiao YuAn added: ¡°I¡¯m the one that will help you, by the way, are you still willing to stay in Jing Yang Pce?¡± Yan HeQing mocked himself and asked: ¡°Where else can I go?¡± Xiao YuAn chuckled: ¡°I also have nowhere to go, why not stay by each other¡¯s side.¡± Then, after a night without sound, they slept till dawn. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ¹úÂî gu¨® m¨¤; Common curse words, for example ËûÂèµÄ t¨¡ m¨¡ = Damn it!
Chapter 29: I Don’t Know What To Believe. When Xiao YuAn woke up the next day, immediately he wanted to die. Not to mention that the muscles all over his body were sore, just the pain in his abdomen, back and throat was enough for Xiao YuAn to feel that way. Xiao YuAn rubbed his neck and groaned. His voice was like a board of wood dragging on the sand, it was hoarse and unpleasant. He stretched out his hands and opened his clothes. His abdomen was bruised, there were ck and purple spots all over, it was truly a shocking sight. Hearing noise, Yan HeQing gradually woke up, and after seeing Xiao YuAn¡¯s appearance, his eyes shed with a trace of feeling at a loss. ¡°We both fought each other, aren¡¯t you hurt too?¡± Xiao YuAn felt indignant. ¡°Do I have a strangled bruise on my neck?¡± Yan HeQing nodded his head. Xiao YuAn sighed: ¡°What can I do? If I¡¯m seen like this, they will definitely wonder what happened, they will me you.¡± Even though Xiao YuAn was harmed by Yan Heqing, he still thought about his safety. Yan HeQing was surprised. ¡°Well, it¡¯s winter, so it¡¯s normal to wear a lot of clothing. It should be fine to just cover it.¡± Xiao YuAn muttered to himself, and he didn¡¯t realize that Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes had changed. ¡°Right.¡± Xiao YuAn propped himself up and looked at Yan HeQing, ¡°Is your hand all right?¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t understand: ¡°Hand?¡± Xiao YuAn held Yan HeQing¡¯s wrist and pulled it closer to his eyes. The ce he bit yesterday was no longer bleeding, only the deep tooth marks were left behind. Don¡¯t leave any scars on these hands! He must be in harmony with Princess Yongning! And he must be praised for his good looks by his wives! Ouch, to be honest, his hands are really beautiful. They¡¯re slender, white and have a clear bone structure. Xiao YuAn was watching it attentively. Yan HeQing suddenly withdrew his hand, frowning slightly, his expression was awkward. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Xiao YuAn went stunned for an instant, then he rubbed his neck and smiled: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not an homosexual like the Emperor.¡± Probably, maybe, I shouldn¡¯t be, I don¡¯t know. Yan HeQing opened his lips slightly, nced at Xiao YuAn, and seemed like he wanted to exin something, but at the end he didn¡¯t say anything. The sky was faintly light with the dawn, and a knock sounded at the Imperial bedchamber door. It was Hong Xiu: ¡°Your Majesty, this maidservant is waiting to help you wash, and get ready for the day.¡± Xiao YuAn quickly pulled up the quilt and wrapped it in a circle to cover up his neck and the rest of his body. Hong Xiu walked in with a red basin, when she saw Xiao YuAn¡¯s appearance, she instantly looked at the messy bed, and could not help but be dumbfounded. Fearing that she might suspect something inappropriate, Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Hong Xiu, take Yan Heqing back to Jing Yang Pce first.¡± Hong Xiu put down the basin, stuttering: ¡°I¡¯ll o-obey His Majesty¡¯s o-order¡±. Seeing that the two of them had left, Xiao YuAn breathed cold air to ease the pain. While looking for a piece of clothing that could cover his neck, he washed himself and got dressed. When Hong Xiu came back, she helped Xiao YuAn put on his robe, and seemed like she wanted to say something but stopped herself. Xiao YuAn felt nervous: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hong Xiu tied his belt for him, her lips were pressed in a tight line, suddenly she raised her eyes and said: ¡°Your Majesty! I know everything!¡± What do you know! I don¡¯t understand! Speak clearly! Hong Xiu was angered to heart: ¡°Since you don¡¯t have that kind of feelings for him, he forced himself onto you!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn patted his chest and eased his breath, feeling that yesterday¡¯s internal injury was now instantly attacking him. Forget it, it¡¯s better to be misunderstood about such things rather than exin them. I was afraid that Yan HeQing¡¯s attempt of assassination was found out. Xiao YuAn clenched his fist against his lips and coughed softly: ¡°Cough, it wasn¡¯t forced. It¡¯s just thatst night, the moonlight was very bright, and we both slept in the same bed. I wasn¡¯t careful enough¡­it was an ident, and is only part of my n. I¡¯m really not interested in him.¡± Hong Xiu was sad and indignant: ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯ve never been on the receiving side. In order to attack the Southern Yan Kingdom, Your Majesty, you had to sacrifice a lot, this, this, this is¡­disgraceful.¡± Xiao YuAn was twitching the corner of his eyes with that sad cry of hers. Hong Xiu was still softly crying in despair: ¡°Your Majesty, this maidservant will go get you some ointment.¡± Xiao YuAn was puzzled: ¡°Why the ointment?¡± Hong Xiu bowed her head: ¡°It¡¯s applied ¡®there¡¯.¡± Xiao YuAn still didn¡¯t understand: ¡°What? Where?¡± Hong Xiu stomped anxiously: ¡°That ¡®ce¡¯!¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly realized what she meant and asked for the Heaven¡¯s help without words: ¡°¡­The ointment is no longer needed, is there any throat medicine¡­my throat really hurts¡­¡± Seeing that Hong Xiu got up and was going towards the Taiyi Pce, Xiao YuAn added: ¡°And then take some ointment for wounds healing and scar removal to Yan HeQing.¡± Hong Xiu felt uncertainty: ¡°Ointment for wound healing and scar removal?¡± ¡°Well, I identally bit him yesterday.¡± ¡°¡­Your Majesty, yo¡­¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t like him, don¡¯t look at me like that¡­¡± In the fifth year of serving the young Monarch, Hong Xiu suddenly discovered that the Emperor¡¯s mouth was saying no, but in his heart he meant yes1. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ¿ÚÊÇÐÄ·Ç k¨¯u sh¨¬ x¨©n f¨¥i; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, when you say one thing but mean another thing / Two-faced / Duplicity /Empty words.
Chapter 30: After Too Much Effort, I’ve Learned A Lot. Chapter 30: After Too Much Effort, I¡¯ve Learned A Lot. Xiao YuAn¡¯s woundssted for several days, and only after the strangled bruises faded away, did he dare to go outside. On the second day, he dealt with the affairs of the state; and because he was worried that someone would make things difficult for Yan HeQing, Xiao YuAn got distracted while looking at the pce memorials1. He simply piled the memorials and went straight to Jing Yang Pce. Hong Xiu wanted to stop him, but Xiao YuAn ignored her. The year was going to dawn, and the time is fainting. The wind was cold and the clouds were heavy. The snowkes fell one after another, floating amicably, covering the white ground. The snow in the Northern Kingdom seemed to be falling forever. Xiao YuAn tightened his robe, patted the snow off his shoulders, and reached to knock on Yan Heqing¡¯s door. Following Xiao YuAn with diligence, Yang Liuan clenched his fists and said: ¡°Your Majesty, Weichen will wait for you outside the door.¡± Xiao YuAn refused: ¡°It¡¯s too cold, go back.¡± Yang LiuAn insisted: ¡°Weichen doesn¡¯t feel cold.¡± Xiao YuAn grabbed a Snowball and stuffed it into Yang LiuAn¡¯s clothes: ¡°Is it cold or not?¡± Yang LiuAn shivered: ¡°¡­No, no, no, I¡¯m not, I¡¯m not cold.¡± You¡¯re shivering and yet you say you¡¯re not cold! Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t know wherever tough or cry: ¡°Go find a warm ce to dry your clothes, and then,e back in an hour.¡± Although Yang LiuAn was still hesitant, he had to obey His Majesty¡¯s order under Xiao YuAn¡¯s insistence. The North wind was howling, and his clothes were wet because of the snow. Yang LiuAn stealthily found a small courtyard where willows trees were nted inside the Jing Yang Pce. When he saw no one around, he knocked gently at the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± A doubtful voice came from behind the door, not long after, the door was slightly opened. Yang LiuAn looked at Xiao Fengyue, who was extremely joyful, and sweetly smiled: ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°You, you¡¯re all wet,e in quickly.¡± Xiao Fengyue hurriedly pulled him inside the room, heated the charcoal basin, put it in front of Yang LiuAn, and went to find some dry clothes. ¡°Quick, remove your wet clothes first, and put these on.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yang LiuAn took off his robe and handed it to Xiao Fengyue. ¡°Let¡¯s change your inner garments too, it¡¯s all wet. Be careful with the wind and the cold.¡± Xiao Fengyue said worriedly, his eyes full of distress. Yang LiuAn¡¯s face showed a blush that was hard to see: ¡°The inner garments, i-it doesn¡¯t matter, don¡¯t worry.¡± Xiao Fengyue suddenly realized what was going on. He lowered his head to make his expression unclear, but his earlobes were already painted red. Xiao Fengyue stammered and said: ¡°Y-you go change your clothes. I¡¯ll go to the yard to sweep the snow, go change.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t go outside, it¡¯s too cold.¡± Yang LiuAn reached out and held Xiao Fengyue¡¯s hand. Xiao Fengyue¡¯s tone was worried: ¡°No, if you stay in your wet clothes you will get cold.¡± Yang LiuAn holds his hand tighter: ¡°I¡¯ll change, I¡¯ll go change my clothes. Just don¡¯t go outside.¡± With that said, Yang LiuAn quickly untied his undergarments and hurriedly changed into a set of dry clothes. Xiao Fengyue took the wet clothes and put them to dry by the charcoal fire: ¡°What happened today? Don¡¯t you have to guard His Majesty?¡± Yang LiuAn replied: ¡°His Majesty came to Jing Yang Pce, looking for Yan HeQing.¡± Hearing this, Xiao Fengyue suddenly sighed. Yang LiuAn was curious: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiao Fengyue exined: ¡°Earlier, I heard some rumors about chasing the wind and clutching at shadows2, saying that His Majesty was favoring only one person recently, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be the Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom.¡± Yang LiuAn nervously covered Xiao Fengyue¡¯s hand and held it carefully: ¡°Are you feeling homesick?¡± Xiao Fengyue felt like a spring breeze inside his heart, and he smiled gently at Yang LiuAn: ¡°Although the Southern Yan Kingdom is my hometown, I was alone in the world. I don¡¯t have much to miss from there, but now¡­¡± These days, feeling lovesick, exquisite red beans, it can¡¯t be a home without you. Xiao Fengyue stopped for a while, and looked down at the charcoal pot with little sparksing out from the fire. Yang LiuAn didn¡¯t notice the difference, and asked reluctantly, ¡°Why are you sighing?¡± Xiao Fengyue sorted out his thoughts and raised his head to answer: ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom will be the target of everyone here.¡± Yang LiuAn didn¡¯t understand: ¡°Huh? For what reason?¡± Xiao Fengyue carefully spread out Yang LiuAn¡¯s wet clothes so it would dry better, and then replied: ¡°It¡¯s never a happy event to be the only one to have His Imperial Majesty¡¯s favor. In this Jing Yang Pce, there are too many people doing painstaking efforts to obtain aplishments. It¡¯s also full of clever people.¡± Xiao YuAn was also worried about this issue: ¡°Did anyone try to harm you recently?¡± Yan HeQing shook his head. ¡°How about Hong Xiu, did she do something?¡± Yan HeQing shook his head. ¡°And the House of Internal Affairs? What about Eunuch Zhao?¡± Yan HeQing still denied with his head. Xiao YuAn patted his chest and let out a long breath. It seems that the skills of the viins are cooling down. Seeing Xiao YuAn carefree attitude, Yan HeQing frowned: ¡°Why do you want to help me? Although you¡¯re not the Emperor, you can still use this identity to call the wind and summon the rain3, and cover the sky with one hand4, right?¡± Xiao YuAn raised an eyebrow. Does Yan HeQing believe him? But how can I dare to call the wind and the rain? You¡¯re the male lead, you should be the one making the call. You can im the Northern Kingdom, and make it disappear! Call it! Xiao YuAn chuckled: ¡°There¡¯s no reason, I just want to be friends with you.¡± Yan HeQing said: ¡°Friend?¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°When a true man conducts himself in a society, he should be the hero of the whole world.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes went on alert, but remained silent. Xiao YuAn was toozy to exin it to him, so he moved the stool near the charcoal basin, looked out the window at the howling snow, and rubbed his hands turning his palms to warm himself. Yan HeQing looked at his actions and said: ¡°Are you¡­afraid of the cold?¡± Xiao YuAn was stunned at first, and then replied: ¡°Ah? Uh huh. I was a Southerner in my past life, so I¡¯m indeed afraid of the cold.¡± Yan HeQing asked again: ¡°What was your name during your past life?¡± Xiao YuAn filled a porcin cup with water and with it, wrote his name on top of the round yellow table. Yan HeQing murmured out, ¡°Xiao, Yu, An.¡± ¡°Yes, when there¡¯s no one around, you can just call me by my name.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled slightly, and the red light of the charcoal basin illuminated his white porcin face, his eyes were bright and shiny, very indistinct. Yan HeQing wasn¡¯t convinced, but after a long time watching him, he finally agreed: ¡°Fine.¡± An hourter, Yang LiuAn¡¯s clothes were finally dried. After he changed into his inner clothes, Xiao Fengyue carefully helped him put on his robe, fastened his belt and tidied up hispel. The two of them looked at each other for a long time, until Yang LiuAn finally closed his eyes: ¡°I¡¯m going back to pick up the Emperor.¡± Xiao Fengyue looked out of the window with anxiety: ¡°The snow is so heavy, would you like an umbre?¡± Yang LiuAn shook his head, got up and walked out of the door: ¡°No, I¡¯m worried that someone will get suspicious.¡± Xiao Fengyue bit his lower lip and didn¡¯t insist. Yang LiuAn just opened the door when the wind and snow suddenly blew inside. Xiao Fengyue then remembered something and he pulled back Yang LiuAn, took out a sachet from his sleeve, and handed it to him. ¡°This is?¡± Yang LiuAn took the sachet with surprise. Xiao Fengyue said: ¡°You can¡¯t take the umbre to protect you, but you can always take this sachet and hide it close to you, right?¡± Yang LiuAn rubbed his head and smiled happily and embarrassedly: ¡°Yes, thank you. I will protect it well.¡± Xiao Fengyue lowered his head and said: ¡°Go ahead, don¡¯t let His Majesty wait.¡± Yang LiuAn closed the door for Xiao Fengyue, carefully ced the sachet inside his inner clothing, and hurriedly walked away holding onto his robe tightly. The frozen wind was howling all around, the snow falling was so thick that it could cover the ears and make the eyes blind. The whole world seemed to be covered in white, and neither of them were able to see that behind the willows trees nted in the courtyard, stood a person watching them secretly. Qin Yu observed the silhouette of Yang LiuAn hurrying away, and then took a look at the closed door of Xiao Fengyue. He murmured strange words, and then smiled mischievously, a trace of cunning shining in his eyes. Chapter 31: You Can’t Frame The Male Lead. Xiao YuAn, returning to the Imperial Pce from Jing Yang Pce, felt anxious all over. He was worried that a canon fodder viin would make a move, and because of that, he wanted to look after Yan HeQing. Therefore, he asked Guard Yang, an excellent and efficient bodyguard, to guard Jing Yang Pce every day, fearing that idents might happen. Less than a weekter, something really did happen. Xiao YuAn was having a meal at that time, but upon hearing Yang LiuAn¡¯s report, he instantly rushed to Jing Yang Pce as soon as he put the bowl down. This matter wasn¡¯t big, but it wasn¡¯t a small issue either. A male concubine said that he saw Yan HeQing practicing the sword in the courtyard, and then went to the headmaster of Jing Yang Pce, Hong Xiu, to report it. Jing Yang Pce had many rules and regtions, and practicing sword and martial arts has always been a taboo subject. First of all, the Emperor likes the soft and beautiful male concubines that know their ce, which is to serve him in bed. Practicing the sword, with his identity being the Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom, Xiao YuAn is afraid that it will look like he wants to stab him to death. At this time, Yan HeQing and the male concubine that reported him were in the courtyard, kneeling in front of Jing Yang Pce¡¯s headmaster. Hong Xiu was looking at them withplicated eyes and a hesitant expression. Several ves were secretly exchanging nces, all of them wanting to watch the drama that will unfold. ording to Hong Xiu¡¯s past temperament, if this matter resulted to be true, then what awaited Yang HeQing wasn¡¯t just physical pain, but a broken hand or a disabled foot. However, a few days ago, Xiao YuAn repeatedly told her about his n on how winning Yan HeQing¡¯s heart was better than resorting to violence. In fact, Hong Xiu didn¡¯t want to be hard on Yan HeQing, even if she nned on punishing him with a whipsh. But things becameplicated because the male concubine that made the report was known for having a loose tongue, since he¡¯s extremely fond of gossiping! Before Hong Xiu knew about the situation, the news of Yan HeQing secretly practicing the sword had spread throughout the whole Jing Yang Pce. If the punishment consisted in a single whipsh, the authority of Hong Xiu will be questioned: it will look like she¡¯s protecting Yan HeQing so he can kill the Emperor in the near future. Hong Xiu¡¯s eyes went back and forth between the two kneeling men on the ground. Finally, she stared at the male concubine: ¡°You said that Yan HeQing was secretly practicing the sword, but, do you have any evidence?¡± The male concubine raised his head eagerly and said without hesitation: ¡°This ve couldn¡¯t sleep at night that day, so I got up early in the morning to enjoy the snow. Unexpectedly I happened to see him practicing sword techniques. I¡¯m aware that I shouldn¡¯t speak without evidence, so the next day I called Qin Yu and the others to go with me secretly. As expected, he was practicing the sword again!¡± Hong Xiu had a headache, and his name was Qin Yu. At that moment, Qin Yu knelt on the ground, he softened his voice and smiled mischievously: ¡°Hong Xiu-jiejie1, I can testify that everything that was said truly happened. Besides, what is his purpose of practising the sword these days, if not to harm His Majesty?¡± Hong Xiu nodded and summoned the other male concubines involved, and as expected, every single one of them said the same thing. Public opinion is powerful enough to melt metal2, the defamation could destroy a man3. Yan HeQing was speechless. Hong Xiu then looked at Yan HeQing. When she saw the indifference andck of fear in him, she asked: ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± Yan HeQing looked forward, his answer wasplete silence. The several male concubines kneeling on the ground exchanged gazes, a hidden smile adorning the corner of their mouths. ¡°Well then.¡± Hong Xiu nodded, ¡°Someone sent him to¡­¡± Before she could finish hermand, a panicked ve ran inside the courtyard: ¡°His Majesty ising!!!¡± As soon as Xiao YuAn stepped into the courtyard, everyone present fell to their knees trembling. Xiao YuAn instantly looked at Yan HeQing, and breathed a sigh of relief. Why are you kneeling again!! If you kneel one more time, you will take 10 years away from his life!! ¡°Get up, all of you get up.¡± Xiao YuAn raised his hand. Hong Xiu stood up and saluted Xiao YuAn: ¡°Your Majesty, about this¡­¡± ¡°Yang LiuAn told me everything.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded, turned around and walked towards Yan HeQing, smiling amicably he asked him: ¡°Are you really practicing the sword?¡± Yan HeQing hadn¡¯t answered yet when he was interrupted by the male concubine who reported him: ¡°Your Majesty! It¡¯s true, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask¡­¡± All of a sudden, the male concubine was pped by Hong Xiu, silencing him immediately. Xiao YuAn waited patiently for Yan HeQing¡¯s answer. Yan HeQing looked at him with eyes as calm as ake, and nodded slowly. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ½ã½ã ji¨§ jie; Older Sister.
  2. ÖÚ¿Úîå½ð zh¨°ng k¨¯u shu¨° j¨©n,; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means that the public mor can obscure the actual truth / Mass spreading of rumors can confuse right from wrong. From ¡¶¹úÓÖÜÓïÏ¡·(gu¨® y¨³ zh¨­u y¨³ xi¨¤), ¡°Mandarin: The Complete Dialect¡±.
  3. »ý»ÙÏú¹Ç j¨© hu¨« xi¨¡o g¨³; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means that rumors can get someone killed / When everybody speaks against a person, it makes them tired of life. From ¡¶Ê·¼Ç¡¤ÕÅÒÇÁд«¡·(sh¨« j¨¬¡¤zh¨¡ng y¨ª li¨¨ zhu¨¤n), ¡°Historical Records: A Biography of Zhang Yi¡±. Written by (˾ÂíǨ s¨© m¨£ qi¨¡n) Sima Qian [145-86 BC], a historian from the Western Han Dynasty [206 BC-8 AC], also known as the Father of Chinese Historiography.
Chapter 32: As the Male Lead, You Can Do Whatever You Want. Seeing that Yan HeQing didn¡¯t hide and confessed, the courtyard suddenly buzzed in excitement; everyone was surprised, amazed and secretly happy about it. ¡°Ah?¡± Xiao YuAn was surprised, ¡°Where do you practice the sword when your wing-room is so small?¡± Yan HeQing replied: ¡°In the courtyard.¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°The courtyard is also quite small, did you cut down the trees so you will have more space?¡± These two questions were really weird. The group of people around the courtyard couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. Yan HeQing was also stunned for a little bit before nodding affirmatively. ¡°Hong Xiu.¡± Xiao YuAn waved at her. ¡°This maidservant is here.¡± Hong Xiu immediately saluted him. ¡°This is too much! I can¡¯t bear it, I truly can¡¯t bear it!¡± Xiao YuAn was bitter and gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°Your Majesty, calm your anger, this maidservant understands.¡± Hong Xiu quickly appeased Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn took a deep breath and calmed down, before he continued: ¡°If he wants to practice the sword, then he will practice the sword, but how can he cut down a tree! The earth is my home, and the greening depends on everyone! The potable water and the green mountains are invaluable assets! You will change him into a bigger courtyard! So he can no longer cut down the trees!¡± Hong Xiu was stupefied: ¡°Ah?¡± The rest of the people were confused as well: ¡°Ah?¡± Xiao YuAn, who was pretending to be as confused as everyone else: ¡°Ah?¡± Apanying one¡¯s sovereign can be like apanying a tiger1. As a maidservant that has been with him for five years, she understood the meaning behind Xiao YuAn¡¯s words in time: ¡°Your Majesty, you want me to change him into a bigger courtyard where he can peacefully practice the sword?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded happily. Although this order was contradicting the past one, the Emperor¡¯smands were as high as the heavens, Hong Xiu suppressed her thoughts, and saluted in response: ¡°I will do as His Majesty wishes.¡± Ignoring the group of people inside the courtyard that were speechless and dumbfounded, Xiao YuAn believing the problem has been solved, returned to continue his meal. After all, he came here in such a rush, he didn¡¯t have the time to fill his stomach! Xiao YuAn raised his foot and took a few steps, but suddenly turned around after remembering something, walked back to Yan HeQing¡¯s side and asked him strangely: ¡°What kind of sword do you have?¡± Yan HeQing replied: ¡°A long wooden stick.¡± Xiao YuAn bowed his head and thought for a few moments, whispering to Yan HeQing: ¡°I wille to see you tomorrow morning. There¡¯s something important I need to show you.¡± Yan HeQing nodded, expressing that he heard him. Xiao YuAn exchanged nces with Hong Xiu, and left feeling at ease. Seeing the Emperor leaving, Hong Xiu exhaled a slow breath, and then nced at the audience: ¡°All of you, go back to your duties.¡± The male concubine that spread the gossip was reluctant and wanted to argue against it. Qin Yu grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back, heughed in anger and lowered his voice: ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear His Majesty? What else do you want to say? Have you lost your mind?¡± The male concubine was dissatisfied: ¡°But¡­¡± Qin Yu looked at him coldly: ¡°I¡¯m kind enough to save you, restrain yourself.¡± After talking, Qin Yu went away indifferently. ¡°Huh, you still believe you¡¯re His Majesty¡¯s favorite? Sooner orter you will be killed by someone that holds a grudge against you.¡± The male concubine muttered in a low voice. In this grand Pce, rumors spread like wildfire. And just like that, half a dayter, one person whispered to another ten, then ten people passed the news to a hundred. Before long, everyone knew about how the Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom had the unique favor of the Emperor. When Steward Feng heard about this, he immediately went to inform Eunuch Zhao. Eunuch Zhao made a meaningful sound, and said no more. Steward Feng wondered: ¡°Eunuch Zhao, aren¡¯t you worried?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, since he¡¯s willing to be a male concubine, he¡¯s now a dog that broke his spine2. There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. I told you that the maidservant Hong Xiu had her ways.¡± Eunuch Zhao replied leisurely At this time, Hong Xiu was worried: ¡°Your Majesty, although I know that you¡¯re working in the strategy of winning his heart, I¡¯m still worried that if you continue to indulge Yan HeQing with practicing the sword, he will hurt His Majesty sooner orter. In case he has any murderous intention, what should I do?¡± Xiao YuAn, who was almost strangled to death by Yan HeQing, said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I have everything in control. By the way, this morning I¡¯ll go to Jing Yang Pce. So don¡¯t send any Imperial Guards to follow me.¡± Hong Xiu doesn¡¯t need to ask who Xiao YuAn was looking for: ¡°Is Bodyguard Yang not going with you?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°No, I¡¯ll go by myself.¡± Hong Xiu tried to persuade him: ¡°But Your Majesty! In case¡­¡± ¡°Everything will be alright.¡± Xiao YuAn soothes Hong Xiu with a soft voice. Xiao YuAn¡¯s perseverance made Hong Xiu speechless. After breakfast, Xiao YuAn went to Jing Yang Pce alone. Hong Xiu was always very hardworking; after what happened just the day before, Yan HeQing was moved to his new wing-room today. In the early winter morning, the warm sun melts the snow. Probably because it was too early in the morning, the Jing Yang Pce was really quiet. Xiao YuAn, worrying about whether it was too early, knocked on Yan HeQing¡¯s door regardless. After a short moment, the door was opened. From top to bottom, he was covered in a white warm light. Yan HeQing¡¯s eyebrows were sharp like swords, and his eyes were calm as the water, his ck clothes were neatly tied making him look extremely handsome. Xiao YuAn smiled at him lightly: ¡°Put on a robe, I will take you somewhere.¡± Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. °é¾ýÈç°é»¢ b¨¤n j¨±n r¨² b¨¤n h¨³; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means that apanying a ruler is like apanying a tiger, you can be killed at any time. It refers to the fickle arrogant moods of a leader, that can bring someone else¡¯s misfortune. It¡¯s often used as a derogatory or neutral term between Monarchs and Ministers, is also used to describe the rtionship between superiors and subordinates in officialdom and in the workce. It reflects the negative rtionship between power and human nature, in which power can amplify the ugly side of human nature. From ¡¶ËµºôÈ«´«¡·µÚËÄ»Ø (¡°shu¨­ h¨± qu¨¢n chu¨¢n¡± d¨¬ s¨¬ hu¨ª); The fourth chapter of ¡°The History of Talking¡±. Written by an anonymous author from the Qing Dynasty [1644-1911].
  2. ¾ÍÒѶϼ¹Ö®È® ji¨´ y¨« du¨¤n j¨« zh¨© qu¨£n; It refers to someone that tters and works for someone else. A broken spine doesn¡¯t mean the literal spine but the ability to support someone else¡¯s integrity (spine). A dog with a broken spine is a dog ve that gives the person who they follow the tendency of seeing themselves as superior.
Chapter 33: You Don’t Have To Worry About It. They weren¡¯t followed, and they didn¡¯t take the Imperial carriage with them. They both walked slowly from the East to the West of the Pce, from the early morning to noon, until finally, Xiao YuAn stopped. Yan HeQing raised his head and moved forward. There was smoke and fire, and the delicious smell of food was flowing all over the ce. Outside this ce, adorning the que, there were two words: Imperial Kitchen. Yan HeQing was confused and asked: ¡°This is the ce?¡± Xiao YuAn had a harmless smile on his face: ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯m lost.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, I¡¯m not familiar with the Pce. Yesterday I asked about the route, but in the end, the Pce is too big and the courtyard corridors are too simr. I lost my way while walking.¡± Xiao YuAn lifted his hands innocently. Yan HeQing stared at him and started to feel a headache: ¡°Then why did you stop walking?¡± Xiao YuAn rubbed his stomach and let out a long sigh: ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I remembered that the Imperial Kitchen was near here, so I came over.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes flickered with helplessness: ¡°Then go and take something to eat, wait, what are you doing?¡± Xiao YuAn took a piece of silk cloth out of nowhere, covered half of his face, and tied a knot at the back of his head: ¡°I¡¯ll camouge my identity, to avoid a ruckus, and then we¡¯ll find somece and fill our stomachs.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡± If the Emperor goes and steals food from the Imperial Kitchen, won¡¯t that stir up a ruckus?! Xiao YuAn handed a piece of silk cloth to Yan HeQing. Immediately after, he moved quickly, hiding himself against the foot of the wall. Although Yan HeQing was hesitant with this n, finally, he covered half his face and followed Xiao YuAn to the edge of the wall in the backyard. At this moment, Xiao YuAn found himself in aplicated situation. After all, in the 21st century, he was the President of apany and had no chance to practice any of this. ¡°I can¡¯t climb up.¡± Xiao YuAn turned towards Yan HeQing for help. Yan HeQing raised his head and looked at the edge of the wall. He backed away a few steps, then he ran at high speed and tapped the wall with his toes. He turned up with the help of his strength, moving the clouds and flowing the water1. Xiao YuAn sighed again and again inside his heart, he just can¡¯t help but apud with excitement. He¡¯s really worthy of being the male lead, he looks so handsome while jumping over a wall. Yan HeQing grabbed the brim of the wall and wanted to pull Xiao YuAn over, but he saw that Xiao YuAn was walking forward silently, then he opened the small wooden door in the backyard and walked in leisurely. Yan HeQing asked: ¡°¡­Did you know the door was unlocked?¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°Yes I knew. When I came by the wall, I saw that the wooden door was unlocked.¡± Yan HeQing asked withplicated feelings: ¡°Then why did you want to climb the wall?¡± Xiao YuAn said with a gentle smile: ¡°Because it gives kind of a sneaky feeling climbing over the wall, which is more in line with what we¡¯re about to do.¡± Yan HeQing could not bear it, he grabbed the back of Xiao YuAn¡¯s neck and said with a cold voice: ¡°I¡¯ll see you on the road to the Yellow Springs2.¡± ¡°Fight after eating your fill, fight after eating your fill!¡± Xiao YuAn wailed a few times, broke free from his tight grip, and then shrank back. Yan HeQing nced at him, and then turned around towards the kitchen. It was noon, and the Imperial kitchen was extremely busy, there were people everywhere. The two of them made a quiet turn, and finally found a tranquil hut besides the firewood room. This hut was surely used by the ves to have their meals, it was simple, small, clean and deste. At this time, the servants were very busy, so it waspletely empty. Xiao YuAn walked in and pulled out two white steamed buns from the pot, he held one for himself, and handed the other to Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing took the steamed bun silently and chewed it up without hesitation. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have meat¡­¡± Xiao YuAn mumbled and started to search through the cupboard. Yan HeQing stood aside and watched how Xiao YuAn was making a mess by tossing and turning around things looking for something. His ears were listening sharply, suddenly, he heard some movement outside. After Xiao YuAn searched through the cupboard, he searched in the furnace. Yan HeQing watched him be disheartened, and for a moment he was about to say something, but ended up staying silent. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s roasted sweet potatoes.¡± Xiao YuAn, as if he had won the most valuable treasure, carried the sweet potato with ashes in his arms and turned his head to ask Yan HeQing for help. However, Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes suddenly became alert and rushed over, he grabbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s cor and threw him out of the window, quickly closing it after that. Xiao YuAn rolled on the ground twice, falling into a daze he saw the sky turning upside down. He then heard a girl screaming: ¡°Ah!! Someone help! There¡¯s a thief!!¡± Yan HeQingnded lightly on the ground. He stepped forward, picked up Xiao YuAn who was still rubbing his head, and flew away with his light tiptoes. The speed was astonishing fast, and after a while, they easily escaped. After confirming that no one was following them, Yan HeQing put Xiao YuAn down. Xiao YuAn quickly looked down and let out a long breath. The sweet potatoes were still safe and secure in his arms, they were not lost. Xiao YuAn rubbed his sore arm and handed Yan HeQing a piece of roasted sweet potato, patiently discussing with him: ¡°Actually, I¡¯m very fast when I have to escape through a window. Seriously, can you inform me beforehand the next time, when we see ourselves facing the same situation?¡± Stealing food from the Imperial Kitchen, there will be a next time? Yan HeQing smirked and took the sweet potato without answering him. After filling his stomach with sweet potatoes, Xiao YuAn looked around. There were no halls or dormitories around. The only thing he could see was gardens, no guards patrolling, it looked extremely lonely, unlike the inside of the Pce. Xiao YuAn cleared his throat, turned his head to Yan HeQing and smiled, ¡°I seem to be¡­¡± ¡°Ask for directions.¡± Yan HeQing interrupted him in a terrifying manner. Xiao YuAn obediently turned around to find someone. This ce was too wide, they walked around in circles until finally they met with an Imperial Guard. The Imperial Guard also came here to take a nap. When he saw them, he panicked and immediately tried to avoid their escape. The two of them thought something was wrong, he waved his sword and ran towards them shouting: ¡°Who are you! Where are you going?¡± Xiao YuAn wiped his face, which was dirty with charcoal, revealing his features that could barely be seen before. As soon as the Imperial Guard saw his face, he fell on his knees inplete shock: ¡°Y-your Majesty?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kneel, get up.¡± Xiao YuAn raised his hand, unable to bear seeing him kneel. The Imperial Guard stood up trembling all over: ¡°Your Majesty, why are you here? This ce is outside the Imperial City.¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°I want to ask you something, where¡¯s the altar of the Temple of Heaven?¡± The Imperial Guard replied: ¡°Answering to His Majesty, it¡¯s located in the South, for about six li3.¡± Xiao YuAn thanked him with a smile, turned his head to see Yan HeQing and said: ¡°Let¡¯s go?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yan HeQing nodded. The Imperial Guard stared at the two men leaving side by side, suddenly, he remembered something and ran towards them in a few steps: ¡°Your Majesty, this ce is outside the Imperial City and the road ahead is not easy to walk on, there¡¯s many forests and paths. Would you like to go back to the Imperial City first and take the Imperial carriage?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Xiao YuAn waved his hands, smiling warmly, the clear light of the daytime was illuminating his beautiful face and defined eyes and eyebrows. Suddenly, the guard couldn¡¯t see the so called tyrant that everyone was talking about. They ended up walking from noon to dusk. Xiao YuAn wore a robe. Not only was he unable to open his legs, but also he always ended up hooking branches; he had to move slowly, one step after another. And if it weren¡¯t for the cold, he really would¡¯ve teared apart his hem. In the evening, the sky gradually darkened, and the altar of the Temple of Heaven finally appeared in front of them. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ÐÐë…Á÷Ë® x¨ªng y¨²n li¨² shu¨«; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it¡¯s used to describe things that are unstable and easy to disappear, fast and light. It¡¯s also used to describe poetry, calligraphy, painting, and thinking naturally and smoothly. From ¡¶´ðлÃñʦÊé¡·(d¨¢xi¨¨ m¨ªn sh¨© sh¨±), ¡°The Book Of Thanking Civilian Teachers¡±. Written by (ËÕéø s¨± sh¨¬) Su Shi [1037-1101], a Northern writer and calligrapher of the Song Dynasty [960-1279], he¡¯s also known as one of the Eight Giants of the Tang and Song Prose.
  2. »ÆȪ Hu¨¢ng qu¨¢n; In Chinese mythology, the Yellow Springs refers to the ce where people go after death, the Underworld. The Yellow Springs is also one of the nine prisons of the Nine Springs (underworld). The Yellow Springs is rted to burials: the excavations of the tombs in the Central ins (the middle and lower regions of the Yellow River) asionally encounters water mixed with loess (yellow sandy soil typical of North China), like in the Yellow Springs. So, it¡¯s said that the Yellow Springs is the underground world where people live after death.
  3. Àï l¨«; Ancient measure of length, approximately 500 meters. So six li are equivalent to 3 kilometers.
Chapter 34: You Can’t Go Without Turning Back. Chapter 34: You Can¡¯t Go Without Turning Back. The altar of the Temple of Heaven was located on the ny-nine step halfway up the mountain, the sunset was like the blood of the sun. This solemn altar was particrly awe-inspiring. Besides the steps, looking splendid in jade and gold, was the temple. It was filled with incense smoke, quiet and solemn. Yan HeQing frowned: ¡°Is it here?¡± ¡°This is the ce where the ancestors are worshipped and where the relics are stored in the Northern Kingdom. You can wait for me here for a bit, I¡¯ll go.¡± Xiao YuAn looked at Yan HeQing¡¯s face and said carefully. After all, the memorial te of thete Emperor was still in there. Yan HeQing nodded his head. Xiao YuAn brushed the ash off his body, fixed up his clothes, got up and walked into the temple. The ce of worship was heavily guarded by soldiers. Although the guards were surprised by Xiao YuAn¡¯s sudden appearance, they didn¡¯t dare to stop him. Xiao YuAn walked into the Hall smoothly and unhurried. Inside the main hall were ced the memorial tes of the ancestors, all of which were decorated delicately and engraved with golden characters. The incense was burning in the Hall, and there were fruit tes with pork heads. Xiao YuAn thought for a while, and bowed down. In the original book, on the third day after Yan HeQing¡¯s attack on the Northern Kingdom, he burned this ce to ashes. The memorial tes of the ancestors, including the one of thete Emperor, were heavily smashed and then discarded at the gate of the city; trampled by thousands of people like it was garbage. Xiao YuAn raised his head and looked at the solemnity in front of him. Thinking that now Yan HeQing was waiting for him outside, at this time, he felt like it was a dream. After sighing with emotion, Xiao YuAn remembered the purpose of this trip and started to look around. Yan HeQing waited patiently outside the temple, and after a quarter of an hour, Xiao YuAn¡¯s figure appeared before his eyes. Xiao YuAn went in empty handed, and when he came out, he carried a sword in his hands. He walked towards Yan HeQing and handed it to him: ¡°Here, this is yours.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes were round and surprised. He took the sword and rubbed the sheath carefully. On the hilt of the sword was carved a golden dragon, the body of the sword was thin, sharp and had a faint cold light surrounding it. Blowing away his hair, Yan HeQing lowered his eyes. After a while, he choked: ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao YuAn replied. This sword was once belonging to the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom, the father of Yan HeQing. After the Southern Yan Kingdom was destroyed by thete Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, Yan HeQing¡¯s father used this sword tomit suicide within the city wall, weeping with blood and mourning. However, thete Emperor of the Northern Kingdom took it as a war trophy and used it as his sword. Eventually, it became the only relic that wasn¡¯t buried after his death. Instead, it was ced at the temple for the future generations to worship. This was the reason why Yan HeQing hated this ce so much. Yan HeQing calmed down and raised his head to look up at Xiao YuAn: ¡°What does this mean?¡± Xiao YuAn said with a smile: ¡°It¡¯s yours, take good care of it.¡± It belongs to Yan HeQing anyways, sooner orter he would¡¯ve obtained it. Yan HeQing stared closely at Xiao YuAn, his eyes were moving and had a light ofplicated feelings; after a while, he murmured: ¡°Thank you.¡± Xiao YuAn shrugged: ¡°It belongs to you, I was just returning it to its original owner.¡± Yan HeQing nced at him again, then turned his back to the temple. He put his sword on the ground with both hands, lifted the hem, and knelt down without hesitation. Facing his destroyed homnd, underneath the mountains and rivers, and above the blue sky. Xiao YuAn turned around, unwilling to see it, fearing that Yan HeQing would raise his head. His eyes were full of resentment against this country, and his anger would eventually develop into a sharp edge that would cut his own neck. After a while, Xiao YuAn suddenly heard Yan HeQing calling him, he turned around and saw that Yan HeQing had already stood up. He was holding the sword and there was no resentment and sadness in his eyes anymore, they were bright and calm as the water. Then, he said: ¡°Let¡¯s go back?¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go back.¡± It was said that it¡¯s easier to walk up the mountain than to walk down, but for Xiao YuAn, it was extremely difficult to walk up the mountain already; and now, he just wanted to roll down like a ball. Seeing the bright moon in the starred sky, the mountain path wasn¡¯t clear enough, and every step had to be taken carefully, which required a lot of time. Xiao YuAn was holding onto his inconvenient long clothes and mocked himself: ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep going, I want to just lie here and wait for someone to collect my corpse.¡± Yan HeQing pointed to a clean and t stone on the side of the road: ¡°Sit down and rest for a while.¡± Xiao YuAn sat down on the stone and rubbed his ankles while smiling: ¡°Don¡¯t you get anxious if I walk so slowly.¡± Without Xiao YuAn holding him back, Yan HeQing would¡¯ve returned to the Imperial City in about an hour. Yan HeQing looked at him quietly, and replied with a light tone: ¡°You also gave up traveling in the Imperial carriage because of me.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t expect Yan HeQing to notice this. He was stunned for a little bit, and didn¡¯t know how to answer. The two of them were silent for a while. Around them the mountain was quiet. Xiao YuAn coughed lightly trying to break the silence when Yan HeQing suddenly narrowed his eyes and rushed to his person: ¡°Be careful, behind you!¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly turned his head and saw a green snake with red spots on his head! Yan HeQing hit the seven inch green snake with a tiny stone and then strangled it in front of Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn, was too frightened to stand and yet he took a few steps back, fell to the ground, and rolled down the stairs. After a while, Xiao YuAn was lying on the ground with his arms folded, staring at the stars in the sky. A handsome face appeared looking down on him, blocking the sky. Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°Are you here to collect my corpse?¡± Yan HeQing said: ¡°¡­No.¡± Xiao YuAn waved his hand and asked him to move his head away: ¡°Then let me count the stars, I just found a constetion.¡± Yan HeQing kindly reached out his hand to Xiao YuAn, who estimated that he had injured himself: ¡°Can you stand up?¡± Xiao YuAn took Yan HeQing¡¯s hand and started to stand up, but he felt extreme pain in his ankle. Xiao YuAn frowned: ¡°It hurts, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s twisted or dislocated.¡± It was indeed very slippery. Xiao YuAn covered himself in fallen leaves, he wasn¡¯t angry or sad. Instead, he joked to Yan HeQing: ¡°Anyway, you can just leave me here, after all we¡¯re already outside the Imperial City. With your skills, escaping should be easy.¡± Yan HeQing stared at his mischievously smiling eyes, stood up without flinching and walked without turning back, hurrying away. Xiao YuAn was stupefied. Hey!! I was just joking!! You can¡¯t really go away!! ¡°Yan¡­¡± Xiao YuAn came to himself and wanted to call out for him, but found that Yan HeQing¡¯s figure had disappeared into the vast night. You¡¯re too heartless! On behalf of the socialist core values, I strongly condemn your unfriendly behavior!! All of a sudden, he was abandoned just like that on a remote path. Even if he says to himself that it¡¯s impossible for him to not feel wronged, Xiao YuAn sighed and felt sad. Heid on his back and continued to count stars,pletely abandoned: ¡°Dubhe, Merak, Phecda1¡­¡± While counting on Phecda, Xiao YuAn¡¯s ears suddenly heard the sound of a wooden stick being cut. Xiao YuAn was so frightened that he abruptly sat up and saw Yan HeQing, which he didn¡¯t know at that moment hade back. He was cutting some branches with his sword, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t know why he was doing that. Wow, this splendid sword was being used to cut wooden sticks. Can¡¯t you hear its cry? No, I¡¯m wrong, that¡¯s not the point at all. Xiao YuAn said: ¡°You, you didn¡¯t leave.¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t understand why Xiao YuAn thought so unjustly of him, he was simply toozy to take care of others. He cut two wooden sticks, tore off a piece of his clothing, wrapped Xiao YuAn¡¯s injured ankle, and then squatted down to carry Xiao YuAn up on his back. Chapter 35: No Matter What You Do. You Will Not Be Misunderstood. Was he being carried by the male lead??? In the original book, this was a privilege that only Princess Yongning had! Seeing himself in the role of the female lead made Xiao YuAn feel ufortable. He put his hands on his chest and didn¡¯t dare to hug Yan HeQing¡¯s neck, instead he turned his head around pretending to look at the scenery. His awkward posture wasn¡¯t stable and his body was slightly moving. Yan HeQing said: ¡°Don¡¯t move, or else you¡¯ll fall to the ground, hold me tight.¡± You¡¯re the male lead, so I¡¯ll listen to you! With his permission, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t feel awkward anymore. He hugged Yan HeQing¡¯s neck and smiled softly: ¡°Thank you, I owe you a favor.¡± Yan HeQing walked steadily and said: ¡°You also carried me like thisst time.¡± On that day, when he was punished to kneel in the snow, Xiao YuAn carried him all the way to the Taiyi Pce. Xiao YuAn was surprised: ¡°So you knew.¡± Yan HeQing replied: ¡° Yes, but at that time I thought you were¡­¡± His voice faded away, but the two of them understood the meaning behind those words inside their hearts. Xiao YuAn sighed: ¡°We are now considered a revolutionary friendship.¡± ¡°Revolutionary friendship?¡± ¡°Yes, revolutionary! Friendship! Revolutionary friendship! It¡¯s beyond life and death! It doesn¡¯t matter the distance! It¡¯s wordless! It¡¯s like an immortal me, burning on the vastnd!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn turned his head to look at Yan HeQing¡¯s speechless expression, leaned over smirking, and said: ¡°The night sky is so beautiful, I suddenly want to sing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What type of song?¡± ¡°A song about friendship.¡± Xiao YuAn cleared his throat and began to sing: ¡°The big river flows eastward~ the stars in the sky go to the Great Bear, hey hey hey hey, go to the Great Bear, a bowl of wine for a friendship of life and death1¡­oh!¡± Extreme joy bes sorrow2, Yan HeQing was irritated by Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice, and made Xiao YuAn hit his face on a tree branch. Yan HeQing steadied his steps and tried to ignore what he just did: ¡°Song of friendship?¡± Xiao YuAn breathed and excitedly rubbed his head: ¡°The song is about the revolutionary friendship of 108 big men, are you listening to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not listening, we reached the Imperial City.¡± Xiao YuAn raised his head and looked up at the vermilion Imperial City wall. It was brightly lit and the carvings were made out of jade. This winter was really snowy, painting everything in white. At one nce, it seemed like seeing another world. Prosperity, today it was flowing in prosperity, but what about tomorrow? Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Wait, stop, don¡¯t go in.¡± Yan HeQing stopped and heard Xiao YuAn murmuring: ¡°Yan HeQing, can you call me by my name?¡± Yan HeQing paused, and earnestly and seriously said: ¡°Xiao YuAn.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, let¡¯s go.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled. At this moment, the Imperial City was hysterical. The Emperor didn¡¯te back!!! The Emperor didn¡¯te back ever since he went out early in the morning!! And now it was midnight!! He didn¡¯t bring any Imperial guards with him!! No Imperial guards! It was said that the Emperor finally appeared at the Temple of Heaven, but the Temple was at most one and a half hour away from the Imperial City. But it¡¯s been three hours since then! Three hours! At such a young life!! The Emperor had gone missing!!! A group of Imperial Guards were hysterically running around with torches andnterns looking for the Emperor and the Prince, and then, they suddenly appeared in front of the crowd. Yang LiuAn burst into tears and directed his sword towards Yan HeQing¡¯s throat: ¡°Release the Emperor!¡± ¡°Put away the sword, put away the sword!¡± Xiao YuAn quickly jumped down on one foot and reached to lower Yang LiuAn¡¯s sword. Looking at Xiao YuAn¡¯s messy clothes, with bruised wrists and his hair mixed with leaves, Yang LiuAn was horrified: ¡°Your Majesty, how are you, why are you like this?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Xiao YuAn exined: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a night tour.¡± Night tour??? The group of Imperial Guards¡¯ eyes wandered back and forth between Yan HeQing and Xiao YuAn. Bodyguard Yang asked: ¡°A night tour surely ca-can¡¯t, be like this?¡± Xiao YuAn waved his hand casually: ¡°I wasn¡¯t careful while having fun and getting along with each other.¡± Not careful, in having fun, and getting along with each other? Having fun, and getting along with each other? Getting along with each other? The group of Imperial Guards looked at Yan HeQing, and then began to cough one after the other. After coughing they looked up at the sky, the moon and the stars. As the saying goes: gossip is the main way of spreading information in human history, an important channel for humanmunication, a fast bridge for humanmunication, and an interesting life for a boring soul! So that night, the night tour between the Emperor and the Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom was like a hurricane, sweeping around the Pce. Inside Jing Yang Pce, Qin Yu heard the news and smashed the porcin cup in his hand. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ºÃºº¸è H¨£oh¨¤n g¨¥ / Hero¡¯s song. It¡¯s a theme song of a TV series ¡°Water Margin¡± and sung by (Áõ»¶ li¨² hu¨¡n) Liu Huan.
  2. ÀÖ¼«Éú±¯ l¨¨ j¨ª sh¨¥ng b¨¥i; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means to not celebrate too soon, things could still go wrong. From ¡¶Ê·¼Ç¡¤»¬»üÁд«¡·(sh¨« j¨¬¡¤hu¨¢ j¨© li¨¨ zhu¨¤n), ¡°Records of the Grand Historian: An Amusing Historical Biography¡±. Written by (˾ÂíǨ s¨© m¨£ qi¨¡n) Sima Qian [145-86 BC], a historian from the Western Han Dynasty [206 BC-8 AC], also known as the Father of Chinese Historiography.
Chapter 36: I Was Threatened To Do A Special Task. The next day, Xiao Fengyue¡¯s door was knocked on. Xiao Fengyue has always been someone lonely, and the only visitor he had was Yang LiuAn; but this time, when he opened the door with joy, he saw thest person he wanted to see. Qin Yu smiled and said: ¡°Can Ie in and have a chat?¡± Out of courtesy, Xiao Fengyue kindly invited him into the room: ¡°This poor room is simple, Gongzi1 can sit at will.¡± Qin Yu stepped into the room and didn¡¯t sit down. He looked at the Guqin ced on the table, his fingers yed the strings frivolously: ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Xiao-gongzi is good at ying stringed instruments, so I came here to learn from you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t dare, but I¡¯ll be d to discuss it with you.¡± Xiao Fengyue suppressed the uneasiness inside his heart, picked up the porcin cup on the table and poured tea for Qin Yu. Qin Yu smirked and asked: ¡°Xiao-gongzi, have you ever yed the Guqin for His Majesty?¡± Xiao Fengyue replied: ¡°Humble me is not talented. His Majesty feels that my music is too muddled, humbled me has never yed for His Majesty.¡± Qin Yu smiled even more, his eyes narrowed slightly, they were cunning and sinister: ¡°So, in such arge Pce, only Bodyguard Yang had heard the sound of Gongzi¡¯s Guqin?¡± Xiao Fengyue¡¯s hand trembled, the porcin cup fell to the ground shattering in pieces. He suddenly raised his head, his face was ghostly pale, his eyes were round and his red lips were trembling: ¡°You, you, you¡­¡± Qin Yu picked up a porcin cup, filled it with clean water, took a sip, and then continued: ¡°Oh, even if His Majesty had never favored you, you¡¯re still not allowed to have sex with an Imperial Guard in private. You¡¯re guilty and you should die2.¡± Xiao Fengyue calmed his mind and said with anger: ¡°Don¡¯t spit blood on people3, we¡¯re just strangers that happened to meet once.¡± ¡°Stranger?¡± Qin Yu suddenly started tough out loud. Afterughing, he wiped his tears, smiled, and asked: ¡°Who would gift his personal sachet to a stranger?¡± Xiao Fengyue finally lost all his strength. He almost fell to the ground. Supporting himself with one hand at the table, he asked hoarsely: ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Xiao-gongzi is a wise man, I will go right to the point.¡± Qin Yu took out a small white porcin bottle from his sleeve andid it on the table. Xiao Fengyue asked: ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Knockout drug.¡± ¡°Knockout drug?¡± ¡°Yes, I want you to drug Yan HeQing, pretend to have an affair with him, and then be discovered by His Majesty.¡± Qin Yu¡¯s tone was indifferent, and his words were bloody. Xiao Fengyue¡¯s eyes widened incredulously: ¡°Th-this, this is a death sentence.¡± It¡¯s a sin that can even bring the death penalty to the people being favored by the Emperor. ¡°Yes, it is also a death sentence, but Bodyguard Yang¡¯s name will be clean, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Qin Yu raised an eyebrow. Xiao Fengyue lowered his eyes and lost all the blood from his face: ¡°But, how can I get His Majesty to¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it, I¡¯ll find a way myself. Just tell me whether you¡¯ll do it or not.¡± Qin Yu cut off his words and smiled. ¡°Please think about it, Xiao-gongzi, and give me your final answer at night.¡± After that, Qin Yu didn¡¯t want to stay any longer, so he got up and left. Xiao Fengyue¡¯s voice sounded behind him: ¡°You¡¯re so vicious, aren¡¯t you afraid of the wrath of heaven?¡± Qin Yuughed instead of getting angry, and turned sideways to reply: ¡°The wrath of heaven? At that time, I was an Imperial Guard on my road to be an Official, but I was forced into this Pce by His Majesty¡¯s desires. I was forced to be a male concubine for him to y with. Isn¡¯t this condemnation? Because I had his favoritism alone, I almost died at the hands of a treacherous person because of my unique appearance, isn¡¯t that also condemnation? Xiao-gongzi, I, surnamed Qin, had lived in this Jing Yang Pce long enough, I can¡¯t hear the words ¡®the wrath of heaven¡¯.¡± After his speech, Qin Yu turned away and left. The Emperor was at the top of the sky, and he had to climb with a weak body to gain a ce inside the Imperial Pce, but then, he was thrown at the front of the main hall, put into disy as part of the Imperial Harem, for long nights thatsted forever, full of sorrow. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ¹«×Ó g¨­ng z¨«; The original meaning of ¡°Gongzi¡± was used to refer to the son and/or daughter of a Prince,ter generations used it to refer to the sons of the Imperial family, but also to the sons of an Official. It can also be tranted as ¡°Young Master¡±. In modern times, is often used to refer to to someone¡¯s child (usually a son) in an honorific manner.
  2. ×ï¸ÃÍòËÀ°¡ zu¨¬ g¨¡i w¨¤n s¨« a; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means to be guilty of a crime for which one deserves to die ten thousand deaths / A thousand deaths will not atone for one¡¯s crime / Be guilty of a crime for which even death cannot atone / Be very guilty and deserve death. From ¡¶¶«ÖÜÁйúÖ¾¡·(d¨­ng zh¨­u li¨¨ gu¨® zh¨¬), ¡°Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms¡±. Written by (·ëÃÎÁú f¨¦ng m¨¨ng l¨®ng) Feng Menglong [1574-1646], a historian, novelist, and poet of thete Ming Dynasty [1368-1644].
  3. º¬ÑªÅçÈË h¨¢n xu¨¨ p¨¥n r¨¦n; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, It means fabricating facts, ndering and framing people with vicious words / casting malicious words to injure somebody. From ¡¶ÂÞºþҰ¼¡·(lu¨­ h¨² y¨§ l¨´), ¡°Private Historical Records of Luohu¡±. Written by (ÏþÓ¨ xi¨£o y¨ªng) Xiaoying, a famous monk in Linji from the Southern Song Dynasty [1127-1279].
Chapter 37: The Premeditation of a Special Task. Chapter 37: The Premeditation Of The Plot. Xiao YuAn¡¯s foot was sprained and it wasn¡¯t dislocated. The Imperial physician said that it would be fine to just rest for a few days. So Xiao YuAn waszily eating and drinking, lying stiff like a corpse every day. On the third day, Princess Yongning came to visit the patient, and behind her was Cui¡¯er, the maid that looked like Lu Zhishen. Cui¡¯er was very shy, she twisted her head and walked a few steps without looking at the road, then identally hitting a guard that was at the door of the Imperial bedchamber. With a cry, Cui¡¯er shyly entered the bedchamber. The guard sat on the ground feeling that his ribs were broken. ¡°Imperial Brother, how is it possible that you¡¯ve been sick and injured recently?¡± Princess Yongning sat beside the bed with worried eyes. Xiao YuAnforted her: ¡°I just sprained my ankle by ident, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Well, Imperial Brother, Yongning cooked some porridge for you.¡± After saying that, Princess Yongning gave a signal to Cui¡¯er and she quickly brought an exquisite wooden food box. Upon seeing Hong Xiu, Princess Yongning took the food box personally and said with a smile: ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll do it, the sugar hasn¡¯t been added yet.¡± Hong Xiu nodded her head, and stepped aside. A sweet fragrance wasing from the inside of the food box. Xiao YuAn moved towards the bedside and leaned out: ¡°What kind of porridge is this?¡± Princess Yongning smiled: ¡°Snow pear lily porridge.¡± Xiao YuAn fell directly out of his bed. There was a scream in the bedroom, and Princess Yongning was so scared that she quickly helped Xiao YuAn get back up on the bed: ¡°Imperial Brother, be more careful.¡± Xiao YuAn asked tremblingly: ¡°Y-you say it again, what porridge?¡± Princess Yongning was puzzled: ¡°Snow pear lily porridge.¡± ¡°Cooked with the sun dried lily flowers stored sincest August?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Princess Yongning was surprised. ¡°Imperial Brother, what¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so frightened?¡± How can Xiao YuAn not be frightened!!! Snow pear lily porridge??? In the original book, this was Yan HeQing¡¯s first bloom of love for Princess Yongning, this item helped to push forward their hidden feelings!! In the original book, Yan HeQing, who was an Imperial bodyguard, was amazed after drinking the snow pear lily porridge made by the princess herself, bent her eyes and smiled: ¡°If you like it, then, can I cook the porridge again for you?¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s heart got warmer. He thought of how Princess Yongning treated him with kindness, and how good her nature was for many days. Suddenly, faint love thoughts flooded! And the author also emphasizes that when this lily flower bloomed, only two or three could be saved, only enough to cook this porridge once. In the original book, only the male lead Yan HeQing had eaten this snow pear lily porridge. Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart was racing: So why did you cook it! Not only did you cook it, but you also brought it to me!!! I¡¯ll die young!! This is the plot of the snow pear lily porridge, but the both of them haven¡¯t met yet!! Haven¡¯t! Met! Yet! Xiao YuAn was feeling a little suffocated. Princess Yongning opened the wooden food box. Holding the wooden clip, she took some sugar and put it into the soft and sweet porridge: ¡°Imperial Brother likes sweets, so I put a little bit more of sugar into it.¡± It doesn¡¯t matter what I like or what I don¡¯t like!! What¡¯s important is whether Yan HeQing likes it!! Princess Yongning picked up the wooden spoon, scooped out a small bowl, and fed it to Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth: ¡°Imperial Brother, please taste it.¡± Xiao YuAn took the small bowl and took a sip of the porridge, his eyes lit up. Delicious!! This is the porridge that only the male lead is allowed to drink!!! Xiao YuAn drank the porridge with extremelyplicated feelings. He praised it and said: ¡°My lips and teeth retain the fragrance, the aftertaste is endless, it¡¯s delicious.¡± Princess Yongning received the bowl and was delighted: ¡°It¡¯s great that Imperial Brother liked it so much. How about Yongning cooks the porridge again for Imperial Brother, would you like it?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s face copsed. Can someone please stop giving me all the main roles for the scenes destined to the female lead and the male lead! I can¡¯t stand it! ¡°But there¡¯s still so much left, does Imperial Brother want to drink some more?¡± Princess Yongning asked, looking at the food box. ¡°I¡¯ll drink it!¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly shouted. ¡°Leave it here, I¡¯ll eat some more in a while.¡± ¡°Wonderful.¡± Princess Yongning smiled cheerfully. Princess Yongning talked with Xiao YuAn for a while, then she left the Imperial bedchamber. Seeing Princess Yongning leaving, Xiao YuAn moved quickly. Putting away the food container, disregarding his ankle injury, and insisted on going to Jing Yang Pce. Yan HeQing was surprised by the sudden appearance of Xiao YuAn. He put a food box on the table, lifted the lid, and filled a bowl, fearing that he wouldn¡¯t drink it, he insisted: ¡°Drink, drink, drink.¡± Although Yan HeQing wasn¡¯t understanding anything, he still took a sip of the glutinous porridge from Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand. ¡°How is it?¡± Xiao YuAn asked. Yan HeQing frowned: ¡°It¡¯s too sweet.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand trembled nearly breaking the porcin bowl. It¡¯s too sweet? Sweet? Shouldn¡¯t you use all the best words in the world to praise this bowl of porridge!! How do you have the nerve to dislike it! You don¡¯t want your wife!!! Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°Don¡¯t you feel anything?¡± ¡°Feel what?¡± Of course the feeling of palpitations! The feeling of first love! A young girl yearning for love¡­ Pah! A heartfelt feeling! ¡°You must drink it all.¡± Xiao YuAn pushed the food box to Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing stared at him and slowly swallowed the porridge until he felt full. Xiao YuAn asked nervously: ¡°How was it?¡± Yan HeQing poured a cup of water and put it on his lips: ¡°Slightly greasy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn stood up. ¡°I¡¯lle back tomorrow morning. I must present someone special to you, I must!¡± Yan HeQing was drinking water trying to clear the greasy feeling in his mouth while listening to Xiao YuAn¡¯s nagging about a plot, and the nonsense of a male lead and a female lead. Finally, Xiao YuAn emphasizes it again that he¡¯lle tomorrow morning, and then, he sighed and left. Yan HeQing was confused wondering why Xiao YuAn was so sad that he didn¡¯t finish eating all the porridge. He put his hand on his chin and looked down. Suddenly, he felt something was abnormal, so he got up and walked to open the window. The wind was cold, there was ice and snow everywhere. Yan HeQing narrowed his eyes slightly. After checking that everything was looking normal, he felt that he was thinking too much and finally closed the window. At the same time, there was a man hiding behind a big tree inside the courtyard. The man was thin and agile. Seeing Yan HeQing closing the window, he took a long breath, wiped his cold sweat, and ran towards another part inside the Jing Yang Pce. That was Qin Yu¡¯s wing room. Qin Yu was anxiously walking back and forth inside the wing room, worried that something had gone wrong and everything was exposed. Qin Yu was afraid of death. Because he was afraid of death, he didn¡¯t dare to disobey the Emperor¡¯s order and became part of his harem of male concubines. Because of his fear of death, when the Young Monarch expressed his love to him, he had to suppress his disgust and pretend to be ttering and charming. Just because of his fear of death, in this Pce, his original strong temperament became more and more susceptible and sensitive. There was a time when he didn¡¯t have plotting and tricks inside his mind, but he had no other choice than to be a calcting person. After all, inside this Pce filled with evil intentions, there¡¯s no room for true temperament. Suddenly, there was a knock at his door, Qin Yu was so scared that he hurried to open it. The short man quickly entered the room and closed the door behind him: ¡°Qin-gongzi, his Majesty will go to Yan HeQing tomorrow morning.¡± Hearing the news, Qin Yu nodded, got up and took a bag of silver from a wooden cab inside the wing-room and gave it to the thin man. The man thanked him again and again, and heard Qin Yu say: ¡°Go and ask Xiao Fengyue if he had already considered it or not, got it?¡± Chapter 38: Who Knows Where Will I Be, When I Wake Up Tonight? In the dead of the night, the lights were cut from the candles, and the rain was deste. Xiao Fengyue, who wasn¡¯t able to close his eyes for a long time, sat at the table. The candle light stretched his figure making it look extremely long. He carefully stroked the porcin bottle in his hand, his eyes were full of sorrow. Xiao Fengyue knew in his whole lifetime, that the world was cold and ruthless. When Xiao Fengyue was eight years old, his parents died for some unknown reason, and his family fell into despair. He was sold to the Royal Family by his rtives and became a little ve. From then on, he suffered a lot from being owned by others. When he was sixteen years old, His Royal Highness the Prince brought a Qin yer of sixty years of age to the Pce. When the old master was ying the Guqin, Xiao Fengyue was fortunate enough to be able to enjoy it on the side while he was serving Wangye1. His appreciation deeply trapped him into the 1st, 2nd and 5th pentatonic scale2 that sounded everywhere inside the pce, unable to extricate himself. It was a pity that Wangye was disconcerted and didn¡¯t understand the beauty of the melody at all. It was only because the Qin yer was old and boring that he didn¡¯t have any interest in him. The next day, he was sent away. On the day when the old Qin yer left, it rained heavily. Xiao Fengyue ran out of the pce despite the fact that he could be punished for it. Standing in front of the old Qin yer, he begged: ¡°Can I touch your Guqin? Just for a little bit, I¡¯ve washed my hands.¡± The old Qin yer untied the Guqin on his back and handed it to Xiao Fengyue. Xiao Fengyue held the ancient Guqin as if he was holding a treasure, then, he gently hooked the strings excitedly and even a piece of music lighted out! It was the piece that the old Qin yer interpreted the day before at Wangye¡¯s Pce. The old Qin yer was taken aback and quickly taught Xiao Fengyue several melodies on the spot. Xiao Fengyue yed one by one without any mistakes. The old Qin yerughed up to the sky, and then spent all his belongings to redeem Xiao Fengyue from the Pce. From then on, there was one less ve in the world, and one more Guqin yer that followed his master to travel around the mountains and rivers. Five yearster, the old Qin yer passed away. Xiao Fengyue buried him and traveled alone. His life was hard, but he was also very happy. Due to his extraordinary appearance and because he was very good at ying the Guqin, he soon became a legend among the people. When the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom heard about him, he asked Xiao Fengyue to join the Imperial Pce to be the Imperial Qin yer. In the end, half a yearter, the Southern Yan Kingdom was destroyed by the cavalry of the Northern Kingdom. Xiao Fengyue failed to escape and was captured by the Northern Kingdom. Later, because of his appearance, he was chosen by Hong Xiu and he was sent from the prison cell to Jing Yang Pce. On thest day of his imprisonment, an Imperial Guard untied the chains on his ankles. At that time, Xiao Fengyue¡¯s ankles were worn by the iron chains, and it was extremely difficult to move. The Imperial Guard apologized and said: ¡°Let me carry you on my back.¡± That day, Xiao Fengyue fell on the Guard¡¯s steady back, he heard the Guard whispering an apology to him. Xiao Fengyue asked him why he should apologize to him? The Imperial Guard replied to him that it was because he was suffering. Xiao Fengyue suffered a lot in this lifetime, but no one had ever apologized to him. The next day, the Imperial Guard blushed, took a medicine bottle from his clothes, and carefully handed it to him: ¡°I was sent to give this to you, the healing effect it¡¯s very good, take it.¡± Afterwards, the Imperial Guard said: ¡°The weather in the Northern Kingdom is really cold, will you be able to bear it?¡± The Imperial Guard continued: ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you had traveled to a lot of ces. I haven¡¯t been out of the pce since I was a child, is the outside world interesting?¡± The Imperial Guard talked to him again: ¡°There¡¯s no one on night guard duty today. Would you talk with me? Just an hour, no, half an hour will be enough.¡± The Imperial Guard tried again: ¡°I went to the Imperial Kitchen today and saw the sweet osmanthus cake. I begged for one and brought it to you for you to taste it.¡± The Imperial Guard spoke again: ¡°My name is Yang LiuAn.¡± Xiao Fengyue talked to him: ¡°The world is much more exciting than this grand Pce. One day, would you like to go out and travel with me?¡± Xiao Fengyue asked him: ¡°I¡¯d like to y the Guqin for you, is that okay?¡± Xiao Fengyue asked again: ¡°Did you like it?¡± That evening, Yang LiuAn looked at him with affectionate eyes. It sounded to some degree like the bright moving water and the music of an ancient instrument, at the half setting of the sun: ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, it was really nice to hear.¡± Gradually, the two of them fell in love with each other, but because of their own identities, they never did anything beyond the rules. But in this Pce that was like a cage; this innocent rtionship, was just like a capital crime. Xiao Fengyue squeezed the porcin bottle tightly, and when he closed his eyes, all he could see was Yang LiuAn¡¯s smile. After a long time, he opened his eyes again, and they were determined and sorrowful. Butcked fear. Footnotes: [Title meaning]: ½ñÏü¾ÆÐѺδ¦ j¨©n xi¨¡o ji¨³ x¨«ng h¨¦ ch¨´; This sentencees from the poem ¡¶ÓêÁØÁ塤º®²õÆàÇС·(y¨³ l¨ªn l¨ªng¡¤h¨¢nch¨¢n q¨©qi¨¨), ¡°A Small Bell is Under the Rain-The Cicada is Mourning¡±, written by (ÁøÓÀ li¨³ y¨¯ng) Liu Yong [987-1053] a poet from the Song Dynasty [960-1279]. The poem describes the scene of lovers parting ways and expressing their feelings after the separation. It expresses the true feelings of lovers when they have to say goodbye to each other. Footnotes
  1. ÍõÒ¯ w¨¢ng ye; A Wangye is a man who was honored with a royal title in feudal times, he doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be from the Royal family, but this title was usually given to the son of the Emperor. However, men with the title of ¡°Wang¡± also includedmoners who had contributed to the state and nation, so they were given the title. A Wangye was the equivalent of argendowner who could collect rent from his own fief and lived in good conditions, however, he didn¡¯t have the power to leave his own fiefdom or to move freely, unless the Emperor summoned him to the Capital. As for official positions, the Wangye is a title that represents status, and in terms of status, the ¡°Wang¡± was second only to the Emperor. It can be tranted as: Prince / Marquis / Nobleman.
  2. A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave.
Chapter 39: An Special Event for Catching Adultery. Chapter 39: An Special Event for Catching Adultery. It rained down all night, and into the next morning. The green leaves were dripping, the air was cold, and the sun was shining brightly through the hazy morning mist. Xiao YuAn finished his breakfast in a spirited manner and said to Hong Xiu: ¡°Today you can call me Cupid-Xiao.¡± Hong Xiu¡¯s face looked dull: ¡°The ball must nervouslyugh?1¡± Even if you didn¡¯t understand the first three words, how can you hear Xiao as a falling tone2 when I said it with a high level tone3??? ¡°Anyway, Hong Xiu, is the Imperial Guard uniform that I asked you about yesterday ready?¡± Xiao YuAn asked. Hong Xiu nodded, she was holding a set of clothing in her hands. Xiao YuAn looked at it and found that Hong Xiu even had ck boots, belt and sword. ¡°What does His Majesty want to do?¡± Hong Xiu asked doubtfully. Xiao YuAn smirked with pride: ¡°The thirty six strategies4 weren¡¯t created out of nothing5, you must watch the fire from the other side of the river6, andstly! The soul! Will return! To the corpse!7¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s selfish calctions were very smart. First, he¡¯ll make Yan HeQing pretend to be an Imperial bodyguard. Then, he¡¯ll take him to see Princess Yongning for a moment, andstly, he can just watch the plot develop on its own! After all, it isn¡¯t impossible for the male lead and the female lead to meet each other, stare at the other¡¯s eyes and like each other. They¡¯re like the positive and negative poles of a ma, they¡¯re simr andpatible with each other! As a personal maid, the magic of Hong Xiu is that even if she doesn¡¯t understand Xiao YuAn¡¯s words, she can still guess his intentions: ¡°Your Majesty, are you going to Jing Yang Pce again? This time, you must bring an Imperial Guard with you.¡± Ever since thest time when Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t take an Imperial Guard with him, disappearing for a whole day anding back with an injury, Hong Xiu persuades him to take an Imperial Guard with him now every time he goes out. Xiao YuAn thought for a moment and said: ¡°Maybe this time I¡¯ll bring some Imperial Guards and maidservants.¡± After all, if he want to bring Yan HeQing to Yongning¡¯s Pce Hall afterwards, he has to put on airs. Seeing that Xiao YuAn listened to her advice, Hong Xiu was relieved. She personally selected a few smart maids, and asked Yang LiuAn to choose several Imperial Guards to follow Xiao YuAn. When they reached the Jing Yang Pce, the great group of people looked inspiring. Xiao YuAn subconsciously was going to knock Yan HeQing¡¯s door, but Hong Xiu quickly stopped him: ¡°Your Majesty, why do you need to knock on this male concubine¡¯s door?¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t have the time to speak yet, when Hong Xiu pushed the door open and entered without hesitation. Wait, this is too abrupt! What if Yan HeQing hadn¡¯t gotten up yet! Or in case he has the habit of sleeping naked! Or what about if he¡¯s changing clothes! Hong Xiu, hold back a little! Don¡¯t make him lose face8! Seeing that Hong Xiu had entered the wing room, Xiao YuAn must catch up quickly. Unexpectedly, at the moment he stepped in, Hong Xiu suddenly took a step back, almost hitting him. Huh? Is he really changing clothes? Xiao YuAn looked inside, his pupils shrank and he turned around almost running into Yang Liuan who followed him in. Yang LiuAn was startled and looked right inside the wing room: ¡°Your Majesty, what happened?¡± But after looking inside, Yang LiuAn¡¯s throat seemed to be suddenly strangled by something. His face became pale as if he was falling into an ice cave. Yang LiuAn was once stabbed in the abdomen by an assassin with a sharp de. He still remembers the pain he felt that time: the cold and sharp tip submerged into the flesh letting out the blood, the pain umted everywhere, and then, it exploded violently through his four limbs. But the pain he felt then was ten thousand times less painful than what he was feeling now. ¡°All of you, go out and wait outside.¡± Xiao YuAn stopped Yang LiuAn, who was about to follow him in. He was so frightened that he raised his eyes in shock. Yang LiuAn¡¯s eyes were red and his lips were white. He was trembling, his voice was hoarse and dry, he wasn¡¯t able to utter a whole sentence: ¡°Your Majesty, this, this, must be¡­a misunderstanding.¡± Why is your reaction so exaggerated?! Were you shocked by the erotic view inside the wing room? ¡°LiuAn, wait outside and don¡¯t let anyonee in.¡± Xiao YuAn patted him, but Yang LiuAn grabbed his arm. He breathed hurriedly and said: ¡°Your Majesty, I, I¡­¡­¡± You, you, what do you want to say? After a long time, Yang LiuAn lowered his head as if he had been crushed by something and murmured: ¡°I¡¯llply with His Majesty¡¯s order.¡± Xiao YuAn closed the door of the wing room and pinched himself fiercely. Making sure that this wasn¡¯t a dream, he then turned around. The wing room wasn¡¯t so big. With a table and chairs, bookshelves and wooden cabs, and a tulle bed that could be seen clearly at one nce. The messy bedding on the bed covered two naked bodies that could be seen faintly. Their long ck silk-like hair intertwined, lying in each other¡¯s arms, elegantly drunk, one of them was Yan HeQing. Xiao YuAn blinked, blinked again, and then blurted out: ¡°What the fffffuck??¡± What the fuck? Yan-ge! Why are you lying next to him! He¡¯s! A! Man!!! Even if you hadn¡¯t met the goddess yet, you can¡¯t bend so suddenly! No, no, no, that¡¯s not the point. Xiao YuAn was at a loss on whether he should be more horrified by the sight of Yan HeQing bing gay or the fact that he¡¯d already slept with someone else before meeting the female lead. After a while, Hong Xiu finally came out of the shock, and a terrible rage possessed her. She stepped forward, and after rounding her arms, she was ready to p the two men sleeping on the bed. Chapter 40: An Special Event For Important Matters Chapter 40: An Special Event For Important Matters. ¡°Hey!¡± Hong Xiu¡¯s p was about to hit the faces of the two men sleeping on the bed. Xiao YuAn quickly stepped forward to stop her from doing so. ¡°Your Majesty! Don¡¯t get angry! This maidservant will skin these two bitches alive. I¡¯ll cut them into pieces and throw them to feed the dogs!¡± Hong Xiu gritted her teeth and roared in anger. I¡¯m not angry! You don¡¯t need to look for knives everywhere, there are no knives here! And this is the male lead! The protagonist! You can¡¯t make a move against him!! Although I don¡¯t know why the male lead suddenly became gay, this is a stallion protagonist that sleeps with whoever he wants, it¡¯s really just a daily thing! A daily thing! Seeing that Hong Xiu was going to try to p them again, Xiao YuAn hurriedly said: ¡°Hong Xiu, calm down. Calm down.¡± Naturally, because of the noise, the two men sleeping on the bed gradually woke up. Xiao Fengyue was worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleepst night. At this moment, he slowly opened his eyes, pretended to be horrified and rolled off the bed. Then, he kneeled on the ground: ¡°Y-Your Ma-Majesty?!¡± Yan HeQing gasped, he held his forehead and slowly got up. His head seemed to be in great pain, he opened his eyes and stared at everyone standing in front of him. His eyes were surprised and he was dazed for quite a long time. Finally, heid his eyes on his naked body as if he suddenly understood something. He immediately turned to look at Xiao Fengyue, his eyes were full of calctions, regret and anger. Hong Xiu seemed to have calmed down, so Xiao YuAn let go of her. Lowering her head and thinking of what to say, Hong Xiu took two deep breaths, suddenly stepped forward, and pped Xiao Fengyue¡¯s face hard: ¡°Slut! How you dare do such a lousy thing!¡± Xiao Fengyue was pped on the first side of his white cheek, five fingerprints appeared on it. He turned his head back, and his voice was weak: ¡°Your Majesty, Yan HeQing and I are in love. We promised each other, I hope His Majesty can understand.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°pff¨Ccough cough cough, ah???¡± What, what did you say? Man, do you have the guts to challenge the authority of the female lead? ¡°Shameless!¡± Hong Xiu was red with anger. She grabbed Xiao Fengyue¡¯s hair and pped him a few more times, then she turned around to tear Yan HeQing apart. Jie1! Why do you want to hit him again! You can¡¯t fight the male lead!! ¡°Hong Xiu!¡± Xiao YuAn held Hong Xiu back. He turned his head to look at Xiao Fengyue, who was in a mess with his long hair scattered everywhere, and said: ¡°Put on your clothes, and go back first.¡± ¡°G-go b-back?¡± Xiao Fengyue raised his head. His eyes were astonished, his cheeks were red and swollen. He looked very pitiful. Xiao YuAn asked him: ¡°Yes, by the way, what¡¯s your name?¡± Seeing that Xiao YuAn¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t angry, and instead he asked for his name, Xiao Fengyue¡¯s body trembled all over. For a while, he didn¡¯t know how to answer. It took him a long time to speak: ¡°Xiao, Xiao Fengyue.¡± Hey, why does this name sound so familiar? It seems that it was from thest time he asked Hong Xiu if there was a Qin yer inside the Jing Yang Pce, her answer was this name. ¡°Go back first.¡± Xiao YuAn tried tofort him. Xiao Fengyue put on his clothes while shivering, leaned over and walked out of the wing room. Once he was outside, he raised his head and saw thest man he wanted to see right now. Xiao Fengyue¡¯s eyes darkened, his lower lip was bit fiercely to stabilize his mind, making it almost bleed. Yang LiuAn looked at the personing out of the wing room and suddenly his eyes opened widely. He quickly stepped forward, but Xiao Fengyue passed by like he didn¡¯t see him, leaving in a hurry with his head lowered. Once he saw that Xiao Fengyue had already left, Xiao YuAn said to Hong Xiu: ¡°Hong Xiu, please go out first, I want to talk with Yan HeQing alone.¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­.I understand.¡± Hong Xiu stopped herself from saying something, but still bowed her head and went out of the wing room. The wing room had finally quieted down. Xiao YuAn turned his head and looked at Yan HeQing. Then he approached him with a smile and sat on the opposite side of the bed: ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to say?¡± Yan HeQing exhaled slowly: ¡°I was framed.¡± ¡°Say something I don¡¯t know.¡± Yan HeQing was stunned, he stared at Xiao YuAn and said: ¡°Do you believe me?¡± ¡°Of course I believe in you.¡± Xiao YuAn sneered. ¡°I told you yesterday that I¡¯lle to see you in the morning. But you still do this kind of things, you think I¡¯m mentally disabled, or do you think you¡¯re more stupid. So, would you like to put on some clothes first?¡± His figure is too good, and the visual impact is too big. Seeing that Yan HeQing was slowly getting dressed, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart. He looked really thin while wearing clothes, but once he takes off his clothes he¡¯s all muscles. He¡¯s always looking thin and slender, but it turns out that his figure is well built!! After Yan HeQing finished getting dressed, he frowned and started to exin: ¡°Last night, he came to me with a clear porridge, and he convinced me that the porridge¡­¡± ¡°Wait a minute, he convinced you to drink it?¡± Xiao YuAn interrupted Yan HeQing¡¯s words. If a young woman convinced Yan HeQing to eat porridge, Xiao YuAn could still understand it. But how could a man convince him to drink it, why did Yan HeQing lose his way? ¡°Because he said that this porridge was sent by you.¡± Yan HeQing nced at Xiao YuAn. ¡°That¡¯s a false Imperial order.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded. ¡°There was drug inside the porridge.¡± Yan HeQing said: ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you know him before?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know him.¡± Xiao YuAn touched his chin: ¡°I guess he was caught by someone, and he was ordered to hurt you. Otherwise, he would¡¯ve had guilt and hate against you, and he wouldn¡¯t be willing to die together with you in this way.¡± The symptoms of the drug caused Yan HeQing to have a headache. He frowned tightly, and pressed his forehead with one hand, slowly inhaling and exhaling: ¡°What are you nning to do next?¡± Xiao YuAn hurriedly got up and poured a porcin cup with water for Yan HeQing: ¡°Ah¡­ well, I didn¡¯t think about that. I¡¯d better send him away from the Pce first, to avoid any more troubles.¡± It¡¯s impossible to go to Yongning Hall now that something unexpected happened. After Xiao YuAn and Hong Xiu finished talking about how to handle the problem, they wanted to go find Xiao Fengyue alone, but Yang LiuAn knelt in front of him and begged him to go with them. Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t a fool, how could such an obvious clue be ignored. He just remembered that he heard a Guqin sound when he met with Yang LiuAn twice before. Then, he thought about Yang LiuAn¡¯s attitude and he suddenly was enlightened. It¡¯s you! Theme song-man! This man is the reason you have a theme song! When you figure out something, a lot of things will suddenlye to light. Xiao YuAn suddenly remembered something. In the original novel, after Yan LiuAn protected the Young Monarch from dying; there was a paragraph mentioning that on the day the news of Yang LiuAn¡¯s death reached the Pce, a mournful Guqin music could be heard throughout the Pce for a whole night. The music was sad, and heartbreaking. The next morning, a Qin yer was found dead after he hung himself inside the Pce. At that time, Xiao YuAn thought that this paragraph was used to exaggerate the sadness of Yang LiuAn¡¯s death, but now, he realized that this wasn¡¯t the case at all! Maybe the original book buried many foreshadowing metaphors, but Xiao YuAn was only interested in the business of the male lead while reading the book; he didn¡¯t go too deep into these side characters. He didn¡¯t expect that he would actually miss so much plot. Xiao YuAn asked Yang LiuAn with a tentative tone: ¡°Are you and Xiao Fengyue¡­¡± Yang LiuAn suddenly kowtowed, hitting his forehead hard against the ground several times until his forehead started to bleed: ¡°Your Majesty is very kind to me, but in the end I betrayed you. Indeed, we should die for our sins2, be chopped a thousand times into pieces3. However, I ask His Majesty to let me see his face onest time. After that, I would like to end my own life. If His Majesty is not satisfied with this, then I plead for torture and punishment. ¡± The favors weigh as much as mountains4, ording to the plot of the original book, it¡¯s clear that the Young Monarch owes his life to Yang LiuAn. What will be thest thing to happen, how will it end, it¡¯s hard for the little Imperial Bodyguard to talk. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t know whether to cry orugh. He stepped forward to help him get up: ¡°Get up, let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll go to see Xiao Fengyue.¡± Yang LiuAn¡¯s eyes were shining, and he had to kowtow again. Xiao YuAn hurriedly stopped him: ¡°You still want to knock your head? Don¡¯t do it, otherwise you can¡¯t go.¡± When they reached the wing room, Xiao YuAn raised his hand and knocked on the door, but nobody answered after a long time. Oh? Don¡¯t try to escape just because you fear being punished. Xiao YuAn wanted to wait, but after seeing that Yang LiuAn was anxious, he had no other choice than to push open the door. In the end, the scene they encountered inside the wing room almost made Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart jump out of his chest. Three feet of white silk, dressed in white clothing, Xiao Fengyue was hanging under the beam, and a chair was pitifully tilted sideways. Chapter 41: The Necessary Abilities of a Tyrannical President. Yang LiuAn rushed forward as fast as an arrow, hugging Xiao Fengyue, and shouted several times. His eyes were so red that bloody tears coulde out. But Xiao Fengyue had stopped breathing and a pulse couldn¡¯t be felt. Xiao YuAn quickly took Xiao Fengyue from Yang LiuAn¡¯s arms, which were about to copse, andid him t on the ground. Without a word, he made a set of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. After three CPR cycles, Xiao Fengyue¡¯s throat made a muffled sound, suddenly coughed, and slowly opened his eyes. Xiao YuAn sat directly with his buttocks on the ground for a long time but didn¡¯t feel rxed. SON OF A BITCH1!! Fortunately, in order to be a Tyrannical President and to deal with the situation if his beloved were to drown at any time, his father made him learn first aid. And by fortune, that time he studied really hard. Unlike the Tyrannical President next door who didn¡¯t learn anything for a long time. When he was in real trouble, he almost broke the ribs of his true love when doing chestpressions. When Xiao Fengyue opened his eyes, after trying for a while, he discovered that he was unable to speak because of his neck injury. When he saw Yang LiuAn, a line of tears fell from his eyes while he sobbed. Yang LiuAn held his hand tightly, his voice choked and trembled: ¡°Why¡­why would you do something like this¡­¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t look at this anymore. He stepped forward and pushed Yang LiuAn to make him hold Xiao Fengyue into his arms. Why the hell2 are you still asking! Hold him!! The miserable couple hugged each other and sobbed. Xiao YuAn, who was distressed, wiped the cold sweat that was provoked by the scare he just experienced. After that, he stood up at the side of the table. Yang LiuAn let go of Xiao Fengyue and knelt down to Xiao YuAn again. Xiao YuAn shouted: ¡°Don¡¯t kneel! You have to take him to bed first, and then bring him a cup of hot water.¡± Yang LiuAn stared at Xiao YuAn in an incredulous daze, feeling that he may have heard him wrong. Xiao YuAn gently touched his forehead and smiled: ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Yang LiuAn, regardless of the consequences, hugged Xiao Fengyue and gently put him onto the bed, gave him a quilt and poured hot water inside a porcin cup for him. Xiao YuAn felt the pulse of Xiao Fengyue. Only after making sure that there was no problem, did he take a long relieving breath. This was also a great blessing. Seeing that Yang LiuAn was helping Xiao Fengyue drink the hot water, Xiao YuAn said to Xiao Fengyue: ¡°I will ask you some questions, and I know you can¡¯t speak right now so just nod your head for yes and shake it for no. The first question, is there someone inside the Jing Yang Pce that is aware of your rtionship with Yang LiuAn?¡± Xiao Fengyue¡¯s eyes were sorrowful, and he nodded his head. ¡°Then, did this person threaten you with Yang LiuAn, and obligate you to harm Yan HeQing?¡± Xiao Fengyue nodded again. Yang LiuAn breathed heavily, he was very upset. ¡°Did you hear?¡± Xiao YuAn jokingly pushed Yang LiuAn with his elbow. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± ¡°He was trying to protect you. That¡¯s why he participated in this bad n, he didn¡¯t change his love3.¡± Xiao YuAn exined for Xiao Fengyue. Yang LiuAn knelt down heavily: ¡°Your Majesty, this is all my fault. If you want to punish someone, you can punish me alone!!¡± Why are you kneeling again? Are you addicted to kneeling! Xiao Fengyue heard this and shook his head repeatedly, struggling to get out of bed he was trying to kneel besides Yang LiuAn. ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Xiao YuAn hurriedly pressed Xiao Fengyue back to bed. ¡°The both of you will be punished, no one can run away from it.¡± He had expected that this would be the case, so Yang LiuAn stopped apologising, leaned down, and bowed again. ¡°You, and you.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s face was solemn. He pointed his finger for a little bit towards Yang LiuAn and then did the same to Xiao Fengyue: ¡°The both of you are fired. Fired!¡± Yang LiuAn raised his head in astonishment: ¡°Ah¡­?¡± Xiao YuAn hummed: ¡°Ah, whatever, I¡¯ll send both of you out of the pce.¡± Yang LiuAn, who for a while didn¡¯t understand whether they were being punished or rewarded, didn¡¯t know how to respond. ¡°LiuAn, go to the Taiyi Pce first to get some medicine to treat strangtion. Take some more forter, then go and pack up clothes, money and other valuable things; it doesn¡¯t matter. Then you¡¯ll go to find a carriage, take Xiao Fengyue with you at night, and wait for me at the East gate of the Imperial City.¡± Xiao YuAn exined. Yang LiuAn reacted all of a sudden and he almost fainted from happiness: ¡°Emperor¡­Your Majesty? I¡­but I¡­¡± Xiao YuAn smiled and said: ¡°Alright, alright, go ahead and quickly prepare everything. Time is running out.¡± Aftering out of Xiao Fengyue¡¯s wing room, Xiao YuAn ran to Yan HeQing and exined the cause and effects4 of the incident to him. Yan HeQing was silent for a while, then, he asked: ¡°How are you going to deal with them?¡± Xiao YuAn had an overflowing smiling expression. He picked up some grapes from the fruit tray on top of the table and sent them to his mouth: ¡°There¡¯s an old saying from myst life: I would rather destroy ten temples then to ruin a marriage5. So today, I still can be called Cupid-Xiao.¡± The night was quiet, and the lights from themps were everywhere. Slowly, a carriage was driving out of the Imperial City. The Imperial Guards guarding the gate immediately stopped it. When the curtain was lifted, they saw that the Emperor was sitting inside. Through the faint curtain, the Imperial Guard could also see that there was a man sitting besides the Emperor holding a Guqin. Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll go out for a stroll and we¡¯ll be back in a while.¡± The Imperial Guards naturally didn¡¯t dare to stop him any more. The carriage passed through the heavy and big vermilion wall. The wheels ran over the ground leaving traces in the snow, leaving behind only the sound of the horse¡¯s hooves ttering, When there was no one around, the carriage stopped. The driver took off the bamboo hat, jumped out of the carriage and went to open its door. Xiao YuAn stepped out of the carriage. While pointing out towards a box inside the carriage, he said to Yang LiuAn: ¡°It¡¯s full of money. You will take Xiao Fengyue with you and go all the way to the East, there¡¯s a ce called Taoyuan Vige at the junction of the four countries. If you settle your home down there, and sell tea or salt, you will soon be rich enough to support your family.¡± Yang LiuAn burst into tears and knelt down to salute him: ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s great kindness, Yang LiuAn has no way of repaying it. In my next life, I¡¯m willing to repay it with my own life.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled and murmured softly: ¡°No, you¡¯ve already paid me with your life in yourst life. By the way, LiuAn, I have something to ask from you. On the second day of February from next year, pleasee back and wait for a message at the post station outside the Imperial Pce. If you don¡¯t get any messages by February 15th, then you can go back. Whatever happens in the Northern Kingdom, don¡¯t worry about it. Live a good life, don¡¯t think about the Northern Kingdom ever again.¡± Yang LiuAn nodded heavily: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty. I will keep it in mind.¡± ¡°Then go.¡± Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue bowed down to Xiao YuAn deeply, then they disappeared into the boundless night while driving the carriage. Xiao YuAn returned to the Imperial City with antern in his hand. He passed by the gate and the Imperial Guards guarding it were shocked and frightened: ¡°Your Majesty? Why did youe back alone, where¡¯s your carriage?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled and answered: ¡°I¡¯ve exchanged it.¡± ¡°Exchanged???¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve exchanged it for two genuine hearts.¡± With that, Xiao YuAn left humming a tone,pletely ignoring the surprise on the Imperial Guards¡¯ faces. On this snowy night, the ground was covered with white frost. The cool moonlight fell on the Pce, making it lookpletely covered in white, even in the lighting. Xiao YuAn walked a few steps and saw a man standing in front of him. He had been waiting for such a long time that there was a little bit of snow on top of his shoulders. Xiao YuAn was slightly surprised, he walked over a few steps: ¡°Were you waiting for me?¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s dark eyes looked at him and nodded slowly. Xiao YuAn walked side by side with him and asked strangely: ¡°There¡¯s Imperial Guards everywhere, why didn¡¯t you get caught?¡± Yan HeQing replied: ¡°I avoid them.¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly groaned and turned to look at Yan HeQing: ¡°Oh no, I forgot to ask Xiao Fengyue who¡¯s the one that wanted to hurt you.¡± Yan HeQing said; ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°It does matter!¡± Xiao YuAn was distressed. ¡°This isn¡¯t the end, who knows what other things that person will do next. Although I can let Hong Xiu investigate it and she can surely find the behind the scenes within three days; but, what if she does find that person and there¡¯s someone else plotting to hurt you too¡­¡± Xiao YuAn mumbled to himself for a while, then he bowed his head and thought hard for quite some time. Then, he suddenly snapped his fingers and said to Yan HeQing: ¡°I have a way that will end it once and for all!¡± Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. MMP; it¡¯s a curse, a forbidden word in Sichuan dialect, something like: ¡°Your mother is a bitch¡±. Which equals to ¡°Son of bitch¡±.
  2. ¡°»¹ÎʸöP°¡£¡±§Ëû°¡£¡£¡¡± The P here stands for ƨ, which means ¡®fart¡¯ or in this case a vulgar way of saying ¡®nonsense/rubbish¡¯.
  3. ÒÆÇé±ðÁµ y¨ª q¨ªng bi¨¦ li¨¤n; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it refers to someone that change their feelings to another love / To fall in love with somebody else / To turn the back on one lover and go with another.
  4. Ç°Òòºó¹û qi¨¢n y¨©n h¨°u gu¨¯; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it refers to the entire process of a development / The beginning and the end of a matter / The sequence of events. From ¡¶ÄÏÆëÊ顤¸ßÒÝ´«ÂÛ¡·(n¨¢n q¨ª sh¨±¡¤g¨¡o y¨¬ zhu¨¤n l¨´n), ¡°History of the Southern Qi Dynasty: The biography of Gao Yi¡±. Aption by (Ïô×ÓÏÔ xi¨¡o z¨« xi¨£n) Xiao Zixian [487-537 AC], a writer and historian from the Qi Dynasty [479-502 AC] and Southern Liang Dynasty [502¨C557 AC].
  5. Äþ²ðÊ®×ùÃí, ²»»ÙÒ»×®»é n¨ªng ch¨¡i sh¨ª zu¨° mi¨¤o, b¨´ hu¨« y¨© zhu¨¡ng h¨±n; It¡¯s a Chinese proverb, as sacrilegious that it would be to destroy a Buddhist temple, it¡¯s even more unpardonable to break up a marriage. The original intention of this sentence is to advise people to not provoke the feelings between others. It should be noted that it¡¯s always a lot of hardship to cultivate a positive rtionship, and it¡¯s really a crime to break up the feelings of others due to the intervention of outsiders and the dissolution of a marriage.
Chapter 42: The Necessary Conditions for Doting on the Male Lead. Chapter 42: The Necessary Conditions for Doting on the Male Lead. After listening to Xiao YuAn¡¯s method, Yan HeQing asked lightly: ¡°Wouldn¡¯t such a big move inevitably lead to a turmoil?¡± ¡°Yes, definitely.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice was rxed and he was smiling happily. He stopped to y with the snow umted on the railings of the corridor and said: ¡°Since ancient times, the inws¡¯ rtives have been in charge of politics. And since I don¡¯t have any concubines, some people with political power can only rely on the male concubines. How many male rtives of high-ranking officials are part of the harem? So, if I dismiss all the male concubines, I will definitely make some people go into panic.¡± ¡°So you want to centralize power1? Suppress them?¡± Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn, who was rolling the snow and making two big snowballs, putting one on top of the other. ¡°It doesn¡¯t count. After all, they¡¯re not real concubines. They don¡¯t have official ranks2, those people are mainly there to please the Emperor. I¡¯m actually more worried about you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao YuAn looked around for some time. He found two thin branches and inserted them at the sides of the snowball, making it into a little snowman. Then, he looked up and smiled at Yan HeQing: ¡°Right now you¡¯re part of the three thousand beauties in the harem, and these three thousand share the same love with you.¡± ¡°Not to mention that there¡¯s someone inside the Jing Yang Pce that is jealous of you and wants to see you die. You¡¯re the Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom, and I¡¯m the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom. Do you know what it¡¯s called if the rumor that I love you and favor you alonees out of the Pce? It¡¯s called cluster chaos. This type of thing is too unpleasant to listen to, and I don¡¯t want you to bear this kind of judgment. So I will just dismiss the harem and let the world know that I don¡¯t like men anymore.¡± Xiao YuAn used his fingers to draw the eyes and the mouth to the little snowman, and then pped the snow off his hands. Yan HeQing went silent. His unique face was covered by the thin moonlight and his expression couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s too cold outside.¡± Xiao YuAn, who just had a good time ying with the snow a few moments ago, should already know that it was extremely cold. He wrapped his robe tightly and jokingly hit Yan HeQing with his shoulder. Yan HeQing returned to reality, and nodded gently. The next day, there was a great disturbance in Jing Yang Pce. Because earlier during the morning Court, the Emperor said to all the civil and military officials that he would keep Filial Piety3 and abstinence for thete Emperor¡¯s death,sting for three years. Everyone went dumbfounded. It has already been almost a year since thete Emperor died. What do you mean by ¡°Filial Piety¡±? When thete Emperor died, do you know how many people advised you to keep Filial Piety, and be away from your lovers. What does it mean that you suddenly want to fucking stay away from them? For a while, the Imperial Court that was fully packed with people going up and down. There were a lot of discussions and talking about everything. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t care so much about these matters, so he asked Hong Xiu to gather all of the male concubines to the main courtyard of the Jing Yang Pce. As the president of apany, Xiao YuAn knows how to appease the dismissed employees. Compensatory payment, find a way out, a happy dismissal for me and for you too. In other words, thepensation was high enough that they¡¯ll find a better way of living. Everything will be fine. Facing the group of kneeling male concubines, Hong Xiu slowly exined Xiao YuAn¡¯s preparations for filial piety: ¡°His Majesty remembers the feelings shared in bed, so he will reward all of you with a hundred liang4 of gold. After you receive the reward, all of you must go back, pack your belongings and leave the Imperial Pce.¡± One hundred liang of gold! This wasn¡¯t a small amount. If it weren¡¯t from the house of a high-ranking official or a merchant¡¯s home, it would bepletely impossible to see so much gold in one¡¯s lifetime. But no one dared to make a move, fearing that this was the Emperor¡¯s way of testing their hearts and fidelity. They were terrified of getting up, of their heads falling on the ground. Xiao YuAn smiled helplessly and couldn¡¯t help thinking; The obscene impression this Young Monarch left on these people is a little deep-rooted: ¡°Add another reward. If any of you used to be an official, you can be restored to your original post.¡± There was a dead silence in the main courtyard of Jing Yang Pce. There was someone with his head lowered and his hands on the ground were slowly clenched into fists. The gravel on the ground bruised his fingernails and punctured his fingertips, making his palms covered in blood. Then, he stood up. Xiao YuAn looked at Qin Yu. He was still dressed in red clothes, and his look remained as charming as ever, but his expression was far different from the one he had when he first met him. Qin Yu bowed his head, and step by step, he left the courtyard in a heavy and slow manner. He never gave Xiao YuAn a look from the beginning to the end. Xiao YuAn always felt that he should say something to Qin Yu, but he didn¡¯t know what to say. It¡¯s like in the original book. When the Young Monarch saw Qin Yu for the first time, his mouth was wide open, but he was like a prepubescent boy. His face blushed for a long time, and in the end, he couldn¡¯t utter a word. And again, like in the original book. When the Northern Kingdom was destroyed, the Young Monarch poisoned all of the male concubines. But when Qin Yu was about to drink the poisoned wine, he pped the porcin cup out of his hands.Then, he opened his mouth to say something, but instead, he silently sobbed. Still, like in the original book. When the Young Monarch was about to escape to the North, countless people told him that Qin Yu was going to betray him. But he just snorted codly and didn¡¯t respond. And more like in the original book. Even after the Young Monarch was betrayed by Qin Yu and was captured by Yan HeQing in front of the Imperial Pce¡¯s gate, he still struggled and shouted: ¡°You tell Qin Yu! That I¡­I¡­¡± What was behind those words, he didn¡¯t say them until he died. After Qin Yu left peacefully, many people started to stand up and walk away in a hurry. At the end, there were five people left behind kneeling on the ground, four of them were shivering with fear. But there was a particr young man sitting with his back straight, his eyes lowered and his hands clenched into a fist. His kneeling posture was so unique that Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but stare at him more. ¡°Were you sent here by Wuning Wangye?¡± Xiao YuAn asked the four terrified men. The four men looked at each other and nodded. ¡°You can go back. Wuning Wangye won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± Xiao YuAn kindly persuaded them. The four men were still hesitant, but Hong Xiu grew impatient, so she maliciously said: ¡°Why are you waiting to get lost? Do you want to lose your heads?¡± Only then did the four men finally get up and hurriedly left the courtyard in panic. The only one left behind was the young man, calmly kneeling without uttering a single word. Hong Xiu was about to threaten him with vicious words when she was stopped by Xiao YuAn. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± The young man slowly said: ¡°I don¡¯t want the one hundred liang of gold.¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Xiao YuAn became more interested in him. The young man raised his head, his eyes were like burning torches5: ¡°I want to be a soldier.¡± Be a soldier? Did he hear right?! Young man, you¡¯re no longer a clear stream, you¡¯re now a mountain waterfall. Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The young man replied: ¡°Xie Chungui.¡± Xiao YuAn breathed in abruptly, and he didn¡¯t slow down. Choking with his own saliva, he hammered his chest heavily, and then said: ¡°Xie¡­ Xie what?¡± ¡°Xie Chungui.¡± Xie?! Chun?! Gui?! Why would such a strong, hot bloodied man be selected to be a soft and charming man to warm the Imperial bed? Xie Chungui was a legend in the original book. In the original book, after General Sun got angry with the Emperor and returned home, there were only two Generals left in the Northern Kingdom. However, when the enemy is putting you under pressure: From the two Generals, one was defeated by Yan HeQing, became a traitor, and joined him. The other General packed up his belongings and ran away when the enemy approached. Under the circumstances of Yin and Yang, the task of leading the army to defeat the enemy was handed over to Xie Chungui. Unfortunately, Xie Chungui was too young to be trusted by the soldiers. In the end, the good Northern army rebelled and escaped. As a result, Xie Chungui relied on his own strength and led the disabled and injured soldiers to defeat the enemy. They blocked Yan HeQing at the border of the Northern Kingdom for about half a month. It can be said that he was a strong opponent in the career of Yan HeQing as a male lead. For the Northern Kingdom, Xie Chungui was like electricity! He was like the light! He¡¯s the legendary myth among the group of blind and barbaric viins! At this time, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but scream inside his heart: Why are you in Jing Yang Pce!! Why aren¡¯t you in the military camp!!! You can¡¯t die an early life!!! Will you be able to fight for the Northern Kingdom by then!!! Will you be directly rubbed to the ground by Yan HeQing! Chapter 43: The Necessary Conditions for an Imperial Bodyguard. Chapter 43: The Necessary Conditions For An Imperial Bodyguard. Xiao YuAn then asked Hong Xiu about him, and found out that ever since Xie Chungui was in Jing Yang Pce, he had to rely on himself. The Xie family was a military family. Generation after generation, they served the Northern Kingdom, and every single one of them were loyal and good. Xie Chungui¡¯s father and brother died fighting in the battlefield, and when it was his turn, the Young Monarch ascended to the throne. The Xie family wanted Xie Chungui to go to the Imperial Pce to meet the Emperor before joining the army. In the end, the Young Monarch was stupid. He thought that Xie Chungui was a servant from the Xie family and arranged him to be sent to the Jing Yang Pce. In the original book, when the old General Sun returned to his hometown, he was still very worried about the country and the people. He wanted to promote several juniors, and so, he thought of Xie Chungui from the Xie family. Then, General Sun ran to the Xie family only to find out, oh, he¡¯s at Jing Yang Pce! The old General spit out blood and almost had a heart attack. In the end, he wrote a letter remonstrating to the Emperor, took him out of the Pce, and sent him to the barracks. That¡¯s what happenedter. But now, General Sun didn¡¯t return to his hometown, and he¡¯s still leading his own troops. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t thought about this issue. In the end, Xie Chungui had been forgotten in Jing Yang Pce. Now it was Xiao YuAn¡¯s turn to spit out blood and have a heart attack. When Xie Chungui raised his head to look again at Xiao YuAn, he saw that his expression was gloomy. Although he thought that Xiao YuAn wouldn¡¯t allow it, he was young and stubborn; ¡°If His Majesty doesn¡¯t allow it, then I don¡¯t want this one hundred taels of gold. When war breaks out, there will be a need to recruit soldiers, and so, I will join the army then!¡± Who will not allow it!! Even if you refuse to go, he will still throw you into the barracks because of your military capabilities!! While he was thinking of making him leave, Xiao YuAn asked with a smile: ¡°What if it remains peaceful, and there¡¯s no need for wars?¡± Xie Chungui thought for a while and said: ¡°Then we will march towards the South, recapture the Southern Yan Kingdom and then we will go to the Eastern Wu. Now, with a million soldiers in the North, surely we can expand our territory and stand superior from the rest of the world!¡± Xiao YuAn found himself speechless. After a while he said: ¡°In a few days, I¡¯ll take you to see General Sun, so you must prepare at once.¡± Xie Chungui¡¯s eyes were shining and he knelt down on the ground: ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Xiao YuAn came out of the courtyard and went straight to Yan HeQing¡¯s wing room. Yan HeQing was packing up his things; because Xiao YuAn had announced he¡¯ll take filial piety, Jing Yang Pce may have to be a Daoist Temple or perhaps a Shrine. Actually, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t have much luggage: just a few thin clothes, a long sword and a jade hairpin. It could be said that more than packing up, he was just killing time, looking to do something out of boredom. When Xiao YuAn came, Yan HeQing was sitting at the table wiping the de of the sword. Xiao YuAn walked in without asking for permission: ¡°Ah, young boy, he¡¯s so hot blooded. Really, he has such a backbone to lead a million armored people. Like moths, they will follow his bright righteous ardour to train. His bones and meat will feed the belly of the corrupt officials.¡± Yan HeQing has long been ustomed to Xiao YuAn¡¯s self-talk in the early morning, and Xiao YuAn also knows that he can speak without fear in front of Yan HeQing. Xiao YuAn sat down at the table slightly decadent. He rested his head on his arms and while resting on his stomach, he looked up at Yan HeQing: ¡±After the demobilization is over, you may be arranged to go back to the House of Internal Affairs.¡± Yan HeQing nodded and put the sword back to its sheath. Xiao YuAn asked him with a smile: ¡°Eunuch Zhao of the House of Internal Affairs wants to harm you, aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± Yan HeQing replied indiffentenly: ¡°Is it useful to be afraid of him?¡± ¡°I mean it. What if one day I don¡¯t look out for you or don¡¯t pay attention to you anymore, what would you do if he breaks your hands and feet?¡± Xiao YuAn raised his head pretending to be intimidating. ¡°Why do you care so much for me?¡± Yan HeQing suddenly asked him instead. Because I want to give you a favorable impression! To avoid being killed by you in the future!!! Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t answer him. Instead, he held his head thinking that if it wasn¡¯t for him, Yan HeQing and Princess Yonging would¡¯ve fallen in love with each other by now, which caused that Yan HeQing had never seen his first wife yet. Xiao YuAn must take responsibility for this. Even more in these recent couple of days, Yan HeQing was no longer just a few lines of a text inside Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart. Instead, he saw him as a man with flesh and blood, someone that could feel joy and sorrow. Little by little, he wrote himself, minimally but also with heavy pressure inside Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart, finding a ce and upying a seat. Xiao YuAn raised his head and said with a smiling face: ¡°Yan HeQing, why don¡¯t you be my Imperial Bodyguard? I¡¯ll be able to protect you, and I¡¯ll never let anyone hurt you.¡± Yan HeQing looked at him. The smooth and soft skin of his face was extremely beautiful, but what he actually saw in him wasn¡¯t his appearance. He saw his pure eyes of ck jade, they were always crystal clear, smiling, warm and soft. Yan HeQing then remembered that right before theplete destruction of the Southern Yan Kingdom, when the Imperial Pce¡¯s building was about to copse. At that moment, his mother held his hand with a tight grip. Her nails embedded into his flesh and blood started to flow, as if weeping, her voice was so full of hate that she could almost spit out blood: ¡°After this, all the roads must be walked on by yourself. No one can protect you, but you have to keep on living. You must live!¡± After saying this, Yan HeQing¡¯s mother jumped into the deep well of the Pce without hesitation. To keep on living was so tiring and so hard. Even his mother couldn¡¯t bear it, but he had to keep himself alive, it was truly strange. But also because of that sentence, when the prisoners from the Southern Yan Kingdom came to the Northern Kingdom, and they had to walk with heavy shackles, even when the soldiers threw dirt at him andughed loudly after saying something disrespectful, even though the prisons in the Northern Kingdom were like hell full of spirits, even if he was kicked to the ground and his head was pressed in the dirty water, and the iron whip fell mercilessly on his naked body, he never actually thought ofmitting suicide. It¡¯s hard to live on with these three simple words. ¡°Yan HeQing! Yan HeQing!¡± When Yan HeQing returned to reality, he saw that Xiao YuAn was shouting at him while grabbing on his wrist. ¡°What are you doing? Isn¡¯t that painful!!¡± Xiao YuAn was anxious and helpless. He gently opened the fingers of Yan HeQing, only then did Yan HeQing realize that he had clenched his hand into a tight fist and that his palm was scratched and bleeding. Xiao YuAn found a clean silk cloth to bandage Yan HeQing¡¯s hand and to stop the bleeding. Xiao YuAn knew that it was probably because of his words that Yan HeQing thought of his mother. But before he killed himself, he was used to taking care of others, so he blurted out those words without thinking too much. In the end, those words triggered Yan HeQing¡¯s traumatic past. Yan HeQing looked at the blood-stained silk cloth around his hand, held it tight and then opened it: ¡°I¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn said without hesitation: ¡°You are what you are. Pack up your things and move to the second room in the Imperial Pce.¡± The second room was on the west side of Xiao Yuan¡¯s Imperial bedchamber. It was also the residence of the Imperial Bodyguards. Yan HeQing held the silk cloth with both hands, and then he looked at Xiao YuAn, his cold eyes blended into those warm eyes. He imperceptibly raised the corners of his mouth, and the tone of his voice increased: ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 44: The Necessary Conditions for Being the Right-Hand of the Male Lead. Chapter 44: The Necessary Conditions For Being the Right-Hand Of The Male Lead. In February, the snow was covering the old General Sun¡¯s official residence. The old General Sun, who rarely took a rest, was coughing and saying that he was failing as a hero. Madam Sun patted him on the back scolding him: ¡°Your old arms and legs still run everyday to the barracks for training. Can¡¯t you take a good rest for a few days!¡± General Sun had been on the battlefield for many years, galloping around the world, making everyone around him fear him, but he¡­ He was afraid of his wife. ¡°Keep it down in case someone hears you.¡± General Sun blushed, and his voice was simr to the one of a mosquito. Madam Sun pped him on the back and said: ¡°To hell with keeping it down. Did you drink the medicine or not!¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± General Sun muttered. ¡°Humph.¡± Madam Sun put one hand on her hips. Her hair waspletely silver, but her appearance still gave the impression of a coquettish young girl. Suddenly, a young manservant came from outside making an announcement: ¡°Daren1, General Li came asking for advice.¡± General Sun quickly cleared his throat and regained his authority: ¡°Let him wait for me at the reception hall, I¡¯ll go now.¡± The young man replied affirmatively and quickly retreated. Madam Sun helped General Sun get dressed, and walking side by side, they approached the reception hall. In the reception hall stood a young man with upright features. He was eight feet tall, and he had an aura of flourishing might. When he saw the old General Sun, he knelt down first, and then stood up to help his elder. ¡°Wuding-xianzhi2, why did youe so suddenly? Is something wrong with the barracks?¡± General Sun was nervous. Li Wuding shook his head: ¡°I heard that the General was unwell, so I searched for some tonics3¡­¡± ¡°With such a leisure mind, it¡¯s better to train your troops!!¡± The old General Sun scolded him. Li Wuding knelt down with his fist clenched: ¡°The General¡¯s lesson is right.¡± ¡°Oh, you, the young man was being kind.¡± Madam Sun was angry at him, and then, she smiled at Li Wuding: ¡°Wuding has good intentions.¡± On the surface, General Sun blew his beard and red with anger, but behind his back, he secretly pulled Madam Sun¡¯s sleeve. Madam Sun clearly understood his intentions, so she quickly said: ¡°Wuding, get up, there¡¯s no need to kneel down.¡± Suddenly, a young manservant came to report: ¡°His Majesty ising!!¡± The three people in the reception hall were shocked. Li Wuding wanted to avoid arousing suspicions: ¡°General Sun, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± The old General Sun waved his hand, and Li Wuding left the reception hall. He wanted to go through the side door, but he didn¡¯t expect to collide with the Emperor, so he had to kneel down and pay his respect: ¡°Weichen Li Wuding pays his respects to His Majesty.¡± Xiao YuAn just told Xie Chunguin to wait for him outside, and out of nowhere, someone bowed and kneeled in front of him. For a long time he couldn¡¯t react, and aftering out of his initial shock, he repeated the man¡¯s name twice, and then, sighed inside his heart. Li Wuding?! This, this, this, Isn¡¯t this the second male?! In the original book, after General Sun got so angry at the Emperor that he returned to his hometown, there were two candidates for the General¡¯s position. One of them was a close friend of General Sun, Li Wuding. Li Wuding is a brave and resourceful man. And the other one was just another good for nothing4 that won a military post due to his rtionship with Wunning Wangye. Attempting nothing and aplishing nothing5, relying on his force to bully others6. In any case, the general¡¯s position should¡¯ve been given to Li Wuding, the old General Sun¡¯s close friend. However, the Young Monarch, who was daily courting disaster, gave that position to that Fan Tong instead. From then on, the Northern Kingdom¡¯s army had be sloppy; the soldiers didn¡¯t have any motivation, and even the scandals that they were oppressing themon people were being reported almost every day. When Yan HeQing led his army to fight over the territory, Li Wuding was sent to the front line to defend against the enemy by General Fan Tong. And his strategy was to not give the army any food! On a snowy and freezing day, the soldiers on the front line were not given any rations, they were simply forced to die! Li Wuding left the following sentence behind him: It¡¯s not worth to sacrifice our lives for a country where treacherous officials are in power. Then, he led his troops to Yan HeQing¡¯s side. Yes, he¡¯s a traitor!!! Later, when Yan HeQing ruled the whole world, Li Wuding made great contributions to his cause. However, this is a stallion novel! And he¡¯s the right-hand of the stallion protagonist! Generally speaking, thest part of this book goes something like this: While Yan HeQing was flirting with a young woman, Li Wuding was studying the art of war. While Yan HeQing was unlocking a new posture in bed, he¡¯s studying the art of war. When Yan HeQing is looking for a new girl, he¡¯s studying the art of war. Yan HeQing has received a new member to his harem, and Li Wuding is still studying the art of war. Then, when Yan HeQing said: ¡°Let¡¯s fight the Eastern Wu.¡± He just said, let¡¯s go. After the territory of the Eastern Wu was captured, Yan HeQing continued to flirt with the young girls of the Eastern Wu, and Li Wuding, the right-hand, continued to study the art of war in the Eastern Wu. While Yan HeQing was surrounded by so many beautiful women that it resembled clouds. What surrounded the right-hand of the protagonist¡­Was a pile of military books. They¡¯re fighting for the same cause, however, howe the difference between them is so big? It¡¯s¡­ Too¡­ Awful. Although, as the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, Xiao YuAn resented Li Wuding; as a reader, how could he¡­¡­ Do anything butugh? ¡°Get up.¡± Xiao YuAn coughed softly to cover up his smile. ¡°What are you doing in the General¡¯s official residence?¡± ¡°Answering to His Majesty.¡± Li Wuding got up. ¡°I came to pay a visit to General Sun.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded and went towards the reception hall of the General¡¯s official residence. Madam Sun had already left, and the old General Sun was kneeling on the ground. Xiao YuAn quickly picked him up and helped him to sit down on the chair, then, he exined the intentions of his visit. ¡°The youngest son of the Xie Family, Xie Chungui?¡± General Sun was surprised. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him.¡± Since he was appointed by the Emperor, General Sun naturally didn¡¯t dare to neglect, so he quickly got up and went to meet him. Unexpectedly, the young manservant outside the door suddenly ran in with a roar: ¡°Daren, it¡¯s bad, Daren. General Li and his Majesty¡¯spanion are f-f-fi-fight-¡­¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°The¡­ the river flows eastward7¡­.?¡± The young manservant finally managed to say it in one breath: ¡°They¡¯re fighting!!!¡± Chapter 45: The Necessary Conditions of an Invisible Attraction. Chapter 45: The Necessary Condition Of An Invisible Attraction. General Sun was really stunned at first, then his face became gloomy and he rushed out in a hurry. Fighting?! The Emperor is still here! These young brats, do they want to die! Xiao YuAn followed closely, hurrying to keep up with him. Fighting?! Is it really so interesting? Then let¡¯s go and watch the fun! The two of them rushed to the courtyard and found that Xie Chungui¡¯s arms were tightly held by Li Wuding, he couldn¡¯t move at all. Li Wuding helplessly said: ¡°All right? The victory has been decided.¡± Xie Chungui gritted his teeth fiercely. While struggling to break free, he managed to turn around and punched up. But Li Wuding evaded it easily, he held the fist, twisted it, and then pressed Xie Chungui to the ground. General Sun¡¯s face went blue: ¡°Li Wuding!! What are you doing!! What is this scandal? What is this scandal ah!!!¡± Li Wuding panicked and quickly released Xie Chungui, then he knelt on the ground: ¡°Your Majesty, General Sun, I¡­..¡± Without leaving him to finish his words, Xie Chungui knelt beside him: ¡°Your Majesty, General Sun, I was the one that insisted General Li on fighting.¡± This was, in fact, the truth. Originally, Li Wuning nned to go straight home, but he was suddenly interrupted by someone. ¡°Are you General Li?¡± Xie Chungui looked at him with surprise and fear in his eyes. ¡°You are¡­¡± Li Wuding was suspicious. After Xie Chungui introduced himself, Li Wuding suddenly realized something: ¡°Xie Chungui, I know you.¡± ¡°Y-you know me?¡± Xie Chingui was extremely happy. ¡°I met you when you were 10 years old. Damn, I actually went to your house just to drink wedding wine.¡± Li Wuding chuckled, his face was majestic, and although he wasughing, it wasn¡¯t with a bad intention. Xie Chungui gathered courage, took Li Wuding¡¯s arm, and excitedly said: ¡°Li, General Li, I¡¯ve admired you for such a long time! I want to be your deputy!!!¡± Li Wuding was stunned at first, he rubbed his head and smiled embarrassedly. Actually, he looked quite silly: ¡°Alright, alright, but my deputies can beat me. You have to work hard.¡± Li Wuding spitted nonsense and the young man waspletely excited at once. After patting his shoulder for encouragement, he was ready to leave once again. Who would have thought that Xie Chungui wouldn¡¯t let him go just like that. Instead, he started to fight with him without uttering a word! After listening to the exnation, Xiao YuAn asked Xie Chungui with wide eyes: ¡°Do you admire him?¡± Xie Chungui nodded firmly. Xiao YuAn was so startled that he almost bit his tongue off. How can Xie Chungui admire Li Wuding!!! In the original book, the intersection between them was during the half-month of Xie Chungui¡¯s guarding the Northern Kingdom border. Li Wuding, the traitor, sent someone to persuade him to surrender like he did. Xie Chungui looked up at the sky with a smile, then heid down and gave up with a sigh: ¡°Go back and tell Li Wuding, that man, that as long as I¡¯m alive, I will never let the enemy¡¯s cavalry step foot into the Northern Kingdom¡¯s territory. The hypocrites that dare to disturb the morale of the troops are disgusting, go!¡± Now looking at this, if Xie Chungui admired Li Wuding ever since he was a child, this is actually¡­a little bit sad??? Seeing that Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t upset, General Sun angrily scolded Li Wuding with a few words, and then let him take his leave. Li Wuding saluted with a fist1, got up and walked for a few steps, but then, he suddenly returned: ¡°Your Majesty, General Sun, the youngest son of Xie¡¯s family has an extraordinary military force, and I happen tock a deputy, so I beg His Majesty to allow him to be my deputy!¡± He expressed his thoughts. What happened? The plot of these two is going in the opposite direction. If you contain them in the same ce, what will happen next is truly a mystery! What a decadent moral! It¡¯s indeed a paradoxical situation! Really ¡­ It¡¯s so amusing! Xiao YuAn nodded: ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao YuAn returned to the Pce from the General¡¯s official residence, but instead of directly going to the Imperial bedchamber, he went towards the secondary room. Usually, most of the Imperial Guards don¡¯t often live in the Pce, so that¡¯s why they take turns. But the Imperial Bodyguards are different, they have to be around the Emperor all the time. The secondary room is not as fancy as the Jing Yang Pce¡¯s wing rooms. This one is simple and clean, but it¡¯sfortable to live in. Xiao YuAn knocked on the door, but no one answered after a long time. Xiao YuAn snorted in surprise and decided to go back to the Imperial bedchamber. But after walking a few meters away from the secondary room, he stopped. At the entrance of the Imperial bedchamber, there were several Imperial bodyguards, and Xiao YuAn stared at one of them. As if feeling that he was looking at him, Yan HeQing turned his head and stared back. He was wearing a soldier uniform with redpels, a three-finger wide belt that had a pattern of burning clouds, and ck boots. His ck silk-like hair was tied in a high ponytail, giving him an imposing aura that was out of the ordinary. And between his eyebrows, is the boundless wind and the moon. Xiao YuAn suddenly began to worry about the little girls in the Pce. Although they haven¡¯t reached the second half of the story, Yan HeQin¡¯s face value ispletely against the rules!! Xiao YuAn smiled at Yan HeQing in a friendly way, and Yan HeQing suddenly looked away. Ah? What¡¯s wrong with him? Xiao YuAn, who didn¡¯t know what just happened, walked over to the door of the Imperial bedchamber. When the Imperial bodyguards saw that the Emperor came back, they knelt down in unison. Xiao YuAn said with a smile that therades had been working hard, and then nced at Yan HeQing two more times. As a result, he was able to notice that the sleeve of his right hand was slightly turned up, forming an unsightly fold. Xiao YuAn passed by the several Imperial bodyguards that were kneeling and bowing their heads. When he walked to Yan HeQing¡¯s side, he made sure that no one was paying attention to him. Then, he reached out quietly and fixed his sleeve for him. After that he put his hand behind his back and continued walking towards his bedchamber. If Xiao YuAn turned around at this instant, he would¡¯ve been able to see that Yan HeQing pursed his mouth and bent the corner of his mouth shallowly. Ever since she didn¡¯t need to take charge of the Jing Yang Pce, Hong Xiu was able to take care of everything in serving Xiao YuAn. But in recent days, her work was full of mistakes, she looked very absent-minded. Early this morning, when Xiao YuAn touched the cold water inside the basin, he asked Hong Xiu: ¡°What¡¯s wrong Hong Xiu, are you sick?¡± Hong Xiu¡¯s face turned pale, she then knelt on the ground: ¡°This maidservant was careless, I beg His Majesty to punish me.¡± Xiao YuAn quickly helped her up: ¡°Get up quickly. If you¡¯re sick, then hurry up and go to the Taiyi hall to get checked. ¡± Hong Xiu shook her head: ¡°Answering to His Majesty, Hong Xiu is not ill.¡± ¡°So why have you been so anxious and preupied recently?¡± Hong Xiu bit her lower lip, hesitated for a long time, and suddenly looked up: ¡°Your Majesty, Hong Xiu has something to ask for.¡± Xiao YuAn said softly and gently: ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, a few days ago this maidservant received a message from outside the Pce that my sister is seriously ill. This maid¡­ this maidservant wanted to go out of the Pce to see her.¡± Hong Xiu lowered her head. She held her head with both hands, anxiously waiting for the answer. There was an unwritten rule in this deep Pce: the maids that enter the Pce can never leave it. After all, their duty is to always serve the Princess and the Emperor. If they leave the Pce there¡¯s three things to be afraid of. The first one is that the secrets of the Pce will be leaked outside, the second one is that they will be bought by someone with bad intentions, and the third one is that they¡¯re not able to stand the loneliness of the deep Pce, so they will run away. Hong Xiu didn¡¯t hold any hope at all. Xiao YuAn suddenly pped the table and scared her all over: ¡°Don¡¯t be angry Your Majesty, this maid¡­¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that your sister was ill earlier? You should go back and see her as soon as possible. Yes, wait a moment, I¡¯ll give you a hand. Go to the Taiyi Hall and take an Imperial Physician with you to see your sister.¡± Xiao YuAn said while looking for paper and ink. Hong Xiu heard Xiao YuAn¡¯s words with a stunned face, and then her eyes became red and choked with sobs: ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± When she was at the age of 18, as the oldest daughter, she didn¡¯t hesitate to enter the Pce for the sake of her siblings. Five years had passed since then, and she knew that she would be buried in this cold deep Pce her whole life. But now it seems that she doesn¡¯t regret it. On the afternoon of the same day, Hong Xiu left the Pce with the Emperor¡¯s written instructions with her. That night though, Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t surprised to find himself with¡­. Insomnia. Chapter 46: Xiao YuAn May Have Lost His Opportunity to Sleep. Chapter 46: Xiao YuAn May Have Lost His Opportunity To Sleep. Normally, Hong Xiu stood by the bed waiting for him to fall asleep before leaving, but now, there¡¯s no breathing sound beside him, so Xiao YuAn-Can¡¯t-Sleep. After counting sheep, reciting mathematical forms, studying english speeches, and others, he still can¡¯t rouse any sleepiness. Xiao YuAn rolled over and climbed up, no longer supporting his body. He pondered for a few seconds, and then, went out of the window. The window guard was a young man that had just been appointed as an Imperial bodyguard. When he saw that the Emperor wasn¡¯t sleeping in the middle of the night, he suddenly turned away from the window scared to death. Xiao YuAn was wearing a white undergarment and his long hair was scattered, he grinned at the young Imperial bodyguard showing his white teeth: ¡°My friend?¡± The young Imperial bodyguard rolled his eyes and saw his dead grandfather calling him by his nickname across a river full of flowers at the other side. Xiao YuAn woke up the young Imperial bodyguard, and he panicked: ¡°Your Majesty what, what are you doing¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t fall asleep. I¡¯ll go out to write poems and watch the moon.¡± Xiao YuAn waved his hand, don¡¯t panic over such a small scene. ¡°My friend, can you recite poems? Come, let¡¯s face the moon and sing a song.¡± The young Imperial bodyguard was so frightened that he gave up thinking, he raised his eyebrows and hummed for a long time, then he said: ¡°The moon is round, like a big jade te.¡± Xiao YuAn soothed his palm: ¡°Wonderful!! It¡¯s neat, simple and easy to understand, hits straight to the heart. And now, add two more sentences.¡± The young Imperial bodyguard boasted and flustered: ¡°If you look closely, it will look more like a scallion cake.¡± Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°Are you hungry?¡± The young Imperial bodyguard nodded while rubbing his belly, then he suddenly realized what he was doing, felt panicked, knelt down and kowtowed: ¡°Your Majesty, Weichen is talking nonsense and iszy, I ask His Majesty to punish me!¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t know whether to cry orugh: ¡°Get up, and go get something to eat.¡± ¡°Where are you going, Your Majesty?¡± The young Imperial bodyguard raised his head and saw Xiao YuAn walking away in a leisurely way. ¡°I¡¯ll go find someone to talk about life.¡± Xiao YuAn walked towards the entrance of the main hall, standing far away. Because he didn¡¯t see Yan HeQing, he walked quietly towards the secondary room. There wasn¡¯t any patrol around the secondary room where the Imperial bodyguards lived. Xiao YuAn swaggered to the door of Yan HeQing¡¯s room, raised his hand to knock but then stopped. It was sote that Yan HeQing must have fallen asleep. Xiao YuAn withdrew his hand and turned to leave. He was only wearing a thin coat, so when the cold wind blew at night, he shivered and sneezed. It was so cold that he quickly went back. Xiao YuAn rubbed his arms and the door behind him suddenly opened. Xiao YuAn turned around and grinned at the man that opened the door: ¡°Why haven¡¯t you gone to sleep yet?¡± ¡°I patrolled the first half of the night and just came back.¡± Yan HeQing took off his outer robe and wrapped it around Xiao YuAn tightly: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Xiao YuAn followed Yan HeQing into his room. The light inside was dim, except for the bright moonlight outside, there was only one candle light flickering on the table. ¡°It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t sleep.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± Yan HeQing closed the door behind him. ¡°Yes, I have an illness.¡± ¡°I really do have an illness.¡± Xiao YuAn repeated with a smile. ¡°I can¡¯t fall asleep without the sound of breathing around me. I need someone to apany me.¡± Yan HeQing stood silent, his eyes were hidden in the dark, after a while he finally asked: ¡°How did you manage to fall asleep before?¡± He doesn¡¯t know why, but Xiao YuAn felt that Yan HeQing¡¯s tone of voice wasn¡¯t good: ¡°Hong Xiu will stay at the bedside waiting for me to fall asleep. This night I couldn¡¯t sleep because Hong Xiu left the Pce.¡± Yan HeQing calmed his mind and said: ¡°When will shee back to the Pce?¡± ¡°Tomorrow.¡± ¡°Then you can rest with me tonight.¡± ¡°Huh? Is that really okay?¡± Xiao YuAn was pretending to be reserved, but in fact, he had already taken off his coat andid down on the bed. After all, suffering from insomnia is really difficult to bear. Yan HeQing picked up the candle and without saying a word, he began to set the table and wooden bench. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xiao YuAn, wrapped in the quilt, asked incredulously. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep here.¡± Yan HeQing squeezed his clothes tight and started to lie on top of the table. Xiao YuAn lifted the quilt: ¡°Come here, sleep on the couch, I¡¯ll sleep there.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°It does matter. Yan HeQing, in this world you¡¯re the only one that knows that I¡¯m not the Emperor, so you can treat me as an ordinary person and you can do these kind of trivial matters with me. Either I sleep on the table or we sleep together, you choose.¡± Yan HeQing raised his head and stared at Xiao YuAn for a while, then Yan HeQing slowly walked towards the bed and looked down: ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Xiao YuAn shrinks into the bed to make room for Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing took off his coat andid down on the couch. How big could a chambein¡¯s bed be? The two big men squeezed themselves to sleep, naturally, they could onlyy sideways. Xiao YuAn clung tightly to the wall, listened to the breathing sound beside him and closed his eyes ready to sleep, but suddenly he heard Yan HeQing¡¯s voice: ¡±Why do you have that illness?¡± ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± ¡°You know everything about me, but I don¡¯t know anything about you.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t expect that Yan HeQing would care about this. After feeling ufortable and changing his position, he thought about how to approach the subject, and finally said: ¡°I¡¯m an illegitimate son. My mother, after being abandoned by my father, took my brother and me with her, after that we had a very difficult life. When I was a child, I was in poor health. I often woke up with nightmares, and then I will cry out of breath, so my mother will always apany me to sleep. She used to say to me ¡®don¡¯t be afraid, if you listen to my breathing, you will know that I¡¯m by your side.¡¯ Butter¡­¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly paused, and then continued: ¡°Later, when I was six years old, I woke up in the middle of the night and went to listen to her breathing like I habitually did, but I ended up finding that I couldn¡¯t hear anything. That night, she overdosed on sleeping pills, she killed herself.¡± ¡°Do you want to know what¡¯s the funniest part?¡± Xiao YuAn turned over and looked at Yan HeQing. In the dark, his eyes showed anger but he wasn¡¯t angry, they were hateful but without hatred; it was more like a big senseless self-deprecation smashing into his own heart. ¡°The day after my mother died my so-called father came to see her. He was kicked out of his house because his wife discovered the things he¡¯d done and the fact that he had cheated on her. Also, just because his wife was unable to give birth to a son, he recalled that my mother, my brother and I existed.¡± ¡°But because my brother was born with a leg disability, he didn¡¯t want to take care of him, so my brother and I were separated by our father. Afterwards, I took revenge on my father on behalf of my mother and went looking to find my brother. But when I found him, I discovered that he had mental problems. He believed that I had left him on my own initiative and he wanted me to die all the time¡­¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes darkened and he continued softly. ¡°I¡¯ve spent the rest of my life taking care of him, but in the end, he never stopped hating me at all¡­¡± Yan HeQing remained silent for a long time, then, he stretched his hand to Xiao YuAn and caressed his back. The suddenfort made Xiao YuAn stunned, he twisted his body a little embarrassedly: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it was a long time ago. Afterwards I didn¡¯t let my father, who was not better than an animal, have an easy time.¡± ¡°Well, you can sleep now.¡± Yan HeQing said. ¡°Sweet dreams.¡± Like venting his nameless sorrow, Xiao YuAn just closed his eyes and finally fell asleep. In the early morning of the next day, the sunlight was weak and the air was cold. Yan HeQing opened his eyes and found that Xiao YuAn was already awake. He was half-supporting his body on the bed, his ck silk-like hair was falling down like a cascade from his shoulders to his waist, and a warm smile adorned his eyes and mouth. Yan HeQing was about to speak but he was suddenly silenced by Xiao YuAn. He covered Yan HeQing¡¯s lips with one hand and extended a finger against his own lips with the other one, then he softly said: ¡°Hush, listen.¡± Yan HeQing held his breath and listened attentively, he heard several birds singing. The sound of singing was melodious and clear, breaking through the clouds. Yan HeQing saw that Xiao YuAn was looking at him with a smile, his pure ck pupils were fascinating, like they were capturing his soul, then, he said: ¡°The warbler is singing and the swallow is dancing1. Spring ising.¡± Chapter 47: She May be the Pseudo-Second Female Lead. Spring ising, everything is reviving, and it¡¯s time for animals to meet again¡­mating season! The early spring of the Northern Kingdom was covered with thin frost everywhere, and instead of warmth, it brought coldness to the bones. As the snow melted, the Northern Kingdom had two major events. The first one, the birthday of the young Emperor is approaching, which is a great event of universal celebration. Although Xiao YuAn prepared everything to be simple in order to keep filial piety, some feasts for singing and dancing are still under intense preparation. The second one, Xiao YuAn knowing the plot, had been uneasy about ever since the end of winter. This event was that the Western Shu Kingdom will send envoys to make friends with each other!!! In the original book, the young Monarch was seeking trouble as usual. He was disdainful of making friends with foreign nations, so he rejected the envoys of the Western Shu Kingdom. This annoyed the Western Shu Kingdom. In the end, when Yan HeQing attacked the Northern Kingdom, he joined forces with the Western Shu Kingdom. In the original book, this plot passed very quickly; mainly to help the Western Shu Kingdom and Yan HeQing to be allies and join forces. Naturally, Xiao YuAn wouldn¡¯t look for troubles. At the beginning of spring, during the Spring Festival, the envoys of the Western Shu Kingdom were respectfully greeted into the Imperial City. ording to the protocol, the Northern Kingdom will ce the nine guests to sit at the top of the main hall, and then a banquet will be arranged at the Pce Hall to entertain the envoys of the Western Shu Kingdom. All of these ceremonies were extremely respectful, so it could be seen that Xiao YuAn attached great value to them. In the main Hall, in order to show respect, Xiao YuAn was dressed in aplicated formal attire and arrived in advance. When he sat down, he almost stumbled over his broad sleeve, but Yan HeQing, who was standing right beside him, had quick eyes and hands, so he reached out to help him. ¡°These formal clothes are too troublesome. If it weren¡¯t for Hong Xiu, I wouldn¡¯t be able to dress myself for three whole days.¡± Xiao YuAn, in a low voice, whispered to Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing nodded his head, without saying anything. Xiao YuAn was sitting properly, he was looking nervous and expecting. In the original book, the Western Shu Kingdom has an extremely particr existence. Because it has a particrly powerful backer: Honorable Female Members! Throughout the Western Shu Kingdom, there were many female Generals and Emperors. Such a sense of setting was naturally enjoyed by the male lead Yan HeQing. One-third of Yan HeQing¡¯s harem were the women from the Western Shu Kingdom. The Princess, the Prime Minister and the Number one Schr1 were all in his hands. Xiao YuAn estimated that the emissary sent by the Western Shu Kingdom should have one of Yan HeQing¡¯s wives, but he didn¡¯t know which wife would it be. However, it doesn¡¯t matter which little wife ising, she won¡¯t be able to enter Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes for the time being. After all, the protagonist halo of Princess Yongning is still here in the Pce!! Xiao YuAn tuned his head and smiled at Yan HeQing. If the protagonist dares to be unfaithful to the female lead, he will be still cut into pieces by the readers! Yan HeQing was bewildered by his smile, and he was wondering if his clothes were perhaps too tight, which caused Xiao YuAn¡¯s head tock oxygen. ording to the reports from outside, the envoys of the Western Shu Kingdom had arrived, and Xiao YuAn was full of energy, sitting in an upright posture. A group of people came from the outside of the Hall with gifts packed in boxes. Sure enough, most of the women had graceful slender bodies and their facial features were beautiful. The envoy was led by a woman dressed in red. She was dressed in a royal dress with a corset and no wrists, there wasn¡¯t anyplicated decoration on her body. The underclothes were embroidered with white clouds and fire patterns, she looked proud and unrestrained, her hair was tied in a high ponytail. Her phoenix eyes were slightly raised, and between the waves of her eyes, was indescribable heroism. Standing at the center of the hall, she bowed down in front of Xiao YuAn with her fist resting in her hand2; she was acting appropriately to the asion, natural and rxed. She said: ¡°Xiao PingYang from the Western Shu Kingdom pays a visit to the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom on behalf of the Western Shu Kingdom, hoping that the two countries can make good friends with each other for generations.¡± Xiao YuAn stood up abruptly, his eyes were wide open, and all the people present in the Hall were immediately scared. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Hong Xiu, who was waiting at his side, shouted softly. ¡°Cough¡­¡± He forced down the stormy waves inside his heart, Xiao YuAn sat down and said: ¡°I¡¯m alright, I¡¯m just really happy.¡± To hell with happiness aahhh!!! What the fuck3 aahhh!!! Before all this, for the envoys of the Western Shu Kingdom, Xiao YuAn had thought about countless possibilities. But! He! Really! Didn¡¯t! Expected! Her! To! Come! Xiao PingYang ahhh! Xiao PingYang was the second female lead in the original book, ¡°The History of the Four Kingdoms.¡± Since Princess Yongning was the first woman that Yan HeQing fell in love with, she was worshipped as the first female lead by readers. However, it wasn¡¯t Xiao PingYang¡¯s fault that she was the second woman that Yan HeQing took a fancy at. The reason why she¡¯s in this novel with all kinds of girls flying over the world, and that no one dares to shake her position as the second female lead is because¡­ She¡¯s thest wife of Yan HeQing. She bes Yan HeQing¡¯s Empress after he finally unified the countries into one nation. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ×´Ôª zhu¨¤ng yu¨¢n; Top scorer in the Pce Examination, the Highest Rank in the Imperial Examination System.
  2. ±§È­ b¨¤o qu¨¢n; To cup one¡¯s fist in the other hand, as a sign of respect.
  3. ÎÔ²Û w¨° c¨¢o; It¡¯s a Chinese inte ng, because it sounds simr to ÎÒ²Ù w¨¯ c¨¡o (fuck you/fucking). It¡¯s used this way because of the online Chinese censorship for some curse words, these would be seen as ****, so people started to get imaginative and started using other ¡°simr-sounding¡± words to express these curse words online. It can mean either: ¡°Fuck¡±, ¡°What the fuck?¡±, ¡°Shit¡±. Or in context mean: ¡°Awesome¡±, or express someone¡¯s feeling of surprise or frustration.
Chapter 48: This Might be the Pseudo-Harem. The magic of Xiao PingYang doesn¡¯t lie in the fact that she made the stallion protagonist stop epting more members into the Harem. After all, even if he doesn¡¯t add more girls into his Harem anymore, the girls that Yan HeQing once brought were enough for him to die1. The most amazing thing about Xiao PingYang, was that her and Yan HeQing¡¯s bedtime scenes were never written in the original book! They don¡¯t exist!! Not a single sentence, nor a single word, nor a punctuation mark, nothing!!! In the second half of the novel, almost every member of the harem and Yan HeQing rolled the sheets for three whole chapters. But only Xiao PingYang didn¡¯t! This was also the most iprehensible thing for the readers. In Yan HeQings¡¯s harem, apart from Xiao PingYang, only Princess Yongning had such treatment. But Princess Yongning didn¡¯t had the opportunity to be intimate with Yan HeQing because she was killed by the author. So, why did Xiao PingYang, the Empress, never been described in a bed scene? Moreover, Xiao PingYang¡¯s role in the original book was also quite extraordinary. Although she¡¯s the Princess of the Western Shu Kingdom, she has another identity: General of the Western Shu Kingdom. Yes, she¡¯s a young but powerful female General!! When Yan HeQing attacked the Northern Kingdom, it was Xiao PingYang who was sent by the Western Shu Kingdom to support him. That was the first time that Xiao PingYang and Yan HeQing met in the original book. Like a clear stream or water, Xiao PingYang naturally won¡¯t be like the other girls where in the first chapter they met and in the second chapter she¡¯s pushed down. In short, after helping Yan HeQing defeat the Northern Kingdom, Xiao PingYang returned back home. Just when the readers thought that this heroic girl wouldn¡¯t be a part of the Harem, the author raised their giant palm and pped everyone in the face. In the original book, when Yan HeQing sessfully recovered the Southern Yan Kingdom, captured the Northern Kingdom and the Eastern Wu Kingdom one after another, everyone thought that Yan HeQing would continue to attack the Western Shu Kingdom, but contrary to that, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t make a move. Just when everyone thought that the pattern was one big country after a smaller one, Xiao PingYang ascended the throne and became the Emperor of the Western Shu Kingdom. Then, Yan HeQing sent troops to fight over it!! And when everyone thought that when they encountered each other at the battlefield they would fight for their lives, unexpectedly, Yan HeQing asked Xiao PingYang to marry him. On the battlefield!! Everyone was so confused!!! What the hell is happening? It was even more confusing, because Xiao PingYang knew that she couldn¡¯t beat Yan HeQing, and she didn¡¯t want the people of the Western Shu Kingdom to be trampled by war. In the end, she agreed to Yan HeQing¡¯s proposal and married into the Northern Kingdom bing the Empress. Naturally, after that, the Western Shu Kingdom belonged to Yan HeQing. Surprisingly, Yan HeQing sessfully unified the four countries into one Kingdom!!! Just because he married a wife!!!! Married a wife!!! Others would fight for their father and mother, but Yan HeQing fought for his wife!!! This progress made people speechless!!! As a reader, Xiao PingYang was probably Xiao YuAn¡¯s favorite wife from Yan HeQing¡¯s harem. There¡¯s no need to exin that it isn¡¯t just because Xiao PingYang and he share the same Xiao2 surname, but because Xiao PingYang¡¯s temperament is so heroic that there¡¯s not need to exin further. In the original book, the author never described her smile. She was always cold, acting cold, and being icy cold. People gave her the nickname: ¡°The Iron Masked Lady3¡±. And Xiao YuAn gave her the nickname: ¡°Xiao popsicle¡±. Also, because there was a lot of readers that live for the bed scenes, at that point, they analyzed the second half of the book and came to the conclusion that Xiao PinYang may not like Yan HeQing at all. But it was precisely because of her strong nature that she was able to control Yan HeQing¡¯s harem. Besides, his harem is so huge, how can there not be a single evil woman. If it weren¡¯t for Xiao PingYang, those who were gentle and weak in nature, would¡¯ve been killed long ago. Xiao PingYang¡¯s identity is so special, and now she¡¯s suddenly standing at the main Hall of the Pce. Xiao YuAn felt that his heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys were trembling. Why did she appear so early!!! Does she really want to take the male lead away from Princess Yongning?! To be honest, the only one in Yan HeQing¡¯s harem that isparable to Princess Yongning is Xiao PingYang! After the ceremony, all the envoys of the Western Shu Kingdom took their seats, and Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t took his eyes away from Xiao PingYang. Standing behind Xiao YuAn, Yan HeQing could clearly see all of Xiao YuAn¡¯s actions, and his eyes were very gloomy as he followed Xiao YuAn¡¯s gaze directed at Xiao PingYang. He held his sword at his waist and clenched it silently. Xiao YuAn eyes were faintly burning. When he turned his head around quietly, he saw that Yan HeQing was intensively looking at Xiao PingYang, and without saying a word, his heart thumped. Damn it!!! So this is the situation. He couldn¡¯t see his first wife yet, so he wants to take advantage of the second wife first!! How will the plot develop from now on!!! Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ¾«¾¡ÈËÍö j¨©ng j¨¬n r¨¦n w¨¢ng; It¡¯s a Chinese vocabry, the term is usually used in cases where males die due to excessive sexual behavior. There¡¯s a popr saying: ¡°One drop of sperm, ten drops of blood¡±, it regards semen as the essence of the human body, which is worth ten drops of blood, meaning that ejaction will hurt vitality. Therefore, men should control sexual desire, or endure ejaction to preserve semen. ording to modern medicine, semen can be replenished through metabolism. For normal people, unless sexual activity is too frequent or violent, otherwise sperm discharge will not damage the body.
  2. Literally they both share the same Ïô Xi¨¡o surname. ÏôƽÑôƽÑô Xi¨¡o p¨ªng y¨¢ng. ÏôÓè°² Xi¨¡o y¨³ ¨¡n.
  3. Lady = Äï×Ó ni¨¢ng z¨« (dialect). Form of address for one¡¯s wife / Polite form of address for a woman.
Chapter 49: They May Have Been Pseudo-Seduced. Chapter 49: They May Have Been Pseudo-Seduced. At the end of the banquet, they had a very good talk. Xiao YuAn felt like his mind could rest at ease if Hong Xiu was the one to take Xiao PingYang and the rest of the envoys to visit the Imperial City of the Northern Kingdom. There was still snow covering the Northern Kingdom. While in the Western Shu Kingdom, it wasn¡¯t possible to withstand such a beautiful scenery wrapped in white at all. The group of girls were freezing and their cheeks were flushed red because of the cold, but that didn¡¯t matter to them, they were still very excited. Xiao PingYang reached out and grabbed the snow on top of the branches. The snow gradually became transparent and melted in her hands, before finally only the cold water remained; these wonderful changes were unexpected and interesting to her. The architectural style of the Northern Kingdom was slightly different from that of the Western Shu Kingdom. The Pces of the Northern Kingdom were even more magnificent, with nine dragons and golden crows carved everywhere. These were also snowkes flying around, which made Xiao PingYang fascinated. She looked up and her eyes fell on a building. Xiao PingYang pointed to that ce and asked: ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Hong Xiu looked down at her eyes and exined: ¡°Ah, that¡¯s the Yuhua Tower. In a few days it will be the Emperor¡¯s birthday, and he will feast with one hundred officials there.¡± Xiao PingYang was quite interested: ¡°Since that¡¯s the ce where the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom will celebrate his birthday, is there anything special about it?¡± Hong Xiu said: ¡°There¡¯s a lotus pond in the middle of the building.¡± ¡°Lotus pond? Wouldn¡¯t that be just a scene of dead branches and fallen leaves on an icy and snowy day?¡± Hong Xiu covered her lips and smiled lightly: ¡°It¡¯s not a real flower, but a Lotus carved out of Gold, it¡¯s extremely delicate and lifelike. In the middle of the lotus pond, there¡¯s a White Jade tform. In this country, only Princess Yongning is allowed to dance on the White Jade tform.¡± Xiao PingYang nodded and asked: ¡°Can I go and have a look?¡± Hong Xiu hesitated a little, but still led Xiao PingYang and herpanions towards the building. Although it was only a few days before the birthday, Yuhua Tower had already been decorated withnterns and it looked extremely festive. Many servants were cleaning outside the Pavilion, but the ce was inplete silence. A richly ornamented building, the pavilion wasyered with precious burning incense, and the wooden beams and cornices were each more delicate and exquisite than the other. The Golden Lotus and White Jade tform was located on the fifth floor. Hong Xiu then realized that the Pavilion was actually too quiet. It was something strange for sure, but it was already toote. The envoy just stepped inside the fifth floor, when a woman dressed in green clothes with a veryrge figure shouted: ¡°Hey!¡± The envoys were suddenly scared out of their wits, and when they turned around they saw that woman twisting her body and her face was blushing: ¡°What are you doing?? Has no one told you that Princess Yongning is practising her dance here?? Disgraceful, leave quickly???¡± Hong Xiu quickly bowed down and apologized, leading the envoys of the Western Shu Kingdom to leave the Pavilion in a hurry. But Xiao PingYang didn¡¯t seem to hear her at all. She looked at Cui¡¯er and then fixed her eyes on the inside of the fifth floor. On the Jade tform, singing and dancing rising at the top of the tform, a woman wearing a in white cloud skirt waved her sleeves. Xiao PingYang looked at her and saw that she was smiling and dancing gracefully, dancing with a simple hand is the world¡¯s best move. Upon hearing the noise, Princess Yongning jumped off the White Jade tform strangely, and walked a few steps with light steps like a swallow. ¡°Princess Yongning, this maidservant didn¡¯t know that you were practicing your dancing here. I ask the Princess to forgive me.¡± Hong Xiu knelt on the ground. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, you can get up.¡± Princess Yongning waved her sleeves and her eyes fell on Xiao PingYang. She asked strangely: ¡°Who are these sisters?¡± ¡°Answering to the Princess, they¡¯re the envoys from the Western Shu Kingdom.¡± Hong Xiu said. ¡°Xiao PingYang from the Western Shu Kingdom salutes Princess Yongning, the Princess of the Millennium.¡± Xiao PingYang was, ording to the etiquette, very attentive and courteous. ¡°Western Shu Kingdom?¡± Princess Yongning murmured, then she smiled cheerfully: ¡°Are you also a Princess?¡± Xiao PingYang said: ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you visiting the Imperial City?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Princess Yongning suddenly grasped Xiao PingYang¡¯s hands and held them up in front of her chest. She wasn¡¯t hiding her joy: ¡°Let me show you around!¡± Xiao PingYang was stunned and asked softly: ¡°Don¡¯t you have to keep practicing the dance?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s alright. It¡¯s a dance prepared specially for my Imperial Brother¡¯s birthday, I¡¯m already familiar with it.¡± Princess Yongning picked up her skirt and said: ¡°I¡¯ll go change my clothes, wait for me here.¡± After saying that, she trotted into the fifth floor. The envoys from the Western Shu Kingdom looked at each other and someone whispered: ¡°She¡¯s a very warm Princess¡­¡± Cui¡¯er sighed: ¡°You girls might not know, but there¡¯s few women of the same age as the Princess in our Pce, so she actuallycks ymates. Naturally, she¡¯s very delighted to see you.¡± Xiao PingYang nodded, and deep in her eyes, there was a hint of tenderness. Inside the Pce, the tributes of the Western Shu Kingdom were neatly arranged in two rows. Xiao YuAn¡¯s face showed a baby-like intrigued expression, he was looking at each box in that way with Yan HeQing standing behind him. ¡°Should this be the one?¡± Xiao YuAn looked around the box filled with silks and satins and rare antiques. Yan HeQing followed behind Xiao YuAn and was a little confused, just when he was about to ask him what he was looking for, Xiao YuAn stopped abruptly and rejoiced: ¡°This is it!¡± In front of him was an Ice Basin1pletely sealed in wax, with cold handles. Xiao YuAn pushed the lid but realized that it won¡¯t budge an inch, so he asked Yan HeQing: ¡°Can you open it for me?¡± Yan HeQing pulled out his sword and cut the wax seal, embedded the sword into the gap of the ice basin, and pushed it away with force. Inside the Ice Basin were sealed threeyers of porcin boxes, the bigger one was covering the smaller one and the gap between the thirdyer and the secondyer was full of melted ice water, only the firstyer had some floating ice. Xiao YuAn opened the innermostyer and his eyes were filled with a warm smile: ¡°Ah, sure enough.¡± Yan HeQing looked closely at the box and saw that there were many red fruits inside it, the skin was raised, it was quite strange: ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Xiao YuAn picked up one, and after peeling it, that fruit showed it¡¯s white flesh. Xiao YuAn was about to put it in his mouth when Yan HeQing grasped his wrist and blocked this action. ¡°What?¡± Xiao YuAn was confused. ¡°It could be poisonous.¡± Yan HeQing frowned. ¡°Pff¡ª¨C¡± Xiao YuAn sneered and handed the fruit to Yan HeQing: ¡°Then will you test the poison for me?¡± Yan HeQing was slightly shocked, and the fruit was then stuffed into his mouth, it¡¯s taste was very sweet and cold. ¡°Delicious?¡± Xiao YuAn asked, ¡°Hey! don¡¯t¡¯ forget to spit out the pit!! The ck one in the middle, spit it out!¡± Yan HeQing spit out the ck pit and held his breath, after a while he said: ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be poisonous.¡± Xiao YuAnughed out loud: ¡°I already know that it isn¡¯t poisonous, otherwise, how could I let you taste it? This is called Lychee fruit2 and it¡¯s a speciality of the Western Shu Kingdom.¡± It¡¯s also one of the foods that Yan HeQing likes the most in the original book. In the original book, every time the lychee fruit matures, Yan HeQing will go to the Western Shu Kingdom and eat lychee while holding a member of his harem, living the happy life. Xiao YuAn wondered if such a famous special product, the envoys of the Western Shu Kingdom would regard it as a tribute, fortunately he was right. ¡°By the way, do you know this ancient poem?¡± Xiao YuAn picked up a lychee and held it in his palm to rub and y with it. He looked at Yan HeQing, his smile was full of emotions: ¡°One horseman in red dust approaches the gates making a concubine smile happily, no one else knows that it¡¯s because the lychees have arrived3.¡± Yan HeQing stared at Xiao YuAn for a long while, and he suddenly pulled the corner of his mouth showing a very stiff smile. Xiao YuAn was dumbfounded and the lychee on his hand almost rolled to the ground. When he finally reacted, he stretched out his hand and pointed tremblingly at the ice basin: ¡°They¡¯re all yours!¡± He was astonished!! In order to be able to eat lychees, the stallion protagonist wouldn¡¯t hesitate to show his true colors!! The men and women shed silent tears!! The readers are crying!! The big and small wives are crying themselves blind!!! Don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s not this world¡¯s protagonist fault! Yan HeQing, actually, didn¡¯t feel happy at all. He recovered his cold expression and with a light tone, he said: ¡°It¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, the weather in the Nortnd can keep them consumable. That is, just don¡¯t eat too much a day or your stomach will get upset.¡± Xiao YuAn was slightly scared while pushing the Ice Basin to Yan HeQing¡¯a side. Yan HeQing sighed: ¡°Thank you.¡± Xiao YuAn patted Yan HeQing: ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± The male leadughed, all of this just for a few lychees. After the lychee situation was settled, Xiao YuAn looked at the other gifts curiously. This time, the Western Shu Kingdom came with sincerity, so the tribute was dazzling. Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes nced over a box of jewelry and silk, he abruptly stopped, reached out and picked up a cinnabar red hairpin engraved with flowers. After looking at it for a while, he held it in his palm and put it away: ¡°The rest will be sent to Yongning Pce.¡± Chapter 50: This May be the Pseudo-Plot of a Birthday Celebration. Chapter 50: This May Be The Pseudo-Plot Of A Birthday Celebration. When the tribute ceremony was sent to Yongning Pce, Xiao PingYang was resting there. After all, Princess Yongning dragged her around the whole Imperial City until finally she said that she wanted to take her to her Pce, of course, Xiao PingYang didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°The Emperor seems to love you very much?¡± Xiao PingYang looked at the tribute and then asked her. ¡°Yes!¡± Princess Yongning nodded exaggeratedly: ¡°My Imperial Brother is very kind to me. How about you, do you have an Imperial Brother1?¡± Xiao PingYang said: ¡°I have many Royal Brothers, but there¡¯s only one that I get along with.¡± ¡°Come this way.¡± Princess Yongning took Xiao PingYang to sit at the table, Xiao PingYang saw a gold needle and silver thread on top of the table. There was also a sachet halfway embroidered, but this sachet was crooked and looked unsightly. Princess Yongning¡¯s face was blushing red, she entered into panic and then she was in a hurry to hide it. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Xiao PingYang reached out and took the needle and thread. ¡°Can I embroider it?¡± ¡°You, you know how to do needlework?¡± Princess Yongning asked incredulously. Seeing Xiao PingYang nodding her head, Princess Yongning said: ¡°Yes, you can embroider it.¡± Xiao PingYang twisted the needle and thread, turned her fingers, and after a while, the oddly shaped sachet waspletely transformed, bing delicate and refined. Princess Yongning eximed: ¡°Oh heavens, it¡¯s amazing, but Hong Xiu told me that you were a General?¡± Xiao PingYang squeezed the thread and said softly: ¡°I can do needlework and also lead soldiers to fight.¡± ¡°Wow, are all the women in the Western Shu Kingdom like this?¡± ¡°No, but we can do whatever we want.¡± Xiao PingYang paused, suddenly raising her head at Princess Yongning, her voice fluttered softly: ¡°I can also love anyone I want.¡± ¡°Awesome.¡± Princess Yongning put her hands on her face and smiled innocently: ¡°I really want to visit the Western Shu Kingdom.¡± Xiao PingYang lowered her head, hooked her lips and smiled: ¡°There will be opportunities.¡± ¡°By then, you must show me around the Imperial City.¡± ¡°Yes, a promise is a promise.¡± In the spring night, the cuckoo cries loudly at the moon. Hong Xiu worked the whole day, and she didn¡¯t have the time to take a break. Even then, she hurried to the Imperial bedchamber to wait for the Emperor to sleep at night. Xiao YuAn was dressed in white and he was reading the memorials with the light of candles. When he saw Hong Xiu, he waved at her: ¡°Hong Xiu.¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡±. Hong Xiu stepped forward and saluted him. ¡°Come, take it. This is for you.¡± Xiao YuAn took out a small makeup box and handed it to Hong Xiu. Hong Xiu took it doubtfully, and when she opened it, she was even more surprised. Inside the box was a cinnabar red flower hairpin. It was made with exquisite workmanship, gorgeous and elegant. ¡°I think it suits you very well, so please ept it.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled tenderly and softly as the calm waters. As the President of a Company! As the President of a Company with proper life values, he should respect the elderly, cherish the young, and spread positive factors! Xiao YuAn used to say: For the subordinates, it¡¯s important that we show them that we¡¯re on their side by telling them the truth, that¡¯ll arouse their sympathy! Hong Xiu looked at the flower hairpin in a determined way, and suddenly knelt down with a choked voice: ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty! For such a valuable reward, this maidservant will work extremely hard for I don¡¯t have a way to reciprocate it in this lifetime.¡± Xiao YuAn was astonished, what she said was out of the question, so he hurriedly helped Hong Xiu to stand up. This flower hairpin can¡¯t be returned? How harsh the Young Monarch used to be! There¡¯s no wonder that the Northern Kingdom destroyed itself, after all, how can the supreme leaderck affinity! There¡¯s no cohesion!? ¡°It¡¯s just a flower hairpin. It¡¯s not very expensive, besides, you already help me a lot everyday.¡± Xiao YuAn helplessly nced at the tearful eyes of Hong Xiu. ¡°This, this maidservant will wait for His Majesty, for His Majesty to wash himself.¡± Hong Xiu was still sobbing. ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled, ¡°Wait a minute, by the way, when is the birthday feast taking ce?¡± ¡°In five days from now, Your Majesty.¡± Ever since ancient times, for the Emperor¡¯s birthday was nothing more than two sentences: Everyone will celebrate this day, forget about the rest of the world. To put it bluntly, it¡¯s just like a holiday, blind and lively. The Imperial City is colorfully decorated withnterns everywhere, the civilians and the military officials worship with rites and drink a ten thousand worth Birthday Wine. In the evening, they feast at the Yuhua Tower. The whole country is celebrating, and after that, take three days off. In Yuhua Tower, where Xiao YuAn was holding the feast, he was drinking wine a little bit absent-minded. It wasn¡¯t because Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t like festivities, but because he was looking at the Golden Lotus on top of the White Jade tform in front of him and suddenly remembered a plot from the original book. In order to celebrate the Emperor¡¯s birthday, Princess Yongning will sing and dance on the White Jade tform every year. This particr year, she jumped and sprained her ankle, resulting in her falling into the water. Yan HeQing, as the male lead, naturally reacted faster than ordinary people would, and jumped down towards the pool to save her without hesitation. But now, the plot became a total mess. The male lead and the female lead hadn¡¯t even met yet, and Xiao YuAn can¡¯t guess what will happen next. At this time, on the fifth floor of the Yuhua Tower, all the people sitting here are rtives of the Emperor; but in order to show respect, Xiao YuAn also invited the envoys of the Western Shu Kingdom. Xiao PingYang was sitting on the west side calmly drinking a cup of wine. Xiao YuAn suddenly realized something. He turned his head and looked right behind him. As a close bodyguard, Yan HeQing was standing a few steps away from him, half hidden in the shadows silently watching the drinks and gamble lying together in therge group2 in front of him. When he saw that Xiao YuAn turned his head, Yan HeQing gave him a questioning look. Xiao YuAn shook his head, turned around and grabbed his porcin cup. For a while, he was unable to suppress his inner excitement. The male lead, the female lead and the second female are all in the same room!!! He can¡¯t wait for the male lead and the female lead to finally meet each other!!! Will this plot turn into an epic love drama, a Shura scene3!!! Suddenly, he heard the sound of the stroke of four drums4 but he didn¡¯t know where it wasing from. It was sweet and clear, and the people that until that very moment were talking loudly, abruptly calmed down. Everyone looked at the Golden Lotus and White Jade tform right at the center. Four graceful dancers waved their wide sleeves around the Jadeke, their sleeves then fell to the ground and Princess Yongning appeared on top of the Jade tform. She was smiling extremely cheerfully, with rosy lips and ivory white teeth, she was looking just like the wind and the snow flying around the world. With the sound of the strings, Princess Yongning danced gracefully, her appearance was as beautiful as fairies. From the beginning to the end, there weren¡¯t any flirtleritious intentions in her moves. It only made people feel that her dance wasn¡¯t indecent, instead it was truly stunning. Xiao YuAn quietly looked back at Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing was tightly holding the handle of his sword. Although his eyes were looking at the White Jade tform, he actually seemed careless and absent-minded, like he was thinking about something. Wow, he really is the male lead! Tch-tch-tch5, look at this calm attitude, look at this seemingly innocent expression, in fact, he had long been amazed and became speechless!!! This must be love at first sight!!! As expected, the female lead¡¯s aura is greater than the sky!!! Xiao YuAn then nced at Xiao PingYang. Xiao PingYang¡¯s lips were slightly open, and she was looking at Princess Yongning¡¯s dancing on the White Jade tform intensively. She was refusing to blink, like she was fearing to miss even a second of the spectacle. Heavens! The second female, she¡­¡­ She. Is she shocked by the female lead¡¯s aura?! Xiao YuAn was still thinking about it when Princess Yongning, apanied by the sound of the Guqin, fixed her body, and ended the dance. The whole audience inside the hall werepletely shocked, and they instantly started to cheer loudly. Xiao YuAn calmed down and was slightly surprised to find that Princess Yonging didn¡¯t fall into the water. It seems that this plot was skipped? He reached out his hands and apuded, then he saw that Princess Yongning while holding her skirt jumped down from the White Jade tform and ran towards him. Huh? ¡°Imperial Brother.¡± Princess Yongning holds Xiao YuAn with both her hands, she smiled vigorously and exerted a little force, ¡°Come with me! Yongning has a surprise for you.¡± ¡°A-ah? What?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s face was confused. When he came to reality, he realized that he was already on top of the White Jade tform. ¡°Imperial Brother! Look!¡± Princess Yongning pulled Xiao YuAn around for two times, and a strange fragrance left her waving sleeves. Xiao YuAn was really confused, and then, out of nowhere, someone eximed: ¡°Butterfly? Is that a Butterfly?¡± At the corner of the Yuhua Tower, an envoy of the Western Shu Kingdom opened a box, and a group of colorful butterflies spread their wings flying out! They were attracted by the exotic fragrance, flying right towards the Jade tform, dancing around Princess Yongning and Xiao YuAn; they were even falling on the Princess¡¯ sleeves, shoulders and fingers. It could be said that the butterflies were all fragrant and had thick wings, they could be difficult to find among flowers. ¡°Imperial Brother, did you like it?¡± Princess Yongning asked with excitement. ¡°I like it.¡± More than that, Xiao YuAn was shocked. There¡¯s no such paragraph in the original book!!! What¡¯s more, the spring was still cold in the Northern Kingdom, and the snow haven¡¯t even disappeared yet. Where are these butterfliesing from! ¡°These butterflies?¡± ¡°They¡¯re part of the tribute from the Western Shu Kingdom! Xiao PingYang gave me this idea! For these butterflies, I¡¯ve changed the dancing posture!¡± Change the dancing posture? Was this the reason that Princess Yongning didn¡¯t fall into the water pond? Xiao YuAn nodded his head clearly, and then, he was pulled again by Princess Yongning for a few more times. The butterflies gathered more and more, in the end, his eyes gradually became a bit dazed. Xiao YuAn stared right at Princess Yonging¡¯s feet, fearing that she would fall into the water, after all, it¡¯s better to avoid suffering the cold weather. Princess Yongning had enough with ying around and cheerfully said: ¡°Imperial Brother, let¡¯s go back to the feast.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded with a gentle smile in his lips, but then, he turned around and stepped on the air, falling backwards. Chapter 51: It Must be That the Way I Was Rescued Feels Wrong. ¡°Imperial Brother!!!¡± Princess Yongning stepped forward a few steps and grabbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrist, but the falling force was too great and she couldn¡¯t hold on at all, resulting in her falling into the cold water alongside Xiao YuAn. What the fuck!!! Xiao YuAn could guess the beginning, but he couldn¡¯t fucking guess the end!!! The whole audience screamed in horror! And as soon as Xiao YuAn felt the freezing pool water drowning him, he heard two diving sounds. Hmm??? Two sounds??? Xiao YuAn covered his mouth to stop himself from coughing and choking, in a hurry he adjusted his breath. He wanted to save Princess Yongning before they fell into the water together. Princess Yongning was right in front of Xiao YuAn and she obviously couldn¡¯t swim, she spitted out a big bubble while waving her hands and struggling to get out of the water. Xiao YuAn managed to hold his breath, and as soon as he was going to swim towards Princess Yongning, he saw red silk shining right in front of him. Someone grabbed Princess Yongning from behind and brought her to the surface. As expected, he was too naive!! How could there be less drama when the male lead and the female leads are involved! How could that be possible! It could clearly be seen that the two of them fell into the water together, but in the end, no one jumped back and grabbed him! Look at this protagonist halo! The hero Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t able to save the beauty. When he was preparing himself to get out of the water, he was suddenly caught off guard when someone grabbed him by the back and was brought into their arms. ¡°Poof ¨C.¡± Xiao YuAn was astonished and choked after opening his mouth and breathing some water. As soon as he came out of the water, he coughed for a long time, and his mind exploded in hurt. When he finally looked up, he found out that he was being held by Yan HeQing¡¯s arms. What the fuck! Did you mistook me for Princess Yongning! Xiao YuAn covered his mouth and looked around. He found that Princess Yongning was rescued from drowning in the Jade tform, and she was being held by Xiao PingYang! What kind of development was that! Xiao YuAn wiped the water from his face and was pushed ashore by Yan HeQing, then he turned and pulled him up, looking at him with distressed eyes. Your reaction was too slow! Your first wife was rescued by another person! And that person happens to be your second wife! Aren¡¯t you scared that they will think that you don¡¯t have a heart? Either way, both the Emperor and the Princess fell into the water, which scared everyone to death. As soon as the two of them were rescued, they hurriedly took them to the Taiyi Hall, resulting in the birthday banquet to reach its end. Xiao YuAn stared at the thick twoyer quilt covering his whole body, the charcoal basin beside the bed, the medicinal soup to prevent the cold, and the Imperial Physician that was rubbing his muscles and veins. He asked quietly: ¡°Imperial Physician, I just fell into the cold water, I will not die, will I?¡± The Imperial Physician kept his professional smile and added a quilt to Xiao YuAn¡¯s body while he was talking about falling into the water. Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± The Imperial Physician asked cautiously: ¡°Your Majesty, how are you feeling?¡± He felt suffocated. Xiao YuAn asked him instead: ¡°How is Princess Yongning?¡± ¡°Answering to His Majesty, Princess Yongning is perfectly fine, she just returned to Yongning Pce.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded feeling at ease, and then lifted the quilt: ¡°Then I will go back as well.¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± The Imperial Physician suddenly shouted, putting the quilt back on Xiao YuAn¡¯s body again. ¡°Your Majesty, you must not move, that¡¯s absolutely impossible for you right now. You¡¯re very weak and you should rest more, you need to take care of the Dragon body1.¡± You are weak!! Your whole family is weak!!! Xiao YuAn waspletely wrapped in the quilt and only his head was exposed, he felt that he couldn¡¯t breathe at all. He thought that the Imperial Physician was actually an assassin that was trying to use the quilt to slowly suffocate him: ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll rest. You can go out and call Yan HeQing toe here, I have something to speak with him.¡± The Imperial Physician obeyed his orders and retired. After a while, the door was pushed open, and Yan HeQing walked in. He stood beside the bed and Xiao YuAn shivered, stretching a hand from under the threeyer thick quilt, he said: ¡°Help me, I will be crushed to death!¡± Yan HeQing analyzed the situation for a while, and decided to hold Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand putting it inside the quilt once again. Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan HeQing said: ¡°You must have a good rest.¡± After he said that to him, Xiao YuAn lifted the quilt, turned over and sat up: ¡°I don¡¯t want to rest, it¡¯s just getting dark outside. No one goes to bed so early, I don¡¯t care about my health.¡± Seeing that Yan HeQing was frowning at him, Xiao YuAn took his hand and put it at the side of his neck: ¡°I really am alright. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can touch and see for yourself, my meridians are stable, and full of youthful energy2.¡± Yan HeQing raised his eyebrows lightly, he pressed his thumb against the side of Xiao YuAn¡¯s neck, felt the pulse for a while. Then he softly touched Xiao YuAn¡¯s side face, circled around his eyes with his fingertips, and finally covered his forehead with the palm of his hand. After that, he nodded affirmatively: ¡°Yes, it seems that you¡¯re really fine.¡± ¡°It also seems that I don¡¯t actually have anything to do.¡± Xiao YuAn tidied up his clothes, climbed out of the bed and walked towards the windows, looking like he was really eager to try and leave from there. ¡°Let¡¯s go out to y.¡± ¡°Go where?¡± ¡°Outside, to the Imperial City, at the market streets.¡± Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ÁúÌå l¨®ng t¨«; Imperial/The Emperor¡¯s body/health.
  2. ³¯ÆøÅ zh¨¡o q¨¬ p¨¦ng b¨®; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, is used to describe the appearance of being full of life and vitality. From¡¶Öйú¹²²úµ³µÚÊ®¶þ´ÎÈ«¹ú´ú±í´ó»á¿ªÄ»´Ê¡· (zh¨­ng gu¨® g¨°ng ch¨£n d¨£ng d¨¬ sh¨ª ¨¨r c¨¬ qu¨¢n gu¨® d¨¤i bi¨£o d¨¤ hu¨¬ k¨¡i m¨´ c¨ª), ¡°Opening speech of the 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of China¡±, written by (µËСƽ d¨¨ng zi¨£o p¨ªng) Deng Xiaoping [1904-1997], Chinesemunist leader and creator of ¡°Socialism With Chinese Characteristics¡±.
Chapter 52: It Must Be That This Way of Doting on Him Feels Weird. Chapter 52: It Must Be That This Way Of Doting On Him Feels Weird. In the Imperial City, because it was early evening, the lights were beginning to shine, and thousands of candles could be seen being lit for ten miles ahead. In order to celebrate the Emperor¡¯s birthday, the market was bustling and it was lively and crowded. People wereing and going like tides. Xiao YuAn was full of curiosity strolling through the streets, stalls and shops: ¡°It¡¯s quite interesting. The Pce is always so boring, I¡¯ve long wanted toe out and stroll.¡± Yan HeQing said: ¡°In any way, you are the Emperor. You can take the Imperial Bodyguards and the maidservants with you at any time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the same. Everyone else follows me in a state of fear, I feel more at ease with you alone.¡± Xiao YuAn said while looking at the ink painted fan on top of a stall, he didn¡¯t notice that Yan HeQing gently hooked his mouth. The two of them strolled from the West street market to the East street market, where peddlers were shouting and juggling everywhere, and where the children were shuttling through the crowd in their jackets, one after the other, the city was flourishing. Walking around, Xiao YuAn suddenly saw something and walked into the Shop with his hands down. It was a Jade Shop. When the owner saw two imposing young men stepping into his shop, he turned his astute eyes and nodded bowing1 his head to salute them: ¡°What can I do for both gongzi?¡± Xiao YuAn flicked his fingers through a wide range of dazzling jade until finally he stopped at the most striking ce of the Jade Shop. There was a wooden cab which contained a jade flute made out of white jade inside. The flute¡¯s body was outlined with cloud patterns and had a handing red spike. Even those that didn¡¯t know anything about flutes will know at a first nce that this one was particrly extraordinary. The owner hesitated: ¡°Ah, about this gongzi, you don¡¯t know but this jade flute is the treasure of this town¡¯s shop and the price¡­tch-tch, it¡¯s quite expensive.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Xiao YuAn chuckled: ¡°So it really is precious. Then can you take it out so I look better at it?¡± After thinking for a while, the owner opened the cab and took out the Jade flute: ¡°Humble me will give gongzi face2, after all, good things must be shared.¡± Xiao YuAn took the jade flute and yed with it in his hands for a while, then he handed it to Yan HeQing: ¡°Try it out.¡± Yan HeQing was stupefied: ¡°How did you know that I can y the flute¡­¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m very smart. Now, y it for me.¡± Yan HeQing took over the Jade flute and ced it on his lips, the melodious flute sounds just like the limpid autumn waters3 and the spring breeze4. In the original book, it was described for many episodes that Yan HeQing and Princess Yongning yed together. The flute and the guqin strings were described at the first half of the book as under the moon and before the flowers5, but Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t expect that Yan HeQing¡¯s solo y could make people¡¯s hearts feel ripples6. Xiao YuAn, as the President of apany that could memorize the quotations of the Tyrannical Presidents, and a former President that attempted but failed to walk this lunatic road, a President that is still trying to go through the seduction road, in his 20 years of life, he would never think that it wille a day in which he would make use of a President golden sentence, which is what he just did in this situation. It wasn¡¯t even for his own wife, but for a stallion protagonist that could spend a night with ten members of his harem. Life, it¡¯s really tricky, it¡¯s unpredictable, it¡¯s incredible, it¡¯s really¡­wow, how happy I am! Xiao YuAn pointed at the jade flute and said to the owner in a bold manner: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how much this flute cost, I will take it back with me.¡± The owner¡¯s heart was in full bloom7, but he pretended to be distressed: ¡°Gongzi, don¡¯t ask for this jade flute so easily, it¡¯s worth a hundred liang of gold.¡± Yan HeQing returned the jade flute to his owner and turned his head to ask Xiao YuAn: ¡°Do you want to buy it?¡± Xiao YuAn was smiling from ear to ear: ¡°I want to buy it.¡± ¡°Do you even have any money with you?¡± Can you stop hitting my mind so abruptly? The two of them left through the window of the Taiyi Hall, and they certainly didn¡¯t bring anything with them. Besides, ordinary people wouldn¡¯t have a hundred liang of gold with them so casually. Xiao YuAn thought for a long time and said: ¡°This is the Imperial City, am I right?¡± The owner of the Jade Shop thought with pity: This gongzi looked very attractive and intelligent, but in reality, he was very stupid for his young age. ¡°Then I have a solution.¡± Xiao YuAn pulled Yan HeQing out of the Jade Shop. Yan HeQing was very confused: ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°Wuning Wangfu8.¡± In the original book, Wuning Wangye was a peculiar character, because he¡¯s the worst viin from all the viins of this book, he¡¯s not just a cannon fodder like the others. He mistreated the country and wanted to usurp the throne. Power is the only thing he wants in life, and because of that, he rebelled. And yet, he was described as a good Wangye¡­ Because he was at the male lead¡¯s side. Wuning Wangye was a foreign rtive that was very determined in rebelling. He tried to take the position of the Emperor, but hecked military power, so he could only join forces with the Southern Yan Kingdom and make use of their troops to rebel. It could be said that Wuning Wangye was the only connection between Yan HeQing, who was imprisoned in the Pce, and the Southern Yan Kingdom. But then, after the east window incident happened, Yan HeQing fled with glory because he is the male lead, but Wuning Wangye was in a miserable situation instead, and his head was cut off by the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom. Yan HeQing and Xiao YuAn walked towards the Pce of Wuning Wangye, but they were stopped by the guards when they reached the gate: ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: ¡°I came looking for Wangye.¡± The guard red at him and roared with great force: ¡°Is really Wangye the one that you want to see?¡± Xiao YuAn simply replied: ¡°Yes.¡± The guard looked at him up and down: ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t change your name, you can¡¯t change your surname9. The name Xiao YuAn, is the name of the President of the Jianghu10 but you can call me President Xiao.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan HeQing touched his forehead. The guard drew out his sword with a brush and in a murderous voice he said: ¡°Where is this madmaning from, leave this ce right now, my sword doesn¡¯t have eyes.¡± When he drew the de out he sent it right towards Xiao YuAn, but Yan HeQing stepped forward and blocked the attack putting Xiao YuAn behind him. He held the guard¡¯s hilt and coldly said: ¡°Go and report to Wangye that the Emperor hase to see him.¡± Chapter 53: It Must Be That He Didn’t Understand it in The Right Way. Chapter 53: It Must Be That He Didn¡¯t Understand It In The Right Way. Both of them were respectfully greeted into the main Hall of Wangye¡¯s Mansion, and after a brief moment, a young man dressed in elegant brocade came. Wuning Wangye knelt down and saluted him: ¡°Your Majesty, for what reason came to honor His Imperial presence in my humble home?¡± Humble..humble house? Xiao YuAn looked around. Alright, whatever makes you happy. Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t interested in changing the topic: ¡°I want to borrow money.¡± Wuning Wangye thought that he had heard it wrong: ¡°Borrow¡­¡­what?¡± ¡°Money.¡± Wuning Wangye¡¯s mind began to think at a high speed. What does the Emperor mean? Is he doing this deliberately to test him? Or is he trying to ridicule him? And to borrow money? Borrow? Does the Emperor even need to use this word? How much does he even want to borrow, will 10,000 liang of gold be enough. And even if he can get that sum for himself, it still hurts a little bit. ¡°What¡¯s His Majesty saying, why do you need to borrow it, how much does His Majesty need?¡± Wuning Wangye asked cautiously. ¡°Quite a lot.¡± Wuning Wangye¡¯s heart began to bleed, could it be that ten thousand liang won¡¯t be enough? ¡°Two hundred taels.¡± ¡°Ho-how much? Two hundred taels?¡± ¡°Yes, two hundred taels of gold. Is it too much?¡± ¡°No, not at all, I¡¯ll call for someone to prepare it.¡± Wuning Wangye walked out of the main hall not knowing what was going on. He immediately called for his staff and talked about this strange situation. The two of them whispered for a while until finally, they reached an agreement. The Emperor, he¡­¡­ Must have felt that his abstinencested for too long!!! In order to keep filial piety to thete Emperor, the Young Emperor had to clean up his six roots1. This year his birthday was a rare one, and it¡¯s hard to avoid some thoughts after all. Because he was worried about being caught doing inappropriate things in the Pce, he must have sneaked out to be able to act on these thoughts! Yes, that must be the case! Wuning Wangye was very pleased with this line of thought. He confidently sent the staff to quickly make the proper arrangements, and then went back to the main hall where he said to Xiao YuAn: ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve sent someone to prepare the two hundred taels of gold, but there¡¯s still something I want to discuss with His Majesty.¡± Xiao YuAn asked puzzled: ¡°Ah? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Wuning Wangye bowed and said: ¡°This day is His Majesty¡¯s birthday and naturally I prepared a gift. I wanted to present it to His Majesty after the banquet, but because of unfortunate circumstances, the banquet hastily ended and I failed to fulfill this wish. Now that His Majesty luckily visited this one¡¯s house, it would be a pleasure if my meager gift is epted.¡± Xiao YuAn goes with the flow2: ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll trouble3 His Majesty toe this way.¡± Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing looked at each other and walked at the same pace of Wuning Wangye. Wuning Wangfu was luxurious and magnificent, with carved railing and painted buildings, and a rockery garden with lotus ponds. Xiao YuAn was looking around thinking with full consideration that Wuning Wangye must have epted some bribes. The three of them passed through the cloister Pavilion and stopped at the door of the east wing-room. Wuning Wangye made a gesture of invitation and Xiao YuAn opened the door with a little bit of doubt. Yan HeQing followed close behind him and intended to walk inside, but he was stopped by Wuning Wangye: ¡°Imperial Bodyguard xiao-ge4, it¡¯s better for you to wait outside.¡± Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°He can¡¯te with me?¡± Yan HeQing frowned and hisplexion was looking rather cold. Wuning Wangye didn¡¯t answer, but his smile afforded much food for reflection5. Xiao YuAnughed with goosebumps, and vaguely guessed what would wait for him inside. ¡°Then, wait for me outside.¡± Xiao YuAn patted Yan HeQing on the shoulder. ¡°Yes.¡± Yan HeQing nodded his head and watched as Xiao YuAn walked inside the wing-room. The wing-room was huge, and it was surrounded by a fragrant lingering mist. The outer hall was filled with all kinds and rare calligraphy, paintings and treasures. Xiao YuAn walked through the outer hall and entered the inner room, abruptly stopping at once. On therge bed, the red yarn was entangled, the bedding was messy and the bodies of two beauties loosely dressed in red were intertwined, their skin was rubbing each other. The two of them looked charming and they were panting, their eyes were silky and looking directly at Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn grinned, rubbed his kidney6 and turned away, leaving the two beauties in bed. Outside the wing-room, when Xiao YuAn just closed the door behind him, Wuning Wangye suddenly approached Yan HeQing and whispered: ¡°Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom, Yan Heqing.¡± Yan HeQing was clearly stunned. ¡°Yan-huangzi7, It must be hard to be around the Emperor.¡± Wuning Wangye narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone was unclear. Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes opened slightly and shed inconceivably. He suddenly grasped the handle of the sword resting at the side of his body, his thin lips were slightly pursed, pressing down the emotions in his eyes, they became extremely deep and dark. Wuning Wangye took another step forward, and their bodies were almost stuck together. Wuning Wangye hooked a smile and covered the hand of Yan HeQing that was holding the sword with his own. This posture and movement were extremely warm, but Yan HeQing wasn¡¯t furious, instead, he was shocked. Because he put something inside his hand. Chapter 54: It Must be That This Gift, He Gave Him it the Wrong Way. Chapter 54: It Must Be That He Gave Him This Gift The Wrong Way. Wuning Wangye lowered his voice the most he could: ¡°Hurry up and hide this on you Yan-huangzi. You can¡¯t bear this humiliation any longer, this month is a good opportunity. You must also remember that you and I are on the same side, and if something goes wrong, no one will be able to run away. You must be very careful. ¡± It seemed that Wuning Wangye wanted to say something else to him, but the door of the wing-room suddenly creaked, scaring him and making him retreat quickly to his previous position. Looking up, his expression was quite puzzled: ¡°What happened? Your Majesty, why did youe out so early, could it be¡­ that my gift didn¡¯t satisface you?¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°I think the money will satisfy me more.¡± Wuning Wangye turned pale with fright1. It could be that¡­¡­ Don¡¯t tell me!!! Could it be that the rumors about the Emperor being empty of desire, are actually true?! Wuning Wangye coughed gently trying to cover up his embarrassment and quickly called for someone to bring the two hundred taels of gold. Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t interested in acting polite and quickly took the money: ¡°I¡¯ve troubled2 you.¡± Wuning Wangye greeted them by cupping one hand in the other before his chest3. Xiao YuAn turned his head towards Yan HeQing and said to him: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Yan HeQing was soulless4: ¡°Ah?¡­ yes.¡± Xiao YuAn nced at him, but said nothing. In fact, Xiao YuAn knew that bying to Wuning Wangfu, Yan HeQing would get in contact with Wuning Wangye. But if he doesn¡¯t trust Yan HeQing in this situation, he shouldn¡¯t have rescued Yan HeQing from the prison in the first ce, let alone protect him every time. Although he had already transmigrated to this book for such a long time, Xiao YuAn always felt like an outsider from beginning to end. He acts indifferent to every character role and just stays there, like looking at a y, how they interpret their sorrows and joys5. The funniest part is that he already knows the end of many events and the fate of many people; he can even guess the thoughts of the people around him. But, in the end, he doesn¡¯t know where he will go from now on. He doesn¡¯t even understand what¡¯s the position of the Northern Kingdom inside his heart, and what position has Yan HeQing in his heart either. The two of them, with their own worries inside their heads, returned to the Jade Shop. Xiao YuAn finally bought the jade flute without any hesitation and they were cordially sent off by the Owner of the Shop. The night hadn¡¯t ended yet. The market streets were still very lively, the stars were apanied by the lights and theughter was apanied by joy. Xiao YuAn was ying with the jade flute he just bought with quite a lot of money, and thought: I don¡¯t know what will happen in the future, so I¡¯ll just do what I want for now. So Xiao YuAn turned around and handed the jade flute to Yan HeQing: ¡°Here, this is a gift for you.¡± In the eternal Guanghan Pce6 and the Qingxu Hall7, people can live a long life, sharing the beauty of the moon. Xiao YuAn¡¯s bright smile shone right into Yan HeQing¡¯s clear eyes, the light of the moon can¡¯t reach the tenderness of his wam eyes, and the boat full of clear dreams can¡¯t hold the crooked corners of his mouth. When seeing such a gentleman, why would you not feel happy?8 Yan HeQing fixedly looked at Xiao YuAn. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Xiao YuAn hands the jade flute to Yan HeQing once more. Yan HeQing took the jade flute and clenched his grip on it for a long time, then, he murmured softly: ¡°I¡­I¡­I don¡¯t have anything to give you in return. I want to thank you for this.¡± Xiao YuAn just wanted to wave his hand and say to him that it wasn¡¯t necessary, when he suddenly saw what Yan HeQing had handed over to him, which almost scared him to death and made him take a big step back. Yan HeQing¡¯s palms were up, and on top of them, lying quietly in his hands, was a jade hairpin. This is the relic of Yan Heqing¡¯s Empress mother, and it¡¯s also the love token that Yan HeQing gave Princess Yongning in the original book. Ge!!! Yan-ge!!! You can¡¯t just give this to him as a gift, even if you give it to him as a thanks gift!!! Don¡¯t you know what this is! Don¡¯t you know what it means!!! This object can¡¯t be given away so casually, don¡¯t be such a loser!!! Xiao YuAn nervously smiled and waved his hand: ¡°No¡­ no, I don¡¯t want a reciprocity for the gift.¡± Yan HeQing insisted: ¡°I want to give it to you.¡± Don¡¯t mind it! Don¡¯t you have anything else!! Xiao YuAn continued to wave his hand: ¡°It¡¯s too valuable for you.¡± Yan HeQing kept himself in silence and stretched out his hand right in front of Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes, without any intention of taking it back. Xiao YuAn took a deep breath and thought about it for a long time, finally, he decided to take the jade hairpin: ¡°Thank you then, I¡¯ll ept it.¡± Forget it, he¡¯ll take care of it for Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing¡¯s lips smiled lightly, his eyes were shining, they were very clear and bright. Xiao YuAn, while holding the hairpin, was feeling a little bit uneasy, and because of that he said: ¡°If someday you want me to return it to you, I will give it back.¡± The smiling expression in Yan HeQing¡¯s face suddenly banished, bing a frown instead, he asked him: ¡°Why would I want it back?¡± ¡°In any case¡­¡± Xiao YuAn coughed to cover up his embarrassment: ¡°Hey, there¡¯s juggling over there, let¡¯s go and have a look.¡± After finishing talking, Xiao YuAn took Yan HeQing and ran towards the lively ce. Xiao YuAn was restless and ran as fast as he could. Suddenly, he crashed with someone and the both of them fell together, they rolled into a ball, sobbed in pain, and then, froze in ce. Because this voice was very familiar. Xiao YuAn even forgot to rub where he felt pain, and looked at the person in front of him, he was stunned: ¡°Ning-er?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Imperial¡­¡± Princess Yongning covered her mouth and whispered, ¡°Gege?¡± Both of them were still staring at each other, and out of nowhere, Princess Yongning was suddenly helped up by someone. Xiao PingYang¡¯s tone was anxious, and her eyes were worried, like she was ming herself: ¡°Are you alright? Do you feel any pain?¡± Xiao YuAn waspletely dumbfounded. The second female lead, Xiao PingYang??? Why is this plot line more and more magical!!! Chapter 55: I Must Have Helped the Wrong Way. Chapter 55: I Must Have Helped The Wrong Way. In the bustling lively street market, the four people looked at each other and the atmosphere around them became very strange and delicate. Xiao YuAn coughed softly and decided to be the one to break the silence: ¡°Ning-er, why did youe out of the Pce without an Imperial bodyguard?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, PingYang will protect me.¡± Princess Yongning gave a bewitching smile. WTF?1 When did the female lead and the second female lead establish a revolutionary friendship, is this the first step of harmony for the future male lead harem?! And if you want to feel protected, you must find Yan HeQing for that, okay!!! Wait, this also seems to be the historic face-to-face meeting between the male lead and the female lead!! Xiao YuAn took a deep breath, turned his head to look at Yan HeQing, and then looked back at Princess Yongning. He then retreated quietly, trying to make room for the both of them, As soon as he retreated this way, he squeezed himself at Xiao PingYang¡¯s side. Xiao PingYang was inexplicably pushed away by him, so she could only stand aside. Yan HeQing saw every single move that Xiao YuAn just made. He frowned slightly and looked at Xiao PingYang unwillingly. Xiao YuAn stared back at Yan HeQing and thought: Yan-ge, Yan-ge, did you just start to regret giving me the jade hairpin? Nevermind, I¡­ wait why are you¡­ Why are you looking at the second female!!! You¡¯ll have your lifespan shortened2! The aura of the female lead can¡¯t hold down the second female! Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart feel tangled for three seconds, but still, he decided to stand as the official matchmaker for the first couple. He turned his head towards Princess Yongning and asked her: ¡°Ning-er, where were you nning to go?¡± Princess Yongning replied: ¡°I heard that there¡¯snterns by the river! I¡¯ve nned to take PingYang with me to look at them.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded his head and his mind started to scheme. He then looked at Yan HeQing and said: ¡°You will apany Princess Yongning to the river first, I have something to discuss with the embassy of the Western Shu Kingdom.¡± After that, he added, ¡°Protect her.¡± Let¡¯s give the male lead and the female lead some time alone!!! Xiao YuAn doesn¡¯t believe that they won¡¯t have any spark!!! And the heavens will surely help, for example, a little cannon fodder suddenly appears, and ignoring the breath of death he¡¯ll make a move on Princess Yongning flirting with her, and then, the handsome protagonist, Yan HeQing, will save her! Ah, the fucking dog blood3! But it can¡¯t be denied that these types of cliche moments are useful!! They work! They¡¯re extremely beneficial Xiao YuAn looked at Yan HeQing, but unexpectedly he didn¡¯t see his face in full bloom. On the contrary, Yan HeQing¡¯s face wasn¡¯t looking good, his eyes were very dark and gloomy. He replied coldly: ¡°At your Imperial Majesty¡¯smand.¡± Alright, pretending to be cool is also a good way of flirting with women. Xiao YuAn believes that he can still understand Yan HeQing¡¯s thoughts. Princess Yongning reluctantly nced at Xiao PingYang and said to Xiao YuAn: ¡°In that case, Imperial¡­ cough, gege,e to the riverside as soon as you finish talking. At this time, don¡¯t talk about business and let¡¯s have a happy time instead.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded his head and watched as the male lead and female lead quietly left away. He had quite a sense of matchmaking aplishment, and just when he was feeling verycent with himself, the confused voice of Xiao PingYang came from beside him: ¡°Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, what do you want to discuss about?¡± Oops, he forgot that she was still present. Xiao YuAn was slightly embarrassed, he turned around and tried to find a topic to talk about: ¡°Well¡­ do you like sweets? There¡¯s some people here that sell sweets, do you want them? Do you want me to buy you some?¡± Xiao PingYang: ¡°¡­Does Yongning like to eat sweets?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± No, what kind of situation is this? Don¡¯t you know that by knowing the enemy and yourself will get you unscathed through a hundred battles4? ¡°Ning¡¯er doesn¡¯t like sweets.¡± Xiao PingYang nodded lost in thought: ¡°Oh, then I don¡¯t like it either.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Even though she realized that Xiao YuAn had nothing to actually speak with her, Xiao PingYang still behaved with indifference and didn¡¯t ask him why, instead, she suddenly said: ¡°Monarch of the Northern Kingdom, can I forget about our identities and talk with you freely?¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly paused, and with a smile on his face he answered: ¡°Of course you can.¡± Xiao PingYang nced at him and looked right into his eyes, then, she said: ¡°I suddenly feel that you¡¯re pretty much like a brother to me.¡± ¡°Huh? Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°The way you talk, your behaviour, and the most important thing, your eyes are very simr. I just spoke casually, I hope the Monarch of the Northern Kingdom won¡¯t mind it.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Xiao PingYang looked at Xiao YuAn and murmured something that sounded like ¡®they¡¯re both very simr¡¯. Then she said: ¡°Does the Monarch of the Northern Kingdom believe in destiny?¡± This change of topic was a bit too sudden. Xiao YuAn shook his head and said: ¡°I don¡¯t believe in it.¡± He¡¯s indeed a socialist sessor! Of course he only believes in materialism. Xiao PingYang added: ¡°Is that so? Then, do you think that your life choices should be decided by yourself instead of just wanting for the death to arrive?¡± Xiao YuAn felt that behind these questions, there were some traps waiting for him to jump right towards them, and after he thought about it, he answered her: ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Um.¡± Xiao PingYang pretended to be casual and said: ¡°I hope that one day in the future, Yongning will also be able to make her life choices by herself, rather than someone else choosing for her instead.¡± Why can¡¯t you stop mentioning the female lead every three sentences!! After the beginning of thisst topic, Xiao YuAn slowly fell into a trance. Because he remembered the cause of death of Princess Yongning in the original book. In the original book, Wuning Wangye¡¯s n for rebellion was exposed, and Yan HeQing was implicated. The Emperor of the Northern Kingdom made up his mind to kill Yan HeQing once and for all. He put Yan HeQing in prison, and sent someone to severely torture him. Princess Yongning couldn¡¯t bear this and helped Yan HeQing escape from the Pce; but the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom didn¡¯t punish her for this because he loved her dearly. Three monthster, Yan HeQing led his army to break through the Northern Kingdom. When Yan HeQing captured the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom right in front of the Pce¡¯s gates, he vented his hatred on him by torturing him to death. Princess Yongning hanged herself with a three-foot long white silk at the Yongning Pce. Princess Yonging didn¡¯t leave any word behind for Yan HeQing, only shame for the Northern Kingdom. Princess Yongning died, and she didn¡¯t express her thoughts for Yan HeQing even until her death. No one knows whether she loved or hated Yan HeQing at thest moment in her life, or both, or neither. What she left behind for Yan HeQing was just a cold body and a lifetime of regret and pain. But, if he had the chance to go back in time, would Yan HeQing choose not to break through the Northern Kingdom? Xiao YuAn doesn¡¯t think so, because Yan HeQing was not only burdened by this hatred, but also he had to think of his Southern Yan Kingdom and the thousand soldiers that put their lives in his hands. He can¡¯t believe in fate, but he can choose by himself. But why is this book full of cruel words written with blood everywhere? In the street market, Xiao YuAn raised his eyes in a daze, and a yful child passed him by. The peddler was shouting, the candlelights were dazzlingly shining, and the passers-by were talking loudly, all of this felt unreal. ¡°Monarch? Monarch of the Northern Kingdom?¡± Xiao PingYang called Xiao YuAn trying to bring him back to reality. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Xiao YuAn touched his cheek ufortably. ¡°My mind was somewhere else, forget it. Let¡¯s go to the riverside.¡± At the riverside, women and children wereughing and talking, and thenterns were umted at the middle of the river. They were slowly swimming down the river, it looked like the stars were floating in the water. Both of them found Yan HeQing and Princess Yongning. Princess Yongning was sitting by the river, making a wish to antern. When they saw them, she stood up happily and pulled Xiao PingYang to her side: ¡°PingYang,e quickly, let¡¯s send thenterns together.¡± Xiao YuAn walked towards Yan HeQing and asked him: ¡°Did something happen just now?¡± Yan HeQing replied to him in a cold way: ¡°Nothing happened.¡± Ah? Heavens, where¡¯s your helping hand? Sensing a faint displeasureing from Yan HeQing, Xiao YuAn asked him strangely: ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Yan HeQing restrained himself, and shook his head. Princess Yongning and Xiao PingYang finished putting together thenterns. She jumped over a few times while holding her skirt, smiled lovingly at Xiao YuAn and said: ¡°Gege, we¡¯ve already finished with thenterns, we¡¯re ready to go back to the Pce.¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Huh? So early, Then let¡¯s go back together¡­¡± ¡°No, you and your Imperial bodyguard will go around the street market to shop a little bit more. We will go back by ourselves.¡± Princess Yongning didn¡¯t give Xiao YuAn any chance to reply. Her eyes were brightly shining, and with a smile, she took Xiao PingYang¡¯s hand tightly and led her towards the crowd. Soon enough, they both disappeared into the masses. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Xiao YuAn stretched out his hand and helplessly said: ¡°That¡¯s not the way back to the Pce¡­¡± Chapter 56: Enjoying a Beautiful Scenery on a Beautiful Day. Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing slowly walked side by side on the bluestone board beside the river. There were a lot of candles illuminating the river, it was such a beautiful scenery. Xiao YuAn asked Yan HeQing: ¡°Would you like to put antern?¡± ¡°No need.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s go stroll around?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao YuAn stopped walking and looked back at Yan HeQing, he asked him with confusion: ¡°Are you angry? What happened?¡± He didn¡¯t expect Xiao YuAn to see right through him. Yan HeQing concealed his expression and softly answered: ¡°Nothing happened. There¡¯s a troupe singing there, do you want to go see it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go.¡± On top of the stage, set up casually with a wooden board and a red cloth, was a man in female clothes1 with his dancing sleeves, singing about a bright and sunny day. Under the stage, there are several low tables and a lot of spectators. The drums were a little loud and the apuse was non stop. After the both of them listened to the music attentively, Yan HeQing suddenly asked: ¡°Do you like the Princess of the Western Shu Kingdom?¡± ¡°Ah???¡± Xiao YuAn was eating melon seeds while listening to the music and Yan HeQing¡¯s question caught him off guard, scaring him to death and the seeds in his hands fell. When he finally understood the meaning behind those words, Xiao YuAn reacted with urgency. What the hell, Yan HeQing was truly angry after all, because he got too close with Xiao PingYang, he started to doubt them both!!! Yan HeQing, Yan HeQing, you are the one eating in the bowl and looking at the pot2!! This is too much, too much. And how could he dare to touch your wife!! Everyone knows that the wife of a stallion protagonist can¡¯t be touched!! You can¡¯t even take a nce at her! ¡°Cough.¡± Xiao YuAn patted the crumbs of the melon seed on his hands, and after pondering for a while, he finally answered: ¡°I don¡¯t like her. Who told you that I¡¯m attracted to women?¡± Sure enough, this time, he must rely on sexual orientation to get rid of arousing suspicion! Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly: ¡°You did say before that you¡¯re not a cut sleeve.¡± ¡°Ah? I said that? When did I say that? Oh, I seem to have said it.¡± Xiao YuAn was stupefied: ¡°That was before, people change over time. I recently found that I¡¯m more interested in men, look at the actor singing on the stage for example, I find him very eye-catching.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn felt that the air temperature surrounding him got a little colder. Carefully, he looked back at Yan HeQing¡¯s face, and couldn¡¯t help but cry out inside his heart: I exined it to you but you¡¯re still not satisfied! What else do you want me to do! What else should I do! At the end of the evening, the song ended. The market streets gradually got empty leaving behind the lively hustle and bustle. Xiao YuAn was still in a good mood and weighed the gold in his hands that was borrowed from Wuning Wangye. He took Yan HeQing towards the most famous wine shop in the Imperial City to buy some intoxicating fine wines and brought them back to the Pce. Inside the Pce, the both of them came to the sixth floor of the Yuhua Tower. Looking by the fence3 at the bright moon, the high buildings, the boundless mountains and rivers, it was such a beautiful scene. ¡°Come, let¡¯s get drunk and enjoy while we still can4.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled and opened the seal of the wine jar, immediately, a mellow fragrance came from inside the jar. Yan HeQing seemed to be in a better mood and he took over the wine jar to drink alongside Xiao YuAn. After being warmed by wine5, Xiao YuAn was slightly drunk. He held his head and looked at the Pce¡¯s cornice at the distance, the stars were sparse, and with a soft smile he said: ¡°I never thought that there¡¯ll be a day in which I¡¯ll be so close with you.¡± Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn and replied: ¡°Me too.¡± Xiao YuAn drank the second half of the wine jar, stood up shakily, took a breath and said: ¡°I suddenly want to sing a song.¡± ¡°What type of song.¡± ¡°A love song.¡± Xiao YuAn cleared his throat, held onto the railings and began to sing: ¡°You¡¯re a mighty and powerful man in a horse, the galloping horse is like the wind! The boundless wilderness wanders with you!6¡± ¡°Pft¡ª¡± Yan HeQing choked after taking a sip of wine and coughed for a long time. Xiao YuAn looked at Yan HeQing andughed at him. His smile was indulgent and warm, he shook his body and his feet were unstable. He stumbled and was supported by Yan HeQing. Xiao YuAn held onto Yan HeQing¡¯s arm and fell halfway sitting on the ground: ¡°This, this really is a love song, even if you don¡¯t believe me, it¡¯s a love song. Do you believe me or not?¡± Yan HeQing helplessly said: ¡°I believe that you¡¯re drunk.¡± ¡°Well, I am drunk.¡± Xiao YuAn said with a smile: ¡°Because you¡¯ve be two, there¡¯s two of you in front of me.¡± After he said that, Xiao YuAn grabbed the half filled jar of wine. Yan HeQing fought with him for the wine jar because he wanted to take it away from him. In the end Xiao YuAn held onto it and emptied it¡¯s content on his stomach, leaving the almost empty jar on the ground. He then asked Yan HeQing with a smile: ¡°Have you ever thought about the future?¡± Yan HeQing gently raised his eyebrows: ¡°The future?¡± ¡°Yes, the future.¡± Xiao YuAn leaned on the railing with his elbow around his knee, and a bright smile adorning his face: ¡°I want to find a leisurely vige, buy somend, grow a farm, open a wine shop or do business. Although capitalism is rotten, it¡¯s still better than not having any money. I¡¯ll make some good schr friends, I won¡¯t be deceived and I don¡¯t have to suspect anyone7 and there won¡¯t be a sword at my neck. I will live a free life, feeling at ease.¡± Yan HeQing leaned over and looked at Xiao YuAn. He was silent for a long time, like he was waiting for him to keep talking. In the end he couldn¡¯t wait any longer, so he asked it himself: ¡°And then?¡± Xiao YuAn looked back at him and felt that his eyes were a little bit blurry, so he couldn¡¯t focus: ¡°What then?¡± Yan Heqing¡¯s eyes were very clear and his voice was very soft: ¡°Where am I? What about¡­ what about me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re¡­¡± Xiao YuAn tried to stand up by holding onto the railing, but he became more and more dizzy because of the wine. His mouth was slurred and he couldn¡¯t say a word, but in his mind, his voice was quiet and clear. You¡¯re remonstrating with all the Officials in civil and military affairs, you¡¯re wielding the sword that controls the whole world, you¡¯re sleeping on a bed that is sweet scented. You and me, we¡¯re too different. One will leave and the other will be lenient, each in their own happiness8. Yes, Xiao YuAn understands that even if he¡¯s now the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, he still hopes that Yan HeQing would be able to rule the world. ¡°You, you may, want to, want to carry me back¡­¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t finish his words that he had to lean back against the railing, he was shaking, and half his body fell in the air. Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes narrowed and stepped forward very quickly, reaching out for Xiao YuAn he brought him to his embrace. Xiao YuAn smashed into Yan HeQing¡¯s arms and them both hugged each other, because of the force of the impact, they staggered for a few steps. The wine jar was kicked with their feet pouring out the liquor inside, its mellow smell was very intoxicating. Yan HeQing¡¯s heart was so frightened that it was beating like a drum, and Xiao YuAn chuckled twice. With an unrestrained look, Yan HeQing nced at his eyes that were misty because of drunkenness. And just then, he heard the world of the mortals whispering passionate words at his ear. On this long night, the wind blew on their sleeves and the redntern lit up the corner of the balcony. Yan HeQing hugged Xiao YuAn¡¯s waist, suddenly leaning over, and kissing his lips. The wine was so fragrant, that it made him forget about the bustling world. Xiao YuAn was so passionately kissed that he couldn¡¯t breathe, and his eyes opened with difficulty, only to feel that his human body was in a trance. His feet were floating like in a dream, like he could fall into the clouds. He grabbed Yan HeQing¡¯spel and pulled it several times, until a small box fell out of Yan HeQing¡¯s sleeves. This scared Yan HeQing, stopping his actions, he leaned over to pick up the box with panic. But before that, he looked back and found that Xiao YuAn was leaning against the railing, he was so drunk that he passed out. The small box that fell on the ground rolled out a silk that was only two inches long. Yan HeQing quickly took it back and nced at it, his eyes were suddenly cold. On the silk cloth there were only a few words: At the beginning of the third day of March, at the Baili inn on the West side of the Imperial City, I¡¯ll be waiting for seven days. Keep the silk cloth as a token. Today, it¡¯s the third day of February. Yan HeQing folded the silk cloth very slowly, put it back into the box, and hid it into his sleeve. Then, he carried Xiao YuAn on his back, and step by step, slowly walking towards the Imperial bedchamber, trying very hard to be as silent as possible, taking as many breaks as needed. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. Äе© n¨¢n d¨¤n; male actor ying the female role in a Chinese/Peking opera. During the Qing dynasty, females were not allowed to perform on stage. All female roles were yed by men.
  2. ³Ô×ÅÍëÀï¿´×ŹøÀï ch¨© zhe w¨£n l¨« k¨¤n zhe gu¨­ l¨«; It¡¯s a Chinese saying, which meaning refers to married (especially male) people that have their own wife but have intentions for other women around them, or that flirts with others. That person is greedy for something that they already have, and are still greedy to have more.
  3. ƾÀ¸Ô¶Ì÷ p¨ªng l¨¢nyu¨£n ti¨¤o; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means to look at the scene, appreciate scenery and to feel the scenery.
  4. ½ñ³¯Óоƽñ³¯×í j¨©n zh¨¡o y¨¯u ji¨³ j¨©n zh¨¡o zu¨¬; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, this sentence is often used to describe a person that muddles along and only cares about the immediate happiness without thinking about the sorrow of tomorrow / To live the moment / Live every day as if it was thest. From¡¶×ÔDz¡·(z¨¬ qi¨£n), ¡°Divert Oneself from Mncholy¡± written by (ÂÞÒþ lu¨® y¨«n), Luo Yin [833-910] a poet from the Tang dynasty.
  5. ¾Æº¨¶úÈÈ ji¨³ h¨¡n ¨§r r¨¨; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means to drink when you are happy / To sumb to the influence after drinking many cups / Someone good mood after a few drinks / In a state of drunken ecstasy. From ¡¶±¨Ëï»á×ÚÊé¡·(b¨¤o s¨±n hu¨¬ z¨­ng sh¨±), ¡°Report to Sun Huizong¡±, written by (Ñî㢠y¨¢ng y¨´n) Yang Yun [?-54 AC] a Han Dynasty poet.
  6. Lyrics from a 2010 song¡¶Ì×Âí¸Ë¡·(t¨¤o m¨£ g¨£n) ¡°Horse set¡±, sung by (ÎÚÀ¼ÍÐæ« w¨± l¨¢n tu¨­ y¨¤) Wn Touya. The song, in the voice of a grasnd girl, praises the vast prairie and reflects the forthright love of prairie residents.
  7. ¶ûÓÝÎÒÕ© ¨§r y¨² w¨¯ zh¨¤; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means ¡°To deceive and distrust each other¡±, ¡°Mutual deception¡±, ¡°Trying to outwit each other¡±. From ¡¶×ó´«¡¤Ðû¹«Ê®ÎåÄê¡·(zu¨¯ zhu¨¤n xu¨¡n g¨­ng sh¨ª w¨³ ni¨¢n), ¡°Zuo Zhuan ¨C The 15th year of Xuangong¡± by (×óÇðÃ÷ zu¨¯ qi¨± m¨ªng), Zuo Qiuming [556-451 BC] a famous blind historian from the State of Lu.
  8. Ò»±ðÁ½¿í£¬¸÷×Ô»¶Ï² y¨© bi¨¦ li¨£ng ku¨¡n, g¨¨z¨¬ hu¨¡nx¨«; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means ¡°After parting our own ways, we will both feel relieved, and each will be free and happy¡±, ¡°By being wide apart will we be happy¡±. From ¡¶·ÅÆÞЭÒé¡·(f¨¤ng q¨© xi¨¦y¨¬),¡°The Wife release Agreement¡± from the unearthed Dunhuang relics from the Tang Dynasty.
Chapter 57: Of Course I Choose to be Considerate of Him. The next day at noon, Xiao YuAn was in a daze; he felt his head aching due to a hangover. He searched through his mind aboutst night¡¯s events and remembered the awesome ¡°Horse set¡± song. He then dreamed of a Mongolian man with the back of a tiger and the waist of a bear1, he said to him in a charming voice: ¡°Tyrannical President? Have you ever met such a simple, kindest and cute horse rider?¡± Xiao YuAn turned around and ran away. While running, he fell into a man¡¯s arms and when he looked up, he saw that it was Yan HeQing. Afterwards, the dream became more frightening than the Mongolian man. In the dream Yan HeQing even kissed him!!! He kissed him so deeply and affectionately that he couldn¡¯t move, this type of kiss made him suspect that it was out of romantic love!!! After the kiss, Yan HeQing looked at him calmly and began to sing: ¡°It¡¯s a magical road to the sky eeehh?2¡± What the hell is this!!! The drunken hallucination is really terrible! Xiao YuAn was rubbing his head when Hong Xiu pushed the door open. When she saw that Xiao YuAn had woken up, she quickly brought up the sobering soup and a hot towel. After he drank the hot soup, Xiao YuAn slowly came back to normal, then he asked her: ¡°How did Ie back yesterday?¡± Hong Xiu covered her mouth and smiled warmly: ¡°Answering to His Majesty, Bodyguard Yan was the one that brought you back. His Majesty¡¯s n to win his heart than to act with violence is indeed a sessful move.¡± Xiao YuAn grinned: ¡°Was he drunk? If he was drunk, you must give him a sobering soup.¡± ¡°Bodyguard Yan was soberst night, but His Majesty was drunk enough to pass out, and that really scared this maidservant to death.¡± Hong Xiu replied. ¡°Your Majesty, would you like for this maidservant to open a window to ventte the air?¡± ¡°Yes, open it.¡± Hong Xiu walked towards the window casket, pushed it open, and let the warm spring breeze enter the room. Hong Xiu turned to Xiao YuAn and smiled: ¡°Your Majesty, the pear blossom at the corner of the courtyard has bloomed.¡± ¡°Pear blossom?¡± Xiao YuAn wanted to look out of the window, but his eyes fell inexplicably on the red hairpin tied at Hong Xiu¡¯s bun, the one Xiao YuAn had gifted her before. Hong Xiu answered him with a smile: ¡°Yes, it is snow white and beautiful. It seems that the temperature will get warmer.¡± The spring is full of warmth, and the time to part ways is getting closer. The envoys of the Western Shu Kingdom spent nearly half a month in the Northern Kingdom, and after the spring melted the snow away, they were ready to leave. With a friendly and diplomatic attitude, Xiao YuAn sent Xiao PingYang and her envoys out of the Imperial City. Xiao PingYang led the horse in a valiant and formidable way. She said to Xiao YuAn: ¡°Monarch of the Northern Kingdom, we will meet again.¡± Xiao YuAn replied to her with a smile: ¡°Sure.¡± Xiao PingYang suddenly chuckled: ¡°Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, if the world is big, you and I will be family.¡± What the fuck. Xiao PingYang smiled!? Who said that the Iron Masked Lady neverughs? What do you mean with this sudden smile? And what do you mean by bing family, haven¡¯t you read the script? Don¡¯t you know that Yan HeQing wants to unify thend under heaven? Xiao YuAn was still in shock, but Xiao PingYang had already left. She didn¡¯t know that the sound of the horse¡¯s hoof leaving the Imperial City pierced right through someone¡¯s heart. In spring, the herbs regained their bugs, which provoked all kinds of diseases. Princess Yongning asionally will catch the cold and copse on the bed resentfully, without being able to get up for several days. Xiao YuAn heard the news and hurriedly went to Yongning Pce to see her. Princess Yongning was lying on the bed, her small face was red, she was coughing, her nose and eyes were red too. She looked extremely pitiful. Xiao YuAn asked the Imperial physician about her condition, and when he heard that it wasn¡¯t a serious illness, he felt relieved. Seeing that Princess Yongning was looking decadent and powerless, Xiao YuAn apanied her for a long time and talked with her. Then, Princess Yongning suddenly said to him: ¡°Imperial Brother, I like someone.¡± Hiss3. Xiao YuAn inhaled and exhaled, and sighed inside his heart: As expected,st time, at the street market, the male lead and the female lead fell in love at first sight! They¡¯re worthy of being the official rtionship! The heaven is fast! urate! And ruthless! Princess Yongning carefully observed Xiao YuAn¡¯s expression. After seeing that his expression changed from surprise to emotion, she felt really nervous for a while and secretly grabbed the corner of the bed, waiting for Xiao YuAn to give her an answer. Xiao YuAn kind of immersed himself in thoughts, and after a long pause, he said: ¡°¡­I understand, Ipletely understand.¡± Princess Yongning asked nervously: ¡°Imperial Brother, y-you, don¡¯t you have anyints?¡± How would he dare to have anyints!! Xiao YuAnughed and replied to her: ¡°No, you must be happy. Don¡¯t let it burden you, it doesn¡¯t matter, really.¡± Princess Yongning was so happy that she stretched her hands and hugged Xiao YuAn¡¯s waist: ¡°Thank you, Imperial Brother!!!¡± Xiao YuAn patted her on the back, feeling in his heart like a father whose daughter had just grown up. Then, in the next few days, Yan HeQing discovered that Xiao YuAn would always look at him with a strange look on his eyes, which once made him suspect that either his feelings or his secret silk scroll had been discovered. Later, Yan HeQing realized that Xiao YuAn might have¡­¡­ Just poor eyesight. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. »¢±³ÐÜÑü h¨³ b¨¨i xi¨®ng y¨¡o; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom that describes a person¡¯s burly and robust body. From¡¶·Éµ¶¶Ô¼ý¡·(f¨¥i d¨¡o du¨¬ ji¨¤n), ¡°Throwing knives at arrows¡± from an anonymous author of the Yuan or Mongol Dynasty [1279-1368].
  2. Lyrics from a 2005 song¡¶Ìì·¡·(ti¨¡n l¨´), ¡°Road to the Sky¡±, sung by (º«ºì h¨¢n h¨®ng) Han Hong.
  3. Ë» s¨©; sound of air sucked between the teeth, indicating hesitation or thinking something over.
Chapter 58: Of Course I Choose to Forgive Him. Chapter 58: Of Course I Choose To Forgive Him. At spring, the work and swallows are abundant, the world is unpredictable. While Xiao YuAn was thinking that the plot of the original book had been disruptedpletely by him, from the General Sun¡¯s Mansion came some unexpected news that were beyond his control. The old General Sun was seriously ill. General Sun¡¯s body didn¡¯t copse out of nowhere. After all, he had been fighting for many years, how could he have a body without any injuries after so many battles. But still, no one expected that he would suddenly fall at this time. When Xiao YuAn arrived at the old General¡¯s Mansion to pay him a visit, General Sun was already at his death bed. He took Xiao YuAn by the hand and burst into tears: ¡°Your Majesty, although you¡¯ve been confused in the past, you¡¯ve changed your mind and you¡¯re able to know your mistakes and improve what¡¯s wrong. This Minister knows that His Majesty has the people in his heart, and His Majesty is a bright Monarch that¡¯s worthy of his soldier¡¯s trust and is someone worthy of guarding the Country against death threats. But Sun Yuzhong will soon die, and I can no longer go to the battlefield. I can no longer protect the Country, my heart is unwilling, really unwilling.¡± Xiao YuAn felt like he had a fish bone stuck in his throat1, after a long pause, he softly said: ¡°General Sun, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡± Because the old General Sun needed to rest, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t dare stay for too long, and after hearing a few more pieces of advice, he left. When he came out of the General¡¯s official residence, Xiao YuAn bumped into a man. It was the second male, Li Wuding. He looked sorrowful and in grief. It seemed that he also knew about General Sun¡¯s serious illness. When he saw Xiao YuAn, Li Wuding knelt down and saluted him: ¡°Weichen salutes His Majesty.¡± ¡°Stand up.¡± Xiao YuAn looked at Li Wuding and his heart was filled withplex feelings. General Sun can¡¯t lead the army anymore, which means that he should transfer the Military power. In the sense of emotion and reasons, Xiao YuAn should give the General¡¯s position to Li Wuding. However, Xiao YuAn was hesitant when he remembered that Li Wuding will surely be a traitor in the near future. ¡°Are you and Xie Chungui getting along these days?¡± Asked Xiao YuAn. ¡°Answering to His Majesty, the youngest son of the Xie family is quite capable. Weichen thinks that he will make great achievements in the future.¡± Li Wuding replied. These two, one betrayed the Country, and the other protected the Country with his own life. But now, they¡¯re unexpectedly getting along pretty well? Even though Xiao YuAn already knows the plot of the original book, he still feels that the fate of these two people is really hard to figure out. Xiao YuAn nodded and was about to turn away, ready to leave when Li Wuding suddenly called out to him: ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xiao YuAn turned his head around to look at him clearly confused. Li Wuding¡¯s eyes were dark, and after a little pause, he finally opened his mouth and said: ¡°Your Majesty, It¡¯s necessary to be defensive, even from the closest and intimate person around, or¡­the Ministers and Dixiong2.¡± Xiao YuAn stared at him without saying a word. The two of them remained silent for a few seconds until Xiao YuAn asked him directly: ¡°Go to the point.¡± Li Wuding replied: ¡°Your Majesty, without any conclusive evidence, this official doesn¡¯t dare to talk about it.¡± He¡¯s not interested in appeasing people. Xiao YuAn simply nodded his head, and turned away. Every year, at the beginning of Spring, there will be somepetitions at the barracks of the Northern Kingdom. Firstly, it was meant to abandon the old and wee the new year. Secondly, it was meant to let each soldier check their own training achievements over the past year. This rule was set by the old General Sun. And even though he¡¯s seriously ill and unable to lead the army, this rule continues. At this time, several soldiers were setting up the challenge arena, even if it¡¯s a temporary ring, it¡¯s important for it to be strong. However, the soldiers were still a little bit exhausted. Because Xiao YuAn was with them, at the side, pping. When they knocked on the wood wedge, Xiao YuAn will p, so they had to knock on the wood following his rhythm. Just knock with the rhythm, and-that¡¯s-it! Xiao YuAn would also sing along with the rhythm: ¡°Two tigers, two tigers3. Hello, it¡¯s fast over there, slow down, do you understand the four on four ps? Four on four ps.¡± The soldier that was holding the hammer suddenly copsed. He doesn¡¯t understand! He really doesn¡¯t understand! A soldier that was next to him patted himfortably. Xiongdi4, calm down, this is The Emperor, you can¡¯t throw the hammer at him. Fortunately, after a while, Li Wuding appeared right in time to rescue the group of five rough soldiers that were forced to ept the influence of music teaching. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Li Wuding was surprised and saluted him5: ¡°Why are you here?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled mischievously: ¡°There¡¯s no reason, I just came to take a look.¡± Although his statement wasn¡¯t false, it wasn¡¯t the entire truth. Because General Sun was seriously ill, the position of General was now vacant; Xiao YuAn was still very doubtful whether he should give the position to Li Wuding, so he just came to take a look. Li Wuding was slightly surprised to see Xiao YuAn dressed in a simple and neat white brocade with long sleeves. He was wondering, why would the Emperor, who always liked to show off, be so modest now. What surprised Li Wuding even more was that Xiao YuAn only brought with him a single Imperial bodyguard. The Imperial bodyguard stood quietly behind Xiao YuAn. He wasn¡¯t smiling, but he didn¡¯t look angry either, yet his presence was extraordinary. But the coldness in his eyes couldn¡¯t be ignored. Li Wuding said: ¡°Your Majesty, the outside is covered with dust, you can go to the military ount.¡± ¡°Yes, I also wanted to ask you something.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded his head, turned around but suddenly remembered something, so he turned back to the group of soldiers who were too afraid to even set up the challenge arena and said to them: ¡°Four ps, strong and weak next strong and weak!!¡± A soldier that was using the hammer almost hit his hand. Several people came to the military ount, all of them were soldiers that were discussing the matter of thepetition. When they saw Li Wuding and Xiao YuAn walking in, they immediately knelt down and saluted the Emperor. ¡°Stand up, I have something to speak privately with General Li, please go out first.¡± Xiao YuAn raised his hand. The several soldiers quickly withdrew from the Military ount, leaving only Xiao YuAn and Li Wuning behind. Chapter 59: Of Course I Choose to Hold a Grudge. One of the soldiers wondered: ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Emperor never interested in the barracks? Why did he suddenlye today?¡± Another soldier with a sharp face and thin eyes sneered and replied to him: ¡°Stupid, General Sun is seriously ill. The Emperor must havee because of the matter regarding the General¡¯s position.¡± ¡°The General¡¯s position must definitely go to General Li!¡± Someone said. The sharp faced soldier touched his chin: ¡°I don¡¯t think so, after all, the close friend of Wuning Wangye is¡­cough¡­¡± Knowing that he almost consciously said the wrong thing, the sharp faced soldier coughed and stopped talking. The several soldiers that came out of the military ount were about to go to thepetition arena, when they suddenly saw an Imperial bodyguard standing at the front of the military ount. The Imperial bodyguard was dressed in dark clothes with ck patterns. His eyebrows were sword shaped and his eyes were like stars, they couldn¡¯t be ignored. The several soldiers thought about the Emperor and they couldn¡¯t help themselves, staring at him more intensively. At a first nce, the sharp faced soldier suddenly stopped and stared straight at Yan HeQing, after a while, he started cursing: ¡°This son of a bitch, isn¡¯t he¡­¡­¡± With that, the sharp faced soldier stepped forward and reached for Yan HeQing¡¯spel, his mouth made a strange noise: ¡°Ooohhh1, isn¡¯t this Yan HeQing?¡± Everyone else went stunned and hurriedly walked forward: ¡°Nie Er, what are you doing, this is His Majesty¡¯s person.¡± ¡°Motherfucker, what kind of the Emperor¡¯s person? He¡¯s from the Southern Yan Kingdom.¡± Nie Er sneered. ¡°What¡­ Southern Yan Kingdom?¡± Everyone was surprised. All of a sudden, Yan HeQing was also shocked for a bit, and after seeing Nie Er¡¯s face more carefully, Yan HeQing¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡°Eh? Did Yan-huangzi thought of me?¡± Nie Erughed disdainfully. ¡°I was the one that escorted Yan-huangzi all the way to the Northern Kingdom. Oohh, did I leave a little impression on Yan-huangzi? I did break your arm on the way, ouch! But now, it looks like it¡¯s already healed?¡± After he said that, Nie Er reached out to touch Yan HeQing¡¯s right shoulder. Yan HeQing blocked him with a cold face and Nie Er abruptly kicked him on the knee, throwing him on the ground. Then he stepped on Yan HeQing, and with a cruel smile he said: ¡°I could expect you to be dead by now after being sent to prison. What I didn¡¯t expect was that you¡¯ll be His Majesty¡¯s dog. You¡¯re really difficult to deal with.¡± In fact, Yan HeQing was perfectly capable of beating Nie Er to a pulp, he just couldn¡¯t do it right now because he was in the Northern Kingdom¡¯s barracks. If he made any move against the soldiers of the Northern Kingdom, he would bring shame to Xiao YuAn. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Nie Er. If His Majesty hears about this, you will have to bear painful consequences.¡± Someone stepped forward and persuaded him to stop. ¡°The Emperor? It¡¯s even possible for the Emperor to think that the captives of the enemy country are more important than the soldiers that fight for him?¡± Nie Er said with disdain. Kneeling down, he pressed Yan HeQing¡¯s head into the sand, his eyes were ncing at him fiercely. ¡°Yan HeQing, even if you¡¯re the Emperor¡¯s dog, you still have the blood of the Southern Yan Kingdom in your veins. The Northern Kingdom doesn¡¯t wee dogs like you, do you understand?¡± Quick as lightning, Yan HeQing suddenly reached out his hand and grabbed Nie Er¡¯s neck. His posture was twisted, and then, he suddenly withdrew his strength. These actions were very quick and neat, almost shocking to death all the soldiers present on the scene. Nie Er didn¡¯t know how to react at all and his throat fell into the hands of his enemy. In the end, the expected pain didn¡¯t hit him, because Yan HeQing withdrew his hand in silence. When Nie Er recovered from his initial shock, he suddenly bursted intoughter: ¡°You don¡¯t dare? Yes, you don¡¯t dare to start a fight, because this is the Northern Kingdom. But you can still give it a try, do you want to fight? Yan HeQing, I tell you, you¡¯re not brave enough to dare, but I dare.¡± After saying that, Nie Er raised his fist towards Yan HeQing¡¯s cheek, but at that instant, he was stopped by someone else. Xie Chungui firmly blocked Nie Er¡¯s fist and frowned: ¡°Nie Er-dage2, what are you doing? There are rules in the barracks, fighting is not allowed.¡± When Nie Er saw that Xie Chungui stopped him, he wasn¡¯t annoyed at all. He replied to him: ¡°Xie-xiao¡¯er3, this can¡¯t be called fighting.¡± ¡°If this isn¡¯t fighting, then what is it?¡± Out of nowhere, a majestic voice came from behind, and Li Wuding looked at Nie Er with anger. Nie Er knew that he was on the wrong side of the argument, so he just let go of Yan HeQing and stood up. ¡°Nie Er! You¡¯re looking to get punished, aren¡¯t you?¡± Li Wuding stared at him with anger, asking him with a deep voice. ¡°General Li, please calm down.¡± Someone pleaded for Nie Er. ¡°This man is from the Southern Yan Kingdom. Nie Er¡¯s brother died in the hands of the Southern Yan soldiers, so Nie Er he¡­ General Li¡­¡­ This¡­..¡± ¡°Fine, after thepetition is over, I will punish him with the penalty of ten military sticks.¡± Li Wuding said with a sharp voice, turned around and walked back to the military ount. Knowing that Li Wuding has always rewarded the punishments seriously, no one dared to say anything more, and left one after another with a loud YES! Nie Er took ast look at Yan HeQing and turned around, cing his arm around Xie Chungui¡¯s shoulders and said: ¡°Huh, I was getting rid of the anger inside my heart. These ten military sticks will be worth it. Let¡¯s go, Xie-xiao¡¯er. Before thepetition starts, let this Gege teach you a few tricks.¡± Someoneughed at him: ¡°Pull it down, would you? Xie Chungui knows more about fighting than you do.¡± Nie Er loosened his hold on Xie Chungui¡¯s shoulders and jokingly pushed that man: ¡°Get lost! You¡¯re talking pure bullshit.¡± Xie Chungui looked back at Yan HeQing, who hadn¡¯t gotten up yet, and after seeing that he wasn¡¯t able to clearly see Yan HeQing¡¯s expression since he had his head lowered, he no longer paid attention to him and followed the group of soldiers that wereughing and joking in the distance. As the crowd dispersed, Yan HeQing started to get up very slowly. He held the hilt of his sword resting at his waist with one hand. It was clear that the palm holding the hilt was red and bloody, but Yan HeQing was unaware of this. He finally stood up and straightened his back. He slowly tidied up his appearance and patted the dust off his body. His eyes were slightly cold andcked any emotion. Yan HeQing raised his head and looked at the Northern Kingdom barracks with these eyes, like looking at a dead object, calm and indifferent. Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ßÏßÏßÏ y¨­u y¨­u y¨­u; ¡°Oh!¡±. Exmation of dismay.
  2. ´ó¸ç d¨¤ g¨¥; Eldest brother / Big brother / A polite address for men of about the same age / Gang leader / Boss.
  3. С¶ù xi¨£o ¨¦r; Young child / My son, said in a humble way / A general term for a nephew.
Chapter 60: Of Course I Choose to Cover up my Mistakes. Li Wuding walked back to the military ount, and Xiao YuAn, who was sitting cross legged on the felt, looked at him: ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Some soldiers were having a fight. I have already dealt with it.¡± Li Wuding answered. Xiao YuAn nodded: ¡°Right. By the way, where¡¯s General Fan Tong?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re asking about Fan Tong?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, Fan Tong1.¡± Wuning Wangye¡¯s trusted aide is the second candidate for the General¡¯s position. Li Wuding replied: ¡°General Fan doesn¡¯te to the barracks that often.¡± Xiao YuAn reluctantly held his head with one hand. This was the exact reason why his mind was so entangled: If, ording to the original book, he gave the General¡¯s position to Fan Tong, then the soldiers of the Northern Kingdom would be more and more dispirited and will not have any fighting spirit. But, if it were given to Li Wuding, the one that would most likely betray the Country when the time came, then the Northern Kingdom would be like a bird trapped in a cage, a turtle trapped in its own shell, trampled by the armored horses of Southern Yan. Seeing that Xiao YuAn was silent, Li Wuding sat upright, with his hands on his knees waiting patiently. Suddenly, a shout of cheers came from the outside of the ount, and Xiao YuAn¡¯s line of thought was interrupted by it. He then raised his head to ask: ¡°What¡¯s happening outside?¡± Li Wuding replied to him: ¡°Someone must have won apetition.¡± ¡°It started already?¡± Xiao YuAn stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s look at it for a while.¡± Both of them went out of the Military ount and walked towards thepetition arena. Yan HeQing, who had been guarding the ount, kept his eyes on them all the way. The three of them went towards the contest and after walking for a while, Xiao YuAn stopped all of a sudden. Turning around he took a look at Yan HeQing¡¯s palm and reached out to pat the sand off his forehead, then he asked him: ¡°Who provoked you?¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°Nobody.¡± Li Wuding: ¡°Nie Er.¡± The both of them talked at the same time, but their answers were different. Xiao YuAn looked at Yan HeQing and then at Li Wuding, then he said to Li Wuding: ¡°Exin.¡± ¡°A moment ago, my improper discipline in the soldiers led them to fight and I wasn¡¯t able to control the fighting, I plead His Majesty to punish m-¡­¡± Xiao YuAn interrupted him: ¡°You mentioned a name just now, could you say it again?¡± Li Wuding was puzzled but still answered him: ¡°Nie Er.¡± Nie Er? Xiao YuAn positioned his finger against his chin. The name sounded too familiar, but Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t remember it from the original book just now. There was another shout and apuseing from the arena, and Xiao YuAn decided to put down the doubts wandering in his mind and looked up instead. Not far away, Xie Chungui hit the horse and advanced forward. Taking the bow and setting an arrow, he focused himself on stretching the bow at its fullest and then let the arrow go. The arrow hit at the red centre and a young man with high spirits started to apuse and cheer. Xie Chungui didn¡¯t show a proud look and jumped off the horse, then he bowed in gratitude for those that were apuding for him. Someone came to report: ¡°General Li, the results of the equestrianpetition came out. The first ce is for the youngest son of the Xie family, Xie Chungui.¡± Not surprised, Li Wuding smiled slightly: ¡°Yes, as expected.¡± After the equestrian challenge, too many people were participating at the Martial Artspetition so they divided the tform into two arenas. Xiao YuAn stood happily under one of the arenas to watch the match with great interest. Suddenly, he heard that a sharp faced and narrow minded soldier stood victorious, and someone shouted: ¡°Yes! That¡¯s Nie Er.¡± Xiao YuAn quickly fixed his eyes on the soldier, but the only thing he saw was the soldier making an extremely provocative gesture towards the arena. This gesture was directed at Yan HeQing. When he saw that Yan HeQing looked away, Nie Er immediately sneered. Xiao YuAn then abruptly realized who this Nie Er was. In the original book, when the Southern Yan Kingdom was invaded, and Yan HeQing was taken away from the Southern Yan towards the Northern Kingdom, this soldier was the one in charge of him. Because his brother died on the battlefield, this soldier felt extreme disgust for the people of the Southern Yan Kingdom, so he used all means to humiliate Yan HeQing all the way back. Not only did he not give food to him, or sometimes he would give him moldy food, but also, he even nearly ruined Yan HeQing¡¯s left arm! Xiao YuAn was very impressed by the original book. This soldier even dared to press Yan HeQing¡¯s head into the dirty water and maliciously said: ¡°Aren¡¯t you a dog? Why don¡¯t you bark? Come on, let¡¯s hear your bark, I¡¯ll give you something to eat if you bark.¡± Fine, Xiao YuAn understands that all of these things happened in order to pave the way for the toughening of Yan HeQing. But he stillmented that there¡¯s no other way than to just deal with the plot, and at the same time, he filled a 300 word lengthment for the author at thement section: ¡®You evil stepmother, please ept this de as a thank you gift¡¯. There¡¯s a trace of unhappiness rising from the bottom of President Xiao¡¯s heart. He clung uneasily to the cuffs of his royal dress, and then turned his head to look at Yan HeQing and said: ¡°I feel like I¡¯m wearing a suit and a cigar is in my hand right now, so I will start a new chapter on my road of bing a Tyrannical President.¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t understand him at all: ¡°What?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled lightly at him, then he propped himself up to the arena and pped Nie Er: ¡°Come on, let¡¯s have a match.¡± Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. Xiao YuAn keeps deliberately calling Fan Tong = ·¹Í° (f¨¤n t¨¯ng) which trantes to ¡°Good for nothing¡±, but Fan Tong¡¯s name actually is ·¶Í³ (f¨¤n t¨¯ng). They sound the same, but one¡¯s an insult and the other it¡¯s a name.
Chapter 61: Sorry, I Have the Right to do Whatever I Want. Everyone was stunned! The young Monarch¡¯s face was so tender and delicate, and his body wasn¡¯t built. Just now, he shocked everyone because of this unusual action. Nie Er was also dumbfounded. He breathed with difficulty for a long time, and with some hesitation he said: ¡°Your Majesty¡­ I¡­weichen doesn¡¯t dare, I¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just treat me like an ordinary person.¡± Xiao YuAn approached him. Nie Er looked at Xiao YuAn¡¯s thin arms and legs and felt that he could break the Monarch¡¯s small body if he touched it casually. His breath was elerated and hard: ¡°No, Your Majesty, I¡¯m afraid that if I move my hand I will hurt you. It¡¯s not good¡­¡± Xiao YuAn smiled slightly, then he abruptly reached out and twisted Nie Er¡¯s left arm and pinned him to the ground. Once again, everyone present was stunned when they saw Nie Er fell to the ground. When he came back to reality, he felt some pain graduallying from his left arm. He felt anxious and in a hurry he broke away from Xiao YuAn¡¯s grip and then turned over. Xiao YuAn¡¯s face showed a light smile, but secretly in his heart he was saying: The body of the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom is too weak! He can¡¯t even twist an arm! Do you understand that it¡¯s okay to exercise outside the bed once in a while?! Although he felt frustrated, Nie Er didn¡¯t dare to fight seriously with the Emperor. He quickly clenched his fist and said: ¡°Your Majesty is really good at martial arts, but Weichen can¡¯tpare with him, I must admit my defeat.¡± Nie Er quickly got down the challenge arena, fearing angering the Emperor. In the end, it wasn¡¯t interesting enough. Xiao YuAn felt embarrassed and that he couldn¡¯t show his face in public, jumped down from the arena holding his heart firmly with one hand, then he raised his head meeting Yan HeQing¡¯s bright eyes. When he looked at him, it was like a thousand lights were shining inside his pupils, with a soft voice Yan HeQing said to him: ¡°Thank you.¡± All of a sudden, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t feel so ashamed anymore. The challenge arena at the side was very noisy, because on the other side was full of fist and punches, they were fighting to the ground. Xie Chungui went with all of his strength, but still, he couldn¡¯t hold Li Wuding¡¯s fist. Someone whispered in a low voice: ¡°Howe these two are fighting so fiercely?¡± ¡°Sigh, you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°General Li said to the youngest son of the Xie family that if he manages to beat him, then he would make him his deputy.¡± ¡°The youngest son of the Xie family is outstanding, General Li doesn¡¯t let the water go1.¡± ¡°General Li did let it go one time before, but Xie Chungui got so angry that he refused to admit he had won and admitted defeat instead. So after that General Li had been fighting with him with all his strength.¡± ¡°It turns out it was like this.¡± In other words, Xie Chungui had already been defeated. Xie Chungui was half kneeling on the ground, clenching his fist tightly, he seemed disappointed with the end result. Suddenly, he felt a hand touching his head. It was Li Wuding who was patting his head: ¡°There¡¯s some progress.¡± Xie Chungui clenched his teeth and said: ¡°I¡¯m still unable to win against you.¡± Li Wuding smirked: ¡°You will in the future.¡± Xie Chungui raised his head, his eyes were burning like fire, and his tone was firm: ¡°I definitely will.¡± Li Wuding stretched out his hand and pulled Xie Chungui up, looking back at him, he was still smiling: ¡°Yes, I¡¯m waiting for that day toe.¡± The martial artspetition slowly came to an end. The next day, Xiao YuAn, after tossing and turning all night in bed, finally decided to give the General¡¯s position to Li Wuding. First of all, he didn¡¯t want to go the same path as the original book. Secondly, although Li Wuding may betray his country, he still was a close friend of the old General Sun, so it will not be like the original where it was reported that the soldiers were being abusive to themon people. After receiving the Imperial edict, Li Wuding knelt on the ground and lost his voice for a long while before giving his thanks to the Emperor. Li Wuding was supposed to hold a banquet in his mansionmemorating such a big event. However he was afraid that because of General Sun¡¯s serious illness, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to celebrate a happy event. So, in the end, he only invited a few dixiong that fought alongside him in the battlefield. He said to them that it was just a small drinking party to liven things up a bit. Even though he didn¡¯t fight side by side with Li Wuding, Xie Chungui received an invitation anyway. Xie Chungui attended the celebration banquet for the first time and paid great attention to it. He solemnly discussed the congrattion gift with his mother and family, and then took a carriage to the Li Mansion, dressed in royal clothes. Although General Li had already made great contributions in war and gained a formidable prestige, his mansion was still very humble. The young boy almost thought that he had gone in the wrong direction. There were no bodyguards or servants, and a red door god2 painting was posted in front of the narrow vermilion wood door. Xie Chungui walked towards the front door and knocked twice, but then he saw that the door was unlocked. After a little hesitation, he pushed the door open and walked in. What he saw inside was a simple small courtyard, a stone chair, a wooden shed and the entrance of a grapevine. Xie Chungui was still in a daze when he saw a man walking out of the kitchen, inside it was filled with a little bit of smoke. Li Wuding, who had a chicken in his left hand and a duck in his right hand, looked at the silk and satin that Xie Chungui was wearing, at the rare and precious gifts in his hands, and then looked down at his own coarse linen clothes: ¡°Uh¡­this is¡­that¡¯s¡­stewed duck soup?¡± As Li Wuding said that, he raised the white-haired duck with its neck in his hand. The duck didn¡¯t sumb to the cruelty of fate and tried to fight against the shackles of being ughtered by someone. After that, several muddy duck feathers fell slowly into the silk holding the jewels in Xie Chungui¡¯s hands. Li Wuding silently hid the duck behind him. ¡°You¡­you¡­¡± Xie Chungui stuttered, he was so scared that he started to talk with honorific speech, ¡°Do you cook by yourself?¡± Li Wuding nodded with a smile: ¡°I didn¡¯t make it clear to you earlier. It¡¯s not a feast, rather it¡¯s more of having a meal together with the dixiong. In the end you had to spend a lot of time preparing, it was impolite of me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me¡­it was me who was the one that didn¡¯t understand.¡± Xie Chungui bowed his head, his voice getting smaller as he spoke. Suddenly, someone pushed open the door and entered. It was one of the soldiers, a big bearded man. His voice was loud and full of vitality, and when he entered through the door, he shouted: ¡°Oooh!! Li Wuding! Oops, I should be calling you Great General Li3 now, right! Is the wine ready? Whoops! Who¡¯s this? And why are you all dressed up!? Eh, isn¡¯t this the youngest son of the Xie family? Hahaha, are you here to ask for a maiden¡¯s hand in marriage? Such a shame because there¡¯s only rough old men here!¡± Xie Chungui lowered his head and was unable to speak. Even in a low voice, he looked extremely embarrassed. Li Wuding smashed the soldier with his shoulder away: ¡°What? That was such a sour speech, can¡¯t you bear to see a young man with a good appearance?¡± ¡°Cough! Isn¡¯t it a pity for him? Look at the youngest son of the Xie family and how he came to congratte you in contrast to how you entertain guests dressed like that.¡± The man with a big beard and an imposing aura didn¡¯t want to lose. Heughed until he choked with his own saliva. Li Wudingughed alongside him, and then whispered to Xie Chungui: ¡°You can go put the gift at the wing room, and, if you don¡¯t mind, you can also change into my clothes. Just wait for these people to get drunk. In case they make a scene, you will end up smelling of wine.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Xie Chungui nodded. Li Wudingughed loudly, and then walked into the kitchen with the chicken and the duck in his hands. -? The Author has something to say- As for the President¡¯s military force value, he has something to say. President Xiao: If I could return to my original body, don¡¯t even mention Nie Er, Nie 3, 4, 5, 6 or 74, I would even dare to fight Yan-ge Ø­ Yan HeQing: Huh? Xiao YuAn: Uh¡­ nothing, you heard me wrong. Yan HeQing: You might as well give it a try. Xiao YuAn: T-try i-it!! W-wait! What are you saying! Yan HeQing: Try it in bed. Xiao YuAn: Yan-ge! Wake up! The plot hasn¡¯t even developed to that stage, not yet !!!! Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ·ÅË® f¨¤ng shu¨«; Here is used as metaphor for ¡°losing intentionally¡±.
  2. ÃÅÉñ m¨¦n sh¨¦n; The Door God is a god that guards the gate, it¡¯s a type of painting posted on the door during the Lunar New Year. As a deity guarding the door of folk belief, people stick their gods on the door to ward off evil spirits, protect the house, protect the peace, help utility and increase auspiciousness. ording to traditional customs, every family is busy writing couplets and door gods on the eve of the Spring Festival to pray for theing year.
  3. ´ó½«¾ü d¨¤ ji¨¡ng j¨±n; It¡¯s a military official position name from the ancient Chinese Dynasties. Its actual functions and powers have changed a lot through the years, but most of them are ¡°High Military Commanders¡± or even ¡°Supreme Military Commanders¡±. The position of Great General was first seen in the Warring States period [475-221 BC]. Although Li Wuding has been promoted to this title, he¡¯s still referenced as ½«¾ü ji¨¡ng j¨±n; ¡°General¡± or ¡°High-Ranking Military Officer¡±, so in the future it will bemon for him to be still called like that instead of the ¡°Great General¡±.
  4. The joke here is that Nie Er is Äô¶þ ni¨¨ ¨¨r = Nie 2, so the author made a wordy ÄôÈýËÄÎåÁùÆß ni¨¨ s¨¡n s¨¬ w¨³ li¨´ q¨©. Also, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s relevant or not, but ¶þ ¨¨r can also mean ¡°stupid¡± in beijing dialect, so¡­ interesting.
Chapter 62: A Letter of the Pillar. The courtyard wasn¡¯t big, and yet, there were so many wing rooms. Xie Chungui didn¡¯t know which one should he go in and turned around to ask when he saw the bearded big soldier standing behind him. He smiled and patted Xie Chungui on the head: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Li Wuding¡¯s house doesn¡¯t have any girls. You can enter whatever room you want, that one is his room where his robes and armor are.¡± Xie Chungui became more and more surprised with Li¡¯s Mansion: ¡°General Li is well-known for his merits, why doesn¡¯t he have a wife?¡± The bearded soldier coughed and replied: ¡°Everyone wants to marry some girl to him, but he¡¯s the one that doesn¡¯t want to get married. He says that because he doesn¡¯t know if he will live or die on the battlefield, he doesn¡¯t want to hurt his unfortunate wife.¡± Xie Chungui nodded and then walked into Li Wuding¡¯s wing room. Li Wuding¡¯s wing room also had a simple decoration. A single bed, a round table, a few low stools, and if it wasn¡¯t for the dozen or so crumpled military books filling the book shelves, the room would seem pretty empty. Xie Chungui quickly changed his clothes and couldn¡¯t help his curiosity, so he took a military book and looked at it for a little bit. After reading for a while, he realized that some time had passed already, so he ced the military book where it was before and quickly left the wing room. In the courtyard, Li Wuding was arranging the dishes and chopsticks. Around the big round table were the several soldiers, who already began to drink for some time now. When they saw Xie Chungui returning, the bearded soldier waved at him and urged: ¡°Youngest son of the Xie Family,e quickly! We were just waiting for you!¡± The dishes on the table weren¡¯t exquisite. These could be described as being simple home cooking, but the taste was actually pretty good. The group of big men were eating happily and soon the meat dishes were almost gone. Unlike the several soldiers that came from the battlefield, Xie Chungui had a good family education ever since he was a child. Compared with the soldiers that were eating directly with their hands, his eating style could be described as being extremely polite. Li Wuding nced at the soldiers who were devouring the food like their life depended on it, and then at Xie Chungui, who was slowly eating with his head slightly bowed. He involuntarily smiled, picked up an empty te and filled it with arge amount of meat and vegetables and then ced it in front of Xie Chungui. Although Xie Chungui was the youngest child in his family, he was never granted a favor like this, to eat selected food especially for him. He was so surprised that he repeatedly waved his hands: ¡°General Li, I¡­¡­¡± Li Wuding interrupted him: ¡°It¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t have so many rules in my house. You must eat until you¡¯re full. After all, how can such a young man beat me if he doesn¡¯t eat enough to grow strong?¡± Xie Chungui squeezed his chopsticks tightly, stopped talking, and started devouring the meat and vegetables that were offered to him. After three rounds of drinking, the soldiers were quite drunk. When their chopsticks finally fell, they began to talk about their feats in the battlefield and the reason behind why they became soldiers in the first ce. The Xie family joined the army from generation to generation, and ever since Xie Chungui was born, he knew that his fate must be at the battlefield fighting alongside a very powerful army. So, at first nce, when he heard their reasons for joining the army, he felt that they were incredible and surprising. Xie Chungui was happily nodding his head while listening, and then, he turned to ask Li Wuding: ¡°General Li, why did you join the army?¡± Li Wuding thought for a while and then decided to say: ¡°I won¡¯t say it, I¡¯m afraid that you will be disappointed.¡± Seeing that Xie Chungui was reluctantly staring at him, Li Wuding felt helpless: ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you. I joined the army because I wanted to survive.¡± Xie Chungui was caught off guard: ¡°Survive?¡± Li Wuding nodded: ¡°When I was sixteen, there was a famine in the vige, but because of the war, thest grain has to be handed over to the Imperial Court. It couldn¡¯t be helped. In order to be able to eat, I became a soldier.¡± Xie Chungui asked him again: ¡°What about your parents, siblings?¡± Li Wuding put thest bite of rice at the bottom of the bowl into his mouth and softly said: ¡°They all starved to death.¡± Those five words, spoken with a light voice, weren¡¯t as heavy as a feather, but it still felt like a big mountain was crushing Xie Chungui, making him lose his voice. The lofty beliefs and obsessions of some people are just the bottom line for others to survive. Even though the banquet was simple, it was extremely enjoyable. The several soldiers stubbornly dispersed in the middle of the night. After Li Wuding sent the several soldiers away, he returned to the mansion and saw that Xie Chungui had already changed into his clothes again. Li Wuding said to him: ¡°That generous gift, would you like to take it back with you? I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯s too expensive.¡± Xie Chungui said: ¡°My parent¡¯s kindly send their regards, I hope General Li won¡¯t dislike them.¡± Li Wuding refused again and again, then heughed out loud and said: ¡°Then I will ept it. When you seed at the military field, I¡¯ll repay it all¡­. No, I¡¯ll double the repayment.¡± Xie Chungui¡¯s eyes brightened with enough light to ignite fire: ¡°Good.¡± Footnotes: [Title meaning]: ±§ÖùÖ®ÐÅ b¨¤o zh¨´ zh¨© x¨¬n; it¡¯s a Chinese idiom that refers to stand firm and keep your promises / When people keep their promises. From¡¶µÁõÅ¡·(d¨¤o zh¨ª). ¡°Robbery¡± written by (ׯ×Ó zhu¨¡ng z¨«) Zhuangzi [369-286 BC] a daoist author from the Warring States period [475-221 BC]. Chapter 63: Shocking Sudden Change. Some people were happy, and some other were sad. It¡¯s certain that Li Wuding must have been the one in the position of Great General, but at the Pce of Wuning Wangye, the sky was shrouded in clouds. The young Monarch promised to Wuning Wangye that he would pass on the position of General to his close friend, but now, out of nowhere, he changed his mind and made Wuning Wangye walk on thin ice. In the dark of the night, at the Wangfu, Wuning Wangye and his advisor1 were discussing this incident: ¡°Wangye, the Southern Yan Kingdom has quietly sent troops to support you. For the major event, regarding the rebellion, you should make a lightning decision2, no dys are allowed.¡± Wuning Wangye pressed his forehead with one hand and sighed: ¡°But the Emperor doesn¡¯t leave the Imperial Pce. Day and night he¡¯s¡­¡± His advisor whispered: ¡°Wangye, in a few days, the Emperor will definitelye out of the Imperial Pce.¡± Wuning Wangye looked at him strangely: ¡°Why?¡± The advisor attached himself to Wuning Wangye¡¯s ear, murmured in a low voice, and then said out loud: ¡°It depends on what Wangye wants to do.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it would be too sudden tounch the rebellion right now?¡± ¡°Wangye, you¡¯ve been preparing for such a long time, how can this be an abrupt decision? Besides, these recent days the Emperor¡¯s temperament had greatly changed. He¡¯s not a cut sleeve anymore and he gave the General¡¯s position to Li Wuding. Isn¡¯t all this a sign for you? Wangye, right now hesitation is prohibited.¡± Wuning Wangye nodded, and in his eyes there¡¯s an evil and desperate brightness. On the third day after Li Wuding was appointed as Great General, the old General Sun passed away. On the day of General Sun¡¯s death, the Northern Kingdom had thest wave of cold in Spring and thest snowfall. Everything was buried under snow. Even though General Sun wanted to be buried in a simple way before his death, Xiao YuAn refused and decided that, to be buried as a General, the funeral must be held with the army. On that day, Xiao YuAn saw Li Wuding and Xie Chungui again. They were dressed in white mourning clothes. They were supporting the coffin and walking towards the graveyard. General Sun didn¡¯t have any heirs, and still, he didn¡¯tck people that were willing to support him. Some white gs were flying with the wind and copper coins3 were flying all over the sky, the sound of sobbing and crying could be heard everywhere. Xiao YuAn stood in front of the tombstone, and suddenly felt the wind and clouds were weird; like if the world just got colder and somber. Towards the end of the evening, when the funeral was over, Xiao YuAn returned to the Pce inside the Imperial chariot. He was escorted by his Imperial guards in front and behind him, which made the procession seem like a long and heavy journey. Hong Xiu, who was walking besides the Imperial chariot, saw that Xiao YuAn was in a bad mood and with a worried voice, she asked him: ¡°Your Majesty, are you feeling okay?¡± Xiao YuAn shook his head and said: ¡°I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect that it would snow again.¡± Hong Xiu tried to calm him down: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your Majesty, it is already February 28th, this must be thest snowfall of Spring.¡± Xiao YuAn seemed to catch some important words and his voice suddenly changed: ¡°February 28th?¡± Hong Xiu answered him: ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, what happened?¡± Xiao YuAn held the side of the Imperial chariot, and some uneasy anxiety gradually filled his heart. February 28th, in the original book, was the day when Yang LiuAn sacrificed his life for the young Emperor. In the original book, there was no funeral for the old General Sun. The Monarch of the Northern Kingdom simply went out to y that day. On his way back to the Imperial Pce, an assassination attempt was made by the civilians that weren¡¯t willing to deal with his tyranny anymore. As an Imperial bodyguard, Yang LiuAn in order to protect the Emperor¡¯s life, gave his in the end. At present, Yang LiuAn¡¯s position was reced by Yan HeQing. Xiao YuAn raised his eyes and saw Yan HeQing, who was at the left side of the Imperial chariot. Xiao YuAn took a deep breath and suppressed the uneasiness inside his heart. No, Xiao YuAn said to himself: He has always been humble, he doesn¡¯t squander the national treasury, never collected heavy taxes, not to mention he never punished themon people. Moreover, he¡¯s not even ying around, and the Imperial Pce is not the same as what it used to be, so he shouldn¡¯t have anything to worry about. Xiao YuAnforted himself a few times, until finally, he felt a little calmer. He raised his eyes and saw Yan HeQing staring at him somewhat anxiously. Xiao YuAn smiled at him, the atmosphere was inexplicably calm all around. The snow was falling and the clouds were not scattering, instead these ck clouds seemed like they were oppressing the city, and the moon gradually disappeared behind them. For a while, the windy night was very dark, and Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t able to see the expression on Yan HeQing¡¯s face clearly. The two of them stared at each other in the darkness, and when the moonlight shined for time to time through the dense clouds, Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes suddenly shrank. Because a sharp arrow came out of nowhere! And it struck the Imperial chariot, right besides his ear! Foonotes: Footnotes
  1. Ä»ÁÅ m¨´ li¨¢o; aids and advisors of Top Officials.
  2. ¿ìµ¶Õ¶ÂÒÂé ku¨¤i d¨¡o zh¨£n lu¨¤n m¨¢; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means to take a decisive action in aplex situation / Grasping the key and solvingplex problems quickly. From ¡¶±±ÆëÊ顤ÎÄÐûµÛ¼Í¡·(b¨§i q¨ª sh¨±¡¤w¨¦n xu¨¡ nd¨¬ j¨¬), ¡°The Book of the Northern Qi Dynasty: Emperor Wenxuan¡±, aption by (Àî°ÙËŽ l¨« b¨£i y¨¤o) Li Baiyao [565-648], a writer and historian from the Tang Dynasty.
  3. Í­Ç® t¨®ng qi¨¢n; Copper coins, refers to all kinds of square hole round coins after the Qin [221-207 BC] and Han [206 BC-220 AC] Dynasties. The casting period of square hole round coins extended to thete years of the Qing Dynasty [1644-1911] and the early years of the Republic of China . During the spring and Autumn period [770-476 BC] and the Warring States period [475-221 BC], with the development ofmodity economy, the metal weighing currency which needed to be divided and identified in cirction gradually became unsuitable and was reced by metal coins. Most of the ancient Chinese coins were cast in the form of copper alloy.
Chapter 64: Protecting a Life With Another Life. Chapter 64: Protecting A Life With Another Life. WARNING: Graphic description of death. In an instant, thousands of arrows were fired at the same time. Some of them were impossible to dodge and the Imperial guards, who rxed their vignce before, raised their shields turning themselves into hedgehogs. Their dead faces were extremely terrifying. Xiao YuAn was being protected by Yan HeQing. He raised his sword to block away several arrows and pressed Xiao YuAn behind the Imperial chariot: ¡°Stay here, don¡¯te out!¡± ¡°W-wait, h-hold o-on.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s body was uncontrobly shivering and he was unable to speak clearly. He still got up as quick as he could, and pulled Hong Xiu over besides the Imperial chariot with him as a shelter to block the sharp arrows. Hong Xiu¡¯s left arm was pierced with a sharp arrow and the blood was flowing from the injury, dying her gauze skirt red. Her face was white and her eyes were full of fear, her voice was sobbing: ¡°Y-yo-your M-Majesty, are you okay Your Majesty?¡± Xiao YuAn held her wound and started tofort her: ¡°I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t need to be afraid, you¡¯ll be fine too, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± The remaining Imperial guards quickly gathered around the Imperial chariot to draw swords and protect their Monarch. At that instant, there were no more arrows being shot, and after a second of silence in the air, many people dressed in ck suddenly appeared from the dark! They didn¡¯t even hesitate and immediately raised their sharp swords. ¡°Protect the Emperor!¡± The Imperial guards, after shouting, raised their swords to meet with the enemy, but because the other side had too many people, they were being repressed. There was a bloody smell in the air, and the lights and shadows of the swords were appearing faintly1. Yan HeQing grabbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s arm and with an anxious tone of voice he said: ¡°Let¡¯s go!!¡± The voice of Yan HeQing faded when five people dressed in ck surrounded them. Their martial arts were exceptional and their swords were fierce, but they didn¡¯t touch any vital points in Yan HeQing¡¯s body. They were just trying to separate him from Xiao YuAn, however Yan HeQing didn¡¯t intend to get separated from him. With so many people, there was a long standoff, and these several people dressed in ck were waving their swords at them. Gradually, Yan HeQing showed some weakness and he was unable to protect Xiao YuAn. As a result, the two of them ended up being separated. Yan HeQing¡¯s arm was caught by someone and he ended up kneeling on the ground, unable to move. A man dressed in ck slowly stepped forward, and when he took off the cloth covering his face, Wuning Wangye¡¯s face appeared. Yan HeQing looked at him, his eyes showingplicated emotions for a moment, his four limbs and bones were gradually immersed in cold. Yan HeQing tried to open his mouth, but his throat felt like being strangled, making his eyes dizzy, and his blood freeze. Since it was Wuning Wangye the one behind this, that means that these people dressed in ck were the soldiers of the Southern Yan Kingdom that were lent to Wuning Wangye, and he was also an important part of pushing forward this n. Wuning Wangye chuckled and whispered to Yan HeQing: ¡°Yan-huangzi, you¡¯ve done a great job in this farce. I know you¡¯re supposed to be the Emperor¡¯s Imperial bodyguard, rest assured, you don¡¯t have to worry about losing your reputation of protecting the Monarch. When I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll send you out of the Pce immediately and make you return to the Southern Yan Kingdom.¡± After saying that, Wuning Wangye waved his hand gently. ¡°Wait¡­¡­¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes suddenly shrunk, he was struggling to see at the direction of Xiao YuAn¡¯s escape, but he was hit hard at the side of his neck, immediately fainting on the ground. There were so many people on the other side that it was impossible for Xiao YuAn to run away at all. While he was protecting Hong Xiu, he punched a man¡¯s face who was dressed in ck, and then he received a sneak attack from behind, someone kicked him making him fall on the ground. ¡°Your Majesty!!!¡± Hong Xiu screamed and stepped forward to help him, but she was pulled away. Xiao YuAn was unstable, and he was immediately pushed down by several men dressed in ck. When he looked up, he saw Wuning Wangye looking down at him. He had a crazy smile on his face. ¡°Your Majesty, in fact, I didn¡¯t intend to make such a sudden attack.¡± Wuning Wangye kneeled and looked down at Xiao YuAn: ¡°But, why did you have to give the military power to Li Wuding?¡± Xiao YuAn sneered: ¡°Because with General Fan Tong2, the Northern Kingdom will be over.¡± ¡°Tch tch, Emperor, that¡¯s not what you said before. However, there wasn¡¯t any faith in those words3.¡± Wuning Wangye narrowed his eyes. ¡°Wasn¡¯t you the one who¡¯s wordscked faith, and secretly colluded with the enemy?¡± Xiao YuAn sneered. He can¡¯t lose his imposing aura! Damn you! ¡°Your Majesty, even at a time like this, I can¡¯t forgive you.¡± Wuning Wangyeughed. ¡°His Majesty can be assured that if the Northern Kingdom is in my hands, it will grow stronger than when it was in yours.¡± ¡°Hahaha, these men dressed in ck are not my soldiers of the Northern Kingdom. You even have to rely on the power of other countries. Who gave you the confidence to say this, and how will you ensure that the throne will be definitely yours?¡± ¡°I will be¡­¡± Wuning Wangye stood up and slowly raised his sword, his eyes were full of murderous intent. ¡°As long as you¡¯re dead, I will definitely take the throne!!¡± He moved his sword in a treacherous way, and for a brief moment the world went silent. Xiao YuAn slowly closed his eyes in resignation. ¡°Your Majesty!!!¡± A scream suddenly cut through the sky, and Xiao YuAn abruptly opened his eyes. What he saw was something he didn¡¯t want to see in this lifetime. Hong Xiu stood in front of him. Her body was so delicate, and the sharp de cut her throat and cheek. Hong Xiu slowly and slowly fell right in front of Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes. A warm liquid sshed on Xiao YuAn¡¯s face, and his body unexpectedly started to shiver. He can¡¯t hear anything, he didn¡¯t even hear what Wuning Wangye said to him: ¡°There¡¯s still people who are willing to block a sword for you. It seems that you must have had some good points as an Emperor.¡± He couldn¡¯t see. He didn¡¯t even see when Wuning Wangye moved his sword again, but then, an unexpected sharp arrow prated his arm making him drop his sword to the ground. He couldn¡¯t hear Li Wuding shouting: ¡°Weichen arrivedte to protect His Majesty.¡± He wasn¡¯t able to see anything just for a brief moment, but the situation suddenly was reversed. He came to reality, hurriedly stepped forward and hugged Hong Xiu¡¯s body covered in blood tightly, his mind was full of thoughts: How could this happen, how could this end up like this? Hong Xiu tightly grasped Xiao YuAn¡¯s sleeves. Her throat was cut open by the sharp de and the scar spread to her left cheek, it was shockingly red all over. She seemed to want to say something to him, but when she opened her mouth, her throat was bleeding non stop. Hong Xiu looked at him twice, opening her mouth and breathing with difficulty, but the blood just kept pouring more and more. Slowly, she reached out to her head and tried her best to remove the red flower hairpin from her hair. With ast effort she slowly ced it into Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands. Xiao YuAn saw Hong Xiu smiling at him sweetly, and that smile pulled the cut wound, making her feel extreme pain. Then, her arm fell on the ground and she no longer breathed. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ this wasn¡¯t supposed to be, it wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this¡­¡± When Xiao YuAn heard himself murmuring like this, he felt like his voice was extremely desperate and sad. His body was helplessly trembling while holding the body of Hong Xiu, he seemed to try to stop her body from losing warmth, but all that effort was in vain. This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen like this, the ending of Hong Xiu wasn¡¯t like this at all. She should be able to escape from the Imperial City after the Northern Kingdom was broken into, take her brother and sister with her, and spend the rest of their lives in a small vige, in peace. Why is this happening? Why? This kind of thing. There was a cruel voice, whispering in Xiao YuAn¡¯s ear. That¡¯s right, you clearly knew that after Yan HeQing and Wuning Wangye meet each other, Wuning Wangye will be assisted by the Southern Yan Kingdom soldiers. You willingly passed the General¡¯s position to Li Wuding, forcing Wuning Wangye to revolt against this military change. All of that, isn¡¯t that just the truth? Hong Xiu was killed by you. Why did you always treat yourself as an outsider? Why did you treat people as you pleased? For what reason? The howling wind roared and passed through the ce they were at, jiejiejie¡¯s4 voice was like a woman cursing andughing in Xiao YuAn¡¯s ear. Chapter 65: Broken Heart. The rebellionunched by Wuning Wangye shocked all the civilians and Military Officials at Court. Although Li Wuding had heard some rumors regarding this rebellion a long time ago, and he was on constant alert, he was still toote for the rescue. Fortunately, the Emperor didn¡¯t fault him. As soon as this happened, the situation suddenly changed. The former followers of Wuning Wangye¡¯s political party, and even his close friends, were thrown into prison waiting for the investigation to be carried out. That night, Yan HeQing pushed open the door of Xiao YuAn¡¯s Imperial bedchamber and saw him standing by the window; holding a red flower hairpin in his hand and looking at the blooming pear blossom tree at the corner of the courtyard. The red flower hairpin was still stained with blood, which by now looked almost ck. Xiao YuAn turned around and when he saw Yan HeQing standing in front of him, he asked him: ¡°Why are you here? Is your injury better?¡± Yan HeQing looked at him and answered with a very light tone of voice: ¡°I know you can¡¯t sleep alone, I came to keep youpany.¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly realized that yes, he had indeed said to Yan HeQing before that without Hong Xiu¡¯spany at the side of his bed, he wasn¡¯t able to fall asleep. ¡°Are you¡­ alright?¡± Yan HeQing asked him carefully. Xiao YuAn looked down at the hairpin in his hand, and in a whisper he said: ¡°Tell me, if she knew that I¡¯m not the Monarch of the Northern Kingdom, would she still have died for me? She¡­ Below Jiuquan1, will she regret it? And me, why did I let her die for me, why did I¡­¡± Yan HeQing stepped forward, held Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand, and covered the hairpin: ¡°You¡¯re overthinking.¡± Xiao YuAn raised his head and looked at Yan HeQing. His eyes looked tired and heartbroken, his clear little sorrowful tears hit right to Yan HeQing¡¯s heart: ¡°Yan HeQing, I killed her.¡± Yan HeQing pitifully reached out for Xiao YuAn¡¯s body and embraced him in his arms, gently patting his back trying tofort him: ¡°It wasn¡¯t you, that wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± Xiao YuAn lowered his head, hiding his expression, he clutched Yan HeQing¡¯s clothes with force until his fingers became white: ¡°Yan HeQing, will you apany me tonight?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll stay with you.¡± At night, the wind was cold, and it seemed to cry with resentment. After Xiao YuAn listened to Yan HeQing¡¯s breathing at the edge of the bed for a while, he silently sat up and looked at his sleeping face. Xiao YuAn thought for a long time, and then, reached out and took a key from Yan HeQing¡¯s robe. He carefully got up, dressed himself in a thick cloak, and moving as silently as he could, he slowly walked out of the Imperial bedchamber. The Imperial bodyguards outside the bedchamber were shocked, but after seeing Xiao YuAn making a silencing gesture, they quickly shut their mouths. Xiao YuAn walked under the deste moonlight and quietly went to the secondary room beside the Imperial bedchamber. That was where Yan HeQing, his personal bodyguard, lived. He took the key hidden in his clothes and opened the door, walking inside carefully. With the help of the moonlight, Xiao YuAn looked at theyout of the room for a while. Then he walked towards the bed, bent down, and touched the wood under the bed inch by inch. In vain, Xiao YuAn tried again until finally, he reached the innermost ce, and found a small gap. It was a false panel made with extremely rough workmanship, just like it was described in the original book. Xiao YuAn pulled out a tiny scroll from the secretpartment, opened it and nced at it. Then he stood up and hid it inside his sleeve. Quietly, he left the room and locked the door. The next day, when Yan HeQing opened his eyes, he found that Xiao YuAn had already gotten up. Xiao YuAn was standing by the window, clutching the red hairpin that he gave Hong Xiu as a gift before she died. When Xiao YuAn heard a sound behind him, he looked back at Yan HeQing and said: ¡°Are you awake? Thank you for staying with me, I should go to the morning Court.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yan HeQing looked at his eyes, and saw that they were still warm, but he wasn¡¯t able to see the smile in them like before. Suddenly, he realized that something was quietly changing between them. The thing that should have been so easily noticed by the two of them, suddenly got its cover lifted, standingpletely naked in front of them. It was something extremely serious and cruel. All of them should have run in opposite directions2 from the start, why are you feeling so concerned now. Wee back to the angsty drama!! ¡ã???(???)???¡ã How have y¡¯all been these couple of days? I was working hard alongside mochiusagi (our proofreader) to move the s and have them re-edited ! So let¡¯s give a huge thank you to mochiusagi! ??(???????) ! ???(¡ñ¡ä?¨F¡ñ)??? Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. ¾ÅȪ֮Ï ji¨³ qu¨¢n zh¨© xi¨¤; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, also tranted as ¡°Under the Nine Springs¡± or ¡°The Netherworld¡±. It refers to the ce where the dead are buried, that is, the Underworld / A term used to describe people underground after death. From¡¶Æß°§¡·(q¨© ¨¡i), ¡°Seven Sorrows¡±, a poem written by (²ÜÖ² c¨¢o zh¨ª) Cao Zhi [192-232], a poet and a calligrapher from the Three Kingdoms period [220-280].
  2. ±³µÀ¶ø³Û b¨¨i d¨¤o ¨¦r ch¨ª; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means to draw further apart / Be opposed to / Going against / The more you run, the farther you will be from achieving your goal / The road and the purpose arepletely opposite. From ¡¶¡´ÑîÆÀÊÂÎļ¯¡µºóÐò¡·(¡´y¨¢ng p¨ªng sh¨¬ w¨¦nj¨ª¡µ h¨°u x¨´) ¡°(Collection of Yang Pingshi) Preface¡±, by (Áø×ÚÔª li¨³ z¨­ng yu¨¢n) Liu Zongyuan [773-819], a poet from the Tang Dynasty [618-907].
Chapter 66: The Human Heart is Unpredictable. When they realized this abnormality, silence spread between them. Xiao YuAn repeated what he said previously about having to go to the morning Court, and then got up and left. Yan HeQing tidied up his clothes and nned to go back to his room. However, just when he had left the Imperial bedchamber, two fierce-looking men came over: ¡°Are you Yan HeQing?¡± Yan HeQing frowned: ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Come with us.¡± The two of them seemed afraid that Yan HeQing would try to run away, so they carried him towards the secondary room next to the Imperial bedchamber. A tall and mighty man was standing in front of the door of the secondary room with a line of soldiers behind him. The two fierce-looking men clenched their first at this man: ¡°General Li, we¡¯ve brought him.¡± Li Wuding nodded and raised his eyes to look at Yan HeQing. His eyes were burning, and he spoke slowly: ¡°Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom, Yan HeQing.¡± Yan HeQing suddenly understood why he was brought here, and with a cold face, he didn¡¯t answer. Li Wuding also didn¡¯t expect for him to answer, and pointing behind him, he ordered the soldiers: ¡°Search.¡± As soon as this order fell, the door of the room was kicked open violently, and the poor lock fell to one side. Dozens of soldiers entered the room and began to search inch by inch. The vase was smashed, the table and chairs were overturned, the mattress was pierced, and all the cotton wadding was torn apart. In a short time, the room became a mess, and the dozens of soldiers kept searching in the narrow room over and over again, but in the end, nothing suspicious was found. Li Wuding¡¯s eyebrow gradually became a frown while the time was passing. He walked into the room, paced back and forth, and finally stopped in front of the messy bed that had been turned upside down. He asked the men around him: ¡°Did someone look through the bottom of the bed?¡± ¡°Answering to the General, I have.¡± After thinking for a brief moment, Li Wuding said: ¡°Turn the whole bed over and look through it again.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but his heart suddenly froze. With the effort of three soldiers, the whole bed was lifted up. A soldier groped the wood carefully and after a little while, he shouted: ¡°General Li, there¡¯s a secretpartment here!¡± Li Wuding was slightly pleased and said: ¡°Open it.¡± The soldier shouted yes, and then opened the secretpartment. To everyone¡¯s surprise, there was nothing inside it. Li Wuding frowned again. He strode to Yan HeQing and stared at him, his eyes gloomy: ¡°Why is there a secretpartment under the bed?¡± Yan HeQing stared at him fearlessly: ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Li Wuding gritted his teeth, turned his head, and said: ¡°Keep searching.¡± The group of soldiers almost lifted up the ground, and yet, they still found nothing. Without any evidence, Li Wuding couldn¡¯t arrest anyone at will. With desperation, he had to take his soldiers away. When all of them left, Yan HeQing stood in front of the overturned bed. Looking at the empty secretpartment for a while, he wasn¡¯t able to breathe well. He was trembling and felt very uneasy. Li Wuding was about to leave the Pce feeling very annoyed, when he was suddenly blocked by a man. It was Eunuch Zhao. Eunuch Zhao smiled at Li Wuding and said: ¡°General Li, this old servant is in charge of the House of Internal Affairs.¡± Li Wuding had heard earlier that there was an old Eunuch that served for three generations named Zhao in the Imperial City, but he had nothing to do with eunuchs, so for a brief moment he was very puzzled: ¡°You¡¯re Eunuch Zhao?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that General Li would recognize this old servant. This old servant was sincerely afraid.¡± Eunuch Zhao bowed his hand and said. ¡°This old servant wanted to ask General Li one thing. This time, you led the soldiers inside the Pce because you suspected that Yan HeQing had something to do with Wuning Wangye, who colluded with the Southern Yan Kingdom?¡± Li Wuding thought about it for a moment, and then answered with the truth: ¡°Indeed.¡± Eunuch Zhao nodded: ¡°This old servant understands and thanks General Li for confirming it to me.¡± Seeing that Eunuch Zhao turned around ready to leave, Li Wuding quickly reached out his hand and stopped him: ¡°Eunuch Zhao, what does this mean?¡± Eunuch Zhao chuckled at Li Wuding: ¡°General Li, men like you that have a righteous temperament pays extra care to the evidence in order to implement punishment, but this old servant is not the same kind of man like you. This old servant just needs to think about how to make His Majesty sleep peacefully1, nothing more.¡± After he said that, Eunuch Zhao knocked slightly on his back, and slowly walked towards the secondary room. In Eunuch Zhao¡¯s whole life, he had made very little miscalctions. He¡¯d been in charge of the House of Internal Affairs for many years. He was ruthless, determined, and killing people with a simple knife was one of his best tricks. And yet, he didn¡¯t expect that Yan HeQing would¡¯ve been a part of this. Eunuch Zhao always thought that Yan HeQing, who was willing to be a male concubine, must have broken the backbone of his arrogance. Right now, he felt that he himself became old and easy to deceive. Or maybe it was that Yan HeQing¡¯s true colors were being hidden too deeply. Fortunately, it¡¯s not toote to mend the fold after the sheep ran away2. Eunuch Zhao had been inside this Pce for more than 40 years. His best skill is to use torture to pry open a person¡¯s mouth. Ahhh he almost got caught! What will happen next???!! Footnotes
  1. ¸ßÕíÎÞÓÇ g¨¡o zh¨§n w¨² y¨­u; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means to be free of worries / Sleep without any anxiety / Rest assured. From¡¶Õ½¹ú²ß¡¤Îº²ßÒ»¡·(zh¨¤n gu¨® c¨¨¡¤w¨¨i c¨¨ y¨©), ¡°Strategies of the Warring States: Wei Ceyi¡±, possibly written by (ËÕÇØ s¨± q¨ªn) Su Qin [340-284 BC], a political strategist of the School of Diplomacy during the Warring States Period [475-220 BC].
  2. ÍöÑò²¹ÀÎ w¨¢ng y¨¢ng b¨³ l¨¢o; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means that after a problem arises, find a way to remedy it so as not to continue to suffer losses in the future / Betterte than never. From¡¶Õ½¹ú²ß¡¤³þ²ß¡·(zh¨¤n gu¨® c¨¨¡¤ch¨³ c¨¨), ¡°Strategies of the Warring States: Chu Ce¡±, probably written by (ËÕÇØ s¨± q¨ªn) Su Qin [340-284 BC], a political strategist of the School of Diplomacy during the Warring States Period [475-220 BC].
Chapter 67: Speaking With the Heart. Xiao YuAn returned early in the morning and took a short break after having lunch. In the afternoon, he read the memorials for half a day. When he saw that the sunlight became dim, he looked up from the pile of memorials, and felt that something was wrong. Instead of Hong Xiu, a maidservant stepped down to salute him: ¡°Your Majesty, would you like to eat dinner?¡± Xiao YuAn nodded. Suddenly, he felt like he could see the silhouette of Hong Xiu, and stared nkly at the vermilion hairpinying on the table. His chest felt extremely tight and painful. Xiao YuAn stood up wanting to go to the courtyard to get some fresh air. When he walked out of the gate of his bedchamber, that strange feeling surged up once again. He walked back and forth in a dazed state. Suddenly, he realized what was that wrong feeling he felt before: After leaving for the morning Court, he hadn¡¯t seen Yan HeQing for the whole day! Xiao YuAn went back to the gate of his bedchamber and asked one of the Imperial bodyguards that was guarding the door: ¡°Is Yan HeQing not on duty today?¡± The several Imperial bodyguards hesitated, but they ended up saying that they weren¡¯t sure. One of them replied instead: ¡°Answering to His Majesty, Yan HeQing has been temporarily transported to another Pce.¡± ¡°Where was he transferred to?¡± ¡°Yongning Hall.¡± ¡°Princess Yongning asked for him?¡± ¡°Answering to His Majesty, yes.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded, inexplicably feeling a little bit lonely, he went back to his bedchamber, losing appetite for dinner. He then stood at the window and stared at the courtyard, thinking about the future. After a while, Xiao YuAn suddenly frowned. The Imperial bodyguards are under the jurisdiction of the House of Internal Affairs, and the transfer must go through the hands of Eunuch Zhao. Princess Yongning can¡¯t take someone away with just a few words. Moreover, Wuning Wangye colluded with the Southern Yan Kingdom tounch an attack, which caused the Pce to go into panic. Yan HeQing, who also happened to be the Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom, became the target of public criticism. With such a situation at hand, the idea of him being suddenly transferred to Yongning Hall made him feel that something wasn¡¯t right. Xiao YuAn suddenly turned and rushed out of the Imperial bedchamber. Regardless of the insisting voices of the maidservant and the Imperial bodyguards, he went straight to Yongning Hall. When he finally reached Yongning Hall he asked the Princess and, as expected, she didn¡¯t know anything at all! Inside his heart, Xiao YuAn was ming himself for this negligence, and hurriedly walked towards the House of Internal Affairs. At the House of Internal Affairs, Eunuch Zhao had already heard that the Emperor was approaching. He put down the teacup, tapped his knees, and slowly got up from the chair, saluting at Xiao YuAn: ¡°Your Majesty.¡± When Xiao YuAn looked at the kind-faced old man, he couldn¡¯t help but think about the river of white bones and blood that was hiding behind his back: ¡°Eunuch Zhao, you should already guess why I came here.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, this old ve that grew up watching everything inside this Pce. What the Emperor is thinking, how can this old ve don¡¯t know?¡± Eunuch Zhao replied. ¡°It is just that His Majesty must understand that after the incident that took ce a few days ago, it¡¯s necessary to guard against suspicious people, and it¡¯s better for His Majesty to not take care of it. This old ve will give the Emperor satisfactory results soon.¡± ¡°Eunuch Zhao, without any evidence, you can¡¯t just act on simple spections.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, even if there¡¯s no evidence right now, will Wangye¡¯s followers be able to keep their mouths shut? At this time, when everyone that has been involved in the matter has been exposed, this old ve just feels that it won¡¯t take much time before the truthes out.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth pursed into a tight line. He also knew that Yan HeQing would be persecuted sooner orter the longer he stayed at the Pce. But he didn¡¯t expect it would happen so soon. Eunuch Zhao covered his mouth and coughed twice. His whole person looked more and more bent: ¡°When His Majesty was still a child, he used to listen to this old ve very much. Later, when His Majesty got older, there wasn¡¯t a chance for this old ve to advise the Emperor anymore. Now, I hope that His Majesty will listen to this old ve¡¯s advice again. Your Majesty, even if you like him, you can¡¯t keep him. There could always be a substitute, this break up is not unfortunate. I¡¯m more afraid that His Majesty would hurt himself for the sake of this love.¡± Xiao YuAn stared at Eunuch Zhao, and for a moment, he didn¡¯t know how to answer. Eunuch Zhao was vicious and cruel, but in this world where Xiao YuAn could hate anyone, he still wasn¡¯t able to hate him. Eunuch Zhao has been inside the Pce for so many years, and every single thing he had done before was with a single purpose in mind. For the stability of the Northern Kingdom. For the safety of the Monarch of the Northern Kingdom. Therefore, even if he was abandoned by thousands of people, Xiao YuAn must not be one of them. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Eunuch Zhao¡¯s voice sounded like a pleading, old and hoarse. ¡°This time, you must listen to this old ve.¡± I¡¯m feeling the same as XYA, I want to hate Eunuch Zhao so bad!!!! ¡­ but in the end I can¡¯t, because he¡¯s just doing his job, and at the end of the day, YHQ is the Northern Kingdom¡¯s enemy, if XYA wasn¡¯t the Emperor, he would¡¯ve longer been sentenced to die (like in the original) Chapter 68: Heartache. Inside a dark and gloomy room, the candle lights were flickering on and off, giving a weird effect that could bring people¡¯s hearts into panic. In the middle of the dark room, Yan HeQing¡¯s hands were tied up with chains and they were hung high. His hair was loose, his upper body was naked, and his skin was covered with shockingly deep and bloody whish wounds. Steward Feng, while staring at Yan HeQing, was ying with the iron whip in his hands. This whip was barbed and could stter someone¡¯s skin at each stroke. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Steward Fengughed and stretched out his hand to press on Yan HeQing¡¯s wound, brutally tearing it apart. ¡°Mnh¡­¡­¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s body began to uncontrobly tremble all over, and his throat was groaning with suppressed pain. ¡°Tell me, when did Wuning Wangye and you began to plot the rebellion? Where¡¯s the evidence? Ohh, you better listen to me, hurry up and say the truth. If you speak now, you won¡¯t have to suffer this kind of pain anymore. Suffering a short pain is better than a long one1.¡± Steward Feng spoke with particr kindness. He was good at persuading people with words2. However, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t appreciate his words and sneered instead, his tone was full of sarcasm. Steward Feng helplessly shook his head andshed out at Yan HeQing¡¯s body once again. The barb drew up the flesh, leaving behind an extremely deep and bloody wound. Yan HeQing swallowed the screams and sobs so hard that he could barely breathe from the pain. ¡°At the present situation, it¡¯s hard for you to escape alive, so why don¡¯t you just admit it and avoid suffering this torture? Perhaps, you¡¯re still waiting for His Majesty toe save you?¡± Steward Feng shook the iron whip on his hand throwing the dirty blood out of it. ¡°Wake up. You conspired a rebellion with the enemy, and you almost got His Majesty killed.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯¡¯s breathing was stagnant, then he gasped full of pain. ¡°If you¡¯re not able to stand this much, then you can just tell me about your collusion with Wuning Wangye. You¡¯ll die anyway, it¡¯s better to die quickly than to die painfully, so hurry up!¡± Steward Feng thought that Yan HeQing was finally unable to carry on, so he was trying to persuade him again with some reasonable words. However, Yan HeQing still refused to open his mouth. Steward Feng repeated his words for a second time, then he tossed the iron whip aside, took a shovel from the wall full of torture devices, and put it into the red charcoal fire standing at the center of the dark room. Because of the pain, Yan HeQing¡¯s breathing was very heavy and slow. His wheezing sounds blended together with the hissing sound of the burning hot shovel, creating an extremely horrific sound effect. ¡°I was kind enough to give you a chance.¡± Steward Feng turned over the shovel in the charcoal fire and carelessly said: ¡°None of these tactics of mine can get into Eunuch Zhao¡¯s eyes. Do you know that he has this rare kind of powder? When sprinkled onto a wound, it will make the victim feel itchy and painful, like thousands of ants gnawing at it. Ah, I¡¯ve seen it in action once. The man had a horrible and miserable death, his whole body was scratched to feel some relief. So I suggest you, one more time, you better speak up sooner rather than regret itter!¡± Seeing that Yan HeQing was still refusing to utter a single word, Steward Feng picked up the red-hot shovel, walked up to Yan HeQing, and blew the shovel to his face without touching it. The shovel was emitting a heat wave. ¡°Will you exin? Oh, can you exin to me why are you being so stubbornly brainless?¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve tried to persuade you enough. Since you¡¯re stubborn to death, don¡¯t me me.¡± Steward Feng shook his head and directed the shovel to Yan HeQing¡¯s chest. ¡°Stop!!¡± A furious shout apanied by the sound of the dark room¡¯s door being kicked open interrupted him. Steward Feng¡¯s hand suddenly released the shovel letting it fall to the ground. The first thing that Xiao YuAn saw in the dark room was the miserable state that Yan HeQing was in. Suddenly, he felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe at all. ¡°Your Majesty?!¡± Steward Feng fell to his knees in fright, like being between two wars3, his face turned pale. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to him. He quickly walked to Yan HeQing and untied the iron chains on his wrists. Yan HeQing, who couldn¡¯t stand up, fell straight into Xiao YuAn¡¯s arms. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t dare to doubt whether it was toote or not. He embraced Yan HeQing, and rushed to the Taiyi Pce in a hurry. Yan HeQing, who stood unconscious for an entire day, still hadn¡¯t woken up yet. Xiao YuAn was pacing back and forth in the Taiyi Pce. The old Imperial Physician, feeling a bit scared, tried tofort him: ¡°Your Majesty, you don¡¯t need to worry. His life is not in danger.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded, and when he saw that the Imperial Physician was pounding the medicine, he took a few steps over and extended his hand: ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± The Imperial Physician¡¯s face turned pale with fright: ¡°Your Majesty! How can this subject4 let His Majesty do such a thing?!¡± Xiao YuAn took the medicine weight anyways: ¡°I¡¯ll help you release stress.¡± He said, regardless of the Imperial Physician¡¯s insistence to stop him, and pestered him twice. The old Imperial Physician¡¯s heart was at the point of suffering a seizure. In fact, Xiao YuAn was in a bad mood. In an extremely bad mood. Because he gradually realized that no matter how much he had changed the original plot before, the overall direction seems to be being pulled back by some kind of invisible force. However, because Hong Xiu died for him, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t want to just sit still and wait for death to arrive5. He wanted to change something. For his life was no longer his own, but also the life of the young Monarch of the Northern Kingdom who had been saved by Hong Xiu. Suddenly, the sound of a porcin bowl crashing on the floor and Yan HeQing¡¯s coughing came from the inner room, startling both Xiao YuAn and the old Imperial Physician. Xiao YuAn stood up immediately, but then he stopped himself. The Imperial Physician rushed into the inner room. After a few minutes, he walked out in a hurry, reporting to Xiao YuAn: ¡°Your Majesty, he¡¯s awake.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded and took a few steps to the door of the inner room, but he didn¡¯t go in right away. Xiao YuAn has been trying to see himself as an outsider for a very important reason: He doesn¡¯t know how to bnce the Northern Kingdom and Yan HeQing together. He always thought that he could be able to ignore the rivalry between the two. While strengthening the Northern Kingdom, he could also protect Yan HeQing. But in this world, there¡¯s no way to satisfy both sides. Hong Xiu¡¯s death urred so suddenly that it made Xiao YuAn abruptly wake up to reality, making him understand that he has never been an outsider at all. Never. And even if he hadn¡¯t realized this issue before, Xiao YuAn would¡¯ve still hesitated between both sides. Now, he would not hesitate. He can¡¯t disrespect Hong Xiu¡¯s death. Definitely not. Xiao YuAn took a deep breath and pushed open the door walking through the inner room. Yan HeQing, who was sitting on the bed, was bending down trying to pick up the porcin bowl he¡¯d knocked over when he woke up. When Xiao YuAn walked in, he picked up the porcin bowl and ced it next to the bed. Carefully looking at Yan HeQing, he asked: ¡°Are you okay? How do you feel?¡± Yan HeQing nodded his head. He was enduring the pain he felt on his body, slightly easing his breath rhythm. ¡°Then you must rest well. I¡¯lle back tomorrow night, there¡¯s something I must discuss with you.¡± The hand Xiao YuAn was secretly hiding behind his back was clenched into a fist. Looking at Xiao YuAn turning away, an uneasiness gradually surged up from the bottom of Yan HeQing¡¯s heart. It was the vague feeling that he had experienced before, and now it was growing more and more intensively. ¡°Xiao YuAn.¡± Yan HeQing suddenly opened his mouth to call out for him. Xiao YuAn slowly turned his head, his warm ck eyes fixed right to Yan HeQing¡¯s. Yan HeQing suddenly realized where that uneasiness feeling wasing from. Ever since Wuning Wangye¡¯s sudden attack, resulting in Hong Xiu¡¯s death, Xiao YuAn had never smiled at him again. ¡°Yan HeQing.¡± Xiao YuAn began to speak slowly, as if he was making a final decision. Finally, he continued, his words were like the silver light on a sharp de, extremely cruel. ¡°You should call me ¡®Your Majesty¡¯ from now on.¡± Yan HeQing breathed slowly and his back abruptly straightened. His mouth opened nkly, as if he wanted to answer something, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t utter a single word. Xiao YuAn no longer lingered and walked out of the inner room, leaving Yan HeQingpletely alone. For a long time, Yan HeQing¡¯s head stayed low, his hand was tightly gripping his chest, and when he touched a wound the pain began to stimte the nerves. However, Yan HeQing seemed like he was ignorant of this pain and just pressed his heart more intensively, because what was he feeling right now was even more painful than physical pain. Aaaghhhhh my heart hurts!!o(£»¡÷£»)o At least xya came save yhq¡­ but now¡­ I¡¯m scared?:?(;¡ä¡É`;)?:? Footnotes
  1. ³¤Í´²»Èç¶ÌÍ´ ch¨¢ng t¨°ng b¨´ r¨² du¨£n t¨°ng; it¡¯s a Chinese idiom, and refers to do things decisively / Preferring a quick solution that avoids pain. From¡¶ºúÑ©ÑÒÈ«´«¡¤ÑÌÏûÔÆÉ¢¡·(h¨² xu¨§ y¨¢n qu¨¢n zhu¨¤n¡¤y¨¡n xi¨¡o y¨²n s¨¤n), ¡°The Complete Biography of Hu Xueyan: The Smoke Dissipates¡±. Written by (¸ßÑô g¨¡o y¨¢ng) Gao Yang [1926-1992] a Taiwanese historical novelist.
  2. Ñ­Ñ­ÉÆÓÕ x¨²n x¨²n sh¨¤n y¨°u, It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it refers to someone that is good at guiding others / Someone that is good at giving methodical and patient guidance. From¡¶ÂÛÓ×Óº±¡·(l¨²n y¨³¡¤z¨« h¨£n), ¡°The Analects of Confucius: Zihan¡±. It¡¯s aption made by Confucius¡¯ disciples and followers. It¡¯s one of the ssic works of the Confucian School and embodies Confucius¡¯ political views, ethical ideas, moral concepts, and educational principles. (¿×·ò×Ó k¨¯ng f¨± z¨«) Confucius [551-479 BC] was a Chinese thinker, social philosopher and politician from the Spring and Autumn Period [770 to 476 BC].
  3. Á½¹ÉÕ½Õ½ li¨£ng g¨³ zh¨¤n zh¨¤n; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, refers to a person that wants to run away from a situation after realizing the context / When someones is so scared that their legs tremble in fear and they almost want to run away. From¡¶¿Ú¼¼¡·(k¨¯u j¨¬), ¡°Ventriloquism¡±, written by (ÁÖËû· l¨ªn s¨¬ hu¨¢n) Lin Sihuan [1607-1662] an Official and Writer from thete Ming Dynasty [1368-1644] and early Qing Dynasty [1644-1911].
  4. ³¼ ch¨¦n; State Official or subject in Dynastic China / ¡°I, your servant¡±, used in addressing the Sovereign.
  5. ×øÒÔ´ý±Ð zu¨° y¨« d¨¤i b¨¬; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, describes when someone isn¡¯t actively trying to find a way out in the midst of an extreme difficulty / Someone resigned to their fate / Sit still and await destruction. From ¡¶ºó³öʦ±í¡·(h¨°u ch¨± sh¨© bi¨£o), ¡°The Rise of the Later Generation¡±, written by (Öî¸ðÁÁ zh¨± g¨§ li¨¤ng) Zhuge Liang [181-234], Military leader, Prime Minister of Shu Han, writer and inventor from the Three Kingdoms period [220-280].
Chapter 69: Life and Death. Because he was unable to sleep out of grief, he held his clothes up and wandered around. Apanied by a solitarymp, Xiao YuAn sat at the table staring at the two hairpins in his hand. One was red and had carved flowers on it, the other one was made out of white wless jade. Xiao YuAn¡¯s mind was still full with the words Eunuch Zhao said to him before: Will Wuning Wangye¡¯s followers stay silent? Finally, he made a decision. Xiao YuAn put away the hairpins, and while holding his clothes tightly, he went to the Taiyi Pce alone. When he reached the inner room, Xiao YuAn pushed the door open and found Yan HeQing leaning against the bed, patiently waiting for him. Probably because of his injuries, Yan HeQing¡¯s face was bloodless and his pale lips were lifeless. Xiao YuAn had to swallow back the words of concern that wanted to get out as he thought of his next decision. ¡°Yan HeQing.¡± Xiao YuAn, who stood with his hands down, said in a soft voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that there will be some things that we couldn¡¯t stop from happening in the end.¡± Yan HeQing looked at him, remembering the first time he saw him at the firewood room. When Xiao YuAn sat on top of the wood pile,ughingly patting the side next to him, telling him to sit down. How long has it been since that happened? How long? Yan HeQing cleared his throat, his voice was hoarse and dry: ¡°Do you believe me?¡± Xiao YuAn took out the two-inch scroll and gently ced it on the table: ¡°What do you want me to believe about?¡± In fact, Xiao YuAn was seriously asking him about this, but Yan HeQing heard it as if he was speaking sarcastically. This scroll was like a sharp de, cutting off Yan HeQing¡¯sst shred of hope. That¡¯s right, how could he still dare to ask Xiao YuAn to trust him? Xiao YuAn was always helpful and friendly to him in every possible way. But what about him? He colluded with people that had some ulterior motives, even causing Xiao YuAn to almost die at Wuning Wangye¡¯s hands. Yan HeQing has been treated by Xiao YuAn with an open heart, and yet, he betrayed him. If he was in Xiao YuAn¡¯s position, he wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive himself. How could he have the face1 to make Xiao YuAn believe in him again? Xiao YuAn casually reached out and opened the scroll on the table. ¡°Yan HeQing, I already knew that you wanted to leave. Come to think of it, it¡¯s also true that you suffered endless humiliation in the Northern Kingdom and that you feel a strong resentment for this Country. Am I right?¡± Yan HeQing lowered his eyes, as if he had turned a deaf ear to his words. The candle me beside his bed was blown by the cool breezeing from outside the window. This firelight leaped on Yan HeQing¡¯s bloodless face, but couldn¡¯t leap into the bottom of his dark eyes. Endless humiliation and resentment? That¡¯s right, there¡¯s no mistake in that. For him, the Northern Kingdom was just that. From the very moment the Northern Kingdom¡¯s iron cavalry stepped into the Southern Yan Kingdom, there was not a day when he didn¡¯t think about taking revenge. Not a day went by that he didn¡¯t think of returning the pain that the Southern Yan Kingdom had suffered. Not a day passed by when he didn¡¯t think about wanting to escape from the shackles and the cage, escaping the ce where the prisoners were engraved into his bones. Seeing that Yan HeQing was refusing to speak, Xiao YuAn lowered his eyes and continued: ¡°I thought that I could change something, but now it seems that it¡¯s useless¡­¡­.¡± Yan HeQing finally had a reaction, his fingers slightly moved as he slowly raised his head to look at Xiao YuAn, the bottom of his eyes finally showing some emotions in them. Seeing the humiliation he suffered and the hatred he had in his eyes, Xiao YuAn carefully nced at him, Yan HeQing then spoke slowly: ¡°What do you want to change?¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly froze. That¡¯s right, what does he want to change? Does he want Yan HeQing to stay in the Northern Kingdom, because of hispassion and kindness, making him into a ve for the rest of his life as his Imperial bodyguard? No, he never thought of him that way. He wanted to see the man in front of him bing like the one from the original book: Wielding a sword, ruling over the world, ruling over the unified nation. If that was the case, then what on earth does he want to change? Right, he wants to keep on living. However, he¡¯s now the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom. He¡¯s carrying on his shoulders the backbone of the soldiers of the Northern Kingdom, and the dependence of its people. Regarding history, perhaps the change of Dynasties cannot be avoided. But when you¡¯re part of it, the word ¡°Country¡± will be engraved into your bones, melt into your blood and burn inside your chest. Theter generations will look after it. But at this time, it¡¯s the Son of Heaven2 the one guarding the Country gates, and he will die for his Nation! Why does he want to live? Why is he still trying in vain to survive! He has been believing his own lies, doesn¡¯t he? As if Xiao YuAn had suddenly been viciously pped on the face, he looked right at Yan HeQing, his breath quickened as he mumbled: ¡°So you¡¯ve always understood¡­¡­¡± His voice gradually became weak, and Xiao YuAn slowly became mute, unable to utter a single word. It turns out that Yan HeQing had always been seeing things clearly, only he himself was the only one foolishly trying to think of himself as an outsider. Yan HeQing suddenlyughed, his eyes overflowing with blood and trembling with endless pain, but the corners of his mouth slowly curled up as he said: ¡°Xiao YuAn, between the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Yan Kingdom, only a life and death3 situation can exist. But Xiao YuAn, towards you, I¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Xiao YuAn interrupted Yan HeQing. He slowly raised his head, only indifference was remaining in his originally warm eyes. ¡°If the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Yan Kingdom can only share a life and death fate, then you and I will have to share that same life and death fate.¡± When Hong Xiu died, Xiao YuAn hid his own self away. Ever since Hong Xiu died for the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, he had decided to be the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom once and for all. Ever since Yan HeQing said that the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Yan Kingdom couldn¡¯t live together. Then he, the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, couldn¡¯t live together with Yan HeQing. Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice was like thest straw,nding lightly on Yan HeQing¡¯s shoulder. His eyes were like a candle that was about to burn out, vivaciously shaking with a faint light. He felt like his body was pulled in half. One half was looking at the ruined and deste Southern Yan Kingdom Imperial City. The other half was looking at Xiao YuAn, who wasughing recklessly on the Yuhua Tower that day. Both parts of his body were festering faintly. Naturally, because of this pain, Yan HeQing hardly wanted to keep on living4. The inner room was inplete silence for a while, only the sound of their breathing could be heard. After some time, Xiao YuAn slowly took out a small white porcin bottle from his sleeve, he walked to the bedside and handed it to Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing stared at the small porcin bottle and stretched out his hand to hold and fondle it. He asked with a hoarse voice: ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you going to¡­..¡± Are you going to kill me? Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t answer him. Yan HeQing inhaled deeply: ¡°Xiao Yu-¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn interrupted him, his voice was absolutely determined: ¡°Call me Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Xiao. Yu. An.¡± As if on purpose, Yan HeQing shouted out Xiao YuAn¡¯s name, one word at a time. His eyes were fixed on Xiao YuAn, as if he was about to devour him. He held the porcin bottle tightly in one hand, his knuckles were white and his fingers blue. ¡°Xiao YuAn, do you really want me to drink this thing?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes fluttered for a moment, feeling like he had a fish bone stuck in his throat5, then hesitantly nodded his head very slowly. ¡°Fine, then I¡¯ll drink it.¡± However, when Yan HeQing said those words, he seemed to have used all the strength he had left. His eyes finally darkened, like burned out ashes, and after struggling for a bit, only despair remained. Yan HeQing opened the white porcin bottle and drank the bitter liquid in a violent way. After drinking, Yan HeQing stared intensely into Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes, as if he wanted to see through Xiao YuAn until the very the end, wanting to rip out the soul behind his eyes, and then open his body, so that this soul could take a good look at his unwillingness and desperation. ¡°Xiao YuAn, why did you have to be reborn as the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, why¡­..¡± His limbs became weaker and weaker, and Yan HeQing¡¯s voice gradually faded away. Soon, he held his forehead and fell forward. When Xiao YuAn saw that Yan HeQing was about to fall off the bed, he quickly stepped forward to hold him firmly. When Yan HeQing¡¯s consciousness began to fragment, he heard Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice as if it was at the distance: ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe¡­. It was so I could meet you¡­.¡± Seeing that Yan HeQing waspletely unconscious, Xiao YuAn let out a long sigh. For one, this sigh represented that he didn¡¯t have any other alternative6, the other reason was that he felt extremely helpless. Xiao YuAn saw himselfughing recklessly not so long ago, when he vowed to be honest with Yan HeQing and said to him: ¡°Yan HeQing, do you want to be my Imperial bodyguard? I¡¯ll protect you and I will never let anyone hurt you.¡± And now, he was doing the exact same thing he said he wouldn¡¯t let happen. However, this was also thest time he would protect Yan HeQing as the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom. After this, there will not be a second time. If there¡¯s any chance to meet each other again in the future, it will be at the arms of war. That night, at the gate of the Pce, a carriage was stopped by the Imperial guards. After a little bit, it was let through again. After leaving the Imperial City, the carriage ran straight to the west post station and never came back. When the Captain of the Imperial guards heard this news, he yelled at them: ¡°General Li said that the horses and carriages leaving the Imperial City should be carefully searched and checked out these days!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± A young Imperial guard touched his head and replied feeling extremely wronged. ¡°That carriage had His Majesty¡¯s instructions.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..His Majesty¡¯s instructions, ah. Fine, you guys continue with the vignce, and by the way, what day is today?¡± ¡°Today¡¯s the third day of March.¡± ¡°Ah, the third day of March.¡± The Captain looked up at the overcast sky. ¡°Tch. The weather is changing.¡± Yan HeQing¡­ was about¡­ to confess¡­ his feelings¡­ but¡­ Xiao YuAn¡­ interrupted him¡­¡­.. and now they¡¯re both heartbroken because of misunications¡­. I HATE IT HERE !! ?©b(£à§¥¡ä)©b? Footnotes
  1. ÓÐÁ³ y¨¯u li¨£n; In this case, this word is used to refer to someone that has the nerve to ask for something.
  2. Ìì×Ó ti¨¡n z¨«; In ancient times people believed that the concept of the ¡°Son of Heaven¡± was already prevalent, and that the Son of Heaven was called like that because he was ¡°appointed by Heaven¡±, the will of Heaven was revealed through divination. The concept of the Son of Heaven was already firmly established by the Zhou Dynasty. The emperor was only ¡°ordered by Heaven¡±. The heaven only gave the Son of Heaven to the lower realms, and it was up to the Son of Heaven to exercise the Mandate of Heaven. After (ÇØʼ»Ê q¨ªn sh¨« hu¨¢ng) Qin Shi Huang [259-210 BC] created the name of (»ÊµÛ hu¨¢ng d¨¬) Emperor, the Han Dynasty adopted this title as the highest honorific for the Son of Heaven.
  3. ÄãËÀÎÒ»î n¨« s¨« w¨¯ hu¨®; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means that only if one side dies can the other live, describing a great conflict or the intensity of the struggle between two irreconcble adversaries / Two parties cannot coexist. From ¡¶ÎåµÆ»áÔª¡·(w¨³ d¨¥ng hu¨¬ yu¨¢n), ¡°Five Lantern Festival¡±, Written by (ÊÍÆռà sh¨¬ p¨³ j¨¬) Shi Puji, a monk from the Song Dynasty [420-479]. This is also the meaning from the title of this chapter.
  4. Í´²»ÓûÉú t¨°ng b¨´ y¨´ sh¨¥ng; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, describes extreme grief / When someone is in so much pain that they don¡¯t want to live anymore / Being overwhelmed with sorrow. From ¡¶µõ˵¡·(di¨¤o shu¨­), ¡°Hanging Says¡±, written by (ÂÀ´ó¾û l¨· d¨¤ j¨±n) Lv Dajun [1029-1080] from the Song Dynasty [960-1279].
  5. ÈçöáÔÚºí r¨² g¨§ng z¨¤i h¨®u; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom that means that it¡¯s hard to say something, but also, when someone¡¯s very upset and needs to express their displeasure. From ¡¶ËµÎĽâ×Ö¡·(shu¨­ w¨¦n ji¨§ z¨¬), ¡°Analytical Dictionary of Characters¡± written by (ÐíÉ÷ x¨³ sh¨¨n) Xu Shen [58-148], he was a Chinese politician, philologist and writer, thepiler of the original Han Dynasty dictionary.
  6. ÆȲ»µÃÒÑ p¨° b¨´ d¨¦ y¨«; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, when someone has no alternative but to do something / Compelled by circumstances / Forced into something. From ¡¶ººÊ顤Íõç´«ÉÏ¡·(h¨¤n sh¨±¡¤w¨¢ng m¨£ng zhu¨¤n sh¨¤ng), ¡°History of the Former Han Dynasty: Biography of Wang Mang (Part 1)¡±. Written by (°à¹Ì b¨¡n g¨´) Ban Gu [32-92] a historian from the Eastern Han Dynasty [25-220].
Chapter 70: Im Sorry, the Heavens do Whatever They Want. On the fourth day of March, the second day after Yan HeQing quietly disappeared from the Pce, Li Wuding finally managed to get everything out of Wuning Wangye¡¯s followers¡¯ mouths. Without hesitation, Li Wuding immediately led his troops into the Pce. But when he got there, he was informed of the surprising notice that Yan HeQing had already escaped from the Imperial City. Li Wuding, feeling deep remorse, went to Xiao YuAn¡¯s Imperial bedchamber to ask for forgiveness. However, when he reached the bedchamber, he was informed that Xiao YuAn was not inside but in the Yuhua Tower. On the sixth floor of Yuhua Tower, Xiao YuAn was drinking wine depressingly alone. When he heard that Li Wuding came requesting for admonishment, he nodded his head in agreement. Li Wuding walked and cupped his fist, kneeling on one knee: ¡°Your Majesty, the case has been thoroughly investigated. Wuning Wangye colluded with the Southern Yan Kingdom tounch a rebellion. I¡¯ve dealt with all the people involved, but¡­. The Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom, Yan HeQing, escaped from the Pce at some unknown time. Weichen is extremely ashamed, I¡¯ve failed His Majesty.¡± Xiao YuAn, who was feeling extremely guilty, covered his mouth and coughed lightly. Facing Li Wuding¡¯s seriousness, Xiao YuAn, who felt very ashamed, guilty and embarrassed, suddenly patted the railing: ¡°How do you usually take care of things? This can¡¯t be forgotten, General Li. How can we let such an important person escape just like that?¡± Deduction of wages, deduction of wages. Cut the bonus, cut the bonus. Well, this is a good opportunity. Li Wuding said: ¡°I ask His Majesty to punish me.¡± ¡°Punishment¡­. Here, your punishment is to drink these three jars of wine.¡± Xiao YuAn moved the wine that was resting at his side, towards Li Wuding. Li Wuding, who thought that he misheard, raised his head in disbelief: ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°Drink.¡± Xiao YuAn simply replied with a more shocking word, opening the seal of the wine jar, and handing it to Li Wuding. Li Wuding had no other choice but to drink with Xiao YuAn. And then, after many drinks, they got drunk. It¡¯s okay to get drunk, once in a while. And it¡¯s even better to get wildly drunk together with someone else. Xiao YuAn then said that he wanted to sing. When he began to sing, the lyrics he sang were: It was you who wanted to be apart in the first ce, if we separate, we separate1. Li Wuding, who¡¯s usually an unruffled and serious man, howled to show off how he could crush a big stone with his chest. He took a really big rock. This wasn¡¯t the end of it. Xiao YuAn cleared his throat and came over to talk to Li Wuding: ¡°You don¡¯t need to read Military books all day long. Can¡¯t you go get yourself a wife? In the end, you¡¯re the second male. Why should all the girls belong to Yan HeQing?¡± Li Wuding hit an empty wine jar and his whole face was red: ¡°The youngest son of the Xie Family, Xie Chungui, is really a young talent ah. Your Majesty, you don¡¯t know, butst time he shot an arrow he blinded a bear. The imposing way the arrow prated the clouds was extremely high spirited.¡± Xiao YuAn stammered: ¡°I know which girl is better for you in this book, what kind of girl you¡¯ll like, and I will guide you on how to properly court her.¡± Li Wuding hesitated a bit and then replied: ¡°And now, Xie Chungui and I are in a Martial Arts constantpetition. I feel like I¡¯m less capable than I desire2, before it was very clear that I could easily win over him. But his progress is horrifying fast.¡± Xiao YuAn answered with a flustered tone of voice: ¡°The plot is here to develop Yan HeQing¡¯s ck belly, do you think you¡¯ll get gouged out by him the next time you two meet?¡± Li Wuding staggered and replied: ¡°Xie Chungui says that he wants to fight against the world in the name of the Northern Kingdom, what an ambitious young man.¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°That¡¯s right, I know you. I know all about you, cheers!¡± Li Wuding replied: ¡°Right, when you¡¯re drinking with a close friend, even a thousand cups will still be too little3, cheers!¡± Their conversations weren¡¯t even on the same page. After finishing their cups of wine, the two confidants went and vomited while holding onto the railing. The next day, Princess Yongning came to the Imperial bedchamber to greet Xiao YuAn, who was suffering a hangover and a headache, and to gossip: ¡°I heard that General Li, who woke up drunk yesterday, was so ashamed that he tried to jump down from the Yuhua Tower?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°This¡­..¡± Princess Yongning pinched a melon seed from the table and rubbed it: ¡°Did you hold him¡­..¡± ¡°What? I didn¡¯t, I definitely didn¡¯t. Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Xiao YuAn denied it three times. Princess Yongning¡¯s face was full of knowing smiles: ¡°Imperial Brother, I haven¡¯t said anything yet.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Princess Yongning continued: ¡°Then he did hold you¡­¡­4¡± Wtf? Where¡¯s the supposed innocent mind?! Did you switch personalities with someone else?! What¡¯s more, Li Wuding is a straight man. Can he even be gay? And even if he wants to be gay, he¡¯ll be gay by Yan HeQing¡¯s extremely handsome face, do you understand!? Bah, what a good pile of bullshit5. Yan HeQing is the male protagonist of a stallion novel. No matter how handsome his face is, he¡¯s still more handsome for girls¡¯ taste. ¡°Imperial Brother.¡± Princess Yongning put down the melon seed in her hands, patting away the crumbs, and asking perceptively: ¡°Are you in a bad mood?¡± Xiao YuAn looked at Princess Yongning and suddenly wondered whether in the original book, if the Princess had known beforehand that Yan HeQing would annihte the Northern Kingdom, would she still have helped him escape? And what was thest thing on her mind when she hanged herself? ¡°I¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn clenched his hands slightly, closed his eyes, and said: ¡°I knew something was wrong but I still did it.¡± Princess Yongning was startled, but then said with a smile: ¡°Imperial Brother, there¡¯s no such thing a right or wrong. Otherwise, why would you do it if you knew it was wrong? This is just like putting two objects on a scale in your heart, which side is heavier? It¡¯s whichever way it goes, on the other side just remains the guilt.¡± Xiao YuAn lowered his eyes, slightly startled. Perhaps Yan HeQing was more important in his heart than what he previously thought. Now, however, it¡¯s not the time to be disappointed. As things stood now, all Xiao YuAn had to do and think about was how to preserve the Northern Kingdom. Princess Yongning chatted with Xiao YuAn for a while, and after seeing that he was no longer preupied, she left feeling more at ease. Xiao YuAn was nning to have a good rest when he suddenly remembered something. Wait a minute? Aren¡¯t Princess Yongning and Yan HeQing in love with each other? Why was it that now that Yan HeQing has suddenly disappeared, Princess Yongning was acting as if nothing had happened? Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t think of a reason why she didn¡¯t react at all. He could only attribute everything to the fact that the male lead and the female lead must have a heart of gold and they don¡¯t need to worry about each other. After all, in the second half of this stallion novel, as long as there was a good-looking girl, she would surely fall in love with Yan HeQing and devote herself to him for three lifetimes. Therefore, Xiao YuAn naturally ignores these logic problems. In order to protect the Northern Kingdom, Xiao YuAn began to leave the thoughts regarding the original book behind. He changed the five days per week system of the Northern Kingdom to a daily Imperial Court. By devoting himself to the politics of the Northern Kingdom, his body, which was not strong enough to begin with, was bing thinner and thinner. Xiao YuAn thought, well, even if he was the socialist sessor of the 21st century and knew little about the rules of ancientw, after so many years of reading history, he believed that he could be able to select and appoint talents and care for themon people¡¯s needs. As long as the Northern Kingdom¡¯s state treasury wouldn¡¯t be empty, he would be able to fight a war and give full support to the army. Even if Li Wuding betrayed the Country, Xie Chungui would be able to hold on, and when the armies face off against each other, they will survive until the middle of winter. Moreover, Yan HeQing¡¯s army was formed by Southerners, and because they were unable to withstand the cold, it would be very likely that they would retreat. After stabilizing and slowly reorganizing the Court Councilors, the Northern Kingdom will not copse so easily!!!! They can survive!! Xiao YuAn suddenly changed from a fatuous Monarch who was addicted to male lust, to a wise and open-minded Emperor. Naturally, this issue became the first topic of discussion on the Imperial City. Some people were saying that thete Emperor manifested himself in him, while others said that the young Monarch was stimted by the sudden attack of Wuning Wangye. Among so many disturbing voices, only Princess Yongning ran to the Imperial bedchamber and said to Xiao YuAn: ¡°Imperial Brother, you should have a good rest. Don¡¯t overwork your body andpromise your health.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡± Xiao YuAn rubbed the corners of his eyes, they were bloodshot and his voice sounded extremely tired. ¡°Ning¡¯er, I can¡¯t talk to you today, we¡¯ll talk early tomorrow. I must finish reading these memorials.¡± Princess Yongning wanted to say something to him, but decided to hide those words, and with a soft sigh, she left. Thanks to Xiao YuAn efforts, the Northern Kingdom, which before was gradually declining, began to slowly improve. And just when Xiao YuAn thought that he could breathe with peace, he was forcefully pped in the face by the heavens. At the end of May, there was a great drought in the Northern Kingdom. The rain didn¡¯t fall, nine houses out of 10 were deserted6, and there were starving people everywhere. In the original book, there was no such disaster in the Northern Kingdom at all. After some pain we have XYA and LWD acting like disastrous drunkards??(???????) and the Princess misinterpreting the situation (and then¡­ the drought noooo) ¦²(?§¥?£»¡Ô£»?§Õ?) Footnotes
  1. µ±³õÊÇÄãÒª·Ö¿ª£¬·Ö¿ª¾Í·Ö¿ª d¨¡ng ch¨± sh¨¬ n¨« y¨¤o f¨¥n k¨¡i£¬f¨¥n k¨¡i ji¨´ f¨¥n k¨¡i; Lyrics from the popr song ¡¶°®ÇéÂòÂô¡·(¨¤i q¨ªng m¨£i m¨¤i), ¡°Love for Sale.¡±, the lyrics were written by (ºÎÐÀ h¨¦ x¨©n) He Xin, the music wasposed by (ÖܺêÌÎ zh¨­u h¨®ng t¨¡o) Zhou Hongtao, and it was sung by (ĽÈÝÏþÏþ m¨´ r¨®ng xi¨£o xi¨£o) Murong Xiaoxiao.
  2. Á¦²»´ÓÐÄ l¨¬ b¨´ c¨®ng x¨©n; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it refers to what one wants to do in one¡¯s heart, but one¡¯s strength or ability cannot afford it / Not as strong as one would wish / The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. From ¡¶ºóººÊ顤Î÷Óò´«¡·(h¨°u h¨¤n sh¨±¡¤x¨© y¨´ zhu¨¤n), ¡°History of Eastern Han: The Biography of the Western Regions¡±, written by (·¶êÊ f¨¤n y¨¨) Fan Ye [398-445] a historian from Song of the Southern Dynasties [420-479].
  3. ¾Æ·êÖª¼ºÇ§±­ÉÙ ji¨³ f¨¦ng zh¨© j¨« qi¨¡n b¨¥i sh¨£o; It¡¯s used to describe how people of simr temperament never get tired of getting along. From ¡¶ÃûÏͼ¯¡·(m¨ªng xi¨¢n j¨ª), ¡°The Collected Works of Famous Schrs¡±, a popr reading material from the Southern Song Dynasty [1127-1279].
  4. The Princess is implicating they they had sex and XYA must had been the Shou = bottom. She came to this ¡°conclusion¡± because she first implicated that XYA did it to LWD, as in, he being the top, but since he denied that, then the Princess must¡¯ve thought: ¡°Ah, gege was on the receiving end then.¡± LOL
  5. ÅÞ£¬ºÃ¸öP¡£; A inte ng word, the P here stands for ƨ (lit fart) and it¡¯s meant to be ¹·Æ¨ (lit bullshit/nonsense).
  6. Ê®ÊÒ¾Å¿Õ sh¨ª sh¨¬ ji¨³ k¨­ng; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, describes a scene of destion after a gue, when the poption is decimated / Almost all houses are empty / Nine out of ten families are dead/have nothing. From¡¶±§ÆÓ×Ó¡¤ÓÃÐÌ¡·(b¨¤o p¨³ z¨«¡¤y¨°ng x¨ªng), ¡°Bao Puzi: The Use of Punishment¡±, a collections of essays by (¸ðºé g¨§ h¨®ng) Ge Hong [283-363] a Daoist and alchemist from the Jin Dynasty [265-420].
Chapter 71: Im Sorry, But the Corrupt Officials Cant Do Whatever They Want. Ever since the ancient times, natural disasters have heavily damaged the Country. Even the most prosperous times aren¡¯t able to stand it, let alone a Country that¡¯s on the verge of copsing. This sudden drought really caught Xiao YuAn off guard. What¡¯s even more overwhelming to Xiao YuAn is: In the original book, the Northern Kingdom didn¡¯t experience this. Although the plot of the original book had changed a lot because of Xiao YuAn¡¯s actions, all these changes were motivated for a reason. However, the current natural disaster waspletely unpredictable. After all, because of this drought, all of Xiao YuAn¡¯s previous efforts would¡¯ve been in vain. Under the treacherous wind and clouds, Xiao YuAn could faintly hear how the Heaven¡¯s will couldn¡¯t be disobeyed. It was the Northern Kingdom who cursed him for letting Yan HeQing go. The mountains, the rivers and the Country were on Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoulders, and once again, he felt extremely overwhelmed. However!!! The history of materialism, after a long road of development, had finally progressed from shallow atheism to materialistic awareness!!! How can you, as the fourth generation of young good men who helped co-built socialism, be so easily defeated by fate?! On behalf of Marxism, Xiao YuAn made an indecent gesture towards the Heavens, and then began to prepare for the drought relief. However, he¡¯s not afraid of the Heavens as his opponent, he¡¯s more afraid of the people surrounding him that are like pigs. Because of the ipetence of the Monarchs of the Northern Kingdom in the early years, the Country treasury was not full at all. And now, it has exhausted its granary with the sole purpose of the relief of themon people. However, when it was distributed among every town, this one ended up filling the belly of the corrupt Officials. Xiao YuAn worked really hard to help themon people for several weeks. But, instead of reducing the numbers of refugees, they increased, and they ended up gradually filling the Imperial City. These son of a bitches1 are really bold!!! Xiao YuAn was so angry that he ordered Li Wuding to investigate this matter thoroughly. In the end, this investigation led to the implication of several Senior Officials that stayed in high positions of power for two generations! A few of these old Ministers were kneeling in the Court Hall, and then dozens of other Ministers knelt with them, pleading for mercy. Xiao YuAn, who had already overworked himself to death, was now even more annoyed. Li Wuding stood at the Court Hall with his fist cupped: ¡°Your Majesty, only by distinguishing clearly between reward and punishment2, can the sky and the waters be clean. Ever since ancient times it has been said: If the Son of Heaven breaks thew, themon people will be condemned as well3. If the rotten parts of a tree aren¡¯t dug up, the more rotten they will get! Only when the Officials are free of corruption, can a Country be strong!¡± ¡°Li Wuding! Your speech is wildly arrogant4.¡± Suddenly, a Minister got up and retorted angrily. ¡°In those years, when thete Emperor founded the Country and pacified the Nation, which of these old Ministers didn¡¯t make great achievements and were blessed by the Heavens? Even thete Emperor honored them three times. Just because you¡¯re acting indifferent and heartless today, do you think you¡¯re worthy of benevolence and righteousness5?¡± Li Wuding sneered: ¡°Benevolence and righteousness? Do people in a stinking mud hole deserve to speak of benevolence and righteousness? Only by punishing the evil can we promote the good. The way to rule a Country is to exterminate the traitors! And you have the nerve to plead mercy for them?¡± ¡°You¡¯re being ungrateful. If you cover up virtue with every wrong6, of course I will naturally bepassionate and ask for mercy!¡± ¡°Ha7¡ª¡ª-¡± Xiao YuAn, who hadn¡¯t spoken until now, suddenly snickered. ¡°Are you done arguing?¡± The several people present at the Court Hall kneeled down in session and stopped talking. Xiao YuAn stood up and stared at everyone kneeling below him. His eyes were cold and with one sentence at a time, he said: ¡°If you plead for them, then who is going to plead for themon people that are dying of starvation? Who will plead for those whose families have been destroyed? When you were stinking of wine and meat, did you ever think for even a single moment that there were white bones lying at the door of your Mansion? And for those of you who are pleading, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know who you are actually pleading for. You¡¯re clearly pleading for yourselves! Not because I didn¡¯t let Li Wuding continue the investigation, does immediately mean that I¡¯m ignorant of your wrongdoings.¡± Those old Ministers could never have imagined that the Emperor, who once listened to everything they said, would actually punish them so heavily. Some of them would cry out in remorse, feeling a chill passing through them. Some others could see their own innocence. Li Wuding raised his head and looked at the upright posture of the Imperial Court, and his hands gradually clenched. He had fought alongside the old General Sun, and had his own ambitions, but he gradually became disappointed in the wine and meat excessivity in the former Emperor¡¯s banquets, in his promiscuity. In the honeyed words, and sword in the belly8 of the whole Imperial Court. He had dreamt of his hometown countless times, of the skinny darkened bodies of those starving children. He had also dreamt of the battlefield, of a sharp de piercing through his Xiongdi¡¯s chest, waking up covered in sweat, only to turn around and face a Country whose Monarch was lustful and treacherous. So Li Wuding kept asking himself, for a Country where themon people are suffering every day, is the sacrifice of the Officials and Soldiers really worth it?! And now, from a hidden ce inside his heart, it began to reignite the belief of wanting to serve the Country once again. I believe in Li Wuding suppremacy (? asdfghjkl the way he roasted the whole Court and Xiao YuAn getting so mad with these corrupt men (???????) plus Li Wuding believing in the Northern Kingdom again (¡ä?`?) I¡¯m soft?? Footnotes
  1. MMP; it¡¯s a curse, forbidden word in Sichuan dialect, something like: ¡°Your mother is a bitch¡±. Which equals to: ¡°Son of bitch¡±.
  2. ÉÍ·£·ÖÃ÷ sh¨£ng f¨¢ f¨¥n m¨ªng; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means that the reward should be given and the punishment should be imposed / Used to describe how to hand things with rity. From¡¶Ç±·òÂÛ¡¤Êµ¹±¡·(qi¨¢n f¨± l¨´n¡¤sh¨ª g¨°ng), ¡°Confucian Doctrine: Substantial Contribution¡±, written by (Íõ·û w¨¢ng f¨²) Wang Fu [83-170] a philosopher, politicalmentator, progressive thinker and poet from the Eastern Han Dynasty [25-220].
  3. Ìì×Ó·¸·¨ÓëÊüÃñͬ×ï ti¨¡n z¨« f¨¤n f¨£ y¨´ sh¨´ m¨ªn t¨®ng zu¨¬; It¡¯s a saying, it means that everyone is equal before thew. Usually used to refer to members of the Royal Family/Royal Court. Because of their special identities, they will get severely punished. Of course, enough evidence is needed and the right time to bring them down.
  4. ¿Ú³ö¿ñÑÔ k¨¯u ch¨± ku¨¢ng y¨¢n; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it refers when arrogants wordse from someone¡¯s mouth / Speaking arrogantly and recklessly / Speaking nonsense. From¡¶Ë®ä°´«¡·(shu¨« h¨³ zhu¨¤n), ¡°Water Margin¡± or ¡°Ouws of the Marsh¡±, written by (Ê©ÄÍâÖ sh¨© n¨¤i ¨¡n) Shi Nai¡¯an [1296-1371].
  5. ÈÊÒå r¨¦n y¨¬; It¡¯s an important ethical category of Confucianism. Its original meaning was (ÈÊ°® r¨¦n ¨¤i) Benevolence and (ÕýÒå zh¨¨ng y¨¬) Justice. In the ¡°Book of Rites¡± is referenced as: ¡°Morality, Benevolence and Righteousness cannot be immoral¡±. In the Warring States Period, (ÃÏ×Óm¨¨ng z¨«)Mencius attached great importance to this concept. Afterwards, the Confucianist (¶­ÖÙÊæ d¨¯ng zh¨°ng sh¨±) Dong Zhongshu inherited his teachings and adopted ¡°Benevolence and Righteousness¡± as the highest principle of traditional morality.
  6. Ò»íòÑÚ´óµÂ y¨© sh¨§ng d¨¤ d¨¦; It means to don¡¯t obliterate a person¡¯s merits because of their individual mistakes. From¡¶×ó´«¡¤ÙÒ¹«ÈýÊ®ÈýÄê¡·(zu¨¯ zhu¨¤n¡¤x¨© g¨­ng s¨¡n sh¨ª s¨¡n ni¨¢n), ¡°Mr Zuo¡¯s Annals: The Thirty-third Year of Xi Gong¡± written by (×óÇðÃ÷ zu¨¯ qi¨± m¨ªng), Zuo Qiuming [556-452], a famous blind historian from the Spring and Autumn Period [770-476].
  7. àÍ ch¨©; Laugh at / Jeer / Scoff at / Sneer at.
  8. ¿ÚÃÛ¸¹½£ k¨¯u m¨¬ f¨´ ji¨¤n; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it describes a person who talks sweetly, but has harmful ideas in his heart / The cunning and insidiousness of the double-dealing / Describes a person who is sinister. From¡¶×ÊÖÎͨ¼ø¡¤ÌÆÐþ×ÚÌ챦ԪÄê¡·(z¨© zh¨¬ t¨­ng ji¨¤n¡¤t¨¢ng xu¨¢n z¨­ng ti¨¡n b¨£o yu¨¢n ni¨¢n), ¡°A Mirror for the Wise Ruler: The First Year of Emperor Xuanzong¡¯s Reign¡±, written by (˾Âí¹â s¨© m¨£ gu¨¡ng) Sima Guang [1019-1086], a politician and historian from the Northern Song Dynasty [960-1127].
Chapter 72: Im Sorry, but the Protagonists Halo Really does Whatever it Wants. Chapter 72: I¡¯m Sorry, But The Protagonist¡¯s Halo Really Does Whatever It Wants. After punishing the Corrupt Officials, Xiao YuAn gave relief to themon people once again. This time, he supervised it personally and urged for the refugees to get settled down. At this time, there was newsing from the Southern Yan Kingdom: While the Southern Yan Kingdom quietly restored its Country Military strength, it was also recruiting troops and horses. Xiao YuAn eyebrows knitted into a Sichuan1 character. These news came a full month earlier than in the original book. He knew that Yan HeQing had a special plug-in2, but why did it be a VIP protagonist plug-in?! Give this viin a break can you?! Are you in such a hurry to conquer and destroy the Northern Kingdom? Thinking back to the final words the both of them said before breaking apart, Xiao YuAn only felt a splitting headache. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± The maidservant beside him called for him in a weak soft voice: ¡°Your Majesty, would you like to rest for a while? You haven¡¯t been looking goodtely.¡± Xiao YuAn waved his hand: ¡°Summon General Li Wuding.¡± Li Wuding soon entered the Hall of the Imperial bedchamber. Xiao YuAn cleared his throat and asked Li Wuding: ¡°Have you heard the news from the Southern Yan Kingdom?¡± Li Wuding nodded and calmly replied: ¡°Your Majesty, it has been many years since thete Emperor marched to the South. Now the Southern Yan Kingdom can¡¯t be underestimated. Weichen believes that we should be the ones making the first move.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t expect Li Wuding would be so wary of the Southern Yan Kingdom. He was stunned for a brief moment. After all, because of the original book, he has always regarded Li Wuding as an ally of Yan HeQing. What kind of situation is this? The second male dislikes the male lead?!! A plug-in vs a plug-in?!! It¡¯s so exciting! Fight! Fight!!! ¡°Cough¡­¡± Xiao YuAn covered his mouth and coughed lightly. ¡°I understand what you mean, but because of the drought relief I gave before, the national treasury is almost empty. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t hold up years of war.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, we don¡¯t call that war¡± Li Wuding smiled slightly. ¡°We call it a mere greeting.¡± Dear friend, why are you hiding a dagger in that smile3? Why is there a needle hidden in the cotton wadding4? But Xiao YuAn likes it! Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°What do you mean?¡± Li Wuding replied: ¡°Mobilizing the men and horses, wandering around the borders of the Southern Yan Kingdom will intimidate the soldiers and raise our prestige before the people. Their Country was once devastated by our powerful army. Once bitten by a snake, ten years of fear5. Even if we can¡¯t stop them from recovering their Southern Yan Military power, at least we can still make them nervous and slow down the recruitment speed.¡± Xiao YuAn excitedly patted Li Wuding¡¯s shoulder: ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll definitely find a proper match for you!!!¡± Unlike the original book, you won¡¯t have to watch Yan HeQing steal all the pretty girls for himself! That¡¯s our main goal! Protect your life! Protect the Country! And fight the male lead! The viin turns over a new leaf, not a salted fish6, and the second male snatches the girls!! Gasp! There was no time to lose. The Northern Kingdom began to reorganize its troops and horses. And although it was Li Wuding¡¯s strategy, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t dare to send him in person, just in case Yan HeQing used his words skills to persuade Li Wuding to surrender in advance, he wouldn¡¯t know where to cry. After thoroughly thinking about it, this heavy responsibility in the end fell on Xie Chungui¡¯s hands. Although Xie Chungui was only neen years old, being young and reckless, he still could take the overall situation into consideration. Moreover, because of the original book, Xiao YuAn understands that Xie Chungui¡¯s loyalty to the Northern Kingdom couldn¡¯t just be described with simple words. After nearly a month of preparations for the war, as soon as the troops were about to be dispatched in three days time, a war report suddenly came to the Northern Kingdom. Some barbarians led their troops to disturb the North borders, and took over the next city. This was something that the Northern Kingdom didn¡¯t experience in the original book. After Xiao YuAn got this war report, he felt numb for a long time. He felt powerless, and then this feeling spread all over his body. His hands and feet were icy cold and his heart was depressed. Suddenly, he felt that his internal organs began to churn, and he started to cough violently. ¡°Your Majesty, Your Majesty, are you alright?¡± The maidservant was so frightened that her face turned pale. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m fine.¡± Xiao YuAn gritted his teeth and covered his throat, pressing back all his emotions. Now, sending troops to resist the barbarians means that the previous n to intimidate the Southern Yan Kingdom can only be reduced to an empty talk. The Northern Kingdom¡¯s troops would even get scattered as a result. Why is this happening?! This barbarian invasion, just like the previous drought, is something that doesn¡¯t happen in the original book! Without any antecedent or premonition, it just appeared out of thin air. Everything was like an invisible, dense and overwhelmingly trapping Xiao YuAn to the point where he can¡¯t move anymore. Whenever he tries his best to get rid of the shackles, no matter what he does, everything is in vain. Spitting out his own heart and spilling his blood7, he took so many troubles8, only to be met with a darker and deeper despair? Is there really no way for the two, releasing Yan HeQing and preserving the Northern Kingdom, to coexist? Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes were closed as he forced himself to calm down and think about countermeasures. Finally, he said in a low voice: ¡°We will still send troops to intimidate the Southern Yan Kingdom. For the time being, the city will cede to the barbarians.¡± The next day, however, Xie Chungui knelt down in the Pce main Hall. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± The young man yelled from the top of his lungs. ¡°My great Northern Kingdom has never cedednd to bribe foreign Countries!! To show such weakness right now, it would break our bones and destroy our souls!! I would like to lead the troops to the North border and resist against the enemy! Either we drive the barbarians out of our Country¡¯s territory, or¡­.¡± Xie Chungui stopped himself, his eyes were burning like fire, shaking the mountains and rivers. ¡°I¡¯ll be buried in a horse hide9, never returning to my homnd again!¡± Xiao YuAn restrained his eyes in silence, and his tightly pursed lips were faintly trembling. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Xie Chungui added, ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, Chungui will kneel down here and never get up again.¡± First the drought and the corrupt officials¡­ and now the Southern Yan Kingdom is starting to move and a group of barbarians took over the Northern Kingdom (north) border!!! ¡Æ(;¡ã§¥¡ã) Ahhhhh the heavens are against XYA changing the overall plot (this is badbadbad)©¥¦²(?§¥?)©¥ Chapter 73: Im Sorry, but the Male Lead can Really do Whatever He Wants. Chapter 73: I¡¯m Sorry, But The Male Lead Can Really Do Whatever He Wants. In the original book, Xie Chungui was thest inch of pride and thest strand of the Military spirit of the Northern Kingdom. A neen year old boy with his own persistence, passions, and beliefs. That¡¯s the persistence of refusing letting a strong enemy invade the Country¡¯s territory even if the oue is to be trampled by thousands of Military horses. Xiao YuAn knew that having Xie Chungui stationed at the front line now, despite the Country being invaded, must be worse than killing him. Moreover, if they don¡¯t take care of the barbarians at the North border, they will surely be even more aggressive. And by the time the Southern Yan Kingdom sends its troops to fight, perhaps the Northern Kingdom will face the situation of being attacked by an enemy from both sides. Xiao YuAn closed his eyes and thought for a while. In the end, he sighed and slowly raised his head: ¡°Get up.¡± Xie Chungui didn¡¯tply with this order, he kept kneeling on the ground: ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Xiao YuAn angrily pped his chair and stood up: ¡°Get up! Lead the troops to the North border and recuperate the city. What ack of authority to treat us as bullies! Make sure you kill them all! Make them beg for their ancestor¡¯s help! They will not dare toe to the Northern Kingdom in their next life!!!¡± Xie Chungui¡¯s heart trembled and his eyes glowed: ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!!¡± When Xie Chungui left, Xiao YuAn sat down slowly, covering his aching chest. His eyes were slightly dispirited, as if he had lost his mind after trying his best. He took out a wooden box from his sleeve, there were two hairpins quietly lying inside, one was red and the other one was white. ¡°Why is it always like this¡­¡± Xiao YuAn murmured in a low and resigned voice. There were decadent mundane voices answering this question inside Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart, but he wasn¡¯t willing to listen to them, not a single word. The Northern Kingdom was prepared beforehand, and with a Military order, Xie Chungui could leave the next day. It was just a matter of changing the destination from the Southern Yan Kingdom to the North border of the Northern Kingdom. In the dark moonlight, at a Military tent, Li Wuding called Xie Chungui to drink wine with him: ¡°In a few days, you will be on the battlefield for the first time. I¡¯ll give you some words of advice, will you listen?¡± Xie Chungui took up his porcin cup and drank the liquor in one single gulp: ¡°General Li, please tell me, Chungui is all ears.¡± Li Wuding shallowly smiled: ¡°Protect the country, protect your Xiongdi, and also¡­ Protect yourself.¡± Xie Chungui¡¯s eyes were very firm: ¡°Chungui will always keep these words in mind.¡± Li Wuding was helpless: ¡°Don¡¯t promise so fast, you must carefully remember the third advice.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡± Xie Chungui heavily nodded his head, like a child that¡¯s attentively listening. Full of ambition, he spoke boldly: ¡°I want to break through those barbarians¡¯ Military tents, exterminate the desert, and exterminate their n. Let them know what will happen if they decide to invade our Northern Kingdom!¡± Li Wuding raised his big palm and covered the ck hair on top of Xie Chungui¡¯s head: ¡°You¡¯re still young, and yet your brain has good thoughts. If you win,e back as soon as possible and fight with me again!¡± Xie Chungui was caught off guard while drinking which made him cough until his face was blush red, he refused to ept this: ¡°I¡¯m already neen!! I¡¯m not so young anymore!!!¡± Li Wudingughed: ¡°Do you even have a wife? Aren¡¯t you still young then?¡± Xie Chungui frunced his lips and said: ¡°General Li doesn¡¯t have a wife either, does that mean that General Li is still young?¡± ¡°Hey! You¡¯re changing the topic. You really believe I won¡¯t fight you, do you?¡± Li Wuding pretended to get angry as he raised his hand to punch Xie Chungui. Xie Chungui was not convinced as he lowered his head waiting to get beaten. After seeing the awaited p was falling on his head, Li Wuding suddenly stopped the force and just lightly touched Xie Chungui¡¯s head. Li Wuding then chuckled: ¡°Seriously, you must hurry back after you win, I¡¯ll grant you a celebratory banquet!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Xie Chungui clenched his fist, his eyes were burning: ¡°General Li, one day, I will fight alongside you on the battlefield!¡± ¡°Yes, of course we will!! Come on, let¡¯s drink on behalf of your triumphant return!¡± Li Wuding held up the porcin cup filled with the strong liquor and drank alongside Xie Chungui. Juvenile madness, only juvenile madness can make such a promise of a future fight? Gathering and dispersing1 are determined by karma2. August¡­ September¡­ October. Just like that, three months passed by, and news of victory came one after another from the Northern Kingdom¡¯s North border. Xie Chungui really didn¡¯t disappoint Xiao YuAn. Not only did he drive the barbarians out of the Northern Kingdom, but also beat them so badly that they wrote letters of surrender, crying for mercy, saying that they wouldn¡¯t dare to invade the Northern Kingdom¡¯s territory ever again. Xiao YuAn, who had been depressed, thought that he could finally take a breath. However, who could¡¯ve known that this breath of relief had to be slowed down halfway through, because he then was almost heartbroken by some thunderbolt news that came out of the blue. The Southern Yan Kingdom hasunched a Northern expedition!!!! A Northern expedition!!! Yan HeQing! He¡¯sing up to fight! He¡¯s fucking arriving to fight the war!!! Xie Chungui, he hasn¡¯te back from the Northern Kingdom¡¯s North border yet!!! Hasn¡¯te back!!! Xiao YuAn felt that he was going to vomit out blood for real. This isn¡¯t the fucking same as the original book!!!! The Northern expedition was supposed to happen in December!!! Why have youe a whole month ahead of time!!! Yan HeQing, are you really so eager to destroy the Northern Kingdom?!! Xiao YuAn¡¯s body was badly trembling as he wrote an Imperial edict, urging Xie Chungui to hurry back to the Imperial City, while first sending Li Wuding to resist the enemy. In November, the Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s cavalry lingered on the border between the two countries. The drums of war were ferociously beating, as well as the trumpets of the camps. A voice that proimed the hatred towards the Country could also be heard, the flowers will fall like tears, and the birds were frightened to death. To Xiao YuAn¡¯s surprise, Li Wuding led his troops to confront Yan HeQing. The two sides didn¡¯t give up against each other, which caused them to be in a standoff for nearly a month. The Western Shu Kingdom, who was an ally with both Countries, didn¡¯t send troops to support Yan HeQing, but neither to support the Northern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom wasn¡¯t a match for Yan HeQing¡¯s army just like in the original book, and they couldn¡¯t defeat them. However, the efforts of General Sun and Li Wuding in training their soldiers were not useless! Listening to these war reportsing from the front line, made Xiao YuAn no longer feel as depressed as before. The fire that was originally put out by the cold water seemed to be ignited again, it was weak but full of hope, stubborn and unwilling at the same time. In a few days time, when Xie Chungui returns from the North border and joins forces with Li Wuding to resist Yan HeQing, the Northern Kingdom might be able to resist! And just like that, XCG took care of the barbarians invasion issue?( * ?? ? ?? * )?¡­ but now, YHQ is finally moving and the war betwen both Kingdoms has officially begun!!!( ???§Õ??)??(??§Õ??? ) Chapter 74: Lead the Yulong Sword to die for the Monarch. The war raged from November to January. In January, the roads werepletely blocked by the heavy snow, and the weather was icy cold. Xiao YuAn originally thought that the soldiers of the Southern Yan Kingdom wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the cold weather, but the more they fought, the more courageous they became. By contrast, the Northern Kingdom became extremely dispirited. Because the granary wasn¡¯t full and it was gradually emptying due to the constant war. Xiao YuAn was still in the process of copsing. The team designed to deliver the Military rations suffered from an avnche and was wiped out. Xiao YuAn, who was far away in the Imperial City, became extremely anxious when he received the news. He ended up hammering his fist on the throne and his knuckles turned bloody red from the force. The Minister reporting the news knelt down and shouted: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Majesty! General Xie Chungui has already been sent back to transport the second batch of Military rations to the front line!!!¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t respond. He twisted his hands tightly together, pressing them against his lips, and bit his knuckles. When he felt the pain, he realized that his knuckles were already bleeding. In the original book, because the treacherous Officials cut off the front line Military rations, Li Wuding was forced to betray the Country. This time, Xiao YuAn managed everything himself, supervising from time to time that the rations were enough and could be delivered without dy. But in the end, he was defeated by the Heavens. Xiao YuAn once again bit his knuckles, the taste of blood permeating his mouth: ¡°The second batch of Military rations must be delivered, and we must catch up with them.¡± Right at that moment, Li Wuding, dressed in a Military war robe, was sitting alone in the tent looking at the map, his expression was frowning and pondering. Several deputies came into the tent, the cold snow that entered was apanied by the strong wind. Nie Er, who was really impatient, stepped forward and asked anxiously: ¡°General, the rations are scarce and the news of the reinforcements are dyed. How can we fight if we¡¯re hungry?¡± Li Wuding put away the map and looked up at the group of Soldiers, his eyebrows knitted into a Sichuan1 character: ¡°How long can the current rationsst us?¡± Nie Er replied: ¡°Only a day or two.¡± Li Wuding pinched his eyebrows: ¡°Is the road to the rear2 open?¡± ¡°The snow is too heavy to get past the troops¡­.¡± Li Wuding no longer spoke. He stared at the map resting in his hands, as if he wanted to pierce it with his eyes. ¡°General, I¡¯ve seen that the Southern Yan Kingdom has been reorganizing its troops with great fanfare recently. It looks like they¡¯re preparing to attack the Imperial City with one single stroke.¡± One of the deputies said. ¡°This fucking snow doesn¡¯t stop falling, but it does when the mothend sends the rations, blocking our roads, motherfucker.¡± Nie Er suddenly started to curse in an outburst. Li Wuding exhaled a long breath, seemingly helpless, desperate,menting and determined. His eyes dropped, like a silent solemn sculpture, his words were also cold and harsh: ¡°I want make an attack.¡± ¡°How do we attack them?¡± A deputy asked him. Li Wuding raised his head and nced at the deputies: ¡°By robbing their rations.¡± ¡°Robbing the Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s army rations?¡± The deputies were shocked: ¡°But the granary is heavily guarded, if we¡¯re not careful, we¡¯ll be wiped out.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll first send a small group to the rear of theirrge army and pretend to have a sneak attack, that¡¯ll cause amotion and attract their attention. Then we¡¯ll send 3000 elite soldiers to the granary, even if we can¡¯t rob the rations, we can still burn it.¡± Li Wuding raised his head and asked: ¡°What do you guys think?¡± ¡°I think it will work!¡± Nie Er agreed, ¡°It¡¯s better to take the initiative than to just wait for death to arrive. If we can burn down their granary, it¡¯ll also buy time for our reinforcements!¡± With no one questioning him, Li Wuding drew up a detailed battle n and began to hesitate over the candidates. This battle was extremely dangerous whether it was a sneak attack or the robbery of the rations. They¡¯re outnumbered and only suitable for quickbat, if there¡¯s any hesitation and dy or if the Southern Yan Kingdom discovered them, they would lose everything. Li Wuding thought for a long time, and in the end, he decided that he would be the one to lead the troops to rob the rations. ¡°I¡¯ll pretend tounch a sneak attack then.¡± Nie Er volunteered. Li Wuding¡¯s face revealed his doubts a little bitte. Although Ni Er was experienced in the battlefield, he¡¯s still impulsive and reckless, his shadow was one of a rash and young man. This time, when he pretends tounch a sneak attack, he must not entangle himself with the enemy troops, otherwise, it will be hard to defend themselves. ¡°General Li, I know what you¡¯re hesitating about. But you don¡¯t need to worry, I won¡¯t confront them, moreover, I¡¯ll ask the soldiers to tie a bundle of straw behind their horses. The sound and dust made by the straw dragging on the ground will create the appearance of a huge army, that will certainly disturb them!¡± Nie Er urgently suggested, fearing that Li Wuding would belittle him. ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Li Wuding nodded his head. ¡°You must be very cautious and careful! The rest of you will stay here!¡± Things just keep getting worse and worse for the Norhern Kingdom, YHQ is really loved by the Heavens¡­ or is it because he¡¯s the protagonist? (Prepare your hearts for the next few chapters¡­) (?-©n-?) Footnotes
  1. This one ´¨, it looks like the wrinkles that appear when you frown.
  2. ºó·½ h¨°u f¨¡ng; Also called ¡°far behind the front line¡±. It¡¯s a Chinese term, generally refers to the area where the leading cemanding the entire war is located. It mainly receives and treats the wounded and patients transferred from the field hospitals. In times of war, it refers to the territory outside the front lines, that is, the enemy area.
Chapter 75: Pitiful Bones Laying by the Wuding River. Later that night, the battle gs pped fiercely in the bitter cold wind, and the seemingly thin Military tents were stationed as if they could be overturned at any moment by the storm. From inside a Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s Military tent, a melodious flute sound came out, as if it was telling a secret hidden at the bottom of a hundred feet of ice. Then, suddenly, dense cracks started to appear on the ice surface, and the flute sound suddenly stopped. At that moment, Yan HeQing frowned, taking the jade flute from his lips and held it in his hands. Examining it carefully, cautiously and lovingly as the curtain of the tent was lifted. A middle aged man, dressed in a Military battle robe, walked in with his hands down. With a beard adorning his face, and an awe-inspiring aura, his face also resembled Yan HeQing¡¯s, but this man¡¯s face was also weather-beaten, and his eyes were filled with the vicissitudes of the human world. Yan HeQing quickly half-covered the jade flute with his sleeve and stood up to respectfully say: ¡°Uncle.¡± Looking at Yan HeQing, Xue Yan said in a deep tone of voice: ¡°The recent sessive victories in the war have been hard on you, take an early rest and nurture your strength.¡± Yan Heqing replied: ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡± Xue Yan patted Yan HeQing on the shoulder, and his eyes fell on the jade flute in his hand. Xue Yan scrowled and his eyes became severe: ¡°HeQing, think about your deceased parents, think of the people and soldiers of the Southern Yan Kingdom. Don¡¯t forget your family and Country¡¯s hatred.¡± Yan HeQing looked down, the hand holding the flute gradually clenched: ¡°HeQing understands.¡± When Xue Yan looked at Yan HeQing, his gaze had three parts of love, and seven parts of severity. Just like to every parent, a child is still a child to them. Even if they¡¯re already established, formed a family, and have solved everything on their own. Xue Yan felt exactly that for Yan HeQing. Xue Yan remembered a time from when Yan HeQing was still a child. While the other Princes of the Southern Yan Kingdom were squabbling, trying to gain the favor of their parents, the Emperor and Empress, Yan Heqing was the only one among them that, while holding a Military book of war, came to him and asked: ¡°Uncle, thisnd is divided into fours Kingdoms, eventually, that will lead to a turmoil. Does the Southern Yan Kingdom have the Military power to fight against it?¡± At that time, the youth¡¯s eyes were like stars, shining at the Nine Heavens1, and the dawn of life under the vast sky. Xue Yan had long known that Yan HeQing was extraordinary. He knew that the Southern Yan Kingdom would have a different kind of glory in Yan HeQing¡¯s hands. However, he never expected that the Southern Yan Kingdom would also experience a disaster that nearly destroyed the Country. The Northern Kingdom¡¯s Southern expedition almost ughtered the entire Royal Yan Family, and thend was also divided up by the Eastern Wu Kingdom, by robbing the owner while his house was on fire2. Xue Yan, after enduring thousands of hardships, finally managed to rescue Yan HeQing from the Northern Kingdom. He was once a teenager in the tribtion of losing all his youthfulness and innocence. And hidden in the deep of his eyes, was a hateful rage. That was what Xue Yan wanted to see from Yan HeQing, a will that was strong enough to shake heaven and earth. But now, that anger seemed to be mixed with other emotions, like a clear spring in the yellow sand, like a narrow boat in the vast sea, like a faint hope in a desperate situation. However, that kind of sentiment can only arouse a deeper despair inside the heart. That hint of emotions was extremely well hidden by Yan HeQing, leaving Xue Yan having an unknown guess. Xue Yan looked at the jade flute in Yan HeQing¡¯s hand, a series of questions rolling back and forth on his throat and lips. But in the end, he didn¡¯t ask. He just nodded his head with a wooden face and turned around ready to leave the Military tent, when suddenly, a soldier appeared to report from outside the tent. ¡°Reporting!!! General Xue, Yan-huangzi, a sneak attack by the Northern Kingdom troops has been spotted in the West!.¡± ¡°What?¡± Xue Yan frowned, ¡°Now? How many soldiers?¡± ¡°Answering to General Xue, the snowstorm is too strong to see clearly, but there should be about ten thousand by the sound!¡± Xue Yan nodded: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that they still had such energy. Very well, since they don¡¯t have the strength to oppose us, we¡¯ll wipe them out in one fell swoop. HeQing, you¡¯ll lead the troops to resist the enemy.¡± Yan HeQing nodded and stood up, cing the jade flute into the wooden box and putting it away. Then he turned around and identally touched the Military book by the table, which then fell on the ground, the front side turned upwards. On the other side, the word ¡°rations¡± was written on it. This appeared to be a coincidence, however, it was an act of the Heavens. Yan HeQing reached out and picked up the Military book. Suddenly, his heart felt as if it was being clunched hard. He took two deep breaths, looked at the Military Book with the word ¡°Rations¡± written in front of it, and raised his eyes asking the General and soldiers: ¡°Where¡¯s the granary located in our barracks?¡± ¡°Answering to Huangzi, it¡¯s located in the East.¡± Yan HeQing stretched out his hand and slowly closed the Military book. His deep, dark eyes shed with an inch of ruthlessness and rity. ¡­ ¡°General Nie, the enemy hasn¡¯te out to fight.¡± Hearing this report from his subordinates, Nie Er¡¯s face turned blue as he started to scold: ¡°Damn it! Are they all fucking bastards? We¡¯re in front of your barracks, and you¡¯re still noting out? Wimpy thieves!!¡± Although his curses were strong, Nie Er¡¯s heart was feeling uneasy precisely because the enemy, the Southern Yan Kingdom, didn¡¯te out to meet them. If he didn¡¯t make any moves, he wouldn¡¯t be able to distract the troops attention. After all, the robbery of the rations was an extremely dangerous task! Nie Er¡¯s adam apple rolled up and down, as he held the horse¡¯s reins tightly. His forehead was dripping with sweat, even on this freezing cold day: ¡°We will make the first move.¡± ¡°General Nie?! There are only a thousand of us!¡± The Soldiers stared at him, their eyes overflowing with incredulity. Giving up the first step in this specific battle means that there¡¯s no possibility of getting back up and escaping. However, if they don¡¯t attract their attention, this battle may fail altogether. And then, when the Southern Yan Kingdom attacks the front line barracks in a single stroke, how will the hungry soldiers of the Northern Kingdom fight? Once the gate of the barracks is broken, the Northern Kingdom¡¯s borders would have to surrender, and its territory will only be trampled all over! Nie Er took a deep breath, the blowing wind was as sharp as a knife, as he screamed: ¡°Attack!¡± Right at that moment, Yan HeQing was standing in front of the barracks. He was dressed in a white feathered crown of silver armor, with a heart protection mirror in front of his chest, his long sword was at his hip, calm and steady. He looked at the dust rising from the horse¡¯s hoovesing from the distance, then he turned his head and asked his deputy General, ¡°Has General Xue led his troops to the storage area?¡± The deputy General reported3 in a loud voice: ¡°Yes!¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s lips slowly hooked up into a cold smile as he turned his horse around and coldy said to his deputy General: ¡°Very well, I¡¯m going to meet them head on. You lead the troops to cut off the back roads.¡± The two armies soon confronted each other. However, the Northern Kingdom only had a thousand soldiers, how could they be able to defeat the Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s troops of tens of thousands of Elite Soldiers? After a few rounds, Nie Er was overturned by Yan HeQing, who stepped on him the same way Nie Er stepped on Yan HeQing before. Then Yan HeQing didn¡¯t hesitate to cut off Nie Er¡¯s left arm with his sword. Nie Er covered his wounded cut off arm and howled miserably. His voice was almost distorted due to the heavy pain, and as heughed, he also started to curse: ¡°Yan HeQing, you hated it right? You really hated the torture I gave you when you when you were brought to the Northern Kingdom? That¡¯s right, you¡¯re able to take revenge now, but don¡¯t ever forget that you did be a dog of the Northern Kingdom. No, you¡¯re still a dog of the Northern Kingdom¡­.¡± Before he could finish his speech, Yan HeQing raised his sword and expressionlessly shed his throat. Nie Er could no longer make a single sound, his throat wound was bleeding with every inhtion he took. The view was extremely horrifying. His body was being stepped on by Yan HeQing, just like if he was a dog, crawling on the ground and twisting his body. Nie Er struggled to raise his head and look towards the East, it seemed that he wanted to know whether Li Wuding was doing well. However, he wasn¡¯t able to see anything in the distance. The Heavens and the earth were vast, and the only thing he gazed upon was the white freezing snow. Gradually, his eyes darkened, indicating that the shared hatred the Countries had, once again, grown deeper between them. The first appearence of YHQ¡¯s uncle!! What do y¡¯all think of him?(£»©b¡ð©b)?????? Also, the protagonist halo is scary¡­¡­¡­(fear)¡®`( ?§¥?),? Footnotes
  1. ¾ÅÏö ji¨³ xi¨¡o; In traditional Chinese Mythology, is said that the Heavens has nineyers. The nine(¾Å ji¨³) character in the ¡°Nine Heavens¡±, was used to express quantity, a Supreme Status, a imaginary number (In mathematics, particrly in algebra, an imaginary number is aplex number whose real part is equal to zero), and a expensive number (¹ó gu¨¬; Expensive, is a first-level Chinese character monly used) in the Chinese General Standard. This character first appeared in the Warring States Period. The basic meaning of ¡°expensive¡± means high prices. The extension refers to high status. From high price to high value, it means precious and important. It also expresses respect and value and is used as a verb). In modern Chinese Dictionaries, is described to represent the highest point of the sky, a metaphor for a ce that is extremely high or far away / The firmament.
  2. ³Ã»ð´ò½Ù ch¨¨n hu¨¯ d¨£ ji¨¦; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means to take advantage of a fire to rob someone. This is used as a metaphor to describe when someone takes advantage of someone¡¯s danger to seek personal gain / To profit from somebody¡¯s misfortune. From¡¶Î÷Óμǡ·(x¨© y¨®u j¨¬), ¡°Journey to the West¡±, written (orpiled) by (Îâ³Ð¶÷ w¨² ch¨¦ng ¨¥n) Wu Cheng¡¯en [1500-1582], from the Ming Dynasty [1368-1644].
  3. Ù÷±¨ b¨«ng b¨¤o; A respectful way of reporting to a Superior and/or Elder.
Chapter 76: They can Only Live in Chungui’s Dream. The sky was grey and snowy above Li Wuding, who was leading three thousand elite soldiers, to crawl through the snow near the Southern Yan granary storage area. The cold made these soldiers¡¯ hands and feet feel numb as they slowly advanced. The body parts that weren¡¯t covered, felt extremely itchy and painful every time they had to move, even for a little bit. All of a sudden, a riot came from the Southern Yan barracks, and the soldiers ran westward with torches. Li Wuding seized the opportunity and quickly sneaked into the storage area with his troops. The infiltration was a smooth sess. However, precisely because it was too easy, Li Wuding had an uneasy feeling growing inside his heart. He saw that the granary of the Southern Yan Kingdom was close at hand, and it was extremely silent around the area. ¡°General?¡± The soldiers were waiting for Li Wuding¡¯s next orders. Li Wuding¡¯s breathing became more and more heavy. Looking around, it was so dark that he wasn¡¯t able to see anything other than pitch ckness. Even more, it was so silent that even the sound of a needle falling to the ground could be heard. Suddenly, there was a sh of lighting from the distance and Li Wuding¡¯s eyes narrowed as he started to shout hoarsely: ¡°Retreat!!!¡± But it was already toote. The troops led by Li Wuding were soon surrounded by the Southern Yan Kingdom soldiers, which had been waiting to ambush them here beforehand! In an instant, the battle cries sounded through the skies, as if they were trying to slice open the dark firmament! Li Wuding didn¡¯t panic, instead, he raised his sword to resist the enemy. He clenched his teeth so hard that he almost broke them. Inspired by this fierce spirit, the Northern Kingdom troops who¡¯ve felt discouraged, began to gather up strength to break through this siege! However, they were at the barracks of the Southern Yan Kingdom after all, so in the end, they were outnumbered. After several sword shes, the Northern Kingdom¡¯s soldiers fell down one by one. Red blood fell on their bodies, making them look fierce and dazzling. Xue Yan shouted with a deep voice: ¡°General Li, you don¡¯t need to keep struggling. If you surrender, you can still save your life.¡± As soon as these words fell, Li Wuding suddenly ordered the soldiers to give up breaking through the siege and turned towards the granary. When they approached the granary, there were no more than 100 Northern Kingdom soldiers left. Because of thisplicated situation, Li Wuding led the remaining soldiers to hide inside the granary and blocked the door with all their strength! However, outside the granary were tens of thousands of Southern Yan Kingdom troops surrounding it. ¡°General Xue, the remnants of the Northern Kingdom¡¯s army escaped into the granary. Should we break through quickly to prevent them from burning the granary?¡± The deputy General came to report the situation to Xue Yan. Xue Yan shook his head: ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, they¡¯re already a turtle trapped inside a jar1. If they decide to burn down the granary, won¡¯t that mean that they would also burn themselves alive?¡± After he said that, Xue Yan went to the granary to negotiate. Once he was in front of the granary, he shouted with a loud voice: ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of the great General Li and his achievements, but I do not wish to fight a war against General Li. Besides, the Northern Kingdom¡¯s Emperor is well known for being fatuous and treacherous, making the Northern Kingdom people¡¯s lives miserable.This kind of country is not worth General Li¡¯s protection. Why don¡¯t you surrender to the Southern Yan Kingdom and save thosemon people from their misery? The Southern Yan Kingdom is virtuous and capable of appointing a great General as yourself, we will certainly not treat you badly.¡± ¡°General Li¡­¡± Inside the granary, Li Wuding slowly wiped off the blood on his face. When he heard the deputy General¡¯s voice trembling and calling out his name, he raised his head and looked around. More than a dozen soldiers of the Northern Kingdom, with all varying degrees of injuries, were supporting each other. All of them were pale, knowing that their opportunity has been lost and there was no hope for the future. ¡°General, there¡¯s no way back for us.¡± The deputy General said. The deputy General¡¯s voice was like a cold dagger, each of his words stabbed right into Li Wuding¡¯s heart. Li Wuding was at a loss of words, he stood up and raised his eyes. His expression was like a broken g flying in the strong wind,pletely deste and unyielding. Outside the granary, the voice of Xue Yan persuading him into surrender pierced through Li Wuding¡¯s ears, like a poisonous wine brewed with honey. It was a desire for life and a curse to loyalty. Inside the granary, the eyes of the soldiers fell on Li Wuding¡¯s body, their gaze a thousand times heavier. He took a deep breath, but he couldn¡¯t inhale it. His head raised as he asked them: ¡°Do you wish to live?¡± Not a single voice was heard, no one answered. Everyone kept their heads down inplete silence. They thought, who doesn¡¯t want to live? Who wouldn¡¯t want to be born in a peaceful and prosperous age2, with aplete family? All of them were young Officials and soldiers in the prime of their life. Who has never dreamt of rebuking Heaven and Earth3, and who hasn¡¯t thought of a happy and healthy future? As if a hundred years had passed, the deputy General who called Li Wuding before, finally made a move. He stood up slowly and walked towards the door of the granary, step by step. Li Wuding, who looked at him without saying a word, didn¡¯t stop his actions. The deputy General, wounded from the enemy¡¯s sword, stumbled with every step he took. The red blood dripped down his lower leg and onto the floor, leaving a trail of blood that led towards the door of the granary. He stood in front of the granary door, took a few breaths, and slowly reached out his hand. Li Wuding¡¯s originally emotionless eyes gradually widened. Because the deputy General didn¡¯t open the door! Instead, he took the fire fold4 from out of his clothes! The deputy General turned around and bared his teeth in a smile. His appearance was one of no more than neen years old, and there was even a hint of youth and inexperience in his smile as he lit the fire fold, humming out a song. It was a folk song of the Northern Kingdom, about prosperous times and peace. When the Officials and soldiers held events, they would often sing it around the campfire. Gradually, all the other Officials and soldiers inside the granary began to sing along with him. Their singing voices slowly began to overshadow the voice of Xue Yan trying to persuade them to surrender. Apanying the song, Li Wuding saw the old General Sun telling him that the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom was trying to be a good ruler. He saw the figure of Xiao YuAn at the Imperial Court, fiercely punishing the corrupt Ministers because of the suffering of themon people. He also saw Xie Chunguiughing wantonly at him, with his porcin cup filled with wine under the moonlight. This young man also said to him: General Li, for the years of thends of this Country, I¡¯ll share both the honor and the disgrace with the Northern Kingdom! Li Wudingughed up to the heavens. He sang loudly alongside the Officials and soldiers, when suddenly, some tears burst out of his eyes. ck smoke soon emerged from the granary, and Xue Yan was horrified, quickly calling out for water to put out the fire. The folk song of the Northern Kingdom gradually disappeared, buried in the raging fire. The mes zed into the sky, burning down the bodies, bones, and loyalty of the Officials and soldiers of the Northern Kingdom. The wind and snow howled, as if it was buying the rise and fall of a Nation, and the bones of its heroes. The folk song of the Northern Kingdom gradually drifted into the sky from the barracks of the Southern Yan Kingdom, pushing away the ck clouds and stopping the falling snow. However, a hundred miles away, the reinforcements led by Xie Chungui were rushing to the border city, with the emergency Military rations apanying them. The fire and the morning light lit up together, and Xie Chungui squinted his eyes as he saw the outline of the border city not far away. A soldier said to Xie Chungui: ¡°Deputy General Xie! Look, the snow has stopped falling and the rations will soon be delivered. After you and General Li meet up, we will definitely be able to keep the Southern Yan Kingdom out of our borders!¡± There was a bright light shining inside Xie Chungui¡¯s eyes, it was the anticipation of being able to fight alongside Li Wuding. Because the weather was getting better, the soldiers who were delivering the rations supplies were in high spirits. Suddenly, they loudly began to sing the folk song of the Northern Kingdom, singing about the prosperity and peace of the Northern Kingdom. This song apanied Xie Chungui all the way to the border city. Xie Chunguiughed and shouted out loud from outside the city: ¡°General Li, we¡¯ve brought the ration supplies! Open the gates!¡± With the singing voices sounding them, the heavy gates slowly opened, and Xie Chungui¡¯s smile gradually disappeared from his face. Life was truly unpredictable. Just a few hours before their arrival, everything happened because of a few hours of difference. If Xie Chungui had arrived a few hours earlier, perhaps Li Wuding wouldn¡¯t have resorted to rob the enemy¡¯s rations. But there¡¯s no such thing as ¡°what if¡± in this world. Only a quiet sigh is left behind, written in history books, and the weeping remorse from who knows who. Well¡­ here we are.??( ?????)?? It was sooo hard to not spoil any of you everytime I saw yourments wishing for LWD¡¯s safety and for him and XCG to reunite (and be a possible side couple). If you ever wondered why I didn¡¯t talk much abt these two (like in a teasing way every time they had a scene together) now you know! Like I didn¡¯t want to give false hopes! (Like the ones I had the first time I read it and then ended up crying for a whole day¡­ yeah) Dear author is sooo bad, whywhywhy dear author must you make us suffer like this? ?:?(;¡ä¡É`;)?:? Footnotes
  1. ÎÍÖбî w¨¨ng zh¨­ng bi¨¥; Its a Chinese idiom, it¡¯s used as a metaphor to describe a person that¡¯s in a difficult position and is unable to escape / The thing someone wants to catch is already within its grasp. From¡¶ÀîåÓ¸º¾£¡·(l¨« ku¨ª f¨´ j¨©ng), ¡°Li Kui¡¯s Guilty Consciousness ¡±, written by (¿µ½øÖ® k¨¡ng j¨¬n zh¨©) Kang Jinzhi, a drama writer from the Yuan/Mongol Dynasty [1279-1368].
  2. ̫ƽʢÊÀ t¨¤i p¨ªng sh¨¨ng sh¨¬; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, used as a metaphor to describe a very prosperous and stable society. The Country¡¯s politics is clear and bright. The People live in peace and happiness. The Officials and themon people do their best job and everything else. There are more and more friends and fewer opponents. The roads are clear and the doors are closed at night. The wind and rain are favorable and there were no disasters nor difficulties. The society is extremely peaceful. From¡¶Ò°»ñ±à¡·(y¨§ hu¨° bi¨¡n), ¡°The Wild Hunt¡±, written by (ÉòµÂ·û sh¨§n d¨¦ f¨²) Shen Defu [1578-1642], a writer and bureaucrat from the Ming Dynasty [1368-1644].
  3. ß³ßå·çÔÆ ch¨¬ zh¨¤ f¨¥ng y¨²n; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, describes a person who is magnificent / majestic. Nowadays, it¡¯s often used to describe the mighty power of a General or someone of great influence. From¡¶ÁºÊ顤ԪµÛ¼Í¡·(li¨¢ng sh¨±¡¤yu¨¢n d¨¬ j¨¬), ¡°History of Liang of the Southern Dynasties: The Chronicle of Emperor Yuan¡±, aption by (Ҧ˼Á® y¨¢o s¨© li¨¢n) Yao Silian [557-637], a writer andpiler of the Tang Dynasty [618-907].
  4. »ðÕÛ hu¨¯ zh¨¥; It¡¯s a kind of straw paper that can be easily ignited, and was used to light cigarettes or as a fuse for fire in the countryside. It¡¯s an easy and portable tool for lighting and fetching fire. The method of making the fire folders is to soak the white (sweet) potato vines in water, take them out and beat them with the fist, then soak them, add cotton, reed tassels and then beat them again, dry them, add nitrate, sulfur, rosin, camphor, etc., and fold them into t tubes or twist them. Then it¡¯s ced in a bamboo tube.
Chapter 77: As the Wind Blows, the Whole Country is Broken. The granary of the Southern Yan Kingdom waspletely burnt down, giving the exhausted soldiers of the Northern Kingdom a chance to catch their breaths. For the next three days, all of the soldiers in the Northern Kingdom defending the border city were mourning, as if they were about to blend into the snow. Another three days passed until the war news reached the Imperial Pce. The Minister was trembling as he presented the report: ¡°Your Majesty, General Xie has sessfully sent the Military rations to the border, but General Li, he¡­ He¡­¡± When the Minister¡¯s words weren¡¯t finished, Xiao YuAn¡¯s chest suddenly began to ache, which made his brow frown and he could hardly breathe. He tightly grasped his chest above his heart as he heard the voice listing off all his vain attempts to change the fate of the Northern Kingdom. This was also the voice of the Northern Kingdom¡¯s demise. ¡°Your, Your Majesty¡­. General Li, he¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn closed his eyes wearily. The Minister didn¡¯t need to finish his words, because he already knew what he was about to say. Li Wuding has rebelled. ¡°General Li, he¡­ led three thousand Elite soldiers to sneak into the enemy barracks, trying to rob their granary, but¡­. But¡­ They were caught in the enemy¡¯s trap, and all, the whole army was destroyed¡­ No-none, none of them survived.¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly opened his eyes and abruptly stood up as if submerged in a trace. He was short of breath and his lips were pale and trembling: ¡°You¡­ What did you say¡­ Wh¡­.¡± Before he could finish his words, Xiao YuAn suddenly gurgled violently, red blood flowing out of his mouth and spilled all over the ground. This scene shocked the eyes, and astonished the heart1. ¡°Your Majesty!!!¡± There were several people rmingly shouting around him. Xiao YuAn covered his bleeding mouth, only to feel his ears ringing and his head exploding. He found himself unable to hear anything, as if there was a huge depression inside his heart, clogging up his body with strangling pain. How could this happen? Wasn¡¯t Li Wuding the second Male Lead? How could he die just like that? Why wasn¡¯t there treason and why were all of them killed in the battlefield instead? All of a sudden, Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes were filled with Hong Xiu. She stood in front of the window, the pear blossoms silently falling like snow. She turned her head to look at Xiao YuAn and smiled at him: ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Xiao YuAn took a sharp step back and looked up again, his eyes were full of helplessness and despair. Did he really change anything? Like the death of Hong Xiu? Why, why, why was it like this? He was just trying to protect the Northern Kingdom, but why did more people have to die every single time? His ears heard a hissing sound that exploded inside Xiao YuAn¡¯s mind, like a jiejiejie¡¯s2 slyugh, mocking his ipetence and the fact that he had three thousand more life debts hanging on his shoulders. After a few days of hard work and continuous blows, Xiao YuAn finally couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. An empty ckness surrounded him as he slowly fainted on the ground. When Xiao YuAn woke up, he immediately saw Princess Yongning sitting on the edge of the bed, her eyes were red from crying. When she saw that he finally woke up, she asked him in panic as she sobbed: ¡°Imperial Brother, how¡¯re you feeling? Are you alright?¡± Xiao YuAn reached out his hand and gently caressed her hair: ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± Princess Yongning lowered her head and rubbed the corners of her eyes. She almost burst into tears once again. ¡°Ning¡¯er, can you promise me something?¡± Xiao YuAn braced himself to sit up on the bed. ¡°Yongning promises, as long as Imperial Brother is well, Yongning will promise anything.¡± Princess Yongning raised her head. Xiao YuAnughed and his eyes became warm and watery: ¡°No matter what happens after today, you must live and not seek death, do you understand?¡± Princess Yongning looked puzzled, but still nodded her head, with a solemn and serious expression. Xiao YuAn pressed his heart, that was still throbbing with pain, and asked: ¡°How is the front line?¡± ¡°Answering to His Majesty.¡± A Minister by the bedside reported hurriendly: ¡°Deputy General Xie has taken over General Li¡¯s position, and has been reorganizing the troops and is in process of dispatching troops for revenge.¡± Xiao YuAn gave a soft ¡®hmmm¡¯ as he leaned on the bed with his shoulders slightly copsed, his lips slightly open and his eyes looking dispirited. He seemed to be thinking about something, and after a long silence, he spoke again: ¡°I want to¡­ go to the altar for sacrifice of the Temple of Heaven.¡± The sacrifice of the Northern Kingdom required live sheep and pigs. After listening to this, the Minister replied: ¡°Weichen will go and get everything prepared.¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°No, no need to prepare anything, just three incense sticks will do. I¡¯m not offering a sacrifice to the Heavens.¡± For a brief moment, the Minister was startled. When he came back to reality, he went to prepare the trip. Later at dusk, despite his difort, Xiao YuAn went to the altar at the Temple of Heaven outside the Imperial City. Ironically enough, thest time he came here, Yan HeQing was still by his side. As well as these ny-nine steps, and the setting of the sun that seemed to dye everything in bloody red. It was just a few months ago, but it felt like a lifetime had passed already. Xiao YuAn knelt at the altar in the Temple of Heaven. The wind and snow was howling and the cold was piercing. Xiao YuAn, who was holding three incense sticks, took a deep breath of cold air as he kneeled down. After worshiping for a while, he raised his eyes. His whole body was trembling and tears were flowing like a fountain. The thin snowkes fell on Xiao YuAn, but it seemed that even that slight touch would crush him. The howling wind was strong, like the low roar of three thousand angry ghosts. Those mournful voices pressed on his head, asking him why he had let Yan HeQing go in spite of the safety of the Northern Kingdom. He murmured, his voice choked with weakness: ¡°I¡¯ve really tried my best, I¡¯m sorry¡­. I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± In January, the snow brought down a great cold front. Xie Chungui led the army, desperately fighting for two whole months. However, in the end, he was still defeated. The Northern Kingdom was unable to regain their power. And two dayster, tens of thousands of horses and soldiers broke into the City walls. That cliffhager!!!! (¥Î?Òæ?)¥Îáê©ß©¥©ß And XYA suffering like this hurts my heart o(£»¡÷£»)o ¡­ and now the Southern Yan Kingdom had finally won the war¡­ o(?§¥? = ?§¥?)o !!! Footnotes
  1. ´¥Ä¿¾ªÐÄ ch¨´ m¨´ j¨©ng x¨©n; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means to be shocked at the sight of a horrible situation / When describing something serious, it causes a sensation / Horrifying. From¡¶²ýÀ輯¡¤Õêê×ÏÈÉúĹ־Ãú¡·(ch¨¡ng l¨ª j¨ª¡¤zh¨¥n y¨¤o xi¨¡n sheng m¨´ zh¨¬ m¨ªng), ¡°Chang Li Ji: The Brilliant Teacher¡¯s Epitaph¡±, written by (º«Óú h¨¢n y¨´) Han Yu [768-824], a essayist and poet, advocate of the ssical writing and neossical movements from the Tang Dynasty [618-907].
  2. èîèîèî ji¨¦ ji¨¦ ji¨¦; Is used as an onomatopoeia to describe the viin¡¯sugh, it¡¯s the kind ofugh of a big traitor, evil people or demons likes to make / It¡¯s often used in novels to describe a very unpleasantugh.
Chapter 78: Last Night, There was a Spring Breeze on the Small Building. The winding from the North swept past the ground covered with white grass and snow in session. Xiao YuAn woke up one night only to see the dead branches outside the window. Hanging from the branches were crystal clear ice flowers, and the crows were howling miserably from the cold. It was so quiet that if four needles fell, he would be able to hear the sound of them hitting the ground. The maid who helped him fall asleep yesterday had already disappeared, and when Xiao YuAn had risen from his bed, what weed him was the sight ofplete chaos. His Imperial bedchamber had been ransacked of valuables, and all the gold and silver had disappeared too. However, Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t surprised. Ever since the Southern Yan Kingdom stationed themselves outside the Imperial City the previous day, the Imperial Pce had been in chaos. The Royal rtives, Minister and subordinates, all of them had run away. There were smashed things scattered all over the ce, the original majestic and peaceful Imperial Pce has ceased to exist. Xiao YuAn lifted the quilt to get up and began to dress himself. However, these heavy patterned clothing were soplicated that Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t figure out how to wear them properly. In the end, he just casually wrapped himself in a thick coat, a random outer robe, wrapped himself in cotton fur, and then walked out of the bedchamber. All the Imperial guards and servants had already escaped from the Imperial Pce. The Ministers who had advised him several times to escape a few days ago, were also long gone. The Pce, which was originally full of songs and dances, now looked extremely deste and chaotic. This was the sight of rising and falling; some people were so angry they could vomit, others felt such bitterness they could only cry like the crows. Xiao YuAn stepped in the snow and walked all the way to Yongning Pce. When he passed by the Yingfeng Yulu Pavilion, he couldn¡¯t help but stop in his tracks. The original Pavilion with its golden tiles and red eaves, was now piled up with broken tiles. The original prosperity cannot be seen anymore. By looking at this Pavilion, he could almost see Yan HeQing sweeping the snow as if in a trance. After a while, he settled his thoughts and left in a hurry. Yongning Pce was also a mess. There were clothes scattered all over the floor, and there were broken wood debris. Xiao YuAn suddenly felt very anxious and hurriedly rushed into the main Hall. What Xiao YuAn never expected was that Princess Yongning¡¯s bedroom was actually the same as usual. Princess Yongning was sitting in front of the dressing box, dressed in a in white robe. There were no servants around, and she was alone, applying makeup on her eyebrows and lips. When she heard some noise, she turned her head. When she saw it was Xiao YuAn, she smiled warmly: ¡°Imperial Brother.¡± Xiao YuAn saw Princess Yongning standing up, waving her sleeves and dancing. When she finished she asked him with a smile: ¡°Was it beautiful?¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Very beautiful.¡± This was no longer a prosperous Imperial Pce, instead, this was a dpidated Pce. And yet, there¡¯s still a ce to sing; where some things have remained the same, but people have changed, bingpletely fearless. Princess Yongning drew up her sleeve and asked: ¡°Imperial brother, do you have any regrets?¡± Xiao YuAn was stunned for a moment, as if he heard the voice of the Nation ringing in his ears again. A voice that cursed him for letting Yan HeQing go, and even for the fall of the Northern Kingdom. But still, he said with a smile: ¡°No.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Princess Yongning lowered her eyes: ¡°I really envy Imperial Brother.¡± Xiao YuAn stepped forward: ¡°Ning¡¯er, are you afraid of the breaking of the Country?¡± The corners of Princess Yongning¡¯s mouth were slightly raised, but she was inexhaustibly remorseful: ¡°Yongning is not afraid of the Country¡¯s destruction, nor do I fear the death of my family. The only regret I have is, that at that time, at that time¡­ I didn¡¯t show her my feelings, I didn¡¯t speak with my heart, and now, if we don¡¯t see each other again, I¡¯ll be reduced to tears. I only wish for her to have a lifetime of peace and well-being.¡± Xiao YuAn reached out and stroked Princess Yongning¡¯s hair: ¡°You will see each other again, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll let him1e see you.¡± Princess Yongning suddenly raised her head, her breathing was unsteady: ¡°But, but, how can I let here see me, how can I let her see me like this, reduced in such a situation?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he will definitely want to see you. You just have to wait here, you can wait for him, I promise you.¡± Xiao YuAn showed a shallow smile, but his eyes were full of pity: ¡°Ning¡¯er, don¡¯t feel guilty. You don¡¯t have to care about what happened, you must not me yourself. Life is short, and there¡¯s no way back to what home was before. Since you two adore each other, then you two must be together. And when you see him again, forget about everything else and just go with him.¡± Princess Yongning¡¯s eyes had a little bit of confusion in them, as if she was half-aware of what Xiao YuAn¡¯s words meant, but she still nodded her head regardless. Xiao YuAn breathed a long sigh of relief, as if he had dropped a big stone from his heart. He reassured Princess Yongning a few more times before turning away and leaving. Suddenly, heavy snow fell from the sky, as if to add more destions to the already depressed Pce. Xiao YuAn slowly walked back to his bedchamber, but suddenly stopped not far from its entrance. Because there was a man standing at the entrance of his bedchamber. A short chapter, and we get to see how almost everyone fled away while XYA just refused to leave ( ?? ¡Ä ?? ) And his conversation with Yongning was kinda funny, not gonna lie, she was clearly talking about XPY and XYA still believes that she¡¯s thinkng of YHQ lol, no my darling, she a lesbian (?¡ä?`?) Footnotes
  1. Here¡¯s a miunication: Princess Yongning is using Ëý t¨¡, which trantes to She. But Xiao YuAn hears Ëû t¨¡, which trantes to He. Both are pronounced the same, but the character is different. Which leds to the miunication of Yongning speaking about Xiao PingYang, but Xiao YuAn thinking she¡¯s talking about Yan HeQing.
Chapter 79: There are no Wild Goose Flying in the South of the Mountain. The man should have been waiting for him for a long time, his clothes were wet from the falling snow, and his shoulders were covered with ayer of frost. The man hunched his back, covered his mouth and began to cough incessantly, as if he was a withered branch that could break at any moment, so fragile looking. Xiao YuAn took a few steps forward, and his voice stuttered from surprise: ¡°Eunuch Zhao, why didn¡¯t you¡­. why¡­. haven¡¯t you left yet?¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Eunuch Zhao¡¯s voice was very hoarse: ¡°If His Majesty hasn¡¯t left, how could this old ve dare to leave?¡± Xiao YuAn was momentarily moved, he even told Eunuch Zhao to hurry and enter the Imperial bedchamber. Eunuch Zhao saw that Xiao YuAn¡¯s clothes were messy and quickly helped him to fix them. The Emperor¡¯s clothes wereplicated to wear after all. Eunuch Zhao lowered his head and devoted himself as usual, as if today was just an ordinary day. ¡°Eunuch Zhao¡­ Do you me me? Do you me me for not listening to your advice in the first ce?¡± Xiao YuAn took a deep breath and finally asked: ¡°Your Majesty, this ve is too old to remember what he said to His Majesty to make him feel so concerned.¡± Eunuch Zhao said. Xiao YuAn felt like he had a fish bone stuck in his throat1 and stuttered for a long time. In the end, he was unable to utter a single word. ¡°Your Majesty, wait, you really want to¡­.¡± Before Eunuch Zhao was able to finish his sentence, he suddenly started to cough violently, his voice sounding as dull as if it came from his chest. Xiao YuAn quickly reached out and patted him on the back, this made Eunuch Zhao so terrified that he tried to stop him. Xiao YuAn helplessly withdrew his hand as he said in a low voice: ¡°Yes, my only wish is for the enemy soldiers of the Southern Yan Kingdom to not harm themon people of the Imperial City. Eunuch Zhao, you better go, there¡¯s really no need to stay here.¡± Eunuch Zhao¡¯s back suddenly became even more hunched over, he was like a fire that had burned out, with only a few irreversible ashes left behind. With a trembling voice, he finally said: ¡°Your Majesty, let this old ve bundle His Majesty¡¯s hair onest time, just like when His Majesty was still a child.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded and casually pulled out a wooden chair to sit down. Inside this messy bedchamber, it wasn¡¯t easy for Eunuch Zhao to find a gray hair band, and when he found one, he carefully tied Xiao YuAn¡¯s hair. As if he had aplished something important, he breathed a sigh of relief. Eunuch Zhao then bowed down to his knees and turned around to walk out of the bedchamber. He dragged his body and walked against the wind and snow, his body looking so small and thin between heaven and earth. As he walked out of the Imperial bedchamber, he kept on walking until he reached the altar of the Temple of Heaven. While walking up those ny-nine steps, the intense coughing almost made him lose his step, which almost resulted in him falling down to a certain death. Eunuch Zhao stood on top of the altar of the Temple of Heaven, and then prostrated in admiration2. After that, he said: ¡°I, surnamed Zhao, have been living inside this Pce for more than 40 years and served three generations of Emperors. I¡¯m grateful for the Emperor¡¯s kindness, and I hope that under the Yellow Springs I can serve thete Emperor once again. Today, knowing that the Heavenly ritual requires a living sacrifice, I pray to the Heavens that they will listen to this old ve¡¯s words. I¡¯m not asking for the young Emperor to bath in glory and be wealthy, I just wish for him to live a healthy life without great sorrows or serious diseases. This old ve would like to sacrifice his body to the Heavens for this wish.¡± After finishing his prayer, Eunuch Zhao stood up slowly, his kneecaps bones trembling due to the cold. He stood on the altar of sacrifice, facing the wind and snow, and then he jumped down from the altar without hesitation. As soon as the blood was spilled on the weeds, the hair band on Xiao YuAn¡¯s head suddenly snapped. Xiao YuAn, who was stunned for a moment, leaned over to pick up the gray hair band and used the red and white hair pins to hold it together. After securing them together, he put them inside his inner clothes. Then, with both hands holding the State Seal3 and the map of the Northern Kingdom, he walked out of the Imperial Pce. The snowstorm in the Northern Kingdom howled bitterly, painting everything with the white snow. The Imperial City that had more than a thousand homes, waspletely deste, not a single human figure could be seen. There were white banners hanging on each door, giving the atmosphere of a city that had been dead and in silence for thousands of years. Xiao YuAn stepped in the snow and slowly walked towards the gate of the Imperial City. He was only wearing a thin white coat, and the cold wind was piercing into his bones, mercilessly taking the warm temperature out of his body. Xiao YuAn took a deep breath, his throat was dry and painful, and his limbs were gradually feeling numb. But he cannot stop. Because he could hear the faint sound of weeping and sobbing, but he didn¡¯t know where it wasing from. This miserable and mournful cry, apanied Xiao YuAn all the way to the gate of the Imperial City. Xiao YuAn stood beneath the dark grey gate of the Imperial City, and tried to look far into the distance. In the distance, he can already see the general appearance of the Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s troops. The vast army that was partly hidden under the snowstorm, this looming outline, was the nightmare of the Northern Kingdom. Xiao YuAn exhaled a white fog, lowered his head, and slowly wiped the snow off the State Seal in his hand. After doing that, he slowly started to walk towards the Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s army. Over the past 40 years, the country has been home to three thousand li4 of mountains and rivers. Every step Xiao YuAn took, the snow under his feet made a slight creaking sound. This was the anguish cry and howl of the soldiers who had killed the enemies and died in the battlefield for the Northern Kingdom, as if they were announcing their reluctance and sorrow with bloody tears. Xiao YuAn walked up to the Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s army, holding the State Seal and the map of the Country in his hands, he raised them high in the air, and then knelt on the ground. As soon as his knees hit the ground, Xiao YuAn heard the sound of the Northern Kingdom copsing behind him; just like the falling snow, wordless and umunicative5. Xiao YuAn, who was still kneeling on the ground, took a deep breath and shouted with all his strength: ¡°On this day, this sinner who has lost his Country, will be removed from the throne and the crown will leave his head, will also wait for his punishment. He will hand over the State Seal and the map of the Country. He just has one wish, don¡¯t harm themon people in the Imperial City.¡± ¡­ ¡°Report! General Xue, Yan-huangzi, the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom hase alone to surrender!¡± Inside one of the military tents, Yan HeQing and Xue Yan, who were discussing the final invasion of the Imperial City, suddenly heard the report from the deputy. Yan HeQing¡¯s pupils suddenly shrank, and not even bothering to put on his fur coat, he hurriedly got up, intending to walk outside the tent. However, a hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder in tight grip. ¡°HeQing.¡± Xue Yan¡¯s voice was calm and majestic. Yan HeQing stopped, but he didn¡¯t turn around. Xue Yan¡¯s heart was startled and his brows tightly frowned, he vaguely caught the hidden emotions of Yan HeQing. Then, he said to the deputy General: ¡°Wait outside.¡± The deputy General cupped his fists6 and left, leaving only Yan HeQing and Xue Yan inside the military tent. ¡°HeQing, let me ask you something. That jade flute that you¡¯re extremely protective of, is it a gift from the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom?¡± Instead of loosening his grip on Yan HeQing¡¯s shoulder, Xue Yan exerted even more force. Yan HeQing, who stood silent for a long time, in the end replied: ¡°Yes.¡± Xue Yan bit down on his teeth and his eyes were extremely dark. Yan HeQing was the child he had raised himself, needless to say, he had already known it inside his heart. The silence was like an invisible, tightly entangling the two of them. After a long time, Xue Yan withdrew his hand and said: ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll go first to see if the Northern Kingdom is lying.¡± ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ll go with you¡­ ¡± Yan HeQing turned around. His eyes were firm and persistent, his tone of voice was calm and unhurried. ¡°HeQing.¡± Xue Yan suddenly interrupted Yan HeQing. He lifted the curtain of the military tent. The snow was being blown by the wind, whistling away the warmth of the tent. Xue Yan looked over his shoulder at Yan HeQing: ¡°You¡¯re the Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom, not the male concubine of the Northern Kingdom.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened, and his head dropped. His eyebrows were hidden in the dark, not a hint of brightness could be seen. Xue Yan didn¡¯t shut up just because of Yan HeQing¡¯s change of attitude. He refined his words into a sharp de, ruthlessly cutting Yan HeQing¡¯s wounds deeper. He wanted Yan HeQing to remember thatpared to the hatred in the name of his lost family and devastated Country, the love between youngsters wasn¡¯t worth mentioning at all: ¡°HeQing, you represent the soldiers of the Southern Yan Kingdom, the people who were once ruined by the Northern Kingdom. Under your feet, the corpses of your parents are buried, and over your head, there are the grieving souls of themon people. Have you already forgotten the tragic scenes the Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s destruction suffered back then?¡± After finishing his speech, Xue Yan lifted the curtain and left. The northern wind was mournful and cruel. Well, we did got yed by the author with the cliffhanger of the (I did tought it was YHQ who stood in front of XYA¡¯s bedchamber the first time I read the novel) In the end, it was Eunuch Zhao, who sacrificed himself for the sake of his Emperor. (¡ä£»§Õ£»`) But they¡¯re so closeeeeee¡­ (screams)(;£àO¡ä)o Also, YHQ¡¯s uncle sure loves to make long speeches huh? Footnotes
  1. ÈçöáÔÚºí r¨² g¨§ng z¨¤i h¨®u; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom that means that it¡¯s hard to say something, but also, when someone¡¯s very upset and needs to express their displeasure. From ¡¶ËµÎĽâ×Ö¡·(shu¨­ w¨¦n ji¨§ z¨¬), ¡°Analytical Dictionary of Characters¡± written by (ÐíÉ÷ x¨³ sh¨¨n) Xu Shen [58-148], he was a Chinese politician, philologist and writer, thepiler of the original Han Dynasty dictionary.
  2. ÎåÌåͶµØ w¨³ t¨« t¨®u d¨¬; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, which means touching the ground with both hands, knees and head together. It is one of the most respectful rituals in ancient Indian Buddhism. A metaphor for admiration to the extreme. From¡¶´óÌÆÎ÷Óò¼Ç¡¤Èý¹ú¡·(d¨¤ t¨¢ng x¨© y¨´ j¨¬¡¤s¨¡n gu¨®), ¡°Great Tang Records on the Western Regions: Three Kingdoms period¡±, written by (ÐþÞÊ xu¨¢n z¨¤ng) Xuanzang [602-664], a Buddhist monk and trantor from the Tang Dynasty [618-907], who traveled to India between 629-645.
  3. ¹úçô gu¨® x¨«; The Seal of the State is a seal representing the symbol of the Country, used by the head of state, and is generally made of jade or gold and silver. Li Si, the Prime Minister of the Qin Dynasty, following the orders of the First Emperor, engraved with Bi jade (Bi is a jade artifact from ancient China, is a t disc with a circr hole in the center) ¡°The Seal of Heaven¡±, known inter generations as ¡°The Seal of the State¡±. It¡¯s the evidence of the legitimacy of the Imperial Court in ancient China.
  4. ǧÀï qi¨¡n l¨«; A thousand li = 500 kilometers. So three thousand li equals to 1,500 kilometers.
  5. ÎÞÉùÎÞÏ¢ w¨² sh¨¥ng w¨² x¨©; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means that there¡¯s no sound at all, no breath. It¡¯s a metaphor for having no reputation and not being known by anyone. From¡¶Ê«¾­¡¤´óÑÅ¡¤ÎÄÍõ¡·(sh¨© j¨©ng¡¤d¨¤ y¨£¡¤w¨¦n w¨¢ng), ¡°Book of Songs: Da Ya, Wen Wang¡±, the early collection of Chinese poems and one of the Five ssics of Confucianism.
  6. ±§È­ b¨¤o qu¨¢n; To cup one fist in the other hand, as a sign of respect.
Chapter 80: Ever Since Our Separation, Why Are You So Thin? Xiao YuAn knelt in the snow for a long time. The falling snow soaked through his clothes and the wind froze his wet clothes, turning them cold and hard. Just when Xiao YuAn felt he could not hold on any longer, he heard the sound of hoofbeatsing from the front. He raised his head against the wind and snow, however, he couldn¡¯t see that familiar silhouette. Does Yan HeQing not want to see him? Was it intolerable to see him? No, definitely not. He wasn¡¯t worth making Yan HeQing feel intolerance. That¡¯s right, Yan HeQing doesn¡¯t even care about him at all. Even when Xiao YuAn was surrendering to him, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t even bother toe see him. The corner of Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth raised in a bitter smile. What was he expecting? Was he expecting for Yan HeQing to be kind to him just because of their former interactions? Perhaps what he had done wasn¡¯t worth mentioning for Yan HeQing at all. He also knew how much humiliation the Northern Kingdom put Yan HeQing through when he stayed there. Yan HeQing had hatred inside his heart, how could he put other things under his eyes. Even though he told Yan HeQing about his previous life, maybe from beginning to end, in Yan HeQing¡¯s heart, he was still the young Emperor of the Northern Kingdom; the Ruler of the Country that destroyed his, the Ruler of the Country that captured him and wanted to imprison him as a male concubine. ording to Yan HeQing¡¯s reclusive character, perhaps the intimacy he showed to him before was just a disguise to save his own life. Perhaps Yan HeQing had always hated him as much as the original. Xiao YuAn¡¯s thoughts were pulled back by the sound of the horse¡¯s hooves stopping in front of him. After the deputy General whispered some words with Xue Yan, he rode forward and suddenly whipped Xiao YuAn¡¯s frozen hands with a whip. Instantly, the State Seal, the map, and some blood tumbled down on the snow. The blood mixed together with the snow, dying it bright red; as Xiao YuAn inhaled fiercely, trying to swallow the sobs inside his throat. Seeing that Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t lie, the deputy General dismounted, picked up the map and the State Seal, and then handed them over to Xue Yan: ¡°General Xue, I¡¯ve confirmed that there¡¯s nothing wrong with these.¡± Xue Yan looked with a cold stare at Xiao YuAn, nodded to the deputy General, and then led the army into the Imperial City. Xiao YuAn followed behind the cavalry line of the Southern Yan Kingdom. His hands were tied to a horse by the reins, and he was being half dragged, half walking towards the Northern Kingdom¡¯s Imperial City. The cold invaded Xiao YuAn¡¯s muscles and bones, and his eyes were blurred. He was too weak and too exhausted to keep up with the speed of the horse¡¯s pace. He staggered as he was being dragged along, and his wrists were bleeding due to the friction from the reins. The army of the Southern Yan Kingdom set foot on thend of the Imperial City of the Northern Kingdom in a mighty way, announcing theplete annihtion of this Country¡¯s long history. Suddenly, the sound of hurried horses¡¯ hooves came from the rear of the army, and as Xiao YuAn raised his head, the familiar figure of a man was reflected in his eyes. His silver spear, red tassel, and a mighty sword were on his person. His appearance was dignified and his posture was straight, just as described in the original book. Xiao YuAn¡¯s mind suddenly went nk for a moment. There was no fear, no panic, and no resentment inside of him. When he looked at Yan HeQing without fear, it was like watching an unhappy, but shocking appearance. Yan HeQing turned over and dismounted from his horse, then he quickly walked to Xiao YuAn. However, all of a sudden, someone riding a horse stopped right in front of him. ¡°HeQing.¡± Xue Yan¡¯s face was filled with hidden anger: ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Yan HeQing bowed respectfully to him, but he had no more words to say, as he bypassed the horse in front of him without looking back. Xue Yan quickly dismounted his horse and blocked Yan HeQing¡¯s path with his own body. His blue veins showed on his forehead as he gnashed his teeth in anger1: ¡°HeQing, have you forgotten who the enemies of our Country are?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes were as cold as ck jade: ¡°I¡¯ve led the army to break through the Northern Kingdom, and once the shame of the past is gone, the hatred between us will disappear.¡± Xue Yan was startled for a moment, and his lips trembled slightly: ¡°Fine. Even if that¡¯s the case if you were to protect the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, what will the world say? They¡¯ll say that you¡¯re willing to be a male concubine ve for the rest of your life, they¡¯ll say you¡¯ve broken your spine! And what will our Officers and men think? They¡¯ll think that you only care about love, that you¡¯re not worthy of being the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom!¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes fell on Xiao YuAn without moving away at all. Then he replied with confidence: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The fact that YHQ¡¯s first intention was to run towards XYA makes me so soft (?¨@? ?? ?¨A??)¡­ but then I remember that XYA believes that YHQ hates him now (or he thinks that everything that happened between them was a pretense and YHQ in reality never liked him and always regarded him as just the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom) (¡ä£»§¥£»£à) Ahhhh these mimunications are so painful!!!! (Also, did y¡¯all noticed that Xue Yan doesn¡¯t have a problem with YHQ liking a man but the fact that he just had to be their enemy? Or it is just my mind ying tricks?) (????;) Footnotes
  1. Ò§ÑÀÇÐ³Ý y¨£o y¨¢ qi¨¨ ch¨«; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, used to describe extreme hatred or resentment. Or to try to suppress an emotion or strong feeling. From¡¶¿±Í·½í¡·(k¨¡n t¨®u j¨©n), ¡°Headscarf¡±, written by (ËïÖÙÕ s¨±n zh¨°ng zh¨¡ng) Sun Zhongzhang [birth and death unknown], a poem written from the Yuan or Mongol Dynasty [1279-1368].
Chapter 81: I’ve Seen the Raging Sea, but the Water Elsewhere is not Worth Mentioning. Yan HeQing¡¯s reply made Xue Yan take a small step back. He had seen Yan HeQing act like this before. It was when Yan HeQing was only fifteen years old. That year, a small country in the Northern border, who was on good terms with the Southern Yan Kingdom, paid a tribute to them with a snow leopard cub. When the young Yan HeQing, along with the several other Princes of the Southern Yan Kingdom, saw such a beautiful and fierce animal, they immediately fell in love with it and begged their father for it. At that time, the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom didn¡¯t want to give the snow leopard to anyone; but since he couldn¡¯t say ¡®no¡¯ to the Princes, he made a promise: ¡°Whoever can hunt a tiger first, I will give this snow leopard to them.¡± At that time, the oldest Prince was only 17 years old, so they were all still very young. Not to mention a tiger, even a hungry wolf would be difficult for them to handle. Of course, the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom said these words to let them forget the idea of getting the snow leopard. Sure enough, the next day, none of the Princes asked his father about the snow leopard again. However, seven dayster, Yan HeQing suddenly disappeared. The Imperial Pce was inplete chaos, and someone found hunting books and hunting tools in Yan HeQing¡¯s bedchamber. The Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom then sent some troops to search for him in the deep forest near the Imperial City. Yan HeQing waster found in a mountain stream. He was bruised and almost out of breath, but beside him,id the body of a young tiger. Xue Yan still remembers that when he went to visit Yan HeQing, he was covered in gauze bandages and smeared with medicine, and despite the servant¡¯s advice, he insisted on standing in front of the snow leopard¡¯s cage. He was staring at the graceful and beautiful animal, refusing to look away for even an instant. When Yan HeQing heard the sound of Xue Yan¡¯s footsteps, he turned back to stare at him. Xue Yan then was able to see that his eyes were filled with unconceble joy, and his voice rose as if he wanted to announce it to the world: ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s mine.¡± Yan HeQing was just 15 years old that year. The fifteen-year-old Yan HeQing had already risked his life to fight for what he wanted, and no one was able to stop him then. And now that he had already grown up, how could Xue Yan even try to stop him? Yan HeQing saluted Xue Yan one more time, seemingly as a gesture of respect, but in reality, this was an ultimatum to Xue Yan. Xue Yan watched as Yan HeQing walked towards Xiao YuAn. When suddenly, he remembered something and called out to him: ¡°Wait.¡± Xue Yan just remembered that something else happened after the snow leopard incident. Three months after the snow leopard was paid as a tribute, summer arrived at the Southern Yan Kingdom. Because the snow leopard couldn¡¯t adapt to the warm climate of the South, it began to be listless and even fell ill countless times. Yan HeQing was so anxious that he stayed close to the cage every day. The Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom looked at his appearance and sent an envoy to inquire about how to treat the snow leopard. The envoy said: ¡°The only way to get the snow leopard to go back to a healthy state, is to send him back to the North. It¡¯s not necessarily impossible for it to stay in the South, but it won¡¯t be easy for it to grow up healthy.¡± Yan HeQing was silent for a long time until he finally asked: ¡°Will it die if we don¡¯t send it back to the Northern border?¡± The envoy replied: ¡°It¡¯s possible that even if it doesn¡¯t die, it won¡¯t live long either.¡± The Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom thought that because Yan HeQing loved the snow leopard so much, he wouldn¡¯t be willing to let it be sent back to the North. So he hastily sent the envoy away without mentioning it again. However, three dayster, Yan HeQing personally took care of everything and asked the envoy to leave the South with the snow leopard. Although Yan HeQing never mentioned it again, the maidservant told Xue Yan that Yan HeQing often stared at the empty cage. After recalling this, Xue Yan quickly reorganized his words to persuade him, and when he saw that Yan HeQing didn¡¯t stop when he called him, he slightly raised his voice: ¡°Even if you¡¯re willing to protect him, you¡¯ve already destroyed his Country. What will he think of you? And, will he even be willing to be protected by you?¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s body stiffened and his steps almost stopped. However, he wasn¡¯t willing to stop at all in the end. An extra chapter for the week thanks to ko-fi donations! ???(?????)?*??? And we got to see such an adorable side of YHQ too ??(?¨@??¨A? ) And now, next Monday, our dear couple will officially reunite after months (for them) and several chapters (for us) of separation!!!! ?.? !! Chapter 82: Our Main Goal Is To! Stay Alive! Stay Alive! And Stay Alive! Chapter 82: Our Main Goal Is To! Stay Alive! Stay Alive! And Stay Alive! Xiao YuAn was trying really hard to make his presence as small as possible. Yan HeQing was talking to a middle-aged General, and while they talked, his face was extremely bad. Xiao YuAn knew very well that if Yan HeQing, who¡¯s the male lead, was feeling unhappy, then a cannon fodder viin like himself will be very unlucky. What¡¯s more, after the Northern Kingdom was conquered by Yan HeQing, thebel of ¡°Shuangwen¡±1 was added to this story. A Shuangwen, my friends!!! Shuangwen, a.k.a ¡°I¡¯m the best in the world at what I do. Wherever I go, I¡¯ll have a smooth path ahead of me, apanied by tons of wives and concubines by my side!!!¡± If he still dares to stand in front of the male lead at a time like this, when he¡¯s clearly in a bad mood, then he¡¯s definitely stupid! Xiao YuAn lowered his head to avoid making eye contact with Yan HeQing, and moved slowly behind the horse of a Southern Yan Official beside him. He was poorly trying to hide his figure. ording to the original book, he must be sent to his Imperial bedchamber before he is killed by Yan HeQing¡¯s own hands. So for now, he could still survive for a little while. The horse ridden by the Southern Yan Official was disturbed by Xiao YuAn¡¯s actions, and his hooves pushed impatiently on the ground. The Official looked back and saw Xiao YuAn moving restlessly, so he poked him with the hilt of his sword and yelled: ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Be honest!!!¡± Consequently, Xiao YuAn was poked out again and again: ¡°¡­¡­¡± This friend!!! You¡¯re also a cannon fodder! Can¡¯t you even give me a little warmth and love?! I¡¯m already really screwed right now! You¡¯re just adding fuel to the fire!2 Right, human hearts aren¡¯t what they used to be in the old days! The moral degeneration of the world is getting worse day by day!3 Total moral decay! Xiao YuAn carefully looked at Yan HeQing, only to see him walking over at a high speed, his face looking even gloomier than before. Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart thudded, secretly sighing in distress. When the Southern Yan Official saw Yan HeQing approaching, he turned over his horse, dismounted, and finally saluted him: ¡°Yan-huangzi.¡± Yan HeQing swept past him with a cold aura, causing the Official to be sincerely terrified. Xiao YuAn quickly bowed his head, taking a few steps back and trying to hide in the shadows. Look, look! If you hadn¡¯t poked at me just now, Yan HeQing wouldn¡¯t have gotten angry just because he saw this viin! And you, you don¡¯t have to be angry for absolutely no reason whatsoever! Don¡¯t you know that as long as everyone shows a little kindness, the world will be a better and beautiful ce?! Xiao YuAn was still listening to his heart as if it was a broken record when he suddenly heard the nk of a sharp sword being unsheathed. Xiao YuAn was so shocked that he quickly raised his head, only to see that Yan HeQing had already pulled out the thin sword from the scabbard hanging at his waist. The silver light of the de dazzled, making Xiao YuAn¡¯s body feel cold. Damn, this was happening way too soon. You can¡¯t even wait before he¡¯s sent to the Imperial bedchamber?! Can¡¯t you just follow the original plot?! Move that sword away from his body! The viins also have the right to say a fewst words! The viins also need to be treated with kindness! Even if you¡¯re the male lead, you can¡¯t just kill people at random, right? This Viin must not lose face! When the silver sword fell, Xiao YuAn inhaled and closed his eyes. Instinctively, he wanted to retreat, however, his frozen legs didn¡¯t obey him at all. In the end, the only thing he could do was to stay where he stood, waiting for the imminent pain toe. However, as he waited left and right, he still didn¡¯t feel the expected pain. Instead, his hands, which were bound by the reins a seconds ago, suddenly rxed. Xiao YuAn slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was that the reins were cut in half by the sword, pitifully falling to the snow. Yan HeQing took back the scabbard of the sword and fixed his gaze on the bloodstains left behind on Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrists from the reins. After ruthlessly suppressing the heartache and self-loathing under his eyes, he reached out his hand towards Xiao YuAn, trying to pull him towards himself. Xiao YuAn was so frightened by this action that he took a few steps back, but he ended up stumbling, and almost fell to the ground. Yan HeQing¡¯s hand froze in mid-air. He knew it, he knew it full well. He knew how humiliating and resentful it was for a ruler to have his Country conquered by the enemy. The Northern Kingdom had once made him realize what true bitterness was like, what hatred felt like. For how much he once hated the Northern Kingdom, now it was how much Xiao YuAn must hate him. But, did he ever have any other choice? Of course, he didn¡¯t. From the moment the Northern Kingdom troops set foot in the territory of the Southern Yan Kingdom, from the moment thete Emperor of the Northern Kingdom massacred themon people in the Imperial City of the Southern Yan Kingdom, from the moment the Country was littered with corpses and bloodshed¡­ Thest thing the Southern Yan Kingdomcked was soldiers who hated the Northern Kingdom. All the sins were deeply buried when the Northern Kingdom decided to attack the Southern Yan Kingdom. It was a momentary decision that pushed both Countries into a turbulent abyss of destruction. Even if he didn¡¯te, Xue Yan would¡¯ve led the army to attack the Northern Kingdom with other Generals and Officials at his side, the Generals and Officials that survived under the struggling times of the Southern Yan Kingdom. They were the men that crawled out of the sea of blood, bones, and corpses left behind. To take revenge against the Northern Kingdom by any necessary means. In order to make the Northern Kingdom taste the pain they once felt, the war between both Countries was inevitable. If he didn¡¯te, then what would happen to Xiao YuAn when the Northern Kingdom gets attacked? Yan HeQing didn¡¯t dare to even think about it. Even though Yan HeQing didn¡¯t know who would¡¯ve won the battle at the time, he didn¡¯t dare to take that gamble. He wasn¡¯t afraid of the mass graves, nor was he afraid of being merciless with the sword, he wasn¡¯t even afraid of being tortured or humiliated. But at a time like this, he actually turned into a coward. Yan HeQing raised his head to look at the scenery of the Northern Kingdom¡¯s Imperial City, which was both familiar to him as it was unfamiliar. The wind swept past some snow, the sky and the earth were filled with a ¡°once upon a time¡± that couldn¡¯t be returned. Xiao YuAn thought that Yan HeQing was going to hit him. However, this can¡¯t be med on Xiao YuAn for having such a peculiar idea. The main reason was that Yan HeQing treated the young Emperor of the Northern Kingdom that way in the original book. However, the young Emperor of the Northern Kingdom was captured at the entrance of the Imperial Pce, so the difference in the location made Xiao YuAn feel a little strange: Has the original plot quietly changed again? While he was thinking about why the location was different this time, he perceived that Yan HeQing withdrew his hand. After that, Yan HeQing said: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I won¡¯t touch you. You can walk on your own, I¡¯ll take you to your bedroom.¡± They saw each other at least! ¡­ but oh the misunderstanding!!! (¡ä;¦à;`) XYA is not the only one thinking that YHQ hates him, YHQ thinks XYA must hate him too¡­ I¡¯m so saaaadd £¨£»¤Ø£º£© ?:?(;¡ä¡É`;)?:? Chapter 83: Our main goal is to! Make Trouble! Make Trouble! And Make Trouble! Chapter 83: Our Main Goal Is To! Make Trouble! Make Trouble! And Make Trouble! WARNING: Self Harm. All right!!! As expected, it turns out that you still need the specific location to trigger the original plot!!! Xiao YuAn nodded his head slowly and walked, with one heavy footstep followed by a light footstep, towards the bedchamber. As the snow fell, Xiao YuAn¡¯s clothes were soaked wet; and since he only wore a thin white coat, he froze for most of the night. At this time, his eyes were dazed and his feet constantly stumbled. Every ten steps he had to stop for a moment to catch his breath, his back and shoulders were slightly hunched over, his shoulders feeling as if they weighed a thousand pounds due to exhaustion. This action jostled the dagger hidden in his bosom, alongside the two hairpins and the headband, pinching his flesh, which made Xiao YuAn feel a strong pain that allowed his consciousness to not be swallowed up by the cold so quickly. He tried to concentrate all of his remaining energy on walking the road in front of him, without noticing that Yan HeQing was carefully following behind him, and that his eyes were filled with depression and pain. Yan HeQing opened his mouth several times and stretched out his hand several times. But in the end, the words he wanted to say but didn¡¯t dare to, were lost to the wind and snow. Slowly, his outstretched hand clenched into a fist, and his arm went back to its original position. And just like that, a journey that originally took a quarter of an hour, took them half an hour to walk all the way back. Xiao YuAn stopped at the entrance of the Imperial bedchamber, exhaled a long breath of white fog, and then turned around to face Yan HeQing. After a few months of being apart, the two of them were looking at each other again. However, this time around, the emotions hidden in the depths of each other¡¯s eyes were not as frank anymore. Xiao YuAn thought: In the original book, what was the mood of the young Emperor of the Northern Kingdom when he saw such an elegant and unrivalled man, standing right in front of him? Did he feel more anger than fear? Or was his fear far greater than the hate he felt? What was the young Emperor¡¯s mood, when Yan HeQing plucked out his bloody bones out of his still alive body? What about Yan HeQing? Was he able to vent his anger? He must¡¯ve felt relieved, the enemies who once destroyed his family andter forgot about his Country. Those who used to bully and hate his people and himself. Those who made him crawl on the ground once, all of them became indifferent to him after a single sh, doesn¡¯t it? Xiao YuAn watched as Yan HeQing walked closer towards him, and ever since Yan HeQing left, Xiao YuAn would often dream of this scene. In his dream, sometimes he was the young Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, and other times, he was an spector. But it didn¡¯t matter what kind of role he took, he had always felt cold and frightened. But now, when this moment really came, Xiao YuAn realized that he wasn¡¯t really afraid of Yan HeQing at all. He stood there calmly, just like every time he saw Yan HeQing walking towards him in the past. However, after things developed until this point, nothing was like it used to be. Xiao YuAn dropped his gaze and took out the dagger from his bosom. After seeing this, Yan HeQing suddenly stopped walking and looked at Xiao YuAn intensively, with the intention of not turning his gaze away. Xiao YuAn took a deep breath and suddenly ced the de of the dagger on his arm, making a deep cut on his own flesh. Under such circumstances, it was better to kill himself rather than let Yan HeQing dirty his hands. The scarlet blood and the silver light of the dagger pierced into Yan HeQing¡¯s astonished eyes, this scene caused his internal organs to tremble with great pain. Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes shrunk as he took a hurried step forward, however, Xiao YuAn suddenly raised his voice: ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯te over, please listen to me, please listen to me.¡± After several pleas, Yan HeQing was forced to stop advancing any more. As he stared at the dagger in Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands, his Adam¡¯s apple rolled up and down, and he felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe right.. Xiao YuAn steadied his mind and stretched out his injured arm, letting the red blood to drip down his arm and fall onto the snow. After the pain eased a little bit, Xiao YuAn slowly opened his mouth: ¡°Yan HeQing, with this dagger on me I beg you, please let Eunuch Zhao go, please don¡¯t punish themon people of the Northern Kingdom. If you have any anger or wish for revenge, you can just take it out on me, ten times greater.¡± As soon as he finished talking, Xiao YuAn made another deep cut on his arm. The blood stained the white flesh, and as the strong pain made Xiao YuAn¡¯s entire body shrink and tremble, he said in a slow breath: ¡°These wounds are for the sake of your lost people. In those years, thete Emperor destroyed your Country and killed your family. Now, it¡¯s the turn of the Royal family of the Northern Kingdom to disappear. But I beg you, please protect Ning¡¯er. She¡¯s in Yongning Pce now, I hope you can hurry up and find her. Anyway, I can¡¯t escape from the Pce. After everything is settled, you can punish me by cutting me into pieces1 whenever you want ¡­.¡± Before Xiao YuAn could finish his words, Yan HeQing suddenly stepped forward and took the dagger away from him. Everything happened in a blink of an eye, Xiao YuAn was only able to see a shaking shadow in front of him, when right the next second, Yan HeQing was already standing by his side. Xiao YuAn instinctively wanted to step back, but his whole body felt painful and stiff; because of this, he wasn¡¯t able to control his pace and staggered backwards. But he didn¡¯t fall on the ground, because his waist was suddenly held by the man standing at his side. Xiao YuAn then was suddenly surrounded by the warmthing from Yan HeQing¡¯s body. Yan HeQing held Xiao YuAn tightly with one hand and with his other one pressed hard on his wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Yan HeQing¡¯s hands were trembling and his lips turned white, as if these shockingly deep wounds were on his own body. Xiao YuAn waspletely stunned, and when he slightly opened his mouth, he didn¡¯t know what to say. After a moment of hesitation, a sudden dull pain grew inside his chest. This was the umtion of the depression he felt, seeing all of the hard work he did in vain that suddenly erupted after being repressed for so many days. A mouthful of fishy sweetness came out of his throat, staining everything with a frightening red color. After coughing up blood, Xiao YuAn¡¯s head exploded with aching pain. From a distance, he seemed to faintly hear that Yan HeQing was anxiously calling for him, this cry was so painful that his heart and lungs could be torn apart. However, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t really hear what he was saying to him, and he was trying really hard to respond, but in the end, Xiao YuAn¡¯s strength eventually failed him, as he fainted into darkness. XYA!!!! Why do you have to act so hastily??? Why do you have this tendency of hurting yourself for the ¡°sake¡± of others?!!(¥Î?Òæ?)¥Îáê©ß©¥©ß Pls stop, YHQ doesn¡¯t want to see you suffer like this!!?:?(;¡ä¡É`;)?:? This must¡¯ve been a huge shock for YHQ, he just wanted to send XYA to a safe ce where they could (maybe) talk a little (altough, I¡¯m not so sure about that, considering that YHQ doesn¡¯tmunicate at all and XYA firmly believes that he¡¯s hated¡­ sigh) It¡¯s even more sad that XYA wanted to protect Eunuch Zhao¡¯s life too without knowing that he already sacrificed his own flesh and blood for XYA¡¯s sake¡­ (cries) Chapter 84: Our Main Goal Is! The Princess! The Princess! And The Princess! Chapter 84: Our Main Goal Is! The Princess! The Princess! And The Princess! WARNING: There¡¯s attempt of r*pe on thest half of the chapter. ¡°Dage, if someone finds out about what we¡¯re doing, we¡¯ll suffer under the military stick!¡± At this time, the troops of the Southern Yan Kingdom were still stationed outside the Imperial Pce of the Northern Kingdom. However, two soldiers of the Southern Yan suddenly appeared inside the Pce. One of them was a slightly skinny soldier standing on his tiptoes, nervously looking around. His face showed the extreme panic he was feeling at the moment, and he was trying to hold onto the stronger soldier walking in front of him. ¡°Coward. Go back then, I¡¯ll take all the money I can find for myself.¡± The strong soldier looked at the thin soldier with disdain as he quickened his pace. The thin soldier hesitated for a long time, but in the end, he decided to quickly follow the strong soldier. The two soldiers, who wanted to take advantage of the fact that the army had yet to enter the Imperial Pce, were searching for some belongings left behind by the fugitives. After all, this was the Imperial Pce of the Northern Kingdom, who once stood in prosperity, and it really didn¡¯t take them much time to find quite a lot of valuable treasures. ¡°Dage, isn¡¯t this enough? Should we go back now?¡± The thin soldier put half a piece of emerald into his clothes and then turned to look at the strong soldier. The strong soldier picked a small piece of gold from a dresser, and just when he was about to nod his head, his eyes suddenly paused on arge hall in front of him: ¡°Wait, we¡¯ll leave after we search this hall.¡± The thin soldier followed his gaze and couldn¡¯t help but swallow saliva: ¡°So magnificent? There must be a lot of good stuff, huh? The que hasn¡¯t fallen off yet, uhm Dage? What¡¯s this word? What does Ning mean?¡± ¡°Why do you care about the damn word! Hurry the fuck up! Stop spitting nonsense!¡± With a low roar, the strong soldier turned and walked into the hall. The hall wasn¡¯t as messy and wretched as the rest of the Imperial Pce, which made both soldiers very stunned, and yet, they still walked inside very boldly. The strong soldier took a look at every side of the hall, and then raised his feet to walk to a wing room. The thin soldier was puzzled with this behaviour, and while following close behind, he asked: ¡°Dage, why don¡¯t we go to the main hall?¡± ¡°You clearly don¡¯t know anything, this Pce looks like the ce where a Princess or a Prince would live. For people like them, valuable things should of course be put into the wing rooms!¡± The strong soldier snorted. The thin soldier suddenly realized that what he said made sense: ¡°Dage is wise, really wise!¡± They quickly walked to the wing room, only to see the door closed. One of them took a few forward and kicked it open. When they were about to enter the wing room they froze in ce. They never expected that there would still be someone upying the wing room. Princess Yongning was shocked by the sudden sound of the door being violently kicked open. She steadied herself and turned her head to look over. Wearing a white gauze dress, she was capable of causing the downfall of a City or a State1. ¡°¡­This¡­this¡­.¡± The thin soldier¡¯s eyes were looking straight at her, and he was unable toplete a sentence for a long time. ¡°How beautiful this woman is!¡± The strong soldier¡¯s saliva almost came out of his mouth. ¡°Da-dage, there¡¯s no one here, so why don¡¯t we¡­ let¡¯s¡­.¡± The thin soldier stared at Princess Yongning, and for an instant, she started to walk away, step by step. ¡°What nonsense are you thinking?¡± The strong soldier suddenly snapped at him. ¡°Dage, I just want to¡­ just want to¡­¡± The thin soldier scratched his head looking like a thief: ¡°Dage, I¡¯ve never seen such a beautiful woman before, I just want to taste what it¡¯s like to be enchanted by her. Anyway, there¡¯s no one around. When we¡¯re done with her, we¡¯ll just kill her and bury her in the backyard. No one will know this ever happened. Everything will be fine, let¡¯s do it, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Before the thin soldier could finish his words, he was pped in the face by the strong soldier: ¡°You fucking¡­ I- pah!2, look at your virtue, a respectable man should never act like an animal. Very well, let¡¯s take something valuable and leave this ce at once.¡± The thin soldier who was pped on the face went stunned, and after weakly nodding his head, he followed behind the strong soldier. Suddenly, he pulled out a sword hanging from his waist and cut the strong soldier¡¯s neck in one fell swoop. Blood spurted out from the freshly made wound on the neck. His eyes were open wide as he covered his neck with a hand, slowly dying, without being able to say ast word. The thin soldier sneered and turned to look at Princess Yongning. These unexpected events had already rmed Princess Yongning to the core, but the door was being blocked by the two men, making it impossible for her to escape. Princess Yongning immediately ran to the window, trying to climb out of the window in a panicked state. Unfortunately, as soon as she ran to the window, the thin soldier also ran behind her and grabbed her by the ankle, pulling her down. ¡°Let me go!¡± Princess Yongning yelled, her face already pale from fright. Even though she had lived inside this deep Imperial Pce for a long time and she always remained innocent since childhood; she also understood the evil hearts of humans, and she also understood what might happen to her right this second. ¡°Behave yourself!¡± The thin soldier viciously covered Princess Yongning¡¯s mouth and fiercely began to tear her clothes apart. Princess Yongning struggled hard, but how could she fight against a trained soldier? After a short while, her clothes were half torn open. Princess Yongning had never been so insulted like this in her whole life, her body was trembling as she tried to cover herself, her limbs werepletely cold. She felt fear and disgust when the palm of the thin soldier tightly covered her nose and mouth to prevent her from having the slightest chance to breathe. But Princess Yongning didn¡¯t give up struggling until she took advantage of the moment when the thin soldier was cursing and trying to untie his clothes, she sent her knee with great force towards his crotch, and then she quickly got up! ¡°Bitch!¡± After the thin soldier felt the horrible paining from his lower area, his tight grip on her was loosened. But he then quickly stood up and blocked the road towards the door or window, impeding her to get out. Once again he reached out to catch Princess Yongning. Seeing that she was about to get caught again, Princess Yongning took two sharp breaths and suddenly turned around and mmed herself into a pir! She had been carefree all her life, growing up peacefully and with good health in the Northern Kingdom, under the protection of her father and elder brother. If no one is here to protect her now, she can only protect herself in this way. Princess Yongning wasn¡¯t afraid of being alone, and although she has never been out of the Imperial City, she also knows how to be strong. Therefore, this collision was herst dignity as a Princess of the Northern Kingdom. Herst determination, herst innocence, herstck of remorse and fearlessness. But the moment she was about to hit the pir, Princess Yongning suddenly stopped. She copsed and suddenly fell on her knees, clenching her hands into fists, some tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn¡¯t stop because she was afraid of death. She stopped because she had promised her elder brother that she would live, no matter what, she should stay alive! The thin soldier was originally horrified by Princess Yingning¡¯s desperate decision, but after he saw that she abruptly stopped midway, he took a long breath and walked over with a lustful smile: ¡°Oh, you¡¯re afraid of death? Don¡¯t worry, this master will serve you well, will make you feelfortable and will keep you alive.¡± Princess Yongning saw that the thin soldier¡¯s outstretched hand was about to touch her again, when suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps came from the doorway.. The thin soldier was shocked and quickly turned around, but the only thing he was able to see was the sh of a bright red in front of his eyes. The next second, the red robe was wrapped tightly around Princess Yongning¡¯s body, and the thin soldier¡¯s chest was pierced with a thin sword. Ugh, that thin soldier is such an incel¡­ aagh I¡¯m so mad at this chapter, it was so frustating to trante(¨p?Òæ?)! Whoever dares to hurt Yongning is dead meat(#£àÃó¡ä) Thankfuly, she was saved by someone¡­ who might that be (????) Chapter 85: Our Main Goal Is To! Calm Down! Calm Down! And Calm Down! Xiao PingYang hugged Princess Yongning tightly in her arms, blocking her view. Then she coldly pulled the thin sword out of the thin soldier¡¯s chest, sshing blood all over the ce. However, not a single drop fell on Princess Yongning. Princess Yongning opened her eyes in disbelief, tears rolled out from the corner of her eyes. Her body trembled all over, but it wasn¡¯t due to fear; she held onto Xiao PingYang¡¯s sleeve tightly, as if the person in front of her would disappear if her hand loosened even for a bit: ¡°PingYang? Ping¡­ PingYang?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte, I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Xiao PingYang wiped off the blood from her hands before stretching out her hand to touch Princess Yongning¡¯s hair soothingly. It was clear that she didn¡¯t feel fear when the Country got conquered by the enemy. She didn¡¯t feel fear while she was all alone, waiting. And she didn¡¯t feel panic when that soldier insulted and humiliated her that way. But why after beingforted, did all the grievances suddenly surged into her throat and pressed down inside her heart? Princess Yongning didn¡¯t know why she, hidden in Xiao PingYang¡¯s arms, began to bawl as if she wanted to cry out all her repressed feelings. When she finally dried her tears, she was once again that innocent girl who danced with her sleeves flying in the air. When the mood had calmed down a bit, Princess Yongning wiped her reddened eyes and said with a sobbing voice: ¡°Ping-PingYang, you, why are you here?¡± ¡°The news of the war between the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Yan Kingdom spread to the Western Shu Kingdom. But since the Western Shu Kingdom is on good terms with both Countries, it wasn¡¯t convenient for me to send troops, so I decided toe here myself.¡± ¡°You, you, you came here alone?¡± ¡°No, although the Western Shu Kingdom cannot send troops, I have my own team. But I was afraid that leading troops into the Imperial Pce will cause disputes between the two Countries. So that¡¯s why I came alone to look for you. Speaking of which, I was at the post station outside Imperial City and met with two people, I¡¯ll take you out as quickly as possible.¡± After saying that, Xiao PingYang held Princess Yongning¡¯s hand and they were about to walk out of her Pce, but they suddenly stopped. Yan HeQing stood at the entrance of the bedchamber. His eyes were moving back and forth between the two of them and the two corpses lying on the ground, until finally, his eyes fell onto Xiao PingYang. Xiao PingYang took out her thin sword hanging from her waist to protect herself and Princess Yongning. She bit her lower lip as if she was thinking about what to say next. Yan HeQing calmly turned his gaze to the gold and jade items scattered around one of the corpses lying in the floor, and then looked at the torn clothes of Princess Yongning. With just these few nces, he roughly guessed what happened here. Xiao PingYang suppressed her panic and calmly said: ¡°Your Country¡¯s soldiers¡­¡± ¡°There are no soldiers in my Southern Yan Kingdom who don¡¯t follow our Military regtions.¡± Yan HeQing interrupted her indifferently, then he turned with the intention of leaving and said: ¡°If you want to leave the Imperial Pce, there aren¡¯t soldiers guarding the West side.¡± Xiao PingYang never thought that Yan HeQing would let them go so easily. After being startled, she withdrew her thin sword: ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Princess Yongning suddenly took a few steps out from behind Xiao Pingyang¡¯s back and called out to Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing stepped forward and looked at her sideways. ¡°My Imperial brother, how is he?¡± Princess Yongning¡¯s chest was heavy with fear, because she was afraid to hear some tragic news; however, she would feel even more distressed if she didn¡¯t ask. Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes turnedpletely cold, he froze in ce for a few seconds, and then silently walked away. He didn¡¯t know how to answer her question, because inside his heart, Xiao YuAn and the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom were never the same person; the Imperial brother that Princess Yongning was asking about didn¡¯t refer to Xiao YuAn alone. Princess Yongning looked at Xiao PingYang feeling extremely uneasy. Xiao PingYang clenched her hand and said in a soft voice: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll leave the Imperial Pce first.¡± ¡­ Xiao YuAn thought that he would be thrown into a cold dungeon, but when he woke up, he found himself inside his bedchamber, sleeping on his own bed. This turn of events made him feel really confused. After the initial confusion, Xiao YuAn found out that his limbs felt extremely weak, his body felt hot as if it was on fire, and his throat was very dry. He reached out and touched his forehead, as expected, he had a fever. This year has been very unlucky for him, and in the past few days, unfortunate events kept happening one after another. If he could have the chance to meet the young Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, Xiao YuAn vowed that he would pull on his cor and violently shake it while screaming in his face: ¡°Exercise your body xiongdi, how can you call yourself a Gong?! A weak Gong has no future! No future at all!¡± And by the way, even though he had froze for most of the day, at least he just caught a fever, instead of suffering even worse. Xiao YuAn braced himself to sit against the bed and a piercing pain came from his arm. When Xiao YuAn raised his arm to look at it, he saw that where he had cut with the dagger, was wrapped in a clean white cloth. Yan HeQing, did this¡­ quell his anger? Xiao YuAn raised his eyebrows softly. Forget it, he couldn¡¯t guess what the male lead was really thinking about after all. Xiao YuAn, who was suffering from a pounding headache due to the fever and pain, slowly got off the bed and held onto the table to pour himself a porcin cup of water. He had just filled the small porcin cup with water when the door of the bedchamber was suddenly kicked open, and a big man with the back of a tiger and the waist of a bear1 appeared outside. The big man first showed a fake smile to Xiao YuAn, and then closed the door behind him. He slowly walked towards Xiao YuAn and asked: ¡°What were you doing?¡± Considering this man decided to act foolishly, Xiao YuAn was able to act with patience: ¡°Drinking water.¡± ¡°Oh, drinking water.¡± The big man made a long and strange sound, and out of nowhere, punched Xiao YuAn in the stomach. Xiao PingYang is so cool!!!(?????) Where can I find a wife like that? And everything might be getting sadder and sadder in the story, but at least our wlw queens are doing fine (not like our silly boys¡­ they should learn from them lol) And who¡¯s that piece of sh*t that believes he can touch even a single hair of my boi XYA?????? DUDE you¡¯re dead meat ͹?Òæ?)͹ !!! Footnotes
  1. »¢±³ÐÜÑü h¨³ b¨¨i xi¨®ng y¨¡o; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom that describes a person¡¯s burly and robust body. From¡¶·Éµ¶¶Ô¼ý¡·(f¨¥i d¨¡o du¨¬ ji¨¤n), ¡°Throwing knives at arrows¡± from an anonymous author of the Yuan or Mongol Dynasty [1279-1368].
Chapter 86: A-Xiao Is Extremely Miserable. The big man seemed like he wouldn¡¯t becking in strength, the punch was hardly merciful, and this sudden attack made Xiao YuAn unable to defend himself. The only thing he could feel was a sharp pain in his abdomen, so strong that he feared his internal organs would be mixed together. The porcin cup in his hand fell to the ground and shattered in several pieces. With the sound of the porcin cup breaking in the background, Xiao YuAn also fell to the ground holding his stomach, his eyes were dazzled and his head swelled. It hurt so much that all he could do was suck in air. He hadn¡¯t had much strength in the first ce due to the fever, and because of that, he could only be reduced to the ce of a victim. The big man seemed to think that Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t miserable enough, so he stepped on his injured arm, immediately dying the white cloth with red blood. A suffocating scream spilled from Xiao YuAn¡¯s throat, making him violently cough, filling his mouth with the fishy sweet taste of blood, and making his whole body tremble uncontrobly. Son of a Bitch!1 Dage, who the hell are you?! What kind of a plot is this? Did he wake up in the wrong ce?! Well then, why don¡¯t this Dage just knock him out! So he can wake up again! ¡°You¡­¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t keep speaking, because as soon as he opened his mouth, he was suddenly grabbed by the cor. The big man easily picked him up and then threw him on the bed. After being thrown on the bed and feeling immense dizziness, Xiao YuAn felt a sudden coldnessing from his lower body¡­. because his inner trousers were pulled down. Xiao YuAn¡¯s mind became clear in an instant, and inside his heart, he started to curse in several idioms. Fuck!!! Nique ta m¨¨re!!! Fick!!! Y6/ik)a©–k!!! [Z^©– !!!! Tu puta madre!!! Vaffanculo!!!2 Dage!! Article 488 of the Penal Code stiptes that anyone who mistreats an enemy who no longer resists, shall be sentenced up to three years of imprisonment, if the circumstances are serious! The big man sneered and pulled out a dagger: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s just a simple knife.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Xiao YuAn swallowed the fishy sweetness of blood in his throat and asked with a hoarse voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this won¡¯t kill you, it¡¯s just¡­.¡± The big man smiled evilly. ¡°It¡¯s just that you can¡¯t keep your little friend. I¡¯m good with the knife, so don¡¯t worry about the pain.¡± Dage!!! This will be done in shitty medical conditions; there¡¯s nothing to stop the bleeding, nothing to disinfect, like this, you¡¯re going to kill me for sure!!! Who gave you the confidence to say that you won¡¯t kill anyone!!! Learn about what an infection will do, learn about what will happen if someone suffers from excessive blood loss, there¡¯s still so much you need to learn Dage!!! The big man coughed twice and then inexplicably knocked the bedpost. He then stretched out his hand to hold Xiao YuAn firmly in ce, and suddenly raised his dagger. The cold lighting from the dagger almost blinded Xiao YuAn, and just at the most critical moment, the bedchamber¡¯s door was violently pushed open! ¡°Stop!!!¡± A low roar came from the doorway, and the dagger in the big man¡¯s hand fell away in fear, in response to the suddenmand. Xue Yan stood with his hands behind his back at the entrance of the bedchamber, he walked in calmly and red at the big man with a majestically angry look. ¡°General Xue!¡± The big man quickly knelt down, while his voice trembled. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t know what was going on right now. He just coughed up another mouthful of blood, staining the bedsheets and his chest. His hands shook when trying to pull up the bedsheets, wanting to cover up his bare lower body. In fact, he was actually very tired, extremely tired, both mentally and physically. The experience of being trampled by the bottom of one¡¯s feet canpletely crush a person. ¡°The Southern Yan never abuses its prisoners. Who told you to do this?!¡± Xue Yan¡¯s gaze flickered twice between Xiao YuAn and the big man, then he scolded the big man fiercely. ¡°General Xue, please don¡¯t get angry! Yan-huangzi sent me to castrate him! General Xue, please spare my life!¡± The big man begged for mercy. Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand, which was pulling on the quilt, suddenly stopped. He felt that it was difficult to breathe. As if he was frozen in time, like he was a lifeless withered tree that had been eroded by the cruelty of the wind and rain, and had no prospect of seeing spring again. It felt so cold. Xiao YuAn curled inwards slightly, his thin body was slightly trembling as well. He wanted to take a deep breath, but his throat seemed to be blocked by something, and he could only breath with his mouth open, like a fish out of the water. It was probably because of his fever that he was unable to breathe from his nose. He felt cold, extremely cold. Why was it that he didn¡¯t feel this cold during the winter in the Northern Kingdom before? ¡°Did HeQing really send you here?¡± Xue Yan seemed to be quite surprised as well. ¡°Yes, General Xue!¡± The big man said. ¡°All right.¡± Xue Yan¡¯s face slowly paled down a little. ¡°You, go out and don¡¯t dare toe back. I¡¯ll go talk with HeQing.¡± The big man was so overjoyed that he hurriedly got up and left. Xue Yan sighed, and while standing at the edge of the bed, he said: ¡°What does the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom need?¡± However, the man on the bed didn¡¯t answer. His right hand was tightly holding onto the bedding, his white knuckles and fingertips slightly trembled because of his own restraint and repression. After a while, he actually buried himself inughter. Thisughter was extremely sarcastic and indulgent, but he didn¡¯tugh twice. Instead, he coughed violently because he was sick. The coughing andughing made the corners of his eyes turn red, showing him in a state of embarrassment and disgrace. Xue Yan patiently waited for a while, and after some time, he turned around and left. I think we all can agree that YHQ would never send someone to castrate (or even harm) XYA¡­ and the uncle¡¯s sudden entrance is quite¡­ fishy ( ?-?) Anyways, the harm is already done, and now our sweet boi thinks that YHQ wanted to castrate him ¡­.. damn bro o(?¡ä§Õ?£ào)))Èý(((o¡ä?§Õ£à?)o Footnotes
  1. MMP; it¡¯s a curse, forbidden word in Sichuan dialect, something like: ¡°Your mother is a bitch¡±. Which equals to: ¡°Son of bitch¡±.
  2. The ¡°Fuck¡± was already in English on the RAWs. Nique ta m¨¨re: ¡°Fuck your mother¡± in French. Fick: ¡°Fuck¡± in German. ¡°Y6/ik)a©–k!!! [Z^©– !!!!¡± it was like this on the RAWs, I guess is just cursing gibberish. Tu puta madre: ¡°Fuck your mother¡± or ¡°Your mother is a hoe¡± in Spanish. Vaffanculo: ¡°Fuck off!¡± or ¡°Fuck!¡± in Italian.
Chapter 87: A-Yan Feels Extremely Wronged. He didn¡¯t know how long it took, but after a while, the man on the bed finally moved. Xiao YuAn endured the pain, slowly re-dressed and tidied up his clothes. He then supported himself and reclined on the bed again. The white cloth on his arm was now soaked with blood, and the wound was bothering the flesh. As soon as the blood dried up, the white cloth stuck to the wound, and Xiao YuAn hesitated in whether to untie it or not. In the end, he simply ignored it, not caring about it at all. He was still in a daze. Everything hurt. His head, his hands, the liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, his stomach, his heart. It was a pumping pain. Xiao YuAn curled up and held his head with his uninjured hand. He wanted to think about the future, so much that he couldn¡¯t help but curse inside his heart. Before he transmigrated, he was still a magnificent, young and promising president of apany. As a result, he didn¡¯t have the time to see the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, nor did he have the time to watch the news broadcast finale. He also didn¡¯t have the time to watch the National football team win the World Cup Championship, or to know what the quantum copse was like before he got a terminal illness. Well, it¡¯s not an everyday thing to get transmigrated into a book you just read. At any rate, he didn¡¯t just roll his eyes, not knowing anything about what was going on in front of or behind him. Then, in order to survive, he desperately tried his best to engage himself in good rtionships. And now, the male lead really doesn¡¯t want to see him alive. The male lead wanted to castrate him!!! Xiao YuAn originally thought that getting his flesh cut off while still alive at the hands of the male lead was the worst end for him in the whole book, so he decided to smash a pot to pieces just because it was cracked1 and change the plot in his favor. He didn¡¯t expect that it could get any worse!!! Xiao YuAn had read the original book. He knew how tolerant Yan HeQing can be and how much he hates the Northern Kingdom, but he really didn¡¯t think that Yan HeQing could hide his hatred so perfectly when he was by his side in the first ce. In fact, when he proposed for him to go to Jing Yang Pce, Yan HeQing had already buried his hatred deep inside his heart, didn¡¯t he? Did he really believe that Xiao YuAn was trying to humiliate him and make him a male concubine? It could be said that after being castrated, he could still stay alive and be a humble servant under the male lead¡¯s Imperial Pce. The same way he made Yan HeQing into his Imperial bodyguard at that time. Whatever, Xiao YuAn doesn¡¯t even know what he really wants. He never thought that all his good intentions would be wronged by Yan HeQing in the end, and this heavy frustration haunted Xiao YuAn. He resisted the bitterness growing inside his heart and held his body to pour some water for himself. When the porcin cup was filled, the bedchamber¡¯s door was suddenly pushed open. Xiao YuAn looked up and his hand trembled, resulting in the porcin cup to fall on the ground, shattering to pieces. Well, it seems that he won¡¯t be able to drink any water today. Xiao YuAn withdrew his gaze and squatted down on the table, trying to pick up the pieces of the porcin cup, but his hand was cut by the fragments. The scarlet blood stained the broken porcin, and the fragment got stuck in Xiao YuAn¡¯s fingertip, causing him pain. The man¡¯s footsteps suddenly hurried over, but Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t seem to hear him approaching. He slowly stood up and looked at his fingertip. His eyes werex and out of focus, the only thing he could feel was the gloom of the tumultuous sea pressing over him, making him breathless. Looking at himself, it was really humiliating. He couldn¡¯t protect his own mother, he couldn¡¯t cure his younger brother, or protect the Northern Kingdom. Hong Xiu died because of him, Li Wuding lost his life because of him. However hard he tries, he¡¯s still unable to do anything well. He can¡¯t save anyone. He didn¡¯t have any more thoughts. Xiao YuAn stretched out his hand and pulled out the porcin fragment from his fingertip, then he said to Yan HeQing: ¡°Yan HeQing, just kill me already. This is really tedious.¡± Yan HeQing stopped in front of Xiao YuAn, the bitterness inside Yan HeQing was overflowing from his lips and tongue into his heart. Yan HeQing looked into Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes. His eyes, which originally were warm and smiling, were now dead inside, like a burn-out fire, cold and lonely. Yan HeQing hadn¡¯t seen Xiao YuAn¡¯s smile for such a long, long time. He missed it to the point of feeling madness and longing; however, he¡¯s not qualified anymore to kneel down in front of Xiao YuAn and beg him to smile at him once again. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this¡­¡± Yan HeQing said in a hoarse voice with his downcast eyes. ¡°You can stay alive, stay with me, I¡­¡± Xiao YuAn suddenlyughed out loud. Hisughter interrupted Yan HeQing¡¯s words, with an extremely sarcastic tone of voice. As expected, he didn¡¯t guess wrong. Yan HeQing wanted to return ten times the humiliation he felt when Xiao YuAn made him into a male concubine and an Imperial bodyguard. Xiao YuAn said: ¡°It would be better to kill me now.¡± Yan HeQing closed his eyes feeling extreme heartache. Xiao YuAn would rather die than to stay by his side? Yeah, didn¡¯t he already expect that? Thest thing Xiao YuAn wanted to see right now was himself; he could already anticipate that Xiao YuAn would hate him, resent and dislike him. But, doesn¡¯t he deserve all of this? The silence haunted both of them for a long time, only one thought seemed to be constant in each other¡¯s minds: How did everything turn into ths? How did this even happen? Yan HeQing took a deep breath, slowly opened his eyes, and said: ¡°Eunuch Zhao is dead.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoulders trembled. ¡°Princess Yongning is safe and sound, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go out first¡­. You¡­. Have a good rest.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes lingered on Xiao YuAn¡¯s arm injury, he tried to restrain the impulse to reach out, and turned away. Seeing that Yan HeQing had already left, Xiao YuAn shaked his hand and went to pour some water for himself, once again. It turned out that Eunuch Zhao, just like the original book, died in the end. Yan HeQing didn¡¯t show any mercy for his self-inflicted wounds. This time, Xiao YuAn finally drank from the porcin cup filled with water. However, the water tasted salty. Ahhhhhhh the damn misunderstanding!!! If they could just talk! Instead of assume what the other is thinking!!! (¨p?Òæ?) Also, why didn¡¯t YHQ rify that Eunuch Zhao was long dead before he found him? Because of that XYA thinks that YHQ didn¡¯t give a crap about him harming himself for the sake of others¡­ ahhhgggg(¡ä£»§Õ£»`) This is killing me Is rlly frustating to trante too xD y¡¯all not have an idea how many times I had to pause and scream (in my mind lmao). Footnotes
  1. ÆƹÞÆÆˤ p¨° gu¨¤n p¨° shu¨¡i; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, this is used as a metaphor for someone who, after a shoring, a mistake or a setback, is left to his own devices without being corrected, or who, on the contrary, intends to make things worse. Write oneself off as hopeless and act recklessly. From¡¶½«¾üÒ÷¡·(ji¨¡ng j¨±n y¨ªn), ¡°The Song of the General¡±, written by (ĪӦ·á m¨° y¨¬ng f¨¥ng) Mo Yingfeng [1938-1989].
Chapter 88: A-Yang Is Extremely Reliable. Every sessful person! Must have a well thought out n for the future! If there¡¯s a main goal set! That¡¯s all the movitavion they need! If there is a n! Then everything will be more efficient! As the President of a Company! Although Xiao YuAn was no longer associated with the word ¡°Tyrant¡±, at least he was a very sessful man back then! Because he understood the importance of looking ahead of time! Since Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t sleep alone at night, he was sitting on the bed with his legs crossed. With his head held up with one hand, he was thinking about what he should do from now on. Xiao YuAn felt that he should set a small goal first, such as safely surviving through the night first. But then, he was attacked at night. All right! Can you stop being so practical and instead tell yourself: Your ns can¡¯t keep up with all these changes!!! The sequence happened like this: Xiao YuAn was holding his head while thinking about things, when he saw that two men dressed in ck tumbled into his bedchamber through the window. These two men clearly didn¡¯t expect that Xiao YuAn would be still awake at this hour, so the both of them raised their hands and froze in ce after steadilynding on the ground. ¡­¡­ Why are both of you scared of him? Aren¡¯t you two the night attackers? Or are you some kind of night attackers ashamed of themselves? Sitting upright, Xiao YuAn looked at the ck-clothed man on the left and then at the one at the right. Just as he was about to open his mouth to say something, one of them suddenly rushed over. ¡°You two¡­ came-¡± Before Xiao YuAn¡¯s words could even begin, that ck-clothed man tightly covered his mouth. Wait a minute! He wasn¡¯t about to call for help! He was just trying tomunicate with them! If they could just talk! Communication can resolve any problem! Violence is not a good option! The other ck-clothed man stepped forward and pulled off the ck cloth covering his face: ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s me, we¡¯re here to save you.¡± Obviously, this was somethingpletely unexpected; and at the same time, something that was within Xiao YuAn¡¯s expectations. Yang LiuAn looked at Xiao YuAn¡¯s injuries all over his body, his eyes fluttered and his voice was slightly saddened: ¡°Your Majesty, I waste and you¡¯ve suffered because of that. I¡¯ll take you out immediately.¡± The other ck-clothed man let go of him and stepped aside, wrapping his arm around himself and looking at the touching scene, in which both Monarch and loyal subject finally meet again. ¡°LiuAn, it really is you!¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°At the time of parting ways, the promise that was made between His Majesty and Weichen¡­ Weichen kept it inside his heart every day. By the time February arrived, Weichen hurried toe, but didn¡¯t expect¡­ never expected that the Northern Kingdom would¡­¡± Yang LiuAn¡¯s eyes were filled with grief. Before he could finish his words, the other ck-clothed man stepped forward and made a gesture, saying that they should leave as soon as possible. ¡°Ah, right. Your Majesty, let¡¯s leave this ce first. When we snuck in, there were very few soldiers patrolling outside. There shouldn¡¯t be a need to worry about any danger.¡± Yang LiuAn reached out to carry Xiao YuAn on his back. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Xiao YuAn stood up against the bedpost, went to the table and took out a small wooden box from his sleeve. Inside the wooden box, there was a white jade hairpin, a red flower hairpin, and a broken gray hair band. These objects seemed to tell a story about a period of time that doesn¡¯t exist anymore. Xiao YuAn took out the white jade hairpin from the wooden box, his eyes were dim while doing so. He was holding the white jade hairpin in his hands and caressed it with extreme care, then he ced it on the table without hesitation. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Yang LiuAn called out for him very softly. Xiao YuAn put the wooden box with only the red flower hairpin and the grey hair band back into his sleeve, then he turned to face Yang LiuAn and said: ¡°LiuAn, I¡¯m no longer an Emperor, and I¡¯m no longer the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom either, I¡¯m¡­¡± Xiao YuAn gradually silenced his voice. He was standing on the same spot as he looked around the bedchamber. It wasn¡¯t that he just gave up, but he felt a kind of emotion, about life and death, right and wrong, what is right and what is wrong. After looking around for a little bit, Xiao YuAn suddenly raised a smile and strode towards the window: ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± A short charpter, but at least we now know that XYA is safe! And Yang LiuAn is back!!!! YAY!!! (((o(*?¨Œ?*)o)))?? Chapter 89: A-Xiao Is Extremely Broken The three of them quietly ran away. Even though Xiao YuAn was very wounded and feverish, he didn¡¯t slow them down. Instead, this situation made them feel the desire to survive greater than anything else. Probably because the soldiers of the Southern Yan Kingdom had just arrived at the Imperial City, there were few of them stationed outside Xiao YuAn¡¯s bedchamber, so their escape went really smoothly. Yang LiuAn followed closely behind Xiao YuAn all the way. He was feeling really nervous and was also holding his breath from time to time to observe the surrounding situation. Meanwhile, the other ck-clothed man was quietly exploring the road ahead, with a sturdy posture and an extraordinary force. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help looking at the ck-clothed man. He hadn¡¯t really guessed who it was yet. Xiao YuAn originally thought that this man should be Xiao Fengye, but on a second thought, Xiao Fengyue was a gentle and elegant qin yer. It doesn¡¯t matter how much he wanted to repay his kindness, Yang LiuAn would never let his lover participate in such a dangerous task. Then, who was this man dressed in ck walking right in front of him? Was this a new friend of Yang LiuAn¡¯s? The fact that he¡¯s willing toe with him to this miserable Imperial Pce to rescue someone he doesn¡¯t know, is enough to consider him as a friend of life and death1. When the three of them managed to escape outside of the Imperial Pce, Yang LiuAn whispered to Xiao YuAn: ¡°Your Majesty, right now the gate of the Imperial City is being heavily guarded by the troops of the Southern Yan Kingdom, and they won¡¯t allow some people to leave the City. Let¡¯s find a ce to settle in the suburbs first and tomorrow morning we will disguise ourselves as refugees who¡¯ve left their hometown, with that we will be able to leave the City. At the post station outside the Imperial City, there¡¯s a carriage that I have prepared long ago. As long as we¡¯re able to get out of the Imperial City, everything will be alright.¡± So hardworking, you¡¯re really worthy of being called a hardworking man! You¡¯re so reliable! Xiao YuAn nodded his head and followed Yang LiuAn and the other man towards a ruined temple in the suburbs. It was probably because of the war that this temple had lost all its incense and the monks had already left, leaving behind only the broken walls, and a few dusty Buddha statues. Yang LiuAn came forward and knocked gently on the door three times. After a few seconds, the door of the temple slowly opened halfway with an overwhelming ¡®creak¡¯, and behind it Xiao Fengyue poked out half of his face. Upon seeing it was them, he breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door all the way, weing them in. Xiao YuAn had just walked into the temple, when suddenly a dark shadow rushed towards him! Xiao YuAn took a step back in fright but he was still tightly held by that person. ¡°Wuwuwu2, you¡¯re fine Imperial brother! Great, you¡¯re really alright!¡± Princess Yongning hugged Xiao YuAn¡¯s waist. Her voice choked with joy and she was way too excited to see him, so she was unwilling to let go. Xiao YuAn eased his breathing and gentlyughed, reaching out to pat Princess Yongning on the back. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m really fine, you¡­.¡± Wait, what the fuck are you doing here???! !!!!??? When Xiao YuAn came back to reality, he was suddenly very stunned. As if he was struck by a thunderbolt, and didn¡¯t know how to react except to stupidly stay frozen in ce. Why is Princess Yongning here?!! If she¡¯s here! She¡¯s here! Here! Huh???? Shouldn¡¯t the female lead be at the Imperial Pce at this point. Staying together with the male lead, entangle together with him, fall in love, hold hands, and finally start to imagine a future together?! What are you actually doing here!? Did you run away without doing anything with him? Are you two trying to y the game of sadomasochistic love? You two really know how to y! ¡°Imperial brother, you¡¯ve been badly injured.¡± Princess Yongning took Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand and took a closer look at the wound on his arm, her tone of voice was filled with distress. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± The ck-clothed man who hadn¡¯t shown his face yet, stepped forward as he pulled off the ck cloth covering his face: ¡°There¡¯s medicine to treat injuries here, and my guards are also proficient in the medical arts,¡± Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t onlypletely dumbfounded right now. He was also straight out of breath. Fuck!!! Why is the second female lead, Xiao PingYang, also here?!!! What the fuck is this, this, what the fuck is this magic plot!!!!! Probably beacause Xiao PingYang thought that Xiao YuAn¡¯s three sudden shocks weren¡¯t explosive enough, she added: ¡°I didn¡¯t want to make it clear so early, but after hearing from Yongning that you already know about our feelings, in that case, I¡¯ll simply make it clear. Yongning and I are already deep in love, and I hope His Majesty will feelfortable with Yongning and I being together.¡± Xiao YuAn asked Xiao Pingyang: ¡°Who are you in love with?¡± Xiao Pingyang was stunned, but she still replied regardless: ¡±Yongning.¡± Xiao YuAn turned his head and asked Princess Yongning again: ¡°Ning¡¯¡¯er, are you and her in love with each other?¡± ¡°Yes, Imperial brother. Didn¡¯t you already know about her ever since a long time ago, and let me stay with her?¡± Princess Yongning looked very happy. Xiao YuAn turned his head and asked Yang LiuAn: ¡°What does it mean to be in love with one another?¡± Yang LiuAn scratched his head with a confused expression in his face: ¡°Your Majesty¡­ doesn¡¯t it mean mutual love and admiration between two people?¡± Yes, there¡¯s no problem with your exnation, ten points for you. Since there¡¯s no problem with the definition, then¡­. Then! You! Transmigrated! To! A! Fake! Book!!! Are! These! Even! The! Same! People! From! The! Original! Book?!!! Or did the original plot make a 360 spin that exploded in the air?! How can the female lead and the second female lead end up together? Where¡¯s the male lead?!!! Is the male lead more afraid of losing face?!!! Who am I?! Where am I?! How did the plot be like this!!! XYA finally knows about our wlw couple hahahaha his mind is so broken, he even thought he transmigrated into the wrong novel lmaooo Footnotes
  1. ÉúËÀÖ®½» sh¨¥ng s¨« zh¨© ji¨¡o; It¡¯s a Chinese Idiom, it¡¯s used to refer to a friendship between two individuals that share each other¡¯s fate, meaning that they swear to live and die together. From¡¶ç§Ã·Ïã¡·(zh¨°u m¨¦i xi¨¡ng), ¡°Crepe Plum Fragrance¡±, written by (Ö£µÂ»Ô zh¨¨ng d¨¦ hu¨©) Zheng Dehui (1260-1320), a dramaturg from the Yuan or Mongol Dynasty (1279-1368).
  2. ÎØÎØÎØ w¨± w¨± w¨±; Used as an onomatopoeia for humming or whimpering.
Chapter 90: A-Yang Is Really Extraordinary Chapter 90: A-Yang Is Really Extraordinary.1 When Xiao YuAn finally recovered from the shock, he was already sitting in the broken temple. A burning fire was in front of him, and his arm was already re-bandaged and treated with medicine. There were seven or eight handsome women in nightclothes standing or sitting around, all of them were Xiao PingYang¡¯s subordinates. Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue were cooking porridge in a pot at one corner of the temple. Meanwhile, Princess Yongning and Xiao PingYang were snuggled in another corner, wrapped in thick robes as nkets, sleeping peacefully. Xiao YuAn turned his head and asked one of the women from the Western Shu Kingdom, who was holding a sword and was sitting with her back against the wall: ¡°Excuse me, may I ask, why are all of you here?¡± The young woman from the Western Shu Kingdom replied in an able and concise manner, which also answered everything that Xiao YuAn wanted to ask next: ¡°Our Princess heard about the war between the two counties and was very worried about the Princess of your Country having an ident. So, she came all the way over here, and then luckily met with your bodyguard at the post station outside the Imperial City. In the end, we worked together to save her and then you.¡± Xiao YuAn thanked her and then turned around, looking at the burning fire while holding his head. He was trying really hard to fully understand exactly when this fascinating plot began to go mad. Then he realized that ever since he transmigrated to this ce, the plot hasn¡¯t been right at all. So, Xiao YuAn held his head with both hands trying to remember how the original plot actually went by. When he thought about it, everything that happened until now, it really didn¡¯t feel right. In the original book, Yan HeQing and Xiao PingYang got along with each other in a strange and peaceful way. Unlike the other women in Yan HeQing¡¯s harem, who were provocative, attracting his attention and ying with him. Xiao PingYang¡¯s plot was all about assisting the Imperial Government and managing the harem. By picking up a single scenario from the original plot, everything that happened now looked even more weird. In the original book, Xiao PingYang and Princess Yongning never met each other, but Xiao PingYang knew that there was such a white moonlight2 Princess hidden in Yan HeQing¡¯s heart. One day, Yan HeQing looked at the portrait of Princess Yongning, and Xiao PingYang simply asked him: ¡°Is that her?¡± Yan HeQing nodded his head, but didn¡¯t say anything else. Xiao PingYang studied the portrait for a long while and then softly whispered: ¡°She¡¯s really beautiful.¡± One must know that before this, Xiao PingYang never said a single word about the members of Yan HeQing¡¯s harem. That chapter was torn in thement section for a long time. Some people said that Xiao PingYang was just feeling jealous. Some other people said that this was the evidence that proved that Xiao PingYang didn¡¯t like Yan HeQing in a romantic way, since otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for her to praise Yan HeQing¡¯s beautiful white moonlight without any hesitation. Xiao YuAn, who was now looking at the sleeping female lead and second female lead, after recalling the original plot; the only thing he wanted to do was to go back to the 21st century, find the author, and then pull his cor yelling in his face: What the hell were you trying to say?!!! The morning temperature in the Northern Kingdom was extremely low, and Xiao PingYang, who came from the Western Shu Kingdom, couldn¡¯t adapt to the cold at all. She pursed her lips and shrunk her body, such a move woke up the sleeping Princess Yongning. She rubbed her eyes, carefully pulled up her outer robe to cover Xiao PingYang¡¯s body, and then gently took care of her; rubbing her arms and hugging Xiao PingYang, who seemed afraid of the cold, and then went to sleep again. Xiao YuAn, who had a good view of everything that happened a few seconds ago, suddenly felt very relieved. So what if it¡¯s a thousand miles away from the original plot? It didn¡¯t matter what the author wanted to express in the original book, as long as Princess Yongning is safe, happy and healthy, who cares about anything else? Inexplicably, Xiao YuAn recalled the conversation he had with Yan HeQing before running away. When Yan HeQing told him that Princess Yongning was unharmed, the internal meaning wasn¡¯t saying ¡°from now on your sister will be left in my hands¡±, but was simply trying to reassure Xiao YuAn? Speaking of Yan HeQing¡­. He was a bit miserable. His first wife and second wife all ran away, no wonder there was always a hint of abandonment and frustration in his voice when they talked before, right? So it turns out it was all due to both his wives rejecting him? While Xiao YuAn was still thinking about these things, Princess Yongning, now awake, suddenly leaned over, her face close to his. Her eyes blinked in curiosity as she asked: ¡°What are you thinking about, Imperial Brother? You look so serious.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s head moved, and without much thought, he blurted out: ¡°Yan HeQing.¡± For some reason, Xiao YuAn felt that the broken temple suddenly quieted down for a full second. Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue looked at him, then they looked at each other and let out a long sigh. All of them had a face that said ¡°Fate ys tricks on people3¡±. Meanwhile, Xiao PingYang coughed twice, wanting to say something, but stayed silent. Before Xiao YuAn could even react, he saw that Princess Yongning¡¯s eyes suddenly reddened as she held his hand tightly: ¡°Imperial brother, don¡¯t think about him anymore. Whether it was a blessing or a curse, the world is limitless, so you will definitely meet a better one.¡± What? What the fuck? Wait, wait a minute?! Is there any kind of misunderstanding? Xiao YuAn would like to ask the heavens, but he had no words: ¡°No, I¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay Imperial brother, we won¡¯t talk about him anymore. Shall we talk about something else?¡± Princess Yongning tries to raise her smile, as if trying to infect Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn: ¡°Wait, I¡­¡± Xiao PingYang stood up and came over: ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s already dawn outside. Let¡¯s get ready.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°I wasn¡¯t ming him¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty, the porridge is ready. Please,e and eat it while it¡¯s still hot. Everyone, hurry over as well.¡± Xiao Fengyue called softly from the other side of the temple. Hence, this group of people sat around the fire, and talked andughed about past events. Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡± Will you let me exin!!! What was the author of the original book really trying to say¡­ Isn¡¯t that something we all want to know everytime these tiny details are revealed after XYA recalls the plot?? Also, XYA thinking YHQ is sas bc both his wives ran away¡­ Yes honey, he¡¯s sad bc a loved one left him¡­ And that¡¯s you!!!! Chapter 91: Hes Dressing As A Woman, Thanks To The Social People. After filling their stomachs with a simple porridge, everyone began to discuss the countermeasures to escape from the Imperial City. Because the Southern Yan Kingdom wasn¡¯t strict with the people that wanted to leave the Imperial City, they decided that they would leave during daytime. Because their group wasn¡¯t a small one, everyone decided that it was better to split in two and leave separately. Xiao PingYang would leave first with Princess Yongning, then Xiao YuAn, Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue would disguise themselves as exiled brothers. In the end, they will meet up at the post station outside the Imperial City. Everyone was worried about Xiao YuAn. His escape from the Imperial Pce should¡¯ve been discovered long ago, and yet, when the female guards went out for a stroll, they didn¡¯t see any ¡®wanted¡¯ posters. They didn¡¯t know what Yan HeQing was nning, so they had to deal with it a step at a time. Xiao YuAn changed himself into tattered clothes and painted his face with mud ster, to the point where he couldn¡¯t see his original features anymore. Xiao PingYang saw this and asked: ¡°Isn¡¯t this too much?¡± Xiao YuAn illuminated the well water to look at his own reflection: ¡°It does seem to be a bit too much.¡± However, it was impossible for him to not cover himself, the Southern guards will definitely get suspicious after they see his delicate appearance. Xiao PingYang¡¯s thumb and index finger rested against her chin, thought for a while, and then said: ¡°Why don¡¯t you just pretend to be a woman?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°What?!¡± Xiao PingYang asked one of the female guards for a grey puffed dress and a short coat, and then handed it to Xiao YuAn: ¡°Your Majesty, the most important thing right now is to protect your life.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..¡± He could understand the reasoning, but why was she holding her smile? Forget it, the most important issue right now is to run away as soon as possible. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t want to drag them down just because he could be discovered at any second. Xiao YuAn reached out and took the gray dress and the short coat. Due to the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom having a soft and delicate appearance, along with his body being notably thin, the woman¡¯s disguise didn¡¯t look weird on him, and nothing suspicious would be noticed at a first nce. The female guard looked at Xiao YuAn for a long time, and then she suddenly stretched out her hands to braid his hair into a bun. Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Princess Yongning changed her clothes too. When she came out and saw Xiao YuAn, she was at first too shocked to utter a word, but after calming down, she said: ¡°This Jiejie1 is so beautiful.¡± Xiao YuAn thought for a while, and with his voice in a pitched tone, he replied: ¡°Meimei2 must be joking, I don¡¯t dare topare with Meimei¡¯s beauty.¡± Princess Yongning immediately covered her mouth and began tough. Xiao PingYang raised the corners of her mouth, and then said: ¡°You¡¯d better pretend to be dumb, otherwise, you¡¯ll reveal youself as soon as you open your mouth.¡± Xiao YuAn spread out his hands and muttered to himself: ¡°I can¡¯t help it, the androgens make me have an Adam¡¯s apple.¡± When Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue walked in from the outside of the broken temple, Yang LiuAn immediately said: ¡°The guards will change shifts at noon, let¡¯s get out now while we still can- Your Majesty?!?!!¡± After seeing that Yang LiuAn was scared out of his wits by seeing Xiao YuAn¡¯s appearance as a woman, he suddenly found it really funny. So he turned around, twisted his body and said: ¡°Yang-ge, what¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t you recognize your Xiao-mei3?¡± Yang LiuAn violently retreated a few meters away. Xiao YuAn burst intoughter, and the female guards of the Western Shu Kingdom couldn¡¯t help but cover their mouths while also sneakilyughing as well. The atmosphere was cheerful, which made them forget about the hardships of escaping. Xiao Fengyue finished covering his lips afterughing and stepped forward to say in a soft voice: ¡°Xiao-mei, don¡¯t panic, Dage and Er-ge4 will surely help you out.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded, and the depression that had been trapped inside his heart for many days now, gradually dissipated. There wasn¡¯t time to lose, and a dozen or so people rushed towards the Imperial City gates. Xiao PingYang and Princess Yongning were the first ones to leave. After the Southern guards stopped them both, they interrogated them a few times before letting them go. The process seemed to go very smoothly. Seeing that it was the turn of the two exiled brothers and a ¡®sister¡¯, Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue kept Xiao YuAn half hidden and half protected behind their backs as they slowly walked out of the Imperial City alongside the crowd. The Southern guards stopped the three of them and questioned as per usual: ¡°How many people?¡± ¡°My brother, myself and my sister. Three people.¡± Xiao Fengyue nervously tugged at Yang LiuAn¡¯s wrist, however, his face was extremely calm. ¡°Where did your family used to live before?¡± ¡°Outside the western outskirts of the city.¡± The Southern guard swept a nce at the three and then pointed at Xiao YuAn: ¡°You, raise your head and let me have a look.¡± The hearts of the three of them almost jumped to their throats at the same time. Xiao YuAn slowly raised his head, his face was slightly covered out with dust, but his original appearance wasn¡¯t very visible. The Southern guard nodded and asked a few more simple questions, and then with a big wave of his hand, he allowed them to go. They felt relieved and happy inside their hearts, so they hurried to get out of the Imperial City. After seeing that the Imperial City¡¯s gate was about to be left behind, Xiao YuAn took a deep breath to ease the tension of his body, however, his shoulder was suddenly held down! Xiao YuAn became extremely stiff as he heard a male¡¯s voiceing from behind him: ¡°Youngdy, may I speak with you for a moment?¡± XYA¡¯s delicate body finally can be of good use lol and poor YLA hahahaha too much of a shock to see his former monarch dressed like that lmao I¡¯m dying But oh noooo why did the guard stopped him?? Did he guess his real identity??? ¦²(?§¥?£») Footnotes
  1. ½ã½ã ji¨§ jie; Older Sister.
  2. ÃÃÃà m¨¨i mei; Younger Sister.
  3. СÃà xi¨£o m¨¨i; Little Sister.
  4. ¶þ¸ç ¨¨r g¨¥; Second Brother.
Chapter 92: A Hardworking Man Scheming With The Life Of Two People. Chapter 92: A Hardworking Man Scheming With The Life Of Two People. Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands were hidden inside his sleeves, clenched into fists, almost making red crescent marks on his palms. He stood frozen in ce, not knowing whether he should turn around or not. ¡°Young Lady?¡± The man¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t forgiving1, as he called again with great patience. The hand that pressed down Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoulder didn¡¯t loosen up at all. Xiao Fengyue and Yang LiuAn were also very surprised by the sudden change. Yang LiuAn¡¯s hand softly brushed past where he had a hidden dagger on his waist. Xiao Fengyue stepped forward to half-protect Xiao YuAn: ¡°Officer, my sister is afraid of strangers and she¡¯s also mute, if there¡¯s any problem, you can ask me2.¡± The man dressed in a guard uniform chuckled as he let go of his hand: ¡°Then I¡¯ll trouble the two brothers toe with me.¡± Xiao Fengyue was stunned: ¡°Go with you¡­ my Dage and I?¡± The man nodded indiscreetly: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, after we ask you a few questions you¡¯ll be able to go back.¡± Xiao Fengyue and Yang LiuAn nced at each other. In the end, they couldn¡¯t do anything else than to agree. Xiao YuAn gently patted the two of them, indicating that everything will be alright, and that they muste back as quickly as possible. Seeing the man left alongside Xiao Fengyue and Yang LiuAn, Xiao YuAn retreated to the outside of the Imperial City¡¯s gate, waiting for them toe back. Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps next to him, followed by a calm and dignified voice: ¡°Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, what a sorry appearance you have. You really must have taken great pains in trying to escape for the sake of living.¡± Xiao YuAn was frightened at first, but then he resigned himself and sighed in defeat. As he untied his bun, he turned around to face him: ¡°General Xue.¡± Xue Yan3 stood with his hands down, slightly surprised: ¡°The Emperor of the Northern Kingdom actually knows who I am?¡± Of course he does! You¡¯re the uncle of Yan HeQing, the male lead! You¡¯re the elder brother of Yan HeQing¡¯s mother, the Empress! Xiao YuAn remembered that in the original book, Xue Yan was a great General of the Southern Yan Kingdom. He was extremely loyal to the Southern Yan, and when Yan HeQing was still young, Xue Yan saw the extraordinary capacities of Yan HeQing, so he supported him all the way; hoping that Yan HeQing would turn the Southern Yan Kingdom into a powerful Country. He was also an important figure in the original book. ¡°General Xue¡¯s reputation spreads far and wide.¡± Xiao YuAn said perfunctorily. In reality, Xue Yan didn¡¯t care about Xiao YuAn¡¯s weird attitude. As he carelessly straightened his sleeves, he said: ¡°Emperor of the Northern Kingdom-¡­¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly interrupted him with a decisive tone of voice: ¡°I¡¯m no longer the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom.¡± Xue Yan was slightly startled at this, and after recovering from the initial shock, he smiled: ¡°Fine, then I won¡¯t refer to you with that title. There¡¯s no need for you to fear me, I haven¡¯te here to stop you from leaving.¡± Xiao YuAn could hardly believe his ears. Xue Yan didn¡¯te here to arrest him? In the original book, Xue Yan was described to be a very meticulous person. But now, and judging by the current situation, wasn¡¯t he afraid that Xiao YuAn might try to restore his Country after safely escaping? Isn¡¯t it better to eliminate the root of the problem? So he came all the way here to do just that? Xue Yan carefully observed Xiao YuAn¡¯s expression and then said: ¡°I wonder, what do you n to do in the future after this escape?¡± Was he trying to test his intentions? Xiao YuAn, who was full of doubts, felt that his words were filled with deceit everywhere; so after carefully thinking about it, he replied with honesty: ¡°I want to live a simple farming life and forget everything about the past.¡± Xue Yan looked at him closely, his gaze was like a hook. As if he wanted to take Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart out to spread it under the heavens, so that everyone can have a good look at it, and tell whether he was telling the truth: ¡°The farming life is indeed very good. But, even if you say this is your final decision, are you willing to swear an oath?¡± Xiao YuAn murmured ¡®whatever, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of¡¯, and simply pointed three fingers to the Heavens: ¡°The Heavens and the Earth are my witness. If I can leave today safely, then I swear to never take another step into this City, and if I break this oath, I shall die an unnatural death!¡± Xue Yan suddenly pped his hands andughed out loud. Then he turned around and no longer trapped Xiao YuAn. At the same time, the guard that took Xiao Fengyue and Yang LiuAn came back with them. He then followed Xue Yan into the Imperial City. As the two of them walked towards the gate of the Imperial City, Xiao YuAn felt that an invisible wall rose, isting himself away from the others; like being in a trance, like being inpletely different worlds. The guard whispered to Xue Yan: ¡°General, this move was really dangerous.¡± Xue Yan was speechless for a while before he slowly said: ¡°But I won the bet.¡± It was dangerous, way too dangerous. For the sake of the Southern Yan Kingdom, the Northern Monarch couldn¡¯t stay, he absolutely couldn¡¯t stay. However, Xue Yan also knew that he couldn¡¯t kill him or even hurt him; because with Yan HeQing¡¯s temperament, if anything happened to the Northern Monarch, he would get to the bottom of it. However, in this world, apart from hurting somebody¡¯s body, you can also punish their hearts. So he sent his men to pretend to hurt the Northern Emperor, advising him to not leave any physical trauma, and then he appeared at the right time to save him. All of this was because he wanted the Northern Emperor to believe that Yan HeQing wanted to hurt him. Xue Yan knew Yan HeQing, and he knew that the only way to get Yan HeQing to let the Northern Emperor go, was if he himself wanted to leave. To let him run away without hesitation, feeling hatred for Yan HeQing. So Xue Yan gambled whether the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom would question Yan HeQing as to why he wanted to hurt him. And now, it was he the one who won the bet. He gambled for the sake of the prosperity of the Southern Yan Kingdom, he gambled for the sake of Yan HeQing¡¯s future reign over the four nations. ¡°General, do you n to give Yan-huangzi the news about the Northern Monarch¡¯s escape? After all, Huangzi said before that he must be found right away.¡± The guard asked Xue Yan softly. Xue Yan thought about it for a long while before replying: ¡°Give him the news, but say that because the guards tried to prevent the Northern Monarch from escaping, he fought them with his life on the line. He waspletely determined to leave, and because the guards were afraid of hurting him, they let him go. This way, Yan-huangzi would stop having hopeful thoughts of him.¡± The guard understood the order, cupped his fists in sign of respect, and headed towards the Imperial Pce. Half an hourter, a horse galloped out of the Imperial Pce. The sound of the horse neighed straight throughout the Heavens, rushing out of the Imperial City without stopping,pletely making themon people around startled. Someone, who was sharp-eyed enough to see it was the Royal horse, couldn¡¯t help but shout out loud: ¡°Yan-huangzi?!¡± However, no one answered. The horse carrying the young man dressed in white left nothing but dust behind. It seemed as if he felt that fate was urging him, like if he was a moment slowler, then he would regret it for the rest of his life. I told y¡¯all that YHQ¡¯s uncle saving XYA from a castration was¡­ way too convenient. It was HIS n all along!!! RUN YHQ!!! GO FOR YOUR HUBBY ((o(;¡÷;)o))!! Chapter 93: I Hope To See Through The Autumn Waters, His Hurt Frown Fades Into The Spring Mountains. At the post station, a hundred miles away from the Imperial City, a group of people encountered each other safely. They felt like a big stone fell from each other¡¯s hearts, like they could finally rx after experiencing great sadness. For fear that the Southern Yan Kingdom would suddenly regret letting him escape and send troops to chase after him, Xiao YuAn quickly washed his hands and cheeks, and changed back into male clothing. Then he got prepared to get into a carriage and leave this ce as soon as possible. Xue Yan¡¯s attitude made Xiao YuAn feel suspicious several times, but since he had to run away in a hurry, where could he think about it more carefully? After some hurried preparations, the carriage galloped down the road. Xiao YuAn lifted the curtain and looked back at the Imperial City of the Northern Kingdom, which by now, was getting farther and farther away. For a brief moment, he felt that the years he spent there were now stuck inside his throat; he regretted that he wasn¡¯t able to offer a toast to the victory of the Country, or wish for a thousand years of prosperity. Xiao YuAn slowly put down the curtain, as if he was cutting ties with everything that had to do with his life as an Emperor. Suddenly, the sound of a horse¡¯s hoovesing from the distance could be heard, however, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t lift the curtain again. Yang LiuAn, who was driving the carriage, suddenly lifted the curtain. His face was livid: ¡°It¡¯s Yan HeQing.¡± Due to therge number of people, they were divided into three carriages. The other two carriages also noticed the person chasing after them and slowed down to let Xiao YuAn¡¯s carriage get in the lead. To everyone¡¯s surprise, Yan HeQing, who was able to intercept them at a gallop, didn¡¯t do it. Instead, he tightened the reins and followed the carriage. As if he was afraid of disturbing someone, he didn¡¯t want to make the carriage stop nor return. After maintaining the journey this way for some time, Xiao YuAn asked incredulously: ¡°Is he alone?¡± Yang LiuAn replied: ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao YuAn, who stayed silent for a brief moment, suddenly looked up: ¡°LiuAn, stop the carriage.¡± ¡°Your Majesty??¡± Yang LiuAn was shocked. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, there¡¯s something I want to say to him. Besides, he¡¯s alone and we¡¯re already far away from the Imperial City. If there¡¯s any real conflict, he won¡¯t be able to catch me.¡± Xiao YuAn said. Yang LiuAn thought about this reasoning and stopped the carriage. Xiao YuAn took a deep breath and jumped out of the carriage. Not far away, when Yan HeQing saw that the carriage stopped moving, he also held back the horse; waiting in ce. After seeing Xiao YuAn getting out of the carriage, Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, then he turned over and dismounted. He was still holding the reins, but he didn¡¯t walk forward. As the two of them looked at each other across the dusty, yellow mud road, Xiao YuAn sighed and walked forward, step by step. Xiao YuAn had something to say to Yan HeQing. The words have been hidden deep inside his heart for a long time now, and after these several changes, Xiao YuAn had also changed the meaning of these words; but after all, he still wanted to let Yan HeQing know them. Just after sorting out the confused thoughts, Xiao YuAn gradually understood that perhaps Yan HeQing didn¡¯t hate him as much as Xiao YuAn thought he did; otherwise, why would he let him escape so easily? However, whether Yan HeQing actually hated him or not, he still must leave this ce. In the near future, thisnd would be property of the Southern Yan, which meant the world to Yan HeQing. If he stays here, he would only be an useless person that was once an Emperor; he would spend the rest of his life meaninglessly inside the Imperial Pce, his personal cage. All of this sounded extremely sad. Even if Yan HeQing remembers the old affection he gave him, and will definitely not hurt him, Xiao YuAn still doesn¡¯t want to live the rest of his life like this. Therefore, he must leave regardless. And since he¡¯s leaving, he should say a proper goodbye. Without joy, there¡¯s no sorrow, and without hate, there¡¯s no regrets. Xiao YuAn stopped two steps away from Yan HeQing, who was looking at him like it was the wrong thing to do. He seemed worried and afraid of being disliked by Xiao YuAn; unconsciously trying to shrink his whole body, as if afraid of being stared at. Xiao YuAn suddenly raised a warm smile at Yan HeQing, and Yan HeQing suddenly opened his eyes wide, intensely staring at Xiao YuAn with greed. He wanted to engrave this scene inside his mind, heart, and into his skeleton; so that this memory won¡¯t be destroyed by time, and he would never forget it for his whole lifetime. While still smiling, Xiao YuAn sped his hands and bowed to him, then he said: ¡°Life is short and the hatredsts forever. Now, Heaven and Earth are cups, and words became wine. With a cup in my hand, I wish that you cane back from the war and have no fear of the cold at night. I wish that all the people that you meet in this lifetime are good people, who will walk the same path as you, and will hold your hands. With another cup in my hand, I wish for your happiness. May you stay safe and healthy, with no worries for the rest of your life. The sorrows and pains of the past, forget about them. One day, when I climb to the top of the sky, I¡¯ll see the world changing into a bright and peaceful ce. All thanks to you, Yan HeQing.¡± Yan HeQing listened carefully, and for a long time, he had no words. It was the end of winter in the Northern Kingdom, the cold wind whistling lifted his clothes, and swept into his eyes. It was like the de of a dagger was piercing through his heart. He tightened the grip on the reins, and after a long time of silence, his mouth finally opened. His voice was hesitant and hoarse: ¡°Xiao YuAn, you clearly¡­ told me to forget. What is the thing you¡¯re asking me to forget about?¡± Xiao YuAn was startled. Isn¡¯t it the hatred for the Northern Kingdom? And the humiliating past he spent there? For a while, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t reply to him, but he saw that Yan HeQing had taken half a step forward. Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing stared at each other, and at that moment, Xiao YuAn felt that Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes were really beautiful. The moment he approached him was slightly oppressive, but he was unable to move his eyes away from Yan HeQing¡¯s. Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes were cold, like the clear moonlight. However, in the bottom of his eyes, it seemed like he was suppressing three thousand sorrows, and it was all due to fate that Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t understand the meaning hidden inside his eyes. Then, Yan HeQing said: ¡°If you¡¯re determined to go with all your heart and soul, that you¡¯re even capable of fighting with your life, then fine. I won¡¯t stop you, but¡­¡± Yan HeQing calmed down, closed his eyes, and his voice sounded like he just climbed over a thousand mountains and crossed over a thousand rivers; passing through several hardships and obstacles, to finally announce to the Heavens and Earth: ¡°But, I won¡¯t forget, I would definitely never forget.¡± At the end of thest sentence, Yan HeQing was almost gnashing his teeth. Xiao YuAn was forced to take half a step back, intimidated by his appearance and his voice. He then asked in great bewilderment: ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to forget about the past, then why are you letting me go?¡± Yan HeQing slowly opened his eyes, and they were dim. Because he didn¡¯t want Xiao YuAn to suffer, he doesn¡¯t want him to not be able to smile anymore. But he also doesn¡¯t want Xiao YuAn to hate him, to loathe him, or to think that he¡¯s evil. He has endured the destruction of his Country and the murder of his family, the abuse and the humiliation done to him by the enemy, and the hardships of war. He has been through so many difficulties, and yet, he still won¡¯t be able to endure a hateful look from Xiao YuAn. Look at the way things are;mentable and ridiculous, sad and tragic. Xiao YuAn finally couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°Why exactly did you chase after me¡­¡± Yan HeQing restrained his eyes and suppressed his thoughts as he touched the white Jade hairpin hidden inside his sleeve. This was thest object, thest memory, of Yan HeQing¡¯s Empress mother, which was an extremely important token of love in the original book. Yan HeQing once gave it to Xiao YuAn as a reward, and in the end, it was left behind in the Imperial Pce by Xiao YuAn himself. Yan HeQing whispered: ¡°You forgot something, I brought it to you.¡± Xiao YuAn was so shocked that he could hardly believe his ears. Just, just, just because of that? Yan HeQing handed the white Jade hairpin to Xiao YuAn, his palm facing upwards, and the white Jade hairpin was lying alone in his hand. This scene was very much like that day in the busy market, where Yan HeQing gave the white Jade hairpin to Xiao YuAn after he gave him the Jade flute. Xiao YuAn hesitated several times, but still stretched out his hand. Yan HeQing waited patiently, and every time Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand got closer to him, Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes lit up a little. However, just a few seconds before Xiao YuAn¡¯s fingertips were about to touch the white Jade hairpin, he suddenly stopped and then withdrew his hand. Something in the depths of Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes was fragmenting and falling apart as he heard Xiao YuAn say: ¡°You should keep it with yourself, you¡¯ll find someone more suited for it.¡± Yan HeQing closed his palm very slowly, his voice didn¡¯t sound emotionless, instead, it sounded more like he was restraining himself and trying to suppress something: ¡°Do you seriously not want it?¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s better for me to not have it, you should give it to someone else.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Yan HeQing looked up. Xiao YuAn thought that Yan HeQing had finally listened to his words, so he just nodded his head. Just when he was about to leave, he saw that Yan HeQing raised his hand, and then smashed the white Jade hairpin on the ground! The white Jade hairpin snapped and rolled to the side of the road, its miserable appearance imprinted in Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes, which were wide with disbelief. Before Xiao YuAn could recover himself from this sudden event, he saw Yan HeQing turning over and mounting his horse, then he turned around and galloped towards the Imperial City. When they got back on the journey, it was hard to say whether Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes were covered in red due to the dust lifted by horses, however, no one dared to speak about it Aaaaahhhh my heart is broken!! Again with a misunderstanding! ! ! ((((;©b§¥©b))) and nooo the jade hairpin is broken! (¡ä£»§Õ£»`) Chapter 94: Its Wonderful To Talk About Lilies Without Thinking. Chapter 94: It¡¯s Wonderful To Talk About Lilies Without Thinking. A few calls brought Xiao YuAn back from his trance, and he looked up with a dazed look on his face: ¡°What?¡± Princess Yongning sighed and handed over a clean white silk cloth: ¡°Gege, don¡¯t hold on to the broken Jade hairpin. You¡¯ve been holding onto it all the way, so be careful, you could get some pieces stuck in your hands; it¡¯s better to wrap it up with this cloth.¡± Xiao YuAn looked at Princess Yongning dumbly, as if trying to understand her words, then he slowly nodded: ¡°Oh¡­ um, fine.¡± Princess Yongning had no choice but to take away the broken white Jade hairpin from him, wrap it up with the white cloth, and then put it back on Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands. Xiao YuAn allowed the little white cloth toy t in his palm, without tightening his hand. Suddenly, the carriage hit a bump and he saw that the hairpin was about to fall to the ground. Xiao YuAn blinked his eyes, folded up his five fingers, and firmly protected it in his hand. Finally, after a long time, Xiao YuAn sighed. He then put the small white cloth wrapped with the Jade hairpin fragments into the wood box, together with the relics of Eunuch Zhao and Hong Xiu. After he resolutely told him to forget the past, the end result was this tragic drama. How could he have guessed that this would be thest thing he would advise. After a dozen of dayster, a small town on the Northern border weed the three horse carriages. Xiao Fengyue lifted the curtain and walked into the carriage in which Xiao YuAn and the two Princesses were sitting: ¡°Three young masters, we arrived at a town, let¡¯s take a rest here.¡± Things weren¡¯t what they used to be, so it was time to change the way people called him. Xiao YuAn and Xiao PingYang nodded, and Princess Yongning replied with a smile: ¡°Yes, thank you Fengyue-gege.¡± Everyone thought that the Princess, who lived her whole life inside the Imperial Pce, wouldn¡¯t be able to adjust to such a time of upheaval. However, she never put on airs, and even though she used to be called the Princess of themon people, she didn¡¯t look down on Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue. Instead, she called them both ¡°gege¡± rather easily. When she first called Yang LiuAn just ¡°LiuAn¡±, she almost scared the former Imperial bodyguard to death. When they found a restaurant, they were ready to fill their stomachs and rest for a while before setting off again. When the waiter saw that they were all young people with an extraordinary appearance, the waiter couldn¡¯t refrain his curiosity, so he came over to inquire as he poured the tea: ¡°Where are these remarkable guests heading to?¡± Princess Yongning was ustomed to hearing about the small vige with beautiful mountains and clear waters from Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue along the way, so when she was asked this question, she said: ¡°We¡¯ll go to Taoyuan Vige at the borders of the Four Kingdoms.¡± Xiao PingYang¡¯s hand that was holding the chopsticks and selecting the vegetables stopped for a brief second, her lips pursed slightly, and then she continued to eat in a calm manner. ¡°Oh, I see, isn¡¯t the road towards the Vige crossing over a battlefield?¡± As if wanting to arouse the people¡¯s appetite, the young man frowned and continued: ¡°My fellow guests, as you may know, not long ago the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Yan Kingdom fought a war not far away from this town. The battlefield had just subsided, and there are many wronged souls wandering around.¡± Xiao YuAn asked with great interest: ¡°How so?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard from others that there¡¯s a madman there who¡¯s been going through the dead bodies every day, and no one knows what or who he¡¯s looking for!¡± The waiter said excitedly in a whisper, but as soon as he finished speaking, the shopkeeper took him by the ears and sent him to work. The group took it as an odd ghost story and didn¡¯t take it to heart. After the meal, Xiao PingYang suddenly took Princess Yongning¡¯s hand and said that she wanted to walk around the town with her, and of course, Princess Yongning happily agreed. Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue went to the stables to feed the horses, leaving Xiao YuAn and the several guards of the Western Shu Kingdom to drink tea. However, before they could drink half a cup of tea, Princess Yongning suddenly came back and dragged Xiao YuAn out. Xiao PingYang was standing outside the restaurant, looking at them quietly. Princess Yongning grabbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s sleeve and said somewhat hesitantly: ¡°Gege, I¡¯ll go to the Western Shu Kingdom¡­¡± Xiao YuAn was startled at first, but he reacted immediately. They¡¯re already at the Northern Kingdom¡¯s border, so Xiao PingYang should go West, and Princess Yongning naturally wanted to go with her. And even though the first and second female lead being together was still too much of a shock for Xiao YuAn, after spending a whole journey together, he was able to ept this magic plot and how they felt about each other along the way. Xiao YuAn stretched out his hand and rubbed Princess Yongning¡¯s hair bun, then he said with a gentle smile adorning his face: ¡°Take good care of yourself. You¡¯ll be alone in the Western Shu Kingdom after all, so if you¡¯re being bullied¡­¡± ¡°Bullied?¡± Xiao PingYang raised an eyebrow: ¡°If they want to die so badly, then wouldn¡¯t it be more pleasurable to jump into a well, hang themselves or take poison?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.¡± To hear the Iron Masked Lady, Xiao PingYang, say such words, it was of a lifetime wish that Xiao YuAn always had while being a reader back then! Princess Yongning bowed her head and pursed her lips, secretly smiling, full of sweetness. Xiao YuAn coughed softly twice, and tried to tie up the bun of Princess Yongning, which she had kneaded herself: ¡°After all, Ning¡¯er was once the Princess of the Northern Kingdom, and her going to the Western Shu Kingdom to live relying on your charity¡­¡± ¡°Rying on my charity?¡± Xiao PingYang wrapped her arms around Princess Yongning. ¡°When the right timees, Yongning will be my wife, the wife of the Western Shu Kingdom¡¯s General. And she¡¯ll be allowed to do whatever she wants, so who will be willing to do her harm?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.¡± Is this how you women stir up emotions?! Convince, convince, and convince with bold capital letters! At any rate, Xiao YuAn, who had once memorized the quotations of the Tyrannical President, repeatedly recited these hundreds President¡¯s quotations in his mind over and over again, only to find that none of them could be actually used! Not a single word! Dazzled by the show of love, Xiao YuAn quietly shut his mouth. Princess Yongning thought that he was thinking of the past, and now they must part ways, so she quickly pulled on his sleeve and said: ¡°Gege, why don¡¯t youe with us to the Western Shu Kingdom?¡± Xiao YuAnughed: ¡°No, I still want to live in seclusion.¡± Princess Yongning, whose eyes were red from the impending parting, nodded her head with extreme reluctance. Xiao PingYang said: ¡°Your Majesty, if youe to the Western Shu Kingdom, I can act as a matchmaker for you. My brother, the Prince, has a title in the Imperial City and he has a high position of power; but even then, he¡¯s pretty easy-going.¡± Wait, stop, stop!! In order to not let Princess Yongning feel sad, you can even sell your own brother without any hesitation? Xiao YuAn grinned and joked: ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, I have somewhere to return to. I¡¯m going¡­. what kind of expressions are you both giving me! I mean, to return to the farming life! Farming life! I¡¯ll get to know Taoyuan Vige! I¡¯ll get to know how to nt beans at the foot of the mountain!¡± He said his goodbye to them, but it was a lively goodbye. Afraid that he would let his mouth run wild, and the both of them would get sad, so they allughed and promised to meet again in the future. XYA still can¡¯t realize how much parting ways in a weird way with YHQ has affected him (???¦ä???) 1 in Taoyuan Vige. Even though it was called a vige, it was actually more like a small town. It was small, but perfectly formed2, it had everything it should have, and the people didn¡¯t need more. In the vige, the only medicinal shop looked quaint and simple. As soon as people got close to it, they could smell the bitter aroma of herbal medicine. Zhang Changsong, who was over 50 years old, was taking a nap on a bamboo chair outside the door of the building; and beside him, was a pot of boiling medicine. The boiling soup lifted the lid of the pot with steam and bubbles. Two merchants who were passing by, heading towards the exit of the vige, were also loudly talking to each other: ¡°This Southern Yan Kingdom is very remarkable, it conquered the Northern Kingdom just a year ago, and now they¡¯re sending troops to attack the Eastern Wu Kingdom?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that when the Southern Yan was first conquered by the Northern Kingdom, the Eastern Wu Kingdom used the opportunity to take a piece of their territory? So, do you really think that now that the Southern Yan Kingdom has finally risen, they won¡¯t dare to fight the Eastern Wu Kingdom?¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not what I meant. I was just saying, why the Southern Yan Kingdom doesn¡¯t take a break for two or more years? Instead, they¡¯re fighting like it¡¯s an everyday thing?¡± ¡°The Monarch of the Southern Yan Kingdom is one of a kind, the first of his generation in bing a powerful, bright ruler. He¡¯s still so young, and has been in power for only one year; but look at him, his achievements are remarkable.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Monarch of the Southern Yan Kingdom not only knows how to govern the Country, but he also knows how to fight a war. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s said that you¡¯ll be astonished after seeing how handsome he is! Is that even true?¡± ¡°Ha! How would I know about that?! I haven¡¯t even seen him!¡± As the voices of the two merchants faded away, Zhang Changsong opened his eyes and looked at the boiling pot of medicine. He then shook therge fan in his hand and continued his nap. Taoyuan Vige is a magical ce that is located at the border of the Four Kingdoms¡­ well, that¡¯s what it used to be called, now it¡¯s ¡°The border of the Three Kingdoms¡±. At the border, it¡¯s natural that the surrounding area is the ce where the battles are fought. However, Taoyuan Vige has never been invaded by war. It was a safe and secure ce, for generations after generations, as if there was a divine providence protecting it from the shadows. Taoyuan Vige doesn¡¯t belong to any Country, the people living here are in peace, they¡¯re hardworking and self-sufficient. And even though some merchants and tourists often pass by, none of the natives had ever left and no one new moved to the vige. It was obvious that this vige didn¡¯t intend to hide away, but it really seemed like paradise on earth. Until two years ago. Two years ago, two good-looking youths came here. They bought a mansion, and settled down. For the first time, the vigers met outsiders that wanted to live in the vige, and at first, they were very wary of them. Later on, they found that the two young men were very helpful, warm and kind, so they gradually epted them. After the two youths settled down, one became a salt trader and the other was in charge of the house. The two of them at first had very little family background3, but after working hard for half a year, their family became more and more prosperous. The simple minded people of the vige were getting used to the fact that there were two more young people there. Apart from the matchmaker living on the West side of the vige, who wanted to find good husbands for the eldest daughters of the vige, it didn¡¯t seem like much had changed. Until another year ago. A year ago, the two young men received some news, although no one knew what it was about. They hurriedly packed their bags and left, leaving therge mansion to the care of a lonely aunt. More than half a monthter, the two youths returned to the vige. They brought two teenagers back with them. One was a handsome young man, unfortunately, he was also a bit bad in the head. The other one was extremely beautiful, he acts andughs like an immortal. Someone who once visited the Imperial City of the Eastern Wu Kingdom, shouts at everyone he meets, that even the top girls in the Drunken Flower Building can¡¯tpare to him! When Zhang Changsong first saw Xiao YuAn, he, like everyone else, thought that he was a rich Young Master who had to live in seclusion for some reason; and since he had to live like that, he was too shy to speak with people. Now, Zhang Changsong just wants to go back in time and p himself in the face: Zhang Changsong, ah Zhang Changsong, you¡¯re only over 50 years old, you can¡¯t be blind this early on, right? The red sun was hanging over the hill. After taking a nap, Zhang Changsong picked up an old piece of cloth, folded it in half, and ced it on top of the boiling pot of medicine. Like this, he lifted the lid of the pot. The aroma of the bitter herbal medicine was overwhelming. Zhang Changsong nodded his head with satisfaction. He stroked his beard, raised his head and squinted at the view. The vige was enveloped in the glow of the setting sun, such sight was very peaceful,forting, and¡­ What the fuck! In the distance, there was a man running towards him in a hurry, on his back was a soldier with blood all over his body. The man shouted as he got closer: ¡°Shifu4!!!! Save him!!!!¡± Zhang Changsong put his hand on his forehead and slowed down for a long time. When the man came closer, he was so angry that he knocked on his shoulder: ¡°Xiao YuAn! You¡¯re giving me trouble again! Sooner orter, my little medical shop is going to be ruined by you!¡± Even though Zhang Changsong was scolding him, he didn¡¯t stop Xiao YuAn, even letting him carry the wounded person into the medical shop to treat him. Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: ¡°Shifu, I¡¯ll pay for the medicine.¡± Zhang Changsong red at him, his nose was scornfully out of breath: ¡°Hmph!¡± A head poked out from behind the medicine cab, it was a young man with decent features: ¡°Hey! Another one? That¡¯s eight this month! It¡¯s because the Southern Yan Kingdom and the Eastern Wu Kingdom are at war?¡± Xiao YuAn eased his breath and nodded: ¡°I just went to pick up medicinal herbs, and found him by chance.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re really fated with these soldiers. Usually, when I go to pick up medicinal herbs, I never meet them.¡± Zhang Baizhu threw a clean white cloth to Xiao YuAn. ¡°Clean yourself. Look at you, you¡¯re covered in blood. If you go out, you¡¯ll frighten Aunt Ma across the street to death.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled and replied: ¡°It will be good for her to be scared to death. Every time I run into her, she asks me if LiuAn and Fengyue have married some girl, and then says how nice Xiao-yu¡¯er, from the West side of the vige, is¡­ Hey, Zhang Baizhu, you said I¡¯m good-looking, but why doesn¡¯t Aunt Ma try to y matchmaker for me?¡± Zhang Baizhu looked at him from head to toe: ¡°You? What girl would dare to marry a man that¡¯s more beautiful than herself?¡± Zhang Changsong¡¯s forehead veins showed up, and he was at the end of his patience. He couldn¡¯t help to curse at the two of them: ¡°Okay! Stop with that nonsense! This man is still spitting blood, and the both of you are still calmly chatting around him! Get over here and help!¡± ¡°Dad! Don¡¯t get angry, don¡¯t get angry. Life is like a y, we meet each other because of fate.¡± Zhang Baizhu said, as he helped to apply the medicine. ¡°What¡¯s the point of losing your temper over small things. Why bother?¡± Xiao YuAn pressed down on the bloody wound of the soldier as he shut the man¡¯s mouth, so as to not hear him scream. ¡°Don¡¯t get angry at us for not being as good as you!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one that can rece you when you¡¯re sad or hurt!¡± ¡°Dad, ah!¡± ¡°Oh, Shifu!¡± In unison, they both said: ¡°Don¡¯t get angry, okay? Don¡¯t get angry!¡± As soon as their words fell, the dying soldier violently coughed up a mouthful of blood and passed out again. Zhang Changsong: ¡°¡­¡­..¡± What the hell did he do in his past life to deserve these two sons of a bitch??? Our dear XYA is acting all silly and happy again (¡ä£»¦Ø£»`)? and the fact that Zhang Baizhu said that XYA is waaaay too pretty for girls ended me xDDDD but at least we all know that he¡¯s pretty enough for a certain someone (¡É ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)?©¥¡î? Support me on ko-fI!! (©~?¦å?©~)? Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. Íò×Ïǧºì w¨¤n z¨« qi¨¡n h¨®ng; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, used to describe a hundred flowers in full bloom, painting the sight in colorful colors / Mostly refers to the prosperous colors of Spring. From¡¶´ºÈÕ¡·(ch¨±n r¨¬), ¡°The Spring Day¡±, written by (Öììä zh¨± x¨©) Zhu Xi [1130-1200], a Confucian writer and propagandist, founder of neo-Confucianism, from the Song Dynasty [960-1279].
  2. ÂéȸËäСÎåÔà¾ãÈ« m¨¢ qu¨¨ su¨© xi¨£o w¨³ z¨¤ng j¨´ qu¨¢n; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, lit tranted as ¡°A sparrow, though small, has all of its five organs¡±. Is an expression used to describe something that, even its small size or scale, isplete in its contents / Something small, yet it doesn¡¯tck a thing / Seemingly insignificant, yetprehensive / Small yet sophisticated, and it doesn¡¯tck in functionality. From¡¶Î§³Ç¡·(w¨¦i ch¨¦ng), ¡°The Siege of the City¡±, written by (Ç®ÖÓÊé qi¨¢n zh¨­ng sh¨±) Qian Zhongshu [1910-1998], a literary academic and novelist.
  3. ¼Òµ× ji¨¡ d¨«; It¡¯s often used to refer to the total amount of capital (money and valuable things) left by an individual or a group / Money saved up in the family over a long period of time.
  4. ʦ¸¸ sh¨© fu; The term ¡°Shifu¡± refers to a teacher engaged in teaching, and is a term of endearment used by students for teachers who impart their skill. In ancient times, those who engaged in preaching and teaching were usually male, so ʦ sh¨© (teacher) waspared to ¸¸ fu (father), and over time ¡°Shifu¡± became abined term. However, in practice, the usage isn¡¯t limited to men only. For example: in the mostmon martial arts novels in which the word ¡°Shifu¡± is used, those who teach are referred to as ¡°Shifu¡±, regardless of their gender.
Chapter 96: Are You Wounded? It Was Arranged. The East wind freely surfaces through the innumerable purple and red flowers1 in Taoyuan Vige. Even though it was called a vige, it was actually more like a small town. It was small, but perfectly formed2, it had everything it should have, and the people didn¡¯t need more. In the vige, the only medicinal shop looked quaint and simple. As soon as people got close to it, they could smell the bitter aroma of herbal medicine. Zhang Changsong, who was over 50 years old, was taking a nap on a bamboo chair outside the door of the building; and beside him, was a pot of boiling medicine. The boiling soup lifted the lid of the pot with steam and bubbles. Two merchants who were passing by, heading towards the exit of the vige, were also loudly talking to each other: ¡°This Southern Yan Kingdom is very remarkable, it conquered the Northern Kingdom just a year ago, and now they¡¯re sending troops to attack the Eastern Wu Kingdom?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that when the Southern Yan was first conquered by the Northern Kingdom, the Eastern Wu Kingdom used the opportunity to take a piece of their territory? So, do you really think that now that the Southern Yan Kingdom has finally risen, they won¡¯t dare to fight the Eastern Wu Kingdom?¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not what I meant. I was just saying, why the Southern Yan Kingdom doesn¡¯t take a break for two or more years? Instead, they¡¯re fighting like it¡¯s an everyday thing?¡± ¡°The Monarch of the Southern Yan Kingdom is one of a kind, the first of his generation in bing a powerful, bright ruler. He¡¯s still so young, and has been in power for only one year; but look at him, his achievements are remarkable.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Monarch of the Southern Yan Kingdom not only knows how to govern the Country, but he also knows how to fight a war. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s said that you¡¯ll be astonished after seeing how handsome he is! Is that even true?¡± ¡°Ha! How would I know about that?! I haven¡¯t even seen him!¡± As the voices of the two merchants faded away, Zhang Changsong opened his eyes and looked at the boiling pot of medicine. He then shook therge fan in his hand and continued his nap. Taoyuan Vige is a magical ce that is located at the border of the Four Kingdoms¡­ well, that¡¯s what it used to be called, now it¡¯s ¡°The border of the Three Kingdoms¡±. At the border, it¡¯s natural that the surrounding area is the ce where the battles are fought. However, Taoyuan Vige has never been invaded by war. It was a safe and secure ce, for generations after generations, as if there was a divine providence protecting it from the shadows. Taoyuan Vige doesn¡¯t belong to any Country, the people living here are in peace, they¡¯re hardworking and self-sufficient. And even though some merchants and tourists often pass by, none of the natives had ever left and no one new moved to the vige. It was obvious that this vige didn¡¯t intend to hide away, but it really seemed like paradise on earth. Until two years ago. Two years ago, two good-looking youths came here. They bought a mansion, and settled down. For the first time, the vigers met outsiders that wanted to live in the vige, and at first, they were very wary of them. Later on, they found that the two young men were very helpful, warm and kind, so they gradually epted them. After the two youths settled down, one became a salt trader and the other was in charge of the house. The two of them at first had very little family background3, but after working hard for half a year, their family became more and more prosperous. The simple minded people of the vige were getting used to the fact that there were two more young people there. Apart from the matchmaker living on the West side of the vige, who wanted to find good husbands for the eldest daughters of the vige, it didn¡¯t seem like much had changed. Until another year ago. A year ago, the two young men received some news, although no one knew what it was about. They hurriedly packed their bags and left, leaving therge mansion to the care of a lonely aunt. More than half a monthter, the two youths returned to the vige. They brought two teenagers back with them. One was a handsome young man, unfortunately, he was also a bit bad in the head. The other one was extremely beautiful, he acts andughs like an immortal. Someone who once visited the Imperial City of the Eastern Wu Kingdom, shouts at everyone he meets, that even the top girls in the Drunken Flower Building can¡¯tpare to him! When Zhang Changsong first saw Xiao YuAn, he, like everyone else, thought that he was a rich Young Master who had to live in seclusion for some reason; and since he had to live like that, he was too shy to speak with people. Now, Zhang Changsong just wants to go back in time and p himself in the face: Zhang Changsong, ah Zhang Changsong, you¡¯re only over 50 years old, you can¡¯t be blind this early on, right? The red sun was hanging over the hill. After taking a nap, Zhang Changsong picked up an old piece of cloth, folded it in half, and ced it on top of the boiling pot of medicine. Like this, he lifted the lid of the pot. The aroma of the bitter herbal medicine was overwhelming. Zhang Changsong nodded his head with satisfaction. He stroked his beard, raised his head and squinted at the view. The vige was enveloped in the glow of the setting sun, such sight was very peaceful,forting, and¡­ What the fuck! In the distance, there was a man running towards him in a hurry, on his back was a soldier with blood all over his body. The man shouted as he got closer: ¡°Shifu4!!!! Save him!!!!¡± Zhang Changsong put his hand on his forehead and slowed down for a long time. When the man came closer, he was so angry that he knocked on his shoulder: ¡°Xiao YuAn! You¡¯re giving me trouble again! Sooner orter, my little medical shop is going to be ruined by you!¡± Even though Zhang Changsong was scolding him, he didn¡¯t stop Xiao YuAn, even letting him carry the wounded person into the medical shop to treat him. Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: ¡°Shifu, I¡¯ll pay for the medicine.¡± Zhang Changsong red at him, his nose was scornfully out of breath: ¡°Hmph!¡± A head poked out from behind the medicine cab, it was a young man with decent features: ¡°Hey! Another one? That¡¯s eight this month! It¡¯s because the Southern Yan Kingdom and the Eastern Wu Kingdom are at war?¡± Xiao YuAn eased his breath and nodded: ¡°I just went to pick up medicinal herbs, and found him by chance.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re really fated with these soldiers. Usually, when I go to pick up medicinal herbs, I never meet them.¡± Zhang Baizhu threw a clean white cloth to Xiao YuAn. ¡°Clean yourself. Look at you, you¡¯re covered in blood. If you go out, you¡¯ll frighten Aunt Ma across the street to death.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled and replied: ¡°It will be good for her to be scared to death. Every time I run into her, she asks me if LiuAn and Fengyue have married some girl, and then says how nice Xiao-yu¡¯er, from the West side of the vige, is¡­ Hey, Zhang Baizhu, you said I¡¯m good-looking, but why doesn¡¯t Aunt Ma try to y matchmaker for me?¡± Zhang Baizhu looked at him from head to toe: ¡°You? What girl would dare to marry a man that¡¯s more beautiful than herself?¡± Zhang Changsong¡¯s forehead veins showed up, and he was at the end of his patience. He couldn¡¯t help to curse at the two of them: ¡°Okay! Stop with that nonsense! This man is still spitting blood, and the both of you are still calmly chatting around him! Get over here and help!¡± ¡°Dad! Don¡¯t get angry, don¡¯t get angry. Life is like a y, we meet each other because of fate.¡± Zhang Baizhu said, as he helped to apply the medicine. ¡°What¡¯s the point of losing your temper over small things. Why bother?¡± Xiao YuAn pressed down on the bloody wound of the soldier as he shut the man¡¯s mouth, so as to not hear him scream. ¡°Don¡¯t get angry at us for not being as good as you!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one that can rece you when you¡¯re sad or hurt!¡± ¡°Dad, ah!¡± ¡°Oh, Shifu!¡± In unison, they both said: ¡°Don¡¯t get angry, okay? Don¡¯t get angry!¡± As soon as their words fell, the dying soldier violently coughed up a mouthful of blood and passed out again. Zhang Changsong: ¡°¡­¡­..¡± What the hell did he do in his past life to deserve these two sons of a bitch??? Our dear XYA is acting all silly and happy again (¡ä£»¦Ø£»`)? and the fact that Zhang Baizhu said that XYA is waaaay too pretty for girls ended me xDDDD but at least we all know that he¡¯s pretty enough for a certain someone (¡É ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)?©¥¡î? Support me on ko-fI!! (©~?¦å?©~)? Footnotes: Footnotes
  1. Íò×Ïǧºì w¨¤n z¨« qi¨¡n h¨®ng; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, used to describe a hundred flowers in full bloom, painting the sight in colorful colors / Mostly refers to the prosperous colors of Spring. From¡¶´ºÈÕ¡·(ch¨±n r¨¬), ¡°The Spring Day¡±, written by (Öììä zh¨± x¨©) Zhu Xi [1130-1200], a Confucian writer and propagandist, founder of neo-Confucianism, from the Song Dynasty [960-1279].
  2. ÂéȸËäСÎåÔà¾ãÈ« m¨¢ qu¨¨ su¨© xi¨£o w¨³ z¨¤ng j¨´ qu¨¢n; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, lit tranted as ¡°A sparrow, though small, has all of its five organs¡±. Is an expression used to describe something that, even its small size or scale, isplete in its contents / Something small, yet it doesn¡¯tck a thing / Seemingly insignificant, yetprehensive / Small yet sophisticated, and it doesn¡¯tck in functionality. From¡¶Î§³Ç¡·(w¨¦i ch¨¦ng), ¡°The Siege of the City¡±, written by (Ç®ÖÓÊé qi¨¢n zh¨­ng sh¨±) Qian Zhongshu [1910-1998], a literary academic and novelist.
  3. ¼Òµ× ji¨¡ d¨«; It¡¯s often used to refer to the total amount of capital (money and valuable things) left by an individual or a group / Money saved up in the family over a long period of time.
  4. ʦ¸¸ sh¨© fu; The term ¡°Shifu¡± refers to a teacher engaged in teaching, and is a term of endearment used by students for teachers who impart their skill. In ancient times, those who engaged in preaching and teaching were usually male, so ʦ sh¨© (teacher) waspared to ¸¸ fu (father), and over time ¡°Shifu¡± became abined term. However, in practice, the usage isn¡¯t limited to men only. For example: in the mostmon martial arts novels in which the word ¡°Shifu¡± is used, those who teach are referred to as ¡°Shifu¡±, regardless of their gender.
Chapter 97: Are You Alive? It Was Arranged. Chapter 97: Are You Alive? It Was Arranged. Zhang Changsongs¡¯s wife passed away young, leaving no children behind. Zhang Changsong was also a faithful man and didn¡¯t get married again. He kept the small medicinal shop left by his ancestors and lived a full life, with no worries for a family. As a result, at the age of 35, he picked up an infant, Zhang Baizhu. Zhang Changsong is a man with a big temper, but with a soft heart. After picking up Zhang Baizhu, he treated him like his own son, and didn¡¯t treat him badly. Even the people of the vige who knew that Zhang Baizhu wasn¡¯t his biological son never mentioned it, and they all shouted for them like: ¡°Daifu1 Zhang, Daifu Xiao-Zhang!¡± Then, half a year ago, Xiao YuAn, who was by now well acquainted with the vigers, suddenly came to ask Zhang Changsong if he could ept him as an apprentice. When Zhang Changsong asked him why, Xiao YuAn said that he wanted to cure his Didi2. Indeed, there was a sick young man in Xiao YuAn¡¯s residence, and he heard that his surname was Xie. What¡¯s more, their residence is really strange. It was a family of four brothers living in Taoyuan Vige, but everyone¡¯s surname was different. Zhang Changsong thought about it, but didn¡¯t refuse. And then, there was this scene today. After working for a whole hour, the three of them finally pulled the soldier back from the Guimen pass3. Zhang Changsong wiped the sweat off his forehead, red at the two brats, and then turned around to take a rest. Zhang Baizhu looked through the soldier¡¯s belongings and said: ¡°Oh! He¡¯s from the Eastern Wu Kingdom. Wait, will you carry him to your home?¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t want to trouble you.¡± Zhang Changsong, who was resting on the bamboo recliner, snorted ferociously. The two of them had already gotten used to Xiao YuAn¡¯s sharp tongue and soft heart for a long time now; and they didn¡¯t take it to heart at all, so Zhang Baizhu said: ¡°You said that you want to save these people. But why do you always put the Southern Yan and Eastern Wu soldiers to heal in the same room? Won¡¯t this lead to a fight?¡± ¡°Well, if it¡¯s a matter of life and death, what¡¯s the big deal? and¡­¡± Xiao YuAn murmured in a low voice: ¡°In a few years, it¡¯ll be one big Country, and they¡¯ll belong to the same side anyways.¡± Zhang Baizhu couldn¡¯t hear him clearly: ¡°What?¡± Xiao YuAn shook his head: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Zhang Changsong roared: ¡°Do you both still have the time to chat? Have you taken care of the herbs in the garden?¡± Zhang Baizhu¡¯s feet were quick to run away, and Xiao YuAn wanted to follow him, preparing himself to run away. However, Zhang Changsong stopped him: ¡°Xiao YuAn, get your ass over here!¡± Xiao YuAn behaved himself and walked over to him. Zhang Changsong eased his breath and asked: ¡°Your brother¡¯s illness, is he better?¡± Xiao YuAn was startled and shook his head helplessly. Zhang Changsong sighed: ¡°Go grab some more tranquilizing medicine before you go. He¡¯s suffering from heartache, he can¡¯t be too anxious. His recovery is up to the will of Heaven.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you, Shifu.¡± Xiao YuAn saluted him4. ¡°And don¡¯t go too far away to pick up medicinal herbs. There¡¯s a war at the borders, and the weapons don¡¯t have eyes. If you¡¯re not careful enough, they¡¯ll poke a big hole in you, and then, you won¡¯t even have a ce to cry!¡± Zhang Changsong said to him with a strong and fierce tone of voice. ¡°I got it, I understand.¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile. ¡°Fine. Also, this man is badly injured, so it¡¯s better to not move him. Let him recover here. The other two you saved before, are they out of the vige?¡± Zhang Changsong asked. ¡°Yes, the Southern Yan and the Eastern Wu soldiers, who were recovering from their wounds, fought each other in my home earlier and were too embarrassed to stay; so I gave them some medicine and sent them back to their respective barracks.¡± Xiao YuAn said. Zhang Changsong red at him: ¡°You¡¯re indeed5¡­ Why did you have to put them together in the same room? Their two Countries are fighting a war at the border, how can they not fight when they see each other? All right, all right, all right. Go get the medicine and go back home.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled in response as he went to the medicine cab to grab some medicine . After that, he told Zhang Changsong that he wille see him tomorrow, and then he carried the medicine back towards the East street. As the sun set, a few eldery people came out from their homes to cool off. Xiao YuAn greeted them one by one, and also yed with the children in the street for a while. After having some fun, he returned to his residence. The residence wasn¡¯t big. It had a small courtyard, a few wing rooms, a few willow trees in the fish pond, and a stone table, which was filled with Aunt¡¯s fragrant and delicious food. At that moment, the Third Aunt wasing out of the kitchen with some vegetables when she saw Xiao YuAn: ¡°YuAn, you¡¯re back just in time. Dinner is ready, quickly go and call Chungui.¡± This residence originally belonged to Third Aunt, whose husband used to be a wealthy and famous merchant. However, the businessman got into trouble with some bandits and died, leaving her behind with an empty mansion. Third Aunt was an arrogantdy and she was unwilling to remarry; so she became a widow, and lived alone for several years. When Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue arrived at the vige at the beginning of the month, they were asking around for an avable ce where they could buy a house. Third Aunt went to find them and told them that she was willing to sell her house at a low price, but she wanted to keep living there, and that the structure and decoration of the house couldn¡¯t be changed. Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue naturally agreed to her conditions. Third Aunt wasn¡¯t suspicious of them, even though their identities were a mystery, she didn¡¯t bother to ask. After living together and getting along for more than half a year, she already knew that they were good people. Third Aunt was also very diligent and couldn¡¯t bear to see these grown men having a rough time. She washes and cooks for them, and even though everyone told her to not overwork herself, she says that she¡¯s happy like this. After all, she has been alone for most of her life, and now, she can treat these four young men as her own sons. Xiao YuAn smiled at her: ¡°Third Aunt had worked hard today, I¡¯ll go call him right away.¡± Xiao YuAn walked out of the East wing and came across a room. The windows of the room were wide open and there was a pot of orchids on the table in front of the window, which emitted a delicate fragrance. Looking through the window, Xiao YuAn saw a man bending over a desk, calcting the ounts. His appearance was serious and careful. How can XYA be so cute??????¡ä?¨F???? And even tho I find hrious his reasoning to save these soldiers¡­ it still shows that he¡¯s not ustomed to the hardships of war and that he always tries to do good when in the end he will likely get hurt¡­ my poor baby? ? ©n ? ? As for XCG¡¯s illness, it will get exined in future chapters, I just want to rify that he doesn¡¯t have a heart disease, it has to do with mis mental state (rted to his feelings) Chapter 98: A Wedding? It Was Arranged. Chapter 98: A Wedding? It Was Arranged. Xiao YuAn folded his hands over his head,id his body against the windowsill, and shouted with a smile on his face: ¡°Fengyue, dinner¡¯s ready.¡± Xiao Fengyue raised his head and looked at the window: ¡°Young Master? Oh, I¡¯m aware of that, I¡¯ll go in a minute.¡± ¡°Is LiuAn not back from his trip yet?¡± Xiao YuAn asked. ¡°LiuAn came back this afternoon. He¡¯s probably taking inventory of the goods right now, Young Master.¡± Xiao Fengyue replied. Xiao YuAn then said while smiling: ¡°I¡¯ll go call Chungui.¡± After that, he went towards the East wing. Xiao Fengyue put down the ount book in his hands, and fell in a trance for a brief moment. He thought about the Emperor, who had been loved by thousands of people ever since he was born. He could have the wind and the rain, but now he had to run away in disgrace. He should be a proud and arrogant man, despising the world that treated him like this. Unexpectedly, he was very easy-going, and he adapted really quickly to his current situation. Indeed, the wind starts at the end of Qingping, and ends between the grass1. The most inexplicable thing was that when the Emperor arrived at Taoyuan Vige, he said that he was going to change his name. However, Xiao Fengyue and Yang LiuAn understood. After all, he was the former Emperor of a former Dynasty, and in case he met a person who knew about his true identity, it would be hard to exin his current situation. But, to their surprise, the Emperor not only changed his own name, but he also changed his surname. He said that his new surname will be Xiao, and his name YuAn. Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue felt very confused, but they didn¡¯t dare to ask anything more; because regardless of whether he changed his surname and name or not, they still called him ¡®Young Master¡¯, so they wouldn¡¯t be ufortable. Xiao Fengyue settled down his mind, got up and went to the main hall. As he passed by the courtyards, he saw from afar a man washing his face and hands. The crystal clear drops of water reflected the bright sunshine, sliding down the side of the man¡¯s face, and staining his frontpel a dark color. When he heard footsteps approaching, Yang LiuAn turned around. When he saw that it was Xiao Fengyue, his eyebrows curled out with an undisguised smile: ¡°A-Yue!¡± Xiao Fengyue listened to the wanton and magnanimous ¡®A-Yue¡¯, only to feel the warm sunshine hitting the softest part of his heart. He took a few steps forwards towards Yang LiuAn. With one hand pulling his own sleeve, he wiped the water drops on Yang LiuAn¡¯s face: ¡°Just finished with the inventory?¡± Yang LiuAn allowed Xiao Fengyue to wipe the water off his face and then nodded: ¡°Yes, I just returned to the residence when I met a messenger, who gave me a letter from the Western Shu Kingdom, for the Young Master.¡± ¡°It must be a letter from the Princess. I¡¯ll give it to the Young Master after dinner.¡± Xiao Fengyue raised a warm smile. Yang LiuAn nodded: ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s go to the dining room quickly, Third Aunt announced that dinner was ready a moment ago.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Fengyue, without losing the smile on his face, held Yang LiuAn¡¯s shoulders with both hands, tilting his head up and kissing him gently on the lips. Yang LiuAn naturally put his arm around Xiao Fengyue¡¯s waist as he closed his eyes to kiss his cold lips, warming them for a brief moment before they separated. After the kiss, they chatted about their day and walked towards the dining room, when suddenly, they heard the sound of things falling to the grounding from the East Wing. They both stopped walking and looked at each other at the same time. ¡°Should we go to have a look?¡± Yang LiuAn asked hesitantly. Xiao Fengyue pondered about it for a while. He shook his head and said: ¡°We better don¡¯t go, the Young Master will deal with it. I¡¯m afraid that we will just add more chaos if we go.¡± Yang LiuAn looked sideways towards the location of the East Wing, and nodded silently with a sigh. At that moment, in the East Wing, Xiao YuAn bent down to pick up the inkstone that was dropped by Xie Chungui, and gently ced it on the table. Xie Chungui¡¯s hands were full of ink stains, and there were dozens of pieces of rice paper in front of him, each paper filled with names. Li Wuding¡¯s name was the first, and then the names of all the soldiers of the Northern Kingdom, that Xie Chungui could remember, followed. The two characters of the Northern Kingdom were closely written behind the names. Of course, the handwriting was correct, but the way it looked was like the appearance of a fierce beast, waving its teeth and ws. ¡°Chungui, Chungui.¡± Xiao YuAn, after cing the inkstone down, stretched out his hand and held Xie Chungui¡¯s writing hand: ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready.¡± Xiao YuAn took the trouble to repeat the words over and over again, until finally, Xie Chungui stopped moving his hand. Looking up at Xiao YuAn, his face showing the ignorance and innocence only an eight or nine year old could express. Xiao YuAn pulled him out of the wing room and took him to the courtyard, fetching a basin filled with fresh water, and washed Xie Chungui¡¯s hands for him. Xiao YuAn once entrusted someone to go to the Northern Kingdom to inquire about the whereabouts of the Xie Family, however, the news he got were devastating: The day the Northern Kingdom fell, the whole Xie family hanged themselves in their house. They swore to live and die with the Country, and no one survived. ¡°Xiao-gege, Xiao-gege, what will we eat at dinner?¡± Xie Chungui blinked and asked Xiao YuAn. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Xiao YuAn pretended to think it over, then looked up and smiled: ¡°I think Third Aunt has made stewed duck soup.¡± ¡°Wow! I love to eat this!¡± Xie Chungui cheered and ran towards the main hall without wiping his hands. Xiao YuAn heeded behind him a few times, but didn¡¯t call out to him. He shrugged helplessly and poured out the dirty water with ink from the basin, walking to the main hall afterwards. In the main hall, Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue were sitting at the table without moving their chopsticks, obviously waiting for him. Xie Chungui was already drinking the duck soup directly from the bowl, like a happy kid. When they first came to Taoyuan Vige a year ago, Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue were nning to share the table with Xiao YuAn, but they were also always concerned about their own inferior status; so they wanted to tter and support Xiao YuAn in everything. Xiao YuAn corrected them many times before gradually getting used to it. ¡°Young Master.¡± After seeing Xiao YuAn sitting down at the table, Yang LiuAn handed over a letter. ¡°Oh? What¡¯s this?¡± Xiao YuAn took it with a doubtful look on his face. ¡°A letter from the Western Shu Kingdom.¡± ¡°Western Shu Kingdom?¡± Slightly surprised, Xiao YuAn opened it and read its contents over and over again, so shocked that he almost stood up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Young Master?¡± Xiao Fengyue and Yang LiuAn were very puzzled. Xiao YuAn put away the letter, calmed down, and said: ¡°Ning¡¯er and Xiao PingYang are getting married and invited me to the wedding ceremony in the Imperial City of the Western Shu Kingdom.¡± Ahhh YLA and XFY acting so lovey dovey (((o(?¡ä¨Œ`?)o))) I¡¯m blushing(? ???¦Ø??? ?) Yongning and Xiao PingYang are getting married!! ! ! ¡î*:. o(¨R¨Œ¨Q)o .:*¡î Chapter 99: Fame? It Was Arranged. Chapter 99: Fame? It Was Arranged. Xiao YuAn was in a daze while pounding medicine, staring at nothing as he did so. Oh friends, when the first and second female leads of a stallion novel are together and about to get married, what else is impossible in life?! Life! It¡¯s full of surprise and fright everywhere! But, in this situation, will Xiao Pingyang still ascend the throne? If so, how would Yan HeQing unify the Four Kingdoms? Xiao YuAn was absentmindedly pounding the medicine, when suddenly, a head popped out: ¡°Xiao YuAn, I heard that you¡¯re going to the Western Shu Kingdom, is that right?¡± Xiao YuAnughed: ¡°Zhang Baizhu, you¡¯re way too well-informed.¡± Zhang Baizhu replied triumphantly: ¡°That¡¯s right, I met Third Aunt this morning and chatted with her. But, um, hello! When are you leaving? When will youe back? What are you going to do in the Western Shu Kingdom? I¡¯ve heard that all the women in the Western Shu are beautiful, but is it true? Do you know any girl from the Western Shu Kingdom? If you do, can you act as a matchmaker for me?¡± ¡°Zhang Baizhu, you asked me way too many questions at once, which one should I answer?¡± Xiao YuAn put the pounded medicine into a bag made out of cloth and then ced it onto the medicine cab. The whole time, he was smiling at Zhang Baizhu, like he was ridiczing at him. Zhang Baizhu held his hand and sat on the counter beside the medicine cab. After sitting down, his hands and legs seemed to tremble: ¡°Answer thest two, if you know any girl, then tell her that I¡¯m a good man with great achievements! I wonder if she¡¯s willing to marry someone that lives so far away from her home? Do you think it¡¯s better to have six or eight carriers for the sedan chair? And what do you think it¡¯s better, keeping the wedding banquet simple, or having a lively one?¡± ¡°Stop, stop, stop.¡± Xiao YuAn rubbed his ears: ¡°I do know one though, and she¡¯s extremely beautiful.¡± Zhang Baizhu¡¯s eyes brightened: ¡°You aren¡¯t joking, are you?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m not joking!¡± Xiao YuAn nodded with iparable certainty, then he gave a bad smile at Zhang Baizhu, who was full of expectation: ¡°I¡¯m going to the Western Shu Kingdom this time because the Western Shu woman I know is getting married.¡± Zhang Baizhu: ¡°¡­.. Then ask that girl if she has any other sisters! And even if she doesn¡¯t have any sister, then a distant rtive is enough! If she doesn¡¯t have any distant rtives, then a good friend! If her friend is already married, then the friend¡¯s sister! If the friend doesn¡¯t have a sister, then the friend¡¯s other friend! If you can¡¯t, then the sister of a dear friend! Xiao YuAn, I¡¯m serious! Just bring back a girl!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to visit some rtives, not to abduct someone.¡± ¡°Excuses! It¡¯s all excuses! Eh, wait a minute, if you¡¯re going to visit your rtives, then youe from the Western Shu Kingdom? Really? I¡¯ve heard that the mountains and rivers of the Western Shu Kingdom are dangerously steep, Is it true? I¡¯ve also heard that the Western Shu-¡­¡± Zhang Baizhu¡¯s ramblings were interrupted by a roaring from the back hall: ¡°Xiao YuAn! The person you saved has woken up!¡± They looked at each other and hurriedly walked towards the back hall. Zhang Changsong stroked his white beard as he stood beside the bed, examining the injuries of the soldier from the Eastern Wu Kingdom. When he saw Xiao YuAn and Zhang Baizhuing in, he pointed at Xiao YuAn: ¡°That¡¯s right, he¡¯s the one that carried you here.¡± The Eastern Wu soldier struggled to get out of bed and kneeled down: ¡°My benefactor!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey! Don¡¯t move, don¡¯t move! You¡¯re still hurt, it¡¯ll be troublesome if the wound reopens.¡± Xiao YuAn quickly helped the young soldier to get back onto the bed. ¡°May I ask this benefactor¡¯s personal name?!¡± The young soldier said. After Xiao YuAn said his name, the young soldier¡¯s eyes suddenly widened: ¡°Xiao YuAn? It¡¯s, is¡­ is that Xiao YuAn?¡± What the hell? Which one? How many Xiao YuAn are here? Xiao YuAn was bewildered as he heard Zhang Baizhu said, while ring at him: ¡°You¡¯re finished. Well, this guy knows about you. You must have some enemies from the past, or you must¡¯vemited a crime, and now that you¡¯ve been recognized, will you have to run away? Where will you go? Will you run away to the Western Shu Kingdom? Ah, by the way, are the girls of the Western Shu Kingdom really that beautiful?¡± Zhang Changsong couldn¡¯t help but to cough violently, and Zhang Baizhu shut up at once. Only then could the young soldier continue talking: ¡°You saved several people from our barracks!¡± Zhang Baizhu: ¡°Oh, wow.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Oh, heh.¡± Zhang Baizhu: ¡°Xiao YuAn, are you famous?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°No way, I¡¯m just a cannon fodder, I¡¯m thinking about the male lead¡¯s future.¡± Zhang Baizhu: ¡°Xiao-xiong¡¯s speech is always so profound and unpredictable that I can¡¯t understand it. I admire you! Now, let¡¯s talk about the Western Shu Kingdom¡¯s girls¡­¡± Zhang Changsong: ¡°¡­¡­. The both of you, shut up!!! Can we let this Xiongdi talk!! If you go on talking like this, it¡¯s going to be dark outside!¡± The two of them shut up nicely, as they turned their amiable eyes onto the young soldier. The young soldier suddenly became the focal point, and he was too nervous to speak: ¡°Uh¡­ Uh¡­. I¡­.. You¡­. I, I, I¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn thought for a moment and asked: ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The young soldier stumbled: ¡°Bao, Bao Yinxin.¡± Zhang Baizhu said happily: ¡°Xiongdi, why do you have a girly name?1¡± Bao Yinxin blushed as he replied quietly: ¡°When I was a child, I was always sick, and my parents thought that it would be good to have a girl¡¯s name to support my sickly condition.¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°I see that you have no problem moving around, you can move to my residence to recover from your injuries. My Shifu¡¯s medical shop is small, and there¡¯s not much space for you to live in.¡± However, Bao Yinxin shook his head abruptly: ¡°Thank you, benefactor, but the war ahead is raging, I have to hurry back to the barracks. When we win the war, I¡¯ll definitelye back to thank you properly!¡± After saying that, Bao Yinxin was about to get out of bed. Zhang Changsong held him down, blowing his beard and staring at him: ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? You¡¯re only just able to move, what can you do in this state if you go to the front line like this?¡± Bao Yinxin said anxiously: ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but my brothers are fighting for their lives. How can I stay here and live a life in vain2?!!¡± Zhang Changsong wasn¡¯t moved by his words, instead, he was so angry that he scratched his beard. Zhang Baizhu poked Xiao YuAn with his arm: ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say anything?¡± Xiao YuAn thought about it, stepped forward towards Zhang Changsong, and said softly: ¡°Shifu, let him go. He won¡¯t be persuaded.¡± Zhang Changsong waspletely stunned as he looked at Xiao YuAn with extremelyplicated eyes, then he waved his hand: ¡°Fine, fine, since he won¡¯t be persuaded, then I won¡¯t try to persuade him otherwise.¡± After saying that, Zhang Changsong no longer paid attention to them. He got up and went to the main hall. Xiao YuAn grabbed two pairs of medicine, both for external application, and gave it to Bao Yinxin: ¡°You can get out of the vige and walk to the east.¡± Bao Yinxin thanked him again: ¡°Thank you, benefactor!! I¡¯ll repay your kindness! After the great victory of the Eastern Wu Kingdom, I¡¯ll definitelye with arge amount of money to repay your kindness!¡± Xiao YuAn stuttered for a while, but in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything. He just made a gesture to indicate to him that he could go. Zhang Baizhu is such a funny character xDDD And XYA being famous bc he saves the soldiers for YQH¡¯s sake (even tho he¡¯s also saving his rivals¡­..) And that poor soldier, his parents kinda bullied him there xD Chapter 100: Meeting You By Accident? It Was Arranged. The young soldier, Bao Yinxin, left with a wound and two pairs of medicine, a golden glow falling behind him. Zhang Baizhu patted Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoulder: ¡°If the Eastern Wu Kingdom defeats the Southern Yan Kingdom, will they have to send a small team here to thank you?¡± Xiao YuAn shook his head. He wanted to smile, but his mouth was full of bitterness. He had to stop trying to smile as he turned around, walking back into the medical shop in silence. Zhang Changsong was bent over the medicine cab to grab some medicine, when he saw Xiao YuAn walk in. He nced at him and asked: ¡°When are you going to the Western Shu Kingdom?¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°I¡¯ll leave the day after tomorrow.¡± Zhang Changsong nodded and tossed him a small medicine bag: ¡°I¡¯ve heard that there are many poisonous insects in the Western Shu Kingdom. If you wear this, you¡¯ll be less likely to get bitten by them. Also, in recent years, there has been a lot of wars; and even though the Western Shu Kingdom has been a safe space, it¡¯s still a long journey. You should be more careful.¡± Xiao YuAn bent his eyes as he took the medicine bag, putting it inside his clothes. ¡°Yes, I know. Thank you, Shifu.¡± Zhang Changsong coughed: ¡°If you can, act as a matchmaker for Baizhu.¡± After saying that, Zhang Changsong¡¯s face was red, the blush even spread on his neck. He hurriedly walked from the main hall to the back hall. Xiao YuAn waspletely stunned for a brief moment, when he came back to reality, he started tough out loud: ¡°Shifu, I know! I¡¯ll find him-¡­¡± A loud roar suddenly came from the back hall: ¡°Don¡¯t shout so loud, you damn brat!!!¡± Zhang Baizhu poked his head from behind the door: ¡°What, what, what?¡± From the back hall the loud roar continued: ¡°Nothing! Go sun dry the medicinal herbs!!!¡± ¡­ On the seventh day of July, in the Western Shu Kingdom, the color red was spread all over the Imperial City. The gong sounds and the Suona1 could be heard everywhere. The high pitched voices echoed in every corner, and the streets were bustling with people2, even a drop of water couldn¡¯t leak out3. ¡°Heavens, whose youngdy is getting married with such great pomp?¡± Said a surprised man. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Some bystanders wereughing at him. ¡°You¡¯re clearly not from the Western Shu Kingdom, are you? In thend of Jiuzhou4, what woman of any family would have such a show?¡± ¡°And she is?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the Princess of the Western Shu Kingdom, Princess PingYang, is getting married!¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡± As soon as the voices of the passersby fell silent, the wedding procession, which had no tail in sight, came bustling along. What¡¯s even more surprising, was that there wasn¡¯t a Prince riding on a big horse wearing wedding clothing in the procession! Instead, there were two big sedan chairs carried by eight men, with carvings of Luan5 and Phoenixes on them. One in front of the other, walked slowly towards the General¡¯s residence, apanied by the lively wedding music in the background. The General¡¯s residence was already filled with rednterns and covered with red gauze, decorated with lots of lights all around. When the sedan chairsnded safely at the gate of the General¡¯s mansion, the maids beside the sedan chairs lifted up the curtains, and helped Yongning and Xiao PingYang, who were wearing embroidered Phoenix red veils. Amidst the sound of congrattions from the guests, the two women were helped into the hall. Xiao YuAn watched the two women wearing the Phoenix-crowned veils slowly walking towards him. Since he was Yongning¡¯s Elder Brother, and since her father was dead, Xiao YuAn was considered as Princess Yongning Gaotang6. Although he couldn¡¯t see their faces under the red veil now, Xiao YuAn could still imagine how unique and stunningly beautiful they should be looking right now. When Xiao YuAn arrived at the Western Shu Kingdom, the two girls couldn¡¯t wait to talk with him about how much they missed each other, and what they had experienced in the year or so since thest time they saw each other. The two girls spoke only of goodwill to him, and passed over all malice. However, Xiao YuAn could still guess how many hardships and obstacles they must have gone through to get to this point. Princess Yongning,ing from an unknown origin, spent so much effort just to be acknowledged. Making amodations7, and being inferior to others, were things that this Princess, who had been held as a jewel ever since she was born, had to experience. In order to live in seclusion with Princess Yongning, Xiao PingYang not only gave uppeting for the throne with her brothers, but also nned to give up her position as General in the future. The thorns along the way bruised the two girls. Fortunately, today, the Lord of Heaven didn¡¯t disappoint these two beautiful women. The wedding banquet was attended by the Xiao Royal family. Because in the original book the Western Shu Kingdom has the element of female pride and dignity, most of the Royal family with the Xiao surname were women. They were also very elegant, and didn¡¯t involve themselves into the vulgarity of drinking and shouting. Xiao YuAn is aware that he¡¯s an outsider. As he was quietly watching the dancing while drinking wine, he couldn¡¯t help but overhear the conversations and addresses of the women beside him, and think¡­ Hey, this one will be one of Yan HeQing¡¯s wives in the future. This other one will also be Yan HeQing¡¯s wife. Oh, another wife. And another Yan HeQing¡¯s future wife. So in the original book, and just from the Xiao Royal family alone, did Yan HeQing really sleep with so many girls?! In addition to beautiful women, the Western Shu Kingdom is also famous for its wine. There was no need to mention how intoxicating the Princess¡¯s wedding wine was, but he even drank a whole jar of wine. Xiao YuAn¡¯s head was heavy and his feet were light8, his whole body felt like it was floating. He got up unsteadily, wanting to pee, and after asking some people, he drunkenly walked to the back garden of the General¡¯s mansion. Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped out of the main hall, he collided with a man. Xiao YuAn¡¯s head was pounding with pain. For a moment, he lowered his head, covered it, and then inhaled softly. At the same time, he heard someone screaming behind him, ¡°Wangye!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The man held Xiao YuAn¡¯s arm and smiled warmly behind him, indicating that he was unharmed. Then he looked back at Xiao YuAn to ask him: ¡°Xiongdi, are you hurt anywhere?¡± Xiao YuAn rubbed his head and waved his hand: ¡°No, no.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Xiao-Wangye, Princess PingYang is still waiting for you.¡± A young man urged him. ¡°Ah¡­ right, let¡¯s go.¡± The man nodded as he released Xiao YuAn and walked away. Xiao YuAn, who was in a trance because of the pain, felt that the voice of that man was particrly familiar. He rubbed his head and turned around to look. However, because of his drunk state, he could only see a vague and blurry figure walking away. It was reasonable to say that from the Western Shu Kingdom, he didn¡¯t know anyone other than Xiao PingYang, so Xiao YuAn thought this weird feeling was just his own delusion as he rubbed his head and walked towards the garden. After peeing and being blown by the cool breeze from the garden, Xiao YuAn¡¯s head was now much more clear. At least, he wouldn¡¯t be fidgeting on his feet and seeing people as blurry shadows. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t hurry back to the main hall, instead, he wandered around the garden. The scenery was very beautiful, but unfortunately, the buzzing of the mosquitoes made Xiao YuAn feel very annoyed. He touched his waist, only to find out that at some time, which Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t aware of, the medicinal bag Zhang Changsong gave to him to repel insects had gone missing. It should¡¯ve been when he was still in a drunken state that the bag must have fallen, without him noticing. Xiao YuAn had no choice but to go back to the main hall; however, when he stepped in, a ck-clothed Imperial bodyguard, with a sword at his waist, suddenly stopped in front of him. Xiao YuAn was so shocked that he took half a step back and thought to himself ¡®I didn¡¯t do anything¡¯. The Imperial bodyguard, with a straight face, reached out and handed over a small medicine bag to him: ¡°Before, when you two collided, this fell off from you. Wangye picked it up and asked me to give it back to you.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded his head in sudden realization and said: ¡°Thank you.¡± The Imperial bodyguard nodded, turned around, and walked towards a man standing at the gate of the mansion. After the Imperial bodyguard briefly whispered to the man, the man nodded and walked out of the General¡¯s mansion. Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes followed the Imperial bodyguard¡¯s footsteps all the way, until finally, he stopped at Wangye¡¯s face. However, after a single nce, all of a sudden Xiao YuAn felt that all the blood in his body was rushing to his head. The wine he had just drunk was rattling through his limbs. His body was so stiff that he felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe properly, and his eyes, who intensively stared at that man, couldn¡¯t believe what he had just seen a moment ago. That Wangye was dressed in a silver and white embroidered crane robe. His clear and elegant features were really handsome, his eyes were warm and moist, and the corners of his mouth were raised in a beautiful and heroic smile. This Wangye, and Xiao YuAn¡¯s original appearance from his previous life, looked exactly the same. Even in terms of height and figure. It was exactly the same. Yay for 100 tranted chapters!!! ¡î*:. o(¨R¨Œ¨Q)o .:*¡î(Although I started at the 11th hehe) Thank y¡¯all for reading this novel! Now, we¡¯re 135 chapters (including extras) away from the end ?????? Ohhhhhh our Princesses are married (((o(?¡ä¨Œ`?)o)))?????? and who¡¯s that ¡°familiar¡± Wangye ???????? Footnotes
  1. ßïÄÅ su¨¯ n¨¤; The suona is a reed wind instrument. The traditional suona is bright in tone and loud in volume, the body is made of wood, with a round vertebral link-like shape and a reeded ¡°whistle¡± at the upper end. The suona is a wooden pipe with a brass bell at its lower end called a bowl. The shape of the suona is more like the oboe in an orchestra. It¡¯s used in festivals and processions or for military purposes.
  2. ÎõÎõÈÁÈÁ x¨© x¨© r¨£ng r¨£ng; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it¡¯s used to describe peopleing and going, very lively and crowded / Describes how noisy people are. From¡¶Ê·¼Ç¡¤»õÖ³Áд«¡·(sh¨« j¨¬¡¤hu¨° zh¨ª li¨¨ zhu¨¤n), ¡°Records of the Grand Historian: A Biography of Merchants¡±, written by (˾ÂíǨ s¨© m¨£ qi¨¡n) Sima Qian [145-86 BC], an historian from the Han Dynasty [202 BC¨C220 AC], also known as the father of Chinese historiography.
  3. ˮй²»Í¨ shu¨« xi¨¨ b¨´ t¨­ng; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means crowded or surrounded very tightly / Imprable / Crowded so tightly that you can¡¯t move / Be packed with people / So closely surrounded that it is impossible to break out. From¡¶¾°µÂ´«µÆ¼¡·(j¨«ng d¨¦ chu¨¢n d¨¥ng l¨´), ¡°Record of the Passing the Lantern from Jingde¡±, written by (Ê͵ÀÔ­ sh¨¬ d¨¤o yu¨¢n) Shi Daoyuan, a writer from the Northern Song Dynasty [960-1127].
  4. ¾ÅÖÝ ji¨³ zh¨­u; An alternative name for ancient China. The word Jiuzhou first appeared in the pre-Qin period, and has been a national concept of the Chinese Han ancestors since ancient times. Since the Warring States period, Jiuzhou has been a synonym for ancient China, and since the Han dynasty, it has been a synonym for Han regions. After 1912, the term Öйú zh¨­ng gu¨® (China) was used to refer to this multi-ethnic country.
  5. ð½ lu¨¢n; A mythical bird rted to the Phoenix. It¡¯s a popr saying in the Han and Jin Dynasties¡¯ fiction that the Luan is regarded as the messenger of the Goddess of Spring, and the symbol of the Eastern and Western Princes.
  6. ¸ßÌà g¨¡o t¨¢ng; Honorific name for one¡¯s parents. In other words, since Yongning¡¯s father is dead, Xiao YuAn has the role of the Father in the wedding.
  7. ίÇúÇóÈ« w¨§i q¨± qi¨² qu¨¢n; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, It means to amodate reluctantly in order to preserve security. It also means to make concessions for the sake of the greater good. From¡¶ººÊ顤ÑÏÅí×æ´«¡·(h¨¤n sh¨±¡¤y¨¢n p¨¦ng z¨³ chu¨¢n), ¡°History of the Former Han Dynasty: Yan Peng Ancestral Biography¡±, written by (°à¹Ì b¨¡n g¨´) Ban Gu [32-92 AC], an historian from the Eastern Han Dynasty [25-220 AC].
  8. Í·ÖؽÅÇá t¨®u zh¨°ng ji¨£o q¨©ng; It¡¯s a Chinese modism, it describes physical difort. Also known as dizziness, it¡¯s amon, unpleasant sensation when you feel dizzy, often apanied by the feeling that you may faint.
Chapter 101: This Coincidence Is Really Creepy. After a long pause, Xiao YuAn was finally able to think a little. He moved his cold limbs and suddenly realized why this voice sounded so familiar to him. Because that¡¯s his fucking voice from his previous life!!! While Xiao YuAn was feeling horrified, the Wangye had already left. Xiao YuAn stumbled forward two steps, then stumbled back half a meter, and finally, he simply held his head while squatting down. Someone came up to him and asked him what had happened to him, but Xiao YuAn, as if he had not heard them, kept thinking about the plot of Xiao PingYang in the original book over and over again. However, quite a long time had already passed since he read the book, so how could he remember every single detail? He couldn¡¯t remember anything about Xiao PingYang¡¯s brother, Xiao Wangye. Xiao YuAn suddenly stood up and grabbed the ve beside him and asked: ¡°Where¡¯s Princess PingYang?¡± The young ve was frightened by him, and after stuttering for a while, he finally replied: ¡°In-in-in the toast.¡± Xiao PingYang was talking to her other royal Brothers. Originally, the whole Imperial Court thought that Xiao PingYang would be the Emperor of the Western Shu Kingdom. Unexpectedly, she suddenly said that she wanted to get married, and that she wouldn¡¯t meddle with the Imperial Court affairs anymore. Xiao PingYang had Military power in her hands, and when she speaks, her words have weight. Her several royal elder brothers, who coveted the throne, were trying to get close to her at this point. However, Xiao PingYang was really bored of this ttery, so after saying a few polite words, she went to the main hall. While she was on her way she suddenly saw someone rushing over in a hurry: ¡°Huh? Ning¡¯er¡¯s brother?¡± Xiao YuAn stopped, and after gasping for air, he asked: ¡°Ah, the name of the Wangye, the silver, silver, silver-clothed one¡­ kjhgf, what is his name???!!!¡± Xiao PingYang looked confused as she tried to calm down the anxious Xiao YuAn, and then said: ¡°Are you asking about the one that has already left the feast?¡± Xiao YuAn nodded vigorously. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s my Imperial brother, the one that I wanted to introduce to you before. Why? Do you want to meet him?¡± Xiao PingYang raised her eyebrows. ¡°What¡¯s his name?!¡± ¡°He, ah, has the same surname as me, Xiao, and his name is YuAn.¡± ¡­ Xiao PingYang slowly took a sip of tea, then closed the porcin lid and ced it on the table as she raised an eyebrow at Xiao YuAn: ¡°So, you even asked about my Imperial brother¡¯s birthdate and eight characters of horoscope1, you also asked about anecdotes of his childhood over and over again, and yet, you don¡¯t want to meet him. What is this about?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s elbows were against the table, his palms pressed against his temples. He raised his eyes and supported his head, looking as if he couldn¡¯t see through the dullness of the world. Xiao YuAn thought ¡®I also want to know what the fuck is this all about¡¯. After all, what could he do now even if he went to see that Xiao Wangye? ¡®Hello, my friend, I see you¡¯ve got good bones. Are you perhaps interested in learning about the Tyrannical President road?¡¯ Or maybe: ¡®Hey friend, I looked exactly like you in my past life!!!! With the same name!! And the same voice!! What a coincidence huh?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be treated like a neurotic psychopath!!!¡¯ ¡°Then, has this royal brother of yours had a sudden change of temperament for a while?¡± Xiao YuAn raised his head and asked. Even though she didn¡¯t quite understand what he was saying, Xiao PingYang still thought about it carefully and then replied: ¡°No, I¡¯m rtively close to my Imperial brother, and I have contact with him at ordinary times as well. I never noticed anything wrong with him.¡± Xiao YuAn continued to hold his head, looking crushed and confused. However, Xiao PingYang couldn¡¯t see this: ¡°I can take you to see him. He¡¯s easy-going and easy to get along with, so don¡¯t worry about offending him.¡± Xiao YuAn thought about it for a moment, but still shook his head regardless. After all, it was so weird to talk to his own face, and Xiao YuAn felt that he simply couldn¡¯t talk to that ¡®Xiao Wangye¡¯ as if nothing had happened. Just thinking about the fact that he met someone who¡¯s voice and face were simr to his, he felt that this world was really full of surprises. In the middle of the conversation, Princess Yongning came over: ¡°Gege, your carriage is ready. Are you sure that you don¡¯t want to stay two more days?¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t stay any longer.¡± Xiao YuAn stood up and lovingly rubbed Yongning¡¯s hair. At this time, Princess Yogning was dressed in in white, the look of a young girl fading away and adding a bit of maturity. However, every time she looked into the eyes of Xiao PingYang, she still looked like the naive girl she¡¯s always been. Xiao YuAn looked at the two girls and asked: ¡°Do you both really decide to live in seclusion?¡± The two girls looked at each other¡¯s eyes, and while smiling, they nodded their heads. Xiao YuAn also smiled. Everything will be alright, they will keep away from the pleasantries, and without the quarreling around them. Xiao PingYang won¡¯t ascend to the throne, and even though the future of the Western Shu Kingdom is hard to see, in the end, all these disturbances were no longer rted to the three of them. After the three of them had said their goodbyes, Xiao YuAn got into the carriage and left, leaving dust from the ground behind. Ooohhhhhhh what¡¯s going on with that Xiao Wangye! (Totally jk, I know, but I¡¯m not gonna give any spoilers so don¡¯t ask hohoho). I was totallyughing while tranting XPY and XYA conversation xDDD I bet she was trying her best to act as a matchmaker for her bro and her wife¡¯s elder bro, but XYA was actually panicking inside lmao! Footnotes
  1. Éú³½°Ë×Ö sh¨¥ng ch¨¦n b¨¡ z¨¬; The eight characters of horoscope refer to the dates of a person¡¯s birth in the sr calendar. There are four pirs of the year, month, day and time, with two characters per pir, making a total of eight characters. To get the right time of birth, the ancients believed that a sundial was the most urate measurement during the day. This is used for fortune-telling, so it ismonly also known as eight-character fortune-telling.
Chapter 102: I Really Regret Saving Someone This Time. Chapter 102: I Really Regret Saving Someone This Time. The carriage galloped for several days, until finally, he was only half a day away from Taoyuan Vige. While he passed through a town that was not too small or too big, Xiao YuAn found a teahouse to have a rest. While a storyteller was telling a story on one side of the teahouse, some people were pping deafeningly and powerfully; thrashing the wood on the tables, full of momentum. Xiao YuAn twisted a few peanuts and fed them into his mouth. After listening to a few more rounds of pping and shouting, it was enough rest for him, so he got ready to continue his journey. The horse was in the stables at the back of the teahouse, eating and drinking water. While stomping his hooves, the horse whinnied from the top of his lungs, and it took some effort and time for Xiao YuAn to sessfully pull the horse out of the stables; working out the ropes of the carriage as he applied them onto the horse. Suddenly, there was the sound of hurried footsteps and loud noisesing from behind him. Xiao YuAn turned around and saw a woman running over. She looked back as she ran, as if something was chasing her. Xiao YuAn subconsciously moved over, giving some space to her to escape; however, in the next second, he saw how the woman sprained her foot and fell to the ground. She looked like she was in huge pain and couldn¡¯t get up, no matter how many times she tried. Xiao YuAn quickly stepped forward to help her, but as soon as he saw her, he was slightly stunned. The woman¡¯s clothes were dirty and muddy. She had scratches and cuts on her arms and cheeks. As she was being helped up by Xiao YuAn, she looked up at him with horror. After seeing that it was just a passerby, she subconsciously grasped Xiao YuAn¡¯s arm tightly, like a dying patient grasping a life-saving medicine, absolutely refusing to let go. The two stared nkly at each other for a second. Just when Xiao YuAn was about to ask her something, he suddenly heard shouting and cursinging from behind them. The woman was trembling all over and she struggled to get up, but because she sprained her foot, she staggered a few times without being able to get up. Finally, she fell on her knees in front of Xiao YuAn and grabbed his sleeve, refusing to let him go: ¡°Gongzi help me, please save me!¡± Xiao YuAn was so frightened that he almost blurted out: ¡®Woman, you¡¯re ying with fire¡¯. Fortunately, the horse beside him impatiently shook his tail, getting the script of the Tyrannical President off his mind. Xiao YuAn assisted the woman, who was still kneeling on the ground, and helped her sit on the nk in front of the carriage, where the coachman sits; just as the pursuers behind them also arrived. The leader was a fat and strong man holding a machete. He looked at Xiao YuAn with vignce. ¡°All right.¡± Xiao YuAn puffed his chest out. ¡°What¡¯s the script? Robbing a woman? A rivalry? Or a debt of gratitude?¡± The strong man looked at Xiao YuAn from head to toe with a pair of hanging eyes, then he extended his hand: ¡°Thirty taels of silver, I refuse to bargain. Take her, leave, and nevere back. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re acting as her hero, bringing justice for her. Mutual understanding means great harmony.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Dage, you¡¯re also a transmigrator?! Xiao YuAn pulled out thirty taels of silver and handed it to the strong man. The strong man weighed the silver, patted Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoulder to show his appreciation and encouragement. Then he led his fellow Xiao-di1 to turn around, and left. Just as some onlookers had just sliced a melon to watch the show, the y was already over. Xiao YuAn turned around, saw her struggling to get off the carriage and kneel down to him: ¡°I can¡¯t repay your kindness! But I¡¯ll be hardworking and diligent, to repay Gongzi!¡± ¡°All right, all right. Don¡¯t kneel.¡± Xiao YuAn quickly reached out to help her get up. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The woman, however, insisted on kneeling and then said: ¡°My surname is Lin, and my name is Shenling.¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly fell on his knees. Why did he have to blindly save someone in a world based on a harem story?!! Why did he have to save a member of the harem?!!! He must¡¯ve been toofortable for the past year or so! Since he couldn¡¯t remember how to spell ¡°Be prepared for danger2¡±! God damn it! Holy shit! Help! Lin Shenling was shocked by Xiao YuAn¡¯s suddenly pale face: ¡°Be-benefactor?¡± Xiao YuAn waved his hand with difficulty: ¡°Don¡¯t ever call me like that!!¡± Lin Shenling: ¡°Why-why not?¡± Because you¡¯re Yan HeQing¡¯s wife!!! Besides Princess Yongning and Xiao PingYang, this girl is also the third favorite female lead by the readers¡¯ collective votes! And besides Princess Yongning, she¡¯s also the wife who has the most emotional drama with Yan HeQing in the whole book, aahhhhhhh!!!!! Lin Shenling is one of the most well portrayed wives in the original book. She¡¯s also the only wife with a humble background among Yan HeQing¡¯s first and second female lead wives. ording to the author¡¯s description, Lin Shenling is the most ordinary looking one in Yan HeQing¡¯s harem. However, no matter howmon she is, she still has a beautiful and clear face; it was just the wasn¡¯t as beautiful as those stunningly beautiful looking Princesses. Lin Shenling is also older than Yan HeQing, but she¡¯s easy-going and gentle. She¡¯s also good at cooking andundry, which made her different from the unruly Princesses and Ladies in Yan HeQing¡¯s harem. If youpare her with the other Ladies, this wife¡¯s attributes really shine3 through! But her character is also rted to her miserable life experience. Lin Shenling¡¯s family has been poor since she was born. This was easy to understand, and ever since she was a child, she has helped her parents with the farm work. Unfortunately, in the year of her first elephant dance4, her father died unexpectedly and her mother remarried another man. Because of this, her engagement had to be broken, and she couldn¡¯t get married in the end. Lin Shenling¡¯s stepfather was fond of gambling, and his behavior was even worse. After her mother died from an illness, her stepfather sold her into a brothel in exchange for money to gamble with. Just now, Lin Shenling must have escaped from that brothel. In the original book, Lin Shenling escaped six times. During thest escape, she almost broke her leg, but in the end she finally managed to escape from the brothel. She was extremely lucky and escaped towards Taoyuan Vige, where she was saved by the simple people living there. With this, her miserable life finally ended. The next day, when she went up to the mountain, she met Yan HeQing, who was injured after a battle and fell in the mountain steam. This was the reason why Xiao YuAn knew about Taoyuan Vige. In the original book, a lot of words were used to describe thisfortable and peaceful vige; which was clearly on the border of the Four Kingdoms, and yet, it never suffered from war. It made Xiao YuAn want to remember everything about it. But now!!! He actually saved Lin Shenling! He saved her!!! Yan HeQing! Your first wife eloped with your second wife! Your third wife¡¯s plot hasn¡¯t even been triggered yet! Why are you so miserable?!!! Lin Shenling observed Xiao YuAn¡¯s expression and bit her lower lip fiercely: ¡°Does Gongzi regret saving me?¡± ¡®I don¡¯t regret saving you!¡¯ ¡®I was feeling like I was basically cutting off your future! Do you know that you¡¯ll live in the Imperial Pce for a long time? Without having to worry about anything, dressed in silk, and served by tons of servants? You will even eat the most extravagant delicacies of the sea and the mountains!¡¯ Lin Shenling folded her arms, deadly strangled together. It was so obvious that she was extremely down-to-earth, her eyes weren¡¯t humble or arrogant, and as she stood in ce, she calmly said: ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with Gongzi regretting it. Just send me back and get your thirty taels of silver back. After all, we¡¯re just strangers that met by chance, everything is in the past now. I will still give my thanks to Gongzi for saving me.¡± Xiao YuAn looked at her in silence for a long time, until finally, he patted the carriage and said with a gentle smile adorning his face: ¡°Let¡¯s go! Get on the carriage, I was going to Taoyuan Vige anyway. The plot is a little earlier this time that¡¯s all.¡± Another harem member has appeared!! (¡É ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)?©¥¡î? ¡°Woman, you¡¯re ying with fire¡± hahahahaha XYA is so effortlessly funny ??? Chapter 103: This Red Fruit Is Really Unusual. Xiao YuAn suddenly brought back a girl. At first, Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue were surprised, but they gradually epted it. After all, even if Xiao YuAn decided to bring back another ten girls and have a harem, they would still not say anything against it. Third Aunt had been thinking about it for a few days. However, since the rtionships in this residence were inherently odd, there¡¯s nothing wrong with having another woman living together with them. Lin Shenling, in regards to everyone¡¯s eptance of her, wholeheartedly worked to repay their kindness. And ever since she came, there hasn¡¯t been a single dirty ce in the mansion. The courtyard is clean, the wing rooms are bright and tidy, the bedding will be turned out to dry as long as there is sun outside. All the meals were delicious, and only in a few days, she was able to understand everyone¡¯s food preferences, so their favorite fruits could often be seen in their wing rooms. Xiao YuAn knew that being considerate to people was the biggest characteristic of Lin Shenling. But, this was way too much consideration! No wonder, in the original book whenever Yan HeQing was feeling lonely and frustrated, the first person he would think of would be Lin Shenling. After realizing that the day of Lin Shenling rescuing Yan HeQing was approaching, Xiao YuAn was worrying over it, while also telling Lin Shenling to go up the mountain more often. After all, if Lin Shenling, after rescuing Yan HeQing, brought him back to the residence, how would Xiao YuAn face him? What would Yan HeQing think of him? Xiao YuAn nervously clutched his fingers while thinking that now Yan HeQing must have ckened1, and once he starts to recruit his harem, he will nevere back to the way he used to be. Since Xiao YuAn is a male character, who also happens to be a cannon fodder, it¡¯ll be better for him to not stand close to the Male Lead. So Xiao YuAn went to Lin Shenling again to tell her that if she helped someone on the mountain, she should never bring them back to the mansion. Lin Shenling, though puzzled, nodded obediently. As a result, the next day when she met an injured man on the mountain, she remembered Xiao YuAn¡¯s words and didn¡¯t bring him back to the mansion. Instead, Lin Shenling took him to the medical shop. It also happened to be the day in which Xiao YuAn was helping out at the medical shop. The life in this vige wasfortable, and most of the people who came to the medical shop came because of a headache or a minor illness with a fever. Everything will be resolved by taking some medicine and that¡¯s it. Today, since it was a bright spring day, Zhang Changson and Zhang Baizhu had gone to the mountain to collect medicinal herbs; leaving Xiao YuAn to rub the pills until he became extremely bored and drowsy. Suddenly, Zhang Baizhu howled and ran in from the outside: ¡°Dad!¡± Xiao YuAn yawned and replied: ¡°Shifu hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡± Zhang Baizhu rushed to Xiao YuAn and threw the half rubbed pills back into the medicine jar. He was winking at him in a mysterious way: ¡°Xiao YuAn, let your Gege show you something interesting!¡± Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t interested in whatever he wanted to show him. He only saw Zhang Baizhu take out a branch from a bag behind him, and put it into his hand. The branch was broken off, the leaves were bright and vibrant green. The broken part was still very new, and on the branch were several small fruits the size of copper coins, their color was blood red and they were round in shape. Zhang Baizhu picked one small fruit and made a gesture to stuff it into Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s this?¡± Xiao YuAn was busy stretching out his hand to block it, but he failed to do so. Zhang Baizhu, who was quick at seeing his moves and had quick hands, forced the small red fruit into Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t throw up! It¡¯s not poisonous! Your Gege wouldn¡¯t hurt you, this is good stuff!¡± Zhang Baizhu happily covered Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth to prevent him from spitting out the fruit. Xiao YuAn had no choice but to swallow it. There wasn¡¯t any strange taste inside his mouth, it was actually slightly sweet and astringent, but it wasn¡¯t delicious either: ¡°So, what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is.¡± Zhang Baizhu stretched his hands, acting innocent. Xiao YuAn gave him a kind smile. Then he quickly picked another small red fruit from the branch, forced open Zhang Baizhu¡¯s mouth, and threw it in. Zhang Baizhu almost choked to death, he covered his throat and coughed for a long time. ¡°If it¡¯s poisonous, then we¡¯ll die together.¡± Xiao YuAn said with a strong sense of righteousness. ¡°I¡¯ll choke to death because of you! Not from poisoning!¡± Zhang Baizhu cursed at him: ¡°I said that it wasn¡¯t poisonous. I happened to see it on the mountain before, but I couldn¡¯t find the name of the fruit after searching through some ancient books. Then I picked a few of them and fed them to the pheasants. When I saw that they were fine, I tasted them myself, and then¡­.¡± ¡°And then?¡± As he spoke, Xiao YuAn felt that something was wrong. His throat was vaguely itchy, and coughed a few times to stop the itching. As a result, he scared himself when he spoke again. ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing?!¡± Zhang Baizhu shouted excitedly. Both of their voices turnedpletely into feminine voices. Xiao YuAn covered his throat and said two more words to himself, his amazement was overflowing. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our normal voices will be back in an hour. When my dades back, I must ask him what¡¯s this about!¡± Zhang Baizhu, as if it was a precious treasure, took the small fruits into the back hall. Xiao YuAn tried to sing Qinghai Tibet teau2, but his voice was so out of tune and it was so loud that even Han Hong3oshi4 would want to hit him if she could hear him sing. In the end, he had to sit back and continue rubbing pills. After rubbing for a while, a familiar woman¡¯s voice came from outside: ¡°It¡¯s anyone here? Anybody? Someone here is hurt, someone help!¡± It was the voice of Lin Shenling. Seeing Lin Shenling working so hard to be liked by everyone, to not get kicked out makes me so sad, with how hard her life was (?¡ä???`?)! And Zhang Baizhu always ying with Xiao YuAn xD and what¡¯s with that fruit that changes their voices to a feminine one?????? I wonder if a woman eats it, if it would change her voice to a manly one lol Footnotes
  1. ºÚ»¯ h¨¥i hu¨¤; ckening is a dramatic change in a character¡¯s personality or mental state, generally close to breaking down and getting worse, but to a much lesser degree. It refers to the mental deterioration, in which they switch to a much darker personality. When there¡¯s a heated discussion on the rtionship between the characters and their power, the meaning of ckening is used to represent when a character goes from being a righteous hero to a criminal of evil. It also refers to the loss of their human nature and sanity, bing an insane and brutal beast.
  2. Çà²Ø¸ßÔ­ q¨©ng z¨¤ng g¨¡o yu¨¢n; Is a song written andposed by (ÕÅǧһ zh¨¡ng qi¨¡n y¨©) Zhang Qianyi and sung by (ÀîÄÈ l¨« n¨¤) Li Na. It¡¯s the opening song of the 1994 TV series ¡¶Ìì·¡·(ti¨¡n l¨´), ¡°The Heavenly Road¡±.
  3. º«ºì h¨¢n h¨®ng; Is a Tibetan female singer, songwriter, music producer, director, host and national-level actress.
  4. ÀÏʦ l¨£o sh¨©; Teacher.
Chapter 104: This Original Intention Is Very Critical. After hearing the voice and words of Lin Shenling, Xiao YuAn had a sudden epiphany as he subconsciously trembled all over. After he jumped three feet high, he was about to run to the back hall; however, who could know that the person Lin Shenling helped wasn¡¯t the one Xiao YuAn thought, but Zhang Changsong. Zhang Changsong went up the mountain to collect medicinal herbs and identally hurt his back. The pain was so bad, he couldn¡¯t walk back with those old bones of his. Fortunately, he met Lin Shenling. ¡°Xiao-gongzi?¡± Lin Shenling was extremely surprised to see Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn quickly helped Zhang Changson lie down and went to look for the ointment: ¡°Shenling, go to the back hall and call Zhang Baizhu out. Tell him that Shifu is injured.¡± ¡°Xiao-gongzi, what¡¯s wrong with your voice?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin, go call him first.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Lin Shenling nodded and ran towards the back hall: ¡°Anyone, please, is anyone here?!¡± Zhang Baizhu was changing his clothes, because when he went to pick up medicinal herbs, he ended up covered in mud. After hearing the voiceing from outside, he thought it was Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice after being affected by the small red fruit, so he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it and ran outside topless: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± As a result of running out to take a look, and before Lin Shenling could even react, Zhang Baizhu covered his upper body, screamed, and ran back to the room. ¡°Gong-¡­ Miss¡­ that¡¯s not right. Gongzi..?¡± Lin Shenling hesitated for a while before shouting. ¡°It¡¯s Gongzi! And this isn¡¯t how my voice usually sounds!¡± There was a crying from the inner room: ¡°You-you, who are you?¡± ¡°Oh, Gongzi!¡± Lin Shenling then began to exin: ¡°There¡¯s an old Xiansheng1 outside who hurt his back, so go take a look please.¡± Zhang Baizhu hurriedly dressed himself and ran out of the back hall. In the main hall, Xiao YuAn was already applying some ointment on Zhang Changsong¡¯s back. After seeing that the old man was getting better, he felt relieved that this didn¡¯t escte to a bigger problem. Everyone then breathed a sigh of relief. After listening to Zhang Changsong exining what had happened, Zhang Baizhu repeatedly expressed his thanks to Lin Shenling, and then asked her: ¡°Guniang2, what¡¯s your name? Your face is unfamiliar, are you new to Taoyuan Vige?¡± After receiving Lin Shenling¡¯s reply, Zhang Baizhu turned around and seized Xiao YuAn: ¡°You really brought back a girl!!!!¡± Xiao YuAn pped his hand away. This is the Male Lead¡¯s wife! What the fuck are you so excited about?! Zhang Changsong coughed violently, and the two of them became extremely quiet. Then Zhang Changsong said: ¡°Zhang Baizhu, please go and take care of Lin-guniang. Xiao YuAn, there¡¯s something I have to say to you.¡± Zhang Baizhu led Lin Shenling to the back hall. Zhang Changsong pounded his back and said to Xiao YuAn: ¡°I fell down today because I saw an old turmeric3 nt on the cliff. The stalk and leaves have withered, but the roots aren¡¯t dead, and are still growing well. I heard that there¡¯s an ancient recipe that uses turmeric as an elixir, that could cure your Didi¡¯s insanity. So I wanted to dig it; but since I¡¯m old, not only was I unable to dig it, but I also hurt my back in the process. If you want, you can go dig it yourself. It¡¯s very far away from Taoyuan Vige, deep in the mountains.¡± Xiao YuAn thought about it for a while, until finally he said: ¡°Thank you, Shifu.¡± Zhang Changsong waved his hand to indicate that it was nothing. Xiao YuAn thanked him again and went to find Lin Shenling, to take her back home. In the back hall, Zhang Baizhu was telling some jokes that made Lin Shenling shiver withughter. When she saw Xiao YuAne to see her, she prepared to leave together with him. Since Xiao YuAn thought about the turmeric all day, he tossed and turned repeatedly that night. When he woke up in the middle of the night, he found that Xie Chungui, who usually slept in the bed on the other side of the wing room, had gone missing. Since setting down in Taoyuan Vige, Xiao YuAn has been living in a wing room together with Xie Chungui. Firstly, it was so he could take care of Xie Chungui after he lost his mind. Secondly, he can use it as an opportunity to treat his inability to sleep without the sound of breathing. And, under the thin moonlight spreading on the room, the bed at the other side was empty. Xiao YuAn panicked while he got up to dress himself and then lit a candle. He rushed to the door, but once he opened it, he suddenly stopped moving. Xie Chungui was sitting on the steps in front of the wing room, facing the courtyard and looking up at the white moon inplete silence. Xiao YuAn looked at his silent figure, for a moment feeling like he was a statue made out of stone. He then blew out the candle and lightly walked to Xie Chungui¡¯s side. Xie Chungui slowly raised his head, looked at Xiao YuAn and softly whispered: ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Xiao YuAn wanted to shake his head and say that he wasn¡¯t, but he couldn¡¯t do it in the face of Xie Chungui. ¡°Your Majesty, the Northern Kingdom is gone.¡± Xie Chungui murmured in a low voice. Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice was silent for a long time, before he replied with a hoarse voice: ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°The Southern Yan Kingdom, it was destroyed by the Southern Yan Kingdom¡­..¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t the Southern Yan Kingdom.¡± ¡°What?¡± Xie Chungui raised his head in disbelief. Xiao YuAn ced his hand on Xie Chungui¡¯s shoulder, hoping that he would feel better: ¡°It was the Six Kingdoms themselves that exterminated the Six Kingdoms, not the Qin Empire. It was the Qin Dynasty that wiped out the Qin Empire, not the rest of the world4.¡± Xie Chungui murmured for a long time, until suddenly, he reached out and grasped Xiao YuAn¡¯s arm in a death grip. He lowered his head and shouted hysterically: ¡°Your Majesty, I didn¡¯t deliver the Military rations on time! I¡¯m the one who killed General Li. I¡¯m the one who killed my Xiongdi. Everything¡¯s my fault!¡± Xiao YuAn knew that Xie Chungui was worried about the destruction of the Northern Kingdom, but he didn¡¯t expect that Xie Chungui would be so self-recriminating. Xiao YuAn was flustered while he tried to calm him, but he saw how Xie Chungui growled a couple of times, and then he looked up in a daze. The bloody red in the corners of his eyes hadn¡¯t subsided, and his face appeared confused: ¡°Xiao-gege? Why am I here? What happened?¡± Xiao YuAn was dumbfounded as he reached out to try to pull up Xie Chungui: ¡°Nothing happened, let¡¯s go back to our room and rest.¡± Xie Chungui, who sounded as if he were an eight or nine year old child, suddenly grabbed his chest and said to Xiao YuAn: ¡°Xiao-gege, I feel bad, but I don¡¯t know why. I just feel so bad, like I can¡¯t breathe well.¡± With that, Xie Chungui suddenly burst into tears. He reached out to rub his eyes in doubt, as he kept asking Xiao YuAn: ¡°Why am I crying Xiao-gege? Why? I don¡¯t want to cry. Why am I crying? Is something missing? Is someone missing? Why is it so hard to stop?¡± Xiao YuAn, however, couldn¡¯t answer him. He just kept asking himself: ¡®In this world full of cheers and mors, why is it that all the grief looks the same as ¡°Separation of Life and Death5¡±?¡¯ Xie Chungui cried all night until dawn. He was so tired from crying, that he slowly fell asleep. That early morning, Third Aunt saw Xiao YuAn carrying a medicine basket and a small shovel6 tied around his waist, ready to go out: ¡°Hey, where are you going, YuAn?¡± ¡°Third Aunt, I¡¯ll go to the deep mountains to look for some medicinal herbs. This may take a few days, so could you help me by telling LiuAn and Fengyue to remember to take care of Chungui?¡± Xiao YuAn bumped the medicine basket and said with a smile. Then he turned around and walked out of the residence heading towards the deep mountains. Hahahaha that part of Zhang Baizhu running away from Lin Shenling is so funny I can¡¯t XD and the fact he covered his chest! And screamed !! And then walked back all properly dressed up like nothing happened xDDD and let¡¯s not forget he has a woman¡¯s voice while all of this is happening ???? And XCG always making me cry ?????????????? Footnotes
  1. ÏÈÉú xi¨¡n sheng; The term ¡°Xiansheng¡± has been around for a long time. However, in various periods in history, the term ¡°Xiansheng¡± was addressed to different targets. For example: For teachers as an honorific for intellectuals and adults of certain status; To call someone else¡¯s husband or to call one¡¯s own husband; Another name used to refer to Doctors. If tranted literally, it means a person who was born earlier and is older than oneself. After the 1980s, all men can be called ¡°Xiansheng¡±.
  2. ¹ÃÄï g¨± niang; Guniang is a Chinese word that generally refers to a young woman who is not yet married. The age range is generally from birth to marriage. This word also has other meanings, for example: A Daughter / In the ancient times this word was used to refer to a prostitute / An Aunt (married) from the Father side of the family; The Husband¡¯s younger Sister, Sister-inw. It can also be tranted as: Young woman; Youngdy; Miss.
  3. ½ª»Æ ji¨¡ng hu¨¢ng; Also known as Curcuma, as a medicinal herb, it¡¯s used to help relieve menstruation pain, to treat chest and abdominal distension and pain, shoulder and arm pain, heartache, postpartum blood pain, irregr menstruation, amenorrhea, bruises and injuries. It¡¯s also used to extract yellow food dye. It can also be used as a food seasoning. It¡¯s lightly spicy, slightly peppery, musky and a mixture of sweet orange and ginger, slightly spicy and bitter.
  4. ÃðÁù¹úÕßÁù¹úÒ²£¬·ÇÇØÒ²¡£×åÇØÕßÇØÒ²£¬·ÇÌìÏ Ҳ¡£mi¨¨ li¨´ gu¨® zh¨§ li¨´ gu¨® y¨§£¬f¨¥i q¨ªn y¨§¡£z¨² q¨ªn zh¨§ q¨ªn y¨§£¬f¨¥i ti¨¡n xi¨¤ y¨§¡£; From¡¶°¢·¿¹¬¸³¡·(¨¥ p¨¢ng g¨­ng f¨´), ¡°A Poetic Essay Of The Epang Pce¡±, written by (¶ÅÄÁ d¨´ m¨´) Du Mu [803-852], a literary schr of the Tang Dynasty [618-907]. Through the depiction of the construction and destruction of the Epang Pce, the article vividly summarizes the historical lesson of the Qin Dynasty rulers¡¯ arrogance and extravagance, and sends a warning to the Tang Dynasty rulers, expressing an honest schr¡¯s concern for the country and the people, as well as his desire to help themon people. Xiao YuAn used it to refer to the fact that the destruction of the NK was due to the arrogance of its rulers. If thete Emperor of the NK hadn¡¯t attacked the SYK then the SYK wouldn¡¯t try to get revenge and conquered them in the future. Also, with theck of his and his son¡¯s inability to rule over thend of the SYK, giving the possibility of their army to grow and eventually destroy them.
  5. ÉúÀëËÀ±ð sh¨¥ng l¨ª s¨« bi¨¦; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means separation, as in, a farewell to the dead. Referring to a permanent parting, in which it¡¯s difficult to see each other again / Separation between loved ones in life or death / Be parted in life and separated by death. From¡¶Îª½¹ÖÙÇäÆÞ×÷¡·(w¨¨i ji¨¡o zh¨°ng q¨©ng q¨© zu¨°), ¡°For Jiao Zhongqing¡¯s Wife¡±, by an anonymous writer from the Han Dynasty [206 BC-220 AC].
  6. ³úÍ· ch¨² tou; It¡¯s a traditional long-handled farming tool in China, with a thin and horizontal de, which can be used for harvesting, digging holes, cultivating, covering the soil, building weeds, breaking up the soil, plowing and cultivating the soil. It¡¯s one of the mostmon tools used by farmers. The handle is held in two hands to make rotary impact movement. Its structure, shape and weight vary depending on the location and soil quality. It looks like THIS.
Chapter 105: This Is A Terrifying Encounter. Deep in the mountain, the overgrown weeds are a dense shade of color. A wild feathered pheasant poked its head out of the grass with a twist. After gurgling a few times, it pecked at the ground for food. Suddenly, a falling rock rolled down and hit the ground close to the pheasant; scaring it so much that it howled and screamed, pping its wings and flying away like crazy. Finally, it hit an old wooden pier, knocking itself out, and fainted. Next to the fallen rock was a small cliff wall, where a man carrying a medicine basket was picking at the protruding rock with one hand and holding onto a vine with the other. Although his whole body was clinging tightly to the wall, he still looked shaky. Xiao YuAn was talking to himself, as if he was trying to not look down. So he said to the turmeric nt above him: ¡°You¡¯re a turmeric, you¡¯re just a turmeric. You¡¯re not a ginseng, you¡¯re not a lingzhi, you¡¯re not a snow lotus. You¡¯re just a turmeric that had a great growth! So why did you want to grow in this position?!¡± On the rock wall, the breeze was blowing gently, and the turmeric leaves were shaking, as if to answer Xiao YuAn: If I didn¡¯t grow here, wouldn¡¯t people like you try to pick me? With great effort, Xiao YuAn climbed up another two meters. Only then did he finally manage to reach the turmeric. He wrapped the vine tightly around his left hand three times, leaning on the vine to support his body. Then his right hand grabbed the small shovel pinned on his waist, with it in hand, he pulled his arm and body straight to dig the turmeric. After digging a few times, and seeing that he was close to dig it outpletely, the vine suddenly snapped in half. Xiao YuAn immediately hung onto the cliff, swaying twice. Xiao YuAn waspletely shocked and panicked by this. He used his right hand to try and get closer to the cliff wall, but the shovel in his hand failed to hold steady and rolled down into the mountain stream. Xiao YuAn looked down and felt that his position wasn¡¯t so high, and that he was actually a bit close to the bottom of the mountain stream. He also saw that there were some fallen leaves underneath, and since it was so hard for him to climb up, he felt like he shouldn¡¯t get hurt too badly if he were to fall down. Seeing that the vine couldn¡¯t hold up and it was about to break, Xiao YuAn made a great effort to go up, grab the turmeric nt, and pulled it out of the soil. Right at that instant, the vine broke because of his drastic movements; and since Xiao YuAn was unable to support himself, he quickly protected his head and rolled down the cliff into the mountain stream. After tumbling for a while, Xiao YuAn was finally lying on the ground. However, the medicine basket behind him was pitifully crushed. Xiao YuAn held the still muddy turmeric in front of his eyes, grinned with pride, and then rubbed his aching shoulder while grimacing in pain as he slowly got up. When he rolled down, the hem of Xiao YuAn¡¯s sleeve was torn, his arm was deeply and shallowly scratched. It looked extremely miserable, and this ce was several hills away from Taoyuan Vige, so it would take some days for him to get back in this condition. Xiao YuAn suddenly remembered that there was a small wooden house not far away from here. Usually, if Zhang Changsong, Zhang Baizhu and himself go far away to collect medicinal herbs, they would find these simple wooden houses to settle down in temporarily. Xiao YuAn wrapped the turmeric in his hand with some cloth, and then walked towards the wooden house, one step steady and one steep shallow. As a result, after taking two steps, he suddenly tripped over something and fell straight ahead, falling once again inplete confusion. ¡°Hiss¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn held his head and rubbed the ce where he felt some pain from the fall. It took him some time to recover from the pain ande back to his senses. As a President who has gone through 233 novels, Xiao YuAn was familiar with the routine of falling on the ground in the mountains or old forests. So when he turned his head around, sure enough, he saw a leg in the grass. Whoops, that¡¯s a little bit creepy. So, who¡¯s the unlucky one who got wounded in the battlefield and fled away in a hurry, resulting in him getting separated from the army this time? Xiao YuAn staggered to his feet, and limped over to have a look. But suddenly, as if struck by lightning, he turned stiffly, and then ran away, as if he was being chased over by a tiger! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! ¡®Where¡¯s Lin Shenling?!!! Where are you, Lin Shenling?!!! Where the fuck are you?! This is your special person!!!¡¯ ¡®If you don¡¯t show up, you¡¯re going to miss meeting the Male lead. Do you even know-¡­ ahhhhh!!¡¯ ¡®Ahhhhhh!!! Why did I have to run into Yan HeQing, who¡¯s injured and unconscious?! Why? The Heavens are ying with me!!!¡¯ A short chapter, BUT !!!!! YHQ and XYA are finally going to met! ( ?§¥?) YES!! What will XYA do now? ???????? Chapter 106: It’s Impossible Not To Save Him. It¡¯s said that when people are near death, they¡¯ll see a walkthrough of their memories. Yan HeQing didn¡¯t know whether he was in that state or not, but he could see his younger self and his elder royal brothers studying together in the Academy. They were children of seven or eight years, shaking their heads and reading about family affairs, state affairs and world affairs. When he looked up again, all his royal brothers were decapitated and buried in the loess1 ground. He stood up and retreated in panic, as if trying to escape from the scene. In his panicked state, he bumped into one person. His mother, the Empress. Yan HeQing¡¯s mother stood behind him and said in a soft voice: ¡°HeQing, you must live, you must stay alive.¡± She kept repeating the word ¡°live¡± over and over again. Her voice grew sharper and sharper, to the point in which her voice became as if she wanted to cut through his ears. Her face became feracious as she stretched out her arms covered in Jade jewelry, and grabbed Yan HeQing¡¯s neck, strangling him while repeating the phrase ¡°you must stay alive¡± over and over again. Yan HeQing didn¡¯t struggle, and just when he thought that he would be strangled to death, the scene in front of him suddenly changed. Yan HeQing covered his throat and kneeled on the ground, looking up only to see his father shouting out to the Heavens: ¡°Why are you destroying my Southern Yan Kingdom? The hatred of our country will be forever engraved in our bones and hearts! And we will not be forgotten by the future generations toe!!¡± After shouting, his father used his sword to cut his own throat. Yan HeQing felt himself shuddering all over, and when he tried to stand up, he was suddenly kicked by someone and rolled down into the mud. Gradually, he was buried by the fetid and filthy mud. Then, he saw the Northern Kingdom¡¯s Emperor looking down at him: ¡°Hmm? There¡¯s another one alive? Never mind, take this one back to the Northern Kingdom as a prisoner.¡± Right after that, Yan HeQing woke up. The consciousness gradually returned to his body, and Yan HeQing couldn¡¯t help but think to himself: ¡®Once again, I didn¡¯t die.¡¯ Yan HeQing slowly opened his eyes, trying to identify where he was, but for some reason, his eyes were filled with gray mist. No matter how much he blinked and rubbed his eyes, he still couldn¡¯t see anything. Is he¡­.. blind? This thought suddenly arose from the bottom of Yan HeQing¡¯s mind. At the mere thought of bing blind, he fell into a panicked state and his body began to feel extremely cold. He felt so helpless and frightened. At that moment, he heard the sound of a door being pushed open, followed by a female voice: ¡°Ah¡­ you, ahem, Gongzi, are you awake?¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t have the intention to answer. He kept pressing and rubbing his eyes, as if he wanted to rub away the grey mist in front of him, but the only thing he achieved was to rub his eyes until they became bloodshot. Yan HeQing then heard the sound of footsteps approaching him, and that woman reached out her hand to pull at Yan HeQing¡¯s wrist, stopping him from rubbing his eyes. Then she said: ¡°Don¡¯t rub them, you¡¯re not blind. You¡¯ll recover in a few days.¡± Yan HeQing raised his head and narrowed his eyes, but the only thing he could see was a vague outline of the person in front of him: ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°You can believe in me, I¡­ Gongzi, I have learned some medical skills, so Gongzi can just believe in my word.¡± Yan HeQing bowed his head, pulled his hand away from the woman¡¯s and asked: ¡°Where are we? Who are you?¡± ¡°This is a small wooden cabin in the deep mountain. It¡¯s usually used as a ce to take a temporary rest by medicinal herbs gatherers and hunters. I¡­ my surname is Lin, and my name is Shenling.¡± Yan HeQing kept blinking, he seemed to feel very ufortable with this kind of half-blindness. He turned his head to look at the blurred outline, but he still couldn¡¯t get his vision to focus: ¡°Why did you save me?¡± That person¡¯s breathing was inexplicably stagnant and she was silent. Just when Yan HeQing thought she wasn¡¯t going to answer, he suddenly heard a very soft voice: ¡°There¡¯s no reason why.¡± Yan HeQing was unsure about it being no reason at all, but he nodded regardless: ¡°Thank you. I will repay you in the future.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s tone was t and without any emotion. Even his gratitude was shallow. He didn¡¯t seem to want to know anything more and turned his head away, signaling that he didn¡¯t want to keep talking. That person waited for a moment, and then, walked out of the wooden cabin. ¡°Lin Shenling¡± Huh? ???????? YHQ remembering his tragic past will never not hurt (¡ä£»§Õ£»`)?? Footnotes
  1. »ÆÍÁ hu¨¢ng t¨³; It¡¯s a yellow sandy soil typically found in Northern China.
Chapter 107: It’s Impossible To Seduce Him. Chapter 107: It¡¯s Impossible To Seduce Him. Xiao YuAn, after walking out of the wooden cabin with a muddled face, sat under a tree outside. He pulled up a de of grass and put it in his mouth. Then he folded his hands behind his head and leaned against the tree to think about the most recent event. Howe that conversation waspletely different from the original novel?! Did he say the script the wrong way? Or was it Yan HeQing who didn¡¯t follow the script?! What about the seductive ¡°you have a beautiful voice, but it¡¯s a shame that I can¡¯t see you¡± sentiment?! Why didn¡¯t Yan HeQing say it? Was it because the voice produced by the effect of the small red fruit didn¡¯t sound like Lin Shenling¡¯s voice?! Was he seducing Yan HeQing the wrong way? Fortunately, Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes were temporarily blind; otherwise, Xiao YuAn wouldn¡¯t know what to do with Yan HeQing. So he thought of eating the red fruit to change his voice, and then pretend to be Lin Shenling. After taking care of him for a bit, he would take Yan HeQing to Taoyuan Vige and leave him under the care of the real Lin Shenling. Like that, everything will be alright! And because of what happened before, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t want to change the course of the original work any longer. After all, he was afraid that he will harm someone again due to his intervention, so he was trying really hard to follow the original plot as closely as possible. Therefore, even though it was him the one who found Yan HeQing, Xiao YuAn decided to disguise himself as Lin Shenling and walk through the original plot. But now, it seemed that something went wrong. ording to the original book, Yan HeQing¡¯s skill of seducing women should have reached its peak, and from collecting members in his harem, then his bed skills should¡­. cough¡­. So why was he acting so cold right now?! Xiao YuAn tried to remember if he had said something wrong, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t think of anything. He got up with a long sigh, patted the dust off his body, and then went to pick up several kinds of medicinal herbs which could cure wounds. After picking enough, he washed them and pounded them into a paste. After that, he ate a small red fruit that was hidden inside his sleeve and walked back into the wooden cabin with the medicine in hand. When Xiao YuAn pushed open the wooden door, he saw Yan HeQing maintaining his previous posture, his face waspletely expressionless. The sunset light entering through the broken window was falling on Yan HeQing¡¯s body, making him look extremely lonely and isted. Xiao YuAn was slightly startled at this. After the initial shock, he restrained himself and said: ¡°Gongzi, it¡¯s time to apply more medicine.¡± Yan HeQing titled his head. After remembering he couldn¡¯t see, he turned back again and gave a gentle hmmm. Xiao YuAn took a few steps forward, put down the bowl with the medicine inside, and reached out to undress Yan HeQing. Most of Yan HeQing¡¯s wounds were stabs of varying depths, and they were mostly on his abdomen and arms. Xiao YuAn suspected that Yan HeQing had internal injuries, but he couldn¡¯t ask Yan HeQing where he felt ufortable because he fainted right the next moment. However, just when Xiao YuAn reached out his hand to touch Yan HeQing¡¯s belt, Yan HeQing suddenly stretched out his hand to block his action, and said with indifference: ¡°I¡¯ll apply the medicine by myself.¡± Xiao YuAn was really shocked by this: ¡°But you¡­. Gongzi, you can¡¯t see, right?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Yan HeQing insisted, and Xiao YuAn had no other choice than to retreat to one side. In the meantime, Yan HeQing fumbled to take off his own clothes when he suddenly stopped midway, and said: ¡°Did you change my clothes?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes brightened! ¡®Here it is! The original plot¡¯s dialogue!¡¯ ¡°Ah¡­. yes. Gongzi¡¯s clothes were stained with dust and dirt. They were too dirty and if you wore them again, then your wounds would get worse. It just so happened that someone had left behind some clean clothes in this wooden cabin, so I changed them for you.¡± Xiao YuAn answered with honesty. ¡®My friend! She changed your clothes! The wife changed the clothes for the Male Lead! What a sweet thing to do! How can the Male Lead give up this great opportunity to seduce her!¡¯ ording to the development of the original plot, Yan HeQing will gently raise his eyebrows and say with a slightly dangerous and teasing tone of voice: ¡°Oh? Did you? So does this mean that you¡¯ve seen my naked body?¡± When Xiao YuAn read this part the first time, he couldn¡¯t help but imagine Yan HeQing¡¯s tone of voice like if he was saying ¡°Woman, you¡¯re ying with fire. You¡¯re seducing me¡­¡± and so on. Just like ¡®how a Tyrannical President would say it¡¯ type of voice. Now that Yan HeQing was about to say such a sentence from the bottom of his evil spirit and madness, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but ponder about the original book¡¯s idiotic dog blood dialogue and feel really¡­. feel a little bit excited about it! However, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t say anything after that. In the meantime, he was actually frowning while making a few attempts to open his own undergarments, not caring about his injuries at all. Yan HeQing casually applied the medicine on his wounds based on the feeling of pain, he was basically pressing it wherever he felt it hurt. When he finished, he put on his clothes once again, but there were several ces in which he missed to apply the medicine in the end. Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®It was really hard for me to walk through the mountain to gather the medicinal herbs and then grind them into a paste! Can you at least take this a little bit more seriously?! It¡¯s a damn waste if you do it like this!!¡¯ ¡®No, no. That isn¡¯t the main point.¡¯ ¡®Why the fuck you¡¯re not trying to seduce me?!¡¯ Xiao YuAn cleared his throat to make sure that he still had a female voice, and then carefully said: ¡°Gongzi¡­ it will be hard for the wounds to heal if the medicine is applied like that.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be any problem. Thank you.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s tone of voice was indifferent. Xiao YuAn was really confused. Was it because he wasn¡¯t flirting enough? He thought about the few remaining scenarios in his memory and, while trying to mimic Lin Shenling¡¯s tone of voice, he asked softly: ¡°What country is Gongzi from?¡± ¡°Southern Yan Kingdom.¡± ¡°Do you have any siblings?¡± ¡°None.¡± ¡°May I know how to address Gongzi?¡± ¡°My surname is Yan.¡± ¡°Yan-gongzi, may I know your name?¡± ¡°HeQing.¡± ¡°Yan HeQing¡­ Yan-gongzi, that¡¯s such a beautiful name.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Then, Yan-gongzi, do you feel any other difort besides your external injuries?¡± ¡°No.¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t take it anymore! He won¡¯t ask any more questions! Fuck! He¡¯d rather go provoke a bull! At least, if he talks to a bull they would stomp its hooves and shake its head!! What are all these emotionless answers? Every word should be precious! But he won¡¯t even say more than 3 words! So what¡¯s the damn point? Why is it so hard to grasp the script of the Third Female Lead? Xiao YuAn said to Yan HeQing that he should pay more attention to his body and have a good rest. After that, he started to tidy up the cotton wadding and straw. There was no bed in this cabin, so the sleeping quarters consisted simply of arge board and a few low wooden stumps. Although in the original plot, Yan HeQing slept with Lin Shenling on the first night; right now Yan HeQing¡¯s attitude was very indifferent, so Xiao YuAn decided to stay away from him. However, this was a relief to Xiao YuAn. After all, there was a clear difference between holding a woman and holding a man. Xiao YuAn was still struggling during the day about what to do if Yan HeQing realized that he wasn¡¯t a woman, if he kept trying to drive this plot forward. Xiao YuAn amodated the ce where he would sleep. He nestled in a corner of the board, but he tossed and turned for half the night before he finally fell asleep. The next morning, the early morning mist was thick, and Xiao YuAn woke up due to the sound of coughing. He opened his eyes, and after looking at Yan HeQing in a daze, he was instantly awake. Yan HeQing was covering his mouth while coughing, and a scarlet liquid spilled over his fingers. The bloody color startled Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing¡¯s face was extremely pale. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t know if it was because of the pain or the blood loss due to his injuries. XYA: Why aren¡¯t you flirting with me?? ? ?!! ! YHQ: I¡¯m a faithful husband ¡°ma¡¯am¡±. *if only YHQ knew it was his crush the one trying to seduce him lmao* Chapter 108: It’s Impossible For Him To Be Softhearted Xiao YuAn quickly stuffed a little red fruit into his mouth, waited a few seconds for his voice to change and then asked: ¡°Yan-gongzi, you¡¯re spitting blood! Where are you feeling pain?!¡± Yan HeQing lowered his eyes, inhaled slowly, and wiped the corners of his mouth with his sleeve. His face was expressionless: ¡°It¡¯s¡ªnothing.¡± ¡®There¡¯s nothing wrong in acting weak alright?!!! Where does it hurt? Why don¡¯t you tell me?!!¡¯ Xiao YuAn asked a few more questions, but Yan HeQing acted as if he didn¡¯t care about his own health. Xiao YuAn was so angry at this, that he evenughed bitterly out loud. Since Yan HeQing¡¯s attitude was making him lose his temper, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t bother to ask any more questions. The days at the cabin were a bit of a st, and Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t live in peace. Ever since he saw Yan HeQing spitting blood, Xiao YuAn would go outside every day to look for medicinal herbs in the surrounding area. With that, he would prepare a warm and nontoxic decoction for Yan HeQing to cure his internal injuries. One day, when Xiao YuAn went up to the mountain, he saw cassia seeds1, which can cure eye diseases. He vaguely remembered that, in the original book, Lin Shengling took a medicinal herb for Yan HeQing to cure his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t remember which medicinal herb Lin Shenling had collected. Xiao YuAn struggled for a while, but in the end, he still put the cassia seeds into the medicine basket; bringing it back to the wooden cabin where he will boil the medicinal herbs he usually used to treat Yan HeQing¡¯s injuries. Since Yan HeQing rarely took the initiative to speak at all, and it was hard for him to be open, he didn¡¯t ask ¡®when will my injuries heal?¡¯ or ¡®when can I walk around?¡¯ to Xiao YuAn. Every now and then, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but want to yell at him: ¡®Ge! If you want a fast recovery, then don¡¯t be so stubborn when applying medicine!¡¯ Meanwhile, Yan HeQing was often in a daze, not even knowing what he was thinking about. His eyes and mind seemed to be filled with thousands of worries and resentments. It was impossible to see in him the Male Lead from the original book, who desperately indulges himself in order to hide his true feelings. Xiao YuAn, who didn¡¯t dare to ask him anything for fear of revealing himself, spent a few days together with Yan HeQing inplete silence. After the wounds stopped bleeding, Yan HeQing began to try to get up and walk; even though he was staggering, he was still able to walk a little. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t stop him even if he wanted to, so in the end, he didn¡¯t try to stop him at all. At that moment, he happened to remember that there was some rice and salt in the cabin. When he turned over to look for them, he really found them. These past few days, they have been filling their stomachs with wild fruits and vegetables; the taste was always in and astringent. Xiao YuAn felt that if he continued to eat like this, he would be an immortal with unlimited powers. Xiao YuAn, who found out the rice and salt, was very excited to cook some porridge, so he set up a small pot and waited for a long time. After a while, he didn¡¯t realize that the rice had already been cooked, so when he saw the glutinous white grains and the characteristic smell of rice, Xiao YuAn filled a bowl for Yan HeQing and another one for himself. He stirred the wooden spoon twice and then scooped it into his mouth, instantly revealing a shocking and unbelievable expression. Fuck, the texture and the taste of this porridge that cooked by itself was really¡­.. ¡®It tasted way too fucking bad!!!¡¯ ¡®Wasn¡¯t this kind of porridge made by just pouring some water and rice?¡¯ ¡®Could it be because he put salt in it? And some wild vegetables? Or was it the green onions? Huh? Was it because he added some ginger?¡¯ ¡®Sheesh, which ones are you not allowed to add in the porridge? Or which ones don¡¯t taste good if put together?¡¯ Xiao YuAn stroked his chin and struggled to find the proper answers to his own questions after pondering for a while. When he turned around to see Yan HeQing, he saw him struggling to swallow his first mouthful of porridge, and with great difficulty, Yan HeQing pressed his chest; feeling like that mouthful of porridge could actually kill him. In order to save his life, Yan HeQing silently put the bowl of porridge aside, indicating that he wasn¡¯t hungry. Xiao YuAn, who was unconvinced, took another bite and his wronged soul2 almost returned to his hometown, taking a crane to the West3. President Xiao, who knows that his own life value4 has nothing to do with cooking, quietly emptied all of the remaining porridge. He then went to pick some wild fruits, washed them, and took them into the cabin, handing some of them to Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing received the wild fruits with a thanks, resting his eyes on the wild fruit in his hands; and since his eyes were half-blind, he wasn¡¯t able to see anything clearly. Yan HeQing felt like he was going to lose his mind, after all, he could only see a blurred grey mist, as if the spring ceased to exist and the autumn harvest wasn¡¯t prosperous. Xiao YuAn stood aside and took a bite of a wild fruit. Since Yan HeQing couldn¡¯t see him, Xiao YuAn indulged himself by staring at him. Xiao YuAn felt that he couldn¡¯t understand Yan HeQing: ¡®Why did he let me go without hesitation, after giving the order of castrating me in the first ce? What did he mean by returning the hairpin to me and then throwing it to the ground when we parted ways?¡¯ ¡®Surely it can¡¯t be that he suddenly became softhearted?¡¯ ¡®The Yan HeQing from the original book doesn¡¯t even know how to spell the word ¡°softhearted¡±.¡¯ Xiao YuAn felt that he couldn¡¯t understand himself either: ¡®Why did I save Yan HeQing once again?¡¯ Xiao YuAn isn¡¯t a person who will seek revenge for the smallest grievance. But he¡¯s also, by no means, someone with a soft nature that lets people bully him around. When he took revenge on his father in the name of his mother and brother, he wasn¡¯t softhearted. ¡®Could it be!!!¡¯ ¡®That what I feel!!¡¯ ¡®For Yan HeQing!!!¡¯ ¡®Is actually a fatherly love?!!!¡¯ After all, in the original book, Yan HeQing had climbed to the Heavens one step at a time. The bitterness, joy and sorrow of wielding a sword and pointing it directly at the world were seen by Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes, and they were buried deep inside his heart. If someone told Xiao YuAn that the one who will rule over the Four Kingdoms in the future isn¡¯t Yan HeQing, Xiao YuAn felt like that he couldn¡¯t ept it. Although it was tangled, it was a good thing that Xiao YuAn is easy-going, and likes to go with the flow. To put it bluntly, he did what he wanted to do, not bothering to think about it that much, even if that makes him look heartless. Xiao YuAn took thest bite of the wild fruit, leaving only the pit behind to y with. Suddenly, he heard Yan HeQing speak: ¡°Guniang5.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand shook, and the pit fell to the ground, rolling to one side. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t have the time to pick it up, since he was too busy looking for a small red fruit and putting it on his mouth. After testing for a bit, waiting for his voice to change, he said: ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Gongzi?¡± Even though Xiao YuAn was slow to reply, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t seem annoyed, instead, he calmly said: ¡°Can I trouble Guniang to send me down the mountain tomorrow? Guniang is free to ask for whatever you want as a reward.¡± XYA misinterpreting his own feelings part 100 ?? Poor YHQ, having to eat poison in the form of food lmao but I guess that if he knew it was his crush the one cooking for him, he would¡¯ve eat it whole even if that meant death hahaha Ah~ but since XYA is good at learning (hence he knowing medicine rn) if he got himself onto actually learning, he wouldn¡¯t be so bad hahahaha, c¡¯mon xya you can do it ?? Footnotes
  1. ¾öÃ÷×Ó ju¨¦ m¨ªng z¨«; Used in traditional Chinese medicine. It¡¯s famous for its ability to improve eyesight. But can also be used as axative; it lowers fat, treats constipation, high blood lipids, and hypertension. The cassia seeds can be bitter, sweet and salty.
  2. Ô©»ê yu¨¡n h¨²n; Wronged Souls,monly known as Fierce Ghosts, usually refers to the soul of a person who died in vain. If a person is misunderstood, wronged and killed or if theymited suicide, they cannot be reincarnated after death, so they will wander in the Underworld or will seek for a kind-hearted person to direct their grievances. The wronged souls can also directly take revenge against the person who killed them. In folk superstition, the power and resentment of a wronged soul is stronger than the ordinary ghosts; therefore, if a person is haunted by a wronged soul, their possibility of dying is rather high.
  3. ¼Ýº×Î÷È¥ ji¨¤ h¨¨ x¨© q¨´; It¡¯s an euphemism for death. In Ancient China, the crane was often used as a symbol of longevity and it was also an auspicious bird that apanied the gods; that¡¯s why the crane rides to the West, since ¡°going to the West¡± means entering Heaven. Extended meaning: a taboo term for death, which contains respect and blessing to the dead.
  4. ÈËÉú¼ÛÖµ r¨¦n sh¨¥ng ji¨¤ zh¨ª; Life Value refers to the role and meaning of human life, and its practical activities for society and individuals. In a certain sense, the value of life is the meaning of life. The fundamental measure of life value evaluation is to see whether a person¡¯s life activities conform to the objectivews of social development, and whether they promote historical progress through practice.
  5. ¹ÃÄï g¨± niang; Girl / Young woman / Youngdy / Daughter / Paternal aunt.
Chapter 109: It’s Impossible For Him To Leave. Xiao YuAn was slightly startled: ¡°But you¡­ Gongzi, your eyes haven¡¯t recovered yet.¡± Yan HeQing replied indifferently: ¡°It¡¯s alright. I just ask for Guniang to point out the direction towards the Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s army to me after we go down the mountain.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t know how to answer and was stunned for a long time. While bending down to pick up the fruit pit on the ground, he thought: ¡®So, the Third Female Lead¡¯s plot was skipped just like this?¡¯ It was thanks to him that it got skipped? By trying his best to figure out how to recreate the original plot, and pretending to be Lin Shenling¡­? In the end, it was a good thing, because in the original plot, Yan HeQing, in a half-blind state, had a bed-scene with Lin Shenling. How could Xiao YuAn rece her ce in that paragraph?! ¡°Ah, yes, then tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll send Gongzi down the mountain.¡± Xiao YuAn said with some hesitation. Yan HeQing thanked him again, dropping his eyes afterwards, no longer willing to speak. Xiao YuAn, while walking out of the cabin to look for thest medicinal herbs for thest decoction he¡¯ll give Yan HeQing,mented that this meeting was a short-lived illusion. At dusk, a white mist rose from the medicine pot, and the bitter, astringent fragrance of the medicine spread everywhere. When Xiao YuAn saw that the medicine was almost ready, he took a small red fruit from his clothes, and ate it. He then poured the medicine into a porcin bowl and put a cloth on top of it to keep it hot. When Yan HeQing heard the noise of someone entering the cabin, he turned his head, only to see how his whole world kept on being gray and hazy. Although several days had passed, Yan HeQing still couldn¡¯t adapt to this semi-blind state. After squinting and blinking ufortably, he heard the woman say: ¡°Gongzi, the medicine is ready.¡± Yan HeQing hmmmed and reached out to the mist until he felt that the medicine bowl was ced in his hand. Yan HeQing lowered his head and tried to take a look at it, as if he was in trance. After a few seconds of staring at nothing but grey mist, the medicine bowl in front of him gradually showed up, and the fog in front of him gradually dissipated. Xiao YuAn stood aside and waited for Yan HeQing to finish drinking the medicine to put away the bowl. He covered his mouth and yawned, stretching his back and rubbing his neck in boredom. Suddenly, the sound of the bowl falling to the ground and shattering startled Xiao YuAn, making him look up. For a moment, Xiao YuAn felt that when he and Yan HeQing looked at each other, their eyes met for a brief second. Because of this sensation, Xiao YuAn stepped back abruptly. But the next moment, Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes suddenly went out of focus again. When the bowl fell, the medicine sshed all over his body, so he stretched out his hand in a daze; as if he wanted to pick up the shattered bowl, but he groped around for it, since he couldn¡¯t see it. Xiao YuAn calmed himself and felt that just now, what he thought he saw, was his own delusion. After all, if Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes really had recovered, the first thing he would do after seeing Xiao YuAn would be to chop him to death. Xiao YuAn took a few steps forward and pushed back Yan HeQing¡¯s hand: ¡°Gongzi, let me take care of it. You need to be careful to not cut your hand.¡± ¡°Yes¡­..¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s voice trembled a little, as if he was suppressing his panic, not wanting to speak more than necessary. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t notice Yan HeQing¡¯s change in attitude, he just busied himself in picking up the broken pieces of the bowl with a cloth, wrapping it up and taking it outside the cabin. He also brought in the clothes that were drying outside and walked back into the wooden cabin, handing them to Yan HeQing: ¡°Gongzi, this is the armor and clothes that you were wearing when you fainted. You can change out of those clothes, they¡¯re soiled with medicine, and you don¡¯t need them anymore. After all, I will send you down the mountain tomorrow.¡± Yan HeQing took the garment and clutched it tightly between his hands. His expression was momentarily upset, and for a moment, his brows were filled with regret. Xiao YuAn remembered that Yan HeQing didn¡¯t let him help change his clothes before, so he turned around to walk out of the cabin; but at that moment, he suddenly heard Yan HeQing shouting behind him: ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Xiao YuAn turned around,pletely confused. Yan HeQing softened his voice, controlled his eyes to not look directly at him, and then stammered: ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while. This mountain and its forests are so rugged, and I¡¯m still injured, so if we happened to encounter any wolves, tigers or leopards, I wouldn¡¯t be able to fight them off and protect us. I¡¯m afraid that we¡¯ll find something unexpected, so¡­. Why don¡¯t we wait until I¡¯mpletely healed, and then we make some proper ns. What do you think?¡± ¡®Huh?? Howe you suddenly figured that out?¡¯ Xiao YuAn originally had thought the same thing, but since Yan HeQing had now realized the problem of rushing when his body wasn¡¯t yet healed, he simply went along with it, and said: ¡°Alright.¡± Yan HeQing breathed a long sigh of relief, and the annoyance between his eyebrows subsided a little. ¡°Gongzi, you can still change your clothes, I¡¯lle backter.¡± Xiao YuAn said as he walked out of the wooden cabin. ¡°I¡­.¡± Before Yan HeQing could say anything, he realized that Xiao YuAn had already walked away. Xiao YuAn, who was outside the cabin with his arms folded, was yawning while counting the stars. After waiting for about an incense stick1, he thought that no matter how hard it was to change his clothes while being half-blind, Yan HeQing should be ready by now. So, with that in mind, he pushed open the door and walked in. Through the broken wooden windows, the moonlight gently caresses the corners of the cabin. The wooden boards and wooden stumps that could barely make up a ce that could be called a bed, and sitting there, Yan HeQing was lowering his head while bitterly clutching his half-open clothes and belt. The half-open clothes revealed his perfect body, which looked like it was carved out of the most beautiful Jade, shockingly covered with several scars. When he heard the sound of the door opening, Yan HeQing turned his head over, looking at Xiao YuAn with his eyes still as blind as ever, and with a careful tone of voice, he said: ¡°Could¡­ could you help me?¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ Xiao YuAn felt that something wasn¡¯t right. After thinking about it for a few seconds, he asked: ¡°Should I help Gongzi apply the medicine?¡± Yan HeQing nodded his head: ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Xiao YuAn was extremely shocked. ¡®Why¨Cwhy¨Cwhy¨Cwhy is he suddenly following the script now?¡¯ Just a few moments ago, Xiao YuAn was thinking that it was a good thing that he didn¡¯t have to follow the Third Female Lead¡¯s route! Why was Yan HeQing suddenly pping him in the face?! YHQ: *doesn¡¯t follow the script* XYA: it¡¯s my fault! YHQ: *after getting his sight back for a few minutes, enough time to see it was XYA helping him all along* uwu I cwan¡¯t dwess myself, appwy the mewicine fow me, I¡¯m bwind uwu ?????? XYA: ¡­¡­ Footnotes
  1. Ò»ìÄÏã y¨© zh¨´ xi¨¡ng; It¡¯s a method of time calction from ancient China. In ancient times, the time it takes for an incense stick to burn is about two quarters of an hour, which is about 30 minutes.
Chapter 110: It’s Impossible Not To Take Advantage. Chapter 110: It¡¯s Impossible Not To Take Advantage. To act the role of the Third Female Lead or not, that is the question. But if he acts in Lin Shenling¡¯s role, what if Yan HeQing tries to kiss him or hug him? Wouldn¡¯t he find out that he¡¯s actually a man? If Xiao YuAn can¡¯t send Yan HeQing to Lin Shenling, and if his eyes heal with time, what will Xiao YuAn do if Yan HeQing finds out it was him the whole time? However, if he doesn¡¯t act her role, and randomly changes the plot, what will happen in the future can¡¯t be predicted once again. What will he do if someone, who isn¡¯t supposed to, gets harmed because of that? Xiao YuAn was carelessly applying medicine to Yan HeQing¡¯s injuries, when inadvertently, he pressed down on one wound causing Yan HeQing pain. Yan HeQing¡¯s brows knitted together, and Xiao YuAn panicked. After closing his hand and taking it away as fast as possible, he apologized: ¡°Uhh, I¡¯m sorry. I got distracted, did I hurt you?¡± Yan HeQing shook his head, reaching out his hand to take Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrist, he then pulled Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand back towards his wound. Xiao YuAn stiffened for a few seconds, and only after Yan HeQing released his wrist did he regained hisposure. He obediently bowed his head and continued to apply medicine for Yan HeQing; though this time, he didn¡¯t dare to fall into a daze of thoughts, and concentrated himself into bandaging him properly. Suddenly, he heard Yan HeQing ask in a soft voice: ¡°You¡­. why do you want to save me¡­.?¡± Xiao YuAn thought to himself: ¡®Didn¡¯t Yan HeQing asked him this same question before? Is it because I answered randomly before, and the Third Female Lead¡¯s script was off? So the plot went backwards to start all over again?¡¯ ¡®How did Lin Shenling answer in the original book? Was it something like: ¡°Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-floor pagoda1¡±? Or was it something more like: ¡°I saw Gongzi lying in the mountain stream severely injured, how could I just ignore it¡±?¡¯ Xiao YuAn thought for a while, and then replied: ¡°I can¡¯t just see someone who looks like they are about to die and not try to save them.¡± Yan HeQing dropped his eyes, and the thin cool moonlight couldn¡¯t shine though his eyes, leaving a dark shadow behind, making it difficult to see his expression. After a while, Yan HeQing asked softly: ¡°Where are you living now?¡± ¡°Has Gongzi heard of Taoyuan Vige?¡± Yan HeQing shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m temporarily living there.¡± ¡°A temporary residence?¡± Xiao YuAn finished bandaging thest wound of Yan HeQing, and only after he nodded his head did he remember that Yan HeQing, who was still blind, couldn¡¯t see him. So he replied: ¡°Yes, life is like a duckweed floating on the river, who knows what will happen next?¡± Yan HeQing asked again, in a soft voice: ¡°Then you¡­. are you living well¡­.?¡± Xiao YuAn shrugged: ¡°It¡¯s not about living well or not, if you¡¯re having a bad life, then you should try everyday to live well. Life¡¯s too short after all, we should enjoy the pleasures of life while we¡¯re still young.¡± Yan HeQing was in a trance for a long time before he hmmed softly. Xiao YuAn, after tidying up Yan HeQing¡¯s clothes, said: ¡°Alright, Gongzi, it¡¯ste now, we should get some sleep.¡± Yan HeQing thanked him in a soft voice, andid down on the bed. Meanwhile, Xiao YuAn fixed the cotton wadding and straw on the other side of the board, and thenid down as well. The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. The frogs were singing and the cicadas were noisy. It was a quiet night, and at midnight, when Xiao YuAn¡¯s breathing became calm and steady, Yan HeQing slowly got up. With the help of the moonlight, he carefully studied Xiao YuAn¡¯s face, but since they were a little bit far from each other, Yan HeQing went closer to his side in order to see him more clearly. Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn for a while. His hands were clenched into fists, and his whole body was shivering. Heid down beside Xiao YuAn, but because he was afraid to wake him, he didn¡¯t dare to touch him. Yan HeQing was starting to feel cold, when suddenly Xiao YuAn, who was in a deep sleep, rolled over into Yan HeQing¡¯s arms. Yan HeQing¡¯s body became so stiff that he even stopped breathing for a brief moment. However, since Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t wake up, and even though Yan HeQing was still very confused about everything that was happening, he tried to fall asleep. After waiting for a long time, Yan HeQing gradually rxed. His eyes were full of Xiao YuAn¡¯s sleeping face illuminated by the moonlight, but even at such a close proximity, he didn¡¯t dare to look at him for too long. He didn¡¯t even dare to look at him from afar. He felt like he was all alone in the world, missing Xiao YuAn like a madman. Yan HeQing slowly stretched out his arm and hugged Xiao YuAn, as if he was facing an abyss, his body trembled with fear and trepidation. Xiao YuAn woke up early the next day, stretched, and when turned his head to the side, he saw Yan HeQing sleeping on his bed. On the other side of the bedboard, Yan HeQing was still calmly sleeping, so Xiao YuAn silently crept out of the wooden cabin. After washing up, he decided he will go up the mountain to collect medicinal herbs as usual. One day, while he was collecting medicinal herbs, he found a clean, shallow stream in the forest; so he was thinking of going to wash all the medicinal herbs he has picked up these days. Xiao YuAn had just put the medicine basket on his back when he suddenly heard a knock on the wooden door behind him. Xiao YuAn turned around only to see Yan HeQing, who had been so gloomy these past few days, refusing to speak to him or move around, stumbled out. After all, he couldn¡¯t see clearly, so his knees heavily knocked on the door frame, resulting in his eyebrows frowning for a brief moment. Xiao YuAn quickly walked over to help him, while also stuffing a small red fruit into his mouth. After waiting for a few seconds for his voice to change, he said: ¡°Gongzi, why are you walking out the cabin?¡± Yan HeQing carefully diverted his eyes away from the small red fruit, suddenly understanding why Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice sounded like a woman¡¯s. He reached out and touched the basket Xiao YuAn was carrying and asked: ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a shallow stream on the mountain, I¡¯ll go wash the medicinal herbs I¡¯ve picked these days.¡± Xiao YuAn answered honestly. Yan HeQing nodded and said: ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Xiao YuAn was extremely stunned and quickly replied: ¡°But, Gongzi, you can¡¯t see very well yet.¡± Yan HeQIng¡¯s voice was extremely soft, so light that it was very hard to hear, but it was enough for Xiao YuAn to hear him anyway: ¡°Then, could you¡­. could you lead me there?¡± YHQ¡¯s pov is 50% cuteness, hesitating to ask XYA too much but also wanting to know everything and 50% knives piercing right into your heart ???? but also, he¡¯s quite a good actor! Where¡¯s his Oscar! Give this man an Oscar! ? Ah XYA~ don¡¯t worry about kissing or hugging showing the fact that you¡¯re a man because your husband already knows it¡¯s you! And that¡¯s the whole reason for his mood switch ??? Chapter 111: There Will Always Be A Male Lead Stalking His Wife. After hearing Yan HeQing¡¯s words, Xiao YuAn took a deep breath of cold air. His whole face was filled with fright as he stepped back a few steps. However, after doing just that, he felt that his reaction was too exaggerated, so he took another step forward, stabilizing his body. ¡®I was already preparing myself for the fact that I would have to follow the Third Female Lead¡¯s plot, however, could you at least warn me before you¡¯re ready to start?!¡¯ Yan HeQing, who has been staying in the cabin all by himself, bored to death, was now willing to go out for a walk. Naturally, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t have any reason to refuse this request, so he cut a wooden cane for Yan HeQing and led him all the way to the mountain¡¯s stream. Xiao YuAn observed Yan HeQing¡¯s steps, afraid that since he couldn¡¯t see well enough, he would fall. So, if that were to happen, Xiao YuAn thought of pulling Yan HeQing towards himself so that the two of them would fall together down the mountain; until finally, the two of them end up dying in the wilderness. Now that Xiao YuAn thought about it, that scenario was quite upsetting. Originally, the path wouldn¡¯t take more than half an hour¡¯s walk, however, it took them nearly an hour for them to arrive at the stream. The stream¡¯s water was clear and cold, and the flow of the water sounded like a jade pendant and a jade ring nking against each other. Xiao YuAn helped Yan HeQing sit down in the shadow of a tree beside the stream, so that he could call for Xiao YuAn if he were to need anything. Xiao YuAn then took the medicine basket, rolled up his trousers, exposing his white ankles, and stepped into the water bending over to clean the medicinal herbs. After washing medicinal herbs for a while, Xiao YuAn felt like a burning gaze was staring at him the whole time. However, when he looked back, the only thing he saw was the half-blind Yan HeQing calmly sitting in the tree¡¯s shadow. Xiao YuAn thought that he was just being paranoid, so he bent down again and continued to wash clean the muddy leaves from the medicinal herbs. A small fish of the size of a palm, swam across the stream until it mmed its head against the ankle of Xiao YuAn. The fish seemed to be confused after this collision and flicked its tail to get around him; however, Xiao YuAn reached for the water around the fish, which ended up scaring it and making it hit Xiao YuAn¡¯s ankle once again. Under the clear sunlight, the little fish casted a shadow over the bottom of the stream, and when he saw the little fish¡¯s struggle, Xiao YuAn puffed out augh. Yan HeQing, who was sitting under the shadow of a tree, suddenly started coughing violently. He covered his mouth with one hand and pressed his chest with the other, however, he didn¡¯t recover for a while. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t have the time to roll down his trousers since he hurried over Yan HeQing¡¯s side and asked him with a worried voice: ¡°Gongzi, what happened to you?¡± Yan HeQing just shook his head indicating that he was fine. When Xiao YuAn saw that his cheeks were slightly red from coughing, he didn¡¯t believe that he was fine at all, but it was a good thing that he didn¡¯t cough up blood likest time. Like this, he didn¡¯t feel the need to ask him any more questions, and he turned around to keep washing the medicinal herbs. After washing a basket full of medicinal herbs, Xiao YuAn walked ashore, put on his boots, carried the basket on his back and helped Yan HeQing up; slowly taking him back to the wooden cabin. After they returned to the cabin, Xiao YuAn was afraid that Yan HeQing¡¯s wounds would split open from walking around, so he told him to sit down and rest. Then he picked up a few medicinal herbs from the basket and pounded them into a paste. After that he put the paste into a porcin bowl and brought it into the cabin: ¡°Gongzi, it¡¯s time to apply the medicine, let me help you.¡± Yan HeQing nodded his head and reached out to untie the belt and take off his upper outer garment. Xiao YuAn unwrapped the previous bandages and cleaned off the medicine he appliedst time. After finishing cleaning Yan HeQing¡¯s skin, Xiao YuAn saw that his wounds seemed to begin scabbing. ¡®He¡¯s really worthy of being the Male Lead, even his healing abilities are stronger than ordinary people!¡¯ Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°Gongzi is recovering pretty well. We should be able to go down the mountain quite sooner than expected.¡± Yan HeQing stiffened, swallowed saliva, and with some hesitation, he said: ¡°Go down the mountain?¡± Xiao YuAn replied while applying the medicine on his wounds: ¡°Yes, I saw that you were in a hurry to go down the mountain before, and since your wounds began to scab, they¡¯ll be healed in no time. Gongzi doesn¡¯t need to worry, we¡¯ll go down the mountain very soon.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes drifted away and his thoughts dispersed, staying silent for a while, until finally, he came to his senses and hmmmed in response. However, he didn¡¯t say anything more. The day passed by really slowly, and by the time when the night came, it was gloomy and dark all over due to the clouds covering the moon. Yan HeQing waited for Xiao YuAn to fall asleep and slowly got up. He got close to Xiao YuAn, and after a few moments of staring at his sleeping face, Yan HeQing quietly walked out of the cabin. Outside the cabin he looked up at the moon, which looked like a hook, appearing behind the clouds; the moonlight was as dim as the water. Facing the moonlight, Yan HeQing untied his belt, crumpled it into a ball, and stuffed it into his mouth. Then he took off his upper garment revealing the deep and shallow wounds on his body. Yan HeQing unwrapped the new bandages, and without hesitation, stabbed his fingers into the wounds. Bit by bit, the wounds that were healing pretty fast, were brutally torn open once again. The red blood dripped down his fingers onto the grass. Under the hazy moonlight, the blood looked like it was faintly glowing. Due to the pain, the belt on Yan HeQing¡¯s mouth was almost swallowed by him. The bitter roughness of the cotton in his mouth barely relieved some of the pain. After tearing up a few wounds, Yan HeQing bent over a tree beside him and kept inhaling and exhaling with some difficulty, cold sweat rolling down his cheeks. While he waited for the pain to ease up a bit, Yan HeQing washed his wounds and hands. Then he re-bandaged his wounds, adjusted his clothes, and walked back into the cabin. The next day, when Xiao YuAn unwrapped the bandages, he couldn¡¯t help but scream: ¡°What happened?! Why are these wounds open?!¡± Yan HeQing restrained his eyes and asked softly: ¡°So I won¡¯t¡­. be able to walk down the mountain for a while?¡± ¡®Could it be¡­. that he wanted to stay with me for a little while longer?¡¯ Xiao YuAn wanted to break open Yan HeQing¡¯s head, so that he could see what he was thinking. He couldn¡¯t understand! How could Yan Heqing¡¯s wounds suddenly split open? And they even look so miserably torn open too! ¡®Although we went out for a walk yesterday, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t fall nor made any abrupt movements!¡¯ ¡®Could it be that Yan HeQing was sleepwalking at night? When he falls asleep, does he make a full 180 degree spin upside down and a back somersault?¡¯ ¡®In what other ways could¡¯ve he split them open?¡¯ Xiao YuAn was trying to figure out how it happened, when suddenly, he had an epiphany. ¡®Could it be because I wasn¡¯t following the plot the right way?¡¯ Hhhh¡­. No matter how bad Yan HeQing¡¯s wounds were, the two of them had to be trapped in the mountains. So, in order to get down the mountain as soon as possible, Xiao YuAn decided to keep disguising himself as Lin Shenling, and try to carry on the original plot. That night, Yan HeQing was lying down in his usual bed, when suddenly, he heard Xiao YuAn ask: ¡°Yan-gongzi, the weather is turning coldtely. Do you feel cold when you go to bed at night?¡± Yan HeQIng was startled, and slightly puzzled, but he still replied regardless: ¡°It¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t feel so cold.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.¡± ¡®Why are you not acting your part?!¡¯ ¡®Aren¡¯t you supposed to reply: I¡¯m cold, why don¡¯t youe closer to me, so we can both get warm?!¡¯ ¡®So then, the Third Female Wife can go along with it and be hugged and sleep with you, the Male Lead?!¡¯ ¡®Did your seduction skills get eaten by a dog just because your First and Second wives eloped?!¡¯ ¡®Wait, no! Wasn¡¯t he being all provocative before, just to let me take him up the mountain?! So, was he still feeling some uncertainty towards me, and that¡¯s why he¡¯s not using his seduction skills now?!¡¯ Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t care if he acted shameless, he smashed a cracked pot1, and said bluntly: ¡°But I feel cold, Yan-gongzi. So, can you sleep with me in your arms tonight?¡± Yan HeQing suddenly supported his body, abruptly moved back, and then fell off the bed-board. Asdfghj YHQ nearly having an attack because he saw XYAugh again! So cute! And the fact that he might¡¯ve been horny gripping ever since he saw XYA¡¯s ankles ?? or did he stare at his ass ?????? This chapter has so many things toment on! But I don¡¯t want to make this section too long ?? (YHQ hurting himself in order to not leave XYA¡¯s side, XYA now actively acting ¡°Lin Shenling¡±s part and inviting YHQ to his bed, which made him fall from his bed!!!!!!) ? Footnotes
  1. ÆƹÞÆÆˤ p¨° gu¨¤n p¨° shu¨¡i; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means: since the pot is broken, it will still be broken even if it¡¯s dropped again, so there¡¯s no need to care about it. It¡¯s used as a metaphor for having a w, mistake or setback; and then allowing it to run its course without correcting it, or instead, intentionally moving towards a worse direction.
Chapter 112: There’s Always A Male Lead Who Fails to Seduce. When Xiao YuAn saw Yan HeQing fall off the bed-board, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but howl in his heart: ¡®His wounds! It wasn¡¯t easy for me to stop them from bleeding, and now they¡¯re going to split open again!!!¡¯ Xiao YuAn really didn¡¯t expect that Yan HeQing¡¯s reaction would be so big. Was perhaps the Male Lead of a harem novel actually scared of women who were too direct? Xiao YuAn found this thought kinda amusing, and held back theugh that wanted to escape from his mouth. He quickly stepped forward and pulled Yan HeQing back onto the bed-board: ¡°Gongzi! Are you alright?! Do your wounds hurt? Do you want me to change your bandages and apply fresh medicine? Your wounds hadn¡¯t healed yet, so don¡¯t split them open again!¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s hair fell a bit loose, and he was extremely confused. Aftering back to reality, he asked tentatively: ¡°What did you just say?¡± Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t shameless enough to repeat it again, and he wanted to save some face, so he coughed softly and said while helping Yan HeQingy on the bed: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Gongzi. You should rest now, I was just being careless and said some nonsense. Don¡¯t take it to heart, I¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s words suddenly stopped because Yan HeQing pulled him into his arms, making himy down in bed together with him, without saying a word. As the sudden warmth surrounded Xiao YuAn¡¯s body, his eyes slowly widened open. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep. Goodnight.¡± Yan HeQing said with a soft tone of voice. ¡°Ah¡­. yes, alright.¡± Xiao YuAn was feeling a little bit ufortable. As he felt that Yan HeQing¡¯s breath gradually stabilized, Xiao YuAn seemed to be in a trance-like state. He thought: ¡®So, this is how it feels to be held to sleep?¡¯ In Xiao YuAn¡¯s memory, his mother had never held him. Whenever he recalled his mother, the first memory he thought of was her sitting on the balcony, looking thin and small, staring at the outside. And while the wind was blowing around her, her thin body seemed as if it would fall apart at any moment. Xiao YuAn could still remember that night his mother took the sleeping pills. She tucked him in the quilt and sang him a luby. On that day, everything went on as usual, except for when he woke up in the middle of the night, and saw his dead mother beside him. Who convinced her that killing herself with sleeping pills would be painless? When it was clear that his mother had died with a hideous expression on her face. She died covered in vomit and incontinence mixed together, filling the room with a foul stench. After that, the young Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t sleep at night; because as soon as he closed his eyes, he would get frightened and feel cold sweat run through his body. All his dreams were about the day he found his dead mother. This trauma wasn¡¯t treated until he became an adult. At that time, the young Xiao YuAn would always think: ¡®How would it feel if someone hugged me, would that feel nice? And what will it feel like to be held in my sleep?¡¯ ¡®Ah, so this is how it feels?¡¯ Xiao YuAn moved his body and felt that Yan HeQing¡¯s arm tightened a little. At this little gesture, Xiao YuAn had no other choice but to smile, close his eyes, and sleep peacefully. In the next few days, Xiao YuAn talked to Yan HeQing as he recalled the plot of the original book. However, the only thing he could remember was the first sentence, but not what follows. Therefore, the dialogue often became somewhat strange. For example, in the original book, Lin Shenling would say: ¡°Listen, Gongzi, there¡¯s Swallows. I heard the elders say that the Swallowse here every Spring¡­.¡± Since Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t remember thest words, he couldn¡¯t help himself to answer: ¡°Ie here every Spring to ask the Swallows; ¡®hey, why are you here?¡¯ and the Swallows would say; ¡®the Spring here is the most beautiful! Yes! The most beautiful!¡¯¡­¡± Xiao YuAn felt that he would be able to hold back from rambling and respect the original plot. Another example of this was that one day, when Xiao YuAn went up the mountain, he saw a carp covered in red onyx in the stream. He remembered that in the original story, Lin Shenling also saw a red carp by the stream, and went back to tell Yan HeQing about it. So, he also went back to find Yan HeQing and said: ¡°Gongzi, I saw a red carp in the stream today¡­. uh ¡­. a red carp fish¡­¡­ ¡± After saying that, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t remember what he was supposed to say afterwards, so he stammered for a long time: ¡°Red carp¡­.. yes, a red carp¡­.. a red carp, a green carp and a donkey!¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s words were so separated between each other, and yet, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t question nor ignored him. However, Xiao YuAn felt that this was probably thest time the Male Lead would tolerate his ¡°wife¡¯s¡± antics. Yan HeQing¡¯s wounds began to gradually heal again, and there was no sign that they would split open again, which made Xiao YuAn feel even more convinced that this had something to do with the fact that he was properly following the script this time. But¡­. Herees the problem. Howe he didn¡¯t think of it? In the original book, the kissing and embracing each other was described with great detail, so, how will Xiao YuAn pretend to be Lin Shenling in a situation like that?!!! What¡¯s more, what if Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes suddenly recover and he finds out that it was Xiao YuAn beside him all along? He¡¯ll get chopped into pieces and buried in the mountain! Xiao YuAn was worried, extremely worried. And while Xiao YuAn immersed himself worrying about that specific issue, two more days have passed like usual. On this particr day, Yan HeQing was resting in the wooden cabin, while Xiao YuAn was pounding medicine outside. When suddenly, there was a rustling noiseing from the brushes not far away from the cabin. Xiao YuAn thought that it might be a badger or some other small animal, so he just threw a stone there to scare them away. As a result, there was a crying from the brushes, giving Xiao YuAn a great scare. Because it was a human voice. As Xiao YuAn moved cautiously towards the brushes, he wondered if he had encountered an evildoer. Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared in the grass, howling and tackling Xiao YuAn to the ground. Oh no!! ! Is XYA in trouble?? ? ¦²(?§¥?£») And what do y¡¯all think is going on in YHQ¡¯s mind? I bet he can¡¯t quite understand why is XYA acting like that, or speaking in a weird way ???? the only thing we know is that he¡¯s enjoying being taken care of by his hubby ?? Chapter 113: There’s Always A Male Lead Who’s Heartless. Zhang Baizhu, with his medicine basket on his back, pinched Xiao YuAn¡¯s face and shouted: ¡°Xiao-!¡­..¡± Before he could finish his words, Xiao YuAn suddenly grabbed his throat and twisted his arm. Then he put some herbal medicines in Zhang Baizhu¡¯s mouth to stop him from shouting again. Finally, Xiao YuAn threw him at the bushes again. When Xiao YuAn looked back, he saw Yan HeQing walking out of the wooden cabin, holding the door with one hand; his half-blind eyes were dazed as he turned his ears towards the direction of where the sudden noise came from. Then, he asked: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± ¡°Everything is alright, it was just a big wild boar. I¡¯ve already chased it away, Gongzi, so you can go back and rest.¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile. Zhang Baizhu, whileying in the brushes, angrily threw a stone at Xiao YuAn. Yan HeQing wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything at all; and turned around to go back inside the wooden cabin. Xiao YuAn breathed a heavy sigh of relief. ¡®Damn! It¡¯s a good thing that I reacted fast!!!! Thankfully, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t hear my name!!!¡¯ Only when Xiao YuAn saw that Yan HeQing had already walked back inside to the cabin, did he pick up Zhang Baizhu from the grass and dragged him up the mountain. ¡°Eh, eh, eh!!! What the hell are you doing?!!¡± Zhang Baizhu howled. ¡°You know, since you haven¡¯t returned to Taoyuan Vige for so long, everyone began to think that you eloped! Oh, boy. I just caught you in the act! You¡¯re really going to run away with a wild man! What are you doing?! Wow, will you really kill and bury me since I caught you?!¡± Xiao YuAn found a trap pit abandoned by hunters and buried half of Zhang Baizhu¡¯s body in it, adding more soil along the way. Zhang Baizhu: ¡°¡­¡­. You¡¯re really fucking burying me alive!!!¡± Xiao YuAn patted the dirt off his hands with a smile on his face: ¡°That¡¯s enough, you¡¯ll stop making a scene now.¡± Zhang Baizhu: ¡°Who the hell is making a scene?!!!! I¡¯m the one who¡¯s being made fun of. How about that?!¡± Xiao YuAn ignored him, and asked instead: ¡°Did I make LiuAn and Fenyue worry? It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t want to go back on purpose, but that man you saw just now was badly injured, and it wasn¡¯t convenient to go down the mountain until he got better.¡± ¡°Excuses, excuses. Then why are you using that small red fruit to turn your voice into a woman¡¯s? I saw just now that that man didn¡¯t have any problem with his eyes, am I right? Fuck! Xiao YuAn, are you pretending to be a woman to seduce him?!¡± Zhang Baizhu shouted in horror. Xiao YuAn put his index finger and thumb against his chin and thought out loud: ¡°When you say it like that, you¡¯re actually not that wrong.¡± Zhang Baizhu¡¯s face instantly twisted with fright. ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin, way too hard to exin. Zhang Baizhu, when you go back to the vige, remember to tell LiuAn and Fengyue for me that I¡¯m alright, and that I¡¯ll be back in a few days; so there¡¯s no need to worry too much about me.¡± Xiao YuAn said calmly. Zhang Baizhu pulled himself out of the soil, and said: ¡°Eh, how do I say this? Your two Geges took your Didi to see a doctor. Right now, only Third Aunt is in your residence.¡± Xiao YuAn was stunned: ¡°When?¡± Zhang Baizhu replied: ¡°Just a few days ago. They heard that there¡¯s a doctor who specializes in treating difficult and misceneous diseases in the Western Shu Kingdom, and that he will take care of anyone¡¯s illness no matter who they are. But by Heavens it¡¯s a little far away from Taoyuan Vige, so the journey will take more than ten days. Your two Geges inquired about this doctor and then took your Didi to see him.¡± Xiao YuAn nodden thoughtfully and then asked: ¡°Where¡¯s Lin Shenling?¡± ¡°Ah, Lin-guniang¡­ don¡¯t you remember that my father sprained his back? Since he can¡¯t go up to the mountain to pick up the medicinal herbs, I have to collect them for him. But the medical clinic and my father needs someone to take care of them, so I entrusted Lin-guniang with these two things¡­. Lin-guniang is very kind.¡± Zhang Baizhu said. Xiao YuAn was still thinking about Xie Chungui¡¯s visit to that mysterious doctor, so for a moment, he didn¡¯t hear the joy in Zhang Baizhu¡¯s tone when he mentioned Lin Shenling, and let out a careless sigh. ¡°Seriously, who the hell is that man?¡± Zhang Baizhu poked Xiao YuAn with his elbow. Xiao YuAn pushed Zhang Baizhu¡¯s hand away and replied: ¡°He¡¯s the enemy.¡± Zhang Baizhu exaggeratedly shouted: ¡°Shut up, he looks more like an ¡®inw¡¯ to me.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s face was full of affection and a you-will-not-believe-it kind of expression: ¡°If he knew who I am, he would definitely cut me into pieces.¡± Zhang Baizhu was extremely puzzled: ¡°Then why are you still taking care of him?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth twitched: ¡°Who knows. Perhaps it was sympathy, or perhaps I¡¯m sick. Yes, I¡¯m definitely sick, there must be something wrong with my brain.¡± Zhang Baizhu said: ¡°Xiao YuAn, you really like him, don¡¯t you?!¡± Xiao YuAn, who stayed silent for a long time, raised his head. The warm sun cast a mottled shadow through the leaves. The shadows on Xiao YuAn¡¯s face were neither light or dark, it was so shadowy that it was difficult to read his expression: ¡°No, I don¡¯t like him.¡± Zhang Baizhu, who stared at him for a long while, finally asked: ¡°Is that man, perhaps, already married?¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± Xiao YuAn looked at him suspiciously: ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Ah? Doesn¡¯t he have that kind of personality? Like, if there¡¯s no hope from the beginning, he simply runs away from his true feelings and doesn¡¯t acknowledge them or think about them. Over time, he will fool even himself into thinking that they don¡¯t exist at all.¡± Zhang Baizhu said. Xiao YuAn pped his hands: ¡°Ah?! He actually has a good personality. He¡¯s heartless, so he won¡¯t be tired of living because of something like this!¡± Zhang Baizhu waved his hand in disgust: ¡°Fine, fine, whatever you think is good. Anyway, when are you going back?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll return when the Male Lead gets better.¡± Xiao YuAn replied. ¡°You¡¯d better hurry up, there will be a rainstorm in a few days, and this mountain is prone to copse. It¡¯s not safe to stay here much longer.¡± Zhang Baizhu warned him. Xiao YuAn nodded his head. Zhang Baizhu patted the soil on his body, and looked up at the sky: ¡°Fine, alright, I should go down the mountain now.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled and waved his hand: ¡°Take care of yourself, I will not send you off.¡± Zhang Baizhu pointed at him and eximed: ¡°Look at you! You¡¯re all smiles! You must be really eager to go back to that man after I¡¯m gone! You must be!¡± When Zhang Baizhu finished shouting, he pulled out his feet and ran down the mountain, not giving Xiao YuAn a chance to refute his theory. Xiao YuAn put his hands to his mouth and shouted at the direction in which Zhan Baizhu was running: ¡°Zhang Baizhu, are you stupid?! You¡¯re going the wrong way!!¡± ZBZ asking the real questions here.. . ZBZ: Are trying to seduce that man?! Do you like him?! XYA: No, I don¡¯t. ZBZ: YOU! DO! LIKE! HIM! XYA: Anyway, tell everyone that I¡¯ll get ba¨C ZBZ: YOU¡¯RE EAGER TO GO BACK TO THAT WILD MAN, DON¡¯T YOU?? ! ! ! XYA: *pikachu surprise face*. Chapter 114: There’ll Always Be An Occasional Earth-shattering Event. After the two of them parted ways, Xiao YuAn walked slowly towards the wooden cabin, and on the way, he picked some wild fruits. To his surprise, some clouds suddenly began to gather, and it started to rain. However, the branches and leaves were thick, so the rain didn¡¯t feel so heavy, and Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t bother to run. He just casually picked arge banana leaf, ced it on top of his head, and walked towards the wooden cabin. When he saw that he was close to the cabin, Xiao YuAn suddenly stopped. Because he saw Yan HeQing standing outside the wooden cabin. The rain curtain was heavy. He could witness it by seeing the breeze blowing against Yan HeQing¡¯s sleeves, who was standing outside the cabin without any shelter to protect himself from the rain. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t know how long Yan HeQing had stayed outside, but he could see that his white clothes were all wet; droplets of water fell through his hair and down the side of his face, hitting a puddle under him and making it ripple a little. Xiao YuAn saw him with one hand behind his back, and his eyes were staring at the ce in which Xiao YuAn had left before, as if Yan HeQing was looking, but at the same time not. The rain obscured Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes and blurred Yan HeQing¡¯s figure, making it look vague and confusing. Xiao YuAn was startled at first, but then he swallowed a small red fruit, and quickly ran over to Yan HeQing: ¡°Why are you¡­. Why is Gongzi standing here? It¡¯s raining, quickly, get inside the cabin.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s voice was hoarse, and it took a while before he could say in a soft tone of voice: ¡°I thought¡­.. I thought that you were gone again.¡± Xiao YuAn pulled Yan HeQing into the cabin feeling extremely puzzled: ¡°Again? You mean because I went up the mountain to collect medicinal herbs? But don¡¯t I alwayse back? Why do you have to stay outside in the rain? You¡¯re still injured, so don¡¯t get your wounds wet, otherwise, they¡¯ll get worse.¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t answer for a long time, and when Xiao YuAn lit a fire in the middle of the room, he spoke again: ¡°Just now¡­. I heard you leave with somebody else.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xiao YuAn was taking off his wet clothes, so he didn¡¯t react instantly after hearing Yan HeQing¡¯s words; but once a few minutes passed, the reaction came over abruptly, and he began to fucking cry inside his mind. ¡®Did Yan HeQing hear Zhang Baizhu¡¯s voice?¡¯ Since from Yan HeQing¡¯s point of view, he was now Lin Shenling, and if he really wanted to develop their emotional scenes, it was better for Xiao YuAn to exin it clearly. So, Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Gongzi, please don¡¯t misunderstand, he¡¯s just my Shixiong. He usually goes up the mountain to pick up medicinal herbs like me, and we just happened to meet while he was picking some. Now Gongzi, quickly change your clothes, don¡¯t keep wearing the wet ones.¡± Yan HeQing closed his eyes and hmmed softly, but he still looked a bit upset. He then let Xiao YuAn help him take off his upper-garments, without making another sound. At this, Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart thumped. By looking at Yan HeQing¡¯s current appearance, Xiao YuAn thought: ¡®Yan HeQing had already fallen in love with the Lin Shenling I¡¯m pretending to be, and has likely already ced her in his harem! But Yan-ge, where did your evil charm and madness1 go? And even though you¡¯re not a Tyrannical President, aren¡¯t you also supposed to be like a type of Domineering Boss? Where¡¯s your jealousy? Aren¡¯t you supposed to press her against a wall and force a strong domineering kiss on her? And after the kiss you¡¯ll say harsh dominant words, such as; ¡°If you get close to that man again, I will break his leg¡± and so on?!¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t be so upset! You were the one waiting in the rain! You¡¯re the Domineering Boss, Yan-ge, not the second bitter love interest!! I can¡¯t bear to see you act like this!¡¯ The rain was falling heavily outside the cabin, and the two men inside the room were silent for a while, each immersed in their thoughts, worrying about the other. After Xiao YuAn took Yan HeQing¡¯s upper-garment for him, he put it close to the fire to let it dry. When he thought that Yan HeQing¡¯s undergarments were also wet, he turned his head, wanting to lean over Yan HeQing to warm his body. However, Yan HeQing also happened to move this way as well, so Xiao YuAn ended up colliding with Yan HeQing as soon as he turned around. The dry wood made a slight cracking sound amidst the burning fire, and then, the cabin fell into a cold silence. Xiao YuAn, who kept his posture of throwing himself in Yan HeQing¡¯s arms, blinked his eyes finding his lips kissing Yan HeQing¡¯s extra cold cheek, which were like that because the rain water on his body hadn¡¯tpletely dried yet. The scorching firelight leapt in Yan HeQing¡¯s slowly widening eyes, and he felt like the world became shockingly silent, but only for an instant. Xiao YuAn wanted to quickly retreat and apologize, but right the next second, his wrist was caught by Yan HeQing and Xiao YuAn was pressed to the ground. Their clothes, which were half-dry but not wet, were pressed together, and the body heating from Yan HeQing¡¯s body gradually warmed Xiao YuAn. However, before Xiao YuAn could react, Yan HeQing fiercely kissed him on the lips. They kissed!! ! ! ! (again) and this time XYA is not drunk, so he has to remember it happened!! Also, every time XYA calls YHQ ¡°Yan-ge¡± I get so soft (*¡ä?`*)???? so precious! When is he gonna call him that out loud?! And YHQ always breaking my heart ?? feeling lonely and desperately carving for even a glimpse of XYA (¡ä£»§Õ£») Footnotes
  1. а÷È¿ñáú xi¨¦ m¨¨i ku¨¢ng ju¨¤n; It¡¯s an inte ng term, used as amon and generic description for the tyrannical president, the mob young master, the business elite, the international superstar, the dark sentinel, and the domineering alpha characters in all kinds of novels. This term is usually seen when the overlord is trying to attract beautiful women.
Chapter 115: There’s Always A Rainy Night, A Dry Wood And A Burning Fire. Chapter 115: There¡¯s Always A Rainy Night, A Dry Wood And A Burning Fire.1 ¡®Yan-ge, even though you¡¯re blind! You were able to find the right ce to flirt, this must be the Male Lead¡¯s halo shining brightly, right?!¡¯ ¡®But, why did you suddenly change from a bitter man to a Tyrannical President?!¡¯ ¡®Can you just act one script at a time, until the end? You¡¯re always jumping from script to script. I don¡¯t know how to act opposite of you anymore!¡¯ Xiao YuAn subconsciously stretched out his hand against Yan HeQing, however, the moment he tried to push him away with all the strength he had, he breathed out. He had promised himself that he would follow the original plot. He stopped himself from pushing Yan HeQing away because he didn¡¯t want to give up halfway. Moreover, it would be bad if his wounds suddenly split open like before, because he didn¡¯t follow the plot. Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes turned dark as he felt that Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t push him away. He wrapped his arms around Xiao YuAn¡¯s waist, closed his eyes, and mercilessly pried open his lips and mouth. Xiao YuAn was still worried that such intimacy would lead to Yan HeQing finding out that he wasn¡¯t a woman. But soon he found himself not worried anymore. Because he stopped thinking altogether. Yan HeQing kissed him deeply, his tongue wrapping around Xiao YuAn¡¯s indulgently. Probably because he was drenched from the rain before, Yan HeQing¡¯s lips were cold, but this cold sensation soon became warm due to the friction between both their lips and tongues. This warmth invaded every corner of Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth, the entanglement of their tongues made him feel a strange and numbing sensation run all over his body. Instinctively, he tried to avoid this new sensation, but Yan HeQing was firmly pressing him to the ground, so he could only passively ept the kiss. When the kiss ended, both of them were panting. Xiao YuAn was kissed so hard that tears burst out from his eyes, gasping for breath as heid on the ground, using his arm to cover up his eyes. He didn¡¯t have the face to look at Yan HeQing right now. Xiao YuAn really wanted to jump into the fire and burn himself to death. He moved his body to climb over the fire, but after taking two steps, he felt that he shouldn¡¯t escape from reality, so he walked back. Since he couldn¡¯t escape reality, he had to think of something to say quickly. Fortunately, his desire to survive made Xiao YuAn have a quick mind and an excellent memory. He remembered some fragments of Lin Shenling and Yan HeQing¡¯s settling down in love from the original book, which was more or less the same situation as now, and decided to put it to use. Xiao YuAn coughed twice, trying to calm himself after that deep kiss, and when he made sure that his voice was still a femenine one, he said: ¡°Did you perhaps misunderstand me, Gongzi? Why did you kiss me when I identally touched you right now?¡± Yan HeQing was shocked for a brief moment, his arm around Xiao YuAn was neither withdrawing nor advancing, and a trace of panic appeared on his usually calm and indifferent face. He murmured a few words while his hands trembled slightly to support himself while he tried to get up. It was hard for Xiao YuAn to watch him react like this, so he stretched out his hand and grabbed Yan HeQing¡¯s arm that was leaving his side and asked in a low voice: ¡°Gongzi, did you kiss me because you like me?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice was very soft, so when he stopped talking, the cabin became extremely quiet. The only sound left behind was the crackling of the dry wood in the fire. The firelight leapt on their faces, extremely silent. Yan HeQing remembered that when he was on the verge of death, he would always end up dreaming about thete Emperor of the Northern Kingdom kicking him into the stinking mud. He didn¡¯t struggle, or curse, allowing himself to sink in the mud. When suddenly, someone grabbed his arm, pulling him a little towards a clean and bright ce. When Yan HeQing raised his head, he saw Xiao YuAn beside him, smiling at him. That smile was Yan HeQing¡¯s cmity. It was his own karma, his sin, his confinement within a circle drawn on the ground2, and his deep and undying love. It was also hisck of remorse and fearlessness. Yan HeQing held Xiao YuAn in his arms again, and when their chest collided, he could hear that his heartbeat sounded like a drum. Xiao YuAn felt the warm breath of Yan HeQing in his ear, which made him feel itchy, and he subconsciously wanted to hide away. But right at that instant, he heard Yan HeQing whispering in his ear: ¡°I love you.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart felt like it was suddenly being clutched, every inch of blood was flowing all over his body. The cold ces of his body felt even colder, the warm ces of his body felt even warmer. Nothing felt normal inside of him. Even though he knew that Yan HeQing¡¯s words weren¡¯t directed to him, but to the ¡°Lin Shenling¡± he was pretending to be, the sudden and decisive deration of his true feelings still caused Xiao YuAn to feel very flustered. Xiao YuAn wanted to say what Lin Shenling said next in the original plot, but when he opened his mouth, he found that his voice was shaking. He took a long time to calm himself, and then said: ¡°Gongzi, you¡¯re saying that because you can¡¯t see me now. But when your eyes heal, when you¡¯re able to see me, if I look ugly, if you don¡¯t like my appearance, if¡­.¡± ¡®If you find out that I¡¯m the person you hate, if that timees, will you still love me?¡¯ Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t dare to look at Yan HeQing, so he wasn¡¯t able to see Yan HeQing¡¯s deep feelings, his infatuation and forbearance inside his refined eyes; he could only hear Yan HeQing say: ¡°My feelings won¡¯t change.¡± And then, all of Xiao YuAn¡¯s words were blocked by Yan HeQing¡¯s mouth once again. Unlike the previous kiss, this one was extremely gentle. Like watery moonlight, brimming over the surface of theke, a vulnerability that ripples at the first touch. After the kiss, Yan HeQing held Xiao Yuan¡¯s wrist tightly, as if he would disappear if he didn¡¯t hold him close. Yan HeQing¡¯s voice was still shaking as he said with the fear of being judged: ¡°What am I¡­ I¡­. What am I to you?¡± In a rare moment like this, Xiao YuAn remained rxed with the intention of continuing to say the lines of the original book. If the author of the original book knew about his efforts, perhaps he would give him a moving encouragement. In the original book, Lin Shenling was an extremely introverted woman, and because of the miserable environment she grew up in, she didn¡¯t know how to speak with love. So how should she answer Yan HeQing¡¯s question? So Lin Shenling, in a hurry, uttered a magic word. And now, this word was rolling back and forth on Xiao YuAn¡¯s lips, but he found himself unable to spit it out. ¡®Fuck! It¡¯s like I¡¯m digging my own grave!!!¡¯ Xiao YuAn was struggling and he felt like his heart was trembling, but when he thought that it wasn¡¯t easy for him to reach this point of the original plot, and how he had already hugged and kissed Yan HeQing; now Xiao YuAn felt that all his sacrifices and efforts will be lost if he doesn¡¯t say that one sentence. He can¡¯t let that happen!! So Xiao YuAn took a deep breath, and when he was ready, he shouted: ¡°Hu-¡­ Husband.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn nced at the fire, wondering if the fire could burn him to death. It would be even better if no residue were left behind. ¡°Pfft¨C.¡± Suddenly, a softugh broke the silence inside the cabin. Xiao YuAn turned his head only to see Yan HeQing gently curling his lips, his eyes sparkled with the firelight shining upon them, making him look extremely noble and handsome. Xiao YuAn had never seen Yan HeQing¡¯s smile before, and right now, he couldn¡¯t help but stare at him with astonishment. Yan HeQing then replied softly: ¡°Yes.¡± In the end, it seemed that what he said wasn¡¯t enough, so he curled his lips and whispered: ¡°Wife.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.. Ah ¡­.. Ye-yes?¡± ¡®Do you want to sing a love song? Watch the most beautiful fireworks¡­..?¡¯ Yan HeQing was stunned at first, but then heughed softly again. Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®Fuck, I-I-I¡¯m blushing!!!¡¯ ¡®I want to fucking burn to death!!!¡¯ ¡®I want a fucking thundelbolt to kill me right now!!¡¯ Right the next moment, a blinding white sh of lightning suddenly fell outside the cabin, followed by a deafening thunder. Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®I was just talking bullshit!!!! I don¡¯t want the lightning to split me in half, don¡¯t split me in half!!¡¯ I¡¯m back!! (((o(?¡ä¨Œ`?)o))) And with such a good chapter too ?? YHQ might not know what is going on, but he sure did took good advantage of it ??? Chapter 116: Finding Out That He Sacrificed His Own Life. Chapter 116: Finding Out That He Sacrificed His Own Life. Outside, the rain started pouring down unpreparedly, and the thunder rumbled as if hitting their eardrums. That sound was extremely frightening. While the rain poured down, it was as if the only noise left behind in the whole world was the sound of the rain drops hitting the ground. In this kind of weather, it was impossible for Xiao YuAn to go out to pick up wild fruits. In order to fill up their stomachs, Xiao YuAn emptied the bag of rice lying in the corner, and decided to try and cook some porridge again. This time, Xiao YuAn learned his lesson and didn¡¯t add ginger to the porridge. But he did put some garlic into the porridge¡­.. When it was ready, Xiao YuAn tasted it. ¡®Mmm¡­ It¡¯ll be better if I add a little bit of ginger!!! This tastes awful!!!¡¯ Xiao YuAn painfully reproached himself for wasting food, and just when he was about to pour out the porridge, he suddenly heard Yan HeQing say: ¡°Is it ready?¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but shake his hands. Just a few moments ago, the atmosphere between them was very strange to Xiao YuAn, so he simply replied: ¡°It¡¯s ready. But, it tastes too bad to be eaten. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll think of another way to get food.¡± However, Yan HeQing fumbled over and sat down: ¡°It¡¯ll be alright, give me a bowl¡± Xiao YuAn swallowed with some difficulty: ¡°I¡¯m serious¡­. It¡¯s not good¡­.¡± Yan HeQing insisted: ¡°It won¡¯t hurt eating it.¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t say no to him, and when he remembered thatst time Yan HeQing hadn¡¯t eaten the porridge he cooked; he thought that this time, after eating a single spoonful, Yan HeQing will think that his own life is more valuable than eating this life-threatening porridge. So, after thinking it over, Xiao YuAn took a small bowl, and handed it to Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing scooped up a spoonful of porridge and ate it. After trying to swallow it for a long time, he said as if nothing had happened: ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®I knew that love blinded people, but I didn¡¯t know that it could also make his sense of taste disappear! How can you say that it¡¯s not bad, Yan-ge? Doesn¡¯t your conscience hurt?!¡¯ Yan HeQing didn¡¯t mind that the porridge was hard to eat, and naturally, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t mind either. The two of them managed to fill their stomachs, however, the sound of the thunderstorm outside didn¡¯t seem to be abating at all. ¡°Why is it suddenly raining so heavily¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn mumbled to himself as he looked out of the window. As soon as he finished speaking, there was a deafening sounding from somewhere not too far away, as if something had copsed and fallen to the ground. Even the wooden cabin seemed to tremble with the loud noise. The candles inside the cabin were also flickering from the wind blowing in through the broken window, causing a frightening sensation. Xiao YuAn was startled as he held onto the window and looked out. Outside, it was really dark and the trees were shaking; he wasn¡¯t able to see anything clearly, but he could feel the rain on his face brought by the strong wind. Xiao YuAn thought for a moment, shook out the straw raincoat that had umted some dust due to the passing of time, and draped it over his body. As he walked outside the wooden cabin, he looked back at Yan HeQing and said: ¡°Something might¡¯ve copsed outside, I¡¯ll go check it out.¡± Yan HeQing instantly frowned and said: ¡°Don¡¯t go, it¡¯s raining too heavily. It¡¯s extremely dangerous to go outside.¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. I know what I¡¯m doing, and in case something did copse, it¡¯ll be dangerous for us if it also falls on top of the wooden cabin. So I¡¯ll go take a quick look.¡± After saying that, Xiao YuAn opened the door and rushed out. The wind was strongly blowing outside, and the rain was pouring down in torrents. It was as if the earth on the mountain was shaking after being provoked by the rainstorm. Yan HeQing didn¡¯t stop Xiao YuAn, but when he saw him rushing through the rain curtain, he felt as if his heart was stuck on his throat. However, right the next moment, Xiao YuAn rushed back, howling as he ran: ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!! It¡¯s copsing!! It¡¯s right up there!!!! Andslide! Andslide! I¡¯ll bury Zhang Baizu¡¯s big mouth when I get back home!¡± Yan HeQing was dragged outside by Xiao YuAn. The heavy rain hit their bodies wildly, and the dazzling lightning cut through the sky. Yan HeQing saw the falling stones and trees covered in mud rolling down the cliff. After the lightning, the world fell into darkness again, followed by the loud sound of thunder. Suddenly, Xiao YuAn remembered something and stopped running. He fiercely touched his face drenched in rain water as he began to say: ¡°No, no, no¡­¡­.¡± ¡®The disasters kept on piling up one after the other! I left the red fruits, and the tumeric I had picked up for Xie Chungui in the cabin! Without the small red fruit, I won¡¯t be able to disguise my voice in front of Yan HeQing!¡¯ Xiao YuAn gripped Yan HeQing¡¯s arm and shouted as loud as he could: ¡°Wait for me here! I¡¯ll be right back!¡± Right after he said that, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t dare to hesitate. He turned around and ran back to the wooden cabin. Suddenly, another bolt of lightning pierced through the sky. Under this dazzling white light, Yan HeQing saw that a tree trunk was falling down the slope right towards Xiao YuAn! And where that tree trunk was falling, it was Xiao YuAn¡¯s blind spot! He wasn¡¯t on guard! Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes shrank, and without any hesitation, he ran as fast as he could. After the lightning fell, the surroundings fell into darkness again, and a thunderp exploded in Xiao YuAn¡¯s ears. Because of that, he couldn¡¯t hear anything except for the thunder, and even his ears began to hurt a little due to the loud noise. Naturally, he didn¡¯t see nor hear that not that far away from him, Yan HeQing used his back to block the fallen tree trunk. The tremendous impact had almost disced Yan HeQing¡¯s internal organs. He was knocked to the ground and rolled down several times along the hillside until he stabilized himself. The cold rain mercilessly stole the warm from Yan HeQing¡¯s body temperature, and the way the rain poured on him with such intensity, made him unable to open his eyes. Yan HeQing tried to take a deep breath, but the heavy rain blocked his mouth and nose, freezing his body all over. Yan HeQing put his hands on the ground and stumbled, trying to get up and walk towards where Xiao YuAn told him to stay. However, as soon as he stood up, his heart and lungs felt like they were being strangled and split open by a sharp de; he felt such an intense amount of pain that he wasn¡¯t able to breathe at all. With blurred eyes and ringing ears, Yan HeQing took a few heavy breaths, when suddenly, he heard Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice calling out to him. His voice was mixed with the sound of rain and thunder, and it was really hard for Yan HeQing to hear it clearly. He felt that the voice sounded both distant and near at the same time. Yan HeQing pressed his muffled chest and followed Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice. He wanted to reply, but before his voice coulde out, he suddenly felt an iron taste invading his mouth before he started to violently cough a mouthful of blood. After that, Yan HeQing felt as if the sky began to spin around and his consciousness blurred, as he fell straight forward. XYA¡¯s cooking strikes again ??? and this time (as we all predicted) YHQ ate it, and said it was delicious ???? Ahhhgg that rainstorm is rlly troublesome and scary! Let¡¯s hope YHQ is okay ? he saved his hubby!!! ?? Chapter 117: Finding Out About His Shyness. When Yan HeQing woke up again, he found himself lying in a dry cave. A burning pile of dead leaves and branches stacked close to him. The wet clothes on his body were stripped down and ced around the fire, and a clean upper garment was draped over him. Yan HeQing picked it up and took a look at it, finding out it was Xiao YuAn¡¯s garment. He tried to prop up his body, but his chest and back throbbed with pain. He was already injured to begin with, so being hit by that tree trunk with such force, would only add more to his injuries. Yan HeQing rxed himself, and looked around, steading his gaze. By his side, Xiao YuAn was sitting close to the fire wearing only his thin undergarment. His elbows were resting on his upright knees; his palms clenched into fists to support his head. He was dozing, and his head nodded once or twice, looking extremely restless in his sleep. As if dreaming of something, Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyebrows frowned. Suddenly, his entire body was startled, and while still asleep, he shouted: ¡°Yan HeQing!¡± At this, Xiao YuAn woke up from the fright caused by the dream. Instantly, his entire body was filled in cold sweat after he realized what he did just now. ¡®What the fuck! I shouted his name with my normal voice!¡¯ Xiao YuAn¡¯s body stiffened and looked at Yan HeQing. After a while, he breathed out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Yan HeQing wasn¡¯t awake. If he were to hear him, Xiao YuAn swore that he could run away from the cave, even if there were raining knives outside. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but say in a low voice: ¡°¡­.Luckily, he didn¡¯t hear me.¡± However, Yan HeQing, who should be still asleep, moved his fingers imperceptibly. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you woken up yet¡­..?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes fell on Yan HeQing and saw that the clothes he ced on top of him to cover his body had somehow slipped down, so he grabbed them and ced them on him again. He then touched his forehead to test his temperature. Xiao YuAn¡¯s palm cupped over Yan HeQing¡¯s forehead, and after waiting for a little bit, he made sure that Yan HeQing didn¡¯t have a fever after being in the rain for so long. When he was about to take his hand back, Yan HeQing suddenly grasped his wrist. As Xiao YuAn stiffened from the sudden shock, he saw that Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes slowly opened. His eyes looked confused and bewildered due to his half-blindness. Xiao YuAn panicked and swallowed a small red fruit right away. After he made sure his voice changed, he asked: ¡°Yo-you¡¯re awake? How do you feel? Do you feel pain anywhere¡­.?¡± His body hurt everywhere. Yan HeQing felt that his back must be bruised, showing an horrifying injury. He can¡¯t stand up and can only lie on his side: ¡°I¡¯m fine. Where are we?¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°It¡¯s a cave I found before while collecting medicinal herbs. It¡¯s a little bit higher than the ground so it¡¯s not filled with rain, perfect for settling down for awhile.¡± As he saw Yan HeQing nodding at his exnation, Xiao YuAn tried to pull his wrist out of Yan HeQing¡¯s grasp, but he felt Yan HeQing clenched all at once. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Yan HeQing said in a hoarse voice. ¡°I won¡¯t, I won¡¯t, I won¡¯t go away.¡± Xiao YuAn said repeatedly. Yan HeQing restrained his eyes and hmmmed, slowly pulling Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrist to his lips, then gently kissing it. It was like a fire burning from Yan HeQing¡¯s lips to Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrist, reaching to his cheeks, and finally spreading all over his body. Xiao YuAn suddenly pulled back his hand and remained silent for a long time. Yan HeQing faintly and inaudibly raised the corner of his mouth: ¡°Shy?¡± ¡®Who, who, who¡­. who the hell is being shy?¡¯ ¡®Huh? You, you, who the hell are you calling shy?!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m, I¡¯m, I¡¯m the kind of man that knows all the quotes from the Tyrannical Presidents by memory! What situation haven¡¯t I seen before? What cliche sentences haven¡¯t I said before?! Do you even know that all the Tyrannical Presidents who always sayfortable words at first, then say big dominating sentences right after?!¡¯ ¡®No, no. It¡¯s just a kiss on my wrist. Who, who, who is acting shy?!!!¡¯ ¡®Who are you talking about? Who are you talking about?!!!¡¯ Xiao YuAn replied sullenly: ¡°¡­. N-no.¡± Yan HeQing smiled even more: ¡°What are you stammering about?¡± ¡®Who, who, who stammered?¡¯ ¡®Alright, alright, fine! I¡¯m stammering, I¡¯m stammering and I¡¯m the one stammering! I just, just, stuttered that¡¯s all! So what?! Go ahead and beat me! Come and get me if you dare!¡¯ While seeing Xiao YuAn poking at the fire and no longer talking to him, Yan HeQing scrutinized his face illuminated by the firelight. Then, he said: ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°Ah? Are you cold?¡± Xiao YuAn stoked the fire a little bit more: ¡°Are you still feeling cold?¡± ¡°I¡¯m cold.¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a fever, because your temperature wasn¡¯t high when I touched your forehead just now, right?¡± Xiao YuAn was wondering as he leaned over his body to test Yan HeQing¡¯s temperature one more time. When suddenly, Yan HeQing wrapped his arms around Xiao YuAn¡¯s waist, pulling him into his embrace, and hugging him tightly against himself: ¡°I¡¯m not feeling cold anymore.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.. Al-alright, n-not cold. Th-that¡¯s good.¡± Following the Third Wife¡¯s script was his own choice, and the only thing Xiao YuAn could do now was cry in silence and y along. ¡ªThe author has something to say.¡ª Yan HeQing: You stutter when you¡¯re feeling shy. Xiao YuAn: I don¡¯t think so. Yan HeQing bowed his head and said to his spouse: You stutter when you¡¯re feeling shy. Xiao YuAn: N-no, I d-don¡¯t. Aahhh XYA was dreaming of YHQ ???? And XYA stuttering when he feels shy is so ADORABLE!! My heart can¡¯t take it (¡ä£»¦Ø£»`)??? Chapter 118: Finding Out That His Identity Was Exposed. Chapter 118: Finding Out That His Identity Was Exposed. Early the next morning, the rain wasn¡¯t as heavy as before, and the sky also began to clear; showing the sunshine behind the clouds. Xiao YuAn took a branch and poked the burning fire. At that moment, the fragrant aroma of two sweet potatoes stewed in the ashes filled the air. Fortunately, when he encountered this cave while picking up medicinal herbs, at that time he thought that this was a good ce to hide, so he put firewood and food inside in case of a rainy day. Otherwise, they would¡¯ve starved. The sweet potatoes in the ashes were steaming, so when Xiao YuAn picked one, he felt that it was way too hot, so he threw it back down. After waiting for the sweet potato to cool down, he removed the skin and gave it to Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing nodded his head in thanks. After receiving the food, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t rush to eat it. Instead, he asked Xiao YuAn: ¡°What are you nning to do after this?¡± ¡°What am I going to do¡­?¡± Xiao YuAn mumbled with his hands behind his back. He then looked up at the rock wall of the cave and said: ¡°The cabin must have copsed, and we don¡¯t have anywhere to go, so we should wait for the rain to stop and walk down the mountain while the weather is good. Moreover, my Shifu¡¯s medical skills are better than mine, and he will certainly be able to cure your eyes.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s hand holding the sweet potato trembled: ¡°You¡¯re willing to take me with you?¡± ¡°Ah¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn was stunned at first, and then he abruptly realized: In the original book, Yan HeQing never mentioned anything about the Southern Yan Kingdom, so Lin Shenling didn¡¯t know his true identity, which was why she brought him back to Taoyuan Vige. But this time, Yan HeQing had already mentioned to him that he was from the Southern Yan Kingdom, and that he¡¯ll have to go back to the barracks. So, in fact, did Yan HeQing still want to return to the Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s barracks? ¡°Do you want to go back to the Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s barracks that you mentioned before?¡± Xiao YuAn asked carefully. Yan HeQing bit the sweet potato. After swallowing, he dropped his eyes and asked: ¡°Do you hate me?¡± Xiao YuAn was instantly shocked by this, and didn¡¯t understand the meaning behind Yan HeQIng¡¯s words: ¡°Ah?¡± Yan HeQing spoke slowly, word by word: ¡°If you don¡¯t hate me, then, can you take me with you?¡± Xiao YuAn was confused. He was the ¡°Third Female Lead¡±, so why would ¡°he¡± hate Yan HeQing? Hate him for adding too many members to his harem? Hate that he has another wife and hadn¡¯t told ¡°him¡± yet? ¡®Why is this script so wrong? Can someone tell me how I should answer that?!¡¯ Yan HeQing swept two nces at the silent Xiao YuAn from the corner of his eyes. Then, he continued: ¡°If you can¡¯t stand to be near me anymore, and if you hate me, you should have pushed me away and not given me hope. Instead of an empty happiness, I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t care about me.¡± Xiao YuAn was slightly startled as he heard Yan HeQing continue talking: ¡°You have to make a decision about my feelings before I¡¯m willing to let you go. If I can see a little bit of hope, even if it¡¯s faint, I would-¡­.. wouldn¡¯t know what to do.¡± The unspoken words stupefied Xiao YuAn for a long while before he could reply: ¡°I¡­.¡± However, Yan HeQing interrupted him softly: ¡°I¡¯m not trying to make you answer me, I just wanted to let you know.¡± ¡®I just want to let you know that your innocence and carelessness is the happiness of half my lifetime.¡¯ Xiao YuAn was afraid of saying the wrong thing, so he didn¡¯t dare to speak again. He peeled the skin of the sweet potato, and then took two bites. He didn¡¯t know when the rain stopped outside, but the sunlight was shining through the thick clouds, casting a golden glow. Xiao YuAn finished thest bite of the sweet potato, ran out of the cave to bathe under the sunlight, stretched his backfortably, and walked back into the cave. Inside the dimly lit cave, Yan HeQing¡¯s head was hung low, and his face was obscured by a shadow, making it impossible to see his expression. Suddenly, a hand extended over and grasped Yan HeQing¡¯s hand. Xiao YuAn gave him a warm smile: ¡°Let¡¯s go out, don¡¯t be like this. The sun is shining outside, it¡¯ll be better if we walk down the mountain now while we still can. I¡¯ll hold your hand and make sure that you won¡¯t fall.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, in Taoyuan Vige, after a long rainstorm the day before, the weather has finally gotten better and Zhang Baizhu came back from collecting the medicinal herbs. So, Lin Shenling didn¡¯t need to go to the medicinal shop every day anymore to help with the shop and take care of Zhang Changsong. The normally bustling residence was extra quiet now since Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue took Xie Chungui to the Western Shu Kingdom for medical treatment. A few days ago, a letter came from them so Third Aunt didn¡¯t have to worry. Lin Shenling was sitting in the courtyard, panting, while washing clothes. Third Aunt looked at the main door of the residence and said: ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been several days since YuAn went up the mountain, why hasn¡¯t hee back yet?¡± Lin Shenling wiped the sweat from her forehead andforted her: ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t worry. Didn¡¯t Baizhu bring back newsst time that Xiao-gongzi was fine, and that he woulde backter?¡± ¡°Ah, but, wasn¡¯t it raining so heavily the day before yesterday? I¡¯m worried about him, it¡¯s not safe staying in the mountain like that.¡± Third Aunt sighed repeatedly. Lin Shenling said as she wrung out the clothes that had been washed: ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t worry, beware of your health, worrying all day won¡¯t make you good. Maybe Xiao-gongzi will be back sooner than we expect.¡± Third Aunt said a few more words before heading to the inner room. Lin Shenling washed her clothes, carried and dumped them a few times, and then hung them in the courtyard. While carrying the basin to pour the water outside the residence, and dumping the water, Lin Shenling took the basin and eased her breath. Just when she was about to turn around and walk back to the residence, she suddenly stopped. Because she saw two people slowlying from afar. And one of them was Xiao YuAn! Lin Shenling raised her hand high and was about to shout Xiao YuAn¡¯s name, but suddenly, she saw him make a gesture of silence. She panicked so much that she covered her mouth. After seeing that Lin Shenling didn¡¯t shout out his name, Xiao YuAn rxed his breath, and half lead, half helped Yan HeQing into his residence. About half an hour ago, Xiao YuAn had recovered his original voice, and when he thought that after he arrived at the residence he wouldn¡¯t have to pretend to be Lin Shenling, he didn¡¯t eat another small red fruit. Fortunately, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t speak to him the whole time, which helped him avoid being exposed. When Xiao YuAn saw Lin Shenling getting closed to them, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly with some mixed feelings: ¡®It seems that I will have to stay at the clinic for the next few days.¡¯ Moreover, this vige is small, so he has to avoid identally meeting with Yan HeQing. Unable to understand why she couldn¡¯t speak, Lin Shenling blinked puzzlingly at Xiao YuAn. When she saw Xiao YuAn making another gesture, she put down the wash basin and carefully walked towards them. Xiao YuAn took Lin Shenling¡¯s hand and slowly handed it to Yan HeQing. He thought that after he gave some instructions to Lin Shenling, he would¡¯ve served his purpose! Just when Xiao YuAn saw that the Male Lead and the Third Female Lead were about to hold hands sessfully, Yan HeQing suddenly and violently threw away his hand, making Xiao YuAn look uppletely frightened. It was like a thunderbolt shocked him directly, making him freeze in ce. Ahhh, here we go again¡­ With the misunderstandings Sigh¡­ Chapter 119: Finding Out That It Was A Mistake To Call Him Husband. Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes were bright and captivating, looking straight at Xiao YuAn. His eyes were as dark as pure ink, clearly reflecting Xiao YuAn¡¯s figure on them. ¡®He wasn¡¯t half-blinded!¡¯ ¡®What the hell!!!! How can your eyes heal all of a sudden?! Could you at least give me a warning first?!¡¯ Xiao YuAn suddenly took a half step back. He felt an abrupt urge to turn around and run away. Unexpectedly, Yan HeQing moved faster than him, took a step forward, and grabbed his wrist with force. ¡®What will you do?! What are you trying to do?! Lin Shenling is still here! Don¡¯t expose your ckened temperament! Behave yourself!¡¯ Xiao YuAn knew that Yan HeQing wanted to castrate him!!! But he couldn¡¯t do it here, right?! Xiao YuAn¡¯s breath almost stopped, but he didn¡¯t forget Lin Shenling. After his wrist was held by Yan HeQing, he immediately turned around to Lin Shenling and made a mouthing motion: ¡®Call-him-husband!¡¯ ¡®Lin Shenling, shout! Yan HeQing, in the original book, was a harem maniac. If you call him ¡°husband¡±, his anger will surely be half gone! I can then slip away from him once he gets distracted!!¡¯ ¡°Wh-¡­. what?¡± Lin Shenling didn¡¯t understand at all. Xiao YuAn made several mouth gestures, asking her to shout at her husband. Lin Shenling suddenly reacted, with a trace of confusion and hesitation appearing under her eyes; but after she remembered that Xiao YuAn had saved her before, she twisted her hands together, gathered some courage, and took a deep breath. Then, she shouted towards Xiao YuAn: ¡°Husband!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn saw Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes, which were wide open in surprise, and his face, which was gradually turning cold after the first initial shock. Xiao YuAn felt that right now, the possibility of getting castrated in public had increased. What¡¯s the most untouchable thing in a harem novel?! The Male Lead¡¯s life? Wrong! The Male Lead¡¯s golden finger? Wrong! The Male Lead¡¯s family and friends? Wrong! It¡¯s the Male Lead¡¯s harem! His wives! Any woman that the Male Lead has his eye on! It doesn¡¯t matter whether you want to chase after them, abuse, or do something else. The only thing you can do is to wash your neck, sit, and wait for death toe!! Xiao YuAn took a half step back violently when Lin Shenling called him ¡°husband¡± and stepped on a small stone, twisting his foot. Yan HeQing quickly supported Xiao YuAn so that he wouldn¡¯t fall, while at the same time, Lin Shenling gave a light cry and stepped forward to hold Xiao YuAn on the other side: ¡°Xiao¡­. husband, what happened to you?¡± Unexpectedly, Lin Shenling called him ¡°husband¡± again. Xiao YuAn almost didn¡¯t know how to breathe anymore. Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing already had a long history of old grudges from the past, but now, there was another one: Pretending to be a woman to deceive him. And not only did he deceive Yan HeQing, but he also made Yan HeQing have feelings for ¡°him¡±. That¡¯ll obviously look like he made fun of him! In the original book, what Yan HeQing hates the most, is when people made fun of him! In this situation, Xiao YuAn was afraid that he would be tortured alive a hundred times worse to relieve Yan HeQing¡¯s anger. Xiao YuAn thought that Yan HeQing would be furious, but he didn¡¯t expect Yan HeQing¡¯s actual reaction. Yan HeQing looked like he was struck by lightning, and didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. His hand holding Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrist was even trembling faintly, and his voice was extremely hoarse as he said: ¡°You¡­. you married her?¡± That question was asked with great caution, as if the answer could push him into an abyss and be doomed by eternity, surrounded by gloominess. ¡°I¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t even know how to answer. The main focus of Yan HeQing¡¯s question was definitely on her, but why did Yan HeQing ask that, instead of immediately attacking him? By this time, Yan HeQing was no longer the prisoner who had to endure humiliation and be trampled on in the Imperial Pce of the Northern Kingdom. He doesn¡¯t need to hide his true abilities, he¡¯s even able to kill and torture anyone who dared to hurt him. But the current Yan HeQing made Xiao YuAn very confused. He didn¡¯t know if it was because he was still in pain from his injuries, with his face as pale as paper, and his eyes were shining. He looked more fragile than a Luan1 made out of paper, unable to withstand the wind and rain. ¡®Was it because Yan HeQing had deep feelings for Lin Shenling? And now that he realized that she¡¯s married, he can¡¯t bear to hurt her family, so that¡¯s why he looks like this? Is he going to leave her?¡¯ Xiao YuAn¡¯s silence for such a long time seemed like a tacit agreement to Yan HeQing. After all, even if Xiao YuAn lied, would this woman ignore her own innocence, and blindly call him her husband? Today was such a pleasant day surrounded by sunlight, but it was so quiet between the three of them that even the sound of a needle hitting the ground could be heard. After a long time, Yan HeQing released Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrist. He closed his eyes and withdrew his hand. His throat felt painful, hoarse, dry and astringent; and when he opened his mouth, he seemed like he had a big speech to say, but in the end, he only said one word: ¡°Alright¡­..¡± And after what felt an eternity, Yan HeQing murmured again. The word was faintly inaudible, but it was the same word: ¡°Alright¡­.¡± After saying that, Yan HeQing turned around and walked away. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t ask him to stay, and was at a loss at what to say. He stayed frozen in ce, watching Yan HeQing leaving. Don¡¯t worry! This misunderstanding doesn¡¯tst long~ (And yet, my heart hurts seeing YHQ so heartbroken ????????) (¡ä£»§Õ£») Footnotes
  1. ð½ lu¨¢n; Mythical bird rted to the Phoenix.
Chapter 120: Finding About The Pregnancy Smooth Pulse. Chapter 120: Finding About The Pregnancy Smooth Pulse. Yan HeQing walked towards the vige exit step by step, like a living corpse; his eyes were nk, and his limbs were stiff. He wasn¡¯t thinking about anything. Better to say, he didn¡¯t dare to think of anything. His body felt extremely cold, and his wounds began to hurt faintly. The ce that hurt the most was his back. It was where he¡¯d gotten hurt, when he tried to block the falling tree trunk that was close to hitting Xiao YuAn. He must have bruised his internal organs at that time, otherwise, why would he be feeling pain all over his body? And while he was immersing himself in depresion, Yan HeQing couldn¡¯t take another step because he felt a dull pain spread from his chest to his limbs. He held the wall beside him with one hand, and grasped his chest with the other. The pain spread up and down his whole body, until finally, it jumped right to his throat. Yan HeQing then gurgled out a mouthful of blood. The scarlet liquid slipped from the corners of his mouth in droplets, staining his clothes, and hitting the ground. Yan HeQing tried to calm himself and slowly wiped the corners of his mouth, when suddenly, he felt another dull paining from his chest. Just before he could swallow the blood, it was spat out again, followed by his eyes losing focus, and his ears were ringing, making him feel dizzy. There were unknown passersby yelling around him, but Yan HeQing couldn¡¯t hear anything clearly, so he just fell straight to the ground. However, his body didn¡¯t knock on the cold ground, instead, he fell into a warm embrace. Just like that day at the Pce of the Northern Kingdom, where the wind was howling and he was dressed in thin clothes, kneeling in the cold courtyard for almost the whole night. When he finally couldn¡¯t hold up anymore, he copsed into a warm, recognizable embrace. From then on, time passed by; his brows frowned in anger and his heart felt disturbed. He knew he was suffering from a heartache, but there was no way this could be cured. Inside a wing room of Xiao YuAn¡¯s residence, Zhang Changsong sat on the edge of the bed, stroking his white beard and checking the pulse of the person lying on the bed with a thoughtful appearance. On the bed, Yan HeQing was covered with a thin nket. His lips were pale, his face was bloodless, and his eyes were closed; looking as if he had been unconscious for a long time. Xiao YuAn stood aside, not daring to breathe. ¡°Well¡­.¡± Zhang Changsong murmured, but then fell silent again. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°Shifu, what are you doing?! It¡¯s not like he¡¯s pregnant, so what is taking you so long when checking his pulse?¡± Zhang Changsong red at him: ¡°Watch your words¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn shouted: ¡°What?? Smooth pulse1?? Is he really pregnant?!¡± Zhang Changsong choked and almost spat out some blood, then he fiercely raged at him: ¡°I¡¯m telling you to not talk so much! Who the hell told you that a smooth pulse means that someone¡¯s pregnant? Look at you, so full of life. If I check your pulse, of course it will be a smooth pulse!¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Smooth, smooth, smooth. Shifu is right about everything, and I believe in Shifu when he says that I must be pregnant.¡± Zhang Changsong didn¡¯t even bother to mind Xiao YuAn¡¯s antics. He just touched his beard, withdrew his hand from Yan HeQing¡¯s pulse, and after a sigh, he said: ¡°This man¡¯s memories are stored in his heart, where his spirit has a ce to return to. His vital energy stays, but it doesn¡¯t work right, causing him to Qi deviate.¡± Xiao YuAn made an ¡®eerrr¡¯ sound, blinked his eyes, and then said: ¡°¡­.. So, is he still pregnant?!¡± Zhang Changsong was so angry that he hit Xiao YuAn with his medical book: ¡°Get out of here and copy this ten times!¡± Xiao YuAn caught the medical book and replied: ¡°I¡¯ll copy, I¡¯ll copy, I¡¯ll copy. So, Shifu, what happened to him?¡± Zhang Changsong looked at him from the side of his eye: ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll die. The wounds on his body have almost healed, so hisa wasn¡¯t caused by internal injuries. Just now, when I took his pulse, there was a faint tendency to sink, so he must have been depressed for a long time now. I couldn¡¯t miss it. Therefore, his spleen and lungs were already suffering from some hidden illnesses, and since he also injured his lungs from a collision, that¡¯s what caused him to vomit blood. I¡¯ll write you a prescription, so go to my ce and bring the medicine.¡± ¡®How long has he been depressed? In the original book, Yan HeQing was understandably depressed due to Princess Yongning¡¯s death. However, what could Yan HeQing be depressed about? Increasing his harem should make him happy, right?¡¯ ¡°Yes, thank you Shifu.¡± Xiao YuAn sent Zhang Changsong back to the medical shop, and grabbed the medicine ording to the prescription Zhang Changsong had given to him. He wanted to go to the back hall and say hello to Zhang Baizhu, but who he saw wasn¡¯t Zhang Baizhu, instead it was Lin Shenling decocting the medicine. Lin Shenling was waving the big palm-leaf fan in her hand, opening the porcin lid of the pot from time to time to check on the boiling medicine. She coughed because of the burning charcoal, but she was incredibly patient. When she heard the sound of footsteps, Lin Shenling turned her head only to see it was Xiao YuAn who walked in, and said: ¡°Xiao-gongzi? Are you looking for Baizhu? He went up the mountain to collect medicinal herbs, he¡¯s not here right now!¡± Xiao YuAn was slightly startled with the way Lin Shenling addressed Zhang Baizhu, and asked: ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t Mrs. Zhang from East street caught a cold yesterday? There¡¯s no one in her family who can take care of her, so Baizhu asked me to decoct cold medicine for her!¡± Lin Shenling replied. Xiao YuAn began to feel that something wasn¡¯t right, but he couldn¡¯t guess it, so he had to ask: ¡°It¡¯s almost time for dinner, are you going back home?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going back. I¡¯ve already told Third Aunt that I¡¯ll take care of Zhang-daifu, since his waist hasn¡¯t healed yet, I¡¯ll cook dinner for him! I¡¯lle back after dinner.¡± Lin Shenling replied. Xiao YuAn nodded, but his heart felt hesitant. Why does it feel like there was a sense of mutual recognition between the three members of this mysterious and harmonious family? Xiao YuAn was still thinking over this matter when he heard Lin Shenling calling him in a low voice: ¡°Xiao-gongzi, before when I called you husband¡­. I¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn repeatedly waved hand: ¡°That¡¯s because you misunderstood what I meant! It was a misunderstanding, a great misunderstanding!¡± Lin Shenling replied with a soft tone of voice: ¡°I was the one who was foolish.¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Just¡­. let¡¯s just forget about it, alright? And remember to note back home toote.¡± After they said their goodbyes, Xiao YuAn returned to his residence with the medicine. When he arrived, he saw that Third Aunt was waving a letter in her hand as she said: ¡°YuAn, YuAn! Look, it¡¯s a letter from LiuAn.¡± Xiao YuAn took the letter and read it carefully, then Third Aunt asked: ¡°How is Chungui¡¯s illness?¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°The letter says that Chungui¡¯s illness needs some time to get cured, so he won¡¯t be able to return for a while. Fengyue entrusted him under the care of that divine physician.¡± Third Aunt asked again: ¡°Then what about LiuAn and Fengyue?¡± Xiao YuAn said with a yful smile: ¡°They went on their honeymoon.¡± Third Aunt was confused: ¡°On a honeymoon? What honeymoon?¡± Xiao YuAn grinned: ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s nothing. In short, they¡¯re all very good. Ah, by the way, Third Aunt, did the man in the wing room wake up?¡± Third Aunt shook her head: ¡°He hasn¡¯t woken up yet.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s face wasn¡¯t smiling anymore. Instead, he looked very worried. Third Aunt looked at the sudden change on his face, and said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry,e on, let¡¯s go eat dinner. Are you hungry? The table is all set!¡± When Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t answer, and instead, looked back at the direction of the wing room, Third Aunt grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the dining room. Ahhh poor YHQ (¡ä£»§Õ£»)? And XYA joking around to not show that he¡¯s worried for YHQ¡¯s life (or perhaps he doesn¡¯t want to think and tries to calm himself?) Chapter 121: It Must Be That You Heard Wrong. Inside the wing room, Yan HeQing slowly woke up from hisa. When his consciousness was fully recovered, he turned his head and looked around. This wing room had simple furnishing, but it was full of vitality. Yan HeQing frowned and pressed his chest, slowly bracing himself to sit up, finding out that all of his wounds were bandanged with medicine, and even the bruises on his back were stered; however, the pain was still excruciating. Thest thing he remembered was falling into the arms of someone, before falling unconscious. And even though he still couldn¡¯t believe it, the person who prevented him from falling on the ground was indeed Xiao YuAn. At that moment, the door creaked and Third Aunt walked in carrying medicine. When she saw Yan HeQing sitting up, she shouted: ¡°Oh my, Gongzi you¡¯ve finally woken up. Quick, drink this bowl of medicine.¡± Right after she said that, Third Aunt handed the medicinal soup to Yan HeQing. After receiving the medicinal soup, and thanking her, Yan HeQing asked: ¡°You are¡­.?¡± ¡°Ah, you can call me Third Aunt. I¡¯m sort of the old maidservant here.¡± Third Aunt said. Suddenly, as if thinking of something, Yan HeQing looked at her and asked: ¡°May I ask, is¡­. is the Master of this residence married?¡± He said with a faint hope, like a little spark shining among the ashes, extremely unwilling to disappear. Third Aunt thought that he was asking about Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue, so she replied: ¡°Why are you asking about this after just waking up, Gongzi? Even though they haven¡¯t officially married, they¡¯re indeed a couple, and they¡¯re very much in love!¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyespletely darkened, looking like a dead man, like a lifeless piece of wood. After what it felt like a long time, he hmmmed in response. ¡°Gongzi, quickly drink the medicine.¡± Third Aunt urged him. Yan HeQing numbly hmmmed again, drank the medicine and then returned the bowl. After that, Third Aunt told him something, but Yan HeQing didn¡¯t hear her; nor did he realize at what point she walked out of the wing room. Yan HeQing waited until the night was quiet, and slowly propped himself up, silently walking towards the door. He had to go, he must leave this ce. Yan HeQing knew that he couldn¡¯t stay, since he was afraid. Afraid of Xiao YuAn smiling at him one more time. Because he would rather hurt Xiao YuAn than forcibly tie him to his side. The night breeze was cool, gently blowing Yan HeQing¡¯s ck silk-like hair. The courtyard of the residence was silent, and the moonlight falling from the sky illuminated everything on the ground. Yan HeQing took two steps, when suddenly, he heard someone talking. ¡­ Just a moment ago, Xiao YuAn was tossing and turning on the bed, unable to fall asleep. Xiao YuAn hasn¡¯t yet been cured of this disease, which made him unable to sleep without the sound of breathing around him. Usually, he would sleep in the same room with Xie Chungui, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about this problem affecting his sleep. And now that Xie Chungui had traveled to the Western Shu Kingdom to cure his illness, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t sleep alone. At the same time, he happened to have Yan HeQing¡¯s feelings on his mind, so now he wasn¡¯t even able to take a rest. His mind was full of thoughts about what to do in the near future. After thinking about it for a long time, by the time the moon rose above the willows, Xiao YuAn rolled over, sat up, and dressed himself; deciding to go out for a walk. At night, the sound of the crickets was rxing. Xiao YuAn sat down close to a rock beside the millstone, pulled a piece of grass to put into his mouth, and leaned back with his arms crossed behind his head, acting as a pillow. However, as soon as he leaned back, he heard a voiceing from outside the courtyard. That voice sounded extremely familiar, and he knew at once that the one talking was Zhang Baizhu. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t Zhang Baizhu be asleep by now? What is he doing here, in the middle of the night?¡¯ After Xiao Yuan thought inside his mind, he got up and walked towards where he thought the voice wasing from. ¡°Really? Do you really want to marry me? I¡¯ll ask the matchmaker from the west side of the vige toe propose marriage1 tomorrow!!!¡± Zhang Baizhu¡¯s voice couldn¡¯t hide his excitement. Xiao YuAn was in a daze. His mind was wondering what was all this about, when suddenly, he heard another person¡¯s voice. It was Lin Shenling¡¯s voice! Lin Shenling said in a low voice: ¡°Baizhu, wouldn¡¯t it be better to hold off on the marriage proposal?¡± Zhang Baizhu didn¡¯t understand: ¡°Why?¡± Lin Shenling said: ¡°I¡¯m now regarded as a maidservant in this house. Moreover, I have a humble status, how could I afford a marriage proposal?¡± Zhang Baizhu said angrily: ¡°Why are you degrading yourself again?!¡± Lin Shenling said softly: ¡°How can this be degrading myself? It¡¯s the truth. If Xiao-gongzi hadn¡¯t bought me, I¡¯d be in a brothel by now. I¡¯m very fortunate to be called a maidservant at all.¡± Zhang Baizhu replied: ¡°Xiao YuAn definitely doesn¡¯t see you as a maidservant!¡± Lin Shenling¡¯s smile didn¡¯t decrease: ¡°Xiao-gongzi doesn¡¯t think of me like that, but I have to put my gratitude in mind. I owe him my life, shouldn¡¯t I repay him by being a loyal servant?¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t bear hearing any more and yelled: ¡°Don¡¯t involve me anymore! Here¡¯s 9 yuan for each of you, so go get your marriage certificate2 as soon as possible!¡± Ohohoho so Third Aunt actually knows that YLA and XFY are a couple ??!! But noooo YHQ is hurt thinking that XYA is rlly ¡°in love¡± with LSL¡­???? But wait¡­ did he heard ZBZ and LSL discussing THEIR wedding? ?? Hohohoho, wait till Wednesday to find out! (*£Þ??)§ì Footnotes
  1. ÌáÇ× t¨ª q¨©n; The marriage proposal begins with a discussion of the possibility of a match, which was initiated by the matchmaker. Traditionally, the discussions of a marriage began with a proposal by the matchmaker from the bridegroom¡¯s side, which was carried out by giving a dowry through the matchmaker to the bride¡¯s family. After the bride¡¯s family epted the dowry, the matchmaker would report the good news to the bridegroom¡¯s family.
  2. Before 2015 if a couple wanted to get married they had to pay a fee of 9 yuan to get the marriage certificate, nowadays, the marriage certificate is free, and the ¡®9 yuan¡¯ joke was created. Couples would joke like ¡°I¡¯ll pay the 9 yuan, so let¡¯s get married!¡±.
Chapter 122: It Must Be That You Did Bi-dong The Wrong Way. Both Zhang Baizhu and Lin Shenling didn¡¯t expect that there would be someone listening, so they were both extremely shocked. Xiao YuAn took a few steps over and rubbed his temples with one hand, looking like he wanted to know what the hell was going on: ¡°So, what¡¯s the matter with you two?¡± Zhang Baizhu wasn¡¯t polite: ¡°Ling¡¯er and I are in love. You must tell me if you agree or not.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®What the fuck?!¡¯ ¡®Love each other?¡¯ ¡®Repeat that again?!¡¯ ¡®Do these words really mean what I think they mean?!¡¯ Xiao YuAn took a deep breath and asked Lin Shenling: ¡°Is this the case?¡± Lin Shenling didn¡¯t dare to look at Xiao YuAn and lowered her head, nodding for a while with flushed cheeks. ¡®What about Yan HeQing?!¡¯ ¡®Is this some kind of pattern where all the wives run away?¡¯ Xiao YuAn was frozen in ce, unable to return to reality for a long time. Zhang Baizhu thought that Xiao YuAn was hesitating, so he walked forward to pinch him: ¡°If you dare to shake your head Xiao YuAn, I¡¯ll strangle you on the spot.¡± ¡®You¡¯ll strangle me to death?! If Yan HeQing finds out about this, shall I run away with you? And If you run away, where will you go? To the South, or North? Should we travel on the water or on the ground? And if we travel by ground, should we use a carriage or walk? What the hell is this plot? What¡¯s going on?!¡¯ ¡®Ah, forget it. This stupid plot is so broken that even the First and Second Female Leads are married to each other. What can¡¯t happen at this point?¡¯ ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep at night, why do you have toe over at night?¡± Xiao YuAn removed Zhang Baizhu¡¯s hand from his body and then said: ¡°Bring the dowry tomorrow morning. Without it, the bride¡¯s family won¡¯t let her marry you.¡± Zhang Baizhu and Lin Shenling were stunned. Zhang Baizhu even stuttered: ¡°You, you, you¡­..¡± ¡°You, you, what?¡± Xiao YuAn pressed his shoulder and then turned back, pushing him away: ¡°Go back home and sleep well, alright?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Zhang Baizhu was extremely happy as he said to Lin Shenling: ¡°Ling¡¯er, wait for me! I¡¯ll be here in the morning! I wille!¡± After he said that, Zhang Baizhu danced and ran to the medicinal shop. Fortunately, there was no one on the streette at night, otherwise, everyone would probably think that some madman had escaped. Lin Shenling was still in a bit of a trance as she muttered to herself: ¡°The bride¡¯s family¡­. bride¡¯s family.¡± Lin Shenling knew that ever since her mother¡¯s death, she didn¡¯t have a home. All she wanted in life, was to be a woman who could help her husband and educate her children. She didn¡¯t want any glory or wealth, nor beautiful clothes or precious jewellery. She was happy enough with a three-course meal. But the moment her stepfather dragged her into a brothel, Lin Shenling knew that those dreams were impossible. First, she lost her home, and then she didn¡¯t have any money to even dream about it. Who would¡¯ve known thatter, once she was saved, everything would change. Now, there were people who were willing to say that they were her family. Lin Shenling¡¯s eyes reddened, and suddenly knelt down to Xiao YuAn: ¡°Xiao-gongzi, I¡­¡± Xiao YuAn quickly helped her up: ¡°Don¡¯t do this. If Zhang Baizhu saw it, he would chop me to death.¡± Lin Shenling choked with tears: ¡°I don¡¯t know how to thank you¡­¡± Xiao YuAnughed out loud: ¡°There¡¯s nothing you should thank me for. Life is short, so enjoy while you still can! Build a harmonious society, a harmonious society. Let¡¯s go to bed, aren¡¯t you sleepy? You¡¯ll go bald if you stay up all night.¡± Under the urging of Xiao YuAn, Lin Shenling had turned around and walked towards her wing room. After a few steps, she found that Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t follow her, so she asked puzzledly: ¡°Xiao-gongzi? Aren¡¯t you going back to sleep?¡± ¡°Huh? Me? I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll watch the moon, so you can go back first.¡± Xiao Yuan waved his hand. Lin Shenling responded with a hmm, and then she walked into the courtyard. The night was overcast and dark shadows covered every corner. It was so quiet all around that even the faintest sound of the breathing of a wild cat, hidden somewhere, could be heard. The cool night breeze blew over Xiao YuAn, who was standing with his arms crossed, against the main door of the residence. He looked up at the moon. This night was thest quarter of the moon, and the crescent moon was so deficient that only a hook shape was left. Xiao YuAn was full of thoughts, and couldn¡¯t help but sigh with worry. After sighing, he heard the sound of footstepsing from behind. Xiao YuAn thought that Lin Shenling still had something to say to him, so he turned around with confusion: ¡°Hmm? How¡­¡± Before he could finish what he wanted to say, Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice abruptly stopped. That man didn¡¯t stop, even if Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes showed that he was frightened. On the contrary, he quickened his pace, and when Xiao YuAn took a step back, he reached out and firmly grabbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrist. Before Xiao YuAn could react, he was pulled into the courtyard, and then his back hit the wall. Xiao YuAn¡¯s entire body was pressed tightly against the wall. For a moment, he felt like the sky was spinning, and his blood rushed to his head. Before his eyes could see clearly who was in front of him, the man¡¯s voice came to his ears first. The warm breath exhaled next to Xiao YuAn¡¯s ears made him tremble a little bit. However, Yan HeQing¡¯s voice seemed to be more yful rather than being angry, as he said: ¡°You and that woman didn¡¯t get married. Did you¡­ lie to me?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®Did youe here with a knife to enjoy cutting me into pieces?¡¯ Ooohhhohoho what will you do now XYA? The ML has cornered you. YHQ!! Don¡¯t let him run away! Make him speak! And! You! Two! Must! Have! A! Proper! Conversation! (??????)?? Chapter 123: It Must Be That You’ve Explained It The Wrong Way. Although he was pushed against the wall by Yan HeQing, it didn¡¯t hurt at all; because when Xiao YuAn¡¯s back hit the wall, Yan HeQing also reached out to protect him. However, their current position made it difficult for Xiao YuAn to breath right. Yan HeQing grabbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrists with both hands and pressed them against the wall. Leaning very close to him, blocking every possible way where Xiao YuAn could try to escape, and forcing one leg between Xiao YuAn¡¯s legs. It was clear that Yan HeQing, as a wounded man, was the weakest between the two of them. However, this current situation gave Xiao YuAn the impression that he was at the mercy of Yan HeQing. When he saw that Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t answer him after some time passed, Yan HeQing seemed to be anxious; as he released one hand and pinched Xiao YuAn¡¯s chin with his thumb and forefinger, forcing him to look straight into his eyes: ¡°You didn¡¯t get married, did you?¡± ¡°I¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn looked into those clear and desperate eyes, then sighed: ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t get married.¡± After he heard this answer, Yan HeQing¡¯s chest began to rise and fall violently. The silver moonlight fell into his deep eyes; his eyebrows and eyes were clearly showing the ecstasy he was currently feeling. Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart thudded, after seeing that Yan HeQing had withdrawn the hand that was pinching his chin. Xiao YuAn quickly grasped Yan HeQing¡¯s wrist and pulled it close to him: ¡°Yan HeQin! It¡¯s true that Lin Shenling and I aren¡¯t husband and wife, and you also must have heard that even though Lin Shenling has nothing to do with me, she already has a sweetheart. So you can¡¯t¡­ you can¡¯t break that happy couple!¡± Yan HeQing seemed to be in a good mood, and at first, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t tell whether his smile was due to anger or for some other reason. Yan HeQing took advantage of Xiao YuAn pulling his wrist close to him and pressed Xiao YuAn back against the wall. His right leg separated Xiao YuAn¡¯s legs even further than before, resulting in Xiao YuAn unable to stand firm: ¡°Why would I want to separate that couple?¡± Xiao YuAn stuttered and said: ¡°Wh-when you were on the mountain, you told her¡­.¡± Yan HeQing suddenly leaned over Xiao YuAn¡¯s ear and interrupted his words without hesitation. His voice was calm and shallow, but his breath was scorching hot: ¡°Weren¡¯t you pretending to be that Guniang? Am I right? Guniang.¡± When Yan HeQing said thest ¡®Guniang¡¯, the word was said so slowly and gently that it almost provoqued Xiao YuAn to have a heart attack. ¡®Yan HeQing knows?! He actually knew that I lied to him?! When did he find out? Just now, he even said Guniang so yfully too! Before, Yan HeQing just wanted to castrate me, but now I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯s thinking of ten other great torture methods to inflict on me at once!¡¯ However, right now he was in Taoyuan Vige, and Yan HeQing was still wounded. Without any close ally by his side, Xiao YuAn felt like it was more likely that he could torment Yan HeQing instead. Xiao YuAn took a deep breath: ¡°So you already know, that¡¯s good. Let¡¯s settle the old and new grudges. Yan HeQing, I know you hate me, and I¡¯m not afraid anymore, but-¡­¡± Yan HeQing interrupted him again, sounding surprised: ¡°When did I ever say that I hated you?¡± Xiao YuAn thought to himself: ¡®You¡¯re still ying word games to ridicule me, even at this time. Of course you never said such things, but wasn¡¯t your attitude clearly showing just that? I willingly saved you by acting as the bad guy several times, and now you¡¯re mocking me for doing it again. Even though you¡¯re the Male Lead, you¡¯re also an asshole. However, this cannon fodder also has a temper!¡¯ Xiao YuAn pped Yan HeQing¡¯s shoulder and pushed him away. He looked straight into Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes without any fear, and his mouth curled up in a sneer: ¡°Yan HeQing, don¡¯t speak bullshit. This isn¡¯t the Imperial Pce of the Northern Kingdom, nor is it the territory of your Southern Yan Kingdom. If you really want to speak, then I will not necessarily lose. You can hate me for once being the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, you can hate me for pretending to be a woman on the mountain to deceive you, but I-¡­.¡± Before he could finish his speech, Yan HeQing suddenly spoke. At the same time, thest quarter moon slowly disappeared into the thick fog and thin clouds, dimming the surroundings. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t see Yan HeQing¡¯s facial expression for a moment, but his voice came out very clearly: ¡°Xiao YuAn, I have never regarded you as the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, and I have never hated you.¡± Xiao YuAn waspletely stunned, frozen in ce. They both stood in the dark courtyard staring at each other. At first, Xiao YuAn shook his head strangely, as if he was thinking whether he had just heard him wrong. But when he looked up at Yan HeQing again, he stared at his pair of ink-like eyes for a long time, trying to see any false intent, sarcasm, false feelings¡­ but he couldn¡¯t see any of that. ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t hate me?¡± Xiao YuAn hesitated to ask him that. As if right the next second, he would hear Yan HeQing¡¯s cold voice saying; ¡®You actually believed it. You¡¯re so stupid¡¯, or something of the sort. ¡°Xiao YuAn.¡± Yan HeQing finally got a little bit carried away, almost gritting his teeth trying to refrain himself: ¡°What made you think that I hated you? How could I hate you?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t hate me, then why did you order someone to castrate me?!¡± Xiao YuAn shouted out incredulously. Yan HeQing¡¯s face suddenly revealed a shocked expression. As he opened his mouth slightly, the astonishment in his eyes were unabashedly revealed in his voice: ¡°You¡­ what did you say?¡± ¡®Yan HeQing didn¡¯t know? So, it wasn¡¯t Yan HeQing¡¯s order?! But who else besides Yan HeQing, would have a reason to humiliate me like that?¡¯ Xiao YuAn remembered the events of that day in detail, andbined it with the original plot. Suddenly, the face of a man shed inside his mind. ¡®Xue Yan?¡¯ ¡®Could¡¯ve it been Xue Yan?¡¯ ¡®But why would Xue Yan go to such lengths just to separate me from Yan HeQing? Was it even that necessary?¡¯ While Xiao YuAn was still feeling very puzzled, Yan HeQing suddenly stepped forward and held his shoulders with both hands, asking him with urgency: ¡°Who tried to castrate you? What the hell happened?¡± Ashsksjdks can¡¯t believe they¡¯re actually talking (¡É¡ä?`¡É)*©b And XYA finally figuring out that it was XY the one behind his (almost) castration!!! ?????? Chapter 124: It Must Be That You Understood The Wrong Way. Xiao YuAn was pressured by Yan HeQing to exin to him what happened, so he briefly told him about the events that urred that day. As Xiao YuAn spoke, Yan HeQing¡¯s face gradually turned pale. His eyes became red, and the hand that was holding Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoulder loosened and dropped to his side, clenching tightly into a fist. His usual expression of indifference had already been broken. Under the moonlight, his body was covered by faint fury, and the clear eyes on his handsome face looked extremely dark and deep, looking just like a ghost. Yan HeQing¡¯s body had internal injuries. This time, when anger attacked his heart, his Qi and blood began to rise, and his chest cavity started to ache. He covered his mouth with one hand and coughed several times, until blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, but he simply reached out to wipe it away expressionless. Immediately afterwards, he saw Xiao YuAn take a step forward, grab his wrist and pull it away; only to see him coughing blood. His eyes suddenly narrowed: ¡°You, you, why are you coughing up blood again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t care about his physical condition. Instead, he was eager to exin to Xiao YuAn: ¡°Xiao YuAn¡­¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Xiao YuAn interrupted Yan HeQing, and then dragged him into his own wing room. Xiao YuAn pushed Yan HeQing onto a chair, lit a candle and ced it on the table. He then sat down opposite Yan HeQing with great momentum: ¡°Go ahead.¡± Yan HeQing said: ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one that tried to harm you.¡± Xiao YuAn thought about it and replied: ¡°I believe you.¡± Yan HeQing has never been the type of person that first says one thing and then says the opposite. If he hates someone, he will only think of how to cut them into pieces, so he doesn¡¯t have the need to use deceitful justifications. It was meaningless. Yan HeQing added: ¡°I¡¯ve never hated you.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded: ¡°The whole world is celebrating.¡± Yan HeQing continued: ¡°I¡¯ve never wanted to hurt you either.¡± Xiao YuAn touched his hand and said: ¡°I¡¯m moved to tears.¡± The night breeze blows and the candle light flickers. After a brief silence, Xiao YuAn concluded: ¡°It¡¯s great that we couldmunicate!¡± Yan HeQing, however, didn¡¯t feel rxed in the slightest. He stared at Xiao YuAn, as if he would disappear if he closed his eyes: ¡°Xiao YuAn, you¡­. you don¡¯t hate me?¡± Xiao YuAn put one hand on his forehead, and as he gazed at the candlelight, he began to think. He had never hated Yan HeQing, he only hated Heaven¡¯s unwillingness to change his fate. If Hong Xiu hadn¡¯t died, then Yang LiuAn would. If Li Wuding hadn¡¯t died, Xie Chungui would. If the soldiers who burned down the granary hadn¡¯t died, then more Northern soldiers and civilians would have fallen under the war. Xiao YuAn hated himself, for his ipetence, and his inability to defy fate; for not being able to change anything, even though he knew everything that would happen. For saying that he would be the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, but in the end, he ended up being an outsider by Heaven¡¯s will. Yan HeQing seemed expressionless, but his fingers were slightly curled. In the meantime, Xiao YuAn moved his fingertips while his brows were frowning, then, he sighed and clenched his hands. After that, he saw Xiao YuAn raise his head, smiling at him. This smile was unrestrained, which made Yan HeQing feel as if he could smell the fragrance of the wine they shared on the Yuhua Tower that day. Xiao YuAnughed and said: ¡°If I hated you, then I would have buried you under the earth the moment I saw you on the mountain. Otherwise, why would I¡¯ve bothered to save you?¡± Yan HeQing looked at his wanton, unrestrained smile, and blurted out: ¡°Xiao YuAn, I¡­.¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± Xiao YuAn patted Yan HeQing¡¯s shoulder with a smile on his face: ¡°Since the misunderstanding between us has been exined clearly, then we¡¯ll continue to be good Xiongdi from now on!¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s words were blocked in his throat right away, and he repeated Xiao YuAn¡¯s words extremely slowly: ¡°Xiongdi?¡± After a pause, he nodded slowly: ¡°Fine, I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t hear hisst words, so he took the opportunity to bathe in the Male Lead¡¯s halo: ¡°As Xiongdi we should take care of each other. So, if I¡¯m being bullied you have to help me, alright? If you¡¯re being bullied¡­.¡± ¡®Uhm, no one would dare to bully Yan HeQing right now.¡¯ Yan HeQing very shallowly hooked the corner of his mouth: ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded repeatedly: ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Take care of me.¡± Yan HeQing stared at Xiao YuAn and added: ¡°Xiao YuAn, I¡¯ll ask for thest time. Do you seriously not hate me?¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: ¡°I don¡¯t hate you. I never hated you before, and there¡¯s no possibility of me hating you in the future.¡± Yan HeQing raised his eyebrows: ¡°If you say so, then after this¡­. I won¡¯t¡­. be polite.¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°Why would you be polite?! We¡¯re Xiongdi, there¡¯s nothing to be polite about!¡± Yan HeQing gently licked the corners of his mouth, there was still a trace of the sweet taste of iron left behind from when he had coughed up blood before. After that, he dragged his words long enough for Xiao YuAn to hear them clearly, and keep them in mind: ¡°Alright, that¡¯s what you said.¡± It was like letting go of a long-standing worry from inside his heart. Xiao YuAn then stretched his back and threw himself onto his bed. He took a long, deep breath, then pointed to the bed closest to the door and said: ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, you can sleep here tonight. I¡¯m still not cured from my disease, so I can¡¯t sleep without anyone around me. I¡¯ll ask my Shifu to check your pulse in the morning, to see if there¡¯s any good prescription to heal your body. Alright, let¡¯s go to sleep. If we stay up toote, we¡¯ll suffer from a sudden death, or get bald!¡± Yan HeQing gave a soft hmmm, and then blew out the candlelight. In the dark, he gently licked the corner of his mouth once again. YHQ just got brozoned xDDD But worry not, he¡¯s not an impatient man, and will get his hubby sooner orter (¤Ä¦Ø`*) Also, from now on XYA will call YHQ ¡°Yan-ge¡± all the time and it¡¯s so freaking cute I can¡¯t even _(:3 ¡¹¡Ï)_? Chapter 125: It Must Be That Your Way Of Flirting Is Wrong. Early morning, when the sun was about to rise in the east, the birds were singing outside the window. Xiao YuAn opened his eyes early. Even though he went to sleepte, by now he was used to waking up early since he had to go to the medicinal shop very often. Besides, once he woke up, he couldn¡¯t go back to sleep. He sat up in a daze and looked at Yan HeQing, who was still sleeping. He couldn¡¯t help but stretch out his hand and pinch himself. ¡®Sheesh, it hurts.¡¯ ¡®So,st night wasn¡¯t a dream? And Yan HeQing doesn¡¯t even hate me?¡¯ Usually, when someone is a victim of their own delusions, and they wake up only to find that everything around them has always been peaceful and quiet, they will feel ufortable for a while Xiao YuAn braced his face while in a daze. Then a few secondster, he saw how Yan HeQing slowly opened his eyes, so he turned to look at him again. The air was slightly cool, and the morning sunshine was gorgeous. Xiao YuAn smiled at Yan HeQing and then said: ¡°Good morning.¡± ¡®Did you know that all things be less bright, and the world gets quieter and quieter, just because you said, ¡°Good Morning¡±?¡¯ Yan HeQing propped up his body, wanting to sit up, but Xiao YuAn quickly held him down: ¡°Don¡¯t move, lie down and rest.¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t argue with him, and obedientlyid down again. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t expect that his words would be so effective, and while touching his own cheek, he incredulously asked: ¡°You really don¡¯t hate me?¡± Yan HeQing knew that Xue Yan¡¯s n to separate them was still lingering in Xiao YuAn¡¯s mind, and it was understandable that he would ask it a few more times, so he patiently shook his head. Xiao YuAn, after a few consecutive ¡®oohh¡¯, walked out of the wing room and went to the courtyard to wash up. After refreshing himself, he ran back in, and asked: ¡°You really, really don¡¯t want to eviscerate me?¡± After getting another negative answer, Xiao YuAn nodded and went out again. After a while, he came back with a steamed bun in his mouth. Shortly after, he asked vaguely: ¡°You don¡¯t hate me, even for a little bit?¡± When he saw that Yan HeQing shook his head again, Xiao YuAn walked out of the door. A whileter, he brought back a bowl of porridge for Yan HeQing¡¯s breakfast. After that, he asked one more time: ¡°When I asked you to go to the JingYang Pce, were you aware that I had good intentions?¡± When Xiao YuAn took the trouble of going back and forth for the 18th time, and asked: ¡°When you were my Imperial Bodyguard, didn¡¯t you feel aggrieved?¡± Yan HeQing finally made his move. Yan HeQing suddenly reached out and grabbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrist, pulling him down onto his bed with force. Xiao YuAn was still in a state of nagging, so he was caught off guard when he was pulled onto the bed. He was extremely confused, and when he finally reacted, he realized that his hands were twisted behind his back, while Yaan HeQing was firmly pressed against him, not giving him a chance to struggle. Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.¡± ¡®Aren¡¯t you supposed to be the wounded one between us?! Can you behave like a normal injured person?!¡¯ Xiao YuAn hadn¡¯t finished his mental nder when he suddenly heard Yan HeQing say one word after the other, into his ear: ¡°Xiao YuAn, if I said that I want to tear you apart right now, would you keep asking if I hate you?¡± Xiao YuAn began to struggle under Yan HeQing: ¡°You, you, you, calm down!¡± ¡®Now Yan HeQing is clearly switching to his dark side!!!! Why did I have to provoke him for pure nonsense?!!!! Haven¡¯t I had enough?!!¡¯ They were still in the same position when the door of the wing room was suddenly pushed open, followed by the sound of a basin falling to the ground. Lin Shenling¡¯s eyes widened, and her entire body became stiff, frozen in ce, while her hand was still maintaining the position of carrying the fallen basin. When she finally reacted, she covered her face as she shouted and ran away: ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I thought that Xiao-gongzi had gone to the medicinal shop, so I wanted toe in and clean the wing room! I¡¯m sorry!!!¡± ¡°Wait, wait¡­.!¡± Xiao YuAn spitted out two words with difficulty, when another head poked through the door. ¡°Oh, oohh.¡± Third Aunt gave an exaggerated yelp as she looked at their current positions, followed by closing the door for them: ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk, young people these days. Tsk tsk, being intimate in the daytime and damaging the public decency. Tsk tsk, it¡¯s truly shameless. Oh, nono, I don¡¯t have the face to look at them, I¡¯m too embarrassed to look at them at all!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.¡± ¡®This is so embarrassing! Wait! Why did you close the door?!!¡¯ Xiao YuAn overpowered Yan HeQing and pushed him back into the bed to lie down. After he covered Yan HeQing with a quilt, he rushed out of the wing room, shouting: ¡°Let me exin!¡± The sun rises at dawn, and while the morning lights fell from the eaves, Yan HeQing covered his lips and coughed twice. The corners of his mouth were full of uncontrobleughter. This chapter is too much ???????? XYA if you keep being annoying YHQ might use his own body to shut you up ?? . YHQ: I want to tear you apart. XYA: ¡®Don¡¯t go dark mode on me!!¡® Me, while tranting that part: ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã) . Chapter 126: By Seeing The Emotions Behind His Eyes, You Can See Right Through Him. Chapter 126: By Seeing The Emotions Behind His Eyes, You Can See Right Through Him. The morning smoke from the kitchen chimney had just been blown away, and Zhang Baizhu had really brought the betrothal gifts with gongs and drums. Xiao YuAn circled around therge wooden boxes with carved flowers and red silk, then he turned to face Zhang Baizhu, and with a smile, he said: ¡°Yes, Zhang Baizhu, nothing is missing.¡± Zhang Baizhu, with his head held high and his chin almost raised to the sky, looking very energetic: ¡°Of course.¡± Xiao YuAn, who was still full of smiles, said: ¡°So, are you agreeing that these are the dowry? Then I¡¯ll ept it.¡± Zhang Baizhu raised his hand: ¡°ept it! Take it, I¡¯ll go to the blind Taoist priest on West Streetter, I will ask for an auspicious date.¡± Xiao YuAn hmmmed and shouted: ¡°Shenling! Shenling!¡± Lin Shenling, was helping Third Aunt clean the kitchen table. When she heard Xiao YuAn calling her, she ran out in a hurry: ¡°Xiao-gongzi, were you calling for me, huh? Baizhu?¡± Xiao YuAn pointed at therge and small wooden boxes filled with wedding gifts on the ground, and said: ¡°These are your dowries. Let Zhang Baizhu take them back.¡± Zhang Baizhu: ¡°What? Isn¡¯t this my dowry?¡± Xiao YuAn was full of smiles. His finger pointed back and forth between Zhang Baizhu and himself: ¡°Yes, the dowry you gave me is mine. Since it¡¯s mine, I can do whatever I want with it, so what¡¯s wrong with giving it to Shenling as her dowry?¡± Zhang Baizhu: ¡°¡­.¡± ¡®There seems to be nothing wrong with it!! But somehow, it feels very wrong!!¡¯ Xiao YuAnughed as he walked back into the residence, After a long time, Zhang Baizhu reacted and roared at Xiao YuAn¡¯s back: ¡°Xiao YuAn! You¡¯re ying with me! If you don¡¯t want a dowry, just say so. I¡¯m tired of moving things back and forth!¡± Xiao YuAn turned his head and shouted back: ¡°It¡¯s a matter of having attitude! You will only have to walk back, right? Besides, it¡¯s good for you to exercise more, because life depends on exercise!¡± After saying that, Xiao YuAn walked into his wing room, and closed the door, blocking out the words Zhang Baizhu wanted to say: ¡®What¡¯s wrong with you?!¡¯ Inside the wing room, Yan HeQing was sitting on the bed, and Zhang Changsong was taking his pulse while also smoothing his white beard. Xiao YuAn walked a few steps forward and asked with a smile: ¡°Shifu, how¡¯s he? How many months along is he? Howe he doesn¡¯t look pregnant yet? And what should I need to pay attention to in the future?¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhang Changsong wasn¡¯t in the mood to chat with Xiao YuAn, so he simply raised his eyelids and asked: ¡°What did you give him to eat?¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°Nothing special, just what you prescribed mest time, in the dosage you told me to. After the first time, I reduced the dose every time.¡± Zhang Changsong let out a sigh, withdrew his hand and scratched his beard: ¡°His pulse is stable, neither floating nor sinking. His internal and external injuries are recovering well, and there¡¯s no signs of Qi deviation. If it¡¯s true that he was healed to this extent just by taking the medicine I gave him, then this Gongzi¡¯s constitution is really different from ordinary people.¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but say inside his mind; ¡®That¡¯s the Male Lead¡¯s halo.¡¯ Zhang Changsong grabbed some paper and ink to write something while saying: ¡°He still needs to recuperate. After all, internal injuries can¡¯t be underestimated. I¡¯ll give you another prescription, and you can go to the medicinal shopter to grab the medicine yourself.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled: ¡°Yes, thank you Shifu.¡± In the middle of the conversation, Zhang Baizhu pushed open the door and walked in. When he saw Yan HeQing sitting on the bed, he shouted loudly: ¡°Xiao YuAn, didn¡¯t you say that he was your enemy? You brought your enemy to your home? What about when you said that he¡¯ll cut you into pieces when his eyes get cured?¡± Yan HeQing clenched his hand imperceptibly and looked at Xiao YuAn from the side of his eyes. Xiao YuAnughed wantonly and then said: ¡°That was a misunderstanding! We¡¯re now revolutionary friends! Isn¡¯t that right, Yan-ge?¡± Yan HeQing was stunned at the nickname, and gave a softly hmmm in agreement. Zhang Baizhu and Xiao YuAn were still unable to keep their mouths shut, so they were kicked out of the wing room by Zhang Changsong. After lunch, Xiao YuAn nned to go to the medical shop to get the medicine for Yan HeQing. After he thought that Yan HeQing might be feeling bored, he went to the wing room and asked him: ¡°Yan-ge, I¡¯m going to the medical shop to get the medicine for you. Would you like to go shopping with me? Shifu said that you can walk.¡± How could Yan HeQing refuse Xiao YuAn? He quickly got up and followed him outside. Xiao YuAn was concerned about Yan HeQing injuries, so he walked slowly. Sometimes, he would walk backwards, to be face to face with Yan HeQing, and joke with him about the gossip in the vige. About a certain daughter of a certain family who recently got married, about the youngest daughter-inw of another family who had just given birth to a big, fat son. This way, when they got close to the medical shop, Xiao YuAn almost bumped into someone. Fortunately, Yan HeQing reacted quickly, and pulled Xiao YuAn close to him. Xiao YuAn steadied himself and heard a familiar voiceing behind him: ¡°Hey, my little enemy, why are you walking backwards? You don¡¯t have eyes in the back of your head!¡± It was Aunt Ma, the one that always held Xiao YuAn back, talking about how she wanted to act as a matchmaker for Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue! Xiao YuAn turned back: ¡°Auntie Ma, I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time.¡± Aunt Ma waved her little handkerchief, looking back and forth between Yan HeQing and him. Her eyes were shining and her smile was wide, from ear to ear: ¡°Oh Heavens, who¡¯s this young man? He¡¯s really handsome, am I right? I¡¯ve never seen such a handsome face in my whole life! He¡¯s not another brother of yours right?¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°You can count him as my brother too.¡± Aunt Ma twisted herself forward and waved at Yan HeQing with her small handkerchief: ¡°Aiyoo, you¡¯re so handsome. If you look at me, I can feel my heart bursting in happiness. I don¡¯t know if this handsome young man has a sweetheart? I know a lot of beautiful girls who are eager to get married!¡± Xiao YuAn was afraid that Yan HeQing would get angry, so he quickly used his body to block her from getting too close. ¡°Oh?¡± Aunt Ma, who was blocked by Xiao YuAn, took two steps back and looked at Xiao YuAn with surprise as she held her handkerchief behind her back. ¡°Auntie Ma, you said you only wanted to be a matchmaker for my two brothers, but now that you¡¯ve met this brother of mine, you seem pretty interested in him; so where did I fall short? Why don¡¯t you look for me?¡± Xiao YuAn tried to change the subject,pletely unaware that Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes narrowed quite dangerously. ¡°Oh, you devil! I thought you didn¡¯t have this in mind? If you had asked me earlier, I could¡¯ve introduced you to someone. But you¡¯re asking just now, what does that mean? Oh, you¡¯re really! Really! Really! Naughty!¡± Aunt Ma repeated ¡®really¡¯ three times, and every time she said it, she hit Xiao YuAn with her handkerchief, almost throwing Xiao YuAn into a daze. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t understand: ¡°What¡¯s going on right now?¡± Aunt Ma took one look at Yan HeQing¡¯s face, and immediately became more aware of something. She smacked Xiao YuAn with her handkerchief again: ¡°Do you still insist on deceiving Auntie? Ah? Do you know that Auntie has eaten more salt than you have eaten rice1? You already have a sweetheart, can¡¯t you see it? Mmm?¡± ¡°What, what?¡± Xiao YuAn was horrified: ¡°Me? A sweetheart? Who? I have a sweetheart? No, Auntie Ma, from where did you hear that I have a sweetheart?¡± Aunt Ma proudly said with her orchid finger raised and her waist crossed: ¡°You¡¯re just a young boy, but you still want to test me? Well, isn¡¯t he as far as the eyes can see2?¡± After saying that, Aunt Ma turned her wrist and pointed with absolute certainty. Xiao YuAn followed where her finger pointed at, and came in contact with Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes. XYA: Yan-ge! YHQ: *excitedly screams inside* Hmmm. Asfjhdgjjfddkldadg (*n¡ä¦Ø`n*)?? Also! Aunt Ma has a sharp eye! Perhaps XYA misunderstood her and in reality she wanted to matchmake YLA and XFY together ( ?~ ?? ?¡ã) We now add another person to the list of ¡°everyone knows that XYA ?? YHQ, except for XYA, who doesn¡¯t even knows it himself¡±. Chapter 127: By Seeing The Emotions Behind His Eyes, You’ll See A Naughty Man. Xiao YuAn stumbled and almost fell on the spot: ¡°Auntie Ma! You can eat rice indiscriminately, but you can¡¯t speak nonsense1!¡± Aunt Ma didn¡¯t use her handkerchief, but directly used her giant palm to smack Xiao YuAn: ¡°Are you still trying to pretend with Auntie? Ah? Still pretending? When I said that I wanted to act as a matchmaker for him just now, you were the one who started to make a fuss about it! Why did you stop me so quickly, when I was trying to find a good match for this Gongzi just now? The smell of vinegar2 is so strong that I could still smell it three streets from here, and you¡¯re still trying to pretend with me? Moreover, little devil, you still have the nerve to ask for a match for yourself, when this one clearly loves you, and has to keep the taste of vinegar hidden inside him. You just want to act tough, aren¡¯t you?¡± Yan HeQing reached out his hand to stop Aunt Ma, putting his arm around Xiao YuAn to protect him from a p, and receiving it himself. ¡°Whoops.¡± Aunt Ma, who had hit the wrong person, quickly withdrew her hand. Then she looked at Yan HeQing and smiled: ¡°Oh my, is this heartache? I know, I¡¯ll stop hitting him, and don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t have a heavy hand.¡± Yan HeQing nodded his head, not denying her words. Aunt Ma was very satisfied with Yan HeQing, she poked her finger at Xiao YuAn¡¯s forehead: ¡°You see, he¡¯s angry, so you need to be nicer. If you don¡¯t coax him right away, you¡¯ll be damned.¡± Aunt Ma, after finishing her speech, poked Xiao YuAn¡¯s waist in a meaningful way. After saying her goodbyes, she walked away. Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®Auntie, you have to wake up!!! He¡¯s a straight man!!! The kind that has a harem!!! He¡¯s the kind of straight man that will torture the male viin to death, and would push down the female viin!!!¡¯ Right now, Xiao YuAn wished that he had a copy of ¡°The History of the Four Kingdoms¡± in hand, just so that he could give it to Aunt Ma and she could read with her own eyes how Yan HeQing treated the viins differently depending on their genders. After saying goodbye to Aunt Ma, Xiao YuAn coughed ufortably to clear his throat. He then looked at Yan HeQing and said: ¡°The neighbors in the countryside are very straightforward, so don¡¯t get offended-¡­.¡± Yan HeQing looked at him with a nd expression and said: ¡°Why should I get offended?¡± Xiao YuAn was stunned, and then hemented in his mind: ¡®He¡¯s really worthy of being the Male Lead, he¡¯s unmoved either by gain or loss3!¡¯ When they walked into the medical shop, Zhang Changsong was treating patients in the front hall, so he didn¡¯t have the time to greet them. He let Xiao YuAn go and grab the medicine himself. Xiao YuAn took the small scale on the counter, and picked up the medicine. Meanwhile, Yan HeQing was watching him and asked: ¡°Did you study medicine in your previous life?¡± ¡°Huh? No.¡± Xiao YuAn paused for a brief moment, and then continued: ¡°This is what I learned aftering to Taoyuan Vige. I¡¯m not able to treat all difficult diseases for the moment, but I¡¯m good with small pains and fever.¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± Yan HeQing responded, and then added: ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Xiao YuAn wrapped up the medicine and tied the hemp rope. Then he took a look at the front hall, and saw that Zhang Changsong wasn¡¯t paying attention to them. Smilingly, he took out the dried hawthorn and mulberry from the medicine cab, and handed them to Yan HeQing. When he saw that he was puzzled and wanted to question him, Xiao YuAn smiled, hushed him, and winked at him; then he put the two dried fruits inside his mouth. When he saw that Yan HeQing was still in a daze, Xiao YuAn gestured to him to eat, so Yan HeQing nodded and put the small dried fruits inside his mouth. The sourness and sweetness filled his mouth, it was neither astringent nor bitter. Xiao YuAn then asked Yan HeQing with a smile: ¡°Does it taste delicious?¡± Yan HeQing nodded his head, as he saw how Xiao YuAn smiled at him from ear to ear. ¡°Xiao YuAn!!! That¡¯s a medicinal herb, not a candied fruit! Are you stealing again?!¡± A flying medical book followed Zhang Changsong¡¯s roar, which was firmly caught by Xiao YuAn, and ced on the cab right after. Then, he quickly picked up the medicine and dragged Yan HeQing outside,ughing out loud as they ran away from the medical shop. Aunt Ma is a wise woman! And our XYA, this little devil, is still so blinded by the ¡°straight stereotype¡± YHQ was on the original book. Jsjsjsjsj XYA stealing medicinal fruits with YHQ xDDDD idk why but that¡¯s adorable ?? Footnotes
  1. Õâ·¹¿ÉÒÔÂÒ³Ô£¬»°²»ÄÜÂÒ½² zh¨¨ f¨¤n k¨§ y¨« lu¨¤n ch¨©, hu¨¤ b¨´ n¨¦ng lu¨¤n ji¨£ng; It¡¯s a saying. It means that you must be careful when you speak. You can¡¯t say unfounded words, otherwise, you will hurt others and cause yourself trouble.
  2. ³Ôζ ch¨© w¨¨i; Jealousy.
  3. ³èÈè²»¾ª ch¨¯ng r¨³ b¨´ j¨©ng; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means that a person doesn¡¯t care if they¡¯re being favored or humiliated, and they¡¯re not moved by personal gain or loss. From¡¶ÔÚ»³ÏØ¡·(z¨¤i hu¨¢i xi¨¤n), ¡°In Huai County¡±, written by (ÅËÔÀ p¨¡n yu¨¨) Pan Yue [247-300], a famous writer from the Western Jin Dynasty [265-316].
Chapter 128: By Seeing The Emotions Behind His Eyes, You’ll See His True Feelings. After ying around for half a day, when he saw the sunset hanging in the West, and the smell of the cooking fires floating on the street, Xiao YuAn wandered back and forth. The hemp rope used to tie up the prescription medicines was held tightly in his hand as he turned his head and asked Yan HeQing: ¡°Do you feel any pain? Can you still walk?¡± Yan HeQing said: ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Then, will you apany me to the Jade store on the East Street? In a few days, Zhang Baizhu and Shenling will be getting married, and I was thinking of giving them a pair of Jade Ruyi1 to congratte them.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Jade store at a corner of the East street was the only ce in this vige that sells Jade ornaments. Even though it¡¯s a small shop, it¡¯s well-stocked with all kinds of artifacts. The owners were a couple of husband and wife, over 50 years old, who still love each other the same as ever. When Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing arrived at the Jade store, only the husband was present. When he saw them entering the shop, he greeted them with a gentle smile. After Xiao YuAn exined his intentions, the owner of the Jade store held out several pairs of Jade Ruyi for Xiao YuAn to choose from. Xiao YuAn then pointed at a pair of Ruyi made out of translucent green jade and red agate, and asked Yan HeQing: ¡°What do you think about this pair?¡± Yan HeQing nodded: ¡°They¡¯re quite good.¡± ¡°Then I choose this pair. Boss, I¡¯ll trouble you to wrap them up for me.¡± Xiao YuAn made a final decision. ¡°Alright.¡± The owner of the Jade store looked as if he was a man that¡¯s always happy. Suddenly, someone lifted the curtain of the inner room, and when she saw Xiao YuAn, she covered her lips with her sleeve hiding a smile, and greeted him. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s YuAn. I haven¡¯t seen you for such a long time.¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: ¡°Madam Boss, greetings.¡± ¡°Long time no see. Eh, is this Gongzi your friend? What¡¯s his name?¡± The boss¡¯s wife set her eyes on Yan HeQing and sighed in her heart at his extraordinary appearance. ¡°Hisst name is Yan.¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile. After she heard that, the boss¡¯s wife suddenly hid her lips behind her sleeve in surprise, and exchanged a quick nce with the boss. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiao YuAn asked, feeling that something was off. ¡°Is this Yan-gongzi called Yan HeQing?¡± The boss¡¯s wife asked tentatively. Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing were both stunned. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t understand what was happening, after all, how could she know Yan HeQing¡¯s name? So, he quickly asked: ¡°Eh, Madam, how do you know his name?¡± The boss¡¯s wife and the boss looked at each other again, this time, they couldn¡¯t hide their smiles. Then, the boss¡¯s wife said: ¡°Of course I know, isn¡¯t he your sweetheart?¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®Again?! Even the term she chose to address us with is the same one Aunt Ma used!! It¡¯s fine if Aunt Ma misunderstood, but Ma¡¯am, we¡¯ve only talked with you with less than five sentences, so how did youe to that conclusion?!!!¡¯ As if she could see the doubt in their minds, the boss¡¯s wife smilingly said: ¡°YuAn, do you still remember that a year ago, you woulde to repeatedly ask us if the broken Jade hairpin could be glued back together?¡± Xiao YuAn took a deep breath and was about to stop the boss¡¯s wife from continuing to talk, when Yan HeQing squinted and abruptly said first: ¡°Jade hairpin?¡± ¡°Yes, the hairpin was broken in such a way that we thought that we might not be able to glue it back together, and even if we did, it wouldn¡¯t look as beautiful as it once was. So we didn¡¯t intend to help YuAn, but YuAn was very persistent and came to ask about the hairpin every day. In the end, we didn¡¯t have any other choice than to try and fix the hairpin. Your name was engraved on that white Jade hairpin Yan-gongzi.¡± The boss¡¯s wife quickly spoke without taking a break, not giving Xiao YuAn the chance to interrupt her. Xiao YuAn instantly covered his face with one hand, while he copsed internally. The boss wrapped up the pair of Jade Ruyi, handed them to Xiao YuAn, and with a smiling face, he said: ¡°It¡¯s done, take care and see yourself out2!¡± The boss¡¯s wife, with a kind smile on her face, waved them goodbye. The two of them walked up the green te street side by side. Xiao YuAn thought about it, and decided to be the first to break the silence: ¡°The white Jade hairpin, I picked it up after you smashed it.¡± ¡°En3.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ just¡­ I just think that it¡¯s so pitiful for such a beautiful hairpin to be smashed to the ground like that. Besides, I also think that it¡¯s a shame it ended up breaking apart. ¡± ¡°En. Xiao YuAn.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been taking good care of the Jade flute you gave me. I¡¯ll y it for you next time.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The setting sun stretched the silhouettes of the two of them walking side by side. They weren¡¯t that far away from the residence because they could smell the faint scent of the smokeing from the kitchen, and the mouth-watering aroma of Third Aunt¡¯s food. At this point, I think the whole vige knows XYA and YHQ are a ¡°thing¡± ?????????? Footnotes
  1. ÓñÈçÒâ y¨´ r¨² y¨¬; A tool used by Chinese folk to scratch itches in ancient times. Appeared around the Warring States period, and the currently seen Jade Ruyi were mostly made at the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was named as ¡®Ruyi¡¯, which means good luck and happiness; it¡¯s an auspicious artifact for entertainment and appreciation. At present time, the Ruyi doesn¡¯t have any practical function, and it¡¯s just a symbol of good fortune, often given as a friendly gift. It looks like THIS.
  2. ²»ËÍ b¨´ s¨°ng; Said as a humble or sarcastic way to not send someone out (apany a guest when he/she leaves) when they are leaving.
  3. àÅ en; Interjection indicating approval, appreciation or agreement.
Chapter 129: By Seeing The Emotions Behind His Eyes, You’ll See A Man Who’s Still Not Aware. After some days passed in a sh, a series of firecrackers crackled at the entrance of Xiao YuAn¡¯s residence. As Xiao YuAn covered his ears, he looked at the red silk beams and the rednterns under the eaves. It wasn¡¯t until he was in a trance, that he realized that Lin Shenling was really getting married today. There were five and six year old kids at the door, holding skewers of candy canes, pping andughing: ¡°A flower sedan chair, carried by a young man. Who¡¯s getting married? There¡¯s suona1 and firecrackers. What a lively event! Married, someone¡¯s getting married!¡± Third Aunt was smiling from ear to ear, handing out rice cakes to the rowdy children at the door. Xiao YuAn went to the wing room where Lin Shenling lived, knocked gently on the door, and called out: ¡°Shenling, are you ready? Did you get dressed into your wedding dress? Zhang Baizhu should be here soon.¡± ¡°Xiao-gongzi? Come in.¡± The door was opened with a creak, and Lin Shenling stood behind the door wearing a red wedding dress, as red as the fiery red clouds of the sunset. Xiao YuAn smiled: ¡°You look really pretty. Why don¡¯t you turn around and show me the dress?¡± Lin Shenling lowered her head with a blush on her face, picked up her skirt, and turned around in ce. Xiao YuAn suddenly remembered the plot of the original book. In the original book, after Yan HeQing took control of the Eastern Wu Kingdom, he brought Lin Shenling back to the Imperial Pce in the Northern Kingdom. That night, Lin Shenling was helped out of the carriage by a maidservant, and her eyes were filled with the scarlet walls of the Imperial Pce. ¡°Guniang, follow me into the Imperial Pce.¡± The old maidservant with silver hair said, while bending down. Lin Shenling gazed at the solemn Imperial City walls, the yellow tiles, the varnished doors, and the silent falling snow. ¡°Guniang.¡± The old maidservant called her again. Lin Shenling withdrew her gaze, but remained silent. Suddenly, she reached out and twisted some of the red wax from the maidservant¡¯sntern and put it on her lips, then she pulled off the red curtain of the carriage and wrapped it around her body. With the cool moonlight as makeup, and the red curtain flying on the air, Lin Shenling turned around in front of the Imperial Pce¡¯s gates. Under the startled eyes of the crowd, she smiled gently and asked: ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m wearing a wedding dress?¡± After that, Lin Shenling didn¡¯t wait for anyone¡¯s answer, turned around and stepped into the Imperial Pce. And then, in that life, she never walked out of the scarlet Imperial City walls ever again. In the original book, Lin Shenling had a life of glory, splendor, wealth and rank2. Lacking nothing, and having everything, but no one gave her the wedding dress she had dreamed of for a lifetime. Xiao YuAn suddenly felt that Yan HeQing was a bit scummy, so he ran back to his wing room and punched him. Yan HeQing, who was barely sitting on the bed, received a punch for no reason: ¡°¡­.?¡± After the beating, Xiao YuAn sat down next to Yan HeQing and asked: ¡°The wedding reception will be held at my Shifu¡¯s home, will you like to go?¡± Yan HeQing replied: ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Xiao YuAn squinted at him: ¡°Lin Shenling is getting married.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°She¡¯s really getting married! In about a half an hour, she¡¯ll get on the red sedan chair.¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t understand what this had to do with him, so he just hmmmed again. Xiao YuAn touched his chin, feeling that Yan HeQing wasn¡¯t pretending to be indifferent, but he couldn¡¯t helpmenting that the Male Lead had to ¡®be able to afford to let go¡¯3. ¡®However, even if Lin Shenling is not part of Yan HeQing¡¯s harem anymore, his harem won¡¯tck in numbers.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s notcking?¡± Yan HeQing raised his eyebrows and asked. ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn realized that he had identally said out loud what was on his mind, and waved his hands repeatedly: ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± ¡°Harem?¡± Yan HeQing stared at Xiao YuAn, narrowing his eyes slightly. ¡°Ha, ha, ha, did you hear that?¡± Xiao YuAn said whileughing awkwardly. When he was about to get up and run away, he was suddenly held down by Yan HeQing, so he had no other choice than to say: ¡°Yan-ge, you¡¯ve been the Monarch of the Southern Yan Kingdom for so long, so of course there will be one or two concubines. I understand, I understand, after all-¡­.¡± ¡°No.¡± Yan HeQing suddenly interrupted Xiao YuAn¡¯s words. Xiao YuAn, who was about to speak incessantly, had his speech choked back by Yan HeQing¡¯s denial. ¡°No¡­. No?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s face was full of shock. Yan HeQing stared at Xiao YuAn and replied, saying one word at a time: ¡°I don¡¯t have any concubines.¡± Xiao YuAn thought that he might not have given the harem members the title of ¡®concubine¡¯ yet: ¡°Oh, so you haven¡¯t given them the title yet, then-¡­.¡± Almost gnashing his teeth, Yan HeQing interrupted him again: ¡°I haven¡¯t had any love affairs with anyone else.¡± Ahhh I feel so bad for LSL in the original plot, not only she couldn¡¯t get married with the red dress she always dreamt of, but she also must fight every day for her position with the other concubines (which we also know are A LOT). Al least in this life she has ZBZ all for herself, and she has the red wedding dress!! And ohohoho XYA what will you do now that YHQ told you he doesn¡¯t have any harem members, didn¡¯t had any rtionship with any women while you two where apart, and also doesn¡¯t want any concubine, not now, not ever (?ÆH?) Footnotes
  1. ßïÄÅ su¨¯ n¨¤; Suona, a Chinese shawm (oboe), used in festivals and processions or for military purposes. It looks like THIS.
  2. ÈÙ»ª¸»¹ó r¨®ng hu¨¢ f¨´ gu¨¬; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, used as a metaphor for someone who¡¯s prosperous or prominent. / Describes a person who¡¯s conspicuously wealthy, sessful, rich and powerful. / High position and great wealth. From¡¶¹Ü×Ó¡¤ÖØÁî¡·(gu¨£n zi¡¤zh¨°ng l¨¬ng) ¡°Guanzi: An Important Order¡±, an essay written by (¹ÜÖÙ gu¨£n zh¨°ng) Guan Zhong [??-645 BC], a military strategist during the Spring and Autumn Period[770-476 BC].
  3. ÄõÃÆð·ÅµÃÏ n¨¢ de q¨« f¨¤ng de xi¨¤; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, refers to the ability of making bold decisions when dealing with a dilemma. / The most important thing is to be able to afford to let go, which means that when dealing with dilemmas, you have the courage to make a decision. But in the face of emotional problems, not all situations are applicable to ¡°take it or leave it¡±.
Chapter 130: By Seeing The Emotions Behind His Eyes, You’ll See A Man Who’s Deep In Love. Xiao YuAn stood up sharply, only to sit back again in a daze right after. ¡®Does the sun rise in the West? No. Does the sea water pour backwards? No. Does it snow in Summer? No. Would the Male Lead not seduce a woman? No. But Yan HeQing just said that he doesn¡¯t have any women! He doesn¡¯t have any women?!¡¯ ¡®What the hell happened?! Has this book gone from being a stallion novel to an actual historical novel?!¡¯ ¡®Is this even fair to the thousands of readers of this novel who were attracted by its fame?!¡¯ ¡®Fair!!! Of course it¡¯s fair!!!¡¯ Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but roar inside his mind: ¡®Fuck the stallion genre! Long live historical settings! The whole world rejoices! Let¡¯s spread the good news!¡¯ ¡®But, in that case, wouldn¡¯t Yan HeQing be alone? It¡¯s kind of tragic.¡¯ Outside the wing room, there was a loud sound of the Suona, it was a loud sound breaking through the sky. Then, the sound of the drums and gongs followed. This was the music announcing that the bridegroom had arrived to pick up the bride. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go to the wedding banquet!¡± Xiao YuAn was full of smiles as he grabbed Yan HeQing¡¯s wrist, pulling him up. Taoyuan Vige was a harmonious neighborhood, and when a wedding banquet was held, almost everyone in the vige woulde to celebrate; so there were 18 tables at the banquet. There was a group of people drinking and ying guessing games1, and Zhang Baizhu was determined to get Xiao YuAn drunk, but the two of them held the wine jar against each other, neither of them wanting to give up. As a result, they bothid on the tablepletely wasted. In short, the only thing that Xiao YuAn remembers is that he was ying with Zhang Baizhu one second, and the next, he was lying on Yan HeQing¡¯s back once he opened his eyes again. ¡°Yan-ge, you¡­ are you carrying me back home on your back?¡± Xiao YuAn vaguely said while wrapping his arms around Yan HeQing¡¯s neck. ¡°Hmm.¡± Yan HeQing replied. ¡°How is your injury? It doesn¡¯t hurt to carry me like this? Why don¡¯t you just put me down? I can walk by myself.¡± Xiao YuAn muttered as he struggled to get down. Yan HeQing stopped walking and said: ¡°Don¡¯t move, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Oh, alright, alright.¡± Xiao YuAn quieted down. Yan HeQing walked slowly back to the residence. Xiao YuAn was really drunk and restless, and began to ask questions nonstop: ¡°Yan-ge, how many times have you carried me on your back?¡± ¡°Yan-ge, did you know that Xiao PingYang and Yongning got married?¡± ¡°Yan-ge, what does it feel like to love someone?¡± Yan HeQing stopped walking when he heard thest words of Xiao YuAn, who said with a soft voice: ¡°I heard others say that when you love someone, you see them as the person of your dreams, but they¡¯re not as magnificent as a lonesome plum in the middle of a heavy snowstorm; not as mellow as the fragrance of the wine blowing in the Southern breeze, but you¡¯re only thinking of them all day. Do you agree?¡± Yan HeQing replied: ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yan-ge, didn¡¯t you say before that you haven¡¯t experienced a love affair before? How would you know that?¡± Xiao YuAn snorted. Yan HeQing replied: ¡°I know.¡± Xiao YuAn, after asking questions for a while, fell asleep on Yan HeQing¡¯s back. ¡­ In the dark of the night, the wedding banquet broke up in a bustling manner, and everyone felt a little tired. The Owner of the East street inn wanted to close the business for the day, but as soon as he returned, he saw five or six men dressed in ck clothes standing at the door of the inn. Naturally, guests have to be received, so the boss with a strong spirit went to open the inn¡¯s door. The man at the head of the group whispered: ¡°Boss, we¡¯ll like to take a few rooms.¡± ¡°Yes, wee! My guests, wait a moment!¡± The owner gave a weing smile and took the keys to the upper rooms and handed them to the man dressed in ck. The man dressed in ck took the keys and thanked him, then they walked upstairs. The inn owner yawned and was about to take a rest, but when he turned around, he saw that one of the men dressed in ck appeared behind him out of nowhere, scaring him into taking a few steps back. ¡°Boss,¡± The man took out a portrait and spread it out in front of the inn owner: ¡°Have you seen this man before?¡± The inn owner squinted at the portrait and couldn¡¯t help but pronounce the words underneath the image: ¡°Yan, He, Qing?¡± ¡­ -The Author has something to say.- Yan-ge is about to deliver a great headache to Xiao. Hehehehe2 no worries, after that I¡¯ll give you a pastry. I¡¯m scared of the author ( ? _ ? ) Now XYA knows that YHQ doesn¡¯t want a harem! Yay! But¡­ who are those guys looking for our ML ???? ¡®`( ?§¥?),? Footnotes
  1. »®È­ hu¨¢ qu¨¢n; It¡¯s a drinking game that originated in the Han Dynasty. For the Han people, this game adds to the joy of drinking and apanies the festivities. When drinking, two people stretch out their fingers at the same time and each says a number, whoever says the number that matches the total number of fingers stretched out by both sides wins, and the loser drinks.
  2. ºÙºÙºÙ h¨¥i h¨¥i h¨¥i; Onomatopoeia for a mischievousughter.
Chapter 131: I’ve Never Seen Someone Talk So Much Nonsense. Taoyuan Vige was a small vige, and all the neighbors knew each other. So the next day, almost the whole vige knew that there were several men dressed in ck, holding portraits, and going around everywhere, looking for someone. When those men knocked on the first house with the portraits in hand, Zhang Baizhu was already on his way to inform Xiao YuAn: ¡°Third Aunt! Third Aunt!¡± Zhang Baizhu pushed open the door and saw Third Aunt cleaning the courtyard by herself. ¡°Huh? Baizhu? You and Shenling are newlyweds, why are you here so early in the morning?¡± Third Aunt, while holding still the broom, looked at him puzzled. Zhang Baizhu was breathless from running, and with his hands on his knees, he asked: ¡°Where¡¯s Xiao YuAn?!¡± ¡°YuAn and Yan-gongzi went to buy rice and noodles.¡± Third Aunt replied. ¡°Oh.¡± Zhang Baizhu patted his thigh. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Young man, if you have something to say, then hurry up and speak.¡± Third Aunt instructed, waving her hand at him. ¡°There are some foreigners that came looking for Yan-gongzi, and I wondered if they came for a debtor¡¯s vendetta or something, so I came to warn them.¡± Zhang Baizhu said. ¡°Oh, oh?¡± Third Aunt opened her eyes wide. ¡°How many men? Do they look fierce?¡± ¡°They¡¯re five or six, they look fierce, but they don¡¯t act fierce. They¡¯re asking for him nicely, but if you think about it, when Xiao YuAn picked up Yan-gongzi, he was covered in bruises and he found him in the mountain stream! He must have done something, or offended someone!¡± Zhang Baizhu¡¯s analysis was reasonable. ¡°Oh Heavens, what can we do?¡± Third Aunt was so anxious, that she moved around. ¡°Third Aunt, quickly tell me where they¡¯ve gone to buy rice and noodles. I¡¯ll go look for them.¡± Zhang Baizhu said. However, as soon as he stopped talking, there was a knock at the door: ¡°Is anyone here?¡± ¡°Oh Heavens! Why didn¡¯t you ask me sooner?!!!¡± Third Aunt shouted softly. Then she threw the broom to the side and pped her thighs, walking towards the main door, wondering whether she should open it or not. ¡°Third Aunt, Third Aunt, don¡¯t worry. It just so happens that Yan-gongzi is not here right now, so don¡¯t worry and just boldly drive them away.¡± Zhang Baizhu whispered. Third Aunt thought to herself: ¡®I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right, but I¡¯m busy suppressing the fear.¡¯ In the end, she steadily opened the door, and there was only one man dressed in ck standing at the residence¡¯s entrance. It seemed that the group of men were in a hurry, so they split up to look for Yan HeQing. The man looked fierce, but his attitude was gentle. He handed the portrait to Third Aunt and said: ¡°Excuse me madam, have you seen the man in this portrait?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him.¡± Third Aunt nced at the portrait and hurriedly waved her hand repeatedly. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious madam, take a closer look.¡± That man dressed in ck unrelentingly waved the portrait in front of Third Aunt. ¡°Aiya, I really haven¡¯t seen him before.¡± Third Aunt was afraid that she would reveal herself and panicked, trying to close the door. ¡°Madam, take one more look at the portrait, just one more look.¡± The man took a step forward and jammed the door frame. ¡°What are you looking at? I want to look too.¡± Suddenly, a head came in between the two of them, which made everyone freeze in ce. Xiao YuAn, while holding a bag of rice, looked at the portrait in the hands of the man dressed in ck and shouted behind him in surprise: ¡°Yan-ge! You¡¯re in this portrait!¡± Zhang Baizhu, who had watched everything, pped his forehead. Third Aunt was too stunned, and quickly shouted: ¡°Yan-gongzi, run, run!¡± The man dressed in ck reacted faster. He put away the portrait scroll, turned around and went straight to Yan HeQing, only to kneel down in front of him under the eyes of everyone present. Zhang Baizhu: ¡°What?!¡± Third Aunt: ¡°Ah?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Huh?¡± The man dressed in ck wailed: ¡°Your Majesty!!! Weichen has finally found you!!! Ooooh!!!! It¡¯s great that His Majesty is alright! Whoaa!¡± The man was crying like a roaring bear. Yan HeQing barely recognized his face, which was distorted to the point of looking twisted and shapeless: ¡°Deputy General Chen?¡± ¡°Aaahhhh Your Majesty!¡± Deputy General Cheng howled out again very loudly. Zhang Baizhu, in disbelief, stepped forward and pinched Xiao YuAn: ¡°His Imperial Majesty? What Imperial Majesty? What the hell? Who is he? Who are you?¡± Xiao YuAn broke off his hand and solemnly exined: ¡°Yan-ge¡¯s original name is Huangshang1, yes yes yes, Yan Huangshang, don¡¯t make a fuss about it.¡± Zhang Baizhu froze, but then he continued to pinch Xiao YuAn: ¡°Xiao YuAn, you think I¡¯m stupid?! You¡¯re kidding me!¡± On the other side, Yan HeQing asked Deputy General Chen to get up. After standing up, Chen reported Yan HeQing the war situation, and with tears and snot running down his face, he said: ¡°Your Majesty, let¡¯s get out of here quickly. The Generals on the front line can¡¯t hold on any longer. They¡¯ve been losing the battles recently, and your whereabouts, whether you¡¯re alive or dead, are unknown. If this continues, I¡¯m afraid that there will be a great change in the army!¡± Xiao YuAn, who was ying around with Zhang Baizhu, after hearing Chen¡¯s words suddenly stopped and then looked up, only to find that he was facing Yan HeQing, and that he was looking at him. YHQ has to go back to the war (¡ä£»§Õ£»`) Footnotes
  1. »ÊÉÏ hu¨¢ng shang = His Majesty / Your Majesty the Emperor / His Imperial Majesty.
Chapter 132: Ive Never Seen Someone Who’s So Slow In Understanding Their Own Feelings. Yan HeQing withdrew his gaze and asked Deputy General Chen: ¡°Where are you settled?¡± Deputy General Cheng quickly replied: ¡°At an Inn on the East Street.¡± Yan HeQing narrowed his eyes. After remaining silent for a short while, he said: ¡°Go back for now, rest well ande find me tomorrow.¡± ¡°Your Majesty? Your Majesty?¡± Deputy General Chen wanted to ask why, but Yan HeQing didn¡¯t bother to reply to him, and just walked into the residence. As Xiao YuAn looked Yan HeQing¡¯s back slowly walking into the residence, he quickly followed behind him. At the same time, Zhang Baizhu was scratching his head, while seeing how Deputy General Chen was crying bitterly and howling about ¡®The Emperor is alright!¡¯ while walking back towards the East Street. Zhang Baizhu didn¡¯t know why, but he had the feeling that everything was just a false rm, so he simply shrugged his shoulders and returned to the medical shop. However, as soon as he arrived at the medical shop, he saw that Zhang Changsong was talking to another man dressed in ck; it was a man in his forties, with a firm face and an upright posture. The two of them were holding hands as if they were good friends who hadn¡¯t seen each other for years, with tears covering their eyes. When they saw that Zhang Baizhu was back, Zhang Changsong wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve and waved at Zhang Baizhu: ¡°Baizhu, quicklye over and greet your uncle1.¡± ¡­ Xiao YuAn pushed open the door of the wing room and saw that Yan HeQing was standing close to the window. His face still looked indiferent, as if he didn¡¯t care for the world¡¯s affairs. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but think to himself: ¡®Since Yan HeQing¡¯s mind isn¡¯t clouded by women, he must be wholeheartedly trying to rule over the Four Kingdoms. The red tassel spear2, the white horse and silver armor, the battle over the yellow sand, and finally, the horse bringing the sessful battle report to the Monarch. After a few years of prosperity and peace, the unifiednd of the Four Kingdoms will be Yan HeQing¡¯s home, his final destination.¡¯ ¡®Yan HeQing and I, in fact, we weren¡¯t on the same page from beginning to end.¡¯ ¡°Yan-ge, I knew that someone woulde looking for you sooner orter. You see, you¡¯ve even made them feel anxious about your disappearance. Moreover, your injuries are almost healed and your mobility is not seriously limited. You can go back now.¡± Xiao YuAn said with a warm smile on his face. Yan HeQing turned his head and looked at Xiao YuAn. Inexplicably, Xiao YuAn felt frightened by that gaze, so he quickly looked away and continued talking: ¡°However, you still aren¡¯t allowed to make any significant maneuvers if you want to recover properly; and since I don¡¯t know if the physicians at the barracks have enough medicine to treat your internal injuries, I¡¯ll pack some for you.¡± Yan HeQing remained silent, just looking at Xiao YuAn with an intense gaze. Xiao YuAn felt that he couldn¡¯t talk to him anymore, so he whispered in a very low voice: ¡°You should rest for a while, I¡¯ll go to the medical shop.¡± After that, he turned around and started to walk away. However, at that moment, Yan HeQing finally spoke: ¡°Xiao YuAn.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xiao YuAn, who had just stepped one foot over the threshold, held the door frame and turned to look at Yan HeQing. As the cool breezeing from the window blew in, Yan HeQing¡¯s ck silk-like hair and clothes danced in the air; this stirred up a few ripples3 to form in the depths of Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes. Every living being is lucky to not understand what is inside their own minds, but it¡¯s also unfortunate that sometimes they don¡¯t understand their own feelings. Yan HeQing said: ¡°Come back early tonight, I have something to say to you.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, well alright, alright.¡± Xiao YuAn, stunned, simply nodded his head. After seeing that Yan HeQing didn¡¯t have anything more to say, he turned around and walked out of the wing room. ¡­ In the middle of the afternoon, the kindly warm light and the silence surrounding the small courtyard were broken from time to time by the sounds of the birds chirping. As Third Aunt bent over to sweep the floor, she wasn¡¯t in a hurry to clean, so she swept slowly; the broom sweeping across the ground made a soft rustling sound. However, when she saw Xiao YuAn walking by, she immediately stopped what she was doing and asked with some doubt: ¡°What happened to you, YuAn? Why do you look like you¡¯ve lost your soul?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Xiao YuAn, who just woke up from his trance, replied: ¡°Nothing, nothing happened.¡± Third Aunt scrutinized his expression for a few seconds, and then decided to ask: ¡°Is Yan-gongzi really going to leave?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s leaving.¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°There¡¯s nothing here for him to stay for; after all, he has his own ambitions too.¡± Third Aunt shook her head, whispering a few words to herself. When she raised her gaze again, she saw that Xiao YuAn was walking away towards the residence main entrance, so she asked him very confusedly: ¡°YuAn, where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the medical shop, and while I¡¯m there, I¡¯ll grab some medicine for Yan HeQing¡¯s internal injuries.¡± While he was talking, he had already walked out of the residence, slowly walking farther and farther away. Third Aunt couldn¡¯t help but murmur to herself once Xiao YuAn disappeared from sight: ¡°This silly boy ah. He¡¯s saying the opposite of what he actually feels.¡± Is YHQ going to confess?? Is XYA going to realize his own feelings (at some point)?? Wait for next week updates to know!! (haha) Footnotes
  1. ¾Ë¾Ë ji¨´ jiu; Informal way of calling an uncle from the mother¡¯s side of the family. / Mother¡¯s brother.
  2. It looks like THIS.
  3. Á°äô li¨¢n y¨©; Describes the ripples on the surface of water blown by the wind. It¡¯s often used as a metaphor for the subtle thoughts/feelings inside the mind. The ripples on the mind stirred up by something small, meaning that something small caused some inner turmoil. From¡¶Ê«¾­¡·(sh¨© j¨©ng) ¡°Book of Songs¡±.
Chapter 133: I’ve Never Seen Someone Who Loves Each Other So Much. Chapter 133: I¡¯ve Never Seen Someone Who Loves Each Other So Much. Xiao YuAn carelessly walked on the road. He was so distracted, he didn¡¯t even see the little girling his way, so he ended up bumping into her. The child was wearing a red belly bag and had her hair styled with a braid. After bumping into Xiao YuAn¡¯s leg, she rubbed her small red nose, which probably got hurt due to the collision, which made her show an expression as if she was about to cry. Xiao YuAn quickly squatted down and tried to coax her with a soft tone of voice: ¡°Ah hey, don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. Where does it hurt? Will you let Gege take a look?¡± The child suddenly stopped crying, and after a few seconds ofplete silence, she hit Xiao YuAn¡¯s arm with her small fist: ¡°Gege is bad! Gege didn¡¯t look ahead! Gege has to apologize!¡± ¡®Whoa! Little girl, I think that you look like a Female Lead. Would you like to learn about the Tyrannical President route?¡¯ Xiao YuAn, who was still squatting, looked straight at her eyes, and apologized with a smile on his face: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was my mistake. Does your nose still hurt?¡± In the end, it turned out that after wasting time in trying to coax her, it was easier and faster to give her some candy canes. As Xiao YuAn looked at the child happily eating the candy, he thought: ¡®Hmm, I was wrong after all. I shouldn¡¯t have thought that you looked like a Female Lead, since your material desires reflect that you¡¯re a good kid that isn¡¯t pretentious.¡¯ The child, who had been bribed by Xiao YuAn with a bunch of candy, pulled on Xiao YuAn¡¯s clothes as she chewed on the candy. ¡°Hmm?¡± Xiao YuAn squatted down again in front of her and asked: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Dage, are you unhappy?¡± The little girl, with her cheeks covered with sugar crumbs, asked dubiously. ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao YuAn, with the corners of his mouth raising a smile, answered truthfully. ¡°Then why is Dage still smiling?¡± The child was puzzled. Xiao YuAn gently grabbed her braid and shook it back and forth: ¡°It¡¯s precisely because I¡¯m unhappy, that I have to smile.¡± The child showed a confused expression, murmured a half-hearted ¡®oh¡¯, and asked: ¡°Dage, why are you unhappy?¡± ¡°Because everyone seems to know where they want to go, what their final destination will be. But it seems like I¡¯m the only one who doesn¡¯t know where to go.¡± After he said that, Xiao YuAn bent his eyes. The child, while hearing his answer, put thest candy into her mouth: ¡°Then why don¡¯t you ask your mother to take you out to y?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand that was ying with the girl¡¯s braid subtly twitched, and even though he was still smiling, his smile was noticeably much lighter: ¡°My mother is too busy to take me out to y.¡± ¡°Then, is there anyone who¡¯s willing to take Dage out to y?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Dage, you¡¯re pitiful.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I think so too.¡± Xiao YuAn reached out and rubbed away the sugar crumbs from the corners of the kid¡¯s mouth, then stood up: ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t tease you anymore, I¡¯m going to work now.¡± After bidding farewell, he waved at the child while walking away, resuming his original path towards the medical shop. However, as soon as he arrived at the medical shop, a serious and urgent voice suddenly raged from inside: ¡°No! I don¡¯t agree!¡± Xiao YuAn was so startled at this, that he quickly walked inside. Inside, at the inner hall, Zhang Changsong was sitting on a wooden chair, stroking his beard as if he was thinking of something. Zhang Baizhu was standing beside him, looking slightly angry. Usually, Zhang Baizhu, who didn¡¯t have a sense of decency, would be reprimanded by Zhang Changsong, but he would never get angry. However, when Xiao YuAn looked at the current situation, he thought that something truly terrible must have happened. ¡°What happened? Shifu?¡± Xiao YuAn looked back and forth between them, very puzzled. Zhang Changsong waved his hand: ¡°Don¡¯t say anything. I¡¯ve already decided to go.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯ll take your ce, I¡¯ll go!¡± Zhang Baizhu quickly replied clenching his teeth and fists, showing a strong stance that didn¡¯t leave room to be contradicted. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Zhang Changsong red at him: ¡°You just got married to Shenling, so you two should live a good life first! Brat, you only know how to act courageous.¡± ¡°Dad, I¡¯m not trying to act brave! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s trying to be a hero. You¡¯re an old man with back problems and a bad leg, why don¡¯t you stay home? Do you really have to go through that hardship? Will you even be able to keep up with the army¡¯s pace, if you go to the barracks?¡± Zhang Baizhu replied indignantly. ¡°Army? What army?¡± Xiao YuAn interjected at the right time, asking further about the situation. Zhang Changsong sighed and exined what was going on to Xiao YuAn. It turned out that Zhang Changson¡¯s wife was once the daughter of a famous General of the Southern Yan Kingdom. Zhang Changsong traveled throughout the Four Kingdoms at a young age, healing people along the way and helping people in need. While he was at the markets in the Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s Imperial City, he fell in love with his wife at first sight. However, Zhang Changsong was only a poor and shabby doctor who couldn¡¯t even afford a dowry, so how could a General of the Southern Yan Kingdom marry his daughter to him? The two of them loved each other so much that their love could cross over thousands of barriers. But since Zhang Changsong¡¯s heart ached for his wife, he couldn¡¯t bear to see her suffer, so he decided to give up. However, the day he was about to leave, his wife sneaked out of the General¡¯s residence, took Zhang Changsong¡¯s hand and said: ¡°I must go with you!¡± That same night, when Zhang Changsong and his wife were about to run away from the Southern Yan Kingdom, the General found out about their ns and became furious; so he sent his men to take his daughter back and break Zhang Changsong¡¯s legs. At that critical moment, Zhang Changsong¡¯s wife¡¯s younger brother, the man dressed in ck from the Southern Yan Kingdom who came to find Zhang Changsong, stepped forward. He had been close to his sister since he was a child, and that moment he couldn¡¯t bear to see her suffering. At that time, he was very young and had a strong temper, so he rebelled against his father, letting Zhang Changsong and his sister go. After that, Zhang Changsong and his wife came to Taoyuan Vige, where they lived like a couple of Immortals1. However, his wifeter died due to an illness, and Zhang Changsong then adopted Zhang Baizhu. Afterwards, when the Southern Yan Kingdom was trampled by the Northern Kingdom¡¯s army, and even when the Southern Yan Kingdom rose again, he never heard any news from his wife¡¯s family members. Over the decades, everything was buried under the unpredictability of the world¡¯s affairs, slowly turned into dust, crushed by the wheels of history. ¡°So, Zhang Baizhu¡¯s uncle came to meet him? Isn¡¯t that supposed to be a good thing?¡± Xiao YuAn asked after hearing Zhang Changsong¡¯s exnation. ¡°But he also asked my dad to be their army¡¯s physician!¡± Zhang Baizhu clenched his fists and shouted angrily. ¡°What?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Zhang Changsong coughed twice and unhurriedly said: ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯ll be an army physician, but there have been too many casualties on the front line recently, so I¡¯ll go to help in what I can. Besides, I¡¯ll be back once the battle finishes. He also said that the sry wouldn¡¯t be small, and that the physician doesn¡¯t have to go to the front line, so my life won¡¯t be in danger.¡± ¡°If they say something won¡¯t happen, then it won¡¯t happen? When did any war go by without thousands of people dying? If they fail to support the front lines and the Eastern Wu Kingdom destroy their barracks, who will guarantee that your life wouldn¡¯t be in danger? No, I can¡¯t let you go no matter what.¡± Zhang Baizhu¡¯s words were said ungently and with anger, but they were reasonable. Zhang Changsong, who had been a stubborn man for most of his life, at this time wouldn¡¯t change his mind only because of what Zhang Baizhu said: ¡°When your mother and I were able to leave the Southern Yan Kingdom, it was all thanks to your uncle. Your mother always used to say that the only person she owed in this life was your uncle. Now that I finally have the opportunity to repay my debt, how can I bear to be indecisive?¡± ¡°Repay a debt? Alright, I know Dad, you have taught me since I was a child, that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring2, and I understand these great principles. In this case, wouldn¡¯t it be the same if I go instead of you? They¡¯re in need of a physician anyway, so I¡¯ll be the one to repay the debt!¡± Zhang Baizhu argued with perseverance. Zhang Changsong was so angry that he picked up his walking stick and smacked Zhang Baizhu on the back: ¡°Even if you¡¯re willing to go, why don¡¯t you think about Shenling? You two just got married, and you¡¯re eager to leave her alone? Moreover, in case something happens to you, how would I exin it to Shenling?¡± ¡°Dad, look at you, you¡¯re also worried that something might happen! Since you know it¡¯s dangerous, how can I agree to let you go?¡± Zhang Baizhu argued back. Zhang Changsong was so angry that he started to shiver while he stood up, raising his walking stick to hit Zhang Baizhu again. At that moment, Xiao YuAn quickly reached out his hand and stopped Zhang Changsong, helping him to sit back down on the wooden chair: ¡°Shifu, don¡¯t be angry, Zhang Baizhu is just worried about you.¡± Zhang Changsong, who was about to lose his temper again, tried to rx himself and let out a long sigh: ¡°I know that he¡¯s worried about me, but this debt, I can¡¯t not repay it.¡± As soon as he said that, Zhang Changsong started coughing violently. Zhang Baizhu quickly med: ¡°Look how your own body reacts, and yet you¡¯re still saying you will go to war?¡± And then hurriedly ran to get some water. Xiao YuAn patted Zhang Changsong¡¯s back to help him soothe the cough. At that moment, a small thought hovered inside his mind, slowly taking over his consciousness. At this moment, his mind was full of memories of Zhang Changsong taking care of him for the past year, with memories of his and Zhang Baizhu brotherhood. If the issue is repaying the debt, then why doesn¡¯t he, Xiao YuAn, repay it in their name? ¡°Shifu, if you join the army, when will you return?¡± Xiao YuAn asked. Zhang Changsong replied: ¡°I was told that I wille back in three months at most. Tell me, with such a short request of three months, how can I refuse?¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: ¡°Yes, I also think that this debt has to be repaid.¡± Zhang Changsong agreed: ¡°Right, then please help me to persuade Zhang Baizhu to stay.¡± Xiao YuAn, instead of agreeing with him, asked: ¡°Shifu, tell me, I¡¯ve been studying with you for a year now. Do you think that I would be able to be on my own?¡± Zhang Changsong waved his hand: ¡°Don¡¯t you already know how to treat injuries? You¡¯re even able to handle small pain and fever, so you can deal withmon¡ª wait, you ¡­.¡± Zhang Changsong suddenly understood what Xiao YuAn was suggesting, so he looked up at him with his eyes wide open: ¡°You? You¡¯re not thinking of¡­?¡± Xiao YuAn came forward to hold Zhang Changsong¡¯s hand, and with a warm smile, he said: ¡°Shifu, I¡¯ve been studying with you for a year, it¡¯s time for me to repay you3.¡± XYA will go to war? ! (¡É¡ä©n`¡É) ???Wee to the 1 out of 5 updates of the ¡®everyday update¡¯ as my Christmas present for y¡¯all ? ?????? Chapter 134: I Hide My Love For You Inside My Heart, But You Dont Know It. Xiao YuAn returned to the residence near midnight. Even though the argumentsted a long time, in the end, everyone knew that it was the best choice for him to rece Zhang Changsong as the army physician. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t forget that Yan HeQing wanted to say something to him tonight, but when he remembered that it was sote at night, he thought that Yan HeQing wouldn¡¯t wait for him at this hour and that he must be already asleep. After all, they could still talk about it tomorrow. However, when he walked through the courtyard and came closer to the East wing room, he found that there was a bright candle light flickering inside the wing room he shared with Yan HeQing. Xiao YuAn was stunned at this and hurriedly walked over to push open the door of the wing room. Yan HeQing, who was sitting at the side of the wooden table, raised his head when he heard the sound of the door being pushed open; his eyes were filled with Xiao YuAn¡¯s figure. He must¡¯ve waited for a long time since the candle was almost burned out, the previous melted wax fell down solidifying on the candlestick, twisted and cracked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I had some things to discuss with my Shifu and I didn¡¯t expect it would take so much time. Did you have to wait for me for a long time?¡± He asked, after repeatedly apologizing and exining the situation. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± As Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn, his tone sounded indiferent, but his fingertips were gently touching the table restlessly: ¡°In the end, I waited for you.¡± ¡°You wanted to tell me something, don¡¯t you?¡± After Xiao YuAn sat down beside Yan HeQing, he raised his head to look at him and with a warm smile on his lips, he said: ¡°It just so happens that I also have something to tell you.¡± Yan HeQing was a little surprised at this, as he slightly raised his eyebrows: ¡°You can speak first.¡± Xiao YuAn waved his hand and made a gesture of ¡®you go first¡¯: ¡°Nonono, you must speak first, after all, you¡¯ve been waiting for so long.¡± Yan HeQing nodded his head, his voice was slow and t: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll speak first.¡± As Yan HeQing raised his head, his eyes fell on Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes. Those eyes that were always warm and smiling, had appeared countless times in Yan HeQing¡¯s dreams. Even though he didn¡¯t like this body nor this face, he liked the man buried inside the depths of those warm eyes, the man who told him that his real name was Xiao YuAn. From then on, Yan HeQing has been obsessed with Xiao YuAn, he has been in love with him all this time. There wasn¡¯t an end to the greediness he felt, and there wasn¡¯t a way to survive without him. Yan HeQing said: ¡°Xiao YuAn, look at me.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± When he saw that Yan HeQing was acting serious, Xiao YuAn hastily sat upright. As he tried to restrain a smile, he looked at Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing looked into those eyes, no longer hiding his true emotions: ¡°Do you still remember what I said to you on that rainy day, inside the wooden cabin while we were on the mountain?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s body suddenly stiffened. He didn¡¯t expect that Yan HeQing would suddenly mention something like this. Even though they have returned to Taoyuan Vige, both of them had coincidentally kept silent about what happened during that period of time. Xiao YuAn still had been vaguely worried inside his heart that Yan HeQing woulde to question him about why he acted the way he did back then. ¡®It seems that the time hase.¡® Xiao YuAn silently thought about what words he should use, to exin everything to him inside his mind: ¡°I know, you want to know why I-¡­¡± Yan HeQing interrupted him: ¡°Do you remember what I said to you?¡± Xiao YuAn seemed to be afraid of making him mad, so he replied with a soft tone of voice: ¡°I remember.¡± Yan HeQing asked: ¡°What did I say?¡± Xiao YuAn bowed his head and looked around restlessly, then he replied: ¡°You thought I was Lin Shenling and showed me your feelings. But about that, I was pretending to be Lin Shenling because-¡­¡± Yan HeQing interrupted him again: ¡°Xiao YuAn, look at me.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t have a choice, so in the end, he looked up at Yan HeQing. Originally, he thought that he would see the anger of having been manipted by him within Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes, but what he saw in those eyes was the same indifference as ever. However, within the depths of that indifference, he could see some other emotions; those emotions that were once very well hidden were now revealed to Xiao YuAn. Even if Xiao YuAn is foolish and doesn¡¯t understand romance, he can clearly feel that Yan HeQing¡¯s gaze was full of deep love and yearning. Yan HeQing said. ¡°In those days, I wasn¡¯t blind and I already knew it was you the whole time. Everything I said about love, was for you.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s breath was stagnant, as he opened his mouth for a full minute without being able to say anything. After a brief moment, he suddenly half stood up, supporting his body on the table, shouting: ¡°Yan HeQing! Jokes are supposed to be funny!¡± Yan HeQing slightly narrowed his eyes, as his hand on top of the table slowly clenched: ¡°Xiao YuAn, look at me. Do you think I¡¯m joking?¡± Xiao YuAnughed dryly: ¡°Yan-ge, I know that you me me because I lied to you while we were on the mountain, but you don¡¯t have to do this. Revenge is never the answer, if you don¡¯t say the truth, then your innocence and honor will be gone. I-¡­¡± ¡°Xiao YuAn.¡± Yan HeQing interrupted him for the third time. ¡°I love you.¡± YHQ CONFESSED!!! And XYA this time knows YHQ¡¯s feelings are for him bc YHQ was rlly straight forward about it! ?????? How will XYA react? You¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out ?????? ? Chapter 135: I’ve Never Seen Someone Have Such An Extraordinary Reaction. Xiao YuAn stared at Yan HeQing dumbfoundedly, and his eyes gradually widened as he struggled to understand what Yan HeQing meant. However, that sentence was only three words long, so no matter how he heard it, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t find any other meaning behind them. Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­What? You just said what I think you said? You said that¡­ you, you love me? You like me? Love? Liiiiikee meeee1? Me?¡± Xiao YuAn said while also pointing at himself with his finger. Yan HeQing nodded firmly. Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Yan-ge!!¡¯ ¡®What nonsense are you saying?¡¯ ¡®What are you talking about?!¡¯ ¡®What the hell are you talking about?!¡¯ Yan HeQing thought that Xiao YuAn would get angry, so he turned around and was ready to leave; however, Xiao YuAn suddenly took a deep breath and threw himself at him! Xiao YuAn grabbed Yan HeQing¡¯s cor and his whole body was almost pressed on top of Yan HeQing, pressing him against the table while his voice trembled as he shouted out loud: ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯re talking about?! What do you mean, that you love me? How can you possibly love me? What kind of love are you referring to? Say it clearly! Is it a pure, brotherly love? Or do you want to fuck me?!¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s breathtaking speech made Yan HeQing dumbfounded, but the crucial point was that Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t stop talking, and kept asking shockingly: ¡°Do you want to top me? Do you want to sleep with me? Do you want to be on the bottom? Do you want to fuck me or not?!¡± After so much yelling, Yan HeQing finally came back to his senses. He put his right arm around Xiao YuAn¡¯s waist and as soon as he rolled over with his legs, he pressed Xiao YuAn against the table. Soon enough, their positions suddenly got reversed, so this time it was Xiao YuAn¡¯s turn to be confused. Yan HeQing looked down at Xiao YuAn, who was underneath him, and opened his mouth to ask faintly: ¡°Did you calm down?¡± Xiao YuAn nodden woodenly: ¡°I calmed down- w-wait, your hand, y-your hand is¡­¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s right hand was rubbing his waist lightly, which was between flirting and teasing him. Yan HeQing then slightly leaned down, pressing Xiao YuAn firmly against himself, stretching out his left hand to gently pinch his chin, forcing him to look directly at him. Then he softly opened his mouth, his voice was hoarse and low: ¡°Xiao YuAn, listen to me very carefully. I like you, the kind of like in which I want to tie you to my bed. The kind of like that in addition to me, you won¡¯t see anyone else. In which, night after night you¡¯ll be under my arms begging for mercy. I¡¯ll make your eyes cry until the corners of your eyes be red, and your fingers clutch the bedding because you can¡¯t bear my maniption on your body. You will desperately try to escape, but you¡¯ll be unable to move, trying really hard to breathe as you can¡¯t stop your mouth from moaning in pleasure. Do you understand me?¡± Xiao YuAn swallowed dryly, and for a moment, his voice was very weak: ¡°I-I un-understand.¡± ¡°Are you still willing to listen to me?¡± ¡°Lis-listen, listen to w-what?¡± ¡°Listen to what kind of like I feel for you.¡± ¡°No-no need, n-no, I¡¯m not lis-listening.¡± Xiao YuAn reached out a hand against Yan HeQing¡¯s chest and asked him: ¡°Ca-can you let go of me n-now?¡± Yan HeQing replied: ¡°Then tell me, which kind of like do I feel for you?¡± Xiao YuAn felt like his whole body was on the verge of burning up, so he quickly replied: ¡°I-I know, I already know what kind of like it is.¡± Yan HeQing said a meaningful ¡®oh?¡¯ and asked: ¡°You know? Then is my love for you the kind of brotherly love, or the kind of love in which I want to fuck you?¡± ¡°Thetter, thetter kind of like.¡± ¡°And which kind of ¡®like¡¯ is thetter one?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®Dude! Do you even know that you¡¯re ying with fire?! You annoying little demon!! Do you really need to ask me endlessly?!!¡¯ The President was very very angry, he felt angry and regretful at the same time. He felt that he shouldn¡¯t have studied the Tyrannical President ss in the first ce. Instead, he should¡¯ve gone to the next ssroom to learn the ¡®108 moves of how to deal with the Tyrannical President¡¯. Xiao YuAn thought: ¡®Why am I terrified?! I¡¯ve been practicing self-defense since I was a child, I¡¯m the one that easily beat up a Mob Boss like it was nothing!¡¯ Xiao YuAn, who was still muttering deep inside his mind, suddenly felt that something was different and subconsciously shouted out: ¡°Wait!¡± When Yan HeQing saw that Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t answering, the hand that was originally wrapped around his waist slowly slid through the cotton clothing until it stopped between his buttocks. ¡°I¡¯ll say! I¡¯ll say it!¡± Xiao YuAn shouted as he struggled under Yan HeQing¡¯s touch: ¡°Is the kind of like in which you want to fuck me! Take your hand off!!!¡± Welp I bet y¡¯all didn¡¯t expect XYA¡¯s reaction to be like this, but¡­ It¡¯s XYA we¡¯re talking abt ???? And oh my! When YHQ said what he wants to do to XYA my face went red lmao and I had to take a break from tranting ?????? Also YHQ took the opportunity there to touch his hubby¡¯s ass ?????? Footnotes
  1. Î÷һϲ£¿ºÍÎä°²»¶£¿x¨© y¨© x¨«£¿h¨² w¨³ ¨¡n hu¨¡n£¿; Deliberately dragging the sound of ϲ»¶ x¨« huan = ¡°like/love¡± in a yful way for showing your feelings. The pinyin for ϲ is x¨«, so when pronouncing: X = Î÷ (x¨©) and I = Ò» (y¨©). Î÷Ò» (x¨© y¨©) = ϲ (x¨«). While the pinyin for »¶ is hu¨¡n, so when pronouncing: H = ºÍ (h¨²), U = Îä (w¨³), AN = °² (¨¡n). ºÍÎä°² (h¨² w¨³ ¨¡n) = »¶(hu¨¡n).
Chapter 136: Inevitably, There Will Always Be Feelings To Know. Chapter 136: Inevitably, There Will Always Be Feelings To Know. After hearing Xiao YuAn¡¯s answer, Yan HeQing made a light satisfied sound and then withdrew his hand, letting go of Xiao YuAn, who was fluttering like a fish out of the water. He then got up and sat down on the chair beside the wooden table. Xiao YuAn turned over lying face down on the table, hating the fact that he can¡¯t merge with the wooden table. President Xiao is thinking about the meaning of life: ¡®Marxist philosophy says! That consciousness! Is subjective in form and objective in content1!¡¯ Therefore, Xiao YuAn, who was brainwashed by the nearly one million poisonous words from the original book, would naturally feel that! Yan HeQing! Is a straight man! With a huge harem! That never hesitates! To tease his concubines! ¡®Even if his First and Second Female Leads eloped, and the Third Female Lead is now happily married, he still has other wives, ah!¡® Even before, when Yan HeQing said to him that he never had a love affair, Xiao YuAn felt that this was just temporary! However, after Xiao YuAn¡¯s thousand calctions, he never thought that! Yan HeQing! Who in the second half of the original book spent every single night with a woman! Would Unexpectedly! Be! Gay! Xiao YuAn raised his head fiercely, turned to look at Yan HeQing, and asked him: ¡°Are you also a transmigrated soul?¡± When he saw that Yan HeQing¡¯s eyebrows were raised again and that he was about to get up, Xiao YuAn panicked and hurried to stop him: ¡°Stopstopstop!!! Let me think about this more!!! Let me think! Don¡¯te any closer! As soon as you get close, my brain gets all confused!!¡± Yan HeQing sat back on the wooden chair, seeing how Xiao YuAn was once again facing down with his forehead against the table, and continued to think about the meaning of life. ¡®Now that the Male Lead of the Stallion Novel is gay, it seems that this broken novel can no longer be viewed with the logic of the original.¡¯ ¡®But, Yan HeQing actually said that he liked me?!!¡¯ ¡®What the fuck?¡¯ It¡¯s like a mess of threads, that at first nce, can¡¯t be sorted out; but as long as you find the right thread and pull it little by little, you¡¯ll find that everything is clearly spread out in front of you. ¡®While we were on the mountain, he suddenly changed his attitude from one day to the next after he found out it was me all along.¡¯ ¡®And when we parted ways that day, he inexplicably smashed the hairpin to the ground.¡¯ ¡®That also exins why Xue Yan tried his best to separate us.¡¯ ¡®Even back then, in the market when Yan HeQing carefully handed the hairpin to me, under the lights of ten thousand homes2, and the unseen world of spirits3. How much love was paid wrongly? And how much love was lost?¡¯ Xiao YuAn sighed for a long time, then he raised his head, looked at Yan HeQing, and murmured: ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, you don¡¯t have to give me an answer so soon. You can take your time to think it over slowly.¡± Yan HeQing interrupted him and then extended his hand to him. Xiao YuAn subconsciously avoided his hand and moved away, only to suddenly freeze in ce. ¡®Oh no, this kind of reaction will definitely hurt Yan HeQing.¡¯ However, Yan HeQing looked indifferent as he continued to extend his hand and rub Xiao YuAn¡¯s forehead, which was red due to being rubbed against the table: ¡°Xiao YuAn, I¡¯ll have to leave tomorrow. After I conquer the Eastern Wu Kingdom, I¡¯lle back to you. Then, at that time, you can give me a reply.¡± Yan HeQing withdrew his hand but stopped midway. He looked at Xiao YuAn with a warm expression, his tone became slow and calm: ¡°But, if by the time of my return, you¡¯re not in Taoyuan Vige, and didn¡¯t leave behind any news of your whereabouts, then I will search for you all over the world. Even if that means that I¡¯ll have to dig three feet underground to get you.¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Wo-¡­ wow!¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­Wow?¡± ¡®Then then then what should I say?¡¯ ¡®My friend, you¡¯re really cool and amazing4?¡¯ Xiao YuAn was still wandering through his thoughts, when suddenly, Yan HeQing grabbed his wrist and pressed him against the table again. ¡®Why are you doing this again?! Is the script for the miserable Second Male Lead, going to get carried at the bottom of a wooden table?!¡¯ The distance between them was only a few inches apart, and after a few seconds of just staring at each other, Yan HeQing said: ¡°Xiao YuAn, if you don¡¯t mean to return my feelings then just push me away, don¡¯t leave me with any hopes. Otherwise¡­¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly moved and ced his forehead against Yan HeQing¡¯s forehead. The light ¡®knock¡¯ sound that their foreheads made after colliding with each other, immediately interrupted Yan HeQing¡¯s words. Xiao YuAn immediately said: ¡°I know. I¡¯ll remember everything that you said to me.¡± Yan HeQing replied: ¡°¡­Yes. By the way, what was that you wanted to talk to me about when you arrived?¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly remembered what it was, and subconsciously yelled: ¡°Ah¡­!¡± ¡®Ah¡­. I decided to take the ce of my Shifu as the army physician. Can¡­ can I still tell you about it?¡¯ Xiao YuAn remembered that when he was at the medical shop before, he swore to Zhang Changsong and Zhang Baizhu that there wasn¡¯t a need to worry about him, that he has a thigh to hold onto5 and that he has a back door to walk through. But now it seems¡­. at he won¡¯t be entering through a back door, but that his ¡®back door¡¯ will be entered6 instead¡­. Srsly XYA is too much ??? and YHQ is in love with this dumbass ! XYA you¡¯re so lucky ?? Tomorrow will be thest chapter I¡¯ll be updating for this novel this year~ since I¡¯ll be taking a week off before new year arrives! (So, next week lmao) Also, we¡¯re now 74 chapters away from the ending, and 100 chapters away from thest extra chapter!!! ?? Chapter 137: Inevitably, There Will Always Be Friends To Bid Farewell To. ¡°YuAn.¡± As Xiao YuAn was packing his luggage inside the wing room, Third Aunt approached him with a letter on her hand. When she saw that he was alone, she was puzzled: ¡°Where¡¯s Yan-gongzi?¡± ¡°He went to the Inn first, I¡¯ll meet him thereter.¡± Xiao YuAn stopped what he was doing and looked up to ask her: ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Third Aunt?¡± ¡°A letter from LiuAn and Fengyue arrived.¡± Third Aunt handed the letter to Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn took it and read it carefully, then he said with great surprise: ¡°They said that Chungui¡¯s illness is almost cured, and that they¡¯re ready toe back next month.¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s great! But¡­ but when they¡¯re on their way here, you¡¯re leaving.¡± Third Aunt sighed. ¡°Third Aunt, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back soon too.¡± Xiao YuAn showed her a reassuring smile. ¡°Auntie also doesn¡¯t want to worry.¡± Third Aunt said sadly. ¡°But this military recruitment¡­ there¡¯s no war without injuries and deaths. What if the Southern Yan Kingdom doesn¡¯t seed in conquering the Eastern Wu Kingdom? What will I do if you get hurt?¡± Xiao YuAn held her hand and gently patted it: ¡°Third Aunt, don¡¯t worry. The Southern Yan Kingdom will definitely win.¡± How could Third Aunt believe that? ¡°The world is extremely unpredictable, how can you be so sure?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled and avoided replying to that particr question. Instead, he said: ¡°Third Aunt, when LiuAn and Fengyue arrive with Chungui, you must not tell them that I went to the army as a physician. You can just tell them that I went to travel.¡± Third Aunt was slightly puzzled and thought that Xiao YuAn was afraid that they would worry about his safety if they knew, so she agreed in the end: ¡°Alright, Auntie will definitely keep her mouth shut.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled at her and replied: ¡°Thank you, Third Aunt.¡± Third Aunt stepped forward and reached out to help Xiao YuAn¡¯s pack his luggage. For a moment, she felt that the army didn¡¯t have enough clothes in the barracks, so she added several more clothes that she had sewed herself so that Xiao YuAn wouldn¡¯t suffer. At another time on the day, she thought that the army usually doesn¡¯t have enough nor good food to eat, so she wanted to make a pot of delicious food for Xiao YuAn to take with him. At another moment, she worried that Xiao YuAn would get so tired working all day taking care of the sick and injured, but no one would take care of him. However, the only thing she could do at this thought was frown and sigh. It was hard to pack Xiao YuAn¡¯s luggage, but when it was finally done and it was time to separate, Third Aunt didn¡¯t say anything and the expression on her face was extremely bitter. So, Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Third Aunt, Fengyue, LiuAn and Chungui won¡¯t arrive until a month from now, so if you feel bored and lonely, you can go and find Shenling. She also told me that she wille to see you everyday.¡± ¡°Fine fine fine, go ahead, go go.¡± Third Aunt pushed Xiao YuAn and made a gesture of ¡®you can go now¡¯. ¡°Auntie¡¯s goodbye is so warm. Okay then, I¡¯ll leave now.¡± Xiao YuAn bid his farewell and walked forward a few steps. However, he suddenly stopped walking and turned his head around, only to find Third Aunt standing at the entrance of their residence, watching him as he went away. Then, Xiao YuAn turned aroundpletely and trotted back. Third Aunt was surprised at this: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you forget something?¡± ¡°Auntie, when I¡¯m back, I want to eat your braised pork, roast chicken and marinated duck!¡± Xiao YuAn replied instead. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll cook it for you.¡± Third Aunt¡¯s face finally showed a smile: ¡°When youe back, Auntie will make them all for you to eat!¡± After saying goodbye to Third Aunt again, Xiao YuAn went to the medical shop. Zhang Baizhu was standing at the entrance looking around, as if he knew that Xiao YuAn woulde. When he saw Xiao YuAn carrying his luggage, he looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped himself from doing so. ¡°What? Why are you acting with maternal mannerisms?¡± Xiao YuAnughed at him. Zhang Baizhu rarely didn¡¯t fight and joke around with Xiao YuAn, however this time, he said: ¡°You must be careful. This war isn¡¯t a joke.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know.¡± Xiao YuAn patted Zhang Baizhu¡¯s shoulder and asked him: ¡°Where¡¯s Shifu?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the inner hall.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded his head and walked into the medical shop. In the not-so-bright inner hall, Zhang Changsong was slowly pounding medicine, and when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching, he didn¡¯t look up, but said: ¡°Are you leaving now?¡± ¡°Yes Shifu, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile. ¡°You must be very careful and take good care of yourself.¡± Zhang Changsong coughed twice and said slowly. ¡°Yes, Shifu, I know. Well then, I¡¯ll get going now.¡± Xiao YuAn turned around ready to leave, when suddenly, Zhang Changsong called out to him. ¡°Xiao YuAn, I didn¡¯t want to say any negative words, but you must remember that if something happens, you must let them send you back to Taoyuan Vige. Even if you only have one breath left, I can still pull you back from the Guimen Pass1.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile and bowed to Zhang Changsong. Then, he got up and walked out of the medical shop. Outside, Zhang Baizhu was squatting against the wall beside the door, looking carelessly at the medicine pot that was bubbling in front of him. When Xiao YuAn saw this, he hit Zhang Baizhu¡¯s back with his knee: ¡°Zhang Baizhu, I want to be a godfather.¡± ¡°What? What are you saying?¡± Zhang Baizhu frowned and looked back at him. When suddenly he understood what Xiao YuAn meant and his whole face turned red. Xiao YuAnughed out loud, and with Zhang Baizhu¡¯s loudly angry curses behind him, Xiao YuAn ran away wildly. Merry Christmas!! ???????? And since I won¡¯t be uploading next week, I wish y¡¯all a Happy New Year in advance! ?(*¡ä¦Ø£à*)/? I¡¯ll be back on the first week of January~ I want to thank all of my readers for making my 2020 a better year for me personally~ I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve gone through this year without the joy of tranting this novel and the support of all of you? thank you for being here!! ((o(*>¦Ø<*)o))?? Footnotes
  1. ¹íÃÅ¹Ø gu¨« m¨¦n gu¨¡n; Also tranted as ¡°The gates of hell¡±. In Chinese mythology, it¡¯s outside the boundary between the Netherworld and the world of the living. The edge of death. It¡¯s also used as a metaphor for dangerous situations.
Chapter 138: Inevitably, There Will Always Be A Cannon Fodder Who Will Put Himself In Danger. When Xiao YuAn arrived at the East Street Inn with his luggage on his back, he saw that the soldiers dressed in ck, who hade looking for Yan HeQing, were now gathering at the entrance of the Inn,forting the horses that were puckering their hooves beside them. Xiao YuAn had asked Yan HeQing before, and these soldiers couldn¡¯t recognize his face as the Northern Emperor, so as Xiao YuAn walked over boldly. Deputy General Chen, who he saw howling like a bear before, greeted Xiao YuAn enthusiastically once he saw him approaching the Inn: ¡°Physician Xiao! Here, here!¡± Xiao YuAn walked over a few steps, turned his head to look around, and asked with curiosity: ¡°Where¡¯s Yan HeQing?¡± When they heard that Xiao YuAn unapologetically called Yan HeQing by his full name, several soldiers frowned and coughed. Then they remembered that he was their Emperor¡¯s benefactor who had saved his life. Besides, he will also be their future army physician, so in the end, they didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°His Majesty said that he was going to buy something, so he asked us to wait for him here.¡± Deputy General Chen enthusiastically exined to Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn nodded, inclined his head to look at the horses beside the soldiers, and asked: ¡°There¡¯s no carriage?¡± Deputy General Chen rubbed the back of his head awkwardly: ¡°Physician Xiao, we¡¯re so eager to return as soon as possible, that even traveling with horses is too slow for us, so how can we possibly take a carriage?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled helplessly and spread his hands: ¡°Then it¡¯s over, I don¡¯t know how to ride a horse. Why don¡¯t you tie me to the side of a horse and transport me like that to the barracks?¡± ¡°Hahahahahahahahaha Physician Xiao is so funny. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll give you a ride.¡± As soon as Deputy General Chen said this, Yan HeQing came from afar on a white horse. When the soldiers saw him, all of them respectfully saluted him after mounting the horses, ready to depart at any time. ¡°Come on Physician Xiao,e up. I ride steadily so I won¡¯t bump into you.¡± Deputy General Chen pulled the reins tightly, bent down sideways, and extended his hand towards Xiao YuAn enthusiastically. Xiao YuAn smiled at him: ¡°No need, I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± Deputy General Chen was stunned: ¡°How can I get hurt over this? Is Physician Xiao worried that riding with me will cause an inconvenience? Don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯m very steady on my horse! Come on, get up here!¡± After he said this, he waved at Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn smiled at his naivety, shook his head, and then turned towards Yan HeQing, waving his hand and shouting: ¡°Yan-ge! I don¡¯t know how to ride a horse!¡± Yan HeQing, dressed in white and riding a majestic white horse, looked elegant and handsome; just like a scene of winter with stunning colors. When Yan HeQing heard Xiao YuAn¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t hesitate to hit the horse to run forward. Xiao YuAn often remembered the day they parted ways, and how Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes dropped after he threw the hairpin on the ground. At the time, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t understand why Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes, who had always looked indiferent, were red at the moment, and why he had such a sad expression on his face. But now, he finally knew why. So, every time Xiao YuAn remembered that scene, the puzzlement and confusion turned into a faint guilt. Ever since knowing Yan HeQing¡¯s feelings, Xiao YuAn would asionally think: ¡®If everything was made clear at the beginning, what kind of situation would it be like now?¡¯ Now, when he looked at Yan HeQing on horseback, Xiao YuAn inevitably remembered that day again. The only difference this time was that the person who was once galloping far away from him, was now riding his horse towards him. Yan HeQing, in front of Xiao YuAn, pulled back the reins of the horse, making the horse stand sideways to Xiao YuAn and extended out his hand to him. Xiao YuAn smiled at him and held Yan HeQing¡¯s hand tightly. In front of everyone, Yan HeQing pulled Xiao YuAn onto the horse, and wrapped his hands around his body to protect him. Then he raised the whip and galloped the horse, leaving only dust behind. Deputy General Chen was stunned: ¡°As expected of a life-saver benefactor, he¡¯s even worthy of riding the same horse together with His Majesty.¡± The several soldiers looked far and wide, agreed with each other, and unanimously set their horses into a gallop to follow after their Emperor. Wee 2021!! ©c( ¡®¦Ø¡¯ )??????? we start the year with XYA acting all cute with YHQ, and he still calls him ¡°Yan-ge¡± (o¡äÀŸ`o)? XYA: uwu I cwan¡¯t rwide a howrse uwu ?? YHQ: I got u babe ?( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)??? Chapter 139: Inevitably, There Will Always Be A President Who Thinks Of Writing A Book. When the soldiers were left far behind, to the point in which they were hard to see in the distance, Yan HeQing tightened the reins and slowed down. Then, he handed the reins to Xiao YuAn while taking something out of his sleeve at the same time. Before Xiao YuAn could react, he was suddenly hugged from behind by Yan HeQing, gently pinching his chin making his face lean backwards. ¡°The road! The road! Look at the road!¡± Xiao YuAn was so frightened, that he broke away from Yan HeQing¡¯s grasp and hurriedly turned his head back. ¡°It¡¯s alright, the speed is not fast, and the road is even.¡± Yan HeQing said softly, but he didn¡¯t force Xiao YuAn to turn his head towards him again. Instead, he put the object in his hand on Xiao YuAn¡¯s face. Xiao YuAn was stunned and the reins in his hands were taken once again by Yan HeQing. Since he was no longer being hugged, Xiao YuAn reached out and took the thing off his face, holding it up in front of his eyes and examined it. It was a half-face mask, its decoration was simple, and it had some winding patterns carved on the mask. This mask was long enough to cover most of Xiao YuAn¡¯s face, only revealing his chin and lips. The mask looked like a toy, just like the ones that were sold in the market, but the workmanship was in fact quite exquisite. ¡°Hmm? Is this a gift for me?¡± Xiao YuAn fiddled with the mask, repeatedly taking it off and putting it on again. ¡°This time, for the Southern Yan expedition to the Eastern Wu Kingdom, my uncle is in the North consolidating the strength of the Southern Yan Kingdom, so he didn¡¯te here. However, I¡¯m not sure if there will be any Southern Yan Generals who will recognize your face, so¡­¡± Before Yan HeQing could stop talking, Xiao YuAn interrupted him with a smile: ¡°I understand, I know. It¡¯s better to avoid unnecessary trouble¡± The horse ran across the t road until it came to a rtively rugged path. Since the horse¡¯s pace also became bumpy, Yan HeQing tightened his hold to firmly protect Xiao YuAn, who was sitting in front of his body: ¡°If you feel ufortable wearing the mask, you don¡¯t need to use it. I will never let anyone hurt you again.¡± ¡°No, I quite like it, thank you.¡± Xiao YuAn put the mask on, adjusted it to afortable position, and turned his head to show Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing said: ¡°Don¡¯t turn your head.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s head was only turned halfway when he heard that, so he hurriedly turned back to look at the road ahead: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yan HeQing replied: ¡°I won¡¯t be able to restrain myself from kissing you.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­ Oh, I see, alright, fine, fine.¡± After a long while in silence, Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°Yan-ge, have you ever considered writing a book?¡± ¡°What book?¡± ¡°3000 Quotes From The New President.¡± ¡°¡­¡­. What?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing. Well, um¡­ It seems that I suddenly feel like singing again! Can Yan-ge make the horse run faster?¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s legs hit the horse¡¯s belly, suddenly raising the whip. The horse raised his head and neighed, followed by the horse running even faster than before. Xiao YuAn cleared his throat and began to sing: ¡°Let¡¯s live in harmony with each other in the world~, galloping our horses and sharing the prosperity of the world~, celebrating the joy of our hearts with wine~. Let¡¯s live our youth to the fullest~1!¡± Then, Xiao YuAn was tossed up and down by the rugged mountain road, which made him feel nauseous. Before, he was happily singing, but now, he thought that if he kept on signing, he would most likely throw up. ¡­ A few dayster, the Southern Yan barracks spread the great news that the Emperor has returned safe and sound, and that the barracks will have a Physician, whose surname was Xiao. The journey was long and tiring, but right after Yan HeQing returned to the army, he began to rectify the army¡¯s morale without rest. Moreover, he was so busy that his feet couldn¡¯t even touch the ground2. Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t idle either. Although recently, there weren¡¯t any battles against the Eastern Wu Kingdom, the army camp was full of injured, sick and disabled soldiers. So, on the first day of arriving at the barracks, right after dismounting, Yan HeQing and Xiao YuAn never saw each other again. While Xiao YuAn was busy inside a tent bandaging and helping the soldiers dress until midnight, he suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching the tent. ¡°Physician Xiao, Physician Xiao.¡± Deputy General Chen poked his head from outside the tent and cried: ¡°Eh? Physician Xiao, why are you wearing a mask?¡± Xiao YuAn was holding medicine in one hand, a basin in the other, and a roll of gauze was in his mouth, so he didn¡¯t have the time to pay attention to him. After waving the things in his hands, he continued to treat the wounded soldiers in front of him. Chen Ge3 came over scratching his head and asked: ¡°Do you need any help, Physician Xiao?¡± Xiao YuAn put the gauze cloth in his hand and pointed at an injured soldier¡¯s wound: ¡°Tie it! Tie it tightly and stop the bleeding.¡± ¡°Oh, alright.¡± Chen Ge hurriedlyplied with his instructions, and after a long time passed, Chen Ge wiped his sweat and said: ¡°This work is so hard. Before, I heard the rumor that there¡¯s a skilled female Physician in the Eastern town, but I don¡¯t know if the Generals can ask her toe. If they can invite her over, your work should get easier, right?¡± Xiao YuAn, who was also extremely tired, sat on the ground, breathlessly picking up the bloody cotton cloth. When he heard Chen Ge¡¯s words, he asked: ¡°Is that female Physician named Bai Zhi?¡± Chen Ge was surprised: ¡°Yes, exactly! How does Physician Xiao know that?¡± ¡°She won¡¯te.¡± Xiao YuAn finished picking up the cotton cloth and started to wipe the dried blood on his hands. ¡°Ah? Why does Physician Xiao think so?¡± Chen Ge didn¡¯t understand. ¡®Because she was part of your Emperor¡¯s harem!¡¯ ¡®Now that your Emperor is gay, why would a womane all the way to this army camp to suffer from the hardships of war?!¡¯ Asdfghj this time XYA won¡¯t try to matchmake YHQ with other harem member because now he KNOWS YHQ has feelings for him!! Yay for this improvement!!!! Footnotes
  1. ¡¶µ±¡·(d¨¡ng), ¡°When¡±, it¡¯s a song sung by the rock group ¶¯Á¦»ð³µ (d¨°ng l¨¬ hu¨¯ ch¨¥) or ¡®Power Station¡¯, and was one of the songs of the first part of the 1998 TV series¡¶»¹Öé¸ñ¸ñ¡·(hu¨¢n zh¨± g¨¦ ge), ¡°My Fair Princess¡±.
  2. ½Å²»Õ´µØ ji¨£o b¨´ zh¨¡n d¨¬; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means to walk very fast, as if one¡¯s feet aren¡¯t touching the ground. From¡¶ºìÂ¥ÃΡ·(h¨®ng l¨®u m¨¨ng), ¡°Dream of the Red Chamber¡±, wrote by (²ÜÑ©ÇÛ c¨¢o xu¨§ q¨ªn) Cao Xueqin [1715-1764], from the Qing Dynasty [1644-1911].
  3. ³Â¸è ch¨¦n g¨¥; This ¸è g¨¥ (song/to sing) character is different from ¸ç g¨¥ (brother). So this isn¡¯t ¡°Brother Chen¡±, the Ge here is Deputy General Chen¡¯s name.
Chapter 140: Inevitably, There Will Always Be Some Things You Need To Overcome. Chen Ge was confused: ¡°Why is Physician Xiao so sure that the female Physician, Bai Zhi, will note?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled at him, but didn¡¯t answer. Chen Ge, on the other hand, saw that he seemed to know something and asked: ¡°Does Physician Xiao know how to get her to ept the invitation toe help?¡± ¡°I know, yes I do know. In the past, not only would I¡¯ve told you how to invite her over, but I would also have helped her by persuading your Emperor to invite her personally. But now¡­¡± Xiao YuAn only smiled without saying anything else. ¡°His Majesty? Do you want His Majesty to invite her over? Why not then?¡± Chen Ge was confused once again. ¡°In the past, I was blinded by the original book and couldn¡¯t see clearly what was in front of me. But now, if I still refuse to see things as the way they are, then I¡¯m really just a piece of garbage.¡± Xiao YuAnid on his back to rest for a bit. After thinking for a while, Chen Ge finally replied: ¡°Physician Xiao¡¯s speech is quite profound.¡± ¡°Ah, right, what brought you here? You couldn¡¯t have possiblye to help me on purpose, right?¡± Xiao YuAn turned his head to him and asked all of a sudden. ¡°Oh yes, right!¡± Chen Ge patted his head and said: ¡°Look at my silly memory, I even forgot the important matter that brought me here. His Majesty asked me to take you to him, but after seeing you working so hard all day, why don¡¯t I go talk to His Majesty instead? If it¡¯s important, you two can still talk about it tomorrow.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled again and asked him: ¡°Will it be okay for you to talk about it with him? Is His Majesty really that talkative?¡± Chen Ge waved his hand in an exaggerated way, not mincing his words in praise: ¡°Although our Emperor is never soft on his enemies, and he looks merciless, cruel and cold, he¡¯s actually a wise ruler! He listens to his subordinates¡¯ advice seriously!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve known these things already in my past life.¡± Xiao YuAn braced himself to stand up. ¡°Past life, what past life? Wait! Physician Xiao, where are you going?¡± Chen Ge saw him get up and walk away, so he hurriedly followed after him. ¡°Didn¡¯t His Majesty wish to see me?¡± Xiao YuAn lifted the curtain and walked outside. Chen Ge froze in ce and touched his head in a daze, then he quickly followed Xiao YuAn. Chen Ge dutifully took Xiao YuAn towards a military tent. Once they arrived, Chen Ge saluted him and then left. After a guard outside the tent reported to Xiao YuAn that he could enter, he lifted the curtain and walked in. Inside the tent, Yan HeQing was sitting on a couch reading a military book. In front of him, there was a low table filled with topographical maps and advice folds. It seemed that he had been busy the entire day. Xiao YuAn shakily walked over and then leaned back, throwing himself at Yan HeQing¡¯s side, flopping down with his back against the mattress. Then he started to wave his hands helplessly as he vaguely said: ¡°I¡¯m so tired that I can¡¯t even lift my arms.¡± Yan HeQing looked at him, reached out and picked up Xiao YuAn, pulling him into his arms and wrapping his hands around him. Then he rubbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s arms with one hand and continued reading the military book with the other. Xiao YuAn dazedly lifted his eyelids and said: ¡°Yan-ge, you¡¯re so attentive. Sooner orter, I will fall in love with you.¡± Yan HeQing hooked the corners of his mouth shallowly. ¡°All right, all right.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t have the heart to let Yan HeQing keep rubbing his sore arms, so he broke out of his embrace and forced himself to ask: ¡°Why did you want to see me tonight?¡± Yan HeQing looked at him, and instead of replying to his question, he asked: ¡°Are you tired?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m quite sleepy.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s no need to hurry. You can sleep for now.¡± Xiao YuAn expressed an almost silent ¡®oh¡¯, as he stood up and started to walk towards the exit of the tent. Meanwhile, Yan HeQing, whose eyes were still on the military book, reached out for Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrist, and without raising his head, he asked: ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going back to sleep!¡± Yan HeQing pointed back at himself, towards the warm mattress with a quilt made out of animal fur on top of it, ced at the inner part of the tent, and said: ¡°Sleep here.¡± Xiao YuAn blinked and blinked again, then he said: ¡°Yan-ge, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to sleep here. After all, this ce is morefortable than my military tent full of dried blood but¡­ If I sleep here, where will you sleep then?¡± Yaan HeQing replied: ¡°¡­.. We¡¯ll divide the bed into two.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Yan-ge, no matter what I say, you¡¯ll convince me to sleep here tonight anyways, am I right?¡± Yan HeQing hmmed in response. Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t in the mood to make a fuss about it, so he took off the mask, then went into the inner part of the tent. He pulled the quilt to make two separate beds, took the inner bed for himself, and lied down on his side to sleep. YHQ is so smooth!!! Like¡­ XYA you¡¯re already in love, it¡¯s just that you don¡¯t know it yet hahahaha ?? Chapter 141: You Can Howl All You Want, But I’ll Lose My Ears If I Don’t Knock You Out. When he saw Xiao YuAn was defenselessly sleeping in the inner part of the bed, Yan HeQing raised his eyebrows with light surprise: ¡°You¡¯re quite at ease with me around.¡± Xiao YuAn was so tired that he had already entered a state of shallow sleep, he didn¡¯t care whether Yan HeQing will understand his words or not: ¡°Yan-ge, even though you¡¯re a Tyrannical President, I know you¡¯re not the type of Tyrannical President who thinks with the lower half of his body.¡± Yan HeQing, on the other hand, no longer bothered him and blew out the candle light ced on the low table. Then, he continued to read the military book with the help of the moonlight shining down from outside the tent. Although Xiao YuAn was so sleepy that he couldn¡¯t speak well, he still said after feeling that the light had dimmed: ¡°Light up the¡­ candle, I¡­ I can sleep, you¡­. don¡¯t damage your eyes¡­ light, light it up.¡± However, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t light the candle, so Xiao YuAn kept talking until the tent was lit by candlelight again. The next morning, when Xiao YuAn woke up, he found thatst night he was sleeping alone when his eyes closed, and after opening his eyes, he was still sleeping all by himself. The tent was also empty, and Yan HeQing was nowhere to be seen. Xiao YuAn put the mask on his face and walked out of the tent quite confused. Outside the tent, he found that the entire barracks was empty, so he went to a stationed guard and asked: ¡°Where¡¯s your Emperor?¡± ¡°Xiao, Physician Xiao? His Majesty led his troops to battle early this morning.¡± The guard replied. ¡°In such a hurry?! But he¡¯s still wounded!!!¡± Xiao YuAn shouted. ¡°Ah¡­? Isn¡¯t it amon thing to be wounded in a war?¡± The guard was dumbfounded by Xiao YuAn¡¯s sudden outburst. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn found that he was being a bit impolite, so he covered his mouth and coughed. Then he bowed his head and waved his hands, but didn¡¯t say anything else as he got up, walking towards the tent where the injured and disabled soldiers were resting. For the next few days, the wounded soldiers were constantly sent from the battlefield to the military tent. Most of them were covered entirely in blood, and the lucky ones would only suffer from knife and arrow wounds. The unfortunate ones willck arms and legs, and the most unfortunate of them will directly lose their lives. Xiao YuAn can easily smell the blood in the air, making him feel nauseous. At one time, a soldier whose face was cut open to the point that the jawbone was visible, was sent into the military tent. Xiao YuAn had desperately tried everything he could to save him, but in the end he still failed to pull that soldier back from Guimen Pass. The only thing he could do was watch the soldier dying in pain after losing his vital energy. After the corpse of that soldier was wrapped in white cloth and carried out of the tent, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but hold his throat outside the tent as he vomited for a little while. A soldier helped him, patting him on his back: ¡°Physician Xiao, are you alright?¡± Xiao YuAn waved his hand and then wiped it clean with clear water. Then he patted the young soldier¡¯s shoulder and said earnestly: ¡°If in your next life you be a CEO, remember to support the medical system when you do charity.¡± The young soldier was very confused: ¡°Huh? Wha-? What? Ah?¡± Before Xiao YuAn could recover his strength, someone entered the tent while shouting out loud: ¡°Physician! Save him! Quickly save him!! Physician!¡± ¡°Thi-¡­.. this way.¡± After vomiting, Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice was a little weak, so he simply shut up and directed the soldier carrying another soldier to put him down. He then took the gauze and the medicine to stop the bleeding, but when he saw the soldier¡¯s face, he was stunned: ¡°Deputy General Chen?!¡± Chen Ge¡¯s right shoulder was pierced by a sharp arrow and his abdomen was also hit by another arrow. He must¡¯ve passed out due to the blood loss, so Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t dare to neglect him and began to take out the arrow. Unexpectedly, the arrow of the Eastern Wu Kingdom had a hook and couldn¡¯t be taken out without cutting the flesh open, worsening the wound. At this, Xiao YuAn grit his teeth and used a knife to take out the arrow. Probably because it hurt so much, Chen Ge surprisingly woke up in the middle of the process, and then he began to howl. Xiao YuAn almost lost his hearing by Chen Ge¡¯s howling, so he knocked him unconscious with a knife hand strike1, which had stunned the young soldiers around them. When Deputy General Chen woke up for the second time, his first words were: ¡°Don¡¯t knock me out!! I have something to say!¡± Xiao YuAn was wrapping the final bandage, so he raised his chin to indicate that Chen Ge could say it. Then, Deputy General Chen howled: ¡°This battle will soon be over! We¡¯re about to win! Aahhhhhhh it hurts!! Motherfucker it really hurts! Holy shit!!¡± Xiao YuAn rubbed his ear, and without hesitation, he knocked Chen Ge out with a knife hand strike again. XYA¡¯s job is so hard! And he has to do it all alone (¡ä£»§¥£»£à) I hope everything is going well on the battlefield for YHQ¡¯s side _(¡¹¡Ï ???)_ Footnotes
  1. ÊÖµ¶ sh¨¯u d¨¡o; Is a type of manual strike used in various martial arts, characterized by using the part of the hand opposite the thumb, from the little finger to the wrist. It gets its name from the sh-like appearance of the blow, using the edge of the hand like that of a sword. Looks like THIS.
Chapter 142: You Can Say Anything You Want, But I’ll Lose If I Don’t Know What You’re Thinking. When Deputy General Chen woke up for the third time, it was already the middle of the night. Once he was conscious, and he was about to begin shouting again, Xiao YuAn covered his mouth: ¡°Don¡¯t scream, everyone¡¯s sleeping right now.¡± Chen Ge looked around the tent and found that the wounded soldiers lying around were sleeping soundly, so he had to bear the pain and groan silently: ¡°Physician Xiao, your hand is too strong. After hitting me I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve twisted my neck.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°You should be d I stopped you from shouting just now.¡± Chen Ge shrunk his neck and asked: ¡°Physician Xiao, why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyebrows showed how tired he was, as he pointed at a young soldier next to him. The young soldier¡¯s body was covered in cloth, looking extremely pitiful: ¡°He has a fever, and I have to constantly change the wet cloth on his forehead to cool him down. I have to watch his progress.¡± Chen Ge replied: ¡°Physician Xiao, if you overwork yourself, His Majesty will feel distressed once hees back.¡± Xiao YuAn was stunned at first, but then he replied with a smile: ¡°How did you find out?¡± Chen Ge: ¡°I¡¯ve been following His Majesty for so long, and yet, I¡¯ve never seen him get close to anyone. However, not only did you two ride a horse together, but he also invited you to his tent at night. That has never happened before.¡± Xiao YuAn removed the cloth from the forehead of the young soldier, which was warm due to the body¡¯s fever, and ced it in the basin with cold water: ¡°Riding together may be because I saved his life. As for him asking to see mete at night, that may also have been because he felt pain from his wounds and called for me to check on them. Your two arguments are too far-fetched.¡± Chen Ge¡¯s eyes were wide: ¡°Physician Xiao, His Majesty wasn¡¯t injured to the extent in which he couldn¡¯t stand, so he would never call a military physician to check on him. He would just get over it by himself! And, do you know how much he has changed ever since you appeared? He used to lead his troops to war, rushing to the forefront as if he didn¡¯t care about his own life, hoping that Yama1 would take his life as soon as possible! Now, he¡¯s taking care of his life!¡± Xiao YuAn, who was rubbing the cloth in the cold water, became stunned at Chen Ge¡¯s words. After a short while, he folded the cloth and put it back on the young soldier¡¯s forehead: ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t speak about it.¡± ¡°No, I must say it. Otherwise, you won¡¯t understand His Majesty¡¯s feelings!¡± Chen Ge didn¡¯t give up. Xiao YuAn raised a smile, and with his hand, he gestured at Chen Ge that he would knock him out again, making Chen Ge shrink on the bed and shout: ¡°I¡¯m an injured patient! Injured!¡± Xiao YuAn then pretended to wave his hand at him, scaring Chen Ge into shutting up. Once he saw that he finally had quieted down, Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°You said that you¡¯re afraid of pain, so why did you want to be a soldier?¡± Chen Ge replied sheepishly: ¡°In fact, I know that although I look big and strong, in nature I¡¯m actually quite weak. But, you know that the Northern Kingdom attacked the Southern Yan Kingdom some years ago? My family was ughtered by those bastards, and when they thought that I might¡¯ve some strength, they wanted to capture me as well. At that precise moment, General Xue Yan saved me, so I have been following him ever since. Before, the only thing I thought about day and night, was about how to avenge my people; but now that the Northern Kingdom has been conquered by His Majesty, I feel less hatred inside of me.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Do you hate the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom?¡± Chen Ge pped his leg: ¡°I definitely hate him to the core. Damn, back then, when their iron cavalry trampled into our town and set it on fire, they didn¡¯t leave any survivors! They¡¯re a bunch of beasts, so all of the Northern Emperor¡¯s descendents should¡¯ve been fucking evil!¡± Xiao YuAn then asked again: ¡°Then, what do you think of me?¡± Chen Ge replied: ¡°Physician Xiao, you¡¯re the most gentle person I¡¯ve ever met! You¡¯re so nice, no wonder His Majesty would be attracted to you!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Damn, you¡¯re a big pig¡¯s hoof2!¡± Then, Chen Ge was, once again, struck unconscious by the most gentle person he had ever met with a knife hand strike3. Chen Ge may be a big muscr man, but he¡¯s so adorable hahaha ( ???-?)-? But, if he could see that YHQ has feelings for XYA, that means others did too, and all of them worship Xue Yan ¡­ ( ? _ ? ) *sweats in fear* Footnotes
  1. ÑÖÂÞÍõ y¨¢n lu¨® w¨¢ng; Or the King of Hell, is a deity in Chinese myths and Taoism, and the ruler of the Underworld. The name ÑÖÂÞ y¨¢n lu¨® is an abbreviated Chinese transliteration of the Sanskrit term, Yamar¨¡ja. He is also the judge of the Underworld and passes judgement on all of the dead.
  2. ´óÖíÌã×Ó d¨¤ zh¨± t¨ª z¨«; It¡¯s a phrase used by women to spit on yboys. It can be used to spit on men when they don¡¯t understand the situation, or when they¡¯re being ruthless and huge assholes. We can understand the word better as ¡°men aren¡¯t a good thing¡±.
  3. ÊÖµ¶ sh¨¯u d¨¡o; Is a type of manual strike used in various martial arts, characterized by using the part of the hand opposite the thumb, from the little finger to the wrist. It gets its name from the sh-like appearance of the blow, using the edge of the hand like that of a sword.
Chapter 143: You Can Flirt All You Want, But I’ll Lose If Something Doesn’t Happen. When Chen Ge woke up again, he was awakened by a round of cheering. His eyes were full of sparks as he asked: ¡°Huh? What happened?¡± Someone shouted in his ear: ¡°The front line has won!! The army is already stationed there! We¡¯ll leave tomorrow and follow the troops there!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± After cheering for a while, Chen Ge turned his head around to look for someone, and when he didn¡¯t find that person, he asked: ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Physician Xiao?¡± Someone replied: ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but as soon as His Majesty won the battle, he rushed back overnight, leaving a few Generals stationed at the front line. Just now, Physician Xiao asked if His Majesty was injured; after that, he hurriedly went to find His Majesty.¡± Deputy General Chen, who was a single person by nature, sneered: ¡°My heart is so lonely, it¡¯s really fucking sour.¡± ¡­ Yan HeQing¡¯s shoulder was cut by a sharp de, even though it had already been bandaged, Xiao YuAn disliked the roughness of the bandage and was currently reapplying medicine on him. Xiao YuAn brought a basin with clean water, carefully wiping away the dry blood and sticky dirt from Yan HeQing¡¯s wound: ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Yan HeQing slightly lowered his head to look at the person in front of him, unwilling to look away: ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: ¡°I can¡¯t help you if it hurts, so you have to bear with it.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°I know a way to stop the pain.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Oh? You mean apress with herbal medicine to stop the pain? The effect of that method is not that good. I applied it to Chen Ge before, but he still kept on squealing like a pig.¡± Yan HeQing shook his head: ¡°No.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Then what else can I do?¡± Yan HeQing slightly leaned over and whispered in Xiao YuAn¡¯s ear with a soft seductive voice: ¡°If you kiss me, it won¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.. You, y-you don¡¯t flirt with me. I-I¡¯ll tell you how to apply h-herbal medicine, wa-wait. I, m-my hand is trembling, you have to pr-press it into the wound, the-then i-it wo-won¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± The corners of Yan HeQing¡¯s mouth raised slightly: ¡°You do it, you¡¯re responsible for stopping the pain.¡± ¡®Why is this phrase so simr to ¡®you stirred up the fire, you have to extinguish it yourself¡¯?¡¯ ¡®So you showed me that you decided to be a considerate and protective man, but you secretly decided to be a Tyrannical President?¡¯ Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t reply to him, he just lowered his head and proceeded to clean Yan HeQing¡¯s wound. Then he applied the medicine, bandaged it with clean cloth, and half supported Yan HeQing¡¯s shoulder, then gently kissed his wound. The candlelight in the tent was flickering slightly, making their shadows move. Somehow, these shaking shadows were reflected into the bottom of his eyes, making his eyes be extremely deep and dark. As soon as Xiao YuAn raised his head, his chin was pinched by Yan HeQing¡¯s hand, who also tightly wrapped his other hand around Xiao YuAn¡¯s waist, as he raised his chin up. Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes gradually widened until he ended up closing them the moment he thought he would be kissed. ¡°I¡¯vee to report!!!¡± A soldier outside the tent suddenly lifted the curtain and ran inside, then he proceeded to kneel down with one fist sping his knee. When he saw the situation inside the tent, the overbearing soldier instantly turned shy: ¡°I-I¡¯ve coe to re-re-report Ge-general Hu-huang, he, he, he, he asked to see His Majesty.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­¡± The soldier¡¯s hands were shaking, his legs were shaking, his internal organs were shaking. He has lived for 35 years and reported news for seven years now. But, for fuck¡¯s sake! He has never! Seen! A situation like this! What should he do? Would it be useful to hit his own Tiangling acupuncture point1 and then pretend to faint? Xiao YuAn coughed lightly and with a small voice he said: ¡°Yan, Yan-ge can you re-remove your ha-hand?¡± Yan HeQing let go of Xiao YuAn¡¯s chin and wrapped his arms around his waist instead. Then he turned his head to look at the reporting soldier and said: ¡°Let the General know that he cane in.¡± The soldier¡¯s voice trembled as he replied a small ¡®yes¡¯, and then he ran out of the tent in the blink of an eye. As soon as the soldier ran out of the tent, Yan HeQing quickly turned his head around, looking at the corner of Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth, who had not yet reacted, and kissed him before he had to reluctantly release him. Shy XYA is so cuteeeee (?¨@? ?? ¨A?)???? he was totally looking forward to that that kiss before the soldier interrupted them hahahahaha And YHQ is so shameless lmao! (¡É?o?¡É) Footnotes
  1. ÌìÁéѨ ti¨¡n l¨ªng xu¨¦; Is the name of an acupuncture point located at the chest.
Chapter 144: You Can Do Whatever You Want, But I’ll Lose If The Rebellion Is Successful. When General Huang Yue lifted the curtain and stepped into the tent, he saw Yan HeQing solemnly sitting at the low table. A man wearing a silver mask, with his head lowered, was carrying a basin to go outside. Huang Yue couldn¡¯t help but look at him for a few moments: ¡°Hey? Are you Physician Xiao?¡± Xiao YuAn raised his head: ¡°Hmm? Yes, that¡¯s me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you. Recently, the battlefield is burning, and you¡¯ve been working hard, but why are you wearing a mask? Are you perhaps ashamed to show your face to others?¡± Even though this was the first time they met, Huang Yue¡¯s reproaching tone wasn¡¯t hidden. Before Xiao YuAn could answer, Yan HeQing spoke coldly: ¡°General Huang, what did youe to report?¡± Huang Yue no longer embarrassed Xiao YuAn, and quickly reported the war¡¯s situation to Yan HeQing. Xiao YuAn took advantage of this, and with the basin in hand, he walked out of the tent. After he poured the water out of the basin, Xiao YuAn suddenly remembered something after he muttered ¡®General Huang¡¯ a few times. Then he turned his head to ask the soldier guarding the tent: ¡°Xiaoge1, let me ask you, is the General who went in just now named Huang Yue?¡± After receiving an affirmative reply, Xiao YuAn frowned slightly. In the original book, Huang Yue was a General who thought he wasn¡¯t sessful enough. As one of the Generals of the Southern Yan Kingdom, he acts with undue confidence of his own ability, and looks down upon others2. He¡¯s also arrogant and conceited, always thinking that he¡¯s the most powerful General beside the Emperor, but then, Li Wuding appeared. Huang Yue depised Li Wuding, because to him, Li Wuding was nothing more than a dirty traitor. However, Yan HeQing thought very highly of him, and discussed everything with him before making a final decision. These acts made Huang Yue develop a grudge towards Li Wuding. The final straw urred when Yan HeQing gave Li Wuding the position of Great General after he conquered the Four Kingdoms, and unified them into one great Country. A General, who was once an enemy, was now granted a powerful position. Huang Yue didn¡¯t say anything on the surface, but in fact, he was secretly colluding with his allies; seeking power and wanting to usurp the throne. Naturally, Yan HeQing cut his head off with his sword, and his attempt of rebellion became a failure. This man, with his own strength, slightly pulled the second part of this harem novel back to the plot of a historical novel. Even though his death was extremely stupid, this self-sacrifice and high dedication was worthy of respect! So, in order to express their respect for this cannon fodder, the readers filled three whole pages of thement section with nothing more than ¡°hahahaha¡±. Xiao YuAn hugged the basin, thinking that now that Li Wuding was dead, Huang Yue won¡¯t feel frustrated, or at least, he won¡¯t be a viin, right? Meanwhile, inside the tent, Huang Yue was analyzing the current situation with Yan HeQing: ¡°Your Majesty, although we have won the battle this time, the enemy¡¯s main General still hasn¡¯t been caught. I think that we should take advantage of the victory and pursue another attack, annihting them in one fell swoop.¡± Yan HeQing frowned: ¡°This victory was a bit too easy. I¡¯m worried that something is wrong.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you must not hesitate!¡± Huang Yue advised. Yan HeQing rubbed his eyebrows: ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Huang Yue couldn¡¯t help but retire. He walked out of the tent, and his Deputy General, who had been waiting for him for a long time, greeted him: ¡°General, what¡¯s the situation? Will His Majesty chase down the deserters?¡± ¡°Humph.¡± Huang Yue snorted and gave him a disdainful look: ¡°The Emperor is actually quite indecisive. If he cut the grass without removing the roots, there are bound to be problems in the future. By the way, you should pay more attention to the new physician in the barracks. I have a feeling that his body resembles the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom. Besides, he¡¯s wearing a mask as if he shouldn¡¯t be recognized. Something is definitely not right.¡± ¡°What? But if he really is the former Northern Kingdom¡¯s Emperor, how could His Majesty not recognize him?¡± The Deputy General stared at him with wide eyes. Huang Yue, with his hands hidden behind his back, deliberately dragged out his words as he said meaningfully: ¡°I¡¯m afraid that it is because he was recognized, that he can stay around. In the past, the Emperor was indeed-¡­ cough, it doesn¡¯t matter, you just have to pay attention to him. Don¡¯t let him disturb the Emperor¡¯s mind. If it¡¯s true that the Northern Emperor is hiding here, and he tries to take an opportunity to get revenge, then that would be a huge problem.¡± The Deputy General cupped his fist, showing that he understood what he should do. Huang Yue waved his hand: ¡°Watch over him more. Alright, you can go rest now.¡± The Deputy General saluted him with respect, turned around and went to his tent. The moon was dark and the wind was high. There weren¡¯t many guards inside the barracks, so when the Deputy General suddenly looked around, he saw no one. At that moment, he silently ran out of the barracks. After running for about a quarter of an hour, he found an ancient tree. The Deputy General took a piece of cloth from his sleeve, bit his finger, and wrote something on it with his blood. Then he buried it under the tree, got up, and went back to the barracks. Oh nooo he¡¯s suspicious of XYA ???? pletely ignoring the fact that LWD was mentioned bc I don¡¯t wanna cry ??) And that Deputy General is sus ?? ¡­ What are you doing? What.. Are.. You.. Doing? Footnotes
  1. С¸ç xi¨£o g¨¥; A polite term for a teenager or a young man. Commonly used to refer to male workers, such as couriers or food delivery men, etc.
  2. ÊѲŰÁÎï sh¨¬ c¨¢i ¨¤o w¨´; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it refers to someone who¡¯s proud and arrogant by virtue of his own talents. / Be proud and insolent because of one¡¯s talent. From¡¶ÄÏÊ·¡¤Ïô×ÓÏÔ´«¡·(n¨¢n sh¨«¡¤xi¨¡o z¨« xi¨£n zhu¨¤n), ¡°History of the Southern Dynasties: A Biography of Xiao Zixian¡±, written by (ÀîÑÓ‰Û l¨« y¨¢n sh¨°u) Li Yanshou.
Chapter 145: You Can Gossip All You Want, But I’ll Lose If I Don’t Understand. Xiao YuAn returned to the tent where the wounded soldiers were recuperating. However, when Chen Ge saw him, he asked incredulously with wide eyes: ¡°Physician Xiao, why did youe back? Shouldn¡¯t you be sleeping in the Emperor¡¯s tent tonight?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­. Did I hear wrong, or did you mean it in ¡®that way¡¯?¡± Chen Ge replied straightforwardly: ¡°I mean it, shouldn¡¯t you be with His Majesty at this moment-¡­ Ow!¡± Xiao YuAn pped Chen Ge on the wound before he could say anything embarrassing. While he heard Chen Ge¡¯s howling, Xiao YuAn said with a smile: ¡°If I don¡¯te back, then who will change your bandages and apply the medicine?¡± Chen Ge shouted: ¡°Ahhh Physician Xiao ahhhh! I¡¯m not begging you to change my bandages! I only beg you to not hit my wounds!¡± After Chen Ge finally calmed down, Xiao YuAn carefully applied the new medicine. They were silent for a while, until Chen Ge whispered: ¡°Physician Xiao, have you expressed your feelings for His Majesty yet? I can see you didn¡¯t, otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be back here tonight.¡± Xiao YuAnughed: ¡°You have the appearance of a 2 meters tall, rough man, but you¡¯re actually someone with a soft and delicate heart.¡± Chen Ge hmmed twice, taking it as apliment. Xiao YuAn finished applying the herbal medicine, and then said: ¡°I can¡¯t help it. After all, in this world one must be very careful. The more you care, the more you will hesitate. In fact, I¡¯m not someone who worries a lot, and I¡¯m not concerned about myself; but when I think about him, I can¡¯t help but worry all the time. We have different statuses, and I¡¯m afraid that gossip will drown him.¡± Chen Ge replied: ¡°Physician Xiao, you shouldn¡¯t care about this. You just need to know that His Majesty is fond of you. If you think that you¡¯re helping him by worrying this much, in fact, you¡¯re harming him. Right now, you two are in front of an abyss, in which His Majesty won¡¯t hesitate to jump into. But if you¡¯re too worried thinking about this and that, you¡¯ll turn around at any time, and then you will leave him alone, wandering in the depths of the abyss. Sigh, His Majesty is so pitiful.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­. My friend, you¡¯re awesome! If you were to open a rtionship consulting shop in modern times, you will definitely be famous!¡± Chen Ge pressed down on Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoulder, as he shook him back and forth while yelling at him: ¡°Physician Xiao, stop talking nonsense! Did you even understand what I just said?!¡± ¡°I understood, I understood.¡± Xiao YuAn, who was shaken back and forth by Chen Ge, was so dizzy that he leaned backwards and then forward. After steading himself, he clenched his fist bravely and said: ¡°Alright then! Tomorrow I¡¯ll go to Yan HeQing and I¡¯ll strip his clothes! Then I¡¯ll make love to him, ¡®this way¡¯ and ¡®that way¡¯!¡± Chen Ge no longer tried to shake him, but he still shouted out loud hesitantly: ¡°Physician Xiao, what? I thought you were ¡®under¡¯ His Majesty¡­.¡± XIao YuAn pped his wound again: ¡°Do you have to expose me like this?! Comrade Chen! A man should have aspirations! And a great man should have high aspirations!¡± Chen Ge inhaled and exhaled, he still couldn¡¯t help but cover his wound and rolled around on the ground. It was so painful that he almost lost his breath, so he said unforgivingly: ¡°Physician Xiao, those who¡­ suit their actions to the time¡­ are wise1!¡± Xiao YuAn stopped talking as he went forward and swung his arm, mercilessly beating Deputy General Chen with a broken cloth. ¡­ The next day, Xiao YuAn really went to find Yan HeQing. However, the war situation unexpectedly changed, and Yan HeQing was discussing major decisions with several Generals. The reason behind this, was that the scouts had found traces of the remaining Eastern Wu troops. The report mentioned that they were retreating to the next line of defense, which was at a town in the Eastern Wu Kingdom. If these news were to be true, then as long as they lead elite soldiers to chase after them, they can effortlessly attack them in one fell swoop. However, some Generals felt that these battles were won way too smoothly, so they suspected this was actually a trap. Their next movement should be extremely cautious. For a moment, the tent was so noisy that it seemed the people inside were quarreling instead of having a conversation. Naturally, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t disturb Yan HeQing at this time, so he simply turned around, and left. Huang Yue¡¯s Deputy General, who had been guarding the gate of the tent, narrowed his eyes slightly, and quietly followed behind him. CG and XYA are so hrious together XD and it¡¯s so funny how CG wants his ship to sail so hard ahahaha we stan ? Footnotes
  1. ʶʱÎñÕßΪ¿¡½Ü sh¨ª sh¨ª w¨´ zh¨§ w¨¨i j¨´n ji¨¦; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom. It means that the one who can recognize the trend of the times, is smart and capable, can be a hero and a great man. / A wise man submits to circumstances. / Only those who can recognize the trend of times can be an outstanding person. From¡¶ÏåÑô¼Ç¡·(xi¨¡ng y¨¢ng j¨¬), ¡°The Book of Xiangyang¡±, written by (Ï°Ôä³Ý x¨ª zu¨° ch¨«) Xi Zuochi [?-383 AC], an historian from the Eastern Jin Dynasty [317-420].
Chapter 146: Learn More About The Spys Treason. Outside the tent, Deputy General Chen, who was now basically healed, was twisting his waist and swinging his hands to stretch out his stiff body. When he saw that Xiao YuAn came back, he couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°Physician Xiao, why did youe back? Weren¡¯t you going to look for His Majesty?¡± Xiao YuAn shrugged his shoulders and spread out his hands: ¡°Yan-ge is busy, I didn¡¯t see him.¡± ¡°Howe he¡¯s never been busy in the mornings orte at night until now?! But he happens to be busy right now?!¡± Chen Ge howled. Xiao YuAnughed out loud: ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry, so why are you acting all impatient for? It¡¯s alright, the guard in front of Yan-ge¡¯s tent said that once Yan-ge finishes discussing with the Generals, he would inform him that I went to go see him.¡± Chen Ge wanted to say something, but stopped himself the moment he saw a young soldier running out from the tent. When the young soldier saw Xiao YuAn, he quickly pulled him inside: ¡°Physician Xiao, you¡¯re here! I¡¯ve finally found you! It seems that one of the soldiers¡¯ wounds became extremely serious. Quick, go to check on him.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t dare to be slow as he quickly opened the curtain and walked in. The wounded soldier was the one who had a poor healing ability, and since the weather was hot, the wound didn¡¯t scab over; instead, it turned into pus. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t very serious, so Xiao YuAn simply asked someone to bring him a strong wine so that he could clean the soldier¡¯s wound. After several tosses, the wounded soldier was finally better, but Xiao YuAn ended up dirtying himself. Xiao YuAn felt disgusting, so he took some clean clothes and a wooden basin, intending to go to the river half a mile away from the barracks to clean himself. No officer below the rank of a Deputy General was allowed to leave the barracks without permission, so Xiao YuAn took a permission slip given to him by Yan HeQing, which stated that he could wander in and out of the barracks at will. After such a busy day, in the twinkling of an eye, the moon and stars appeared in the night sky again. Xiao YuAn then untied his clothes, took off his mask, and scooped a handful of water to wash his cheeks. Then he scooped more river water and slowly poured it on his body, slowly adapting himself to the slightly cool water temperature. The temperature was slightly cold in the countryside, and the moonlight shining on the surface of the river was gently stirred by Xiao YuAn¡¯s movements. Because of the sound of water, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t notice the strange soft sounding from the grass behind him. Huang Yue¡¯s Deputy General rushed back to the barracks, heading towards the tent where a group of Generals argued from day to night, until finally, they were finally able to make a final decision. At that moment, the Deputy General leaned over Huang Yue and whispered a few words in his ear. Huang Yue¡¯s eyes widened and led him to a deserted ce, then he asked: ¡°Did you see him clearly? Are youpletely sure that he¡¯s the former Northern Kingdom¡¯s Emperor?¡± The Deputy General nodded with certainty: ¡°General Huang, should we take him-¡­?¡± ¡°No. The Emperor will never allow such a thing. Tomorrow His Majesty will personally go after the Eastern Wu deserters, so we can¡¯t do anything right now.¡± Huang Yue frowned, stroked his chin, and whispered: ¡°We shall wait until we defeat the Eastern Wu Kingdom, and then discuss this matter with General Xue.¡± The Deputy General¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up for some unknown reason as he hastily lowered his head in order to suppress his thoughts, then he cautiously asked: ¡°General Huang, is His Majesty really going to chase after the Eastern Wu deserters tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes, the Emperor intends to lead elite troops to sneak attack. Even if there¡¯s a trap, he can still catch them off guard. I think that His Majesty is being too cautious. The enemy¡¯s army is already in ruins and their General has already been defeated once, so why bother?¡± Huang Yue said. The Deputy General saluted him: ¡°The General is wise, wise, wise.¡± He said three times in a row, and every time he said it, his head would lower a bit more; his tone would be a bit higher, and thest letter would be a bit longer. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s have a rest. The matter concerning the former Northern Kingdom¡¯s Emperor will have to wait until the war is over.¡± Huang Yue waved his hand and turned around to leave. On the other hand, the Deputy General bent down and sped his fist. Once Huang Yue was long gone, he got up and took advantage of the night¡¯s darkness, once again going to the ancient tree outside the barracks. This time, there was a remnant of the piece of cloth he buried under the ancient treest time, and with the help of the moonlight, the Deputy General saw a big word written on it: ¡°Withdraw.¡± As the white moonlight fell, the Deputy General showed a sinister smile, then he bit his finger and wrote: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have a scapegoat.¡± Shit XYA¡¯s identity was discovered o£¨£é§¥£é£©o That Huang Yue better stay away from him! (? ?¡ã ??? ?¡ã)? And that Deputy General¡­ (¡ð£à§Õ¡ä)??STOP! Chapter 147: Learn More About The Lost Clothes In The River. Xiao YuAn was shivering while he was taking a bath in the river under the cool night, and illuminated only by the moonlight, the water turned even colder. Xiao YuAn was in a hurry to rub himself clean, stirring the water from the bottom of the river. Then, he half-walked, half-swam towards the shore, where he had put his clean clothes; only to find a monkey ying around with his clothes. Xiao YuAn threw a small stone next to the monkey, trying to scare it away: ¡°My clothes aren¡¯t food, so why are you so curious about them?¡± The monkey was startled at this, and he bared his teeth while screeching at Xiao YuAn. Then he picked up one of Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoes and threw it towards the river with force. ¡°Hey!¡± Xiao YuAn shouted and turned around to catch the shoe mid-air; but in the end, he couldn¡¯t catch it, and the shoe floated away. That monkey was still on the shore, making threatening screams at Xiao YuAn: ¡°You¡¯re mean, really mean, but you can¡¯t be evil.¡± ¡®Without a shoe, would it be difficult to jump back to the barracks on one foot?¡¯ Xiao YuAn walked up the shore with a headache and reached for his clothes. However, the monkey unexpectedly picked up the clothes on the ground and ran away, screaming all the way into the woods. Xiao YuAn was stunned for a full second, and when he reacted, he wanted to chase after the monkey: ¡°Hey! Stop!!¡± At that moment, he saw that a man was approaching this ce, and Xiao YuAn immediately thought that it might be a soldier who came to take a bath in the river. Instantly, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t care about the monkey anymore, turned his head around, and jumped back into the river. Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn got out of the river and wiped off the water on his face: ¡°Yan-ge! A monkey stole my clothes! Quick, quickly help me chase after it!¡± Yan HeQing looked at the direction he pointed, but after a while passed, he didn¡¯t see any monkey around. At that, Xiao YuAn submerged himself in the river, hoping that he would drown due to the embarrassment. Yan HeQing leaned over the river and stretched out his hand: ¡°Come up, the water is cold.¡± Xiao YuAn came to the surface of the water again, spat out a mouthful of water, and said: ¡°I¡¯m not wearing any clothes, and I don¡¯t have any clothes to wear.¡± Yan HeQing coughed lightly, took off his outer robe, and handed it to him. Then he said: ¡°You can wear this for now. Now,e out.¡± Xiao YuAn hesitantly walked up the shore, took Yan HeQing¡¯s outer robe, and quickly put it on, then hurriedly walked towards the barracks: ¡°Let¡¯s g-go back to find clothes, it¡¯s cold.¡± Yan HeQing, with a few steps, caught up with Xiao YuAn and picked him up: ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush back. Besides, you don¡¯t have any shoes. If you go back like this, you¡¯ll hurt your feet.¡± For a moment, Xiao YuAn unconsciously reached out and hugged Yan HeQing¡¯s neck to prevent himself from falling. When he came back to reality, he found that he was thinking too much, and Yan HeQing was walking like a flying, stable and steady horse. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°Yan-ge, I¡¯m a full grown man, so if I hug you like this, wouldn¡¯t that make you lose face? Even though you¡¯re really cool, this is still about saving face, wouldn¡¯t it be better to carry me on your back?¡± Yan HeQing replied: ¡°You¡¯re not wearing any pants, I can¡¯t carry you like that.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Oh alright, alright¡­. yes, that¡¯s reasonable. I suddenly miss my own body, because even though you¡¯ll still be able to lift me, at least I can make you stumble a little.¡± At that moment, Xiao YuAn inexplicably remembered the Prince of the Western Shu Kingdom, who looked exactly like himself in his past life, and immediately shook his head. Yan HeQing nced at him and asked him: ¡°Are you feeling cold?¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± Xiao YuAn came back to his senses and said: ¡°Cold? Ah, I seem to feel a little bit cold.¡± When he came out of the river, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t dry off his body. Unexpectedly, Yan HeQing¡¯s outer robe, which was wrapped around Xiao YuAn, wasn¡¯t soaked; but since the outer robe couldn¡¯t cover his entire body, he could still feel a little chill run through his body. Without saying a word, Yan HeQing hugged Xiao YuAn tightly, and started to walk faster towards the barracks. When the patrolling soldiers saw the Emperor hugging an almost naked boy, dressed only in a thin robe, they were so surprised that their long spears fell to the ground. Xiao YuAn looked at the sky and then at the ground, coughed two times, and shouted at them: ¡°I went to take a bath and a monkey stole my clothes! What are you looking at? Me being held? What¡¯s wrong with being held like this? This only shows that your Emperor is very kind towards other people¡¯s circumstances, am I right? Did you know that your Emperor adheres to the leadership method, and working policy, of ¡®From the masses, to the masses1¡¯? Don¡¯t think of strange things only because you¡¯re still young.¡± The young soldiers were characterized as being selectively deaf and blind, but they still couldn¡¯t help roaring inside their minds: ¡®Who the hell would believe you!!¡¯ Bad monkey!! ???????? Ah XYA, you¡¯re really deceiving yourself with ¡°this is not what you think!¡± ??Y YHQ is just enjoying the view (and carrying a butt naked XYA ??) Footnotes
  1. ´ÓȺÖÚÖÐÀ´£¬µ½ÈºÖÚÖÐÈ¥ c¨®ng q¨²n zh¨°ng zh¨­ng l¨¢i, d¨¤o q¨²n zh¨°ng zh¨­ng q¨´; It¡¯s the leadership and working method of the mass line of the Communist Party of China. This method of leadership and method of work, is based on the mass view of historical materialism, and at the same time, is the concrete application of dialectical materialist epistemology in practical work.
Chapter 148: Learn More About The Flirtatious Jade Flute. Yan HeQing carried Xiao YuAn towards his tent and Xiao YuAn was surprised: ¡°Yan-ge, the tent in which I¡¯m resting for the moment is not this way.¡± Yan HeQing hmmed but didn¡¯t stop walking. Xiao YuAn: ¡°I know that you want me to sleep in your tent, but my clothes are in my tent. You must let me get my clothes, right?¡± Yan HeQing looked at him: ¡°You can wear mine.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.. your clothes don¡¯t fit me.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°Yes, I know. Wear my clothes.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.. Alright, fine.¡± Yan HeQing continued carrying Xiao YuAn towards his tent, and when they arrived, he ced Xiao YuAn on the bed. Xiao YuAn dried himself with the already wet robe, and his body was trembling as he covered himself with the warm nket. Then he looked up and saw that Yan HeQing was getting him a pair of clothes: ¡°Yan-ge, did Chen Ge tell you that I was at the river?¡± Yan HeQing hmmed as he gave him a clean pair of outer garments and white inner clothes. Xiao YuAn took the clothes and asked again: ¡°Yan-ge, didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to show me somethingst time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After he said that, Yan HeQing took out a small wooden box from a rtively secret ce. The wooden box was padded with red silk cloth when he opened it, and on top of the silk cloth,id a transparent white jade flute. The red tassels on the jade flute were slightly old, as if they could describe the joy and sorrows from more than a year ago. Xiao YuAn had just put on the inner clothes and was still holding the outer robe in his hand, when he stood frozen in ce, with his mouth slightly opened out of surprise. When he gave that jade flute to Yan HeQing at the time, he hadn¡¯t thought too much about it. But now, when he recalled that moment a bit more, there really seemed to be some other kind of thoughts inside his mind. Yan HeQing took out the jade flute from the wooden box and asked Xiao YuAn: ¡°Would you listen?¡± Xiao YuAn grabbed Yan HeQing and made him sit beside him: ¡°I¡¯ll listen!¡± Yan HeQing nodded his head and then proceeded to ce the jade flute on his lips. That year, when they were at the market decorated withnterns, the sound of the flute spoke about his feelings, but no one knew about them. Later, when he was all alone, the sound of the flute spoke about his greving love, and again, no one knew about it. And now, seeing Xiao YuAn in front of him, the corners of his mouth raised with a gentle smile, and his eyes were imprinted with a lifetime of spring warmth as well as the cold of autumn. After ying a song, Yan HeQing removed the jade flute from his lips and flipped the flute with his opposite hand towards Xiao YuAn, handing it over without saying a word. ¡°Huh? Do you want me to give it a try?¡± Even though he was puzzled, Xiao YuAn reached out to take the jade flute regardless. Then he followed Yan HeQing¡¯s instructions on how to hold the flute and ced it on his lips. However, in the end, he couldn¡¯t produce any sound even though he blew air for a while. Xiao YuAn looked at Yan HeQing helplessly, and when their eyes met, Yan HeQing suddenly leaned down to kiss the other end of the jade flute on top of Xiao YuAn¡¯s lips. Their lips and tongues were separated by a flute who was only a finger bone wide. Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, as he unconsciously tried to move back. However, Yan HeQing pressed the back of his neck, and the only thing he could do was watch how Yan HeQing stretched out his other hand to hold the end of the flute, and little by little, he began to move it away. The cold body of the jade flute slowly passed by Xiao YuAn¡¯s lips, and every time a flute hole passed over, Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart jumped a bit. When Yan HeQing moved the flute away, their breaths immediately mixed together, however, their lips were still an inch away from the other; which made Xiao YuAn feel that if he moved a little, he could touch Yan HeQing¡¯s lips. The cold flute that was held by Yan HeQing, slowly touched the corner of Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth, gradually passing past his chin, until it finally reached Xiao YuAn¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple; which was rolling up and down due to his nervousness. Xiao YuAn opened his mouth slightly as if he wanted to say something, but at that moment, Yan HeQing lifted his chin with the jade flute and leaned over to kiss his lips. At first, the kiss was tentative and gentle, tender and loving. But then, as if he couldn¡¯t get enough, Yan HeQing pressed the back of Xiao YuAn¡¯s neck and gradually deepened the kiss, beginning to invade Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth with his tongue. After a while, Xiao YuAn could no longer breathe due to the intense kiss, and Yan HeQing mercifully let him go. Yan HeQing lightly licked the corner of Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth, straightened up, looked at him and said: ¡°Xiao YuAn, I need an answer.¡± Damn YHQ!!! That flute scene was so ???????? and XYA was definitely waiting for that kiss ??( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)?? And then the actual kiss ???????? how is the tent not on fire? Lmao jk (But also, I¡¯m ngl but for some reason, the flute scene was kinda cringey to trante hahahaha I had to take so many breaks! Like why?! Once I was done with it and re-read it to find any mistakes I was like xD it¡¯s not cringey at all¡­ I don¡¯t understand ??????) Chapter 149: Learn More About A Sleepless Night. Xiao YuAn covered his face with one hand, taking some time to calm his breathing. When he finally lowered his hand, he mumbled something and then said: ¡°Yan-ge, I just think that after I made you wait for an answer for so long, if I give you such a simple reply, then I will be too insensitive¡­¡± Yan HeQing held Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoulder with one hand, while with the other hand, which was still holding the flute, he started opening Xiao YuAn¡¯s undergarments. Then, Yan HeQing slowly slid the flute down Xiao YuAn¡¯s abdomen, making a slow circle around his belly button, only to gradually go down to his lower body. Xiao YuAn blushed, and when he was about to stop Yan HeQing¡¯s mischievous hand, he saw Yan HeQing leaning over his ear. Yan HeQing¡¯s voice was raspy and his breath was slightly hot: ¡°Since a simple answer would make you look too insensitive, then would it be too insensitive of me if I press you against the bed? If I make you tremble with pleasure until you can¡¯t cry anymore, to the point in which you¡¯ll have to beg for mercy, until you can give a concise answer? Would that make you seem less insensitive?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®Damn, why couldn¡¯t I figure out the essence of the 300 quotes of a Tyrannical President at that time? But you¡¯re able to say such golden sentences the moment you open your mouth?¡¯ Xiao YuAn: ¡°T-th-this, m-m-me, y-yo-you, h-h-he¡­.¡± Yan HeQIng: ¡°¡­¡­ He?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Nonono! It¡¯s not ¡®he¡¯! It¡¯s your hand! Your Hand!¡± Yan HeQing withdrew his hand and hugged Xiao YuAn tightly. While resting his forehead on Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoulder, he said: ¡°I always feel like this is just a dream, and that if I wake up, you¡¯ll be gone.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s throat constricted as he reached out to stroke Yan HeQing¡¯s back: ¡°Yan-ge¡­.¡± Yan HeQing interrupted him and continued: ¡°When we parted ways in the Northern Kingdom, you left with such determination, and at the time I felt that this was the way it should be. However, now that you¡¯re clearly beside me, I¡¯m worried all day long, afraid that I will lose you.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart was filled with mixed feelings for a moment. ¡®How can you speak as if you were an arrogant, cold and ruthless man? When in fact, you¡¯re showing such a soft and tender attitude, as if you were afraid that one single sentence would hurt you?¡¯ Xiao YuAn stretched out his hands and hugged him back: ¡°Yan-ge, I¡­ how about¡­ why don¡¯t you just fuck me?¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn coughed twice as his eyes shifted around, and then finally said: ¡°Uhm¡­ I just think that after you said all that stuff, then you might as well take action, right? Hu-human efforts can achieve anything1. Yo-you can¡¯t be an empty talker, after all, pr-¡­. practice is the source of knowledge! It¡¯s the driving force of cognitive development! It¡¯s a standard to test whether the knowledge is correct or not! It¡¯s the ultimate goal of knowledge!¡± Yan HeQing couldn¡¯t bear it any longer as he pressed Xiao YuAn down and fiercely kissed him on the lips. When the kiss ended, Xiao YuAn was short of breath and his chest was violently moving up and down. Then, when his clothes were torn open, and his bare snow-white chest was half exposed, Yan HeQing nibbled on his corbone and shoulders trying to calm himself. As he rxed his breath, Yan HeQing showed an extremely patient expression on his face as he backed away. Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice was still trembling as he asked: ¡°Wh-what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yan HeQing scolded himself angrily, covered his mouth with one hand and said: ¡°Not tonight¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, you¡¯re going to lead the army to war tomorrow morning, right?¡± Xiao YuAn sat up on the bed as he fixed his clothes. ¡®Wait, shouldn¡¯t I be the one who¡¯s worried about not being able to get up?¡¯ As if understanding Xiao YuAn¡¯s doubts, Yan HeQing put his hand on Xiao YuAn¡¯s head, and while rubbing his temples, he said: ¡°Leaving aside one sleepless night. For the next few days, I¡¯ll be thinking about you all the time, and I¡¯ll be unable to think about anything else.¡± ¡®A sleepless night?!¡¯ ¡®Night?!¡¯ ¡®A whole night? Is that what he understood?!¡¯ Inexplicably, Xiao YuAn remembered the episode in which Yan HeQing ¡®spent¡¯ a whole night with ten women in the original work, and his face suddenly became unnatural. ¡®Can we go back? Can we stop ¡°practicing¡±? How about I give you an answer instead? Communication is very important after all!¡¯ Yan HeQing¡¯s face showed reluctance as he impatiently weighed the pros and cons inside his mind. Xiao YuAn thought about it for a moment, patted him on his shoulder and said: ¡°Yan-ge, you can go. I¡¯ll be here anyway, so I won¡¯t leave you. I¡¯ll wait for you toe back, and when youe back, we¡¯ll make things clear. I¡¯ll give you a proper reply, and we¡¯ll do everything that we should do.¡± Yan HeQing looked at him but didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. He still looked as if he couldn¡¯t wait, so Xiao YuAn thought about it and gave him a kiss on the lips. As soon as Xiao YuAn kissed him, Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes darkened, kissing Xiao YuAn again and again. However, because he was afraid that he won¡¯t be able to control himself, he let Xiao YuAn go back to the physician¡¯s tent. Since Yan HeQing was in a bad mood, he poured cold water on his body to calm himself down. Aldhakdhsksh XYA was all brave acting like ¡®well if you wanna bang me then fucking do it!!¡¯ But then! YHQ insinuated that they will do it all night long and XYA remembered one infamous scene from the original novel, in which I¡¯m sure YHQ¡¯s ¡®banging¡¯ abilities were described with detail, and XYA was suddenly thinking that giving an answer was better XD when he doesn¡¯t even know how to reply yet! ???????????? Footnotes
  1. ÊÂÔÚÈËΪ sh¨¬ z¨¤i r¨¦n w¨¦i; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means that nothing is impossible and everything depends on people. / Under certain conditions, whether things can be done or not, it depends on people¡¯s subjective efforts. / When there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. / As long as you work hard, you¡¯ll be able to make a difference. From¡¶¶«ÖÜÁйúÖ¾¡·(d¨­ng zh¨­u li¨¨ gu¨® zh¨¬), ¡°The Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms¡±, a historical novel written by (ñT‰ôýˆ f¨¦ng m¨¨ng l¨®ng) Feng Menglong [1574-1646], a novelist from thete Ming Dynasty [1368-1644].
Chapter 150: Learn More About The News Of Someone’s Death. The next day, Xiao YuAn woke up early in the morning, since he wanted to look at Yan HeQing¡¯s battlefield appearance from a distance and feel how strong he was. However, who would¡¯ve thought that they would set out when the stars and the moon were still out in the night sky. So in the end, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t bid him farewell and had to return to his tent feeling a bit unhappy. In the next few days, Xiao YuAn treated the soldier¡¯s wounds as per usual, looking the same as always. However, Deputy General Chen had something to say. A lot to say! Deputy General Chen hesitated to say it, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t help but stammer: ¡°Physician Xiao, what¡¯s this? I have a wound on my right shoulder, so why are you putting medicine on my arm?¡± Xiao YuAn calmly and unhurriedly applied medicine to his shoulder, only to say next: ¡°The medicine can be used in many ways. It can be applied to the shoulder ten times, and be delivered to the arm once.¡± Chen Ge: ¡°Physician Xiao don¡¯t worry, His Majesty will be back soon.¡± Xiao YuAn chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not worried.¡± ¡®Yan HeQing has the aura of the Male Lead, so what should I be worried about?¡¯ Chen Ge grimaced: ¡°Physician Xiao, my right shoulder is the injured one, not the left shoulder, and yet you¡¯re still saying that you¡¯re not worried. You¡¯ve been restless the past few days, you-¡­¡± Before he could finish saying what he wanted to say, Xiao YuAn took some medicine and pressed it on Deputy General Chen¡¯s wound. Instantly, a miserable howl came out of his throat and his next words were immediately blocked. Suddenly, from outside the tent, a young soldier lifted the curtain and screamed: ¡°Is Deputy General Chen here?! General Huang is urgently requesting his presence!!!¡± ¡°What happened?!¡± Chen Ge stood up in a hurry. The young soldier¡¯s face was extremely pale, and his forehead was full dripping with sweat as he rushed towards Chen Ge. Then he leaned over to his ear, and whispered a few words. Meanwhile, Xiao YuAn, who was cleaning the medicine jar, vaguely heard the words ¡®His Majesty¡¯ and ¡®front line¡¯. At this, he couldn¡¯t help but raise his head to look at Chen Ge, only to see his face suddenly turning blue! ¡°How could this happen?!¡± Chen Ge stood up abruptly. He was so shocked that he didn¡¯t even pay attention to Xiao YuAn as he quickly followed the young soldier. Chen Ge, with his upper body naked and his shoulders wrapped with cloth stained with blood, rushed towards General Huang Yue¡¯s tent, where several Generals and Deputy Generals were still present. At that moment, Chen Ge ignored the proper etiquette and shouted in a trembling voice: ¡°What happened?! What do you mean that the elite troops were ambushed by the enemy and the Emperor was killed? Where did you get this information from? Lying about military information without any confirmation is a huge crime!¡± Huang Yue¡¯s face was also extremely distorted as he scolded Chen Ge: ¡°Deputy General Chen! I called you over here but I didn¡¯t summon you to yell! Calm down!!¡± Chen Ge was still very agitated as he waved his arms and began shouting again: ¡°How can I calm down?! What do you mean His Majesty has died? Where on earth did this newse from?!¡± Next to him, the other Generals came forward and patted Chen Ge¡¯s shoulder, trying to calm him down. Then, they exined the situation with a sullen face. It turned out that Yan HeQing, who led a small elite team, originally wanted tounch a sneak attack on the defeated soldiers of the Eastern Wu Kingdom. However, who would¡¯ve thought that the enemy¡¯s arrival to that Eastern Wu town was in fact a trap! Everything was done to make the Southern Yan Kingdom ease their vignce, but because Yan HeQing was extremely cautious, this trap shouldn¡¯t have been a problem for him. But in reality, the enemy seemed to know everything about their tactics, managing to ambush Yan HeQing early on the road he must¡¯ve traveled on. The elite team, which was supposed to sneakily attack the Easter Wu soldiers, had entered the enemy¡¯s encirclement and was immediately surrounded by 100,000 elite enemy soldiers! After hearing this, Chen Ge¡¯s body trembled and he didn¡¯t know what to do. He had to take several deep breaths before he could recover from the shock: ¡°Why don¡¯t we send troops to support them?¡¯ Huang Yue shook his head: ¡°It¡¯s toote, the only soldier who could escape death said that he saw with his own eyes how the Emperor, in a desperate attempt to escape, fell off the cliff. He¡¯s¡­ already¡­¡± Huang Yue sighed heavily and then continued: ¡°The Emperor has been ambushed by the enemy, so sending troops right now would be a careless move, and it will cause unnecessary casualties.¡± The several Generals and Deputy Generals present at the moment took a long breath, everyone showing expressions of shock, grief and indignation. At one moment, a General began to curse with an extremely angry face: ¡°There¡¯s a spy in our barracks!¡± ¡°A traitor? A spy?¡± Chen Ge asked incredulously. Huang Yue clenched his teeth and tightened his jaw for a long time before saying: ¡°I should¡¯ve done it earlier¡­ Hey, you don¡¯t need to worry, I already know who the spy is, and I won¡¯t let him go. Please appease your mood first, we still have a few vicious battles to fight ahead of us. You must not feel dejected. The most important thing right now, is to think about how to stabilize the military situation and appease the morale of the army. I¡¯ll inform General Xue about this and I¡¯ll ask him how to deal with the Emperor¡¯s affairs before making any decisions.¡± ?Extra Chapter thanks to Ko-fi? Thank you so much for your support~ ???? Here I am, providing the extra chapter you waited for (?¡ä¨Œ`?) ?????? hehe Ahh but what happened to YHQ?? He¡¯s the Male Lead? How can this happen to him? How will XYA react? What is that General trying to do? Does he suspect our bby boi? (???)!!! Chapter 151: Of Course I Choose To Protect Him. At the hazy dusk of twilight, Xiao YuAn finished bandaging thest wounded soldier in the tent. He then went out to wash the dirty cotton cloths stained with blood, when unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped out of the tent with a basin in hand, two soldiers approached him with straight postures. With a rude tone of voice, one of them said: ¡°Are you Physician Xiao?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡± Xiao YuAn replied suspiciously. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± After finishing that sentence, Xiao YuAn suddenly remembered something and his eyes glowed. He then covered his mouth and after coughing lightly, he asked: ¡°Has your Emperor returned from war? Does he want to see me?¡± The two soldiers looked at each other, and one of them finally said: ¡°General Huang is summoning you.¡± ¡®General Huang? Huang Yue? What does he want with me?¡® Although Xiao YuAn was confused, he still put down the basin, wiped his hands that were stained with blood from treating the wounded soldiers, and followed the two soldiers towards Huang Yue¡¯s tent. The two soldiers didn¡¯t have any intention to follow him inside the tent. Instead, they let Xiao YuAn enter the tent with cold expressions on their faces. Xiao YuAn was puzzled with their treatment as he lifted the tent¡¯s curtain and walked in. Huang Yue, who was standing in the center of the tent with his hands behind his back, heard the sound of the curtain being lifted and turned around. When he saw Xiao YuAn, he frowned slightly as he stared at the silver mask on Xiao YuAn¡¯s face. After stayingpletely silent for a while, he said: ¡°The former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom was actually hidden deep inside our Southern Yan barracks.¡± Suddenly, his former title was said in such a cold manner. Xiao YuAn, who had long since gotten used to getting addressed with his original name, couldn¡¯t react for a while. However, when he came back to reality, he opened his mouth slightly. Huang Yue saw that there was a faint confusion in his eyes, and he couldn¡¯t help but sneer: ¡°The former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom is not trying to pretend to be dumb, right? I don¡¯t know if you acted like this when His Majesty told you about the Southern Yan¡¯s sneak attack n. Maybe you made him feel safe with this amazing act of ignorance?¡± ¡°The Emperor? Yan HeQing? What happened to Yan-ge? What sneak attack?!¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s mind was in turmoil, as he stepped forward to desperately ask one question after the other. Who could¡¯ve thought that Huang Yue would suddenly snap and swing his arm, pping Xiao YuAn across the face, which resulted in his mask falling off. Already knowing that he was the one to me for his identity being exposed, Xiao YuAn had long expected this would happen. Even though he felt extremely ufortable at the moment, he appeared calm on the surface as he bent down to pick up the mask from the floor. Huang Yue stepped forward. Without any hesitation, he reached out his hand and grabbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s throat, forcing Xiao YuAn to straighten up and look at him. ¡°¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn frowned and grasped Huang Yue¡¯s wrist, stopping him from exerting too much force. His eyes couldn¡¯t help but stare at the silver mask on the ground. Huang Yue narrowed his eyes as he looked at the man in front of him. ¡®I¡¯ve once heard that the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom was so beautiful, that he didn¡¯t look like a human. Now, I¡¯m able to see that his skin is as beautiful as the snow, and his eyebrows and eyes are extremely charming. He looks just like the vivid painting of an Immortal.¡® Huang Yue sneered: ¡°The Emperor is also a mere mortal that is deceived by beauty.¡± Xiao YuAn withdrew his gaze, frowned and then coldly looked at Huang Yue: ¡°I know that you¡¯re a General of the Southern Yan Kingdom, so you must hate everything about the Northern Kingdom. In that case, what do you have to say to me? Is it that interesting to insult others behind their backs?¡± ¡°Insult?¡± Huang Yue narrowed his eyes as his hand lightly squeezed Xiao YuAn¡¯s throat: ¡°He hid the enemy, the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, by his side. He disregarded the Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s homnd hatred. He disregarded the soldiers and the people, whose families were destroyed by the Northern Kingdom. And disregarded the blood, tears and bones of the former Southern Yan Emperor buried in the ground. Aren¡¯t these an insult for the Emperor? His Majesty used to be a male concubine while he stayed in the Northern Kingdom, his pride has long since been shattered into pieces and it will remain so for the rest of his life. It¡¯s extremely sad and pathetic but-¡­.¡± Before Huang Yue could finish his speech, Xiao YuAn suddenly twisted Huang Yue¡¯s hand with some force, and then fiercely punched him in the face, causing his face to turn sideways. At that moment, Huang Yue felt a burning pain in his face. Huang Yue was extremely stunned. He didn¡¯t expect that the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, who seemed weak and defenseless, would actually punch him in the face. It was so sudden, that he was caught off guard. ¡°What the hell do you know?!¡± Xiao YuAn grabbed Huang Yue¡¯s cor, and his eyes were wide open when he started to scream with a great amount of anger: ¡°Do you even know how much humiliation and abuse Yan HeQing had to experience while in the Northern Kingdom?! Can you even guarantee that you won¡¯t copse if you were put in his position at that time?! But he survived! Isn¡¯t he working extremely hard for the rise of the Southern Yan Kingdom right now?! When did he forget all the hardships the Southern Yan Kingdom went through? What makes you say such things about him?!¡± XYA protecting his hubby¡¯s pride ?(?????)? bby ???????? That general is¡­ Ugh shut up man ?? Chapter 152: Of Course I Choose To Go To Him. Chapter 152: Of Course I Choose To Go To Him. Now that Huang Yue¡¯s face was punched, he no longer tried to pretend in front of Xiao YuAn and attacked back. Even though the body of the former Northern Emperor was too weak, and even though Huang Yue was an experienced General, Xiao YuAn was able to deal with Huang Yue¡¯s several moves with the self-defense skills he learnt in his previous life. However, in the end, he was still trampled by Huang Yue after all. Huang Yue mercilessly kicked Xiao YuAn¡¯s body twice, and then he stepped on Xiao YuAn¡¯s head. Xiao YuAn¡¯s chest and lungs hurt after being kicked with such great power, and suddenly he began to cough fiercely. Just when he was about to struggle to free himself, he heard Huang Yue sneer: ¡°Former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, your goal has already been achieved, you don¡¯t need to keep acting anymore. Look at you, showing the appearance of someone who¡¯s in love even now. I wonder, how will the deceased Emperor feel when he finds himself under the Nine Springs1?¡± Xiao YuAn, who was stepped on by Huang Yue, suddenly stopped struggling and his body stiffened. His face showed disdain as heughed out loud, as if he had just heard a big joke: ¡°Destined to die? Yan-ge is destined to die? Are you kidding me?!2¡± Huang Yue didn¡¯t have the intention to entangle with him anymore, so he fiercely kicked Xiao YuAn¡¯s lower abdomen. After he kicked him with great force, Xiao YuAn ended up rolling several meters away. At that moment, Huang Yue called the soldiers who were outside the tent. That kick was so heavy that Xiao YuAn felt an immeasurable amount of pain, as if his abdomen was being stabbed a hundred times by a sharp knife. He had to press down on his abdomen,ying on his side to slowly inhale and exhale air, trying to relieve the pain. Before the pain could disappear, Xiao YuAn was sent to where the captives were held. His hands and body were tied up with ropes, and his whole body was suspended in the air. He didn¡¯t know how long it had been, but at that moment, Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes were extremely blurry, and he felt sick. He could feel a burst of nauseaing from his aching abdomen all the way to his throat. To make things worse, his hands were tied on the hook from which he was hanging from, and the ropes were rubbing his wrists raw, making him feel tremendous pain. Suddenly, he heard the sound of footstepsing from outside, and when Xiao YuAn raised his head, the person he saw in front of him wasn¡¯t the one he wished to see. Chen Ge walked slowly towards Xiao YuAn, until he stood in front of him. His face was pale and he seemed to be thinking about what to say for a while before he finally said: ¡°Physician Xiao, you¡­. are you really the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom?¡± Xiao YuAn slightly smiled at him, but he didn¡¯t reply. ¡®So what if I am? So what if I¡¯m not? Even if I want to be myself, even if I want to tell everyone that my actual name is Xiao YuAn, I¡¯m still stuck inside this body. Even if I could exin everything, all the sins that this body has made are still on my shoulders.¡¯ When Chen Ge saw that he didn¡¯t want to answer, he slowly drew out a long sword from the scabbard around his waist, and with his eyes lowered, he asked: ¡°Physician Xiao, answer me. Are you really the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom?¡± However, Xiao YuAn remained silent, and Chen Ge¡¯s expression copsed a little. He sped his head with one hand and said anxiously: ¡°Physician Xiao, are you really the spy they said you are? Why aren¡¯t you trying to defend yourself? You can say something, even by shaking your head!¡± Xiao YuAnughed, and raised the corners of his mouth with a trace of bitterness: ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, will it be useful for me to say anything? If you believe me, is there anything that you need me to say?¡± Chen Ge froze in ce as he put down his hand holding his head, hesitated for a while, looked straight into Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes, and slowly raised his sword. The silver light crossed over the de, its glow was so piercing that one couldn¡¯t look directly at it. Chen Ge tightly squeezed the hilt of the sword, and his hands were vaguely trembling because of his inner struggle. However, in the end, he finally made a decision. Chen Ge took a deep breath and dropped the sword violently. As soon as the sword fell down, Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands were loosened and he fell to the ground. Chen Ge then put the sword away and reached out to help him. At that moment, Xiao YuAn regained consciousness and looked at Chen Ge with slight surprise: ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Physician Xiao, even though I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom or not, I¡¯ve seen you treat the wounded soldiers of the Southern Yan Kingdom for the past couple of days, and I can clearly see that you¡¯re sincere. Our Southern Yan soldiers aren¡¯t ungrateful, so there must be some kind of misunderstanding.¡± Chen Ge said seriously. ¡°I¡­. forget it¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn removed the rope from his hands and slowly rubbed the red marks on his wrists. ¡°Physician Xiao, you can¡¯t stay here. General Huang thinks that you¡¯re a spy, and he will probably issue a military order to get rid of you tomorrow. The guards at the door were already distracted by me, so you better go right now.¡± Chen Ge urged. When Chen Ge was about to lead the way for him, away from thend of right and wrong3, Xiao YuAn suddenly grabbed his arm: ¡°I can¡¯t go. Where¡¯s Yan-ge? When will hee back? Is there any news from the front line? I want to see him.¡± Chen Ge¡¯s face showed aplicated expression for a moment. He took a deep breath, mumbled something for a while without knowing what to say, and then he finally replied: ¡°Physician Xiao, it¡¯s better for you to not ask about it. You must leave quickly, if you don¡¯t, then it will be toote.¡± At that instant, Xiao YuAn remembered what Huang Yue had said earlier and realized that something must have happened at the front line. He grabbed Chen Ge¡¯s hand and refused to go: ¡°What is it? What happened?¡± Chen Ge couldn¡¯t stand being questioned at this, and he hesitantly said: ¡°His Majesty¡­. he¡­. something bad happened to him.¡± Xiao YuAn pressed Chen Ge¡¯s shoulders with both hands, straightening him up. His tone of voice was anxious as he spoke: ¡°Is he hurt? Is it a serious injury? Is he unconscious in his tent?¡± Chen Ge took a deep breath, having to use all of his courage to blurt out: ¡°Physician Xiao! His Majesty is dead! There was a spy in our barracks, and the team led by His Majesty was ambushed. All¡­ all of them are¡­.¡± Chen Ge suddenly clenched his fist and his face turned pale, not being able to say another word anymore. However, there was no shock or denialing from Xiao YuAn as Chen Ge expected, nor was there any crying as he had anticipated. Instead, Cheng Ge saw how Xiao YuAn slightly opened his mouth and slowly withdrew his hands from Chen Ge¡¯s shoulders. As if he could finally understand the meaning behind Chen Ge¡¯s words after a long time, Xiao YuAn took a deep breath and then looked straight at Chen Ge: ¡°No, Yan-ge will not die.¡± Even though Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice was trembling, his words and eyes were firm. As if the faith and adoration that had been firmly established for many years, couldn¡¯t be easily shaken by a mere statement without any basis. ¡°Something must have happened to Yan-ge. I have to go find him. Where was he ambushed? Tell me right now.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice was still faintly shaking, and yet it carried a sobbing calmness. He was anxious but not desperate. ¡°Physician Xiao¡­.¡± Chen Ge¡¯s voice was helpless and sorrowful. ¡°Or you can simply show me the direction, indicating to me which way I should go.¡± Xiao YuAn said while walking out. If not for the fact that Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes began to gradually turn red, Chen Ge would actually believe that Xiao YuAn was as calm as usual. ¡°Anyway, I can¡¯t stay here any longer. Give me directions, is it in the South, West, East or North? Yan-ge is really not dead, you have to believe me. He can¡¯t die, but he must be in trouble right now. Maybe he¡¯s seriously injured and he¡¯s not able to move anywhere, so he might be waiting for someone to find him.¡± Xiao YuAn gradually lost his voice, and when he saw Chen Ge standing in ce looking at him with indifference, he said: ¡°Chen Ge, just tell me in which direction I should go. I¡¯ll go by myself, I¡­. I beg you.¡± ¡°Physician Xiao don¡¯t¡­. don¡¯t do this¡­.¡± Chen Ge rudely rubbed his own hair, only to finally ruthlessly say: ¡°Well, Physician Xiao, to be honest, there are many Generals who don¡¯t believe that His Majesty has died.¡± Chen Ge took out a scroll from his pocket, in which the surrounding terrain was scribbled, spread out the map, and pointed at a certain point: ¡°His Majesty fell off the cliff here, but the terrain of the cliff isn¡¯t high, and there are several caves underneath. As the saying goes, we must see the body of the dead to know they¡¯re dead. Until we see the dead body of His Majesty, we won¡¯t believe that he died. However, because General Huang is afraid that the troops would be ambushed again by the enemy, considering that the enemy¡¯s troops are still nearby that area; we decided that instead of sending arge army, we should send one single person to search under the cliff, since it won¡¯t attract the attention of the enemy-¡­.. Hey! Physician Xiao, where are you going?! Physician Xiao don¡¯t be in a hurry! Hey! Don¡¯t pull me, I will stop talking bullshit, alright? Let¡¯s go. Ah, by the way, you can¡¯t ride a horse, right? I¡¯ll take you. Wait a minute, I remember thatst time¡­. Alright, alright, I won¡¯t force you. Let¡¯s hurry up and get going.¡± Chen Ge believing in our boi is so¡­ hhhhhh soft (¡É?o?¡É)? And XYA belives that YHQ isn¡¯t dead! He must be alright! He¡¯s the Male Lead!! Go XYA, go look for you hubby (?¨@? ?? ?¨A??) Chapter 153: The Bones Of War Will Be Exposed In Daylight. Chapter 153: The Bones Of War Will Be Exposed In Daylight.1 The night was long, the city was far away, the trees were pale and the twilight was dark. In front of a cave, several soldiers were carefully searching for someone with torches in their hands. After confirming that there was no one there, a soldier rushed out of the cave and knelt down on one knee in front of a General on horseback: ¡°Reporting to General Yang! There¡¯s no sign of the enemy¡¯s Emperor, Yan HeQing, in this cave!¡± General Yang, whose name was Yang Liye, frowned and coldly asked: ¡°Have you searched every inch of the cave? Every cup of soil, every de of grass? If there¡¯s any spot unchecked, your stupid head won¡¯t be on top of your shoulders anymore. It will be on the grass and used as a ball for the horses to y with, since it¡¯s useless anyway.¡± The kneeling soldier clenched his hands and replied: ¡°Replying to General Yang, I¡¯ve searched everywhere.¡± ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s go to the next cave.¡± Yang Liye pulled the reins of his horse tightly and turned the horse¡¯s head around to leave. However, before he could move, a General beside him asked him in a low voice: ¡°General, perhaps after falling off the cliff, the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom ended up getting eaten by wild dogs, and no bones were left behi-?¡± Before the General could finish his words, he was whipped by Yang Liye¡¯s horsewhip, making him immediately shut up and sweat in fear. Yang Liye nced at him and replied: ¡°Even if the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom was eaten by a wild dog, and only one finger bone was left behind, you must find that finger bone for me; so that we can tell the world about it, and then we will bury that bone. Stop talking bullshit and speed up the progress of the search.¡± Right at that moment, Yang Liye suddenly saw the corpse of a Southern Yan soldier leaning against the cliff in front of him. The cliff had just experienced a vicious battle, so it wasn¡¯t a surprise to see a corpse like this. Yang Liye simply rode past the corpse,pletely expressionless. Once he passed the body, he whipped it, making it fall unsteadily on the road. Then, Yang Liye deliberately pulled the horse¡¯s head, letting the horse step over the corpse. Yang Liye had a satisfied and prating smile on his face, as he led the Eastern Wu Kingdom¡¯s army to continue looking for the body of the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom, Yan HeQing, near the cliff. ¡­ From a distance, two dark shadows were hidden behind the leafy branches of a tree, watching from afar what Yang Liye had just done. At this, that dark shadow couldn¡¯t help but curse: ¡°Motherfucker.¡± After the army of the Eastern Wu Kingdom had disappeared from their sight, the two shadows climbed down from the tree. As they climbed down, Chen Ge said: ¡°The Eastern Wu Kingdom won¡¯t stop until the Emperor is found. They were afraid of being defeated by His Majesty before, right? It wasn¡¯t easy for them to sessfully ambush our elite troops, so they¡¯re desperate to kill everyone. Physician Xiao, we have to find His Majesty before they do.¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded. ¡°They¡¯ve already searched the caves behind us, so we must move forward.¡± Chen Ge climbed down the tree and nned to go around the mountain stream path, so that they would be ahead of the Eastern Wu army. At this proposal, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t have any objections. Once they started walking, and passed by the trampled corpse, they stopped at the same time. The corpse of the Southern Yan soldier, that was mercilessly trampled on by the horse¡¯s hooves, was so deformed that it was hard to see what the man used to look like. Chen Ge sighed a long sigh, dragged the corpse towards an uninhabited path, and casually dug up a pit, fearing that Xiao YuAn would be in a hurry. However, when Chen Ge turned his head to look at him, he saw Xiao YuAn nodding his head, so Chen Ge started to dig out a shallow pit with all his might. Once he was done with the pit, he put the corpse inside. After that, Xiao YuAn bent down to pay his respects. When he raised his head, he saw that the corpse was holding a wooden te tightly in his hand. At that moment, Xiao YuAn carefully pulled out the wooden te from the corpse¡¯s hand. He would hand it to Chen Geter, so that he could take it back to the Southern Yan barracks. At least this way the people who once knew this soldier, would know that he died fighting for his country; knowing that his body didn¡¯t end up in the wilderness of the battlefield, where his bones couldn¡¯t be found. Chen Ge patted off the dust from his hands, and asked Xiao YuAn: ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± Xiao YuAn looked at the wooden te in his hand with the help of the bleak moonlight. As soon as he read the characters engraved on the wooden te, his breath stagnated, and his eyes suddenly shrank. ¡°Physician Xiao, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Chen Ge saw that something was wrong with Xiao YuAn and confusedly asked him. Xiao YuAn¡¯s chest fluctuated sharply, and he was short of breath. He was unable to say a word for a long time. The only thing he could do, was to hand over the wooden te to Chen Ge. At this sudden action, Chen Ge took the wooden te with a confused expression, seeing that there were some barely recognizable words engraved on the wooden te: At the back¡­ the roof of the cave¡­ save His Majesty¡­. That General Yang is scum ???????? CG is as adorable and good as always ?????? and what does that wooden te say?? Can they find YHQ??? YHQ is truly the ML, how can a ML die??? This is not Game of Thrones *badum tss* ???????? Don¡¯t worry YHQ, your hubby will save you!!! (*¡¹>§Õ<)¡¹©¤©¤©¤!! Footnotes
  1. °×ÈÕÏúšˆË­Õ½¹Ç b¨¢i r¨¬ xi¨¡o sh¨¦i zh¨¤n g¨³; This sentence can also be interpreted as: ¡°The bones of many victims of war were exposed to broad daylight, no one was buried, and they have rotted away¡±. This sentencees from the poem¡¶ºØÐÂÀÉ¡¤ÓÃÇ°ÔÏËͶÅÊå¸ß¡·written by (ÐÁÆú¼² x¨©n q¨¬ j¨ª) Xin Qiji, from the Song Dynasty [960-1279].
Chapter 154: You Have To Miss Me Deeply. Chapter 154: You Have To Miss Me Deeply.1 The two of them stared at each other and hurriedly ran towards the cave that the Eastern Wu soldiers had just searched. The cave wasn¡¯trge, but it was dark, damp, and cold. Chen Ge acted quickly to make a simple torch to illuminate the whole cave, but there was nothing inside the cave that could work. There were only leaves and mud. ¡°The roof of the cave¡­ the roof of the cave¡­¡± Xiao YuAn looked up at the roof of the cave, which was formed by the erosion and dissolution of groundwater, and saw that it was full of holes. Some of them were higher, and some were lower. Since there weren¡¯t any kind of light inside the cave, it was so dark that the roof looked extremely creepy. ¡°Yan-ge! Can you hear me? Yan-ge, are you here?!¡± Xiao YuAn put his hands around his mouth and started to shout loudly. His voice echoed every corner of the cave, over and over again. However, as if a stone sunking at the bottom of the sea2, no one replied. ¡°Physician Xiao, do you think that the words ¡®roof of the cave¡¯ written on that wooden te mean something else?¡± Chen Ge yelled as he knocked at the walls of the cave, only to end up disappointed when he found out that every wall was as solid as stone. Chen Ge then turned around to discuss this with Xiao YuAn, but saw him standing in ce, quietly looking up without saying a word. ¡°Physician Xiao?¡± Chen Ge walked closer to him: ¡°What are you¡­ looking a-?¡± Chen Ge couldn¡¯t finish what he wanted to say, because Xiao YuAn suddenly pressed hard on his shoulders, making him squat down. ¡°Help me go up.¡± Xiao YuAn firmly said as he stepped on Chen Ge¡¯s shoulders. Chen Ge, while exerting some strength, replied: ¡°Physician Xiao, be careful. It¡¯s so dark in here, that I¡¯m afraid of making you hit your head against the roof of the cave.¡± Xiao YuAn jumped up and went into a specific hole at the roof of the cave. The hole in front of him was more spacious than what he thought it would be, and since the inside of the hole was vertical, Xiao YuAn had to rely solely on the strength of his arms and feet to support himself. However, because he wasn¡¯t careful enough, he ended up falling. ¡°Hey, hey, hey!¡± Chen Ge couldn¡¯t react in time, and only saw how Xiao YuAn fell heavily on the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Xiao YuAn immediately propped himself up, because he didn¡¯t have the time to check on himself. Without saying a single word, Xiao YuAn pressed Chen Ge down again and stepped on his shoulders one more time. In the end, Chen Ge didn¡¯t have any other choice than to help him go up the hole again. This time, Xiao YuAn took a posture that allowed him to move bit by bit. At that moment, Chen Ge lit up a torch with what he could find at thest minute, and held it high to help Xiao YuAn see what was inside the hole: ¡°Physician Xiao, be careful. It¡¯s too dark to see clearly. What if there¡¯s a stone wall at the end of the hole? Won¡¯t you end up hitting your head?¡± However, after a while passed, Chen Ge could barely see Xiao YuAn¡¯s ankles, until he suddenly heard Xiao YuAn express an ¡®ah!¡¯, followed by Xiao YuAn disappearing from sight. ¡°Physician Xiao! Owowowowaahh where are you?! This is awful! Can you hear me?! Answer me ahhh!!¡± Chen Ge, who held the torch as high as he could, began to swing it back and forth, while he kept on stubbornly staring at the hole, not daring to move his eyes away. ¡°I can hear you! I¡¯m not deaf!¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice suddenly came from the depths of the hole, across the stone wall, sounding distant and hollow: ¡°Chen Ge, since you¡¯re there, you have to catch him¡­.¡± Chen Ge replied confused: ¡°Catch¡­ catch what?¡± He soon discovered what Xiao YuAn meant when he heard a sounding from the hole and saw a pair of feet appearing at the entrance of the hole. Such a scene was so bizarre that Chen Ge blurted out ¡®oh for my mother-¡¯, and then the torch in his hand fell on the ground, as he raised his hands to catch the maning out of the roof of the cave. Since Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t able to hold on any longer, when Chen Ge finally caught that person, his weight instantly caught Chen Ge off guard as he fell on the ground, ending up acting as a human cushion. ¡°Ouch! Ah mother, it hurts! It hurts!¡± Chen Ge subconsciously reached out to push that person away from him, but when he saw who it was, he suddenly froze and stared at him wide eyed: ¡°Your Majesty?!¡± As soon as he said this, Xiao YuAn fell down from the roof. He fell so heavily, that he ended up rolling twice on the ground. However, he couldn¡¯t care less whether he was hurt or not. He simply turned over and grabbed the man, who had just fallen on top of Chen Ge, into his arms. Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands were shaking as he held that man tightly. He was so lost in thought, that he murmured something a few times. Then he took a deep breath to force himself to calm down, lowered his head, and gently kissed Yan HeQing¡¯s closed eyes and cold lips: ¡°Yan-ge, it¡¯s me, can you hear me? I¡¯ve found you. I¡¯ve finally found you.¡± Finally!!! YHQ is in XYA¡¯s arms ??( ???? )!! Also, wasn¡¯t it extremely cute how CG kept worrying that XYA would hit his head against a wall by ident? XD Footnotes
  1. Ò²µÃŠ¬¶ðÄîÎÒ³Õ y¨§ de h¨¦ng ¨¦ ni¨¤n w¨¯ ch¨©; A sentence from the poem¡¶ÄÏÏç×Ó¡¤ÎìÉêÇïöÁϲÎî¹ÊÈË¡·written by (¸ßðÊ g¨¡o ¨¨) Gao E [1738-1815] from the Qing Dynasty [1644-1911]. This poem was written in the Autumn of the 53th year of Emperor Qianlong¡¯s reign, when Gao E had sessfully passed the Imperial Examinations in Shuntian County, so he was able to reunite with his lover again after a long time being apart from each other. The poem reveals his sincere happiness and is written with love and tenderness.
  2. ʯ³Á´óº£ sh¨ª ch¨¦n d¨¤ h¨£i; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom. It means that when a stone is thrown into the sea, it will sink, and will never be found again. It¡¯s used as a metaphor for ¡®never being heard of again¡¯. From¡¶Î÷Ïá¼Ç¡·(x¨© xi¨¡ng j¨¬) ¡°Romance of the West Chamber¡±, written by (Íõʵ¸¦ w¨¢ng sh¨ª f¨³) Wang Shifu [1295-1307], from the Yuan or Mongol Dynasty [1279-1368].
Chapter 155: You’ll Understand How Hard It’s For People To Say Goodbye. Chapter 155: You¡¯ll Understand How Hard It¡¯s For People To Say Goodbye.1 ¡°The Emperor, how is the Emperor? He¡­ is he¡­¡± Chen Ge couldn¡¯t say it. ¡°He¡¯s still alive.¡± Xiao YuAn un-tied Yan HeQing¡¯s clothes and started to treat his wounds. Yan HeQing¡¯s face was extremely pale due to the excessive blood loss, making him fall into aa. His pulse and breathing were very weak, so Xiao YuAn treated him with some herbal medicine to stop the bleeding. Then he took off his coat and wrapped Yan HeQing tightly with it. After Chen Ge saw this, he quickly did the same thing. ¡°We have to get him back to the barracks as soon as possible.¡± When Xiao YuAn finished speaking, Chen Ge instantly carried Yan HeQing on his back. ¡°Physician Xiao, it¡¯s not toote outside, let¡¯s go now.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded, took the torch, and followed Chen Ge towards the exit of the cave. However, before they could step outside the cave, they saw a distant firelight shaking, and they heard the sound of disordered footsteps. Xiao YuAn was so frightened that he hurriedly put out the fire, and Chen Ge quickly returned to the cave. They then held their breaths, hiding inside the depths of the dark cave, not daring to make a single move. From the outside, they could faintly hear the voice of a man passing through the entrance of the cave: ¡°General Yang is too cautious ah. He¡¯s making us search through the first caves again.¡± ¡°Do you really think that he¡¯ll make us spend the whole night here?¡± ¡°I heard that General Yang doesn¡¯t have the intention of resting until he finds that Emperor.¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s a boring and hard job, I can understand why General Yang is doing this. After all, he has to cut the grass to get rid of the roots. Anyway, this ce is already covered with traps. It¡¯s not like the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom can grow wings and fly away.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. You two, stop gossiping around and hurry up! General Yang will personallye back here at any given moment, and if he catches you two gossiping around, instead of doing your job, you two will lose your heads!¡± After the soldier said that, the outside of the cave was surrounded byplete silence. Only the sound of footsteps could be heard from afar and near the cave. On the other hand, inside the darkness of the cave, Chen Ge gritted his teeth as he said in a low voice: ¡°Physician Xiao, what should we do? Should we hide on the roof of the cave?¡± Xiao YuAn rubbed his hands until they were warm, and then covered Yan HeQing¡¯s cold cheeks. Then he said with a worried voice: ¡°The roof of the cave can¡¯t hide three people. Besides, we don¡¯t know when the Eastern Wu soldiers will retreat, and Yan-ge won¡¯t survive much longer in his current condition.¡± The burning light outside the cave drove away the moonlight, meaning that the soldiers were wandering around the cave. With this, the two of them clung to the stone wall as much as they could, not daring toe out of the dark. It was a good thing that the soldiers of the Eastern Wu Kingdom were mainly paying close attention to the outside of the cave, rather than the inside. ¡°No, if we continue like this, we will be discovered.¡± Chen Ge put down Yan HeQing, who was resting on his back, and said: ¡°I¡¯ll make them go away. Once I do that, Physician Xiao, you have to run away with His Majesty!¡± Before Chen Ge could rush outside, he was stopped by Xiao YuAn, who held his arm tightly, and then said: ¡°Make them go away?¡± Chen Ge gritted his teeth: ¡°Yes, Physician Xiao. When there¡¯s no firelighting from the outside, and you don¡¯t hear any noise, then you have to immediately carry His Majesty and take him to the East. Don¡¯t look back! And don¡¯t wait for me!¡± Xiao YuAn looked at him and calmly replied: ¡°Let me do it instead.¡± Chen Ge immediately spoke out with an urgent and angry tone of voice: ¡°Physician Xiao! How can I possibly let you do it?! You-¡­..¡± ¡°Chen Ge, I¡¯m not interested in this rotten entanglement bullshit, you can go and y your role. Besides, you should also know that Huang Yue wants my life. Since Yan-ge is still in aa, he can¡¯t protect me, so I can¡¯t simply go back to the Southern Yan barracks just like that; and even if I did go back, it will only be a dead end for the both of us. Yan-ge can only be carried back by you. Chen Ge, you¡¯re a wise man, think about it more carefully.¡± Xiao YuAn calmly analyzed the situation. His tone of voice and attitude were so soft, that even Chen Ge felt that he was being suffocated. ¡°I¡­..¡± Chen Ge wanted to defend himself, but in the end he couldn¡¯t speak. He was so angry at this, that he punched himself on the head. Then he held his head and cursed several dirty words one after the other. Xiao YuAn looked at Yan HeQing for a moment as he interlocked his fingers with Yan HeQing¡¯s hand, and softly caressed Yan HeQing¡¯s face with his other hand. Xiao YuAn¡¯s fingertips were like a paintbrush made out of clouds as he fondly depicted Yan HeQing¡¯s eyebrows: ¡°Chen Ge, I¡¯ll have to trouble you with one more thing.¡± XYA don¡¯t put yourself in danger!!!!! ???????????? Footnotes
  1. ·½Ê¶È˼ä±ðÒⳤ f¨¡ng sh¨ª bi¨¦ y¨¬ ch¨¢ng; A part of the poem¡¶ðÑð³Ì졤ϧ±ð¡·written by (ÑÏÈÊ y¨¢n r¨¦n) Yan Ren [around 1200 AD], from the Song Dynasty [960-1279]. ¡®If you take a look at the rushing river flowing Eastward, you¡¯ll naturally be able to understand how people feel when they have to say goodbye to their friends and rtives when they leave their hometown¡¯. Instead of expressing the emotion of parting directly, it¡¯spared with the ¡°rushing river flowing Eastward¡±, turning the abstract emotion into a concrete image, making it more meaningful.
Chapter 156: The Yearning Has Been Deeply Rooted In My Bones. Chapter 156: The Yearning Has Been Deeply Rooted In My Bones.1 Xiao YuAn tried to smile, but his eyes stung and his mouth was bitter. As he pursed his lips, he took a breath, and said: ¡°If¡­ if there¡¯s no news of me being alive before Yan-ge wakes up¡­.¡± ¡°Physician Xiao?¡± ¡°If there¡¯s no news of me being alive, then you have to write a letter for me. Yan-ge doesn¡¯t recognize my handwriting, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that issue. As for the content of the letter¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn paused for a moment. The hand that was interlocked with Yan HeQing¡¯s fingers sped slightly, and his lips began to tremble: ¡°You have to tell him with the letter that I¡¯m gone, and that I don¡¯t like him; that I was only willing to be with him because that way, I could enjoy the glory and the wealth without any worries. However, since my identity was exposed, I found that being by his side was not safe after all, so I chose to leave him. You also have to let him know that I¡¯m asking him to note find me. With this letter, you have to let him understand that he¡¯s human after all. Tell him: ¡®You said that you¡¯ll search all over the world for me. Even if that means that you¡¯ll have to dig three feet underground to get me.¡¯ But, the world is so big, and there are so many paths, where is he going to dig those three feet to begin with?¡± Chen Ge choked with sobs, almost unable to speak: ¡°Physician Xiao, do you have to be like this? His Majesty¡­ he¡­ he¡­¡± Xiao YuAn wiped his face, and continued: ¡°You must write decisively, don¡¯t leave him any trace that could make him have doubts. It¡¯s best to show him my disgust and tell him that I won¡¯t ever let him find me again. Let him walk his own path, I already have my own unique road. Tell him that without him around, I will definitely live a happier life than now. It¡¯s been said since ancient times, that the Imperial Family is the most ruthless and heartless of all, and that I¡¯ve been longing for a life of idle clouds and wild cranes2. But his destiny is to be the Emperor. I just hope that I won¡¯t have to get entangled with these things for the rest of my life. Chen Ge, please, make sure to write all these words for me in the letter, and tell him to forget about me.¡± Chen Ge smashed his fist against the stone wall, hitting his hand so hard that it turned bright red. After this, he managed to calm down: ¡°Physician Xiao, I¡­. I understand.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded his head, cupped Yan HeQing¡¯s face in his hands, and kissed his cold lips. After that kiss, tears fell down his cheeks, crossing over the corners of his mouth, and when he licked them with the tip of his tongue, he felt that they tasted bitter and astringent. ¡°I¡¯m going now.¡± At the distance, they were able to hear the faint sound of horse hooves approaching, so Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t dare to be slow. He hurriedly got up, and ran towards the entrance of the cave. One step, two steps, three steps. Xiao YuAn¡¯s footsteps were slow to fast, and fast to slow. Once he stood at the entrance of the cave and looked at the outside, he saw that in the twilight, the moon and stars were dim. Seeing how this frost light fell on the wilderness, Xiao YuAn took a step forward. As the cold wind blew by, he felt that this wind couldn¡¯t blow away the loneliness and coldness he felt right now. All of a sudden, Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t able to stop his tears. As if he could see the interminable yellow sand of that day, in which Yan HeQing had chased after him on horseback, only to say to him: ¡°I won¡¯t forget, I would definitely never forget.¡± ¡®There are eight hardships in life3; you can¡¯t avoid them, and you can¡¯t stop them. But, why do I have to be Yan HeQing¡¯s life hardships¡­ why?¡¯ Xiao YuAn wiped his eyes and suddenly turned around, running back to the cave. He then tightly grabbed Chen Ge¡¯s shoulders, who was extremely shocked, and said: ¡°Forget about everything I just said! When Yan-ge wakes up, you have to tell him that I, Xiao YuAn, likes him! I really love him! I don¡¯t even know when this feeling began, but as long as I¡¯m with him, I¡¯m extremely happy. I want to stay by his side all the time, and whenever he goes, I¡¯ll go as well. I¡¯m not afraid of the ruthless Imperial Family, nor am I afraid that the deep Pce will feel like a cage. As long as he¡¯s around, as long as he¡¯s with me¡­.¡± Thest few words have turned into choked sobs. After this, Xiao YuAn took advantage that Chen Ge hasn¡¯t fully regained his senses, and turned around, rushing outside the cave. It was like a drama filled with joys and sorrows. At the end, the guests left a lonely scene, but the actors on the stage kept ying their roles, and singing their stories. As the main actor waved his sleeves, he sings: ¡°I was surprised to find that my feelings weren¡¯t visible, but it was because my love was already deep rooted in my bones. I don¡¯t even know where these feelings came from, I just know that they exist.¡± This song was so lingering and incessant, that one can listen to it without end. However, it was such a pity that no one was listening. No one heard. No one knew. *insert meme* They had us in the first half I¡¯m ngl. ?????? Aaahhhh XYA has finally admitted his feelings for YHQ, and it had to happen when YHQ is unconscious and XYA is going to put himself in danger ?????????? Footnotes
  1. Ô­À´Ö»ÒòÒÑÈë¹Ç yu¨¢n l¨¢i zh¨« y¨©n y¨« r¨´ g¨³; From the y¡¶Äµµ¤Í¤¡·(m¨³ dan t¨ªng), ¡°The Peony Pavilion¡± by (œ«ï@×æ t¨¡ng xi¨£n z¨³) Tang Xianzu [1550-1616], from the Ming Dynasty [1368-1644]. Theplete sentence is: ¡°The love I feel for you is not shown on the surface, but the yearning has been deeply rooted in my bones¡±. It refers to someone that doesn¡¯t know when their romantic feelings started, but when they realize, these feelings are deep inside them. They also don¡¯t know why they¡¯re in love, they just know they are.
  2. ÏÐÔÆÒ°º× xi¨¢n y¨²n y¨§ h¨¨; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, It refers to a person that lives an idle life and is detached from the world affairs. From¡¶È«ÌÆÊ«»°¡·(qu¨¢n t¨¢ng sh¨© hu¨¤) ¡°Poetry of the Tang Dynasty¡±, by (ÓÈÙó y¨®u m¨¤o) You Mao [1127-1194] from the Song Dynasty [960-1279].
  3. °Ë¿à b¨¡ k¨³; It¡¯s a Buddhist term. It refers to: Birth, old age, sickness, death, parting with the people we love, hatred and bitterness, unattained aims, and the Skandha (Sanskrit name. In Buddhism, it refers to the five aggregates of clinging, which are the five material and mental factors that take part in the rise of craving and clinging, also known as ¡®the five factors that constitute and exin a sentient being¡¯s person and personality¡¯. These are: Form, or material image/impression. Sensations, or feelings. Perceptions. Mental activities. And consciousness).
Chapter 157: There’s No Greater Sorrow Than A Recent Parting. Chapter 157: There¡¯s No Greater Sorrow Than A Recent Parting.1 ¡°General Yang! We¡¯ve captured a suspect!¡± The soldiers of the Eastern Wu Kingdom, who were searching the first caves, suddenly came back in a hurry to report. Once Yang Liye heard this, he snorted: ¡°Only one person?¡± ¡°Answering to the General, yes.¡± Yang Liye rubbed his chin and replied: ¡°Bring that man over here first, and then send someone to search the surrounding area carefully.¡± After receiving their orders, the soldiers hurriedly got up toply. After a while, they brought back a man, whose hands were tightly tied. One of the soldiers kicked the man¡¯s knee, making him fall down and kneel. Yang Liye dismounted, bent down and reached out to pinch the man¡¯s chin; raising his head and twisting it from left to right. After looking at his face with the help of the firelight, Yang Liye hissed meaningfully: ¡°You don¡¯t look like a soldier, with such thin skin and tender flesh. Tell me, who are you?¡± Xiao YuAn pretended to be afraid, and while lowering his head, he trembled like a leaf: ¡°Answering to Daren2, I¡¯m from a nearby vige. I don¡¯t know what I have done that offended Daren. Please spare my life!¡± Yang Liye retracted his hand and stood up straight. He then paced back and forth around Xiao YuAn: ¡°Oh, a viger. As far as I know, all the nearby viges have been emptied because of the war. Young brother3, you said that you¡¯re a mere viger, but what are you doing walking around this battlefield at night? Hmm?¡± Xiao YuAn, with his head still lowered, replied: ¡°Daren, I wanted to take refuge in the Western Shu Kingdom, so I just happened to pass by here. I didn¡¯t expect to cause such a big misunderstanding!¡± Yang Liye paused and nodded his head approvingly: ¡°Yes, that¡¯s reasonable. But, why didn¡¯t you bring your rtives with you?¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°Daren, I¡¯m on my own. One person eats and the whole family doesn¡¯t have to worry4.¡± ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Yang Liye waved his hand: ¡°In that case, let¡¯s have a good time. Where¡¯s my sword?¡± Xiao YuAn lowered his head even more: ¡°Have a good time? What does Daren mean by this?¡± Yan Liye smiled and nodded his head: ¡°Young brother, don¡¯t worry. I can kill you with one single sh, you won¡¯t feel any pain.¡± A Deputy General beside Yang Liye came over with his sword and asked him: ¡°General Yang, what if this man is really just a viger?¡± ¡°What if he¡¯s a viger? I¡¯d rather kill a thousand by mistake than let a suspect go!¡± Yang Liye said with disdain on his face, as his smile turned terrifying. His words were extremely poisonous, and his tone was very vicious. Once he grabbed the sword, he suddenly heard someone yelling ¡®Report!¡¯ing from the other side. ¡°Reporting to the General. We didn¡¯t find any other abnormalities around there!¡± The soldier, who had just knelt down with one knee, finished his report when he was suddenly kicked by Yang Liye, who had a fierce look on his face. Yang Liye then started to curse out loud: ¡°Did you all hear themotion this man made and you decided to go after him?¡± The soldier was confused by the sudden kick, and even though he answered in time, his voice trembled: ¡°A-an-answering to the General, we thought he was¡­ he was an enemy from the Southern Yan Kingdom, so¡­¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Yang Liye turned back and walked towards Xiao YuAn. He then took a deep breath, squatted in front of Xiao YuAn, and again changed his expression into a smiling face: ¡°Young brother, you are a viger, right?¡± ¡°Answering to Daren, yes¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t finish his sentence when his eyes suddenly narrowed. Yang Liye had raised his sword with one hand and mercilessly stabbed him in one leg. Xiao YuAn violently bowed and fiercely bit his lips, to the point of almost making his lips bleed; but in the end, the pain he felt from his lips couldn¡¯t relieve the paining from his leg. ¡°You went away from home, all alone, but you don¡¯t have any luggage with you. Are you really a refugee?¡± Yang Liye¡¯s tone was rxed, and his words were also kind of lighthearted, as if he wasn¡¯t the one holding a sword still stained with blood. Xiao YuAn gasped several breaths before he could slightly recover: ¡°Daren, I¡¯m really-¡­¡± Yang Liye didn¡¯t even hesitate when he shed Xiao YuAn¡¯s leg once again. The cut was so deep, that the bone near his knee was vaguely exposed. A painful scream finally overflowed from Xiao YuAn¡¯s throat, unable to suppress it anymore. He then gritted his teeth with such force, that he was covered in sweat. He was in so much pain, that he could no longer say aplete word. Xiao YuAn suddenly was amused. After all his efforts, he thought that he had finally escaped the fate of ending up being tortured to death. However, he didn¡¯t expect to end up buried here. In the end, the Heavens are so merciless, they just like to y with people. When Yang Liye pulled the sword out of Xiao YuAn¡¯s wound, the blood sshed and sttered all over him, but Yang Liye didn¡¯t care to wipe the side of his face. When the sword dropped down again, Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands were free, and the rope that bound his hands fell to the ground. Yang Liye stood up, and he slowly wiped the blood off the de with his fingers. ¡°Young brother, I¡¯ve untied you, so why don¡¯t you show me the way? I can see that you¡¯re a smart man. You should know which way I¡¯m talking about.¡± The pain in his leg was piercing, as Xiao YuAn pinched on his wound, and breathed heavily. He then dry swallowed a mouthful of air, and didn¡¯t make a sound. Yang Liye wasn¡¯t in a hurry, and as he wiped off the blood from his hand with his sleeve, he began to count slowly. ¡°5, 4, 3¡­.¡± Yang Liye was unhurriedly counting down the numbers, purposely dragging the words intonation to ¡®make¡¯ the countdown seem longer. However, it didn¡¯t matter how much he dragged saying the numbers, they were only 5, so it was obvious he would finish counting immediately. At this, Xiao YuAn finally moved. He took a quick breath, as if he was struggling inside his heart, and finally raised his hand; hesitantly and slowly pointing in a direction. When Yang Liye looked towards the direction that finger was pointing at, under the vast starry sky, at a road far away, Yang Liye nodded with satisfaction. He then kicked Xiao YuAn, pulled out the dagger hanging on his waist, and pinned Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand to the ground, the one that had just pointed a direction! The dagger pierced through Xiao YuAn¡¯s palm, and plunged into the earth. The blood and the painful screams prated into the soil together, as Xiao YuAn unconsciously grabbed his wrist with his uninjured hand, and slightly curled his body, due to the pain he was feeling. ¡°Young brother, please show me the way once more. You should understand the consequences of pointing the wrong way, am I correct? If you point the wrong way, then what I¡¯ll do next won¡¯t be as simple as cutting out your flesh and stabbing your hand. So, you must show me the right path, and grasp yourst chance.¡± Yang Liye yed with the dagger in his hand and said slowly, as if he was talking to Xiao YuAn about his family matters. Xiao YuAn put his head against the ground. The rough sand and small stones were hurting his forehead, but he kept it that way, as if that other pain could relieve the paining from his palm and leg. In the end, he didn¡¯t dare to make a big move; because if he moved even for a little bit, then the dagger pinned to the ground piercing his palm would cut his hand even more, and the pain that would follow that action would also increase drastically. Yang Liye expressionlessly looked at the trembling man on the ground. As he stared at him, Xiao YuAn slowly raised his hand again, and pointed in the same direction he pointed a few moments ago. Certainly, there was no doubt. Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice was shaking, as if he was crying, and said: ¡°I really don¡¯t want to die. There¡¯s someone that I want to see more than anything. I want to see him again.¡± Yang Liye stared at him without saying a word. After thinking for a while, he turned around, mounted his horse, and led his soldiers towards the direction Xiao YuAn had just pointed at. At that moment, no one knew that the end of the direction pointed by Xiao YuAn, was actually a cliff with no road at all. And, in the opposite direction, Chen Ge was running as fast as he could with Yan HeQing on his back. Xiao YuAn half hugged himself with his uninjured hand, as he kept murmuring to himself: ¡°I really¡­. really¡­. really want to¡­ see him again.¡± His thin words gradually dissipated in the cold night air, wasted under the three thousand floating worlds5. More often than not, the words you say might not match your actions, and sometimes, you might even talk insincerely6. I¡¯m back ?? Ahhhh that general is so ???? how dare you treat my bby boi like that ?? And XYA is so concerned, trying his best to open an opportunity for CG to run with YHQ towards a safe ce ? and he¡¯s missing YHQ so much! It hurts!!o£¨£é§¥£é£©o Chapter 158: I Remember My Lover, Who Is Far Away From Me. Chapter 158: I Remember My Lover, Who Is Far Away From Me.1 ¡°Is General Yang not relieved yet? How long have they been beating him? If they continue to beat him, that man will be killed, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still asking about this when you know how General Yang¡¯s temper is? That man will certainly die!¡± ¡°Tsk, General Yang has been kicking that man¡¯s stomach for so long, that sooner orter, he¡¯ll end up vomiting blood.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how angry General Yang was when he came back just now? He even made his horse step directly over that man¡¯s leg! Even if he survives, how can his leg recuperate? He¡¯ll be destined to be a cripple for the rest of his life!¡± ¡°After all, the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom slipped away from under his nose. Right now, General Yang¡¯s temperament is¡­ even worse¡­. sigh.¡± ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s xiao-Bao? I didn¡¯t see him today.¡± ¡­ Under the starry sky in the wilderness, the morning light in the sky was dim. Yang Liye, who was ruthlessly venting his anger, finally got tired of kicking Xiao YuAn and stood aside to rest for a while. Then, he squatted down in front of Xiao YuAn, pinched his chin, and said: ¡°What was it that you wanted to achieve? Was it worth it? Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to not lie to me? You wouldn¡¯t have been in this situation if you were sincere.¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t hear what Yang Liye was saying to him. After all, his ears were full of lingering hissing sounds. His hands were nailed to the ground with daggers, and the exposed skin of his body was covered with ck and purple bruises. Because of the strong beating, almost all of his internal organs were disced, and the blood he spit out, who knows how many times, had stained his chin and chest. Except for his eyes that could barely see, his whole body was numb with pain, and Xiao YuAn felt that none of his limbs and bones were under his control. Naturally, Yang Liye didn¡¯t get an answer. He was filled with anger, but he was also tired of beating Xiao YuAn. So he simply stood up, put his arms on his hips, and took a long breath. Then, he reached out and pulled out the dagger from Xiao YuAn¡¯s left hand. A faint whimper came from Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth, which was more like he didn¡¯t even have the strength toin about the pain rather than try to suppress a scream. ¡°Let me think.¡± Yang Liye grabbed his sleeve with one hand and wiped the blood on the dagger with it. ¡°It would be too easy to end your life with just one strike. Would you prefer to bleed to death? Or would you rather have your flesh cut out bit by bit? Maybe I should cut out your flesh, because this way it will hurt even more¡­ But, can you even still feel the pain? Hmm?¡± After Yang Liye said this, he used his foot to turn Xiao YuAn over and kicked him in the knee again: ¡°Hmm? If I ask you something, you have to answer it.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s knee had been trampled by the horse before, and the bone had long been fractured. At this point, when he was kicked again, he unconsciously shrank up in pain. As a result, his right hand, which was still nailed to the ground by a dagger, was inevitably cut open a bit more. Yang Liye looked at Xiao YuAnying on the ground, as if he were looking at a dead man, and while doing so, he was ying with the dagger in his hand for a while. Then he finally made a decision, squatted down slowly, gesticted something, and finally moved his hand towards Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes. ¡°Report! General Yang!¡± Suddenly, a Deputy General came to report. He knelt in front of Yang Liye, sped his fists, and shouted: ¡°The rear urgently summoned General Yang back to discuss matters!¡± However, Yang Liye continued to squat irrationally in front of Xiao YuAn. After a while, he finally stood up, patted the dust on his body, and heard the Deputy General say: ¡°General, we shouldn¡¯t bete. We must hurry!¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve already used that trick, so it¡¯s time to reorganize the troops and snatch back the towns that were taken away before.¡± Yang Liye muttered to himself. Then he waved at the Deputy General, and pointed at Xiao YuAn: ¡°Find some people and bury him alive. Remember to bury him alive, you hear me?¡± The Deputy General nodded and bowed head. Satisfied with the response, Yang Liye squatted down and patted Xiao YuAn¡¯s face: ¡°Young brother, have a nice trip, I won¡¯t send you. You see, I¡¯m being merciful to you. At least, I didn¡¯t let your body be exposed to the wilderness where the wild dogs would eat your flesh, didn¡¯t I?¡± Xiao YuAn was still unable to hear anything, when he suddenly felt as if the sky was spinning and struggled to open his eyes to look upward. It was daybreak, and there was no moon nor sun in the sky. There was only one star shining in the East. Xiao YuAn swallowed a mouthful of blood and felt that his body heat and consciousness were being pulled away from his body. At this, Xiao YuAn tried to raise a hand and reach for that lonely star in the sky, but in the end, he could only move his fingers. He then exhausted all the strength he had left to murmur: ¡°Yan-ge¡­..¡± After he managed to say that, he fell into the chaos of darkness. -A rification to what the general meant with ¡°we already used that trick¡± He most likely meant the trap they put YHQ into, surrounding his army at a cliff. ¨C Aaahhhghhhh I really hate that m******* ???? XYA calling YHQ¡¯s name ???????? my heart ?????? I can¡¯t stand this pain ?? just want them to be happy ©b?£®£¨£é§¥£é£©?£º? Footnotes
  1. Òä¾ýÌöÌö¸ôÇàÌì y¨¬ j¨±n ti¨¢o ti¨¢o g¨¦ q¨©ng ti¨¡n; A part of the poem¡¶³¤Ïà˼¡¤Æä¶þ¡·(ch¨¢ng xi¨¡ng s¨©¡¤q¨ª ¨¨r) ¡°Constantly Yearning For You¡±, by (Àî°× l¨« b¨¢i) Li Bai [701-762], from the Tang Dynasty [618-907]. This sentence can be tranted as ¡°I remember that my lover, ah my lover, is so far away from me, that it feels as if we were separated by the vast blue sky¡±. This poem describes a woman who deeply misses her lover and ys a song for him, hoping that the spring breeze would deliver her yearning and love to him.
Chapter 159: Of Course I Choose To Save His Life. Chapter 159: Of Course I Choose To Save His Life. When consciousness returned to Xiao YuAn¡¯s body again, it took him a while to realize that he was being carried on someone¡¯s back. At this, Xiao YuAn struggled to understand what was going on; but his head was exploding in pain from a strong headache, and the pain of his injured body, that was numb before, was now devouring him relentlessly. His mouth was bitter and his eyes were blurry. In the end, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help moaning in pain. When the man carrying him noticed that Xiao YuAn had regained consciousness, he said: ¡°Are you awake? Don¡¯t talk, it¡¯s better for you to save your strength. We¡¯ll be in Taoyuan Vige soon.¡± ¡°You¡­ who are you?¡± Xiao YuAn opened his mouth, and of course, he wanted to say more, but right now he was only able to let out a few whispers. The qi and blood in his chest gradually surged up, and he felt the bitter taste of blood on his mouth. There was also more than a trace of the taste of blood, as if he had tried to say anything else, he would have coughed up blood. At this, Xiao YuAn had to shut up. ¡°Benefactor, is me! Bao Yinxin. Do you still remember me?¡± The young soldier surnamed Bao was walking as fast as he could, and his feet were quite steady. It took Xiao YuAn a while to remember that name: ¡°Ah yes. It¡¯s you¡­ why-¡­¡± ¡°Benefactor, several of the soldiers of our Eastern Wu Kingdom were saved by you in the past, do you still remember? How could we let you die like this? So we thought of a way to save you and send you back to Taoyuan Vige.¡± Bao Yinxin exined. ¡°But¡­ but I¡¯m already¡­. South-cough¡­¡± Before Xiao YuAn finished what he wanted to say, he suddenly began to cough violently. ¡°Benefactor, we don¡¯t have the heart of a wolf nor the lungs of a dog1. No matter who you¡¯re now, you still saved our lives. A drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring2, so please, stop talking and take a good rest.¡± He said, concerned for Xiao YuAn after seeing him cough so violently. ¡°Thank you¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn stopped coughing and replied almost whispering. After a long time, he vaguely said: ¡°I can¡¯t let him down¡­.. can¡¯t let down¡­.. Thank you¡­..¡± ¡°What? What did you say?¡± Bao Yinxin couldn¡¯t hear Xiao YuAn¡¯sst words clearly, since Xiao YuAn had fallen unconscious again. Once he realized this, Bao Yinxin didn¡¯t dare to waste any more time, and hastened to speed up his pace. ¡­ When Xiao YuAn woke up again, he saw the sunset on the horizon, making the bamboo shadows look inclined. It hurts, there wasn¡¯t a single spot in his body that didn¡¯t hurt. He felt a stabbing kind of paining from his abdomen, a dull paining from his legs, a terrible headache, and a tear-like paining from his hands. Xiao YuAn then took a deep breath, when suddenly, a shout exploded right next to his ear: ¡°Xiao-ge is awake!¡± A few seconds ago, Xie Chungui was lying on the edge of the bed, with his hands acting as a pillow, taking a nap. When he heard some noise, he woke up and rubbed his eyes as he raised his head to see what was going on, only to see Xiao YuAn with his eyes wide open. At this, he excitedly jumped up and ran outside. Xiao YuAn, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled. ¡®Didn¡¯t Xie Chungui go to the Western Shu Kingdom for medical treatment? Why is he still acting like a child?¡¯ Xiao YuAn wanted to speak, but soon he realized that he wasn¡¯t able to produce any sound. He then wanted to raise his hand and touch his throat, but when he saw the white cloth wrapped around his injured hand, he stopped mid-air. After a short while, a group of people entered his room. All of them were familiar faces. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯ve suffered.¡± Yang LiuAn¡¯s face showed how distressed he was. As Xiao Fengyue patted Yang LiuAn¡¯s back soothingly, he softly said to Xiao YuAn: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master, we will take good care of you until your body heals.¡± Third Aunt rubbed her eyes as she kept sobbing: ¡°I- I said- wuwuwuwu, I told you that there isn¡¯t any war without any danger. You child, why couldn¡¯t you be more careful?! You had us worried to death, you know? You better get well soon! Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to eat Auntie¡¯s braised pork, roasted chicken and marinated duck? How can you eat all that if you don¡¯t get well soon?¡± Lin Shenling supported Third Aunt and told her not to be too sad. Zhang Baizhu, who has always been heartless, when he saw Xiao YuAn¡¯s tragic state, his eyes turned red: ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯ll be my baby¡¯s godfather?! You better get well soon, I want you to help me organize the One-month Banquet3, you have to attend.¡± Xiao YuAn tried to smile at them, but because he was under an immeasurable amount of pain, his smile was distorted, startling everyone present: ¡®Where does it hurt? What¡¯s wrong? Why are you showing such a horrible expression?¡¯ Then, a wide and warm palm caressed the top of Xiao YuAn¡¯s head. When Xiao YuAn raised his eyes to look at the owner of that hand, he pouted at his Shifu. Zhang Changsong, who has always been a grumpy man, and was rarely amiable, patted Xiao YuAn¡¯s head with tenderness. Then he stroked his white beard, and said: ¡°If you don¡¯t die after a great disaster, then you¡¯ll be blessed in the future. Rest well and don¡¯t worry, because we¡¯re all here for you. There¡¯s nothing to be worried about.¡± For some reason, Xiao YuAn suddenly felt as if all the pain he felt in his body had greatly diminished. Remember the Eastern Wu soldier XYA saved a while ago? The one that had a feminine name? He¡¯s our bby boi¡¯s savior! ???(¡ñ¨B?¨B¡ñ)??? Now we can breathe, XYA is finally safe!! (¡ä£»§Õ£»`)?? Footnotes
  1. ÀÇÐĹ··Î l¨¢ng x¨©n g¨¯u f¨¨i; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom. It means that the heart is as vicious and poisonous as that of wolves and dogs / Cruel and unscrupulous /Brutal and cold-blooded. From¡¶ÐÑÊÀºãÑÔ¡·(x¨«ng sh¨¬ h¨¦ng y¨¢n), ¡°The Wisdom of the World¡±, by (·ëÃÎÁú f¨¦ng m¨¨ng l¨®ng) Feng Menglong [1574-1646] from the Ming Dynasty [1368-1644].
  2. µÎˮ֮¶÷µ±Ó¿ÈªÏ౨ d¨© shu¨« zh¨© ¨¥n d¨¡ng y¨¯ng qu¨¢n xi¨¡ng b¨¤o; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom, it means that even if you receive a small favor from someone in a difficult time, you should repay it twice as much (in deeds).
  3. ÂúÔÂ¾Æ m¨£n yu¨¨ ji¨³; It¡¯s a banquet set up one month after the birth of a baby. In ancient times, the Han Chinese believed that a baby surviving one month after birth was a sign of having survived through a difficult period. At this time, the parents would usually hold a one-month banquet to celebrate their child¡¯s survival, and to wish the newborn a healthy growth. The ceremony involves inviting friends and family to witness and pray for the blessing of the child.
Chapter 160: Delivering A Letter? Arrange It. Chapter 160: Delivering A Letter? Arrange It. Xiao YuAn made a few sounds, and Zhang Changsong half-guessed what he meant: ¡°Are you trying to ask why you can¡¯t talk?¡± Xiao YuAn nodded his head. Zhang Changsong replied: ¡°You have internal injuries. Your qi is disorganized and is pressing against your throat. Since your chest and lungs are wounded, if you try to speak, your chest will tighten, and you will be short of breath; which will make you cough, and even breathing would bring you pain. I have prescribed medicine for you. This medicine will make you temporarily unable to speak, but you don¡¯t have to worry. After some time, when your body has slightly recovered, you won¡¯t need to keep taking this medicine, and you¡¯ll be able to speak normally again.¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly realized something as his eyes fell on Xie Chungui, who was ying on the side, and made some sounds at Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue. Yang LiuAn rubbed the back of his head, unable to understand what Xiao YuAn wanted. But since Xiao Fengyue was more perceptive than him, he immediately understood what Xiao YuAn was trying to ask them: ¡°Young Master, do you want to ask about Chungui? And why is he sometimes depressed, and sometimes acting like a child? Originally, LiuAn and I took Chungui to the Western Shu Kingdom to look for a miracle physician. That miracle physician said that Chungui¡¯s obsession and resentment was too deep, and that if he were to recover consciousness, he might copse. The miracle physician told us that we should let Chungui live the rest of his life as a child.¡± Xiao Fengyue then sighed helplessly. Xiao YuAn nodded his head, and looked back at Xie Chungui again. The 20 year old young man was standing in front of the window, observing the afterglowing from the window. The sunset looked like melting gold, and as the dust flew in front of the sunlight, the young man curiously reached out his hand, letting the golden glow fall on his palm. The glow was slightly hot and bright, making the young man giggle, just like an innocent child, extremely carefree. Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes were bitter as he retracted his gaze, and sobbed something unintelligible to the crowd. However, this time, no one could guess what he tried to say. Xiao YuAn: ¡°Mhnn, waaah, uhhu.¡± Third Aunt: ¡°What? Do you want to eat? But Physician Zhang said that you shouldn¡¯t eat greasy food ah.¡± Xiao YuAn shook his head: ¡°Wawaa!!¡± Lin Shenling said: ¡°Is Xiao-gongzi thirsty?¡± Xiao YuAn shook his head again. Zhang Baizhu sped his hands and said: ¡°Why don¡¯t we give him a pen and let him write?¡± Zhang Changsong red at him: ¡°Look at his hands! If he writes, the wounds on his hands will tear open again. He¡¯s not allowed to write!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Wuwu!¡± ¡°Does your body hurt somewhere?¡± ¡°Does the bedding feel ufortable?¡± ¡°Is it too hot?¡± ¡°Are you feeling cold?¡± ¡°Neither? Ah, I can¡¯t guess¡­¡± Zhang Baizhu suddenly smashed his fist, and his tone was very certain: ¡°I know!¡± Everyone looked at him in unison. Zhang Baizhu proudly said: ¡°Xiao YuAn! He!¡± Everyone: ¡°He¡­.¡± Zhang Baizhu sank his qi into his Dantian1 as he shouted word by word: ¡°He! Must! Be! Having! One! Of! The! Three! Urgency2!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.¡± If it weren¡¯t because Xiao YuAn¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t allow him to, he would¡¯ve jumped up from the bed at this moment to choke Zhang Baizhu, shaking him back and forth. ¡®Three urgency my ass!¡¯ ¡®Who will send a letter to Yan HeQing for me? Letting him know that I¡¯m not dead ah?!!!¡¯ It wasn¡¯t until the eleventh day that Xiao YuAn was able to speak. After he struggled to express what he wanted to say, Xiao Fengyue and Yang LiuAn looked at each other, both unable to speak for a while. Yang LiuAn finally couldn¡¯t help himself as he spoke: ¡°Young Master, why do you¡­. why did you have to put yourself in such a situation, because of Yan HeQing? You used to be¡­ why do you have to treat yourself like this?!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°What?!¡± ¡®Imperial Bodyguard Yang! What kind of sadistic and deep love drama are you imagining right now?!¡¯ Xiao Fengyue immediately sighed afterwards, however, he didn¡¯t try to persuade him. Xiao YuAn looked at the expression on their faces, and felt that the current version of himself in their eyes, should be close to the scum gong x cheap shou3 rtionship in a ¡°Cheap Shou¡± novel. In this scenario, even though his dignity was humiliated, he was still unable to let go of that scum gong. Unable to forget about him, even after years had passed, and in order to get in contact with him again, he had taken the ce of Zhang Changsong as a military physician. Now, when he was finally saved from an incident, he was quickly trying to shamelessly send that scum gong a letter¡­ Xiao YuAn tried to exin: ¡°Yan-ge is not what you think¡­.¡± Xiao Fengyue sighed, and Yang LiuAn knitted his eyebrows. Xiao YuAn continued: ¡°I¡¯m quite happy with him¡­ really¡­.¡± Xiao Fengyue¡¯s face was unforgiving, so he lowered his head. Yang LiuAn, on the other hand, sighed and looked at the sky in grief. Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.¡± ¡®Can you two stop being like this?! Can you stop acting like you two are sad and angry?! So, in the end, my own words have be empty and unconvincing?!!¡¯ ¡®If I don¡¯t show him properly, you two would never know how capable my Yan-ge is!¡¯ ?Extra Chapter thanks to Ko-fi 1/3? I¡¯m saaad XCG can¡¯t heal ???????? why ? ((o(;¡÷;)o)) On the other hand, XYA can speak now, and YLAxXFY are acting like worried parents lol they picture XYA as their innocent child, and YHQ as the punk kid that will corrupt him ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)? Footnotes
  1. µ¤Ìï d¨¡n ti¨¢n; It¡¯s not an acupuncture point. The Dantian is in front of the kidneys and behind the umbilicus, which is protected by the spine. The Dantian is where one¡¯s qi resides.
  2. Èý¼± s¨¡n j¨ª; ¡®People have three emergencies¡¯ is a Chinese proverb. The so-called emergencies refer to ¡°urgent need to pee¡±, ¡°urgent need to poo¡±, ¡°urgent need to fart¡±, meaning that sometimes one¡¯s unable to hold these urges. These expressions can also vary.
  3. The cheap shou (¼úÊÜ ji¨¤n sh¨°u) in a BL novel, is the type of shou (uke) that even if he¡¯s physically and mentally abused by the scum gong (Ôü¹¥ zh¨¡ g¨­ng) he won¡¯t stop being with him. He will let the gong (seme) beat or scold him, and he will keep on chasing after the gong.
Chapter 161: A Token? Arrange It. Chapter 161: A Token? Arrange It. Even though they couldn¡¯t tolerate it, Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue always tried their best to do what Xiao YuAn wanted. In the end, Xiao Fengyue said: ¡°Young Master, they¡¯re still fighting on the front lines, and it won¡¯t be easy to send a letter to the barracks. Moreover, the front line is so dangerous that no one is willing to deliver a letter at this time. Not to mention that this Yan HeQing, or the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom, given his status, how could he care about letters from an unknown source?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s face immediately wrinkled into a bitter expression. Yang LiuAn, who had previously sold salt, knew some merchants who had contacts, so heforted Xiao YuAn and said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master, I know someone who can send the letter to the barracks. However, I don¡¯t know if they can be delivered to Yan HeQing, and it will also take some time for him to get here.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes brightened as he said anxiously: ¡°It¡¯s good enough if they¡¯re able to send the letter! How long will it take for him toe here?¡± Yang LiuAn replied: ¡°It might take several months.¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but clutch the bedding: ¡°Several months ah¡­. send him a letter, we have to ask him!¡± The next day, Xiao Fengyue wrote a letter for Xiao YuAn, and sent it to Yang LiuAn¡¯s friend. This was the beginning. Then, Xiao YuAn was longing for the stars and the moon1, waiting two whole months, hoping for any news to arrive. By then, his injuries began to heal little by little, and his internal injuries also slowly recovered under Zhang Changsong¡¯s care. However, Xiao YuAn was still unable to leave the bed. His kneecap was crushed by Yang Liye¡¯s horse, and even though it¡¯s said that it takes 100 days for a broken bone to recover, his condition was very serious. Xiao YuAn waited for another ten days, and finally, Yang LiuAn¡¯s friend arrived. That friend boldly sat down on the stool, took a bowl for himself, and filled it with cold water. Then, he asked: ¡°Who¡¯s the one that wants to deliver a letter?¡± ¡°That would be me. What is it? Can you deliver it?¡± Xiao YuAn sat up straight as he leaned his body forward, and asked in a hurry. ¡°Oh, s! Hey, do you even know who you¡¯re trying to send that letter to?!¡± The friend waved his hand at Xiao YuAn with a look of disgust, but after feeling like his words were unreliable, he said instead: ¡°After all, Yang LiuAn is my friend, and this matter will also give me a good reward. So, to tell you the truth, I can send that letter to the Southern Yan barracks. However, since you want that letter to be delivered to the Emperor himself, ah¡­ that¡¯s too difficult. You may not know this, but rumors say that the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom has fallen into madness!¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart suddenly thumped: ¡°What does that mean?!¡± Yang LiuAn¡¯s friend replied: ¡°You may not know, but ten days ago, the Southern Yan Kingdom won the war and invaded the Eastern Wu Kingdom. This Yan HeQing, sigh, seemed like he was possessed by a demon, and became extremely cruel. In the end, the Eastern Wu General Yang, tsk tsk, died a miserable death. People say that Yan HeQing cut him into a human stick, and others say that his flesh was cut open with a sword ten thousand times. But it¡¯s also said that he simply took a type of poison that made his skin itch irritably, making him scratch himself to death! Anyway, in the end, his body was dismembered. His head was hung outside the city gate, exposed to the wind and sun, and the rest of his body was left in the wilderness to be eaten by wild dogs. Not a single part of his body was left intact! That General¡¯s subordinates were almost ughtered by the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom as well. So, tell me, given the current temperament of the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom, wouldn¡¯t it be extremely impressive if I were able to send a letter to the barracks?!¡± Xiao YuAn covered his face with one hand, and his shoulders trembled slightly. He then gasped heavily until he could calm down. After that, he looked up to Yang LiuAn¡¯s friend, and said: ¡°If you can¡¯t deliver the letter directly to the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom, then who will take this letter?¡± Yang LiuAn¡¯s friend touched his chin, tilted his head, raised his feet and said: ¡°I can¡¯t really guarantee you that. Bole knows the horses2, but the horse itself has to be a fine steed3, am I wrong? As formoners like us, who will never leave our towns in a lifetime, how can we have the opportunity to contact such a famous figure? If you really want to reach such a high and powerful person, you must have a token at least, right?¡± Yang LiuAn¡¯s friend wanted to let Xiao YuAn know the difficulties and back down, but contrary to what he thought, Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes brightened up instead: ¡°A token? I do have one.¡± YHQ conquered the Eastern Wu Kingdom!!! And look at that, what a coincidence that the one being tortured to death wasn¡¯t the Emperor of the Eastern Wu Kingdom, but a certain General, who was a scum to our bby boi ?? But that also makes me think that YHQ might think that XYA is dead, when he¡¯s in fact very much safe¡­ Send that letter now!!! ?(???????)? ?? Footnotes
  1. ÅÎÐÇÐÇÅÎÔÂÁÁ p¨¤n x¨©ng x¨©ng p¨¤n yu¨¨ li¨¤ng; It means to look forward with impatient expectancy. Because the stars and the moon are not obtainable, this phrase is used to describe the difficult path of wanting unobtainable things.
  2. ²®ÀÖʶÂí b¨® l¨¨ sh¨ª m¨£; It¡¯s a Chinese idiom. It¡¯s used as a metaphor for being good at finding, identifying and appointing talents.
  3. ǧÀïÂí qi¨¡n l¨« m¨£; Literally tranted as ¡°A ten thousand li horse¡±. It refers to a good running horse that can travel thousands of miles a day, but it¡¯s also used as a metaphor for people with outstanding talents, specially for talented youngsters.
Chapter 164: A Night? Arrange it. Chapter 164: A Night? Arrange it. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but shout: ¡°¡­.Shifu, you¡¯re kidding, right?!¡± Zhang Changsong replied slowly: ¡°Hmm, young people are energetic, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­Shifu, are you taking revenge on me for eating your candied fruit?¡± Zhang Changsong: ¡°Humph! I¡¯m not that stingy! Do you want me to keep checking on your pulse? Don¡¯t you want to get well?¡± While they talked, Yan HeQing had already got up and got dressed. Then, he went to open the door, since Xiao YuAn wanted to do it himself, but Yan HeQing had pressed him back to bed, wrapping him tightly with the bedding. Zhang Changsong stroked his white beard as he walked in with a medicine box. Once he sat down, he took out a small pillow and padded it under Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrist to check on his pulse. For a while, Zhang Changsong remained silent as he frowned slightly. Xiao YuAn chuckled: ¡°Shifu, don¡¯t make a face as if I won¡¯t be able to survive.¡± Zhang Changsong red at Xiao YuAn as he angrily pushed his hand forward, put away the small pillow, and replied with anger: ¡°Not able to survive?! If you can¡¯t survive this, won¡¯t you be insulting my reputation?!¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to get better quickly, so that I won¡¯t ruin my Shifu¡¯s reputation.¡± Zhang Changsong gave him a nk stare, and asked: ¡°Are you still feeling pain in your knee these days?¡± Xiao YuAn secretly nced at Yan HeQing, who was standing aside, and replied: ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± Zhang Changsong rolled up the medical book and smacked Xiao YuAn on his wrist: ¡°Nonsense! If you don¡¯t say the truth, how can I cure you?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°It hurts a little bit, not much.¡± Zhang Changsong wasn¡¯t in the mood to call out the nonsense Xiao YuAn was saying. When he simply pressed Xiao YuAn¡¯s knee gently, Xiao YuAn immediately stiffed his smile, and secretly clenched the bedding. At this reaction, Zhang Changsong understood his level of pain, withdrew his hand, and asked: ¡°Are you drinking the right dose of internal medicine? Have you been applying the external medicine on alternate days?¡± Xiao YuAn nodded his head: ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I do both.¡± Zhang Changsong then said as he packed up his things: ¡°Alright, you¡¯re recovering fine. You just need to rest well these days, stretch your arms and move your waist. But you can¡¯t walk all the time.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Yes, Shifu, I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Zhang Changsong stood up with the medicine box on his back, and said to Yan HeQing: ¡°Yan-gongzi, can I talk to you?¡± Xiao YuAn was surprised: ¡°Shifu, is there something you want to ask him? Could it be that you want Yan-ge to propose marriage? Shifu, I understand, I¡¯m in a hurry too. However, Yan-ge traveled all the way here alone, and he didn¡¯t bring anything, so you shouldn¡¯t make him lose face.¡± Zhang Changsong rarely didn¡¯t pretend to be angry at Xiao YuAn¡¯s imprudent words, but this time he simply nced at him, and said: ¡°If he wants to propose marriage, then he won¡¯t be asking me. Alright, I have to talk with Yan-gongzi about some serious matters.¡± Then, Yan HeQing and Zhang Changsong walked out of the wing room together, and closed the door behind them. Zhang Changsong then asked softly: ¡°Yan-gongzi, I apologize to ask this but, are you and YuAn¡­.?¡± Yan HeQing guessed what Zhang Changsong was going to ask, so he nodded his head, and replied: ¡°Yes.¡± Zhang Changsong immediately understood, and said: ¡°YuAn is always talking nonsense and loves to joke around so much that old me hasn¡¯t been interested in believing it. However, since Yan-gongzi has given me an honest reply, then indeed I wasn¡¯t mistaken. In this case, Yan-gongzi, regarding YuAn¡¯s body health matters¡­ I don¡¯t want to lie to you, YuAn¡¯s leg may develop into the root of a disease.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes darkened, as the hand hanging on his side slightly clenched in a fist: ¡°The root of a disease?¡± Zhang Changsong sighed, and replied: ¡°I don¡¯t dare to say too much now. In any case, I¡¯d better let you know about this first. But, there¡¯s one more thing¡­.¡± Zhang Changsong¡¯s face suddenly became a little uneasy. His fist touched his lips as he coughed lightly, and his eyes were wandering around: ¡°There¡¯s also another thing about YuAn¡¯s body, it¡¯s¡­. well, you two can¡¯t have sex yet. He¡¯s too weak, he has a deficiency of qi and blood, which means that his internal injuries are prone to re-emerge.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­.. I understand. I¡¯ve troubled you.¡± Zhang Changsong could see that Yan HeQing was a decent person. After having this conversation, he didn¡¯t have any more to say, so he bid his farewell, and left. Yan HeQing calmed his emotions and pushed open the door of the wing room. When he walked in, he saw that Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t lying down, but was sitting on the bed cross-legged with a quilt over his legs. When he saw that Yan HeQing was about to say something to him, Xiao YuAn waved his hand, and was the first one to speak: ¡°I¡¯ve been lying down every day for the past few days, to the point that I¡¯m already tired of lying here. I might as well sit than move around, this way I¡¯ll be rxing my muscles and bones, but I¡¯ll be morefortable.¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t reply, and simply walked to the bed. Once he reached the bedside, Xiao YuAn smiled at him, and asked: ¡°What did my Shifu say to you?¡± ¡°Nothing, he just said that I¡¯ll have to take good care of you¡­.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s voice stopped abruptly. While Yan HeQing was talking just now, Xiao YuAn had put down his crossed legs and touched Yan HeQing¡¯s lower thigh with the tip of his toes, as if nothing was wrong. Yan HeQing took a step back quietly, and asked: ¡°Do you want to drink some water?¡± Xiao YuAn was stupefied for a long time. Then, he replied: ¡°Ah¡­. what? Water? No, I don¡¯t want to.¡± Yan HeQing nodded his head: ¡°You can rest for a while, it¡¯s almost time for dinner. I¡¯ll go see if Auntie needs any help.¡± After he said that, Yan HeQing turned around, and walked out of the wing room with hurried steps. Suddenly abandoned, Xiao YuAn sat on his bed scratching his head with confusion. As he re-crossed his legs, he supported his head on one hand, and thought to himself: ¡®It seems that the 21st century style doesn¡¯t work on Yan-ge! Come on! The Tyrannical President route was already useless, and now, is the act of the Seductive President also useless? Perhaps I should ask him about his Marxist Principles1? That may be somewhat useful?¡¯ Xiao YuAn then muttered to himself out loud: ¡°How could he hold back¡­. it seems like he¡¯s preparing for the night¡­.¡± As he said, he covered his head with the quilt and lied on his back, wrapping himself into a ball with the quilt. Then, he closed his eyes, and went to sleep. Ahhhh XYA you better get well soon ???? Now YHQ will have to resist XYA¡¯s frilting aldjska good look with that Male Lead (¡É ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)?©¥¡î? Footnotes
  1. Just a guess, but I think that XYA sees YHQ political, social, and economical beliefs as simr to marxist principles.
Chapter 163: Restrain? Arrange It. Chapter 163: Restrain? Arrange It. When Third Aunt gently pushed open the door of the wing room, bringing medicine, she saw Xiao YuAn sitting beside the bed, looking at Yan HeQing, who was sleeping peacefully. Xiao YuAn had a smile on his face, it was like the sun at dawn, and the exquisite breeze of the morning. In order to get here as soon as possible, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t sleep for several days and nights, but in the end, his body couldn¡¯t withstand such exhaustion. So at this time, when he finally arrived, he was able to rest and sleep soundly beside a familiar presence. Third Aunt, while holding the medicine bowl in her hand, went forward and patted Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoulder, saying in a low voice: ¡°YuAn, why aren¡¯t you in bed? Quickly, go to the other bed and lie down. Your own body hasn¡¯t fully recuperated yet, how can you be foolishly wandering around?¡± Xiao YuAn gestured at her and said: ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not tired, and I don¡¯t feel any pain.¡± Since Third Aunt knew that it wasn¡¯t easy for these two kids to see each other again, she didn¡¯t try to persuade him too much. She simply handed over the bowl with the medicine to Xiao YuAn: ¡°Then you should drink the medicine while it¡¯s still hot.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded, took the medicine bowl, and drank it all. Third Aunt then put away the bowl, advised him two more times that he should rest, and then walked out of the wing room, gently closing the door behind her. Xiao YuAn pouted, trying to swallow the bitter taste in his mouth left behind by the medicine, when his eyes fell on Yan HeQing¡¯s face. After thinking about it, he leaned down and stole a kiss, suddenly feeling that his mouth wasn¡¯t bitter anymore, and instead, it was reced by a sweet taste. Xiao YuAn touched his chin with one hand, and tilted his head. Suddenly, an idea came to him! When the Tyrannical President woke up early in the morning, only to see his wife lying next to him¡­ this must be how he¡¯s feeling right now! Hm! This man¡¯s taste is unexpectedly damn sweet! President Xiao put his hands on his legs, while thinking when will his wife wake up. Then, he nned on continuing kissing his wife, but as soon as he raised his eyes, he saw that Yan HeQing had opened his eyes, and was looking at him. ¡°Ah, did I wake you up?¡± Xiao YuAn hurriedly put down his hand. Yan HeQing shook his head: ¡°I¡¯ve slept enough.¡± After saying that, Yan HeQing moved inside the bed, and stretched out a hand to Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn, who was quite feisty just now, coughed lightly. When hey down on his side, he rolled into Yan HeQing¡¯s arms, beingfortably held as he leaned against Yan HeQing¡¯s chest. Yan HeQing, who had just woken up, was still a little bit confused as closed his eyes, then kissed Xiao YuAn¡¯s temples and eyebrows. After a long while passed, he asked: ¡°Does your body hurt?¡± Xiao YuAnughed: ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel any pain.¡± After a long time passed, Yan HeQing replied with a hmmm. He closed his eyes in a trance as he began to kiss Xiao YuAn¡¯s forehead again, but this time, Xiao YuAn tilted his head, directing his mouth to him. The lingering kiss had the bitter taste of traditional Chinese medicine, and when the kiss ended, Yan HeQing was finallypletely awake. Xiao YuAn then said: ¡°Yan-ge, I think this scene feels kind of familiar.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Ah! It was that time, in the Imperial Bedchamber in the Northern Kingdom, where you were dazed while on the Imperial bed. At that moment, you wanted to choke me to death as soon as you woke up!¡± Xiao YuAn deliberately emphasized the words ¡®choking to death¡¯. Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­. At that time I¡­.¡± ¡°At that time you wanted to kill me, hmm! There¡¯s no mercy under your hands! You just wanted me dead.¡± ¡°I¡­..¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we grown men? There¡¯s nothing to be bothered about. Let¡¯s just settle the score!¡± ¡°¡­. How do we settle it?¡± Xiao YuAn saw how easily Yan HeQing fell on his trap, he was so proud that his tail was up in the sky1. As he stretched his legs towards Yan HeQing, he said: ¡°The first time we do it, you have to restrain yourself, and, can we not do it all night?¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn continued: ¡°It¡¯s settled then.¡± After he said that, Xiao YuAn showed a smug expression. However, as a result, Yan HeQing stretched out his hand and tapped on Xiao YuAn¡¯s spine, where his invisible ¡®tail¡¯ should be. Then Yan HeQing started to rub not so lightly anymore, causing Xiao YuAn to feel a shiver travel around his body. Yan HeQing came closer to Xiao YuAn¡¯s earlobe and licked it carefully. At this, Xiao YuAn immediately felt his body burning up. Then Yan HeQing said in a low and provocative tone of voice: ¡°Then, will we do it all night, without any restrain, except for the first time?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.. No!!!¡± Yan HeQing fell down, next to Xiao YuAn¡¯s ear, andughed softly. Heughed so much that his waist went soft. Xiao YuAn thought: ¡®What the fuck! I, at least, had studied the path of the Tyrannical President. But, howe the one who ends up jumping right into the trap is always me? No, no, I can¡¯t be passive!¡¯ At this, President Xiao said: ¡°You, you, you don¡¯tugh. I-, I, I will recite the Party Constitution. If you can¡¯t restrain yourself in the future, then! I¡¯ll! Recite! The Party! Constitution!¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­ Block it?2¡± Xiao YuAn then memorized a paragraph and recited it. Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s original n failed, but then, he came up with another one: ¡°Wait!! I¡¯ve another way! I also know the Great Compassion Mantra!3¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­..The great what?¡± Xiao YuAn then recited a mantra for a while, and when he was done, he asked Yan HeQing: ¡°Do you feel like a Bodhi tree, or that your heart is as clear as a mirror? Do you still have ¡®those¡¯ thoughts on your mind?¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°Yes, there¡¯s only¡­.. one left.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°One? No way, even after my perfect recited mantra? So, you are unable to convert into a Buddhist?¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°No.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Then what is the thought inside your mind?¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°I want to ¡®hold¡¯ you until you faint.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.. A-alright? Bring it on!¡± Xiao YuAn was ready to throw himself into Yan HeQing¡¯s arms, when suddenly, there was a knock on the door of the wing room. The knocking sounds were three short ones, and one long. Then, Zhang Changsong¡¯s old but spiritual voice came from the other side of the door: ¡°The kidney is the ¡®master of dormancy¡¯, and is also the foundation of hiding, sealing, and storing the essence. Besides that, daytime lustful activities are-¡­. the internal activities would make the patient lose his essence, and if the essence it¡¯s emptied, the kidneys will suffer, and the patient would be weak.4¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..¡± Slfjsldjskd why are they so cute????!!!! (¡É¡ä?`¡É)? But also; XYA & YHQ: about to pop. ZCS: NOT ON MY WATCH! ????? XYA being cockblocked by his shifu akdjdkdjs ??? Chapter 164: A Night? Arrange it. Chapter 164: A Night? Arrange it. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but shout: ¡°¡­.Shifu, you¡¯re kidding, right?!¡± Zhang Changsong replied slowly: ¡°Hmm, young people are energetic, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­Shifu, are you taking revenge on me for eating your candied fruit?¡± Zhang Changsong: ¡°Humph! I¡¯m not that stingy! Do you want me to keep checking on your pulse? Don¡¯t you want to get well?¡± While they talked, Yan HeQing had already got up and got dressed. Then, he went to open the door, since Xiao YuAn wanted to do it himself, but Yan HeQing had pressed him back to bed, wrapping him tightly with the bedding. Zhang Changsong stroked his white beard as he walked in with a medicine box. Once he sat down, he took out a small pillow and padded it under Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrist to check on his pulse. For a while, Zhang Changsong remained silent as he frowned slightly. Xiao YuAn chuckled: ¡°Shifu, don¡¯t make a face as if I won¡¯t be able to survive.¡± Zhang Changsong red at Xiao YuAn as he angrily pushed his hand forward, put away the small pillow, and replied with anger: ¡°Not able to survive?! If you can¡¯t survive this, won¡¯t you be insulting my reputation?!¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to get better quickly, so that I won¡¯t ruin my Shifu¡¯s reputation.¡± Zhang Changsong gave him a nk stare, and asked: ¡°Are you still feeling pain in your knee these days?¡± Xiao YuAn secretly nced at Yan HeQing, who was standing aside, and replied: ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± Zhang Changsong rolled up the medical book and smacked Xiao YuAn on his wrist: ¡°Nonsense! If you don¡¯t say the truth, how can I cure you?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°It hurts a little bit, not much.¡± Zhang Changsong wasn¡¯t in the mood to call out the nonsense Xiao YuAn was saying. When he simply pressed Xiao YuAn¡¯s knee gently, Xiao YuAn immediately stiffed his smile, and secretly clenched the bedding. At this reaction, Zhang Changsong understood his level of pain, withdrew his hand, and asked: ¡°Are you drinking the right dose of internal medicine? Have you been applying the external medicine on alternate days?¡± Xiao YuAn nodded his head: ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I do both.¡± Zhang Changsong then said as he packed up his things: ¡°Alright, you¡¯re recovering fine. You just need to rest well these days, stretch your arms and move your waist. But you can¡¯t walk all the time.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Yes, Shifu, I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Zhang Changsong stood up with the medicine box on his back, and said to Yan HeQing: ¡°Yan-gongzi, can I talk to you?¡± Xiao YuAn was surprised: ¡°Shifu, is there something you want to ask him? Could it be that you want Yan-ge to propose marriage? Shifu, I understand, I¡¯m in a hurry too. However, Yan-ge traveled all the way here alone, and he didn¡¯t bring anything, so you shouldn¡¯t make him lose face.¡± Zhang Changsong rarely didn¡¯t pretend to be angry at Xiao YuAn¡¯s imprudent words, but this time he simply nced at him, and said: ¡°If he wants to propose marriage, then he won¡¯t be asking me. Alright, I have to talk with Yan-gongzi about some serious matters.¡± Then, Yan HeQing and Zhang Changsong walked out of the wing room together, and closed the door behind them. Zhang Changsong then asked softly: ¡°Yan-gongzi, I apologize to ask this but, are you and YuAn¡­.?¡± Yan HeQing guessed what Zhang Changsong was going to ask, so he nodded his head, and replied: ¡°Yes.¡± Zhang Changsong immediately understood, and said: ¡°YuAn is always talking nonsense and loves to joke around so much that old me hasn¡¯t been interested in believing it. However, since Yan-gongzi has given me an honest reply, then indeed I wasn¡¯t mistaken. In this case, Yan-gongzi, regarding YuAn¡¯s body health matters¡­ I don¡¯t want to lie to you, YuAn¡¯s leg may develop into the root of a disease.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes darkened, as the hand hanging on his side slightly clenched in a fist: ¡°The root of a disease?¡± Zhang Changsong sighed, and replied: ¡°I don¡¯t dare to say too much now. In any case, I¡¯d better let you know about this first. But, there¡¯s one more thing¡­.¡± Zhang Changsong¡¯s face suddenly became a little uneasy. His fist touched his lips as he coughed lightly, and his eyes were wandering around: ¡°There¡¯s also another thing about YuAn¡¯s body, it¡¯s¡­. well, you two can¡¯t have sex yet. He¡¯s too weak, he has a deficiency of qi and blood, which means that his internal injuries are prone to re-emerge.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­.. I understand. I¡¯ve troubled you.¡± Zhang Changsong could see that Yan HeQing was a decent person. After having this conversation, he didn¡¯t have any more to say, so he bid his farewell, and left. Yan HeQing calmed his emotions and pushed open the door of the wing room. When he walked in, he saw that Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t lying down, but was sitting on the bed cross-legged with a quilt over his legs. When he saw that Yan HeQing was about to say something to him, Xiao YuAn waved his hand, and was the first one to speak: ¡°I¡¯ve been lying down every day for the past few days, to the point that I¡¯m already tired of lying here. I might as well sit than move around, this way I¡¯ll be rxing my muscles and bones, but I¡¯ll be morefortable.¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t reply, and simply walked to the bed. Once he reached the bedside, Xiao YuAn smiled at him, and asked: ¡°What did my Shifu say to you?¡± ¡°Nothing, he just said that I¡¯ll have to take good care of you¡­.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s voice stopped abruptly. While Yan HeQing was talking just now, Xiao YuAn had put down his crossed legs and touched Yan HeQing¡¯s lower thigh with the tip of his toes, as if nothing was wrong. Yan HeQing took a step back quietly, and asked: ¡°Do you want to drink some water?¡± Xiao YuAn was stupefied for a long time. Then, he replied: ¡°Ah¡­. what? Water? No, I don¡¯t want to.¡± Yan HeQing nodded his head: ¡°You can rest for a while, it¡¯s almost time for dinner. I¡¯ll go see if Auntie needs any help.¡± After he said that, Yan HeQing turned around, and walked out of the wing room with hurried steps. Suddenly abandoned, Xiao YuAn sat on his bed scratching his head with confusion. As he re-crossed his legs, he supported his head on one hand, and thought to himself: ¡®It seems that the 21st century style doesn¡¯t work on Yan-ge! Come on! The Tyrannical President route was already useless, and now, is the act of the Seductive President also useless? Perhaps I should ask him about his Marxist Principles1? That may be somewhat useful?¡¯ Xiao YuAn then muttered to himself out loud: ¡°How could he hold back¡­. it seems like he¡¯s preparing for the night¡­.¡± As he said, he covered his head with the quilt and lied on his back, wrapping himself into a ball with the quilt. Then, he closed his eyes, and went to sleep. Ahhhh XYA you better get well soon ???? Now YHQ will have to resist XYA¡¯s frilting aldjska good look with that Male Lead (¡É ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)?©¥¡î? Footnotes
  1. Just a guess, but I think that XYA sees YHQ political, social, and economical beliefs as simr to marxist principles.
Chapter 165: A Night Attack? Arrange it. Chapter 165: A Night Attack? Arrange it. When Yan HeQing walked out of the wing room, he sat down on the cold stone steps for a long time. It wasn¡¯t until sunset that he got up and went towards the kitchen, which was filled with a white mist, and emitted the tempting smell of food. As Third Aunt lifted the big wooden lid on the iron pot and bent down to stir-fry the vegetables, she saw Yan HeQinging, and enthusiastically said: ¡°Yan-gongzi, you¡¯vee right in time. Go and call YuAn for dinner.¡± Yan HeQing replied with a ¡®yes¡¯, but just when he was about to turn around, a person suddenly ran in. That person shouted in an exaggerated voice: ¡°Wow! Auntie, it smells so good! My mouth is drooling! Huh? Who is this?¡± As Xie Chungui stood beside Third Aunt, he bit his finger and looked at Yan HeQing strangely: ¡°A stranger, how can there be a stranger in our house?¡± Third Aunt hurriedly replied: ¡°He¡¯s not a stranger, and you can call him ¡®Yan-ge¡¯.¡± Before Xie Chungui could reply, Yan HeQing suddenly said: ¡°He can¡¯t call me like that.¡± Because the white vapor emerged from the boiling pot, overflowing the whole kitchen, Third Aunt wasn¡¯t able to see Yan HeQing¡¯s expression clearly. The only thing she was able to see was the setting sun shining in from the outside, showing the flying dust that was present everywhere: ¡°Ah? Why¡­?¡± Yan HeQing was silent for a long time before he said: ¡°It would be humiliating for him.¡± Xie Chungui, who was stuck in a childish nature, naturally didn¡¯t care about what the two of them were saying. He simply took a chicken leg from the stove and chewed happily. Third Aunt was at a loss for words as she stood frozen in ce, until she heard Yan HeQing saying that he¡¯ll go call Xiao YuAn for dinner. After he said that, he turned around, and left. ¡°Oh, dear¡­.¡± Third Aunt patted herself on the head and then took a clean cloth to wipe Xie Chungui¡¯s mouth: ¡°Slowly, eat slowly. There¡¯s no need to rush, once you¡¯re done eating, Auntie will cook another one for you.¡± ¡°Mm-mm!¡± Xie Chungui smiled very cheerfully. ¡­ It was night, the insects were chirping, and the moon was setting. But Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t sleep. He couldn¡¯t sleep because he didn¡¯t understand how Yan HeQing could fall asleep. Xiao YuAn thought to himself, ¡®Should I be relieved that Yan HeQing fell asleep after spending the whole day feeling anxious about the ¡°night activities¡±?¡¯ ¡®He simply fell asleep, just like that?¡¯ ¡®Asleep?¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s also sleeping on the bed close to mine, he¡¯s not sleeping with me! He even has his back facing me!¡¯ If it weren¡¯t because the mere thought of it was impossible, Xiao YuAn would begin to doubt whether Yan HeQing had cheated on him with a random woman outside. However, Xiao YuAn suddenly had an epiphany. ¡®Maybe Yan-ge wants to perform a night attack!¡¯ ¡®Yes! It¡¯s a night attack!¡¯ ¡®If that¡¯s the case, I wonder if I should cooperate properly.¡¯ Xiao YuAn tightened the nket, pretending to be asleep, and then¡­ he really fell asleep. Hefortably slept until dawn. ¡®Wait a minute. I slept till dawn? What?¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ ¡®What happened to the night¡­ the night attack?¡¯ Xiao YuAn thought that Yan HeQing might not be ready yet, so he patiently waited for another day. In the end, the following night Yan HeQing watched him drink the medicine, took the empty bowl, and went out. When he came back, he extinguished the candle light, and lied on the bed next to Xiao YuAn¡¯s. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He got up, lit the candle, and said: ¡°Yan-ge, you¡¯re not even trying to kill this chicken with a knife. You¡¯re just waving it back and front, right before the chicken¡¯s eyes, because you don¡¯t want it to have a good time1, right?¡± Yan HeQing knew that sooner orter Xiao YuAn would¡¯ve asked about it, so he simply turned over, sat up on the bed, and told him the truth: ¡°Your body won¡¯t be able to stand it.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes widened: ¡°Who¡¯s unable to ¡®stand it¡¯? Who¡¯s iming that a man can¡¯t stand it? Who said that? Believe it or not, I will fight with him.¡± ¡°Physician Zhang.¡± ¡°¡­.. Then I¡¯ll fight with Zhang Baizhu.¡± Xiao YuAn then said wistfully: ¡°Yan-ge, I¡¯m not in a hurry, it¡¯s just¡­ I wonder why every time there¡¯s an opportunity to do it, it doesn¡¯t work out? Every! Single! Time!¡± At that, Yan HeQing got up from his bed and sat beside Xiao YuAn. He then gently touched Xiao YuAn¡¯s hair, lifted his chin, and nted a kiss on the corner of Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth: ¡°We¡¯ll wait for your body to recover, and then¡­.¡± ¡°Alright. After all, it would be so humiliating if I were to pass out.¡± Xiao YuAn said. Yan HeQing slightly raised the corner of his mouth for a brief moment. When he was about to go back to his bed, Xiao YuAn grabbed his clothes, and said: ¡°Yan-ge, don¡¯t go over there, just sleep here with me.¡± Yan HeQing thought about it for a second, blew out the candle, andid down beside Xiao YuAn; stretching out his arm to embrace Xiao YuAn and protect him in his arms. Since it was still early, it was inevitable to start a small conversation. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t stop himself from asking: ¡°Yan-ge, did you think that I was dead?¡± Surrounded by darkness, Yan HeQing¡¯s body became stiff. Xiao YuAn hurriedly reached out to pat his back, and gently caressed him. Yan HeQing¡¯s body gradually rxed: ¡°No. Because I didn¡¯t find your corpse.¡± Xiao YuAn was surprised at this: ¡°You searched for my corpse?¡± Yan HeQing ¡®hmmed¡¯ and said: ¡°They said that you were buried alive, so I dug up that piece ofnd for 10 li2. Your body wasn¡¯t anywhere, so I didn¡¯t believe that you were dead.¡± Xiao YuAn was unable to speak when he heard this. He simply reached out and hugged Yan HeQing tightly. Yan HeQing stroked his hair, and ced his chin against Xiao YuAn¡¯s forehead: ¡°Go to sleep. I hope you¡¯ll have sweet dreams.¡± That night, a strong wind blew. That wind hit against the window, and lifted the withered yellow leaves off the trees¡¯ branches. However, this wind wasn¡¯t able to blow away the warmth surrounding Xiao YuAn. ¡­ The next morning, Xiao YuAn woke up before Yan HeQing. As he moved his body, he felt how his consciousness was slowly returning to his four limbs. However, at that moment, Xiao YuAn felt that something was wrong. As he moved his body, the wrongness became even more obvious, to the point in which he couldn¡¯t ignore it anymore. Even though his body was still pretty much injured, as a man with no erectile dysfunction, Xiao YuAn knew that many men had the ¡®issue¡¯ of finding themselves with an early ¡®problem¡¯. Yan HeQing¡¯s hand was still around his waist, maintaining a protective pose, and Xiao YuAn cursed inside his mind. Filled with embarrassment, he slightly moved backwards. Unexpectedly, as soon as he moved, Yan HeQing opened his eyes. Xiao YuAn waspletely dumbfounded, frozen in ce, as his heartbeat sounded like a loud drum. The sound was so loud that it could almost tear his eardrums apart. The part where YHQ doesn¡¯t want XCG to call him ¡®yan-ge¡¯ isn¡¯t bc he just wants XYA to call him like that (which giving his status, XYA is the only one allowed anyways) but bc he recognized XCG, and he knows that it¡¯ll be humiliating for XCG to call his enemy ¡®ge¡¯, given that his army killed all his friends and was the reason behind LWD¡¯s death ? XYA expecting YHQ¡¯s ¡®night attack¡¯ was so hrious ??? and now he even has a morning boner ??? What will YHQ do ? Chapter 166: A Surprise Isn’t A Surprise, An Accident Isn’t An Accident. Chapter 166: A Surprise Isn¡¯t A Surprise, An ident Isn¡¯t An ident. Yan HeQing didn¡¯t understand what was wrong at first, but they were very close to each other, so as long as one moved a little, everything could be detected by the slightest move. So, Yan HeQing quickly moved his eyes to Xiao YuAn¡¯s crotch. Xiao YuAn blushed deeply as he ced his hands against Yan HeQing¡¯s chest: ¡°Yan, Yan, Yan Yan-ge I¡¯ll, I-I, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± When Yan HeQing saw that Xiao YuAn was about to get up, Yan HeQing turned over and pressed Xiao YuAn on the bed. Then, he said: ¡°I¡¯ll help you¡­.¡± Before Xiao YuAn could say ¡®wait a minute!¡¯, his belt had already been taken off by Yan HeQing. Xiao YuAn was only wearing a pair of thin undergarments, the front piece of his undergarment was half opened, revealing his chest, which was as bright and clean as white jade. Even though the clothes on his body were gradually being stripped away, Xiao YuAn felt that his whole body was burning, as if he was thrown inside a stove. Xiao YuAn admitted defeat as he tilted his head away, which was immediately turned back by Yan HeQing pinching his chin. Yan HeQing looked at those bright eyes, lowered his head, and kissed him gently. Xiao YuAn, who had to close his eyes because they were kissing, suddenly felt that Yan HeQing¡¯s palm was rubbing his chest. The pressure wasn¡¯t light nor too heavy, and it made him feel lightheaded and numb. Of course, only the hard lower part of Xiao YuAn was teased, making his whole body curl up. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn subconsciously put his hands against Yan HeQing¡¯s chest. At this, Yan HeQing simply grasped his forearm, and then Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrist was marked with bite marks. Feeling slight pain from his wrist, he chuckled: ¡°Yan-ge, you were thinking that since other ces would be covered by clothes, you could indirectly leave a mark here, don¡¯t you?¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t reply, he just lowered his head and kissed Xiao YuAn¡¯s arm all the way up, until finally, he sucked and nibbled on Xiao YuAn¡¯s neck. Meanwhile, his mischievous hands were repeatedly rubbing and circling around Xiao YuAn¡¯s waist and buttocks, but he didn¡¯t touch the right ¡®ce¡¯. Xiao YuAn was so irritated by this that he couldn¡¯t help but raise his hips forward, trying to rub himself against anything. The moment he did this, he heard Yan HeQing chuckling in his ear. President Xiao had lived for two lifetimes, and for the first time he understood what it meant to fly into a rage out of humiliation1. However, before he could have the time to get angry, his lower part fell into the hands of the bad man who was repeatedly teasing him, until the irresistible pleasure arrived. The trace of pleasure in Xiao YuAn¡¯s body crashed through his sanity, until finally, it tickled the strings of the greedy pleasure, ying a song of moans. ¡°Yan-ge¡­¡± Xiao YuAn gasped as he put his hands around Yan HeQing¡¯s shoulders, pressing their bodies together. Yan HeQing knew he was close to finish, so he lowered his head and kissed him fiercely, blocking the soft sobs back to Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth as his hand elerated the speed. Xiao YuAn¡¯s mind suddenly went nk, and his vision became blurred. His entire body suddenly arched up and then went limp. Even though he wasn¡¯t able to think right at the moment, the hands around Yan HeQing were never loosen. Yan HeQing kissed him and then got up to boil some water. Once the water was ready, he brought a clean cloth and cleaned Xiao YuAn. Then Xiao YuAn pulled Yan HeQing back to bed, half-hugged, half-pressed against him, and slept contentedly. ¡­ Xiao YuAn spent half a month in Taoyuan Vige, recovering from his injuries. At this, Zhang Changsong reluctantly agreed to let Xiao YuAn get out of bed and walk around. Early in the morning, Xiao YuAn propped up his crutches, and walked around the small courtyard as exercise. From a distance, he saw Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyueing in from outside the residence. The two of them were looking at each other as theyughed and talked about something. Yang LiuAn waved his arms as he exaggerated his story. At this, Xiao Fengyue covered his lips andughed happily. The autumn breeze was gently blowing past, making the leaves of the willows in the courtyard fall on Xiao Fengyue¡¯s hair. Yang LiuAn reached out his hand to remove the leaves for Xiao Fengyue, as he raised a smile. When the two of them stepped forward, they saw Xiao YuAn in the courtyard, and greeted: ¡°Young Master? Why are you in the courtyard? Why aren¡¯t you resting in bed?¡± Xiao YuAn waved his hand: ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m tired of staying in bed for so long. Where have you two been?¡± Xiao Fengyue replied: ¡°Young Master, a group of monks came down from the foot of the mountain, not far away from here, and repaired a temple. We went to pay our respects.¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a ¡®ah, oh¡¯, and rolled his eyes thoughtfully. Yang LiuAn stepped forward and said: ¡°Young Master, shall I help you go back?¡± Xiao YuAn waved his hand: ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry. I should move more from time to time as well. Moreover, Shifu said that walking it¡¯s good for recovery.¡± While they were still having a conversation, Yan HeQing walked in. The recent rtionship between Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing made Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue see the sincerity of Yan HeQing¡¯s feelings towards Xiao YuAn, so they no longer showed hostility towards him. After nodding to each other, Yang LiuAn and Xiao Fengyue saw that it was the right time to go, leaving Yan HeQing and Xiao YuAn alone. ¡°Does your leg hurt?¡± Yan HeQing saw that Xiao YuAn was standing, with the help of the crutches, and his eyes fell on his knee. Xiao YuAn smiled and waved his hand: ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt, it¡¯s just that I stumble while I walk, so I can¡¯t walk fast.¡± Yan HeQing put away the crutches for Xiao YuAn and helped him sit on the stone mill. Xiao YuAn had been feeling suffocated these days, due to having to rest and letting his health recover, so when he heard that there was a temple at the foot of the mountain, a thought came to his mind. At this, he smiled and said to Yan HeQing: ¡°Yan-ge, in myst life, before a couple got married, there was an extremely important thing to do. Guess what it was?¡± Yan HeQing replied: ¡°Propose marriage.¡± Xiao YuAn shook his head, winked at him, and replied with a yful smile: ¡°No, they would be dating.¡± A trace of doubt shed through Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes: ¡°Talk¡­ talk about what2?¡± Xiao YuAn simply smiled and stood up. Without the help of the crutches, Xiao YuAn would stagger as he walked, so Yan HeQing hurriedly reached out to hold Xiao YuAn, letting him lean on himself. Xiao YuAn yfully leaned his entire weight against Yan HeQing. Then, he waved his hand, and said: ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll have a date!¡± ?I¡¯m finally back? Wow that first half of the chapter was quite spicy ???? And then YLA & XFY being all cute and in love ???? the same for XYA & YHQ sksjs (o¡äÀŸ`o)? Chapter 171: I’m A Married Man. Chapter 171: I¡¯m A Married Man. In the end, when their day of departure finally arrived, in the dim morning light, the entire Taoyuan Vige was shrouded in a hazy mist. Xiao YuAn silently said goodbye in his heart. Then, he turned around, and smiled at Yan HeQing as he took his hand. After thousands of miles of traveling, a few dayster, they arrived at the Imperial City of the former Northern Kingdom, now renamed as the Southern Yan Kingdom Imperial City. It was the first month of the Lunar Year. Although the weather was cold, and the ground was frozen, only a few snowkes were falling down. Even if it was supposed to be the beginning of spring, the North was different, since it has already been covered in snow for several days. The walls of the Pce were covered with white snow, as the petal-like snowkes fell from the pale sky. Xiao YuAn, who was wearing a fur brocade, stared dumbfounded at the Imperial Pce in front of him, and asked the maid beside him: ¡°Is¡­ Is this your Emperor¡¯s Pce?¡± The maid servant replied: ¡°Answering to Xiao-gongzi, yes.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®Isn¡¯t this my old Imperial Pce? And even the appearance hasn¡¯t changed at all!¡¯ Xiao YuAn followed the maid into the bedchamber, and was once again shocked. The decorations inside the bedchamber, were almost exactly the same as when he lived there! Xiao YuAn lightly stroked the window shutter. For a long time, he didn¡¯t know what to say. After a while, he finally murmured: ¡°But these things, back then, weren¡¯t they robbed, crushed, were lost or got broken?¡± The maid exined: ¡°All of these were specially made for His Majesty!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®I should remind Yan-ge: I¡¯ve lived in this Pce for more than a year, but the previous young Emperor of the Northern Kingdom has lived here for over 10 years!¡¯ ¡®It still looks like the ce where the young Emperor used to bring over his male concubines!!¡¯ The maid didn¡¯t notice the subtle change in Xiao YuAn¡¯s expression, so she simply said: ¡°Xiao-gongzi, His Majesty said that this will be your bedchamber. What can this servant do for you?¡± Xiao YuAn coughed lightly, and said: ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m fine. Is Yan-¡­ cough, is His Majesty still busy?¡± ¡°Answering to Xiao-gongzi, yes.¡± ¡®I thought so. Yan HeQing has juste back, so it¡¯s only natural that he will be held up by the government affairs that have been umting so far. Not to mention that he¡¯ll have to deal with the old Ministers, while also having to watch out for people with ulterior motives. I wonder if Yan HeQing¡¯s day at court went smoothly today.¡¯ However, after being apart from each other for less than a day, Xiao YuAn began to miss Yan HeQing, so he quickly tried to distract himself. At this, he asked the maid: ¡°Where¡¯s Chungui?¡± The maid replied: ¡°Answering to Xiao-gongzi. Xie-gongzi is settled in a Pce not far away from here. Does Xiao-gongzi want to go see him?¡± After seeing Xiao YuAn nodding his head, the maid hurriedly led the way. It was still snowing heavily outside. As the snowkes fell from the sky, some of them fondly rested on their shoulders. Xiao YuAn breathed out a mouthful of white fog and reached out to catch some of the snowkes falling from the sky, only to watch them melt in his palm. ¡°Xiao-gongzi?¡± The maid lightly called Xiao YuAn. ¡°Ah?¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly came back to his senses, closed his five fingers, and clutched the ice water in his palm: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, you can lead the way.¡± Xiao YuAn was led all the way to the close Pce by the maid. From a distance, he saw Xie Chungui ying with the snow, with an excited, child-like expression and a cheerful smile on his face. When he saw Xiao YuAn, Xie Chungui waved his hand from afar, picked up some snow from the ground, and trotted over: ¡°Xiao-ge, look! It¡¯s snowing! Snow!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s snowing.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s smile was warm. Xie Chungui looked at the snow on his hands, feeling how the cold spread on his skin. Subconsciously, he held it close to his cheek, covering the half of his face, until the whiteness on his hand gradually became transparent. Xie Chungui put down his hands and looked around, at the now dark-grey sky, with the white snow falling down. Suddenly, Xie Chungui felt an impulseing from the bottom of his heart. Xiao YuAn was about to ask Xie Chungui if he had adapted to the cold weather, when suddenly, he saw him kneeling down the ground to kiss the earth and the snow. He looked very devout, like a wanderer who had been traveling for many years, and was finally able to return home. There were some maids around that thought that Xie Chungui had fallen, and with a cry of surprise, they quickly reached out to help him up. Xiao YuAn took a step forward and held Xie Chungui¡¯s arm, who was feeling quite confused, seeing how Xie Chungui¡¯s expression was nk: ¡°Huh? Why did I kneel down? What happened?¡± Xiao YuAn was dumbfounded, and when he reached out to pat the snow away from Xie Chungui¡¯s shoulders, he said: ¡°Nothing happened, nothing happened at all.¡± Xiao YuAn apanied Xie Chungui to y with the snow for a while. It wasn¡¯t until Xie Chungui became tired of ying that Xiao YuAn said goodbye, and left. As soon as Xiao YuAn returned to his bedchamber, someone hurriedly came to report: ¡°Xiao-gongzi, someone wants to see you.¡± The maid at his side reminded him: ¡°Xiao-gongzi, His Majesty said that you can refuse anyone¡¯s request to meet you.¡± Xiao YuAn thought to himself ¡®Is there someone from the Southern Yan Kingdom who wants to see me?¡¯. So he asked: ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Answering to Xiao-gongzi. It¡¯s Chen Ge, General Chen.¡± ¡®General Chen? Chen Ge has been promoted?!¡¯ Xiao YuAn was happy at this, and said: ¡°Bring him over.¡± The person who reported the news hurriedly went to invite Chen Ge over. After a while, before Xiao YuAn could even see Chen Ge, he heard his voiceing from the other side of the door: ¡°For the Heavens! Physician Xiao, you¡¯re all right! I knew it! Lucky people have their own way of surviving! Whooo waaah!¡± Chen Ge exaggeratedly whimpered twice as he entered the bedchamber. As Chen Ge held Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands, they looked at each other with teary eyes. Immersed in such a scene, Xiao YuAn was also stirred up emotionally, and after sobbing twice, he shouted: ¡°Chen Ge, your hands! Loosen them! I¡¯m a married man! Pay attention to the misunderstandings this action could bring!¡± XCG always makes my heart ache £¨©Ð©Ð£ß©Ð©Ð£© he¡¯s so precious, why does he have to suffer?? ???? Chen Ge was promoted!! ???!!!(*¡ä?`)? ???? Now¡­ I have to warn y¡¯all starting now, we¡¯re close to thest angst arc before the happy ending, so prepare your hearts, because it¡¯s gonna get heavy :;(¡É¡ä©n`¡É);: Chapter 168: Everlasting Longing For Each Other, My Yan-ge Is So Handsome. Chapter 168: Evesting Longing For Each Other1, My Yan-ge Is So Handsome. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t expect that Yan HeQing would suddenly ask this. He was stunned, but then he suddenly got up, looked at Yan HeQing, and said with a smile on his face: ¡°Yan-ge, do you want to marry me?¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t deny: ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Xiao YuAn crossed his legs, folded his fingers, and counted them while he said with a smile: ¡°If you want to be old-fashioned, then you have to give me a diamond ring of a few dozen carats, and if you want to be a little more sophisticated, you can give me a fish pond. If not, then take me to the most famous tower building in a helicopter, and light up billions of fireworks for me that won¡¯t stop until it cracks open a hole in the ozoneyer.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn waved his hand and said: ¡°Oh, I know that you can¡¯t do these kinds of things, but it¡¯s okay. In my previous life, if two people wanted to get married, there¡¯s another method, but this one is the most difficult one. Do you want to know what is?¡± Yan HeQing nodded. Xiao YuAn clenched his fist and cleared his throat. As he looked at Yan HeQing¡¯s face illuminated by the light of the moon, he saw that Yan HeQing looked somewhat nervous, and Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help smiling as he quickly said: ¡°The thing you need to do is¡­¡± Xiao YuAn said slowly as he dragged his words. Yan HeQing, who was waiting for the answer on the side, slightly clenched his fists. Suddenly, Xiao YuAn straightened his shoulders and turned his body towards him. Under the starry sky, the two of them looked at each other, their eyes seemed like they were shining with the moonlight: ¡°You¡¯ll have to stay with me for a lifetime.¡± Yan HeQing looked at him. The feelings hidden in the depths of his eyes were now bright and clear as he replied: ¡°I will.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes curved as he replied with a smile: ¡°Good. Ah right, Yan-ge, I¡¯ll teach you a word that in my previous life, was used to express love.¡± Then, Xiao YuAn picked up a branch and wrote an English sentence on the ground, which was ¡®I love you¡¯. In hisst life, he had practiced cursive, so the words in English looked beautiful and elegant. After seeing this, Yan HeQing asked: ¡°Is this a painting?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled: ¡°No, it¡¯s not a painting. This is a sentence. Come here, I¡¯ll teach you how to read it.¡± After reading the sentence out loud a few times, Yan HeQing, who was talented withnguages, learned how to say it correctly in a few minutes. This made Xiao YuAn feel that the halo surrounding the Male Lead was really 360o without any dead angle. Xiao YuAn dropped the branch and said: ¡°Well, now we¡¯re the only ones in the whole world who can understand this sentence.¡± At this, Yan HeQing asked: ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this sentence?¡± Xiao YuAn touched his chin as he replied: ¡°It has different meanings depending on the person. But I¡¯ll tell you what it means in my case. For me, it means¡­¡± Xiao YuAn paused for a brief moment, thought for a little bit, and continued: ¡°An evesting longing for each other, because my Yan-ge is so handsome.¡± ¡°When the peach tree is green and luxuriant, its flowers are in full bloom. If Yan-ge marries, he must make his family happy and peaceful2.¡± ¡°There are trees on the mountain, and the trees have branches. My heart is happy that HeQing wants to marry me3.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to have Yan-ge¡¯s heart, so that we can grow old together4.¡± ¡°The Yuan River is green surrounded by irises, and the Li River has fragrant orchids. I think of HeQing, but I don¡¯t dare to say it5.¡± Yan HeQing£º¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn smiled: ¡°Are you still listening to me?¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°¡­.. Yan-ge, why aren¡¯t you following the routine? Normally, wouldn¡¯t you dislike it when I¡¯m talking nonsense, and stop me from continuing to talk?¡± Yan HeQing looked at him, and replied: ¡°I want to keep hearing what you have to say.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Al-¡­. alright.¡± Then, Xiao YuAn poured out almost all the literature and ink from his stomach, working hard to express his mind. Finally, he couldn¡¯t think of any other poem, and before Yan HeQing let him go, he had to beg for mercy. It wasn¡¯t early anymore, and it was time to go back to the residence. Yan HeQing wanted to continue carrying Xiao YuAn, but he refused, and defended himself by saying: ¡°My legs are fine, you don¡¯t have to carry me anymore. Let me walk by myself.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°You¡¯ve walked enough for today.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°I didn¡¯t, I¡¯m not tired of walking back and forth. If you keep carrying me on your back, it¡¯ll be too hard for you. It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll walk by myself. Don¡¯t worry, I¡­.¡± Before Xiao YuAn could say what he wanted, his voice was suddenly interrupted because Yan HeQing grabbed his waist, and picked him up bridal-style. Then, he began to walk towards the vige. Xiao YuAn, who was clearly set up, said: ¡°I-I understand. The back, why don¡¯t you carry me on your back?¡± Yan HeQing, however, didn¡¯t have any intention of putting him down. Xiao YuAn was shocked: ¡°Yan-ge, you¡¯re not nning on carrying me back to the vige like this, right? If the neighbors see us, they will misunderstand.¡± Yan HeQing looked down at him, and said: ¡°What will they misunderstand?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they know that my legs are injured, but if they don¡¯t, then they may misunderstand¡­.¡± As he spoke, Yan HeQing had already walked into Taoyuan Vige with Xiao YuAn in his arms. Aunt Ma, who had eaten enough and had gone to take a walk, came face to face with them. When she saw them like that, she suddenly burst outughing. Then, she shouted: ¡°Yo! YuAn, did you make Yan-gongzi ¡®angry¡¯?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.. Auntie Ma, why do you think that I made Yan-ge angry?¡± Aunt Ma took out her handkerchief and gently hit Xiao YuAn, who was still in Yan HeQing¡¯s arms: ¡°You still have the nerve to ask Auntie?! You don¡¯t have any shame? Does your waist not hurt? You didn¡¯t listen to Yan-gongzi¡¯s words, and you were¡­ cough, outside! It must be!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®Aunt Ma, I beg you, don¡¯t read strange books. Your brain will make up messy plots, okay?!¡¯ Aunt Ma finishedughing, raised her finger, and said to Yan HeQing: ¡°This is the right way to treat Xiao YuAn¡¯s temperament. If he makes a fuss, you can give him a good ¡®punishment¡¯, then he will remember it for a long time! Yan-gongzi, I support you!¡± Aunt Ma deliberately said the word ¡®punishment¡¯ in a meaningful way, making it impossible for anyone to misunderstand what she meant. Yan HeQing nodded to Aunt Ma, and Xiao YuAn copsed in his arms, covering his face with one hand. After teasing Xiao YuAn, Aunt Ma walked away contentedly. At this, Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Yan-ge, see? I told you to carry me on your back. Now Auntie Ma has misunderstood that we were having a ¡®wild meeting¡¯. With Auntie¡¯s mouth, this rumor will spread to the whole vige and the other ten nearby viges by tomorrow!¡± Yan HeQing ¡®hmmed¡¯ in response. Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°What do you mean by ¡®mm-hm¡®? Hey, hey, hey, Yan-ge!¡± Xiao YuAn stretched out his hand and waved it in front of his eyes. When Yan HeQing regained conscience, he looked down at him: ¡°?¡± Xiao YuAn, feeling helpless, smiled at him and asked: ¡°What were you thinking about? You were so distracted.¡± Yan HeQing replied: ¡°Outdoor sex.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan HeQing continued talking thoughtfully: ¡°When you get better, we¡¯ll try.¡± Xiao YuAn pped himself on the face, so that Yan HeQing wouldn¡¯t see whether he was being shy, or if he had copsed. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t reply on the surface, but he was screaming in his heart: ¡®I don¡¯t care! A righteously open sex-maniac Yan-ge is still handsome beyond belief!¡¯ Akshak XYA is so cheesy ? reciting poetry to hubby and hubby wanting to listen carefully (o¡äÀŸ`o)? And then Aunt Ma thinking they ¡®did it¡¯ outdoor ajskajdjd and YHQ actually considering it!!!! ?? Chapter 173: I’m A Lustful Man. Chapter 173: I¡¯m A Lustful Man. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Xue Yan suddenly remembered something, and said to Chen Ge: ¡°You must also pay close attention to General Huang.¡± Chen Ge was stunned, and asked with some cautiousness: ¡°Is General Xue talking about Huang Yue, General Huang?¡± ¡°Yes. Today, I heard him mention several times to other people, about His Majesty protecting the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom. He even asked about those people¡¯s thoughts on the matter. I suspect that he has the heart of Sima Zhao1.¡± Xue Yan said. Chen Ge nodded: ¡°Alright, General Xue. I¡¯ll keep an eye on him.¡± Xue Yan nodded, ced his hands behind his back, and his eyes fell once again on the walls of the Imperial Pce not far away from him. The snow was chaotic, the wind was howling, and the world felt cold. ¡­ By the time Yan HeQing returned to his bedchamber, the snow had already umted above his ankles, making him not only leave deep footprints in the snow, but it also emitted a slight creaking sound. Yan HeQing grew up in the South, so the Northern climate wasn¡¯t suitable for him. But no matter what, he would force himself to adapt. The funniest part was that Xiao YuAn, in hisst life, was also a Southerner who was afraid of the cold, so it was clear that this Imperial Pce of the former Northern Kingdom wasn¡¯t suitable for the two of them to live in. However, Yan HeQing couldn¡¯t leave this ce aside. After all, this is where Xiao YuAn smiled at him for the first time. Yan HeQing, who didn¡¯t have the time to change his snow-drenched Imperial court attire, called out the maids and guards, and walked into the bedchamber as quietly as he could. The bedchamber waspletely dark, without any candlelights on. With the help of the moonlight, Yan HeQing saw Xiao YuAn lying on his side on the bed, sleeping peacefully. ¡®Asleep?¡¯ ¡®But, isn¡¯t Xiao YuAn unable to sleep withoutpany? Is he pretending to sleep?¡¯ Yan HeQing reached out and gently stroked the side of Xiao YuAn¡¯s face. When he saw that his breathing was still steady, he quickly withdrew his hand so that he won¡¯t disturb him. As he stood aside, he took off his court attire to change into clean clothes. However, as soon as he took off his clothes, and exposed his upper body, he suddenly heard the sound of coughing behind him, as if someone was choking in panic. Yan HeQing¡¯s hands stopped midway, slowly put on his clothes, and turned around to look. When he turned around, he saw that Xiao YuAn was still maintaining his previous position, of lying on his side, as if the cough Yan HeQing heard just now was merely an illusion. Yan HeQing wasn¡¯t polite either. He leaned over and grabbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrists, pressing them to the top of Xiao YuAn¡¯s head. As he firmly pressed him down, he kissed Xiao YuAn until he was out of breath, making him open his eyes. Yan HeQing lightly said: ¡°Were you pretending to be asleep?¡± It took Xiao YuAn a long time to ease his breath, and as he rubbed his neck, he refused to admit it: ¡°Who, who, who¡¯s pretending to sleep? You, you, you stole a kiss.¡± The great President Xiao was full of calctions. He¡¯ll first pretend to be asleep, so when his wifees back, he might secretly steal a kiss. At this, he will slowly open his eyes, grab his wife¡¯s neck, and with an evil smile, he¡¯ll say: ¡®Hmm? Why did this little demon steal a kiss from me? Tell me, what¡¯s this about?¡¯ When he thought about it, it¡¯ll be both an stupid and interesting scenario! However, who would¡¯ve known that the second he saw Yan HeQing undress, he was exposed. ¡®Can you even me me for that? Can you?¡¯ Illuminated by the white moonlight, Yan HeQing¡¯s back looked like a perfect piece of white jade. The lines of his waist were strong and smooth, his long ck hair was gathered on one side of his shoulder. There was a thin scar under his shoulder de, which may even disappear in a few months, but now it looked very attractive. The scar went down his smooth and beautiful back, making your eyes follow that line all the way down, and further down¡­. Then, Xiao YuAn coughed. ¡®Can you me me for that!? Yan HeQing¡¯s figure would make anyone unable to fucking control their seven emotions and six desires2, alright?!¡¯ Even though his body¡¯s movement was still limited by Yan HeQing, Xiao YuAn knew that he couldn¡¯t lose. Originally, he wanted toin, to arouse Yan HeQing¡¯s sense of shame, but who would¡¯ve known that Yan HeQing would lean down, once again blocking Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth with his own. As he kissed him, theck of oxygen made Xiao YuAn pant and struggle. It wasn¡¯t until his cheeks turned red that he was released. Yan HeQing said leisurely: ¡°I¡¯m not stealing kisses, I¡¯m kissing you openly.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­. All right, all right!¡± He was speechless! Yan HeQing let go of Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands, andid down on his side. Xiao YuAn thought about what Chen Ge told him today, and felt that he couldn¡¯t ask Yan HeQing about it without being too obvious. After he hesitated for a while, he asked: ¡°Was it a tiring day?¡± Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn. Since the two of them were lying on their sides, their eyes were facing each other, their faces reflecting in each other¡¯s eyes. Yan HeQing reached out to lift Xiao YuAn¡¯s ck silk-like hair, twisted it between his fingers, and kissed it. Then, he softly replied: ¡°I¡¯m in charge of governing the country, and you¡¯re in charge of the chaotic harem. The rest, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart suddenly felt sore as he reached out and hugged Yan HeQing tightly, burying his head in Yan HeQing¡¯s neck and shoulder: ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± They hugged each other and slept. The next morning, Yan HeQing had to get up early, hurrying to the morning court. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t have anything to do, so he found himself something to distract himself. He took out a wooden box from his luggage, which in addition to clothing, it was the only thing he brought from Taoyuan Vige. In the wooden box, there were three items quietly lying inside. A vermillion hairpin, a gray broken hairband, and a thin piece of paper filled with the names of the fallen soldiers from the Northern Kingdom. Xiao YuAn grabbed the wooden box, and asked the maid: ¡°Is the former Northern Kingdom¡¯s Temple of Heaven still there?¡± The maid saluted him and replied: ¡°Answering to Xiao-gongzi, it¡¯s still there.¡± Xiao YuAn asked again: ¡°Then, can I go?¡± The maid smiled, and said: ¡°His Majesty left an Imperial edict for Xiao-gongzi. With this Imperial edict, Xiao-gongzi can go anywhere he wants.¡± As she spoke, the maid handed over the Imperial edict to Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn expressed a surprised sound, took the Imperial edict, and turned it over a few times. He couldn¡¯t help curving his eyes, pursing the corners of his mouth, and giggling for a while. Then he raised his head and said to the maid: ¡°Could you please prepare three incense sticks and a pot of wine for me?¡± Even though the maid was puzzled, she quickly prepared everything that Xiao YuAn needed. With this Imperial edict in his possession, Xiao YuAn was no longer worried. He wanted to go to the Temple of Heaven alone, but the Imperial Bodyguards said that the Emperor had ordered them to apany him at all times. Since Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t want to make it difficult for them, he let them apany him. Aldhskdjksdj it¡¯s so funny how xya is still trying to act the role of the domineering CEO, but he keeps failing miserably every time ??? aldhskdjs and the fact that he calls yhq ¡®wife¡¯ in his mind when he imagines these domineering ceo scenarios ? why is he so effortlessly funny??? I luv him ? Also, yhq¡¯s flirting skills are so smooth!!! No wonder xya bes a stuttering mess when yhq is around him ?? Andstly, let¡¯s appreciate that this chapter confirms, once again, that xya is also horny af, and that yhq isn¡¯t the only thirsting for his hubby *chef kiss* Chapter 170: This Paradise Is Not Our Home, So We’ll Wholeheartedly Go Back Home. Chapter 170: This Paradise Is Not Our Home, So We¡¯ll Wholeheartedly Go Back Home. The matter regarding Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing going back to the Northern Kingdom was settled for the time being. Yan HeQing sent a letter to Xue Yan and started preparing for the journey. The first thing he did was to go to the medicinal shop, to ask Zhang Changsong if Xiao YuAn¡¯s body could withstand traveling long distances. Only after getting an affirmative answer was he able to rest assured, and went to prepare other matters. When he heard that Yan HeQing and Xiao YuAn were leaving, Zhang Changsong¡¯s family was naturally feeling extremely reluctant. Zhang Baizhu ran to Xiao YuAn to ask him: ¡°Why do you want to go there again? And you¡¯re even saying that you¡¯re going back ¡®home¡¯ to the Southern Yan Kingdom. But, aren¡¯t you from the Western Shu Kingdom? Before, you even went to visit your rtives in the Western Shu Kingdom, so why are you saying that you¡¯re returning ¡®home¡¯ to the Southern Yan Kingdom?¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°What is the point of clearing up such a thing? In the end, we¡¯ll belong to the same side anyways.¡± Zhang Baizhu then said wistfully: ¡°That¡¯s what you said after saving that young soldier a while ago. Speaking of which, I saw him outside the vige, the one who carried you back that time.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes brighten: ¡°Bao Yinxin?¡± Zhang Baizhu replied: ¡°Yes, that one. He said that after saving you, he was discovered by his General, and the group of soldiers that saved you were put in prison. Later, when the Southern Yan Kingdom conquered the Eastern Wu Kingdom, the prison cell was broken into, and they took advantage of the chaos to escape. They ended up settling down in a nearby vige.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled: ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Zhang Baizhu: ¡°Yeah, yeah, I won¡¯t say any more. Anyway, this time, you¡¯ll have afortable, happy, and prosperous life. Where you won¡¯t need to worry about the mercilessness of the sword, and where you won¡¯t see yourself stuck in a life or death situation.¡± Xiao YuAn saw that Zhang Baizhu was saying goodbye to him, and before leaving, he said: ¡°Zhang Baizhu, if you have a son, you should name him Zhang Zhongjing, alright?¡± ¡°Hmm? Zhang Zhongjing¡­ not bad, it¡¯s a nice name!¡± Zhang Baizhu raised his fist and recited the name out loud, excitedly running back to the medicinal shop to tell Lin Shenling. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but smile. Suddenly, his waist was hugged from behind, but Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t surprised. He simply leaned back andfortably pressed his body against Yan HeQing¡¯s. Yan HeQing said: ¡°We¡¯ll leave in 7 days. Physician Zhang said that your body still needs to recuperate for a bit. I asked for a prescription.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°No way, I¡¯m alive and I feel perfectly fine, but I still need to recuperate? I¡¯m obviously an energetic young man, but now I¡¯m slowly turning into a medicine jar. Yan-ge, can I stop taking medicine after these few days?¡± Yan HeQing replied: ¡°Physician Zhang knew that you would say this. He said¡­. well¡­. if you want to have sex without worry¡­ then¡­¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­. I¡¯ve been taking the medicine diligently, and I still can¡¯t do it?¡± Yan HeQing slightly raised the corners of his mouth, and suddenly remembered something as he asked: ¡°Do you know where the Imperial Pce of the Southern Yan Kingdom is located¡­?¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± Xiao YuAn tilted his head and raised his hands. Then he hugged Yan HeQing¡¯s neck and pressed his body closer to him: ¡°It¡¯s the former Imperial Pce of the Northern Kingdom.¡± In the original book, Yan HeQing set up the capital in the former Northern territory, and lived in the Imperial Pce of the Northern Kingdom, because he missed his goddess. This time, his reasons were self-evident. Yan HeQing, whose head was pressed down by Xiao YuAn, had his lips an inch away from Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth. Their breaths were immediately entwined together. Xiao YuAnughed: ¡°Yan-ge, are you afraid that I¡¯ll be affected by the scenery when I return to the North?¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°It¡¯s easy to make it better. If I¡¯m sad, then you just have to kiss me. But you don¡¯t have to worry, I won¡¯t be sad.¡± Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes, and he saw how his own face was reflected in Xiao YuAn¡¯s dark pupils, as if he was the only one in Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes. Xiao YuAn released his hands and let go of Yan HeQing¡¯s neck. Then, he turned around in Yan HeQing¡¯s arms, and looked at him face to face, as he said with a smile: ¡°Yan-ge, in a few days we¡¯ll leave Taoyuan Vige, so I¡¯m quite sad now. What do you think you should do?¡± Yan HeQing leaned forward and tried to kiss him. However, they immediately separated when a ¡®Xiao-ge¡¯ suddenly came from beside them. Xie Chungui, who was holding a small y figurine he got from somewhere, stood there at this moment. Without feeling embarrassed about interrupting them, he seriously said to Xiao YuAn: ¡°Xiao-ge, can I talk to you?¡± ¡°Yes, of course you can. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice still had a trace of panic. Who would¡¯ve thought that Xie Chungui would nce at Yan HeQing, and say: ¡°Xiao-ge, can I talk to you alone?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes shed with a trace of surprise. He and Yan HeQing nced at each other. Yan HeQing nodded at him, and walked away. Xiao YuAn and Xie Chungui were then left alone. After a while, Xiao YuAn finally asked: ¡°Chungui? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Xie Chungui: ¡°Third Aunt told me that you were leaving. Xiao-ge, is that true?¡± Xiao YuAn nodded and wanted to say a few words to soothe him, but before he could speak, Xie Chungui added: ¡°Xiao-ge, are you going to the North? Can you take me with you? I want to go back and see it again.¡± Xiao YuAn looked at Xie Chungui with a nk stare. Clearly, these words didn¡¯t sound like the usual words Xie Chungui has been speaking recently. But since the smile on his face was still naive and childish, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t know how to reply: ¡°Chungui, you¡­.¡± He blurted out the word ¡®you¡¯, but he didn¡¯t know what to say afterwards. Xie Chungui lowered his head. As the autumn sun shone with a clear light, the young man stood in ce, as his voice slightly trembled: ¡°I want to go back and see. See the territory, the mountains and the rivers of the Northern Kingdom.¡± Xiao YuAn looked at Xie Chungui, and thought of the young General in the original book. At the beginning, he was also a great hero. A man who was able to hold the fort by himself, and fought against the enemy with the remnants of the defeated army, with only disabled men. But in the end, he was unable to resist the enemy¡¯s army, and he was defeated in the battlefield. The white bones of the dead were scattered all over the ground, mixed together with the grass. His head could¡¯ve grown grey, but he didn¡¯t know that the fugitive Emperor was harming the people, nor did he hear that the Imperial Court ate the country¡¯s food. The only thing he knew was that he vowed to protect the country with his blood. But in the end, he couldn¡¯t grow old. Xiao YuAn rubbed Xie Chungui¡¯s head, and replied: ¡°Alright.¡± XYA and YHQ are so cute o(¨i©n¨i)?????? and I¡¯m so happy that the soldiers who saved XYA¡¯s life survived and are now living peacefully in a vige ?? I¡¯m soft ?? Ahhh but XCG always makes me sad ((o(;¡÷;)o)) my poor bby ?????? Chapter 171: I’m A Married Man. Chapter 171: I¡¯m A Married Man. In the end, when their day of departure finally arrived, in the dim morning light, the entire Taoyuan Vige was shrouded in a hazy mist. Xiao YuAn silently said goodbye in his heart. Then, he turned around, and smiled at Yan HeQing as he took his hand. After thousands of miles of traveling, a few dayster, they arrived at the Imperial City of the former Northern Kingdom, now renamed as the Southern Yan Kingdom Imperial City. It was the first month of the Lunar Year. Although the weather was cold, and the ground was frozen, only a few snowkes were falling down. Even if it was supposed to be the beginning of spring, the North was different, since it has already been covered in snow for several days. The walls of the Pce were covered with white snow, as the petal-like snowkes fell from the pale sky. Xiao YuAn, who was wearing a fur brocade, stared dumbfounded at the Imperial Pce in front of him, and asked the maid beside him: ¡°Is¡­ Is this your Emperor¡¯s Pce?¡± The maid servant replied: ¡°Answering to Xiao-gongzi, yes.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®Isn¡¯t this my old Imperial Pce? And even the appearance hasn¡¯t changed at all!¡¯ Xiao YuAn followed the maid into the bedchamber, and was once again shocked. The decorations inside the bedchamber, were almost exactly the same as when he lived there! Xiao YuAn lightly stroked the window shutter. For a long time, he didn¡¯t know what to say. After a while, he finally murmured: ¡°But these things, back then, weren¡¯t they robbed, crushed, were lost or got broken?¡± The maid exined: ¡°All of these were specially made for His Majesty!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®I should remind Yan-ge: I¡¯ve lived in this Pce for more than a year, but the previous young Emperor of the Northern Kingdom has lived here for over 10 years!¡¯ ¡®It still looks like the ce where the young Emperor used to bring over his male concubines!!¡¯ The maid didn¡¯t notice the subtle change in Xiao YuAn¡¯s expression, so she simply said: ¡°Xiao-gongzi, His Majesty said that this will be your bedchamber. What can this servant do for you?¡± Xiao YuAn coughed lightly, and said: ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m fine. Is Yan-¡­ cough, is His Majesty still busy?¡± ¡°Answering to Xiao-gongzi, yes.¡± ¡®I thought so. Yan HeQing has juste back, so it¡¯s only natural that he will be held up by the government affairs that have been umting so far. Not to mention that he¡¯ll have to deal with the old Ministers, while also having to watch out for people with ulterior motives. I wonder if Yan HeQing¡¯s day at court went smoothly today.¡¯ However, after being apart from each other for less than a day, Xiao YuAn began to miss Yan HeQing, so he quickly tried to distract himself. At this, he asked the maid: ¡°Where¡¯s Chungui?¡± The maid replied: ¡°Answering to Xiao-gongzi. Xie-gongzi is settled in a Pce not far away from here. Does Xiao-gongzi want to go see him?¡± After seeing Xiao YuAn nodding his head, the maid hurriedly led the way. It was still snowing heavily outside. As the snowkes fell from the sky, some of them fondly rested on their shoulders. Xiao YuAn breathed out a mouthful of white fog and reached out to catch some of the snowkes falling from the sky, only to watch them melt in his palm. ¡°Xiao-gongzi?¡± The maid lightly called Xiao YuAn. ¡°Ah?¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly came back to his senses, closed his five fingers, and clutched the ice water in his palm: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, you can lead the way.¡± Xiao YuAn was led all the way to the close Pce by the maid. From a distance, he saw Xie Chungui ying with the snow, with an excited, child-like expression and a cheerful smile on his face. When he saw Xiao YuAn, Xie Chungui waved his hand from afar, picked up some snow from the ground, and trotted over: ¡°Xiao-ge, look! It¡¯s snowing! Snow!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s snowing.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s smile was warm. Xie Chungui looked at the snow on his hands, feeling how the cold spread on his skin. Subconsciously, he held it close to his cheek, covering the half of his face, until the whiteness on his hand gradually became transparent. Xie Chungui put down his hands and looked around, at the now dark-grey sky, with the white snow falling down. Suddenly, Xie Chungui felt an impulseing from the bottom of his heart. Xiao YuAn was about to ask Xie Chungui if he had adapted to the cold weather, when suddenly, he saw him kneeling down the ground to kiss the earth and the snow. He looked very devout, like a wanderer who had been traveling for many years, and was finally able to return home. There were some maids around that thought that Xie Chungui had fallen, and with a cry of surprise, they quickly reached out to help him up. Xiao YuAn took a step forward and held Xie Chungui¡¯s arm, who was feeling quite confused, seeing how Xie Chungui¡¯s expression was nk: ¡°Huh? Why did I kneel down? What happened?¡± Xiao YuAn was dumbfounded, and when he reached out to pat the snow away from Xie Chungui¡¯s shoulders, he said: ¡°Nothing happened, nothing happened at all.¡± Xiao YuAn apanied Xie Chungui to y with the snow for a while. It wasn¡¯t until Xie Chungui became tired of ying that Xiao YuAn said goodbye, and left. As soon as Xiao YuAn returned to his bedchamber, someone hurriedly came to report: ¡°Xiao-gongzi, someone wants to see you.¡± The maid at his side reminded him: ¡°Xiao-gongzi, His Majesty said that you can refuse anyone¡¯s request to meet you.¡± Xiao YuAn thought to himself ¡®Is there someone from the Southern Yan Kingdom who wants to see me?¡¯. So he asked: ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Answering to Xiao-gongzi. It¡¯s Chen Ge, General Chen.¡± ¡®General Chen? Chen Ge has been promoted?!¡¯ Xiao YuAn was happy at this, and said: ¡°Bring him over.¡± The person who reported the news hurriedly went to invite Chen Ge over. After a while, before Xiao YuAn could even see Chen Ge, he heard his voiceing from the other side of the door: ¡°For the Heavens! Physician Xiao, you¡¯re all right! I knew it! Lucky people have their own way of surviving! Whooo waaah!¡± Chen Ge exaggeratedly whimpered twice as he entered the bedchamber. As Chen Ge held Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands, they looked at each other with teary eyes. Immersed in such a scene, Xiao YuAn was also stirred up emotionally, and after sobbing twice, he shouted: ¡°Chen Ge, your hands! Loosen them! I¡¯m a married man! Pay attention to the misunderstandings this action could bring!¡± XCG always makes my heart ache £¨©Ð©Ð£ß©Ð©Ð£© he¡¯s so precious, why does he have to suffer?? ???? Chen Ge was promoted!! ???!!!(*¡ä?`)? ???? Now¡­ I have to warn y¡¯all starting now, we¡¯re close to thest angst arc before the happy ending, so prepare your hearts, because it¡¯s gonna get heavy :;(¡É¡ä©n`¡É);: Chapter 172: I’m A Man Who Knows The Principles Of Marxism. Chapter 172: I¡¯m A Man Who Knows The Principles Of Marxism. Chen Ge released Xiao YuAn, rubbed the corners of his eyes, and sighed: ¡°Physician Xiao, it wasn¡¯t easy for me to see you. Do you know that if someone wants to meet with you, they have to report it to His Majesty first?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­. No, I didn¡¯t know. Wait, I still can¡¯t believe you¡¯re already a General. So, were you in court toda-?¡± Chen Ge poured himself a cup of cold water from the table, and drank it in one mouthful. As he wiped his mouth, and without letting Xiao YuAn finish his question, he eximed: ¡°Yes! This time, the court was advising His Majesty, but one issue was moreplicated than the other. One of them was that His Majesty has always respected old General Xue. But for some reason, after he came back, His Majesty was still the same, but the respect was gone. You could even feel a hint of animosity sparkling between the two of them!¡± Xiao YuAn seemed calm on the surface, but his heart has long been shaken by a stormy wave. He slightly curled his fingers, forcing himself to calm down, and asked: ¡°What¡¯s the second issue?¡± Chen Ge replied: ¡°Secondly, today almost all of the civil and military officials in the court bowed down and advised His Majesty about the same thing; but His Majesty turned away coldly, leaving them kneeling in the same ce. Physician Xiao, do you know what that thing was?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled: ¡°What else could it be, but me?¡± ¡°Physician Xiao.¡± Chen Ge restrained a smile, and said more seriously: ¡°Today, I was among those people.¡± Xiao YuAn expressed a light ¡®Hmmm¡¯. Unexpectedly, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t care much. Chen Ge was stupefied at first, but then he touched his head, and smiled. After sighing, he said: ¡°Physician Xiao, I sincerely hope that you can be with His Majesty, but I don¡¯t want the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom to be with my Emperor. Because of you, the whole court was shaken, and all of them are questioning His Majesty¡¯s ability. The most fearsome thing when establishing a state, is that the heart of the people won¡¯t be united. This way, it¡¯ll be difficult for the Emperor to walk his own path in the future.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t have the intention to restrain his smile, as he said: ¡°Chen Ge, you said those words so harshly, as if you were trying to force me into wanting to leave. Was it General Xue who taught you this trick?¡± Chen Ge scratched his head, and whispered: ¡°Yes, yes. Because of His Majesty¡¯s instructions, General Xue can¡¯t see you, so he asked me to give it a try. Physician Xiao, don¡¯t me me, General Xue is my life-saver. I admire him very much, and¡­.¡± Chen Ge paused for a long time before continuing: ¡°And, I think that every word General Xue said is very reasonable.¡± Xiao YuAn expressed another ¡®hmmm¡¯, and didn¡¯t say anything else. Chen Ge knew that this was the end of their conversation, so he stood up, took out a letter from his sleeve, and put it on the table: ¡°General Xue asked me to pass this letter to you. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any good words written on it. So, Physician Xiao, you can read it if you want, or burn it if you don¡¯t.¡± After saying that, Chen Ge got up, sped his fist, and started to walk away. After he took two steps, he heard the man behind him suddenly shout: ¡°Chen Ge!¡± Chen Ge¡¯s footsteps stopped as he heard Xiao YuAn say: ¡°Thank you for calling me ¡®Physician Xiao¡¯.¡± Chen Ge hovered in ce for a few seconds, and replied: ¡°If only you weren¡¯t the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom.¡± After saying that, he left with big steps. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t transmigrated in his body, and if I hadn¡¯t pretended to be him, at that time, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to protect Yan-ge¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn murmured as he reached out for the letter on the table. After hesitating for a second, he opened it. There was a short sentence written on the thin letter paper: ¡®I wonder if the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom is still able to remember the oath he made a few years ago?¡¯ ¡®Hmm? What oath did I make?¡¯ ¡®Was it¡­.?¡¯ ¡®Holy shit!!!¡¯ Xiao YuAn suddenly put his hands on his head. At that time, when he left the Northern Kingdom, he swore that if he stepped into the Imperial City ever again, he would die a horrible death! Xiao YuAn now wanted to go back in time, to p himself in the face. ¡®At that time, when I left, I didn¡¯t expect that I¡¯d being back, aah! After all, at that time, I misunderstood and thought that Yan HeQing hated me, so I firmly didn¡¯t believe that I would be running back to my death!¡¯ Life is really full of surprises and excitement, so much that he was even hit in the face with it. Xiao YuAn silently burned Xue Yan¡¯s letter, and then recited the principle of the dialectical rtionship between matter and consciousness1. ¡­ Once Chen Ge walked out of the gates of the Imperial Pce, he saw a man standing in front of him. He was wearing military robes and armor, with snow umted on his shoulders. Chen Ge took a few steps forward, sped his fist, and knelt down on one knee: ¡°General Xue.¡± Xue Yan helped him up with one hand, and asked: ¡°How was it?¡± Chen Ge replied: ¡°I¡¯ve told him everything that General Xue wanted me to say, but¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem to have any effect.¡± Xue Yan frowned and exhaled a long breath of white mist, surrounded by the cold snowy night: ¡°Thank you for your hard work. I absolutely don¡¯t believe that the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom would be willing to bear the humiliation of having lost his empire, and will simply stay here in peace. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s plotting something. His Majesty is blinded by love, and he¡¯s not able to see the truth, even if it¡¯s right in front of him. I must send someone to pay close attention to the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom.¡± While Xue Yan spoke, Chen Ge opened and closed his mouth several times, as if he wanted to justify those statements. But in the end, he never said it. Instead, he asked: ¡°But, General Xue, he¡¯s well protected by His Majesty, how are you¡­?¡± Xue Yan interrupted him: ¡°I won¡¯t make a move on him. I¡¯m not allowed to make a move, and I¡¯m unable to do so. However, I can still send people to stay close to him, waiting for the right opportunity to observe his every move. By the way, Chen Ge, because of the recent issue regarding the former Emperor, and even if people aren¡¯t talking about it, I fear that some people are doubting His Majesty¡¯s authority in their hearts. I think that someone will take advantage of this to gather party members. We¡¯ll have to help His Majesty on this matter by taking close attention to it.¡± Chen Ge nodded: ¡°General Xue¡¯s painstaking efforts, I hope that His Majesty will understand.¡± Xue Yan gazed at the red walls of the Southern Yan Imperial Pce not far away, and a cold snowke fell on his cheek. ¡®Painstaking efforts? Maybe so.¡¯ He, Xue Yan, didn¡¯t had any regrets for the former Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom, whomited suicide by cutting his own throat on top of the city walls. He didn¡¯t regret the promise he made at that time, to protect the Southern Yan Kingdom at all cost, before the former Emperor jumped on the wall. He didn¡¯t regret being from the Southern Yan Kingdom, nor did he regret having ruled it for a while. Because he knew that if Yan HeQing conquered the four kingdoms, then he would be able to bring a prosperous and flourishing united country, in exchange for all that was sacrificed. Therefore, if there were any thorns ahead, as long as he hasn¡¯t fallen, he will cut them down with his sword! Xue Yan was willing to do whatever it takes, to sweep away every obstacle in their way to be the strongest country the world has ever seen. Even if some of those things will make Yan HeQing, who has respected him since childhood, to hate him. He, Xue Yan, doesn¡¯t have any regrets in his heart. Ahhh even if it¡¯s really unfair for xya, I still can¡¯t hate Chen Ge nor Xue Yan (¡ä¡Ð£à;) after all, they don¡¯t know that xya isn¡¯t really the scum emperor¡­ And even then, what that body represents is dangerous to them, so they simply want to protect theirnd¡­. Tsk tsk soplicated (? ? ??) Chapter 173: I’m A Lustful Man. Chapter 173: I¡¯m A Lustful Man. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Xue Yan suddenly remembered something, and said to Chen Ge: ¡°You must also pay close attention to General Huang.¡± Chen Ge was stunned, and asked with some cautiousness: ¡°Is General Xue talking about Huang Yue, General Huang?¡± ¡°Yes. Today, I heard him mention several times to other people, about His Majesty protecting the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom. He even asked about those people¡¯s thoughts on the matter. I suspect that he has the heart of Sima Zhao1.¡± Xue Yan said. Chen Ge nodded: ¡°Alright, General Xue. I¡¯ll keep an eye on him.¡± Xue Yan nodded, ced his hands behind his back, and his eyes fell once again on the walls of the Imperial Pce not far away from him. The snow was chaotic, the wind was howling, and the world felt cold. ¡­ By the time Yan HeQing returned to his bedchamber, the snow had already umted above his ankles, making him not only leave deep footprints in the snow, but it also emitted a slight creaking sound. Yan HeQing grew up in the South, so the Northern climate wasn¡¯t suitable for him. But no matter what, he would force himself to adapt. The funniest part was that Xiao YuAn, in hisst life, was also a Southerner who was afraid of the cold, so it was clear that this Imperial Pce of the former Northern Kingdom wasn¡¯t suitable for the two of them to live in. However, Yan HeQing couldn¡¯t leave this ce aside. After all, this is where Xiao YuAn smiled at him for the first time. Yan HeQing, who didn¡¯t have the time to change his snow-drenched Imperial court attire, called out the maids and guards, and walked into the bedchamber as quietly as he could. The bedchamber waspletely dark, without any candlelights on. With the help of the moonlight, Yan HeQing saw Xiao YuAn lying on his side on the bed, sleeping peacefully. ¡®Asleep?¡¯ ¡®But, isn¡¯t Xiao YuAn unable to sleep withoutpany? Is he pretending to sleep?¡¯ Yan HeQing reached out and gently stroked the side of Xiao YuAn¡¯s face. When he saw that his breathing was still steady, he quickly withdrew his hand so that he won¡¯t disturb him. As he stood aside, he took off his court attire to change into clean clothes. However, as soon as he took off his clothes, and exposed his upper body, he suddenly heard the sound of coughing behind him, as if someone was choking in panic. Yan HeQing¡¯s hands stopped midway, slowly put on his clothes, and turned around to look. When he turned around, he saw that Xiao YuAn was still maintaining his previous position, of lying on his side, as if the cough Yan HeQing heard just now was merely an illusion. Yan HeQing wasn¡¯t polite either. He leaned over and grabbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s wrists, pressing them to the top of Xiao YuAn¡¯s head. As he firmly pressed him down, he kissed Xiao YuAn until he was out of breath, making him open his eyes. Yan HeQing lightly said: ¡°Were you pretending to be asleep?¡± It took Xiao YuAn a long time to ease his breath, and as he rubbed his neck, he refused to admit it: ¡°Who, who, who¡¯s pretending to sleep? You, you, you stole a kiss.¡± The great President Xiao was full of calctions. He¡¯ll first pretend to be asleep, so when his wifees back, he might secretly steal a kiss. At this, he will slowly open his eyes, grab his wife¡¯s neck, and with an evil smile, he¡¯ll say: ¡®Hmm? Why did this little demon steal a kiss from me? Tell me, what¡¯s this about?¡¯ When he thought about it, it¡¯ll be both an stupid and interesting scenario! However, who would¡¯ve known that the second he saw Yan HeQing undress, he was exposed. ¡®Can you even me me for that? Can you?¡¯ Illuminated by the white moonlight, Yan HeQing¡¯s back looked like a perfect piece of white jade. The lines of his waist were strong and smooth, his long ck hair was gathered on one side of his shoulder. There was a thin scar under his shoulder de, which may even disappear in a few months, but now it looked very attractive. The scar went down his smooth and beautiful back, making your eyes follow that line all the way down, and further down¡­. Then, Xiao YuAn coughed. ¡®Can you me me for that!? Yan HeQing¡¯s figure would make anyone unable to fucking control their seven emotions and six desires2, alright?!¡¯ Even though his body¡¯s movement was still limited by Yan HeQing, Xiao YuAn knew that he couldn¡¯t lose. Originally, he wanted toin, to arouse Yan HeQing¡¯s sense of shame, but who would¡¯ve known that Yan HeQing would lean down, once again blocking Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth with his own. As he kissed him, theck of oxygen made Xiao YuAn pant and struggle. It wasn¡¯t until his cheeks turned red that he was released. Yan HeQing said leisurely: ¡°I¡¯m not stealing kisses, I¡¯m kissing you openly.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­. All right, all right!¡± He was speechless! Yan HeQing let go of Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands, andid down on his side. Xiao YuAn thought about what Chen Ge told him today, and felt that he couldn¡¯t ask Yan HeQing about it without being too obvious. After he hesitated for a while, he asked: ¡°Was it a tiring day?¡± Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn. Since the two of them were lying on their sides, their eyes were facing each other, their faces reflecting in each other¡¯s eyes. Yan HeQing reached out to lift Xiao YuAn¡¯s ck silk-like hair, twisted it between his fingers, and kissed it. Then, he softly replied: ¡°I¡¯m in charge of governing the country, and you¡¯re in charge of the chaotic harem. The rest, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart suddenly felt sore as he reached out and hugged Yan HeQing tightly, burying his head in Yan HeQing¡¯s neck and shoulder: ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± They hugged each other and slept. The next morning, Yan HeQing had to get up early, hurrying to the morning court. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t have anything to do, so he found himself something to distract himself. He took out a wooden box from his luggage, which in addition to clothing, it was the only thing he brought from Taoyuan Vige. In the wooden box, there were three items quietly lying inside. A vermillion hairpin, a gray broken hairband, and a thin piece of paper filled with the names of the fallen soldiers from the Northern Kingdom. Xiao YuAn grabbed the wooden box, and asked the maid: ¡°Is the former Northern Kingdom¡¯s Temple of Heaven still there?¡± The maid saluted him and replied: ¡°Answering to Xiao-gongzi, it¡¯s still there.¡± Xiao YuAn asked again: ¡°Then, can I go?¡± The maid smiled, and said: ¡°His Majesty left an Imperial edict for Xiao-gongzi. With this Imperial edict, Xiao-gongzi can go anywhere he wants.¡± As she spoke, the maid handed over the Imperial edict to Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn expressed a surprised sound, took the Imperial edict, and turned it over a few times. He couldn¡¯t help curving his eyes, pursing the corners of his mouth, and giggling for a while. Then he raised his head and said to the maid: ¡°Could you please prepare three incense sticks and a pot of wine for me?¡± Even though the maid was puzzled, she quickly prepared everything that Xiao YuAn needed. With this Imperial edict in his possession, Xiao YuAn was no longer worried. He wanted to go to the Temple of Heaven alone, but the Imperial Bodyguards said that the Emperor had ordered them to apany him at all times. Since Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t want to make it difficult for them, he let them apany him. Aldhskdjksdj it¡¯s so funny how xya is still trying to act the role of the domineering CEO, but he keeps failing miserably every time ??? aldhskdjs and the fact that he calls yhq ¡®wife¡¯ in his mind when he imagines these domineering ceo scenarios ? why is he so effortlessly funny??? I luv him ? Also, yhq¡¯s flirting skills are so smooth!!! No wonder xya bes a stuttering mess when yhq is around him ?? Andstly, let¡¯s appreciate that this chapter confirms, once again, that xya is also horny af, and that yhq isn¡¯t the only thirsting for his hubby *chef kiss* Chapter 174: I’m A Man Who Can’t Avoid Problems. Chapter 174: I¡¯m A Man Who Can¡¯t Avoid Problems. Under the Temple of Heaven, the ny-nine steps looked as if they were endless, just like in the old days, as if they were going straight to the sky. The ancestral shrine of the Northern Kingdom didn¡¯t escape the fate of being destroyed, and it waspletely burned down by a fire. The ce where the ancestral temple used to be, was now a piece ofnd full of saplings. After Xiao YuAn thought about it, he walked towards that ce. Suddenly, a man came out from the brushes. That man had a beard, his body was burly, and his messy hair covered his face, which was filled with hideous scars. When he swooped over to stand in front of Xiao YuAn, his sudden appearance startled Xiao YuAn. ¡°Who¡¯sing? This ce can¡¯t be stepped in at will.¡± That man¡¯s voice was loud as a bell, and his aura was imposing like a rainbow1. The Imperial Bodyguards came forward with their swords, and one of them said: ¡°Get out of the way, we have an Imperial edict.¡± Xiao YuAn handed over the Imperial edict, but the man didn¡¯t take it. Instead, he fixed his eyes on Xiao YuAn¡¯s face. That man stared at Xiao YuAn with a deadly gaze, as if he wanted to burn a hole in his face. Xiao YuAn was a bit confused by the stare he was receiving, and as soon as he was about to look up, the Imperial Bodyguard behind him stepped forward, and unceremoniously pushed the bearded man away: ¡°Go away, go away. You already saw the Imperial edict, why are you still standing here for?¡± The bearded man, who was pushed away, staggered a few steps. As he lowered his head, he silently retreated to one side. As the Imperial Bodyguards led Xiao YuAn forward, Xiao YuAn had an idea in his heart, and couldn¡¯t help himself from asking: ¡°Who is that man?¡± The Imperial Bodyguards didn¡¯t know that Xiao YuAn was the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, so one of them replied without hesitation: ¡°Xiao-gongzi, that man was originally from the Northern Kingdom. After the Northern Kingdom was conquered, he surrendered to our country. General Xue has always been a kind-hearted man, so he gave this man a way to live by giving him the job of taking care of the vegetation at the Temple of Heaven. I heard that he went crazy a few months after he surrendered, and that he¡¯s always murmuring about whether he¡¯s going to die or not. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands were red and painful, because he was forcibly holding the wooden box. Only after a long time did he exim a ¡®hmm¡¯ sound. Once Xiao YuAn and the Imperial Bodyguards arrived at the ce where the ancestral shrine of the Northern Kingdom used to be, he saw that there were only a few pieces of ashy-gray pine trees and cypress left behind, with fallen leaves on the ground. Xiao YuAn looked around and found a shelter, knelt down, then dug a pit, dirtying his hands with the mud. The Imperial Bodyguards didn¡¯t understand what he was trying to do, but when they asked him if he needed any help, Xiao YuAn shook his head and refused. Xiao YuAn opened the wooden box, and finally, took a look at the three things inside. After taking a deep breath, he buried the wooden box in the ground. After all this, he knelt on the ground, stroked the pit, and said inside his heart: ¡®I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not your Northern Kingdom¡¯s Emperor, and I hope to have the opportunity to repay for the mistakes I¡¯ve made in this life one day. But now, I only want to be Xiao YuAn.¡¯ After silently reciting these things inside his heart, Xiao YuAn took out three incense sticks and wine, and respectfully worshipped them. After this, he stood up feeling like he had aplished something big, and took a long deep breath, as if his lungs would exhale all the dirt inside of him. Then, he turned around to the Imperial Bodyguards, and said: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The Imperial Bodyguards nodded and apanied Xiao YuAn. When they passed by the ce where they met the bearded man, Xiao YuAn saw him hunching his back to remove the weeds. How could such an obviously sturdy person look so small?! ¡®Considering the way he looked at me just now, I guess that he should have recognized me.¡¯ Xiao YuAn felt that he should say something to him as he stepped forward. But then, he stopped. ¡®What can even I say to him?¡¯ Xiao YuAn kept his hands at his sides, clenching them into fists, until his palms turned red. The bearded man seemed to feel a gaze looking at him, so he stood up and looked over. His face was filled with scars, and these scars seemed to tell the tragic story of a war. Xiao YuAn felt like something was stuck in his throat as closed his eyes, and murmured an apology. The bearded man was stunned at first, but then he clenched his teeth and his cheeks tightened. After a brief moment, he rxed his face again, and stepped forward: ¡°What? What did gongzi say? This servant didn¡¯t hear it. Does gongzi have something to tell this servant?¡± Xiao YuAn opened his eyes, and before he could reply ¡®no¡¯, the bearded man, who was slowly approaching him, suddenly ran over! With his hands half-hugging and half-pushing Xiao YuAn, they fell off the cliff that was beside the path! There was an exmation of surprise, and the Imperial Bodyguards were too slow to react! Xiao YuAn only felt weightless for a moment, and then his body fell to the ground. But when he didn¡¯t feel the pain that should¡¯ve arrived after falling down, he was stunned. There was a protruding stone wall under the cliff, which was covered with a thickyer of leaves, cushioning the pain from falling off a cliff. When he was pushed down by the bearded man, the bearded man had deliberately put himself below, so that Xiao YuAn would fall on top of him; Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t hurt at all. After the bearded man got to the ground, he rolled over, grabbed Xiao YuAn without hesitation, and dragged him somewhere. Xiao YuAn then found that there was a small cave behind the stone wall, and if he was dragged into the cave, then he wouldn¡¯t be seen by the people above; making them think that they fell all the way down. Xiao YuAn fiercely twisted the beaded man¡¯s hand, and before he could break away from him, he heard the man say: ¡°Your Majesty, weichen will¡­ will help you escape from this ce.¡± Ahhh nooo XYA is again in trouble (?_-;)¡­ And he went there just to bury the things he¡¯s been guarding in the wooden box, the things that represented his life as the Emperor. It¡¯s so symbolic that he wants to bury that past, that doesn¡¯t belongs to him to begin with, and just live as Xiao YuAn from now on (*¡ä£»¥§£»`*)?? Footnotes
  1. ÆøÊÆÈçºç q¨¬ sh¨¬ r¨² h¨®ng; It describes a person that has a strong spirit, with a qi so strong that they could be able to run through the evesting rainbow. By extension, it refers to the strength of the qi.
Chapter 175: What Do People Fear When They Sleep? Chapter 175: What Do People Fear When They Sleep? Xiao YuAn was stunned for a moment, as he was immediately dragged into the cave. When the bearded man released him, he knelt down on one knee in front of him: ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m General Li Wuding¡¯s Deputy General. You may not know me, but don¡¯t worry, I know how to get out of here. Weichen will escort you out.¡± ¡°I-¡­ I¡¯m not¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice was trembling slightly as he reached out to pull up the bearded man. ¡°Don¡¯t kneel down to me. Get up.¡± The bearded man was unwilling to get up, and insisted on kneeling: ¡°Your Majesty, you have to believe that Weichen will take you out of here. Weichen has already prepared this ce and an escape route for a long time. Your Majesty, you¡¯ve suffered enough. Imprisoned in the enemy¡¯s country, enduring the humiliation and being bullied by others¡­.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m here on my own free will.¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly interrupted him. The bearded man¡¯s voice stopped abruptly, like a broken string of the Guqin, leaving behind a heartbreaking trembling sound. As he raised his head to nkly stare at Xiao YuAn, his shoulders dropped abruptly. When he looked at Xiao YuAn, his gaze was filled with iprehension: ¡°You, you¡¯re voluntarily staying here? How can you¡­ how can you stay here voluntarily?¡± Xiao YuAn reached out to help him get up, and said: ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ just living here, the same as you.¡± At the top of the cliff, someone began to shout Xiao YuAn¡¯s name, which could be heard vaguely down in the cave. The bearded man knelt down once again, this time with both knees on the ground: ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve spent half of my life fighting for the Northern Kingdom, and I never had second thoughts during that time. I had many Xiongdi, but all of them died on the battlefield. I was the only one who decided to live, and ever since then, my conscience has been tormenting me every day. I dreamt about those dead Xiongdi countless times. In those dreams, they would poke me in the back, asking me why I was still alive. Your Majesty, can you tell me why am I still alive?!¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t stand to see the bearded man bowing his head and kneeling, so he simply knelt down as well, and said: ¡°I¡¯m not the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom¡­.¡± The bearded man interrupted him: ¡°Your Majesty! Even if our country was conquered, you¡¯re still our Emperor. The Monarch of the Northern Kingdom, this title is engraved in your bones, and it will follow you for the rest of your life. Even if you change your name. Even if you deny it. It¡¯s all useless in the end. Your Majesty, let¡¯s leave this ce; maybe, we can still rise again and take back the Northern Kingdom!!¡± The words said by the bearded man was like an iron whip with thorns. Every sentence he said was a huge p to Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart, until the flesh and bones under his skin became blurred, to the point where it was no longer possible to distinguish Xiao YuAn¡¯s appearance. Like this, Xiao YuAn could no longer say anything in his defense. The bearded man suddenly pulled out a dagger from his waist: ¡°Your Majesty, are you really unwilling to leave this ce?¡± However, Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t make a sound for a long time. ¡°Alright¡­. then forgive Weichen for being rude. I will leave first. Weichen had such an intention for a long time, but I wasn¡¯t able to make up my mind. Today, when I saw His Majesty, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking that maybe the meaning of my life was to take His Majesty and escape from the Southern Yan Kingdom. However, I didn¡¯t expect that His Majesty would be unwilling to leave. That he would be willing to be a prisoner¡­. What am I talking about? Who am I to me His Majesty? When I also betrayed my Xiongdi, and surrendered to the enemy¡­.¡± Suddenly, the bearded man threw back his head andughed out loud, until he was out of breath, as if he had lost his mind. Xiao YuAn thought that he meant that he¡¯ll leave first, but who would¡¯ve thought that the bearded man would suddenly raise a dagger, which looked very sharp, and cold. Xiao YuAn immediately shouted as he rushed forward: ¡°NO!¡± Unfortunately, it was toote. The bearded man cut his own throat, and the warm blood immediately spattered on Xiao YuAn¡¯s face. The bloody smell was extremely heavy. All of a sudden, Xiao YuAn was taken back to the time when he worked hard every day, painstakingly trying to save the Northern Kingdom. But in the end, Xiao YuAn once again felt powerless and feared the will of the Heavens, dragging him into the abyss again and again. Xiao YuAn¡¯s body trembled uncontrobly, as his ears roared with the repeated sound of someone calling ¡®Your Majesty¡¯. Those voices blended together, were like thousands of ghosts crying and howling in distress. Xiao YuAn suddenly raised his hand, and pped himself hard on the face. Then he held his head with both hands. When an Imperial Bodyguard climbed down the cliff to find Xiao YuAn, he found that the bearded man had already lost his breath. Xiao YuAn was curled on the ground, covered with the sttered blood. The Imperial Bodyguard hurriedly came forward, and said: ¡°Xiao-gongzi, are you all right? I¡¯ll take you up, and then we¡¯ll go to report to His Majesty-¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn abruptly raised his hand, grabbed the Imperial Bodyguard¡¯s arm, raised his head, and said: ¡°Don¡¯t tell your Emperor. Don¡¯t say anything.¡± The two of them had agreed that Yan HeQing would be responsible for ruling the country and the state, so Xiao YuAn should take care of these things. At this time, Yan HeQing was reading the official documents, when he suddenly heard an Imperial Bodyguard report: ¡°Your Majesty, General Xue said that he has something important to report.¡± Yan HeQing raised his head from the memorials, frowned slightly, and said: ¡°Let him in.¡± After a short while, Xue Yan stepped in, sped his fist, and knelt: ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°General Xue, you may rise.¡± Although Yan HeQing was courteous, his attitude was in fact neither cold nor warm. He didn¡¯t even call Xue Yan ¡®Uncle¡¯ like he did in the past. Xue Yan stood up, and said: ¡°Your Majesty, there were some soldiers in the army who had plotted a rebellion. They were discovered in time and have been dealt with.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°Hmm, General Xue worked hard.¡± Xue Yan: ¡°Your Majesty, the reason for this rebellion was because some Deputy Generals in the army heard that you¡¯re protecting the former Emperor of the North-¡­.¡± Yan HeQing interrupted him with a heavy voice: ¡°General Xue, is there anything else you want to report? If not, then you may go back, and take a rest.¡± Xue Yan was dumbfounded. After hesitating for a moment, he cupped his fist, and retreated. However, once he turned around, he suddenly said: ¡°HeQing, tell me. Do you want love, or do you want your family and country? Do you want to stay together with him, or do you want to conquer the world?¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t take his eyes away from the memorials in his hands. At the same time he finished writing thest sentence, he said indifferently: ¡°Uncle, I want both.¡± The thing that Yan HeQing wasn¡¯t afraid of, was to fight with all of his strength. What¡¯s the point of telling him to choose between the two, when it¡¯s clear that he hasn¡¯t put his life in danger? In this world, the hardest thing to obtain is when the person you like, likes you back. At this moment, Xiao YuAn is standing with him, and he no longer wants to leave. Even if there were thousands of soldiers against him, and even if thousands of people were pointing at him, what does Yan HeQing have to be afraid of? Another tortured soul because of the war (? ? ??) and XYA always has to bear that weight on his shoulders ??? The angst is here ??? £¨©Ð©Ð£ß©Ð©Ð£© Chapter 176: The Soul Of A Soldier Is Lost, And The Soul Of A Country Is Empty. Chapter 176: The Soul Of A Soldier Is Lost, And The Soul Of A Country Is Empty. Xiao YuAn, in order to clean off the blood on his body, spent almost an hour soaking in the bath. Only then could Xiao YuAn press all his emotions back inside his heart,pletely calming down. After he changed into dry and clean clothes, he went back to his bedchamber. However, after a wave that had not yet subsided, another wave started again. Xiao YuAn had just stood still when a maidservant suddenly came to report in a hurry: ¡°Xiao-gongzi, Xiao-gongzi! Something terrible happened, Xie-gongzi ran out of the Pce by himself!¡± Early this morning, Xie Chungui woke up and suddenly began to mumble something about the Xie family to himself. Then he was desperate to get out of the Pce, but the Imperial Bodyguards didn¡¯t let him leave. He was just like a child, sitting on the ground, and crying out loud. When the Imperial Guards saw that he was a fool, they wanted to report this issue first, and then take action. But as soon as they stopped paying attention to him, Xie Chungui calmed down, climbed the wall, and escaped!! ¡°Those Imperial Guards are too careless!!¡± Xiao YuAn was extremely angry and amused at the same time. ¡°Although Xie Chungui is very skillful, he¡¯s still one person. Aren¡¯t they able to stop him?!¡± ¡°Xiao-gongzi, that¡¯s because His Majesty has given the order that you two can¡¯t be hurt. Every order must be followed obediently!!¡± The maid replied. ¡°Xiao-gongzi, what should we do?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I think I know where he went.¡± Xie Chungui was walking down the street in a daze. He still didn¡¯t understand what had happened to him, but earlier today, when he was eating his meal, the maid had served him a dish of exquisite delicacies. As she smiled, she exined: ¡°Xie-gongzi, this dish is unique to our Southern Yan Kingdom. Please try it.¡± Suddenly, Xie Chungui¡¯s heart was filled with depression. The appetizing dish in front of him was slowly covered in blood, staining the entire wooden table with a horribly bright red color. Xie Chungui fiercely overturned the table and hurriedly stood up in a panic, raising his head only to observe how the sky turned into a solid golden, pressing straight down at him. As the words ¡®Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯ echoed in Xie Chungui¡¯s ears like a vicious curse, he hurriedly covered his ears and desperately ran away as fast as he could. When he came back to his senses, he was already walking on the main street of the Imperial City. All around, there was a bustling crowd of people. The sounds of shouting, selling and bargaining were mixed together, forming a scene of prosperity and harmony. There were stalls cooking noodles and wontons on the roadside. As soon as the lid was lifted, the white mist immediately blurred the whole Imperial City. The tragedy of the country being conquered three years ago, seemed to have been swallowed by the people together with the fragrance of wontons. Xie Chungui stood frozen in ce, thinking: ¡®Where¡¯s this? What was I going to do?¡¯ ¡®Right, my name is Xie Chungui. But, where am I?¡¯ Xie Chungui looked left and right, when suddenly, he was surprised to recognize something from his memories upon seeing the corner of the street. ¡®The same blue stone bs, the same corner alley.¡¯ ¡®Here, it looks like my old home; and this ce looks like my country.¡¯ A strong sense of familiarity slowly poured into Xie Chungui¡¯s mind, along with an inexplicable joy. Xie Chungui refused to let go of this feeling, and went to that corner to observe things more carefully. ¡®Isn¡¯t that store selling my favorite sweet-scented osmanthus cake?¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t that the clearing where I used to y as a child?¡¯ ¡®The ent of those people yelling, isn¡¯t it the same one I used to hear when I was young?¡¯ ¡®This ce is my country! This ce is my home!¡¯ Xie Chungui suddenly became excited as he ran towards the familiar ce that lived in his memory. As he rushed through the street, he identally bumped into someone. That man eximed an ¡®ouch¡¯ as he fell. After he stood up, and was getting ready to me that person, as soon as his eyes fell on Xie Chungui¡¯s face, he was extremely stunned. As he pointed at Xie Chungui with a trembling finger, he was unable to utter aplete sentence: ¡°The youngest son of the Xie family? You, you, you¡­ how? We all, all thought that you were killed on the battlefield. You, you, you¡­.¡± ¡®The youngest son of the Xie family?¡¯ After hearing those words, Xie Chungui suddenly remembered the reason why he wanted toe here, after hearing Xiao YuAn say that he¡¯ll go to the North that day. ¡®That¡¯s right. I wanted to go back home, to see it again!¡¯ Then, the man pulled Xie Chungui up, and said with emotion: ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re alive! It¡¯s good that you¡¯re alive! At least, the Xie family¡¯s line wasn¡¯t erased. Second son of the Xie family, are you in a hurry to go back to worship?¡± After hearing the man¡¯s words, Xie Chungui repeated thest words feeling very puzzled: ¡°¡­.. Worship?¡± ¡°Yes, on the day when the country was conquered, more than 20 members of the Xie family died together. Your house was filled with too much blood and the resentful energy was too deep. Although it was located in the Imperial City, no one has dared to move in there, so it¡¯s been empty for the past three years! Speaking of which, where have you been in the past three years, since the Southern Yan Kingdom conquered the Northern Kingdom?¡± ¡®The Southern Yan Kingdom conquered the Northern Kingdom?¡¯ ¡®The Northern Kingdom was conquered?¡¯ ¡®Conquered?¡¯ Suddenly, a thousand iron needles were ruthlessly twisted inside Xie Chungui¡¯s body, relentlessly grinding his head and limbs. The pain he felt was so strong, that it was like torture. Something was repeatedly being torn apart inside the depths of his memory, on the verge ofing out into the open. XCG breaks my heaaaart ????????£¨©Ð©Ð£ß©Ð©Ð£© Since I know that some people might want to read the angst arc in one go, instead of having to wait for the updates and suffer, you can umte chapters Spoiler 177 to 196 (approx) [copse] Chapter 177: These Green Hills Have The Honor To Bury The Bones Of The Loyal. Chapter 177: These Green Hills Have The Honor To Bury The Bones Of The Loyal1. After seeing that Xie Chungui¡¯s face was unnatural, the man knew that he had said something that he shouldn¡¯t have. So, he tried to give him some advice: ¡°You¡­ hey, don¡¯t be like this. It¡¯s been three years. Look at the bright side, although our country¡¯s name is now ¡®Yan¡¯, the taxes aren¡¯t heavy, and there are no domineering corrupt officials. Our people have enough food to eat, enough clothes to wear, and we can even have spare money. Isn¡¯t it that good enough? As the saying goes, ¡®the most important thing, is that people won¡¯t have to worry about food¡¯¡­.. hey, where are you going?¡± While the man was still talking, Xie Chungui suddenly threw him aside, staggering away as he held his head with one hand. Xie Chungui couldn¡¯t hear the shouts of the passersby around him, and he couldn¡¯t see the strange gazes directed at him. As he stumbled across the street, he turned left, and a mansion appeared in front of him. The que of the house was broken, pitifully smashed on the ground. The two stone lions in front of the door had disappeared, and there was a thickyer of dust on the ground, leaving behind a noticeable footprint once you stepped on it. Xie Chungui stood bewildered in front of the mansion, almost out of breath, and a dull paining from his chest. As he walked forward step by step, he slowly reached out his hand to open the gates that had been closed for three years. The strong smell of dust pped him in the face. As he walked further inside, the once clean front yard was now covered with overgrown weeds, and broken walls. As Xie Chungui took a few steps, he suddenly kicked a stone, which rolled away revealing an object underneath. That object was hidden under the weeds, and it was hard to find if you don¡¯t look carefully. As Xie Chungui leaned over to pick it up, he found that it was an old, yellowed invitation. The words above were barely legible, and he could merely read a few words: ¡®Congrattions to Li Wuding¡­. Great General¡­.¡¯ Xie Chungui seemed to have suddenly woken up from a heavy sleep. As he straightened his back, he slowly held his head and squatted down, fiercely pinching his scalp with his fingers, biting his lips to the point of almost bleeding. ¡®Wake up.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s time to wake up.¡¯ ¡®Not only I¡¯m Xie Chungui, the second son of the Xie family, but I¡¯m also the General of the Northern Kingdom! My military mission is to fight the enemy, and protect the country!¡¯ It was as if he was back to three years ago, on that snowy night, when he delivered the rations apanied by a song. The smoke from the fire was in front of them, and behind them, there were the ox carts filled with the rations that hadn¡¯t been delivered in time. The Deputy General in that city fell on his knees and howled. Every word he said was soaked in blood, and his voice pierced through Xie Chungui¡¯s heart, as if it was sharper than any sword in the world: ¡°General Xie, Deputy General Nie was beheaded by Yan HeQing! He cut his throat! General Nie soldiers broke through the siege and fled back to tell us that General Li and his men went to seize the rations, but they were trapped in the enemy¡¯s barracks. They ended up being burned to death by Yan HeQing! All of them!¡± That day, the Deputy General¡¯s desperate cries still echoed clearly in his ears. Xie Chungui pinched himself fiercely, and squeezed his arm until he left behind ck and purple bruises. Only then was he able to slightly control his emotions. Then he stood up and walked step by step towards the main hall of the Xie Mansion. With every step, he carried the determination he had that day when he tried his best to kill Yan HeQing, when he resisted the Southern Yan Kingdom from stepping inside the Northern Kingdom¡¯s territory. But in the end, he was still defeated, and he was unable to protect the Northern Kingdom after all. When Xie Chungui slowly stepped into the main hall of the Xie Mansion, which has be a funeral hall, he saw that there were more than 20 tablets ced neatly. Behind the hall, there were several coffins covered with dust. When Xie Chungui heard that day that he¡¯ll have to go to the battlefield, his mother had said to him: ¡°Son, do you remember the Xie family motto?¡± Xie Chungui replied: ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry, your son remembers it by heart.¡± His mother nodded her head, and said: ¡°Our Xie family has been loyal for generations. Your father and your brother died on the battlefield. They don¡¯t have any regrets for their loyalty, you must not disgrace them.¡± Xie Chungui: ¡°Mother, you can rest assured, if the enemy wants to step into the Northern Kingdom, they¡¯ll have to step over my corpse.¡± As his mother gently stroked his hair, she said softly: ¡°If that day were toe, don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t be alone on the road to the Yellow Springs.¡± At dusk, the sunset looked like blood in the sky. At this moment, Xie Chungui knelt in front of the 20 or so tablets. His mother¡¯s words of advice were intertwined with the words of advice that man gave him today, about how the people had enough to eat. Even though both pieces of advice were clearly different from each other, neither was wrong. Xie Chungui kowtowed three times, and as soon as he raised his eyes, he saw his tablet ced in the funeral hall. Then, he stood up and stroked the words engraved on the tablet, and walked into the back hall. There were more than 20 coffins disorderly piled inside the back hall, and such a scene was very shocking to see. The rtivesying inside the coffins had long turned into white bones. As Xie Chungui looked at every single one of them, he finally found the coffin that had his name engraved on it. When he tried to open it with all his might, he saw that the tattered family motto was quietly lying inside. Xie Chungui picked up the family motto with trembling hands, and opened the first page. Inside, there was only one sentence written on it: ¡°The Xie family¡¯s descendants will share life and death with the Northern Kingdom!¡± At this, Xie Chungui couldn¡¯t help crying from the bottom of his heart. He slowly climbed into the coffin as he held the old invitation and his family motto, curled up, and almost choked to the point of losing his breath. There was a wind blowing through the hall, and the sound of sobbing was sad and powerless. Hhhhhhhh it hurts (T§ÕT) do you hear that? That¡¯s my heart breaking ???? Footnotes
  1. ÇàɽÓÐÐÒÂñÖÒ¹Ç q¨©ng sh¨¡n y¨¯u x¨¬ng m¨¢i zh¨­ng g¨³; It¡¯s a sentence engraved in General Yue Fei¡¯s tomb. (ÔÀ·É yu¨¨ f¨¥i) Yue Fei [1103-1142], was a major General in the early Southern Song Dynasty [1127-1279] who fought against the Jin army. However, he was framed by two Ministers over ¡®false charges¡¯, and was sentenced to death for rebelling against the Court. After he was killed, his body was carried by a prison guard over the city wall, and was buried next to the Jiqiu Ancestral Temple. Two yearster, Emperor Xiaozong ([1127-1194] Second Emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, who reigned from 1162 to 1189) ordered Yue Fei¡¯s vindication, and offered a reward for his remains, which were moved with a great ceremony to the foot of Qixia Mountain.
Chapter 178: The Wind Sweeping Through The Tower Heralds A Rising Storm In The Mountains Chapter 178: The Wind Sweeping Through The Tower Heralds A Rising Storm In The Mountains1. When Xiao YuAn found Xie Chungui in the Xie Mansion, Xie Chungui was kneeling on the ground, pulling the weeds with his bare hands. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was messy, and his hands were covered with blood due to the roughness of the ground. But he refused to stop. Xiao YuAn took a deep breath, half knelt down beside Xie Chungui, grabbed his wrist and blocked his movements: ¡°Chungui¡­.¡± Xie Chungui¡¯s movements stopped, but he didn¡¯t make a sound. Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes were slightly turning red as he said with a soft tone of voice: ¡°Chungui, let¡¯s go back, alright?¡± Xie Chungui asked: ¡°Where to? Where can we go back?¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°We¡¯ll go back to the Pce.¡± Xie Chungui: ¡°The Pce? Is that home?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s throat seemed to have been suddenly grabbed, and he couldn¡¯t utter a single sound. No. That¡¯s not Xie Chungui¡¯s home. Even Taoyuan Vige isn¡¯t Xie Chungui¡¯s home. The Northern Kingdom is Xie Chungui¡¯s home. However, the Northern Kingdom no longer exists. Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t sure how to reply. Xie Chungui pulled up thest weed on his own, and then respectfully kowtowed three times towards the funeral hall. With his head still lowered, making it impossible for other people to see his expression, he said to Xiao YuAn: ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­ back to¡­ the Pce.¡± After sending Xie Chungui back to his bedchamber, and instructing the maidservants to take good care of him, Xiao YuAn went to his own bedchamber. After such a crazy day finally quieted down, Xiao YuAn summoned his maidservant and slowly walked towards his bedchamber. The sky was already dim, the wind was whistling, the snow was falling down, and the cold was piercing. Xiao YuAn walked slowly, allowing his body temperature to be taken away. As he approached his bedchamber, Xiao YuAn suddenly stopped, and looked straight ahead. There was a person standing at the entrance of the bedchamber. That person should have been waiting for a while, looking a little bit anxious. However, after that man saw Xiao YuAn, his eyes shed with joy. As he hurriedly walked a few steps towards Xiao YuAn, he patted the snow away from Xiao YuAn¡¯s soulders and head. Then he took off his robe to tightly wrap Xiao YuAn¡¯s body. As the warmth seeped into Xiao YuAn¡¯s body, that man soothed his frozen limbs. Xiao YuAn suddenly choked up, and shouted softly: ¡°Yan-ge¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.¡± Yan HeQing lowered his head, gently kissed Xiao YuAn¡¯s cheek and lips: ¡°Are you tired?¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°Hug me quickly.¡± After hearing this, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t hesitate and ced his arms around Xiao YuAn, tightly hugging him. Xiao YuAn buried himself in Yan HeQing¡¯s arms, took a deep breath, and said: ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± Yan HeQing calmly stroked his hair soothingly. When suddenly, Xiao YuAn raised his head, and said: ¡°Yan-ge, let¡¯s go out of the Pce and walk around. Just you and me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± It was still early, and the Imperial City was as lively as ever. The Gongzis and young Ladies passed by wearing fur coats, there were children chasing each other in the alleyways, and there were vendors shouting everywhere. Yan HeQing and Xiao YuAn walked side by side. Xiao YuAn was curious about the gadgets on the side of the road, so from time to time he would point at something, shouting ¡®Yan-ge look at this¡¯ and ¡®Yan-ge look at that¡¯. While looking at these things, Xiao YuAn ran ahead. Yan HeQing, who was a few steps behind, reached out to hold his hand. When Xiao YuAn¡¯s body was pulled towards Yan HeQing, he turned his head, and looked at Yan HeQing¡¯s hand, raising his eyes all the way to his face. As Xiao YuAn curved his eyes andughed wantonly, he held Yan HeQing¡¯s hand, interlocking their fingers together. Suddenly, the sound of a noisy suona could be heard in the distance, ying the tune with great joy. Some idle shopkeepers poked their heads out and stretched their necks to watch. Yan HeQing and Xiao YuAn both retreated to the side of the road, only to see a wedding processioning from afar. Ten li of red wedding dress2 apanied with several drums rumbling. It looked so lively! Xiao YuAnughed: ¡°Oh, a wealthy family, it¡¯s so ostentatious. Hey, Yan-ge look. The bridegroom on horseback is wearing beautiful wedding clothes, they look really good on him.¡± Yan HeQing followed Xiao YuAn¡¯s gaze and saw the red sedan carried by eight people. In front of the red sedan chair, the high spirited bridegroom rode a horse with a red ribbon tied on its head. The bridegroom¡¯s face was full of joy as he bowed his hands, thanking the people who were celebrating around him. His red wedding clothes decorated with gold embroidery, seemed to have exquisite workmanship. Yan HeQing withdrew his eyes and looked at Xiao YuAn, as a thought faintly surged from the bottom of his heart. YHQ and XYA going out in a date is all I needed right now (¡¡£»?£»)?? Footnotes
  1. ɽÓêÓûÀ´·çÂúÂ¥ sh¨¡n y¨³ y¨´ l¨¢i f¨¥ng m¨£n l¨®u; It¡¯s a metaphor for the signs and the atmosphere on the eve of a major change in a situation. Now it¡¯s mostly used to describe the tense atmosphere before a conflict or war breaks out. It can also be tranted as ¡°Coming events cast their shadows before them¡±. This sentencees from the poem¡¶ÏÌÑô³Ç¶«Â¥¡·(xi¨¢n y¨¢ng ch¨¦ng d¨­ng l¨®u),¡±The East Tower of Xianyang City¡±, by (Ðí»ë x¨³ h¨²n) Xu Hun [791-858], a poet from the Tang Dynasty [618-907].
  2. Ê®Àïºì×± sh¨ª l¨« h¨®ng zhu¨¡ng; Is an ancient traditional folk custom when a couple is getting married. People often use the phrase: ¡°A thousand acres of goodnd, ten li of red wedding dress¡± to describe the richness of the dowry. It looks like THIS. Ten li = 5 km.
Chapter 179: The Moonlight Is Melting And The Love Is Endless. Chapter 179: The Moonlight Is Melting And The Love Is Endless. Yan HeQing considered his words, and finally decided to open his mouth after a series of deafening firecrackers were lit. However, who would¡¯ve known that a man in his early twenties would appear out of nowhere to ask Xiao YuAn: ¡°Does Gongzi think that these wedding clothes are good-looking?¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: ¡°They¡¯re beautiful!¡± The man said triumphantly. ¡°They were made by my store! I¡¯m not trying to boast, but my family¡¯s craftsmanship has been handed down for five generations. We used to be the Imperial Tailor in the former Dynasty, our sry was that of an Official, and we even had our own Embroidery Room in the Imperial Pce!¡± Xiao YuAn has always had a supportive temperament, so when he spoke, praising words came out of his mouth: ¡°Xiao-xiongdi1 has such a famous background, huh? Wouldn¡¯t it be a great honor if I were to get married using the wedding clothes from your shop?¡± ¡°Haha, regardless of honor, our family¡¯s craftsmanship and materials are indeed the second best in this Imperial City, so no one dares to say that they are the first.¡± The man crossed his arms, feeling so refreshed by thepliment that he found the pretty young man in front of him very pleasing to the eye. As he reached out to pat him on the shoulder, he said: ¡°Gongzi, I think that destiny has brought us together. When you get married, if you¡¯re willing toe to my shop to make wedding clothes, I¡¯ll bargain for you!¡± As the man patted him, the second time failed tond on Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoulder, because his wrist was suddenly held. The man was stunned. As he raised his eyes, he saw a man dressed in ck clothes with a face as beautiful as jade and eyes that shone like stars. That ck clothed man had an extraordinary appearance. Yan HeQing camly took the young man¡¯s hand away, and asked indifferently: ¡°Where¡¯s your store?¡± The young man was brimming with enthusiasm: ¡°It¡¯s at the entrance of the East Street! Go straight from here, turn a corner, and you¡¯ll be there!¡± Yan HeQing nodded, pulled Xiao YuAn, who was still watching the wedding procession, and walked forward. Xiao YuAn was confused: ¡°Yan-ge, where are we going?¡± After seeing that Yan HeQing was silent, Xiao YuAn also stopped asking questions, and obediently followed him. Yan HeQing dragged Xiao YuAn to the store that the young man had just mentioned. This shop was indeed different from the ordinary shops. At first nce, it looked more like a mansion, with dyeing, fabric, and embroidery workshops. When a man saw two outstanding Gongzi walking in, he quickly weed them with a smile: ¡°Are these two Gongzi here to buy cloth or to make clothes?¡± Yan HeQing replied: ¡°To make wedding clothes.¡± Xiao YuAn was struck by lightning for a moment, standing frozen in ce, and staring at Yan HeQing with round eyes. The man said. ¡°You may not know, but our wedding clothes are all made by the shopkeeper himself. Only Princes and Nobles can afford to hire our shopkeeper. I can see that these Gongzi have extraordinary manners, so they shouldn¡¯t be ordinary people. Why don¡¯t you two sit in the shop for a while, I¡¯ll go ask our boss to see if he¡¯s willing to meet you two.¡± The man was very polite as he weed Yan HeQing and Xiao YuAn into the shop, then rushed to report. Only then did Xiao YuAn recover from the shock: ¡°Yan, Yan-ge? Wedding clothes?¡± Yan HeQing replied unhurriedly: ¡°I saw you say that you liked it.¡± Xiao YuAn said with difficulty: ¡°Even if i like it, wedding clothes aren¡¯t made to be worn normally. Besides¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice stopped abruptly as he seemed to react to the hidden meaning, and suddenly looked at Yan HeQing. The eagerness in his eyes almost made his eyes pop out. Yan HeQing stared back at him, and said calmly: ¡°Xiao YuAn, I want to marry you. I want to worship2 with you when we get married. I want to announce it to the whole world. Xiao YuAn, do you want to marry me?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°But the Southern Yan Kingdom is now-¡­.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°But they-¡­.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°They-¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Right after those words were said, Yan HeQing asked again: ¡°Xiao YuAn, do you want to marry me?¡± Xiao YuAn nodded, and replied: ¡°Yes.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes brightened for a moment, like the bright moonlight that suddenly appeared in the dark sky. It¡¯s too painful to be tangled up in knots, and it¡¯s too tiresome to have a thousand thoughts. Instead, it¡¯s better to exchange those 6 words without any harm in them, with a single wishful word. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from outside the door, and a middle-aged man walked in. At first, the man was still holding a shelf and touching his moustache. But when he raised his head, after seeing Yan HeQing, he suddenly let out a very high scream, and knelt down: ¡°Your Majesty!!!¡± Yan HeQing and Xiao YuAn looked at each other, and Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°How can you recognize the Emperor?¡± The shopkeeper trembled like a sieve chaff: ¡°A-an-answering to this master, I had the privilege to see the portrait of His Majesty in the past. That portrait was painted so lifelike, showing His Majesty¡¯s handsome and unrestrained3; outstanding and elegant4; tall and mighty5; distinguished and brilliant6; a god-like, refreshing and charming7 appearance! So I was very impressed!¡± ¡®Shopkeeper, is your Official title: ¡°Idiom Dictionary¡±?¡¯ Xiao YuAn stretched out his hand to pull up the shopkeeper. While shaking his head, he said: ¡°It seems that the portrait wasn¡¯t too good. His Majesty¡¯s long jade-like body¡¯s handsomeness and elegance8; unparalleled and otherworldly9 beauty10; magnifficient attractiveness and gracefulness11, weren¡¯t painted.¡± The shopkeeper was shocked. He thought that he had perfected the skills of ttery, but he didn¡¯t expect that there would be mountains outside the mountains, and people outside the people12! Xiao YuAn, who didn¡¯t know that his true feelings were recognized as ttery, smiled and asked: ¡°Boss, how long will it take for you to get the wedding clothes ready?¡± ¡°Half a month¡­ No! As long as I have the size, His Majesty can give humble me seven days! Humble me can make it in seven days!¡± The shopkeeper patted his chest, and swore an oath. ¡°Then hurry up and mesure me.¡± Xiao YuAn opened his hands, and moved forward. The shopkeeper widened his small eyes: ¡°This master, you, you, you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®you¡¯ me. We want two sets of wedding clothes. One set for me, and one set for His Majesty.¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile. The shopkeeper hurriedly looked at Yan HeQing. When he saw him nodding his head, the shopkeeper was instantly dumbfounded, frozen in ce. It took him a full three seconds to regain his senses. The shopkeeper was a wise man. The first thing he did aftering back to his senses, was to carefully ask Xiao YuAn: ¡°Then, young man, I dare to ask, do you want your wedding clothes to have a skirt¡­. or pants¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­. Pa-pants, alright?¡± The shopkeeper replied: ¡°Understood!¡± The bottom of Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes filled with disappointment in the blink of an eye. This chapter is the literal definition of ¡°The calm before the storm¡± (¡É¡ä©n`¡É) I bet YHQ¡¯s face while the shopkeeper praised him was like this (¡ä¡É£à¡£) but once XYA started to praise him, YHQ¡¯s face turned into (*?¦á?*) ???? Footnotes
  1. СÐÖµÜ xi¨£o xi¨­ng d¨¬; This ¡°Xiao¡± refers to ¡°young¡±, so this can be tranted as ¡°Young Brother¡±. It¡¯s an endearing address to a young male.
  2. °ÝÌà b¨¤i t¨¢ng; A ritual of kneeling to Heaven and Earth done by the Bride and the Groom in a old-fashioned wedding ceremony.
  3. Ó¢¿¡äìÈ÷ y¨©ng j¨´n xi¨¡o s¨£; Chinese idiom, generally used to describe a man¡¯s outstanding talent, extraordinary appearance, natural generosity, and unrestrained charm. From¡¶ÐÂÊ顤µÀÊõ¡·by (¼ÖÒê ji¨£ y¨¬) Jia Yi [200-168 BC], a poet from the Han Dynasty [206 BC-220 AD].
  4. ·çÁ÷ÙÃÙÎ f¨¥ng li¨² t¨¬ t¨£ng; Chinese idiom, it refers to a person who is talented and unrestrained by etiquette andw / someone who¡¯s talented in letters, and unconventional in life. From¡¶½ÚÏÀ¼Ç¡·by (ÐíÈý½× x¨³ s¨¡n ji¨¥) Xu Sanjie, from the Ming Dynasty [1368-1644].
  5. ¸ß´óÍþÃÍ g¨¡o d¨¤ w¨¥i m¨§ng; Chinese idiom, mostly used to describe the appearance of a man who is strong, brave, and has a high authority.
  6. ·ç¶Èôæôæ f¨¥ng d¨´ pi¨¡n pi¨¡n; Chinese idiom, used to describe a spontaneous demeanor and an extraordinary temperament. From¡¶Ê·¼Ç¡¤Æ½Ô­¾ýÁд«¡·by (˾ÂíǨs¨© m¨£ qi¨¡n) Sim Qian [145-86 BC], an historian from the Western Han Dynasty [206 BC-8 AD].
  7. ˬ¿¡ shu¨£ng j¨´n; Chinese idiom, it means bold and handsome, with the additional meaning of bright and elegant. From¡¶Èý¹úÖ¾¡·by (³ÂÊÙ ch¨¦n sh¨°u) Chen Shou [233-297], from the Western Jin Dynasty [265-316].
  8. ¿¡ÒÝ j¨´n y¨¬; It means handsome and extraordinary / Very attractive and smart / A distinguished man / A person who is beyond ordinary. From¡¶×ÔÐò¡·by (ÁõÛ¿ li¨² sh¨¤o) Liu Shao, from the Three Kingdoms Period [220-280], Wei Dynasty [221-265].
  9. ³¬·²ÍÑË× ch¨¡o f¨¢n tu¨­ s¨²; Chinese idiom, it refers to someone who is beyond the norm / out of the ordinary / free from the mundane, not tainted with vulgarity / supreme and refined. From¡¶ÎÒÓëÎÄÊ·Õƹʡ¤¼¯Ôý¡·by (Ö£ÒÝ÷ zh¨¨ng y¨¬ m¨¦i) Zheng Yimei [1895-1992].
  10. ÇåÐã q¨©ng xi¨´; It means refreshingly unique / beautifully unpretentious. It describes a more refined and delicate kind of feeling.
  11. ÓñÊ÷ÁÙ·ç y¨´ sh¨´ l¨ªn f¨¥ng; Chinese idiom, used to describe a person who is very dashing and beautiful like a jade tree, mostly referring to men. From¡¶ÒûÖаËÏɸ衷by (¶Å¸¦ d¨´ f¨³) Du Fu [712-770], a poet from the Tang Dynasty [618-907].
  12. ɽÍâÓÐɽ£¬ÈËÍâÓÐÈË sh¨¡n w¨¤i y¨¯u sh¨¡n£¬r¨¦n w¨¤i y¨¯u r¨¦n; It means that even though you¡¯re good at something, there will always be others who are better than you. It¡¯s used to advise people to not be arrogant, and to be more humble.
Chapter 180: The Love Is Deep, The Righteousness Is Heavy, And Mistakes Were Made Today. Chapter 180: The Love Is Deep, The Righteousness Is Heavy, And Mistakes Were Made Today. After they were measured, they were sent out with three kowtows from the shopkeeper. It was alreadyte outside, and the wind was heavily blowing with snow. As the street became deserted, only a few stores were still open, with their warm candlelight falling on the white snow. As they slowly walked towards the Imperial Pce, Xiao YuAn suddenly said: ¡°Yan-ge, I think that my body is much better these days. See? I used to stumble before, but these days I¡¯ve been walking more stably.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s body paused for a bit, and then he made a ¡®hmm¡¯ sound. Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes were wandering as he covered his lips, and coughed softly: ¡°Why don¡¯t we wait for the wedding clothes to be ready¡­. then we will¡­.¡± Thest few words were like mosquito sounds, so Yan HeQing couldn¡¯t hear it clearly: ¡°What?¡± Xiao YuAn stopped walking, looked at the sky and the earth, but he never looked at Yan HeQing: ¡°To¡­. enter¡­. enter¡­. the bri-bridal cha-chamber.¡± Yan HeQing replied: ¡°Wait for me here.¡± Right after saying that, he hurriedly walked back towards the cloth workshop. After a whileter, he came back and said to Xiao YuAn: ¡°The shopkeeper said that the wedding clothes will be ready tomorrow.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®Tomorrow? The original half-month deadline now bes tomorrow? Wouldn¡¯t that make the shopkeeper put his life on the line to reach the deadline?! Can you not make things more difficult for the sufferingmon people?¡¯ Xiao YuAn: ¡°Alright then, tomorrow we¡¯ll enter, enter, enter¡­¡± Yan HeQing finished the words for him: ¡°We¡¯ll enter the bridal chamber.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Alright, y-ye-yes.¡± ¡®Thank you shopkeeper, for sacrificing! Yourself! To fulfill the needs! Of other people!¡¯ After the two of them returned to their bedchamber, a maidservant suddenly greeted them: ¡°Your Majesty, Xiao-gongzi. Xie-gongzi is waiting for you in the bedchamber.¡± Xiao YuAn was surprised: ¡°At this hour?¡± The maid showed helplessness: ¡°We¡¯ve been advising Xie-gongzi that he can talk with you tomorrow morning, but Xie-gongzi doesn¡¯t want to go back. His Majesty instructed us to obey everything he asks, so no one dares to make Xie-gongzi go.¡± Xiao YuAn thought of Chungui¡¯s unstable mood today and was worried about what would happen to him. After ncing at Yan HeQing, he hurriedly walked towards the bedchamber. Yan HeQing saw that there was something wrong with Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes, so he followed behind him. Inside the bedchamber, Xie Chungui was standing beside the table. The candle that was about to burn out, was dripping with wax; that wax condensed on the candlestick as it fell down, twisting horribly. ¡°Chungui.¡± Xiao YuAn called out softly. Xie Chungui turned his head and his eyes were bloodshot, as if he had cried a lot. When he looked at Xiao YuAn, he walked towards him step by step. Each step he took, was like he was stepping on top of someone, since his footsteps were slightly shaky. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiao YuAn took a few steps forward, until he was only one step apart from Xie Chungui. Yan HeQing frowned as he stared closely at Xie Chungui. ¡°I¡­..¡± Xie Chungui lowered his head and his voice was hoarse, as if he was deliberately hiding something. But it also seemed as if he was waiting for something. When Yan HeQing sensed something strange, he wanted to go forward to pull Xiao YuAn back. However, as soon as he stepped forward, Xie Chungui suddenly pulled out a dagger from his sleeve and pounced on Xiao YuAn! Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes suddenly shrunk and he stepped back. At the same time, Yan HeQing also stepped forward to protect Xiao YuAn. However, Xie Chungui¡¯s target wasn¡¯t Xiao YuAn at all! He turned around with a false move, and held the dagger tightly. Without any hesitation, he stabbed Yan HeQing¡¯s abdomen, who had stepped forward to pull Xiao YuAn back, and then stabbed him again! Outside the window, the wind had suddenly be so strong that it almost uprooted the fragile trees in the courtyard! In a sh, blood sttered on Xiao YuAn¡¯s face and body, like a fire that could burn him alive, making him tremble all over. At that instant, Xiao YuAn heard Xie Chungui shouting at him. What Xie Chungui said was: ¡°Your Majesty!¡± They were two simple words, but right after they were said, a knife was ced on Xiao YuAn¡¯s neck. The ones who were holding that knife, were no other than the cold skeletons of the officers and soldiers that had shed blood and tears for the Northern Kingdom¡­ Wee to the week of pain o£¨£é§¥£é£©o Chapter 181: You Were Buried Under The Nine Springs, Where Your Bones Turned Into Mud. Chapter 181: You Were Buried Under The Nine Springs, Where Your Bones Turned Into Mud1. The scream of the maidservant escaping, was the first sound to break the silence of the night sky. Before the Imperial Bodyguards outside the bedchamber could react, Xie Chungui had already locked the doors of the bedchamber, and blocked the windows with tables and chairs. As soon as he looked back, he saw that Xiao YuAn had taken off his coat, and was using it to try and stop Yan HeQing¡¯s bleeding. His coat was dyed red, and since Yan HeQing wasn¡¯t able to support himself, he fell down shakily. ¡°Yan-ge! Yan-ge!¡± Xiao YuAn sat in a corner with Yan HeQing in his arms. Because of the massive blood loss, Yan HeQing felt extremely dizzy. As he felt that his consciousness was starting to blur, he struggled to open his mouth; as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he wasn¡¯t able to utter a single word. ¡°Yan-ge, don¡¯t say anything. Don¡¯t talk, everything will be alright.¡± Xiao YuAn was on the verge of copsing, his mind filled with the thought that Yan HeQing wouldn¡¯t die. However, Yan HeQing¡¯s breathing began to gradually be faint, and his consciousness wasx as he slowly closed his eyes. Xiao YuAn immediately panicked as he pressed his hands on Yan HeQing¡¯s shoulders, shouting at him: ¡°Yan-ge, don¡¯t fall asleep! Don¡¯t sleep, look at me, look¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s words were interrupted when he was suddenly grabbed by the cor and pressed against the wall. Xie Chungui¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he tightly clutched Xiao YuAn¡¯s cor: ¡°Your Majesty, what are you doing? Don¡¯t you remember? He¡¯s the one who killed the soldiers of the Northern Kingdom! He¡¯s the one who conquered our country! Shouldn¡¯t you hate him? Why don¡¯t you hate him? Your Majesty, do you still remember your own name? It¡¯s Zhou Yu! You¡¯re our Emperor! You¡¯re the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom!¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t answer. Instead, he kept shaking his head, murmuring ¡®sorry¡¯ again and again. The sound of his voice was like that of a heinous sinner; a sinner that was finally punished, leaving only endless remorse and unforgiven sins behind. ¡°Enough! Your Majesty, why do you keep apologizing? Why!?¡± Xie Chungui roared, but he didn¡¯t get an answer for a long time. Suddenly, outside the bedchamber, the sound of the doors being hit, the hurried horses¡¯ hooves, as well as the shouts of Xue Yan, could be heard. It seemed that the soldiers who escorted the Emperor had arrived in a hurry. Xie Chungui¡¯s face was calm and extremely cold. As he picked up the dagger that was still dripping with Yan HeQing¡¯s blood, he was about to rush out the door. However, he was pulled back by Xiao YuAn, who shouted pleadingly: ¡°Don¡¯t go, you¡¯ll die!!! Chungui, go away, escape. You¡¯ll definitely be able to escape. Go back to Taoyuan Vige, go back.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s no way I can go back.¡± Xie Chungui shook his head and slowly withdrew his hand. His tone of voice was calm, but it also seemed extremely cruel, as he said: ¡°Your Majesty, the descendants of the Xie family have only two ends. They either die of old age in the prosperous Northern Kingdom, or they die in the battlefield. Three years ago, I was unable to follow my Xiongdi. Now, it¡¯s time for me to go find them.¡± After saying that, Xie Chungui righteously waved his dagger and rushed out without any hesitation; his determination was so heavy that it could make people shudder. As soon as Xiao YuAn knelt on the ground, leaning on thest unbroken string in his mind, he turned back and continued to press on Yan HeQing¡¯s wound, repeatedly shouting at him to not sleep. Then, someone rushed in, stopped Xiao YuAn, and restrained him, pressing him to the ground. After that, Xiao YuAn was dragged outside, and someone hurriedly arrived to treat Yan HeQing¡¯s wound and stop the bleeding. Everything seemed to be mute, lost its color, leaving only chaos and confusion behind. Xiao YuAn wanted to ask if Yan HeQing was alright, but he was dragged out of the bedchamber in a mess. Outside the bedchamber, the snow was flying around, and the weather was cold. Xue Yan¡¯s face was pale with anger and fear. When Xiao YuAn was escorted to his feet, he heard Xue Yan say: ¡°Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, how could you be so cruel? How could you take advantage of His Majesty¡¯s feelings for you, and assassinate His Majesty together with the remnants of the Northern Kingdom? How could you be so vicious?¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t reply, and didn¡¯t try to defend himself. He simply curled up on the ground, without being able to shed any tears. He was aplete mess; his whole body was hurting and his limbs were aching. He kept asking himself over and over again why has this happened, but he didn¡¯t know where to find such an answer. Perhaps, from the moment he thought that he could protect the Northern Kingdom, he was doomed to end up like this. Xue Yan has always done things simply and decisively, and he knows that the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom can no longer stay. Yan HeQing¡¯s insistence on doing things his own way in the past, can still be considered as acts made out of undying love. But if Yan HeQing still kept him around even after an assassinations attempt, he can only be reduced to aughing stock! Today, the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom must die. The wind was howling, the snow was icy cold, and the weather was piercing. Xue Yan exhaled a mouthful of white fog, slowly pulled out his sword from his waist, and said: ¡°Does the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom have something else to say?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s body still carried Yan HeQing¡¯s blood on him, and his clothes were soaked by the falling snow. ck and white mixed together. Covered by the snow, Xiao YuAn supported his body, slowly getting up. His limbs were frozen because of the cold, his eyes were numb and lightless when he asked: ¡°Yan-ge, is he okay?¡± Xue Yan clenched the sword in his hand, and stared at Xiao YuAn for a long time. Seemingly unable to believe that even at this moment, Xiao YuAn would be thinking about Yan HeQing. He was silent for a while before he answered truthfully: ¡°His Majesty isn¡¯t in a life-threatening situation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice trembled as he smiled and burst into tears. Xue Yan then realized that he may have misunderstood the man in front of him. However, for Yan HeQing¡¯s sake, for the Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s sake, and for the world¡¯s sake, he won¡¯t be merciful to this man today: ¡°If the former Emperor of the Northern Kingdom doesn¡¯t have anything else to say, then be on your way.¡± It hurts (¡ä£»§Õ£»`) it¡¯s so unfair £¨©Ð©Ð£ß©Ð©Ð£© Footnotes
  1. ¾ýÂñȪÏÂÄàÏú¹Ç j¨±n m¨¢i qu¨¢n xi¨¤ n¨ª xi¨¡o g¨³; From the poem¡¶ÃÎ΢֮¡·(m¨¨ng w¨¥i zh¨©), ¡°The Dream Of Weizhi¡±, by (°×¾ÓÒ× b¨¢i j¨± y¨¬) Bai Juyi [772-846], a poet from the Tang Dynasty [618-907]. The first verse of the poem points out a meeting with an old friend in a dream, and the mncholy of waking up. The second verse describes that he¡¯s physically ill, and that his old friend has been ¡®sleeping underground¡¯ for nearly ten years. The third verse envisions that his old friend¡¯s dead bones have turned into mud, and that he was left behind. The fourth andst verse tells that his old friend, his sons, and sons-inw, have passed away one after the other. The poem used the contrast between the pleasure of meeting someone in a dream with the pain of having to wake up, highlighting the longing for the deceased, and the sadness for one¡¯s own misfortune in real life.
Chapter 182: I’m Still Living In This World, With My Hair White As Snow. Chapter 182: I¡¯m Still Living In This World, With My Hair White As Snow1. Unexpectedly, Xiao YuAn shakily stood up, wiped his face with his sleeve, and said: ¡°General Xue, can I request two things from you?¡± ¡°You want to request something from me?¡± Xue Yan couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no harm in asking.¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°The first request: after tonight, can you send Xie Chungui¡¯s body back to the Xie mansion?¡± ¡°The Xie mansion¡­ so is it true that the man just now was the son of the Xie family, who died for the country back then?¡± Xue Yan murmured. ¡°Loyalty and righteousness should be respected. Alright, I promise you this. What¡¯s the other request?¡± Xiao YuAn looked into the distance. The huge Imperial Pce still has the shadow of the Northern Kingdom in every corner. Every nt, every three, every flower, every stone, every sculpture, every painted building, and every pavilion. However, none of them can be reflected in Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes, because his eyes were empty. ¡°For this closure, can you let me do it myself?¡± Xue Yan was stunned, but then he nodded, and handed over his long sword. Xiao YuAn took the sword, backed up a few steps looking for a high open space full of thick snow, and knelt down. He took a deep breath, ced the long sword in his hand on the side, and then kowtowed thirteen times. Each time, he would say ¡®sorry¡¯. At thest kowtow, his forehead was bleeding, dripping down his face. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll let the tiger return to the mountain2. I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t protect the Northern Kingdom. I¡¯m sorry that even now, I still want to see Yan HeQing ruling over the four Kingdoms. I¡¯m sorry that even though I got this body, I still wanted to be Xiao YuAn.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I tried my best. But in the end, I was still defeated by the statement of Heaven, that I won¡¯t be able to change this fate.¡¯ ¡®If that¡¯s the case, then can I make amends with my own life?¡¯ ¡®Just like how I once took my own life in order topensate my brother, who hated me so much for abandoning him.¡¯ ¡®Would it be possible to get rid of all the grudge and hatred this way?¡¯ After kowtowing, Xiao YuAn endured the pain and dizziness he felt, lowered his eyes, and picked up the long sword beside him. As he ced it on his neck, he turned to Xue Yan, and said: ¡°General Xue, I have something that I want you to tell Yan HeQing for me.¡± Suddenly, a cold wind raged past them. The whole world felt deste, and the roaring snow almost covered Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice. At the same time, Yan HeQing, who was in his bedchamber, slowly opened his eyes. The Physician beside him said joyfully: ¡°Your Majesty, are you awake? How do you feel?¡± Because of the blood loss, Yan HeQing¡¯s lips turned white, and his mind was in a trance. It took him a few seconds to remember what had happened before he fainted. Then, regardless of the four people trying to stop him, he covered his wound, and stood up. ¡°Xiao YuAn?¡± ¡°Xiao YuAn? Who is this? Ah! Your Majesty! Your Majesty, your wounds!¡± The Physician was swatted away by Yan HeQing¡¯s arm, the words he shouted were in vain. Yan HeQing staggered outside and ran away from his bedchamber, holding onto the pir outside. As he gasped for breath several times, he didn¡¯t fall down. He raised his head, anxiously looking around for Xiao YuAn¡¯s figure. Once his eyes were fixed on the person kneeling in the snow, Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes shone with joy. He tried to shout, but because he had lost a lot of blood, he couldn¡¯t produce any sound. He could only try his best to walk towards that ce, leaving behind a trail of blood on the white snow, which was immediately buried under the strong wind and snow. Not far away, Xiao YuAn, who was kneeling on the ground, ced the long sword on his neck. Then, he turned his head to Xue Yan, and said: ¡°Tell Yan HeQing that he has to live well for the rest of his life. I want to see¡­ I want to see what his prosperous, peaceful and flourishing world, his country, would look like.¡± This sentence spread word by word rushed into Yan HeQing¡¯s ears. As he seemed to realize that something was wrong, he wanted to rush over in an instant, but his body was weak, and his footsteps were slow. Everything in front of him seemed to be blurred into the tragic white falling snow. When he pressed on his wound, the wound in his abdomen immediately brought him a sharp feeling of tearing pain, but Yan HeQing only hated that this pain wasn¡¯t painful enough to keep him awake a little bit more. As he stretched out his hand, he shouted madly: ¡°Xiao¡­ Xiao Yu-¡­¡± However, the wind and the snow were too heavy; Yan HeQing¡¯s voice was too weak to reach him. In the end, Xiao YuAn never looked at Yan HeQing¡¯s direction from the beginning to the end. He simply closed his eyes, holding the hilt of the sword with shaking hands. Then, the silver light cut through the sky, and entered the bottom of Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes. For an instant, the world turned red and white as Yan HeQing helplessly watched Xiao YuAn¡¯s body falling down. This action urred very slowly, but when he hit the ground, the impact was so heavy, that the snow on the ground immediately flew up a few inches. Yan HeQing also fell to his knees with him; his chest feeling like it was pierced as his heart was ripped out of his body, and repeatedly smashed on the ground. Yan HeQing murmured thest word ¡®An¡¯ as he fainted on the snow because of the blood loss. As the scarlet prated into the snow, and stained the earth, their hands were only a few meters apart. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªThe author has something to say¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C About President Xiao¡­ When he was young, he witnessed his mother¡¯s suicide. This event made President Xiao understand from an early age that there existed such a way to die. Later, his brother¡¯s resentment also shaped his character, that he could easily fall into extreme self-remorse and guilt. Therefore, President Xiao is actually a person who is always smiling on the surface, but in fact, he¡¯s extremely fragile inside. I told y¡¯all these chapters would be heavy ????????©b?£®£¨£é§¥£é£©?£º? Footnotes
  1. ÎÒ¼ÄÈ˼äÑ©ÂúÍ· w¨¯ j¨¬ r¨¦n ji¨¡n xu¨§ m¨£n t¨®u; From the poem¡¶ÃÎ΢֮¡·(m¨¨ng w¨¥i zh¨©), ¡°The Dream Of Weizhi¡±, by (°×¾ÓÒ× b¨¢i j¨± y¨¬) Bai Juyi [772-846], a poet from the Tang Dynasty [618-907]. The first verse of the poem points out a meeting with an old friend in a dream, and the mncholy of waking up. The second verse describes that he¡¯s physically ill, and that his old friend has been ¡®sleeping underground¡¯ for nearly ten years. The third verse envisions that his old friend¡¯s dead bones have turned into mud, and that he was left behind, growing until old age. The fourth andst verse tells that his old friend, his sons, and sons-inw, have passed away one after the other. The poem uses the contrast between the pleasure of meeting someone in a dream with the pain of having to wake up, highlighting the longing for the deceased, and the sadness for one¡¯s own misfortune in real life.
  2. ·Å»¢¹éɽ f¨¤ng h¨³ gu¨© sh¨¡n; Chinese idiom, it means to put the bad guys back to their original ce, leaving behind the root of trouble. From¡¶ÁãÁêÏÈÏÍ´«¡·by (˾Âí±ë s¨© m¨£ bi¨¡o) Sima Biao [?-306], an historian from the Western Jin Dynasty [265-316].
Chapter 183: Descending To The Depths Of The Yellow Springs. Chapter 183: Descending To The Depths Of The Yellow Springs. It¡¯s said that after death, people can see a kind of ferry transport, Ox-Head and Horse-Face1; and Meng Po2 in the Yellow Springs. But as soon as Xiao YuAn opened his eyes, the only thing he was able to see was a white and foggy chaos. As he stood in ce, he looked around in a daze. Suddenly, someone ran past him in a hurry. That person was Xie Chungui. Xie Chungui kept shouting ¡®wait for me, wait for me¡¯ over and over. Then, a figure appeared in front of him. That man slowly turned around. He had dignified facial features, but the smile on his face was quite silly. He held Xie Chungui, who had stumbled while running, and said: ¡°I¡¯m waiting, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve been waiting all this time.¡± Xie Chungui¡¯s eyes slowly turned red. There was a trace of grievance on the face of General Xie, who was known for being intrepid on the battlefield. As he choked slightly, he said: ¡°General Li, I¡­. I failed to protect the Northern Kingdom¡­. I couldn¡¯t save my Xiongdi¡­.¡± Li Wuding stretched out his hand to rub his hair: ¡±You, ah, how old are you? You¡¯re always trying to act like an adult, always carrying all the burdens on your shoulders. Why didn¡¯t youe back to me as an 80 years old man? What was the hurry? I¡¯ve been waiting for you all this time, haven¡¯t I? Come on, stop crying. Our Xiongdi are waiting ahead, we can¡¯t let them see you like this. It¡¯s enough for me to know that you look like this.¡± Xie Chungui wiped away his tears, and nodded heavily: ¡°Yes.¡± Li Wudingughed and rubbed his hair until it became a mess, then said a few words to him. He then turned around to look at Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn looked at him, and whispered: ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± Li Wuding shook his head and replied with a smile: ¡°Your Majesty, sometimes it¡¯s more painful to keep living. Do you think that it would be better to live with the conscience of treason, or to die for your Country? Moreover, when you removed the treacherous Ministers for the sake of themon people, we all saw it with our own eyes. Protecting the Monarch and the Country was the path chosen by the Xiongdi themselves. So, what are you ming yourself for?¡± After Li Wuding finished speaking, he sped his fists and gave a military salute to Xiao YuAn. Then, he turned around and left side by side with Xie Chungui. The two of them gradually disappeared into the white fog in the distance. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but chase after them for a few steps, when suddenly, he heard someone calling him: ¡°Your Majesty.¡± That voice was so familiar, that Xiao YuAn¡¯s body trembled as he turned around abruptly. She was exactly the same as the first time he saw her, with her hair styled in a bun and a green pigmented robe. Her voice was as gentle as he remembered, and with a smile on her face, she saluted Xiao YuAn: ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes widened in surprise: ¡°Hong Xiu¡­.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s me. What can I do for you?¡± Hong Xiu asked with a smile on her face. Xiao YuAn looked at her smile, and said with a hoarse voice: ¡°I¡­. I¡¯m not the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom. I¡­. I¡¯m not your Emperor¡­.¡± ¡®I¡¯m not the Monarch of the Northern Kingdom. I wonder if Hong Xiu, who gave her life for the Emperor in the past, has ever regretted it?¡¯ Hong Xiu was puzzled. She thought for a moment, and then asked: ¡°When I was sick, the one who took care of me and made meugh, was it you?¡± Xiao YuAn was stunned for a long time before he replied: ¡°It was me¡­.¡± ¡°The one who allowed me to go out of the Imperial Pce to visit my sister, and also personally wrote an Imperial edict so that I could take the Imperial Physician with me without any problems. Was it you?¡± ¡°It was me¡­¡± ¡°The one who gifted me a carefully selected red hairpin, was it you?¡± Xiao YuAn nodded slowly: ¡°It was also me¡­.¡± Hong Xiu smiled, turned to look at Xiao YuAn, and firmly called: ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly burst into tears like a spring. Hong Xiu stepped forward and gently wiped away Xiao YuAn¡¯s tears: ¡°What happened, Your Majesty? Is something wrong?¡± Xiao YuAn burst into tears and his voice choked with sobs. Unable to say a single word, he only shook his head incessantly. Hong Xiu smiled and said with a soft tone of voice: ¡°Your Majesty, I hope that you can have a good life. Take good care of yourself, and don¡¯t take your own life lightly, alright?¡± Xiao YuAn sobbed and nodded his head. Hong Xiu held his shoulders and pushed him in the opposite direction: ¡°Your Majesty, someone is still waiting for you. Go quickly.¡± After the sudden push, Xiao YuAn opened his eyes. Man, the way I cried while tranting this chapter ???????? the part of XCG and LWD destroyed me, and then Hong Xiu appeared¡­ I was ugly sobbing ?????? Footnotes
  1. Å£î^ñRÃæ ni¨² t¨®u m¨£ mi¨¤n; They are two terrifying guards of the Underworld in Chinese Mythology. These two deities are responsible for guarding the Naihe Bridge (ÄκÓÇÅ n¨¤i h¨¦ qi¨¢o; the entrance and exit to the Underworld in Taoism and Chinese Myths). Ghosts who hadmited crimes in life, will be pushed off the bridge to be devoured by the poisonous snakes and monsters underneath.
  2. ÃÏÆÅ m¨¨ng p¨®; A figure from ancient mythology who is based at the Naihe Bridge. She¡¯s responsible for providing the Meng Po soup to all spirits who are on their way to reincarnation, in order to erase their memories of their past lives, so that they can reincarnate with a peace of mind.
Chapter 184: Something’s Wrong With This Foreplay. Chapter 184: Something¡¯s Wrong With This Forey. The sky was slightly bright, but the light surrounding was so obscure that it was nearly impossible for a person to know whether it was early morning orte afternoon. Xiao YuAn stared nkly at the golden veil in front of him, feeling that this scene was oddly familiar. As he tilted his head to look around, he couldn¡¯t help but curse inside his heart. ¡®Isn¡¯t this my bedchamber?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m¡­. I¡¯m not dead?!!!¡¯ Memories of the past suddenly flooded into his mind as Xiao YuAn sat up violently. His ck, silk-like hair slipped down his shoulders and scattered in front of his eyes. Probably because of Xiao YuAn¡¯s sudden movement, a person lying beside him seemed to be disturbed as they expressed an ufortable ¡®hum¡¯. Xiao YuAn turned his head to look, and was surprised to see Yan HeQing sleeping beside him. The bedchamber gradually brightened, so it turned out to be early morning. As he looked at Yan HeQing, Xiao YuAn stretched out his hand and pinched himself. ¡®Shit! it Hurts! There¡¯s a bruise!¡¯ ¡®This isn¡¯t a dream, ah! Not a dream!!!¡¯ ¡®Then, could it be that those events were just a nightmare?!¡¯ ¡®Yan HeQing and I are still fine, so nothing happened? But why is the pain, the suffering, and the fresh blood dripping so clearly engraved in my mind? And why can¡¯t I forget it?¡¯ Xiao YuAn was a little confused for a while, but the joy of regaining his life washed over him, making him feel so excited that he almost burst into tears. Xiao YuAnid down on his side and wrapped his arm around Yan HeQing¡¯s waist. As he adjusted his posture and leanedfortably on Yan HeQing¡¯s chest, he found something strange. Yan HeQing¡¯s face was flushed. He was short of breath, and his body temperature was unnaturally hot. His eyebrows were tightly knitted, as if he was having a nightmare, and his hands were clenched tightly into fists. ¡®What¡¯s going on? Does he have a fever?¡¯ ¡°Yan-ge? Yan-ge?¡± Xiao YuAn got up in a panic as he touched Yan HeQing¡¯s forehead. When Yan HeQing, who was in a daze, felt a trace of coolness in his forehead, he subconsciously rolled over and pressed himself against Xiao YuAn. His breath gradually turned heavier. A hot and firm ¡®thing¡¯ pressed against Xiao YuAn¡¯s leg, making him feel horrified. Only then did he realize that Yan HeQing may not have a fever. ¡®Such excitement so early in the morning. Is he at his limit?¡¯ Yan HeQing shouted Xiao YuAn¡¯s name in a daze, and Xiao YuAn hurriedly responded: ¡°It¡¯s me, I¡¯m here. Yan-ge, let me help you.¡± Xiao YuAn raised his head to kiss Yan HeQing, as he slowly stretched out his hand towards Yan HeQing¡¯s lower half. However, who would¡¯ve known that Yan HeQing would fiercely block his mouth right after he spoke, unrestrainedly invading every part of his mouth. Yan HeQing¡¯s hands mercilessly tore Xiao YuAn¡¯s clothes apart, ravaging his waist and buttocks, leaving behind bright red marks on Xiao YuAn¡¯s body. The taste of blood quickly filled his mouth, and Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t bear the pain caused by Yan HeQing¡¯s roughness. As he gasped for breath, he subconsciously pushed Yan HeQing away: ¡°Yan-ge, it hurts! Wake up¡­ you¡¯re hurting me!¡± ¡®Damn it!¡¯ ¡®This forey is too wild. If we do it to the end, I¡¯ll die in this bed!¡¯ In order to avoid the tragic case of murdering one¡¯s own husband, Xiao YuAn pressed his hands against Yan HeQing¡¯s shoulders, and shook him a few times: ¡°Yan-ge! Hello! Daxiongdi1! Baobei2, dear! Darling! Husband! Hubby! Please wake up, I don¡¯t want to be fucked to death, alright?¡± After a few more shakes, Yan HeQing gradually opened his eyes, and immediately stopped teasing Xiao YuAn. Yan HeQing then nkly propped himself up, as if he was thinking about something, and his eyes gradually brightened. Xiao YuAn took a long breath and copsed on the bed. Most of his undergarments were spread out, and the marks on his body showed a shocking sight. When Xiao YuAn looked up at Yan HeQing, he was about tough andin, but he suddenly saw how wide Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes became, filled with disbelief. Our little brat is back to life!! But¡­ What¡¯s wrong with YHQ? ???? Footnotes
  1. ´óÐÖµÜ d¨¤ xi¨­ng d¨¬; A Northern dialect word originally used by Northern women to refer to men who are younger than themselves. This word is popr on the inte because of the Webcast.
  2. ±¦±´ b¨£o b¨¨i; It¡¯s the equivalent of ¡°baby¡± in english. Between lovers, this word is moremonly used to refer to the female party rather than the male, but it can also be used to refer to a male lover.
Chapter 185: I Must’ve Woken Up The Wrong Way. Chapter 185: I Must¡¯ve Woken Up The Wrong Way. Yan HeQing sat up violently and took half a step backwards. His eyes and voice carried an undisguised anger: ¡°Why are you here?!¡± Xiao YuAn was confused by the question. ¡®Where would I be, if I wasn¡¯t here?¡¯ ¡°Huh? I¡­. I¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t even know how to answer Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing began to realize that there was something wrong with his body when a dry heat ran through his limbs and bones, making him feel thirsty and dizzy. At this, he immediately looked down. Xiao YuAn followed Yan HeQing¡¯s gaze towards his lower half, carefully swallowed, and then rubbed it over: ¡°Let¡­ let me help you¡­.¡± However, as soon as he said that, Xiao YuAn¡¯s cor was suddenly grabbed by Yan HeQing, strangling him until he was almost out of breath. Yan HeQing¡¯s voice was extremely cold. The anger in his eyes was like a burning fire, as if he would swallow Xiao YuAn at any given moment. He shouted: ¡°You dared to drug me?!¡± ¡®Drugs?!¡¯ ¡®How could I drug Yan HeQing?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t want to die in the bed, alright?!¡¯ In the original book, Yan HeQing gave a great performance when he spent the night with ten women. So why the hell would he need to be drugged for? As his cor was clenched tightly, Xiao YuAn felt that he couldn¡¯t breath. He was ufortable as hell. When he reached out to stop Yan HeQing¡¯s actions, he argued: ¡°I didn¡¯t drugg-¡­¡± However, before he could finish what he wanted to say, he was thrown off the bed by Yan HeQing. Since Xiao YuAn¡¯s clothes were still in a disheveled state, red marks and scratches appeared on his body when his bare skin rubbed against the ground. He rolled on the ground several times, without being able to stop himself, until his head knocked against the corner of the table. Immediately after, blood started to slide down from a wound on his head, dying his eyes red. Xiao YuAn¡¯s ck silky hair was scattered and wretched; as he covered his forehead, his eyes were dazed from the pain. He felt like he would faint at any moment. But Yan HeQing didn¡¯t even bother to look at him. He simply shouted with a cold tone of voice: ¡°Get out!¡± Xiao YuAn waspletely dumbfounded, frozen in ce. Even if he was slow, he knew that something was wrong, but Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t know what was wrong. So, he cried out pleadingly: ¡°Yan-ge?¡± This pet name was the final straw that provoked Yan HeQing¡¯s anger. Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes were filled with bitterness and disgust as he got out of the bed to heavily press Xiao YuAn¡¯s head against the ground. Yan HeQing¡¯s voice was even more frightening because he was suppressing his anger: ¡°Will you dare to call me like that again?¡± Right after that, Xiao YuAn was thrown out of the bedchamber. It was snowing outside, and Xiao YuAn, who was half naked, was thrown into the snow. It was cold, and there were maids and Imperial Bodyguards who passed by from time to time. They all looked at him with pity and ridicule in their eyes. Xiao YuAn remained in the same position after being thrown out, nkly staring at the closed doors of the bedchamber that were so familiar to him. His body was covered with red marks and scratches, the bleedinging from his head hadn¡¯t stopped. Once he was covered by the cold snow, it was like he was in pain again. A maid who couldn¡¯t bear seeing him like that anymore, walked forward to help Xiao YuAn get up and fix his clothes: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang1, let¡¯s go back.¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly looked up at her, and shouted: ¡°Xiao what?¡± The maidservant was so frightened that she said weakly: ¡°Jun Wang.¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly stood up, pulled up his clothes, and looked around. Because he wasn¡¯t wearing boots, he had to walk barefooted in the snow, to the point where his feet became numb and red due to the cold. Finally, a shallow pool appeared in front of him, and Xiao YuAn rushed forward only to kneel at the edge of the pool. The pool was covered with ice, and it was dazzling under the warm light of the early morning. When Xiao YuAn looked at his face reflected in the ice, he couldn¡¯t say a word for a long time. In the original book, Xiao PingYang lived in the Northern Kingdom for a period of time before agreeing to Yan HeQing¡¯s marriage proposal, in order to protect the Western Shu Kingdom from the invasion of war. At that time, Xiao PingYang was called ¡®Xiao Jun Gongzhu2¡¯. At this moment, the frozenke wasn¡¯t reflecting the delicate and beautiful face of the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom; but a clear and handsome face, smooth like porcin, with pupils like the full moon, eyebrows full of tenderness. He showed a curved smile on his lips, but with a wanton behaviour, expressing a rare freedom in a world like this. This face was exactly the same as the one Xiao YuAn had in his previous life. To rify some crazy theories I saw in thements of the : XYA didn¡¯t travel to the original book, nor did he travel back in time, he¡¯s simply inside the body of XPY¡¯s brother now(remember the one from her wedding? That was the exact copy of XYA in his past life? That one)~ But hey! Look at the bright side(? The idea of this XYA (that already knows he has feelings for YHQ) travelling to the original story (maybe in the body of Xiao Wangye instead of the Emperor like this timeline) where he¡¯ll try to seduce a YHQ that will very likely summon a harem¡­ Sounds like an interesting plot for a fanfic ???? (someone pls write it!!) Footnotes
  1. ¿¤Íõ j¨´n w¨¢ng; It was a title bestowed by ancient Chinese Emperors on members of the Imperial Family, meritorious Officials, or Kings of foreign vassals. It was the second highest ranking title after the Crown Prince (heir to the throne). It can be tranted as County King.
  2. ¿¤¹«Ö÷ j¨´n g¨­ng zh¨³; A title given to a female member of the Imperial Family in ancient Feudal China. Through the changing times, ¡°County Princesses¡± had different identities such as: The Emperor¡¯s daughter, the daughter of the Crown Prince, King¡¯s daughter, the daughter of the Emperor with a concubine, and the Prince¡¯s daughter.
Chapter 186: He Must’ve Ascended The Throne The Wrong Way. Chapter 186: He Must¡¯ve Ascended The Throne The Wrong Way. Xiao YuAn¡¯s forehead was still bleeding, his lips were pale, his body was covered with a thin undergarment, and his skin was marked with red bruises. If he even moved a bit, he would feel pain. No matter how good-looking he was, he still looked extremely miserable right now. ¡®So I did die? And I was reborn again? Reborn in the body of the former Xiao Wangye of the Western Shu Kingdom? How long has it been since my death? And why is ¡°he¡± in the Southern Yan Kingdom?¡¯ There were too many questions,ing one after the other. As Xiao YuAn covered his forehead, he knelt on the ground feeling overwhelmed. His body was trembling, but he didn¡¯t know whether it was due to the pain, the cold, or abination of both. The maid servant who had tried to help him a while ago, trotted over and ced a coat over Xiao YuAn: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, this servant will send you back to your bedchamber.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded his head, and stood up with the help of the maid. Xiao YuAn¡¯s temporary bedchamber was on the West side of the Imperial Pce, which was often used to entertain guests, and was also the ce where the foreign envoys lived. The maid went to the Taiyi Hall to ask for medicine for Xiao YuAn¡¯s bruises, and cleaned the wound on his forehead. Xiao YuAn looked around the bedchamber until he found a book handwritten by the original owner of this body. After Xiao YuAn read the book, and asked some maids, he finally understood what was going on. Three years ago, the Western Shu Kingdom began to be in a state of regime separation. First of all, the Emperor of the Western Shu Kingdom died of an illness, and for a long time, there was no one who could seed the throne. The Western Shu Kingdom is a country dominated by women, and both Princesses and Princes can fight for the throne. The Imperial Court is extremelyplex, and there isn¡¯t anyone, besides Xiao PingYang, who can monopolize the throne. Meaning that during the process of fighting for the throne, there were many instances where both sides have suffered defeat. At the same time, the Western Shu Kingdom was hit by natural disasters, popr uprising, barbarian invasions, and other chaotic events. The country that was once peaceful and stable, had turned into a mess. However, during the past three years, the throne of the Western Shu Kingdom had changed from a highly desirable sweet steamed bun to a burning hot potato1; and the people who originally wanted to seize the throne, died during the fight for power. Xiao Wangye is a man that has a ¡®being in harmony with the rest of the world2¡¯ kind of temper, always aspiring for a leisurely andpancent type of life. But since his country has turned into this state, with the matter of survival at hand, Xiao Wangye doesn¡¯t have a way to bear such burden on his own. Who would¡¯ve known that before these internal fights for power could be solved, external problems would arrive. After the unification of the Three Kingdoms, the Southern Yan Kingdom began to eye the Western Shu Kingdom. Ever since the defeat of the Western Shu Kingdom, the country was divided by the barbarians around it. So, in this situation, fighting against the Southern Yan Kingdom would be like hitting a stone with an egg3! In order to save the Western Shu Kingdom, Xiao Wangye reduced himself from a Prince to amoner. By lowering his dignity, he showed his goodwill. Saying that he was willing to pay tribute to the Southern Yan Kingdom every year, with the condition that the country¡¯s territory will be preserved, and the Western Shu Kingdom¡¯s title wouldn¡¯t be taken away. However, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t want to do it this way, making it clear that he wanted to unify all of the kingdoms into one, and that he didn¡¯t want a vassal state. Xiao Wangye was at a loss at what to do, but in the end, he traveled all the way to the Southern Yan Kingdom to bow his head, and surrender himself. Even if he can only dy it by one day, it¡¯s still a whole day. When a Monarch reaches such a state, he ends up looking both cowardly and sad, but alsoughable and helpless. When Xiao Wangye came to the Southern Yan Kingdom to proim himself as a subject, a year had passed since the assasination attempt, so when Yan HeQing heard the name of Xiao Wangye, he was eager to meet with him. However, he then left with a cold face. Xiao Wangye tried every means to curry favor, but he failed again and again to meet Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes, not to mention that he failed to discourage Yan HeQing from sending troops. Xiao Wangye, finding himself in a desperate situation, met a person. With the help of that person, he entered Yan HeQing¡¯s bedchamber at night, with the intention of drugging Yan HeQing, so that he would escape after a night of pleasure. But after drugging Yan HeQing, Xiao Wangye felt ashamed and humiliated; like a prostitute from the red pavilion, who had to rely on being bought in exchange for profit. The years of repression instantly defeated the Monarch¡¯sst line of defense, filling his mind with suicidal thoughts. Impulsively, he drank some poison. And then, President Xiao woke up. Xiao YuAn closed the handwritten notes, shook his head, and sighed with great emotion. Then, he whispered: ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know who¡¯s the one who helped Xiao Wangye, since he was vaguely mentioned in his notes. But since he was able to let Xiao Wangye enter Yan HeQing¡¯s bedchamber in the middle of the night, he must be a person with high authority and credibility.¡¯ ¡®Unexpectedly, a year has passed since my death. A year isn¡¯t a long nor a short period of time, and I don¡¯t know how Yan HeQing spent it.¡¯ Xiao YuAn brought over a brush, ink and paper; as he dipped the brush in the liquid, he studied the ink. Then, he turned to thest page of the notebook, and on top, he wrote the word ¡°Revenge¡±. He wrote: Things to take revenge on. Domestic violence, of all kinds. Not letting me call him Yan-ge¡­ wait, don¡¯t. I won¡¯t call him like that ever again! Not anymore! Damn it! Next time I¡¯ll call Yan-ge a dog instead! Xiao YuAn aggressively closed the notebook, but after a while, he silently opened it again and added the word ¡°barking¡± after thest sentence. ?Extra Chapter thanks to Ko-fi? [4/4] Ahhhh I¡¯m finally free enough (from real life issues) to update thest extra chapter I owed! ?????? Aldhskdjs XYA really called YHQ a ¡°barking dog¡± ???? And to be clear~ nothing happened between Xiao Wangye and YHQ. Our ML is a devoted man, he just thought he was our XYA since they share the same name. Now though¡­ He really is our XYA ?? Footnotes
  1. ÖËÊÖ¿ÉÈÈ zh¨¬ sh¨¯u k¨§ r¨¨; Chinese idiom, it means burning to the touch / hot enough to scald one¡¯s hands. Used as a metaphor for a mighty figure / the supreme arrogance of a person with great power. From¡¶ÀöÈËÐС·by (¶Å¸¦ d¨´ f¨³) Du Fu [712-770], a poet from the Tang Dynasty [618-907]. ÌÌÊÖɽÓó t¨¤ng sh¨¯u sh¨¡n y¨´; It¡¯s a metaphor for a problem that¡¯s very difficult to solve, but after solving it, you¡¯ll obtain a benefit. It mostly refers to the fact that you have to rely on real talent and knowledge to be qualified for a job that takes risks all the time. Basically, this sentence refers to the fact that the throne went from something everyone desired to obtain, to something no one wanted.
  2. ÓëÊÀÎÞÕù y¨³ sh¨¬ w¨² zh¨¥ng; Chinese idiom, used to refer to people who avoids any kind of conflict. From¡¶Õ½¹ú²ß¡·(zh¨¤n gu¨® c¨¨), ¡°Strategies of the Warring States¡±, possibly written by (ËÕÇØ s¨± q¨ªn) Su Qin [340-284 BC], a political strategist during the Warring States Period [475-221 BC].
  3. ÒÔÂÑ»÷ʯ y¨« lu¨£n j¨© sh¨ª; Chinese idiom, it means that if you don¡¯t estimate your own strength, you¡¯ll end up killing yourself. From¡¶Ü÷×Ó¡¤Òé±ø¡·by (Ü÷×Ó x¨²n z¨«) Xun Zi (or Hsun Tzu) [310-237 BC], a Confucian philosopher from the Warring States Period [475-221 BC].
Chapter 187: Yan HeQing Open The Door, Open The Door, Open The Door! Chapter 187: Yan HeQing Open The Door, Open The Door, Open The Door! ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, this maidservant will help you clean the wound. It may hurt a little, but if you can bear with it, this maidservant will try to be as gentle as possible.¡± The maidservant beside him said softly, as she carefully bandaged the wound on Xiao YuAn¡¯s forehead. Before, Xiao YuAn was confused, trying to understand what was going on and felt dizzy. At this time, when he had finally calmed down, he found that the maid had been helping him all along. Xiao YuAn was about to raise his head and thank her, but when he saw the maid¡¯s face, he froze midway. The maid hadn¡¯t noticed the strange look in Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes, so she carefully applied the medicine for him: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, the bruises on your body should be washed with hot water, this maidservant will go to-¡­¡± Xiao YuAn interrupted her abruptly, and asked urgently: ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The maidservant was slightly stunned as she replied: ¡°My¡­. nono. This maidservant¡¯s name is Tian, Tian Xiang.¡± Xiao YuAn took a deep breath, and asked: ¡°Do you have a sister?¡± Tian Xiang nodded: ¡°How did Xiao Jun Wang know? This maidservant has an older sister, called Hong Xiu.¡± As soon as Tian Xiang said those words, Xiao YuAn began to cry andugh. She was so scared, thinking that she had said something wrong, she quickly knelt down to apologize. However, Xiao YuAn hurriedly stopped her and pulled a stool for her to sit down: ¡°Why did you enter the Imperial Pce to be a maid?¡± After Hong Xiu died, Xiao YuAn not only buried her, but he also sent a reward to her younger siblings; a hundred taels of gold, so that they could each get married and start a business. This way, even if the Northern Kingdom fell, Tian Xiang wouldn¡¯t have to reduce herself to the point of entering the Imperial Pce as a maidservant. Although she didn¡¯t know why Xiao Jun Wang was curious about her life, Tian Xiang replied with honesty: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, this maidservant doesn¡¯t have parents. Since childhood I¡¯ve been living with my older sister and my brother. A few years ago, my sister had an ident, so my brother and I relied on small handmade items to make a living. Butter, the Northern Kingdom was conquered, and for a time, no one was interested in those small items anymore. My older brother is old enough to get married, so this maidservant tried to enter the Imperial Pce, and got selected.¡± Xiao YuAn frowned tightly: ¡°After your sister¡¯s ident, didn¡¯t the Imperial Pce send a reward?¡± Tian Xiang nodded: ¡°Someone came to appease my brother and I. They gave us the reward His Majesty sent.¡± Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°How much was it?¡± Tian Xiang blinked, and said: ¡°It was a lot! One tael of gold!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­.. One tael?¡± Tian Xiang: ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­. FUCK!¡± ¡®Mmp! The Minister that went to deliver the reward was really greedy!¡® Xiao YuAn was infuriated. When Tian Xian looked at Xiao YuAn¡¯s irritated face, she was slightly scared. Since she was the humblest maid in the Imperial Pce, if there was a hard or tiring type of work, she would be the first one to go. The day before yesterday, when she was sent to serve Xiao Jun Wang, she heard from the other maids in the Imperial Pce that this foreign official, Jun Wang, had a bad temper. They said that he might even beat and scold the maids sent to him, so Tian Xiang thought that she should pay close attention to her words. Tian Xiang was restless and didn¡¯t know what to do as she saw Xiao YuAn suddenly getting up and rummaging through the cupboard. Since this Xiao Jun Wang used to be the Monarch of a Country, no matter matter how miserable he was, he still should have some money. Sure enough, after a short while, Xiao YuAn found a pile of gold and silver. Xiao YuAn stuffed all the things he found into Tian Xiang¡¯s hands, and said: ¡°Take these first, I¡¯ll definitely give you those 99 taels of gold in the future.¡± Tian Xian stammered and asked: ¡°99 taels of g-go-gold?¡± Xiao YuAn nodded his head without hesitation. As a Tyrannical President! If you say that you¡¯ll give a hundred taels of gold, you will give a hundred taels of gold! Not a single cent less! At this moment, as a woman who just met a Tyrannical President, Tian Xiang looked at the gold and silver in her hands with only one thought in her mind. ¡®In the end, Xiao Jun Wang was driven out of the bedchamber by the Emperor himself this morning. If he became crazy after being subjected to ¡®submission¡¯, what should I do?¡¯ ¡­ In the early spring, the green branches began to sprout, but the few cold snowkes refused to disappear. Outside the Emperor¡¯s bedchamber, a man was relentlessly arguing with the Imperial Bodyguards at the door: ¡°Let me see your Emperor! I¡¯ve something important to say to him!¡± ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, His Majesty has gone to bed, please don¡¯t shout. Please go back.¡± The Imperial Bodyguard at the door, with a cold face and his hand on his sword scabbard, ruthlessly drove Xiao YuAn away. ¡®Daxiongdi1, it¡¯s just Youshi2 hour ah!! The sun is still hanging on top of the mountain. Time to sleep my ass!¡¯ The Imperial Bodyguard said profoundly: ¡°Although it¡¯s only Youshi hour, His Majesty has his own reasons.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Another Imperial Bodyguard couldn¡¯t stop himself, and whispered: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, don¡¯t make it difficult for us. After thest incident, His Majesty was so angry that he dismissed all the Imperial Bodyguards that were in charge of his bedchamber. Recently, His Majesty has also been in a bad mood. Why does Xiao Jun Wang want to anger His Majesty?¡± The Imperial Bodyguard¡¯s words were subtle, but Xiao YuAn understood that thest ¡®incident¡¯ he was referring to, was the fact that Xiao Wangye had sneaked into the Imperial Bedchamber to drug the Emperor. Originally, Yan HeQing intended to drive Xiao Wangye back to the Western Shu Kingdom, but the Ministers advised him to not do it. Xiao Wangye came to the Southern Yan Kingdom to present himself as a subject. But he was also the Monarch of the Western Shu Kingdom, so it wasn¡¯t in line with the etiquette and rules to drive him away like this. After considering the advantages and disadvantages, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t drive him away. But he didn¡¯t want to see Xiao YuAn. In his mind, Xiao YuAn had made up a lot of ns to let Yan HeQing know it was him, but it was useless. Today, since Xiao YuAn was still unable to see Yan HeQing, he returned feeling unhappy. Tian Xiang couldn¡¯t bear to see him like that, so she tried to persuade him: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, everyone in the Imperial Pce knows that His Majesty is an extremely devoted man, and that there¡¯s already someone else inside his heart. This maidservant heard others say that after the death of that man, His Majesty would go to his tombstone to worship, as long as he¡¯s free, every single day! So please, don¡¯t provoke His Majesty more than you already have.¡± After spending a few days together, Xiao YuAn found that Tian Xiang¡¯s temperament was very different from Hong Xiu¡¯s. Hong Xiu was extremely cautious in both her speech and behaviour. After having served the Emperor for many years, Hong Xiu had long since developed a delicate and understanding personality. Tian Xiang, on the other hand, was simply a young girl. Even though she was deliberately disguising it, the straightforwardness in her bones was still present, so she would often say what she really thought. ¡°I know he has someone in his heart.¡± Xiao YuAn mncholy said. ¡°If Xiao Jun Wang knows, then why are you still provoking His Majesty, ah?¡± Tian Xiang didn¡¯t understand. ¡®Because I¡¯m the one who Yan-ge has inside his heart!!!¡¯ However, Xiao YuAn simply waved his hand and didn¡¯t exin. Since Tian Xiang knew that he must have his own reasons, she could only sigh helplessly. Just when Xiao YuAn was thinking about how to meet with Yan HeQing, he suddenly heard that he had a visitor. As Xiao YuAn wondered who woulde to visit ¡®him¡¯, he saw Huang Yue walking in with his hands behind his back. Huang Yue immediately ordered the maid and the Imperial Bodyguard to wait outside, leaving only the two of them inside the bedchamber. Huang Yue wasn¡¯t polite and didn¡¯t wait for Xiao YuAn to open his mouth. He directly sat down, grabbed a cup of tea and slowly took a sip before asking: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, have you changed your mind about the n we¡¯ve discussedst time?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®Whatst time?! What n?! Why did Xiao Wangye and Huang Yue collude with each other?! Isn¡¯t the second half of the original book known for Yan-ge building his harem? Howe it ended up turning into a conspiracy plot when I¡¯m the one involved?!¡¯ When an idea suddenly appeared in Xiao YuAn¡¯s mind, he pretended to be serious as he said: ¡°I still need to think about it. But, I wonder if General Huang can introduce me to His Majesty?¡± However, as soon as he said those words, Huang Yue stared straight at Xiao YuAn, making his back lightly shiver. Hong Xiu¡¯s sister!!! ??(*¡ä?`*)??? Ahhhhh but that damn greedy minister!!!! How dare he steal 99 tales of gold that were for HX¡¯s siblings!!!! Scum scum scum!!! ?? (Also, quick note, but the ¡®fuck¡¯ in capital letters was also in english in the raws hahaha) Ah that damn General again (£þ¤Ø £þ ͹ Xiao Wangye! What did you dooo!!! Footnotes
  1. ´óÐÖµÜ d¨¤ xi¨­ng d¨¬; A Northern dialect word originally used by Northern women to refer to men who are younger than themselves. This word is popr on the inte because of the Webcast.
  2. ÓÏʱ y¨¯u sh¨ª; 5-7 pm in the system of two-hour subdivisions used in ancient times.
Chapter 188: Open The Door, Open The Door! Don’t Hide Inside In Silence! Chapter 188: Open The Door, Open The Door! Don¡¯t Hide Inside In Silence! After a long silence, Huang Yue said with a smile on his face: ¡°I¡¯ve long ago advised Jun Wang to listen to me, to don¡¯t such a dirty and humiliating thing such as drugging His Majesty. Unfortunately, Jun Wang didn¡¯t believe me. Is Jun Wang trying to threaten me? It¡¯s a pity that His Majesty doesn¡¯t want to see you. I would like to advise Xiao Jun Wang again. Xue Yan is in a conflict with His Majesty right now, he has no power and no influence. If it weren¡¯t for the newly promoted Chen Ge, he wouldn¡¯t even have a say in the matter. I hope that Jun Wang will see the situation more clearly.¡± After saying this, Huang Yue sneered, got up and left. Xiao YuAn, with a confused expression on his face, went to read Xiao Wangye¡¯s notes, only to find that there wasn¡¯t any mention of Huang Yue. It seemed that their ¡®friendship¡¯ was extremely shady, and Xiao Wangye was afraid of leaving any evidence behind, so he didn¡¯t mention it altogether. ¡®Could it be possible, that even if Li Wuding isn¡¯t here topete for the merit against him, Huang Yue still has the intention tomit treason?¡¯ ¡°Aaahhh, if you want tomit treason, then do it! If you want to scheme, then scheme! It doesn¡¯t matter. But could you let me see Yan-ge first?!!¡± Xiao YuAn put aside the handwritten notes, held his head, and howled: ¡°Wait!¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly remembered something and hurriedly called Tian Xiang to ask her: ¡°Tian Xiang, you said before, that His Majesty would go to worship in his spare time every day?¡± Tian Xiang nodded: ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes lit up as he asked eagerly: ¡°Where¡¯s this ce?¡± Tian Xiang guessed what he was thinking about and waved her hands in panic: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, no one is allowed to enter that ce except for His Majesty! If you go there, you¡¯ll lose your head! Please don¡¯t think about that ce, Xiao Jun Wang!¡± ¡°Tian Xiang, as long as I meet His Majesty, I¡¯ll be fine. Trust me!¡± XiaoYuAn said. ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, what can you do? That¡¯s a forbidden ce!¡± Tian Xiang still refused. Xiao YuAn said with a smile: ¡°I¡¯ll sing a song for His Majesty.¡± ¡°Sing¡­ sing a song?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Xiao YuAn cleared his throat, and sang: ¡°The river flows eastward~! The stars in the sky join the Big Bear Constetion ah~! The stars in the sky join the Big Bear Constetion~1! What¡¯s with that expression? Don¡¯t worry, if this method doesn¡¯t work, then I can also recite the Party Constitution2 and influence His Majesty with the brilliance of the Socialist values!¡± While Xiao YuAn was still talking, Tian Xiang stood asidepletely speechless. ¡®Xiao Jun Wang is¡­.¡¯ ¡®Aplete fool!¡¯ ¡®How will that work?!¡¯ As soon as Xiao YuAn¡¯s words were finished, Tian Xiang choked and said: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, I know that it¡¯s hard to be in a foreign country, but you have to be strong, ah. Wait for me, this maidservant will go to the Taiyi Hall, to ask if there¡¯s any kind of medicine for calming the mind. You have to make sure to rest for a couple of days! This maidservant will take good care of you!¡± However, in the end, she was unable to resist the softness of his words, and Tian Xiang took Xiao YuAn to the ce where Yan HeQing worshipped. Unexpectedly, that ce was actually the former Northern Kingdom¡¯s Altar of Heaven. Tian Xiang led Xiao YuAn towards the altar while telling him about the rumors. It was rumored that Yan HeQing hugged the corpse of that man and cried for three whole days. It was also said that the man was buried in bright red wedding clothes. The rumors also said that when the Emperor worshipped, he would often speak nonsense; things such as ¡®transmigrated soul¡¯, ¡®rebirth¡¯ and other confusing words. He would also ask the tombstone again and again: ¡®When will youe back to me? I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll be able toe back.¡¯ ¡°He cried for three whole days?¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t breathe right. He has never seen Yan HeQing cry. After all, Yan HeQing¡¯s nature has always been stoic. No matter how difficult and sad things were, he would only clench his teeth and swallow them. Besides, in the original book, he has never been described as showing any kind of expression of great joy or sorrow. Tian Xiang nodded: ¡°His Majesty is extremely devoted to that person. Ah, Xiao Jun Wang, you must never do the same foolish thing you did before.¡± Xiao YuAnughed and said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t happen again.¡± As soon as Tian Xiang breathed a sigh of relief, she heard Xiao YuAn say with a smile: ¡°From now on, we¡¯ll have the greatest opportunity to love each other freely.¡± Tian Xiang: ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®Xiao Jun Wang is no longer a fool! He¡¯s insane! He¡¯s out of his mind! How will that work out?!¡¯ Not the wedding clothes ?????? Not yhq crying for three whole days ?????? Not him asking xya toe back ?????? My heart is shattering ?????? Stop! Making! YHQ! Suffer!!! XYA you better make this right!!! ?????? Footnotes
  1. Lyrics from the song¡¶ºÃºº¸è¡·¡±Hero¡¯s Song¡±, the theme song of the TV series¡¶Ë®ä°´«¡·¡°Water Margin¡±.
  2. µ³Õ d¨£ng zh¨¡ng; Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party.
Chapter 189: You Were Capable Of Domestic Violence, So Why Arent You Capable Of Opening The Door? Chapter 189: You Were Capable Of Domestic Violence, So Why Aren¡¯t You Capable Of Opening The Door? After they found the forbidden area, Xiao YuAn stood in ce for a long time, unable to speak. The forbidden area was located on the hillside where the Altar of Heaven used to be. This ce was renovated into a small house with a courtyard surrounded by a fence, where mulberry and hemp were nted. There was also a small pond, and inside the pond, the leaves of the lotus nts had withered due to the cold winter. In the summer, it must make a beautiful scene of endless blue, with a small fish shaking its head and tail under the floating leaves. That small house was exactly the same as the one where Xiao YuAn lived in Taoyuan Vige. Tian Xiang whispered: ¡°For fear of disturbing the peace of this ce, His Majesty only arranged the Imperial Bodyguards to patrol nearby, but they aren¡¯t allowed to be here.¡± Xiao YuAn expressed a hollow sound, but when he felt that his voice was choking up a bit, he hurriedly lowered his head to calm his heart. Then he went forward and pushed open the door of the house. Tian Xiang hastily pulled him back: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang! No one can enter here except for His Majesty! We¡¯d better not go inside. Let¡¯s just take a look from outside. If His Majesty finds out, we¡¯ll be sentenced to death!¡± Xiao YuAn patted Tian Xiang¡¯s hand to appease her: ¡°It¡¯s alright, Tian Xiang, trust me. If you don¡¯t want to go in, just wait for me outside. I¡¯ll go in and have a look.¡± Tian Xiang didn¡¯t stop Xiao YuAn this time, simply watched him push open the door and walk into the small room. The only thing she could do was twist her sleeves with worry, as she stood outside. The furnishings inside the house were, indeed, exactly the same as the wing room inside the mansion where Xiao YuAn lived in Taoyuan Vige. The only difference was that there was a tomb in the center of the room. In front of the tomb were offerings, copper coins, paper money and a small incense burner. There were three incense sticks ced in the small incense burner, and the smell was so clear, that it seemed like a dream. When Xiao YuAn approached the tomb, he saw a jade flute hanging on the tombstone, the same one he had gifted Yan HeQing. When he looked at the tombstone, unexpectedly, Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing¡¯s names were engraved on it! It was as if someone had heavily punched Xiao YuAn in the chest, making his heart feel stuffy and sour. Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes were red as he squatted down in front of the tombstone, carefully tracing Yan HeQing¡¯s name with his finger over and over again, whispering: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I made you wait again¡­..¡± It took Xiao YuAn a long time to stabilize his emotions. As he stood up, he couldn¡¯t help but mutter: ¡°How does this count? This burial can¡¯t be considered as my own, right?¡± Xiao YuAn muttered for a while, until his eyes locked on the jade flute hanging on the tombstone. The red tassel of the jade flute had long turned into a dark red, showing how old it was. After Xiao YuAn reached out for the jade flute, he gently rubbed it with his fingertips with a touch of nostalgia. The jade flute was the only relic in the room, after all, it was the only thing he had left behind for Yan HeQing. The scene of Yan HeQing teaching him how to y it suddenly shed through his mind, making Xiao YuAn feel slightly moved as he put the jade flute on his lips. Suddenly, a loud angry roar came from behind him: ¡°Put that down immediately!!¡± Xiao YuAn was so frightened that he involuntarily trembled. Without being able to hold it steady, the jade flute slipped from his hand and heavily hit the ground! With a clear and crisp sound, the jade flute smashed against the ground, breaking in half and miserably rolling on the ground several times. For a moment, the whole world seemed submerged in silence. Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes overflowed with disbelief at first, as he stared nkly at the two broken pieces of the jade flute on the ground. As he staggered forward to pick it up, he frantically tried to put the jade flute back together. However, it didn¡¯t matter how many times he tried, the moment the two pieces were connected, they could only pitifully break again. Yan HeQing¡¯s hands were slightly trembling. He had once searched all over thend under the vast sky, but he couldn¡¯t find any news of that man. He didn¡¯t know what brought that person to his side, but he also didn¡¯t know what took him away. Yan HeQing med himself day after day, asking himself; ¡®Why was I unable to protect Xiao YuAn that time?¡® Questioning himself every night; ¡®Why did Xiao YuAnmit suicide in the first ce?¡® He was tormented day and night, and yet, he couldn¡¯t get an answer. Even now, the things that he left behind were so easily destroyed. Yan HeQing couldn¡¯t even protect a jade flute. He couldn¡¯t even protect this thing properly!! Xiao YuAn was stiff, but he reacted extremely fast. He stepped forward and squatted in front of Yan HeQing, who was still trying to put together the jade flute, and held his wrist. Then, he spoke quickly and clearly: ¡°Yan HeQing, look at me, I¡¯m-¡­.¡± However, before he could finish what he wanted to say, Yan HeQing suddenly raised his bloodshot eyes, grabbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s throat, and heavily mmed him against the wall. Nooooesss! The jade flute ?????? YHQ be careful! You might even kill your husband by mistake!!! Run XYA! Ruuunnn! Chapter 196: Yan. Chapter 196: Yan. TRIGGER WARNING: Dubious consent at the beginning of the chapter. Xiao YuAn wanted to reach out to hug Yan HeQing and kiss him, but his hands couldn¡¯t break free, so he had to softly cry for help: ¡°Yan-ge¡­.¡± ¡°Xiao YuAn, I¡¯m willing to wait for you, but could you at least tell me, when you go, for how long do I have to wait for you toe back? A year? A decade? 20 years maybe? Or do I have to stop waiting all together?¡± Every time Yan HeQing asked a question, his eyes would turn red, but when he asked them, he was trembling with fear. When Xiao YuAn saw Yan HeQing in a state like this, his heart was filled with remorse and distress. For Xiao YuAn, parting ways with his loved one was justmiting suicide by cutting his throat with a sword. But for Yan HeQing, it was like the sunny days turning white, and the beautiful flowers blooming in March looking disgustingly red1. After those questions, there was a long silence, and anger gradually engulfed Yan HeQing¡¯s reasoning. As he lowered his head, he gnawed at Xiao YuAn¡¯s nipples. Yan HeQing wanted to tease this man a little more, so that he could understand that everything in front of him wasn¡¯t a dream, letting himself feel that this man had reallye back. Compared to a lovingly type of sexual intercouse, for Yan HeQing, it was more like venting his anger. But Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t want Yan HeQing to be soft to him, because he thought that the sin hemitted was deserving of a punishment. He thought that he deserved the roughness. But after all, it still hurts. Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands were tied and he couldn¡¯t hug or kiss Yan HeQing, so he felt very aggrieved. He wasn¡¯t afraid of pain, and he didn¡¯t think that it was humiliating to be on the receiving end, but he wanted to hug Yan HeQing. After being reborn for so many days, he couldn¡¯t even hug Yan HeQing once. ¡°Yan-ge, I, I want to hug you¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn pleaded in a low voice, his voice was filled with tears and pleading as he said every word while shaking: ¡°Yan-ge, let me hug you¡­.¡± After calling at him a few times, Yan HeQing¡¯s sanity came back slightly. Yan HeQing took a light breath as a trace of regret gradually shed in his eyes. As soon as he withdrew, trying to stabilize his mood and stop hurting Xiao YuAn, Xiao YuAn panicked when he saw him retreat: ¡°Yan-ge, don¡¯t go away Yan-ge. I, listen to me, I¡­.. I never wanted to live for others before¡­. In my previous life, I lived in hatred for my father and in guilt for my brother, so when I killed myself, I didn¡¯t have any hesitation. But this time, when I cut my throat, I was actually really scared. Yan-ge, I was so afraid, afraid that I couldn¡¯t see you again. I was really scared¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice was so choked that some words were inaudible, so he had to stop and slow down. After saying all that, tears fell from his eyes as he continued: ¡°Yan-ge, I don¡¯t know how to apologize, or how topensate you. I won¡¯t mind if you tie me to the bed day and night, you can do whatever you want. I really don¡¯t mind, it doesn¡¯t matter. But, can you at least let me hug you now¡­..?¡± Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn for a moment. Then he slowly stretched out his hand to untie his belt as he lowered his head to kiss the tears falling down Xiao YuAn¡¯s cheeks and rubbed his red wrists. So devoutly, so gently. As soon as Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands were loosened, he immediately put his arms around Yan HeQing¡¯s shoulders. When he felt that man¡¯s body temperature, his breathing and heartbeat, he burst into tears once more. ¡°Xiao YuAn¡­..¡± Yan HeQing said with a hoarse voice: ¡°Don¡¯t leave me again. I can¡¯t stand it anymore¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn, buried in Yan HeQing¡¯s neck, nodded again repeatedly: ¡°I won¡¯t go, I would never leave you again.¡± Yan HeQing reached out and cupped Xiao YuAn¡¯s chin, lifted his head, and gave him a tender and loving kiss, which made Xiao YuAn stop crying. Yan HeQing then touched the ce where they were connected, but Xiao YuAn felt some shame and stretched out his hand to stop him. At this, Yan HeQing asked: ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡®It really hurts, okay?!!¡¯ Xiao YuAn shook his head and stammered in reply: ¡°N-no, it¡¯s fine, it d-do-doesn¡¯t h-hurt.¡± Yan HeQing gently raised his eyebrows¡­.. Then, Xiao YuAn hugged Yan HeQing tightly, grasping his back and begging for mercy: ¡°Yan-ge, slow¡­. slow down.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Yan HeQing kissed the reddened corners of Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes. Surprisingly, he actually restrained himself and slowed down. Xiao YuAn noticed Yan HeQing¡¯s tenderness and his heart softened. As he hugged his neck, he said: ¡°Yan-ge, look at me.¡± When Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn, he saw how Xiao YuAn curved his eyes and smiled at him: ¡°Yan-ge, I like you so much.¡± His appearance was obviously very different, but that smile was so familiar, as well as those warm smiling eyes reflecting Yan HeQing¡¯s figure. Back then, this was the same smile that dispelled the humiliation and abuse he was put into, melting the ice and snow of the North. At this point, the thousands of mountains and rivers, the wind and clouds, the flowers blooming in Spring, as well as the evesting bright moonlight, were no match for that bright smile, the only light of Yan HeQing¡¯s life. Yan HeQing kissed Xiao YuAn, who was drenched in sweat and whose limbs were lying limply on the bed, and reached out to pull the quilt, tightly wrapping him. Then he dressed himself and went out of the bedchamber to instruct the maids. After a while, arge wooden bucket filled with hot water was sent into the bedchamber. After Yan HeQing called them to go back, he picked up Xiao YuAn, carefully cing him into the hot water, stepped in as well, and cleaned him up. The wooden bucket was veryrge, so the two of them didn¡¯t feel cramped at all. However, Xiao YuAn wouldzily nest against Yan HeQing¡¯s body, who then gently wiped his body with a towel in the mist of the hot water. Xiao YuAn rested for a while until he finally recovered his strength, and as he maintained the posture of sitting with his back against Yan HeQing¡¯s chest, he said with a smile: ¡°Speaking of which, Yan-ge I¡¯ve been wanting to ask. When we parted ways that time, if I had taken the white jade hairpin, would you have tied me and taken me back despite everything?¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t reply and only looked straight at him. Xiao YuAn thought to himself: ¡®I¡¯ve already been tossed around over and over. Now, it¡¯s my turn to tease Yan HeQing, right?¡¯ So, not only did Xiao YuAn not stop, but he alsoughed relentlessly, and said: ¡°But, even if you took me back, if I had struggled and begged for mercy, would you have let me go? Yan-ge, you¡¯re always specially afraid of me getting hurt, right? But, the day I was reborn again, someone kicked me directly out of bed. At that time, my forehead was cut open and it even bled, it hurt so badly! My eyes were also blurry with pain.¡± Yan HeQing breathed slowly. Xiao YuAn rubbed Yan HeQing¡¯s lower body and continued: ¡°Later, that same person didn¡¯t want to see me. Iined and cried bitterly, trying my best to see him, since it wasn¡¯t easy to meet with him. But then he grabbed my neck, and almost choked me to death!¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°I¡­.. I¡­..¡± It was the first time that Xiao YuAn saw Yan HeQing stammering. He was extremely shocked, but also filled with the pleasure of having sessfully teased him without limit. As he reached out his hand, he took Yan HeQing¡¯s hand and ced it on his neck. As he smiled, he said: ¡°Can you help me and take a look at it for me? Do you see any scratches or bruises?¡± Yan HeQing felt like he was touching a burning hot iron, and quickly withdrew his hand. But then, he carefully stroked Xiao YuAn¡¯s fair and long neck, where there were still some small scratches and bruises on the skin. Surrounded by the steaming water, Yan HeQing was able to feel the pulse beating in Xiao YuAn¡¯s neck. Xiao YuAn pretended to sigh exaggeratedly: ¡°Moreover, I was even driven away by that person! And when I think about it, I feel really aggrieved. I should just forget him, leave here and go to the Western Shu Kingdom to live a peaceful life. After all, there are plenty of fish in the sea-¡­..¡± Before Xiao YuAn could finish what he wanted to say, he was suddenly lifted by Yan HeQing. As the loud sound of the water moving was heard, Xiao YuAn¡¯s entire body was surrounded by Yan HeQing, pinned against the wall of the wooden bucket. As Yan HeQing ced his arms on both sides of Xiao YuAn, a very narrow space was formed. Yan HeQing¡¯s chest rose and fell violently as waves of shock surged in his eyes. But in the end, he couldn¡¯t argue or refute Xiao YuAn¡¯s words. He could only hold it back, feeling suffocated and anxious. Xiao YuAnughed out loud, pecked Yan HeQing¡¯s mouth, and said: ¡°A day without you is not a peaceful day. Even if you drive me away a hundred times, I will stille back to find you a hundred times more. I don¡¯t want anyone else but you. It can only be Yan HeQing-¡­.. eh?¡± While Xiao YuAn was speaking, he suddenly felt a hot spot between his legs. As he reached out his hand, making Yan HeQing retreat, Xiao YuAnughed: ¡°Yan-ge, are you up again?¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t say a word, and just when he was about to release Xiao YuAn to solve the ¡®issue¡¯ by himself, a pair of legs suddenly wrapped around his waist. Xiao YuAn smiled and seduced him: ¡°What are you doing? Come here.¡± Yan HeQing paused, and said: ¡°You¡­.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled wantonly: ¡°Are you worried that I won¡¯t be able to stand it? I¡¯m full of energy now, even if we do it several times, I would still stand it! If you don¡¯t believe me, maybe we can try? Yan HeQing, if you don¡¯t hold me now, I¡¯ll run back to the Western Shu Kingdom tomorrow.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes sank as he leaned over and pressed himself against Xiao YuAn. After that sentence, for the rest of the night, no matter how much Xiao YuAn cried and begged for mercy, he still had to bear with the fierce and unforgiving ¡®impact¡¯. In the end, when he was dazed and confused, he could only feel that his insides would regret this in the morning. XYA, baby, a word of advice¡­ Don¡¯t ask more than you can take! Don¡¯t forget that YHQ is a former protagonist of a stallion/harem novel!! His d*** isn¡¯t normal ? Can we have these two being lovey dovey now please ??? (we¡¯re so close to the ending!! Damn!!) Chapter 191: There’ll Always Be a Cannon Fodder Making Trouble. Chapter 191: There¡¯ll Always Be a Cannon Fodder Making Trouble. Xiao YuAn was really anxious as he stepped forward, and said: ¡°I won¡¯t go, let me see your Emperor!¡± As soon as he said those words, two burly, expressionless and oppressive Imperial Bodyguards immediately surrounded Xiao YuAn, from left to right. The Eunuch was still smiling as he said: ¡°His Majesty is extremely busy with government affairs, and he doesn¡¯t have the time to see you. Xiao Jun Wang, listen to my advice and go peacefully. You must go, even if you don¡¯t want to. So please, don¡¯t make things more difficult for us or embarrass yourself.¡± Xiao YuAn forced himself to calm down, and said: ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave. But as a Jun Wang, my intention was toe pay tribute to the Southern Yan Kingdom, so how can I leave so hastily? At least, let me report my leave to His Majesty.¡± The Eunuch shook his head and finally lost all his patience. As he waved his hand, several Imperial Bodyguards came forward and tried to restrain Xiao YuAn, to forcibly take him away. When Tian Xiang saw this, she hurriedly rushed over to protect Xiao YuAn, waving her arms and shouting: ¡°What are you doing?! This is Xiao Jun Wang!¡± An Imperial Bodyguard came forward to pull Tian Xian away, but Xiao YuAn wrenched his wrist free and threw him away. Then, Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Don¡¯t touch her.¡± Knowing that to keep persisting like this would only bring more and more difficulties, Xiao YuAn took a long breath, and said: ¡°Enough! I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°Xiao Jun Wang¡­..¡± Tian Xiang looked at him as her hands were tightly sped together, feeling extremely uneasy. Xiao YuAn patted her head to appease her, then walked up to an Imperial Bodyguard, and said: ¡°Daxiongdi, let me borrow that dagger on your waist.¡± The Imperial Bodyguard didn¡¯t react nor did he move for a while. Xiao YuAn lost his patience and pulled out the dagger himself. He then cut off a corner of his robe, and looked around to find something that he could use to write with, but since he couldn¡¯t find anything, he simply cut his finger with the dagger. ¡°Xiao Jun Wang!¡± Tian Xiang shouted. Xiao YuAn used his blood to write the sentence ¡°I Love You¡± in English, on the piece of robe. Then he folded it, and handed it to Tian Xiang: ¡°Tian Xiang, please help me and bring this to His Majesty.¡± ¡°Is this for His Majesty?¡± Tian Xiang was puzzled: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, what am I going to do after giving this to His Majesty?¡± ¡°As long as His Majesty sees the calligraphy and painting on this cloth, he¡¯ll know everything.¡± Xiao YuAn said solemnly. The Eunuch couldn¡¯t understand what Xiao YuAn was trying to do, but since he didn¡¯t want to keep pestering Xiao YuAn, he simply winked at the Imperial Bodyguards. The Imperial Bodyguards, after receiving the order, went forward and restrained Xiao YuAn. ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, Xiao Jun Wang!!!¡± Tian Xiang shouted in vain, as she helplessly watched Xiao YuAn being escorted away. ¡­ The next morning, Tian Xiang was keeping watch on Yan HeQing¡¯s way back to his bedchamber after the morning Court. As she clutched the cloth in her hands, she looked extremely nervous, to the point where her hands began to sweat. Last night she stared at the blood stains on the cloth more than a dozen times, over and over again. However, she couldn¡¯t understand what that painting was, and inevitably her heart began to waver, feeling at a loss at what to do. ¡®What if it makes His Majesty angry?¡¯ Xiao YuAn and her got along only for a few days, was it really worth risking her life for him like this? Suddenly, she remembered the way Xiao YuAn looked at her when he was being taken away. His eyes were full of desperation and powerlessness, as if he had put all of his eggs in one basket1. As Tian Xiang shook her head, throwing these thoughts out of her mind, she focused on waiting for Yan HeQing to pass by. Tian Xiang¡¯s unusual behaviour had long aroused the suspicion of the Imperial Bodyguards. As an Imperial Bodyguard stepped forward, he asked fiercely: ¡°You! What¡¯s your name?! What are you doing here?!¡± Tian Xiang was startled and unconsciously covered the cloth in her hand. ¡°I- my name is, I, I, I-I¡¯m just walking around.¡± ¡°Walking?¡± With a sneer, the Imperial Bodyguard suddenly reached out to grab the cloth from Tian Xiang¡¯s hand! Tian Xiang¡¯s reaction was quite fast as she clutched the cloth with both hands, and yelled: ¡°This is mine! What are you doing?! What are you doing?! Stop, let me go!¡± But, how could shepete with an Imperial Bodyguard? After a few pulls, the cloth was taken away by him! As the Imperial Bodyguard examined the cloth over and over again, he couldn¡¯t find anything weird, only finding that the blood on the cloth was a quite frightening sight: ¡°What a piece of shit! All right, go back now. His Majesty is going to pass through here.¡± After reminding Tian Xiang, the Imperial Bodyguard left and threw the cloth into the small pond next to him! Tian Xiang shouted and jumped over to pick up the cloth, but the cloth was already wet. The blood on it was blurred by the pond water, leaving only a vague image. Tian Xiang held the wet cloth for a long time, unable toe back to her senses for a while. Nooooo!!! No the cloth with the message! ???????? Poor Tian Xiang ???? how dare that guard treat my girl like that ?????? Footnotes
  1. ¹Â×¢Ò»ÖÀ g¨± zh¨´ y¨© zh¨¬; Chinese idiom, used as a metaphor for using all of your energy to take onest risk at a time of crisis. From¡¶ËÎÊ·¡¤¿Ü×¼´«¡·(s¨°ng sh¨«¡¤k¨°u zh¨³n zhu¨¤n), ¡°History of the Song Dynasty: Kou Zhun¡¯s Biography¡±, by (ÍÑÍÑ tu¨­ tu¨­) Toktoghan [1314-1355], a Mongol politician during the Yuan Dynasty [1279-1368].
Chapter 198: It’s Impossible To Go In. Chapter 198: It¡¯s Impossible To Go In. Xiao YuAn relentlessly pressed himself against Yan HeQing as he yfullyughed: ¡°Come,e,e give your husband a smile. Make your husband happy and I¡¯ll give you whatever you want!¡± Yan HeQing thought for a moment, and raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a stiff smile. Xiao YuAn was stunned at first, but then he covered his stomach and rolled around the bed as heughed out loud: ¡°With a smile like that, no matter who it is, you¡¯ll scare them away!!¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAnughed enough and then he pressed himself on top of Yan HeQing as he said: ¡°Or, I can give you a smile.¡± After saying that, Xiao YuAn bent his eyes towards Yan HeQing and smiled. Then, he reached out, waved his hand in front of Yan HeQing and said: ¡°I¡¯m selling my smile, you have to buy it.¡± Yan HeQing leaned over slightly to kiss Xiao YuAn¡¯s fingertips, but then he opened his mouth to lick and gently bite at them. Xiao YuAn earlobes were slightly red as he quickly withdrew his hand with panic. But then, he heard Yan HeQing ask: ¡°How can I buy it?¡± Xiao YuAn coughed softly, calmed his mind, and then replied: ¡°It¡¯s not expensive. I see that you suit my taste, so I¡¯ll give you a discount. How about you give me a kiss and I¡¯ll give you a smile? Let me tell you, other people won¡¯t get that price!¡± As Xiao YuAn scratched Yan HeQing¡¯s chin while waiting for his beloved kiss, Yan HeQing actually narrowed his eyes as he said with a bad tone of voice: ¡°Others?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.Yan-ge, you¡¯re focusing on the wrong point.¡± Yan HeQing opened Xiao YuAn¡¯s belt, reached into it, and rubbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s sensitive area as he dragged his voice word per word: ¡°What¡¯s the price for others?¡± Xiao YuAn, who was being rubbed, shivered and hurried to say: ¡°What other people? There is no one else!! Even if I, Xiao YuAn, sell myself or my smile, the only one I will sell it to is Yan HeQing!¡± Yan HeQing calcted in his mind the hour when the morning Court would start, turned over, and pressed Xiao YuAn down. Then he simply stripped them both naked, and Xiao YuAn was able to sell everything he could sell. ¡­ After Yan HeQing went to the morning Court, Xiao YuAn narrowed his eyes and rested for a while, until he finally slowly woke up. As he smoothed the confusion of the past few days, he finally cared about the assassination attempt, as well as the rtionship between Xiao Wangye and Xue Yan. ording to the original plot, Xiao YuAn guessed that Huang Yue should be seeking power to rebel, so he tried to get Xiao Wangye on his side, wanting to make the Western Shu Kingdom his own force. However, Xiao Wangye didn¡¯t form an alliance with Huang Yue, which provoked Huang Yue into trying to kill him. After all, if he died, the Western Shu Kingdom could have another Emperor. At this, Huang Yue could once again persuade the Western Shu Kingdom into bing his own power. Without the support of the enemy, Huang Yue won¡¯t be able topete with Yan HeQing at all. Xiao YuAn muttered to himself: ¡°It¡¯s not easy to dare to usurp the throne under the dazzling aura of the Male Lead.¡± ¡®It wouldn¡¯t have been easy for him to return home, and, if he dared to have bad intentions against my Yan-ge, that means that he should¡¯ve hated him fiercely.¡¯ Xiao YuAn thought that, maybe, there would be a clue in the bedchamber where Xiao Wangye lived before, so he dragged Tian Xiang to go there together and find anything. But, Xiao Wangye was a delicate and meticulous person, so Xiao YuAn ended up spending half a day searching in vain. Xiao YuAn sighed as he sat cross legged, when suddenly, he saw that a man was looking at him. It turned out to be Chen Ge. Chen Ge stepped into Xiao YuAn¡¯s bedchamber, and was dumbfounded when he saw the mess inside: ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Xiao Jun Wang, were you attacked again?¡± Xiao YuAn was struggling to put back the things he had just turned out, and waved his hand: ¡°It¡¯s a long story. You can sit down wherever you like.¡± Chen Ge stepped over one pitiful object after the other, pathetically lying on the ground, thinking that even if he didn¡¯t want to be informal, he could only be informal ah! Chen Ge walked towards Xiao YuAn, seeing that he was squatting on the ground, touching his neck as he faced the mess of objects on the ground in distress. Chen Ge, who was condescending, fixed his eyes on Xiao YuAn¡¯s neck, seeing a trace of ambiguous red marks. Chen Ge strangely thought, ¡®Even though it¡¯s Spring, it¡¯s still too cold, and there shouldn¡¯t be any mosquitoes around.¡¯ So, he asked: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, are you sick and have a rash? Remember to go to the Imperial Physician when you¡¯re sick, you shouldn¡¯t endure it on your own.¡± Xiao YuAn was confused: ¡°Ah? No.¡± ¡°But your neck¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly realized what he was talking about and pulled up his cor with a light cough. At one side, Tian Xiang curled her lips with grievance, rubbed her eyes, and continued to clean the bedchamber. Chen Ge noticed that the atmosphere had suddenly turned odd, but at that moment, Chen Ge remembered that the Emperor had gone on his own to intercept Xiao YuAn. As the sudden understanding hit his mind, he started to stammer: ¡°His Majesty, he¡­. has he¡­ to you¡­. you¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t bother to hide it. He simply nodded and said: ¡°Well, yes.¡± Chen Ge was stunned for a moment, his eyes were filled with a disbelieving look, but then his expression gradually became intolerant. Finally, he clenched his fists and shouted: ¡°Is His Majesty torturing you? Xiao Jun Wang, are you hurt anywhere? Is His Majesty forcing you to talk about Huang Yue? Or is it rted to General Xue? How can His Majesty abuse and inflict this selfish torture on you?!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..No, you misunderstood. Why do you all-¡­.This is, is, is, this is¡­. Forget it. What can I do for you?¡± Chen Ge then remembered why he came to find Xiao YuAn: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, when you were attacked on the road, General Xue and I suspected that they were sent by Huang Yue. General Xue is worried that Huang Yue will try to attack you again, so he specially asked me to see if there¡¯s anything I could do to help.¡± Xiao YuAn lifted his head, looked up at Chen Ge, and asked: ¡°Xue Yan?¡± Chen Ge nodded: ¡°General Xue hopes to meet with you tomorrow. I wonder what Xiao Jun Wang thinks?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled: ¡°Yes, of course we have to meet.¡± Chen Ge said: ¡°Alright, then I¡¯lle back to find Xiao Jun Wang tomorrow.¡± After saying that, Chen Ge sped his fist, bid his farewell and went away. But before he could walk half a step, he turned back and said: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, take care. In fact, His Majesty is actually not a cruel and merciless person, it¡¯s just that¡­.¡± Even after a while, what he tried to say, wasn¡¯t said in the end. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t stand it andpleted what he tried to say: ¡°It¡¯s just that he lost his true love and his temperament changed drastically. But in reality, he¡¯s not a tyrannical person.¡± Chen Ge: ¡°Right, exactly.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡®Right¡¯ my ass! This is a hickey! This isn¡¯t toture! What ¡®cruel and merciless¡¯ person? Don¡¯t misunderstand my Yan-ge. My Yan-ge is the best in the whole universe!¡± Chen Ge was stunned at first, but then he took a deep breath, and said: ¡°What?!! What?!!! That¡¯s impossible!!! His Majesty isn¡¯t that kind of person at all!¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°I am Xiao YuAn!¡± Chen Ge: ¡°I know! But even if you have the same name as His Majesty¡¯s lover, His Majesty can¡¯t treat you like a substitute!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.Do you even know about the ¡®substitute¡¯1 thing?¡± Cheng Ge: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang! Even if His Majesty is genuinely mistaken, you should realize it as soon as possible! That in the end, you will be reduced to a situation in which your body will get injured, and your feelings will get hurt!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..You¡¯re trying to figure out my ending now? Thank you very much! Turn to the right and you¡¯ll find the door, I won¡¯t send you off, goodbye!¡± In the end, Chen Ge was driven away in a hurry. By the time Xiao YuAn and Tian Xiang finally finished cleaning up the messy bedchamber, it was already dusk. Tian Xiang diligently put the bedding on the bed, and said: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, I¡¯ll help you tidy up the bedding, so you can sleep directly afterwards. I¡¯ve been drying the bedding in the sun these days, so don¡¯t worry about moisture and dust.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Ah? I¡¯m not sleeping here.¡± ¡°Then where are you going to sleep?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sleep with the Emperor!¡± Tian Xiang¡¯s hands, which were tidying the nket, stopped as she turned back eagerly and advised: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang! Have you forgotten that you were sent away when you went to see His Majesty before? Even though you stayed in His Majesty¡¯s bedchamber a few days ago, it was because of what he did to you¡­. Now that you¡¯re not in a serious condition anymore, His Majesty for sure¡­. Waaahh, Xiao Jun Wang, you¡¯re so pitiful!!¡± Xiao YuAn quickly took a clean in silk handkerchief to wipe Tian Xiang¡¯s tears as he helplessly said: ¡°Don¡¯t cry, why are you crying again? I¡¯m sure this time I won¡¯t be stopped when we go back!¡± Tian Xiang sniffed and said: ¡°Really?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Really!¡± However, when the two of them returned to the Imperial bedchamber, they were stopped. The Imperial Bodyguards, one on the left and the other on the right, shed their swords against the other, blocking the door of the bedchamber: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, please go back!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Tian Xiang: ¡°Waaahh wahhh!¡± Thatst part was so funny ??? The fact that everyone is misunderstanding XYA and YHQ¡¯s rtionship, thinking that YHQ is using the ¡°prince¡± as a recement sextoy for his lover when HE IS the lover in question ?? But, I mean, how could XYA exin? ¡°I¡¯m the emperor y¡¯all hated¡­ in fact, I wasn¡¯t that emperor either. Ie from another world and this world is a novel I read before throwing myself from a building¡­ Im like stealing bodies or something lol¡± Chapter 193: Yan-ge: Shit, Where’s My Wife? Chapter 193: Yan-ge: Shit, Where¡¯s My Wife? ¡°Before you try to assassinate me, at least give a long, fierce speech or an exnation ah! I¡¯ve never seen someone swinging their swords so quickly! Why aren¡¯t you following the procedure?!¡± Xiao YuAn quickly retreated towards the Imperial Guards and screamed. The Imperial Guards rushed over to protect Xiao YuAn, but they were quickly outnumbered, and they weren¡¯t strong enough to defend him. The Imperial Guards were injured, with many bloody cuts on their bodies. Some of them even fell to the ground, trembling uncontrobly. A man in ck saw that there was a great opportunity and took advantage of it, as he waved the sword at Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn narrowly dodged the attack, hitting the man on the back of his neck with his elbow. The man in ck was hit so hard that he fell to the ground, unable to get up for a long time. ¡°Hmm?¡± Xiao YuAn was a little surprised as he moved his wrist. In the past, when he was inside the body of the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom, his body was too weak and his hands had the strength of a chicken. So, even with such a simple hit, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to knock people unconscious. Moreover, Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t able to use any strength, plus his hands and feet felt extremely uncoordinated. However, this new rebirth didn¡¯t feel like that at all. Xiao YuAn was slightly distracted by this new discovery that he didn¡¯t realize that several ck-clothed men had grouped up to attack him, and the shadows of the swords instantly pounced on Xiao YuAn. At that instant, Xiao YuAn retreated in a panic and dodged the swords several times, but it was hard to beat them when he was outnumbered. In the end, Xiao YuAn was unable to resist them. When a ck-clothed man saw that Xiao YuAn revealed a w, he clenched the sword in his hand, and aimed at the other¡¯s chest without mercy. The silver light cut through the sky, and as the carriage curtain rattled, warm blood sshed on Xiao YuAn¡¯s face. ¡­ After a year of wandering around, the separation provoked by death, left behind an air of emptiness and sorrow. In the Imperial Pce of the Southern Yan Kingdom, Yan HeQing was attentively listening to a Minister¡¯s report to the Imperial Court. But, at the beginning, Yan HeQing was ovee with grief, and some people asserted that he wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with the government. Some even took the opportunity to rebel and try to usurp the throne; but in the end, they got their heads chopped off by Yan HeQing after the first sign of a plot appearing. Instead of being as depressed as others had spected, Yan HeQing devoted almost all of his energy into building up the government of the country and the military system. He made himself so busy, to the point where he wouldn¡¯t be able to think about anything else, vowing to have a stable society, as well as a peaceful and prosperous united country. ¡°Your Majesty, the foreign envoys from the Western regions should be here in a few months to pay tribute.¡± A Minister leaned down to present his case. Yan HeQing ¡®hmphed¡¯ and asked: ¡°Are they the ones who broke apart the Western Shu Kingdom?¡± ¡°Answering to His Majesty, yes. This foreign country from the Western region can¡¯t be underestimated. Even though it¡¯s a small nomadic country, it¡¯s also filled with fierce and barbaric people. However, even if they were able to break apart the Western Shu Kingdom¡¯s territory, they can¡¯tpletely annex the Western Shu Kingdom. So, they¡¯lle to pay tribute because they want to use our hands in order to annex the Western Shu Kingdom in one fell swoop.¡± Yan HeQing frowned. As the Minister saw Yan HeQing¡¯s displeasure, he hurried to say: ¡°Your Majesty, I know that you also want to take over the Western Shu Kingdom. However, in this Minister¡¯s humble opinion, we should make an alliance with them instead of establishing such a powerful rival force at a time when our national strength is still in process of bing strong.¡± Yan HeQing rubbed his eyebrows, thought about it for a while, and then said: ¡°We¡¯ll wee the envoys first, and then we¡¯ll make ns.¡± After dealing with political affairs and other important matters, it was already noon when Yan HeQing finally got up and walked back to his bedchamber. Since he didn¡¯t like to make a big fuss, no matter where he went, he would never bring arge number of people with him, only a few Imperial Bodyguards. The Emperor¡¯s indifference was well known throughout the Imperial Pce. In order to avoid being punished, the moment Yan HeQing returned to his bedchamber, the maids and Imperial Guards chose to avoid his way back as much as possible. So, when a maid suddenly flew over from one side, the Imperial Bodyguards around Yan HeQing froze in ce. But, right the next second, the Imperial Bodyguards reacted quickly as they reached to stop the maid, who seemed to have gone mad as she desperately lunged at Yan HeQing. When she was stopped and pulled away, she knelt on the ground, cut her finger, then wrote something on the ground with her blood. Tian Xiang then shouted as she wrote: ¡°Your Majesty, please look at this. Please look, this servant begs His Majesty to look at this.¡± ¡°What a mad woman! Get the hell out of here!¡± One Imperial Bodyguard roared as he went forward to pull Tian Xiang away, his action was so rough that he even aimed at Tian Xiang¡¯s neck. However, someone suddenly held his wrist, stopping this motion. When the Imperial Bodyguard turned around and saw that it was Yan HeQing, he was scared to death: ¡°Your Majesty, this lowly one failed to carry out his duty. This lowly one will take this mad woman away.¡± Yan HeQing looked at him coldly, and a sense of overwhelming oppression fell on the Imperial Bodyguard, silencing him immediately. Tian Xiang was still kneeling on the ground, still writing with her bleeding finger. Yan HeQing half crouched down, reached out to stop her, and asked: ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Tian Xiang shook her head violently and pointed at the ground: ¡°Your Majesty, Look at this! Look at this!!¡± Ahhhhhh stay away from mah boi ???? (I¡¯m happy that he got his strength back, but I just want him to be okay, no more injuries ????) Is YHQ going to finally read the ¡°I love you¡± and realize that XYA is back???!!! Chapter 194: Chasing. Chapter 194: Chasing. Yan HeQing took a look at the distorted blood on the ground, but he couldn¡¯t understand what Tian Xiang had written. He could only assume that this girl must be mentally unstable. So, he stood up, and told her to leave. When Tian Xiang saw that Yan HeQing had no reaction after seeing that design, she immediately lost her breath. She dejectedly sat on the ground, until someone kindly reached out to help her up. On the other side, Yan HeQing stopped abruptly after taking two steps. As if he thought of something, his breath became short and hurried. Then he abruptly turned around and walked back to the ce where Tian Xiang had just painted with her blood. Before, he was looking at the words facing Tian Xiang, so he couldn¡¯t understand that pattern at the beginning; but now, he was looking at that pattern in the same way Tian Xiang saw them. The bloody words were crooked. There was a great separation between the horizontal and vertical strokes; but when Yan HeQing looked at it, his eyes suddenly fluttered and he started to tremble all over. His jaw tightened, his hands clenched, and suddenly, he turned and ran towards Tian Xiang. After being helped up, Tian Xiang was waiting for her punishment to be arranged with a sad look on her face, but suddenly, her shoulder was held from behind with great force. When Tian Xiang looked back and saw that it was Yan HeQing, she was frightened to death. Yan HeQing couldn¡¯t even speak fluently at this time. With thest trace of reason, he asked Tian Xiang with a trembling voice: ¡°Who taught you to write this?¡± ¡­ Xiao YuAn stared nkly at the scene in front of him. Just now, the eyes of the man who wanted to kill him were full of consternation and panic. After spitting out a mouthful of blood, the long sword, which was a few millimeters away from Xiao YuAn, fell on the ground with a ng, while a sharp arrow pierced through the man¡¯s chest. Just at the most critical moment, the sound of horse¡¯s hooves suddenly came from a distance. A sharp arrow whistling through the sky, steadily passed through the chest of the ck-clothed man who wanted to stab Xiao YuAn. A man with a bow and arrows, led several Imperial Guards to a gallop as he shouted: ¡°Stop! Who dares to touch Xiao Jun Wang again?!¡± After seeing that the situation had reversed, the ck-clothed men hurriedly retreated, each running in a different direction, and disappearing in a short while. Xiao YuAn, who had just survived an assassination attempt, sat down on the ground and let out a long breath. Only then did he realize that his clothes had been cut by the sword, his body also had some deep and shallow wounds that looked kinda ugly. Chen Ge, who came to the rescue, came forward on his Imperial horse, stopped in front of Xiao YuAn and dismounted. As he stretched out his hand to pull him up, he said: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, have you been seriously injured? I waste.¡± Xiao YuAn waved his hand: ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Chen Ge took a long breath: ¡°Fortunately, we arrived in time. Otherwise, the consequences would¡¯ve been unimaginable.¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly realized something. He immediately grabbed Chen Ge¡¯s arm with shining eyes, and his tone of voice was slightly higher: ¡°Did His Majesty send you toe to me?¡± Looking at Xiao YuAn¡¯s expectant gaze, Chen Ge¡¯s face showed some reluctance. After he deliberated for a long time, he finally opened his mouth: ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t His Majesty. Ah, it was General Xue who asked me toe, because he had the feeling that someone would have bad intentions, silently waiting for the right opportunity to ambush you on the road and kill you. So, he asked me to keep you safe. Ah right, even though General Xue Yan has already begged for his old bones1, and he¡¯s no longer a General, I just can¡¯t help to keep calling him like that. I ask Xiao Jun Wang to not mind it.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes darkened, and with a trace of hope, he asked: ¡°Can you take me to see the Emperor?¡± Chen Ge scratched his head in distress and said: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, I can¡¯t take you to see His Majesty. But I¡¯ll let my subordinates send you to the Western Shu Kingdom safely. Moreover, with your status, why do you need to humiliate yourself in the Southern Yan Kingdom? You¡¯d better go as soon as possible and leave the Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s territory.¡± Finally, under the half-persuasion and half-pushing of everyone, Xiao YuAn once again got in the carriage, resuming his journey to the Western Shu Kingdom. After Chen Ge instructed his subordinates to make sure that Xiao YuAn would be sent back to the Western Shu Kingdom safely, he then watched as the carriage went away. A Deputy General next to him asked: ¡°General Chen, the next time we¡¯ll meet with Xiao Jun Wang, will also be the time when we¡¯ll ¡®meet¡¯ with the soldiers of the Western Shu Kingdom, right?¡± Chen Ge sighed: ¡°The Western Shu Kingdom has good rtions with the Southern Yan Kingdom. In order to avenge the destruction of our Kingdom, His Majesty attacked the Northern Kingdom, and in order to take back the conquered territory of our Kingdom by the Eastern Wu Kingdom, His Majesty conquered the Eastern Wu Kingdom. However, it¡¯s against his good faith to attack the Western Shu Kingdom. But, since someone a while ago said that they wanted to see His Majesty¡¯s unifiednd, he¡­.. Ah¡­.. Forget it, let¡¯s not speak about it. We should go back.¡± As soon as Chen Ge said those words, the sound of urgently galloping hooves suddenly came from a distance. When Chen Ge turned his head with confusion, and after seeing the man more clearly, he was momentarily surprised. As the horse neighed in the dusk, the dust left behind by the horse was flying in the air, and the shadow of a solitary figure grew longer and longer. As soon as the man pulled the reins on the horse, stopping right in front of Chen Ge, he nced at the blood stains on the ground and the corpse of a ck-clothed man. The indifference in his eyes became extremely dark and deep as he asked with an unkind tone: ¡°Where is he?¡± Of course, that man didn¡¯t mention any name, but for some reason, Chen Ge suddenly understood who he was asking for, and quickly pointed in the direction: ¡°He¡¯s not far away!¡± Without hesitation, the man raised the whip, and after hitting the horse, the white horse galloped like an arrow towards the direction pointed by Chen Ge. Chen Ge mah boi ??????????????? Ahhhh XYA is safe, and YHQ now knows that he came back!!!! They¡¯re so close to meet each other!!!! (o¡äÀŸ`o)? Footnotes
  1. Æòº¡¹Ç q¨« h¨¢i g¨³; Chinese idiom, it refers to the request of ancient Officials to retire due to old age / Pretext to retire from work in ancient Chinese Officialdom. During the Western Han Dynasty, the Crown Prince¡¯s tutor, Shu Guang, who was already old, requested the Emperor to retire with his nephew so that his old bones could be buried in his hometown. Their request was approved, and when they left the Capital, the public Ministers and great Officials bid farewell to them outside the city.
Chapter 195: I Want Us To Know And Cherish Each Other, Living A Long Life Together. Chapter 195: I Want Us To Know And Cherish Each Other, Living A Long Life Together1. The carriage was forced to stop. At that moment, Xiao YuAn was supporting his head, thinking hard about what to do next. When suddenly, the horse pulling the carriage was frightened as it made the carriage sway left and right a few times before settling down. Xiao YuAn was a little stunned by the sudden movement, and when he heard a noiseing from outside, he immediately became quiet. ¡®What¡¯s going on?!¡¯ ¡®Is it another assassination attempt?! Is it not over yet?¡¯ Xiao YuAn was puzzled. When he lifted the curtain, he saw a white horse in front of the carriage, blocking the way. Riding the horse, there was an elegant and handsome young man. When he looked over, he also met Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes for a moment. ¡®Why were we separated for such a long time, when I can¡¯t fall asleep alone at night? Why weren¡¯t the letters I sent to you with great care replied? Why is it so difficult to mend the broken Luan mirror in the clear sky2? Why are we looking at each other without saying a word?¡¯ Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t take his eyes away from him at all. As he jumped off the carriage, his hands and feet didn¡¯t dare to go forward, feeling at a loss on what to do. Yan HeQing then dismounted, held the reins, and continued to stare at Xiao YuAn without saying a word. ¡®This scene it¡¯s too familiar.¡¯ Even though they were silent, their eyes had already told each other thousands of words. Xiao YuAn had once imagined the scene of meeting Yan HeQing again countless times, and he even thought of the countless types of words that he could say, to prove that he was Xiao YuAn. But now, when he was actually faced with this scenario, Xiao YuAn found himselfpletely unable to say a word. The only thing he wanted to do, was to look at the person in front of him, greedily staring at his eyebrows and eyes. Xiao YuAn thought to himself: ¡®How could I make this man wait for me over and over again?¡¯ In the year of Xiao YuAn¡¯s first rebirth, when they were apart from each other because of the war, he wished that he would just die. In the year of his death, Yan HeQing offered a strong wine sacrifice, asking him toe back. Feeling as if his heart was being pierced by a knife, he was anxious and helpless, as if he had woken up from a dream that was both happy and sad. Finally, Xiao YuAn took a deep breath, took two steps forward, raised a warm smile to Yan HeQing, and said softly: ¡°When we separated the first time, I offered a toast to Heaven and Earth for you, my words were the wine, and the three wishes were the cups. Now, I want to ask you three questions: Can I be there when youe back from the war? Can I walk the same path as you, and hold your hand? If you¡¯re happy and healthy, with no worries in your life, can I watch over you? Now that I finally understand what you didn¡¯t want to forget, then don¡¯t. But now, can you tell me if I understood toote?¡± After finishing his speech, Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice was already shaking and choking. Even though it was early spring, the wind was still bitterly cold. As some snowkes danced in the air, his eyes were red, and his head was slightly covered with white. Yan HeQing didn¡¯t reply, he simply closed his eyes, and took out a hairpin from his bosom. The jade hairpin had some cracks in it, which made it look distorted and hideous due to the re-adhesion. As Yan HeQing slowly raised his eyes, his palm went up, handing over the jade hairpin to Xiao YuAn. If Yan HeQing¡¯s fingertips weren¡¯t trembling, he would¡¯ve thought that he was as cold as usual. ¡®The year when I was punished to kneel in the snow, surrounded by the cold weather. The year when the smell of wine was overflowing in the Yuhua Tower. The year when we parted ways in tears. The year when we didn¡¯t know how tomunicate our feelings for each other, in the deep of the mountain. The year when I made my feelings clear in your residence in Taoyuan Vige. The year when you were in danger in the enemy¡¯s army, when I searched and searched for you. The year when I wanted to reunite with you so badly that I rode alone for thousands of miles. The year when you waved the sword to kill yourself, when I cried and howled.¡¯ ¡®That was the origin of our fate and demise3, as well as the endless greed and infatuation I feel for you.¡¯ Now, as Xiao YuAn slowly reached out his hand, he pressed the jade hairpin back in Yan HeQing¡¯s palm, and held his hand tightly. Xiao YuAn burst into tears as he said: ¡°This time, I won¡¯t let you smash it again.¡± ¡­ At dusk, in the Imperial Pce of the Southern Yan Kingdom, at the Emperor¡¯s bedchambers, two maids were talking as they worked. One of the maids had just been sent to take care of the Emperor¡¯s bedchamber, and as she shook out the bedding, she said: ¡°Howe His Majesty isn¡¯t in his bedchamber at this hour?¡± ¡°It is quite normal for His Majesty to be busy with the affairs of the country, so he doesn¡¯t sleep in his bedchamber that often.¡± The other maid replied. ¡°Jiejie, is it true that His Majesty is as beautiful as the stories say? If so, then do you think that he can¡¯t stand being in such a big bedchamber without a concubine to apany him, because it feels cold and silent?¡± Since there was no one around, the new maid couldn¡¯t help but wonder, and asked in a whisper. The other maid scolded her and knocked her head: ¡°Why are you so curious? We shouldn¡¯t be curious about His Majesty¡¯s affairs. Is there something else we can talk about?¡± The new maid stuck out her tongue, but still didn¡¯t hold back: ¡°I just don¡¯t believe it. Maybe His Majesty is hiding a little beauty somewhere here?¡± As soon as she spoke, the door of the bedchamber was suddenly kicked open, and the maids trembled with fear. When they looked back, they immediately knelt, and said with a trembling voice: ¡°Your Majesty, Yo-your Ma-majesty!¡± Yan HeQing walked in with big steps as he held someone in his arms. Of course, his posture was very steady, but Yan HeQing¡¯s arms were tightly clenched; as if he loosened them for even a little bit, the person in his arms would break free and run away. ¡°Get out, close the door and don¡¯t let anyone disturb me.¡± After Yan HeQing threw out those words, he went straight towards the bed with that person in his arms. The two maids hastily got up and walked out of the bedchamber with their heads bowed. When the new maid closed the door, she just so happened to see Yan HeQing throwing the man in his arms onto the bed. The other maid murmured: ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve been His Majesty so angry¡­.¡± The new maid expressed an ¡®ah-ha¡¯, and said: ¡°Could it be that¡­.?¡± ¡°Shh, don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± At that moment, Xiao YuAn was also a bit confused when he was suddenly thrown onto the bed by Yan HeQing, and before he could react, Yan HeQing had already untied his belt. Then he pulled Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands up and used the belt to tie his hands to the bedpost. When Xiao YuAn had just regained his senses, his hands had already been firmly tied. Although the person in front of him was as expressionless as always, Xiao YuAn could feel his anger. Like the calm breeze before a tsunami, where after the breeze brushed the tips of your hair, a sudden gust of wind appeared, followed by the roaring, huge waves that relentlessly swallowed everything. ¡°Yan, Yan, Yan-ge¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn shouted cautiously. Yan HeQing, as if he hadn¡¯t heard him, stretched out his hand to tear open Xiao YuAn¡¯s clothes. Xiao YuAn instinctively shrank his body, trying to cover himself, but because his hands were bound he couldn¡¯t move freely. He was like a fish on the cutting board4, at the mercy of Yan HeQing. The moment his clothes were torn open, the deep and shallow scratches on Xiao YuAn¡¯s body were reflected into Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes.They were left from the fight with those ck clothed men. Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes were as dark as ck jade, and his whole body was covered with a faintyer of anger. As he looked at the wounds, and reached out to touch them, Xiao YuAn said softly: ¡°It¡¯s all right, they don¡¯t hurt. They will heal by tomorrow.¡± After saying that, Xiao YuAn leaned forward to kiss Yan HeQing, but Yan HeQing inclined his head, dodging his approach. Xiao YuAn was slightly stunned, and his eyes shed with a trace of panic. When Yan HeQing looked up at him, he leaned down and lightly kissed the scratch on Xiao YuAn¡¯s waist. ¡°Mm-hmm¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s body was very tense, and he could only lean against the bedpost, unable to escape at all. As the soft tongue licked the wound, he felt an itchy and tingling sensationing from his waist. It was slightly painful, like dense fine needles and light feathers, sometimes pricking, and sometimes tingling. Xiao YuAn began to breathe quickly, but his reason hasn¡¯t beenpletely swallowed up as he asked softly: ¡°Yan-ge, are you angry?¡± The kiss suddenly turned into a bite, and the pain from the wound on his waist made Xiao YuAn frown as his abdomen trembled slightly. When Yan HeQing raised his head, and looked into Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes, he asked: ¡°Xiao YuAn, when you ced the sword against your neck, did you even think of me?¡± With a lump in his throat and misty eyes, Xiao YuAn bowed his head and thought: ¡®At that time, I said so many apologizing words, and kowtowed so many times, thinking that my life would, more or less,pensate for some of the umted resentment. But now that I¡¯m once again reborn, I owe nothing to anyone.¡¯ ¡®But, who would¡¯ve thought that, in the end, I still had a debt. Even though this time is just to one person, the debt is extremely high, and I don¡¯t know how to repay it.¡¯ ¡®Death can feel so easy, because you¡¯re just running away without looking back. But from then on, the world has one more person alone, one more person in distress, someone who will grow old, waiting.¡¯ ¡®Those who are alive are the ones who suffer the most.¡¯ ¡®And Yan HeQing¡¯s pain was given by me.¡¯ ¡®Even if I could grow a thousand mouths, no matter how clever I am, I would still not be able to argue.¡¯ Xiao YuAn was still silent, when suddenly, he felt that his own lower body was cold. When he realized that his pants had been taken off, he saw how Yan HeQing slightly moistened his fingers, and inserted them into Xiao YuAn¡¯s body. Xiao YuAn was in pain, and he couldn¡¯t help but want to retreat, but since his hands were tied in the bedpost, there was nowhere to run. As Yan HeQing inserted a second finger, his eyes were slightly red and his tone was quite cold as he asked Xiao YuAn: ¡°Xiao YuAn, you¡¯re always thinking about dying for others, but have you ever thought of living for me?¡± Finally!!! They¡¯re together again ???????????? Uh oh, YHQ is angry !! (¡É¡ä©n`¡É) Footnotes
  1. Sentence from the folk song¡¶ÉÏа¡·from the Han Dynasty [206 BC-220 AD]. ¡°I want us to know and cherish each other¡± means to love each other and be happy together, after a careful choice, deciding that that person is worthy of love. ¡°Living a long life together¡±, means that their destinies will be linked forever, and their love will never decline. The first line is an expression of the rtionship¡¯s status, and the second line is a further expression of the love¡¯s faithfulness.
  2. ΪºÎÇçÌìÄѲ¹ð½¾µËé w¨¨i h¨¦ q¨ªng ti¨¡n n¨¢n b¨³ lu¨¢n j¨¬ng su¨¬; ¡°Luan Mirror¡± ismonly used in poems as a metaphor for husband and wife being separated by death/breaking up, which makes them feel loneliness and sorrow. ¡°Clear Sky¡± is sometimes used to suggest that something is really sad. So, this sentence can be tranted as: ¡°Why is it so devastating and hard to make up our separation?¡±
  3. ÔµÆðÔµÃð yu¨¢n q¨« yu¨¢n mi¨¨; Often used to describe a close rtionship that fell apart/became distant.
  4. A metaphor for when you¡¯re put in a desperate situation and left at the mercy of others.
Chapter 196: Yan. Chapter 196: Yan. TRIGGER WARNING: Dubious consent at the beginning of the chapter. Xiao YuAn wanted to reach out to hug Yan HeQing and kiss him, but his hands couldn¡¯t break free, so he had to softly cry for help: ¡°Yan-ge¡­.¡± ¡°Xiao YuAn, I¡¯m willing to wait for you, but could you at least tell me, when you go, for how long do I have to wait for you toe back? A year? A decade? 20 years maybe? Or do I have to stop waiting all together?¡± Every time Yan HeQing asked a question, his eyes would turn red, but when he asked them, he was trembling with fear. When Xiao YuAn saw Yan HeQing in a state like this, his heart was filled with remorse and distress. For Xiao YuAn, parting ways with his loved one was justmiting suicide by cutting his throat with a sword. But for Yan HeQing, it was like the sunny days turning white, and the beautiful flowers blooming in March looking disgustingly red1. After those questions, there was a long silence, and anger gradually engulfed Yan HeQing¡¯s reasoning. As he lowered his head, he gnawed at Xiao YuAn¡¯s nipples. Yan HeQing wanted to tease this man a little more, so that he could understand that everything in front of him wasn¡¯t a dream, letting himself feel that this man had reallye back. Compared to a lovingly type of sexual intercouse, for Yan HeQing, it was more like venting his anger. But Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t want Yan HeQing to be soft to him, because he thought that the sin hemitted was deserving of a punishment. He thought that he deserved the roughness. But after all, it still hurts. Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands were tied and he couldn¡¯t hug or kiss Yan HeQing, so he felt very aggrieved. He wasn¡¯t afraid of pain, and he didn¡¯t think that it was humiliating to be on the receiving end, but he wanted to hug Yan HeQing. After being reborn for so many days, he couldn¡¯t even hug Yan HeQing once. ¡°Yan-ge, I, I want to hug you¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn pleaded in a low voice, his voice was filled with tears and pleading as he said every word while shaking: ¡°Yan-ge, let me hug you¡­.¡± After calling at him a few times, Yan HeQing¡¯s sanity came back slightly. Yan HeQing took a light breath as a trace of regret gradually shed in his eyes. As soon as he withdrew, trying to stabilize his mood and stop hurting Xiao YuAn, Xiao YuAn panicked when he saw him retreat: ¡°Yan-ge, don¡¯t go away Yan-ge. I, listen to me, I¡­.. I never wanted to live for others before¡­. In my previous life, I lived in hatred for my father and in guilt for my brother, so when I killed myself, I didn¡¯t have any hesitation. But this time, when I cut my throat, I was actually really scared. Yan-ge, I was so afraid, afraid that I couldn¡¯t see you again. I was really scared¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice was so choked that some words were inaudible, so he had to stop and slow down. After saying all that, tears fell from his eyes as he continued: ¡°Yan-ge, I don¡¯t know how to apologize, or how topensate you. I won¡¯t mind if you tie me to the bed day and night, you can do whatever you want. I really don¡¯t mind, it doesn¡¯t matter. But, can you at least let me hug you now¡­..?¡± Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn for a moment. Then he slowly stretched out his hand to untie his belt as he lowered his head to kiss the tears falling down Xiao YuAn¡¯s cheeks and rubbed his red wrists. So devoutly, so gently. As soon as Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands were loosened, he immediately put his arms around Yan HeQing¡¯s shoulders. When he felt that man¡¯s body temperature, his breathing and heartbeat, he burst into tears once more. ¡°Xiao YuAn¡­..¡± Yan HeQing said with a hoarse voice: ¡°Don¡¯t leave me again. I can¡¯t stand it anymore¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn, buried in Yan HeQing¡¯s neck, nodded again repeatedly: ¡°I won¡¯t go, I would never leave you again.¡± Yan HeQing reached out and cupped Xiao YuAn¡¯s chin, lifted his head, and gave him a tender and loving kiss, which made Xiao YuAn stop crying. Yan HeQing then touched the ce where they were connected, but Xiao YuAn felt some shame and stretched out his hand to stop him. At this, Yan HeQing asked: ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡®It really hurts, okay?!!¡¯ Xiao YuAn shook his head and stammered in reply: ¡°N-no, it¡¯s fine, it d-do-doesn¡¯t h-hurt.¡± Yan HeQing gently raised his eyebrows¡­.. Then, Xiao YuAn hugged Yan HeQing tightly, grasping his back and begging for mercy: ¡°Yan-ge, slow¡­. slow down.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Yan HeQing kissed the reddened corners of Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes. Surprisingly, he actually restrained himself and slowed down. Xiao YuAn noticed Yan HeQing¡¯s tenderness and his heart softened. As he hugged his neck, he said: ¡°Yan-ge, look at me.¡± When Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn, he saw how Xiao YuAn curved his eyes and smiled at him: ¡°Yan-ge, I like you so much.¡± His appearance was obviously very different, but that smile was so familiar, as well as those warm smiling eyes reflecting Yan HeQing¡¯s figure. Back then, this was the same smile that dispelled the humiliation and abuse he was put into, melting the ice and snow of the North. At this point, the thousands of mountains and rivers, the wind and clouds, the flowers blooming in Spring, as well as the evesting bright moonlight, were no match for that bright smile, the only light of Yan HeQing¡¯s life. Yan HeQing kissed Xiao YuAn, who was drenched in sweat and whose limbs were lying limply on the bed, and reached out to pull the quilt, tightly wrapping him. Then he dressed himself and went out of the bedchamber to instruct the maids. After a while, arge wooden bucket filled with hot water was sent into the bedchamber. After Yan HeQing called them to go back, he picked up Xiao YuAn, carefully cing him into the hot water, stepped in as well, and cleaned him up. The wooden bucket was veryrge, so the two of them didn¡¯t feel cramped at all. However, Xiao YuAn wouldzily nest against Yan HeQing¡¯s body, who then gently wiped his body with a towel in the mist of the hot water. Xiao YuAn rested for a while until he finally recovered his strength, and as he maintained the posture of sitting with his back against Yan HeQing¡¯s chest, he said with a smile: ¡°Speaking of which, Yan-ge I¡¯ve been wanting to ask. When we parted ways that time, if I had taken the white jade hairpin, would you have tied me and taken me back despite everything?¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t reply and only looked straight at him. Xiao YuAn thought to himself: ¡®I¡¯ve already been tossed around over and over. Now, it¡¯s my turn to tease Yan HeQing, right?¡¯ So, not only did Xiao YuAn not stop, but he alsoughed relentlessly, and said: ¡°But, even if you took me back, if I had struggled and begged for mercy, would you have let me go? Yan-ge, you¡¯re always specially afraid of me getting hurt, right? But, the day I was reborn again, someone kicked me directly out of bed. At that time, my forehead was cut open and it even bled, it hurt so badly! My eyes were also blurry with pain.¡± Yan HeQing breathed slowly. Xiao YuAn rubbed Yan HeQing¡¯s lower body and continued: ¡°Later, that same person didn¡¯t want to see me. Iined and cried bitterly, trying my best to see him, since it wasn¡¯t easy to meet with him. But then he grabbed my neck, and almost choked me to death!¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°I¡­.. I¡­..¡± It was the first time that Xiao YuAn saw Yan HeQing stammering. He was extremely shocked, but also filled with the pleasure of having sessfully teased him without limit. As he reached out his hand, he took Yan HeQing¡¯s hand and ced it on his neck. As he smiled, he said: ¡°Can you help me and take a look at it for me? Do you see any scratches or bruises?¡± Yan HeQing felt like he was touching a burning hot iron, and quickly withdrew his hand. But then, he carefully stroked Xiao YuAn¡¯s fair and long neck, where there were still some small scratches and bruises on the skin. Surrounded by the steaming water, Yan HeQing was able to feel the pulse beating in Xiao YuAn¡¯s neck. Xiao YuAn pretended to sigh exaggeratedly: ¡°Moreover, I was even driven away by that person! And when I think about it, I feel really aggrieved. I should just forget him, leave here and go to the Western Shu Kingdom to live a peaceful life. After all, there are plenty of fish in the sea-¡­..¡± Before Xiao YuAn could finish what he wanted to say, he was suddenly lifted by Yan HeQing. As the loud sound of the water moving was heard, Xiao YuAn¡¯s entire body was surrounded by Yan HeQing, pinned against the wall of the wooden bucket. As Yan HeQing ced his arms on both sides of Xiao YuAn, a very narrow space was formed. Yan HeQing¡¯s chest rose and fell violently as waves of shock surged in his eyes. But in the end, he couldn¡¯t argue or refute Xiao YuAn¡¯s words. He could only hold it back, feeling suffocated and anxious. Xiao YuAnughed out loud, pecked Yan HeQing¡¯s mouth, and said: ¡°A day without you is not a peaceful day. Even if you drive me away a hundred times, I will stille back to find you a hundred times more. I don¡¯t want anyone else but you. It can only be Yan HeQing-¡­.. eh?¡± While Xiao YuAn was speaking, he suddenly felt a hot spot between his legs. As he reached out his hand, making Yan HeQing retreat, Xiao YuAnughed: ¡°Yan-ge, are you up again?¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t say a word, and just when he was about to release Xiao YuAn to solve the ¡®issue¡¯ by himself, a pair of legs suddenly wrapped around his waist. Xiao YuAn smiled and seduced him: ¡°What are you doing? Come here.¡± Yan HeQing paused, and said: ¡°You¡­.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled wantonly: ¡°Are you worried that I won¡¯t be able to stand it? I¡¯m full of energy now, even if we do it several times, I would still stand it! If you don¡¯t believe me, maybe we can try? Yan HeQing, if you don¡¯t hold me now, I¡¯ll run back to the Western Shu Kingdom tomorrow.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes sank as he leaned over and pressed himself against Xiao YuAn. After that sentence, for the rest of the night, no matter how much Xiao YuAn cried and begged for mercy, he still had to bear with the fierce and unforgiving ¡®impact¡¯. In the end, when he was dazed and confused, he could only feel that his insides would regret this in the morning. XYA, baby, a word of advice¡­ Don¡¯t ask more than you can take! Don¡¯t forget that YHQ is a former protagonist of a stallion/harem novel!! His d*** isn¡¯t normal ? Can we have these two being lovey dovey now please ??? (we¡¯re so close to the ending!! Damn!!) Chapter 197: Even If You Express Your Love Openly, It’s Impossible Others Will Understand. Chapter 197: Even If You Express Your Love Openly, It¡¯s Impossible Others Will Understand. The next morning, when the dawn was about to break in the East, Yan HeQing got up early and went to the Court, while Xiao YuAn was still sleeping soundly. Yan HeQing knew that he was already quite tired from yesterday¡¯s activities, so he bowed his head to tenderly kiss his beloved. His eyes, which used to be cold as ice, softened a lot. Xiao YuAn, who was kissed twice, subconsciously grabbed the quilt to cover up his head. However, Yan HeQing reached out to pull down the quilt and teased him a little bit more before reluctantly standing up. Yan HeQing walked two steps away when he suddenly turned back in a hurry. After he saw Xiao YuAn lying peacefully on his bed, he breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing that he shouldn¡¯t do it, he ruthlessly pushed down his inner fears and forced himself to go out of the bedchamber. It was hard for him to walk away from the bedchamber, but as soon as he got out, he suddenly saw that there was a thickyer of snow outside. Just like how the red and white intertwined in one that depressing day. Yan HeQing was stuck in ce, panic emerging in his eyes. Right then he turned around, walked back to the bedchamber, leaned down and pressed himself against Xiao YuAn as he kissed him for a bit. Feeling the warmth of the man in his arms, Xiao YuAn vaguely cried ¡®Yan-ge¡¯ before giving up. ¡°Yan-ge? Are you going to the morning Court?¡± Xiao YuAn was still half-asleep and asked vaguely. Yan HeQing hummed. Xiao YuAn said intermittently: ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wait¡­ for you¡­ toe back.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes fluttered as he lowered his head and kissed Xiao YuAn on the forehead: ¡°Alright.¡± When Xiao YuAn woke up, it was already noon and the sun was hanging high in the sky. Xiao YuAn moved his soft limbs and slowly opened his eyes. When Tian Xiang, who was standing at the side, saw that he was finally awake, she hurriedly came forward: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, you¡¯re finally awake. This servant was waiting to help you change your clothes.¡± Xiao YuAn looked around and asked: ¡°Where¡¯s His Majesty?¡± Tian Xiang said: ¡°His Majesty has gone to the Court. Don¡¯t worry, Xiao Jun Wang, His Majesty won¡¯te back for a while, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± ¡®Hiss¡­. Why is she saying such strange words?¡¯ Xiao YuAn held his waist and tried to sit up, but when he leaned forward, he suddenly felt paining from a ¡®certain ce¡¯. With a miserable cry, heid on his back again. ¡®My waist ah, my waist! Why did I have to flirt with the Male Protagonist of a Stallion novel who spent a night with 10 women? This is retribution! Punishment!¡¯ When she saw Xiao YuAn¡¯s miserable appearance, Tian Xiang¡¯s eyes suddenly turned red. When Xiao YuAn saw her like that, he forgot about his pain and quickly asked softly: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Who bullied you?¡± Tian Xang shook her head and sobbed: ¡°This maidservant is all right. It¡¯s just that this maidservant feels sorry for Xiao Jun Wang. Why do you have to suffer like this when you¡¯re such a good person?¡± ¡®What, what the hell?¡¯ Xiao YuAn was confused, and Tian Xiang was still wiping her tears: ¡°If I had known this would happen, this maidservant wouldn¡¯t have shown that pattern to His Majesty. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have been brought back to the Southern Yan Kingdom by His Majesty, and you wouldn¡¯t have been insulted like this. It¡¯s all this maidservant¡¯s fault.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°No¡­. No¡­.. Tian Xiang, you misunderstood. I¡¯m not¡­. I know what it looks like¡­. But I wanted to do it. It¡¯s not what you think.¡± Tian Xiang: ¡°I know, Xiao Jun Wang, that you¡¯re willing to do it for the sake of the Western Shu Kingdom, but this maidservant thinks that you shouldn¡¯t suffer this kind of crime. It¡¯s too miserable! Waah wah!¡± Xiao YuAn stroked his forehead with one hand as he thought; ¡®How the hell am I supposed to exin this?¡¯ Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from outside the bedchamber. Yan HeQing, who hurried back from the morning Court, walked in at a quick pace. Tian Xian wiped her tears in a hurry, bowed, and retreated to the side in fear. When Yan HeQing saw that Xiao YuAn was awake, he sat on the side of the bed and reached out to touch his hair: ¡°Do you feel any difort?¡± Although they did a lotst night, Yan HeQing did a good job in cleaning him and massaging him afterwards, so Xiao YuAn just felt tired, not really feeling hurt. He shook his head as he said with a smile: ¡°No.¡± Yan HeQing asked again: ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± Xiao YuAn saidzily: ¡°I¡¯ll just have some porridge and noodles with a clear soup. I felt really hungry when you mentioned that.¡± Yan HeQing hummed and got up to order the food personally, emphasizing a few times that they should be quick before returning to the bedside. Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°Do you still have Court affairs to deal with?¡± Yan HeQing nodded: ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± ¡°Then you should go ahead, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Xiao YuAn waved his hand boldly. Suddenly, he saw that Tian Xiang was carefully ncing at them, so he waved his hand towards Yan HeQing¡¯s hand, and said: ¡°Yan-ge,e closer.¡± Yan HeQing leaned down, only to be kissed by Xiao YuAn. Then heughed and said: ¡°Yan-ge, I really love you. How about you?¡± The corners of Yan HeQing¡¯s mouth raised slightly as he replied: ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Xiao YuAn was dissatisfied with that reply: ¡°Hum, what does that mean?¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°Me too.¡± Now Xiao YuAn was more satisfied, even kissing him on the cheek several times before letting him go. After Yan HeQing left, Xiao YuAn looked at Tian Xiang with a smile on his face, thinking; ¡®My words may be weak, but my actions should be more convincing.¡¯ Tian Xiang didn¡¯t say anything, she simply bowed her head and helped Xiao YuAn change his clothes in silence. While she was still busy tying up his clothes, she suddenly started to cry. Xiao YuAn was startled and hurriedly wiped her tears in a panic. Before he could ask why she was crying, Tian Xiang cried: ¡°Waaaahhh His Majesty obviously has someone in his heart, but he¡¯s still deceiving you with your feelings and hurting you. Waaahh, Xiao Jun Wang, please don¡¯t get emotional, if you do, it¡¯ll be all over! You will definitely be used! Waaahh!¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°I, this¡­. This is¡­. Ah, forget it. Whatever.¡± ¡­ At this moment, in General Huang Yue¡¯s residence, Huang Yue kept tapping the table with the four fingers of his right hand. His frown was also tightly knitted as his subordinate reported: ¡°General Huang, Xiao Jun Wang¡¯s journey to the Western Shu Kingdom was suddenly interrupted by His Majesty and he was brought back to the Imperial Pce. Our assassination attempt hasn¡¯t seeded yet. General Huang, although your subordinates haven¡¯t revealed their footing, it could be estimated that Xiao Jun Wang and Xue Yan have already guessed who sent the assassins.¡± Huang Yue sneered and said: ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. What waves can be caused by a General who had his armor removed because he had a conflict with the Emperor, and a desperate Emperor who had to submit himself for the sake of his Country? It¡¯s just that Xiao Jun Wang took refuge with Xue Yan and won¡¯t join us. I originally wanted to assassinate him and then negotiate with the Western Shu Kingdom, but it seems that this scheme had to be put aside.¡± The subordinate said: ¡°General Huang, Chen Ge is their other force. Chen Ge shouldn¡¯t be underestimated.¡± Huang Yue: ¡°Although Chen Ge is a General, he isn¡¯t an issue because of his restrained behavior. However, I heard that the Emperor himself went to intercept Xiao Jun Wang, is that true?¡± The subordinate said: ¡°It¡¯s true, General Huang. I¡¯m afraid that Xiao Jun Wang will expose to His Majesty that you have recruited him as a party member!¡± Huang Yue shook his head and said: ¡°No, he should know that I have a lot of incriminating evidence in my hands that can bring him back to hell. With this incriminating evidence, even if I send him to prison first and then report the evidence to His Majesty, His Majesty will still not me me.¡± The subordinate wanted to say something, but stopped himself and asked meaningfully: ¡°Then, General Huang, are we now¡­.¡± Huang Yue¡¯s fingers, which were tapping on the table before, finally knocked heavily on the wooden table: ¡°Don¡¯t make a single move. As we plot to take over the throne, we can¡¯t afford to make any mistakes!¡± ¡­ Xiao YuAn rested for an entire day, and he was finally recovered by the next day,pletely forgetting about the pain. As he pressed himself against Yan HeQing, he asked for a morning kiss. ¡°Come,e, give your Husband a smile.¡± Xiao YuAn, lying on top of Yan HeQing, yfully scratched his chin andughed. As the night light dawned on the tiles and the fog closed on the heavy eaves, Xiao YuAn¡¯s long silk-like ck hair slipped from his shoulders. The morning light that entered through the widow, as well as that bright smile, were reflected together in the bottom of Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes. Just like how the swallows danced and the warbles sang1 on that day. Thest bit is a reference to chapter 46 ?? YHQ is really traumatized huh? ?????? XYA, take care of your hubby¡¯s mental health ?? Ahh, but they¡¯re so cute together (o¡äÀŸ`o)? it melts my heart???? Poor Tian Xiang, she thinks she did something wrong when she¡¯s the savior here ?? Footnotes
  1. ÑàÎèݺÌä y¨¤n w¨³ y¨©ng t¨ª; Chinese idiom, used as a metaphor for a bright Spring. Nowadays, it¡¯s often used as a metaphor for prosperity. From¡¶ÐÑÊÀºãÑÔ¡·(x¨«ng sh¨¬ h¨¦ng y¨¢n) ¡°Stories to Caution the World¡±, by (·ëÃÎÁú f¨¦ng m¨¨ng l¨®ng) Feng Menglong [1574-1646], a novelist from thete Ming Dynasty [1368-1644].
Chapter 198: It’s Impossible To Go In. Chapter 198: It¡¯s Impossible To Go In. Xiao YuAn relentlessly pressed himself against Yan HeQing as he yfullyughed: ¡°Come,e,e give your husband a smile. Make your husband happy and I¡¯ll give you whatever you want!¡± Yan HeQing thought for a moment, and raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a stiff smile. Xiao YuAn was stunned at first, but then he covered his stomach and rolled around the bed as heughed out loud: ¡°With a smile like that, no matter who it is, you¡¯ll scare them away!!¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAnughed enough and then he pressed himself on top of Yan HeQing as he said: ¡°Or, I can give you a smile.¡± After saying that, Xiao YuAn bent his eyes towards Yan HeQing and smiled. Then, he reached out, waved his hand in front of Yan HeQing and said: ¡°I¡¯m selling my smile, you have to buy it.¡± Yan HeQing leaned over slightly to kiss Xiao YuAn¡¯s fingertips, but then he opened his mouth to lick and gently bite at them. Xiao YuAn earlobes were slightly red as he quickly withdrew his hand with panic. But then, he heard Yan HeQing ask: ¡°How can I buy it?¡± Xiao YuAn coughed softly, calmed his mind, and then replied: ¡°It¡¯s not expensive. I see that you suit my taste, so I¡¯ll give you a discount. How about you give me a kiss and I¡¯ll give you a smile? Let me tell you, other people won¡¯t get that price!¡± As Xiao YuAn scratched Yan HeQing¡¯s chin while waiting for his beloved kiss, Yan HeQing actually narrowed his eyes as he said with a bad tone of voice: ¡°Others?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.Yan-ge, you¡¯re focusing on the wrong point.¡± Yan HeQing opened Xiao YuAn¡¯s belt, reached into it, and rubbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s sensitive area as he dragged his voice word per word: ¡°What¡¯s the price for others?¡± Xiao YuAn, who was being rubbed, shivered and hurried to say: ¡°What other people? There is no one else!! Even if I, Xiao YuAn, sell myself or my smile, the only one I will sell it to is Yan HeQing!¡± Yan HeQing calcted in his mind the hour when the morning Court would start, turned over, and pressed Xiao YuAn down. Then he simply stripped them both naked, and Xiao YuAn was able to sell everything he could sell. ¡­ After Yan HeQing went to the morning Court, Xiao YuAn narrowed his eyes and rested for a while, until he finally slowly woke up. As he smoothed the confusion of the past few days, he finally cared about the assassination attempt, as well as the rtionship between Xiao Wangye and Xue Yan. ording to the original plot, Xiao YuAn guessed that Huang Yue should be seeking power to rebel, so he tried to get Xiao Wangye on his side, wanting to make the Western Shu Kingdom his own force. However, Xiao Wangye didn¡¯t form an alliance with Huang Yue, which provoked Huang Yue into trying to kill him. After all, if he died, the Western Shu Kingdom could have another Emperor. At this, Huang Yue could once again persuade the Western Shu Kingdom into bing his own power. Without the support of the enemy, Huang Yue won¡¯t be able topete with Yan HeQing at all. Xiao YuAn muttered to himself: ¡°It¡¯s not easy to dare to usurp the throne under the dazzling aura of the Male Lead.¡± ¡®It wouldn¡¯t have been easy for him to return home, and, if he dared to have bad intentions against my Yan-ge, that means that he should¡¯ve hated him fiercely.¡¯ Xiao YuAn thought that, maybe, there would be a clue in the bedchamber where Xiao Wangye lived before, so he dragged Tian Xiang to go there together and find anything. But, Xiao Wangye was a delicate and meticulous person, so Xiao YuAn ended up spending half a day searching in vain. Xiao YuAn sighed as he sat cross legged, when suddenly, he saw that a man was looking at him. It turned out to be Chen Ge. Chen Ge stepped into Xiao YuAn¡¯s bedchamber, and was dumbfounded when he saw the mess inside: ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Xiao Jun Wang, were you attacked again?¡± Xiao YuAn was struggling to put back the things he had just turned out, and waved his hand: ¡°It¡¯s a long story. You can sit down wherever you like.¡± Chen Ge stepped over one pitiful object after the other, pathetically lying on the ground, thinking that even if he didn¡¯t want to be informal, he could only be informal ah! Chen Ge walked towards Xiao YuAn, seeing that he was squatting on the ground, touching his neck as he faced the mess of objects on the ground in distress. Chen Ge, who was condescending, fixed his eyes on Xiao YuAn¡¯s neck, seeing a trace of ambiguous red marks. Chen Ge strangely thought, ¡®Even though it¡¯s Spring, it¡¯s still too cold, and there shouldn¡¯t be any mosquitoes around.¡¯ So, he asked: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, are you sick and have a rash? Remember to go to the Imperial Physician when you¡¯re sick, you shouldn¡¯t endure it on your own.¡± Xiao YuAn was confused: ¡°Ah? No.¡± ¡°But your neck¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn suddenly realized what he was talking about and pulled up his cor with a light cough. At one side, Tian Xiang curled her lips with grievance, rubbed her eyes, and continued to clean the bedchamber. Chen Ge noticed that the atmosphere had suddenly turned odd, but at that moment, Chen Ge remembered that the Emperor had gone on his own to intercept Xiao YuAn. As the sudden understanding hit his mind, he started to stammer: ¡°His Majesty, he¡­. has he¡­ to you¡­. you¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t bother to hide it. He simply nodded and said: ¡°Well, yes.¡± Chen Ge was stunned for a moment, his eyes were filled with a disbelieving look, but then his expression gradually became intolerant. Finally, he clenched his fists and shouted: ¡°Is His Majesty torturing you? Xiao Jun Wang, are you hurt anywhere? Is His Majesty forcing you to talk about Huang Yue? Or is it rted to General Xue? How can His Majesty abuse and inflict this selfish torture on you?!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..No, you misunderstood. Why do you all-¡­.This is, is, is, this is¡­. Forget it. What can I do for you?¡± Chen Ge then remembered why he came to find Xiao YuAn: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, when you were attacked on the road, General Xue and I suspected that they were sent by Huang Yue. General Xue is worried that Huang Yue will try to attack you again, so he specially asked me to see if there¡¯s anything I could do to help.¡± Xiao YuAn lifted his head, looked up at Chen Ge, and asked: ¡°Xue Yan?¡± Chen Ge nodded: ¡°General Xue hopes to meet with you tomorrow. I wonder what Xiao Jun Wang thinks?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled: ¡°Yes, of course we have to meet.¡± Chen Ge said: ¡°Alright, then I¡¯lle back to find Xiao Jun Wang tomorrow.¡± After saying that, Chen Ge sped his fist, bid his farewell and went away. But before he could walk half a step, he turned back and said: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, take care. In fact, His Majesty is actually not a cruel and merciless person, it¡¯s just that¡­.¡± Even after a while, what he tried to say, wasn¡¯t said in the end. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t stand it andpleted what he tried to say: ¡°It¡¯s just that he lost his true love and his temperament changed drastically. But in reality, he¡¯s not a tyrannical person.¡± Chen Ge: ¡°Right, exactly.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡®Right¡¯ my ass! This is a hickey! This isn¡¯t toture! What ¡®cruel and merciless¡¯ person? Don¡¯t misunderstand my Yan-ge. My Yan-ge is the best in the whole universe!¡± Chen Ge was stunned at first, but then he took a deep breath, and said: ¡°What?!! What?!!! That¡¯s impossible!!! His Majesty isn¡¯t that kind of person at all!¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°I am Xiao YuAn!¡± Chen Ge: ¡°I know! But even if you have the same name as His Majesty¡¯s lover, His Majesty can¡¯t treat you like a substitute!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.Do you even know about the ¡®substitute¡¯1 thing?¡± Cheng Ge: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang! Even if His Majesty is genuinely mistaken, you should realize it as soon as possible! That in the end, you will be reduced to a situation in which your body will get injured, and your feelings will get hurt!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..You¡¯re trying to figure out my ending now? Thank you very much! Turn to the right and you¡¯ll find the door, I won¡¯t send you off, goodbye!¡± In the end, Chen Ge was driven away in a hurry. By the time Xiao YuAn and Tian Xiang finally finished cleaning up the messy bedchamber, it was already dusk. Tian Xiang diligently put the bedding on the bed, and said: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, I¡¯ll help you tidy up the bedding, so you can sleep directly afterwards. I¡¯ve been drying the bedding in the sun these days, so don¡¯t worry about moisture and dust.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Ah? I¡¯m not sleeping here.¡± ¡°Then where are you going to sleep?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sleep with the Emperor!¡± Tian Xiang¡¯s hands, which were tidying the nket, stopped as she turned back eagerly and advised: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang! Have you forgotten that you were sent away when you went to see His Majesty before? Even though you stayed in His Majesty¡¯s bedchamber a few days ago, it was because of what he did to you¡­. Now that you¡¯re not in a serious condition anymore, His Majesty for sure¡­. Waaahh, Xiao Jun Wang, you¡¯re so pitiful!!¡± Xiao YuAn quickly took a clean in silk handkerchief to wipe Tian Xiang¡¯s tears as he helplessly said: ¡°Don¡¯t cry, why are you crying again? I¡¯m sure this time I won¡¯t be stopped when we go back!¡± Tian Xiang sniffed and said: ¡°Really?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Really!¡± However, when the two of them returned to the Imperial bedchamber, they were stopped. The Imperial Bodyguards, one on the left and the other on the right, shed their swords against the other, blocking the door of the bedchamber: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, please go back!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Tian Xiang: ¡°Waaahh wahhh!¡± Thatst part was so funny ??? The fact that everyone is misunderstanding XYA and YHQ¡¯s rtionship, thinking that YHQ is using the ¡°prince¡± as a recement sextoy for his lover when HE IS the lover in question ?? But, I mean, how could XYA exin? ¡°I¡¯m the emperor y¡¯all hated¡­ in fact, I wasn¡¯t that emperor either. Ie from another world and this world is a novel I read before throwing myself from a building¡­ Im like stealing bodies or something lol¡± Chapter 199: If It’s Impossible To Make Trouble, Then Don’t Make Trouble. Chapter 199: If It¡¯s Impossible To Make Trouble, Then Don¡¯t Make Trouble. Xiao YuAn asked: ¡°Is His Majesty not in his bedchamber?¡± The two Imperial Bodyguards replied: ¡°No! So please go back Xiao Jun Wang.¡± Tian Xiang tugged at Xiao YuAn¡¯s sleeve, and said: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, let¡¯s go back.¡± Xiao YuAn patted her reassuringly: ¡°It¡¯s alright, we¡¯ll wait. It may be that His Majesty forgot to pay attention to this.¡± Tian Xiang said anxiously: ¡°Why are you waiting on such a cold day? It might even snow in a while!¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t care about his image, so he simply pulled Tian Xiang to sit on the steps with him and smiled: ¡°I have to wait. If Yan-ge doesn¡¯t see me when hees back, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be worried, and I can¡¯t make him feel anxious anymore. Tian Xiang was so anxious that she stamped her foot in a hurry, almost blurting out the phrase ¡®Xiao Jun Wang, don¡¯t tter yourself¡¯. But in the end, she couldn¡¯t persuade Xiao YuAn, so she had to wait with him. The Imperial Bodyguards on the side wanted to say something, but stopped mid-way. Since Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t try to rush in, they were too embarrassed to say anything else. They could only feel that this Xiao Jun Wang looked really miserable and desperate as he sat on the steps After a while, as Tian Xiang said, the temperature dropped drastically and it began to snow. As the snowkes fell, the surrounding sky was covered with clouds. Tian Xiang then couldn¡¯t help but advise: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, you¡¯d better go back. It¡¯s windy and cold here.¡± Xiao YuAn rubbed his hands and breathed out a white fog as he smiled: ¡°It¡¯s indeed a bit cold. Why is it still so cold in the North when it¡¯s already Spring?¡± Tian Xiang thought that her persuasion may be useful, but then she saw that Xiao YuAn took off his robe and put it on herself. Xiao YuAn thenughed and said: ¡°You¡¯ve been wronged into having to wait with me, so you shouldn¡¯t freeze.¡± Tian Xiang¡¯s face turned red as she waved her hands repeatedly, but Xiao YuAn¡¯s attitude was tough, saying that girls can¡¯t stand the cold, so they shouldn¡¯t freeze. While, on the other hand, it was alright for him to be exposed to the cold since his body was very healthy. Because of this, since Tian Xiang couldn¡¯t stand the cold, he should give her his robe. Tian Xiang sighed and said aggrieved: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, what makes you think that you should suffer?¡± Xiao YuAnughed: ¡°What suffering?¡± ¡°Why do you have to suffer these kinds of hardships?!¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s smile didn¡¯t diminish: ¡°I¡¯m not suffering. Not only is there no suffering, but also my heart is quite happy.¡± In the middle of the conversation, a pair of ck boots with cloud patterns suddenly appeared in front of Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes. As soon as he was about to raise his head, he was grabbed by a person¡¯s hand, who helped him to stand up. Tian Xiang panicked and hastily followed to get up as she saluted,pletely terrified: ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Yan HeQing covered Xiao YuAn¡¯s frozen and red hands with his own. His eyes were full of uncontroble heartache: ¡°Why are you sitting here instead of going in?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled and said: ¡°I was stopped and wasn¡¯t allowed to get in.¡± Yan HeQing suddenly understood what had happened and looked coldly at the Imperial Bodyguards guarding the entrance of his bedchamber. At that single nce, the Imperial Bodyguards abruptly felt a cold chill running down their backs, as if they had been nailed to the wall by ten thousand arrows. Xiao YuAn stood in the way of Yan HeQing¡¯s gaze and said with a smile: ¡°Yan-ge, you can¡¯t me everything on them.¡± Yan HeQing withdrew his gaze, lightly hummed, and lowered his eyes. Looking at Xiao YuAn¡¯s frozen fingertips he then lightly kissed them: ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± At that moment, a loud ¡®thud¡¯ was heard as the young Imperial Bodyguard¡¯s sword fell on the ground. The other Imperial Bodyguard, who was more experienced, was still calm as he looked at the younger one reproachfully. However, his own sword fell to the ground right after, when he saw that Yan HeQing had grabbed Xiao YuAn by the waist, only to pick him up. Under the eyes of everyone present, Yan HeQing went towards his bedchamber with Xiao YuAn in his arms. Xiao YuAn was so surprised by this that he instinctively hugged Yan HeQing¡¯s neck. After hugging Yan HeQing¡¯s neck, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh: ¡°Indeed, my Yan-ge has won the essence of the Tyrannical President. Hey! Youngrades, pick up your swords, you¡¯ve dropped them. Hm? Don¡¯t open your mouth so wide, the snow will blow inside.¡± After Yan HeQing carried Xiao YuAn into the bedchamber, he dismissed all of the maids, and gently ced Xiao YuAn on the bed. Then he stripped Xiao YuAn of his snow drenched clothes. Xiao YuAn was just about to ask for a kiss when Yan HeQing suddenly stuffed him into the bedding and wrapped him into a tight silk ball. Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..-ove, I can¡¯t move.¡± Yan HeQing hugged the tightly wrapped wall, leaned over in front of Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes to kiss his lips, and asked: ¡°Are you feeling warmer?¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°I, I feel a b-bit wa-wa-warmer.¡± Hearing Xiao YuAn stammering, Yan HeQing couldn¡¯t help but slightly raise the corners of his mouth. As he rubbed his forehead, he said: ¡°Then warm up a little more. I¡¯ll go change my Court clothes.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded, covered half of his face with the quilt, and said in a jarring voice: ¡°I, I¡¯ll wa-wait for you.¡± In the end, when Yan HeQing came back from changing into morefortable clothes, Xiao YuAn had already fallen asleep. Yan HeQing blew out the candle and slowlyid down beside him. Xiao YuAn rolled sideways into Yan HeQing¡¯s arms, and when he finally found afortable position, he fell asleeppletely. Yan HeQing kissed him lightly on the forehead, and closed his eyes after he hugged Xiao YuAn tightly in his arms. ¡­ The next day, after Yan HeQing went to the morning Court, Chen Ge¡¯s subordinate soon found Xiao YuAn: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, General Chen went to the morning Court, so he asked me toe pick you up.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t dawdle, and after confirming his identity, he followed him. The road on the carriage surprisingly wandered out of the Imperial Pce. When Chen Ge¡¯s subordinate saw Xiao YuAn lifting the curtain suspiciously, he hastily exined: ¡°Old Xue now lives in the outskirts of the Imperial City, he¡¯s not in the Imperial Pce.¡± Xiao YuAn nodded but didn¡¯t reply. Chen Ge¡¯s subordinate, afraid of his suspicion, continued to exin: ¡°When the assassination attempt ured in the Imperial Pce in the past, Old Xue led his troops into the Imperial Pce andmited the taboo of moving the troops without His Majesty¡¯s permission. Afterwards, Old Xue took the initiative to ask for retirement, and His Majesty didn¡¯t ask him to stay. We thought that Old Xue would return to his hometown, but we didn¡¯t expect that he would live in the outskirts of the Imperial City.¡± Xiao YuAn said with a warm smile: ¡°Old Xue must be worried that His Majesty won¡¯t be able to hold back since he¡¯s still young. If something goes wrong, he can assist him in time. After all, he was once powerful and mighty in Court, he¡¯s still an old Minister of two generations.¡± Seeing that Xiao YuAn had a thorough understanding of everything, the subordinate was stunned. The carriage slowly drove all the way to the outskirts of the Imperial City, until finally, it stopped in front of a fenced courtyard. After Xiao YuAn jumped out of the carriage, he caressed the fence with his hand. His mind was filled with different emotions as he raised his eyes to push open the fence. In the small courtyard, a man with gray temples was sitting at a stone table, holding a worn-out book, and squinting at it with his back against the sun. It was the first time that Xiao YuAn saw Xue Yan without an armour. Xue Yan was dressed in clean and in grey linen cloth. Although his eyebrows and eyes were still stern, he also had a kindness that Xiao YuAn had never thought he would see on him. After hearing footsteps approaching, Xue Yan raised his head. When he saw that it was Xiao YuAn, he pointed to the stone bench opposite to him and said: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, please sit down.¡± Xiao YuAn saluted and sat down opposite to Xue Yan. Then Xue Yan asked someone to make tea and asked Xiao YuAn: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, I know that it¡¯s not easy for you to go out of the Imperial Pce, so I¡¯ll make it short. Has Huang Yue looked for you recently?¡± Xiao YuAn held up the tea brought by a servant and smiled: ¡°Is General Xue worried that I will join hands with Huang Yue to plot against the Emperor?¡± However, Xue Yan shook his head: ¡°His Majesty has long been aware that Huang Yue is trying to usurp the throne, he¡¯s simply waiting for unquestionable evidence. That¡¯s why he hasn¡¯t taken any action just yet. After all, Huang Yue is a powerful person with a strong party. If there weren¡¯t enough evidence, His Majesty may be charged with killing a good Minister. I¡¯m worried about His Majesty, but also, I¡¯m worried about you.¡± Xiao YuAn lifted the tea cup lid, and when he spoke, his tone of voice was slightly raised: ¡°Me?!¡± Xue Yan sighed: ¡°At first, when you sent a letter from the Western Shu Kingdom asking me for help in persuading His Majesty into assisting you with resisting the foreign countries from the Western regions in the name of the old days, when the Western Shu Kingdom and the Southern Yan Kingdom had formed an alliance, I didn¡¯t had the power at that time. So, I had no other choice than to give you the bad idea ofing to the Southern Yan Kingdom to present yourself as a Minister. Now, I regret it greatly.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Don¡¯t regret it! Never regret it! I¡¯m grateful to heart! Thank you for your advice! The flowers bloomed and fell- cough, I almost started to sing.¡± Xue Yan: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang is really good-tempered. I¡¯ve made you miserable, but you don¡¯t me me. On His Majesty¡¯s side, I¡¯ll ask Chen Ge to persuade him for you. Then, I will certainly escort you back to the Western Shu Kingdom safely. As for Huang Yue, please be careful. Huang Yue will certainly attack you again in order to gain the power of the Western Shu Kingdom.¡± Xiao YuAn quickly said: ¡°There¡¯s no need for Chen Ge to waste his words persuading. As for Huang Yue, I¡¯ll be careful, thanks General Xue for reminding me.¡± Xue Yan nodded: ¡°Then don¡¯t dy your time, Xiao Jun Wang. If His Majesty finds that you came looking for me, he will certainly dislike you even more. So, Xiao Jun Wang, please go back as soon as possible.¡± Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t bother to exin, and after bidding his farewell, he followed Chen Ge¡¯s subordinate out of the small courtyard. After he took two steps, Xiao YuAn turned back to see Xue Yan pick up the military book again and squint at the words. His temples were as white as the snow of the North, his cough was simr to that of General Sun, and his posture was simr to Eunuch Zhao. Xiao YuAn suddenly spoke: ¡°General Xue, His Majesty understands your good intentions. It¡¯s just that he doesn¡¯t know how to face them.¡± When Xue Yan heard this, he raised his head but then lowered his eyes again, as he faintly said: ¡°I know. He¡¯s the child I saw growing up, how could I not know?¡± Xiao YuAn saluted again and went back to the Imperial Pce with Chen Ge¡¯s subordinate. Xiao YuAn wanted to go directly back to Yan HeQing¡¯s bedchamber, but who would¡¯ve known that Chen Ge¡¯s subordinates would send him to the bedchamber on the West side of the Pce. Xiao YuAn didn¡¯t say much, thinking that he should walk back by himself. However, when they arrived at the bedchamber, they saw a group of people rummaging through the cabs and digging three feet into the ground. Xiao YuAn¡¯s bedding, clothes and objects were all thrown out of the bedchamber, leaving behind a mess on the ground. Tian Xiang was struggling, trying to stop them: ¡°What are you doing?!! This is Xiao Jun Wang¡¯s bedchamber! What are you doing? Let go! Let go!¡± A fierce guard, impatient with her tugging and pulling, pushed her away hard: ¡°Get out of here!¡± Tian Xian stumbled backwards, and when she was about to fall to the ground, someone grabbed her by the shoulders, stabilizing her. When Tian Xiang lifted her head, she shouted in surprise: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang!¡± Xiao YuAn patted Tian Xiang¡¯s head and told her to go hide. Then he stepped forward to face the guard by grabbing his throat and then twisting his arm behind him as he pushed the guard to the ground. Xiao YuAn then smiled and said: ¡°Dage, are you single? Don¡¯t you know that you have to be gentle with women? You deserve to be single. Look at me, I¡¯ll write a poem for you; There are two orioles singing on the willow, and you¡¯re the only single dog1!¡± The guard was in so much pain, that he was sweating coldly as he shouted for help: ¡°General Huang!¡± Xiao YuAn was stunned. Just when he was about to look up and around, he was suddenly surrounded by dozens of people. In an instant, the situation changed abruptly. This time, it was Xiao YuAn who got his arm forcibly twisted as his head was pressed down and he was forced to kneel on the ground. DAMN YOU HUANG YUE ???? don¡¯t touch XYA ?? XYA and YHQ are so damn cute ? I can¡¯t ????? Chapter 200: Lets Take A Bath Together. Chapter 200: Let¡¯s Take A Bath Together. President Xiao began to think about life again. ¡®Me! Who once aspired to be handsome and rich! Wicked, charming and wild! A doting lover! The! Tyrannical! President!¡¯ ¡®Me! Who once memorized the 300 quotations of the Tyrannical President!¡¯ ¡®Me! Who has once read all kinds of dog blood routines!¡¯ ¡®But now, I suddenly felt!¡¯ ¡®That is better to be tied to bed by Yan HeQing, in all honesty???¡¯ ¡®Let go of me! You¡¯re holding down the invisible wings of this Tyrannical President!¡¯ ¡®But, ah, it¡¯s really fucking hard to be a Tyrannical President.¡¯ Xiao YuAn was stillmenting in his mind, when Huang Yue calmly walked in front of him. The guards forced Xiao YuAn¡¯s head up with a scabbard, forcing him to look at Huang Yue. Huang Yue looked down at him, and asked: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, do you know what crime you hadmitted?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled: ¡°I know.¡± Huang Yue was stunned, but his expression immediately returned to normal. Then he said meaningfully: ¡°Then, Xiao Jun Wang, what crime did youmit?¡± Xiao YuAn smiled: ¡°This fox has charmed the Male Lead. Ah, I can¡¯t help it. Who let me be so good-looking? Even His Majesty is fascinated by me.¡± Huang Yue: ¡°¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn clearly saw Huang Yue¡¯s mouth and eyebrows twitching, he couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. Huang Yue: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang is quite optimistic, he even has the courage to joke at this time. No, should I use different words and say that you¡¯re actually very pitiful? Since you¡¯re still trying to win His Majesty¡¯s favor?¡± After Huang Yue said this, he threw a dozen letters in front of Xiao YuAn: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, do these look familiar to you?¡± Xiao YuAn said with all honesty: ¡°They don¡¯t look familiar.¡± ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, I have a witness. Don¡¯t try to deny it.¡± Huang Yue thought that he was just a dead duck with a hard mouth1, so he simply sneered at him. Xiao YuAn showed an innocent expression and said: ¡°I really haven¡¯t seen them before.¡± ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll help Xiao Jun Wang remember.¡± It turned out that when Xiao Wangye was depressed in the Southern Yan Kingdom, he thought of assassinating Yan HeQing! Even if the idea of assassinating the Male Lead was Xiao Wangye¡¯s idea, he inadvertently left the handle in Huang Yue¡¯s hands! That¡¯s why Xiao Jun Wang had befriended Xue Yan before, but then he had to deal with Huang Yue. It can be said that he was trying to survive through two sides. What a tragedy, no wonder he chose tomit suicide by taking poison in the end. The evidence in Huang Yue¡¯s hand was conclusive, and Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t defend himself. Because of this, he was thrown into prison without dy. Outside the prison, Huang Yue¡¯s confidant whispered in his ear: ¡°General Huang, I saw Chen Ge¡¯s subordinate in the crowd before. He left in a hurry after watching for a while, I think he should have sent Chen Ge a message.¡± Huang Yue disagreed: ¡°Even if Chen Ge knows, what can he do? He doesn¡¯t have the ability to erase the fact that Xiao Jun Wang intended to assassinate the Emperor.¡± As soon as he said that, there were hurried footstepsing their way. When Huang Yue and his subordinates looked back, they were so shocked that they hurriedly knelt down, saluted with their fists and shouted: ¡°Your Majesty!!!¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t even give them a nce. His face was as cold as ice as he hurriedly entered the prison. Huang Yue went forward to kneel down in front of Yan HeQing, blocking his way: ¡°Your Majesty, please listen to this Minister¡¯s words.¡± Then Huang Yue began to recount Xiao YuAn¡¯s crimes in detail. He knew that Yan HeQing would ask questions, so he prepared a speech in advance. What he said was reasonable and convincing. However, he was unexpectedly interrupted by Yan HeQing right in the middle of his speech. Yan HeQing¡¯s tone was extremely cold, as if he was suppressing a monstrous anger. There was an abyss of ice in the depth of his eyes as he said: ¡°Are you done talking?¡± Huang Yue was caught off guard by the interruption and froze: ¡°This Minister¡­. Minister¡­ has finished his report to His Majesty¡­..¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t answer again, directly bypassing him and entering the prison. Huang Yue was shocked. ¡®How could this happen?!¡¯ ¡®Xiao Jun Wang has been in the Southern Yan Kingdom for a year, and Yan HeQing has never looked at him. It¡¯s unlikely that Yan HeQing came here to save him!¡¯ ¡®Could it be possible that after His Majesty heard the evidence of Xiao Jun Wang¡¯s assassinaton attempt, he became extremely furious, and is ready to deal with Xiao Jun Wang by himself?¡¯ Huang Yue looked at Yan HeQing¡¯s back as he walked into the prison, a trace of cunning and delight shed across his eyes. ¡­ Inside the prison, Xiao YuAn was chatting with the Jailer. He sat in front of the cell door, raised one leg and leisurely asked the Jailer at the door: ¡°Hey, xiao-xiongdi2,e on and chat with me.¡± At first, the Jailer was still holding his stance as he reprimanded Xiao YuAn with a stern face: ¡°This Heavenly Prison3 is very important, don¡¯t speak out loud!¡± Xiao YuAn shrugged his shoulders and stretched his hands: ¡°I wasn¡¯t speaking out loud, I was talking properly. Right, xiongdi, do you have a girlfriend?¡± Jailer: ¡°¡­.. What is a ¡®girlfriend¡¯4?!¡± Xiao YuAnughed: ¡°It¡¯s a ¡®wife¡¯, do you have a wife?¡± The Jailer replied: ¡°Oh, um, no!¡± Xiao YuAn asked again: ¡°Do you have a boyfriend then?¡± The Jailer asked, puzzled: ¡°¡­.. What is a ¡®boyfriend¡¯?!¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: ¡°A ¡®husband¡¯, ¡®husband¡¯5, do you understand?¡± The Jailer: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Xiao-xiongdi, don¡¯t be silent, ah! Do you know the words ¡®tacit agreement6¡¯? ¡®Tacit agreement¡¯ means¡­.¡± The Jailer interrupted him with an impatient tone of voice: ¡°I don¡¯t!!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Ah! That¡¯s terrible! I do!¡± The Jailer: ¡°¡­.. When will the other guarde to rece me?!¡± Xiao YuAn was so happy that he couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. After he finishedughing out loud, he began to think about the current affairs as he crossed his hands behind his head and leaned against the cell¡¯s door. In the original book, the evidence of Huang Yue¡¯s plot for rebellion was exposed by Xiao PingYang to help Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing once wanted to impeach Huang Yue directly, regardless of what people may say about him, but he was finally persuaded to calm down by Xiao PingYang. Later, Xiao PingYang and Yan HeQing acted in a wicked n. Xiao PingYang pretended to take refuge with Huang Yue, helping him to usurp the throne on the surface, while secretly joining hands with Yan HeQing. Until finally, they were able to seize Huang Yue¡¯s fox tail. Xiao YuAn took a long breath as he thought to himself: ¡®How can I help Yan HeQing?¡¯ As he was thinking about it, a panicked shout came from outside the cell: ¡°Y-your Ma-majesty?!¡± Xiao YuAn stood up and turned his head, only to see Yan HeQing walking towards him at a calm pace. His icy eyes became warm the moment he looked at Xiao YuAn. The Jailer kneeled on the ground as he shouted ¡®Your Majesty!¡¯ in a panicked state, but Yan HeQing didn¡¯t say a word. He simply stretched out his hand and pulled out the sword from the Jailer¡¯s waist, cutting off the lock on the prison¡¯s door. Yan HeQing pushed the door open and stepped inside. Then Yan HeQing pressed down on Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoulder as he checked him back and forth, feeling slightly relieved once he saw that Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t injured. Xiao YuAn smiled and said: ¡°Yan-ge, I¡¯m fine.¡± Yan HeQing hummed: ¡°I¡¯ll take you out.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Xiao YuAn grabbed Yan HeQing¡¯s arm, and said: ¡°I¡¯ve something to discuss with you.¡± When Yan HeQing saw that Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes were gazing at the Jailer, he understood immediately and sent everyone away. Then, he looked at Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Yan-ge, you¡¯ve been waiting for an opportunity to impeach Huang Yue, right?¡± This was the first time Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing would talk about political affairs, and when he saw Yan HeQing nodding his head, Xiao YuAn said everything he knew in detail. Then, he finally said: ¡°I have an idea.¡± Yan HeQing asked: ¡°What?¡± Xiao YuAn smoothed his thoughts and said: ¡°Yan-ge, don¡¯t get me out of prison. Lock me up for a few days, and then I¡¯ll-¡­.¡± ¡°No.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s speech had just started when he was suddenly interrupted by Yan HeQing. Xiao YuAn froze, and said: ¡°It¡¯ll only be for a few days, just tell the Jailers to not hurt me-¡­.¡± Yan HeQing said inexorably: ¡°No.¡± ¡°Yan-ge, I¡¯m not afraid of being in the dirty and smelly prison. Besides, a few days of imprisonment won¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°No.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­. Yan-ge, let me help you.¡± Yan HeQing no longer said any more words and went forward to pick Xiao YuAn up. However, who would have thought that Xiao YuAn would step back, avoiding his hug. Seeing that Yan HeQing¡¯s body trembled, slightly angered and how his eyes suddenly turned cold, Xiao YuAn hurried to exin: ¡°I¡¯m dirty, I¡¯ve been sitting in this prison for a while, don¡¯t hug me yet.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Even if you don¡¯t care, I do! Since I¡¯m not allowed to stay in prison, then wait for me to get out and take a bath before hugging me. Alright?¡± Yan HeQing was silent for a long time before he finally nodded his head. When the two of them left the prison, Yan HeQing instructed the servants to prepare clean clothes. All the way back, Xiao YuAn was reluctantly saying that he wanted to help Yan HeQing, until finally, he quieted down for a moment after they arrived at the bath. Xiao YuAn took off his clothes and soaked into the pool, but then he saw that Yan HeQing was standing on the side, seemingly not intending to leave or getting in the pool. Xiao YuAn smiled and sshed him with water: ¡°Let¡¯s bathe together.¡± After being sshed, Yan HeQing reached out to wipe the water on his face, but he couldn¡¯t prevent being dragged into the pool by Xiao YuAn, who silently swam to the edge of the pool. The water sshed everywhere as Yan HeQing fell into the pool, drenched from head to toe, looking slightly wretched. Xiao YuAn smiled as he put his hands on Yan HeQing¡¯s shoulders. Yan HeQing was wearing ck clothes, and his sleeves were floating in the water, wrapping around Xiao YuAn¡¯s white body, just like a white space in an ink painting. Then, Xiao YuAn said with a smile: ¡°Yan-ge, are you angry because I didn¡¯t hug you in the prison?¡± Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn for a moment, until his dark eyes were filled with the water mists. As he stretched out his hand, he slowly traced Xiao YuAn¡¯s spine with his fingertips, little by little, from his neck to the end of his spine. Then, he asked: ¡°Xiao YuAn, do you want to help me?¡± Xiao YuAn, who was touched so suggestively, couldn¡¯t help but shiver with pleasure. It took him a long time to calm down, and stop shivering, before he could say: ¡°I want to!¡± Suddenly, Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes brightened up: ¡°What is it? Did you figure it out? Yan-ge, let me tell you, I have this bitter n7¡­.mmh-!¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s voice stopped abruptly, because half of a finger was pushed inside him. Yan HeQing leaned over his ear. His breath was warm and his voice was hoarse as he said: ¡°Xiao YuAn, why don¡¯t you use ¡®this¡¯ to help me ¡®down there¡¯?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­.. Ta-t-talk properly! Why are you sp-speaking with a-a y-yellow, yellow a-ent8!!! ¡­.Forget it, you can use it. But why do you have to look so handsome as you speak with a yellow ent, why?!!¡± ?We¡¯ve reached chapter 200!!? ¡ã???(???)???¡ã wohoo! o(¨R?¨Qo)? We¡¯re now 10 chapters away from the ending! (and then we¡¯ll have 25 extras) Now that XYA has a more healthy and strong body, YHQ and him are like rabbits! They¡¯re making up for the lost time I see¡­?? Ahh can¡¯t wait for that damn Huang Yue get what he deserves! Final boss, the main couple is after you! ©c( ???)?©°©¿¦²(¥Î `§¥¡ä)¥Î Support me on kofi!! £¨*¡¯?¡¯ÈË£©? Footnotes
  1. ËÀѼ×Ó×ìÓ² s¨« y¨¡ zi zu¨« y¨¬ng; Used as a metaphor for a person who is stubborn and is unwilling to admit any mistakes.
  2. СÐÖµÜ xi¨£o xi¨­ng d¨¬; This ¡°xiao¡± refers to ¡°young¡±, so this can be tranted as ¡°Young Brother¡±. It¡¯s an endearing address to a young male.
  3. ÌìÀÎ ti¨¡n l¨¢o; It refers to a Prison set in the Capital under the direct control of the Imperial Court. It¡¯s separated from the underground prisons, and refers to a prison above the ground, where sentenced criminals were held.
  4. Å®ÅóÓÑ n¨· p¨¦ng you; ¡®Girlfriend¡¯ is a modern concept that didn¡¯t exist in ancient China because couples didn¡¯t date before getting married; same with ÄÐÅóÓÑ n¨¢n p¨¦ng you, ¡®Boyfriend¡¯. There were only Husband and Wife, hence why the Jailer isn¡¯t familiar with those words.
  5. Here XYA uses two ways of calling a ¡®Husband¡¯; Ï๫ xi¨¤ng gong and ·ò¾ý f¨± j¨±n.
  6. ĬÈÏ m¨° r¨¨n; It means to express agreement with something by not refuting it, even though one doesn¡¯t speak or demonstrate it in one¡¯s behavior. XYA is implying that the Jailer must have a husband simply because he didn¡¯t reply to his question lmao.
  7. ¿àÈâ¼Æ k¨³ r¨°u j¨¬; A trick in which one will injure oneself in order to gain the enemy¡¯s confidence. From¡¶µ¥µ¶»á¡·by (¹ØººÇä gu¨¡n h¨¤n q¨©ng) Guan Hanqing [1235-1300], from the Yuan or Mongol Dynasty [1279-1368].
  8. ¿ª»ÆÇ» k¨¡i hu¨¢ng qi¨¡ng; A dialect popr in the South, especially in Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan and Hubei. It basically means ¡°nonsense¡±, ¡°make a fool of himself¡±, ¡°talk nonsense without basis¡±. While in Taiwan, it means ¡°pornographic/sexual/dirty jokes¡±. I personally think XYA is using this term to refer to the ¡®dirty jokes¡¯ part.
Chapter 201: I’ve Confirmed That His Eyes Hide A Deep Sadistic Love. Chapter 201: I¡¯ve Confirmed That His Eyes Hide A Deep Sadistic Love. Xiao YuAn was carried back to the bedchamber by Yan HeQing. The Imperial Bodyguards guarding the doors of the bedchamber had long been ustomed with this sight, and very quickly honed their strong hearts. As a matter of fact, Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t tired to the point where he couldn¡¯t walk, but Yan HeQing wanted to hold him, so Xiao YuAn said nothing, and obediently let Yan HeQing carry him back. As Yan HeQing gently ced Xiao YuAn on the bed, he asked him if his body felt ufortable. Xiao YuAn smiled and shook his head. When suddenly, he remembered the main issue, and hurriedly asked: ¡°Yan-ge, how are you going to deal with Huang Yue after this?¡± At that moment, Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes shone with killing intent. Xiao YuAn sensed that something was wrong with Yan HeQing, so he reached out his arms to hug him and hurriedly said: ¡°Yan-ge, you can¡¯t make a move on him now!¡± Yan HeQing said with a cold voice: ¡°If he can make a move on you, then why can¡¯t I do the same to him?¡± ¡°Without solid evidence of Huang Yue¡¯s conspiracy, everyone will use you of killing innocent people!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Xiao YuAn cupped his hands around Yan HeQing¡¯s cheeks and kissed him several times before saying: ¡°You may not care but I do! No, if you won¡¯t let me use the bitter n, then I won¡¯t do it. But you also have to listen to me. Don¡¯t make a move on Huang Yue yet, wait for the evidence. Alright? Yan HeQing hesitated, so Xiao YuAn bit his lip and kissed him fiercely. After kissing, Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Well, let me say it more cheerfully. Don¡¯t make a move on him yet and wait for the evidence!¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t reply, but this could be considered a silent agreement. Xiao YuAn sighed in relief and sat cross-legged on the bed, gently smiling at Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing turned his head, and when his eyes, as bright as the moonlight, converged with Xiao YuAn¡¯s smile, he calmed down. At that moment, Xiao YuAn clenched his hands slightly, as if he had made up his mind. ¡­ At this time, in Huang Yue¡¯s residence, Huang Yue frowned as he asked his subordinates: ¡°Was Xiao Jun Wang really taken out of the prison by the Emperor?¡± The subordinates nodded with absolute certainty. Huang Yue sneered: ¡°It seems that his ¡®bed abilities¡¯ were useful.¡± One of the subordinates proposed: ¡°General Huang, why don¡¯t we leave Xiao Jun Wang alone for the time being? We¡¯d better be careful.¡± Huang Yue nodded his head, ready to continue waiting for the right opportunity. However, even if Huang Yue wouldn¡¯t go against Xiao YuAn, Xiao YuAn actually took the initiative to go against him instead. Huang Yue was skeptical and somewhat surprised to meet with Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn respectfully bowed to Huang Yue, and then said: ¡°How is General Huang doingtely?¡± When Huang Yue saw that he was ying dumb, Huang Yue wasn¡¯t worried. He greeted Xiao YuAn with a smile on his face: ¡°I¡¯m fine. I wonder how Xiao Jun Wang¡¯s health is doing?¡± Xiao YuAnughed: ¡°Not so good. I¡¯ve been feeling confused and muddled these few days. No, not only these days. Ever since I came to the Southern Yan Kingdom my mind seems to be confused all the time, to the point where I¡¯m not able to see the current situation clearly!¡± Huang Yue stared at Xiao YuAn, as if he was pondering about his attitude. So, Xiao YuAn added: ¡°The first few steps I took were indeed a mistake, and now, it¡¯s like I¡¯m walking on thin ice. I can¡¯t even sleep peacefully at night.¡± Huang Yue said meaningfully: ¡°Oh? Not necessarily, after all, Xiao Jun Wang is now the most favored person around His Majesty. ¡± Xiao YuAn sneered mockingly and his eyes were filled with sarcasm. As he clenched his fists, he murmured: ¡°But I¡¯m just an excuse for him to vent his desire. In the end, I¡¯m nothing more than a recement. Perhaps, one day, he¡¯ll get tired of ying with me¡­.. Needless to say, I don¡¯t want General Huang to hear more of this. This time, I came to General Huang to analyze his situation.¡± Huang Yue said: ¡°Oh? Then I¡¯m all ears.¡± Xiao YuAn picked up the tea cup sitting on the table, sipped lighty, and said: ¡°Ever since ancient times, when the army fought for power, it was either in a turbulent situation, or in the midst of founding a country. Now, since Yan HeQing has been in power for several years, the Southern Yan Kingdom is bing more and more prosperous; the morale of the army and themon people has stabilized as well. This is the first problem for General Huang. As for the second problem, although Chen Ge is young, he was single-handedly promoted by the old General Xue Yan. As for the Emperor, he also values him more and more every day. General Huang, your military power is very likely to be taken away by Chen Ge. I can understand the General¡¯s caution, but, General Huang, the more you dy it, the worse it will get for you.¡± Huang Yue nodded his head: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang has a good point. But, I wonder, why has Xiao Jun Wang analyzed my situation?¡± Xiao YuAn replied with a smile: ¡°I thought about it carefully this morning. Originally, I came to the Southern Yan Kingdom to ensure the peace of the Western Shu Kingdom. However, even after a year, Yan HeQing has turned a blind eye as well as deaf ears to my submission, and even tried to send troops several times to my Western Shu Kingdom. Even if I was willing to bear the humiliation of being ¡®under¡¯ him every night, that only brought me a few days of peace in exchange. At this point, am I not allowed to find another way out?¡± Huang Yue said: ¡°I wonder what¡¯s the ¡®way out¡¯ Xiao Jun Wang has found?¡± Xiao YuAn slowly sipped his tea. When he saw that Huang Yue¡¯s fingers began to tap on the table, he put his cup down, and said: ¡°Yan HeQing is a good ruler for his country, and he has a stable military mind. But, I think that General Huang has been slow to act because of theck of troops. I don¡¯t know the strength of the Western Shu Kingdom¡¯s troops, but I guess General Huang will appreciate them? Although the Western Shu Kingdom has been divided by foreign countries in recent years, it can still support General Huang.¡± Huang Yue¡¯s fingers suddenly stopped tapping on the table. As he looked at Xiao YuAn without saying a word, the gloominess in his eyes were like rusty hooks that were aimed directly at Xiao YuAn¡¯s face. Xiao YuAn felt a chill go down his back, but he kept his mind steady as he continued: ¡°Moreover, in a month, it will be the Southern Yan Kingdom¡¯s memorial for the former Emperor. Since ancient times, there has been a rule that the Emperor has to worship by himself, so this is a great opportunity to assassinate Yan HeQing. Even though the ce will be heavily guarded, I believe that with General Huang¡¯s strength, we¡¯ll be able to put our own people inside. Then, we¡¯ll be inside and outside-¡­..¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what Xiao Jun Wang is talking about.¡± Huang Yue suddenly interrupted Xiao YuAn, and his fingers no longer tapped on the table again. ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, please go back.¡± Xiao YuAn murmured something. After a while, he stood up and said: ¡°I¡¯m sorry I bothered you, General Huang.¡± After saying that, Xiao YuAn left General Huang¡¯s residence without looking back. ¡­ The next morning, Tian Xiang waited for Xiao YuAn to take a bath. But when she saw that he had a shovel in his hand, she didn¡¯t know what he was going to do. As she hurriedly rushed to the door, she asked: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, where are you going?¡± Xiao YuAn patted her head and said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Tian Xiang said puzzled: ¡°Huh? What? Worry about what?¡± Xiao YuAn simply smiled and said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the next few days.¡± Tian Xiang was about to ask, but then she saw that Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t willing to say anything else as he clutched the shovel and walked out of the bedchamber. Xiao YuAn walked all the way to the North, to the hillside where the Temple of Heaven used to be, and where Yan HeQing woulde to worship whenever he had a free time. Thest few days, Yan HeQing hadn¡¯te, and many weeds had grown in the small courtyard. And, before that, Xiao YuAn was almost strangled to death by Yan HeQing because he broke into this ce. Xiao YuAn looked around, and this ce looked the same as that day. With the quiet view of the small pond beside the mulberry tree in the fenced courtyard. Afterughing, Xiao YuAn took a deep breath, raised the shovel high, and smashed it against the fence. When Yan HeQing arrived, several Imperial Guards were trying to restrain Xiao YuAn. Unexpectedly, Xiao YuAn jumped into the pond, regardless of the cold weather, and was crazily plucking the dead lotus in the pond. The small courtyard had been destroyed by him, turning it into aplete mess. The Imperial Bodyguards were pale with fear because of their ipetence. When he saw Yan HeQing, Xiao YuAn wiped off the water on his face and mockinglyughed out loud: ¡°Yan HeQing! Only when ites to things rted to him, will you be so attentive. You love him, am I right?! Compared to him, I¡¯m merely a ything to you, right? Say something!! Tell me the truth!! Am I right?¡± Yan HeQing, who was standing by the pond, coldly looked at the hysterical Xiao YuAn, and replied. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re just a ything.¡± At that moment, the several Imperial Bodyguards, who were staring at the scenepletely dumbfounded, had only one thought in their minds. ¡®Holy fuck! Sure enough, all Emperors really fucking love to have an affectionate and sadistic type of love!¡¯ Give XYA an Oscar???!! Bet he convinced YHQ like this: XYA: ¡°Think of it as roleying. Enemies to lovers!! I¡¯ll be the Prince of the enemy country that¡¯s imprisoned by the Emperor (proceeds to describe every plot of the tyrannical president novels he read before dying)¡± YHQ: ¡°Oh?¡± (Imagines all the kinky stuff he¡¯ll do to XYA in bed) ? ??? Chapter 209: This Romantic Event Is Quite Exciting, Why Don’t We…. Chapter 209: This Romantic Event Is Quite Exciting, Why Don¡¯t We¡­. T/N: Be aware of the ??Spicy?? content ??? After being suddenly pressed down on the bed, Xiao YuAn was stunned. Over the past ten days, in order to coax Yan HeQing, Xiao YuAn had racked his brain thinking of ways to flirt with him, but he was rejected every single time, which made Xiao YuAn doubt his own charm. Today, after listening to Chen Ge¡¯s advice, Xiao YuAn thought of a bondage y, but he didn¡¯t expect that Yan HeQing would remain indifferent at the sight of this. As for the sentence that made Yan HeQing react like this, it was something Xiao YuAn just suddenly thought of. But since it was too shameful, he ended up stammering every word, and he couldn¡¯t even finish what he wanted to say! Xiao YuAn seemed to realize something. As he hurried to hold Yan HeQing¡¯s shoulders, he sat up slowly. After sitting face to face with Yan HeQing on the bed, Xiao YuAn smiled and stretched out one hand to untie Yan HeQing¡¯s clothes. With the other one, he held Yan HeQing¡¯s hand and wrapped it around his naked waist. Yan HeQing frowned: ¡°Your wound¡­¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡±It¡¯s fine already.¡± Yan HeQing was adamant: ¡°No.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled: ¡°But Yan-ge, you¡¯re already ¡®up¡¯.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand reached into Yan HeQing¡¯s clothes restlessly, teasing and rubbing his lower ¡®area¡¯. Yan HeQing took Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand and pushed him away from himself: ¡°Your wound isn¡¯t healed yet, I¡¯ll solve it myself.¡± ¡®At a fucking time like this, you want to solve it yourself?!¡¯ Xiao YuAn gritted his teeth with hatred, and his attitude became stubborn. Yan HeQing¡¯s clothes had already been untied by him, so Xiao YuAn leaned down, close to Yan HeQing¡¯s belly, and kissed his skin. When Xiao YuAn was about to go further down, Yan HeQing held his shoulder. Yan HeQing was already short of breath, but there was still some reason left behind in his clouded mind. As he looked at Xiao YuAn¡¯s injury, he said: ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Yan HeQing pressed Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoulder slightly harder and said: ¡°No.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes were smiling and his tone of voice was pleading: ¡°Husband, let me help you.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s body stiffened all of a sudden, and his breath was slow. Xiao YuAn took advantage of Yan HeQing¡¯s dazed state and took ¡®him¡¯ into his mouth. The tip of his tongue was wet and soft. As he swallowed hard, he carefully pulled his teeth back, rubbing his lips until they became red. Yan HeQing froze as he looked at Xiao YuAn like that, with his ck silk-like hair scattered everywhere, and his bulging cheek as he swallowed his ¡®thing¡¯ into his mouth. As the candle me flickered slightly, Xiao YuAn raised his head. His eyes were slightly curved, showing a boundless natural charm and greedy happiness in the depths of his eyes. While he looked this way, heboriously uttered a word. Even though the word was vague, Yan HeQing was still able to recognize it. Xiao YuAn called: ¡°Husband.¡± Yan HeQing couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and pinned Xiao YuAn on the bed. The first few deepthroats actually made Xiao YuAn feel a little ufortable, so he tilted his head to cover his mouth and cough a few times. When he found that Yan HeQing was about to restrain himself again, Xiao YuAn turned his head and smiled: ¡°Husband, did I make youfortable just now?¡± Xiao YuAn was determined to seed in seducing him, so he did everything he could. As he looked at Yan HeQing¡¯s endurance being swallowed up by his desire, Xiao YuAn wrapped his arms around Yan HeQing¡¯s neck, pressing him against himself. Then Xiao YuAn chuckled in his ear, whispering: ¡°Do you like me calling you like that? Which one do you like the best, hubby, husband or my lord1? Do you want to hear me moaning ¡®husband¡¯? Or when I can¡¯t stand it, do you want me to say ¡®husband slow down¡¯?¡­.. Ah-¡­.¡± Yan HeQing blocked Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth right away, kissing him fiercely as he used his fingers to prepare and open Xiao YuAn¡¯s lower body. When Xiao YuAn felt that he was short of breath, he instinctively tried to escape the kiss, but suddenly, Yan HeQing got inside him. Then, came the merciless ramming. Xiao YuAn raised his head and bit his lower lip fiercely. His gaze was lost, and his hands were trying to grab onto something, but he identally grabbed the red silk that had just been ced on the side of the bed. Yan HeQing took the red silk, covering Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes and bare chest. Because he was covered with ayer of red silk, he wasn¡¯t able to see anything clearly. Xiao YuAn felt flustered for a moment, when all of a sudden, he felt Yan HeQing rubbing his chest across the red silk. The red silk was much rougher than the palm of a hand, so Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help shivering all over. As he arched himself up, his breath was disorderly, immediately tightening around Yan HeQing: ¡°Husband, do-don¡¯t¡­.¡± The man on top of him had his first meal, so he started to go in and out of Xiao YuAn¡¯s body more vigorously. Xiao YuAn whimpered, but then he burst into tears, feeling itchy and numb all over his body, until a pleasurable sensation burst into his spine. Xiao YuAn then begged for mercy: ¡°Yan-ge! Alright, alright! I won¡¯t tease you anymore, I won¡¯t call- I won¡¯t call you like that anymore!¡± However, instead of getting a chance to rest, they kept going until Xiao YuAn almost fainted. When he came for a third time, Xiao YuAn¡¯s mind went nk. As his body bounced up and down, his eyes were blurred, and his breath was between urgent and weak. Once Xiao YuAn adjusted his breathing, he closed his eyes, trying to restore energy. However, he suddenly heard Yan HeQing say in his ear. ¡°Xiao YuAn, let¡¯s get married.¡± What a chapter!! ???????????? Ah~! is the ending!!! I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re actually here! (?¡ã?¡ã?)?? (thankfully, we still have the extras for more XYA&YHQ content hehe) ?? Footnotes
  1. XYA used 3 ways of referring to ¡®husband¡¯: ·ò¾ý f¨± j¨±n. Ï๫ xi¨¤ng gong. And Àɾý l¨¢ng j¨±n.
Chapter 203: I’ve Confirmed That His Eyes Belong To Someone Who’ll Bet Everything On A Single Throw. Chapter 203: I¡¯ve Confirmed That His Eyes Belong To Someone Who¡¯ll Bet Everything On A Single Throw. ¡°Did General Huang know that His Majesty was almost stabbed by Xiao Jun Wang?!¡± At dusk, General Huang Yue¡¯s residence looked gloomy under the twilight white moon. After listening to the words of his subordinate, Huang Yue thoughtfully tapped his fingers on the table, and said: ¡°When did this happen?¡± The subordinate said: ¡°It happened today. After His Majesty went to the morning Court, he was stopped by Xiao Jun Wang on his way back to the Imperial Bedchamber. ording to what people said, Xiao Jun Wang first cursed at the Emperor. When he was coldly ignored by the Emperor, Xiao Jun Wang suddenly took out a dagger from his sleeve, and tried to stab the Emperor¡¯s chest!¡± Huang Yue let out a meaningful sigh, and said: ¡°What happened to him afterwards?¡± The subordinate said: ¡°He was temporarily put in house arrest. Because the Emperor can¡¯t see blood during the ancestor worship period, his death sentence was changed to house arrest.¡± Huang Yue nodded his head, and went back into pondering over the situation. Before, when Huang Yue sent a letter to Xiao Jun Wang, he felt that Xiao Jun Wang wasn¡¯t in a desperate situation. However, it seemed that Xiao Jun Wang was indeed quite desperate, to the point of betting everything on a single throw. As Huang Yue¡¯s fingertips slowly tapped on the table, the afterglow outside the window was gradually nting to the West. Until finally, the yellow sun dissipated, and the dustnded on the ground. At that moment, Huang Yue¡¯s fingers tapped heavily on the table, and as he raised his head, he said: ¡°Bring me a brush and ink, then send this letter to Xiao Jun Wang.¡± The subordinate was surprised: ¡°General Huang?¡± Huang Yue said: ¡°From the moment I decided to scheme to obtain the throne, every step I took was with thought of how to take the next three steps. I didn¡¯t dare to move forward or step back, for fear that everything woulde to an end if I made the tiniest mistake, and I would end up dying without a ce to be buried. Rather than being cautious, I¡¯ve been more like a turtle hiding its neck. I, Huang Yue, have never believed in fate, but this time, I want to believe for once. I want to take a gamble, even at the risk of my own life, and give it a go.¡± Throughout history, there were countless heroes and viins, but only one thing is certain: The winner is the Monarch, and the loser is the enemy1. The seemingly calm and peaceful days of the actual turbulent waters passed one day after another, like the treacherous wind and strange clouds2. Until finally, the day when the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom will have to worship his ancestors alone, arrived. At midnight, the moon has curved to shine upon the whole country. Some homes were happy, and some others were worried. As for Tian Xiang, she had been unhappy for the whole day. After having dinner, Xiao YuAn decided to tease her: ¡°What¡¯s the matter? How can such a young girl frown so hard, to the point where she¡¯ll be able to put a piece of paper between her eyebrows?¡± Tian Xiang simply shook her head and said nothing. Xiao YuAn knew she was worried about him. In order to make Huang Yue believe in him, he had to pretend that he wanted to assassinate Yan HeQing. It could even be said that everyone in the Imperial Pce was now talking about how he would be given the death sentence after Yan HeQing finished worshipping his ancestors. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t say much, but he wanted to appease her: ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, I mean it.¡± Tian Xiang simply sobbed but didn¡¯t speak. After nodding her head, she picked up the dishes, and tidied up the bedding for Xiao YuAn. Then she got up and walked out of the bedchamber. Thest few days, Xiao YuAn had been under house arrest and was unable to move freely. Since Xiao YuAn was really bored, he asked Tian Xiang to bring him some books; but he, who read them with great interest a few days ago, wasn¡¯t able to read a single word today. Because tomorrow was the day Yan HeQing will worship his ancestors. If everything goes ording to n, Huang Yue will try to assassinate Yan HeQing tomorrow. Therefore, he¡¯ll end up exposing his scheme, and will be caught in one fell swoop! Xiao YuAn turned the pages of the book until it produced a loud sound, then he ced it on the table and held his head with one hand as he stared at the candle in front of him in a daze. As the night went on, Xiao YuAn saw that it was almost the right time, so he gently blew out the candle and stood up. Instead of going to bed, he tiptoed to the window with small steps, as he held his breath and squatted. After a while, the window casket of Xiao YuAn¡¯s bedchamber was gently pulled open. When Yan HeQing came in through the window, he saw that the bedchamber was dark and he was slightly stunned. Suddenly, he could hear the sound of breathing and a ck shadow jumped on top of him, catching him off guard. After the two of them struggled for a while, Xiao YuAn sped Yan HeQing¡¯s hands and pressed him against the wall as he said with a smile: ¡°I¡¯ll devour you!¡± Yan HeQing looked indifferent as he said: ¡°Come.¡± Xiao YuAn kissed him as he thought: ¡®How could such a charming and fierce Stallion Male Protagonist fall into my hands? Instead of being part of a bitter love drama as the Secondary Male Lead, I¡¯m in a fascinating plot where he enters through my window every day?¡¯ ¡®I am, indeed, losing my mind!¡¯ ¡®I am, indeed, moved to tears!¡¯ ¡®Indeed, something toment for again and again!¡¯ ¡®Indeed¡­. Oh my god, my Yan-ge is too cute!¡¯ Xiao YuAn leaned against Yan HeQing¡¯s ear as he held his chin with one hand. He wasn¡¯t as tall as Yan HeQing, so he could only slightly press down his chin. The moonlight was as thin and cool as water, illuminating Xiao YuAn¡¯s unrestrained smile: ¡°Youngdy, you¡¯re quite charming. Who¡¯s this youngdy¡¯s family?¡± ¡°How old are you? Do you have any matchmaker offerings?¡± ¡°If not, what do you think of me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m inexperienced, but I¡¯d like to make this youngdy happy.¡± ¡°Youngdy, you should consider me.¡± ¡°What is it? Youngdy, say something.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­¡± When the young pampered wife didn¡¯t reply, President Xiao bowed his head and smiled. Xiao YuAn was then suddenly picked up by Yan HeQing, who took him to bed, and Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t stop himself fromughing out loud at the thought of Yan HeQing¡¯s expression. As he covered his abdomen and trembled withughter, he swayed from side to side. Since Yan HeQing could keep steady, he fell to the bed with Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn panted twice, trying to stopughing. As he reached out to pull up the quilt to cover the two of them, he held Yan HeQing¡¯s hand andid face to face with him. At that moment, Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Yan-ge, tomorrow we¡¯ll have to deal with Huang Yue.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± ¡°Are you worried?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then, are you afraid?¡± ¡°Not afraid.¡± Xiao YuAn leaned his head towards Yan HeQing and asked: ¡°Yan-ge, is there anything that you¡¯re afraid of?¡± Yan HeQing looked into Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes, and after a long silence, he slowly nodded his head. Xiao YuAn was surprised: ¡°You actually have something you¡¯re afraid of? What is it?¡± Yan HeQing said: ¡°The ck hair in the morning that turns white as snow in the evening3. The old trees that withered into wood, and a man dressed with luxurious clothes bing old, lonely and powerless.¡± ¡°Ah? Why are you afraid of those?¡± ¡°You¡¯re no longer by my side.¡± Xiao YuAn stopped breathing for a moment, but then he pressed his forehead against Yan HeQing¡¯s: ¡°Yan-ge, you don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± ¡°Yan-ge, I¡¯ve been so boredtely. Since I had to stay in my bedchamber all the time, I had a lot of chaotic thoughts. I¡¯ll tell you about them the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Yan HeQing gently kissed Xiao YuAn¡¯s forehead and eyes. Until finally, he kissed his lips, tenderly and lovingly. After the kiss, the two of them fell asleep with their foreheads touching each other. The next day, the ceremony of worshiping the ancestors of the Southern Yan Kingdom arrived. Since this ritual was a national event in the Southern Yan Kingdom, even Tian Xiang, who was arranged to serve Xiao YuAn, had to help. In the end, she had to leave Xiao YuAn alone in his bedchamber, who was already anxiously waiting for any news. When the time for Yan HeQing¡¯s worshipping alone came close, the door of Xiao YuAn¡¯s bedchamber was suddenly pushed open. Xiao YuAn thought that it was Tian Xiang who had returned. However, when he was about to ask about the situation outside, he became stunned. Because the person who came in uninvited wasn¡¯t Tian Xiang, but a subordinate of Huang Yue. Huang Yue¡¯s subordinate walked in and ced a set of Imperial Guard¡¯s clothes in front of Xiao YuAn. Then, he said: ¡°I¡¯m grateful that Xiao Jun Wang is willing to lend us his troops, so how could Xiao Jun Wang miss the fun today?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart thumped, as his hands hanging by his sides clenched slightly. Then heughed and said: ¡°But I¡¯m under house arrest, His Majesty¡¯s orders. I can¡¯t go out at will.¡± The subordinateughed: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang doesn¡¯t need to worry, I¡¯ve made some arrangements outside. As for the Emperor, General Huang will determine the situation after today. What is Xiao Jun Wang worried about? You just have to change your clothes and follow me. Time doesn¡¯t wait.¡± Xiao YuAn clenched his hand, but on the surface he looked calm: ¡°Right, then please wait a moment.¡± After saying that, Xiao YuAn took the set of Imperial Guard¡¯s clothes and went into the inner room. Only then did his eyebrows frown tightly. It seems that Huang Yue hasn¡¯tpletely let down his guard against him. If he goes to Huang Yue at this time, Xiao YuAn is afraid that he will be imprisoned in a dilemma. But, if he doesn¡¯t go, everything will get revealed! If that were to happen, Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing¡¯s hard-working efforts for a month would go to waste! Xiao YuAn gritted his teeth as he picked up the Imperial Guard¡¯s clothes and hurriedly changed. I¡¯m back~ ???(¡ñ¨B?¨B¡ñ)?????? ? Ahhh xya and yhq are so damn cute together ?????? my heart can¡¯t take it!! Footnotes
  1. ʤÕßΪÍõ£¬°ÜÕßΪ¿Ü sh¨¨ng zh¨§ w¨¦i w¨¢ng£¬b¨¤i zh¨§ w¨¦i k¨°u; A Chinese saying handed down from ancient China to the present day. It means that in the fight for power/the throne, the one who wins is in the right, and is called a Monarch; while the one who loses is an oppressor who¡¯s called the enemy. It basically means that the winner has power in his hands and no one dares to denounce him, but, on the other hand, the loser has a hard time defending himself.
  2. ·çÚÜÔƹî f¨¥ng ju¨¦ y¨²n gu¨«; A metaphor for aplex and uncertain situation / mysterious and strange.
  3. Çà˿ĺ³ÉÑ© q¨©ng s¨© m¨´ ch¨¦ng xu¨§; It¡¯s the feeling of sorrow of the irreversibility of the passage of life in time. From the poem¡¶½«½ø¾Æ¡·by (Àî°× l¨« b¨¢i) Li Bai [701-762], from the Tang Dynasty [618-907].
Chapter 204: It’s Lonely Being At The Top. Chapter 204: It¡¯s Lonely Being At The Top. The spring breeze couldn¡¯t scatter his anxiety, or remove his worries. On the hillside where the Temple of Heaven was located, Huang Yue¡¯s figure was hidden behind the thick branches and leaves, surrounded by Imperial Guards dressed in ck clothes. In an hour, Yan HeQing would go up the mountain alone to worship his ancestors. ording to the rules of the Southern Yan Kingdom regarding the Emperor worshipping his ancestors, his Imperial Bodyguards could only wait at the foot of the mountain for him; so Huang Yue tried his best to rece all the people on the West side at the foot of the mountain with his own men. Then he sent several people to sneak up the mountain from the West side, to wait for Yan HeQing to pass by. Chen Ge should soon find that the Imperial Guards on the West side had decreased. Whether the n will be a sess or a failure can only be known in a moment. Huang Yue ced his hands behind his back, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Suddenly, he heard the sound of footstepsing from behind him. When he looked back, he saw that it was his subordinates and Xiao YuAn. Huang Yue greeted him faintly: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang.¡± Xiao YuAn looked around and smiled: ¡°What a Heavenly1.¡± ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for Xiao Jun Wang helping with his military strength, none of this could¡¯ve been possible.¡± Huang Yue said. ¡°I wonder, how is Xiao Jun Wang feeling now?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°I won¡¯t lie to General Huang, I¡¯m feeling nervous and scared.¡± Huang Yue smiled sympathetically, and said: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, do you know why I want the throne?¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°Aspiration.¡± Huang Yue shook his head as he said: ¡°You chose to usurp the throne with me because you wanted to live. As for me, I also wish to keep on living.¡± ¡°General Huang, you once fought alongside Yan HeQing in the war against the Eastern Wu Kingdom and achieved great sess. But now, even when you have power and influence in the Southern Yan Kingdom, you¡¯re not satisfied with this, and you insist on usurping the throne. Shouldn¡¯t it be lying to affirm that your only desire is to live?¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s words were filled with thorns, but when Huang Yue looked at him, he didn¡¯t seem annoyed. Instead, he replied calmly: ¡°My father was once a subordinate of a Deputy General of the Southern Yan Kingdom. Even though his official power wasn¡¯t great, his sry was enough to allow our family to not worry about food. My mother and I had always been quite satisfied with our lives, until I turned 16. The Deputy General my father was loyal to, was framed and put into prison. As for my father, he was implicated, and was sent to prison as well.¡± Huang Yue paused, lowered his head and his gaze wasx, as if he was lost in his memories: ¡°My mother ran towards all the rtives she could, scattered all the family assets and begged all the people she could beg for help. I still remember that time she took me to kowtow and beg for help on a rainy night. We knelt on the ground in a mess, drenched from head to toe by the rain, but even so, my father was still not released. Later, I joined the army, and risked my life on the battlefield, rushing to the front line to kill the enemy every single time. It took me six years and hundreds of scars to obtain the position of Deputy General, to use my power to clear my father¡¯s name. But, by then, my mother had already died two years ago, and my father died soon after he was released from prison.¡± Huang Yue continued with a cold smile: ¡°At that time, I understood that when you¡¯re a nobody, even if you split your head open, no one would listen to you. However, as long as you have power, you can have whatever you want, even the entire world. Xiao Jun Wang, do you understand? It¡¯s better to hold power firmly in your own hands.¡± Xiao YuAn was silent for a while before he could say: ¡°It¡¯s lonely being at the top2.¡± Huang Yue: ¡°It¡¯s nonsense to say that those who are in high positions scare those who are at the bottom. But, of course, only when you stand on top of the mountains are you able to see the sky from all directions.¡± Xiao YuAn was speechless. Suddenly, there was the sweet sound of the birds singing in the forest. At this, Huang Yue¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he said in a whisper: ¡°The Emperor ising.¡± Xiao YuAn followed his gaze as he pursed his lips nervously, and his hands clenched involuntarily. Through the gap between the branches, Xiao YuAn was able to overlook the winding path up the mountain. After the singing of the birds, a white figure appeared in Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes. Yan HeQing¡¯s ck hair wasn¡¯t tied up, gathering together on his back. He was dressed in white garments, and as he looked ahead, he held the sacrifices with both hands as he walked up the mountain, step by step. Xiao YuAn bit his lips nervously, without even noticing the taste of blood in his mouth. Huang Yue was also nervous, holding his breath without saying a word. After an unknown period of time passed, in which the mountain breeze was silent and everything became quiet, almost all of the eyes were on Yan HeQing. Like when the swords are drawn and the bows are bent3. Yan HeQing, as if he realized something, stopped abruptly. Then, he slowly turned his head to look over. Huang Yue¡¯s eyes suddenly shrank, and he hurriedly made a gesture to his subordinates. Then, another sound of a bird singing resounded through the mountain. A whileter, dozens of ck-clothed people jumped out of the trees and grass, fiercely waving their swords at Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing took a few steps back to avoid the swords, but when he looked back, he found that his way was blocked by the men dressed in ck. He was surrounded by the assassins! Yan HeQing frowned tightly, when suddenly, he heard Huang Yue calling ¡®Your Majesty!¡¯ behind him. Yan HeQing turned around and his gaze was instantly fixed on the person next to Huang Yue. He was so surprised that his eyes suddenly widened. Huang Yue thought that Yan HeQing was surprised by his own betrayal, and joked: ¡°Is His Majesty really so surprised?¡± After saying that, Huang Yue no longer talked nonsense as he pulled out the long sword at his waist. As he was about to make a move, the thin sword nked out of its sheath, flooded with a cold light. Suddenly, someone reached out to stop him. The one who stopped him was Xiao YuAn. Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing looked at each other. Then, Xiao YuAn took a deep breath, and said: ¡°General Huang, can you let me do it? I really have too many ounts to settle with your Emperor.¡± Huang Yue thought for a moment, and handed a dagger to Xiao YuAn. After all, it¡¯s still regicide. It¡¯s better to borrow someone else¡¯s hand in this matter. Xiao YuAn held the dagger tightly as he slowly walked away from Huang Yue and got close to Yan HeQing. Their eyes never moved away from each other, as if there was no one else in the world. Xiao YuAn said: ¡°Yan HeQing, after all this time, have your feelings for me ever changed? Have you ever loved me, even for a little bit? Do you remember my sobbings andughter, even if only once? Because, Yan HeQing, I love you.¡± Huang Yue secretly tsked, obviously unable to understand those deep feelings of love and hate, standing aside to watch the show with interest. On the surface, Yan HeQing was quiet, but inside his heart, he was anxiously waiting for Xiao YuAn to escape. Xiao YuAn wanted to walk up to Yan HeQing as soon as possible, but he was afraid to reveal anything by mistake, making Huang Yue notice. So, he had to rack his brain to remember the lines of those toxic dog blood novels he read before as he continued to act: ¡°Tell me! Have you ever loved me?!¡± Huang Yue felt a toothache, not wanting to see this drama anymore. Unexpectedly, he saw among the ck-clothed Guards someone quietly retreating a few steps. It was one of the soldiers from the Western Shu Kingdom that Xiao YuAn lent him to use. For a moment, the winds and clouds surged, and everything became silent in an instant. Huang Yue suddenly clenched his long sword and stood in front of Xiao YuAn, dragging him back violently. With a sinister smile, he said: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, even though the Emperor is unarmed, I¡¯m afraid that you still won¡¯t be able to defeat him. It won¡¯t be good if you get hurt.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes had long rippled with shock. At that moment, he only needed to move his fingers to have Huang Yue and his subordinates immediately caught, but at this time, Yan HeQing¡¯s body was stiff, as if he was unable to move. At the foot of the mountain, inside the forest, all of Huang Yue¡¯s ck-clothed subordinates were ambushed by Yan HeQing¡¯s Imperial Guards. However, without the Emperor¡¯s orders, they didn¡¯t dare to act rashly. At this moment, their hearts were slightly anxious. Meanwhile, Xiao YuAn was, surprisingly, the calmest one. As he returned the dagger to Huang Yue, he sneered. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that General Huang would be so worried about me. Anyway, I ask General Huang to do it himself.¡± Huang Yue took the dagger, looked at Xiao YuAn, thought for a moment, and winked at his subordinates. The subordinates immediately understood the order as they stepped towards Xiao YuAn¡¯s side, seemingly taking some distance away from him, but with a sense of oppression that couldn¡¯t be ignored. Huang Yue no longer talked, and as he held the long sword, he walked towards Yan HeQing. Even though Yan HeQing saw that the sharp sword was getting close to his chest with the intention to stab him, he didn¡¯t make a move. Because his eyes werepletely focused on Xiao YuAn, who was surrounded. XYA: *Dramatically* Yan HeQing, have you ever loved me?! ?(???????)? YHQ: ¡­¡­.(¡¡¨‘§Õ¡Ñ) HY: ( ?? ?? ??) what¡¯s this¡­ ?????????? Chapter 205: His Weak Point. Chapter 205: His Weak Point. Right at the most critical moment, Yan HeQing dodged Huang Yue¡¯s sword, and pulled out a short sword from the offerings. After a few crisp sounds of swords colliding against each other, and the silver light cutting through the sky, the two men had already made several moves, but Huang Yue was still unable to injure Yan HeQing on his own. This, of course, was to be expected, but Huang Yue wasn¡¯t annoyed. Instead, he winked at the men surrounding them, and without hesitation, more than a dozen men dressed in ck waved their swords at Yan HeQing. Everyone was afraid about the current atmosphere where anything could happen, so they held their breath for a moment. The only thing left between Heaven and Earth was the rustling sound of the mountain wind, sweeping through the remnants of the early Spring leaves. When suddenly, a terrible scream broke the silence! Almost all of them turned their heads to look at the direction of the miserable cry. Huang Yue¡¯s subordinates, who were guarding Xiao YuAn, were hunched over and covering their abdomens. The pain was so great that they couldn¡¯t recover for a long time. Meanwhile, Xiao YuAn wildly ran down the mountain, shouting at the same time: ¡°Protect the Emperor!¡± Huang Yue¡¯s face suddenly turned white, but he reacted quickly as he turned around to chase Xiao YuAn. Yan HeQing followed him, but he was suddenly surrounded by a dozen men dressed in ck. However, in an instant, the situation was suddenly reversed as Chen Ge, who had been lurking in the mountain¡¯s forest for a long time, showed up with hundreds of Imperial Guards. Huang Yue¡¯s men were trapped, like a turtle being caught in a jar1. Even the Western Shu Kingdom¡¯s soldiers turned their backs on them! Huang Yue¡¯s men were all flustered and confused. Some of them tried to resist, while others had already dropped their weapons and surrendered. Chen Ge rushed into the crowd to protect Yan HeQing, but then he saw Yan HeQing rushing towards Xiao YuAn¡¯s way. Xiao YuAn knew that it was because of him that Yan HeQing didn¡¯t dare to act rashly, so as long as he escaped to a safe ce, everything would go ording to n. Xiao YuAn ran for a while, and when he wanted to turn around to see what the situation was, his shoulder was unexpectedly held down, brutally pulling him back. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t stabilize himself, and he ended up falling backwards. The two people rolled around for several steps before they could stabilize themselves, and when Xiao YuAn was about to look up, he was suddenly choked by that man! Huang Yue¡¯s eyes were filled with malice as he shouted angrily: ¡°You dared to set me up?!¡± How could Xiao YuAn just sit and wait for death? As he desperately struggled to fight off Huang Yue, Yan HeQing¡¯s urgent footsteps were heard: ¡°Xiao YuAn!!¡± When Huang Yue saw that Xiao YuAn was about to break free from his grasp, he suddenly pulled out a dagger from his waist and violently stabbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s leg! It was hard for Xiao YuAn to suppress the loud and miserable cry due to the pain he felt. Soon, his scream disappeared into the noisy and chaotic crowd. Huang Yue grabbed Xiao YuAn¡¯s hair rudely and pulled him up. After cing the dagger against Xiao YuAn¡¯s throat, Huang Yue turned around to face Yan HeQing. At that, Yan HeQing stopped running at once, and his eyes were fixed on Xiao YuAn¡¯s injured leg. Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes slowly turned red, and he almost shattered his teeth before he could say: ¡°Don¡¯t touch him!!¡± Huang Yue didn¡¯t expect that Yan HeQing would be so concerned about Xiao Jun Wang. At first, he was stunned, but then heughed out loud: ¡°It seems that His Majesty still has some feelings for this ¡®bed warmer¡¯.¡± As soon as Huang Yue finished saying those words, he dragged Xiao YuAn down the hill. Because Xiao YuAn¡¯s leg was injured, he wasn¡¯t able to walk fast, so he was pulled all the way down the mountain by Huang Yue, leaving a trail of blood. An Imperial Bodyguard was about to chase after them, but he was suddenly stopped by Yan HeQing. Huang Yue didn¡¯t know where he was going or where he should go. The only thing he knew was that he was on the verge of copsing, and he no longer had the power to return. But, he wasn¡¯t willing, he really wasn¡¯t willing! Huang Yue dragged Xiao YuAn to the middle of the mountain, until finally, he couldn¡¯t drag him anymore. When he saw that no one was following him behind, Huang Yue dropped Xiao YuAn on the ground, which was an open space at the edge of the cliff, where the former Northern Kingdom¡¯s Temple of Heaven used to be. Xiao YuAn fell heavily on the ground. His palms were red, and the wound on his leg hurt immensely. As he tried to ease the pain, heughed and said: ¡°General Huang made a huge mistake. If you wanted to hold me hostage, you shouldn¡¯t have injured my leg.¡± At that moment, Huang Yue had calmed down, so he simply sneered at him and said: ¡°I wanted to take Xiao Jun Wang¡¯s life at once, but I didn¡¯t expect that the Emperor would care so much about you. Xiao Jun Wang, aren¡¯t you happy? For over a year, the Emperor had never paid attention to you, but at this moment, he unexpectedly became so attentive of you. You probably never thought this would happen, am I right?¡± Xiao YuAn hummed a few times, but he didn¡¯t reply. For some reason, at this point, Huang Yue¡¯s heart actually calmed down a lot. As he looked around, he could feel the cold mountain breeze filling the mountain forests and rivers. It was early Spring, so with the humid wind, Huang Yue¡¯s body felt colder and colder; as if he was reliving that time when he and his mother went to ask for help under the cold and heavy rain. All of a sudden, Huang Yue seemed to understand what it meant to be lonely at the top. The higher you climb, the worse the fall. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came behind him. At this, Huang Yue fiercely dragged Xiao YuAn up, who was on the ground, using Xiao YuAn as a shield to protect himself. As Huang Yue ced the dagger against Xiao YuAn¡¯s throat, he turned around. Surprisingly, it was Yan HeQing. Yan HeQing was alone, armed with a single long sword. As the wind lifted his clothes, he stood more than ten meters away, staring at the dagger pressed against Xiao YuAn¡¯s throat. Without trying to move forward, Yan HeQing said: ¡°Let him go. If you do, I¡¯ll let you go, along with your men.¡± Huang Yue sneered: ¡°His Majesty must be joking. I don¡¯t believe that Xiao Jun Wang is that important to you. His Majesty must not forget that Xiao Jun Wang had been a Minister for more than a year now, and you¡¯ve never been interested in him. I know that His Majesty wants to capture me alive, so that you can force me to confess who my party members are, so you¡¯re using this excuse to make a deal with me.¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but say: ¡°In that case, Dage should ce the dagger against your own neck instead of mine. Ah, Dage-¡­. hiss¡­..¡± Huang Yue slightly added more pressure to the dagger, and Xiao YuAn¡¯s neck immediately oozed beads of blood. Yan HeQing stepped forward abruptly, but he immediately restrained his impulse in time. His hand holding the long sword, trembled slightly. When Huang Yue saw him that way, he sneered and said: ¡°His Majesty¡¯s acting ability is quite good. How about this? Your Majesty, if you throw the sword on the ground, I¡¯ll let Xiao Jun Wang¡¯s neck go.¡± Huang Yue intended to ridicule Yan HeQing, but he didn¡¯t expect to see Yan HeQing throwing the sword aside without any hesitation. Huang Yue was actually quite stunned, and a trace of incredulity shed in his eyes. He slowly removed the dagger from Xiao YuAn¡¯s neck, but then he ced the tip of the dagger against Xiao YuAn¡¯s abdomen. At that moment, Huang Yue suddenly noticed something. When he pressed the dagger slightly harder, Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes would shrink. With this, Huang Yue¡¯s inner doubts became more and more firm. But, he still felt that it didn¡¯t make sense. Yan HeQing said: ¡°What do you want?¡± Huang Yue looked at Yan HeQing, and after a long silence, he suddenly said: ¡°I want you to kneel down and beg me.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s heart panicked as he shouted: ¡°Yan-ge, don¡¯t do it!¡± Before Xiao YuAn could even finish his words, Yan HeQing had already knelt down. Huang Yue¡¯s eyes widened, and then, he burst out in a maniacalughter. Afterughing for a while, he shouted: ¡°Yan HeQing! Why the hell did you be an Emperor? For what? Look at you right now, you look so pathetic and ridiculous!¡± Yan HeQing calmly said: ¡°If you let him go, then I¡¯ll let you go.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll let me go? Heh, let me go.¡± Huang Yue mumbled these words in a daze, when suddenly, he raised his head with a sinister smile: ¡°Yan HeQing, even if you let me go, where else can I go? Do you think that I¡¯m afraid of death? Let me tell you, the moment I decided to usurp the throne, I already prepared myself to lose my head. Yan HeQing, I don¡¯t need you to let me go. What is it? Are you really worried about him?¡± After saying this, Huang Yue pressed the dagger more deeply. As Xiao YuAn trembled a bit, the clothes on his abdomen were suddenly dyed red. Yan HeQing was breathless. Then, he heard Huang Yueugh madly: ¡°As long as you crawl over like a dog, I¡¯ll let him go, alright? Hahahahaha, the Monarch of the country, the Monarch of the country looks extremely ridiculous! Ridiculous!¡± All of a sudden, Huang Yue¡¯sughter stopped abruptly. As soon as Huang Yue finished his words, Xiao YuAn suddenly turned around, regardless of the threat of the dagger. When he moved, the dagger in Huang Yue¡¯s hand immediately pierced into his abdomen! Xiao YuAn trembled all over, and as he resisted the pain, he cursed: ¡°Ridiculous your father!¡± Huang Yue panicked. When he was about to pull back the dagger to regain control over Xiao YuAn, Xiao YuAn suddenly pushed him. However, the two of them stumbled back a few steps, until their feet touched the air, falling down the cliff! Waaaahhh this chapter was way too intense! And that cliffhanger!! ((((;©b§¥©b))) Footnotes
  1. ÎÍÖÐ×½±î w¨¨ng zh¨­ng zhu¨­ bi¨¥; Chinese idiom, used as a metaphor for something that one¡¯s wants to capture, has already been under one¡¯s control. From¡¶ÀîåÓ¸º¾£¡·by (¿µ½øÖ® k¨¡ng j¨¬n zh¨©) Kang Jinzhi, from the Yuan or Mongol Dynasty [1279-1368].
Chapter 206: Keep The Clouds Open To See The Bright Moon Behind. Chapter 206: Keep The Clouds Open To See The Bright Moon Behind. When the two of them fell off the cliff, they ended up falling heavily on a protruding stone tform. Xiao Yuan seemed to know that there was a stone tform under the cliff, so he didn¡¯t hesitate to get up at once. Huang Yue rolled on the ground twice, almost falling down the tform, so he retreated in a panic. Huang Yue¡¯s frightened expression hasn¡¯t recovered yet, when suddenly, another person fell on the stone tform as well. Xiao YuAn shouted with surprise: ¡°Yan-ge!¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t expect that there was a stone tform under the cliff, so he was briefly stunned afternding. All of a sudden, Xiao YuAn¡¯s panicked shout rang in his ears: ¡°Yan-ge, be careful!¡± A sharp dagger charged towards Yan HeQing with a frightening silver shine. Huang Yue held the dagger tightly, looking at Yan HeQing with determination and killing intent. Yan HeQing wasn¡¯t able to dodge, and his arm was shed as a shocking amount of blood sshed all over. Huang Yue kept his pace as he turned to fiercely stab Yan HeQing¡¯s chest. However, Yan HeQing grabbed Huang Yue¡¯s wrist at the right time, and twisted it violently, reversing the dagger¡¯s sharp de¡¯s direction, aiming it at Huang Yue¡¯s chest. The two men grabbed each other¡¯s elbows and arms, using their strength against each other as they struggled for a long time. When suddenly, Huang Yue smiled mockingly. Right after that, Huang Yue was caught off guard as he lost all his strength when the dagger pierced his chest. As he felt the cold sensation of his body being pierced, Huang Yue sneered mockingly, and as he covered his chest, he stumbled backwards. After raising his head to look at the sky, he fell off the cliff from the stone tform. As the mountain wind whistled in his ears, Huang Yue struggled to open his eyes as he thought: ¡®This mountain is really tall, ah.¡¯ Meanwhile, on the stone tform, Yan HeQing didn¡¯t even bother to take a look at Huang Yue as he hurriedly turned to look for Xiao YuAn. Once Yan HeQing¡¯s gaze settled on Xiao YuAn, his eyes suddenly shrank. Xiao YuAn¡¯s clothes were dyed red, right where his abdomen was. Xiao YuAn was covering his abdomen tightly with his hands as he sat against the wall, trying to adjust his breathing. Yan HeQing trembled as he knelt down and gathered Xiao YuAn into his arms, reaching at the same time to cover Xiao YuAn¡¯s wounds for him. Xiao YuAn tried to smile at Yan HeQing as he said: ¡°Yan-ge, I¡¯m fine. Yan-ge, your eyes are so red, I¡¯m really fine so don¡¯t worry. Yan-ge, don¡¯t cry¡­.¡± Yan HeQing didn¡¯t say anything as he cut his coat into strips with a knife. Then he bandaged Xiao YuAn¡¯s leg and abdomen wounds. Xiao YuAn nestled in his arms and rambled: ¡°Yan-ge, let me tell you, I jumped simply because I knew that there was a stone tform below. I wasn¡¯t taking my life lightly. As for my abdominal wound, I now understand how the body works, so I twisted Huang Yue¡¯s hand in order to not hurt any internal organs. You don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯m really fine¡­.¡± ¡°Yan-ge, do you want to take a break after this? I smashed the small courtyard at the Temple of Heaven. What a pity, sigh. Should we dig a pond near the bedchamber? Raise fish, grow mulberry trees and hemp. I don¡¯t know whether mulberry trees are good or not, do you want to know why? Isn¡¯t it said ¡®two people talking about nting mulberry trees and hemp as their drink wine¡¯? But, it seems that the mulberry tree and hemp are used generally in poems to refer to crops1, ah¡­.¡± ¡°Yan-ge, let¡¯s make another set of wedding clothes, alright? I wasn¡¯t able to see the original set, was it beautiful? Was the Golden Dragon embroidered on it as majestic as the owner of the shop said? Did it look good on you? I want to see it.¡± ¡°Yan-ge, are you angry? Don¡¯t be angry, no, don¡¯t be angry now. You can settle ounts with meter-¡­. cough¡­cough¡­.¡± When he saw that Xiao YuAn¡¯s nonsense suddenly stopped as he covered his mouth and coughed repeatedly, Yan HeQing¡¯s pupils shrank as he said: ¡°Don¡¯t talk anymore.¡± Xiao YuAn tugged at his sleeve andughed: ¡°But, I still have a lot of things to say to you. What will you do? Why don¡¯t you block my mouth then? What do you think is the best way to shut me up?¡± Yan HeQing leaned down to kiss him. Xiao YuAn closed his eyes, carefully using the tip of his tongue to rub Yan HeQing¡¯s lips, which were slightly trembling out of fear, as gently and carefully as he could. ¡®Until we met for the first time, I didn¡¯t understand what happiness and sorrow were. I didn¡¯t understand life, and I couldn¡¯t differentiate between hardships and happiness. I simply watched how the Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter went by. As I look back on this life, so far, I¡¯ve been keeping the clouds open to see the bright moon behind2.¡¯ ¡­ Xiao Jun Wang was imprisoned! Xiao YuAn, the Monarch of the Western Shu Kingdom, was imprisoned!! Xiao YuAn, the Monarch of a country, was imprisoned by Yan HeQing, the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom!!! Xiao YuAn: ¡°What am I imprisoned for?¡± Tian Xiang was so anxious that she stamped her foot: ¡°That¡¯s what everyone in the Imperial Pce is saying!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°They¡¯re just talking pure nonsense!¡± Tian Xiang: ¡°But His Majesty really won¡¯t let Xiao Jun Wang move around!¡± Xiao YuAn pointed to the tight bandages wrapped around his abdomen and leg, then said: ¡°Even if he wouldn¡¯t allow me to move, I can¡¯t move!!¡± Tian Xiang: ¡°And, His Majesty onlyes to this bedchamber at night to look for Xiao Jun Wang, but he will leave early in the morning-¡­..¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! This is his bedchamber! Where else will he go to sleep?!¡± Tian Xiang: ¡°¡­..It seems that there¡¯s nothing wrong.¡± Suddenly, Chen Ge, who was covered in mud from head to toe, rushed in from outside: ¡°Why did His Majesty order me to dig a pond in front of the bedchamber?!!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Remember to put red koi fish in it, red ones look better. Wait, why are you the one digging the pond? Aren¡¯t you a General?¡± Chen Ge copsed: ¡°How would I know?!!¡± ¡°Oh, I know!¡± Xiao YuAn grabbed a handful of candied fruits beside the bed, stuffed some in Tian Xiang¡¯s hand, and put one inside his mouth. ¡°After His Majesty and I were saved from the bottom of the cliff, I clearly told you to not carry me, but you had to carry me! You even reached out, trying to get me away from my Yan-ge¡¯s arms!¡± Chen Ge replied: ¡°I saw that His Majesty¡¯s arm was wounded! Besides, His Majesty hugged you tightly and left! I barely touched you! It wasn¡¯t a big deal! It¡¯s not a big deal at all!!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°Some children can¡¯t be taught. Go back to dig the pond. Wait, do you want to eat candied fruit? Chen Ge said with grief and indignation: ¡°I want!!!¡± ¡°Come on, give me your hand.¡± Xiao YuAn grabbed a handful of candied fruit and handed them to Chen Ge. However, when Chen Ge went to pick the candied fruits, Xiao YuAn closed his palm, and Chen Ge just so happened to hold Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand by ident. At that instant, the sudden sound of a stool falling to the ground was heard. Everyone looked back in horror as they saw Yan HeQing expressionlessly standing behind them. Beside him was a pitiful stool that had fallen to the ground. Chen Ge reacted quickly as he knelt on one knee and sped his fist: ¡°Weichen salutes His Majesty!¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°The pond.¡± Chen Ge shouted: ¡°Weichen will go to resume digging right now!!¡± After saying that, Chen Ge rushed out energetically. Yan HeQing took a few steps towards Xiao YuAn, and asked: ¡°Do your wounds still hurt?¡± Xiao YuAn stretched out his hand with a smile on his face, quietly pulling Yan HeQing¡¯s sleeve until it touched the bedding: ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt. It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore when you¡¯re here. It even feels as if I were healing faster!¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Yan HeQing pulled back his sleeve and said: ¡°Have a good rest.¡± After saying that, he turned his head and walked away. Tian Xiang took a long sigh of relief. Then, she got up to ask Xiao YuAn what he wanted to eat for lunch, but she stopped the moment she saw that Xiao YuAn had a sad expression on his face. ¡®Yan HeQing is angry! My Yan-ge is really really angry!!¡¯ Ten days have passed since Huang Yue¡¯s mutiny, and Yan HeQing has been busy dealing with the remaining members of Huang Yue¡¯s party every day. Because of this, he was only able to return to the bedchamber at night. Since Yan HeQing knew that Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t able to sleep alone, no matter how busy he was, he would definitelye back to rest with him. Sometimes, he would wait for Xiao YuAn to fall asleep to leave and keep dealing with political affairs. Yan HeQing would ask about Xiao YuAn¡¯s injuries, change his bandages, and even kiss Xiao YuAn carefully when he¡¯s feeling pain. But, Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t able to seduce him anymore! He! Can¡¯t! Seduce! Or! Touch! Him! Whether Xiao YuAn asked for a kiss or wanted to do some ¡®unspeakable activities¡¯, Yan HeQing would ignore him every single time! He¡¯s! Ignoring! Him! Xiao YuAn lived for so many years, and for the first time in his life, he met with a problem he didn¡¯t know how to solve. ¡®How should I coax a former Stallion Novel Protagonist when he¡¯s angry?¡® Heeey~ I did it! I finally made time to trante ???(¡ñ¨B?¨B¡ñ)??????! (I¡¯ve been so busy ??) Now XYA and YHQ are finally safe!!! But now XYA has to deal with something even worse¡­. YHQ is angry at him ?????? (We¡¯re so so so close to the end!!! Ahhh) Chapter 207: This Foreign Country Is Seeking Death, Why Dont We…. Chapter 207: This Foreign Country Is Seeking Death, Why Don¡¯t We¡­. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Xiao Jun Wang? Why are you frowning all the time?¡± After dinner, Tian Xiang saw that Xiao YuAn seemed distressed as he held his head in a daze, so she asked after cleaning up the dishes. Xiao YuAn said: ¡°I¡¯ve angered His Majesty, and I¡¯m trying to find a solution!¡± Tian Xiang¡¯s eyes widened: ¡°There¡¯s no way! His Majesty woulde back every night to sleep with Xiao Jun Wang. His Majesty even changes your bandages himself, he doesn¡¯t seem to be angry at all!¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­..When you say it like that, I suddenly realize something. How can my Yan-ge be so good?!¡± Tian Xiang said: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, if you asked me how to coax a woman, I may be able to give you advice. But it¡¯s hard to figure out what His Majesty is thinking. Why don¡¯t you ask General Chen, who¡¯s still digging the pond in front of the bedchamber?¡± Xiao YuAn patted her head. ¡®That¡¯s right! How could I forget about Chen Ge!¡¯ Chen Ge had been digging for a whole day, and he was finally able to take a rest. As soon as he sat down and drank a mouthful of cold water, a faint, ghostly voice suddenly came into his ears: ¡°Where does a happy lifee from? It depends on hardbor to exist!1¡± Chen Ge spewed out the mouthful of water, almost choking to death. Xiao YuAn kindly stretched out his hand and patted Chen Ge on the back to help him calm his breath: ¡°Slow down, slow down, don¡¯t rush.¡± Chen Ge¡¯s heart was wailing as he thought: ¡®I¡¯m not rushing! You scared the shit out of me!¡¯ When Chen Ge finally calmed his breath, he exhaled softly, and asked: ¡°What is Xiao Jun Wang doing here? Is your injury alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just wanted to ask you something.¡± Xiao YuAn sat down next to Chen Ge, with a serious expression on his face: ¡°How can I coax my sweetheart when he¡¯s angry?¡± Chen Ge gulped and asked: ¡°It depends on what your sweetheart is angry about.¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡°I promised him that I wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid, but in the end¡­. But! The situation was critical at the time, so I didn¡¯t have any other choice¡­. it¡¯s just¡­.¡± Chen Ge nodded thoughtfully: ¡°Then, did he argue with you?¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°No, if he was willing to scold me, then maybe after scolding me, we could resolve our differences. But he¡¯s so angry that he won¡¯t even scold me.¡± Chen Ge: ¡°He must be extremely angry then.¡± Xiao YuAn held his head in distress. Chen Ge then said: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, don¡¯t be upset. If you want to coax him, then why don¡¯t you do something unexpected to surprise him?¡± Before, Xiao YuAn reassured himself that in order to coax Yan HeQing, he must lose face. But when Xiao YuAn sat on top of Yan HeQing, almost naked, he failed to seduce Yan HeQing. Could this be regarded as ¡®something unexpected¡¯? Chen Ge seemed to see through Xiao YuAn¡¯s thoughts, and said: ¡°If not, then it must be because Xiao Jun Wang didn¡¯te up with the right idea. Think again, is there anything that he has been waiting for you to give him, but you didn¡¯t?¡± Xiao YuAn held his head and thought for a while. When suddenly, happiness struck his heart: ¡°I understand!¡± Chen Ge nodded with a naive smile, and said: ¡°As long as Xiao Jun Wang understands. Wait, no! Xiao Jun Wang, because you haven¡¯t been with His Majestytely¡­. are you seeing someone else?! Xiao Jun Wang, I understand that you and His Majesty have a physical rtionship with no feelings, but you can¡¯t get in trouble at this time, ah! If His Majesty were to find out-! Ugh!¡± Xiao YuAn picked up the water pouch, put it aside, and blocked Chen Ge¡¯s mouth with his hand: ¡°Are you really stupid or are you just a fool that seems wise?!¡± ¡­ At the same time, Yan HeQing was dealing with Court Affairs, when suddenly, a Minister hurriedly advised: ¡°Your Majesty, the foreign country of the Western Regions sent a letter to us, saying that they heard that the Monarch of the Western Shu Kingdom has submitted to our country as a Minister. If we don¡¯t send the Monarch of the Western Shu Kingdom back to the West, then they will send troops to harass our border cities.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s hand, which was following the words on the memorials, suddenly stopped. As he slowly raised his head, there was a bottomless coldness in his eyes. The Minister hadn¡¯t realized that Yan HeQing¡¯s expression was wrong, so he analyzed the situation in a methodical way: ¡°Chen2 believes that the Monarch of the Western Shu Kingdom should be sent back to his country first. Your Majesty, this foreign country in the Western Regions is nomadic, reckless and belligerent in nature. If they harass our borders every day, the towns and people on the border will suffer bitterly. This foreign country has only coveted thend of the Western Shu Kingdom, they are worried about our country being on good terms with the Western Shu Kingdom, which is why they¡¯re requesting such a thing. Why don¡¯t we wait for these two countries to fight each other first? Like the oriole waiting in the back3, we¡¯ll conquer the Western Shu Kingdom, unifying the whole country in one fell swoop!¡± The Minister made a good analysis, so Yan HeQing didn¡¯t criticize him too much. Still, he said coldly: ¡°We¡¯ll fight anyone who dares to approach my borders.¡± The Minister was stunned: ¡°Fight? With the foreign country of the Western Regions? But, Your Majesty, the Western Shu Kingdom is between us. If Your Majesty wants to fight, we can only take a detour. It¡¯s too exhausting, and the soldiers will be too tired to fight. Besides, it¡¯ll be hard to support the army¡¯s food this way!¡± Yan HeQing shook his head: ¡°We won¡¯t go around, we¡¯ll go through the Western Shu Kingdom¡¯s territory.¡± The Minister said: ¡°Your Majesty, Chen knows that you have always wanted to send troops to the Western Shu Kingdom, but if we conquer the Western Shu Kingdom at this moment, then the foreign country will be the oriole!¡± Unexpectedly, Yan HeQing shook his head again, and said: ¡°We¡¯ll unite with the Western Shu Kingdom through marriage, and we¡¯ll fight that foreign country.¡± The Minister couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡®Union by marriage?!¡¯ In the past, when the Western Shu Kingdom wanted to befriend the Southern Yan Kingdom, they sent several portraits of Princesses for Yan HeQing to choose as concubines. However, Yan HeQing burned every portrait, and became determined to attack the Western Shu Kingdom. But now, Yan HeQing suddenly said that he wanted to marry! Which Princess does he like?! Hey! The Emperor can marry whoever he wants, but he kept saying that he wouldn¡¯t get married over and over, right? Wait, it does seem like he can do whatever he wants, ah. The Minister still wanted to ask which Princess caught his eye, but at that moment Yan HeQing suddenly got up: ¡°I¡¯ll retire in advance, I¡¯ll announce it tomorrow.¡± The Minister didn¡¯t dare to say more, so he had to leave in a hurry as he secretly thought to himself: ¡®I heard rumors that no matter how busy His Majesty was, he would always return to his bedchamber at night. Just now I saw it myself, it turned out to be the truth!¡¯ It¡¯s so cute that XYA is looking for ways to make YHQ less angry while YHQ is already organizing their wedding lmao (?¡ä?£à*) Can¡¯t wait to see the Ministers¡¯ reaction when YHQ announce that he¡¯ll marry a man ???? (like, why do you think he¡¯s been single all these years to the point of burning the portraits of concubine candidates) Chapter 208: President Xiao Has A Body Again, Why Don’t We…. Chapter 208: President Xiao Has A Body Again, Why Don¡¯t We¡­. Yan HeQing tidied up the memorials and went back to his bedchamber. It waste, and since Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t sleep withoutpany, he had to hurry back. When Yan HeQing returned to the bedchamber, he dismissed the Imperial Bodyguards who followed him back, and pushed open the doors. As soon as he stepped into the bedchamber, Yan HeQing noticed that something was different from usual. Usually, no matter howte Yan HeQing came back, Xiao YuAn would always wait for him with a candle lit. A few days ago, when Xiao YuAn was still seriously injured, he had to lie on the bed and wait for him. Once Yan HeQing was back, Xiao YuAn would call him ¡¯Yan-ge¡¯ with a smile. But today, the bedchamber was dark. Even Tian Xiang, who served Xiao YuAn, wasn¡¯t present. Yan HeQing hesitated for a while, but still walked into the bedchamber with the help of the bright moonlight. In the corner of the bedchamber, there was incense burning with an unknown meaning, and the white smoke curled up, dancing with the moonlight. When Yan HeQing finally approached the bed, he suddenly stopped. On the bed, Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands were bound by red silk. His whole body was curled up in a corner, tied to the bed, and his ck silk-like hair was scattered all over. The clothes on his upper body were wide open, exposing his skin white as snow, looking quite tempting. Xiao YuAn had been waiting for a long time, so his hands and feet felt numb. Since Xiao YuAn had been waiting for so long, he was a little nervous to see Yan HeQing. After he swallowed dry, he stammered: ¡°Yan, Yan-ge, are you back?¡± Yan HeQing stared at him for a while, but then he walked to the wooden table and lit the candle. After that, he walked back to the bed and reached out to touch Xiao YuAn¡¯s body. The slightly cold fingertips made Xiao YuAn shrink a bit. Xiao YuAn thought that Yan HeQing was finally no longer angry at him, so he tilted his head, asking for a kiss. However, who would¡¯ve known that Yan HeQing would turn his head instead. As he rubbed his fingertips against Xiao YuAn¡¯s abdominal wound, he asked: ¡°Did you change the bandages today?¡± Xiao YuAn hurriedly replied: ¡°I¡¯ve changed them.¡± Yan HeQing hmm-ed lightly, untied the red silk on Xiao YuAn¡¯s hands and body, tidied up his clothes, then stuffed him into the quilt. Xiao YuAn was so anxious that he grabbed Yan HeQing¡¯s wrist and pulled him towards himself: ¡°Yan-ge, I really know that I did something wrong!¡± Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn with dark eyes as he said: ¡°Xiao YuAn, I dreamt of you more than 200 times. Almost every time, you would cut your own throat and die in front of my eyes. For the past few days, I no longer dreamt of you killing yourself. Instead, I dreamt of you jumping off a cliff. I saw your body crushed in pieces, not a single bone left intact, and this time, you no longer came back to me.¡± Xiao YuAn had a lump in his throat and his eyes became teary as he said: ¡°Yan-ge¡­. I¡­. I¡­.¡± Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t exin himself and simply bowed his head, holding back the tears gathering in his eyes, thinking about what he should do. Yan HeQing looked at him and suddenly remembered that when Xiao YuAn¡¯s soul came back, he threw him out of the bedchamber. That day the snow was falling heavily, and Xiao YuAn was dressed in thin underclothes. Probably because of the pain and cold, his eyes looked as red as today. Yan HeQing suddenly felt distressed. After sitting on the bed, Yan HeQing leaned Xiao YuAn against the bedpost and kissed him. He kissed the corners of Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes, and then kissed his lips devoutly. After the kiss, Xiao YuAn pointed to the sky and the ground as he said one word at a time: ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that you¡¯ll dream of the ¡®me¡¯ who is alive, and can do backflips.¡± Yan HeQing hmm-ed in response. Just when he was about to let Xiao YuAn rest and recover from his injuries, Xiao YuAn suddenly grabbed his sleeve, smiled, and stammered: ¡°Hus-husband, sin-since the mood seems right, wh-why don¡¯t we¡­..¡± Right before he could finish what he wanted to say, Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t say it in the end. As he touched his red cheeks, looked at the ceiling and the ground, he said: ¡°Cough, I can¡¯t say it, how shameful-¡­..¡± However, before Xiao YuAn could finish his words, Yan HeQing suddenly pushed him down on the bed. Yan HeQing¡¯s breathing was a little faster, his eyes fluttered, and his voice, although restrained, trembled slightly: ¡°What did you call me?¡± XYA is determined to seduce YHQ whatever it takes lmao (don¡¯tin afterwards ??) Ah but YHQ is worried about XYA¡¯s injuries¡­ Why is this ML so damn caring and cute? £¨?>??Chapter 209: This Romantic Event Is Quite Exciting, Why Don¡¯t We¡­. T/N: Be aware of the ??Spicy?? content ??? After being suddenly pressed down on the bed, Xiao YuAn was stunned. Over the past ten days, in order to coax Yan HeQing, Xiao YuAn had racked his brain thinking of ways to flirt with him, but he was rejected every single time, which made Xiao YuAn doubt his own charm. Today, after listening to Chen Ge¡¯s advice, Xiao YuAn thought of a bondage y, but he didn¡¯t expect that Yan HeQing would remain indifferent at the sight of this. As for the sentence that made Yan HeQing react like this, it was something Xiao YuAn just suddenly thought of. But since it was too shameful, he ended up stammering every word, and he couldn¡¯t even finish what he wanted to say! Xiao YuAn seemed to realize something. As he hurried to hold Yan HeQing¡¯s shoulders, he sat up slowly. After sitting face to face with Yan HeQing on the bed, Xiao YuAn smiled and stretched out one hand to untie Yan HeQing¡¯s clothes. With the other one, he held Yan HeQing¡¯s hand and wrapped it around his naked waist. Yan HeQing frowned: ¡°Your wound¡­¡± Xiao YuAn said: ¡±It¡¯s fine already.¡± Yan HeQing was adamant: ¡°No.¡± Xiao YuAn smiled: ¡°But Yan-ge, you¡¯re already ¡®up¡¯.¡± Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand reached into Yan HeQing¡¯s clothes restlessly, teasing and rubbing his lower ¡®area¡¯. Yan HeQing took Xiao YuAn¡¯s hand and pushed him away from himself: ¡°Your wound isn¡¯t healed yet, I¡¯ll solve it myself.¡± ¡®At a fucking time like this, you want to solve it yourself?!¡¯ Xiao YuAn gritted his teeth with hatred, and his attitude became stubborn. Yan HeQing¡¯s clothes had already been untied by him, so Xiao YuAn leaned down, close to Yan HeQing¡¯s belly, and kissed his skin. When Xiao YuAn was about to go further down, Yan HeQing held his shoulder. Yan HeQing was already short of breath, but there was still some reason left behind in his clouded mind. As he looked at Xiao YuAn¡¯s injury, he said: ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Yan HeQing pressed Xiao YuAn¡¯s shoulder slightly harder and said: ¡°No.¡± Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes were smiling and his tone of voice was pleading: ¡°Husband, let me help you.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s body stiffened all of a sudden, and his breath was slow. Xiao YuAn took advantage of Yan HeQing¡¯s dazed state and took ¡®him¡¯ into his mouth. The tip of his tongue was wet and soft. As he swallowed hard, he carefully pulled his teeth back, rubbing his lips until they became red. Yan HeQing froze as he looked at Xiao YuAn like that, with his ck silk-like hair scattered everywhere, and his bulging cheek as he swallowed his ¡®thing¡¯ into his mouth. As the candle me flickered slightly, Xiao YuAn raised his head. His eyes were slightly curved, showing a boundless natural charm and greedy happiness in the depths of his eyes. While he looked this way, heboriously uttered a word. Even though the word was vague, Yan HeQing was still able to recognize it. Xiao YuAn called: ¡°Husband.¡± Yan HeQing couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and pinned Xiao YuAn on the bed. The first few deepthroats actually made Xiao YuAn feel a little ufortable, so he tilted his head to cover his mouth and cough a few times. When he found that Yan HeQing was about to restrain himself again, Xiao YuAn turned his head and smiled: ¡°Husband, did I make youfortable just now?¡± Xiao YuAn was determined to seed in seducing him, so he did everything he could. As he looked at Yan HeQing¡¯s endurance being swallowed up by his desire, Xiao YuAn wrapped his arms around Yan HeQing¡¯s neck, pressing him against himself. Then Xiao YuAn chuckled in his ear, whispering: ¡°Do you like me calling you like that? Which one do you like the best, hubby, husband or my lord1? Do you want to hear me moaning ¡®husband¡¯? Or when I can¡¯t stand it, do you want me to say ¡®husband slow down¡¯?¡­.. Ah-¡­.¡± Yan HeQing blocked Xiao YuAn¡¯s mouth right away, kissing him fiercely as he used his fingers to prepare and open Xiao YuAn¡¯s lower body. When Xiao YuAn felt that he was short of breath, he instinctively tried to escape the kiss, but suddenly, Yan HeQing got inside him. Then, came the merciless ramming. Xiao YuAn raised his head and bit his lower lip fiercely. His gaze was lost, and his hands were trying to grab onto something, but he identally grabbed the red silk that had just been ced on the side of the bed. Yan HeQing took the red silk, covering Xiao YuAn¡¯s eyes and bare chest. Because he was covered with ayer of red silk, he wasn¡¯t able to see anything clearly. Xiao YuAn felt flustered for a moment, when all of a sudden, he felt Yan HeQing rubbing his chest across the red silk. The red silk was much rougher than the palm of a hand, so Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help shivering all over. As he arched himself up, his breath was disorderly, immediately tightening around Yan HeQing: ¡°Husband, do-don¡¯t¡­.¡± The man on top of him had his first meal, so he started to go in and out of Xiao YuAn¡¯s body more vigorously. Xiao YuAn whimpered, but then he burst into tears, feeling itchy and numb all over his body, until a pleasurable sensation burst into his spine. Xiao YuAn then begged for mercy: ¡°Yan-ge! Alright, alright! I won¡¯t tease you anymore, I won¡¯t call- I won¡¯t call you like that anymore!¡± However, instead of getting a chance to rest, they kept going until Xiao YuAn almost fainted. When he came for a third time, Xiao YuAn¡¯s mind went nk. As his body bounced up and down, his eyes were blurred, and his breath was between urgent and weak. Once Xiao YuAn adjusted his breathing, he closed his eyes, trying to restore energy. However, he suddenly heard Yan HeQing say in his ear. ¡°Xiao YuAn, let¡¯s get married.¡± What a chapter!! ???????????? Ah~! is the ending!!! I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re actually here! (?¡ã?¡ã?)?? (thankfully, we still have the extras for more XYA&YHQ content hehe) ?? Footnotes
  1. XYA used 3 ways of referring to ¡®husband¡¯: ·ò¾ý f¨± j¨±n. Ï๫ xi¨¤ng gong. And Àɾý l¨¢ng j¨±n.
Chapter 210: The Final . Chapter 210: The Final Chapter. Xiao YuAn had spent the entire day giggling at the vase of daffodils sitting on the table. At first, Tian Xiang wanted to ask him what had happened to make him this happy, but now she was hesitating to call for a doctor. The buds of the daffodil had a light color and a fine fragrance. Xiao YuAn reached out and stroked the slender emerald green leaves with a smile: ¡°It smells so good.¡± Then he stood up, walked to the window, and said: ¡°When the sun rises at the sea of clouds, the sky looks so blue!¡± After taking a deep breath, he continued: ¡°The breeze is slightly cool andfortable!¡± As he raised his eyes, looking at the plum blossoms in the courtyard which had not yet withered, he said: ¡°A touch of red among the frost looks so stunning!¡± Tian Xiang: ¡°¡­.Xiao Jun Wang, what¡¯s the matter with you?!¡± Xiao YuAn curved his eyes and replied: ¡°I¡¯m happy!¡± Xiao YuAn praised all the things he could, even the flowers, nts, bottles and jars weren¡¯t spared. But still it didn¡¯t feel enough to express how happy he was, so happy that he even ran to the courtyard. Today, General Chen was also persistently and tirelessly digging the pond. The pond had already taken shape, and Chen Ge was at the bottom, wiping sweat from his forehead with one hand resting on his hip, feeling a sense of aplishment. Suddenly, a man came along. That man sat at the edge of the pond, which had just been formed, with one leg bent up and the other swaying freely. That man looked down at Chen Ge with a smiling face. Chen Ge raised his head, smiled, and saluted: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang.¡± Xiao YuAn greeted him: ¡°Hey, does General Chen know how to do the Yangge1 dance?¡± Chen Ge was visibly confused: ¡°Da-dance what?¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°Yangge, you don¡¯t know? It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll teach you. Lift your chest, stomach and hips. Raise your hands up and pinch your orchid fingers. Come on, don¡¯t be shy, what¡¯s wrong with a big man pinching his orchid fingers?! Then step your right foot on your left foot, twist your waist, twist it! Yes, that¡¯s right! You¡¯re a fast learner, General Chen!¡± Chen Ge copsed and touched his face: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang, what¡¯s the matter with you today?¡± Xiao YuAnughed: ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just happy. Ah, dance and I¡¯ll apany you.¡± Xiao YuAn cleared his throat and began to sing: ¡°Today is a good day~ All the things you want cane true~2! Hey, why aren¡¯t you dancing?¡± Chen Ge said: ¡°Xiao Jun Wang! Weichen still has a pond to dig! Forgive me for not being able to apany you!¡± Xiao YuAnughed out loud, and finally, let Chen Ge mercifully go. Chen Ge breathed a sigh of relief. In order to avoid being punished again, Chen Ge hurried to finish today¡¯s work so that he could go home as soon as possible. In the end, on his way back, he saw several Ministers, who had just left the Morning Court. All of them seemed shocked. Some of them were running wildly, wanting to go back to their residence immediately to share the news with their families, while others were gathering together in twos and threes, screaming about what was going on. Puzzled, Chen Ge grabbed a familiar Minister and asked: ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did something big happen?¡± As soon as the Minister saw that it was Chen Ge, he howled immediately: ¡°General Chen! You¡¯ve been taking care of an important business these days, and since you can¡¯te to the Morning Court for the moment, you don¡¯t know! Do you know what His Majesty said this morning?!¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°Our Emperor is going to marry Xiao YuAn, the Monarch of the Western Shu Kingdom! The news will be announced to the whole nation today!!¡± ¡­ Half a monthter, the Western Shu Kingdom and the Southern Yan Kingdom were united by marriage, and the two countries celebrated this unification. At this point, the Four Kingdoms became one big nation. Naturally, there were various rumors circting among the people. Some said that the two Monarchs had to get married, in order to defend themselves against the foreign countries of the Western Regions. Some others said that the Emperor of the Western Shu Kingdom agreed to marry the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom, because he was desperate to protect his country. It was even said that the Emperor of the Southern Yan Kingdom forcibly imprisoned the Emperor of the Western Shu Kingdom, forcing him to marry him. As various rumors spread, one person would tell another, and the other would immediately spread a new version of the story. However, none of this mattered, since time will wear away the edges and angles of doubt, as well as washing away the sharp thorns of nder. At this time, one of the protagonists of the spread rumors, the Monarch of the Western Shu Kingdom, was standing in front of his bed, decorated with a red veil, staring at two sets of wedding clothes: ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± For the past few days, Tian Xiang had finally realized that Yan HeQing was sincere in his feelings for Xiao YuAn, so at the moment, she was smiling happily for the wedding: ¡°A set of Phoenix-crown wedding clothes3, and a set of groom¡¯s wedding clothes. His Majesty said that Xiao Jun Wang should choose himself! Xiao Jun Wang, you should choose the Phoenix-crown one! Look how beautiful the gold thread embroidery looks! Look how delicate and exquisite the Phoenix crown is!¡± Xiao YuAn stroked his chin and thought for a moment. Then he stretched his hand to pick up the Phoenix crown on the bed, surprised at its weight: ¡°It¡¯s too heavy! If you fall, you¡¯ll break your neck!¡± Tian Xiang stood aside and covered her mouth as sheughed. Xiao YuAn carefully put down the Phoenix crown and picked up the big red veil on the bed. As he turned it in his hands two times, his eyes suddenly saw that in the corner of the red veil, their names were embroidered with golden thread. Xiao YuAn couldn¡¯t help but bend his eyes, fixing his gaze once again on the bed. Then he pointed to something as he took a deep breath: ¡°Do I have to wear ¡®that¡¯ too?!¡± Tian Xiang¡¯s eyes followed Xiao YuAn¡¯s finger and replied with a smile: ¡°Of course! Naturally, it¡¯ll look beautiful with the set of wedding clothes!¡± What Xiao YuAn saw was a pair of Phoenix-headed shoes, with silver edges, golden Phoenixes and emerald patterns, of about three inches tall. Xiao YuAn picked up the Phoenix-headed shoes and stared at the soles of the shoes: ¡°How can I wear such high shoes?! These shoes are supposed to be worn together with the Phoenix crown. The top will be too heavy and the bottom is too unstable! I¡¯ll fall three times before I can walk a single step!¡± Tian Xiang was slightly disappointed, as she asked in a small voice: ¡°Then, Xiao Jun Wang, are you going to wear the groom¡¯s wedding set?¡± Xiao YuAn paused and asked: ¡°Did the Emperor choose the Phoenix-crown set himself?¡± Tian Xiang replied: ¡°Yes, after the tailor came to measure you, His Majesty chose the pattern and the style himself, in order to keep it a secret from you.¡± Xiao YuAn was silent for a long time. But then he suddenly clenched his fist, and with an expression as if he was about to die on his face, he shouted: ¡°I¡¯ll wear it! Yan HeQing, that man, would never admit defeat!!¡± ¡­ Outside the bedchamber, the pavilions, terraces and open halls, as well as the green tiles, vermilion ridges and corridors were decorated with lights and rednterns with the double ¡®happy¡¯ word engraved on them. All the Officials came to congratte and celebrate with the people. The whole Imperial City was bustling and the Imperial Pce was illuminated with candles, with big rednterns hanging everywhere. If you stand on a high building, your eyes would be able to see the endless mountains, the sky full of stars and the bright moon. All thisnd was the Land Under Heaven4. No one knew at this time, but in ten years, due to the efforts of the two Monarchs, a prosperous period of time was weed. While everyone was celebrating outside, inside the bedchamber was quiet and peaceful. Yan HeQing, dressed in bright red wedding clothes, walked through the long corridor decorated with red gauze andnterns on both sides, until finally, he stopped in front of the bedchamber¡¯s doors. The gilded red door was decorated with the double ¡®happy¡¯ characters5 in golden powder. Yan HeQing looked at it for a moment and then slowly pushed open the bedchamber¡¯s doors. Inside the bedchamber, there was a congrattory screen6, and behind that screen, was the man he longed for. Yan HeQing walked around the screen, but his steps suddenly stopped. Although he was wearing a Phoenix crown and dressed with finer wedding clothes, Xiao YuAn wasn¡¯t sitting upright. His red veil was lifted, ced on the Phoenix crown, his left hand was supported against the side of the bed, and his legs were crossed as his whole body was slightly leaning back, while his right right hand was curiously ying with the pearls hanging from the Phoenix crown. When he heard the sound of footsteps, Xiao YuAn sat upright in a panic as he reached out to put down the red veil. However, after exerting too much force, the red veil fell directly on the ground. Yan HeQing: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xiao YuAn: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yan HeQing gently raised the corners of his mouth, and took a few steps forward. At this, Xiao YuAn¡¯s cheeks and neck turned bright red. He wanted to bend over to pick up the red veil, but the Phoenix crown on his head was too heavy for him to move. He felt that if he were to lean down even for a little bit, he would fall. Xiao YuAn was still pondering over how to bend down, when Yan HeQing had already walked to the bed to pick up the red veil for him. Xiao YuAn was too embarrassed to look at Yan HeQing, so he simply lowered his head, stammering: ¡°Yan, Yan-ge you, you¡¯re here.¡± Yan HeQing hmm-ed in response. As he leaned close to Xiao YuAn, he opened the red veil in his hand and slowly covered the two of them. The moment their lips touched, the red veil fell. As the candle me flickered, the moonlight was bright and the love was evesting. As they were engulfed in the passion, they didn¡¯t even notice that the red veil had slowly slipped off again. When the kiss came to an end, Xiao YuAn lowered his head and rubbed his neck as he gasped slightly. The Phoenix crown was too heavy, so his neck hurt after having his head raised for a long period of time. When Yan HeQing saw this, he whispered: ¡°If it¡¯s too ufortable, you can take it off.¡± Xiao YuAn replied: ¡°No, it¡¯s alright! You, you don¡¯t like it? If you like it, then I¡¯ll wear it. I¡¯ll wear it for you, so take a good look.¡± Yan HeQing¡¯s mouth raised in a faint smile: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, there¡¯ll be many opportunities for you to show me in the future.¡± When Xiao YuAn heard this, he also smiled brightly: ¡°Yes, that¡¯s also right!!¡± That unrestrained smile, warm and moist as water, was just like the blooming flowers in Spring, and the bright moon of Autumn shining on Earth. It was like the stars brightly reflecting into Yan HeQing¡¯s eyes, and engraved in his heart. ¡®When I think of you, even for a brief moment, I want to apany you for the rest of my life. If I had to put it in one sentence, it would be because I love you.¡¯ ¡®As I always had, and always will.¡¯ Ahhhhhhhhhh the end!!!!! (¡ä£»¦Ø£»`)???????? After a year tranting this novel, it¡¯s so satisfying to finally reach the happy ending y¡¯all have been waiting for ? This was the first novel I¡¯ve ever tranted, and it¡¯s been so fun! Last year wasn¡¯t a good year (for all of us really) so having this as a way of disconnecting with reality was quite helpful, and reading yourments has made my day every single time! ???? Thank you all for reading and supporting my trantions!! ?(*¡ä¨Œ`*)? I¡¯ll take a week off from updating this novel, so I can focus on my other projects, and trante the extra chapters (build up a stockpile at least). ??? ¨CIf you can and want to support Yiyiyi by buying her book, How To Survive As A Viin has a physical book (Chinese) avable~ you can purchase it HERE.¨C Footnotes
  1. Ñí¸è y¨¡ng ge; Chinese folk dance developed from a dance known in the Song Dynasty as ¡®Vige Music¡¯ (´åÌ c¨±n ti¨¢n l¨¨). It¡¯s quite popr in Northern China, and is one of the most representative forms of folk arts.
  2. Lyrics from the song¡¶ºÃÈÕ×Ó¡·(h¨£o r¨¬ zi) ¡°Good Day¡±, sung by (ËÎ×æÓ¢ s¨°ng z¨³ y¨©ng) Song Zuying.
  3. ·ï¹Úϼàú f¨¨ng gu¨¡n xi¨¢ p¨¨i; A set of wedding clothes for rich women in Ancient China. Looks like THIS.
  4. ÌìÏ ti¨¡n xi¨¤; A Chinese term for an ancient cultural concept that denoted either the entire ¡®geographical world¡¯ or the ¡®metaphysical realm of mortals¡¯. In ancient China, ¡®Tianxia¡¯ denoted thends, space, and area appointed to the Emperor by well-defined principles of order. The center of thisnd was the Emperor, forming the center of a worldview that centered on the Imperial Court, then went concentrically outward to major and minor Officials,mon citizens, tributary states, and finally, ending with the ¡°barbarians¡±.
  5. It¡¯s thebination of two symmetric characters ‡Ö = ϲϲ (happiness) as a symbol of good luck for marriage.
  6. ºØϲÆÁ·ç h¨¨ x¨« p¨ªng f¨¥ng; Looks like THIS.
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