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Upon returning to the palace, Lou Yu saw his cousin, Lou Yan, waiting for him in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
“Cousin,” Lou Yu said, feeling extremely irritable at that moment and not wanting to engage with her. He simply greeted her with a curt acknowledgment.
If it hadn’t been for her strong persuasion to let go of Ye Chen back then, he would have left with Ye Chen. If that had happened, Ye Chen wouldn’t be lost to him now, leaving him unable to find any trace of her. Who could have imagined that their parting would turn out to be a final farewell? To this day, Ye Chen’s fate remained uncertain, and seeing Lou Yan again only intensified Lou Yu’s frustration.
Lou Yan, however, was oblivious to his feelings. She had placed spies among Lou Yu’s servants and was aware that he had just met with Pei Guanjing. Thus, she asked, “Did you meet with Pei Guanjing? Did he reveal where the remaining traitors are hiding?”
“Hmm,” Lou Yu replied impatiently. “If you want to know the details, Cousin, you can interrogate him yourself. There’s no need to come ask me.”
Lou Yan fell silent for a moment; in reality, mentioning Pei Guanjing was just a pretext. What she truly wanted to discuss was the matter of selecting concubines for the harem. Now that Lou Yu had ascended to the throne, the harem was empty. With his position now secure, it was time to consider the important task of ensuring the continuation of the royal lineage.
Tentatively, Lou Yan said, “Lou Yu, although Ye Chen’s fate is uncertain, as the founding emperor of Dachang, you cannot leave the harem vacant. Here are some suitable candidates I have selected for you; see if any of them catch your eye. If so, bring them into the harem so that the ministers will no longer criticize you.”
Lou Yu lifted his gaze and quietly stared at her without speaking.
Lou Yan continued to persuade him: “I know you’re hurting inside, but Lou Yu, you are the last bloodline of our family. If your line ends here, what will become of your deceased uncle? How can our ancestors rest in peace? You are no longer alone; you cannot be so willful because of one uncertain fate regarding Ye Chen.”
Suddenly looking at her with a smile, Lou Yu said, “Cousin, didn’t you say that once I reached this position, I could have anything I wanted? I should be happy about it; why does my heart feel heavier instead? Is this position what you want or what I want? Or is it something that both you and Father are forcing upon me?”
“Lou Yu!” Lou Yan’s voice suddenly rose sharply. “Are you blaming me now? Wake up! If we hadn’t taken the capital back then, when Pei Yongshang ascends to the throne in the future, you would undoubtedly die. Our entire family would be doomed. Do you think this throne is easy to sit on? How many hidden arrows are behind you that I have shielded you from? And now you speak such hurtful words; haven’t I treated you well?”
Lou Yu suddenly lowered his voice and coldly said, “Cousin, sometimes don’t you regret being a Tian Gan?”
“What do you mean by that?” Lou Yan frowned deeply, her gaze fixed on him without moving.
Lou Yu smiled faintly before turning away gracefully and striding out. But in that moment of turning away, the smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a shadow cast by darkness.
In the dungeons of Kyoto, Pei Guanjing stared blankly at the bloodstained ground, his eyes devoid of life and expression.
Half a month had passed since he was sentenced to death, yet he showed no signs of anxiety, only a shattered and desolate demeanor. As the days slipped by, the once brilliant light in his eyes gradually dimmed.
Pei Guanjing pondered in his heart; he had not yet appeared. Could it be that he was truly no longer among the living? Or perhaps, even if he were alive, he chose not to see him, feeling indifferent to his demise?
Once a young master of the Pei family, like a rare orchid or a celestial being gracing the earth, he had been admired by all for his elegance. Yet now, he had become a prisoner, clad in filthy rags stained with blood and pus, emanating a nauseating stench.
At this moment, anyone who looked at him would find it hard to connect him with the spirited Pei Guanjing of days gone by.
Seeing him in such a lifeless and despondent state, the guards took delight in mocking him. When they noticed that Pei Guanjing remained silent, like a soulless puppet, they grew bored and lashed him with their whips a few more times. Once they had their fill of tormenting him and found it uninteresting, they shifted their attention to the other prisoners in the cell, turning to insult them instead.
While the guards were busy berating the other commoners and cursing loudly, a new guard approached cautiously, head down and carefully carrying a food box. He walked slowly towards Pei Guanjing.
The box contained food for the inmates. Since Pei Guanjing was a death row inmate, he was held separately from the others. Thus, this new guard was the last to bring him his meal.
The guard glanced around cautiously and seeing no one nearby, suddenly leaned closer to the cell door and whispered softly, “Young Master.”
The newcomer was Mo Sheng.
Pei Guanjing heard the voice but did not respond immediately.
Mo Sheng dared not speak louder; he stole a few more glances at Pei Guanjing, his hands trembling slightly without his consent.
Knowing that it was not wise to linger here, and disregarding the fact that Pei Guanjing had not responded, Mo Sheng hurriedly reported in a low voice about the arrangements he had made. "Our people have found traces of the Madam; she has already entered the capital."
As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Guanjing's previously dull eyes sparkled with life. He suddenly raised his head, eagerly asking, "Is she still alive? Where is she now?"
Mo Sheng, turning cautiously to glance back while keeping his back to the other guards, noticed that the group was still wandering elsewhere and had not looked this way. He continued in a hushed tone, "The Madam is alive. The scouts reported that she has been spotted in the Jiangnan region. It seems she saw the notice about Young Master’s impending execution and hurried to the capital. Considering the time it took for the notice to be posted and her travel speed, it’s clear that she rushed here as soon as she saw it. Young Master, do you still want to…"
She is alive! And she came to the capital immediately after seeing the notice! A Chen, you still hold a place for me in your heart! A surge of wild joy flooded Pei Guanjing's heart, and his face, once ashen as if dead, suddenly glowed with vitality. His eyes sparkled like a lake disturbed by a stone thrown into its depths, sending ripples across its surface.
"No, I won't. I will wait for her until she arrives. Mo Sheng, let her do what she wishes; just ensure her safety and assist her in whatever she wants to accomplish next."
Mo Sheng acknowledged the order and hurriedly turned away, bowing his head as he quickly departed.
Behind him, Pei Guanjing's face was filled with ecstatic joy.
For five years, he had roamed the world in search of Ye Chen but had found no trace of him.
He had often speculated in his heart that perhaps Ye Chen was truly no longer among the living. Yet every midnight when he dreamt of their beautiful past together, he would awaken feeling dazed and lost, as if still trapped in a dream filled with longing.
A Chen, if you are truly gone from this world, then what meaning does all I have done hold? What significance is there in my solitary existence?
It was precisely because of this that he meticulously orchestrated events to bring down the capital and allowed himself to be captured by Lou Yu, ending up imprisoned. As expected, to uphold national law, an edict was issued throughout the realm announcing that one month later he would be publicly executed in the bustling streets.
He was gambling.
If Ye Chen was indeed alive somewhere, then upon seeing the notice of his impending execution, he would surely come. Even if he did not arrive, just knowing that he was alive would bring peace to his heart and spare him from living in fear and anxiety day and night.
But if a month passed without any news of Ye Chen, then perhaps he truly had departed from this world. If that were the case, what meaning did it hold for him to live alone? Perhaps after the month’s deadline had passed, he would willingly follow him into the underworld.
He could only hope that at that time, on the Naihe Bridge, A Chen would still be waiting for him.
Today, he finally learned that Ye Chen was alive and well. Moreover, Ye Chen still held him in his heart.
Pei Guanjing felt an indescribable joy surge within him; he longed to burst out of this prison cell and rush to Ye Chen's side. But he dared not act recklessly, fearing that Ye Chen would discover this was all a trap he had set, and then he would truly never see him again.
So, he could only wait.
In this dark and damp cell, he quietly awaited his arrival.
A Chen, I am here waiting for you, waiting for you to come and take me home.
Ye Chen left Jiangnan and, with the help of spies under Liu Jin's command, safely arrived in the capital.
Upon entering the capital, every street corner where notices were posted was plastered with announcements of Pei Guanjing's impending execution.
The common people only knew that the war was about to end, so they blamed all the faults on Pei Guanjing. Regardless of whether he was truly responsible for these events, he became the scapegoat for every mistake, and all the curses were directed at him.
Ye Chen hurried day and night; there were still half a month left until Pei Guanjing's execution—a time neither too long nor too short. Ye Chen quickly contacted his hidden network in the capital, preparing to find an opportunity to rescue Pei Guanjing. If that failed, he would personally plead with Lou Yu. As for what might happen when he met Lou Yu, Ye Chen had no time to think about those consequences right now.
Five years ago, when Pei Guanjing turned his back on him and their child to return to the capital and vie for power with Lou Yu, Ye Chen understood that the gentle and refined Pei Guanjing was merely a facade; the true Pei Guanjing would always be accompanied by power. He could not abandon his authority.
Even though he repeatedly told himself that he and Pei Guanjing had severed ties and were no longer companions who should appear before each other, he never imagined that Pei Guanjing would die.
He had thought Pei Guanjing might fail but never considered that he would lose his life. With Pei Guanjing's intelligence and skills, surviving should have been as easy as pie. Yet unexpectedly, he ended up captured by Lou Yu and faced execution.
Ye Chen had to admit that he was panicking; his heart was in turmoil. During his journey, the days were manageable—busy traveling left him little time to think about Pei Guanjing. But at night, sitting quietly in the carriage with his eyes wide open unable to sleep, all he could see in his mind was Pei Guanjing's figure.
He couldn't understand why he couldn't forget Pei Guanjing. Clearly, Pei Guanjing had deceived him repeatedly; even after they were married, he still abandoned him. Yet, he found himself wanting to approach Pei Guanjing, offering himself up to be deceived once more. But he truly couldn't afford to take that gamble. What if this time Pei Guanjing was really captured by Lou Yu? What if this time he actually died?
He couldn't afford to lose.
Upon arriving in the capital, Ye Chen quickly sought out the location of the dungeon and contacted the hidden guards, choosing to stay at an inn closest to Pei Guanjing.
At night, he gazed in the direction where Pei Guanjing was held, contemplating how to rescue him.
Just then, he spotted a familiar figure appear downstairs.
Ye Chen paused for a moment before rushing down the stairs like a madman, grabbing Mo Sheng in the crowd and speaking urgently, "You... what are you doing here? You..."
Mo Sheng understood what he wanted to say and raised a hand to signal him, saying, "Madam, this way please. I have something to discuss with you."
Once they reached the teahouse, Mo Sheng offered Ye Chen a cup of tea and slowly began to speak.
He explained that Pei Guanjing's defeat was due to betrayal from his subordinates. Now that he had no forces in the capital and couldn't make a big move, he was unable to leave the dungeon. All he could do was sneak in food for Pei Guanjing each day and steal a few glances at him, treating it as a farewell of sorts and fulfilling his duty as a servant.
Ye Chen listened intently to Mo Sheng's words, but his mind kept racing with thoughts about whether Pei Guanjing was okay in the dungeon. Was he seriously injured?
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