Wishing You Eternal Happiness WYEH - 62

Chapter - 62

By Tea Time Translations

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"Why, are you unwilling to accompany me anymore?" 

The man's handsome face was now overshadowed by the pallor of impending death, his gaze chilling as he looked at the exquisite woman kneeling before the dragon bed. 

Among the three thousand beauties of the harem, she was his only beloved.

"Your Majesty, I am willing," the woman replied, touching her forehead to the ground, unable to rise.

The man's expression softened with relief as he gathered her into his arms with the last of his strength. With infinite regret and reluctance, he murmured to the woman, "Afu, do not blame me. If there is a next life, I will surely grant you the position of empress."

....

Xiao Yintang shouted, suddenly opening his eyes, and sat up abruptly from the bed, his forehead covered in cold sweat. Due to fear, his hands were even trembling slightly.

"What's wrong, Your Highness?" 

A concubine sleeping beside him was awakened by the commotion, hastily getting up and kneeling beside him, her eyes filled with fear and unease as she looked at him.

Since the incident with Lady Cao, the Crown Prince's temperament has become even more gloomy and unpredictable. The Crown Princess's illness has not improved, and she rarely shows herself in public. Rumors spread within the Eastern Palace of haunting, particularly in the room where Lady Cao once stayed. Sometimes, in the dead of night, terrifying cries can be heard emanating from it. None of the eunuchs or palace maids dare to go near it, as everyone is already on edge. Unfortunately, half a month ago, another incident involving the Imperial Duke occurred, which led to further reprimand from the Emperor. In private, the Crown Prince has become even more irritable and prone to fits of anger.

Xiao Yintang suddenly turned his head and cast a disgusted glance at the half-naked woman beside him, his eyes filled with disdain, before uttering a curt "Get out."

The concubine, feeling as if she had received a pardon, hastily grabbed her clothes and covered her chest, scrambling to leave the bedchamber without even bothering to dress properly.

It was now the darkest hour of the night, around four in the morning.

Xiao Yintang slowly lay back down, closing his eyes, but there was no trace of sleep left in him.

In his mind, he replayed a scene from the previous day.

Yesterday, the mother consort of Prince He'yang, Lady Pan, passed away. The court observed a day of mourning, and funeral rites were arranged by the state. Xiao Yintang went to pay his respects and saw from a distance the women of the Duke of Wei's mansion.

Among them was Zhen Shi, the woman he had dreamt about.

Since returning from Quanzhou last year, Xiao Yintang had occasionally dreamt about the daughter of the Zhen family. The dreams were strange at first, fragmented and disjointed. Yet, he always dreamt of himself being intimate with her. He desired her body and admired her gentle innocence.

Initially, there was nothing unusual about it. Since the day they rode out of the city together, he had been captivated by the Zhen family's daughter. His thoughts during the day were mirrored in his dreams at night.

But gradually, with the recurring flashes of dreams, he began to faintly realize that he seemed to have experienced another life in his dreams, similar to the present world but different in some ways.

In this present world, she married Pei You'an, the only person he feared.

But in the dream, she first married Pei Xiuzhi, then was taken by himself, becoming his forbidden fruit. Until he ascended the throne, just two years later, due to a sudden injury during a reckless expedition against the barbarians, he passed away unexpectedly. He couldn't bear to part with her and had her buried with him.

Everything came to an abrupt end.

This dream, which seemed to have experienced an alternate life, was previously vague. He wanted to grasp it clearly, but there always seemed to be a layer of mist before his eyes.

But on this night, after waking up from the dream once again, he finally grasped everything clearly.

Pei You'an, brought by Xiao Lie to Wuding when he was still a teenager, had planted the seeds of discord in Xiao Yintang's heart.

At that time, he knew that he could never be as close to this Pei as his father, the king, expected him to be, despite being only a little older than himself.

There was no conflict between them at that time. His hostility towards Pei You'an was purely based on human nature.

Xiao Yintang was talented and the sole son of the royal family, which garnered him immense favoritism. This fostered his extremely arrogant personality.

He couldn't tolerate anyone overshadowing his excellence. 

But Pei You'an's arrival shattered all of this.

He was hailed as a young prodigy, and the reputation bestowed upon him by the world was not exaggerated. Upon his arrival in Wuding, after his injuries healed, he quickly demonstrated his extraordinary administrative talents. Later on, his military prowess shone brightly in the uprisings in Wuding and the battles against the Northern Hu, sparkling like stars in the sky.

While Xiao Yintang was indeed outstanding, he could never surpass Pei You'an. In Pei You'an's presence, he was destined to pale in comparison.

At the time of his coronation, Pei You'an had been dead for several years, yet his reputation remained undiminished. In Suye City, the people kept the temple built in his honor busy with constant incense offerings. On his birthday, crowds from all directions flocked to burn incense, bowing and praying before his statue, making wishes for blessings.

In the eyes of the people, the deceased Pei You'an had become almost deified, transformed into an idol capable of protecting them and ensuring their safety.

After ascending the throne, Xiao Yintang's insistence on personally leading expeditions against the Hu people, despite the advice of his ministers, was largely driven by the profound sense of oppression he had long felt from being overshadowed.

He was eager to demonstrate to his ministers and the world that he, Xiao Yintang, was not inferior to Pei You'an; rather, he had simply lacked the opportunities in the past.

In addition to feelings of jealousy and being overlooked for his talents, Xiao Lie's extraordinary attention and care invested in this outsider also deeply displeased Xiao Yintang.

He even had a feeling that if Pei You'an were another son of his own father, then he would undoubtedly abandon himself without hesitation and instead elevate Pei You'an to the position of crown prince.

The seeds of resentment thus continued to take root and sprout in his heart day by day.

Xiao Yintang endured it all.

Then one day, an unexpected incident occurred.

It was the second year of Xiao Lie's reign. At that time, Pei You'an had achieved great power and prestige due to his accomplishments. Just as his influence reached its peak, the northern border was attacked by nomadic tribes. For some unknown reason, he volunteered to leave the capital and take up the position of military governor to defend the frontier. Several years passed in the blink of an eye, and he never returned to the capital.

This decision shocked the entire court, including Xiao Yintang. Despite occasional reports of his achievements in pacifying the northern border and ensuring the safety of the people, Xiao Yintang could not shake off the feeling of unease in his heart. However, at that time, he managed to suppress his emotions.

Until one day, he unexpectedly learned a shocking secret from his mother, Empress Dowager Zhou.

Empress Dowager Zhou told him that perhaps it was because of this secret that Pei You'an chose to leave the capital at that time, and the emperor had no choice but to allow it.

She warned Xiao Yintang not to think that with Pei You'an gone, he could rest easy. This was a very dangerous hidden danger. If one day the emperor changed his mind, then his position as crown prince would be in jeopardy.

It was as if Xiao Yintang had awakened from a dream. 

Years of doubt and resentment flooded his heart at that moment. He made a decision.

He knew that after Pei You'an left for the frontier, his health had been somewhat poor in recent years, and he had been taking medicine from time to time.

Xiao Yintang plotted in secret, exerting great effort and thought. Half a year later, he finally bribed someone close to the kitchen in the marshal's mansion who could tamper with Pei You'an's medicine without being noticed. He discreetly added a colorless and odorless poison to Pei You'an's medicine.

On a winter night beyond the Great Wall, where the white grass meets the yellow sand, snow fell upon the gates of Ji. After the bowl of medicine was delivered to Pei You'an's study, he didn't immediately take it as usual. Instead, he set aside his pen and parchment, gazing silently at the candlelight for a moment.

The charcoal fire in the stove went out, and the chill began to seep into the room. 

The servant who was spying outside at the time later described that Pei You'an seemed calm, as if lost in deep thought.

Years of laboring over documents, coupled with mental exhaustion, had taken a toll on his body. He appeared somewhat emaciated, with a pale complexion, much like the white inner garment he wore that evening, as ethereal as snow. 

He sat in silence for a long time, until the bowl of medicine turned cold, devoid of any warmth. 

Finally, he cast his gaze upon the medicine, studying it for a long while. Just when the servant outside panicked, thinking he had been found out, Pei You'an picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp. 

That night, Pei You'an's old illness resurfaced, and he began vomiting blood profusely. His subordinates rushed to his side upon hearing the news, weeping bitterly, but he remained composed, still smiling and conversing as if nothing had happened. By daybreak, he had passed away peacefully.

Xiao Yintang was not certain whether Pei You'an had glimpsed something that drove him to despair and seek death, or if he had actually accidentally ingested the poison, leading to his death by vomiting blood.

This is not important. What matters is that in the world he experienced in his dream, he finally emerged as the ultimate victor.

After Pei You'an's death the following year, Xiao Yintang sensed the Emperor's suspicion towards him. To avoid potential troubles in the future, he meticulously planned a palace coup. Successfully seizing the throne, he ascended as the new Emperor of Great Wei.

In his dreams, his only miscalculation was the decision to personally lead the expedition after ascending to the throne. That erroneous choice led to his premature death, leaving behind deep regrets.

Xiao Yintang opened his eyes once again, leaping out of bed and striding purposefully to the window. With a vigorous motion, he pushed open the heavy shutters of the bedchamber, exposing himself to the vast darkness of the night sky. Tilting his head back, he let out a long sigh, feeling a sense of relief as if all the pent-up frustration had dissipated into the air.

During the day, his father-in-law privately advised him that his only task now was patience, to adapt to changing circumstances. 

As long as the Emperor had no other sons, and he learned to bide his time wisely, the position of Crown Prince would never slip from his grasp into another's hands. 

He was right, and Xie Yintang knew that now was not the ideal moment to make any rash moves.

However, the experiences of that dream, so vivid and yet surreal, not only invigorated his spirit but also nourished his ambition like fertile soil. It gave him a sense of exhilaration, as if he held a precious pearl of wisdom and had seized every opportunity. 

Compared to being a crown prince constrained by others, he now yearned more for the thrill of dominating the world from the pinnacle of power, just as he had experienced in his dream.

He would indeed endure patiently until the opportune moment arrived, seizing it without fail. 

Once he ascended to the throne as Emperor, he would not repeat past mistakes.

In his dream, Zhen Shi was within reach; she was his in life, and even in death, she remained his. 

In this reality, however, she seemed distant, like a fleeting encounter today, where she was desirable yet unattainable.

Yet he knew, sooner or later, she would be his. It was destined. 

Just as in the dream, where he was the true dragon emperor ordained by fate, and ultimately obtained everything, this lifetime would be no different.

He was convinced of this.