Chapter 106
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“Sir, the dishes have cooled. Shall I take them to warm them up for you?” Gao Gonggong’s voice was heard at the door while Fu Nian was lost in thought.
Fu Nian raised his head, restrained his ferocious expression, and said, “There’s no need to warm them.”
After that, Fu Nian wiped his prosthetic limb and left the table with long strides.
As expected, just as mentioned during dinner, after midnight, Chu Zhaoyi had not returned to the bedroom. The study was still brightly lit, with palace servants coming and going, and occasionally officials in official attire were seen entering and leaving.
Fu Nian sat silently at the table, playing with his shimmering blade.
The thought of Chu Zhaoyi suddenly mistrusting him, being perfunctory, and his usual calm crumbling into loose sand in the face of that situation had cost him most of his sanity.
Moreover, there was still half of the Bond of the life connecting Gu inside Chu Zhaoyi’s body, and he wasn’t allowed to accompany him on this journey.
In the previous life, Fu Nian had died on the road by himself. Though he couldn’t directly express his concern due to the disparity in their status, it didn’t mean he wasn’t afraid of Chu Zhaoyi repeating the same mistake.
The shimmering blade in his hand had completed a full circle when Fu Nian heard footsteps outside the door.
Chu Zhaoyi was returning.
It was already past midnight, and upon hearing the familiar footsteps, Fu Nian stood up instinctively and walked towards the door to greet him.
“Your Majesty.”
“Let my royal uncle wait a moment. Tell him I’ll be back as soon as I find that memorial.” Chu Zhaoyi was walking and giving instructions to Li Gonggong outside the screen.
Half of his body was beyond Fu Nian’s standing position, and he belatedly realized that Fu Nian had called him. “Ah Nian, why are you still not resting?”
Fu Nian:…
In the past, when he spoke, Chu Zhaoyi often ignored him, and he never complained.
Fu Nian took a deep breath, restraining himself from reaching out to grab Chu Zhaoyi’s collar and question this disrespectful behavior. He was about to speak when he saw Chu Zhaoyi striding inside, picking up the stack of documents on the table.
“Your Majesty…” Fu Nian seized the opportunity as Chu Zhaoyi finally made a gap and spoke again.
“By the way, Ah Nian, I need you to inventory the concealed weapons and disguises I’ll be taking on this trip up north. It’s too late today, but you can go to Instructor Han’s place early tomorrow. The young Shadow Guard who will be the adopted daughter…”
“Your Majesty.” Fu Nian didn’t let Chu Zhaoyi finish. “Forgive me for interrupting, but there’s no need for you to personally go north, to personally take risks. Leave it to me; I can handle it with minimal manpower, obtain the prescription, and escape successfully.”
After speaking, Fu Nian seemed to recall something and added, “You have an illness, and it’s not suitable for you to travel far. In the previous life, I died from exhaustion on the journey. Please reconsider.”
With that, Fu Nian felt that Chu Zhaoyi’s hand, holding the documents, clearly paused.
In that momentary pause, Fu Nian seemed to realize something.
Earlier, Chu Zhaoyi seemed to have mentioned that he hadn’t been able to wear wedding attire and hold a grand wedding ceremony. He cared deeply about not having Fu Nian represented as a bride, even if it was for the sake of a military expedition.
Fu Nian remained silent for a long time. “I acknowledge my negligence during our grand wedding ceremony in the past and not being by Your Majesty’s side…”
Before he could finish, Fu Nian realized that the person in front of him, along with the documents on the table, had disappeared.
Fu Nian didn’t say anything more and sat back in his place, staring blankly in the direction of the screen.
Ignored.
He would rather take the risk himself than let him be the sharp blade.
He could stay in the capital to take care of Ze Wang, leaving only Chu Yao to accompany.
With a cold and stern gaze, Fu Nian took out the official seal symbolizing his position as a high-ranking Shadow Guard, an item he always carried with him. While his other personal belongings had signs of wear and tear, this official seal had been well-preserved, showing no signs of damage.
The next morning, as the faint light of dawn broke, Fu Nian, despite his reluctance to follow Chu Zhaoyi’s orders, went early to Instructor Han’s place to check the weapons and disguises they would be taking.
There were many concealed needles among the concealed weapons, and their craftsmanship was high, making the inspection process troublesome. Until noon, Fu Nian hadn’t finished selecting the defective needles from the batch.
“Move this way, quickly.”
“His Majesty’s old ailment hasn’t flared up for a long time, and today…”
Fu Nian’s keen ears picked up the sound of footsteps and conversation in the distance. He immediately stopped his work.
The conversation quickly faded, following the footsteps as they moved further away on the other side of the palace wall.
Chu Zhaoyi’s old ailment had only one meaning.
Fu Nian tried his best not to think about it and continued counting the concealed weapons in his hand.
After finishing his official duties in the afternoon and passing by a side hall on his way back to Chengyuan Hall, Fu Nian happened to see a familiar young Shadow Guard. The guard was happily following a nanny and learning the etiquette of a bride. His posture, gestures, and voice hadn’t started to deepen yet, and with intentional imitation, he sounded quite similar to a girl. Judging from the sweat stains on his forehead, he had probably been released from the training ground not long ago, only to continue his etiquette lessons here.
Presumably, this was his “adopted daughter.”
Fu Nian huddled under the eaves, watching with rapt attention for a while.
It seemed that His Majesty’s trip north to personally handle the rat plague and epidemic had been confirmed.
“Sir, His Majesty is busy with state affairs. He asked me to tell you to go ahead and eat,” a palace eunuch said.
In the evening, Fu Nian tapped his silver fork and waited for a long time, but he didn’t see the figure that should have appeared across the dining table.
“Sir, His Majesty said to have your meal without waiting for him,” the eunuch repeated when Fu Nian didn’t respond.
Fu Nian didn’t reply. Instead, he got up, searched through a cabinet, found a sandalwood food box, and roughly stuffed the cold soup and dishes into it. He slammed the lid shut and walked briskly toward the door.
“Sir, if you’re going to take it to His Majesty, let me warm it up first…”
“Cold food won’t kill anyone,” Fu Nian’s voice was muffled, and he paid no heed to the eunuch’s words.
In the imperial study, Fu Nian didn’t knock on the door but slipped through a crack in the eaves without a sound.
Even before he could see the light inside the room, Fu Nian heard a bout of coughing.
“Chu Yao, how many times have I told you…”
Fu Nian timely extended his stone-made prosthetic limb, placing the food box behind Chu Zhaoyi on the table.
“Ah Nian.”
Hearing his name, Fu Nian finally came out from behind the screen and stood erect behind Chu Zhaoyi.
“Didn’t I tell you to rest for two days? You don’t need to come to the imperial study…”
“Your Majesty is discussing confidential matters, and I shouldn’t eavesdrop, right?” Fu Nian interrupted directly. Afterward, he took out the carefully preserved official seal from his waist and placed it on the table. “Your Majesty, you have always been cautious and vigilant about those around you gaining too much power. However, I have been with you for over a decade, so you can trust me.”
“Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough…” Chu Zhaoyi coughed before speaking, taking a sip of tea from the nearby cup.
“According to the plan, you will depart tonight. However, your current physical condition is not suitable for long-distance travel. If the poisonous gu become too dangerous, please stay in the palace, and I will handle the epidemic situation. I have been helping the court deal with rat plague burnings since I was young, and Your Majesty knows that.” Fu Nian’s tone remained calm, but his gaze was fixed on Chu Zhaoyi, who was somewhat huddled.
His purpose in coming this time was to make Chu Zhaoyi compromise.
Just like many years ago, when Chu Zhaoyi used sweet words and gentle persuasion to keep him in the palace, promising that there would be plenty of time in the future. However, once he wanted to leave, his prosthetic limbs would be removed, and he would be imprisoned here, as if Chu Zhaoyi wished to dismantle his entire body, all while continuing to speak sweetly about the future.
“It’s already settled. A half-month journey should be enough to recover from this minor illness—cough, cough, cough…” Chu Zhaoyi took a breath. “You can go out now. I have things to discuss with Royal Uncle.”
This time, Fu Nian, unusually, didn’t obey the command and remained still.
“Fu Nian, leave!” Chu Zhaoyi repeated. “Can’t you hear orders anymore?”
Fu Nian still didn’t move.
“Fu Nian, get out!”
“What if I insist on not allowing you to go north this time?” In the face of the command, Fu Nian remained unmoved.
“What I do, do I need your interference?” Chu Zhaoyi’s tone also carried a hint of anger, seemingly surprised by Fu Nian’s unusual behavior, as he had always been obedient.
Fu Nian didn’t rush to respond; instead, he walked directly to the door, slid the bolt shut behind him, and only then turned around, unhurriedly.
“Of course,” his voice was cold as ice, and he continued, locking his gaze onto Chu Zhaoyi without wavering. “Forgive my insubordination. Your health is at risk, and traveling far into an epidemic area…”
Fu Nian didn’t finish his sentence before he saw Chu Zhaoyi rise unsteadily and take shaky steps toward him.
As they got closer, Fu Nian saw Chu Zhaoyi reach out to open the bolt and insist on him leaving.
Fu Nian, drew from somewhere his courage, directly blocked Chu Zhaoyi’s attempt to leave by reaching out and grasping his hand.
“How dare you!” Fu Nian realized that Chu Zhaoyi was about to retaliate and instinctively used his prosthetic limb to block.
When their limbs made contact, Fu Nian felt that Chu Zhaoyi’s hand was warmer than normal.
“Clang!”
Fu Nian used an offensive-defense strategy and within a few moves, forced Chu Zhaoyi to retreat, bumping into a folding screen and a bookshelf, causing items on them to fall to the ground.
Immediately, loud shouts and banging on the door from outside could be heard, “Your Majesty! Your Majesty! What’s happening!”
In his haste, Fu Nian also didn’t care much; he directly used his hand to tightly cover Chu Zhaoyi’s mouth, intentionally preventing him from making any noise.
“This is what the Shadow Guards and eunuchs around you are like, they can’t even get close to you in a crisis, except for me,” Fu Nian spoke while squinting, his eyes involuntarily narrowing. “Are you sure you want this bunch of useless people to accompany you north?”
Chu Zhaoyi couldn’t speak, nor did he shout. His gaze was fixed on Fu Nian, unwavering, without a trace of retreat, and he retorted, “What if I insist on going?”
“In that case, I’m willing to bear the crime of treason and confine you within this small space, just as you treated me years ago,” Fu Nian said menacingly, then added, “I’ve protected you for so many years, and I won’t let you go to your death over such a trivial matter. Even if I’m accused of treason, I won’t let you go.” The joints of his hand, pressing against Chu Zhaoyi’s mouth and nose, had already turned white. Fu Nian made no effort to conceal the aggression in his eyes and continued to tighten his grip.
“…”
“…”
“Are you trying to smother me to death?” Chu Zhaoyi frowned and mumbled.
This aggressive gaze, in the past, was only something Fu Nian showed when he was ordered to eliminate someone else.
When facing him, Fu Nian was always a docile loyal hound, hiding his fangs and claws and obeying all commands.
Fu Nian sensed that his strength was getting out of control and relaxed his grip slightly. His tone was fierce, and he growled softly, “If I really smother you to death here, no one will ever know.”
“If you want to kill your husband, you should put a bit more effort into it instead of being so weak. Normally, you’re so nimble; how come you’re using so little strength now?”
A provocative tone, and Fu Nian’s left hand trembled slightly, but ultimately, he didn’t increase the pressure.
“Ah Nian, I never expected that you would eventually turn your fangs toward the master whom you usually don’t care about, simply because the master gave you the feeling of being discarded, gave you the intention of going to your death, and making you feel afraid,” Chu Zhaoyi’s voice was very soft, completely devoid of the forbidding tone from earlier. He tilted his head and looked at Fu Nian.
Fu Nian’s hand moved slightly, and his aggressive gaze wavered a bit. He realized that Chu Zhaoyi’s response was different from what he had expected. It felt like he had fallen into a trap.
“Ah Nian.”
After hearing this soft call, Fu Nian felt a pair of hands reaching around from behind. The Chu Zhaoyi who had been feeble and allowed himself to be exploited moments ago was no more.
The restraint from behind gradually tightened.
Fu Nian didn’t see it, but a trace of grimness flashed in Chu Zhaoyi’s eyes.
As if he had received a thoroughly satisfying answer, a silent smile crept onto his cold face.
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