Repeatedly broken branches

Chapter 105 Forever Apart

It was a winter rain, bitterly cold, and even the air was filled with mist.

Tragic news came from the Chen family: Chen Lanhe's father, Chen Yuan, died suddenly at home.

Now, in Yin Fu'an's eyes, he was a discarded pawn with no value whatsoever, so he resigned himself to his fate and asked that his son, Chen Zhuo, take over his position, which Yin Fu'an agreed to.

But Chen Zhuo was used to being a carefree and romantic young man, and he was not good at doing the work in the palace. Even a minor position as an imperial censor was a mess for him, and his position was demoted again and again. Now he is just a minor county magistrate.

Chen Yuan had been ill at home for a long time because of his affairs, and coupled with his old age and weak health, he suddenly died overnight from a stroke.

Yin Fu'an offered no words of comfort, allowing Chen Yuan's body to be kept at home for only one day before burying him.

Although Chen Zhuo was inexperienced, he could see that the Chen family was not what it used to be. In the past, his father had made great contributions in quelling the rebellion, and his sister was the Empress Dowager. Everyone had to respectfully call him the Imperial Brother-in-Law.

Relying on his family's glory, Chen Zhuo ran rampant in the capital, forcibly taking women from the countryside and repeatedly driving his wife, Zhou Ruishu, back to her mother's home.

When Chen Lanhe, who was pregnant, learned of the changes in her family, she repeatedly asked Yin Fu'an to allow her to pay respects at her father's grave, but Yin Fu'an did not respond.

That's truly the height of indifference.

There aren't many favored concubines in the palace now, and Consort Qing has the highest rank. Yin Fu'an hasn't taken away her power to manage the harem, so she is once again the powerful Consort Qing.

Chen Lanhe wrote many letters and gave them to the people around Yin Fu'an, but they were all rejected without any changes.

Her heart was completely broken. Even though her father had hurt her and her sister, he was still her father.

She no longer blamed her father, she really didn't.

What angered her was that her father conspired with Yin Fu'an to rebel, causing her sister's death, yet he left without giving her any explanation.

Since entering the palace, I have never seen my father again, as if he is deliberately avoiding me.

She just wanted an explanation: why, why did they collude with outsiders to harm their own people?

After their mother passed away, it was their father who raised the three of them. When they were young, their father was just a minor official, and the family was not very wealthy. But their father would always bring them delicious food and fun toys after court.

Father taught them to read and write, taught his brother martial arts, and told them that as long as Father was there, they had nothing to fear.

But how could such a father conspire with outsiders to rebel, and how could he kill his sister?

Chen Lanhe still cannot understand it.

But now that her father is gone, she suddenly realizes that none of that matters anymore. She is sad, sad that she didn't even get to see him one last time.

Why did their family encounter a beast like Yin Fu'an? If it weren't for Yin Fu'an, Chen Kingdom wouldn't be Jiuguang, their sister wouldn't have died, their family wouldn't have been threatened, and Deng Yizhi wouldn't have fled to Chaoyang.

Everything, everything, is because of Yin Fu'an.

But, she's pregnant with his child. What if the child in her womb is just as inhuman as Yin Fu'an?

She can feel the baby moving now. This child is a constant reminder that she is not alone. Behind her is the entire Chen family. If she is gone, the Chen family will be gone too.

"Sister, are you okay?"

"elder sister."

Liang Yuxue and Song Xinning were worried that Chen Lanhe would not be able to handle the blow, so they rushed to her palace immediately.

But after saying only one sentence, she sat there blankly, lost in thought, and remained silent for quite some time.

"It's nothing, Xin Ning. How long has it been since you last served the emperor?"

Song Xinning said, "It's March. The last time the dog emperor came was because he was drunk, and I had to serve him."

Chen Lanhe was momentarily dazed. It turned out that everyone was the same, even Consort Qing. Despite wielding great power in the palace, she was still favored just like the other concubines.

Yin Fu'an was focused on the battle at the front, and his most capable general was his cousin, Yin Wuchen.

When it comes to Yin Wuchen, the phrase that comes to mind most often is: "His martial arts skills are unparalleled in the world!"

She had never met Yin Wuchen, but she had heard of his name while she was still young. Although he was not a king or general, his martial arts skills were unparalleled. He was indifferent to worldly affairs and lived in seclusion in the mountains, following his master.

Yin Fu'an actually managed to persuade him to provoke a border war.

It's clear that Yin Wuchen is no gentleman either.

No wonder he was so confident in unifying the kingdoms. Yin Wuchen's martial arts were on par with Zhou Tingxi's, and most of Jiuguang's soldiers were trained by Zhou Tingxi himself.

……

Despite the torture, You did not divulge any information about the antidote. Yu Yanjing began to ponder; it seemed she truly did not know where the antidote was.

The imperial physicians in the palace usually just coast along, receiving their salaries, and are helpless when faced with difficult and complicated illnesses.

Zhou Tingxi mentioned that Ruan Cifeng had saved Xiao Mu from near death after an avalanche.

Yu Yanjing immediately invited Ruan Cifeng and his wife to stay in the palace for a few days. He saw Ruan Cifeng as if he had found a lifeline.

He still didn't dare to see Xiao Mu. He was afraid that if he saw her completely unaware of anything, he wouldn't be able to resist telling her everything.

Have you been feeling unwell lately?

Ruan Cifeng took her pulse again and again, but he could not see any signs of poisoning. Judging from her pulse and complexion, she was no different from an ordinary person.

How exactly can we find out where the poison has gone?

Xiao Mu shook her head and said, "I can eat and sleep well. Haven't you seen how much weight I've gained?"

Ruan Cifeng frowned as he packed away his medicine box. He had never heard of such a poison before, one that could take effect through the placenta. This was simply unheard of.

As Ruan Cifeng went outside, he was still thinking about Xiao Mu's pulse. The pregnancy was stable, and there seemed to be nothing wrong with it.

Xiao Shao looked at Ruan Cifeng with confusion, "Your expression seems a bit off. Is there something wrong with Her Majesty the Empress?"

No. You're overthinking it.

Ruan Cifeng walked faster and faster, leaving Xiao Shao far behind.

Xiao Shao was already used to him doing this.

They could only follow silently from behind. The Emperor's sudden summons to the palace seemed to be more than just a matter of helping the Empress to recuperate.

On the day of Wei Hao's wedding, Zhou Tingxi stayed in the tavern and did not attend. His mistake made Jiang Qi an innocent second Ouyang Meixi.

What face does he have to appear before Wei Hao?

"Drink less. You're going to Wei Hao's wedding. If you drink too much, I don't know how you'll be able to finish it." Green Plum leaned against another table, looking at Zhou Tingxi with a hint of tenderness in her eyes.

Zhou Tingxi didn't even look up, and poured himself another glass of wine.

Where did you go during that time?

Green Plum's expression turned cold. "Which period?"

"Where did you go when I went to the desert without you? Why have you reappeared now?"

Green Plum chuckled softly, "Me? I went to the Southern Frontier. For someone like me, where doesn't matter? I'm not going to stay here for long anyway."

She would never tell Zhou Tingxi that she had followed Da Mei to a tavern not far from where he was stationed, and that she had met a man who had swindled all her money.

Zhou Tingxi downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, looking at her with a half-smile in his eyes, "Would you be with someone you don't love?"

Green Plum answered without hesitation, "No."

She was deceived by Zichu before because she fell in love with him. Even though she was deceived, she truly loved him.

What's so scary about being alone? It's being with someone you don't love that's scary. She can't imagine what it would feel like to be intimate with someone you don't love.

"What would you do if something like that happened to you?"

Green Plum raised an eyebrow slightly, tapped her fingers lightly, and said with a smile, "I will not let such a thing happen. If I do not want to be with him, I would rather die than submit. Who can do anything to me? If you insist on sending your wife away regardless of everything, who can do anything to you?"

Zhou Tingxi felt that Lü Mei was like a different person. In the past, she was understanding and caring, but now she hid her sharpness and spoke her mind.

This surprised him.

She's right. If he forcefully sends Ouyang Meixi back, what can anyone do to him? Even if his mother forbids it, once he's sent away, he's sent away.

However, he must have had some unspeakable difficulties, and with Ouyang Meixi around, some unnecessary troubles were indeed resolved.

For example, he could bury his love for Xia Yunzhi deep in his heart without any restraint.

……

While You was imprisoned in the dungeon, the deafening wedding music that followed made her vaguely remember that today seemed to be the day Wei Hao was marrying Jiang Qi.

She smiled, realizing that Wei Hao had indeed married her.

There were no mirrors in the dungeon, so she couldn't see how badly she had been tortured. She guessed she was in a terrible state, just like her master.

The sunlight couldn't get in here, and it was gray all day long. The more it was like this, the more she missed her family in the Western Regions, missed her mother's milk custard, and missed her younger siblings calling her "sister, sister."

"You," Wei Hao called her name softly.

Am I hallucinating because I haven't heard his voice in so long?

This is a dungeon. Why would Wei Hao be here on his wedding day? It must be an illusion.

But he walked up to me, dressed in a bright red wedding robe, looking completely out of place in the gloomy environment.

He slowly squatted down, looked at himself, and called out again, "You, I'll take you out."

You shrank back in fear and whispered, "Who are you? Why are you taking me out?"

Wei Hao looked at her bitterly, then looked up and said, "I am Wei Hao. I'll take you out of here. Come with me now, let's elope, okay? Didn't you say before that we were going to elope? Does that still count?"

"But you're about to get married."

“No, Jiang Qi said she’s letting me go. Even though I know you approached me with ulterior motives, I still can’t let you go. Are you willing to come with me?” Wei Hao asked sincerely.

You pursed her lips and thought for a long time before slowly saying, "I don't want to. You should go back now. Miss Jiang is waiting for you. What will happen to her if you elope with me?"

She knew this feeling better than anyone. When her father and the wine seller ran away, her mother cried every day and almost died. If she hadn't been so worried about them, her mother might not have survived.

She knew what it felt like to be abandoned; she had been abandoned since childhood, so how could she let others live the same life?

"Since you already know that everything I did to you was premeditated, why did you still come to find me? Aren't you afraid that the Emperor will blame you? I have lost all my martial arts skills, my meridians are all broken, and my internal organs are all damaged. I don't even know how long I can live. Why did you come to find me?"

Wei Hao's eyes reddened, and he suppressed the stinging pain in his nose as he questioned, "Was it really premeditated? I don't believe it."

You clutched the tassel hidden in her sleeve, gritted her teeth and said, "Yes, I never like gentle people, because I think such people can't accomplish great things."

She once again struck Wei Hao with her words.

He was a gentle and kind person who could never lose his temper with anyone. He was patient and tolerant, humble and orderly. He had never accomplished anything great. If he hadn't followed Zhou Tingxi, he would probably still be just a low-ranking soldier.

"Yes, but this is all I can do. There's no other way. Now, let's not talk about this anymore. I'll take you away!" Wei Hao drew his sword and cut the iron lock on the cell door.

He burst into the cell, picked up the emaciated and limp You, and tried to rush out of the dungeon. You had no strength left; she knew she couldn't escape. There were heavy guards outside, and even if Wei Hao could get in smoothly, he might not be able to get out alive.

Wei Hao held himself in one arm while raising his sword with the other to fight off the jailers who surrounded him. They all advised him to drop the sword and put down the criminal in his arms.

She wasn't a criminal; she was his lover.

"General Wei, today is your joyous day, but don't be confused! Miss Jiang is still waiting for you in her room!"

"General, this woman is a criminal convicted of a serious crime by the Emperor himself. You must not get involved with her. She must have bewitched you with her lies. You must come to us immediately!"

Wei Hao wouldn't listen to their earnest advice; he repelled everyone who stood in his way.

He used to be reluctant to harm innocent people, just as You said, he couldn't just be a gentle person, he should also be ruthless.

"Wei Hao, put me down, you can't get out." You wasn't worried about herself. As long as she didn't reveal what the antidote was, Yu Yanjing wouldn't kill her.

But Wei Hao is different. He is an important official in the court and the son-in-law of the Jiang family. If he loses his life because of him, she will not let him go even if she dies.

Was it premeditated?

No.

Wei Hao, I truly want to be with you forever, but fate has decreed that as a spy, I cannot have a good end. You are different; you are a deputy general, with a bright and promising future. I can only rot in the mud.

You's wrist still had strength, so she gripped the tassel with all her might, hiding it in her wide sleeve.

She gripped the tassel tightly, looked up at Wei Hao, the man who had once promised her a lifetime, and now she would take one last look at him.

I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.

My feelings for you were not premeditated, but rather a love that lasted a lifetime from the first glance. With just one look, she wanted to entrust the rest of her life to Wei Hao.

Unfortunately, it was all a mistake.

Father, if you are still alive, and the wine-loving woman is no longer by your side, could you go back and see Mother and your younger siblings?

You felt that the faint sunlight was dazzling, but the sunlight was so weak, so why was it dazzling?

She huddled in Wei Hao's arms, struggling to breathe. The noise, admonitions, and curses around her diminished considerably.

Finally, it quieted down, but why did she feel more and more tired? Even breathing, which is easy for an ordinary person, became incredibly difficult.

Wei Hao's tears fell on her face. She tried to reach out and catch them, but the tendons in her arm were severed. She had no strength. Ouch, it hurt so much. It was a pain that made her whole body numb.

"Wei Hao... goodbye... goodbye."

The hot tears that fell on her face turned cold, fading away like her breath. In her ears was Wei Hao's heart-wrenching roar. The last time she saw Wei Hao was when he was wearing a red wedding robe, so handsome.

Wei Hao. If in my next life I am not a spy, but just an ordinary woman, I will definitely come to find you. Wait for me.

Jiang Qi ran over in her bright red wedding dress and saw Wei Hao kneeling on the ground, holding You's body and weeping bitterly. She knew then that she could never be with Wei Hao in this lifetime.

He had someone else in his heart, so she let him go, but he still couldn't leave, and she herself couldn't escape the fate of marrying someone else who occupied the place in her heart.