"Wen Yu Xi..." Xue Zi Ning sat up abruptly from the bed.
The figure outside the door arrived before her like a gust of wind, "A Ning, what's wrong?"
She grasped the slender, porcelain-white hand. The icy chill that seeped into her made her frown involuntarily.
She raised her head to look at the stunningly pure and handsome face. In the past, he would always let her touch him with his warm hands.
Perhaps sensing her strangeness, he reached out and pulled her into his embrace, "A Ning, did you have a nightmare?"
"I... I dreamt of Wen Yu Xi..."
"Why dream of him? A Ning, you know I get jealous."
"Yan Zhao, I dreamt Wen Yu Xi died." Tears streamed down her face in an instant.
His hand, which was now uncharacteristically warm, covered her eyes. "A Ning, dreams are always the opposite."
"Yan Zhao, Wen Yu Xi will be fine, won't he?" She looked up at his dark eyes, which lacked their former brilliance, containing only the abyssal depths of a ten-thousand-foot cliff.
"No, A Ning, don't overthink it. The most important thing for you now is to take care of yourself."
"I know, Yan Zhao, sleep with me!"
"Alright."
Nestled in his embrace, inhaling his unique, clean scent, it all felt somewhat unreal. She could only tightly grip the lapel of his clothes.
After a long while, he reached out and gently stroked the cheek of the person in his arms, carefully laid her down, and covered her with the quilt.
He got out of bed and walked out.
In the imperial study, a woman was present, covered in wounds. Her clothes were tattered beyond recognition, and beneath her dirty face, her former beauty was still faintly discernible.
She stared into the distance as if lost in thought, empty and despairing.
Her eyes were so dry that not a single tear of sorrow could fall.
Xue Yan, seeing him walk in, stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty Yun Huang, she... Wen Nuan refuses to wash."
"It's fine," he said.
Xue Yan retreated to the side but still couldn't bear to look at the person sitting there. She took off her cloak and draped it over her.
He stepped forward, leaned down, and said softly, "What exactly happened to him?"
Wen Nuan suddenly opened her mouth, wanting to cry but unable to shed a tear, "Your Majesty, she... her tongue..."
Xue Yan pointed to her mouth, which was dark and black, covering her mouth in disbelief.
He stood up and extended his hand. Xue Feng, standing nearby, clearly saw his master's hand trembling slightly.
As he slowly channeled inner energy into her, her breathing finally stabilized.
"Can you nod or shake your head when I ask?"
Wen Nuan looked at him and nodded after a long pause.
"Did Xue Zi Xuan do this to you today?"
She trembled and nodded after a long time.
"Wen Yu Xi is in Beijiang?"
A single tear finally fell from Wen Nuan's dry, cracked eyes.
He recalled A Ning's dream, raised his head, his expression somewhat forlorn, "His whereabouts are unknown?"
Wen Nuan cried out, "Ah, ah, ah," unable to utter a word.
"Xue Yan, take her down and care for her well."
Xue Yan nodded, about to step forward to help Wen Nuan up.
She suddenly shook her head, crying out "Ah, ah, ah," unable to speak. In the end, she bit her finger fiercely, blood flowing down. She wrote a few words on the ground.
"Go save him..."
He looked at those few, piercingly red words.
"Rest assured, I will not leave him alone."
Wen Nuan cried and left with Xue Yan.
"Your Majesty, let me go!" Xue Feng suddenly said.
He turned to look at Xue Feng, "You want to avenge her?"
Xue Feng was stunned, "Your Majesty, you..."
"Since you like her, take this opportunity to stay by her side and create opportunities. Wen Nuan is a good match."
Xue Feng trembled all over, somewhat disbelieving, "You... you know everything?"
"Go!"
Xue Feng hesitated for a moment, bowed, and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Xue Li," he said in a low voice.
Xue Li descended, "Does Your Majesty have an order?"
"Issue an imperial decree, summoning Prince Hua and Prince Han to the capital immediately."
Xue Li said, "Yes, I will do it now."
The room fell silent. He walked out. There was no bright moon tonight.
"Wen Yu Xi, hold on!" he whispered.
Beijiang
Dungeon
Wen Yu Xi woke up abruptly. Seeing the figure in front of him, he tried to strike, but was restrained by the rattling chains.
The other person spoke, "Stop struggling, it's useless."
"Who are you?" Wen Yu Xi asked.
The other person chuckled and leaned closer, "Don't you recognize me?"
As the dim light from outside entered, he clearly saw the person in front of him and trembled all over, then roared, "Xue Zi Xuan, what game are you playing?"
Xue Zi Xuan smiled bitterly, "Lord Wen, how can I be playing?"
Wen Yu Xi saw a chain piercing his scapula. His hands and feet were all bound by chains. He couldn't move at all without the chains rubbing against his scapula.
This kind of pain was slow but drove one to the brink of madness.
"What is going on?" Wen Yu Xi asked.
"The real one is back, I, the imposter, should make way."
Wen Yu Xi trembled all over, then frowned after a pause, "The real one?" Suddenly he remembered that it was A Ning who had asked him to investigate Xue Zi Xuan's background back then, but hadn't the real Xue Zi Xuan died?
"Yes, the real one is back."
"No matter if he is the real one or not, the only one A Ning has acknowledged is you, not him."
"You..."
"What? Don't you know how A Ning treated you? Why did she hand over Beijiang to you? It was because she trusted you, and yet you are like this to her?" Wen Yu Xi said with some anger.
"I fell into his trap. Now he is using my face to do things."
"Wen Nuan has gone back to deliver news, he will send people."
"Do you know what he ultimately wants to do?" Wen Yu Xi asked.
Xue Zi Xuan chuckled low, "What else? He merely wants that position."
Wen Yu Xi frowned, then suddenly said, "Could it be that he intends to seize the throne while A Ning is giving birth?"
"Elder Sister is about to give birth?"
"Yes, likely next month."
Xue Zi Xuan sighed upon hearing this, "But I won't be able to see it."
"Don't be so downcast, we will get out."
"Eat." The jailer outside threw in two steamed buns.
Wen Yu Xi looked at the buns and sighed, "I've eaten so much delicacies that I'm tired of them. Now I miss them."
"Eat, fill your stomach to have a chance to get out." Xue Zi Ning skillfully picked up a bun and handed one to Wen Yu Xi.
Wen Yu Xi took it and bit into it, it was so hard that his teeth almost fell out.
"Is this fit for human consumption?" Wen Yu Xi angrily threw the bun away.
The jailer looked at him and sneered, "Eat it if you want, or don't."
Another jailer laughed, "You should be fortunate that you are still somewhat useful. The useless princes have all been killed."
Wen Yu Xi's gaze turned cold. The jailer continued, "What a shame about those people from Feng Yue Lou, I haven't even sought pleasure yet, and now they are all gone."
Wen Yu Xi trembled all over, "You... what were you just saying? What happened to Feng Yue Lou?"
The jailer did not know his identity, so he spoke without reservation, "Terribly, terribly."