Секретный агент Винд Бой

Глава 69

Yongye had never hated her eyesight so much. She clearly saw that with each cough of Yuepo, a trickle of blood spurted from his mouth. Soon, new bloodstains appeared on his already blood-stained moon-white robe, spreading into faint pink patches on the wet fabric. A faint red mist rose before her eyes, and a heart-wrenching pain washed over her. Was this all she could do, just watch him?

"Yongye, what's wrong? You look so pale!" Li Tianyou asked with concern.

Yongye's gaze fell on the lake. Ripples spread out, and Yuepo, presumably having sunk to the bottom, stirred up some water plants as she struggled, which floated on the surface. The lake slowly returned to calm. She said softly, "I have never seen such punishment before. I believe it must have caused him more pain than my father's whip."

“Since Yongye says so, then let him admit his mistake. Listen, if you admit your mistake and swear loyalty to me, I will forgive you,” Li Tianyou said.

His voice was calm, even gentle. Yongye knew, however, that he had used his inner strength to deliver the words so politely to Yuepo's ear from several feet across the water.

Yuepo's coughing subsided, and he laughed loudly, "Stop talking nonsense!"

Yongye couldn't help but laugh. She remembered how Yuepo had been like this since childhood, quick to anger and prone to cursing. It turned out that deep down, beneath his seemingly ethereal and gentle exterior, his temper remained unchanged. If he could yell and curse, he should be alright. She grew even more anxious; almost an hour had passed since they arrived from the manor. Had Shadow not yet arrived?

Seeing Yongye smile, Li Tianyou's face darkened and he shouted, "Looks like you haven't sobered up yet!"

Yuepo was thrown into the water again. Yongye stared at the surface, watching the ripples spread outwards from Yuepo's struggle. She remembered the earthworm she had put in the fishpond to lure the fish; after much struggle, it was on the verge of death before the fish could even eat it. Her hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched into fists, ready to deliver a fatal blow to Li Tianyou at any moment. Wait a little longer, she counted in her mind, calculating how long Yuepo could hold her breath. Her gaze was fixed intently on the water's surface. As she watched, a water plant was slowly carried away by the current. Her clenched fists slowly relaxed.

“Since Yongye doesn’t want him, his unruly nature makes him a real nuisance. We also have to guard against his backlash. I must say, the people who come out of Youli Valley, even those who have been abandoned, are all experts. No wonder they are the number one assassin organization in the world!” Li Tianyou sighed as he recalled the man in black who broke into his study at night.

Yongye then asked curiously, "Why are there people from Youli Valley by Your Highness's side? It's as if they're a gift for you." She had been trying to figure this out. Was Youli Valley sending someone to Prince You's residence, or had someone actually commissioned Youli Valley to carry out a mission? Was Li Tianyou lying, or was Li Yannian also unaware of the situation?

“I don’t know either. He came one day and said he was entrusted by the master to protect me. Of course, I had no choice but to accept. Besides, he is a skilled doctor and also an expert in poisons. Once, he almost captured an assassin…” Li Tiangu said, his gaze moving down to Yongye’s feet. “Yongye is eighteen years old, thin, and has small feet.”

Upon hearing this, Yongye instinctively pulled back his feet. Seeing the suspicion in Li Tianyou's eyes, he slammed his hand hard on the table: "Does Your Highness also want to mock Yongye? No matter how thin you are, you are still half a head taller than Princess Yuxiu! I will be going to Chen Kingdom to offer birthday greetings soon. If the ministers of Chen Kingdom say this, Yongye will not care about turning against them!"

Li Tianyou was startled, only then remembering that Yongye was going to the Chen Kingdom to marry the princess in August. If she were a woman, Prince Duan would have committed the heinous crime of deceiving the king and instigating hostility between the two countries—two crimes punishable by death. He couldn't help but feel annoyed. But then he thought, so what if she's a man? If he wants her, does she think she can escape? In the future… Li Tianyou's gaze shifted from the lake, and he turned to look at Yongye seriously, saying, "Yongye, to be honest, I'm not entirely confident in General Lin's martial arts skills. I'm a little worried about you going to the Chen Kingdom."

If Yuepo hadn't been submerged in the water, if they had truly just been drinking tea and admiring the scenery, perhaps such a tone and expression could be considered sincere. Unfortunately, Li Tianyou, you are no benevolent person. If I had believed your gentle demeanor and thought you were a true gentleman, I wouldn't have needed to deal with Youli Valley; your remains would be lost somewhere.

Yongye didn't glance at the lake again, and laughed nonchalantly: "A defeated nation, using its own sister, the eldest princess, for a marriage alliance, probably wouldn't dare to attack me. Let alone attack me, I doubt even a single insult from King Chen would be enough."

"I'm just worried. Maybe I should send a few of the best guards in the manor with you."

Yongye smiled regretfully, "It's a pity that Your Highness cannot leave the capital. If Your Highness could accompany me, I wouldn't be lonely on the journey, and it would be safe. However... if the great hero Feng Yangxi is willing to escort Yongye, along with the elite Leopard Cavalry, Your Highness wouldn't need to worry."

A flicker of surprise flashed across Li Tianyou's eyes. If Yongye hadn't possessed exceptional eyesight, he truly wouldn't have noticed. Yongye thought smugly, "Didn't expect that, did you? Your capable lieutenant is now working for me. Will you start a fight with Feng Yangxi?"

"That's good, then I can rest assured." Li Tianyou said calmly, then remembered Yuepo and gestured for the guards to pull her up: "I almost forgot there's someone in the water trying to clear their head. Don't let them drown and frighten Yongye."

Upon hearing this, Yongye quickly covered his eyes with his hands and muttered, "I heard that drowned ghosts are terrifying, and their bellies are huge. Good heavens, I already told you I don't dare to look at such a scary thing. Your Highness is too wicked."

Li Tianyou laughed heartily, reached out and pulled Yongye's hand away, saying, "Yongye, you're so cute! If you're scared, just turn your head and look at me..."

Yongye obediently turned his head and saw that Li Tianyou's expression had changed before he could finish his sentence.

With a loud thud, Li Tianyou abruptly stood up, staring at the pavilion in the middle of the lake. Yongye chuckled inwardly, looked up at him, and asked in a trembling voice, "Really...really...drowned?"

"Send the order down to thoroughly search both banks of the Qin River and seal off the Peony Courtyard!" Li Tianyou did not answer Yongye's question; his voice was filled with barely suppressed anger.

Yongye then leisurely turned around and saw a large lake stone in the center of the pavilion, along with a pile of shackles tied to ropes. Yuepo was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah! It must have been the people from Youli Valley who rescued him!" Yongye didn't forget to kick him while he was down and frame Youli Valley.

Li Tianyou shouted again, "No need to seal off the Peony Courtyard. Search the place thoroughly!"

"Why isn't the Peony Courtyard sealed off anymore?" Yongye asked curiously.

Because your father said that the Peony Courtyard must not be touched! Li Tianyou could not tell Yongye this under any circumstances, so he said with a wry smile, "The reputation of Youli Valley has been handed over to me. If I can't keep an eye on people and they come knocking on my door, wouldn't that be asking for trouble? It's better to investigate secretly to avoid being laughed at by others."

Yongye sighed, looking at Li Tianyou with sympathy, and added fuel to the fire: "Yes, even if the Crown Prince finds out the slightest fault about the First Prince, he'll make a big fuss about it, maybe even say that the First Prince's rule is lax and make a joke of it..."

"As for him, His Highness the Crown Prince is the future ruler. If he wants to laugh at me, I, as a subject, can only listen." A mocking smile appeared on Li Tianyou's lips.

With Yuepo rescued, Yongye lost all interest in staying at Prince You's mansion. He bowed to Li Tianyou to take his leave and leisurely departed with Yihong.

Li Tianyou watched her retreating figure, then glanced at Yihong's, his suspicion deepening. After a moment's thought, he changed his clothes and left the palace.

Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, the best is to flee.

Turning past the covered corridor, behind the courtyard is a hanging flower gate. Stepping through the gate, a bright light shines upon you, revealing a vast expanse of azure lake water, like shimmering silk, soft and smooth. A winding stone bridge spans the lake, leading to a pavilion with a pointed roof.

As night falls, long lanterns are laid out along the winding stone bridge all the way to the pavilion, their light shimmering on the water and vying with the moonlight. From afar, it almost looks like a fairyland.

Inside the pavilion sat Prince Duan, his wife, and Yongye.

The attendants consciously withdrew from the pavilion. Many years ago, after Prince Duan found his heir, he established a rule that no one was allowed to approach him when he was dining with the heir.

Li Yannian had wondered more than once what the three of them had talked about during their meals. Yongye then laughed, "Master, why don't you hide underwater and eavesdrop?"

Li Yannian eavesdropped for a while and, upon hearing the princess's incredibly charming and innocent tone and the prince's incredibly gentle and tender manner, suddenly realized what was going on. How could the dignified prince and the elegant and gentle princess dare to let the servants hear and laugh at their rivalry over Yongye?

That was indeed the case. Yongye always ate very little at every meal. The princess would try every means to tempt him with various delicacies, mainly meat. In her heart, she always thought that once Yongye had grown up, he could no longer dress as a man. Ever since Yongye turned sixteen, the princess had become somewhat obsessive about collecting jewelry.

Those exquisite trinkets captivated Yongye, yet she could only reluctantly put them down each time. At these moments, Yongye would think, "This is a woman's nature."

Prince Duan managed to stop the princess's little tricks once, but he couldn't stop her from doing it again. No matter how he reasoned with her or seriously discussed business with Yongye, the princess would always interject with a few words that made him feel exasperated.

However, tonight, the princess kept quiet, and so did the prince.

After eating for a while, Yongye noticed the two of them sitting pitifully to the side, not saying a word. She casually asked, "Did Yihong already say it?"

“Yongye, how can you let the Crown Prince touch your hands so freely? What will become of you in the future?” the princess immediately asked worriedly.

"Am I supposed to chop off my hand to prove my innocence?" Yongye was annoyed. She put down her chopsticks and said with a stern face, "Hurry up and pack your things. It would be best to leave tomorrow morning! Otherwise, Li Tianyou will be suspicious all the time. He enjoys it so much, but I can't stand it!"

Princess Duan glanced at Prince Duan, biting her red lips with her white teeth, revealing an extremely cute and alluring expression.

"Mother, that's something only a young girl would do. From now on, you're only allowed to do that in front of Father!" Yongye couldn't stand Princess Duan's coquettishness when no one was around.