MLIAM Chapter 113

Chapter 113: Let me go! Just treat me as a concubine entering the household, is that not allowed?

Chapter 113: Let me go! Just treat me as a concubine entering the household, is that not allowed?

Inside the main hall, red candles flickered. Besides Yu Shuli and Wanyan Jun, there was no one else.

As Yu Shuli stepped into the main hall, he released Wanyan Jun’s hand, his expression complex: “If you genuinely regret your actions, it’s not too late.”

“It’s already too late.” Wanyan Jun squeezed his still-warm fingers, turning his head, his gaze lost in the flickering candlelight. “I can’t turn back anymore.”

He picked up the red ribbon from the table and handed the other end to Yu Shuli.

Yu Shuli pursed his lips: “Bearing the scorn of the world is to be expected, but at least for the rest of your life, you’d still have something to do, you could try your best to make amends for some things.”

Wanyan Jun smiled: “Ji’an, you really are naive. If I were to repent, where would I get a rest of my life? I’d naturally be scorned and ridiculed, everyone would want to kill me.”

“But that’s what you deserve, karma, retribution is inevitable.”

“Yes.” Wanyan Jun’s fingers gripped the red ribbon tightly: “You’re right, it’s all retribution.”

“But, when has heaven ever favored me?!” His eyes suddenly reddened, grabbing Yu Shuli’s shoulders, “If heaven had favored or pitied me even a little, I wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

“Your old grudges with Da Liang came from your own father. It was your own father who sent you to Da Liang as a hostage. If you want revenge, you should seek out your father first. And the things that followed were all you harming the world’s people.” Yu Shuli shook off his hand, “The world’s people did nothing to you, yet you spread something like Five-Stone Powder.”

“Blame them rather than blaming myself for not guarding their original intentions. Five-Stone Powder is not incurable, but they were simply being controlled by their inner desires. Removing those wastes who couldn’t even withstand their own hearts, doesn’t that count as acting on behalf of Heaven?”

“Life and death are predestined, Heaven chooses on its own. How they do evil, they will be judged. You are not the way of Heaven, so naturally, it’s not up to you to judge right and wrong, and this is not your reason to accumulate, inch by inch, malice to harm people.” Yu Shuli shook his head in disappointment: “Wanyan Jun, you still don’t understand these things… I thought you had truly awakened… I was overthinking things.”

“A person like you… deserves to be abandoned, to be utterly isolated.”

Yu Shuli said many harsh words, but Wanyan Jun didn’t seem angry at him.

He hid his ferocious expression in the shadows of his hair, looking at Yu Shuli with red eyes: “Hahaha… Now that things have come to this, look at my Imperial Palace, empty like a desolate temple, not even a single person can be seen, no different from a haunted house. Isn’t that utter isolation?”

The red candles burned fervently, the wax dripping down like tears.

Yu Shuli looked around: “Where are they?”

“Gone.” Wanyan Jun said: “Dismissed them.”

Yu Shuli was surprised: “You dismissed all the palace people? Then what will you do?”

“Can’t I dismiss my own palace people? I don’t have broken hands and feet, it’s not like I must have people serving me.” Wanyan Jun used the red ribbon to pull him over: “Are you worried about me?”

“The outside is engulfed in war, you couldn’t possibly not know. You still don’t care, either you’ve already arranged everything… which doesn’t seem likely, then there’s only one answer left… you’ve given up.”

“Why? Is it because you know you can’t win, can’t defeat Wei Yan, and are doomed to die?” Yu Shuli kept some distance from him, twitching the corner of his mouth: “Even so, you still want to marry me? I really envy your confidence, even when facing death.”

Mentioning Wei Yan again, this time Wanyan Jun didn’t react as strongly as before.

“Could it be that this time I chose to put the matter of marrying you at the very top?” Wanyan Jun smiled: “Perhaps it is precisely this unrealistic confidence that gives me the last bit of courage, to fulfill my beautiful dream before I die.”

“You can still laugh when talking about death?” Yu Shuli muttered: “Why didn’t you do it sooner?”

“I’ve also been asking myself, why didn’t I do it sooner.” Wanyan Jun’s expression was dazed: “But… what’s missed is missed… no matter how much I regret it, it’s useless.”

“Ji’an, back then… if I was just a young master from an ordinary family, I would have certainly fought for you.” He turned Yu Shuli around, so they were face to face.

“But…” Meeting Yu Shuli’s clear almond eyes, he suddenly couldn’t say those pretentious words, nor did he dare to offer his true feelings: “Forget it… everything is my own selfishness at play, now I can be considered to have received retribution, so I won’t mention it.”

Yu Shuli’s eyes moved slightly, but he didn’t speak.

“Heaven and Earth will not allow me to defile you, therefore, we will not bow to Heaven and Earth.” Wanyan Jun lowered his body, lowered his eyes, and pleaded with Yu Shuli: “Let’s just bow to each other as husband and wife, okay?”

Yu Shuli looked at him with a complex expression: “Actually, I’ve never understood why you’re so obsessed with me. Before, we always treated each other as friends, and the time we spent together was very short, during which I believe I didn’t overstep any boundaries.”

Wanyan Jun shook his head and said, “Your existence is already the meaning of my obsession.”

His gaze fell gently on Yu Shuli’s face: “You ask me why I admire you, how can there be so many reasons to love someone? Maybe it’s just because one day, a gentle breeze blew a strand of your hair onto my face, and I smelled the fragrance of your hair; maybe it was just a moment when we were drinking together, and you fell drunk and smiled with your head tilted, making me drunk too; or maybe it was when you were dozing off on the table, and after I woke you up, the sleepy-eyed and dazed look on your face fell into my heart… so many, so many moments… I had already forgotten when I planted this heart.”

Yu Shuli seemed thoughtful.

Seeing his dazed look, Wanyan Jun reached out to rub his face, but Yu Shuli dodged it.

“If you want to bow, then bow.” Yu Shuli said.

Just… just consider it fulfilling his years of time.

Thinking of Wanyan Jun during his teenage years, Yu Shuli’s eyes showed grief and sympathy.

Actually, Wanyan Jun and Wei Yan were almost the same kind of person. The only difference was that Wei Yan had almost selflessly given everything he had to him, compromising unconditionally for him, while Wanyan Jun had abandoned him for various reasons.

Different choices naturally led to different results.

Now that Wanyan Jun had obtained everything else, he began to regret it and thought of using the lives of the world and the throne to beg for his pity.

But how could there be any regrets in this world? The sins he had committed were unforgivable, and Yu Shuli could never agree to him again. Therefore, the result was predictable.

Wanyan Jun wasn’t stupid. During the days when the two countries were at war and the army was approaching the city, he had certainly tried to struggle. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make up for the decline of Xizhao.

It was as if it was the trend of the times, as if it was the destiny of Heaven. In short… the fate of Xizhao and his own destiny had finally settled.

In the final moments, he had even dismissed the palace people, naturally because he had guessed his own ending and had a rare moment of kindness, letting the innocent people go.

But… that bit of true feeling placed on Yu Shuli was still difficult to retrieve.

So he wanted to use this last bit of selfishness to gain a little of Yu Shuli’s sympathy.

Actually, Yu Shuli himself found it hard to imagine that if Wanyan Jun had chosen him instead of the throne back then, whether he would have developed feelings for him in the days that followed.

This was a terrifying guess, because he could hardly accept the fact of losing Wei Yan.

When did Wei Yan become so deeply ingrained in his bones that no one could replace him?

The word love was very distant to Yu Shuli.

He didn’t understand it, couldn’t distinguish it, and didn’t want to understand so-called love. He himself never imagined that he, who had once lived his life muddle-headedly, would one day tie a lovers’ knot for a man, go through fire and water for him, and compromise for him.

Yu Shuli sighed. It was just a bow.

Just use this to end Wanyan Jun’s feelings for him since his youth.

After the bow, he would get the antidote, and he and Wanyan Jun would part ways and become final enemies.

Actually… he shouldn’t have been disgusted, even less dissatisfied. After all, based on his previous assumptions, he didn’t think Wanyan Jun would easily hand over the antidote. Now, he only needed to bow, he should have accepted it with a smile.

But… but why did he feel so sour and uncomfortable in his heart?

Replaying Wei Yan’s crazy and sad look the other day, Yu Shuli couldn’t help but think, if he heard the news that he and Wanyan Jun were really going to get married, would he lose control and vomit blood again?

But… the antidote was right in front of him, and Wanyan Jun seemed so easy to talk to now, and didn’t seem like he was going to break his promise…

Yu Shuli rubbed the red ribbon with his fingers, his mind was in a battle between heaven and man.

Wanyan Jun glanced at him, but suddenly put down the red ribbon and left.

Just as Yu Shuli was curious about what he was going to do, Wanyan Jun closed the door of the main hall, then turned back and smiled slightly at Yu Shuli: “Okay, let’s start the ceremony.”

“If we’re doing the ceremony, then we’re doing it. What are you closing the door for?” Yu Shuli was a little puzzled: “There are so many candles lit, it’s stifling.”

“I don’t want anyone to see. After all, this is my hard-won happiness, I must cherish it myself.”

“Weren’t all the people in this palace dismissed by you?” Yu Shuli laughed: “Who else could see?”

Wanyan Jun looked at him meaningfully: “What do you think?… Who else could see.”

Yu Shuli’s heart skipped a beat at his look.

Had he discovered the secret passage?

Did he find out about Wei Yan’s visit last time?!

Or…

Had Wei Yan come?! Was he just outside?!

“Hurry up and do the ceremony, give me the medicine quickly after it’s done.” Yu Shuli’s heart pounded wildly, and a bad premonition arose spontaneously.

He quickly made excuses, pulled the red ribbon, and pressed Wanyan Jun to one side like he was just going through the motions.

Wanyan Jun sneered: “You’re so eager to get rid of me? Even if it’s a fake marriage, you’re still so unwilling?”

“The marriage is fake, but… the ceremony is real.” Yu Shuli looked at him: “Are you doing it? If you’re not doing it, forget it.”

Wanyan Jun was stunned, shaking his mind. After a moment, he didn’t resist, but said softly: “I’m doing it.”

His fingers trembled slightly, gripping the red ribbon tightly in his palm, his throat as tense as an squeezed bellows: “O… one bow…”

Yu Shuli hurriedly stopped him: “Didn’t you say, we’re not bowing to heaven and earth?” If they didn’t bow to heaven and earth, the gods wouldn’t know, so he wouldn’t be letting Wei Yan down… right?

“I… I suddenly want to bow again.” Wanyan Jun’s face flushed red, a little flustered: “Ji’an… just consider it fulfilling me this once, okay?”

His voice was tearful, pleading: “The antidote, I’ll give it to you after the ceremony… I’ll definitely give it to you!”

Yu Shuli pursed his lips, he really wanted the antidote.

But he didn’t want to let Wei Yan down.

“Don’t fulfill him!”

The tightly closed main hall door was suddenly opened.

“Why should we fulfill you?!” A pale figure almost fell into the hall, repeating through gritted teeth: “Don’t fulfill him!”

“Wei Yan!” Yu Shuli panicked, hurriedly throwing away the red ribbon in his hand, his face like he had done something wrong: “Why did you come?!”

“You were watching outside after all.” Wanyan Jun turned his head and sneered: “I knew you wouldn’t be able to help but come out.”

“The ceremony is off… The city is under siege, Wanyan Jun is already a turtle in a jar. Ji’an, come with me.” Wei Yan’s face was as pale as paper, stumbling as he walked over, grabbing Yu Shuli’s wrist, “I don’t want the antidote.”

Yu Shuli hastily grabbed him, a little embarrassed and entangled: “Wei Yan, wait… it’ll be over soon…”

“I said I don’t want it, can’t you understand?!” Red candles rustled, faint blue blood vessels could be seen on Wei Yan’s forehead, his eyes smudged a bloody red in the dark.

Wanyan Jun walked over, blocking Yu Shuli, and sneered at Wei Yan again, his laughter seemed to be soaked in ice: “What if you win this battle? It doesn’t matter if I die, you’ll die soon anyway.”

“Now you don’t want to live yourself, so naturally I can fulfill you.”

“Wei Yan… listen to me… we’re just going through the motions, it’s not real…” The more Yu Shuli spoke, the less confident he became.

“Yu Shuli, come with me.” A trace of fragility flashed in Wei Yan’s eyes, his cold hand reached over and grabbed Yu Shuli’s wrist from the other side: “I regret it, even if I die from the poison, I absolutely don’t want you to marry someone else to save my life! Even acting… is not allowed!”

How could Yu Shuli let him die, but he couldn’t bring himself to do the ceremony in front of Wei Yan.

He bit his lip hard, until it bled, but couldn’t think of a solution.

Now, he seemed to be a fish on a chopping board, completely dead either way.

“Ji’an, are you willing to listen to me?” Wei Yan’s body swayed precariously, as thin as paper, anyone could tell he was at the end of his rope. But now his gaze was always gently falling on Yu Shuli’s face.

Yu Shuli twisted his hem with both hands, seeing him like this, his heart was in great pain, and the moment he closed his eyes and opened them again, his eyes were also red, and finally he said hoarsely: “I’m listening…”

Wanyan Jun didn’t expect that at the last moment, he would still be rejected by Yu Shuli. He stubbornly held onto Yu Shuli’s other hand, his eyes glowed as he looked at Wei Yan, his voice trembling: “Wei Yan! Why… won’t you let me go?”

“You… just treat me as a concubine entering the household, can’t you?”

“I won’t fight or snatch, I don’t want anything else, I just want this one title…”

Wei Yan coughed heavily a few times, his throat already tasted of rust, it was difficult to lift his eyes, but the expression he directed at Wanyan Jun became even colder: “No! I won’t!”