Inside the elegant room, the fragrance of tea lingered.
The weather was gradually warming. With the windows open under the bright light, the wind blew in with only a slight chill.
But, without reason, Ning Yunling shivered with cold.
Footsteps ca from behind.
He turned his head. Through a screen, he couldn’t see the scene outside clearly, only vaguely made out a silhouette.
"Who is it?"
Ning Yunling’s displeasure was written all over his face.
"Sneaking around outside, actually eavesdropping on this Princely Heir’s conversation!"
The voice was just like that of his dead cousin!
Was this an intentional imitation?
Wasn’t this deliberately poking at his sore spot?
Ning Yunling, not knowing his limits, angrily shouted, "You blind thing! Get in here imdiately!"
His montum was strong.
Very much in the style of the Princely Heir from the Ning Family.
Yu Tingwan looked at Ning Yunling with a newfound affection that she hadn’t shown before.
In the distinguished Duke Mansion of Shangjing, Marquis Ning’s strategies and courage were not outstanding, but still respectable. These two cousins were only a year apart, but Ning Yunling’s attentions were entirely focused on Wei Zhao.
As the footsteps approached.
The man was tall and upright, dressed in a black robe, with his hair held up by a jade crown. His finely chiseled face revealed sharp edges and a high nose bridge.
His eyes were dark with no ripple of emotion, extrely cold, with a pervasive chill that penetrated the bones.
Wei Family sons were always known for their exceptional grace.
Yet he appeared in a sickly state.
His face was pale without any color.
In Yu Tingwan’s eyes, he seed even more frail than Xishi.
In Ning Yunling’s eyes, he was like a formidable god of death.
He was the only son of the Ning Family, spoiled since childhood, fearless of heaven or earth, but terrified of his cousin Wei Zhao.
If he caused trouble outside, his father would only punish him by making him kneel in the ancestral hall, but Wei Zhao, considering Marquis Ning’s actions too lenient, applied the family law directly.
He lay bedridden for a little less than half a month.
After he was able to get up, he was ek and well-behaved for a while.
The whole family found it astonishing.
He wouldn’t listen to reason, wouldn’t heed gentle advice not to cause trouble, turns out he just needed a good thrashing.
Until Wei Zhao went off to war, with no one to keep him in check, he showed his true colors again.
Marquis Ning followed suit and tried to enforce the family law.
But...
He feared beating this brat too severely.
Ning Yunling wasn’t afraid at all.
So much so that every ti Wei Zhao returned, the first thing he did after greeting the emperor was to see him.
Hmm...
Personally handle him.
Though only a year older, Ning Yunling often didn’t dare to breathe heavily in front of him.
Yet he admired this cousin.
He wasn’t very bright, and once, being used as a tool by so dissolute youths, he got involved in a heinous rape and murder case. Confused, he was thrown into jail.
All the evidence pointed to him, yet he couldn’t defend himself, whatever he said appeared as cunning words to outsiders.
The murdered woman’s identity was not low, she was from the Empress’s family.
Ning Yunling didn’t know that the true mastermind behind the incident was actually the Crown Prince.
The Duke Shun Mansion never participated in factional strife. The Crown Prince tried to win them over but failed, and with Wei Zhao not yielding to any pressure, they used Ning Yunling as leverage.
Ning Yunling had the Ning family supporting him.
The Ning Family was allied with the Duke Shun Mansion.
But he
But Ning Yunling knew that the entire family was at a loss, anxious as ants on a hot pan.
The Crown Prince, outwardly amiable and benevolent, only wanted Wei Zhao to concede, he never intended to push things to the brink. So he didn’t let Ning Yunling suffer in prison.
But Ning Yunling felt he suffered.
Though he hadn’t been interrogated or whipped.
But...
The prison was filled with an unbearable stench.
The sll of blood mixed with the rancid odor of prisoners who hadn’t bathed in ages.
The food was unpalatable, and there were rats scurrying about.
He had never suffered before; it was a blow to both his mind and body.
The more he thought about it, the more wronged he felt.
He even cried!!!
After two days, Wei Zhao ca.
Looking gloomy, when he saw Ning Yunling’s miserable state, he didn’t say a word and took him out.
The prison guards wanted to stop them but were kicked away by him.
The eunuch next to the Crown Prince hurried over.
"Hey, General, you’re in a hurry, but you can’t..."
Wei Zhao coldly interrupted.
"Go back and tell your master, I don’t fear trouble, but I also don’t seek it. It’s not good to make a deal that isn’t worth the cost."
"I’ve taken the man, my younger brother is still young and can’t withstand storms, I hope the Crown Prince won’t jest with him."
Just two sentences made the eunuch fall silent.
Wei Zhao indeed had this confidence.
Taking the person out ant he was innocent. The case could be frad on Ning Yunling, but it could also be cleared, all depending on the Crown Prince’s whims.
Wei Zhao’s ssage was clear; this ti could be regarded as a joke.
He wouldn’t mind.
Whoever stirred up the trouble would handle it.
If there was a next ti, it would only leave the Crown Prince disgraced.
The Crown Prince was gnashing his teeth in hatred.
But indeed...
If he really offended him, turning Wei Zhao to the Fifth Prince Faction would truly be a loss far greater than the gains.
The matter was eventually hushed up.
Handled smoothly.
Everyone knew Ning Yunling was wronged, and those dissolute youths ’admitted to the cri and received punishnt.’
Wei Zhao and Crown Prince Ying Yi seed to have no rift, appeared to reconcile, and could still chat amiably when they t again.
Every ti Ning Yunling thought about this, his blood boiled.
But now, his blood wouldn’t heat.
He stared intently at the person in front of him.
As if afraid of seeing it wrong.
Afraid it was a dream.
Ning Yunling rolled off the chair and landed on the ground with a thud.
"Finished."
"I’ve longed day and night, yet it never entered my dreams."
He was terrified, "In broad daylight, I saw a ghost."
Shen Zhiyi:...
Oh dear, she saw it too.
Wei Zhao stopped, no longer moving, standing not too near nor too far, his lips slightly pulled in a smirk, "Is this playing dead again?"
Such chilly words Ning Yunling had heard too many tis.
"If you cause trouble again, I won’t let you off lightly."
"Fell into my hands again, can’t you make so progress?"
"Ning Yunling, don’t always make punish you."
"At the Imperial College mock exam, you and Xiao Huaian competing for the bottom rank? He doesn’t want to use his brain, but you have none. Is your head just for decoration? If you’re not going to use it, might as well kick it. You get sold by others and help count the money, still clueless?"
"Fought with soone again, just fight then. But you lost? Can’t you be a little bit more promising?"
And... his last two sentences to him.
"Yunling, you need to grow up. I ultimately can’t protect you forever."
Back then, he foolishly asked why not.
Wei Zhao simply looked up at the moonlight, appearing lonely.
"I get tired too."
So, he died.
Ning Yunling stared blankly, as if he couldn’t get enough of looking.
With a cracking sound, Shen Zhiyi’s fan fell to the ground again.
But she forgot to pick it up.
Seeing soone who should have been in a coffin standing in front of them, how could Shen Zhiyi not be frightened?
Moreover, after that prison incident, she was already scared of Wei Zhao.
Didn’t dare to speak, or move.
Only her eyes rolled to look at Yu Tingwan.
The girl, with her chin propped up, smiled brightly.
Truly, ignorance is fearless.
She shivered, wanting to run to Yu Tingwan.
Sohow, she felt that her fearless character warded off evil.
That sound was not loud, yet it made Ning Yunling shudder heavily, suddenly awakening from his reverie.
His eyes reddened, he hastily got up from the ground, rushed over shouting mournfully.
"Cousin!"
When he reached Wei Zhao, before he could speak, tears were already flowing down.
"How co even after death you’re still so sickly! You look so thin, are you not doing well in the Yama Hall?"
User Comments
0 comments from readers