Chương 1: Chapter 1: The Madman
Yu Lingxi fell ill, frightened by Ning Yin.
It's not her fault for being delicate. Anyone waking up early, lifting their head to see two female assassins' corpses swaying under the palace's crystal lamps, would be horrified to the core.
Ning Yin, under the lamp, wore a purple robe, exceptionally handsome, creating an extraordinarily elegant scene named "Beauty's Lamp." He enthusiastically invited Yu Lingxi to appreciate it together.
Yu Lingxi couldn't catch her breath and fell ill upon returning.
After enduring through the night, she finally returned from the brink of death.
But living by Ning Yin's side was more terrifying than the brink of death.
Before her, many tried to insert various beautiful women around Ning Yin, whether to flatter or assassinate, none lived to see the second sunrise.
Yu Lingxi was an exception, perhaps due to her appearance of being frail and sickly since childhood, looking harmless. Or maybe because of her peaceful demeanor, her means of pleasing people were satisfactory.
In any case, Ning Yin didn't kill her for the time being.
Only for the time being.
Yu Lingxi cleverly followed the madman's temper, obediently playing the role of a canary and not provoking him.
Unfortunately, Ning Yin liked to provoke her. No matter how big-hearted Yu Lingxi was, she couldn't withstand serving a madman day after day.
Only in these past two days, due to her illness, could she have a moment to catch her breath.
In the sunny March, consecutive good weather days.
Yu Lingxi, recovering from a serious illness, finally had a peaceful period, leaning on the imperial palace's couch, reading.
The weather had warmed, but she still wrapped herself in a thick fox fur, her complexion somewhat pale but not diminishing her beauty.
The faint light by the window illuminated her delicate profile. Her skin was fair, and the black hair was like top-quality silk, adhering to her exquisite figure. It made her appear delicate and quite vulnerable, except for the beast-head ring on her finger, revealing her noble identity as the youngest daughter of the general's mansion.
The ring was given to her by her mother with tears in her eyes after her father and brothers died in battle, urging her to live well no matter what.
Yu Lingxi's gaze fell on the ring, feeling a pang of sadness.
If her family were still here, she would have enjoyed their love like the stars surrounding the moon, rather than shrinking in the Prince Regent's mansion, facing a madman day and night.
The only consolation was that when Ning Yin was not having an episode, he treated her fairly well.
She was afraid of the cold, so the sleeping hall was always supplied with silver-threaded charcoal. This precious material, rare even in the imperial palace, could only be found burning all day long in the Prince Regent's mansion.
It's alright, I can manage.
Yu Lingxi, lacking interest, turned the pages of a book, and then her personal maid bowed and entered.
Hutao presented a golden-stamped invitation, cautiously saying, "Miss, the Zhao Mansion delivered an invitation this morning."
The Zhao Mansion mentioned by Hutao was the residence of the current Ministry of Revenue's assistant minister, Zhao Hui. Zhao Hui is Yu Lingxi's uncle.
If she remembered correctly, today is her uncle's birthday, and the mansion must be hosting grand celebrations.
Her uncle is a person driven by greed. When Yu Lingxi's father and brothers died in battle, and her mother passed away from illness, she had to live with the Zhao family. She couldn't believe that when she was forcibly given to Ning Yin as a "gift," her uncle was behind the scenes pushing for it.
This is a knot in her heart that she can't let go of.
Yu Lingxi, uninterested in playing along, was about to discard the invitation but found something unusual about the paper.
A thin note fell out from the folds of the Zhao family's invitation, and curiosity led her to open it, causing her pupils to contract.
If there was someone in this world willing to risk their life to help her without blood ties, it had to be Xue Cen.
Xue Erlang, her childhood friend, the legitimate grandson of the Marquis, born into nobility. His graceful and unrestrained written script was something she was most familiar with. In just two lines, it read: "See you at the Zhao Mansion, I will save you."
Upon seeing these words, Yu Lingxi's first reaction was not joy but panic.
What is Brother Cen planning to do? Is he throwing his life away?!
She quickly threw the note into the charcoal basin, burning it, and even crushed the ashes to make sure no clues were left behind.
Putting down the copper hook used to stir the charcoal, she still felt uneasy and asked a servant outside the palace, "Where is the Prince?"
The servant replied, "The Prince is handling important matters in the palace and will return late. If the lady has any urgent matters, I can convey them on behalf of the Prince."
Saying "important matters" meant he was probably dealing with the assassination attempt and arson, investigating the mastermind behind the assassins.
Knowing that Ning Yin wouldn't return home soon, Yu Lingxi breathed a sigh of relief.
After a moment of contemplation, she casually instructed her maid, "Hutao, go fetch the pair of hundred-year Snow Ginseng obtained last month. I will take them to the Zhao Mansion to congratulate them on the birthday."
…
The Zhao Mansion's birthday banquet had a large number of guests, providing the best cover.
Yu Lingxi, with a veil covering her face, entered discreetly, deliberately avoiding the guests, and found a secluded corner in the flower garden to sit.
The tea in the Zhao Mansion, of an unknown variety, was fragrant on the palate but left a bitter aftertaste.
Yu Lingxi took only one sip before putting down the teacup.
Soon, footsteps approached from behind. When she turned around, Yu Lingxi was stunned.
Not having seen each other for two years, Xue Cen seemed to have lost some weight but still retained his clear and elegant demeanor.
"Younger sister, you've suffered."
He looked at Yu Lingxi's pointed chin, quickly reddening his eyes. "Don't worry, he won't torment you for much longer..."
Yu Lingxi had no time for pleasantries or catching up.
Lifting the light veil covering her face, she solemnly said, "Brother Cen, I'm fine now. Please don't do anything foolish."
Xue Cen thought she was putting on a strong front, and his eyes filled with even more heartache.
"The Regent is acting against the tide, cruel and heartless. He deserves to die."
He lowered his voice. "Don't be afraid. When my plan succeeds, I will make him pay for the pain and humiliation you've endured these past two years! By then, no one will be able to stop us..."
"Xue Cen!" Yu Lingxi wished she could wake him up.
Perhaps Xue Cen had forgotten how Ning Yin solidified his position as the Prince Regent amidst mountains of corpses and rivers of blood.
Killing his brothers and father, disowning his relatives, the court and the country were mere pawns in his hands, he cannot be easily shaken.
Things were far from simple!
The "Beauty's Lamp" in the palace was a lesson from the past.
Yu Lingxi, in a state of urgency, earnestly advised him to cherish his life, "Considering our childhood friendship, no matter what you're planning, stop it quickly!"
The surroundings fell silent, only the rustling sound of the wind.
In this dead silence, a very light "tsk" sound suddenly rang out: "What a childhood friend."
The voice, filled with a familiar and mocking tone, instantly drained the color from Yu Lingxi's face.
Xue Cen also saw the newcomer, and his expression suddenly became intriguing.
Under the moonlit door of the Begonia Pavilion, a handsome man in a sandalwood-purple royal robe stood tall, hands crossed on a jade-handled and gold-inlaid cane. Officials and attendants knelt shakily beside him.
Yu Lingxi didn't know how long he had been standing there. His cold gaze swept over Yu Lingxi, landing on Xue Cen.
Having spent two years in the Prince Regent's residence, no one understood Ning Yin's temperament better than her.
Meeting Xue Cen privately without Ning Yin's knowledge was already a great risk, and now he stumbled upon this scene...
One must know that reasoning with a madman is impossible, let alone explaining such a situation.
"Your Highness..."
Yu Lingxi's legs went weak, and she knelt down obediently. It was always right to admit fault.
Her thoughts raced, and before she could open her mouth to defend herself, she noticed Xue Cen stepping forward.
Perhaps recalling a certain humiliating memory, he pulled up Yu Lingxi to shield her behind him, and with a cold face, he said, "Little sister, we don't need to kneel to such a person!"
Ning Yin narrowed his eyes, a sign of his impending anger.
Yu Lingxi was both afraid and angry, fearing Ning Yin's madness and frustrated at Xue Cen for adding fuel to the fire. In an instant, she choked on fear, unable to speak.
"Very well, Young Master Xue shows great integrity."
Ning Yin raised the corners of his lips, smiling in a way that made Yu Lingxi's hair stand on end.
She knew too well Ning Yin's temperament: the more charming his smile, the more ruthless he was when it came to killing.
The subsequent events were predictable: Yu Lingxi was dragged back to the Prince Regent's residence and confined to the sleeping quarters.
Xue Cen was taken away by Ning Yin's men, his fate unknown.
In the presence of over a hundred guests, including the allies and supporters of the Xue family, not a single one dared to speak up.
Inside the Prince Regent's bedroom.
The maid lit the silver-threaded charcoal basin and wrapped Yu Lingxi in a thick fox fur. However, Yu Lingxi's fingertips were as cold as ice, with her heart hanging on the edge of a knife, and her stomach churning in waves.
After returning from the Zhao Mansion, her body became increasingly uncomfortable. Unlike Xue Cen, Yu Lingxi lacked the courage to face death; she wanted to live.
She stared at the beast-head ring for a long time, then briskly slapped her cheeks to regain composure. She called her personal maid, "Hutao, help me with my makeup."
Just as the makeup was finished, Ning Yin returned from the Grand Court.
The palace doors were pushed open, and Yu Lingxi instinctively stood up. There were still tears on her eyelashes, and she bit her red and plump lower lip, wanting to speak but hesitating.
Ning Yin did not glance her way and walked past her into the room.
Due to an old injury in his left leg, a remnant from his youthful wandering, he walked slowly, but it exuded an elegant leisureliness.
Yu Lingxi noticed tiny specks of dark red splattered on his boots. Without guessing, she knew whose blood it was, making her even more uneasy.
Xue Cen must have suffered severe punishment, but he should still be alive. If he were dead, Ning Yin would undoubtedly carry his head into the room, inviting Yu Lingxi to "enjoy" it together.
The hanging flower lanterns illuminated the hall brightly, and attendants discreetly withdrew.
Ning Yin sat on the edge of the couch, methodically wiping his long fingers. He beckoned, "Come."
In the two years at the Prince Regent's residence, what Yu Lingxi feared most was when he wiped fresh blood from his hands and said, "Lingxi, come over," with a smile.
But she had no choice. Xue Cen's life was in Ning Yin's hands.
Yu Lingxi composed herself, trying hard to make her posture appear less stiff. With her head lowered, she timidly approached.
Then, with a soft thud, she knelt in front of Ning Yin, whispering, "Your Highness, I was wrong."
Ning Yin continued wiping his fingers, unhurried.
Due to his injury, he focused on training his upper body, possessing strength beyond the ordinary. His fingers were pale, slender, with the back of his hand revealing prominent veins—a hand that could easily crush someone's neck.
He glanced over, his voice unusually gentle, "Speak, where did you go wrong?"
When Yu Lingxi bowed, her slender waist revealed a seductive curve. Her fingers nervously twisted the cuffs as she tried to make her voice sound sincere.
"I was wrong not to seek Your Highness's permission before going out to meet my sworn brother."
She intentionally emphasized the term "sworn brother," skillfully defending herself, hoping to dissipate Ning Yin's anger.
Yu Lingxi wanted to save Xue Cen not because he was the elegant and noble heir of the Xue family, nor because she still harbored the naive affection from their youth. It was simply because on the night she was forcibly brought into the palace, Xue Erlang, as noble and proud as a bright moon, bit the bullet and knelt before the young Prince Regent in the pouring rain until dawn.
He was the only true friend of her late elder brother, and while countless young ladies in Chang'an adored him, he knelt humbly in the torrential rain for the whole night. Yu Lingxi owed him a favor.
Ning Yin seemed to chuckle, "Sworn brother? Why did this Prince hear that you and the Xue Erlang of the Xue family were childhood sweethearts, and the engagement connecting you with him hasn't been severed?"
"Childhood sweethearts are true, but the engagement hasn't been severed is false; it was just a joke made by our parents when they were alive..."
Before she could finish her sentence, she felt a coolness at the back of her neck.
The handsome Prince Regent, who terrified countless people, had an exceptionally beautiful appearance. His smile, particularly dazzling, carried a sickly, pale warmth.
"How about this Prince helping you two star-crossed lovers?" he murmured.
Those hands, which had taken countless lives, lingered near Yu Lingxi's delicate neck, inducing a shiver of chilling horror.
Yu Lingxi suppressed her fear, lifted her head, and said, "No... that's not necessary."
Ning Yin, neither angry nor happy, pinched the tender flesh at the back of her neck with his fingers.
Understanding that without some measures tonight, things might not end well, Yu Lingxi had to make a decision.
She gritted her teeth and decided to go through with it.
Biting her red lips, she nervously lifted her delicate fingertips to undo Ning Yin's belt and outer robe.
Eyelashes fluttered, and the willow-like hands moved gracefully, seemingly boneless.
Ning Yin raised an eyebrow ever so slightly.
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