Chapter 526: Deep Love
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
None of them were too worried when King You of the Imperial Court entered the capital. King You had turned the situation in the North around, and Prince
Yin had also prepared evidence to convict the officials and nobles of the North. He was prepared to report it to the Imperial Court when the Imperial Court denounced him.
This way, the crime of King You letting his son commit murder was no longer recognized.
That day, his father suddenly asked him to lead troops to patrol the border.
He had broken off his relationship with his father in name, but the news had yet to be sent out. Before it was time to make a decision, his father would still take care of him.
He did not think too much about it. When there was war in the North, his father naturally stood up to help as an official of the North. It was not a big deal to patrol the border.
He did not suspect anything.
It wasn’t until he received the Marquis of Changxing’s abnormal movements at the narrow Yuguan that he sensed that something was amiss. After returning halfway, he saw the clouds rolling in the sky from afar.
When he rushed to King You’s residence, the fire had turned everything to ashes.
King You’s residence was completely burned.
At this moment, he realized that his father had long known that the Marquis of Weining and the Marquis of Changxing had plotted to frame the King Li of Zhou and steal the military power of Youzhou.
However, because of the Holy Decree, although her father did not help the wicked, he chose to watch coldly.
In fact, in order to prevent him from being implicated, he had deliberately sent him away in the name of patrolling the border.
The red jade pact became empty words!
After hearing this past, Zhou Linghuai looked a little sad. “Since my eldest sister has passed away, I’ll make the decision. The agreement you made with my father and my sister will be over. From now on…”
Although he had a good relationship with Ye Hanyuan, their relationship was not deep.
The person who had always been close to Ye Hanyuan was his sister, Princess Changning, Yin Ruocha.
All these years, he had not interacted much with Ye Hanyuan, so he did not know about this old matter.
Ye Hanyuan interrupted him. “That day, I fled from the North to the capital.
After breaking off my relationship with Father, I left a severance letter. Now, I’m about to go to Jiangnan to take over Song Xiuwen’s position. It can be considered a meritorious deed. I’ve already fulfilled my promise to King Li of Zhou. Prince Yin, please return the other green jade pendant to me.”
Zhou Linghuai’s eyes turned cold. “My eldest sister is already dead.”
However, Ye Hanyuan was expressionless. “Marriage is a matter of parents’ orders and matchmaking. My agreement with the King Li of Zhou is still there.
It’s not something that you can clarify with just a few words. Prince Yin, please hand the green jade pendant to me. Ruocha was born to be with me in life and death.”
Zhou Linghuai tightened his grip on his teacup and looked at him steadily. ‘Ye Hanyuan, after you get married and have children in the future, where will my sister’s place be?”
Ye Hanyuan’s expression darkened. “If it isn’t your sister, it won’t be anyone else.”
Zhou Linghuai suddenly thought of something.
Back then, Ye Hanyuan had joined her father’s army. Once, when she had gone to the army with her sister, the gloomy and wooden young man had hidden in the dark of the tent and stared straight at her sister.
Zhou Linghuai did not like his gaze.
Only now did he understand that Ye Hanyuan was looking at his entire world.
If Yin Huaixi was still the same Yin Huaixi from before and he had never met a girl called Yu Youyao in the capital, he would definitely reject Ye Hanyuan coldly.
However, he had changed in the end.
Zhou Linghuai turned to look at the carriage not far away.
A corner of the curtain was lifted. Although the person in the carriage did not follow him, she had been paying attention to his every move. She was also his entire world.
He was the one who had made a great promise to protect her for the rest of his life.
He wouldn’t do this for anyone else.
This was not a promise.
Instead, it was a dream they wanted to achieve in their life.
Zhou Linghuai took out an emerald green jade pendant from his sleeve. “If you change your mind one day, return this pair of mandarin duck jade pendants to me.”
Ye Hanyuan took the green jade pendant and intertwined it with the red jade pendant in his hand. The two jade pendants fused into one, turning into a pair of round mandarin duck pendants that crossed each other’s necks.
Ye Hanyuan gently rubbed the round pendant in his hand, his eyes filled with sorrow and joy. After a while, he said, “Thank you for fulfilling my wish, King Wumu.”
He did not call him Prince Yin anymore.
Prince Yin was the only relationship he had with Yin Huaixi in Youzhou in the past.
King Wumu was the person he would be loyal to from now on.
It was windy in the Storm Pavilion. Even though there was a charcoal stove, it was bone-chilling. Zhou Linghuai felt cold.
He took out a small jade gourd the size of his palm from his waist. It was filled with Myrrh wine. He raised his head and took a sip. The Myrrh wine rushed into his throat. As soon as it entered his stomach, he felt the coldness dissipate.
After the venison was roasted, Ye Hanyuan picked up one of the pieces and placed it on the plate in front of Zhou Linghuai. “Your sister used to like the meat I roasted the most.”
This was the first time he had roasted meat for someone else.
It was also the last time.
Zhou Linghuai took a dagger and cut the meat into small pieces. After taking a bite, he felt that it was better than his roasted meat. Thinking that Yu Youyao also liked roasted meat, he asked, “How did you roast it?”
Ye Hanyuan explained some of his barbecue techniques expressionlessly.
Zhou Linghuai was enlightened.
He had already said everything he needed to say. After eating the roasted meat and drinking the deer blood wine, Zhou Linghuai said, “It’s still early. The suburbs are a distance away from the Precious Peace Temple. Aren’t you going to bid farewell to the scenery?
The commander-in-chief was under the jurisdiction of the state capital. In terms of closeness, Ye Hanyuan was closer to Jingzhi.
Ye Hanyuan was stunned for a long time. After a while, he said, “Back then, when the situation in the North changed drastically, Jingzhi helped you gather rations and stabilize the situation in the North. Only then could you lead the 3,000 elite guards of the residence to help the battlefield and ease the situation in the North. After that, he fell sick and couldn’t get up. Later, the Marquis of Weining and the Marquis of Changxing wanted military power in Youzhou. Uncle Zhou was worried that he would be implicated, so he drugged him and sent him to Mount Wutai.”
At the mention of this past, Zhou Linghuai had a complicated look. “Even if
he’s here, he can’t save King You’s residence.”
If the emperor wanted him to die, he had no choice.
His mother had always been smart and virtuous. It was precisely because she understood this that she was so determined.
His eldest sister was also smart and fiery. It was precisely because she knew all of this that she was willing to die with her mother.
Ye Hanyuan lowered his eyes. “A deep love doesn’t last long, and extreme wisdom will definitely hurt him. After the shocking change in Youzhou and the calamity in the family, Jingzhi’s health deteriorated day by day. Later, Grandmaster Hui Neng went to Mount Wutai to talk about meditation. After seeing the scene, he said bluntly that he was fated with Buddha. Jingzhi became a monk and stopped caring about the mortal world. His health actually improved day by day.”
However, there was no Zhou family in this world anymore. There was only the
Six Wise Monks of the Precious Peace Temple and Zen Master Hui Ji.
Zhou Linghuai also knew this.
Jingzhi was still brooding over what had happened back then. Even as a monk, it was rare for him to have peace. Later, he suggested using Zhou Linghuai’s identity at the price of redressing the Zhou family.
If he wanted to go to the capital, why would he need to use Zhou Linghuai’s identity?
He was just using this to cut off all connections between the mortal and his identity as Jingzhi..
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