Eternal Night - Chapter 118
He desperately blocked the incoming arrows and pushed Lan Cui away.
Lan Cui turned and threw herself behind him, shouting, "I'm wearing armor..." Arrows pierced her body with a thud. They couldn't penetrate the armor but injured her internal organs, and blood spurted from Lan Cui's mouth all over Li Yannian.
The world before him changed color. Li Yannian felt only a buzzing sound in his ears. The clatter of hooves signaled Yongye's return. With all his might, he picked up Lancui and threw her towards Yongye. As long as Lancui was by Yongye's side, she would not kill him... Li Yannian smiled slightly.
He stood still, watching Lan Cui stumble and get up from the ground, Yong Ye getting closer and closer to her.
His face was contorted with pain, but he kept his eyes fixed on what was in front of him.
Suddenly, an arrow shot out from the forest. He raised his sword to block it, but the sword slipped from his grasp. Lan Cui looked back at him and staggered towards him... A long arrow whistled through the air, and he watched helplessly as the arrow lightly pierced Lan Cui's chest. She collapsed to the ground without uttering a sound.
A piercing pain shot through his heart; nothing in the world is more painful than gaining and then losing. Li Yannian opened his mouth, but he couldn't hear what he uttered. He stood there, stunned, the sharp arrows carrying Lan Cui's tenderness and care piercing his body one by one, each bringing a violent impact and tearing pain. He stood there until all the pain receded, until Lan Cui's figure in the distance gradually blurred and then disappeared.
Yongye looked up in astonishment and saw Li Yannian standing there with wide eyes, his body riddled with arrows, tears streaming down his face, a blood-red color. She read the words "Lan Cui" silently from his lips as he moved, and her heart ached with pain.
She dismounted and went to Lan Cui's side. Upon checking, she found her lifeless. Yong Ye stood up, his face grim as he stared at the woods, a murderous intent rising within him. Lan Cui's bundle contained gold and silver travel money, but Yong Ye had kept the Prince Duan's exit warrant on his person, not daring to give it to them beforehand. Returning to deliver the warrant, he witnessed this scene.
Her proud master finally fell in love with Lan Cui, a maid he considered lowly, only to have his lover die before his very eyes.
They could have let go of their hatred and lived a good life! Even Buddha said that turning back is the shore, but where is their shore? They haven't! Yongye trembled with rage. Who gave the order?
A group of guards slowly emerged from the forest, dressed in the uniforms of the Imperial Guard. After carefully confirming that Li Yannian was dead, they approached and clasped their hands in a fist salute to Yongye, saying, "Princess, this humble general has been ordered by the Emperor to execute the traitor."
They were innocent too; they were merely following orders. Yongye repeatedly told himself this, struggling to suppress the surging anger and bloodlust within him, and said calmly, "Thank you all for your hard work. What should be done with their bodies?"
"The corpses were left exposed on the city walls for three days!"
"Bury them both," Yongye said, enunciating each word clearly. I can understand the ruthlessness of extermination, but now that they're dead, why leave their corpses exposed? Li Tianyou, you're even more ruthless than me!
The Imperial Guard looked at Yongye with difficulty: "This is an order from the Emperor."
"I will explain to the Emperor myself." The anger in his chest was about to erupt, and Yongye's face was already very ugly.
The Imperial Guards were still in a dilemma. Yongye slowly drew his hidden blade and pointed it at them: "I said I would explain to the Emperor. Don't force me to take action. I'm in a very bad mood right now!"
"As you command, Princess." The Imperial Guards were startled to see Yongye even swear. Offending her was tantamount to offending Prince Duan. What would be the consequences of offending Prince Duan? The Imperial Guards exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. Since Prince Duan and the Princess would take the blame if they reported back, they immediately carried the two men and buried them in a pit dug in the forest.
Yongye stared blankly at the fresh soil on the grave for a while. Happiness and death were only separated by a thin line. Human life in this world was truly worthless. Would assassins also meet such an end? Was turning back too difficult? She turned around, mounted her horse, and said politely, "Thank you all, brothers. Please come to the Duan Prince's Mansion when you have time. Yongye will definitely repay you handsomely. I will take full responsibility for this matter. You don't need to worry."
"Thank you, Princess." The Imperial Guard wiped his sweat, breathed a sigh of relief, and immediately returned to the palace to report the order.
Back at the Prince's residence, Prince Duan asked with concern, "Have the person been sent away?"
Yongye looked at him with a half-smile: "Father, they're all dead, so the Emperor has no more worries. However, I'm in trouble. I've disobeyed the Emperor's decree again, and instead of leaving Li Yannian and Lancui City's corpses exposed, I've buried them. What should I do?"
Prince Duan paused for a moment and sighed, "It's good that he's buried. I'll go and explain. After all, he was... an insignificant person. The late emperor's forty-fourth week memorial has not yet passed, and leaving his body exposed would be detrimental to his holy virtue."
"That's right, the Emperor really wants your daughter to enter the palace as a concubine. You being the Emperor's father-in-law wouldn't be bad at all!"
Prince Duan's expression suddenly changed: "What nonsense are you talking about!"
Yongye spread his hands: "You're unwilling, and I'm unwilling. Let's think of a way, hmm?"
"There's no rush now. It won't be until after the coronation ceremony in 1949." Prince Duan glanced at Yongye, swallowing another meaning. After the national mourning, Yongye should be getting married.
"In short, I will not marry him. Also, I was greatly shocked today and I am sick! Don't make me kneel and receive the imperial decree again!" After saying this, Yongye returned to Wanyu Courtyard.
Prince Duan looked at her helplessly, thinking to himself, how did I give birth to such an extremely troublesome and domineering daughter?
behave in a spoiled manner
The national mourning period was finally over, the curfew in Kyoto was lifted, and the city gates were wide open. Kyoto was once again full of life.
Like cicadas in hibernation, the common people, having endured the anxious curfew, began chattering and making a ruckus again in teahouses and taverns. They dared not discuss politics, yet craved fresh and mysterious topics that wouldn't cost them their lives. Just then, an imperial edict was issued at the perfect time, announcing the change of title for the heir apparent of Prince Duan, the Marquis of Yong'an, to Princess of Yong'an.
In no time, various versions of the secret were freshly published. Due to the prestige of Prince Duan and the handsomeness of Marquis Yong'an, the news quickly spread throughout the land.
Just as the storm had passed, Prince Yan of Qi personally escorted Princess Luoyu to the capital, where she was treated as an honored guest of Anguo.
The Third Prince went to greet the special envoy from Anguo. It is said that the Fourth Miss An also arrived at the same time as the princess's procession. After the enthronement and empress-bestowing ceremony, the Third Prince Tianxiang will also marry the Fourth Miss An.
The conversation then turned to the new empress and the three new imperial concubines. They discussed the four beauties of the land in turn, and couldn't help but sigh and feel sorry for the missing Princess Rose.
The coronation ceremony took place three days later, coinciding with the coronation ceremony.
Officials from the Ministry of Rites were so busy they barely had time to breathe, Prince Duan was so busy he didn't return home at night, and all the officials were spinning like tops.
Only Yongye consistently claimed to be ill and confined to her residence. This wasn't the first time she'd feigned illness; even the decree changing her status to Princess of the First Rank stated that she was frail and sickly and needed to be raised as a son until she turned eighteen to avoid a life-threatening crisis. No one doubted this reason, except for Emperor Youqing, who diligently instructed his attendant to bring various tonics and gifts to the Prince Duan's residence every day. The gifts were accepted, but the attendant, who delivered the decree, never saw Yongye. The attendant came from Prince You's residence and, having some understanding of the emperor's thoughts, dared not offend Yongye. He simply reported the situation truthfully to Tianyou each day, content with his quiet life.
Yongye spent his days in the palace researching cuisine with the princess, living a carefree life.
"Of the four beauties under heaven, three belong to Anguo. Where is Princess Qiangwei? I heard that Lady Jing'an is ill. A few days ago, I heard your father say that the Marquis of Jing'an and several young masters went to the palace to ask the Emperor to cancel the engagement between Qiangwei and Tianrui. The Emperor agreed. I wonder if Qiangwei will come back on her own when she hears the news." Princess Duan sighed as she kneaded dough.
Yongye, who was assisting her, slowly stopped stirring the filling. "Rose, why haven't you come back yet?" A deep worry settled in Yongye's eyes.
More than a month has passed. She's been granted the title of Princess, and news of Li Tianrui's plot to overthrow Tianyou and ascend the throne has long been circulating. There's been no news from Yuepo, no word from Qiangwei. What is he doing? Is Qiangwei heartbroken because she's fallen in love with him and doesn't want to come back?
Unable to guess the reason, Yongye put down his work and said listlessly, "I'm going back to Wanyu Courtyard. I want to sleep for a while."
"Your Highness! Princess! They're from the palace again."
Yongye sighed and winked at the princess, saying, "Tell them I'm sick and in bed."
The princess sighed, tidied herself up, and went to the front hall to receive the imperial decree.
With only three days until the coronation ceremony, what tricks was Li Tianyou planning to pull this time? Yongye lay helplessly in bed, feigning illness. He waited for the princess to return to the palace and for someone to deliver the message.
Not long after, voices could be heard from outside the courtyard. The princess shouted, "Yongye, the Emperor is here!"