Chapter 69
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Jiang Yanchi’s eyes were as black as ink, and in the past, they always carried a hint of arrogance. In the last two years, the youthfulness in his eyes has gradually faded, and his features have become more distinct.
At some point, he no longer looked like the thirteen-year-old kid from years ago.
The Little Emperor squinted slightly, “What are you thinking?”
Chu Xie averted his gaze, “Nothing.”
Tonight, Xu Chunmu will leave the capital.
A stone in Chu Xie’s heart finally dropped.
Regardless of how the plot unfolds or any future changes, as long as Xu Chunmu is not in the capital but in the northern territory, there is still a chance for self-preservation.
Every time he inexplicably starts to empathize, his perception can connect with the current world. The lost soul occupying his body can briefly hear the developments in this world. He cares deeply about Xu Chunmu’s life and death. As long as he can help Xu Chunmu escape death, that person will willingly relinquish control of his body.
And he can return to the world that truly belongs to him.
“Ah Xie, I brought a royal physician.” Jiang Yanchi, seeing him in a seemingly good mood, asked tentatively, “It’s for treating the psychological problem. Are you willing to… see him?”
Psychological problem.
There is no psychological problem at all. I’ve been deceiving you.
“Don’t want to see him,” Chu Xie responded coldly, “I don’t want to see.”
The eyes of the Little Emperor darkened a bit, “See him once, okay?”
Chin resting on his scapula, warm breath sweeping over his neck, “Just once, I want to know what your current situation is, Ah Xie. I won’t harm you…”
Chu Xie knew why the kid was so eager.
Since returning from Huaizhi County with Xu Chunmu last time, his acting skills have been showing more and more flaws. He was well aware of it.
Especially when facing Jiang Yanchi.
Perhaps because of this, Jiang Yanchi always felt that his personality was gradually merging day and night.
Not only did he not teach him to detect the lie about psychological problem, but he also developed a strange expectation.
Jiang Yanchi repeatedly claimed to like him, both day and night. But he couldn’t figure out what this kid really liked.
Was it the shadow he portrayed? Leaving aside the fact that he might like the one from the night because of its gentle and generous nature, which once saved him. Why would he also like the evil, cunning Chu Xie?
If he liked that side of him, he liked a villainous beauty.
Then why didn’t he fall for the original protagonist in the original plot?
The things he did were clearly the same. Why didn’t the original Jiang Yanchi like the original protagonist, but now he likes him?
Chu Xie admitted that when following the plot, he had a rough judgment of the personalities, desires, and methods of each character. However, Jiang Yanchi has always been beyond his expectations.
Chu Xie had to admit.
Jiang Yanchi, this person—
In this world, he is the only one whose actions cannot be predicted.
Chu Xie was initially deceived by his gentle appearance, almost thinking he was an ignorant and useless fool.
But later, when he discovered the thunderous side of his calculations and methods, he found himself unable to control him.
Every time he followed the plot, it deviated because of him.
Every time he performed a task, he couldn’t calculate what he would do.
Whether in the present world or after transmigrating to this world, he considered himself sharp enough, with top-notch acting skills and quick reactions. He was never negative or despairing. No matter how difficult the situation, he always managed to survive, using flawless lies to successfully deceive others.
That was his way of survival.
But recently, especially after Jiang Yanchi proposed marriage to him, his acting seemed to be losing its touch, as if it was becoming more and more challenging to handle.
Chu Xie had reflected on this issue more than once, and the conclusion he reached was that this little guy, Jiang Yanchi, was really too clever. Extremely sharp, suspicious, and adept at probing. Lying in front of him was like climbing to the sky, and that’s why the perfect facade he presented kept showing cracks.
Initially, he worried about these cracks, afraid that if exposed, this kid would no longer have feelings for him—after all, at this point in the plot, the original owner, Chu Xie, was supposed to die, with dwindling power and unable to even save himself, let alone Xu Chunmu.
Only by taking a different approach, firmly grasping Jiang Yanchi as a sharp sword, could he smoothly complete this final task. Finally, truly die and return to the present world.
Frequent lapses in lying did not affect Jiang Yanchi’s infatuation with him.
It even made him start to anticipate the fusion of his two personalities.
Chu Xie felt annoyed at such expectations.
“It’s impossible to fuse at all.”
Chu Xie’s voice turned colder, “Jiang Yanchi, I am me, and he is him. We are two completely different people. How can you possibly like both at the same time?”
“Actually, you only like the one from the night. But you have to endure the one from the day for his sake, right?” Chu Xie asked, but heard Jiang Yanchi’s denial.
“No. That’s not it.”
“I like both. You two are not two people…”
The Little Emperor smiled faintly, “You are one person.”
A chill ran down his spine.
His hand in his sleeve clenched suddenly. In that instant when he heard those words, he almost thought Jiang Yanchi knew everything.
“What’s wrong? Why is your forehead sweating so much?” The Little Emperor, ignoring his objections, directly called the royal physician to check his pulse.
“It’s a bit cold, but it’s okay.” Physician Liu, looking at the sharp gaze of this beauty, couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.
“Physician Liu, lately, I often feel that he sometimes resembles the one from the night and sometimes the one from the day. Take a look, is it possible that the medicine he usually drinks has some effect.” Jiang Yanchi followed behind, asking with a hint of anticipation.
“Psychological problems are inherently strange… I dare not assert… If, according to usual circumstances, if it improves, it seems that one personality should appear less and less…”
With the physician’s words, the light in Jiang Yanchi’s eyes gradually dimmed.
Yes, recently, the personality of the one from the night appeared less and less.
“In the end… perhaps it will completely disappear.”
Chu Xie’s expression remained calm, making an “Hmm” sound, as if saying, “I knew it would be like this.”
“But according to Your Majesty’s description, there may be a possibility of fusion, which is also unknown… After all, this kind of thing is too rare, and I dare not make a definite statement…”
The Emperor’s complexion improved, but the Empress’s face looked quite unpleasant.
Physician Liu hesitated and asked, “Empress, have you been experiencing mixed memories recently? Frequently recalling memories from the night… Empress, is there anything that scares or frightens you?”
Chu Xie remained calm, “No.”
“Uh…”
However, Jiang Yanchi seemed to think of something.
“If mixed memories also occur, there may be a possibility of fusion. If memories remain distinct day and night, it might be the gradual disappearance of the other personality. In any case… anything is possible.”
Physician Liu wiped off his sweat.
Chu Xie, this person, has a notorious reputation, and rumors say that he is extremely difficult to get along with. He couldn’t withstand the pressure in those eyes and said, “This Minister will prepare some more medicine…”
“No need for medicine.”
“I won’t drink again in the future.”
Chu Xie’s voice was extremely indifferent, as if he wanted to create distance, “Jiang Yanchi, don’t engage in these unnecessary matters anymore.”
Physician Liu’s heart tightened at once. Hearing Chu Xie addressing the emperor by his name directly, his knees went weak, and he knelt down with a thud, wishing to kowtow directly.
“Are you, an emperor, only capable of doing these things all day long?”
This tone was filled with the arrogance of someone in a superior position. Physician Liu trembled in fear, kowtowing on the ground and not daring to lift his head, afraid that he would face the emperor’s wrath and be unjustly implicated.
Physician Liu was always timid, and today, it seems he might not escape unscathed. The young emperor sized him up and approached, asking softly, “Why are you in such a bad mood again?”
“If you don’t like the physician coming, then he won’t look.”
Without turning his head, Chu Xie waved his sleeve, signaling the person in front to step back.
Physician Liu had some insight. He bowed as if in a grand amnesty and, trembling, left the Chengluan Hall.
His feet felt a bit weak. Seeing for himself that the new empress was indeed highly favored, he couldn’t help but lament that offending this Empress Chu was absolutely out of the question. Unfortunately, he also had a very bad temper, and this unpleasant task had fallen on his shoulders.
Just as he lifted his sleeve to wipe off sweat, a little palace maid handed a bowl of water to the physician and asked, “It’s so cold today. Why is Physician Liu sweating so much? And why did you come out so quickly? Didn’t His Majesty ask you to see the empress?”
Before Physician Liu could explain, he suddenly heard the sound of cups and dishes breaking inside, and he hastily retreated three feet.
In no time, the emperor emerged looking dispirited.
Little Xizi also handed a cup of water to the emperor. Tao Li happened to be arranging flowers and, seeing the three people at the door, exclaimed, “Oh,” and asked, “It’s freezing today, Your Majesty, why aren’t you going inside?”
After glancing into the room, she suddenly realized, “Your Majesty, our lord hasn’t been sleeping well lately, and the temper has become irritable. Your Majesty, please go to the side hall and sit. Let Tao Li go inside and persuade…”
The physician left in frustration, not wanting to stay a moment longer.
It was absurd. The emperor didn’t look like an emperor at all, clearly enchanted by that enchanting appearance.
Just as he walked a few steps away from Chengluan Hall, he met Grand Tutor Su, who came in a sedan chair.
“Grand Tutor.”
“Did you just come out of Chengluan Hall?”
Physician Liu, aware that he shouldn’t speak indiscriminately, ambiguously replied, “Grand Tutor Su came to find His Majesty?” He added, “His Majesty is in the side hall.”
Watching Grand Tutor Su’s retreating figure, Physician Liu wiped the sweat from his forehead again, thinking: Nowadays, does His Majesty have to meet courtiers in the residence of the empress?
Absurd, utterly absurd.
On the other side, Jiang Yanchi did not expect that Grand Tutor Su would wait for him outside Chengluan Hall. He knew that Su Mingan and Chu Xie had some inexplicable connection in the past, but this Grand Tutor only used Chu Xie as a tool.
Jiang Yanchi didn’t want to disturb Chu Xie, so he continued to the Hall of Political Affairs before receiving the audience.
“Lord Su, what business do you have that cannot be discussed at tomorrow’s morning court?” Jiang Yanchi asked.
But behind Su Mingan, there was another person dressed as a guard. Having just risen, the emperor had been paying attention to him all along, and now his gaze fell on that person. “Who is behind Grand Tutor Su?”
The person raised his head slightly, bent one knee, and saluted.
“Minister, Zhao Lingqu, pays respects to Your Majesty.”
Zhao Lingqu, at this hour, why would he appear in the capital? Didn’t he suffer a defeat in the western border just a few days ago?
“How dare you return to the capital privately in the midst of a major battle!” The emperor rose in anger. “Guards, drag him out—”
“Your Majesty, please listen to his explanation!” Su Mingan also knelt down, pulling Zhao Lingqu to kowtow heavily before saying, “General Zhao had no choice. After Your Majesty beheaded the peace envoy, the Northern Xiongnu Left Virtuous King suddenly crossed the river in great anger. With lamentable soldiers, the Great Wei suffered a disastrous defeat in the battle at Wu River. General Zhao knew he had no way out, so he risked his life to come to the capital to report the truth to Your Majesty!”
“He has already committed a capital crime, what is there to explain!” Jiang Yanchi scolded in anger but did not order the immediate removal of Zhao Lingqu.
Seeing that Jiang Yanchi’s attitude was slightly softened, Su Mingan pleaded earnestly, “Your Majesty, if General Zhao were to flee after his defeat, why would he come to the capital? He should have hidden in an unseen place. General Zhao came to the capital risking his life to report the truth to Your Majesty. Please listen to what he has to say.”
Jiang Yanchi’s eyes scanned between Su Mingan and Zhao Lingqu.
Zhao Lingqu remained silent until now. At this moment, he finally spoke, “I rushed back to the capital on a fast horse after the defeat, covering eight hundred miles in one go. I only received the news of the defeat this morning, and I entered the capital in the afternoon. Your Majesty, don’t you want to know why?”
“Because I know that with this defeat, I have no way out.”
“Chu Xie will definitely use the defeat as a reason to kill me.”
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