Chapter 76
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
The intimate feeling of cuddling each other made Jiang Yanchi’s blood roar all over his body. But after a moment of satisfaction, it seemed to fall into a deeper ice cave. The depths of his heart were empty, both deep and lonely.
Chu Xie knew that since he had exchanged so much for the position of the empress, everything happening now was justified. But looking at the man’s eyes that seemed to have gone mad, he felt desolate in his heart.
Unexplainable, gradually rising in the deep corners of his heart.
It was a strong sense of sadness.
“Jiang Yanchi, why do you treat me like this?” Chu Xie’s voice was soft, with a quiet glow in his long eyelashes, seeming puzzled.
At the words, the person on top paused for a moment.
“You only want to do this with me, so don’t make it sound so nice.” Chu Xie raised his eyes, misty gaze with a hint of wetness at the corners, “I can be with you, but you don’t need to say it’s liking me.”
“… This is not liking me.”
At these words, the person slightly slowed down and then resumed his movements.
Chu Xie’s choked throat was shattered, his brows tightly furrowed, as if he couldn’t bear it.
“It’s not… not liking. Then you tell me, what is liking!”
Jiang Yanchi questioned with suppressed anger, repeatedly torturing him.
“Regardless… of what kind of like, it must not… hurt the other person.” Chu Xie’s body trembled, but his expression remained stubborn, intermittently responding, “Will protect, will consider… consider for the other person, you… you are not…”
“You just… lust after appearance…”
A mist formed in his eyes, but this time, even his nose felt sour. For some reason, he vaguely felt that it shouldn’t be like this.
How could Jiang Yanchi treat him like this?
“Yes, I am lusting after appearance. I only want to possess your body. What can you do to stop me!” The person on top seemed to have inexhaustible strength, now only wanting to crush the person in his arms.
Chu Xie was panting, a few strands of hair sticking to his damp cheeks. His face was pale, but his eyes and the tip of his nose were tinged with red. He strenuously steadied his voice, “You clearly know… that in terms of brute force, I am absolutely at a disadvantage. Yet, you choose to humiliate me in this way, Jiang Yanchi. Xu Yi was right, someone like you… simply cannot be the emperor. If you become the emperor of Great Wei—”
Jiang Yanchi pinched Chu Xie’s jaw, his eyes flashing with shattered ruthlessness. “Chu Xie, you wish for the success of that rebellion, don’t you? You wish for Xu Yi not to have died, don’t you!”
Chu Xie was like a flat boat in a storm, quickly overturned in an endless deep sea.
A hint of a sweet and fishy taste gradually floated up in his throat, as if something was stuck in his chest, extremely stifling and yet unable to be expressed.
The young emperor’s anger did not diminish, but instead burned even more fiercely.
“Why, for the same deep-seated enemy, you go to great lengths to kill Chen Lianzhou, but you don’t touch the Xu family! Why, tell me why!”
This torment was unusually prolonged.
What’s even more frightening is that Jiang Yanchi seemed to have no intention of letting him go after this encounter. After one round, he continued to manipulate him, “Do you think I am a pawn you’ve manipulated before? You should never have provoked me.”
The darkness before dawn was exceptionally cold, and the smell of alcohol on Jiang Yanchi had faded slightly. Over two hours had passed, and now the person beneath him was exhausted, seemingly unable to open his eyes. Meanwhile, he had already gotten up and dressed neatly.
Chu Xie’s eyes were barely open, the strength in the tips of his fingers gone. He remembered that both of them were silent in the end. Chu Xie turned his head, his voice hoarse as if he had swallowed a handful of sand, “If you…”
“If you’re done being angry, you can leave.”
“I leave?”
Jiang Yanchi nodded repeatedly, a cold snort squeezed out from his throat, and he got up, “Alright, I’ll leave.”
Chu Xie’s shoulders slightly sank, as if he had finally breathed a sigh of relief. But the young emperor walked toward the exit, “I’m going to wipe out the entire Xu family.”
Those last few words were like thunder on a calm day.
Chu Xie raised his hand, suddenly grabbing the corner of Jiang Yanchi’s robe, propping himself up to go after him. However, Jiang Yanchi’s departure was resolute, and he skillfully rolled him off the bed, making a crisp sound as his wrist hit the wooden steps leading to the bed.
Jiang Yanchi’s heart skipped a beat, and when he reacted, the person had already tumbled to the ground. It seemed like he had hit somewhere, and although he tried to push himself up with his hands, he couldn’t, emitting a painful and hoarse cry.
Jiang Yanchi immediately turned and carefully lifted the person, as soft as cotton, and placed him on the bed. Looking at the bruise on his wrist, before he could express his anger, Chu Xie took the initiative to speak.
“You want my body, and I gave it to you. But have you forgotten everything you promised?”
The fear contained in that threatening tone was too obvious, like a wolf cub caught in a trap, howling heartbreakingly, both terrified and fierce. “Do you really think that there’s no one left to challenge you!”
“I promised you to kill Zhao Lingqu, but I didn’t promise to protect the Xu family!”
Chu Xie’s heart panicked, speaking without choosing words, “Then I won’t kill Zhao Lingqu!”
He tightly held Jiang Yanchi’s sleeve, as if afraid that he would really go and kill the Xu family, “Now, as long as you protect the Xu family—”
Seeing him in an instant, completely disoriented, Jiang Yanchi’s gaze instantly turned cold.
“You’re begging me.”
He seemed startled for a moment, and the shattered light in his eyes was gradually suppressed, as if he was holding something back, speaking again.
“Yes, I… beg you.”
He finally forced out from the depths of Chu Xie’s heart, the most sincere desire under the winding and elusive shadow.
The Xu family was indeed the real thorn in Chu Xie’s heart.
“I said I would protect your throne. In the future, if you… want me, I can… but you can’t touch the Xu family!”
Previously, he clearly said it hurt a lot, slightly pressuring elicited a panic, and he wouldn’t let himself be touched.
Now, he only slightly mentioned the Xu family.
He easily compromised, hating that he offered himself but still wanting to protect him.
For this person, Xu Chunmu seemed more important than anything else.
“Do you want me not to touch the Xu family, or do you want me—not to touch Xu Chunmu?”
Jiang Yanchi cruelly tore the words apart, “Chu Xie, do you like Xu Chunmu?”
Chu Xie suddenly felt dumbfounded.
There was a buzzing in his head, as if he couldn’t hear the rest of the words.
“Like him enough to marry someone else, like him enough to let me have my way with you. Chu Xie, do you think I don’t know? The first time you faked your death, you went to the Northern Territory with him. When I brought you back, you hated me, didn’t you…”
“If it weren’t for me, do you think you could have flown away with him?” Jiang Yanchi clenched his jaw, his chest heaving violently, his mind in chaos, “You’re dreaming.”
“No, it’s not…” Chu Xie finally understood why Jiang Yanchi was acting so unusually now. He also understood how Su Mingan managed to persuade Jiang Yanchi.
He was too dull, only realizing it at this moment. It was all because he mentioned the Xu family that Jiang Yanchi seemed to have gone completely mad.
He doesn’t like Xu Chunmu.
But by protecting Xu Chunmu, he can protect his sister.
But how to explain this clearly?
“Jiang Yanchi, don’t listen to Su Mingan, listen to me. I don’t like Xu Chunmu, I don’t have that kind of feeling for him. But I… I must protect him…”
“This time, I’m telling the truth… I didn’t lie to you, I…”
However, it seemed like Jiang Yanchi didn’t hear.
He just reached out and pinched Chu Xie’s chin, word by word, “At this point, you still take me for a fool.”
“Jiang Yanchi, I’ll give you the throne, everything. I’m a person who won’t live much longer… I just want…”
“Chu Xie, do you really think I have to rely on you to secure the throne?” Jiang Yanchi now found the threat annoying, and the mention that he won’t last long was even more grating.
Chu Xie emphasized too many times that he handed him the throne himself.
Therefore, he must be grateful, he must endure and retreat. He must be deceived by him, blinded by the truth, like a loyal dog barking for him.
A cruel smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and the bruised hand was tightly pinched. “Let me tell you, it’s not only you who can do it.”
“Do you know Su Mingan’s background? I have half the blood of the Yue Clan in my veins. Even without you, he would support me… and that military power, why should I give it to a rebellious traitor’s descendant…”
Chu Xie’s pupils gradually dilated, as if the man in his eyes suddenly became very unfamiliar.
This person… was it really Jiang Yanchi?
He had retreated to this point, how could this person still be so ruthless and heartless.
“Do you think you still have the qualifications to negotiate with me? You are just a remnant of a traitor, if your identity is exposed, you will probably be dragged outside and tortured to death… Until now, do you still think you are the lofty Chu Zhangyin of the past?” Jiang Yanchi straightened his collar, turned his head, no longer looking at Chu Xie’s incredulous eyes. The pitch-black sky gradually showed a hint of light, he pushed open the door and walked out.
Chu Xie felt a lump in his chest, and his blood ran cold.
Jiang Yanchi paused for a moment, glanced at the room, and then called Little Xizi guarding the palace door from ten yards away, “Go, summon the imperial physician and wait.”
“Your Majesty.”
Little Xizi glanced slightly at the room, seeing nothing, but the emperor went in with that kind of thing, and it was self-evident what happened this night.
The empress was proud, and after today, what would happen was unpredictable.
There were worries in his heart. In fact, Little Xizi didn’t think Chu Xie was the kind of completely heartless person. On the contrary, he faintly felt that this empress was very soft at heart.
But now the emperor seemed to be blinded, and Little Xizi didn’t know how to advise him for a while, only saying, “Your Majesty, if you do this, the empress will be heartbroken.”
“So what if she’s heartbroken.” Jiang Yanchi’s voice was dark and cold, looking back at the palace gate, “Has he ever cared whether I am heartbroken or not? At this point, it’s impossible for him to have me in his heart, so if he wants to hate, let him hate.”
Saying this, the hand leaving turned, and the footsteps seemed as if they were filled with lead, unable to move forward.
He stood in the courtyard for a long time, and the dew turned into frost, hanging on the branches. The first rays of sunlight pierced his eyes, and only then did Jiang Yanchi step down from the long steps outside Chengluan Hall.
Step by step, it seemed as if he was truly moving away from something.
He watched the warm sunrise, his figure dejected, even his shoulders trembling. He felt—perhaps in this life, he truly had no joy left.
The winter wind swept across his cheeks like a sharp knife.
He didn’t attend the early court session but squatted under the long steps. When the imperial physician arrived, he followed them back, but this time, he didn’t step into the room.
Little Xizi stood outside the room, and two maids who served were also kneeling. It seemed that Chu Xie had a big quarrel and didn’t allow anyone to enter.
In almost an instant, Jiang Yanchi’s heart stabbed with pain.
He thought that it was Chu Xie, who had never been forced to retreat like this.
That person was originally so proud.
Now, the person full of sharp thorns was suffering because of his weak body, even forced to speak words of pleading.
—Yes, I’m begging you.
The last hint of drunkenness faded away, and Jiang Yanchi stood outside the room, watching as the palace maid dared to push open the door under his gaze. The overwhelming anger of the night was now diluted by other complex emotions, but he still lacked the courage to take a step forward.
Just as the palace maid led the imperial physician inside, she immediately rushed out in a panic. Jiang Yanchi thought Chu Xie had a big temper and was about to step inside when he heard Little Xizi exclaim in surprise, “Your Majesty, the empress is gone!”
Gone, how could a person of that size just disappear?
At these words, his heart sank, and he stepped into the room with long strides. A quick glance inside and outside, it was indeed empty.
Chu Xie, who was already powerless, dragging his weak body, had just been consumed by him all night.
Now he must be extremely weak, and it was probably difficult for him to even get out of bed. At this moment, where could he have gone?
It was really quite impressive.
“Little Xizi, what about the maid named Tao Li!” Jiang Yanchi immediately looked around for the figure of that little girl.
“She, she’s also gone!”
Jiang Yanchi was furious and called in the guards stationed at the palace gate. Those people, however, said they had never seen Chu Zhangyin go out, but Tao Li had just left about half an hour ago to get medicine from the pharmacy.
Chu Xie… Chu Xie!
The imperial order seemed like empty words to him, and the guards patrolling for him seemed non-existent. The spies in Chengluan Hall had all been removed, but this person still managed to silently escape from this inner palace hall in less than half an hour.
Jiang Yanchi suddenly realized that this couldn’t have been done in half an hour.
It was yesterday, or even earlier.
It turned out Chu Xie had already known that Xu Chunmu couldn’t leave the capital and had made plans in advance. If he hadn’t come to find him drunk tonight, he might have escaped quietly during the night.
Good, good!
At this point, you can still listen in all directions. I underestimated you.
He definitely wouldn’t return to the Chu Mansion. Where would he go?
Would he hide in the Ministry of Justice’s Shangshu Mansion, or would he use the defense shift in the Ministry of War to slip out of the capital, or perhaps… could he go and seek refuge with the Yueguo Shizi, Zhao Xuan?
Jiang Yanchi’s mind was in chaos for a moment. Once Chu Xie left the palace gates, he really had no confidence in being able to stop him within the capital.
He was different from Xu Yi. Although Xu Yi held great power on the border, he had no connections in the capital, except for Xu Changling, who was of little use. He had no control over the capital.
So, on that day, he was able to seize the opportunity and take control of the capital, usurping the throne.
But Chu Xie, he had been influential in the capital for more than ten years, using covert means and networks that Jiang Yanchi couldn’t distinguish at all.
He wanted to silently escape from the capital amidst the chaos, and it was just too easy.
But no matter what he did, he would never leave Xu Chunmu behind.
“Quick, keep an eye on Shuntian Mansion and closely watch Xu Chunmu!”
He didn’t realize that when he said these words, his spine was slightly trembling.
Vaguely, he always had an unshakable premonition, thinking of Chu Xie’s indifferent and distant gaze before leaving, as if he were thoroughly disappointed in himself, with a hint of determination.
Recalling that gaze, the premonition grew stronger.
So strong that it made people anxious.
Yes, he was sure, he had completely lost his usefulness to him.
So now, he really didn’t want himself anymore.
The author has something to say: Locked, sobbing, humbly begging for mercy~
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
