Shen An only met Yan Chun again on his wedding day.
He stepped into the auditorium along with the bride in his wedding attire, and immediately saw the person he was longing for nearby.
Yan Chun stood with his back to him, wearing a dark red loose robe with a dark gold glass-patterned silk belt tied around his waist, looking outstanding.
Hearing the noise at the door, Yan Chun slowly turned around.
Shen An paused, suddenly feeling that every step was fatal.
Seeing him stop suddenly, the bride beside him asked in a low voice, “Groom, what’s the matter?”
Shen An’s eyes were fixed on Yan Chun, and he said absently, “It’s nothing.”
Neither King An nor Queen An attended today, so the memorial tablets of his parents were placed on the high hall.
The ceremony was carried out step by step.
“Kowtow to heaven and earth.”
Shen An turned around numbly and bowed together with the bride.
“Kowtow to your parents.”
Shen An turned around, looked up and saw two empty seats not far away, and was suddenly reminded of his father.
The noble daughter of Yanling looked down upon his mother and often made things difficult for her in public. His father would always stand up for his mother and resolve everything for her.
The bright moon hung high, illuminating the world.
Their family of three sat in the courtyard, and his father told them about the rapid changes on the battlefield. His mother looked at him with a smile, knitting his father’s winter clothes in her hands.
Occasionally, his father’s eyes would fall on his mother, but he would say nothing. His mother would stop doing what she was doing, smile softly at him, and then both continued to do their own things.
When the night fell, his father put his left arm around his shoulder and held his mother with his right one, and they went back to the room to rest.
Shen An once envied their love, and his father noticed it.
He stroked his head with his big rough hands and said with a smile, “Sooner or later, An’er will meet the person he likes. When the time comes, you must love and protect them.”
Shen An raised his head and replied firmly, “Okay.”
Now he really fell in love, but couldn’t do anything about it.
“Husband and wife, kowtow to each other.”
As the ceremony holder’s voice fell, the bride half-bent, but Shen An couldn’t lower his head no matter what.
He glanced at Yan Chun unconsciously, only to see that his eyes had turned red at some point, and paired with the dark red robes, he looked bright and moving.
He did not move for a long time, and a slight discussion arose in the auditorium.
Shen An seemed not to hear. His eyes fell on his father’s memorial tablet, and then back to Yan Chun.
Then he saw Yan Chun’s body bending down a little, and his hands were slightly raised, as if he was bowing to him.
Shen An felt sour, and he slowly raised his hands, leaning down under everyone’s comments and gazes.
The two faced each other from a distance, as if they were really bowing to each other.
“It is completed.”
The ceremony holder said hurriedly, a sense of relief evident in his tone.
–
The courtyard was decorated with lanterns and hung with red silk ribbons.
The banquet was over, the guests had left in twos and threes, and the original noise was reduced to silence.
“Sir, let me help you up,” The young man looked at Shen An, who was obviously drunk, and eagerly wanted to step forward to help him.
However, before his hand even touched him, Shen An spoke, “No, I will stay a little longer.”
Shen An’s voice was drunk, but it still sounded clear.
“Leave.” Shen An sat on the chair, closed his eyes, and waved his hand at them tiredly.
“Yes.” The servants responded.
He was soon the only one left in the huge hall.
Shen An opened his eyes, raising the wine glass in front of him and downing it all in one gulp.
His surroundings were all filled with red, and everything in front of him reminded him that the dust had settled.
Only…
He raised his hand and caressed his chest, feeling somewhat unwilling.
“Shen An, who are you forcing? Even if I cancel your engagement with the Su family, will you be able to be with Chun’er? Are you going to ruin him?”
“Chun’er has a bright, promising future ahead. Why do you want him to be ruined, to be looked down upon because of you, and to be ridiculed by the world?”
“Shen An, do you wish upon us a downfall like the Shen family?”
Every word that King An spoke was constantly replaying in his mind.
He was reluctant to give up, unwilling to give up, but unable to fight for it.
King An was right. He couldn’t.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
After drinking a bottle of wine, Shen An felt that his consciousness had blurred completely. He stumbled and walked out.
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The dark red robes resembled a wedding attire.
The corridor was straight and flat, covered with a long red carpet. Bright red silk ribbons hung softly on both sides, swaying gently in the wind, almost blocking his sight.
Shen An stretched out his hand to lift the red silk in front of his eyes, stumbling forward two steps, then stopped.
Yan Chun stood not far away, his eyes clear like two pools of stagnant water. The corners of lips were raised in a smile.
“Brother.” Yan Chun called out, with his usual tone and a hint of grievance.
Shen An came back to his senses, and strode up to him. He slowly raised his hand and touched his face, his fingertips trembling slightly, “Why are you still here?”
Yan Chun raised his eyes and gazed at him deeply, as if he wanted to etch every inch of his face into his heart.
“I’m reluctant to give up…”
Yan Chun only said these words. His voice sounded as if he was on the verge of crying, so strained he couldn’t say any more.
Shen An couldn’t bear it any longer and hugged him tightly, a futile attempt to merge their bodies into one.
But he still suppressed his heartache and put on a pretense of calmness, “It’s not like I can’t see you anymore. Chun’er, I said that no matter what, you will always be the most important person in my heart, forever.”
Yan Chun buried himself in his arms and shook his head, his voice a mix of desperation and hope, “Brother, let’s leave this place and find somewhere no one knows us, okay?”
“…That’s not right.” Shen An said, uttering every word with difficulty.
He straightened up, pushed Yan Chun away inch by inch, and raised his hand to wipe away his tears with his fingertips. He said in a gentle voice, “It is getting late, go back quickly.”
Yan Chun didn’t seem surprised. He chuckled, raising his hand to wipe the corners of his eyes. Then he stood on his tip toes and hooked his arms around Shen An’s neck, pressing a kiss to his lips.
Shen An allowed him to kiss him without responding. When they parted for breath, he stretched out his hand to push him away and said in a hoarse voice, “Chun’er, don’t make trouble.”
Yan Chun ignored his words and moved closer to him. He turned around to face the long corridor covered with red silk and said, “Look, doesn’t it look like we are getting married?”
With one sentence, Shen An was defeated.
“Brother.” Yan Chun called him and raised his hand to wipe his face. Only then did Shen An realize that he had shed tears at some point.
Shen An grasped Yan Chun’s shoulders tightly and said intermittently, “Chun’er, wait for me, wait for me to join the military, make achievements, and regain the prestige of the Shen family. Then, I, I…”
After saying “I” multiple times, Shen An didn’t know what to say next.
Until then, what could he do? He was just a sustenance for support.
Yan Chun also understood. He lowered his eyes and smiled, kissing the corner of his lips gently, “Brother, I only want the present.”
A breeze blew, making Shen An’s eyes red and disrupting his hearing.
“Alright.” He responded.
Under the red glow, his clothes were untied with light movements, and Shen An’s delicate kisses rained down from top to bottom, refusing to leave an inch of skin untouched.
The moonlight faded and the red silks fluttered lightly, shadows appearing on the corridor.
Yan Chun raised his waist slightly, actively catering to him. Their lips were pressed against each other, teeth and tongues intertwined, with his hair falling loosely and his voice trembling, first deep then rising in pitch, rising higher then lower again. The clear moonlight shone on their shoulders, entangled with each other all night.
When Yan Chun woke up, it was already daytime. His whole body had been cleaned and he was lying in a strange room.
Shen An was nowhere to be seen.
He sat up, feeling a burst of pain from his bottom, the only indication that he and Shen An had made love that night.
He slowly got out of bed, put on his coat, and after he finished tidying up, he walked out.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened the door, he saw that a servant of King An’s mansion was standing at the door.
“Your Highness.” Seeing him come out, the servant immediately came forward to greet him and said, “His Majesty asked me to escort you back.”
Yan Chun’s face was calm. He had not returned home all night, and his father was sure to notice his absence.
But the strange thing was that there was no sense of panic in his heart, but a strange, vengeful pleasure.
“Let’s go.” Yan Chun said lightly.
As soon as he entered through the gates of the mansion, a blue and white cup hit his head with a dull sound. Then, the cup fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
“You rebellious boy! Kneel down!” King An always had a gentle temperament and rarely got angry. Today, he was obviously very furious.
Yan Chun said nothing and knelt down obediently.
King An seemed to be displeased, so he picked up the cane that had been prepared and whipped him.
“I let you go because you starved yourself for many days and begged hard. I thought that you would give up after seeing him get married with your own eyes, but as a result you didn’t come back all night and Shen An wasn’t with the Su’s daughter last night, and hadn’t consummated his marriage. Tell me, what were you up to last night?”
Yan Chun’s body felt extremely weak. King An was furious and didn’t hold back his strength. Every strike fell heavily on his body. Yan Chun frowned in pain, but endured it and remained silent.
“I have worked hard to raise you for many years. I have taught you carefully, cared for you and loved you. I have watched you grow up. Is this how you repay me? Chun’er, you have a bright future. Why?! Why do you insist on doing this!”
King An said, his voice choked up, and the cane fell down hard again.
Yan Chun could no longer hold on and fell to the ground.
King An hurriedly stopped and subconsciously reached out to help him, but before he could touch him, he retracted his hands.
Yan Chun supported his body with his arms and slowly sat up.
His face was pale, and he said in a weak voice, “Father, I just like brother Shen An. It’s not something I can change. Even if he gets married, I still like him.”
When King An heard this, a trace of cruelty flashed in his eyes, and his fingers holding the whip tightened.
“Fine! Fine!” King An let go of the whip and staggered back.
He stroked his chest with one hand and held the back of the chair beside him with the other. He gritted his teeth and said, “Fine!”
Yan Chun looked at him puzzled.
King An ignored him, strode towards the door, and pushed it open.
He turned around and said coldly to Yan Chun, “How long can you like him?”
After that, he strode out.
–
“Husband.” A gentle voice came from the door.
Shen An didn’t look back and continued to pack his things.
“Xuanhu Camp is stationed outside the Great Wall all year round. I heard that the temperature there is very different between day and night, and the winter is bitter cold, so I rushed to make these winter clothes for you. Please take them with you.”
Shen An stopped what he was doing, turned around, and looked at the petite and beautiful Su Wenyou in front of him, feeling a pang of guilt in his heart.
“Miss Su, thank you for your trouble.”
When Su Wenyou heard his address, her eyes dimmed instantly.
Shen An said, “I know I have dragged you behind. I have no high-ranking officials, nor do I have any relatives. Therefore, when I am away, all matters in the house are in your hands. If you stay at home and feel lonely, you can also go back to your parents’ residence for a short stay.”
Shen An paused for a moment, then continued, “If you meet the person you like, I can write a letter of separation and immediately send it. All the objects in this house will be given to you as a dowry. I will also protect you throughout your life as a brother.”
“I won’t.” Su Wenyou retorted in a low, trembling voice.
Shen An smiled and pushed back the clothes in her hands, “An is not worthy of your feelings.”
Su Wenyou was completely speechless, clutching the clothes and looking at him for a long time, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Wenyou has lost her composure.” Su Wenyou said, hurriedly turning her head away to wipe her tears with a handkerchief, then tugged the clothes in her arms tightly, and squeezed out a smile, “My husband doesn’t like these clothes, Wenyou will go and prepare some other clothes.”
After saying that, without waiting for an answer, she turned around and walked out.
Shen An turned around and continued to pack his luggage.
He suddenly felt that King An’s sudden order was quite good. He and Su Wenyou had only been together for seven days, and even if he and Yan Chun were in love with each other, there was no time for them to let it take root.
It would take several years for the border guards to return, and if they did not see each other again, their feelings would naturally fade away.
King An probably thought so too.
But, he definitely won’t.
He agreed enthusiastically just because many wars broke out outside the Great Wall, and he had more opportunities to establish his achievements. If he became powerful, maybe…
Shen An packed up quickly and set out the next day.
Along with them was a small group of people, who left Yanling and then joined the rest.
They walked for a day and a night. After leaving Yanling, Shen An felt that something was amiss about the road, but other people insisted that it was the right way, so Shen An had no choice but to follow them.
When they arrived at Yue Mountain, Shen An completely realized something was wrong. He approached the lieutenant during a break and said, “Sir, we seem to have deviated from the route.”
The lieutenant yawned lazily and asked, “Where are we now?”
“Yue Mountain.”
“Oh.” The lieutenant nodded, stood up, and slowly drew out the saber at his waist, “Then there is no deviation.”
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone around him who were still resting immediately stood up, drew out their sabers, and surrounded him.
Shen An looked at the scene in front of him, frowning slightly, and put his hand on his waist. However, he did not draw out his sword immediately, but asked, “What does this mean, sir?”
The lieutenant sneered and looked down at him with pity, “Shen An, don’t blame me, there is a noble person who wants to take your life.”
As soon as he heard the word ‘noble’, a name instantly appeared in his mind, and he said in disbelief, “King An?”
“It’s pointless to talk about it.” He gestured to the people around him. After receiving the order, they immediately swarmed forward.
Even though Shen An was very skilled in martial arts, he was unable to defeat his opponents, they still outnumbered him, and he was injured soon after.
He knew that he definitely was no match for all these people, so he merely ran away while resisting.
The group of people chased him for a while, and in the end, Shen An had no strength left.
Still, they caught up and surrounded him.
The deputy lieutenant stood at the front, panting, “Shen An, you can’t run away, just surrender yourself. I promise to give you a good end.”
Shen An looked at him coldly and clenched the knife in his hand.
He didn’t believe it.
He knew that King An must hate him because of what happened between him and Yan Chun, but he did not believe that King An would really send someone to kill him.
He stayed at King An’s palace for eight years.
King An always treated him well.
He wanted to survive and find out. There must have been some misunderstanding in this.
Seeing his appearance, the deputy lieutenant chuckled lightly and advised, “Do not deceive yourself.”
After saying that, he charged forward with his sword again.
Shen An flashed his sword to resist, but there were too many people and he still fell at a disadvantage.
During the stalemate, an arrow suddenly flew from a distance, piercing the wind, and shot straight towards Shen An.
When Shen An saw this, he hurriedly moved out of the way and was able to avoid it.
Then the second one, the third one, the fourth one…
Shen An’s arm was injured, so his movements were slowed, and an arrow conveniently shot down and sank into his chest, piercing his flesh.
Before he could reach out and pull out the arrow, the second and third arrows shot into his body one after another.
The taste of blood instantly filled his mouth. Shen An couldn’t hold back and spit out a mouthful of blood.
His body fell down weakly.
Shen An used his last bit of strength to stab his sword in the ground, supporting himself. At least like this, he did not fall down humiliatingly.
The vision before him blurred a little, but he could still see that the crowd began to disperse, and a familiar figure appeared in front of him.
“Your Majesty.” The deputy lieutenant came forward diligently.
King An didn’t even spare a glance at him, and said coldly, “Trash, you can’t even handle this.”
“The villain deserves to die! The villain deserves to die…” The deputy lieutenant hurriedly said.
Shen An tried his best to open his eyes, focused his hazy gaze on King An, and said with difficulty, “Your Majesty.”
His eyes seemed to be misted, which was unbearably sour.
King An’s face was no longer as gentle as before, but filled with rage.
He snatched the saber from the guard beside him, walked towards Shen An, and straightened his back. With undisguised disgust in his eyes, he said, “Shut up! You dare to call me that?!”
Shen An lowered his eyes, the blood on his body constantly gushing out, and he felt a little cold, “…I’m sorry.”
“Ha.” King An sneered, suddenly swung the saber, and struck Shen An in the face.
Blood spurted out, and his originally handsome face was instantly unrecognizable.
“Ah…..”
Shen An lay on the ground in a humiliating state. The arrow that had just penetrated his body pierced deeper due to this action. The pain was so intense that Shen An almost fainted.
However, whether or not it was because the pain was too sharp, but his brain suddenly became clear, and he heard King An enunciate each word,
“Shen An, you are indeed an immature wolf. I should not have been soft-hearted and kept you. I should have let you die with your short-lived parents.”
“Wh…what?” Shen An lay on his back and struggled to speak. His right eye was blood red and he couldn’t see anything clearly. Only his left eye had a glimmer of light.
He tried hard to open his left eye, searching for King An’s figure, hoping to hear his words more clearly.
King An came over, stopped in front of him, then cruelly stepped on his wound, crushing it a few times, making Shen An cry out in pain. He then leaned down and whispered in his ear, “I was displeased with the Shen family. Your father was only a commoner, who relied on some military achievements and repeatedly rebelled. Therefore, during the Western Expedition, I sent someone to poison him. By the way, the poison was found by me. It is colorless and odorless. No trace can be found.”
Shen An only felt something explode in his mind. He tried his best to speak out, but his throat was strangled painfully.
King An didn’t stop, and while admiring his desperate state, he continued, “And your mother, I didn’t expect her to be such a fierce woman. I asked her to commit suicide, but she refused to obey. She knelt on the ground and begged me to wait until she raised you, then she would die. I didn’t agree and she tried to kill me with a sword. In the end, I strangled her to death with a belt, then hung a three-foot white silk ribbon at her mansion, framing it as suicide.”
Shen An’s bloody hands tightly grasped King An’s sleeve. His knuckles whitened due to too much force, but he still couldn’t break away from King An’s hold. He wanted to speak, his mouth wide open, but couldn’t force a word through his throat, only able to helplessly pant.
King An looked at Shen An’s face. His skin was turned inside out and covered with blood. He couldn’t see anything clearly, feeling a little regretful. He really wanted to see Shen An’s expression right now.
“I originally didn’t mean to keep you alive. I saw that you were still young and weren’t troublesome, so I kindly spared your life. I didn’t expect that you would dare to take advantage of my Chun’er. He is my life. How can you, an outcast with dirty blood flowing in your body, touch him? Do you think you can really do whatever you want if I let Chun’er call you brother? When I think of what you did to Chun’er, it makes me so sick that I want to cut you into pieces.”
As King An spoke, his men pressed down harder.
Soon, Shen An stopped moving and lay motionless on the ground, like a dead fish.
King An retracted his hand in disgust, and someone immediately handed him a handkerchief. King An took it and wiped his hands clean.
“Throw him down.” King An looked at the nearby cliff and said calmly.
“Yes.” Someone immediately responded and lifted Shen An, throwing him down the cliff.
King An threw down the blood-stained handkerchief and looked at the cliff, his face full of grimness.
“No one is allowed to tell anyone about this matter. You continue to guard the border. Wait two or three years before sending the news back to Dadu that Shen An is dead. As for the cause of death, let’s just say that he was captured during a battle between the two armies and tortured to death.”
“Yes, my Lord, don’t worry.” The deputy lieutenant responded immediately.
“The roots should have been eradicated back then.” King An said calmly, turned around and left.
–
“Then you turned Yan Chun into what he is now out of revenge?” Jian Xiuyun tightened his arms around Yan Chun and asked angrily.
“Is that right?!”
Shen An didn’t seem to be freed from those emotions, with blazing flames of deep-seated hatred burning in his eyes.
After hearing Jian Xiuyun’s words, he came back to his senses. His eyes fell on Yan Chun, and the hatred in his eyes gradually dissipated.
“No.” Shen An replied calmly, “I only killed King An.”
“Then why did Yan Chun become like this? And the people of Ancient Stone City?”
Shen An’s eyes were deep and he didn’t answer.
so sad 😢
This King An is so disusting and I hope he suffered a lot.