Only after King Yan led his troops here did he learn that Northern Di’s attack on Changyun Prefecture had merely been a feint. King Qin had deliberately abandoned two small cities to make the situation appear dire, using it as a pretext to borrow troops from King Wei. His aim had been to weaken King Wei’s forces, then Huyan Ke would turn and attack King Wei instead, dealing a crushing blow.
But King Wei was no fool. Although he dared not openly defy the imperial edict, he sent a group of elderly, weak, and disabled soldiers as reinforcements. Not only did King Qin fail to weaken King Wei’s forces, but he also burdened himself with considerable trouble, which left him furious.
“Northern Di are wolves at heart. How could they possibly listen to you obediently!” King Yan was clearly enraged, yet he still forced himself to suppress his anger. “Discord before the battle lines is a grave taboo. With you and me joining forces to storm the capital, our momentum would already be unstoppable. There is no need to collude with Northern Di.”
“Brother Yan.” Seeing his anger, King Qin instead laughed and clapped him firmly on the shoulder. “I know your Yan family has fought the Northern Di for generations, with deep-seated enmity between you. But times have changed. Since that great war, they have never recovered. A few promised benefits are enough to secure their absolute loyalty.”
“Benefits?” King Yan’s expression stiffened. He subtly took a half-step back, “What benefits did you promise them?”
“Nothing more than exempting them from ten years of annual tribute once I ascend the throne.” King Qin raised a hand to stop King Yan from speaking and let out a low chuckle, “I know what you are about to say. Ten years would be enough for them to recuperate and rise again. But that promise is nothing more than empty words.”
“Once they and King Wei have both suffered heavy losses, we will simply crush the Northern Di outright and incorporate their lands into our territory. Would that not settle everything once and for all?” King Qin was brimming with confidence. “Come to think of it, compared to those others who share the Li surname[mfn]Reminder: In the earliest chapters, it’s mentioned that King Yan is the only different surnamed king. King Yan’s surname is Yan, while King Qin and King Wei’s surname is Li. “King Qin” and “King Wei” are just their titles.[/mfn], you and I are the true brothers. I certainly will not treat you poorly in the future.”
King Yan’s expression eased slightly, and he gave a faint smile. Although he remained silent, the tension between them relaxed somewhat. Seeing this, King Qin patted his shoulder again, “Although there have been some unexpected changes, everything remains under control. As long as you and I are of one mind, we will surely succeed.”
“Where is Xuanjing now?” King Yan did not respond to that declaration, instead, he asked abruptly, “Why haven’t I seen him?”
“Him?” King Qin withdrew his arm and turned to pour tea, “He was supposed to return, but some matters delayed him. Later, I felt it was unwise to keep all our pieces in one location. It’s better to remain outside to provide support.”
“Since that’s the case, let Yan Zheng handle the liaison with him,” King Yan said slowly. “The two of them have always been on good terms.”
“Haha, very well.” King Qin’s chuckle revealed nothing of his thoughts as he turned and handed the freshly poured tea to King Yan. “When Xuanjing sends word again, I will have it delivered to Yan Zheng.”
King Yan’s expression softened as he accepted the tea and took a sip, “As for Cheng’en’s matter, leave it to Yan Zheng too. They are young, perhaps they will be able to speak more freely with each other.”
“Very well. I’ll arrange it according to what you say, my brother.” Only then did King Qin smile contentedly. “I can rest assured if it is entrusted to Yan Zheng.”
—
As an official at court, Ming Zhang could not remain in the residence to stay guard at all times. Although Yan Yihuan’s food and daily needs were attended to with meticulous care, every item ultimately passed through Huai De’s hands, leaving him no way to refuse even if he wished to.
“Grand Historian Yan, please drink the medicine while it is still hot.” Huai De served the medicine and thoughtfully prepared some candied fruit to counter the bitterness. After enduring it for two days, Yan Yihuan knew resistance was futile. Without a word, he drank the medicine, then lay back with his brows tightly knit, letting the bitter taste ravage his mouth without touching the candied fruit.
Huai De did not try to persuade him as before but remained silent for a long time. Yan Yihuan lay back on the bed, dispirited, and asked in a muffled voice,
“It has been two days. Has the Court of Judicial Review reached a conclusion?”
“There is no result yet.”
Yan Yihuan’s eyes flew open. For a moment, it felt as though even his breath had been snatched away. He had imagined hearing that voice, yet had not expected it to come so suddenly. Judging by the time, court must have just been dismissed.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.” Yan Yihuan was undeniably panicked, yet regardless of his inner thoughts and guesses in his heart, the propriety between ruler and subject could not be neglected.
Li Xuanming reached out to steady the body that was struggling to rise. Knowing Yan Yihuan in every detail, he immediately sensed the tension beneath his palm. Even more glaring was the fear filling his eyes.
He was still afraid of him. Even more so than that day outside the imperial study.
It had only been a few short days, yet the once rosy and healthy face had lost its color. At a glance, he looked thoroughly afflicted by illness. Yet even without strength in his body, he was still trying his best to avoid him.
An unprecedented silence and awkwardness lingered between them. Li Xuanming knew Yan Yihuan had misunderstood, yet the wary glances and evasions still inevitably brought a fine, piercing pain to his heart. It was only a wound, yet Yan Yihuan had concluded that he had ordered Han Zhen to do it. Setting aside love, even in terms of trust alone, Li Xuanming felt that at this moment he did not even carry as much weight in Yan Yihuan’s heart as Ming Zhang.
“This case was not Han Zhen’s doing. But what truly happened still requires thorough investigation.” Li Xuanming stepped a little closer. “Return to the palace.”
“Not Han Zhen?” Yan Yihuan frowned subconsciously. Of course the Emperor would never admit it, but Ming Zhang was so loyal to the Emperor that he could not possibly deceive him. “I… I am not feeling well. I should stay here for now.”
“You cannot stay at Ming Zhang’s residence forever. It is also inconvenient for Sun Zhicheng to travel back and forth.” As he spoke, Li Xuanming moved to help Yan Yihuan up. “Come back to the palace with me.”
“No!” The unhesitating refusal made Li Xuanming’s hand pause midair. His previously calm gaze immediately darkened. Yan Yihuan felt a jolt in his heart and lowered his eyes to avoid him, “Your Majesty, I… this is not a real illness. It would be fine even if Imperial Physician Sun does not come.”
“I’ve been like this since I was young. No matter how much medicine I take, it won’t help.” Fearing that Li Xuanming would disagree, Yan Yihuan hurriedly explained, “In three to five days, it will recover on its own.”
“And after it recovers?” The words left Li Xuanming’s mouth slowly. The shift in his tone made Yan Yihuan’s heart pound faster. “So, Yan Yihuan, you’ve decided just from a single wound that I killed Xu Xinyao, is that it?”
Yan Yihuan, who had been trying to avoid this topic all along, turned pale. The horrific scene of Xu Xinyao flashed before his eyes again. Beneath the covers, his hands unconsciously clenched the bedding. Though trembling slightly, he spoke firmly, “This matter should be judged by Your Majesty. I only ask that Big Brother Xu be given justice.”
“Heh.” With a soft chuckle, Li Xuanming suppressed the anger rising within him. “If Zhen had killed him, why would Zhen need to hide it? Zhen could have ended Xu Xinyao’s life that very night. In other words, Zhen has never even considered him a threat. Why would Zhen waste my energy on him?”
“Yeah…” Yan Yihuan stared blankly at the embroidered patterns on the brocade quilt. “In Your Majesty’s eyes, his life is indeed as insignificant as dust, like that of an ant, but it’s different to me.”
“He often came to the residence when I was young. Unlike my elder brother’s other friends, Big Brother Xu never looked down on me for being young and never minded that I couldn’t run or jump. He was willing to take me along and patiently teach me to write.” Yan Yihuan recalled memories he had not dared to speak of all this time, tears streaming down his face. “He did nothing wrong. It was the Yan family who first proposed the marriage. It was my parents’ decision and the matchmaker’s words. When he came to the capital to see me, it was with pure intentions!”
“Yes… he truly did nothing wrong. All the fault was mine,” Yan Yihuan’s chest heaved violently. His overwhelming emotions made it feel as if someone was tugging painfully at his heart.
The pain made him clutch his chest and bend over, biting his lower lip to stop himself from gasping, trying to ease the sudden, wrenching ache.
“Yihuan?”
Even in this intense pain, Yan Yihuan held back Li Xuanming’s outstretched hand. After a short struggle, he finally endured the wave of pain and let out a deep sigh. Large tears fell onto Li Xuanming’s hand.
“The fault is mine. It is my fault for being timid and failing to speak clearly with Big Brother Xu. I should not have sought a moment of surepleasure, which caused him see those things. I should not have been cowardly and afraid when Han Zhen held a knife to his neck, ultimately causing his death!”
The tears that fell on Li Xuanming’s hand were warm and cold at the same time. Li Xuanming suddenly understood why Yan Yihuan was so certain it was him. “You thought what happened between us was something shameful, and you thought I[mfn]t/n: Ahhh, it’s finally here. The reason why I decided to keep the emperor’s “I” (朕) as Zhen is so that when he finally uses the normal “I” (我). The change is like a new step in their relationship ig, because LXM isn’t using the formal and strict Zhen here 🤭[/mfn] killed him to silence him?”
The words of Zhengyangzi echoed in Li Xuanming’s mind again. Those things about the previous life and the consequences of Yan Yihuan’s missing soul. At the time, Li Xuanming had not felt them deeply. Only now did he understand the helplessness and pain behind them,
“Yan Yihuan ah, so you are able to cry for others and feel sadness for others, your lack of understanding of love only applies to me alone.”
