Eternal Night - Chapter 96
Yuepo felt a warmth in her heart and reached out to wipe the grease from her lips.
Yongye stopped him, saying, "I'm going to wash my face by the stream. Your robe is so clean, and it's even moon-white. It'll be troublesome to get oil on it." As he spoke, he stood up, took another sip of soup, and sighed, "Yuepo, your skills are unparalleled. Even if you don't open a clinic in the future, you can still make a lot of money by opening a restaurant."
"Okay, I will definitely open another Ping An Restaurant in the future."
Yongye chuckled, stepped outside, and glanced at the sky: "There are no clouds tonight, just the moon and stars. Come keep me company after you've finished washing the dishes!"
She strolled leisurely to the stream and lowered her head. The shimmering water reflected her blurry face, and when she reached in, the water shattered. Her heart seemed to be in turmoil as well.
In the still of the night, the stream murmured, and Yongye buried her face in its water. The cool water washed over her face, and her eyes stung with a burning sensation. She couldn't tell if what was washing over her face was water or tears, or if what was spitting out of her mouth was soup or bile; she only felt an inexplicable bitterness. She drank several mouthfuls of stream water to barely dilute the bitterness.
The spring stream was clear and cool, and Yongye's face was numb with cold before she finally looked up. Glistening water droplets shimmered in the moonlight on her face. Yongye wiped her face and grinned at Yuepo, who was approaching: "The only bad thing about this place is that there's no cloth to wipe your face."
Yuepo approached and gently wiped away the water droplets from her face with his sleeve, his movements as if he were cherishing a precious treasure. Yongye's eyes welled up again, and she turned her face away to hide her laughter, saying, "Why do you always wear a moon-white robe? You can see even the slightest stain."
"If you don't like me, then wear a black robe from now on, so you can wipe your mouth with my sleeve!"
Yongye pulled him down to sit, habitually resting his head on his lap, and said with his eyes closed, "No, Feng Yangxi is always dressed in black, looking sloppy. Actually, I like you in a moon-white robe, like a pale blue sky, pure."
"Actually, I'm not afraid of getting my clothes dirty."
"I know, I just can't bear to get it dirty." Yongye's voice gradually revealed fatigue.
Yuepo smiled with relief: "How about you change into women's clothes and let me see you first another day?"
"Why did I show it to you first?" Her voice was as soft as the evening breeze, almost inaudible.
Moon Soul's eyes were as deep as the distant mountain shadows. She twirled a strand of Eternal Night's hair with her finger and said softly, "I can't bear to let others see it."
Yongye didn't speak again and fell into a deep sleep.
Yuepo took out her flute and played a tune. The melodious flute music seemed to awaken the night birds in the forest, who let out a few cries.
He held Yongye by the stream for a long time before carrying her back to the room. Yongye slept like a child, and Yuepo gazed intently at her beautiful face. He sat quietly by the bed, sighed after a long while, and then left.
Yongye opened his eyes, his pupils shining like stars.
Hearing Yuepo's steady breathing coming from next door in the bamboo house, she quietly got out of bed like a cat. She silently sensed Yuepo's presence through the wall.
Ten days is enough.
What has become of the sky over Anguo?
She slipped silently into the kitchen. There was still some unfinished soup on the table—what a pity! Yongye felt a renewed urge to drool. She filled a bamboo tube with the soup, sealed it, and tied it to her waist. It was so quiet around her that she could hear Yuepo snoring next door.
Yongye flew towards the valley entrance like a black bird. After traveling a while, she looked back, and the bamboo house in the distance was just a dark shadow. Recalling the expression on Yuepo's face when she discovered her absence that morning, Yongye felt a pang of sadness.
Parting is for a better reunion. These are the words she left in the room.
Little Pockmarked Girl from Peony Courtyard
The poplar catkins, like fluffy cotton, fluttered down as if it were a light snowfall.
Ankoku and Kyoto seemed to be immersed in a gentle, all-encompassing atmosphere. Even the crooked tree in the deepest alley was bursting with vibrant green, its branches gleaming in the sunlight, radiating life.
On a clear morning in late April, the madam of the Peony Courtyard yawned as she left her room.
The courtyard was quiet; after a night of revelry and drinking, everyone was asleep.
The daytime in brothels and pleasure houses is the nighttime for ordinary people.
Young Master Moyu also got up very early today, without waking the servants in the courtyard. He personally brewed a pot of tea and sat in front of the chessboard to play chess by himself.
The cherry blossoms by the courtyard gate were scattered by the wind, their pink petals falling intermittently. Mo Yu glanced at his shoulder, picked up a petal with his fingers, and held it up to examine it. The wind blew, and the petal trembled slightly, yet it seemed as if it were drawn to his fingertip. After a moment, Mo Yu smiled slightly, and the petal drifted away from his fingertip.
His gaze followed the pink hue for a few moments, and just as it was about to fall into the pond in the courtyard, a white shadow suddenly flashed by, blocking his view.
"Deacon Li." Mo Yu quickly regained her composure and called out softly.
Li Yannian lifted his robe and sat down in front of him. Seeing the teapot reminded him of Yongye. More than a month had passed, and Yongye's whereabouts remained unknown. The initial plan was to detain him in Chen, making Prince Duan hesitant to act. As long as Prince Duan remained neutral, Crown Prince Tianrui would smoothly ascend the throne. After all, having assumed the title of Crown Prince, Li Tianyou could only ascend the throne through rebellion.
Prince Duan commands the Six Guards of the Capital Region. Now that the Emperor is seriously ill, even the Imperial Guards in the palace have been handed over to Prince Duan. These soldiers are only under the command of Li Gu. Without Prince Duan's support, how could Li Tianyou, with only three hundred personal guards from Prince You's residence, possibly contend with the 1,500-strong Left and Right Guards of the Eastern Palace?
However, Yongye disappeared.
Li Yannian felt an indescribable worry. Emperor Yujia saw no one in the palace except for Prince Duan. The Forbidden City was heavily guarded, with no one allowed to enter or leave. Although the Crown Prince was acting as usual and no edict had been issued to depose him, he was still uneasy.
Youli Valley's deal with the Prince of Chen was that if Emperor Yujia died, the Chen Kingdom would send troops to attack Sanyu Pass. In return, Youli Valley would gain control of An Kingdom, and the Chen Kingdom would receive five cities, including Sanyu Pass. To safeguard the overall situation, the Prince of Duan would certainly send troops to Sanyu Pass, determined to quell the external threat.
Once Chen's army retreats, the matter in the capital should be settled.
That's the plan, the only variable is the eternal night.
In this world, only Princess Duan and Yongye can restrain Prince Duan, Li Gu. Only by keeping these two under his control can Prince Duan prevent him from handing over the Six Guards of the Capital Region and the Imperial Guard to Li Tianyou.
Thinking of this, anger flared in Li Yannian's eyes. He couldn't understand why the Valley Master wanted to send Cheng Dieyi and the man in green to Chen. If it were anyone else, could Yongye have escaped? Now even those two had defected. Luckily, he had sent a message by carrier pigeon, informing the Valley Master of Li Yongye's true identity.
Yongye's smiling face reappeared in Li Yannian's eyes. She had actually fooled him. He couldn't help but think of Li Er. Li Er, who had been with him for twenty years, had also left without saying goodbye.
Back then, when Yongye asked him why he didn't kill Li Er, he actually replied that if he killed a loyal man, no one would dare to be loyal to him anymore. In this world, is there anyone he can trust? A beautiful face surfaced in his mind again. He smiled coldly. A woman—who knows what she's thinking? Just like Lan Cui, the Prince Duan sent her to infiltrate his inner circle, yet she still betrayed him.
"Deacon Li!" Mo Yu frowned slightly when he saw Li Yannian staring intently at the chessboard without speaking.
Li Yannian was jolted awake by his words. Li Tianxiang was far away in Qinhe, and General Luo had just sent word that everything in the army was normal. Given Emperor Yujia's condition, the Third Prince would not be able to return to the capital in time. The only solution now was to kill Prince Duan and Li Tianyou, and let Tianrui ascend the throne. Even if the Chen army entered Sanyu Pass, Anguo was not incapable of resisting.
"Young Master, what are the Valley Master's plans?" Li Yannian asked, looking at Mo Yu's calm and serene face.
Mo Yu's eyes were as gentle as jade: "Youli Valley has decided to withdraw from the struggle for the throne of Anguo."