Repeatedly broken branches

Chapter 114 Unforeseen

The moon was shining brightly tonight, and Yin Fu'an was in a good mood, so he let Chen Lanhe stay overnight at Zhaohua Palace. He held the child for a while and then let the wet nurse take him away.

She achieved her goal, but she wasn't happy.

He treats himself better than his children.

After a passionate encounter, Yin Fu'an held her in his arms. If he hadn't been about to leave for war in a few days, he wouldn't have been so unable to control himself.

She had just given birth, and she was already so impatient.

This wasn't his usual style, but he had worries in his heart, and only by possessing her fiercely could he find release.

Chen Lanhe nestled in his arms and whispered, "Why...why don't you want to see us, mother and child?"

"Hmm?" Yin Fu'an's voice was very gentle, at least gentler than before.

"Is it because I'm not obedient enough? If I behave well in the future, will you come to see us more often?" Chen Lanhe didn't understand how she had changed. Would she become like the women in the harem? Or perhaps she was different; they did it for themselves, while she did it for her child.

In order for the child to be valued, one can only sacrifice oneself.

Yin Fu'an stroked her hair, a hint of relief in his eyes. He said earnestly, "I really don't know how to treat you."

He could act according to his own whims with Consort Kang Yan, and he could do the same with Consort Qing and Xia Yunxu, but when it came to Chen Lanhe, it seemed that nothing could work. She was capricious and had someone else in her heart!

Yin Fu'an constantly reminded herself that she had someone else in her heart.

"Then Your Majesty can rest assured, I will not be as willful as before, and will be a good concubine."

"Really?"

Chen Lanhe nodded. "After having a child, I thought a lot. Perhaps the Emperor is the one we can truly rely on."

These words were not from her heart, and she found it difficult to say them. But since she was already involved, did it matter whether her words were sincere or not? As long as she flattered and said some insincere things, she could gain trust. Why not?

Yin Fu'an was greatly shocked. He couldn't believe that the woman in his arms had changed so much just because she had given birth to a child. No wonder he was shocked; anyone else would have been too.

He tenderly stroked the hair of the woman in his arms, feeling guilty for not being there for her during childbirth, for neglecting the Sixth Prince, and for not being able to see her despite her repeated attempts to do so. Gradually, his entire heart was filled with guilt.

If she had been willing to yield earlier, she would still be the esteemed empress. At this moment, he considered re-establishing an empress.

But think about Consort Qing. She has the entire Snow Region Kingdom behind her. Even if no empress is appointed, she is the highest-ranking person in the palace. Naturally, the Snow Region Kingdom wouldn't dare to say anything. But if an empress is appointed and it threatens her position, then who knows what will happen.

Now, even the decision to appoint an empress depends on the whims of the Snow Region Kingdom.

He mocked himself, saying that his abilities were still not great enough. He would cut off the heads of Zhou Tingxi and Deng Yizhi when he personally went to conquer the world, so that the world would learn from their mistakes and Chen Lanhe would give up on him completely.

Seeing the delicate woman in his arms already asleep from exhaustion, his guilt deepened. He kissed her forehead reluctantly and silently vowed that from this day forward, he would only love her.

The emperor's oath should be taken as nothing more than a joke.

And who knows how many times a person can be sincere again after their sincerity has been lost?

……

Xiao Mu opened Yu Yanjing's letter and read it word for word. A smile crept onto her lips. She wondered what had gotten into Yin Fu'an that made him personally lead the army into battle.

The battle between the two sides was fierce and intense. However, neither the Chaoyang army nor the Yin army suffered any losses, and the stalemate continued as before.

"Your Majesty, I have something to tell you," Xiao Shao whispered mysteriously in her ear. "I'm pregnant."

"Really?"

Xiao Mu looked at her with surprise and quickly helped her sit down, scolding her for serving her even though she was pregnant. She worried that Ruan Cifeng would be furious with her if he found out.

Little Spoon nodded shyly, "It's been a month already, I only found out yesterday."

Xiao Mu grinned from ear to ear, "Now Xiao Ran'er will have a companion. You won't have to be envious of other people's children every day anymore."

"Ah."

She was genuinely happy for Xiao Shao. After following her for so many years, Xiao Shao had finally found a good home and had her own child.

Her life was finally complete.

Xiao Shao sighed softly, feeling an indescribable and extremely uncomfortable feeling in her heart.

After she became pregnant, Xiao Mu stopped letting her come to Zi Ning Palace to serve her and instead had her stay in her own palace to rest and prepare for childbirth.

But she couldn't stay idle, and with Ruan Cifeng busy with the medical clinic outside the palace, it was inevitable that she would feel lonely living alone in the palace.

So she brought some food to visit him.

Upon arriving at the clinic, Ruan Cifeng, who had been sitting outside seeing patients, immediately turned cold upon seeing her.

"Why are you here?" It was as if she couldn't have come.

She was already used to Ruan Cifeng's behavior, so she took out some pastries and placed them on the table, saying to herself, "I brought you some food."

"Okay, the things have been delivered. You can go back now." He didn't even glance at me and continued writing the prescription.

Xiao Shao walked to his side, tugged at his sleeve, and asked, "Are you still blaming me? I'm sorry."

Ruan Cifeng then looked up at her briefly before burying himself back in his writing. His heart was now completely unmoved, so why did she bring up those painful memories?

"I shouldn't have used the Empress's matter to blackmail you. I just wanted a child. I won't treat you like that again. I'm sorry." Her words were sincere, and her eyes were filled with tears.

"It's all in the past," Ruan Cifeng said casually, but his heart was already riddled with wounds.

He never expected that Xiao Shao would use her severed finger as a threat to force him to consummate the marriage with her, nor did he know how Xiao Shao knew that her severed finger was for the sake of the Empress.

He didn't want the Empress to know, so he was forced to consummate his marriage with Xiao Shao. It was the first time since their marriage that they had slept in the same bed. Even though he was unwilling and disgusted, he could bear it as long as he thought of her.

All she wants is a child, so let's give her a child.

His heart ached terribly, as if he were unclean. He spent the entire night soaking in the bathtub, hoping to wash away the filth.

...

The heavy snow had been falling for several days, and the entire Silong Mountain was covered in snow. The ground was white, and the trees were bare, unlike when it was lush and green when we first arrived.

After finishing the last steamed bun, Ah Chu patted Jiang Qi on the back and said, "Let's go, it's our turn to water the horses today."

"Hmm." Jiang Qi dusted himself off, stood up, and walked ahead of A Chu.

Ah Chu suddenly stopped, rolled her eyes, and said, "I'm going to relieve myself. You go to the stable first, I'll be right back."

"it is good."

Jiang Qi gave Wei Hao, who was hiding behind a tree, a wink. Wei Hao then waved slightly to the soldiers behind him, and they followed quietly.

He got away with it the last few times, but this time, he probably won't.

Jiang Qi looked up at the sky and couldn't help but think of Ah Chu's mother. If Ah Chu really died, his mother would be heartbroken.

But so what? Since he had made up his mind to become a spy for Yin Jun, he should have expected this day to come. It was just his own fault.

Wei Hao stared at her, seemingly guessing what she was thinking, and asked directly, "Are you sad?"

"What do you think?" Jiang Qi turned to him and asked, "Were you sad when You died?"

Wei Hao stood there speechless, stunned. He hadn't expected Jiang Qi to bring this up, but what could he do? He was the one who had wronged her.

"You should know that I feel the same way you do, since you don't say anything."

Wei Hao's eyes were filled with pain. "You care about him?"

Jiang Qi stared at him and said, "Even cats and dogs develop feelings for each other after spending a long time together, let alone people. But I won't do anything to him, because he deserved to die."

Just like You, he deserved to die, right?

Her eyes seemed to be telling her this, or perhaps not.

Before long, Ah Chu and several spies were intercepted by Wei Hao's men. There were six of them in total, and they were discovered by Jiang Qi after months of observation.

Yu Yanjing knew that she had made great contributions, so he asked her what reward she wanted. She shook her head and said that she didn't want anything.

When Ah Chu saw her change back into her daughter's clothes, he didn't show much shock, because he had known from the beginning.

Ah Chu and six other spies were locked in a tent, heavily guarded outside, making escape difficult for them.

"Madam, that man named Ah Chu wishes to see you," one of the soldiers reported.

"Okay. I'll be there in a bit," Jiang Qi said with a slight smile.

Wei Hao stopped her, "You're not allowed to go. What if your life is in danger?"

"Have you forgotten? We don't interfere with each other. There are so many people guarding outside, what danger could there be?"

For some reason, Jiang Qi seems to be constantly opposing Wei Hao, both openly and secretly, and she seems to be very bothered by his past with You.

"This time, will you listen to me?" Actually, Wei Hao wasn't worried about her safety, but the thought of Jiang Qi dressing up to meet a man made him inexplicably reluctant to let her go.

Security is just a facade.

Jiang Qi stubbornly pushed away Wei Hao, who was blocking his way. Did she not know whether it was safe or not? What danger was there to her life? Ah Chu was already being watched. If she didn't get close to him, what could he do to her?

Knowing he couldn't stop her, Wei Hao let her go. He stared at her back for a long time, feeling a pang of sadness, before getting busy with the celebration banquet that evening.

Ah Chu was chained to a pillar, unable to move his limbs, and his face was covered in several whip marks, a bloody mess.

"Are you looking for me?"

He chuckled softly, "You knew I was a spy all along, didn't you? Actually, I knew you were Madam Wei all along too. We were both keeping secrets from each other, yet we still managed to become friends."

Jiang Qi said indifferently, "If you weren't a spy, perhaps we could really become friends."

"Impossible. Yin Wuchen has been kind to me. I would gladly give my life for him." A-Chu suddenly looked up at her and smiled.

Jiang Qi stood at a distance, curiously observing him before finally unable to resist asking, "How exactly do you know Yin Wuchen?"

"I can't tell you that, but I'm afraid I won't be able to drink my mother's wine again. You'll have to drink it for me later. Don't let her know I'm dead, or she'll be sad."

Jiang Qi pursed his lips and said, "Aren't you afraid of upsetting her by doing something like this? Have you ever thought about how she'll live with a bad reputation? You're her only son. If you die, how will she live?"

Ah Chu smiled and said calmly, "Everyone has their own destiny. I really considered you a friend. I miss the nights we spent watching the stars together on the hillside. It's a pity we can never go back."

Jiang Qi felt a lump in her throat. Ah Chu treated her quite well; she would always save the best food for her and think of her first when there was something delicious to eat.

Friends, of course they are friends.

But their positions meant they could never be friends. She was only a friend to him, and besides, it was she who devised the plan to capture Ah Chu. In the face of right and wrong, even friends cannot be used as shields.

"Should I call you Jiang Qi now?" He suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing. "Apart from my identity, I haven't lied to you about anything else. From the beginning, I knew you were a woman, and I knew you were Madam Wei. My closeness to you was for Wei Hao's sake, but I was genuinely good to you. You're the only woman who didn't look down on me. When I was little, my family was poor, and I was ugly, so no boys played with me, let alone girls. They all avoided me. Only you... only you didn't look down on me, and you were willing to lie with me to watch the stars, eat with me, and water the horses with me. I really miss those times, I miss them so much..."

There seemed to be tears glistening in his eyes.

Jiang Qi felt a sharp pain in her heart. She said calmly, "I will take care of your mother. Go in peace. I will burn paper money for you when you get to the underworld."

Ah Chu gave a cold laugh. "No need for burning paper money. What's the point of you burning paper money for me? I just hope that when my mother brews wine in the future, you'll drink a pot for me. She loves brewing wine the most, and I'm afraid that if no one drinks her wine, she'll be unhappy." After saying that, he laughed, a laugh that was so carefree.

A soldier's voice came from outside the door: "Madam, the general wants you to come back quickly."

Jiang Qi was a little annoyed. She had only been out for a short time, and Wei Hao was already urging her to go back. Had he completely forgotten their agreement to not interfere with each other? Or had he gotten so used to managing others that he wanted to manage her too?

Ah Chu smiled gently, "Go back, be careful on the road. After today, we will be separated forever. I hope you will still remember me."

Jiang Qi thought for a long time but couldn't think of what to say to him. This was their last sentence together, so she had to think it through carefully before speaking.

In the end, she didn't say anything and left, her face pale.

Ah Chu looked up at the top of the tent, recalling the night they first saw the stars. Although things seemed calm on the surface, his heart was in turmoil, because he had always known that the thin, weak soldier named Bin was a woman.

At dawn, Ah Chu had barely opened his eyes when he was taken to a desolate area several miles from the camp for execution. He took one last look in the direction of his home, his heart aching for a long time. He had a piece of dried meat hidden in his clothes, which he had intended to give to Yin Jun after finishing his correspondence; it seemed she would never get to eat it.

In the afternoon, Jiang Qi, who hadn't slept all night, finally managed to fall asleep in the early morning and slept until after lunch. On the table were the dishes Wei Hao had left for her, all of which were her favorites, mostly meat dishes, as she preferred meat to vegetables.

When she was at home, her mother would always put lots and lots of green vegetables on her plate, not letting her be picky about food, but she would always try to find ways to throw them away.

But looking at this plate full of meat, I had no appetite at all. It wasn't that I wasn't hungry, but that I couldn't eat it.

She put on her shoes and went outside. A group of soldiers walked past her and respectfully called out, "Madam Wei." She smiled wryly and walked to the entrance of Wei Hao's tent, wanting to see if he was there. But the curtain was not fully drawn, leaving a small gap.

She could clearly see that Wei Hao was reclining on the soft couch, holding a tassel in his hand, looking extremely sad, as if he was about to cry at any moment.

This tassel was the one he clutched in his hand when he died; he actually carried it close to his body. Haha, he truly loved her deeply.

She didn't know whether to feel sad or sigh, so she just stood outside and stared at him for a long, long time. She had never dared to look into her own heart, but now she realized there was no need to. She could never have this man, neither as a person nor in his heart.

It would have been better to live a carefree life, without children or strife. Was the mother truly happy after giving birth to four children? Her three older brothers also have their own wives and children; are they truly happy?

She has an aunt who is nearly forty years old, but looks as fair and lovely as a girl in her early twenties. Even though she is criticized for not getting married, she lives a truly carefree life.