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Ye Chen felt a cold sweat pouring down his forehead, large beads of perspiration rolling down his cheeks. Yet, he stubbornly bit his lip, refusing to let out a single cry. Things were already so dire; he didn’t want to appear any more pitiful.
Silently following Li Wangcai ahead, Ye Chen sometimes wondered how this Li Wangcai could be so surprised by his obedience. A Kun Ze like him could endure such pain without uttering a sound; anyone unaware would think he was already dead.
Fearing that Pei Guanjing might discover their whereabouts, Li Wangcai dared not take the main roads, opting instead for secluded paths and even traversing uninhabited jungles. However, given his severe injuries, their progress was painfully slow. Often, they would walk for less than half an hour before needing to rest for another half hour.
During these rests, Ye Chen would sit quietly, gazing elsewhere and avoiding looking at Li Wangcai.
He felt that his heart had truly hardened. Watching Li Wangcai's increasingly pale face, he found a twisted satisfaction in the thought that if he were to die from the pain, he could leave this world with dignity.
But Li Wangcai seemed to sense his thoughts and coldly remarked, “Even if I’m dying, I’ll make sure to kill you first so you can accompany me in death.”
Ye Chen snorted softly but couldn’t resist adding fuel to the fire.
“Don’t you want to be loyal to your esteemed Lord Ren? If you kill me, where will your King Ren find another pawn like me? I can restrain both the Regent and King Huai'an.”
At this, the darkness in Li Wangcai’s eyes deepened. He had initially thought it impossible for Pei Guanjing to truly keep King Huai'an’s son by his side for so many months in close quarters. But now it seemed clear that Ye Chen must indeed be King Huai'an’s son; such confidence couldn’t be mistaken.
However, recalling the papers from Lu Ying that had been used when Ye Chen was recruited at Yongji Inn—papers from a paper mill in the capital with an official seal—Li Wangcai wondered if King Huai'an and the Regent had conspired to divide the Tianqi imperial power long ago.
Li Wangcai couldn’t make sense of it all. Yet, knowing that Ye Chen was aware of the Crown Prince Xiao Feng’s disappearance and its final whereabouts, he realized he needed to hand him over to King Ren in Yunzhou as soon as possible to complete his mission.
With a cold voice, Li Wangcai said slowly, “Hmph, stop being stubborn. I hope you can still be so sharp-tongued when you reach Yunzhou. For now… just obey me!” With that, he ignored Ye Chen’s furious glare and stuffed a rag into his mouth before continuing on their journey.
To expedite their travel, Li Wangcai abandoned the idea of riding fast horses and chose the waterways instead. Following the river downstream, they would reach Yunzhou within two days’ time.
Li Wangcai was suffering from internal injuries, with every organ in his body aching. Ye Chen, on the other hand, had external wounds; his arms felt as if they were not his own, swinging back and forth like a pendulum as he walked. The connection between his arms and shoulders was numb from the pain.
Between Lan Prefecture and Hanzhou lay a vast river, with each bank fortified and holding strategic positions. This river was the route they needed to take.
To arrive before Pei Guanjing could seal off the major checkpoints, Li Wangcai had rented a boat in advance. As soon as they boarded, he told the boatman that Ye Chen was his wife, who had injured her arms, and that they were heading to Yunzhou for medical treatment.
Ye Chen heard this with disdain in his eyes, but Li Wangcai had pressed a pressure point on him, leaving him unable to speak.
Once on the boat, Li Wangcai’s injuries seemed to worsen. Even from the corner of the cabin where he had been tossed aside, Ye Chen could hear his increasingly labored breathing without needing to turn around. He merely pressed his lips together and continued to avert his gaze in silence.
Finally, gritting his teeth, Li Wangcai bandaged his wounds and took several pills given by Pei Guanjing to the soldiers of officer rank and above in the army. Gradually, his condition began to improve. Once he confirmed that Ye Chen could not move and that the boatman would not enter the cabin, Li Wangcai finally felt at ease enough to close his eyes and rest.
However, Ye Chen could not find any respite. The pain at the junction of his arm and shoulder felt like countless ants gnawing at him.
He wasn’t so stubborn as to refrain from crying out in pain; it was just that his voice had been rendered mute. Once the time came, Li Wangcai would continue to administer pressure on him. Besides gasping for breath, there was little else he could do while his legs remained bound.
Outside the cabin, summer rain fell heavily, striking the hull with sharp sounds.
Ye Chen leaned against the boat in a daze, listening to the sound of rain through a layer of separation. He wondered what Pei Guanjing would feel once he realized he had lost a pawn he had nurtured for so long to someone else’s swift actions; surely he would be anxious and furious.
A hint of bitterness rose within him as he began to close his eyes and rest.
A day later, they entered Yunzhou territory; in just over two hours, they would reach the gates of Ren Manor of Yunzhou.
They entered King Ren's Manor through a side door. The dawn was just breaking, and it was early morning, with few people on the streets, so no one noticed this scene.
Li Wangcai rudely tossed Ye Chen into a corner, then with a couple of clicks, reattached Ye Chen's arms and released his acupoints.
After being freed, Ye Chen did not attempt to escape immediately, nor did he curse at Li Wangcai. During the journey, he had already come to a realization. Since King Ren intended to use him as a bargaining chip, it was clear that he would not allow Ye Chen to come to any harm before he had served his purpose.
As he had guessed, when King Ren saw him, he approached with a friendly smile, greeting him warmly. To an outsider, it would seem as if he were enthusiastically welcoming an esteemed guest.
Ye Chen was unfamiliar with the complex etiquette among the noble families and had never been taught such things. However, in order to navigate this situation more smoothly, he forced a smile and flattered, "Uncle Wang truly exudes charm; your presence is like that of a deep abyss, indicating that your future will surely be extraordinary."
King Ren was an old fox; he could tell immediately that Ye Chen was trying to ingratiate himself. He chuckled and stroked his beard before instructing a nearby servant, "Since A Chen is visiting us in Yunzhou, we must not let him go without proper hospitality. Someone go write a letter to Brother Huai'an to inform him of this matter; otherwise, he might worry unnecessarily."
Seeing this scene, Ye Chen wore a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
Thus began Ye Chen's stay at King Ren's Manor.
It must be said that this prince's manor was far superior to the Military Camp. The precious items and exquisite food within the estate were things Ye Chen had never even heard of before.
Given this situation, he decided to indulge himself in food and entertainment while waiting for someone to rescue him.
And so, Ye Chen began to slack off.
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