Eternal Night - Chapter 153
The autumn sunset lost its color. The sky gradually changed from orange to purple, eventually turning into a grayish-blue.
The doors to Yongye's bedchamber suddenly swung open. Yongye slowly stepped out.
For the first time in her life, she wore women's clothing.
Her hair was piled high in a cloud-like bun, adorned with a golden phoenix crown. Exquisite gold wire was coiled into the shape of a phoenix spreading its wings, with a pearl in its beak. Long strings of pearls hung down from her ears, shimmering brilliantly in the lamplight. Her eyebrows were styled like distant mountains, and her lips were painted like the red cherries of August.
The courtyard, illuminated by palace lanterns, made her moon-white gown shimmer with a faint blue glow, like the morning light. The long train trailed over ten feet, and the gown was embroidered with stars and moons in silver thread. With each step, the stars twinkled.
The eternal night seemed to have draped itself in a sky full of stars.
This was embroidered by Yin'er, Yihong, and thirty maids over a day and a night. Yongye persevered. Yuepo couldn't see it, but she did her best.
Yin'er and Yi Hong recalled the ethereal, otherworldly Yue Gongzi in the Duan Prince's mansion, dressed in a moon-white robe, and couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow for Yong Ye. Yi Hong lowered her head, filled with guilt. She never imagined that Yue Gongzi held such weight in Yong Ye's heart, that even for his wedding, he would abandon his bright red wedding gown and wear a moon-white dress instead.
The evening breeze billowed her robe sleeves as she slowly descended the steps on the red carpet.
The only sound in the vast courtyard was the quiet sound of breathing.
Yongye's eyes flickered, and he smiled at Minister Ma, who was kneeling in the courtyard: "Minister Ma, go back and tell that old fox in my house that he can rest assured now."
Minister Ma stared blankly at her, as if he were seeing the Princess Consort of Duan from twenty years ago. No, the Princess Consort of Duan was a beauty of unparalleled grace, but Yongye carried the pride and heroic spirit of the Prince of Duan deep in her bones. He had never imagined that Yongye in men's clothing would be so different from Yongye in women's clothing. He was already used to her imperious and elegant demeanor in men's clothing, but he was quite unaccustomed to this beautifully made-up woman before him.
“Lord Ma!” Yongye frowned.
Minister Ma trembled and prostrated himself on the ground, saying, "Your subject respectfully sees the princess off!"
"Respectfully seeing off the princess!" The voice of the Anguo guard echoed long and deep within the post station.
Yongye strode out of the post station. But what he saw before him was a completely different scene.
The State of Qi dispatched a full entourage, and the Shence Army blocked off the entire street. Their military bearing was impeccable, and they shouted in unison, "Welcome the Crown Princess!" Yongye glanced at Minister of Rites Zhao and said, "Alright, why are you shouting so loudly? Are you afraid others won't know?"
Lord Zhao's lips twitched slightly, and he lowered his head.
A eunuch knelt beneath the ornate carriage. Should she step on his back to get on? Yongye smiled noncommittally and didn't move.
We're waiting for news from Prince Yan. We can't let her be so foolish as to marry someone she can't even see. We'll use Feng Yangxi to blackmail her; we can't expect her to be so stupid as to marry someone she can't even see.
"Princess!" Lord Zhao urged her when he saw her standing still.
Just then, a horse galloped in from afar, and everyone stared in surprise, wondering who dared to barge in and why no one stopped them.
Yongye's heart suddenly pounded, so fast she could hear it. She suddenly felt a fear of seeing Feng Yangxi.
He once said that she would marry him rather than the crown prince.
He once said that he would never force her to marry the crown prince.
He once held her firmly in his arms and told her that he would be with her.
Now that she's marrying him, how will he react?
The horse galloped forward instantly, rearing up with a loud neigh. A man jumped off, ignoring the puzzled looks around him, and walked to Yongye's side.
He grabbed her hand and led her into the inn.
Yongye had never known that Prince Yan had such great strength; it felt like he was about to break her wrist. Prince Yan looked tense and didn't say a word until he dragged Yongye into the inner hall and dismissed his attendants before saying, "Feng Yangxi is in Youli Valley's hands."
"Huh?" Yongye raised an eyebrow, puzzled. Feng Yangxi had been cured of the poison. In her experience, her internal energy would recover within two days at most, so she should be fine. It had been four days since she returned from the Xibo tribe; Feng Yangxi's strength should have recovered by now. Would the people of Youli Valley be able to subdue him? And wasn't he in the Heavenly Prison? Wasn't there sixteen checkpoints and eight gates? The flies outside couldn't get in, and the flies inside could only reproduce through inbreeding.
Crown Prince Yan paced back and forth in the palace for a long time, then looked at Yongye and said, "Today I went to enjoy the wind and clouds, but the person is nowhere to be found."
"Could it be that Youli Valley has infiltrated the Qi royal palace like it did in Anguo?"
Yongye had only asked casually. Crown Prince Yan, however, looked grave. He hesitated for a moment before replying, "It's strange, the sixteen checkpoints didn't..."
The movement, the wind, seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Vanishing into thin air? How could that be? According to Yongye's observations, the Great Qi Heavenly Prison was no less well-built than the Anguo Heavenly Prison, and heavily guarded. It was absolutely impossible for Feng Yangxi to be taken away without a sound. Unless everyone in the prison was bribed, and collectively at that.
Prince Yan seemed to see through her thoughts and explained, "What I meant by 'he vanished into thin air' is that all 180 guards on duty at the Imperial Prison have been captured, and their testimonies match up perfectly. No one entered the Imperial Prison today. It's impossible for someone to be carrying a fake seal to take someone away."
What about yesterday?
Prince Yan said helplessly, "Yesterday, it was just you and me."
Yongye found it strange, and after a moment of thought, she asked, "Are there any other clues?"
"No."
Prince Yan looked at Yongye, seemingly only now noticing that she had changed into women's clothing. He looked Yongye up and down and suddenly smiled: "Yongye, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."
"Don't you think it sounds strange to say that now?"
Crown Prince Yan thought for a moment and said, "Indeed, it is quite strange." He stared at Yongye and said, "Using Feng Yangxi to coerce you is a poor strategy. I hope Yongye will do it willingly. So, let's wait until we find him. I am not talented, but I would not stoop to marrying a wife in this way."
This was the first time Crown Prince Yan had made Yongye feel that he was a man, seemingly weak yet possessing a magnanimous heart like a man's. She could get along with Crown Prince Yan, which meant he wasn't bad either. Yongye chuckled; she felt that Crown Prince Yan was more like a friend at this moment: "Your Highness, please. Yongye would like to go and take a look at the Heavenly Prison."
Prince Yan smiled gently as he and Yongye left the post station side by side.
Lord Zhao, Vice Minister Ma, and their entourage were waiting anxiously. When they saw the two of them come out, Lord Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Please, Crown Princess, get into the sedan chair. We cannot miss the auspicious time."
"The wedding date has been postponed. I have already reported this to the Emperor." Crown Prince Yan mounted his horse and gestured for Yongye to bring another horse. Yongye smiled, lightly touched the ground with her toes, and landed gracefully on the horse. Her wide dress fluttered in the air like a midnight orchid, and the moonlight shone softly on her body and face. At this moment, she was enough to illuminate the sky.
"Giddy up!" The two led a squad of Shence Army soldiers and rushed towards the Heavenly Prison.
Lord Zhao was dumbfounded.