Eternal Night - Chapter 115
A square table stood under the tree. She had never imagined this place would suit Li Yannian when she used to come here for meals. He always maintained a noble air. It was hard to associate him with someone eating a simple home-cooked meal in an ordinary courtyard.
The courtyard is square, with the main house in the center and side rooms on the left and right. This courtyard is one of the better ones in the Prince's mansion, and the coffered ceiling decorations on the veranda were repainted five years ago when Lan Cui first married. It still looks about 50-60% new.
Yongye entered the main house. A thin layer of dust floated on the surface of the pit, and the house was in disarray, ransacked by soldiers. Exquisite paper-cut window decorations still adorned the windows. Paper-cutting was Lancui's specialty; she had also cut the window decorations for the former Wanyu Courtyard. Yongye had once been amazed to see Lancui casually fold and cut a piece of red paper without drawing any patterns, and then unfold it to reveal a lifelike image. Yongye sighed; she had truly made this place her home.
A woman who is loyal to her family and her husband is someone you can't bring yourself to hate.
She left the main house and went into Li Er's room. No one expected that the person who had been protecting her was Li Er. Only after he left did Li Yannian realize that Li Er was no ordinary person.
As Yongye recalled the past ten years of affection, her eyes welled up with tears. Perhaps she would never see him again in this lifetime. She had no way of knowing Li Er's real name, or what debt of gratitude he wanted to repay that made him humble himself as Li Yannian's servant for twenty years.
Everything is in the past.
Yongye glanced at a wine jar in the corner, brushed off the dust, picked it up, broke the clay seal, and smelled it. It was a fine Qingzhou Red wine. Surprisingly, it hadn't been confiscated.
She smiled, picked up the wine, and then found two more blue-and-white porcelain bowls before walking to the locust tree.
The wine, deep as a rose, is poured into a white porcelain bowl like the blush rising on a beautiful woman's face.
In the spacious courtyard, the locust blossoms were like jade, and the aroma of wine filled the air.
Yongye picked up a bowl and said softly with a smile, "Since Master is here, this disciple will offer Master a toast."
Li Yannian landed from the tree in front of Yongye, his silver-white robes flowing smoothly. However, upon closer inspection, his robes were wrinkled, and his eyes were bloodshot. "Xinghun truly lives up to his name; his skills have already surpassed his master's. How did you know I would be here?"
Yongye finished the bowl in one gulp, the wine smooth and fragrant as it went down his throat: "The whole capital city is searching for Master. I thought about it for a long time, and this place is actually the safest. Master is also familiar with the terrain here. After the house was searched, the gate was sealed, and no one will come in again. Please sit down, Master. There is no poison in the wine."
"I know, you found this in Li Erfang's house. I was planning to drink it tonight."
Yongye slowly poured the wine. "Why doesn't Master drink it? Yongye remembers that this is Master's favorite wine. It was specially sent from Qingzhou in Chen State by fast horse."
Li Yannian lifted his robe and sat down, looked at the wine, and shook his head: "The fact that the wine was found in Li Er's room doesn't mean you didn't poison it. I still don't trust you."
"Hehe, Master no longer has the confidence he once had. I remember looking up at Master on the snowy ground in the valley back then, the pressure he put on Yongye was immense. If Master wanted to kill me back then, it would be as easy as crushing an ant."
"A thousand-mile dike can be breached by an ant hole. You are the biggest flaw in my plan." The words were spoken calmly, yet they carried a deep-seated hatred.
Yongye couldn't help but laugh, raising a bright smile as he said, "Master, you're mistaken! Do you know who Emperor Youqing will appoint as his new empress? Princess Luoyu of Qi!"
Li Yannian was greatly shocked. He had always believed that if it weren't for Xinghun, Youli Valley wouldn't have abandoned him. If it weren't for Xinghun, he would have already grasped Duan Wang's weakness. "Qi Kingdom's Luo Yu..." He repeated it several times, his mind clear.
Li Tianyou had remained unmarried for many years, waiting for this very day. The true power behind him wasn't Prince Duan, Li Gu, but the mighty Qi Kingdom. He finally understood Emperor Yujia's painstaking scheme. Youli Valley's temporary withdrawal must have been due to knowledge of this news; they didn't want to lose more men. Li Yannian was disheartened. He picked up his wine bowl and said with a bitter laugh, "I give up. I really didn't have the confidence to win. No wonder Young Master Moyu said that if we lost, leaving An Kingdom quickly and waiting for another opportunity was the best course of action."
“Master harbors resentment; I fear he cannot accomplish it.” Yongye was secretly amazed. For Young Master Moyu to say such a thing, he must hold a high position in Youli Valley. She rolled her eyes and smiled, “I never expected Young Master Moyu to have such insight.”
“He…” Li Yannian hesitated, then drank the wine in one gulp and stared at Yongye. “Things have come to this point, and Master has nothing more to say. Drink this wine, and make your move! Let’s see if I die from your hidden weapon or if I capture you again as a hostage.”
Yongye shook his head: "There are soldiers all outside right now. If a fight breaks out, I can just use my lightness skill to escape. Master can't capture me. As your master and disciple, Yongye wants fairness. Besides, Lancui is still in the Heavenly Prison. Doesn't Master want to save her?"
Lan Cui's gentle image came to mind, but Li Yannian's brows remained unchanged. He couldn't afford to relax even for a moment when dealing with such a disciple. He smiled and said, "I watched helplessly as Tian Rui refused to leave with me even at the cost of his life, and even my son refused to acknowledge me as his father. What kind of kinship is there in this world? Do you think I would risk my life to break into the imperial prison for a lowly maid?"
Yongye retorted sharply: "She was a maidservant, but wasn't she also your wife? She would die for you. But Master is heartless and cruel."
"You only need to shout to catch me, why don't you?" Recalling the good things Lan Cui had done for him over the years, Li Yannian felt a pang in his heart. It turned out that he was only worthy of marrying a lowly maid! The resentment made him want to slam his fist on the table.
Yongye looked at him with some pity; right and wrong were intertwined. Li Yannian wanted revenge for his mother's murder, and he hated the late emperor and his father for taking away his wealth and status, turning him from a prince into a usurper. Yongye felt her heart was truly soft. She picked up her wine bowl and said, "Master, please leave the capital quickly. In ten days, I will personally escort Lancui to the Shili Pavilion on the outskirts of the city. Master has ten days to consider whether to continue seeking revenge or retire from the martial world. If Master still wants revenge, we, master and disciple, will fight in ten days. If you die at your disciple's hands, Master can rest in peace. Drink this wine, and Xinghun and Master will be even, and there will be no more master-disciple relationship."
She finished her drink in one gulp, stood up, and said calmly, "This is Lan Cui's wish. A woman doesn't ask for much... In any case, I will give her another chance." With that, she left without looking back.
Li Yannian's pupils suddenly contracted, overwhelmed by Yongye's imposing aura and filled with indescribable anger. Reflecting on his life, he sighed deeply and murmured, "So be it!" He finished his drink and drifted away.
The forced marriage begins
The East Side Lane of the Forbidden City was the residence of eunuchs and the laundry bureau. Stepping inside, one is immediately struck by the atmosphere of daily life, almost losing the solemnity and grandeur of the imperial palace. If it weren't for the towering red palace walls in the distance reminding one that this was also part of the imperial palace grounds, it would resemble an ordinary residential area.
Chen San, a eunuch from the Imperial Kitchen, hurried into Dongye Lane carrying a vermilion lacquered food box. Having served in the palace for eight years, Chen San was quick-witted and sensible, having long since mastered the skills of survival within the palace. A humble smile always graced his face. He knew the tastes of each palace master intimately. While not particularly favoritism, he diligently fulfilled all requests, earning him a good reputation.
Emperor Youqing had just ascended the throne when he assigned him this post, and Chen San couldn't help but think that it wouldn't be long before he was promoted to head of the Imperial Kitchen. His smile grew even brighter.
"Eunuch Chen, why have you been bringing us meals all these days? Who is this lucky person?" A sycophantic eunuch asked with a fawning smile.
Chen San coughed lightly, unable to suppress his smugness, but put on a stern face and said, "Stop talking!"
The person who asked the question happened to be his fellow villager. Chen San looked around and, seeing that no one was around, whispered, "I heard that he has a noble status. Otherwise, how could he be qualified to eat food from the imperial kitchen?"
The young man from the same village was incredibly curious: "They've been delivering to me for three days straight, with no missing meals. I've never heard of anyone receiving such treatment before!"
Chen San sighed, "That's right! I heard it's related to the deposed crown prince..." He caught a glimpse of someone coming out of the laundry department out of the corner of his eye and quickly added, "It's not something you or I dare to get involved in. Don't say anything out loud, or you'll lose your head."
The young man shrank back, watching Chen San carry the food box into the courtyard at the end of the alley, and shivered. Full of questions, he slipped away.
The courtyard was surrounded by a tall wall, made of large, gray-blue square bricks, which gave it a somber and imposing feel.
Chen San arrived at the black lacquered gate, had his waist tag checked, and inspected the food box. He watched as the Imperial Guards picked out and ate each dish before bowing and scraping as he entered.
Every time he came here, he felt a strange fear.
Upon entering the main gate, one finds a spacious, square courtyard. The main hall connects to another courtyard, surrounded by three rows of houses, all built of the same gray bricks. Not a single tree or blade of grass is to be seen.
Chen San met with the prison warden in the front hall, had his waist token checked again, and his food box inspected before following the jailer into the top-tier cell in the back courtyard. A small window, about a foot square, opened in the wall, which was over two zhang high; this was the only source of light. As Chen San stepped inside, the early summer air was instantly shut out, replaced by a cool, damp atmosphere.
As soon as he entered, he couldn't wait to leave. He walked a few steps to cell number seven, placed the food box over the bars, and quickly took out the food. His eyes, however, caught sight of last night's food still in its original place. He glanced up at the person huddled in the corner, but dared not speak. He simply finished tidying up, shook his head, and followed the jailer away. He muttered to himself, "Even the emperor's kitchen food is only for high-ranking officials in the palace. This man truly doesn't know how lucky he is."
Lan Cui stared blankly out the window; ever since she entered this place, she had lost her appetite.
She didn't know how much time had passed when footsteps echoed in the deep passageway. She didn't move, still staring blankly out the window.
The person stopped, stared at her for a moment, and then spoke: "Are you angry with me?"