Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 73

Xiao Yi

2007.10.9 19:23

Chapter 50: Life and Death on the Brink (End)

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Chapter 51 A Desperate Gamble

Chapter 51 A Desperate Gamble

Yang Yi arrived early the next morning. In the month since I'd last seen him, his square face had thinned, his eyes were sunken, and he looked somewhat haggard. I looked at the deep worry and anxiety in his eyes with surprise, and paused slightly. Was he truly concerned about Lin Yu?

Seeing that I was much better, Yang Yi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Lin Yu, don't scare me like that again."

I was taken aback, and the words I had prepared all day seemed to slip out. I looked up at Zi Mo, who simply said, "As long as you don't pose a threat to his rule, he naturally has some affection for you."

I frowned slightly, feeling that Zi Mo was acting strangely after waking up this time. His words when my soul left my body were still vivid in my mind; I had asked him why he couldn't see me when we were both souls. Zi Mo pondered for a moment, then said in a somewhat melancholic tone, "Perhaps because you are a living soul, and I am a dead soul." This was the first time Zi Mo had felt such a strong emotional response to the words "life and death."

Turning around, I saw Yang Yi staring at me blankly. My heart skipped a beat, but I smiled faintly and said, "Your Majesty, since Princess Jianing is about to marry Jun Wuhen, can the reward bestowed upon me, Feng Yihan, be cancelled? Your Majesty knows that I am weak and sickly and not good at martial arts. I really cannot do without this person's protection."

A cold glint flashed in Yang Yi's eyes, but he smiled gently and said, "I am naturally aware of this. However, even if Guard Feng is appointed as a captain, he can still stay by Lin Yu's side to protect him. If there is a real shortage of people, I can also send some experts to Lin Yu's side. Although they cannot compare to Guard Feng's unparalleled martial arts, they are more than enough to protect Lin Yu."

I shook my head and said, “Your Majesty is grateful for your kindness towards Yihan. However, Yihan is originally a citizen of Shuiwu. He stays by my side only because he is grateful for the favor I did for him years ago, but he has no desire to serve another country’s court. I hope Your Majesty will grant my and his wish.”

Yang Yi's thick, dark eyebrows furrowed sharply, and his eyes fixed on me like those of an eagle: "Is it that he doesn't want to, or that you don't want to?"

I leaned back slightly, escaping his shadow and oppressive aura, and laughed, "Your Majesty, you want to transfer Yihan away from me simply because you don't want me to rebel, is that it?"

Yang Yi was taken aback, clearly not expecting me to speak so bluntly. A deep, enigmatic sneer appeared on his gloomy face.

I took a letter from under my pillow and handed it to Yang Yi, saying, "Your Majesty, you may wish to take a look at this first."

Yang Yi frowned and took it. After only a quick glance, several sharp glints flashed in his eyes. He looked up at me coldly and said, "What do you mean by this?"

I raised my hand to play with the tassel at my waist, the silver curtain on the back of my hand shimmering dazzlingly under the lamplight. Zimo's plan to remove the fuel supply from under me was both risky and, at this moment, the only way to maintain balance. An indescribable peace and tranquility settled in my heart, a sense of confidence washing over me. The thrill of seeking victory amidst danger, the exhilaration of snatching chestnuts from the fire—I found myself slowly beginning to understand Zimo's feelings.

I raised my head and said calmly, “Your Majesty, there is no need for such alarm. These two letters were from when you and I discussed how to frame the Crown Prince. Your Majesty is now firmly on the throne and loves the people like your own children. Even if these letters were to circulate, they would only cause some gossip. But it is different for me. I am already so powerful that I overshadow Your Majesty and hold immense influence in the court. If people were to find out that I am such a despicable and treacherous person, the world would surely despise me, and the officials in the court would not tolerate me. At that time, Your Majesty could then rightfully strip me of my official position or even my life.”

Yang Yi's hand holding the letter trembled slightly, and the letter paper crumpled, revealing the intense struggle in his heart.

I gave a cold laugh. Even if he suspected I was a woman at this moment, with such obvious evidence in his hands, he would still hesitate about whether to eliminate me. This is the love of an emperor! But, even better.

I continued, “I am handing this letter to Your Majesty to show you my heart; I have absolutely no intention of rebellion. Moreover, Your Majesty should know that although Jin Yao appears to be the most powerful of the five nations, it is actually beset by Huo Ling in the west, Feng Yin in the east, and Izumo Island, which frequently attacks our merchant ships. Although I am but a scholar, I still have some influence over these nations. I fear that if I were to die, Jin Yao would be plunged into a state of internal and external troubles.”

"You dare threaten me?"

I ignored his anger: "Your Majesty, if I wanted to threaten you, why would I need to hand this letter to you?"

The murderous intent between Yang Yi's brows slowly disappeared. He stared intently at me and said coldly, "So what exactly does Lin Yu want?"

"Give me three years." I straightened up, my posture still relaxed and languid, but my eyes gleamed with a sharp light. "I guarantee that I will never harbor any rebellious thoughts within these three years, nor will I attempt to seize power in the court. I will wholeheartedly assist Your Majesty in unifying the world, without any disloyalty. I also ask Your Majesty not to harm anyone around me within these three years, including myself."

Yang Yi stared at me, and I let him stare. His gaze then drifted to the letter in his hand. I smiled and said, "If, three years from now, I truly harbor rebellious intentions, Your Majesty may make this secret letter public to the world."

“However,” I paused, “I have one more condition.”

Yang Yi frowned and said in a deep voice, "Speak."

I took out a silk painting from my sleeve, unfolded it, and said calmly, "Never let this person enter officialdom."

Yang Yi's expression shifted rapidly: "Does this person have a grudge against Lin Yu?"

I shook my head, a gentle smile appearing in my eyes: "Your Majesty, I know he neither likes nor is suited for officialdom. I beg Your Majesty never to conspire with others to force him into the court for the sake of his power. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to..." I raised an eyebrow and didn't finish my sentence.

The room was silent. After a long silence, Yang Yi finally laughed heartily, tucked the letter into his sleeve, and when he looked up again, he had completely transformed into the humble and benevolent ruler he had first met: "I will need to rely on Lin Yu in many more places in the future!"

We put the painting away, exchanged a knowing smile, and felt a chill run down our spines, realizing we had just broken out in a cold sweat.

He stood up, hands behind his back, and said, "Jia Ning is about to get married. Remember to select a few capable subordinates to follow her. Also, have a good talk with her and make sure she always remembers that she is the princess of Jin Yao."

My heart skipped a beat; this meant Jia Ning was to go undercover in Huo Ling. But I dared not show it on my face, and only smiled and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will never let Your Majesty down."

I looked up at Zimo in mid-air and smiled, a bright smile, yet a touch of desolation in my heart: 'Zimo, you wish to stay in Jinyao, so I will obediently play the role of the young prime minister. You want the rift between me and Yang Yi to deepen, so I will ensure he constantly harbors thoughts of eliminating me. You don't want Han Jue to enter officialdom, so I will find ways to cut off all his paths to advancement. Therefore, please stop looking like you're about to leave me.'

Zi Mo slowly closed his eyes, quietly but resolutely concealing all the turmoil and emotions in his brown eyes.

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Chapter 52 Wind, Snow, Thunder and Lightning

Chapter 52 Wind, Snow, Thunder and Lightning

There are four universally acknowledged cold-blooded killers on the continent of Ishu. Their martial arts skills may not be the highest, and their hearts may not be the most ruthless, but the number of people they have killed is terrifying.

Fei Lian, birthplace unknown, wields a soft sword, his swordsmanship is as fast as the wind and as swift as lightning, killing is as easy as cutting melons and vegetables for him. He likes to slit people's throats with a single stroke, disdaining to attack other parts of the body.

Teng Liu, born in the eastern part of Jin Yao Kingdom, has no long weapons, but wears silver silk gloves woven from celestial silkworm silk. He enjoys breaking people's hands and feet with his finger strength and then tearing out their hearts, yet his gloves remain spotless.

Lu Ling, born in Qi Mu Kingdom, is skilled with a slender knife. He has no particular fondness for killing; he does whatever is easiest.

Lie Que, birthplace unknown, wields a long, straight, and difficult-to-bend sword with a backhand grip. When killing, he switches to a right hand grip, striking the space between the eyebrows to deliver the fatal blow.

These four men, though equally renowned, had very little connection with each other. They had no set price for their killings, nor did they accept any offers from organizations, so no one knew exactly how high their success rate was. However, the more unscrupulous they were, the greater the fear people had of them.

In an inn in Luonan, the capital of Jinyao, four young men dressed in different colors sat around a square table.

"Feilian, you summoned us all the way to Luonan, just so we could gather together and stand around doing nothing?" Teng Liu, dressed in white, slammed something in his hand onto the table, leaving a trail of blood. It was a heart. Feilian dodged it, but the heart grazed the corner of the table and crashed to the ground, making Lie Que, dressed in black, turn pale.