After the Crybaby Married the Disabled Villain - Chapter 19

As expected, by the afternoon, the Seventh Princess had released a fierce ultimatum: if Great Shang did not give Xiliang a proper explanation, the armistice agreement between the two nations would be rendered null and void.

The Emperor, already suffering from severe injuries, was so overcome by anger upon hearing this that he fainted.

The Seventh Princess was not polite in the slightest. She gave the Emperor of Great Shang a three-day deadline. If a satisfactory explanation was not provided by then, she would take Xi Chen back to Xiliang directly and lead her troops to besiege the city shortly thereafter.

An Yu couldn’t help but sigh in admiration at this valiant female general from the original book.

“Your Highness, will the two nations truly go to war?”

Lu Shiyan smiled and asked in return: “Does Xiao Yu not know?”

“Naturally, I do not.”

“The Seventh Princess’s true intention is likely not to see the two nations at war; otherwise, how could she have arrived in the capital alone today? The three-day grace period is time given to Great Shang, but it is also time for the remaining Xiliang envoys to arrive.”

An Yu nodded. In that case, it was better to first ensure Emperor Hongchang believed in his ability to communicate with the divine.

The next morning, the first thing Emperor Hongchang did upon waking was to summon An Yu to the palace, specifying that the Crown Princess was to come alone.

This was unexpected for both of them, but it worked out well; Lu Shiyan’s legs were in a critical phase of recovery, and it was better for him to avoid unnecessary travel.

However, Lu Shiyan was still deeply uneasy. He gave An Yu many instructions before finally ordering Mo Ying to follow him.

Sitting alone in the carriage, An Yu felt particularly bored. He hadn’t realized before that the distance between the General’s Manor and the Imperial Palace was so great; he didn’t even feel sleepy.

In the familiar bedchamber, the Emperor was lying on the dragon bed. He looked even worse than he had three days ago. Logically, he should have recovered somewhat by now.

“Your son-in-law greets Father Emperor.”

An Yu performed a proper salute. Emperor Hongchang raised his hand slightly to signal him to rise. The head eunuch at the side hurriedly said: “Oh, Crown Princess, His Majesty asks you to rise quickly.”

However, after An Yu stood up, Emperor Hongchang remained silent. He waved his hand again, and the head eunuch said with concern:

“Your Majesty, this servant shall wait outside. Please do not let your anger rise.” With that, Meng Hai departed with quick, small steps.

Seeing that Emperor Hongchang finally intended to speak, An Yu took the initiative to speak first: “Father Emperor! Even if Your Majesty had not summoned me today, your son-in-law would have certainly come to see you.”

His tone was full of urgency and helplessness as he continued: “Last night—last night, that deity visited my dream again.”

“Did they say anything?”

A weary, aged voice came from the dragon bed. Emperor Hongchang looked several years older than he had just a few days prior.

“The deity said: ‘Why was no defense made this time, allowing the people to become displaced? And is the plague brought by Beiming also to be allowed to run rampant?'”

Several sharp coughs erupted from the dragon bed: “Cough—cough cough!”

“Father Emperor! I beg you to make a decision quickly. The deity claims that Beiming has long harbored intentions of annexation.

A person already afflicted with the plague is being held by King Xiao at the guest house. He intends to release them after the Xiliang envoys arrive to frame Xiliang. This is to incite war between our dynasty and our allies, and also to take down our high officials along with the Xiliang envoys in one fell swoop.”

By the time An Yu finished, his voice was trembling, as if he couldn’t bear to imagine the consequences.

“Father Emperor must believe me. Regarding the Jiangnan floods, officials have already been sent to manage the situation, so there is still room for relief. But once a plague spreads, the entire city will fall.”

“Crown Princess, I shall believe you for now. I will soon order a search of King Xiao’s guest house. However, the Crown Princess must also ask the deity a question for me.”

Though Emperor Hongchang was bedridden, he had lost none of his majesty. His words were high-handed and autocratic, and his attitude toward the deity in An Yu’s dream was no different.

“Please speak, Father Emperor. If there is a next time, your son-in-law will certainly deliver the message.”

“Will Great Shang’s prosperity for the next hundred years be under my rule?”

An Yu understood. He was asking if he would live for a hundred years and if the Great Shang dynasty would endure.

“Your son-in-law understands.”

Perhaps because An Yu had spoken first, Emperor Hongchang did not ask again about the Jiangnan floods, which was within An Yu’s expectations. The floods were indeed part of the original plot; at that time, the people of Jiangnan were displaced and could not find a scrap of food.

In the end, the people had actually blamed Lu Shiyan, calling him a jinx who had brought disaster upon his maternal clan. They claimed the Emperor’s retention of his status as heir had offended the gods, who were using the flood as punishment.

They didn’t remember a single bit of the four years Lu Shiyan had spent fighting for the country.

Ultimately, Emperor Hongchang had punished Lu Shiyan—who had just been released from prison—by making him kneel at the Imperial Tombs until the floods ended. When the officials managed the flood perfectly and the people were resettled, the credit was placed on Emperor Hongchang. It was said that his act of punishing the Crown Prince was praised by the gods, who then withdrew the punishment.

An Yu meandered out of the palace. Near the palace gates, he encountered the hurried figures of Shen Heng and Lu Mufeng.

Behind them were several imperial physicians and Imperial Guards.

“Greetings to the Crown Princess.” “Greetings, Brother-in-law.”

Could it be that the Emperor had already issued the order to search King Xiao? However, even if they found something, it wouldn’t be easy to punish him.

“Brother Mufeng, Lord Shen, why are you in such a hurry? Is there urgent business?”

“In response to the Crown Princess, this official is under the Emperor’s decree to search King Xiao’s guest house.”

As expected.

An Yu waved a hand and said: “Then you two should go quickly.”

“Mhm.”

After a brief farewell, the two strode even faster toward the palace gates.

The near-midday sun hung directly overhead, shining brightly on the vermilion palace walls. An Yu watched as the group walked out of those oppressive gates.

The evening breeze was exceptionally pleasant, far more refreshing than when he had gone out during the day.

“Xiao Yu rarely walks through the market in the evening?”

Lu Shiyan allowed Mo Ying to push him as he followed behind An Yu, who was looking around at everything with curiosity. The youth looked at everything with a fresh and curious gaze, bearing a slight resemblance to the snow leopard cub.

The youth laughed: “Of course. I am a young master from a respectable family.”

The calls of vendors echoed in his ears, yet An Yu still managed to catch Lu Shiyan’s voice instantly.

An Yu held a freshly bought sugar-man in one hand and held up a small cat mask from a stall with the other, pressing it against his face. His smile was wild and free, carrying the unique vibrancy of youth.

“Your Highness, does it look good?”

For a moment, Lu Shiyan was dazed. The youth’s smile was too bright, outshining even the dim yellow lanterns behind him.

“It looks good.”

Lu Shiyan’s praise was sincere, and Mo Ying silently pulled out some silver from the side.

An Yu was naturally overjoyed and clamored for Lu Shiyan to help him tie the mask onto his face. He squatted in front of Lu Shiyan, feeling the man’s cool hands tying the strings behind his ears. For a moment, there was a sense of peaceful, quiet beauty.

If nothing bad happened, Lu Shiyan would surely be the object of admiration for every young lady in the capital an elegant gentleman, as pure as the wind and moon.

“Does Your Highness want to buy one as well?”

An Yu turned around after the mask was secured. Wearing the mask made him look even more like the leopard, Bai Ao.

Lu Shiyan actually wondered if this youth, who knew the future, was some kind of spirit who had attained enlightenment and come to repay a debt. But he found the thought absurd even as he had it.

“Which one does Xiao Yu think I should wear?”

An Yu turned back to the stall to continue picking. Among the variety of masks, none were more pleasing to the eye than the traditional fox mask.

“I will put it on for Your Highness.”

Indeed, the fox mask suited Lu Shiyan best. Paired with his white robes, he looked even more clear and handsome.

“Your Highness is truly good-looking.” “Xiao Yu is the one who is good-looking.”

The two exchanged compliments for a moment before An Yu couldn’t help but laugh: “Why does it feel like we’re just flattering each other?”

Lu Shiyan also smiled, his laugh like a spring breeze: “Xiao Yu.”

“Mhm?” “Xiao Yu is truly very good-looking.”

For some reason, An Yu’s cheeks felt hot. He turned around and walked ahead as before, reaching up to touch his cheek. “Your Highness, keep up.”

Mo Ying: I shouldn’t be here.

After walking a bit further, An Yu stopped in front of a wonton stall. He tried to resist but couldn’t. “Does Your Highness want to eat?”

“Alright.”

The youth gave an “OK” gesture, not caring if the other understood it, then turned to the owner: “Boss, three bowls of wontons.”

Just as the owner was about to agree, a clear and familiar voice came from behind An Yu: “Boss, make it five bowls.”

The owner reacted immediately. These people were clearly wealthy and influential and seemed to be acquaintances. He greeted them warmly: “Coming right up! Guests, please have a seat.”

An Yu turned around. The man had several bruises on his handsome face, yet he was full of smiles. “Crown Princess, please treat the two of us to a bowl of wontons.”

“Second Prince Xi Chen.”

Looking behind him, there stood a valiant and generous Western Liang girl. Dressed in Xiliang attire, she looked slightly out of place in the Great Shang market.

Lu Shiyan sat in his wheelchair, took off his mask, and nodded. The two also curled their lips in a warm smile. “Crown Prince of Great Shang, it has been a long time.”

“Greetings to the Crown Princess.”

This Seventh Princess was indeed exactly as described in the book.

“Seventh Princess.”

Just as they finished their greetings, the stall owner finished cooking the wontons and brought them to the empty table nearby. “Guests, the wontons are ready. Please, sit.”

Though it was a small street stall, the taste was not inferior to that of a tavern. The cool night breeze made the experience even more pleasant.

Lu Shiyan was not supposed to eat much at night. He ate a little and then sat aside drinking tea. “Are your injuries healed?”

“This taste is truly not bad.” Xi Chen took a bite of a wonton; the thin skin and large filling brought instant satisfaction. Hearing the question from the man across from him, he swallowed before finding the time to reply:

“Naturally, they are not healed. I still need to recuperate for half a month.”

Lu Shiyan gave a low laugh. The man opposite didn’t care at all. After drinking the last drop of soup, he shouted: “Boss, another bowl!”

The freshly cooked wontons emitted white steam. Xi Chen was in no hurry to eat them and feigned anger: “What, Lu Shiyan? We haven’t seen each other in two years, and it’s a struggle for you to treat my sister and me to a bowl of wontons?”

Before Lu Shiyan could reply, Xi Chen looked at the two of them with a grin: “Since when did the Crown Prince become so humorous that he would actually come out for a night tour with someone?”

Lu Shiyan did not respond, but merely looked tenderly at the youth beside him who was eating heartily.

An Yu was eating with great satisfaction; he hadn’t felt the joy of a midnight snack in a long time. He looked up to see several people looking his way with smiles. “What is it?”

Xi Chen quickly said, “It’s nothing. I just haven’t had the chance to properly get to know the Crown Princess yet.” As soon as he finished, he took another sip of wonton soup.

“The Second Prince is too polite. You can just call me An Yu.”

Xi Chen glanced toward Lu Shiyan, then said with curved eyes:

“Alright then, Xiao Yu can also just call me by my name.”

“Cough—”

The man beside him suddenly coughed. An Yu immediately turned around in concern: “Is Your Highness uncomfortable? Did you catch a cold?”

The man’s eyes were full of tenderness as he shook his head. “It is nothing.”

He patted the back of the youth’s hand to signal him to be at ease, then turned back and told someone with full strength: “It’s better if you just call him An Yu.”