Chapter 74: Aftermath
Wen Ning’an woke up with a start. He opened his eyes and saw that the room was empty. The space beside him was cold, and he was the only one on the bed.
“Huaitian!”
The sky had not yet fully brightened, and the surroundings were dim. Wen Ning’an, in a panic, threw off the covers, jumped out of bed, and rushed out of the hall.
Fu Che, who had been waiting outside the door, saw him run out barefoot in only his inner robe and was so scared he hurriedly stopped him. “Your Highness, what’s wrong with you!”
Wen Ning’an said incoherently, “He’s not here, Huaitian…”
Fu Che immediately said, “Your Highness, don’t panic. His Majesty went out to deal with the aftermath after seeing that you were asleep.”
“I’m going to find him.” With that, Wen Ning’an pushed Fu Che away and headed for the hall door. However, before his front foot could even step out, his back foot ran headlong into a hard chest.
Wen Ning’an was knocked back a few steps and subconsciously covered his forehead and nose.
“Yixin?” Seeing his bare feet, Feng Qi picked him up and frowned. “What are you doing? It’s the middle of winter. Don’t you know how cold the ground is? Never mind the outer robe, you’re not even wearing shoes. You really are…”
Wen Ning’an was held in Feng Qi’s arms, his ear pressed against his chest. Only then did he feel at ease.
He had thought that last night was just a dream…
To lose is naturally painful, but to lose again after having regained, he would truly go mad.
“Huaitian.”
“Mmm.”
“Huaitian.” Wen Ning’an’s arms wrapped around his neck.
“Mmm, I’m here.” Feng Qi smiled and placed him back on the bed.
He also lay back down. “It was my fault. I didn’t tell you in advance that I was going to deal with the aftermath of the battlefield and the Li family. And that traitor, Gao Lan, who almost got us killed at Jueyan. The court is now in full pursuit of him.”
Wen Ning’an frowned. “Why didn’t you wake me?”
“I’ll do it. You were so tired last night. I couldn’t bear to drag you up to deal with those dull court matters.” Feng Qi smiled. “The most important duty of His Highness the Regent now is to give birth to the crown prince safely.”
Although he hadn’t really been with Feng Qi, Wen Ning’an was still exhausted and had slept like a log. This was more because the worries in his heart had been lifted, and his nerves were no longer tense, so he had naturally slept deeply.
Wen Ning’an raised an eyebrow. “Speaking of which, you should withdraw my position as regent. Even after the child is born in the future, if the battlefield needs me, I will still go on campaigns.”
“A regent can’t go on campaigns? You can do whatever you want.”
Oh, that familiar tone of a fatuous ruler…
Wen Ning’an smiled faintly, but as if remembering something, he reached out and held Feng Qi’s hand, saying in a low voice, “I know why you practiced Annihilating Yang White Bone.”
Feng Qi was stunned.
“You deceived me.”
Feng Qi squeezed the hand that was holding his. “I was just afraid you would be sad.”
Wen Ning’an buried his head in Feng Qi’s chest.
Feng Qi said, “You’re not allowed to cry. You haven’t recovered from last night yet, and your eyes are still swollen.”
“I’m not crying. But you’re not allowed to deceive me in the future. If you deceive me again, I will take Long’er and run away from home.”
“Alright, alright. If I deceive you again, I’ll be your grandson.”
The two of them were nestled in bed. Feng Qi held Wen Ning’an and changed the subject. “Last night, Li Huaisheng pleaded with me, begging me to spare his father’s life. But I will not agree.”
Seeing that Wen Ning’an just nodded, without objecting or frowning, Feng Qi was slightly relieved and continued, “But I have exempted the crime of implicating the nine clans. The Empress Dowager, Li Huaisheng’s mother and sister, and the other members of the Li family who have been verified not to have participated in this rebellion have all been pardoned by me.”
Wen Ning’an said, “That’s good. You decide.”
He had never interfered with Feng Qi’s decisions, but at this moment, he was quite surprised that he would actually accept Li Huaisheng’s plea. Originally, with Feng Qi’s temperament, he would have cut the grass and removed the roots, rather killing by mistake than letting go.
Feng Qi snorted. “You don’t have to be surprised. Li Huaisheng… he has done you a favor. When I wasn’t around, he was the one who protected you.”
Although Feng Qi was unwilling to admit it, he knew in his heart that Li Huaisheng had truly given a lot for Wen Ning’an.
Wen Ning’an chuckled softly. “You haven’t told me yet. How did you escape from Jueyan Cliff?”
Feng Qi said, “Annihilating Yang White Bone may be an evil technique, but this time, I wouldn’t have been able to live without it. In the end, I relied on its heaven-defying inner energy to climb up step by step. After that, I immediately rushed to Nanxiang day and night to negotiate for reinforcements. I was able to hold on all the way and am now fine. Heh, it’s quite ironic.”
Wen Ning’an blinked.
Feng Qi continued, “It was Senior Zhou who saved me, but it’s a pity… he sacrificed his life to save me. His martial arts were superb. He used the others as a cushion all the way down, and when he reached the bottom, besides being seriously injured, he still had a breath left. I was originally about to die at that time, but Annihilating Yang White Bone protected my heart meridian, and Senior used his own soul to extend my life.”
Wen Ning’an nodded. He had indeed seen Zhou Wuxin also jump down that day, and no one could stop him. Now, hearing what Feng Qi said, besides being surprised, he felt a pain in his heart.
“Has Senior’s body been brought up? We must give him a proper burial. If not for him this time, perhaps you wouldn’t have been able to come back…”
“No. Before he breathed his last, he told me not to bring his body up.”
Wen Ning’an frowned. “Why?”
“We found Murong Ya’s body at the bottom of the cliff. Senior seemed to have finally fulfilled his long-cherished wish and instructed me to bury the two of them together. And Senior also found the true Yingyue Zhuori mental cultivation method on Murong Ya’s body.”
“Yingyue Zhuori?!” Wen Ning’an said with pleasant surprise, “Then can’t I practice this mental cultivation method to solve your evil technique?”
Feng Qi smiled. “Yes. This time, it was truly a blessing in disguise.”
“It’s just a pity about Senior Zhou…”
Feng Qi comforted him, “It’s not a pity. Senior said that to be able to slightly atone for his sins before he died, which was to save me, he died without any regrets. He also said that the heavens, seeing this, had shown mercy and let him die with Murong Ya, with no more regrets in his life. I think that dying like this, on the contrary, was a forgiveness for Senior.”
Wen Ning’an was surprised. Zhou Wuxin had personally killed Murong Ya back then. Weren’t the two of them mortal enemies? He didn’t quite understand what Feng Qi was saying.
Feng Qi had Wen Ning’an rest his head on his arm and held him. “Come, let me tell you the story of Senior Zhou and Murong Ya in detail…”
At the first light of dawn, the white snow was illuminated. In the room, the two of them held each other, relying on each other by the charcoal fire, warm from heart to body.
The prison was dim, with insufficient charcoal fire, and the dampness was heavy.
Li Yuxi, dressed in white prison clothes, was leaning against the wall, his hands and feet in shackles. His hair was messy, his face was sallow, and he no longer had the look of a high and mighty strategist. Another cold wind blew in through the window into the narrow cell. He thought to himself, Anyway, I’m about to die. I shouldn’t ask for any comfort.
“Clang—”
The cell door was gently knocked, reminding him that someone had come. Outside the door were two men in black. One was a shadow of the Li family, and the other was…
Li Yuxi raised an eyebrow and smiled. “At this point, Your Highness is still willing to risk being beheaded to secretly come and see this subject. This subject is truly moved.”
Feng Ji said coldly, “It was Lord Li who said that it was bound to succeed and used so many of my forces and men that I had accumulated over the years. Now, it has all come to nothing.”
Li Yuxi shook his head. “It was this subject’s miscalculation. I never would have expected Feng Qi to be able to come back from the dead, to escape death even from Jueyan Cliff. It is truly… extremely strange.”
Feng Ji said, “Then what will you do now? I can’t get you out. What about the great cause you spoke of? All for nothing?”
Li Yuxi curled his lips and smiled. “Your Highness, you have lost the throne. It is useless to act spoiled with me. You have only lost the throne, but I have lost my life. For you to seek an explanation from a dying man, isn’t that childish?”
Feng Ji trembled with anger.
Li Yuxi admired his expression for a while before handing him a letter.
“This is this subject’s last care for Your Highness. Feng Qi had no regard for brotherly affection back then and gave you a cup of poisoned wine without a change in expression. This subject knows that Your Highness will one day personally kill him to avenge yourself, and also to avenge this subject.”
Feng Ji took the letter and was about to say something when the shadow guard said anxiously, “Your Highness, someone is coming! We shouldn’t stay here for long.”
The two of them had no choice but to leave in a hurry.
The person who came was Li Huaisheng.
Li Yuxi looked at the tall young man outside the bars, his heart a little complicated. Ever since he had gone to the frontier, he had never looked at this rebellious son of his properly.
But this “traitorous” son was now pleading for him and the Li family.
Li Huaisheng took out a few delicacies and a bowl of steaming hot white rice from a basket and placed them by the cell door. He then respectfully handed the chopsticks to him. “I asked mother. These are all father’s favorites.”
There was fish and meat, vegetables and soup. It was quite a feast. Li Yuxi was not coy and took the bowl and chopsticks and began to eat on his own.
Li Huaisheng said, “I have already pleaded with His Majesty, only asking him to spare father’s life.”
Li Yuxi sneered. “Feng Qi will absolutely not let me live. I know him. If he is willing to let me live, then he is not Feng Qi.”
Li Huaisheng was silent.
Li Yuxi said, “In the future… the Li family will depend on you.”
Li Huaisheng was stunned, staring blankly at his father.
Li Yuxi didn’t look at him, just saying in a flat tone, “I will surely die, but the Li family will not be completely wiped out like this. I know your temperament. This is also good. In the future… you will lead the Li family on the right path.”
“Yes…”
Li Yuxi looked at the snowflakes outside the bars, feeling very emotional.
The Xu family had fallen, and now the Li family was also on its last breath. Everything was indeed as Feng Qi had hoped. Now, he truly held the entire Bei Miao in his hands.
And every time a position was vacant, it would be filled by a member of the Wen family. The Wen family was rising through the ranks in the court, several times faster than ordinary people. Wen Ning’an was now not only carrying the crown prince, but was also the regent…
Li Yuxi shook his head. He was wrong. This country was held tightly in Feng Qi’s hands, but it was Wen Ning’an who held Feng Qi’s hand tightly.
“Changed, changed,” Li Yuxi smiled and ate a few mouthfuls of rice. He would rather be a full dead ghost than a hungry one!
