Sparrow Spirit led us to halt before a secluded mansion in the northern part of the city, not the official residence of the Imperial Censor, but rather a private dwelling. The hour was late, and the gates were bolted. Dismounting from my horse, I paid no heed to Xiao Zheng's presence and uttered an incantation to unbar the gates, then charged straight inside.
Two guards, dressed for duty, approached us. Before I could draw the immobilization spell, little Zheng had already dispatched them, rendering them unconscious. He cast me a glance and said, "Attend to your business." With a nod to him, I followed Sparrow Spirit deeper into the mansion. The spirit halted before a chamber, and I knew this was the place. Without resorting to sorcery, I kicked open the carved wooden door.
A young man sat by the bedside, his face gentle as he gazed tenderly upon the figure in the bed, his fingers lightly tracing her face. It was Yue. At the sound of the door, he frowned, looked up, and was about to speak, but upon seeing me, he froze.
I rushed in, peered into the bed, and there indeed lay Yan, motionless and seemingly unconscious. A surge of anger welled within me. I grabbed Yue by the collar and slapped him across the face, roaring, "What have you done to her!"
He held his face, shocked and furious, and stammered, "How dare you, a mere maid, strike me!"
"Damn it, what's wrong with hitting a scum like you? Answer me, what have you done to her!" I cursed, despite Yan's attire being intact, I couldn't find peace.
He stared at me in disbelief, "I've done nothing!" He moved as if to rise, but I quickly took out an immobilization talisman and pinned him in place, snarling, "Did you drug her?"
His face a mask of panic, a universal reaction to being rendered immobile, "You, you wield witchcraft?" His voice trembled slightly.
"Never mind that," hearing his denial, I relaxed a bit and regained my composure.
"Snap!" I slapped him again, "This slap is for your parents, who raised you on the teachings of the sages, yet you've brought shame to your family with your despicable actions."
I paused, raised my hand, and delivered another slap, "This second one is for your elder brother, who would never have expected you to disrespect his future wife, disregarding your brotherly bond. You've betrayed his affection!"
"And this third slap," as I spoke, my hand fell once more, "is for Yan, who trusted you so implicitly, and you nearly ruined her life! Do you deserve these three slaps?"
He stared at me blankly, then after a moment, burst into laughter, his words coming in fits and starts, "Yes, I'm shameless, I'm despicable. Yan and I grew up together with my brother, but why did she only fall for him? I never even had a chance to confess my feelings. If I don't do something now, she'll marry my brother, and I'll lose her forever. Do you understand?"
"I understand your feelings, but I don't think you truly love Yan. To love someone is to want their happiness. For Yan, only your brother can bring her happiness. What you've done has not only destroyed Yan's and your brother's happiness but your own as well. Even if Yan were to marry you, do you think such a despicable method could win Yan's heart? The only way to win someone's heart is to earn it with your own. You should have spoken up when you realized your feelings for her. It's too late now, because your brother has already won her heart. If you force this now, you will never win her heart and will only live in pain and regret for the rest of your life." I spoke fervently and at length.
He just stared blankly at Yan, not uttering a word.
"Let go, find happiness in her happiness, that's true love," I whispered.
"Find happiness in her happiness..." he repeated in a daze. "I, perhaps, will never have happiness again."
"Fool! How can you say that! Look at you, you're still young, good-looking, from a good family, a real catch, there are plenty of girls who like you, you can take your pick!" Seeing his swollen face from my blows, I couldn't help but offer him a few words of comfort.
A bitter smile flickered across his face.
"Believe me, everyone has their destined one, and you will meet yours too," I said, looking into his eyes.
He still gazed at Yan and murmured, "Now that I'm at your mercy, what choice do I have but to let go? Perhaps, as you said, it's my own fault for not speaking up when I should have, for not holding on when I wanted to... for not being sooner..."
"I know, you can't just forget, give yourself some time. One day, you will find your happiness too."
Seeing that he had calmed down, I continued speaking as I tore off the talisman. He moved his hands and slowly said, "Actually--------I didn't really plan to do anything, I just had her drink a little sedative, planning to make her think she was already mine."
"What!" I was shocked, "So, that is to say, Yan is still..." I was so angry on behalf of Xin and Yan, who suffered a three-lives emotional calamity for no reason. If Yan knew she was still innocent, then...
I glared at Yue, "Let me hit one more time!" It's just too infuriating!
"Yvonne, is everything settled?" little Zheng's voice came from outside the door. I turned around, and he was leaning against the door with a wry smile. I was done for, I forgot about this guy, my God, how long has he been watching outside? Didn't he see my furious display just now?
He seemed to see through my thoughts, smiled at me, and walked in. Yue looked up and saw him, instantly turning pale as if he had seen a ghost, and immediately knelt down, trembling as he said, "Your... Your Majesty."
I think my face was not much better than Yue's, staring straight at the tall and cool guy in front of me, my mind in chaos. Qin King, Ying Zheng, ascended to the throne at the age of thirteen, and now it's the eighth year of King Zheng of Qin, Ying Zheng is just twenty-one, Wen Zheng, Wen Zheng, put together isn't it Zheng? Why didn't I think of it, my brain must be waterlogged...
"Yue, you have done such a thing, really disappointing to me." He looked at Yue with a cold face.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me..." Yue was trembling all over.
"Little Zheng... no... Your Majesty, please forgive him, who can say what is right and what is wrong, he has realized his mistake, and no great disaster has been caused, so..." I just started to speak and quickly changed the address.
He looked at me, a complex look flashed in his eyes, and he left with a flick of his sleeve.
I quickly helped Yan up and said to Yue, "I'll take her back first, to avoid gossip."
He nodded and said, "I have a carriage outside, and I told the Grand Diviner that my mother invited Yan to the house for a gathering."
"I see." I helped Yan out, and then I heard a muffled sigh from behind.
Little Zheng was still outside. I helped Yan into the carriage, thought for a moment, and then turned to him and said, "Your Majesty, what are you going to do with Yue?"
His face darkened, "Is it that once you know my identity, you won't speak to me as you did before, and you will also be like others, just fear me, and never speak the truth again?"
"How dare I, it seems I am really a piece of stone, and I didn't know that the man who has been chatting with me is actually the great king."
His face eased a bit and said, "Then, will you still be the same as before?"
I thought for a while, looked at him seriously and said, "If you want me to always speak the truth, you have to promise me one thing."
"What?"
I made a beheading action and said with a smile, "You must not cut off my head!"
As soon as I finished speaking, he laughed and said, "Okay, I will definitely do this." He paused and said, "However, you are not allowed to say Ying Zheng Ying Zheng again, it is too unruly."
"Well, can I still call you little Zheng?"
"No."
"Why?"
"You should call me Your Majesty, and kowtow three times and nine times."
"Ah?" My mouth became an "O" shape.
Under the luminous moonlight, his eyes held a faint smile, like the warm touch of black gemstones. Could this man truly be the renowned First Emperor? It turned out he also had such a childlike side. An inexpressible emotion welled up within me; to think that I could befriend this man, it must be a kind of fate.
"By the way, that technique you used just now..." he suddenly inquired.
A shiver ran down my spine, recalling the two moves I had employed in haste before him. "It's just some Taoist magic, nothing extraordinary," I explained offhandedly.
"I've heard a bit about these Taoist arts, but witnessing them firsthand is a first," he said, averting his gaze to the distant horizon, his expression inscrutable. I couldn't discern whether he truly believed me or not. But wasn't the First Emperor known to seek the elixir of life later on? He must have been skeptical yet hopeful.
"When do you leave?" he asked abruptly.
"In about half a month," I replied.
"Would you like to see the palace of Xianyang before you go?" he proposed.
"What?" My face was a picture of astonishment as I stared at him.
"Join me for a hearty drink at the palace before you depart," he looked deeply into my eyes, his gaze as clear as water, and I thought, I can trust him.
"Sure," I nodded, "Of course, because little Zheng is my friend."
His face remained unchanged, but a hint of joy slowly suffused his eyes.
"In ten days, I will send someone to fetch you," he said, as he galloped away on his horse.
My emotions gradually steadied, and I glanced at Yan, still fast asleep, and breathed a sigh of relief. There would be no more trials of a love spanning three lifetimes. Lauren, Aboji, may you happily be the immortal lovers of three existences.