A piece of Japanese incense

Chapter 250 3 years ago

Zhi Yihe took a stumbling step, but before he took a few steps, his left foot kicked a small stone, causing him to lose balance and fall forward.

Yu Nian opened his arms and leaned forward. Without time to stop, he bent his knees and lowered his waist to reach up. One arm held her waist, the other held her shoulders. Without leaving any room for gaps, he lifted Zhiyi up and held her in his arms.

Zhi Yihe's cheek bumped into Yu Nian's warm chest, and the familiar, unique breath that belonged to Yu Nian enveloped her.

It's real! It's alive! It has warmth! It has a heartbeat!

"Brother Nian... I knew it..." She clutched the fabric on his back with both hands and buried her face deeply in his hot neck, her tears soaking his skin. "They all said you were dead, but I didn't believe it! I've been looking for you, always looking for you..."

Yu Nian hugged her tightly, his chin resting on her sweaty and messy hair. He closed his eyes, and the tears he had been holding back finally fell, mixing with her tears.

He tightened his arms, pressed her body closer to him, and whispered in her ear again and again: "It's me, I'm sorry, I'm late..."

Yu Nian's feet were stuck deep in the sand. Thinking of Zhi Yihe walking barefoot on the rough gravel, he couldn't help but feel distressed and blame himself.

Zhi Yihe leaned on his arms, crying so hard that she couldn't breathe.

So Yu Nian picked up Zhi Yihe and held her sideways. Zhi Yihe wrapped her arms around his neck. Yu Nian bent down slightly, freed his right hand, carefully avoided the parts of her body that were scratched, and gently brushed away her instep and ankles that were covered with sand.

He walked into the house, placed Zhi Yihe on the soft couch, half-knelt to hold up her feet, and carefully checked if there was any remaining sand. He used the side of his fingertips to very patiently pick up and remove the sand that stubbornly adhered to her skin one by one.

Zhi Yihe was tired of crying, and sat quietly on the couch, sobbing and staring at Yu Nian without blinking: "Smelly Anian, you are still alive, why didn't you send me any news!"

Yu Nian sat next to Zhi Yihe and said in a deep voice, "A lot has happened in the past few years..."

Zhi Yihe sat cross-legged with Yu Nian, facing her. He held her hand and said sadly, "I know, Aunt Hong..."

Zhi Yihe didn't say anything more, her heart ached, and she thought of her grandparents, her mother, and everyone in the Yun Mansion..."

Yu Nian's eyes turned cold: "Ah He, the death of grandpa and grandma, and the death of the Yan family, were all premeditated!"

Zhi Yihe's heart trembled, and he held Yu Nian's hand a little harder: "Brother Nian! Do you know something?"

"Three years ago, I learned that you had formed an alliance with the Yan family army and were marching towards the imperial city. At that time, I was immersed in the grief of my mother's passing. I only wanted to find you and help you save my grandmother. So, I got Yan Shaoyu's permission and followed the army into the capital.

The two armies joined forces, unstoppable, and finally broke through the city gates. We stormed the palace and found His Majesty imprisoned. Just when I thought the dust had settled and was about to leave the team to find you, something unexpected happened!

Your Majesty... the one we risked our lives to save!" Yu Nian's voice was filled with incredible anger and sadness:

"He suddenly drew his sword, and in front of everyone, with one strike... he ended General Yan's life!"

"What?!" Zhi Yihe was shocked.

Yu Nian endured immense grief: "Before anyone could react, His Majesty swung his sword again at the Empress! And...Yan Shaoyu."

"Why?!" Zhi Yihe asked in a lost voice.

"Why?" Yu Nian sneered, "It's because the Yan family is a founding hero. They hold military power, guard the borders, and are deeply loved by the people. Their achievements are so great that they frighten the emperor! The emperor has long regarded the Yan family as a thorn in his side! But he knows that the Yan family's reputation for loyalty and righteousness is admired by the world. If he personally slaughters loyal and good people, it will surely arouse huge public resentment and shake the foundation of the country!

Therefore, he carefully set up a huge scheme! He had long known that Concubine Xin was thinking about her homeland and instigated Prince Yun to rebel and restore the country.

So he took advantage of the situation and allowed Prince Yun to revolt! He used Prince Yun as a weapon to kill whoever he wanted to kill! After both sides were defeated, he would reappear in the name of suppressing the rebellion. Not only could he legitimately eliminate Prince Yun's faction, but he could also pin the blood debt of slaughtering the Yan family on Prince Yun's head!

He made the world believe that it was Prince Yun who rebelled and killed the entire loyal and courageous Yan family! And he sat comfortably in the chaos, profiting from the situation and eliminating all the worries in one fell swoop!

He calculated everything, except for the fact that Feng Jinqi and his son would take advantage of the chaos to invade the capital and imprison him!

Yu Nian's voice was tinged with sarcasm, "Even so, he remains fearless and lies in wait. Because he knows that General Yan, loyal to the emperor and patriotic, will definitely come to rescue him! He's in the palace, waiting for us to fall into his trap!

It wasn't until the Empress herself led the Yan family army into the palace that he finally got the most crucial link in his plan!

Yu Nian's voice was filled with grief and indignation. "He took advantage of this opportunity to wipe out the rebels in one fell swoop, then turned his sword around and wiped out all those 'heroes' who saved the emperor! He made the world think that it was Feng Jinqi and his son who slaughtered the Yan family army that saved the country! And he is still the wise emperor who finally turned the tide and restored order!"

Zhi Yihe was terrified when she heard this. She had never imagined that a person could be so sinister and calculating! The so-called imperial mindset was so bloody and vile!

"Yan Shaoyu and his only remaining personal guards risked their lives to protect the severely injured me, hiding me among the corpses," Yu Nian's voice deepened. "Because His Majesty didn't know my identity, didn't know I was... a descendant of the Yan family, so during that chaos, I was treated as an ordinary Yan family soldier and sent to the mass grave on the outskirts of the city. Afterwards, I was secretly escorted all the way to the border...

I spent over a year recovering from my injuries before I barely managed to survive. After recovering, I immediately sought information and learned that Yun Mansion…"

His voice choked. "The Emperor hasn't stopped! He's been hunting down and slaughtering everyone connected to the Yan family across the country in the name of eliminating the remnants of the rebellion! No matter the age, woman or child, innocent or not, he wants to eradicate the problem completely and put an end to it forever.

I dare not go back..." Yu Nian hugged Zhi Yihe tightly, trying to draw strength from her, and at the same time confirming that she really existed: "If I go back, once my identity is exposed, not only will I be in danger, but it will also implicate all the people who helped me, including you.

I thought my death was the best way to protect you. I couldn't imagine how you had survived these past three years, let alone the hunt you would face..."

Zhiyi's thoughts were in a mess, and suddenly he remembered: "Then, what does this have to do with my grandfather?"

Then Yu Nian recounted the scene that took place in the main hall:

"At that time, the Empress was severely wounded by the Emperor and fell to the ground. The Emperor, holding a bloody sword, walked up to her. I can still vividly remember the look on his face, his disguise torn off and his face twisted with satisfaction...

The Empress, covered in blood, looked at the Emperor and actually smiled. She said, "Without our Yan family fighting for you on the battlefield, you would still be a poor prince held hostage by a neighboring country, living from hand to mouth, let alone ascending the throne. You might have already died."

Her words hit the emperor's sore spot! He scolded her harshly: "I am the true dragon emperor! The destiny is upon me!"

"Heaven's Mandate? Feng Weichu! You deceived us, and the entire world... Back then, I was deceived by your hypocritical claims of 'caring for the world' and 'enduring humiliation'! I dedicated the Yan family's resources, risked my entire clan's lives, to secure this supreme throne for you! I thought I was assisting a wise ruler, a heroic ruler who could end the chaos and usher in peace! I dedicated myself to you, cleared obstacles for you, and secured your harem, but what did I get in return?!

It's the years of neglect! The position of Empress is like a decoration! Everyone says that Concubine Xin is the only one favored, that you love her deeply and deeply, that you are a rare and infatuated emperor... Ha! Hahaha!

I used to be jealous and resentful of her too! I targeted her for over a decade! I thought she had stolen all your love! Until one day, when we were on the verge of death, we saw the truth in each other's eyes, which were also filled with resentment and unwillingness!

It turns out we were both wrong! So wrong! You've never truly given a single ounce of your heart to any woman! Whether it's me, who bore you children, or Concubine Xin, who you held in high esteem and adored with all your love, we were merely pawns on your chessboard, used to balance the political situation and whitewash the situation! We were the fig leaf you used to conceal your deep-seated hatred and exploitation of women!