Quand l'amour approche, c'est comme la neige

Chapitre 67

Yongye touched the wooden plaque around his neck with some reluctance, then took it off without hesitation and handed it over: "The King of Chen sent a letter asking me to go and offer my congratulations on his birthday. My father has made thorough preparations, but I still want to ask you to be my bodyguard. With you here," Yongye smiled brightly, "I heard that when Hero Feng was fifteen years old, he was able to fight to a draw with the number one expert in Chen at Sanyu Pass. With you here, Yongye will be safe on his mission to Chen."

Hire him as a bodyguard? This prince has been sickly since childhood; he seems quite afraid of the outside world. Feng Yangxi smiled knowingly, took the wooden plaque, and put it back on her head: "I originally planned to go to Chen Kingdom anyway, and I would protect you secretly. This time, it doesn't count!"

Yongye was so happy she almost fainted, grinning from ear to ear: "Didn't I just hit the jackpot?! Oh, I can't back out now!" She smiled and left, then turned back to Feng Yangxi with a smile after a few steps: "Your clothes are quite nice! It's just that your beard is a bit unkempt."

Yongye laughed so hard her eyes almost closed into slits. The fact that someone who wanted to find her and kill her was willing to be her bodyguard gave her a great sense of accomplishment.

Feng Yangxi couldn't help but laugh, glancing down at the black clothes he'd just bought. Not bad? Heaven knows, all the black cloth clothes in the tailor shops are the same—no lace, no embroidery. Was Yongye saying he had a good figure? Feng Yangxi raised an eyebrow, stroked his beard, and smiled slyly. He figured accompanying Yongye on the journey through Chen Kingdom would be quite enjoyable.

Back at the manor, it was already late at night. Yi Hong and Yin'er had been waiting anxiously, and when they saw Yong Ye return with a smile, they kept complaining.

After much coaxing and pleading, Yongye finally managed to bring a smile to the two women's faces, and once they were asleep in their room, she quietly administered some sleeping pills. She thought to herself, "Li Yannian should be coming tonight."

She blew out the candle in the room, and a moment later, Li Yannian indeed slipped in. He saw Yongye sitting upright in a chair waiting for him, pulled down his mask, and sneered, "You've grown wings? You dare to bargain with the Valley?"

"My master said that as long as I don't reveal my identity, the valley won't interfere with my efforts to save Yuepo. Since he's already a pawn, why take his life?!"

Li Yannian took a deep breath. Yongye believed that if she weren't still useful, Li Yannian would want to kill her right now. She looked at him with a grin and said casually, "To be honest, this plan shouldn't have involved him in the first place. I just don't understand why we let Yuepo stay in Prince You's mansion, as if we were giving him away for free. Could it be that Prince You paid a large sum of money to the valley, afraid that the Crown Prince would poison him? If that's the case, why is he acting like he wants to kill Yuepo? Could it be that Yuepo is openly protecting Prince You while secretly helping the Crown Prince?"

Looking into the bright eyes shining in the darkness of Yongye, Li Yannian couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. This boy had always been cunning and scheming, a troublemaker in the valley. It was a wonder that the Green-Clad Monster and Cheng Dieyi still liked her and protected her at every turn. He knew why the valley had sent Yuepo to protect Prince You, but he hadn't expected it to ruin his grand plan. Yongye's words stung him like a thorn. How many years had he endured, how many years had he waited for this moment?!

He took a deep breath to calm the hatred and helplessness surging in his heart, and said calmly, "I came to tell you that the reason why the valley can give Yuepo the antidote is because they no longer need him to restrain you. Huihun said that you have been poisoned by Gu, and you don't want to know the terrible things that will happen after the poison takes effect."

A look of horror appeared in Yongye's eyes. He clutched his stomach and pointed at Li Yannian, saying, "You guys are so vicious!"

Li Yannian frowned when he saw the look of terror on Yongye's face. This was really unlike Yongye's usual behavior. Could it be that she hadn't taken the antidote to bring her back to life? Sure enough, Yongye chuckled softly: "I know. Generally speaking, as long as I don't betray the valley, I won't be poisoned and can even live to old age, right?"

"Hehe, you're very clever." Li Yannian finally dispelled his suspicions. "Also, if there's even the slightest mishap in this mission, Feng Yangxi will know who he's been looking for. I'll tell Prince Duan that you're a fake."

“I understand, Master. First of all, I really like the identity of the Prince of Duan’s heir. Right now, I’m still the Marquis of Yong’an. In the future, all of the Prince of Duan’s wealth will be mine. Having power and money is certainly better than being an assassin. Secondly, I can’t beat Feng Yangxi. What assassins fear most is a righteous hero, isn’t that right?” Yongye spoke frankly, and Li Yannian felt a chill in his heart. What kind of disciple had he raised?

Ruthless and calm. Seemingly effortless, yet revealing the valley's plans one by one.

"And another thing," Yongye's eyes darted around, "you don't need to think about using Yuepo to blackmail me anymore. I'm offering you some incredibly good news: I've asked Feng Yangxi to escort me to the Chen Kingdom. This information is invaluable. If I make any unusual moves in the future, just tell Feng Yangxi my identity, and he'll be so angry he'll vomit blood and won't be satisfied until he's dead. Aren't I loyal to Youli Valley?"

Li Yannian was taken aback. She was indeed loyal, so loyal that it frightened him. Thinking about his grand plan, he sighed and said, "After all, we were master and disciple. After the mission is over, I will give you the antidote and let you become a wealthy prince."

"Thank you so much, Master, for your immense kindness," Yongye said with a beaming smile.

"Going to the State of Chen, although Feng Yangxi is there, even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake. You must be wary of one person."

"who?"

"The number one expert in the Chen Kingdom, General Yi Zhongtian! He and the princess grew up together and have been in love with her for many years. If he wins the Battle of Sanyu Pass, he will ask the King of Chen for the princess's hand in marriage."

Yi Zhongtian? Yongye froze for two seconds; the impact of this name was stronger than a tsunami. She abruptly lowered her head, suppressing her laughter until her whole body trembled. Competing with Yi Zhongtian for the princess—interesting!

Li Yannian looked at her strangely, then suddenly asked, "Do you know him?"

If it weren't for the quiet of the night and the fear of disturbing someone's sleep, Yongye would have loved to burst into laughter. She took a deep breath and tried to speak in the calmest voice possible: "The world is currently divided into three kingdoms. I've heard that Yi Zhongtian loves to comment on the Three Kingdoms. He gets very interested whenever the topic comes up. I've only heard Prince Duan mention it." She cleared her throat and continued, "Master, please don't blame me for laughing. A mere general like Chen wouldn't dare to elope with a princess, especially since the princess is eager to marry into Prince Duan's household. If he tries to wait for her by the wall, he might be mistaken for a thief and beaten by the princess. Hehe, he can't compete with me."

"You're arrogant, young man! Feng Yangxi only managed a draw with him. He has a high reputation in Chen. I'm afraid you'll go there but not come back alive. If you die, the princess will naturally be unable to marry him." Li Yannian smiled faintly, seeing Yongye's confidence. As long as Yuxiu comes to Anguo and kills Prince Duan, Prince You will lose his support, and it will be too difficult for him to bring down the Crown Prince.

"If I die, won't the two countries go to war again? Chen has just been defeated. Would the people be willing to fight again? It would stir up public anger. No matter how high General Yi's prestige is, I'm afraid the King of Chen will let him do whatever he wants. Master, you don't need to worry too much. Xinghun will definitely complete this mission smoothly."

"Then why did you ask Feng Yangxi to help?"

Yongye looked at Li Yannian and smiled: "With a bodyguard like this, does Master think Xinghun needs to take risks? Yi Zhongtian can't challenge me to a duel. However, he can challenge me to a poetry contest."

Li Yannian looked at her, unsure how to react. Knowing full well that Feng Yangxi was searching everywhere for her, eager to kill her, she had still hired him as her bodyguard. Li Yannian recalled many years ago when Yongye had guided Yuepo in a treacherous scheme to escape the small building. The Yongye before him smiled, her bright smile and innocent expression making him think it was a real pity to let such a beautiful person die; it would have been better if she had been sent to the Peony Courtyard back then.

Li Yannian made up his mind, sighed and said, "You want Yi Zhongtian and Feng Yangxi to fight to the death? If Feng Yangxi finds out that you are using him, you will die a terrible death."

Yongye blinked: "Isn't this what Master Valley has always hoped for? It would make them feel more at ease with Xinghun!"

Li Yannian was taken aback. He couldn't quite describe his feelings either. After a moment of silence, he said, "You'd better watch yourself!"

After he left, Yongye breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the bed. She loved to think things through in the quiet of the night. In the darkness, his eyes shone like a cat's at midnight, and a smile slowly spread across his lips, like a cat that had just stolen a fish, grinning mischievously.

His Highness's Heart Fluttering Bird

The next day, Li Tianyou arrived at the Prince Duan's residence. Seeing the Prince Duan's smiling face, he knew that Yongye was alright. Recalling the situation the day before, he felt a longing to see Yongye, so he took out a gift box and said with a smile, "Uncle, this ginseng is almost in human form. Give it to Yongye to nourish his body."

“Yes, Yongye’s health has been good for so many years, but it’s not too bad either, just a bit weak. The Emperor sent her to Chen to offer birthday greetings, and I was just worrying about that… Oh well, the Emperor’s orders are hard to disobey. She should go out of the palace and see the world. Maybe her health will improve on the way. Staying cooped up in the palace all day will only make her feel worse.” Prince Duan casually handed the ginseng to a servant, gesturing for Tianyou to sit down and talk.

Yongye is going to the State of Chen to congratulate King Chen on his birthday, and she will marry the princess in the Mid-Autumn Festival of August… Tianyou inexplicably thought of Princess Yuxiu's beauty, and how she and Yongye could be considered a perfect match, and for some reason felt a little uncomfortable. Hearing Prince Duan sigh, he smiled and said, “Actually, it doesn’t necessarily have to be Yongye who goes, does it? It’s inconvenient for the Imperial Uncle to say, but Tianyou went to inform the Emperor, and out of consideration for Yongye’s frail health, he asked someone else to send the congratulatory gifts.”

Prince Duan shook his head: "The imperial edict has been issued, and His Majesty has spoken. Prince Chen will go at night. Changing the person at the last minute would make our country seem less sincere. The people of Sanyu Pass have just experienced war and need to recuperate."

"Uncle, your heart is devoted to the country, as clear as the sun and moon. But it's a long journey to Chen, how can I let Yongye go alone?" This trip to Chen will take at least two months and possibly almost half a year. Li Tianyou was reluctant to part with her, but he couldn't leave the capital himself, and for a moment he was in a dilemma.

Seeing his expression, Prince Duan couldn't help but feel a shadow of gloom in his eyes. Was Tianyou so worried about Yongye? The thought flashed through his mind for a moment before he stood up: "Don't worry, I'll send General Lin of the Leopard Cavalry to escort him all the way. Prince Chen won't dare to make things difficult for him. As for that brat from Youli Valley, you can take him away."

"No rush, I'll go check on Yongye." Li Tianyou said, bowing to Prince Duan before heading towards Wanyu Courtyard, a smile already on his face.

This imperial nephew was unlike the other two; not only was he cunning, but he also tended to appear mild-mannered on the surface. Prince Duan had seen Li Tianyou so obedient before, and it was rare to see him so unsteady. He was secretly alarmed, worried that Li Tianyou would realize that Yongye was a woman, which would really ruin everything. So he smiled and said, "Let's go, I was just thinking of going to see her too."

As the two walked and talked, Prince Duan, looking at the spring scenery in the courtyard, suddenly asked, "The Crown Prince will marry Princess Qiangwei next year, and Tianyou should also take a concubine. The Emperor doesn't urge you because he cares about you and hopes you can find a woman you like. But it's unfilial to have no heir, and Tianyou is the eldest son. As his uncle, I'm also anxious. If you don't take a concubine soon, the Emperor will bestow a marriage upon you before the Crown Prince's wedding next year."

Tianyou was stunned for a moment, and before he could think of a reply, he saw the purple figure sitting among the flowers and couldn't help but say, "If my uncle has a daughter, I will sincerely ask for her hand in marriage!"

He was so engrossed in admiring Yongye's beauty that he failed to notice the worried expression on Prince Duan's face beside him.

"Shh! Keep your voice down, or Yongye will fly into a rage! She hates it when people say she's weak!" Duan Wang's eyes showed even more worry as he whispered a reminder.

Tian sighed and muttered, "She just has a bad temper!" Then he walked into the courtyard.

"Young Master! The Prince and Prince You are here!" Yi Hong called out to Yong Ye as she ran.