Receiving Li Hong Yuan’s order, the person was very quickly brought over.
The tied up man also had his eyes covered, and probably because he’d gotten properly ‘rinsed clean’ beforehand, his clothes were rather clean and orderly. Although he wasn’t meticulously taken care of, and despite being noticeably dispirited, one still was able to make out his handsome appearance. Even if slightly thin, he still faintly manifested a trace of strength.
Getting kicked behind the knee, he knelt onto the ground with a thud.
The man actually didn’t resist, instead having a kind of ‘finally meeting the boss’ relaxed feeling.
He’d strangely gotten caught. And soon after, it was just what can be said as days where it was dark without light, unclear whether day or night. Speaking of which, this entire journey can be said to have been nonstop without rest. At first, he even roughly calculated the direction, and the distance traveled every day, contemplating who it was that wanted to catch him, and for what reason. However, along the way, getting treated like a sack of goods thrown onto horseback, in addition to his age not being considered small to begin with either, such torment was truly unbearable. But aside from this, those people didn’t do anything else to him either. As such, he was also too lazy to think too much. Just, the main boss being this far away still exceeded his expectations.
The black cloth covering his eyes was removed. Because he was indoors, the light wasn’t considered too intense, and although somewhat indisposed, the time in which this feeling persisted wasn’t long. Afterwards, he finally saw clearly the man sitting in the main seat a few feet away. And after that, he just blanked.
Although his sitting posture was laid-back and undisciplined, but from head to toe, it all embodied his graceful and noble status, appearing emotionless, yet carrying an imposing demeanor. Even if he was just in hemp garments, absolutely no one would think he was an ordinary person. However, what truly made that man blank weren’t these, but rather that face———-He thought he’d already forgotten, but seeing that similar face again, he finally realized, he not only didn’t forget, but it was further like a permanent mark that was carved into his bones with a knife day after day.
“Guan Guan, Guan Guan………….” After blanking, the man, as if crumbling, repeatedly called out this name, tears falling like rain, his crying even intensifying. In fact, he even appear to start loudly bawling, his body even collapsing, bending his waist, his forehead pressed against the ground.
Li Hong Yuan slightly narrowed his eyes. Looks like, there are discrepancies with his previous guess.
He knew, ‘Guan Guan’ was his birth mother’s little name. This kind of address, ordinarily would only be used by people that were very intimate with oneself, for instance, an elder to the younger generation, and also between married couples. This man’s reaction wasn’t like that of a blood relative’s.
Although he’s never heard anyone say before, but Li Hong Yuan knew, his own appearance should be like his birth mother’s more. However, ever since his appearance matured, shedding away that androgynous look, no one has ever said he looked like a woman. This face of his wasn’t feminine in the slightest after all. So, for someone to shout a woman’s name towards him, this can be considered a rather novel experience.
However, hearing a man bawl like this, truly was a bit annoying. Li Hong Yuan waved his hand, and the person just got dragged out. However, not long after, he was brought back again. His crying had stopped, but the area above the chest was completely wet. It was easy to tell, what he’d met with just now.
He was once again pressed to kneel on the ground, yet he uncontrollably stared at Li Hong Yuan with an infatuated expression.
Those who didn’t know would even think this man fancied the southern wind[1], and moreover, even outrageously daringly lusted after Jin Qinwang.
“Heh………..” Li Hong Yuan lightly scoffed.
The man was like as if woken by a thunderbolt. The person, clearly still that person, even his sitting posture all have yet to change, but the feeling he gave off wasn’t the same anymore, that might making one suffocate. And those things that were similar to his memories were also shattered into dust, terrifying and shocking, making one fearful.
Li Hong Yuan lightly tapped the armrest of the chair, “Looks like you’re awake.”
The man felt complicated and indescribable inside, his lips trembling, seemingly wanting to say something, yet unable to utter a single word.
“You should know who this prince is.” If he really cares that much about his birth mother, then there was no reason for him to not know her son.
“The sixth imperial son, rank of a qinwang, bestowed title Jin.” The man slowly spat out these words.
Li Hong Yuan nodded his head, “Then, why don’t you talk about who you are.”
“Wangye spared no effort in having this commoner invited over from thousands of miles away, yet don’t know who this commoner is?” The man suppressed all the emotions in his eyes, turning calm and unruffled, with a ‘who are you deceiving’ look.
Li Hong Yuan’s mood, at this time, perhaps was still considered pretty good, thus didn’t do anything, not only so, he even appeared particularly ‘honest’, “Really don’t know, originally thought you were someone of the Pei family.”
For Li Hong Yuan to just ‘change face’ like this, that man momentarily was unable to get a clear grasp of his true nature. However, unknown as to what he was thinking, “This commoner’s surname is Min, name Yu Han, his Majesty’s Imperial Noble Consort’s previous fiancee.” It was full of evil intentions.
Seemingly having heard something incredible again, the expressions of the certain few listening to the side went numb.
Unfortunately, Li Hong Yuan didn’t have any reaction at all. A trace of disappointment streaked across the man’s eyes.
“When his Majesty was still a qinwang, he went down to Jiangnan for an assignment, mutually falling in love with the Pei clan daughter. However, the Li imperial clan’s relationship with the Pei clan have never improved, and moreover, the di branch’s di daughters were forbidden to serve as concubines. Yet, this woman obstinately clung onto this path alone, and would rather remove herself from the clan for her male lover……….”
“Lies——–” The man roared as if tearing out from within, his two eyes blood red, “Merely just a lustful scoundrel, taking advantage of his position to bully others, forcibly stealing a commoner’s daughter. Guan Guan and I were childhood sweethearts, having mutual feelings for one another. We were merely just a few days away from getting married, just a few days! That despicable and shameless scoundrel used the Pei clan and the Min clan to threaten her. Guan Guan was kind, unable to bear seeing the two clans suffer misfortune, and thus sacrificed herself, giving herself to that scoundrel. She clearly was an illustrious clan’s di daughter and couldn’t be more honorable, yet ended up with a reputation of ‘dying suddenly’ and expelled from the clan. Afterwards, without a name and surname, with no one to rely on, she entered the capital alone, entering that man-devouring place…………….”
(T/N: Although they come from a large influential family, because they don’t serve in the imperial court or hold a noble title, they are considered commoners.)
Despite hearing Min Yu Han speak that mournfully, Li Hong Yuan actually didn’t feel anything. When he was born, his mother was already dead, so he didn’t have any feelings towards her. Moreover, even if his old man stole the person, he also didn’t feel it was wrong. Replaced with him, and replaced with Wan Wan, to be able to achieve his goal in the gentlest way was for the best, if not, never mind two clans, even the entire world he would all extinguish. On this bit, he was definitely Le Cheng Emperor’s spawn, and even ‘the student that surpassed the master’. However, he won’t be like his old man that way and change Wan Wan’s identity. Regardless whether Wan Wan’s birth was high or low, noble or lowly, he would all let the world clearly know, who the person he cupped in his palm was. Of course, he and his old man were entirely different, and Wan Wan and his mother were also different, so there was nothing to compare.
“Indeed a man-devouring place, just dying in a few years.”
Hearing him sound this cold, as if talking about a completely irrelevant person, that anger and resentment seemingly as if materializing, “It’s your fault she died, yet you completely lack the feeling of guilt. As expected, you’re worthy of the Li surname, your bones similarly rotten to the core.”
Li Hong Yuan was unconcerned, “Turns out, you all also believed that she died of blood loss from a difficult birth.”
Min Yu Han blanked, “What do you mean?”
“Meaning, she was strangled to death by her husband, and after she died, this prince was then cut out from her stomach by her husband. Never mind the honor and glory when she was alive, after dying, her body all got slashed with a huge gash, isn’t she very pitiful?” Li Hong Yuan carried a nonchalant smile, and also the evil intentions to ‘pay back’ Min Yu Han.
Min Yu Han widened his eyes in disbelief, but he didn’t doubt Li Hong Yuan’s words. Like as if his heart was about to explode, “Why, why, since he schemed in every possible way to have the person snatched over, why didn’t he properly cherish her, why didn’t he love her, pamper her, and protect her, even personally killing her? Why?” He originally thought, she at least was still living pretty well. That way, even if he was in heart-splitting pain, he can at least still feel that tiny bit relieved. She lost her honorable identity, yet still became the Imperial Noble Consort, and after she passed away, her son was specially favored by the Emperor. He thought these were all proof that she was well, yet turns out, turns out……………..
“Why? Probably because of you.”
Min Yu Han was like as if struck by lightning……….
“Le Cheng Emperor stole the person, so naturally he knew about your existence. Moreover, according to your explanation, you two had feelings for one another. You think Le Cheng Emperor wouldn’t have the slightest grudge inside? The imperial harem, that kind of place, with the slightest movement, once caught, nine out of ten will all make one lose their life.” In his past life, he learned from Noble Consort Su’s mouth, it seemingly was because something that shouldn’t have appeared had appeared by his mother’s side, causing his old man to be especially suspicious. Reasonably speaking, if he’d suspected some other man, his old man wouldn’t have gone as far as to lose his rationality to the point of killing her, “After she got pregnant, did you go to the capital, and even thought of ways to contact her?”
Min Yu Han’s face stiffened, the corner of his mouth twitching………..
Tsk, he actually guessed right! Just based on that personality of his old man’s, hating that he can’t have his mother tied at the waist, to dare do this kind of thing, was this looking for death, or looking for death?
“I didn’t want to meet her, and she also didn’t want to meet me. I just let someone pass her something, and she passed me a letter, that’s all. She told me, she was very well, letting me find a good girl and settle down, afterwards, letting me leave the capital, never to return.” Min Yu Han, like having lost his soul, muttered, “In the end, it was my fault she died? My fault she died?”
Stirring up the imperial harem, to say it was easy, it was actually very easy, but to say it was difficult, it was definitely difficult. It depended on the person and depended on the situation. Situation like his mother’s was definitely impossible. Looking at it as such, his old man actually never doubted his mother’s loyalty. Just, after several years of having her wholeheartedly cupped in the palm, yet in the end, her heart still held another man, nine out of ten men, afraid, will all explode. Then, with someone fanning the flames, doing something irrational due to a moment of impulse was very common.
Min Yu Han didn’t know the truth, for a time, believing that it was Li Hong Yuan that killed Guan Guan. If thinking that because Li Hong Yuan possessed Guan Guan’s blood, he ‘loved the house and its crow’, then because Li Hong Yuan ‘killed’ her, and moreover, also possessed the blood of his greatest enemy, that was just double the hatred. Carrying this kind of love and hate, he once very much paid attention to Li Hong Yuan’s situation. However, as Li Hong Yuan grew, becoming notorious for his misdeeds, not having inherited any of the good characteristics from Guan Guan, he just thoroughly gave up all hope, no longer paying attention. For the past several years, he never took a wife, listless like a walking corpse, walking all over the country, seemingly forgetting everything from the past, yet also seemingly remembering as if it was yesterday, muddled and confused, not knowing the days passing.
[1] Literary term for gay, though I feel like compare to cut-sleeved, this term doesn’t appear as often.
