Eternal Night - Chapter 98
The door was gently pushed open, and the person who entered stood silently in the doorway.
A moment later, the snoring fat man suddenly stopped and said, "Asleep." Then the snoring resumed, as if he had just been talking in his sleep.
Mo Yu closed the door and turned to leave. Yong Ye broke out in a cold sweat. How could she not have noticed that the fat man was pretending to be asleep? She secretly rejoiced that her luck was exceptionally good; the breathing technique that Master Qingyi had practiced for many years was exceptionally effective.
She closed her eyes and thought about it; it was truly a heart-stopping experience.
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Li Tianyou came alone to the study of Prince Duan's mansion late at night.
Emperor Yujia was relying entirely on medication to sustain his health, and no one knew when he might suddenly pass away. However, Emperor Yujia still did not issue an edict to take action.
"Uncle, the Left and Right Guards of the Eastern Palace have been wearing their armor all day long, and the officials of the Eastern Palace have been coming and going frequently. All of this proves that they are about to take action."
The Prince of Duan's eyes showed even greater worry, but he smiled and said, "The more the Eastern Palace acts like this, the more uncertain they are. There is no news from Qinhe, and the Imperial Guards have already strengthened the defenses of the Forbidden City. They have already sensed the danger."
Tianyou took a deep breath and smiled: "Everything is under the control of Father and Uncle. Tianyou is too young and impatient."
"Without General Qin Heluo's army, the Eastern Palace is just a dead end," Prince Duan said calmly.
“Tianxiang is only eighteen years old…” Li Tianyou’s worries were not unfounded. No one knew whether the Third Prince Tianxiang could deal with General Luo, the Empress’s elder brother who was stationed in Qinhe, when he went to the border.
Prince Duan said, "Your father is far-sighted, beyond my reach. Since he has made such arrangements, I suppose Tianxiang has a foolproof plan. Now that we have reached such a critical juncture, the best news is that there is no news from Qinhe."
"I don't understand why Father hasn't issued a decree..."
“Everyone has a heart, and your father is waiting too. He won’t issue the decree until the very last moment.” Prince Duan’s expression held a hint of sadness as he couldn’t help but think of Yongye. Since their parting at Kaibao Temple, there had been no news of Yongye. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t worried; he sighed softly.
Seeing the expression on Duan Wang's face, Tianyou couldn't help but ask, "Is there still no news of Yongye? Is she...?"
"No news is good news."
"Uncle, I... Tianyou will never betray Yongye!" Tianyou suddenly blurted out these words.
Prince Duan was taken aback, then smiled and said, "I am naturally pleased that you treat her like your own sister!"
Li Tianyou paused for a moment and then said, "Does the Imperial Uncle not like Tianyou?"
Prince Duan smiled and said, "Of the three princes, His Majesty favors you the most. Tianyou is exceptionally intelligent and learned, and has a well-known reputation among scholars. How could I not like you?" He walked to the desk with his hands behind his back, took out a list of names and a map, and handed them to Tianyou. "I will guard the palace, and the affairs of the capital are entrusted to you."
Seeing that Prince Duan was talking about other things, Tianyou calmed down and didn't press the matter further. He smiled and said, "The capital is outwardly relaxed but inwardly tense. I will go to the Peony Courtyard to investigate tomorrow. Farewell."
Prince Duan watched his departing figure with deep concern, muttering, "There are advantages to not coming back."
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Another day passed, and Yongye stretched and shouted, "Fatty, you go fetch water while I start the fire!"
The fat man carried a bucket of water to the well in the yard. Yongye watched his back and sneered, really wanting to walk over and kick him into the well.
There weren't many shrewd people here, yet she had somehow managed to sneak in. She touched her face. The Peony Courtyard was located right under the emperor's nose in the capital; it was impossible for her cunning father not to have some people planted there. Even so, she was still being watched so closely. It had been many days since she left Kaibao Temple and hadn't sent any messages to the Prince's residence; her father would be very worried.
She sat listlessly under the stove, stuffing firewood into the firebox, while a small yellow mongrel lay obediently asleep at her feet. The fat man carried water and began chopping vegetables.
Yongye had always thought that Fatty was just a very good butcher, but now he looked at him differently. The cleaver flashed, and the shreds and slices were perfectly separated. His knife skills were exceptional.
Seeing Yongye propping his chin up and looking at him, the fat man smiled smugly: "To become a master chef, you first need to master knife skills. Envious, aren't you?"
"Master Chen said I can cut some potato chunks in a few days."
The fat man chuckled and tossed a slice of meat to the yellow dog. Seeing it leap to its feet and circle around him with boundless energy, the fat man grinned, his face jiggling with delight.
Yongye laughed along with him.
The yellow dog wandered around for a while, but finding no food, it lay down on the ground and fell asleep again.
"Silly, you get sleepy after eating!" Yongye kicked the yellow dog when he saw it was asleep.
The yellow dog didn't move at all, even its head was lying on the ground.
As noon approached, the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen. Yongye, smelling it, immediately thought of Yuepo's cooking. She jumped up as if pricked by a needle and mechanically began washing vegetables, peeling them, and handing out plates…
The young masters and ladies from each room and courtyard of the Peony Courtyard rose one after another and came to the kitchen to take away the food boxes. The kitchen became quiet again, with the occasional crackling of firewood in the stove.
She knew that in two hours, the place would be bustling with activity again. The charm of the Peony Courtyard would slowly unfold under the cover of night.
Chef Chen arrived in the kitchen precisely on time at the end of the hour. With a few commands, the kitchen began to operate smoothly, like a machine in operation. Yongye's duty at this time was to help deliver the meals and carry the food containers.
They seemed relaxed, but they were actually running the whole way. There were many guests at the Peony Courtyard, and the maids and servants were afraid of being scolded if they were slow in delivering the guests.
Yongye returned panting after delivering food to the musicians at the Qin Academy. Chef Chen's voice echoed through the sky: "Little Pockmarked Boy, you son of a bitch, where have you been?"
"Master Chen!" Yongye jumped in, panting. "I just got back from the music academy."
"There are guests at Xuefangzhai in the front yard, hurry up and send the dishes over!" Chef Chen gave her a hard flick on the forehead.
Yongye cried out in pain, but deftly took the food box and quickly walked towards the front yard.
She stood outside Xuefangzhai, handed the food box to the maid outside, pointed inside and asked softly, "Master Chen has prepared all his best dishes. Who has such a great honor to invite you?"
"Prince You," the maid replied softly, lifting the curtain to quickly serve the dishes.
The moment the curtain was lifted, Yongye glanced inside and met Li Tianyou's gaze.
She turned her head back and waited for the maid to finish serving the dishes and bring back the food box. Calmly, she thought that Li Tianyou definitely wouldn't recognize her.
The curtain was lifted, and a maid came out and shoved her, whispering, "The Prince wants you to come in!"