Chapter 4

“What did you say?”
The sickly young man, who had been drinking his medicine, froze upon hearing this. The medicine bowl slipped from his hand, shattering on the ground into pieces. The thick, bitter black liquid spilled out, quickly soaking the floor and leaving a large dark stain.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of medicine, making it hard to breathe.
The sickly young man lifted his gloomy eyes, his face pale as he stared at Doctor Zhou, his gaze filled with dark and chilling intensity.
“Zhou Qiren, say that again.”
Zhou Qiren was Doctor Zhou. Hearing the young man's words, he trembled with fear, his lips bloodless as he replied, “Your Majesty, I just saw Xiao Changyuan, the ruler of the Mo Kingdom, in the village chief's house.”
“Xiao. Chang. Yuan.”
The sickly young man gritted his teeth, squeezing out the name in a voice as low and menacing as if it were dripping with blood.
“Why would he come here?”
“I don't know, and there's something else strange.”
The sickly young man's expression darkened. “What is it?”
Zhou Qiren recalled with trepidation: “Xiao Changyuan was accompanied by a young girl of about sixteen or seventeen. They seemed very intimate. According to Jiang Cuicui, Xiao Changyuan and that girl encountered bandits on the road, which is why they ended up here.”
“Bandits?”
The sickly young man frowned upon hearing this. “Xiao Changyuan is bloodthirsty and ruthless, killing without batting an eye. How could he possibly lose to a few petty bandits? Is Xiao Changyuan lying?” The young man fell into thought, his expression growing increasingly somber. “But why would he lie? What is he really planning?”
“I don't know.”
Seeing the young man's face grow even more shadowed, Zhou Qiren lowered his head further.
“The situation was critical earlier, and I didn't dare ask too many questions for fear of alerting them.”
Hearing this, the sickly young man looked up at Zhou Qiren.
After a long pause, he slowly said, “You did well. Xiao Changyuan is cruel and bloodthirsty. Back then, even with the combined forces of my kingdom and the Northern Yong Kingdom, we couldn't kill that demon. Now is not the time to act rashly.”
Zhou Qiren bowed his head. “Your Majesty speaks wisely.”
The sickly young man's brows remained tightly furrowed, his face dark and brooding. In a voice barely audible, he murmured, “This matter cannot be rushed. I need to think carefully. Now that the enemy is in the open and we are in the shadows, this is a rare opportunity. I must plan meticulously to ensure success this time.”
Memories of past failures, painful lessons, the hatred of a fallen kingdom, and the humiliation of defeat flashed before the sickly young man's eyes.
The frail youth slowly clenched his fist inside his sleeve, his fingertips turning pale from the exertion. His voice was hoarse, filled with overwhelming hatred.
“This time, I will make sure Xiao Changyuan dies without a burial place!”
As the saying goes, there is no story without coincidence. This frail youth was none other than the ruler of the Chen Kingdom, Chen Fashan.
Chen Fashan's father, Chen Dai, was originally the Huainan military governor of the Mo Dynasty. Later, he successfully rebelled, established the Chen Kingdom, and declared himself emperor.
Chen Fashan was born a year before Chen Dai's rebellion.
Chen Dai deeply despised Chen Fashan's mother, Lady Xia.
After Chen Fashan was born, Chen Dai named him “Fashan” (lacking in virtue) to mock Lady Xia for her vicious and unkind nature.
It was only later that Chen Fashan learned why his father hated his mother so much. It was because, in order to marry his father, his mother had caused the death of the woman his father loved most. This led to their bitter enmity, turning them into a couple who tormented each other.
After Chen Dai ascended the throne, he bestowed titles upon all his wives and concubines, except for Chen Fashan's mother, Lady Xia, using this as a means to humiliate her.
Chen Fashan grew up amidst the scornful and mocking voices of those around him.
His personality became gloomy, fierce, and combative, which displeased Chen Dai.
During his childhood, Chen Fashan often saw his drunken father entering and leaving Lady Xia's palace. By then, their relationship had become irreconcilable. When Lady Xia refused to submit to his advances, Chen Dai would threaten her by holding Chen Fashan's future over her head.
Lady Xia had no choice but to endure the humiliation and comply.
Chen Fashan suffered bullying from a young age. When he was eight years old, he was pushed into a lake by another prince and nearly drowned. Fortunately, he was saved by the imperial Doctor Zhou Qiren, but the incident left him with a chronic illness that plagued him for life, forcing him to rely on medicine as if it were food.
When Chen Dai learned of this incident, he not only refrained from punishing the prince who had pushed Chen Fashan into the lake but instead enfeoffed that prince as the crown prince.
Lady Xia wept day and night.
When Chen Fashan was thirteen, Lady Xia was poisoned to death by the empress.
Chen Fashan had always believed that Chen Dai hated Lady Xia intensely.
It was only later, when Chen Dai held Lady Xia's corpse and wept for three days and three nights, that Chen Fashan realized his father had always loved his mother.
However, his father had expressed it in the wrong way.
Later, Chen Dai deposed the crown prince, executed the empress, and avenged Lady Xia. He enfeoffed Chen Fashan as the new crown prince and made all the necessary arrangements for him. Afterward, Chen Dai fell seriously ill. He refused to take any medicine and, half a month later, followed Lady Xia in death.
With Chen Dai's passing, Chen Fashan rightfully became the new ruler of the Chen Kingdom.
Chen Fashan felt no sympathy for his father.
Because this tragedy had been entirely of his father's own making.
Chen Dai spent his entire life never knowing what he truly wanted. He thought he wanted Xia's tears of regret, but in reality, what he truly desired was Xia herself. It was Chen Dai who pushed Xia further and further away, ultimately causing her death.
The tragedy of his parents served as a cautionary tale for Chen Fashan.
Chen Fashan knew very clearly what he wanted.
He wanted to unify the five kingdoms and become the greatest emperor in history.
Chen Fashan had set this grand ambition from a young age and worked tirelessly toward it.
He ascended the throne at thirteen, took personal control of the government at fourteen, and at fifteen, executed the powerful group of ministers who held sway over the court, seizing the authority that rightfully belonged to him. He trained his troops and built up his strength, preparing to unify the five kingdoms. Given time, he could achieve his greatness and prove to all who had mocked him that he would be the greatest monarch in the world.
But fate did not grant him that time.
The neighboring kingdoms of Liang and Chu had fallen.
That demon known as Xiao Changyuan had, in just one short year, successively destroyed Liang and Chu, leading his army with overwhelming force toward the borders of Chen. Chen Fashan began to panic. He was not prepared to face the enemy, so he sought help from Northern Yong. Among the five kingdoms, Northern Yong had the strongest military, but even the mightiest Northern Yong could not defeat the nightmarish Xiao Changyuan.
Chen ultimately suffered a crushing defeat, leading to its downfall.
At sixteen, Chen Fashan became the ruler of a fallen kingdom.
Refusing to surrender, Chen Fashan fled everywhere, eventually ending up with Zhou Qiren in this remote mountain village.
Jiangjia Village was far from towns and cities, isolated and out of the way. No one would know he had hidden here.
Chen Fashan had thought he would never have a chance for revenge in this lifetime, but he never expected that Xiao Changyuan would travel thousands of miles to Jiangjia Village, accompanied only by a young girl. This was an opportunity handed to him by fate itself, and Chen Fashan dared not take it lightly.
His opponent was highly skilled in martial arts; he could not defeat him by force, so he had to rely on strategy.
While Chen Fashan was racking his brains to devise a plan to kill Xiao Changyuan,
Yun Pianpian was racking her brains on how to survive the night.
Jiang Cuicui had brought clean bedding, and Yun Pianpian spread it out on the bed. Turning around, she saw Xiao Changyuan reach out and close the door.
Yun Pianpian’s heart skipped a beat, her face paling with fear as she exclaimed, “Husband, why are you closing the door?”
Xuan Changyuan turned around and looked at Yun Pianpian expressionlessly.
“It’s late. Aren’t you going to rest, wife?”
Hearing this, Yun Pianpian forced a dry laugh and said, “Of course, I’m going to rest. Early to bed and early to rise is good for the body, hahaha.”
Xiao Changyuan glanced at Yun Pianpian, silently walked to the bed, and began to take off his clothes.
Yun Pianpian, terrified, clutched her collar tightly and backed away repeatedly, her eyes wide with shock.
She stared at Xiao Changyuan in horror.
“Husband, what are you doing?”
“Going to sleep.”
Xiao Changyuan turned his head slightly, his deep, cold eyes looking strangely at Yun Pianpian.
“Wife, did I not take off my clothes before sleeping in the past?”
How would I know if you’re taking off your clothes to sleep or to sleep with me?
To defend her innocence, Yun Pianpian nodded vigorously and began to lie: “That’s right! Husband, you always liked sleeping in your outer clothes. You said it was more convenient that way. From the moment I met you until now, you’ve always slept fully dressed!”
Xiao Changyuan seemed a bit skeptical. “Is that so?”
“Of course it's true.”
Yun Pianpian nodded frantically like a chick pecking at rice. “I am your wife, why would I lie to you?”
Xiao Changyuan lowered his gaze and watched Yun Pianpian for a while.
After a long pause, he finally lowered his hand. “Alright, then I'll listen to my wife.”
Yun Pianpian breathed a sigh of relief.
This guy is way too easy to fool.
How on earth did someone so gullible become a tyrant?
Yun Pianpian couldn't wrap her head around it.
Xiao Changyuan took off his shoes and socks and climbed onto the bed.
But he didn't lie down immediately.
Instead, he leaned against the bedpost, his dark, ink, like eyes coldly fixed on Yun Pianpian.
“Wife, aren't you coming to rest?”
Yun Pianpian didn't dare to rest and hastily made up an excuse. “Husband, you sleep first. I'm a bit thirsty and need to drink some water.”
Xiao Changyuan was already used to Yun Pianpian's erratic behavior.
“Alright.”
A teapot sat on the table. Yun Pianpian hurried over, picked it up, and poured herself a cup of water.
She slowly held the cup and struggled to swallow the water.
When she turned her head, she noticed Xiao Changyuan's gaze still fixed on her, and she immediately felt a chill run down her spine.
“Husband, why are you staring at me?”
Xiao Changyuan's eyes were like a deep, icy abyss, a mix of inkstone and frost, dark, cold, and heavy.
“Because my wife's eyes are beautiful.”
Yun Pianpian: “...” Don't think sweet talk will make me let you sleep with me!
I'm a proper transmigrated girl! How could I be swayed by your smooth words?!
After drinking an entire pot of tea and making three trips to the outhouse, Yun Pianpian finally, with the resolve of a warrior cutting off his own wrist, tragically climbed onto the great tyrant's dragon bed. She shrank her petite frame, trembling, to the innermost side of the bed.
This couldn't go on. Yun Pianpian decided to pull out her ultimate weapon, lying to Xiao Changyuan.
“Husband, there's actually something I forgot to tell you.”
Xiao Changyuan asked, “What is it?”
Yun Pianpian furrowed her delicate brows, her almond, shaped eyes brimming with tears as she looked pitifully at Xiao Changyuan.
“Your wife is delicate and frail, and cannot engage in strenuous activities.”
Xiao Changyuan frowned slightly, a look of confusion appearing on his cold, handsome face.
“What are strenuous activities?”
Yun Pianpian blushed shyly, her eyes darting around. “The kind that makes your face flush and your heart race.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Changyuan's brows furrowed even deeper.
“What kind of exercise makes one's face flush and heart race?”
Yun Pianpian: “...” Was this tyrant truly ignorant or just pretending?
Wait a moment.
In the original story, Xiao Changyuan's character was portrayed as ascetic and indifferent to women.
Could it be that he genuinely didn't know what intense physical activity meant?
That would be perfect!
Yun Pianpian beamed and said, “It's nothing, nothing. We most likely won't encounter this kind of exercise, so there's no need for you to worry, husband.”
Xiao Changyuan looked at Yun Pianpian, his dark, profound gaze tinged with a faint confusion.
Yun Pianpian paid no attention to the confusion in his eyes.
She happily pulled the quilt over herself.
Thinking that Xiao Changyuan was still an innocent young man unaware of worldly matters,
Yun Pianpian couldn't contain her joy, tossing and turning in bed.
She lifted the quilt and looked at him with a gaze full of sisterly kindness and affection.
This guy had gone to war at seventeen, unified the five kingdoms at nineteen, and ascended the throne as emperor. Now, he was only twenty years old. Meanwhile, Yun Pianpian's soul belonged to a twenty, three, year, old senior young woman. By that calculation, she was three years older than him, his elder sister!
With that thought, Yun Pianpian was no longer afraid of Xiao Changyuan at all.
He wouldn't regain his memories for another three years.
For now, he was so gullible, so obedient, and still an innocent young man.
She would probably complete her mission and return home soon.
The future looked bright.
Yun Pianpian tucked herself in and said to Xiao Changyuan with a smile, “Goodnight, husband.”
Xiao Changyuan was taken aback for a moment before replying, “Goodnight, wife.”
“Husband, remember to blow out the candle.”
“Alright.”
Xiao Changyuan got out of bed, extinguished the candle, returned to bed, and lay down without undressing.
Yun Pianpian closed her eyes with a smile and soon drifted off to sleep.
Xiao Changyuan lay beside Yun Pianpian, initially still thinking about the matter with Doctor Zhou, but as he noticed Yun Pianpian's breathing gradually slowing, his mood gradually relaxed.
Unconsciously, he fell into a deep sleep.
In the middle of the night, Xiao Changyuan was abruptly awakened by Yun Pianpian hitting him.
It turned out Yun Pianpian was a restless sleeper.
In her dreams, she flailed her arms and legs, and one of her hands smacked directly onto Xiao Changyuan's handsome face, jolting him awake.
Xiao Changyuan grabbed her wrist, intending to place her hand back under the quilt, but suddenly felt the slight calluses on her fingertips.
The cool moonlight spilled into the dimly lit room, and everything was silent except for the sound of their breathing.
Xiao Changyuan's expression was unreadable. After a moment of hesitation, he placed Yun Pianpian's hand under the quilt and tucked her in properly.
He lay back down slowly, his dark eyes freezing over like a deep, icy abyss, even tinged with anger.
If his wife was so delicate and frail, why did she have calluses on her hands?