After the Crybaby Married the Disabled Villain - Chapter 12
“Clap! Clap! Clap!”
The crisp sound of applause echoed through the silent hall, reaching everyone’s ears.
To the Empress, Xi Chen’s handsome face was currently an eyesore, yet he continued to speak:
“As expected of the Crown Princess. The title of ‘Number One Talent in the Capital’ is truly well-deserved. No wonder the Top Scholar has been pining for so long.”
The official’s face turned ashen; he nearly lost his composure. When he finally spoke, his voice sounded as though he were grinding his teeth:
“I thank the Crown Princess for fulfilling my wish. I admit defeat.”
An Yu gave a small smile and was about to sit down when Emperor Hongchang spoke:
“Not only is the Crown Princess exceptionally gifted in literature, but his calligraphy is also peerless.”
Though it was clearly a compliment, the listeners broke into a cold sweat. The Emperor’s original intention had been to choose a “useless” partner for the Crown Prince, but now…
An Yu also sensed that something was wrong. Emperor Hongchang had originally feared the family of the late Empress and the Duke of Zhenguo. After having the entire clan executed, he spared the Crown Prince only to maintain his image as a “benevolent father.”
Less than half a year later, using the excuse of accumulating military merit for the Crown Prince, he followed the current Empress’s wishes and sent him to the border. For four years, he never asked a single question about him, even risking the possibility of handing the territory over to the Kingdom of Xiliang.
Yet, the Crown Prince had returned victorious and held thirty percent of the military power. In Emperor Hongchang’s eyes, he was the next Duke of Zhenguo.
Now, on the surface, he had arranged for the Crown Prince to marry a male wife to bring “auspicious energy” to cure his illness—was it merely to ensure he had no heirs to end his bloodline?
No, An Yu suddenly realized another point.
It was also to block any path for the Crown Prince to stage a comeback by marrying a daughter from a powerful aristocratic family.
Now that the Crown Princess had stolen the spotlight in the Great Hall, it certainly would not please everyone.
An Yu suddenly assumed a look of sheer terror: “I beg Father Emperor for forgiveness. This poem was not composed by your son-in-law. It is only because the Crown Prince and I could not bear to dampen Father Emperor’s high spirits that we…”
Emperor Hongchang: “That you what?”
“This poem was composed by a deity in your son-in-law’s dream last night. Surely, they came specifically to celebrate Your Majesty’s birthday and used my mouth to deliver it to Your Majesty.”
“A deity?”
“Has this Crown Princess gone mad?”
As soon as those words were uttered, the room erupted into a noisy commotion.
“Oh? And did that deity say anything else?”
The oppressive aura surrounding Emperor Hongchang dissipated instantly; his tone even took on a hint of fatherly affection.
“The deity also said that Your Majesty governs the country with wisdom, and will surely lead Great Shang to flourish for ten thousand years!”
As a modern person interested in history who had read the entire plot of the book, An Yu knew exactly what emperors in a feudal system loved to hear.
“So such literary talent actually came from the mouth of a deity. Very well. Crown Princess, sit down; I shall not punish you.”
“I thank Your Majesty.”
An Yu sat down and nervously patted his chest. Looking to his side, he saw Lu Shiyan’s eyes were full of a mix of laughter and helplessness, the corners of his mouth twitching with a hidden smile.
“What is Your Highness laughing at?”
“I am laughing at how clever Xiao Yu’s brain is.”
This happened to hit An Yu’s sweet spot. Though his heart was blooming with joy, he still said: “You flatter me, you flatter me.”
As the birthday banquet neared its end, Emperor Hongchang was in high spirits and raised his cup to invite the officials to drink together.
Suddenly, from nowhere, the sharp sound of a weapon piercing the air rang out. Immediately after, the wine cup in Emperor Hongchang’s hand rolled to the ground and shattered into pieces.
In an instant, panicked screams intertwined into a chaotic mess. Worry, confusion, and anger filled the hall.
“Your Majesty!” “Ah—!” “Assassins! There are assassins! Protect the Emperor!” “The Emperor!”
Emperor Hongchang’s eyes bulged. With a “pfft” sound, he spat out a mouthful of black blood. His hands trembled as he clutched his abdomen before collapsing unconscious onto the Dragon Throne.
The Imperial Guard instantly surrounded the hall so tightly that not a drop of water could leak through.
“Imperial Physician! Summon the Imperial Physicians!”
The Empress frantically tried to use her handkerchief to stop the bleeding, but without proper technique, it only bled more. She could only stand aside, her exquisitely made-up face splattered with blood.
“Your Highness.”
An Yu felt uneasy. The person who arranged the birthday banquet was not Lu Shiyan; why was there still an assassination attempt?
“It is nothing.”
Across from them, the two younger princesses were held tightly in someone’s arms with their eyes covered. The Eighth Princess, who had just been in Emperor Hongchang’s lap, was now huddled in the Fourth Prince’s arms, shaking uncontrollably.
“Fourth Brother, I’m scared.” “Shuyu, don’t be afraid. Fourth Brother is here.”
The Second Prince, the Fourth Prince, and the Eighth Princess were all born of the Empress. At this moment, the Empress could not spare a thought for anything else, occasionally screaming:
“Where is the Imperial Physician? Where have they gone!” “This old official is here!” “Your servant is here.”
Two head eunuchs hurriedly led a group of physicians through the Imperial Guards.
Among the seven or eight people, two veteran physicians were over fifty years old. Arriving in such a rush, they were too breathless to speak and were dragged up to the high platform by the eunuchs.
“If… if anything happens to His Majesty, I will have all your lives!”
The Empress’s shrill voice sounded like a death knell to the veteran physicians and their subordinates. Before their hands could even touch Emperor Hongchang’s pulse, they were already shaking uncontrollably.
“Rest assured, everyone. If Father Emperor remains safe and sound, you shall all certainly enjoy a meteoric rise in your careers.”
Lu Youqi grasped the Empress’s hand to signal her to be at ease. His words to the physicians also calmed them significantly.
One veteran physician took the pulse for a long time, his expression growing increasingly solemn. He then stepped back to let the other veteran physician come forward.
“Physician Yang, please.”
When the other man also looked up with a heavy expression, both their faces were as pale as stagnant water.
“Your Majesty the Empress, Second Prince… we are powerless!”
The two veteran physicians led the way in kneeling, and the group behind them followed:
“We are incompetent! We beg the Empress for mercy!”
“Yang Fan, Liang Zhen. What do you mean? Explain yourselves clearly!”
The Empress lunged forward and grabbed one of the physician’s collars.
“The arrow that struck His Majesty did not hit a vital organ, but—but the arrow was dipped in poison. We… we have no cure.”
The other veteran physician added: “This poison is known as ‘The Three Severings.’ It severs one’s consciousness, severs the organs, and severs the life pulse. Without an antidote, one will perish within a single day.”
As the old physician finished speaking, he collapsed onto the floor as if he had already foreseen his own death.
The young physicians behind them fell to the ground one by one, their faces full of terror:
“Empress, have mercy!” “Your Majesty, spare our lives!”
No one could accept the fate of death; pleas for mercy rose up in waves.
The assassin had not yet been found, so no one was permitted to leave. King Xiao leaned back in his chair watching the scene. As if remembering something, he suddenly spoke:
“I heard that the Second Prince of Great Shang presented the Emperor with an ‘Immortal Pill.’ Is this true?”
Lu Youqi: “Indeed, it is.”
“The Immortal Pill can extend the life of a healthy person, restore those who are gravely ill, and neutralize a hundred poisons.”
Once King Xiao said this, Lu Youqi seemed to wake from a dream: “Quick! Bring it up quickly!”
The head eunuch hurried to present it. A golden pill sat inside the box. The Empress hastily stuffed it into the Emperor’s mouth.
Two seconds later.
“Cough cough cough!”
“Your Majesty!” “Heaven blesses our Great Shang!” “Heaven blesses our Great Shang!”
Seeing this, the physicians knew their lives were finally saved. They rushed to treat the Emperor’s wound, and the sharp arrow was finally extracted from his abdomen.
Trembling, a physician presented the blood-stained arrow to Lu Youqi.
“Xiliang!”
Seeing the seal of the Kingdom of Xiliang on the arrow’s shaft, Lu Youqi spat out the word through gritted teeth.
“Take the Second Prince of Xiliang to the celestial dungeon to await trial!”
It was only after those words were spoken that An Yu understood Lu Youqi’s ultimate goal for the day.
“The Second Prince of your noble country wishes to make me suffer this undeserved calamity based on mere words alone?”
Xi Chen dropped his casual demeanor. Sitting in his chair, he did not show a trace of fear.
“Then how do you explain the Xiliang seal on this arrow shaft?”
“If it truly were an assassin from my Xiliang, would they be so stupid as to use their own seal?”
Xi Chen’s eyes darkened, and his foreign features took on a hint of ruthlessness.
“A determination will be made once the matter is investigated. Second Prince, if you please.”
After Lu Youqi spoke, the Imperial Guards behind Xi Chen stepped forward to restrain him, leading him away in front of everyone.
The situation finally calmed down. The Empress collapsed into her chair, all the strength leaving her body.
“Everyone, I hope that today’s events will not be spread abroad.”
“The Second Prince is right.” “Your officials understand.”
The Imperial Guard cleared a path for exit. Emperor Hongchang’s injuries required further treatment, and the current atmosphere was clearly unsuitable for continuing the birthday celebration.
The crowd dispersed. Officials walked in groups of two or three, whispering in low voices.
“Your Highness, let us leave as well.”
Lu Shiyan nodded. The two followed behind the officials, preparing to return to the manor.
They had not walked a hundred meters when a figure blocked their path.
“Crown Prince.”
The man’s elaborate robes made him look even more barrel-chested and stout, yet his face despite being in his prime showed not a single wrinkle.
“King Xiao.”
Lu Shiyan’s tone was indifferent as he nodded his head in respect.
“The Crown Princess received guidance from a deity last night. Is that not quite similar to the ‘Spirit Communion’ technique of my tribe’s Holy Mother?”
The man made no attempt to hide the condescension in his voice, which made An Yu extremely uncomfortable.
“So it turns out the Spirit Communion of your noble country’s Holy Mother is just dreaming? That is truly a rare thing.”
An Yu curled his lip, his tone equally sharp.
“You!”
King Xiao, as expected, flared up in anger again. An Yu ignored him, brushing past him directly with Lu Shiyan.
“This is almost turning into a myth.”
Yun Liang and Mo Han were chatting by the stone table in the courtyard, occasionally taking a sip of tea to moisten their throats.
“The Holy Mother of Beiming couldn’t possibly have such formidable methods. And an Immortal Pill? If that were true, Beiming would have unified the three kingdoms by now, rather than the current three-way stalemate.”
Mo Han also felt it was exaggerated, yet the events at the banquet were too peculiar.
“Your Highness.”
Just as the two were failing to make sense of it, Lu Shiyan and An Yu returned.
“Is Your Highness well?”
Before Lu Shiyan could speak, Yun Liang had already brought over a bowl of pitch-black medicine.
“Your Highness’s leg treatments cannot be interrupted. Today was unavoidable, so drinking this medicine will bridge the gap for one day.”
The thick scent of traditional medicine wafted everywhere. An Yu felt it was difficult even to look at, and was about to ask for some preserved plums.
However, Lu Shiyan had already taken the bowl and drained it in one gulp. He set the bowl on the table, rinsed his mouth with tea, and didn’t even knit his brows once.
“Yun Liang, is there any medicine that mimics the early symptoms of ‘The Three Severings’ without harming the vital organs?”
“This—”
Yun Liang froze for a moment, then suddenly, it was as if his meridians had been cleared and everything connected.
He nodded heavily: “There is.”
Mo Han thought for a moment and added:
“Does Your Highness suspect the Second Prince staged this assassination himself? Not only did he earn the reputation of a filial son by presenting the pill and saving the Emperor’s life, but he also dug a hole for the General in the process.”
Lu Shiyan did not reply, but instead asked: “Did anyone come to the manor today?”
Just as he spoke, Mo Ying’s voice rang out from behind: “General, this person says he has urgent news to report.”
A tall man followed behind Mo Ying. He hadn’t even had time to put down the vegetable basket on his back. His face was covered in dust, obscuring his original appearance, and his ragged clothes made him look like a common beggar.
“This humble one is Luo Sang. Greetings to the Crown Prince.”
The man knelt on one knee and placed his right hand on his left shoulder—a formal salute of the Kingdom of Xiliang.
“Rise.”
After Luo Sang stood up, he fumbled with his face for a moment, found a seam at the edge, and peeled off an entire layer of human skin mask. It revealed the deep-set eyes and features unique to the people of Xiliang.
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