Путешествие безумки по династии Сун

Глава 68

After hearing Leng Jie's explanation, Xuan Yuan suddenly felt incredibly relieved. He had been troubled by this very matter all day! He excitedly said:

“Your idea is good. This war between me and my brother the Crown Prince is inevitable. But Xiao Yi’er is indeed a worry for me. I really can’t bear to deal with an ignorant child. But Eunuch Fu and Ying both reminded me that they are afraid he will grow up to be as wicked as his parents. They are even more worried that he will become a threat. Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease.”

“It’s not impossible for raising a tiger to cause trouble. The key is how you raise him. If you start instilling negative thoughts in him now, it’s not hard to imagine that he will regard you as his father’s killer when he grows up. On the contrary, as long as you give him the right moral education, let him evaluate what his parents did when he grows up. I believe he will understand everything you are doing now,” Leng Jie analyzed seriously.

Suddenly, Xuanyuan's eyebrows involuntarily rose high. His phoenix eyes flashed with a sharp light as he gazed at Xuanyuan.

"Xiao Jie is absolutely right! So, I'm entrusting this arduous task of rescuing Yi'er to you. I'll have them send her to Qingfeng Residence for you tomorrow."

"Wrong! I think it's easier to nip it in the bud." That scoundrel Xuanyuan! How dare he scheme against her! Leng Jie changed the subject.

Xuanyuan pursed his thin lips, looking intently at her but smiling without saying a word.

Last time, she softened her heart and almost got harassed to death by Xiao Shiyu. Making her take care of a child again... she'd rather be dead. No, why would she want to die? She wanted trouble to die. So, she added fiercely:

"If you dare send him to Qingfeng Residence, I'll just throw him into my senior brother's medicine furnace to refine him."

“Alright!” Xuanyuan replied with a smile.

Leng Jie rolled her eyes at Xuan Yuan and replied fiercely, "What's so good about it! I mean what I say."

Following her usual manner, Xuanyuan shrugged, spread his hands, and replied nonchalantly:

"Whatever Xiaojie decides, it's fine! Anyway, that little guy is in your hands now."

Unsurprisingly, Xuanyuan immediately saw Leng Jie's frantic state. He was secretly laughing his head off, but he had to forcefully suppress it and put on a cool demeanor. He really didn't want to provoke his little princess into a fit of rage and have her throw him into the medicine furnace to be refined.

"Trying to play dirty tricks on her?" Leng Jie warned through gritted teeth.

"Xuanyuan! Please mind your image. You are the emperor, not a street ruffian. Therefore, please do not do anything foolish that is unbecoming of your status."

"Ahem!" With a light cough, Xuanyuan immediately sat up straight. Following Leng Jie's instructions, he adopted the imposing presence of an emperor. He spoke in an unquestionable tone:

"Xiao Jie is right to remind me. My word is as good as gold. Since I have said that I would send Yi'er to Qingfeng Residence, I cannot do something like a street ruffian who goes back on his word."

Good heavens! Where did this kid learn his shameless tricks? Leng Jie suppressed the urge to vomit blood. She spread out the bowl and chopsticks in front of her, slumped onto the table, rolled her eyes, and helplessly draped her head over her arm. She regretted being so careless; she had actually been completely outmaneuvered by him.

He saw Xiao Jie's adorable expression of anger and helplessness, and he could use it to keep her by his side. Xuan Yuan's joy was involuntarily revealed in his phoenix eyes, which were almost closed.

Xuanyuan watched Leng Jie's flustered expression with amusement. He noticed that no matter what expression Xiao Jie wore, she was always captivating, so beautiful and natural. Her beauty wasn't just outward; it emanated from within. Whether it was her sly smile after scheming against someone, or her embarrassment and resentment after being schemed against, she always exuded a unique charm.

She was intelligent and shrewd, yet discerning and reasonable. Her understanding of national righteousness, her love for the country and its people, and her selfless dedication far surpassed those seven-foot-tall men who constantly clamored to serve the court. She was a delicate and beautiful woman, yet possessed a breadth of vision and courage exceeding that of men. How could he resist such a woman? Because he had fallen hopelessly and irrevocably in love with her.

Leng Jie, slumped over the table, was racking her brains for a solution. The thought of how she'd foolishly reminded him of invoking imperial power made her want to bang her head against a block of tofu. Now, she was stuck with that little troublemaker, whether she wanted to or not. Since refusing was impossible, she could only think about what to do with him afterward.

If he were Xuanyuan Yunlu's child, she might be able to threaten him with abusing his son. But now the little guy is the enemy's child. Threats naturally wouldn't work. And she couldn't possibly abuse a little brat. But how could she possibly teach a child? Good heavens! How could she have to encounter such a headache? Leng Jie covered her head with her hands and shook it violently.

Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed into her mind. She jumped up and exclaimed excitedly:

"I've got it! I know the best place for Xiao Yi'er!"

Xuanyuan was startled by her sudden action! After a moment of stunned silence, he blurted out:

"where?"

"The Leng family of Qizhou! My godfather's family, the former prime minister's family." Seeing Xuan Yuan's surprised expression, Leng Jie immediately explained:

"Now you know that Leng Xiangzhong is loyal to the emperor and loves his country. His character, which is not greedy for power and wealth, is worthy of being a role model for the world. His profound knowledge and ability to govern the world have long been proven by his outstanding political achievements. I linger in the warm and peaceful atmosphere of their family and yearn for it. Therefore, it is most suitable to entrust Xiao Yi'er to their family for education."

What kind of atmosphere does the Leng family possess that makes her linger and yearn for it so much? Xuanyuan asked, as if confirming:

"You really like the warm atmosphere of the Leng family? Is that why you want to acknowledge him as your father?"

Leng Jie thought he didn't believe her, so she continued exaggeratedly, "Yes! I guarantee that if even they can't teach Xiao Yi'er well, then I must have been blind and mistook a piece of rotten wood for a piece of jade."

Looking at Leng Jie's excited yet serious expression, Xuanyuan said with a half-smile:

"Judging from your expression just now, Yi'er is neither a piece of rotten wood nor a gem. He's more like a raging beast! Is he really that scary? Look how frightened you are. Where did your spirit go when you charged into the sword formation to save people all by yourself?"

Leng Jie replied solemnly:

"You haven't raised children, so you don't understand. They aren't monsters, but they're more powerful than monsters. If a real flood comes, I can fill it with sand, I can dredge and divert the flow. If a real monster comes, I can just skin it and boil it. But can you fill a child's tears with sand? If he whine and begs you, can you boil him?"

Xuanyuan was left speechless, both amused and exasperated by Leng Jie's seemingly serious yet absurd analogy. He couldn't help but laugh and ask:

"Where did you get this idea from? Have you ever taken care of a child?"

"Have you forgotten Xiao Shiyu? He has an adult's mindset, and I don't have to take care of his emotions. He's almost worn me out. Now you want me to take care of a real child? A child whose mindset might be corrupted by his terrible parents. Isn't that deliberately making things difficult for me?" As she spoke, Leng Jie hugged her arms tightly and shivered.

"Is it really that serious? But you and Xiao Shiyu seem to get along very well. You not only do his laundry and cook for him, but also..." He even ate and slept with him. At this point, Xuanyuan's throat suddenly tightened as if something was stuck in it. A scene flashed through his mind of Leng Jie holding Xiao Shiyu while they slept. Then Xiao Shiyu's image transformed into Yi'er's. His heart sank. How could he let someone else be close to his Xiao Jie? He suddenly looked up at Leng Jie and said:

"Let's do as Xiaojie says and send Yi'er to the Leng family in Qizhou! Tell Yin'er that we're sending him to learn the ways of governing the country. That way, she won't dare to provoke the Empress, who is powerless to protect herself, in the harem. And you won't have to worry about your brother, the Crown Prince, harming the Leng family."

Uh! He saw right through her! Leng Jie had to admit that in the three years since they last met, this kid had become more and more cunning.

Seeing that Xiao Jie remained silent, Xuan Yuan asked again:

"Xiao Jie, what kind of person is your sworn brother?"

"What? You're not thinking of taking him hostage, are you?" Caught off guard by his sudden question, Leng Jie immediately retorted. She had long considered the Leng family as her own. Therefore, subconsciously, she wouldn't allow anyone to have designs on them.

What did she take him for? Xuan Yuan's face turned pale. A lump formed in his throat, making him feel incredibly stifled and miserable. He stared at Leng Jie for a long time before finally managing to utter a single sentence:

"Am I not even as important to you as that sworn brother you only knew for a few days?"

What on earth is going on? One's a husband, the other's a brother. How can they be compared? "Boom!" Leng Jie's heart exploded. Oh my god! What was she thinking? Husband? She actually thought of him as her husband? Even "thunderbolt from the blue" wouldn't be enough to describe the shock Leng Jie felt! She stared at Xuan Yuan in astonishment, her legs involuntarily taking a step back. Because she retreated so quickly, her body fell backward with the chair. Overwhelmed by the shock, Leng Jie had already forgotten how to save herself...

Xuan Yuan, already pale with anger, felt his heart turn ice-cold when Leng Jie suddenly looked at him with a terrified expression, as if she had seen a ghost! His eyes instantly dimmed. Seeing Leng Jie about to fall, he swiftly jumped over the table, reaching out to pull her into his arms.

Lying in Xuanyuan's arms, Leng Jie suddenly looked up, her eyes meeting his as he gazed down at her. Their eyes locked, and sparks flew! Xuanyuan couldn't help but press his warm, sensual lips to hers—the soft, sweet lips that only appeared in his dreams. Their lips touched, and both sensitive bodies simultaneously felt each other's trembling. Xuanyuan's moist lips gently lingered on Leng Jie's, as if afraid of accidentally biting her. The kiss was careful yet deeply affectionate.

However, such a kiss seemed insufficient to satisfy Leng Jie, who was already lost in ecstasy. Her delicate, sweet tongue involuntarily extended, brushing past Xuan Yuan's lips and prying open his pearly teeth. Like a nimble snake, it slithered into his sweet pool of saliva.

Aroused by her teasing, Xuanyuan could no longer care about anything else. His masculine instincts compelled him to take the initiative. He opened his lips and captured her beautiful tongue, sucking hard on its sweetness. His arms around her tightened involuntarily, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.

However, he didn't know that his natural arm-pulling motion would awaken Leng Jie from her dazed state.

Suddenly feeling a tightening around her waist, Leng Jie abruptly opened her eyes. Realizing what was happening, she snapped back to reality, shoving Xuan Yuan aside. She leaped three steps away, glaring warily at him.

Completely engrossed in their passionate kiss, Xuanyuan stumbled back several steps before managing to regain his balance after being suddenly pushed by her. He seemed even more confused about what had just happened, staring blankly at Leng Jie and asking, "Xiao Jie! Why did you push me?"

Damn it! If you don't push it away now, you're going to eat me in this drafty room! Leng Jie glared at him and asked:

"Is it tasty?"

"What?" Xuanyuan asked, puzzled.

Her glare turned to hatred, and Leng Jie gritted her teeth, saying, "My saliva?"

"Oh! It's very sweet!" Xuanyuan answered honestly, then asked without revealing his true feelings, "What do you think of mine?"

"Xuanyuan Yunli!" Leng Jie roared.

"Yes! I'm listening!" Xuanyuan replied sincerely.

"Damn it! If you keep doing this, believe me, I'll eat you up!" Leng Jie roared.

"I believe you! You've already eaten, haven't you?" came the calm and collected reply.

"Go to hell!" Leng Jie finally couldn't hold back and struck out with her palm. With a "smack!", Xuan Yuan stood up and took the blow head-on. Completely unexpected that he wouldn't dodge or evade, Leng Jie was stunned. Her furious palm strike had used five-tenths of her power.

"Pfft!" Xuanyuan spat out a mouthful of blood. His face instantly turned deathly pale. The glaring blood jolted Leng Jie back to her senses. She quickly caught Xuanyuan's swaying body, pressed several acupoints on his body, and then sternly questioned him:

"Are you looking to die? Why didn't you avoid it?"

“If I avoid it, you’ll be even angrier. I don’t want to see you angry,” Xuanyuan replied weakly.

As Leng Jie prepared to use her internal energy to heal him, she angrily cursed, "What an idiot! Why didn't you use your internal energy to resist?"

"That would hurt you." Xuanyuan's voice was barely audible.

Chapter 102 Offering Advice and Solutions

Inside the Dragon Palace, Zi Ying was reporting on the recent situation at Dragon Gate to the bedridden Xuan Yuan. After finishing, Zi Ying couldn't help but ask again:

"Your Majesty, what exactly happened to your injury? Xiao Jie says she hit you, but you vehemently deny it. If you don't tell the truth today, then I have no choice but to faithfully stay by your side and protect you at all times!"

Having finally gotten a chance to spend time with Xiaojie, he didn't want Ying to stay here all the time! Seeing that he couldn't get away with this, Xuanyuan shook his head and smiled:

“You don’t understand the situation at the time. If I hadn’t deliberately provoked Xiao Jie and forced her to act out of anger, she would definitely have escaped from the palace. It would have been even more difficult for me to bring her back then.”

Ying stared at Xuanyuan in disbelief, speechless with admiration:

"Your Majesty! You really know how to apply what you've learned! Lin Yin'er used it this morning, and you've already mastered it by tonight!"

After saying that, Ying suddenly became serious and rebuked him:

"However, this self-inflicted injury tactic went a bit too far! Regardless of the circumstances at the time, you should know that Xiao Jie is no longer the nameless girl who couldn't use internal energy three years ago. Her internal strength is now far superior to both of ours. Fortunately, she only used five-tenths of her power. Tell me, if she had really unleashed ten-tenths of her power in a fit of rage, even a celestial being couldn't save you! Have you considered how severe the consequences would have been if anything had happened to you?"

Xuanyuan chuckled awkwardly, "There's no such hypothetical scenario, because I know Xiaojie too well. She would never resort to such a deadly move unless her life is threatened." Seeing Ying's still dark expression, Xuanyuan continued to explain:

"Moreover, I only now realize that this self-inflicted injury tactic is truly effective. By injuring myself, I not only keep Xiao Jie here, but also have a legitimate reason not to worry about Lin Yin'er or send Xiao Yi'er to the Leng family in Qizhou. It also makes the enemy lower their guard and reveal themselves earlier. Tell me, where else can you find such a win-win-win situation!"

“But what about your injuries? Your health is more important than anything else!” Ying replied, still disagreeing.

“My injury isn’t as serious as you think. On the contrary, my internal strength has improved quite a bit. Don’t believe me? Check it out.” Xuanyuan extended his wrist and handed it to Ziying.

"Internal injuries can lead to increased internal strength? Where did this fallacy come from?" Although Zi Ying didn't believe it, he still needed to check the Emperor's pulse, even if it was just to examine his injuries. He took Xuan Yuan's wrist and probed his pulse with two fingers. After a moment, Zi Ying's eyes suddenly widened, staring at Xuan Yuan in astonishment. He stammered, "..."

"What, what's going on? How is this possible? You clearly suffered internal injuries, so why is your internal strength not only not damaged but even stronger?"

Xuanyuan smiled and said, "Now you can rest assured! I'm really fine. Three years ago, at the foot of the cliff in Jianzhou, I discovered that the internal energy Xiaojie channeled into my body could merge with my own. At the time, I didn't pay much attention. Last night, when Xiaojie was healing me, she channeled internal energy into me again. This time, I paid special attention, and when Xiaojie's internal energy and my internal energy came into contact, they naturally became an even stronger internal energy."

How could this be? He had only ever heard of two opposing internal energies clashing, and at most, merging would only result in a lack of repulsion. It was difficult enough to absorb someone else's internal energy for one's own use, let alone achieve a natural fusion that resulted in even greater strength. Ying had never heard of such a strange thing in his decades of martial arts training. He stared at Xuanyuan in astonishment, wanting to hear more of his explanation.

Xuanyuan said happily and contentedly:

"Don't look at me like that. I don't understand why this is so. But I don't need to understand, because the reason is not important to me. What's important is that Xiao Jie is the person I have such a wonderful connection with."

But would Xiaojie think that way? Ziying worried for him in her heart.

Xuanyuan suddenly asked again:

“Ying, you also visited the Leng Mansion in Qizhou three years ago. Did you feel that there was any special atmosphere there that made you yearn for it? Xiao Jie said that she lingered at the Leng Mansion and longed to visit it.

An atmosphere that one longs for? Zi Ying thought carefully for a moment, then shook her head and said:

"I don't understand what constitutes an atmosphere that people yearn for. However, the Leng family's care and affection for Xiao Jie is beyond question." After a pause, Zi Ying slapped her thigh and said with sudden realization:

"Oh right, I almost forgot, Your Majesty. I noticed back then that Madam Leng's temperament and personality were very similar to our Xiao Jie's. Because Xiao Jie deliberately made herself look like an ugly duckling. I never saw her true face. Now that I think about it, their appearances are also very similar. If they stood together, they would look like a mother and daughter."

Xuanyuan was stunned. A biological mother and daughter! Then he remembered Xiaojie saying she'd been abandoned by her parents at a young age. Could Leng Xiang really be her father? But given her fiercely righteous and principled nature, if she knew Leng Xiang and his wife had abandoned her, how could she possibly have protected them so fiercely?

"Ying, do you think Xiaojie might be the youngest daughter abandoned by Leng Xiang?"