Drei Mandarinenten und eineinhalb

Kapitel 99

"Xuanyuan!" Leng Jie waved her hand in front of him and whispered a reminder:

"I'm talking to you!"

Xuan Yuan Yao's dazzling eyes finally focused completely on Leng Jie's pupils, and a smile reached the depths of his eyes. He still didn't reply, and the two of them quietly communicated with each other through the windows of their souls.

"What are you laughing at? You're laughing so slyly!" Leng Jie blinked.

"Seeing you makes me happy, and when I'm happy, I want to laugh." Xuanyuan said intently.

"You won't smile if you don't see me?" Leng Jie's eyes narrowed slightly.

"No, nothing happy has happened since you left." Xuanyuan's eyes dimmed.

"I don't believe you!" Leng Jie rolled her eyes.

"You mustn't disbelieve me!" Xuanyuan lowered his eyes, his sorrow mixed with determination.

"Pfft!" Leng Jie finally couldn't help but laugh. She felt that after more than a month apart, Xuan Yuan seemed to have changed a lot. As for what had changed, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Breaking free from his grasp, Leng Jie pulled Xuan Yuan to a chair at the tea table and sat down, smiling as she said:

"Speak! I'm all ears!"

"What does Xiaojie want to hear?" Xuanyuan replied with a smile.

Leng Jie suddenly frowned, glanced at Xuan Yuan, and said in a deep voice:

"Tell me what just happened? Don't tell me you don't know."

Seeing that Xuanyuan's eyes flickered, Leng Jie continued:

"Did you hear from Zi Ying about the Empress's plot against me? Is that why you're seeking revenge for me?"

Although it is a question, the tone is affirmative.

As Leng Jie asked her question, Xuan Yuan's expression shifted rapidly. Leng Jie saw heartache, anger, worry, and sadness in his eyes... Watching Xuan Yuan's emotions change like a slideshow, Leng Jie knew she was right; Zi Ying had already told Xuan Yuan her conjecture.

However, she was quite surprised that Xuanyuan could still joke with them as soon as they met and act as if nothing had happened! A strange sense of loss welled up inside her.

She had personally witnessed him suffer and hate the Leng father and daughter for three long years because of Lin Yin'er. It seemed her words at the foot of the cliff were entirely true: he had feelings for Lin Yin'er but couldn't be with her, and his feelings for her were solely because her body allowed him physical contact. As for feelings, that was all. Leng Jie, what are you expecting? Do you still have any hope for men? A self-deprecating smile unconsciously appeared on Leng Jie's face, a fleeting trace of sorrow in her eyes!

Xuan Yuan, who had been watching Xiao Jie intently with a complex gaze, naturally didn't miss a single expression on her face. However, he assumed that Xiao Jie was saddened by her own ordeal. He stood up, intending to pull her into his arms to comfort her, but unexpectedly, she pushed him away abruptly.

"I'm going to sleep, you can go back now!" Leng Jie said calmly, getting up and slowly walking towards the bed.

Xuanyuan stared blankly at his hands, frozen in mid-air, his resilient heart instantly filled with bitterness and pain. Had he still hurt her? He felt remorseful, but he truly didn't know how to comfort her now.

"Xiaojie, I..."

Leng Jie interrupted Xuan Yuan and spoke quickly:

"You don't need to say anything, I understand. You pity me, you feel sorry for me! All I can say is thank you for your concern, I'm fine, I'm strong. Also, I will take revenge myself, I don't want anyone to do anything for me behind my back! Do you understand?"

His voice remained indifferent, but his tone was noticeably more distant than ever. This tone made Xuanyuan's heart sink; he felt as if he were suffocating. He suddenly clutched his heart and said painfully:

"I'm sorry! Maybe I really shouldn't have come to Beifeng!"

He meant to express apology, but Leng Jie perceived it as his inability to accept that she had been defiled. The sarcasm in Leng Jie's eyes deepened, and a terrifying, cold smile involuntarily appeared on her face. After a moment of silence, Leng Jie composed herself, regained her composure, and said seriously:

“You really shouldn’t have come. The battle here is already winding down, and this isn’t the battlefield where you’re most needed. Take Ziying back tomorrow! Both Jinghe and Xiping need you.”

Xuanyuan suddenly looked up, staring at Xiaojie in surprise and doubt, and asked anxiously:

"What do you mean I'm taking Zi Ying back? You're not coming with us? Are you saying you don't need me?"

"My senior brother still needs help, so I won't leave for now," Leng Jie replied, shaking her head. Knowing she'd get hurt going back, she still wanted to go with him; she wasn't stupid. To hell with her destined empress, to hell with their predestined fate—she refused to believe in such superstitions! Anyway, she already had her closest family. Leng Jie unconsciously touched her flat stomach; that was where her happiness lay.

Although a child without a father might feel incomplete, wasn't it the same as having no parents when she was young? And what about Qingfeng and Xuanyuan, who were born into the royal family? Did any of them receive true fatherly love? But she will strive to be the best mother she can be, and make her child the happiest child in the world.

The thought that she finally had a child of her own and that she would no longer be alone in this world brought a faint smile of happiness to her cold and gloomy face.

"Why? Why can't you see my feelings?" Leng Jie's answer and the blissful smile on her face were like a dull knife scraping at Xuan Yuan's heart. Xuan Yuan clutched his heart, shaking his head sadly as he murmured the question. It was as if he was asking Leng Jie, but also as if he was asking himself.

"I've seen your feelings," Leng Jie replied coldly in her heart. She suddenly felt that she could no longer face him as calmly as before.

"Go and rest! Everyone is tired."

Leng Jie finished speaking calmly, pushed the stunned Xuan Yuan out of the room, closed the door behind her, and returned to the bedside. Suddenly, Leng Jie felt her body go limp, collapsing onto the bed. But she couldn't fall asleep. The passionate scene of the night she left Jing He flashed through her mind like a movie, and her heart began to ache inexplicably. Why was this happening? Why did her heart ache? She couldn't help but pound her unresponsive head. Then she shook her head violently, but his image was still there. She grabbed the blanket and covered her entire head, thinking she wouldn't see him in the darkness, but he was still there.

No, for the sake of the baby in her womb, she couldn't let her mind wander anymore. She needed sleep, and the baby needed sleep. She began to hypnotize herself, and slowly, she drifted off to sleep.

————————————

When Xuanyuan came to his senses, he found that Xiaojie had already pushed him out the door. He stared blankly at Xiaojie's door for a while. He still couldn't accept the fact that Xiaojie had chosen Qingfeng. He replayed everything Xiaojie had just said in his mind. Suddenly, he grasped a key point: Xiaojie had said that her senior brother still needed help, which was why she couldn't leave.

"Xiao Jie, I'll help you solve all your troubles." Xuan Yuan glanced deeply at Xiao Jie's room, then turned and hurriedly left, heading towards the guest room.

"Your Majesty, why are you back again?" Zi Ying, who was guarding the door, asked in surprise. Didn't he say he was going to find Xiao Jie?

Xuanyuan glared at him and coldly ordered, "Throw those men out. I have something to discuss with the Emperor of Beifeng."

"That old woman fainted from fright, and I've already used acupressure on those men. The revenge hasn't even started yet!" Ying replied sheepishly. "Or should I pull the old emperor out for you?"

Xuanyuan glared fiercely at Ying and said coldly:

"Forget it, Xiaojie said we're not allowed to take matters into our own hands and avenge her. I have something else to deal with now, so you get rid of all those people first."

"Yes," Zi Ying replied, and went inside. A minute later, he returned.

"Alright, Your Majesty, please!"

As soon as Xuanyuan stepped across the threshold, a pungent, putrid stench assaulted his nostrils. His stomach churned, and he quickly retreated. Ziying, walking beside him, shook her head and sighed repeatedly. It seemed only Xiaojie could cure the Emperor's obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness.

"Shadow, bring that old emperor out." Xuan Yuan leaped to a spot with fresh air, took a few deep breaths of the cool air, and finally calmed the churning in his stomach.

No sooner had Xuanyuan finished speaking than the old emperor was dragged out by Ziying and placed in front of Xuanyuan.

Xuanyuan glanced coldly at the old emperor, whose face was ashen and eyes were contorted with rage, and went straight to the point:

"So? Are you confident you can withstand my 150,000-strong army? No, adding the 100,000 troops that I've already recaptured in Xiping, it should be 250,000 troops to deal with Beifeng. Do you think Beifeng can hold them off?"

"What exactly do you want? Even if we were wrong to touch your woman first, you have also humiliated her. If you start a war because of a woman, aren't you afraid that she will become a femme fatale despised by the world? If you just want to use this as an excuse to invade Beifeng, the men of Beifeng are as strong as iron and will never submit to you." The old emperor glared fiercely at Xuanyuan, trying his best to remain calm and maintain the demeanor of a monarch when speaking to Xuanyuan.

"My decision to send troops to Beifeng will certainly not be based on my woman; you need not remind me of that. I will have the Xiping army lead the charge under the banner of avenging the Fifth Prince of Xiping. As for the governance of Beifeng, I have never intended to help you manage it; I have only said that I will flatten it."

Xuanyuan said coldly, especially when he said the last sentence, he drew out the tone heavily and for a long time as if he was afraid that the other person would not understand.

"Are you crazy? You want to destroy Beifeng for a woman?" The old emperor finally realized that the person in front of him was not a normal monarch at all; he was either a madman or a devil.

"I'm insane. I'm telling you, I could destroy the whole world for her! But she's always been kind, always tough on the outside but soft on the inside. So, for her sake, I'm giving you, the people of Beifeng, one last chance, and handing this power over to you. If you don't want Beifeng to be razed to the ground by Jinghe's army, you only have one choice. Now, immediately draft an abdication edict, voluntarily passing the throne to the Crown Prince. Three days from now is the auspicious day for your enthronement," Xuanyuan said without room for argument.

The old emperor seemed to suddenly realize something and laughed loudly:

"Haha, I see, I see! He'd been pretending to be indifferent all this time, but it turns out that rebellious son was the real mastermind. No wonder there was trouble today, no wonder he was so obedient. The moment he was told to kill, he immediately killed the second son. Hmph! Isn't he the crown prince now? Why doesn't he just kill his father? Haha..."

"Hmph!" Xuanyuan glanced at the old emperor and said coldly with disdain, "You really don't deserve to be Qingfeng's father. Do you think everyone wants to sit on the throne? You're wrong. There are many people in this world who disdain that position, and Qingfeng is one of them." Of course, Xuanyuan didn't need to tell him that he himself was the second one.

The Emperor of Beifeng was visibly taken aback, then shook his head in disbelief and asked:

"Do you dare say that the riots on the street today weren't caused by him?"

Zi Ying glared fiercely at the old emperor and said through gritted teeth:

"We caused all that trouble, and I even killed the Fifth Prince of Xiping. But our goal was to extricate ourselves, not to get caught up in it. If you hadn't harbored malicious intentions and harmed Xiaojie, we would have already left Beifeng and returned to Jinghe. You could have peacefully been your emperor, but I never expected you to be so ruthless, repaying kindness with enmity by plotting against Xiaojie. Do you even know that she is a treasure to all of us?"

"Ying, don't waste your breath arguing with him. I'm giving you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to consider whether you will voluntarily abdicate due to serious illness, or allow Beifeng to disappear from the map of this continent forever. You must make a choice." Xuanyuan coldly issued his final ultimatum.

The old emperor had no choice! No matter what, his throne was in jeopardy. Passing it on to Qingfeng, after all, was his son. If Beifeng were to be razed to the ground, he feared he wouldn't even have a proper burial place! Therefore, in less than half an incense stick's time, he had already come to his decision. He gritted his teeth and said:

"Very well, I will write the edict of succession."

"Ying, take him to the Imperial Study to watch him write. Then, tomorrow at the morning court, you go with him and have him personally read it aloud in front of all the officials. Three days later, at the enthronement ceremony, he must also personally crown the new emperor. After that, you stay here and wait for Qingfeng to stabilize the court before returning to Jinghe," Xuanyuan instructed in front of the Beifeng Emperor. In this way, Qingfeng had no choice but to become emperor, whether he wanted to or not.

He still has to stay? Sigh, who told him to fail in protecting Xiao Jie? Even if Xuan Yuan wanted him dead now, he wouldn't have a choice, would he? Zi Ying lamented inwardly.

"Won't Your Majesty wait until after Qingfeng's coronation ceremony before returning?" Ziying asked.

"I haven't decided when I'll leave. Just remember your responsibilities," Xuan Yuan replied coldly, then turned and walked towards his room.

Xuanyuan wrote a letter to Qingfeng, then packed his belongings and jumped through the window into Yangpu's room. He shook Yangpu's head and called out:

"Yangpu, Yangpu, get up, we need to get going."

Yang Pu, who hadn't slept on a soft bed for over a month while marching, was fast asleep and not so easily woken up. He reached out and slapped away the hand that was disturbing his sleep, grumbling, "Don't bother me, the work call hasn't sounded yet!" Then he turned over and continued snoring.

Xuanyuan raised an eyebrow and kicked him off the bed, blanket and all. With a "thud," Yang Pu landed on the ground, leaping up in a flash. Without even opening his eyes, he launched a sweeping kick followed by a left hook at the one who dared to intrude. However, his leg had barely swept out when, "thump!" he was once again thrown to the ground. His eyes snapped open, glaring angrily at the person before him. But upon closer inspection, he immediately suppressed his anger and timidly called out, "Sect Leader! I'm sorry, I overslept!"

"Are you awake? Get ready, we're setting off immediately," Xuanyuan coldly ordered.

"Yes!" Yang Pu replied crisply. As he tidied himself up, Yang Pu couldn't help but think to himself, "Didn't the Second Master say that the Master promised not to mobilize troops? Why is he being asked to go again now?"

"What are you dawdling about? Do you get dressed and get up like this on the battlefield?" Xuanyuan asked sternly, looking at the absent-minded Yangpu.

"Oh! Sect Master, are you also going back to Xiping?" Yang Pu then noticed that Xuanyuan was also carrying a bundle on his shoulder.

"Who told you we were going to Xiping?" Xuanyuan glared at him, tossed the bundle in his hand to him, and sternly ordered, "Go to where we stored our horses tonight and get them. Wait for us where we enter the palace. I'll be there in a bit."

"Yes." Yang Pu didn't even utter a sound before Xuanyuan was already gone from the room.

——————————————

After Qingfeng finished dealing with the snow disaster, it was already time for the morning court session. The ministers who had been working overtime with him all went straight to the main hall for the morning court, so he naturally couldn't go back to sleep first.

When Qingfeng suddenly received a huge gift from Xuanyuan during the morning court session, he almost spat out blood on the spot. He glared hatefully at Ziying, who had entered with the old emperor, his gaze as if he wanted to devour him whole. Ziying trembled involuntarily at the sight, and he quickly replied with his eyes, "This is your brother's idea, it has nothing to do with me."

"Hmph! So, brothers are meant to be betrayed after all!" Qingfeng glared at Ziying hatefully.

After Qingfeng left the court, he rushed back to settle accounts with Xuanyuan, only to find a letter that made him want to kill someone.

Qingfeng, my good brother:

I apologize for leaving without saying goodbye, as it was unavoidable.

I heard everything about Xiao Jie from Zi Ying. The reason I pretended not to know was entirely out of consideration for Xiao Jie's capacity to cope. I originally wanted to raze Bei Feng to the ground to avenge Xiao Jie, but I know Xiao Jie's personality means she wouldn't want to see innocent people suffer because of her. Because she's always been a tough-talking but soft-hearted woman, I've changed my mind. If you feel I've done something difficult for you, then let's save that for our next meeting, and have a proper match!

Brother, I know you, like me, dislike politics. But given the current situation in Beifeng, it seems there's no other choice but for you to take over; otherwise, internal strife will ensue. I'm sure that's something you wouldn't want to see either.

I'm taking Xiaojie with me. This place has left her with too many traumas; I don't think she should stay any longer. Seeing her force a smile breaks my heart. You can only imagine the pain she must be going through!

Finally, if you find a suitable successor, you are welcome to return to Jinghe at any time. Qingfengju will always remain the same as when you left.

Xuanyuan Yunlu's handwritten note

128 Emotional Exchange

After reading the letter left by Xuanyuan, Qingfeng's expression darkened. He crumpled the letter in his hand, glared at the purple-clad figure who had followed him in, and stormed out without a word.