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Chapter 186
19. want to laugh and ask the king, whether the world of mortals ever knew the coldness of the light
Pei Niancheng looked at his brother's face close at hand, and finally forced himself to come back to his senses, and quickly avoided the corridor:
"Ah...it's okay, thank you brother."
Pei Nianyu sat back:
"It's good that you're fine. Is Xiaosheng too tired recently? It looks like you don't look well."
Pei Niancheng shook his head quickly:
"What's the matter, brother is worried."
Pei Nianyu looked at him with warm eyes:
"That's good, come and try the dishes I made today."
Pei Nianyu carried him over one by one, and Pei Niancheng hurriedly said:
"I'll do it myself."
After exchanging a few pleasantries as usual, there was a strange silence at the table.
Pei Niancheng lowered his head and took a bite of the spicy beef roll, but his mind was not on it at all.He was only thinking, so Li Han was trapped here by his brother, so he was locked here, so he...
But these were all done by his brother, his brother who had been hurt for twenty years.
The more Pei Niancheng thought about it, the more worried he became, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.However, he couldn't let his elder brother see the slightest abnormality, so he had to force a laugh, pretending to be beaming when he was reunited with his family at a family banquet.
Just as he was lost in thought here, Pei Nianyu started arguing with him again:
"Come to Xiaosheng, try this tofu skin roll, I made it all afternoon today."
Pei Niancheng had no choice but to return to his own brother's kindness:
"Oh, good bro."
However, Pei Niancheng couldn't help it after all. Every time he lowered his head to take a bite, he secretly hid his gaze and looked at the shadow of the tree behind the corridor.
——The man was wearing a mask, so he couldn't see how much clothes he was wearing.Was he punished?can he see me
Take a look, but don't dare to look more.
Pei Niancheng's demeanor today is flawless. He exhausted all his energy to make himself deal with the food in front of him, and tried his best to describe in words how delicious the food cooked by his brother was.
Everything seemed perfect, except his heart.
And Li Han couldn't see his master.
From the moment his master stepped into the front yard of Hanqiu Pavilion, Li Han's entire body was frozen like a stone sculpture.
Why... the master suddenly came over at this time?
He subconsciously did not dare to make any movements, fearing that the sound of the iron chain would draw the owner's attention.He was afraid... the master saw him.
Although he suffered all the humiliation voluntarily, he still didn't want his master to see him in such embarrassment.What's more...he was afraid that his master would see him and think of the time when he secretly hid his master's hair.
He was afraid that his master would see his current appearance. Is a person who is as embarrassed as a vicious dog worthy of pleasing that superior emperor?
However, how much he wished for the master to look at him again, and give him even a look of disgust.
I don't see you today, maybe the next time will be the next life.
Thinking of this, Li Han felt an unspeakable pain in his heart, restrained his movements, and slowly turned behind the tree without making a sound.
He is a shadow guard, and some skills are instincts engraved in his bones-such as how to block the opponent's line of sight, so that he can observe others, but the opponent cannot look directly at him.
He leaned sideways, poked his head out little by little, and carefully looked at the master who was only a yard away from him.
However, Li Han's dream was soon shattered.
Xia Yao turned around very "coincidentally", seeing him peeping like this, she was "furious", picked up the whip and whipped, cursing as she whipped:
"It really is a lowly slave! The masters are eating, what are you doing here looking around! You have learned the rules like a dog!"
"Annoyed the master, can you afford it! I'll beat you to death, you bastard!"
In fact, Xia Yao had never scolded Li Han so badly before, she never gave Li Han a few simple instructions and never insulted her.However, today, after all, the prince "entrusted" her first, so she tried her best to learn the dirty words in the palace well, no matter how unpleasant they came.
Although Xia Yao pretended to restrain herself and cursed in a low voice, Pei Niancheng had also cultivated internal strength, so how could she not hear her.Sure enough, he couldn't sit still immediately.
Out of the corner of Pei Niancheng's eyes, he caught a glimpse of the kneeling man being whipped on his back and being insulted by a court lady, but he was extremely meek and obedient. It was as if a big seam opened in his heart.
That's his first movie.
His words are consistent, his majesty has become more and more serious, and his subordinates are convinced that he has never dared to disobey him.
The back of his shadow head is always straight, and he is the only one who kneels down in the palace.
Pei Niancheng could hardly bear it anymore, he really wanted to ask his brother what he was doing right now.
Unexpectedly, Pei Nianyu seemed to see what he was thinking, and while stretching out his chopsticks to hold a piece of braised pork for him, he spoke first:
"Oh, I'm sorry, sister Xia punished a slave in our house, and made Xiaosheng laugh."
Pei Niancheng was blocked, so he had no choice but to put the piece of braised pork into his mouth with a blank expression, but it tasted like chewing wax.
The insults from the backyard were endless, but Pei Niancheng couldn't take it anymore.
He kept himself calm with the steel-like will that belonged to the emperor, and told himself with reason that sending Li Han over for disposal was a decision he made himself, which could not be shaken, regretted, or interfered.
...I can't feel sorry for my brother.
However, after all, he still wants to what the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over.
Pei Niancheng managed to grab a few mouthfuls of food, coughed, and hurried back to the palace on the pretext of being busy with government affairs, and just slipped away.
He didn't even dare to look at the corridor again when he went out.
…………
After Pei Niancheng left, Xia Yao saw the audience leave, and she finally didn't have to sing as an opera singer.She threw the whip away again, shook her numb wrist, and went back to the house to rest.
Li Han was trapped under the tree, watching helplessly as his master left without mercy.
He fell into a great panic: Did the master finally hate his humble appearance, so he didn't even want to look at him?
In this life...is there still a chance, again, to see the master again?
Li Han stared blankly at the direction of the front yard, he didn't even notice that Wang Ye and Lou Yefeng were coming.
Pei Nianyu used the key to untie the iron chain on his neck, and said to him:
"You just rest."
Li Han doesn't know, so, my lord, is this... specially made for the master to see?
But why, is the master willing to see himself punished?
Pei Nianyu was still waiting to say a few words of condolence to Li Han, but Lou Yefeng was a little jealous and tugged at his master's sleeve:
"Master, it's getting late, let's go back to the house and sleep."
Pei Nianyu knew exactly what Lou Yefeng was up against, and he clearly didn't want to see himself caring too much about Li Han.But it's true that recently, all I think about are other people's... shadow guards.
Pei Nianyu's attitude softened, but seeing the extremely veiled jealous look of his black-clothed shadow leader, he finally smiled.
With a smile like a spring breeze, he stood on tiptoe, stretched out his hand and rubbed the top of Lou Yefeng's head casually.
"You can see that you are in a hurry."
Lou Yefeng's face immediately flushed slightly.
The two talked and laughed and left the backyard, completely unaware of Li Han standing in the cold wind in the backyard, looking lost.
Li Han stood there for a long time, until the moon was in the sky, finally put away his boundless admiration for Lou Yefeng, and returned to his woodshed.
He wrapped the quilt around his body carelessly, looked up at the roof beams of the firewood house, and couldn't fall asleep.
He will never have such an opportunity to talk and laugh with his master like Lou Yefeng did.
—His master, don't want him anymore.
………
On the second day, Pei Nianyu called Lian Xiao over and asked about the progress of the project:
"How about the Hundred Flowers Tonic Dew that made you suffer?"
Lian Xiao made a calculation:
"Returning to the master, it will take seven days and seven nights for the mending dew. It was just put into the pot yesterday, which is the first day."
"Okay, but are you sure nothing will go wrong?"
Lian Xiao's face is mysterious:
"The tonic that has been brewed for seven days must be extremely medicinal. The master's prescription is so unique, it's like a living dead human flesh and bones after a cup."
"It's just that since the properties of the medicine are extremely strong, it's normal for the impact to be greater. The subordinates estimate that by then he may experience side effects such as sudden fainting, bruising, and unconsciousness. It's just a matter of resting for a few days to digest all the properties of the medicine.It’s safe to drop it.”
Pei Nianyu chuckled, "Understood."
Lian Xiao understood and saluted gracefully:
"Farewell, subordinate."
…………
In the next few days, Pei Niancheng came again two or three times.
These few times, it wasn't that Pei Nianyu took the initiative to ask him to come here, but that Pei Niancheng was really uneasy, so he looked for an opportunity to come to his brother for a meal.He seemed to subconsciously think that seeing Li Han alive would make him feel better.
By the way, he also had some unrealistic expectations - what if Li Han happened to make a mistake last time and was punished?
Could it be that when I come here later, I won't see him being treated like this.
However, things always backfired.
Every time Pei Niancheng came to the palace, he could only see Li Han being severely abused and punished.
At the first time, Li Han was only seen from a distance across the courtyard. The second time, Li Han was simply chained to the main courtyard. He seemed to have been waterboarded, soaked, curled up in a corner, and continued to be whipped and insulted.
When he came for the third time, Pei Nianyu simply put a pair of heavy iron shackles on Li Han and asked him to kneel at the gate of the courtyard to "show the public".
And during these several visits, he finally caught Li Han's gaze hidden under the mask several times.
It is that kind of nostalgia and loyalty.
Pei Niancheng felt that his whole heart was shaking with pain, and he couldn't even hold his chopsticks steadily.
... This is the person who has been with him for eleven years and loves him silently.
He could see that Li Han's affection for him had never been false after all.How could such a heart as heavy as gold make him not want to hold it in his hands.
Even if this person is thirty-nine years old, even if he is skinny and emaciated.
But Pei Niancheng suddenly realized that he really wanted to hold him in his arms.
The young emperor fell in love overnight.
…………
On the seventh day, Lou Yefeng took the snake whip from Xia Yao's hand:
"Let me come today, I need some internal force control."
Pei Nianyu went to Lian Xiao to get medicine, and when he came back, he started preparing meals, while Lou Yefeng went to Li Han, saying:
"I'm afraid your death is approaching today, and the master is kind-hearted, so he specially called His Majesty. If you have anything to say to your master before you die, you can say it today."
"Oh, by the way, the master also said that today is to see your master, so you can take off this mask."
Li Han's heart trembled, has this day finally come?
He gently took off the mask, found a water tank from the backyard, and looked at himself.
Described as haggard, how can it be half beautiful.
So, are you going to see the master for the last time like this?
However, before he could take care of himself, Pei Nianyu guessed that Xiao Sheng was coming soon, so he asked Lou Yefeng to drag Li Han over.While laying out a meal for Xiao Sheng, he casually said:
"Pick him a few more times before you die, and relieve me."
Li Han still respectfully said yes.
Lou Yefeng held the snake whip and shot like the wind, each whip just tore through every layer of clothing on his body, and left a trace of blood.
But every whip never really left him with trauma.
The retraction and release of the internal force in this is extremely wonderful.
So what Pei Niancheng saw when he entered the door was this scene: Lou Yefeng's head was bruised all over his body, and his brother—
But he stomped his shadow head down with one foot, and the boots inlaid with gold and brocade stepped on his fragile neck.
But Li Han took off the mask, and he could clearly see the expression on Li Han's face, eyes closed and ready to die.
"... Enough! Brother, what are you doing!"
Pei Niancheng finally couldn't bear it anymore, ran to his brother, and asked about the grievances accumulated over the past few days.
Pei Nianyu immediately let go of Li Han and smiled:
"Why are you so nervous, brother? This slave has offended me. Can I teach you a lesson twice?"
"I……"
"Okay, okay, sit down quickly, Xiaosheng, I called you here today, and it's also because of this servant of the family. I don't plan to take his life anymore, so..."
Pei Niancheng was struck by lightning: "...Brother?"
His voice trembled.
He thought he had made enough mental preparations, but when he realized that his brother was really going to kill Li Han, his mind was still blank.
Pei Nianyu stopped at the right time:
"Why, Xiao Sheng, are you reluctant?"
"Brother! I..."
Li Han watched from the side, and his heart was also shaken.
He thought, it turned out that the master was so reluctant to part with him after all.
After I made such a big mistake, after I hurt my master's closest relatives, after I almost showed my embarrassing thoughts.
The master still has so much affection for himself.
He Li Han, this life is enough.
Li Han knelt and stepped forward, lightly touched Pei Niancheng's clothes corner with his hands still in shackles, and said:
"Master, if this subordinate treats you like this, he will die without regret..."
Pei Nianyu nodded:
"See, that's why I called you here."
After finishing speaking, he took out a jade bottle from his sleeve and poured the contents of the bottle into the teacup.
The teacup is as white as snow, and the medicine inside is as red as blood.
He picked up the teacup——
"elder brother!"
Pei Nianyu stopped, turned to look at him, and suppressed his smile:
"Xiao Sheng, if you can't bear it, just ask me to stop. After all, Xiao Sheng is the king of the king, and I will not disobey."
However, Pei Niancheng is now subconsciously very clear:
He couldn't, he couldn't use the king's power to claim his brother.
Because they have never gotten along in the way of monarchs and ministers, they have always been brothers and family members.
If he uses the power of a monarch to his elder brother today, then his elder brother will no longer regard him as a brother, and his elder brother will return to be his royal servant.
But he wanted to save Li Han.
Li Han was already withered in the wind, he couldn't imagine how lonely he would be in that deep palace if Li Han really turned into a pile of loess.
In the long night, in the next few decades, where will he find such a...humble but firm love for him.
This person who has suffered so much in the first half of his life, who has no time left, after all, there is no way to let him... hold some love and live?
Pei Niancheng burst into tears when he thought of this.
He left his seat, turned to the gentle and jade-like person in front of him, lifted up the most noble dragon robe in the world, and knelt down.
"Brother, please...don't kill him..."