Un corazón puro en una vasija de jade

Capítulo 168

Seeing his hesitation, Yongye gave a cold laugh: "Let me speak for you. You never intended to marry me. You know my identity, you know my relationship with Youli Valley. So, hiring you as my bodyguard was exactly what you wanted; you went along with me to Chen Kingdom to see what tricks Youli Valley was playing. You never expected that I would instigate a conflict between Yi Zhongtian and you, and I..."

She recalled the scene of Feng Yangxi rushing into the fire to anxiously search for her, but it was all fake. Yongye fiercely warned herself that he was only afraid that if she died, he would lose someone he could use to deal with Youli.

"I actually helped Yi Zhongtian stab you in the back, and you were seriously injured and escorted back to Qi by Murong Yan. So, when you reappeared after recovering, you kept an eye on the Peony Courtyard in the capital and happened to save me. You harbored hatred and wanted revenge, so you sold me into the Peony Courtyard without regard for my safety. You generously used me as bait, thinking you could find the Youli Valley's stronghold. So, you searched in the mountains for six days and found me along the way. Although Li Yannian had become a pawn of Youli Valley, you were not discouraged because you saw the note Yue Po left for me in the bamboo house at the foot of Yishan Mountain. It definitely had more than just that one sentence on it, right?"

Feng Yangxi paused, then remembered the note Yuepo had left in the bamboo house. The note contained a crescent moon and a star drawn close together. That's why he didn't want Yongye to see it.

Yongye laughed heartily: "I stayed in the stone chamber with Master Qingyi for three years. I could even see how many legs a mosquito had when it flew by. I saw the words 'medical clinic' and really wanted to take a closer look, but you put it in your pocket. I guess it must have the words 'Peaceful Medical Clinic' written on it. So, as soon as I disappeared in the capital, you were able to stay by my side."

Yongye's words grew increasingly urgent, and Feng Yangxi's brows furrowed more and more tightly. He tried several times to interrupt Yongye, but remained silent. There was indeed another sentence on the note, written by Yuepo: "Ping'an Medical Clinic, will I ever see you again?" She was clearly engaged to him, yet she was involved with another man. How could he not be angry? He didn't want her to go to any Ping'an Medical Clinic. However, she still went to Shengjing after arriving.

“When you saw me enter Jigu Zhai, your heart stirred, and you thought of the An family behind Jigu Zhai. You used roses as bait to make me feel guilty and let me enter the An family villa. In the bamboo house, you slapped me…” Yongye was heartbroken.

“That slap…” Feng Yangxi wanted to say that he was angry at the time, and she kept provoking his anger, which he regretted.

Yongye raised his head and said firmly, "You are a righteous hero. You think that since you know I am the assassin Xinghun, and you have already forgiven me, I should be grateful. You want me to marry Murong Yan, but you don't want to marry me because I am a villainous assassin, aren't you?"

Feng Yangxi was angered again by what she said. "I'm telling you to marry the Crown Prince..."

"Is there a difference? Did you ever tell me you were a prince of Qi? If you want to marry me, you will replace Murong Yan as the crown prince of Qi!"

"When I saved you in the Buddhist temple at Anjia, I also told you that you would marry me, not the Crown Prince!"

"Haha!" Yongye laughed loudly. "The An family's Buddhist hall... You knew the An family was in danger, yet you still let me go. Because you wanted to use my misfortune to raid the An family. Daring to harm the Crown Princess is tantamount to treason! You wanted to cut down this big tree that is the An family! I went to Xibo to see the Autumn Sacrifice, and you came along too. You know that with me here, we can definitely lure the people from Youli Valley. Because you also suspect Yuepo, don't you? As long as you keep me hanging, you will definitely be able to find him. Find Youli Valley!"

Feng Yangxi felt all the words she uttered stuck in his throat. What an ungrateful wretch! He took a deep breath, calming himself: "Continue!"

"And then, was it to see my heart clearly? You colluded with your father, using yourself to blackmail me, but you didn't expect to fall into the trap of Youli Valley. They actually broke into the Heavenly Prison. You weren't worried at all, were you? Even if the sleeping powder blew in, with your skill, you could have easily held your breath and pretended to be knocked out. You weren't actually affected by the dispelling powder. You confidently went in without any trouble. Otherwise, why would Murong Yan have left me alone in the An Family Buddhist Hall? Because he was eager for me to have a chance to enter Youli Valley. You were happy, weren't you? Because this idiot of mine actually entered Youli Valley and appeared before you, even giving you a vial of blood."

Yongye's voice trailed off, replaced by a sorrowful smile. "I don't trust people, and you're the same, aren't you? You were happy to test my heart, weren't you? Then you shaved your beard and elegantly appeared before me, thinking that I would naturally marry you, right?"

Feng Yangxi fell silent. He indeed didn't possess the Dissolving Power Powder from Zhongyou Ligu, yet he hadn't expected Yongye to actually come. Her appearance certainly made him happy, but wasn't he also flustered and worried about her because of it?

She glanced at Feng Yangxi, noticing his somber face. Was he angry? Shouldn't she be the one who was angry? Yongye shook her head slightly.

Wandering Valley is gone. Moon Soul won't let it remain the same. He's inherently kind; his closing of the Peony Courtyard and his order for the An family to behave themselves are proof of that. There's nothing left for Feng Yangxi to do, no longer needing to wander the world. All these years, he's traveled the world—wasn't he planning for his future empire?

Everything was within his calculations. He guarded himself, observed himself, and perhaps even grew fond of himself.

A moon spirit shattered her trust in people. A wind spirit made her attached, yet disappointed her once more.

Does loving someone mean giving up everything, like Lan Cui? Others might, but she wasn't an ordinary woman. She understood men's nature, and perhaps she couldn't blame him.

Possessive men like to be in control of everything, and Feng Yangxi is no exception.

She couldn't help liking him, but she could choose not to marry him.

Yongye stood up, looking down at Feng Yangxi, raising an eyebrow and smiling, "You really do look presentable after shaving your beard! I have to say, you're quite charming! However, my answer is clear: I won't marry you! Goodbye!"

"Stop right there!" Feng Yangxi gritted her teeth in anger at her confident, meticulous, and rigorous reasoning.

Yongye turned and glared at him disdainfully, saying, "What? Your Highness is going back on your word? If you want to keep me here, there's nothing I can do, because... my inner strength has been destroyed by Yuepo. I can no longer fly over rooftops or use throwing knives. Even if I go home, I only hope that if my father and mother love me, they can support me for the rest of my life. If one day I meet someone who truly treats me well and is willing to let me live a quiet life."

Her expression was somber, and Feng Yangxi felt a pang of sadness. She had lost her inner strength? He remembered rescuing Yongye from the cave; she didn't seem to have used any martial arts. What would it feel like for someone with martial arts skills to have their skills crippled? Especially Yongye, who was proud and insecure. Without inner strength, she wasn't much stronger than an ordinary woman.

He said slowly, "I told you I would never force you. But Eternal Night is not what you say."

"No? Uncle Shadow recognized you and told you everything long ago, something you never told me. You were observing, thinking that keeping quiet was the most advantageous thing for you, allowing you to maneuver freely. You watched me play my little tricks while you secretly laughed. Now I have no value to you anymore, except for the title of princess. However, I think if Li Tianyou is truly determined to fight, he will never give up because of me. Goodbye!"

Yongye didn't want to look at him. She said it all in one breath, and even she thought it made perfect sense. But why did her heart ache so much? It hurt so much that even her eyes felt sore and swollen.

With her back to him, she whispered, "Do you know what it feels like to be deceived and betrayed by the person you trust most? You don't understand."

Feng Yangxi suddenly remembered Yue Po's words: "Xing Hun has always been very independent and also very fragile. She hates betrayal the most. I hurt her heart, and so did you."

She didn't look back as she walked out of the palace. As she stepped out of the palace gate, she turned back and saw Feng Yangxi's dark figure standing in the autumn wind on the distant steps of Jichang Palace.

Yongye bit her lip and resolutely turned around.

Outside the palace gates, Li Ya had prepared a horse: "Yongye, I'll take you back to Anguo. You've been in the capital for so long, you've gotten used to it, and you want to go back and visit."

Yongye's eyes reddened, and he mounted his horse, saying, "I know that Uncle Shadow and Sister Zhang from the inner palace have always had a very good relationship. She cried secretly several times after you left."

Li Ya laughed sheepishly: "Nonsense! Keep calling me Li Er when we get back."

Yongye said earnestly, "If Uncle Shadow doesn't get married and has no son, Yongye will definitely take care of you until the end. Let's go, I miss my father and mother!" She whipped her horse and galloped away in a flash.

Li Ya turned back, and Feng Yangxi's figure appeared on the stone platform of Tianji Pavilion. "Is Your Highness looking at Yongye?" Li Ya smiled and spurred his horse to chase after Yongye.

Chapter Fifty-Two: Wings of Flight

Li Ya is still called Li Er.

Yongye moved back to Wanyu Courtyard. Yihong married Commandant Lin, but Yin'er said she wanted to stay with her for life.

What else is left in her life? Yuepo destroyed her internal energy, so she can't even wander the world anymore.

Prince Duan and his wife simply sighed and announced to the public that Yongye was going back to her parents' home for a short stay.

The change of crown prince in Qi and the abdication of the emperor were common knowledge. Yongye suddenly returned to her parents' home; given enough time, who wouldn't become suspicious? The most suspicious was Li Tianyou.

He wasn't stupid. Murong Yan hadn't married Yongye, Murong Yangxi hadn't been made empress yet, and Yongye had returned to Anguo. He thought to himself, "She hasn't actually married anyone."

“The wind blows… Murong Yangxi…” Tianyou murmured as he looked at the two portraits on the table.

One was a scruffy, unshaven wanderer of the martial world, the other a young emperor with the aura of a king and an imposing presence. Was this twenty-six-year-old emperor the wandering swordsman? "A brilliant plan, a brilliant mind, a brilliant method!" Tianyou quickly grasped the key point, admiring Feng Yangxi's cunning to the extreme, yet also harboring a growing sense of unease.

If it weren't for him, perhaps he could still have obtained Eternal Night, but now... Tianyou smiled bitterly. With Feng Yangxi's experience of traveling the world and his understanding of Anguo, it was uncertain who would emerge victorious in a war between the two countries.