Chapter 34

Yang Yanzong knelt for an entire day, from early morning until noon and evening, from sunrise to sunset, and until the next morning’s court session ended. He knelt by the palace door on hard, cold, polished blue bricks without any carpet. The rain was heavy, and the palace servants and eunuchs coming and going had dampened the ground. His knees must have felt like they were being pricked by needles.

Su Ci stayed by the large bronze cauldron, where charcoal was burning. She half-knelt on the thick carpet, but even so, after a long time, she felt the ground was hard and cold, making her shiver. But Yang Yanzong’s gaze remained fixed three feet in front of him, his back straight, unmoving.

Not long after Yang Yanzong finished speaking, the suffocating silence didn’t last long. A young eunuch hurriedly entered, reporting that Imperial Envoy, Huang Shilong, had an urgent message for the emperor and was waiting outside the imperial study.

Huang Shilong, the Right Chancellor and Deputy Assistant of the Inner Cabinet, also served as the Minister of Revenue. He was currently carrying out the emperor’s orders to relieve the disaster in the northeast. Besides dealing with the aggressive princely estates, the emperor’s primary concern after recovering from his injury was the severe drought in Pingzhou and Hanzhou. Huang Shilong was reliable, and his urgent message was undoubtedly important, so the emperor immediately left.

Yang Yanzong and Su Ci were left unattended in the grand hall of Shangyang Palace. This was no different from the previous tense standoff with the emperor, still unresolved and highly torturous. It was like having a sword hanging over their heads, not knowing if or when it would fall.

It was excruciating, feeling like years instead of days. Su Ci hadn’t eaten all day or drunk any water. The intense mental stress couldn’t offset her body’s natural exhaustion. She was starving and exhausted, thinking, “Damn it, are they going to kill us or not? If they are, can they do it quickly and give us a swift end?”

She couldn’t change her position much, only shifting her weight slightly. Although her posture was much better than Yang Yanzong’s, as she was essentially sitting, her knees and calves were still on the ground. After a long time without moving, it felt like ants crawling on her, both numb and itchy, incredibly uncomfortable. Taking advantage of no one paying attention, she quickly adjusted her position, feeling much better.

After enduring for an entire day, the result finally came after the next morning’s court session ended!

Sun Shiping lifted the curtain and stood high on the jade steps, coldly saying, “General Yang, proceed to the imperial study immediately.” The emperor’s chief eunuch, who was usually kind to Su Ci, had lost all his previous warmth as if it had never happened. He was neither cold nor warm, returning to his high and mighty demeanor.

Yang Yanzong was called to the imperial study. He slowly stood up, his blood circulation extremely poor. As he finally stood straight and took a step, he stumbled slightly, and Su Ci quickly ran over to support him. She looked up at him. His face was slightly pale from standing in the cold wind at the palace door for a whole night and day, but his expression remained unchanged. His deep eyes were unfathomable. He squeezed Su Ci’s hand lightly, then let go and followed Sun Shiping.

At first, he walked slowly, but his steps soon became steady. It wasn’t until the two of them lifted the curtain and disappeared that Su Ci let out a breath. Despite her earlier self-deprecating thoughts about wanting a quick death, her heart was still pounding wildly.

Amitabha, Hallelujah.

Please, please! She couldn’t help but think that since the old emperor hadn’t directly ordered their execution, it could mean there was a chance for them, right?

Was there really a chance?! The answer was: Yes.

…

That morning, the rain was still heavy. Yang Yanzong and Su Ci received the emperor’s decree: “Let them go!”

The early spring rain was cold and damp, and the wind made them shiver to the bone. Su Ci supported Yang Yanzong, pressing a cloth to his left temple as they boarded the carriage to leave the palace. When they arrived, a large group of eunuchs and guards escorted them, but when they left, it was just the two of them.

Su Ci left behind all the rewards she had received at Deqing Palace, not taking a single item.

Of course, she didn’t mind. Money was never an issue for her; she would never run out of it. As long as they could leave, that was enough.

Yang Yanzong had won the gamble!!! After a series of psychological battles, the old emperor, after a night of indecision, finally accepted Yang Yanzong as his hidden blade! Thank goodness for him!

Once they were in the carriage, the wheels rumbled as they finally exited the palace gates. As the golden tiles and red walls of the palace receded into the distance, she felt her back grow cold and damp with sweat. Facing the emperor’s power directly, the pressure was immense, greater than a mountain.

Su Ci was so afraid she wouldn’t make it back. After all, a good doctor, even if the old emperor didn’t use her, wouldn’t be given to the Sixth Prince. Fortunately, Yang Yanzong held on.

Su Ci had never considered staying in the palace. The old emperor was already over seventy, and she remembered he didn’t live past eighty. It was safer to stick with Yang Yanzong. Besides, she had her parents and sister’s family. It was clear that trying to keep both sides happy was very difficult. She, of course, wanted to stand with her family through thick and thin.

She knelt straight on the low couch, bandaging Yang Yanzong’s head wound, which had been caused by a thrown cup. The Sixth Prince’s spies were not fools; they naturally staged a scene to execute their plan.

Su Ci was also involved. She insisted on marrying Yang Yanzong and attributing the credit to him. The emperor was furious, but considering that the Sixth Prince’s estate backed Su Ci, he couldn’t ignore the potential negative impact of being seen as ungrateful and ruthless by killing the doctor who saved his life. In the end, he left all the penicillin and medical equipment with Su Ci, gave Yang Yanzong forty lashes, and expelled them from the palace.

This is a brief summary, but the process was quite realistic. Having done it, the emperor couldn’t leave any loopholes. He knew there would be spies near Shangyang Palace, and he also had spies in the princely estates.

Yang Yanzong pressed his forehead and closed his eyes, deep in thought about the past and future. Noticing Su Ci’s movements, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“My undershirt is a bit wet.” The carriage walls were thin, and the cold wind was biting. She couldn’t help but shrink her neck.

Yang Yanzong said, “Take it off.” He said it naturally. They had already been intimate, and it was freezing. Su Ci thought about it and finally couldn’t resist the feeling of cold seeping into her bones. She turned her back at the couch’s end and removed her outer garment, wet undershirt, and bra.

Yang Yanzong took off his outer garment and draped it over her. Su Ci quickly wrapped herself in it before lowering her head to undress. Despite the outer garment covering her, she still exposed a bit of her snow-white neck and shoulders. The carriage wasn’t very big, and Yang Yanzong sat on the edge of the couch, quietly watching her.

—Actually, she could have accepted the decree. The emperor didn’t intend to harm her. At first, he was even kind to her. She could have accepted the decree, married a prince, and retreated unscathed. There was no need to roll around on the edge of life and death with him. But this girl chose to stand with him without hesitation. Even before Yang Yanzong specifically instructed her, she reacted so appropriately, passing the baton so precisely, without any hesitation, standing on the same front as him.

Yang Yanzong’s gaze deepened. He stared at Su Ci for a while, unable to describe his feelings. Finally, he thought, since it was like this, he would forgive her for her little disobedience. After all, they would soon be married, and she would have to settle down after marriage.

Su Ci quickly took off her wet undershirt and bra, skillfully making them into a small bundle that didn’t reveal their original form, and threw it aside. She adjusted her hair and clothes and turned around, meeting Yang Yanzong’s deep and unreadable expression. She asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Are you cold?”

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Su Ci put on Yang Yanzong’s outer garment, adjusting the overly long sleeves. The innermost layer was now a padded jacket, which felt a bit loose and empty, but overall, it was much better than before. “A little bit, but we’ll be home soon!”

The carriage was small, and they sat close together. Yang Yanzong held her small hand in his palm, slowly warming it. Despite having just received forty lashes, he showed no other signs of discomfort besides moving a bit slowly.

Su Ci’s chin was sharp, and her small face was slightly pale from the cold, but her eyes were still filled with eager anticipation. She had long forgotten about admiring handsome men but was a bit worried. Finally leaving the palace, she remembered worrying about her family and quickly asked, “How is everyone at home?”

Hearing this, Yang Yanzong lifted the curtain slightly and asked A Zhao.

A Zhao and A Kang took turns driving the small carriage, waiting on Tongtian Street. Today was no exception. As soon as they saw them coming out, they hurriedly drove up to meet them. Today, it was A Zhao.

A Zhao quickly reported, “Master, everything is fine at home, and the Su family is also fine. Captain Su and the second and third young masters are stationed at the camp, and everything is as usual. However, Old Master, Madam, and the Su family members are extremely anxious and worried.”

That’s good!

Su Ci looked out through the lifted curtain. The palace was no longer in sight, and the surroundings were unfamiliar residential houses. “How much longer until we get there?”

But there was no need for A Zhao to answer. Considering the distance and the speed of the carriage, they would be home by evening.

A Zhao said the same thing.

Yang Yanzong succinctly ordered, “Increase the speed!”

“Yes!”

…

The sound of horse hooves was sudden and rapid. By late afternoon, the small carriage had finally returned to Suiping, the military camp in the western suburbs. When they got off the carriage, the rain had stopped, and the wind had blown away the clouds, letting a bit of bright sunlight shine through. All the emotions weighing on Su Ci seemed to dissipate instantly. With her feet on solid ground, she suddenly felt cheerful.

“Mother! Sister!!” She shouted and dashed towards them.

Except for Su Di, Yang Yanxin, and Yang Yanzhen, who were stationed at the military camp, everyone else in the family rushed out to welcome them home as soon as they heard the news. Mrs. Chen lost one of her shoes, and the other was splattered with mud and water. She and Su Yan ran over, one after the other, to hug Su Ci. The mother and daughters were overjoyed, with Mrs. Chen laughing and crying.

“Finally, you’re back, finally back!!”

Su Yan’s eyes were also teary, but she said, “Mother, don’t cry. Isn’t it good that sister is back?”

“Yes, yes, it’s wonderful. I won’t cry, I won’t cry.” Mrs. Chen wiped her eyes vigorously.

Su Ci hugged her mother and sister one by one. Even Su Rong nodded and smiled a little. After calming her excitement a bit, she quickly turned to look at Yang Yanzong.

---

The family had come out nearly a mile to welcome them and were now walking back hand in hand. They saw Yang Chongying, supported by the guards, standing outside at the gate. After more than a day of rain, the camp’s yellow mud road was a mess, with everyone losing shoes or getting muddy and no one wearing warm outer garments. They were all heading back home to tidy up.

Yang Yanzong ordered the guards to carry Yang Chongying inside. With his keen senses, he glanced at the fast-approaching horses, then turned to look at Su Ci.

—Along with A Zhao, people from the Sixth Prince’s estate had been waiting outside the palace gates. After picking up Yang Yanzong and Su Ci, someone had already ridden back to the estate to report. The Sixth Prince immediately sent someone to call Yang Yanzong.

Yang Yanzong whispered a few words to his mother, asking her to go inside and take care of his father. He gave A Zhao a few brief instructions, put on his outer garment, and quickly walked to Su Ci.

Su Ci looked up, then turned to see the fast-approaching riders from the Sixth Prince’s estate. She turned back to Yang Yanzong with a questioning look.

With so many people around, Yang Yanzong didn’t say anything. Although the Sixth Prince’s estate still had a tough battle ahead, it was clear that the hardest part was over. His expression softened. His eyes were deep but calm, exuding confidence, which reassured Su Ci. Her earlier worries dissipated, and her lightheartedness returned.

“Are you going to the Sixth Prince’s estate?”

“Yes.” Yang Yanzong replied, quickly adjusting his outer garment. He looked at Su Ci and gently patted her cold cheek. “Hurry back to your room and wait for me.”

Back to her room? Wait for him? What did he mean by that? Was he planning to sneak into her room again? No way, they were already home!!!

Su Ci’s eyes widened in surprise. Yang Yanzong finally smiled, amused by her lively reaction. He didn’t say anything more. Taking the reins from A Zhao, he mounted his horse and rode off.

The sound of hooves splashing through the mud was sudden and urgent. Su Ci quickly looked after him, but he was already a distant figure.

Su Ci: “……”

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