Chapter 491: A Brief Moment of Peace (1)

Chapter 491: A Brief Moment of Peace (Part One)

The days when the Dan Liang royal family was verifying were the same as when Xianyi Chishaou arrived at the Dan Liang capital. They waited to see if Su Rao would make another move, while Su Rao and Yun Ji also waited to see if they would act, thus testing whether their suspicions were true, whether it was indeed a banquet with hidden dangers.

Both sides awaited any further actions from the other, and this unspoken mutual wait brought a rare moment of peace to the Dan Liang capital for a short while.

During this period, Su Rao and Yun Ji noticed something amiss with Su Er, who had been unable to speak for several days.

Under the starlit night, YueHua hung in the sky, the stars twinkling, adorning the night once more.

A silver needle, gleaming under the moonlight, was again inserted into Su Er's mute point.

Each insertion of the needle penetrated the skin and flesh to a depth of three to five points, remaining in the acupoint for one to four breaths.

"Second Brother, how do you feel? Can you try to speak?"

After a session of acupuncture that, though not long, was extremely taxing on her mind, Su Rao asked Su Er about his current condition once more.

"Uh..."

Su Er tried to speak again. He could produce sound, but each time he did, his throat would sting painfully. Although after several sessions of acupuncture by Su Rao, he felt slightly better, he still could not speak as he used to.

"Second Brother, if your throat still hurts, don't force yourself to speak. Injuries to the throat must not be rushed."

In Su Rao's view, there were few signs of improvement in Su Er's condition.

This was because Su Er's vocal cords had bled due to extreme anger, compounded by the psychological shock, leading to his sudden loss of voice, which had persisted for several days without any sign of recovery.

This made Su Rao press her lips tightly together, then silently pack away the silver needles.

Compared to Su Er’s recent loss of voice due to Yun Mujing's extreme anger, Su Rao was so furious that she could hardly control her body from trembling when she first applied the needles to Su Er. She had to use her left hand to steady her right, just to control her shaking fingers.

Regarding Yun Mujing, if not for Su Er holding back Su Rao at that time, she would have definitely gotten involved in the matter, and she wouldn’t have been able to remain so calm.

By this night, Su Rao had managed to suppress herself, but each time she applied the needles to her second brother, she couldn’t help but feel distressed and angry. Her heart ached for her second brother, causing her eyes to redden with unshed tears.

"Little... Sister..."

A gaze, cold and indifferent, fell upon Su Rao’s reddened, almond-shaped eyes. After a moment, as Su Rao put away the silver needle case, Su Er raised his hand to wipe away the tear that lingered at the corner of her eye, about to fall but not quite.

Then, dipping his finger in the water from the cup, he wrote on the table:

"Second Brother has only temporarily lost his voice, it's just because he got too angry."

Just too angry, how could being so angry as to lose one’s voice be merely 'just' that? But Su Rao understood that Su Er could be so affected by Yun Mujing because he cared deeply for him. Otherwise, how could he have been so upset?

"I know, Second Brother, don't speak too much. Rao won’t do anything to Yun Mujing. Second Brother will handle your own affairs. I only hope this doesn’t happen again. It’s not wrong to love someone, but you must also ask yourself if it’s worth it, if it’s worth getting hurt over."

Leaving these words, Su Rao wrote another prescription and asked Su Han to fetch the medicine. Then, she left the room.

Inside, the lamp burned brightly; outside, the moonlight shimmered. As soon as she stepped out of the room, Su Rao clearly saw two figures in the nearby octagonal pavilion.

There stood Yun Mujing in a purple gauze robe and her brother.

It was only when Yun Ji arrived that Su Er allowed Yun Mujing his freedom.

At that moment, the two were standing by the edge of the octagonal pavilion, not seated, engaged in some conversation.

The moonlight cast a soft, hazy glow, bright yet veiled in a light mist, enveloping the area around the pavilion in a three-foot radius. The warm ambiance was further enhanced by the lanterns inside the pavilion, creating a cozy atmosphere.

Gazing thus, Yun Mujing, dressed in a purple misty gauze as if a daughter of the house, leaned against the pavilion pillar.

As the night breeze blew, the purple misty gauze fluttered and swirled, her black hair danced gracefully. Even just a silhouette, it exuded an enchanting charm that easily captivated her second brother, who was naive in love, making him unable to extricate himself ever since.

Yun Ji and Yun Mujing were both facing away from Su Rao, so when she approached, they, perhaps too engrossed in their conversation, did not notice her at all.

"Jing, if you want to choose again, this is your last chance. Miss this, and it will be impossible to reconcile between you and Yu Mo."

With some concern, Yun Ji turned to look at Yun Mujing. He still wore his dark robe, but the silver-black mask was off, and there was no longer a white veil covering his eyes, making his expression clearly visible.

In front of this younger brother he cared about, Yun Ji did not maintain the distant calmness of Prince Yun Ji; instead, he showed genuine care and concern.

Yun Mujing understood that her brother meant well, but she would not choose again, nor would she make another choice. Her decision had always been for the empire.

"Brother knows, ascending the throne is a step Jing and Brother have planned for a long time. I, Yun Mujing, will never abandon what I have schemed for so many years just for Su Yumo. Only imperial power can allow me to protect everything I wish to protect."

She shook her head firmly.

There's no need for more persuasion, Brother.

Yun Ji could only sigh lightly, then patted Yun Mujing's shoulder.

"Since Jing does not wish to choose, this elder brother will not persuade further. Whatever path you choose to walk, Jing, let me say one more thing: do not let imperial power cloud your heart."

Whether Aunt Yao's death was a deliberate act by the Imperial Uncle or truly an accident, over these years, the Imperial Uncle's genuine affection for Jing was not feigned. This fatherly love stemmed from Jing being Aunt Yao's child. Though the Imperial Uncle valued imperial power, he also had a heart.

The hand inside the sleeve of the purple misty gauze suddenly clenched tightly, causing the skin on the back of her hand to turn pale.

But after a moment, Yun Mujing slowly lowered her head and relaxed her clenched hands.

She knew that her father truly doted on her, and the affection between him and her mother was genuine and profound. Yet, no matter how sincere or deep their love, it could never outweigh the imperial power, nor the lofty throne.

Being of royal blood, she was born a prince, and thus must walk the path destined for her, never to be ensnared by romantic entanglements, lest she face the same fate as her father and mother.

In the first half of her life, she was Prince Yun Mujing; in the second half, she would only ever be the Emperor of Yunlang.

"Brother, there are many things that cannot be had both ways."

Even with Brother and Rao, it was because Su Yimuo truly buried Brother alive, while the Su family remained unscathed, that Brother and Rao have their present happiness.

If the Su family had truly been executed by Father, even if Rao knew in her heart that Brother was innocent, she might not have forgiven him, and Brother and Rao would not have their current bliss.

"Since you cannot have both, you should always remind yourself that you are Yun Mujing, the Emperor of Yunlang. The second son of the Su family is long dead, and there is no longer a General Su in the Yunlang army, nor a Grand General’s Mansion in Yunlang. My second brother now has no obligation to suffer for your sake."

Only then did Su Rao speak, stepping into the octagonal pavilion, her face flushed with anger, especially her almond-shaped eyes, which revealed unmasked resentment.