C64

"Hey, how long has it been since you received a message from King Han?" I asked, holding on to a sliver of luck.

He thought for a while and shook his head again.

"It's already been a few months. Ever since this humble subject sent the Empress's letter to His Majesty, I haven't received a reply."

I closed my eyes and pounded on the table. There was a tingling in my arm.

"What happened to the Empress?" He looked at me with a pained expression and reached his hand out. He wanted to grab my hand, but he suddenly pulled it back and said with a red face,

"The Empress must take care of her body, and not do anything to harm herself." After I said that, I looked at the scar on my forehead and showed a pitiful expression.

"A He, hurry up and leave the palace. Think of a way to notify the Han King. No matter what happens in the capital, do not enter the capital. Remember, remember this!" I instructed in a low voice.

Although he was surprised to see my serious face, he agreed without hesitation.

"Yes, this humble subject obeys the decree!"

"Go." It was as if I had just recovered from a serious illness, and I was barely able to speak before I was gasping for breath.

Seeing me like this, Ah He didn't want to leave, but he didn't dare not do what I had told him to do. In the end, he left step by step.

I got up from the chair, forced myself to take a cup of cold tea from the table, and gulped it down. Tears were streaming down my face.

A sleepless night, I knelt in front of the Buddha statue, silently prayed that Yang Liang did not fall into Yang Guang's scheme.

However, everything was too late. On the second night, the palace went into an uproar. I anxiously paced back and forth, wanting to rush out of the hall several times. However, I was afraid that Yang Guang would find out. A moment later, a sad face appeared on his face.

"Empress, His Majesty the Duke of Han has been captured alive by the emperor!"

His eyes were bloodshot and his face anxious. He knelt on the ground as if he had lost his soul. A chill ran up his spine as his legs gave way and he collapsed on the cold white jade floor.

"How?" I muttered as my heart sank.

"Last night, His Majesty the Duke of Han sneaked into the palace from the Peach Blossom Park, but the Peach Blossom Garden was already filled with imperial guards. Before he could even retaliate, he was captured alive." "It's all because this humble subject was incompetent and was unable to pass on the Empress's words to His Highness the Duke of Han in time," he lamented, his hands trembling with grief.

Yang Liang had fallen into Yang Guang's trap. I closed my eyes as tears rolled down from the corners of my eyes. My voice sounded weak and powerless:

"Go find out more, where is the Duke of Han locked up?"

No matter what, as long as there is a sliver of hope, I will do my best to protect Yang Liang's life. At the very least, I will meet him at the last moment.

"Yes." He stood up and left. Looking at his dejected back, my heart was filled with sorrow and sorrow.

After a few more days, A'he discovered that Yang Guang had locked him in a cell. Other than delivering three meals a day, no one was allowed to get close to him.

I had to see Yang Liang. Within Yongan Palace, I paced back and forth, trying to figure out how to meet him without being discovered by Yang Guang. If possible, even if I had to risk my life, I would save Yang Liang.

However, the prison was where all the felons were locked up. Yang Liang was heavily guarded by Yang Guang, so it would be difficult for him to sneak in.

In the end, I still begged him to think of a way, and he was just as worried as I was that Yang Guang would try to harm him.

On this evening, the sky was overcast, and the signs of rain were about to arrive. Due to the overcast weather, the light had already faded during dinner time, and lanterns were already being lit in the palace. I left the palace in my imperial guard uniform, hid behind a tree, and stared at the direction of the Sky Prison, waiting for an opportunity to sneak in.

He had already figured out that the road in front of the tree was the only path for soldiers who sent food to prison. After waiting for a long time, he finally saw two people coming from the other direction.

"I say, brother, do you think the Emperor will cut off the head of the Duke of Han?" The soldier with the knife lowered his voice and made a beheading gesture.

The guard holding the food box looked around and saw that no one was around. Fang shook his head and said:

It's hard to say, the Emperor's actions are unpredictable. Although the King of Han started the army, he is still blood brothers after all. Sigh, these matters are not what we should handle as slaves.

"That's right, we should just give them to us. We should do whatever we can and get our pay. We can't do anything else about them even if we wanted to."

As the two of them walked, I shot a look at him, and he quietly jumped onto the branch. When the two soldiers reached the tree, he suddenly jumped down and smacked them on the back of their necks. They didn't even have time to groan before they fainted on the ground.

He dragged them into the bushes and quickly stripped them of their coats. We put on our clothes, then he held onto his knife. I took the food box, lowered the brim of my hat, and walked towards the dungeon.

"Who is it?!" Outside of the cell, the imperial guards were heavily guarded. It was true that not even a bird could fly in.

"Someone to deliver the food." I said, looking at the two spears crossed in front of me, trying to imitate the accent of the waiter.

"What time is it?" "Why did you send me off so late today?" One of the soldiers said impatiently.

"Masters, it's a cloudy day today. It looks like it's very late, but the time isn't." I said, bowing my head.

"Come on, come on, cut the crap. Stop dawdling and quickly go in!" Another soldier checked my badge and said.

I promised and headed inside.

"Wait, you can't go in!" Two soldiers stopped him.

I looked back and saw that Kazu was also looking at me, unsure of what to do. In that case, I could only give him a look and tell him to find a reason to leave. The dungeon is a dangerous place, and I don't know if I will be able to get out safely. It's also good if Ah He doesn't go in, lest he gets dragged into it, it's not a prison robbery, if one less person comes in, there's less danger.

He had no choice but to watch as I entered before turning around and hiding somewhere.

The doors of the dungeon were tightly locked. Every time he entered, he would have to check his identity, but luckily, it was just a routine matter. After checking his identity card, he was allowed to enter.

He walked all the way to the deepest part of the dungeon. It was dark and damp with only a single candle lighting up the room. The smell was extremely pungent and depressing.

Finally, after a final round of inspection, the jailer opened the cell door and told me to go in.

"Hurry up and come back."

The only thing I said was yes, I stepped into the prison.

Separated by a cell made of iron rods as thick as an arm, I saw Yang Liang sitting cross-legged on a pile of withered grass, his hair disheveled. His hands and feet were shackled, and he was resting with his eyes closed.

With tears flowing out of my eyes, I slowly walked over step by step, looking incredulously at Yang Liang who was in front of me.

He was much thinner than he had been a few years ago, but he was also much more mature, with a long beard, a somewhat sallow complexion, cracked lips, ragged clothes, and several scars on his body.

"King Han?" I whispered.

Yang Liang's expression changed and he suddenly opened his eyes. A trace of pleasant surprise was revealed in his sunken eyes. He suddenly stood up from the ground and grabbed onto the iron rod separating the two of us as he muttered:

"Little'er?" Is it really me? "

I nodded, but he shook his head and smiled.

"I am dreaming again. However, even if I am dreaming, I will eventually be able to see you again and speak a few words to you."

I shook my head with tears in my eyes and said,

"No, King Han, this is not a dream, I really am Little'er!"

When he finished speaking, his tears flowed like a river. He could no longer suppress them and they slid down. After so many years, he was still infatuated with me, but I was no longer the Xiao Yujian from the past; I was no longer the Xiao Yujian from the sixteen paintings; and Yang Liang was no longer the delicate and pretty youth dressed in green.

Yang Liang placed his face between the two metal rods and stared fixedly at me with his deep eyes. I took off my hat and walked over to the metal pole step by step. I couldn't help but stroke the back of his scarred hand.