Chapter 11: Unapproachable
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King Yan swiftly entered the grand hall, where a dragon throne made of pure gold stood tall on a pedestal of five steps, overlooking the hall with majestic solemnity. In the hall, there was only one person kneeling alone. This person knelt with both knees on the ground, back straight, and upon seeing King Yan arrive, immediately clasped their fists and spoke loudly, “Your Majesty, there is trouble. Just now, I captured a spy from the Yunshuang Kingdom. I learned that Yunshuang plans to ally with the southern Zhao Kingdom to attack our country. Your Majesty, with enemies from both the north and the south, what should our country do?”
“What?!” Yan Tenghua’s brows furrowed deeply upon hearing this news.
The Yan Kingdom was often troubled by the nuisance of the small kingdom of Yunshuang in the northwest. Initially, this was not a concern, especially with the recent close relationship between the Yan Kingdom and the Zhao Kingdom. How could the Zhao Kingdom even think of joining hands with such a small kingdom to attack the mighty Yan Kingdom? Their concern stemmed from the fact that to the north of Yunshuang lies the strongest of the Ten Kingdoms – the Qin Kingdom. Without the Qin Kingdom backing them, Yunshuang would never dare to encroach upon their borders.
“Regardless of the reliability of the source, we must be cautious of the Zhao Kingdom’s intentions. Quickly mobilize the troops from the western cities and reinforce the defenses in the south. I will communicate with King Qin first to ascertain his intentions.”
“Your Majesty, if we mobilize troops southward, there may be concerns about insufficient food and supplies. What should we do about it?”
“I am aware of that. General Qing Lin will return to the frontlines promptly. There’s no need to worry about the food and supplies.”
“Understood!”
As he watched the general leave in his military attire, Yan Tenghua’s expression shifted slightly, revealing a sense of seriousness and determination.
The issue of food and supplies was no trivial matter. Although the Yan Kingdom was situated in the heart of the Central Plains with favorable terrain, as a king who had just ascended the throne from his brother, how could he immediately gain support from Xu Hui, who controlled the country’s finances? That old fox was not someone easy to deal with.
“Have Ning Xiang come to me,” he recalled someone long forgotten in such moments.
“Your Majesty, where should we have him brought to?” his attendant whispered, reminding him softly.
Yan Tenghua’s expression changed slightly, a hint of weariness and seriousness appearing on his face. “Ah, no need to bring him here. You all can accompany me to the Peace Pavilion.”
If it weren’t for the urgent situation at the border, he really wanted to return to the palace to see if that person’s injuries had improved. If they had, what about the unfinished matters? With these thoughts, his hesitant steps revealed an undisguised joy creeping onto his lips.
At the same time, the person staring at the beautiful and delicate face, as fair as porcelain, showed signs of concern.
“Prime Minister Liu, Prime Minister?” Zipei sat by the bedside, gently shaking Liu Yu Zhen’s soft and delicate body.
The person on the bed kept their eyes tightly shut, cold sweat dripping uncontrollably from their enchanting and delicate face. Liu Yu Zhen held onto Zipei’s sleeve tightly, exerting so much force that it almost tore apart the fabric. Yet, he remained in a deep slumber, murmuring in his sleep, “Don’t, don’t kill my brother, retreat quickly, hurry!”
“Prime Minister!” Seeing his unusual condition, Xiao Zipei hurriedly slapped his face.
“Snap!” The crisp sound echoed in front of Liu Yu Zhen, not of a slap.
In the instant he brushed off Zipei’s hand, he swiftly executed a grappling technique, seizing his throat. Even in a state of semi-consciousness, Liu Yu Zhen, who was highly sensitive to attacks, fiercely threw Xiao Zipei onto the bed. With two fingers locked around Xiao Zipei’s throat, he exerted just a little force, enough to take his life in an instant!
Xiao Zipei paled in shock, realizing that someone with such skills staying by the side of King Yan must harbor ill intentions. Just as he was about to inquire, the slight movement in his throat triggered a massive reaction from Liu Yu Zhen. Not only did the grip around his throat tighten, but his deep black eyes suddenly snapped open, staring directly at him with a chilling intent to kill.
Liu Yu Zhen stared at him for a moment, feeling his consciousness slowly returning to the present moment. The haunting image of his brother’s tragic death lingering in his mind finally dissipated.
Feeling somewhat disoriented, Liu Yu Zhen noticed that Xiao Zipei’s face was turning purple. He quickly released his grip and asked, “Why is it you?”
Xiao Zipei cleared his throat and stepped back from the bed. It was unclear whether he was afraid of Liu Yu Zhen or if he dreaded sullying King Yan’s golden bed. Once off the bed, he swiftly drew his sword and pointed it at Liu Yu Zhen. “Who are you exactly? The Prime Minister doesn’t possess martial skills, so it’s impossible for you to be him!”
Liu Yu Zhen, still disturbed by occasional flashes of scenes in his mind, felt lost and had no energy to deal with him. “Xiao Pei, don’t be ridiculous. I need some more rest. Please leave.”
“You…”
Yu Zhen’s bottom line was touched. In an instant, the delicate and beautiful person before him, usually gentle as a flower, now exuded a dominant aura, with a chilling presence. “Obey orders!”
Xiao Zipei was the commander of the Yan Dynasty’s Imperial Guards, so he wouldn’t be easily intimidated by a command. However, he sheathed his sword nonetheless. “Your injuries haven’t fully healed yet. It’s better not to move around too much.”
Before he could finish speaking, Yue Lan entered with a basin of water, ready to assist Yu Zhen with washing up. Xiao Zipei instructed Yue Lan to set down the basin and leave first. If it weren’t for the reminder from King Yan, “If this person causes trouble, just ignore him,” he wouldn’t have backed down so easily.
Yu Zhen closed his eyes, ignoring the two of them, and simply turned over to sleep.
It wasn’t that he was acting aloof because of the special treatment from King Yan. It was just that the unbearable scene once again invaded his mind, reminding him constantly of how cruel and absurd everything was. The 150 members of Unit A2203 had died, and he had received a second chance at life in this body. But that didn’t mean everyone had his luck.
His comrades were dead, and here he was, living in a body manipulated by a man. How much longer would fate toy with him? Human endurance had its limits after all.
Feeling very tired and exhausted, he hoped that no one would disturb him and let him rest peacefully.
Turning towards the wall to finally get some peace, Yu Zhen’s beautiful eyes remained fixed on the white canopy. His face was devoid of expression, but it didn’t mean his mind was calm. Like a knife twisting in his heart, the events of the past haunted him. It had been a long time since then, and he had wandered in the abyss for what felt like an eternity before getting the chance to be reborn. Yet, every time he slept, memories of those moments resurfaced, causing him immense pain and discomfort.
Just when he finally found some peace and started to feel a bit better, the noisy shouting from outside the door disrupted the tranquility once again. “Your Majesty, Ning Xiang has been waiting for days. If you don’t let Ning Xiang see you today, Ning Xiang will not leave!”
“Young Master Ning Xiang, please don’t make a scene. This is His Majesty’s sleeping quarters. You shouldn’t behave so rudely.”
“I don’t care! I must see His Majesty!”
The incessant noise outside infuriated Yu Zhen. Ignoring the pain in his body, he sat up abruptly, his eyes filled with anger, and stormed towards the door.
Before he could even open the door, someone barged in and tightly embraced him. Yu Zhen couldn’t imagine that it would be Xiao Zipei who dared to hold him like this. It was his instinctive reaction; as long as he had strength left, anyone who dared to hold him would be thrown off!
With a loud “thud,” the person in his arms was forcefully thrown over his shoulder, landing headfirst in a corner of the room. Meanwhile, Yu Zhen himself left the room expressionlessly, as if nothing had happened. “Annoying…”
Yu Zhen saw Yue Lan sneakily watching from the sidelines, speechless. He lazily called out, “Yue Lan, I’m hungry. Bring me something to eat.”
Yue Lan hurried over, glanced around the room, and chuckled quietly, “Yes, Yue Lan will prepare it right away.”
Suddenly, he remembered something. Whenever this person appeared in his mind, those cruel images were always swept away. He narrowed his eyes with a sly look, “Yue Lan, where’s that scoundrel?”
“Are you talking about King Yan? The King is busy in the council chamber.”
“Bring him to me.”
“Huh? You still want to see him?”
More than just wanting to see him, Yu Zhen clenched his fists tightly, making a cracking sound. Right now, he really wanted to kill that person!
Huge shoutout to @denkoumaru on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
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