Chapter 224: "Wen Yu, What Kind of Man Have You Married..."
This audacious individual, the first in Chen Royal Palace's history to ride a horse into the palace grounds, was the newly risen master of the Northern Border who had rapidly ascended to power within two years.
Young, fierce, and unyielding.
Seated high upon his Dawan black steed, his cold and arrogant gaze swept over the crowd with tangible weight, forcing the officials who had secretly lifted their eyes to assess him to feel their scalps prickle, not daring to raise their heads again for another glimpse.
Yan Zhen was also experiencing for the first time the overwhelming pressure that surged forth like tidal waves—the bloodshed and slaughter carried from countless battles were incomparable to the generals long stationed in the royal court. A single encounter was enough to leave one dizzy and disoriented.
Holding the black sandalwood tray bearing the Chen Kingdom's imperial jade seal high above his head, he bowed and proclaimed loudly: "Your Lordship's fame shakes the four corners! Our king admires you deeply and wishes to present the hereditary imperial jade seal to Your Lordship. We have also bound the woman from the Wen Shi of Liang, who once plotted against Your Lordship, to be dealt with at your discretion!"
Cold rain brushed against Yan Zhen's cheek as he slowly knelt down, shouting once more: "We welcome Your Lordship's grand army into the city!"
The officials of Chen behind him followed suit, kneeling one after another, chanting in unison: "We welcome Your Lordship's grand army into the city!"
King Chen, too, knelt unwillingly and humiliatingly in the fine, dense drizzle that fell like ox hair.
Only Wen Yu remained standing on the scene. The cold rain dampened her hair at the temples, and though bound, she carried herself with none of the demeanor of a prisoner, calmly watching the man who slowly approached on horseback.
Seeing this, the father and son of the Yan family feared that Wen Yu would provoke Xiao Li and bring disaster upon their Chen Kingdom again. They wanted to order someone to force Wen Yu to kneel as well, but Xiao Li was already approaching closely, so they dared not act recklessly.
From the moment he stepped through the palace gate, Xiao Li's gaze had been firmly locked on Wen Yu, who was bound with ropes on her arms, but his eyes were cold and filled with hatred.
The horse's hooves struck the granite floor tiles, emitting dull thuds that tightened everyone's nerves.
Kneeling in the rain-soaked ground, King Chen stared blankly at the ground before him when he heard a deep, slow, and heavily enunciated cold voice above him: "King Chen?"
Thick killing intent and extreme contempt were wrapped within those two words, even giving the illusion that the other had gritted them out between his teeth countless times with immense hatred.
King Chen slowly raised his head, but before he could clearly see the other's face, he was terrified into stillness by the blood-stained long halberd pointed directly at his face, stammering: "Spare me, Your Lordship! Spare me! It wasn't us who insisted on fighting to the death to block Your Lordship's entry into the city! It was... it was all this Liang woman's orders!"
He hastily pointed at Wen Yu beside him, privately thinking that since Xiao Li had old grievances with Wen Yu and the outside world knew that Wen Yu was currently governing Chen, whatever Wen Yu said, Xiao Li shouldn't believe her.
Faced with such accusations from King Chen, Wen Yu remained silent, not offering a single word in her own defense.
Just as King Chen thought Wen Yu had chosen silence because she knew explanations would be useless and that he had successfully shifted all blame onto her, Xiao Li suddenly burst into loud laughter, yet the expression on his face remained distinctly gloomy.
Trembling, King Chen cautiously swallowed his saliva, not daring to utter another word. The Yan father and son and the aristocratic family ministers behind him also grew anxious, unable to comprehend why Xiao Li was laughing.Only when Xiao Li sheathed his halberd and used his bloodstained sword to lift Wen Yu’s chin did his young, stern face reveal unmistakable mockery and fury: “Wen Yu, what kind of trash have you married?”
Was this the man she had repeatedly pushed him away and abandoned him for?
Was this the people of Chen, whom she had protected as fiercely as she had defended the Great Liang?
The tip of the sword was icy cold, and a faint scent of blood lingered at Wen Yu’s nostrils.
A trace of blood from the blade stained her pale chin, while her turquoise skirt fluttered in the chilly wind. With utmost calm, she gazed at the man on horseback and said, “Xiao Jun’s actions are hardly heroic either.”
Xiao Li’s expression darkened further.
Was she still defending King Chen?
The rage churning in his chest felt as though it were corroding a gaping hole in his heart.
He stared at her intently and sneered, “I have never been a hero.”
With those words, he abruptly leaned over, snatched Wen Yu onto his warhorse, and galloped straight toward the royal palace.
The assembled ministers gasped in shock, while King Chen and the Yan family stood frozen, as if turned into wooden puppets.
The reason for Xiao Li’s earlier unusual behavior now became clear.
Indeed, Wen Yu was renowned as the world’s greatest beauty. At one time, countless had coveted her loveliness.
But later, her demonstrated skill and prowess made everyone remember this princess of Great Liang as a peer to the mightiest rulers, and no one paid further attention to her appearance.
If Xiao Li, too, had been captivated by Wen Yu’s beauty…
The Yan father and son exchanged glances with the kneeling aristocratic family ministers behind them, their faces ashen with despair.
Zheng Hu, carrying the halberd Xiao Li had tossed him before snatching Wen Yu onto the horse, commanded the soldiers below: “First, lock these cowards in the dungeons!”
Zhao Youcai, who had taken the place of Xiao Li’s personal guard, stood dumbfounded, staring down the palace corridor where Xiao Li had ridden off with Wen Yu. As if still in a daze, he murmured to Zheng Hu, “That… that was Princess Han Yang?”
Zheng Hu, balancing Xiao Li’s halberd on one shoulder and his own broadaxe on the other, retorted irritably, “That’s my sister-in-law!”
He spat toward King Chen nearby: “It’s all because of this coward who abused his power to tear lovers apart!”
Zhao Youcai had been carefully recalling the person he’d seen in Xinzhou—the one who, alongside Xiao Li, had falsely claimed to be an officer from Tongcheng—and was about to say that person was Wen Yu. But upon hearing Zheng Hu’s words, he gasped in shock, his mind struck as if by thunder, and for a long moment, he couldn’t utter a word.
With the royal palace breached, the palace servants had all been driven to the gates to kneel in submission.
Along the path Xiao Li took, galloping with Wen Yu, there were no servants in sight—only the rustling cold rain and the solemn palace walls.
The scent of blood on his armor was thick. After being hauled sideways onto the horse, Wen Yu had no time to adjust her posture before he spurred the horse into a gallop. The warhorse’s violent jolts made it impossible for her to steady herself; her shoulders and back repeatedly collided with the hard plates of his armor.
The heavy breaths of the warhorse beneath her mingled with the scorching, ragged breaths of the man behind her, consumed by extreme fury. The arm he had wrapped around her waist when he snatched her up remained like an iron band, never loosening its grip.
Wen Yu could not even subtly create distance between them. His breath, penetrating her rain-dampened clothes, brushed against her neck and shoulders, giving her the illusion that a wild beast’s fangs were already pressed against her throat.Wen Yu forced herself to remain calm, speaking in the most indifferent tone: "What does Xiao Jun intend to do? Use such methods to make this princess lose prestige before the court officials?"
Having reached Zhaohua Palace, Xiao Li remained silent, directly reining in the horse, hoisting Wen Yu over his shoulder, and kicking open the palace gates with one foot.
Zhaohua Palace had always been the residence of King Chen's queens throughout generations, which was no secret even among the common people.
Hanging upside down over his shoulder, Wen Yu felt her abdomen painfully pressed against his shoulder armor as he strode forward, her dark hair disheveled and cascading down. In this moment, she couldn't help but feel a certain indescribable embarrassment.
Calling out Xiao Li's full name in anger, she received no response except for him continuing to kick open doors and carry her into the inner chamber.
Only when thrown onto the grand bed in her own bedchamber did Wen Yu instinctively sense danger. Propping herself up on the bed with both hands, she warily eyed the figure standing beside it. Before she could voice the words on her lips, she heard Xiao Li sneer coldly: "Why not keep calling me 'Xiao Jun'?"
Wen Yu seemed to pause for half a breath before calmly raising her eyes to meet Xiao Li's gaze: "May this princess interpret this as Xiao Jun wishing to rekindle our past affections?"
[Now who in Liang territory doesn't know he flew into a rage for his beloved, slaughtering twenty thousand of Pei Song's surrendered soldiers for a courtesan?]
[A Yu, in this world, human hearts are the most fragile things, especially now that he holds great power with the realm within his grasp.]
[May the princess remember today's choice. Farewell.]
Gu Xiyun's words and the scene from a year ago, when she proposed to Northern Wei to exchange two cities' resources for his return, and he personally came to the lakeside pavilion to inform her of his decision, remained vivid before her eyes.
They were both climbing toward the peak of power. No one could tell whether those past sentiments had already been eroded beyond recognition by the passage of time.
Looking at Wen Yu's exquisitely beautiful yet coldly composed face, Xiao Li felt such rage that he nearly laughed in that instant.
The beating flesh in his chest felt almost devoured by the vicious beast he forcibly restrained beneath his skin.
Yes, that night in the mountain temple, she was merely repaying the "affection" he had demanded from her.
Once the debt was cleared, she descended the mountain without a moment's hesitation.
Returned to her Chen Kingdom, bore royal heirs, consolidated royal power.
She had always been rational.
Hadn't her personal martial maid said that countless people were willing to die for her? Like that cavalry general whose head she desperately fought to retrieve.
Such life-risking devotion would always earn a shred of her pity - he understood this well.
Why did he ever think he was special?
If Jiang Yu hadn't died, wouldn't she have allowed him into her bed as well?
He had never considered severing ties with her, so how could there be "rekindling past affections"?
When had she ever valued his feelings?
Otherwise, why would she have sent him those damned ghostly beauties!
Rage, jealousy, and near-distorted hatred provided the finest nourishment for that vicious beast. Xiao Li felt as if his skull had been split open, his mind foggy and throbbing with dull pain.
For a moment, he felt his consciousness had detached from his body.
He heard himself sneer coldly: "Don't misunderstand. Just as the princess said earlier, this is merely for your ministers to see. Since the princess has gifted this marquis so many beauties, would my bedside lack companionship?"
He also saw himself reach out to grip Wen Yu's chin: "Although the princess's beauty is renowned throughout the land, this marquis... truly has no interest in women who have recently given birth."Her half-lowered eyes were dark and profound enough to startle the heart.
Wen Yu’s hands, braced against the bedding, clenched tightly, nails digging into her palms. Her face maintained a flawless smile, without a single crack. “Xiao Jun, you are quite skilled.”
She tilted her head slightly, breaking free from his grasp. “I’m glad the beauties I sent pleased you. Since this is all an act, and there are no outsiders here now, Xiao Jun, you may keep your distance from me. Otherwise, it might easily lead me to misunderstand.”
Her gaze was so light, yet so distant.
Xiao Li felt as though his heart was about to be burned through by the fire of jealousy and rage. The beast lurking beneath this shell of a body roared, trying to tear him apart and leap out from within.
He desperately wanted to cover Wen Yu’s mouth, to make her stop speaking.
But his pride and arrogance nailed him firmly in place.
Was it not laughable enough?
How much longer must he grovel before her?
Anger and hatred intertwined, burning a dull red in his eyes. His breathing grew heavier with each passing moment.
Yet, a kind of instinctual longing drove him mad with the desire to approach and touch Wen Yu.
The fleeting sensation of smooth skin beneath his fingertips, the cold clarity of her voice in his ears, the faint, elegant fragrance in the air—all of it relentlessly invaded his senses.
From the moment he lifted Wen Yu onto the horse, the blood in his body had surged and crashed through his limbs, leaving his fingertips tingling and numb.
He wanted so badly to hold her.
To reclaim this treasure he had lost so long ago.
To tell her:
This past year had been unbearable for him.
He also wanted to say that he had been without a home for a long time.
He had wandered like a stray dog for far too long.
He had saved enough for a betrothal gift—or perhaps it should be called a dowry.
Could she, perhaps, give him a home?
But all hope had been shattered.
These words could never be spoken again.
She did not care about him.
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