Chapter 113
**Chapter 113: The Sleepless Night of the Yan Wang**
Liu Ruyan could hardly believe it; she was utterly disheartened.
Slowly rising to her feet, she knelt before the Yan Wang and stammered, “If that’s the case, I shall take my leave. Please let Zhang Meimei attend to you.”
Without waiting for a response, Liu Ruyan left the chamber, her heart heavy and her spirit shattered.
The Yan Wang rubbed his temples in frustration. Couldn’t she at least pour him a glass of water before leaving? He was genuinely thirsty and craved a drink!
As Liu Ruyan departed in despair, Zhang Miaoyu yawned and entered the room. Zhang Miaoyu was somewhat considerate; she proactively poured water for the Yan Wang and even wiped the droplets from his lips before helping him back to bed.
“Your Highness, please rest easy. If you need anything, just call for me; I’ll be right here on the small couch,” Zhang Miaoyu said sincerely.
The Yan Wang’s mood improved a little.
Fatigue soon overtook him, and he quickly drifted into slumber.
In a half-dream state, the Yan Wang suddenly heard a faint crunching sound, accompanied by a rich aroma of braised pork knuckle. The scent was so overwhelming that it jolted him awake.
With a resigned sigh, he opened his eyes.
Through the translucent bed curtains, he spotted a plump figure on the small couch beside his bed. Zhang Miaoyu was nibbling on the pork knuckle, savoring it with little gasps of delight, “The pork knuckle from Wangshu Restaurant is the best—rich but not greasy, heh heh.”
The Yan Wang flung aside the bed curtains.
Zhang Miaoyu was startled, and the half-eaten pork knuckle fell to the floor with a thud.
Already weary, the Yan Wang cast a dark glance at Zhang Miaoyu and coldly remarked, “I told you to diet and lose weight, and here you are, sneaking food in the middle of the night!”
Zhang Miaoyu, realizing she was in the wrong, lowered her head in silence and wiped the grease from her lips. “I know I was wrong; I won’t do it again…”
She had thought the Yan Wang was asleep when she secretly had Xiangyu bring the pork knuckle to satisfy her cravings. Little did she know, the Yan Wang’s sense of smell was sharper than a dog’s, and the aroma had roused him.
A maid entered the room and cleaned up the fallen pork knuckle. After airing out the room for a while, the rich scent finally dissipated.
The Yan Wang lay back down, thinking that at last, he could enjoy a good night’s sleep.
He soon drifted off again.
Zhang Miaoyu, now too afraid to sneak a bite, quietly returned to her small couch and closed her eyes, attempting to sleep as well.
Moments later, her snores filled the room like thunder.
The snoring rose and fell, rhythmic and loud, and the Yan Wang, just settling into sleep, was once again jolted awake. He opened his eyes, listening to the thunderous snoring beside him, and a wave of regret washed over him.
He shouldn’t have let his wives and concubines attend to him when he was unwell!
If he had spent the night in the Liuli Pavilion, under Weiwei’s attentive care, he could have slept soundly until dawn!
Fuming, the Yan Wang threw back the bed curtains and darkly commanded the hidden Tiger Guards, “Move her away! No one needs to attend to me tonight.”
The Tiger Guards complied without question.
Zhang Miaoyu was awakened, thinking it was time for her to attend to him. She yawned and groggily bid farewell, “Your Highness, rest well. I’ll take my leave now. If you get hungry, just call for Sister Liu to bring you food.”
In the front hall, the drowsy Liu Qiaoer was also sent away.
Liu Qiaoer was more than happy to distance herself from the Yan Wang.
After walking a considerable distance, she glanced back, her heart racing. If she had shared a room with the Yan Wang tonight, their childhood bond might have rekindled feelings between them.
If she regained his favor, she would become a thorn in the side of the other women in the inner court, living in constant worry.
It was better to keep a low profile.
Compared to the Yan Wang’s elusive affection, Liu Qiaoer valued her own life far more.
Meanwhile, in the main chamber, free from the disturbances of wives and concubines, the Yan Wang finally managed to get some decent rest.
...
The Yan Wang slept late, while at the Heng Wangfu in Yanjing, Heng Wang was also busy until the late hours.
He had sent people to investigate today’s assassination attempt and discovered it was orchestrated by the Yan Wang himself!
The purpose was to silence the Heng Wang faction in court and provide General Shen at the border with an excuse to attack the three cities.
“My second brother is quite cunning; he even dragged me into his scheme,” Heng Wang mused, reclining on his soft bed, his eyes filled with malice.
To his left was a beautiful and robust concubine, and to his right, a delicate young man. The concubine was applying medicine to Heng Wang’s injured leg while the young man massaged his feet.
The concubine applied the medicine too forcefully, causing Heng Wang to wince in pain as the wound reopened, blood oozing out.
The concubine turned pale with fright, hurriedly kneeling by the bed, her head knocking against the floor. “Your Highness, forgive me! I didn’t mean to!”
This beautiful and strong concubine had been chosen by Heng Wang according to Shen Wei’s standards. She was skilled in acting, butchering pigs, and roasting meat, yet her strength was a drawback; after years of butchering, her grip was too strong.
Unlike Shen Wei, who was as slender as a willow, delicate and graceful.
Heng Wang shot a cold glance at the concubine.
If it were Shen Wei, she would have feigned deep affection, tears in her eyes as she tended to his wounds, exuding warmth. But the concubine before him only displayed fear and trepidation, which was quite unappetizing.
Heng Wang felt a twinge of jealousy towards the Yan Wang.
Why did his second brother have such good fortune, finding someone like Shen Wei who was so perfectly suited for him? Why couldn’t he, Li Yuanli, find someone like that?
Losing interest, Heng Wang coldly ordered the guards outside, “Take her away. I don’t want to see her again.”
That was a death sentence.
The concubine trembled in fear, crying and begging for mercy, her fingers reaching for Heng Wang’s sleeve in a plea, but the guards swiftly severed her arm, silencing her as they dragged her away, her cries fading into the distance.
The young man beside her trembled all over.
Heng Wang, growing impatient, said, “You can go too.”
The young man scrambled out of the chamber, crawling and rolling in his haste.
The steward rushed in with maids, and upon seeing the fresh blood seeping from Heng Wang’s leg, immediately called for a doctor.
Heng Wang pressed his long fingers against his brow and said lightly, “Continue searching for a concubine for me. She must be slender and capable of acting, riding, and butchering.”
The steward swallowed hard, attempting to reason with Heng Wang, “Your Highness, such women are rare to find. Why not consider a change of taste? Recently, many young ladies from Nanchu have come to Yanjing; they are all talented and beautiful.”
Heng Wang’s smile darkened. “If you can’t find the woman I want within ten days, you’ll bring me her head.”
The steward opened his mouth to protest but ultimately nodded in resignation, accepting the difficult task. “I will do my utmost to find her.”
The doctor tended to Heng Wang’s leg, stopping the bleeding and applying medicine.
Heng Wang, enveloped in drowsiness, lazily said, “Also, prepare some gifts. Tomorrow, I’ll visit my ailing second brother to show our brotherly affection.”
He and the Yan Wang had never shared a brotherly bond; they had loathed each other since childhood, and whenever they met, they would rather stab each other than exchange pleasantries.
But the necessary facade must be maintained.
If he couldn’t eliminate the Yan Wang, he would at least make his life miserable.
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