Chapter 646: Rebirth
"Wait—"
Xiao Jiayi grew frantic. She had just started to speak when she quickly lowered her voice.
"Y-You’re just leaving like that? Th-Then what about your promise to help me...?"
"It can’t be rushed."
Ye Chutang smiled.
"If they were that easy to deal with, you wouldn’t have taken such a huge fall, now would you?"
Xiao Jiayi was left speechless.
She knew Ye Chutang was right. Toppling those people was not something that could be done overnight.
Even though she was consumed by hatred, she had no choice but to endure it for now and wait for her day!
"Fine. Then I’ll keep waiting. I’ll wait until the day they pay the price for what they’ve done!"
Xiao Jiayi bit her lip so hard she nearly drew blood. It took all her strength to suppress her turmoil as she stared intently into a dark corner of the room.
"I hope... you won’t disappoint me..."
There was no reply from the other side.
A light breeze blew past, rattling the window.
Xiao Jiayi glanced back and faintly heard the servants guarding the courtyard complaining in low voices.
"What rotten luck! Who knows how long we’ll have to stand guard here?"
"Heh, the one inside probably won’t last much longer. Once she dies and we get our reward money, we’ll be off to greener pastures!"
"True! The state she’s in, I doubt she’ll even make it to summer."
"Looks that way to me!"
...
Xiao Jiayi closed her eyes, her nails digging deep into her palms.
’I have to endure! I have to wait!’
One day, she would make Xie Anjun repay the torture and humiliation she had suffered a hundredfold!
...
Just as dawn was breaking, Ye Jingyan heard the door CREAK open.
Having stood guard for most of the night, he finally relaxed. He silently mouthed a greeting to the familiar figure who had just entered.
"Sis, you’re back."
Ye Chutang came to his side and gave a slight nod, her gaze falling on Xiao Wu, who was sound asleep.
Ye Jingyan looked her over and vaguely saw what looked like a layer of morning dew on the hem of her clothes.
But other than that, there were no other traces.
He didn’t ask where she had been. All that mattered to him was seeing her return safely.
"You should get some sleep, Sis. I’ll get ready and head to the Imperial College."
Ye Chutang nodded, then seemed to remember something.
"By the way, have you heard anyone at the Imperial College mention Prince Jing?"
"Prince Jing?" Ye Jingyan thought for a moment. "Back when the Wazhen Mission was about to arrive, I did hear quite a few people mention the Fourth Prince. But after Prince Lie woke from his coma and naturally took on the responsibility, no one said much more about it."
Emperor Muwu didn’t have many heirs. When it came down to it, only Prince Lie was truly capable of shouldering great responsibility.
"After all, Prince Jing has a disability. He’s a world away from that position."
The court officials either chose to back Xiao Chengxuan or sided with Xiao Chengqi; only Xiao Chenglin was left without any support.
—Who would bet everything on someone with no future?
Seeing that Ye Chutang didn’t speak for a while, Ye Jingyan found it strange. "What is it, Sis? Why bring him up all of a sudden?"
A subtle smile played on Ye Chutang’s lips.
"Is that so? And what if Prince Lie hadn’t woken up?"
"Then—" Ye Jingyan was suddenly at a loss for words.
His expression shifted slightly. "What do you mean by that, Sis?"
Ye Chutang tucked the blanket around Xiao Wu and said unhurriedly, "Yan, you must understand that it’s not the certainty one fears, but the off-chance."
If that scenario had come to pass, the one calling the shots in the imperial court right now would truly be Xiao Chenglin.
Ye Jingyan’s heart began to race.
He knew exactly what Ye Chutang was implying, but—
"He has a leg injury. Even if he truly had the ambition, succeeding would be nearly impossible, wouldn’t it?"
Ye Chutang turned to look back at him, raising an eyebrow.
"Is a leg injury necessarily untreatable? Have you forgotten? He’s not the only person with a crippled leg I’ve seen."
’Isn’t there one in Long City being treated right now?’
And according to her predictions, that person’s leg injury should have improved significantly.
And both of his legs had been injured.
Xiao Chenglin, on the other hand, only has one bad leg.
"If the dead can be brought back to life, what’s a single crippled leg in comparison?"
...
「Prince Jing Mansion」
Xiao Chenglin sat on the veranda, personally tending to his plants.
The flowerpots held nothing but withered branches, without a speck of green.
Yet his expression was earnest and his movements were meticulous, as if he were deeply invested in the task.
"Your Highness, please allow me," said the Chang Sui standing to one side.
Xiao Chenglin shook his head. "You won’t do it properly. It’s best I do it myself."
The Chang Sui glanced at the withered branches and could only assent.
After watching for a moment, he couldn’t help but speak up. "Your Highness, although the weather has warmed considerably, it’s not yet the season for plants to flourish. Isn’t this a waste of effort?"
"That’s where you’re mistaken." Xiao Chenglin nonchalantly brushed the dirt from his hands, surveying the pot he had just tended to with satisfaction. A faint smile graced his handsome face. "One must always prepare things in advance. Besides, while these may be withered branches, the roots below are very much alive. They are merely waiting for the spring breeze and gentle rain to be reborn and flourish. When that time comes, it will surely be a magnificent sight."
The Chang Sui handed him a clean handkerchief. "Your foresight is profound, Master."
Xiao Chenglin took it, meticulously wiping the grime from his hands. Then, as if asking casually, he said, "I hear Ye Chutang saw Third Sister for one last time?"
"Yes. According to our sources, it was an order from Your Majesty."
Xiao Chenglin’s movements paused, and the corners of his lips curved slightly upward.
"What a coincidence. Her medical skills are extraordinary; she even performed a public autopsy on those Nanhu assassins. So, did she not examine Third Sister closely?"
"Of course not. The Third Princess is of royal birth. How could she dare commit such an offense?"
Xiao Chenglin hummed in acknowledgment.
"What a pity. Knowing her temperament, she would have wanted to investigate thoroughly."
’But in this world, how often do things truly go as one wishes?’
Having wiped his hands clean, Xiao Chenglin casually tossed the handkerchief aside and looked up.
He had been gazing upon this little world of his for many, many years.
"The weather is nice today," he said with a smile. "Father Emperor must be deeply grieved by the loss of his beloved daughter. As his son, it is my duty to be by his side."
"Let’s go to the palace."
The Chang Sui immediately complied. "Yes."
...
「Dingbei Marquis Mansion」
Shen Yanchuan tore open the envelope, and a thin sheet of paper fell out.
If Xie Anbai had been there, he would have undoubtedly complained about not being able to decipher the chicken-scratch-like script.
—It was another letter from Wazhen.
However, unlike the last one, this letter’s handwriting was extremely messy, clearly written in a great hurry.
Yun Cheng stood with his hands respectfully at his sides, unable to see the words on the paper.
But he knew who had sent it.
"Master, what could be Ugle’s purpose in writing to you at a time like this?"
Yun Cheng couldn’t quite understand.
"Counting the days, shouldn’t he be locked in a power struggle with that ’dear’ brother of his? How could he possibly have time to write to you?"