Eternal Night - Chapter 184
Therefore, I gave up on Eternal Night, bestowed upon her the title of princess and her regalia, and thus avoided seeing her in the light of day.
After Yongye got married, I often missed her sorrowful face as she played the zither under the moonlight. By chance, I heard the melodious sound of the zither, and when I went to investigate, I found Luoyu playing the zither under the moon.
She was the gentlest woman I had ever met. Like her name, she was as light as a feather. Luo Yu was beautiful; the way she bowed her head to play the zither, her eyes filled with tears, was just like that sorrowful, endless night. I went over and picked her up.
A blush crept across Luo Yu's face, and her body trembled slightly in my arms—something I had never seen in Yong Ye before. That night, I treated her with extreme gentleness. Luo Yu also greatly satisfied my masculine desires.
Gradually, I realized I really liked Luo Yu. Although she didn't have the same jealous and prickly attitude as Yong Ye, which left me helpless and unable to scold or hit her, she was as gentle as water, and her adoring gaze made me very proud.
After a while, I often missed Yongye's spoiled and bossy manner. Does Yongye miss me like this too?
King Da of Qi sent a letter back saying that Yongye would enter the palace to become the Crown Princess for my sake, in order to repay the Emperor's favor.
My heart started to ache again, and I didn't go looking for Luo Yu for several days in a row.
She timidly brought me a late-night snack. I noticed she had lost weight and looked somewhat haggard, and I couldn't help but ask her what was wrong. Luo Yu replied, "My heart always feels empty when the Emperor doesn't come."
A thought struck me, and I asked Luo Yu, "If the Empress has taken a liking to me, would a day apart feel like three autumns?"
Luo Yu blushed again, lowered her eyes for a long time before nodding slightly.
I was extremely frustrated. How come I never felt that Yongye missed me? If it weren't for the imperial edict sent to Qi, she wouldn't have sent back even a single word.
I ordered an investigation into Yongye's whereabouts in Qi, and the information I received was numerous and extremely confusing.
She disappears one minute and then goes to some Xibo Autumn Festival the next. Her relationship with Yuepo Fengyangxi is unclear.
I suddenly recalled Yongye's expression after I captured that brat surnamed Yue, and a surge of hatred welled up inside me. She didn't care about me; she never cared about me. She had been playing me all along. This feeling of suffocation made me want to kill someone.
However, I could only keep it buried in my heart. No matter what, she was the Crown Princess of Qi. It was normal that she didn't have me in her heart.
A few months later, I heard news that Yongye had returned to Anguo and to the Duan Prince's residence. This was truly strange.
If Yongye had married the Crown Prince, she would be the Empress of Qi right now. I wonder if it was the change of Crown Prince between Murong Yan and Murong Yangxi that angered Yongye. After all, she always thought she was going to marry Murong Yan.
Two portraits were placed in front of me on the desk, and I gasped.
Feng Yangxi is Murong Yangxi. What should I do?
This is the second time I've had the chance to have eternal night, and I've watched it slip through my fingers again.
She entered the palace dressed as a man.
I guess she was dressed as a man because she was afraid of entering the palace.
If she were not married, she could not wear the formal attire befitting an empress. Once she wore it, she would be unable to take it off. She also could not wear women's clothing, nor could she style her hair in a traditional woman's updo. She would look best in men's clothing.
Seeing Yongye's surprise, I smiled. This was probably the first time I'd guessed what was on her mind. I spoke to her calmly. I barely looked at her face.
I fear that if I were to see that breathtakingly beautiful face, I might do something that would bring war upon Anguo. Feng Yangxi is someone I cannot afford to offend right now.
I quietly asked her, "Actually, Xiaoye has never had me in her heart, right?"
Her answer was clever, yet she was also trying to fool me: "Even if it were possible, it couldn't be. Doesn't Your Majesty understand?"
I told her directly that I knew she hadn't married Feng Yangxi. However, Yongye said that not being married didn't mean she wouldn't marry.
This is blatantly telling me that if I were to bring her into the palace, it would be tantamount to stealing the Queen of Qi.
I smiled bitterly, recalling how she had fooled me and led me by the nose, causing me both sadness and pain. I admired a woman like that, but I couldn't afford her.
What I can offer her is a way out. "If you have nowhere to go, marry me, and I will cherish you for the rest of my life."
This might be the only thing I did that moved Yongye. With my martial arts skills, I could hear her quietly inhaling, feeling very sad, wanting to say something, but ultimately leaving without saying anything.
I didn't look back at her. That eternal night can only be buried deep in my heart. Now, what I think about most is Feng Yangxi.
Entering the plum grove, I was surprised to find Luo Yu hiding inside. I couldn't help but chuckle. This girl gets jealous sometimes? I smiled and walked over, gently coaxing her, saying casually, "I'm quite interested in your elder brother, whom you've never met since childhood. Would the Empress mind telling me about him..."
Luo Yu was really simple. I learned the whole story in no time. I couldn't help but gasp.
Feng Yangxi has been in Anguo for so many years, he knows the mountains and rivers of our country like the back of his hand. How should I deal with him? It seems I still have a lot to do. The first thing I need to do is to change Anguo's military system and border defense deployment.
He was furious with Yongye and wanted to implicate his uncle, who was unemployed at home, but now he had no choice but to go to him for help.
My uncle smiled and handed me a scroll of Qi's military and river topographical map, then launched into a long explanation of our army's reforms, which completely convinced me. He's truly a cunning old fox, having already prepared his escape route. I still have no choice but to rely on him.
Fortunately, my uncle had no ambition for power; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to keep him alive.
Six months later, news came from Qi that Feng Yangxi had abdicated in favor of Murong Yan and become his own Prince Feng. Peace returned to both countries.
I asked Luo Yu, "How many times have you seen your imperial brother?"
Luo Yu chuckled and said, "Not many, just a few times."
What kind of person is he?
"The person Yongye likes." Luo Yu actually said something sarcastic to me.
I turned around and saw her pouting, chin slightly raised. For a moment, I felt both annoyed and amused. The image of Yongye from back then flashed through my mind again. Perhaps, what Yongye wanted was someone willing to give up the throne for her. That person definitely wouldn't be me.
Extra Chapter: Princess Rose
After leaving Sanyu Pass, we entered the territory of the Song Kingdom. I found Yuepo extremely displeasing the entire way.
"Hey, brat, what grudge do you have against Brother Yongye that you want to poison him?" After entering the inn, I only booked one room to prevent him from running away.
At this moment, he was pinned to the back by my foot and unable to move. If it weren't for the need to get the antidote for Brother Yongye, I would have killed him right now.