“I’m afraid you won’t be seeing them.”
Li Xuanjing’s words made Yan Yihuan, who had been rubbing his arm, freeze in shock. Fear rose instantly in his heart, “What do you mean?!”
“King Yan and Yan Zheng set out with their troops at dawn today. They are leading the vanguard toward the capital. It will not be long before good news arrives.”
King Qin and Li Xuanjing truly were a pair of sinister and cunning father and son!
If this was a trap, then King Qin and his son would remain safely behind the lines while it was the Yan family that would suffer. In the end, it was merely the Li family fighting amongst themselves for the throne. Why should his family exert themselves so much? Even he could see through King Qin’s malicious intentions. How could his father be so foolish!
Yan Yihuan’s face turned deathly pale with anxiety. Cold sweat streamed down his forehead, and his terror was written across his face. Seeing this, Li Xuanjing merely raised an eyebrow and smiled,
“What are you afraid of? No matter what happens, I won’t kill you. After all, your fate is of great benefit to me.”
Now, just hearing the word “fate” made Yan Yihuan feel absurd and laughable. How could something so intangible have turned Jing ge, whom he had known since childhood, into this state?
“Whoever marries me becomes emperor? Li Xuanjing, don’t you think that’s ridiculous?” Although Yan Yihuan looked disheveled, the mockery in his eyes was as sharp as a blade. “If I were to marry some random peddler off the street right now, would he become emperor too?!”
“That’s impossible!” The unfamiliar look in Yan Yihuan’s eyes instantly darkened Li Xuanjing’s expression. “You being at the capital these past six months was an accident to begin with. Now, things are merely returning to their proper course.”
He had thought Yan Yihuan was someone who couldn’t endure hardship and that leaving him here for a while would surely make him beg to be taken away. Instead, Yan Yihuan’s attitude had only grown more resolute.
In less than a year, he still looked as handsome and adorably innocent as before, yet it was as though he had become a completely different person. Li Xuanjing could not help but hate him all the more, because he knew that change had come from none other than Li Xuanming.
“I’ve treated you better than anyone since we were children, yet you never appreciated it. Li Xuanming only fucked you for a few days, and now you’re so infatuated?!”
Yan Yihuan frowned, knowing another outburst was coming. He turned to leave without answering, only to be slammed against the wall. His face hit it hard enough to sting.
He merely let out a muffled grunt, gritted his teeth, and refused to say another word.
Li Xuanjing no longer cared where they were. He had long since run out of patience. But Yan Yihuan’s clothes were filthy and reeked. After a brief hesitation, he merely gripped the back of his neck.
“You like Li Xuanming that much? What do you think he saw in you? Do you think he’s any different from me?!”
Like?
Yan Yihuan, who had been struggling, froze at those words. Of course he liked him. Yet for some reason, he felt that the kind of liking Li Xuanjing was talking about was not the same as what he himself had always meant.
But the pain of being restrained and the suffocating pressure on his neck became unbearable. His patience with Li Xuanjing finally snapped. Although his words came out brokenly, he still said with fierce determination,
“That’s right. I like His Majesty. Even if he lied to me, I’d still like him!”
The grip on his neck suddenly loosened. Yan Yihuan seized the chance to retreat several steps away from Li Xuanjing. His eyes were filled with wariness and fear, but even more with hatred.
Li Xuanjing also went still. His gaze gradually turned cold.
“Attendants.”
The door opened, and a deputy general stepped inside.
“Your Highness, what are your orders?”
“Take away all this food. From today onward, not a single grain of rice nor bowl of water is to be given to him.”
Since that little suffering was not enough to make him obedient, then let him go hungry for a few more meals. Sooner or later, he would behave. Even if he were truly starved half to death, it did not matter.
Just as Ming Zhang had said, as long as he stayed alive to serve his purpose, it was enough. After ascending the throne, what would it matter if he kept a useless invalid in the harem?
With that, the deputy general had all the food cleared away. He even took the water jug that had always been left there. When one of the accompanying guards picked up the rope from the floor, intending to tie Yan Yihuan up again, the deputy general happened to hand him the water jug.
The guard paused and instinctively took it. He ended up holding the rope in one hand and the water jug in the other, unsure what to do.
“I’ll do it.” The deputy general took the rope from him. “You go clear out the food.”
Yan Yihuan’s eyes lit up. He recognized the voice. It was the same man who had repeatedly urged Li Xuanjing to leave that night, stopping him from completely losing control. The deputy general walked over expressionlessly and skillfully began tying the ropes.
“Yihuan, if you come to your senses, you can have someone call for me at any time.” His words sounded gentle, but they were as cold as ice. “As long as you’re willing to be with me of your own accord, perhaps I can still save the Yan family.”
Once the cunning hare was dead, the hunting dogs would be stewed[mfn]狡兔死走狗烹 – After the cunning hare is killed, the hunting dogs that chased it will be cooked next. This metaphor describes the behavior of feudal rulers who, once they have achieved their goals, become ungrateful and execute the meritorious officials and capable scholars who helped them.[/mfn]. King Yan held too much military power. They had planned all along to…
Yan Yihuan, who had been keeping his head lowered and letting himself be tied, suddenly looked up. He saw Li Xuanjing let out a cold snort and bend down to leave. Just as he was about to call out to him, someone squeezed his palm.
The deputy general, who appeared to be fastening the knots behind him, quietly lifted Yan Yihuan’s hand and traced two words into his palm with a finger. Then he calmly said,
“Your Highness, he’s tied up.”
Li Xuanjing, already halfway out the door, paused for a moment. He lifted his chin slightly, signaling for the deputy general to follow him out. The door then closed, and the stable once again fell into the same silence as before.
Yan Yihuan’s heart pounded. He immediately noticed that the ropes had been tied differently from the previous days. There were fewer loops, and they were much looser.
Especially those strokes written into his palm moments ago. Although hurried, it had been unmistakably clear that it was…
Ming.
Ming?!
Could it be… Li Xuanming?
Yan Yihuan’s heart raced. He tossed and turned for nearly two hours. Even as dawn approached, he was still unable to fall asleep.
The looser ropes certainly made him more comfortable, but the hunger became harder and harder to bear. A dull ache had already begun in his stomach.
He had never suffered such humiliation in the palace. Afraid that his stomach might not handle it well, His Majesty had always made sure he ate first[mfn]In ancient Chinese imperial court etiquette, no one was allowed to eat before the emperor started, and declaring oneself “full” before the emperor finished was a severe insult that could result in exile. It shows how much Li Xuanming cares for Yan Yihuan by allowing him this privilege.[/mfn], whether he was present or not. He had not even been allowed to drink cold water[mfn]Cold water was believed to be unhealthy in ancient China (and even to this day). If anyone’s interested in why it’s said so, you can search up “Traditional Chinese Medicine and cold water” 👍[/mfn].
Yet Li Xuanjing kept claiming that he liked him while tormenting him in every possible way. And that deliberate remark he had left behind, saying he could save the Yan family. Wasn’t the Yan family already risking everything for them!
The door creaked softly a few times.
Yan Yihuan tensed and quickly shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep. To his surprise, a familiar voice quietly called out to him.
“Third Young Master.”
It was the deputy general.
After quietly closing the door behind him, he crossed the room in a few quick steps and helped Yan Yihuan sit up. Then he took a soft flatbread and a flask of water from inside his robes before loosening the ropes around Yan Yihuan’s wrists.
“Third Young Master, eat quickly. I can’t stay long.”
“Y-You… who exactly are…” Yan Yihuan was dumbfounded, but he knew how great a risk the man was taking. Without another word, he grabbed the flatbread and stuffed it into his mouth. To his surprise, the water was still warm.
Seeing the confusion on Yan Yihuan’s face, the man lowered his voice.
“My name is Tang Tong. I serve Lord Ming and infiltrated the crown prince of Qin’s side years ago.”
