Chapter 195: Lust for Beauty

Chapter 195: Lust for Beauty

Lu Yan never expected that Huo Lang had specially come to the palace in the afternoon just to deliver Hu cakes to him. He found it amusing yet typical of the other man. Tracing the tip of his finger along Huo Lang's slender eyebrows, he asked with genuine interest, "The Regent, who possesses wealth beyond compare, wants to buy me over with merely ten Hu cakes?"

Huo Lang gently brushed away Lu Yan's hand, his eyes fixed on him with an intense gaze. His deep voice, though seemingly joking, carried a hint of earnestness:

"Little Emperor, I've already given you my life. What more could you possibly want?"

Years of near-death experiences and willing servitude were enough to prove many unspoken sentiments.

"…"

Lu Yan was momentarily taken aback by Huo Lang's words before turning his gaze away. The depth of emotion in Huo Lang's eyes always made him feel as if he were drowning in an abyss, unable to catch his breath. Changing the subject softly,

"I heard that the third son of the Wei family was struck by a poisoned arrow and is on the brink of death. How is he faring now?"

Huo Lang slowly turned the ring on his finger, the light from outside the window dancing across a small, sunken scar on his shoulder, as if someone had gouged out a piece of flesh. "It's just the Golden Hook poison from Xiling. If one has good fortune, they live; if not, they perish. This poison is swift, and the infected flesh must be immediately excised upon being struck by the arrow. Otherwise, once delayed, even a great immortal would find it hard to save them."

He knew that when Lu Yan was still the crown prince, he had been close friends with the third son of the Wei family. Unfortunately, the latter was now barely clinging to life, and even if he survived by chance, he would likely become a bitter enemy, with a blood feud that could not be easily resolved.

Lu Yan nodded, not asking any further questions. He picked up scattered articles of clothing and personally dressed Huo Lang neatly, just as he used to, gently reminding him, "It's getting late. When you return home, don't let Wu Mei notice anything amiss."

Huo Lang gave a humorless smile. "That eunuch chief acts more imposing than you, the emperor. Everything has to be kept hidden from him."

As he spoke, he subtly grasped Lu Yan's right hand, his gaze quickly scanning and noticing a thin white scar on the wrist, identical to what he had seen during the morning court session. He frowned inwardly but then released his grip.

Perhaps it was just his imagination…

Lu Yan pretended not to notice Huo Lang's subtle action, sending him off at the entrance of the hall as usual. Wu Mei, standing guard outside, sensed something peculiar. After Huo Lang left, he directly entered the hall and said meaningfully, "Your Majesty seems to have grown rather close to the Regent recently?"

Today, the warm sun had risen, melting some snow, but it was colder than usual. Lu Yan suppressed a low cough, slowly walking to the brazier to warm himself by the fire. His slender figure gave off an inexplicable feeling of fragility. "If Lord Eunuch disapproves, next time when the Regent enters the palace, you can simply stop him."

Wu Mei naturally dared not do so. Zhao Kang was now terrified of Huo Lang, fainting at the sight of him. The matter of audience could only be handled by Lu Yan, the substitute. The old man's eyes, filled with vicious cunning, asked, "May I ask, what did you discuss with the Regent earlier?"

Lu Yan lowered his gaze indifferently. "We didn't talk about much."

Wu Mei clearly didn't believe him. "You two spent an entire hour inside the hall. Didn't you say anything?"

Lu Yan deliberately paused for a moment. "…The Regent lusted after this gentleman's beauty, saying some indecent words to flirt. Does Lord Eunuch wish to hear them?"

Wu Mei's expression changed dramatically. "What did you say?!"

Lu Yan kindly repeated, "He lusted after this gentleman's beauty, flirting indecently with me."

Wu Mei was instantly enraged. He never imagined that Huo Lang, who acted improperly in the imperial court, would have such a preference in private. His high-pitched eunuch voice became somewhat distorted. "You represent the face of the emperor. How could you allow a mere subject to behave so indecently?! Huo Lang deserves ten thousand deaths!!"

However, what Lu Yan said next silenced Wu Mei immediately. "He said that if I didn't comply, he would immediately dispatch troops to depose me from the throne. If I submitted to him, there would be fewer difficulties for me in the imperial court. Overpowered by the Regent's strength, I had no choice but to submit to him."

After speaking, Lu Yan sighed softly, filled with melancholy.

Wu Mei's face had never been so vividly colored, alternating between red, black, green, and finally settling on a ghastly pallor. His throat moved as if he had swallowed dog feces, unsure whether to swallow or spit it out. It took him a while to utter a sentence, "Rebels and traitors, they shall be exterminated sooner or later!"

Wu Mei trembled with anger, completely unaware that a faint glint of killing intent flashed through Lu Yan's eyes when he said those words, too fleeting for anyone to catch. "Tomorrow, the Duke of Zhen's residence will hold a funeral ceremony. By all rights, Your Majesty should pay respects. Have the carriage prepared in advance."

Wu Mei's expression was solemn. "These days are fraught with incidents. It's best to avoid leaving the palace gates."

Lu Yan warmed his hands by the brazier, as if playing with an invisible storm. His voice was soft, yet every word pierced the heart. "The Wei family has risked their lives for Beishu for ninety-seven years, with casualties numbering in the hundreds. They have contributed to stabilizing the mountains and seas. Now that both father and son have passed away, isn't it worth Your Majesty personally lighting incense for them? What would the people think?"

"…"

Wu Mei stared at Lu Yan, trying to discern what he was thinking. After a moment, he said, "This old servant must attend to Your Majesty's side. Tomorrow, let Wumu accompany you. Please remember, your fortunes rise and fall together with the emperor's. Only when the emperor is well can you live."

After speaking, he reached into his sleeve with his emaciated, aged hand, fumbling for a moment before retrieving a completely black lacquer box. Gently placing it on the table, he bowed. "This old servant will escort you back to your sleeping quarters."

In the imperial sleeping quarters, there was a secret room. When Zhao Kang was outside, Lu Yan was inside, and vice versa. Despite its luxurious furnishings and the ingenious ventilation system designed by skilled craftsmen, it remained dim and damp.

Due to Zhao Kang's frail health, an entire cabinet of medicines was set up inside for the convenience of the imperial physicians. The palace maidservants serving in the room were illiterate and mute, adding to the eerie silence around them.

Lu Yan slowly paced in front of the medicine cabinet, holding a small scale in his hand. Occasionally, he opened drawers to scoop out medicinal ingredients for weighing, then had the mute maidservant store them. When he had gathered sixty-five ingredients, he stopped.

Lu Yan looked at the maidservant seriously, communicating with her in sign language. "Grind them into powder, mix with honey to make pills. We need them urgently tomorrow. Don't delay."

In his previous life, the Wei family distanced themselves from the imperial court, requesting to guard the border. Wei Tan suddenly fell ill and died on his way out of the capital, presumably due to the unresolved Golden Hook poison. Unfortunately, Lu Yan had not developed an antidote at that time, causing him to lose his life in vain.

Although everyone in the underground palace was under Wu Mei's control, over time, distinctions of closeness and distance inevitably arose. This mute maidservant named Lan Yin had served Lu Yan the longest and was closest to him. Upon hearing his request, she nodded slightly and immediately went to prepare the medicine.

Watching her leave, Lu Yan slowly sat down beside the medicine table. Recalling something, he took out a small lacquer box from his sleeve, which was precisely the one Wu Mei had given him today. Opening the lid, a completely black pill lay quietly inside.

Before the late emperor's demise, fearing that Lu Yan harbored sinister intentions, he had implanted a parasitic poison to control him, burying the mother parasite within Zhao Kang's body. Should Zhao Kang's life be in peril, Lu Yan would also meet his end.

The life-sharing parasite attacked once a month, causing the host to vomit blood uncontrollably. Without an antidote, it would force the person to literally vomit out their internal organs, leading to unbearable agony.

In his previous life, Lu Yan had privately researched for a long time but failed to develop an antidote. At most, he could divide a pill into half, supplementing it with acupuncture to extend his life by two months. In this way, he could secretly conserve a pill for studying how to counteract it.

He didn't know if he could develop the antidote in this lifetime. All he knew was that the Zhao family had to die. Otherwise, what could be offered as a sacrifice to commemorate the 1,362 lives lost back then? And how could people believe that good and evil would eventually receive their due retribution?

Recalling the massacre of that year, Lu Yan slowly closed his eyes. His figure was engulfed by shadows, devoid of the demeanor of a noble gentleman. Only the hatred of a vengeful spirit remained, whispering to the air word by word:

"Zhao Qin is dead, three remain…"

With a gentle flick of his finger, a thread of dark energy shot out, striking the golden dragon ornament on the corner of the table, knocking it over precisely.

On the ninth day of the first lunar month, Duke Wei Han and his eldest son, Wei Xuan, were laid to rest. Although the funeral was held quietly, it attracted condolences from numerous officials. The imperial city was draped in mourning attire, and tens of thousands of citizens spontaneously came to pay their respects, bestowing the utmost honor upon them.

No one noticed a splendidly adorned carriage parked discreetly at a corner of the mansion gate. The servants waited until most of the guests had departed before lifting a corner of the curtain and respectfully addressing the occupant, "Master, we can enter now."

With many eyes watching today, it wasn't appropriate to make a grand entrance. Lu Yan, dressed in mourning attire, didn't attract much attention on his tour. Upon hearing the news, he got out of the carriage. Protected by his attendants, he walked through the streets, preparing to enter the mansion to pay his respects. The elderly servant announcing names at the entrance hadn't had time to speak before he was pushed aside by the palace guards covering his mouth.

The Duke of Zhen's residence was considered a prominent clan in the capital, but the mansion itself was not overly extravagant, only barely qualifying as simple and majestic. In his past life, Lu Yan, acting as Zhao Kang's double, often accompanied him to study in the palace, where he met Wei Tan, then a companion reader to the crown prince. They became close friends. Unfortunately, after ascending the throne, Wei Tan was sent to guard the border, and later, his entire family perished. Lu Yan never had the chance to see him again before his death.

Bills fluttered in the sky like falling snow, drifting and dancing, while wails echoed intermittently, suddenly making one aware that the Wei family, who had guarded Beishu for ninety-seven years, had truly fallen into decline.

It was said that dynasties perish after a century, and if this were true, Beishu's remaining days could be counted on three fingers.

Madame Wei, dressed in mourning attire, stood beside her daughter, Wei Shu, thanking guests at the memorial hall. Beside them stood a pale-faced man, his handsome features marred by the hand clutching his abdomen, occasionally bowing his head to suppress coughs from deep within his chest, his face unable to hide his suffering. It was none other than Wei Tan, still ill.

Lu Yan subconsciously paused in his steps.

"What are you doing here?!"

Wei Shu suddenly caught sight of a figure in plain white standing outside the memorial hall. Her eyes widened, tears nearly spilling over as she rushed forward but was stopped by a guard a meter away. She spat out with hatred, "How dare you show your face after what you've done to my family! Do you not dream of the wrongfully dead soldiers beyond Guiyan Pass seeking vengeance when midnight comes?! Get out! Scram! Don't defile our home with your presence!"

She was only fifteen, with three elder brothers, raised in pampered luxury, cultivating a fearless spirit that knew no bounds. In the past, Lu Yan would often visit the mansion to play chess with Wei Tan. Young Wei Shu, with her twin buns, would laugh and tug at his sleeves, calling him brother, favoring Lu Yan over Wei Tan, always taking his side in matters big and small, causing Wei Tan no small amount of jealousy.

Old Master Wei was loyal to his country, his martial skills impeccable. He would often watch them practice swordsmanship with a smile, offering pointers. At that time, Madame Wei did not possess the fierce determination that led her to crash the palace gates that night. She preferred wearing simple household dresses, personally cooking sweet pastries for them to enjoy.

And there were the eldest son, Wei Xuan, and the second son, Wei Hong, who treated him like a younger brother, showing him the same regard as they did Wei Tan.

Lu Yan closed his eyes, feeling the weight of how things had changed. After a moment, he softly spoke, "Fourth Miss, I came today merely to pay my respects to Old Master Wei and Eldest Master."

Wei Shu pointed outside, crying, "They don't deserve it! Leave!"

Today, Huo Lang had also come in low profile. Though he didn't see eye-to-eye with the Wei family much, he respected their loyalty and valor, waiting until the crowd dispersed before arriving in mourning clothes to pay his respects. However, he hadn't expected to see the Wei family's unruly daughter berating Lu Yan upon entering, raising an eyebrow and coolly remarking,

"The snow has melted, yet the day is cold. Miss Wei's temper remains as fiery as ever."

To his surprise, Wei Shu glared fiercely at him, pointing outside and cursing, "You're no better! Get out with him!"

Huo Lang: "…"