Chapter 270: Chapter 270: Imperial Power Devours Its Own
The cry of the emerald birds rang out from outside the house.
Inside the house, Wen Yiran stopped talking, and Qiao Si was not talkative either. Soon, the room fell into dead silence.
Until the girl in the wheelchair slightly leaned forward.
"The tea rewarded by the palace is indeed excellent."
As the fragrance lingered on her lips and tongue, she passed her empty tea cup towards Qiao Si.
"...May I have another cup?"
This voice pulled Wen Yiran back from her memories to reality.
Xuan Chen arrived an hour later, still in his official clothes. He rushed in anxiously: "Ah Ran."
Even though they were married and Wen Yiran had become his partner, Xuan Chen still could not feel at ease.
He was carefully afraid of losing her.
And Wen Yiran, due to those experiences, had significantly changed. She had become unusually timid.
The couple had already been abandoned by the ravages of time for several years.
Upon seeing him, Wen Yiran quickly got up.
"Have you visited Yaoyao? She hasn’t seen you for a month and must be missing you terribly."
If it were the old her, she would definitely have thrown herself into his arms and pinched the soft flesh on his body.
—Xuan Chen, it’s all your fault.
Seeing this, Qiao Si quickly made space for the young couple to talk, and thus Shen Hua was pushed away again.
Because of this, Shen Hua felt distressed: "Can’t I stay?"
Qiao Si glared at her: "No."
"But I want to hear their personal conversations."
She wanted to!!!
Qiao Si helplessly said: "It’s a matter between husband and wife, why do you want to get involved?"
After some thought, Shen Hua told her the answer: "I’m being improper."
This choked Qiao Si up.
Inside the house, Xuan Chen approached Wen Yiran.
"Yaoyao has already been put to sleep by her Mama."
Upon hearing this, Wen Yiran nodded in relief.
"Then that’s good."
Xuan Chen looked at her: "I went to the Marquis Mansion first to see Yaoyao before coming to find you. Doesn’t that make you even slightly upset?"
"Balancing everything perfectly is too difficult."
Wen Yiran was considerate and thorough.
"Before I got married, Mama reminded me not to think that just because the little girl is young, she could be neglected. She’s just three years old, exactly at the age when she needs her Daddy. All the wet nurses have been sent back now, Yaoyao might be feeling scared and sad. You should spend more time with her."
Xuan Chen was momentarily stunned.
He had married the daughter of Prince Guo, and a month later, her father was punished. No one knew that that night, Cui Yun had sent him a letter.
At that time, he was suspicious, but still went to see someone in the pear garden that very night.
At that moment, Cui Yun was slumped on the couch, wrapped loosely in an outer garment. As Xuan Chen approached, he smelled a strong scent of blood.
Ying Yi entered carrying medicine, telling Cui Yun: "The Third Elder has been sent out of the city."
This was Xuan Chen’s first encounter with Ying Yi. But his mind was focused on Cui Yun.
"Who injured you!"
Cui Yun’s lips were very dry.
"This is Ying Yi, he’s been taking care of me for the last half year. If my cousin has something important, contact him."
Xuan Chen’s heart sank.
"What happened?"
He said: "I just removed the poisonous insect poison."
"When were you poisoned? I didn’t know about it."
Cui Yun pursed his lips: "A month ago."
Xuan Chen thought about how Cui Yun had obviously been taking care of Cui Rong at the Marquis Yangling Mansion recently. His face darkened suddenly: "What else are you hiding!"
"The matter of the poisonous insect poison involves Buhuo. We can’t pursue it for now."
Cui Yun looked pale as snow and shared the details of a previous assassination attempt.
"But I do have some leads about those men in black."
"Who!"
Cui Yun said sarcastically: "They harboured murderous intent toward me and their movements were vicious. During the struggle I managed to tear off a piece of one man’s mask and saw a tattoo behind his ear."
Although it was a fleeting glimpse, Cui Yun remembered it clearly.
"When taking care of sister Rong, I also spent time going through the booklet left by my brother, checking one by one."
"I finally found the most similar one."
Cui Yun told him: "It’s Hu Teng."
Xuan Chen’s expression turned extremely ugly upon hearing this. He also received the answer. He spoke word by word, as if filled with rage: "Imperial Guard?"
Cui Yun’s lips were very dry.
"Initially, I also did not want to believe that after my father and brothers died, leaving only my lineage in the Cui family, why would the Emperor still want to be ruthless towards me."
"However, seeing the burial of my father and brothers attended by thousands, I suddenly realized."
"With power overshadowing the sovereign, how could the Emperor be happy about this."
"Since my father and brothers have died, the honor they left behind will definitely fall upon me."
Xuan Chen trembled all over: "But, my uncle was loyal and earnest, with no intentions of rebelling."
A fierce ruthlessness flashed in Cui Yun’s eyes.
"Was Prince Huai’an Shao Wu ever harboring thoughts of rebellion back then?"
"Yet, the Prince Huai’an Mansion was still full of corpses everywhere, not sparing a single living soul!"
The imperial power devours people.
It’s ridiculous they only understand this truth now.
Xuan Chen struggled to digest all this.
Then.
He listened as Cui Yun asked with a calm voice that lacked any fluctuation, numbly inquiring.
"Cousin, these days I’ve been thinking about something terrifying, that one battle, losing three capable generals, one city, with soldiers suffering heavy losses, and the people dying in the crossfire, could it also have been his doing?"
No.
Xuan Chen wanted to say no.
He wanted to say Emperor He could not possibly be so heartless and cruel.
To eliminate the Xuan father and son, at the cost of surrounding the city in smoke, giving it up on a platter.
But...
His throat could not make a sound.
It sounded absurd, yet he seemed to believe it.
The one sitting on the Dragon Chair mourning, how could he not capriciously wave his hand, creating losses to write a decree that the Emperor’s authority cannot be violated.
Those whom the Imperial Family wants gone, must die.
If the Imperial Family wants Wen Yiran, they will stop at nothing to have her.
Just like Marquis Yangling Mansion, so is Earl Yong Chang.
Thus, Cui Yun silently allowed the decline of Marquis Yangling Mansion. In exchange for a new opportunity.
Thus, Xuan Chen no longer harbored any fantasies. He watched helplessly as Wen Yiran drifted further and further away from him.
Just as he told her on the day of their wedding.
Don’t look back.
This world should never have had Xuanyao.
Wasn’t this child also his powerlessness back then.
After Xuanyao was born, a small bundle, she slept sweetly in Xuan Chen’s arms, gradually she would turn over, she would call out ’Daddy’, and she would toddle towards him.
She was a vibrant life.
Xuan Chen’s indifference towards her gradually softened.
He never thought of remarrying.
Over time, Xuan Chen even felt that this was quite good. Until he met again the recently returned Wen Yiran in Shengjing.
It had been many years, his Ah Ran.
At that time, the girl quietly holding a book, when she saw him again, her eyes showed no ripples. She avoided looking at him any more than necessary, leading the maid behind her, and passed by him.
It should be so.
But Xuan Chen suddenly was not satisfied again.
It was the moment he saw Wen Yiran, his body began to tremble. He then realized retrospectively, how good it is to be alive.
He started to covet, started to be despicable.
He barged into the private room of Mingting Pavilion.
Wen Yiran was drinking tea.
He sat down opposite Wen Yiran.
Wen Yiran clenched her teacup tightly.
At her age, she was yet unmarried, returning to Shengjing, she had already been labeled an old maid by everyone. After she broke off her engagement with the Imperial Family, no one dared to marry her.
Now, he was no longer the young man from five years ago, powerless to even tie up a chicken.
He could endure, could scheme.
The cousins schemed a great game together.
He made the Imperial Family step by step send the beloved girl back to his side. Without sacrificing a single soldier.