Chapter 11: Nightmare

Yan Qing has never been favored since she was young.

But because of the prophecy of being the “Lone Star of Calamity”, even though the royal and noble despised her, few dared to truly trouble her. The most common phenomenon was to keep their distance from her, treating her as if she didn’t exist.

Before the age of eight, she lived in the palace, where the concubines treated her like air. After the age of eight, she was exiled to the Zhuque City. The nobles in the Imperial City saw her even less frequently, until the late Emperor passed away, the new Emperor ascended the throne, and the Ninth Princess leaped to become the Grand Princess Chang– whether the late Emperor honored her to balance the power of the Regent, to buy time for the Emperor to win over the people, and to consolidate his position.

Her title as the Princess Chang was genuine, unquestioned by anyone, and she indeed held the military power of the Qilin Guards.

However, in the hearts of the nobles and officials, this Grand Princess who had been exiled for ten years was always the abandoned child of the royal family. Many people genuinely avoided provoking her, but they also genuinely looked down on her.

Of course, the reborn Yan Qing didn’t need anyone’s respect. She would make everyone bow down before her – whether willingly or not was not important. What mattered was that she wanted to see the humble and pleading faces of those people.

As for Wen Jin, when Yan Qing said she would treat him like a pet, she meant it. He could come out of the cage to eat and relieve himself, then return to the cage after being fed and watered. At night, he could sleep on the bed.

During the day, he spent most of his time reading, but when it came to bedtime, Wen Jin couldn’t sleep.

Every time he closed his eyes, memories of the nightmares from his childhood would rush in like a flood – the dark room without light, the iron chains binding his hands and feet, the filthy environment, the rotten food, the daily loneliness and desolation, with no one to talk to.

With disheveled hair, he was imprisoned in the room like a beast, struggling to survive…

His rapid breathing filled the air as Wen Jin curled up in a corner, staring towards the inner hall, the only source of light in his eyes.

Your Highness.

Your Highness.

He silently called out, his lips moving, no longer the gentle and smiling demeanor of the daytime. His helplessness and despair, his loneliness and sorrow, all poured out, unreservedly, on this quiet night, revealing themselves without any concealment.

The scene shifts, and Wen Jin dreams of an even more terrifying scene.

“Yan Qing.” The Emperor sat high on the throne, his expression revealing a triumphant look, “Hand over the insignia of the Qilin Guards, and I can spare his life.”

The powerful Prime Minister, who held authority over the court, was restrained by the Imperial Guards, his flushed face showing signs of poisoning.

A sinister and malicious voice came from the mouth of a monarch, “If the person you care about the most dies in the most humiliating way, will you cry? Yan Qing, I have never seen you cry in all these years, shall we give it a try?”

The woman standing proudly and coldly on the grand hall, her icy gaze intimidating, couldn’t change the current situation. He was tormented by a potent poison, his mind unclear, yet he seemed to feel a resolute determination emanating from her with a special force.

“Release him. I will hand over the insignia.”

He heard her cold voice, shaking his head constantly in his mind, no, Your Highness, no…

“Hand over the insignia first.” The Emperor’s tone was icy, with no room for compromise, “Otherwise, I don’t mind having them perform an obscene scene in front of you.”

No, Wen Jin struggled to break free from the restraints.

No, Qingqing.

Yan Qing still handed over the insignia, but Wen Jin’s ears were filled with a more malicious voice, “The show arranged personally by Prime Minister Wen is indeed extraordinary.”

Swish!

The sharp sound pierced his eardrums, the arrow sharp and icy, blood bursting in her chest.

“Your Highness!” Wen Jin woke up from the nightmare, breathing rapidly, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

He curled up in the corner again, shivering all over.

“Light the lamps.”

The cold voice sounded, and the on-duty maidservant lit several lamps in the inner hall, instantly brightening the room.

Yan Qing put on her robe, walked to the cage, and looked at the almost collapsing Wen Jin with a frown, “Did you have a nightmare?”

Wen Jin raised his gaze in a daze, his pitch-black eyes still carrying traces of lingering panic and despair, which pained anyone who looked at him.

“I…” He slowly got up and knelt down, his voice hoarse, “I should die for disturbing Your Highness’s rest.”

“Indeed, you should.” Yan Qing sat down on the side, her voice sounding particularly clear in the night, as if wrapped in frost, “What nightmare did you have?”

Wen Jin’s body was already soaked in cold sweat, and now that he had calmed down, he felt exhausted and weak all over. His face was pale, “I dreamed of my childhood scene.”

Yan Qing was taken aback, childhood?

Memories were suddenly brought back to ten years ago.

The boy imprisoned in a dim room, deprived of sunlight for years, like a desperate and helpless little beast…

At that time, she had just been exiled to the Zhuque City, still just a little princess troubled by prophecies, constantly thinking about doing good deeds and accumulating virtue, trying to gain the recognition of her father and mother, and eagerly anticipating the day she would be welcomed back to the palace.

By chance, she encountered the child locked in the room, witnessing his pitiful situation. Out of a sense of pity, she brought him back to the mansion.

Despite her noble birth, even though she was exiled to the Zhuque City, she had her own separate mansion, her own servants. Living alone in the spacious princess’s mansion, she lacked nothing in wealth and luxury, with all her needs taken care of.

Apart from her father and mother’s disdain for her and allowing her to fend for herself outside the palace, the Zhuque King had never mistreated her in terms of food, clothing, and other necessities. Everything was carefully selected and sent to her mansion.

Bringing back this young boy of similar age, originally just for companionship or to give him a place to stay, thinking that when he grew up, he could become a guard.

Who would have thought that after cleaning up the unkempt child, he revealed a face that, though still pale and thin, retained its original beauty, which softened her heart, and she indeed supported him for a while.

The saying “a woman becomes beautiful at eighteen” was thoroughly experienced on him. Just nurturing him for two months, the future elegance of that child could already be glimpsed.

Before that, Yan Qing had never considered herself as someone who judged people by their looks.

But that young man’s appearance had truly imprinted itself in her mind.

She felt that a child with such features would be a waste not to educate, so she spent money to hire a teacher for him.

For a long time, the young man was afraid of the dark, quietness, and being alone. He would always quietly sneak into her sleeping quarters at night. If he couldn’t enter, he would stay outside, leaning against a wall or a tree.

When Yan Qing asked him, he would look at her with a pair of anxious eyes.

Eventually, Yan Qing allowed him to sleep in her quarters and even set up a small bed for him.

He studied, but initially struggled to speak. Yan Qing had the teacher hit him in front of her until he was willing to speak up.

He practiced martial arts, but his limbs, long bound by chains, were stiff and couldn’t learn the moves properly. Yan Qing had someone use a whip to press and correct his movements, pushing him to the brink of collapse and fainting from exhaustion.

Learning music, chess, calligraphy, and painting followed the same teaching method – a wrong note or move resulted in a punishment.

Yan Qing thought he should smile beautifully, so she ordered the instructor to teach him how to smile. A slight lift of the corners of his mouth, the standard smile of a nobleman, but how could a child who had been imprisoned for so long know how to smile?

If he couldn’t learn, he was punished until he could smile.

Day after day, by the time he turned sixteen, Wen Jin’s smile was as refreshing as a spring breeze, exuding the grace and elegance of a noble son from a prestigious family.

Wen Jin both feared and relied on Yan Qing to the core.

His destiny changed because of her.

He expressed his desire to shine in his career, so after seventeen, she arranged for him to enter the officialdom, supporting him all the way to a path of power.

Yan Qing believed she had never treated Wen Jin unfairly.

Although she was strict with him in his youth, he was introverted and insecure at that time, with deep shadows from long-term abuse. Without special methods, he couldn’t break free from the darkness.

She redeemed him from the depths of darkness, paving a glorious path for him. But how did he ultimately repay her?