An Xin stood stiffly, each breath filled with excruciating pain. In both her past and present lives, she was rarely reckless. Whether it was family or friendship, she always managed to handle everything rationally. But because of Yan Zhen, she was thrown into chaos. From the beginning until now, everything related to him was chaotic, so chaotic that it made her panic. Was she so chaotic that she ended up killing him? If she killed him, would she end up dragging her parents down with her?
An Xin stared at the sky with her mouth slightly open, breathing heavily. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. When an iron spear pierced her back, An Xin staggered heavily. Suddenly, her eyes welled up with tears. She thought that although Yan Zhen's expression changed faster than a book, he was like a child when he got angry. She was always annoyed by this, but at that moment, her heart was joyful. From the beginning, she liked him more than she disliked him. When her dislike and liking were no longer proportional, she killed him.
In this world, perhaps only she could easily kill him...
This is the worst feeling one can imagine.
"Stop." A cold shout, neither too loud nor too soft, rang out, and the surrounding chilling weapons quickly retreated. An Xin stood in place, her body covered in large patches of blood, and even her smooth little face was stained with blood, losing its original appearance. Only her eyes, dark and deep, remained unmoved by the blood, staring at Huang Yixuan, who paused slightly before slowly walking over.
Huang Yixuan had never seen her so disheveled. If she had only left a deep impression on him in the past, her disheveled state at this moment struck his heart hard.
He stopped in front of her. He wondered if her strong will would drive him to despair. Would she rather take her own life then?
An Xin's long eyelashes trembled, and everything faded from her sight. She could only hear her own dying breaths and her slow but clear heartbeat, as well as the person in front of her. Her legs slowly bent down...
It's better to die like this. With her so-called self-respect, she could beg the person in front of her to spare her parents. At that point, she could pay off her debts... In truth, she owed them nothing. She was nothing more than an innocent, lonely soul...
Huang Yixuan's eyes widened suddenly. He watched as she slowly knelt down. The shock in his heart far outweighed the astonishment on his face. She was not a woman who would submit willingly.
"I am not afraid of dying for assassinating the Right Chancellor, but I beg Your Majesty to forgive my innocent parents. I am willing to be torn to pieces!" Her voice struck his heart with every word, causing him to take a step back.
"An Xin! Do you know what crime you have committed?!" Huang Yixuan stared at her intently, his eyelashes lowered.
"Deceiving the emperor, plotting against loyal officials, and trespassing into the forbidden palace are crimes deserving of death."
Huang Yixuan suddenly pursed his lips. An Youwei was not dead. If Zhou Xiruo hadn't told him that An Youwei's family was not dead, he would have really been fooled by her. He thought that she was not crying or in pain because she was cold-hearted by nature. He did not expect that she had already switched the bodies!
An Youwei and his family must die!
Murdering loyal officials? Ha, can the Right Chancellor be considered loyal? The one who deserves to die is this treacherous Chancellor who wields immense power!
"Since you know your crime, why do you still dare to come and beg for mercy?" Huang Yixuan stared coldly at An Xin, the decisiveness and ruthlessness in his eyes hard to reconcile with the image of a refined and elegant young man.
An Xin suddenly looked up at him and asked, "What does Your Majesty want in order to forgive my parents?"
Huang Yixuan lowered his eyelashes and said calmly, "An Xin, do you think you have the right to make An forgive them?"
An Xin realized that he truly had no affection for her whatsoever. If he had no affection at all, what could she offer him in exchange? Even with her exceptional intelligence, how could she possibly defy destiny?
"……No."
"If you don't have one, why should I agree to it?" Huang Yixuan looked at her trembling body, his voice carrying a chilling coldness.
"What does Your Majesty desire?" An Xin lowered her eyelashes, her voice cold and composed, yet her eyelashes could not conceal the dampness in her eyes.
Huang Yixuan leaned down slightly and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Be my woman, and I will gain the whole world."
****
As soon as Yan Zhenfang woke up, he heard a joyful voice say, "My lord is awake! Quickly, bring the medicine."
Yan Zhen slightly raised her eyelashes, revealing a pair of shimmering eyes beneath them, yet carrying a hint of weariness. She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, they were clear and bright.
“Yan Zhen…” Zhou Xiruo happily carried the medicine bowl over, paused when she met Yan Zhen’s gaze, and then smiled gently, “You’re finally awake.”
Yan Zhen stood up, the sharp pain in his chest making him pause for a moment, then he sat up as if nothing was wrong. "Where's Ye Qi? Tell him to come over."
Zhou Xiruo paused for a moment, then said softly, "Let him drink the medicine first before waking him up..."
Yan Zhen's eyes flickered slightly, and she raised an eyebrow, saying, "Call him."
Zhou Xiruo trembled slightly and hurriedly said, "Okay."
When Ye Qi rushed over, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the person on the bed who was still alive. He stepped forward and said, "At least he didn't die. They say that evil people live for a thousand years."
Yan Zhen said calmly, "Xi Ruo, you can go out first."
Zhou Xiruo pursed her lips, wanting to say something, but ultimately didn't, and quietly retreated.
Yan Zhen then looked slightly tired and weak, leaning lazily against the soft couch, and glanced at Ye Qi, saying, "Speak."
Ye Qi's lips twitched as he looked at the roof and said, "What are you saying?" Could it be that An Xin hid in the Left Prime Minister's residence after her failed assassination attempt on him, and then inexplicably became an imperial concubine?
"Of course I'll say what needs to be said." Yan Zhen raised his hand to his heart, his heart aching heavily. That knife had mercilessly pierced his heart. Xin'er, how could you be so heartless?
---Aside---
That's the gist of the matter. Don't overthink it. There's a reason for everything. The other day, when I was sorting through the dead ends, I was completely overwhelmed. It's so complicated! I'll write it down slowly.
Chapter 103 To Kill or to Torture
The scorching heat of July, the intoxicating fragrance of flowers, but even more captivating was the man standing outside the palace gates. He stood calmly, a colorful embroidered fan gently waving in his hand, its surface adorned with vibrant peach blossoms, a scene as dreamlike as a painting. (Shu Xian Chun Qu)
Ye Qi stood to one side, his expression somewhat uncertain. Today was the day An Xin was to enter the palace, but because of her status as a former abandoned wife, she could not openly enter the harem. In other words, even if she entered the harem, she would only be a lowly attendant. To put it bluntly, an attendant was someone who warmed the emperor's bed, without any official title or status. Of course, he heard this news from the emperor's close attendants. He originally thought that An Xin would at least become an imperial concubine, but he never expected her to be in such a lowly position!
Ye Qizhen's gaze fell on Yan Zhen, who stood calmly to one side, and she couldn't quite figure out what he was thinking.
As the desolate sedan chair drew closer, Ye Qi couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
Recently, due to Yan Zhen's coma, the right wing has been quietly divided, and many important positions have been quietly filled by others. The right wing's power has been weakened without anyone noticing. Even the emperor seems to have developed a grudge against Yan Zhen and has turned to befriend the left prime minister. The empress dowager was originally opposed, but later news spread that she was bedridden, and a new imperial physician was hired to take full responsibility for her condition. This was not a good sign. The empress dowager has always favored the right prime minister, and her current bedridden state is undoubtedly a huge blow to the right wing.
As the sedan chair approached, the bearers hurriedly put it down and bowed to Yan Zhen. When An Xin clearly heard the words "Your servants pay their respects to the Right Prime Minister," her body suddenly froze. Two things flashed through her mind at once: First, he was still alive! Second, how could he be here?
Before she could react, the sedan curtain was suddenly lifted, and the light was so bright that An Xin instinctively squinted. The next moment, her chin was grabbed and she was forced to lift it up.
An Xin gradually got a clearer look at the person in front of her. He was still breathtakingly handsome, but he had obviously lost weight... He must have suffered a lot these days. It must be heartbreaking to have a knife stuck in your heart...
She really wanted to hug him, apologize, and tell him that she didn't mean it, that she never intended to hurt him, and that she had been missing him terribly these past few days.