Everyone Wants To Harm Me - Chapter 84

I pulled Yu Chongrui away from the crowd and ran south. We moved against the tide, passing through the streets and alleys of the neighborhood. I had wanted to hold his hand and run to the ends of the earth, to a place without trouble, without fighting—just the two of us.

But that was Luoyang, and Luoyang had an end. The gate at the end had already been closed.

Eventually, I reached a quiet path and recognized the old peach tree on the side of the road, thick as an arm—the tree where Yu Chongrui and I had gone to ask for the jade pendant, where he had fought with Fan Zeng.

The peach blossoms had long since faded, and the autumn fruits had been picked, leaving only sparse branches in the winter.

“Slow down, don’t hurt yourself—”

I pulled him into the shadow under the tree, then turned and hugged him, and he couldn’t finish his sentence.

I was out of breath from running, blood rising in my throat, heart pounding wildly. Pressed against his chest, I heard his heartbeat too—fast, but steady in rhythm, breath calm and deep.

I sensed his body tense slightly, and he raised his hands.

“Don’t push me away,” I tightened my arms around him, clasping my hands behind his waist. “I’ll just hold you for a while.”

His hands slowly lowered, resting on my shoulders.

The winter clothes were thick, but I could still feel that the body in my arms was thinner than the one I had held in the Heqing County Inn. When I saw him just now, I had thought something seemed different. It turned out he had lost weight.

“You’ve lost a lot of weight,” I sniffed in his arms. “And there’s a smell of medicine on you. Are you injured again?”

“No, it’s for epidemic prevention. I drink preventive medicine every day. Over time, the smell just sticks to me.” He replied, “If you don’t believe me, ask Zishe.”

“It’s not credible to ask him. You two always team up to deceive me.”

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly slipped his hand under my ribs, lifting me up and spinning me around.

“Do you believe it now?”

How could he…

If it weren’t for the mask and the dark sky, my face would have been red.

After landing, I still couldn’t stand properly. I held his arm, my heart pounding in my chest, so light and dizzy that I could barely stand.

A loud “bang” rang out in the sky, and the northern sky was instantly illuminated. I looked up at the source of the sound: fire trees and silver flowers, starry rain scattered across the sky, separated by sparse treetops, like flowers blooming on branches, dazzling and brilliant.

In the flickering light and shadow, he lifted my mask.

“You said I was thinner,” his fingers slid across my cheek, stopping at my chin, which he gently cupped. “Aren’t you the same?”

He was still wearing his mask, hidden in the shadows with his head lowered. I felt something stir in my heart and reached up to untie the knot behind his head. “Let me see you too.”

But he turned his head away.

I pouted in dissatisfaction. We hadn’t seen each other in so long, and he wouldn’t even let me take a look. We had just met in a hurry, with people all around, so I hadn’t gotten a good look…

Yu Chongrui sighed and covered my face with the mask again. I didn’t want to wear it, twisting my head back and forth deliberately, but he held me down and tied it in place.

“Why are we still wearing these?”

“To avoid being recognized.”

“There aren’t many people here…”

“Just in case.”

The Nuo Opera mask had exaggerated features, making it slightly comical. Facing it, I… couldn’t do the things I wanted to do, or say what I wanted to say.

Was he guessing I wanted to flirt with him and deliberately used the mask to block me…

The fireworks had gone off in a round and were gradually returning to silence, but the noisy cheers from the crowd nearby grew louder. It was past the hour of You, and there was still half an hour before the palace banquet at the hour of Xu.

I asked him, “Are you still going to the Shangyuan feast with His Majesty later?”

He had just returned from a long journey and was exhausted. He needed to bathe and change clothes before entering the palace for the banquet, so he was a little anxious about the time.

“I’m afraid I won’t make it.”

The Emperor probably expected he wouldn’t make it and wouldn’t blame him, but I couldn’t afford to miss it.

“I have to go… The roads are crowded. Don’t let traffic delay you again.”

I really didn’t want to leave him, but for the long-term future, I could only bear it for now.

Yu Chongrui held me. “Wait.” I turned back with hope, but he asked, “Are you still helping Prince Xin?”

“How do you know…” I stopped, realizing I couldn’t hide anything from him. “Not recently, the last time was around the Qianqiu Festival.”

“Don’t help him again in the future. If he asks for favors, keep seven points hidden and tell three points. If he thinks your advice is useless, he won’t take the risk to seek you out.” Yu Chongrui instructed, “Protect yourself in the palace, and leave the outside matters to me.”

Was he finally getting involved in the dispute over the throne?

Though I had known this issue would surface eventually, and it would be difficult for the prime minister to remain uninvolved, I had still hoped he would focus on the national economy and the people’s livelihood as the Emperor had hoped, rather than wasting energy on internal struggles.

There were still so many people in the world suffering from hunger and cold, with no place to call home. I had never done anything to help them. All I could do was hide in the shadows, observing people’s hearts, dividing enemies from friends based on their positions, forming cliques, and instigating disputes.

Was “Mojin Gu” useful? I thought it was not only useless but harmful, especially to myself and my aunt.

I asked him, “Then what about you…”

Yu Chongrui said, “Back in Zhendding Prefecture, Prince Xin sent two groups of advisors to persuade me.”

“Did you agree?”

Of course not, or Prince Xin wouldn’t have sent a second group.

Yu Chongrui paused and said, “Not yet.”

“Not yet” meant that he hadn’t outright refused and was still considering it. “Why?”

“Because,” he looked down at me through the mask, “the third prince is not a good choice either.”

There were many reasons why the third prince wasn’t a good candidate for the future monarch. For example, most of his supporters disliked him and were jealous of him. They had attacked him openly and secretly at the Zhongyuan Banquet, and their political views conflicted with his. From my understanding of the third prince in the past six months, he was emotional with clear likes and dislikes. He was open-hearted to those he liked but cold and distant to those he didn’t. This was not the fair attitude an emperor should have. Moreover, he was still young, easily manipulated, and prone to believing one side over the other.

But apart from this, were there other reasons…

I secretly looked at Yu Chongrui from under the mask, but unfortunately, all I could see was Liu Yi’s serious and exaggerated expression.

“But as you said, there are still several years.” He comforted me, “As long as there is room for maneuver, we can always find a way.”

I lowered my head and replied, “Well… I can wait.”

“And remember, no matter what promises others make, only what’s in your hand counts.”

I understood—he was warning me not to fully trust Prince Xin. Not just Prince Xin, but His Majesty, Grandfather, even the Third Prince. If a promise wasn’t kept, whether it was a golden vow or one that couldn’t be fulfilled, it was just empty words in the end.

“I really have to go.”

Yu Chongrui said, “I’ll take you back.”

“No need. There are so many people on the street, and the lights are on everywhere. I can go back by myself,” I refused. “So as not to be seen.”

He stood under the tree, silent.

I took a few steps and then turned back to say, “Yu Chongrui, I am also someone who doesn’t keep my word, and I don’t always keep my promises.”

Under the mask, I could still see the corners of his eyes slightly curved, revealing a smile. “You changed your mind and aren’t leaving?”

Alas! When he said that, I really wanted to stay with him and never leave, just like those concubines who fled the palace on Lantern Night, even if the Ming Dynasty were flooded and the world turned upside down.

I rushed over and threw myself into his arms, hugging him tightly. “I said I would only hug you for a while, but that doesn’t count.”

Then, before he could react, before I could completely give in and change my mind, I quickly let go and ran away.

I ran through three streets without stopping, only halting once I was sure I could no longer see him even if I turned around—afraid that if I did, I wouldn’t be able to walk away.

The lights in the South City were all lit up, and the streets were so crowded that I couldn’t walk after passing three or four neighborhoods. It was as bright as day. Hawkers lined both sides of the street, selling all kinds of small things to passers-by.

I was the only one wearing a mask on the road, which drew the attention of passers-by. I wanted to take it off, but the rope behind my neck was tied into a knot by Yu Chongrui. So, I had to lift the mask to the top of my head and wait for someone to help.

Why had he tied it so tightly? It would be hard for him to untie it himself…

I made my way southwest, toward Kangsufang, where the road was a bit looser. I had already wasted too much time, and I feared that if I continued this detour, I would miss the banquet.

A four-horse carriage passed by, and I stepped aside to let it pass. But the carriage stopped. Someone inside lifted the curtain and called out, “Sister Yao, what a surprise to see you here.”

It was Prince Xin.

He continued, “Sister Yao, are you also going to the palace for the banquet? I’m afraid it’s too late. Why don’t you get in the carriage, and let me take you?”

I stood by the carriage and said, “It’s not appropriate to be seen returning with His Highness.”

Prince Xin replied, “The public security in South City has always been poor. Today, the curfew is lifted for the Lantern Festival. Thieves and criminals are more likely to strike. How can I leave Sister Yao here alone to avoid suspicion? If our intentions are proper, there’s nothing inappropriate about it.”

I thought about it. If I stayed outside the palace during the Emperor’s banquet and returned late, the Emperor might grow suspicious. So, I thanked Prince Xin and got into the carriage.

Once inside, I saw that only Prince Xin was there. I asked, “Where is the princess?”

Prince Xin replied in a calm voice, “The princess wasn’t feeling well and returned to the palace shortly after she came out.”

Accompanying the princess was just a cover. He must have left Lan Yue to meet other people on the way, so I didn’t ask any further.

Prince Xin asked me, “Why are you here alone? Did you come from Jixian Square?”

I asked him, “Why are you here?”

“I came out from the southern market. The roads were too crowded, so I had to detour through the southern city.”

“I also came from the southern market, took a detour this way because of the crowds.”

Prince Xin smiled and glanced at the top of my head. “Is this the toy Sister Yao bought from South City?”

I remembered that I still had the mask on my head and, annoyed, wanted to take it off. But the rope was tangled in my hair again.

Prince Xin said, “Don’t move, I’ll help you.”

He moved behind me to untie the knot, but the carriage was shaking, and the rope was tightly knotted. He tried for a long time but couldn’t get it loose. His fingers brushed the back of my neck.

I felt a little uncomfortable and shrugged my shoulders. “Forget it, let’s wait until we get off the carriage…”

“There,” he said, finally undoing the knot and removing the mask from my head. “Your hairpin’s gotten a bit messy. Let me fix it for you.”

“No need,” I turned sideways to avoid him. “I’ll ask the palace attendants to fix my appearance once we’re inside.”

Prince Xin flipped the mask over and examined it. “What kind of character is this woman supposed to be? Is it a matching pair with a male figure?”

I replied, “I don’t know her either. I bought it for fun. The others were too ugly.”

Prince Xin didn’t say anything further.

The carriage moved quickly, and before long, we reached the bank of Luoshui River. The coachman told us the bridge was crowded, so we had to wait before crossing. I thanked Prince Xin and got off the carriage to walk across the bridge. Just ahead was the palace gate.

By the time I rushed back to the palace, there was still about a quarter of an hour before the banquet began, so I wasn’t late.

Since the Ganlu Palace hadn’t been repaired, this year’s Lantern Festival was being held in the Wenhua and Wuying Palaces. The Emperor and the ministers were in the Wenhua Palace, while the concubines, royal relatives, and noble women were in the Wuying Palace, hosted by Concubine Shu. The two halls were adjacent to each other.

I asked the palace attendant to tidy my appearance, then made my way to the Wuying Palace. As I passed in front of the Wenhua Palace, I saw the ministers gathered, entering one by one. There weren’t many people in the court who wore purple clothing above the third rank, and only a few wore the old-fashioned purple robes with such elegance.

I spotted Yu Chongrui at a glance.

Didn’t he say he couldn’t make it? Why was he here? In less than half an hour, he had gone home to change and wash up, then rushed to the palace from Jixian Square. Feng Yuan was really efficient—and of course, the superb driving skills of the “One Incense Stick From the Outer City,” Chang San, must’ve helped.

Yu Chongrui saw me too and suddenly mouthed a few words silently.

What did he say? Was he talking to me? But it was so sudden that I didn’t catch it in time!

I frowned and made an exaggerated confused expression at him.

He held back his laughter with a stern face and mouthed again: I, too…

“Where have you been!” The third prince suddenly appeared from behind, nearly making me jump. “Didn’t you say you’d wait for me to go out and play together? You disappeared after lighting the lanterns!”

I rolled my eyes and patted my chest. “Who said that to you? I didn’t agree.”

“I don’t care!” He grabbed my hand and started making a scene. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere! We couldn’t go out of the palace to play! This only happens once a year, you have to make it up to me!”

My arm felt like it was going to break from his shaking. “Stop causing a scene, the officials in court are watching.”

Look at this mischievous kid making a fuss. How could he possibly be the crown prince and shoulder the responsibility of the country in the future? If this went on, Great Wu was doomed.

The third prince glanced back and lowered his voice. “You still have to make it up to me.”

I looked over his head toward the Wenhua Palace. Yu Chongrui was surrounded by several ministers and entered the hall.

You want me to make it up to you? You should make it up to me!

I was so annoyed that I didn’t want to pay attention to him. I turned around and entered the hall by myself. The third prince followed me like sticky candy.

The Wuying Palace was full of women and children. Adult royal family members, such as Prince Xin, also sat at the same table with the Emperor’s ministers in the Wenhua Palace. Palace maids served the banquet, and no one had brought their servants. Even Dowager Consort De was seated at the table with Concubine Shu. Only Lan Yue, holding her waist with one hand and placing the other on the arm of her maid, walked slowly into the hall.

Dowager Consort De frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Concubine Shu teased, “Looking at her gait, could Princess Xin be pregnant?”

Lan Yue lowered her head shyly, her face glowing with joy. “I shouldn’t have said it so soon, but I just saw a famous doctor in Taipei today. The doctor advised me to be careful, and Concubine Shu noticed it.”