Chapter 46

Shen Nuo did not clearly remember what happened that day. He only knew what Jinyu and Liyi had said. That evening, Zhanhua had safely brought Shen Nuo to Mingyue Palace, right under the nose of the Emperor.  Shen Nuo was angry, also feeling lost.

He clearly remembered everything that Zhanhua told him at the deserted lane. Zhanhua had drastically changed since that moment that incident happened at the thicket. He had become really daring. If this continued, Shen Nuo knew in this life, Li Yan would really kill him.

So for another two days, Shen Nuo repeatedly ignored Zhanhua. He once sent a letter pleading mercy for being bold that day. But Shen Nuo had coldly asked Jinyu to return back the letter to the owner. Shen Nuo did not see Zhanhua after that.

Another two days later, news spread that Grand Martial Shendu had returned to the Capital with the Mongolian prince in captivity. This caused a great blow upon the twin Mongolian princesses, specially Consort Sagangui. When Prince Altai was brought to the Palace, he was immediately thrown into the prison and Shendu went to the court to report to the Emperor.

Three hours later, the court was dismissed and Prince Altai was sentenced to death within a week. And Consort Sagangui who heard this at Lixian Palace, lost her conciousness in shock and collapsed down, knocking her head onto a pillar.

She bled badly. Shen Nuo went to meet her immediately after and bandaged her head. Consort Sagangui couldn't help but cry from morning until night. But she didn't utter a word. Shen Nuo was also silent as he treated her wound. Her sister Khutulun was also by her side.

Shen Nuo remembered the day Sagangui cramped her foot for the sake of saving him from the clutch of the Empress. Shen Nuo felt frustrated. His heart wasn't something which would easily move. But that morning, when he saw her weep, he really felt sad.

When he was done with the gauzes and was about to leave Lixian Palace, Consort Khutulun followed to see him off. But when they reached the gates where Sagangui couldn't see, she knelt down forth Shen Nuo, ignoring the gasps of her maid and the guards.

Shen Nuo was shocked. "No! Don't!"

Khutulun looked at him with eyes full of glassy tears.

"Big brother Altai... He... he... people love him so much. He's the best prince and the ruler that the Mongolian royal family had after centuries... Little brother Shen, all the Mongolians venerate him and respect him. Many princesses wooed him. But my sister was the only person who won his heart. My sister is the only person who deserved him. But she was forcefully married here. Brother Shen, he attacked here because of her. Please! I beg you. Help him!"

Shen Nuo felt lame. "How can I?" He asked in a weak voice. "I'm just a consort..."

But Khutulun looked at him with hope in her eyes. "You're the only person who is close to His Majesty. Please pester him. I beg you!"

"You get up..."

"Promise me first!"

Shen Nuo was speechless. That cold morning, he silently left without answering to khutulun who also cried.

Of course Shen Nuo knew this tale before hand. The novel mentioned before about the affair between  Sagangui and Altai. They were already bethrothed when she was forced to marry Li Yan...

That evening, Shen Nuo visited Emperor Li Yan at the Imperial Study.

Li Yan was busy with reports. He did not even look at Shen Nuo. But if Shen Nuo had looked carefully, he would have seen Li Yan's hands almost tearing the brim of the report he was reading.

"Li Yan.."

"Yes?"

"Are you free now?" Shen Nuo asked tentatively.

"Don't beat around the bush." Li Yan said in a gloomy voice. "Just say what you want from me."

Shen Nuo gulped. "Release Altai."

Li Yan locked his freezing gaze with Shen Nuo for a while and they looked deadly. "Why should I?" He asked. There was a touch of vehement but suppressed anger in his sharp voice.

Shen Nuo raised his face to look at him under the gloomy lamp lights. "Li Yan. Don't do this. You already messed up your last life. At least you should learn your lesson now!"

Li Yan looked at him dead in the eyes, his expression most ill natured.

"Keep away from Zhen's matters. This isn't something that you should be fingering into. Court matters are handled by the court, not by the harem!"

"Li Yan!" Shen Nuo said furiously. His eyes were big in disbelief. "You can talk to him! Can't you just talk to him and at least make an alliance between the two states? You're leading way to a disaster!"

"Zhen's military power even exceeds the power of Xian Yan. Why should I be scared of?"

Shen Nuo looked at him incredulously. "That's why you should stop! Only people will die, Li Yan!"

Li Yan gave a freezing smile. "Zhen's consort is very caring. He cares about his people. How very touching?" There was an unavoidable sense of mock and sarcasm in that cold voice.

Shen Nuo felt uneasy. "I know I can't stop you. But Li Yan, at least change the punishments. Just don't kill him."

Li Yan's expression was becoming frostier and frostier. "What am I? Your puppet? Or the Emperor? You think ruling a state is a child's play? You think Zhen can do whatever he likes without the approval of the court?" He pursed his thin lips coldly. "Consort Shen, if there's nothing else, Zhen should ask you to leave." That voice was stern. "Zhen has no time to waste."

"Li Yan." Shen Nuo said gravely after a long sigh. "You know she still loves him... If you have a slightest bit of gratitude towards her this far, let him go for the sake of her."

Li Yan slowly stood up from the seat and came towards Shen Nuo. His lips still had that frightening smile. Shen Nuo frowned. What was up with Li Yan? He wasn't like this normally. Did something happen?

"Consort Shen, you forgot. I'm the Emperor. For Zhen, affection and love are nothing but mere words that worth nothing at all." Li Yan stood tall infront of Shen Nuo, casting a giant shadow on the walls under the shady lamp light. "Like feelings, dignity and duty is nothing for you, do you understand?"

Shen Nuo blinked his eyes. "What do you mean?" He asked in a confused voice. "It's because of you she had to come here one year ago. If it had not been that way, she would already be their empress..."

But Li Yan shook his head, smiling in disgust. "For royals, there's nothing called love or affection... Only trade, only exchange... Zhen must thank you for teaching me that part." ...yesterday...

Shen Nuo did not understand. "Li Yan... What are you saying?"

"So you say what?" Li Yan asked, narrowing his eyes. "It's all my fault here? You say I don't have gratitude or feelings. Ok, I'm the villain. But what about you? You're married to me. But in your heart you love someone else. Isn't it the same?"

Shen Nuo was speechless. "What the - !!!"

Li Yan pressed his strong palms onto the desk and slowly leaned down his tall body to Shen Nuo's pitiful height, trapping Shen Nuo between the table and him. "At least tell me have you fulfilled a single duty as Zhen's consort until now? Hmm?"

Shen Nuo's eyes were very red. He slowly lowered his head, subconsciously chewing on his lower lip. After a long time, he spoke almost in a whisper, reluctantly. "If that's what you want, I can give it to you... But only if you promise me you'll let Altai off after that."

Li Yan felt as if stabbed. The memories from five days ago flashed infront of his eyes. At that lonesome deserted lane where no one treaded, how Shen Nuo went back against him with Zhanhua...

Li Yan felt bitter. This person was his consort, and yet being so, was still reluctant to be intimate with him. But he saw how this consort was fooling around with his subject. That single mistake was enough for Li Yan to get Zhanhua killed. But still he endured.

And now when Shen Nuo reluctantly said those words against his own will, how can Li Yan not feel irritated? Shen Nuo can behave intimately with a minister. He can have pity on Sagangui who isn't even related to him. But was it that hard to fullfil his duty as a consort?

The anger that Li Yan felt with this nearly drove him mad. Shen Nuo was so generous to others but for him? He pursed his thin lips with bloodshot eyes that glared at Shen Nuo vehemently.

"You're ready to go that far for the sake of someone else. What of me?" He asked in an icy voice." I've been your husband since the day you lost your chastity to me. What have you done? You only deceived me Shen Nuo! Do you think you're in place to speak with me? Don't make me angry! Now get lost!" He turned away.

But Shen Nuo grasped him back from the wrist tightly, not letting go. "Li Yan," he said in a warning voice. "If you do it, this will be the end of our relationship here!"

Li Yan smirked, pulling his hand away from Shen Nuo rudely. But his voice was a bit hoarse. "Shen Nuo, it's not like that we had anything between us before. Would it make a change for you? For me it's still the same. You only know how to deceive me!"

Shen Nuo's eyes were glassy again. "Li Yan, I thought you had changed!" He said in a bitter whisper. "But I mistook you again! How can you be that merciful? You burned my manor and parents to death when you still knew I wasn't the murderer of your son. What more?"

Li Yan's eyes flashed. "What do you know? You know nothing at all!" He said angrily. "You only know how to accuse me! Open your eyes and see!"

"See what?" Shen Nuo shouted. "See that you're going to kill Altai? Li Yan she still loves him! Can't you forgive him this once?"

"Get lost!"

Shen Nuo lowered his head, slowly nodding. "Ok, I have just one more question to ask."

"Zhen does not wish to hear it!"

Shen Nuo's eyes were very red and moist. "Li Yan, if someday I am taken away by someone, will you care to find me back?"

Li Yan froze. His eyes were red. He swallowed. "Never!" He spat out the word coldly.

Shen Nuo smiled in distress. "You'll never change." He turned to rudely go. But Li Yan pulled him back, grasping from his wrist. Their chests banged against each other and eyes met. A chill went down Shen Nuo's spine. "You -" He struggled to break free but Li Yan held him firmly.

He lowered his face closer, reaching Shen Nuo's ear that his cold lips almost touched the ear tip. And his scorching breath grazed past half Shen Nuo's neck. The chilling fragrance of sandalwood shrouded Shen Nuo's nose, drawing him dizzy.

"Shen Nuo." He whispered coldly. "Your ex dropped something at that room in the brothel before he pulled you to hide behind the curtains." His hand wandered down and pushed something cold though the shuddering fingertips of Shen Nuo. "If you don't have anything else to do, why don't you stop angering me and return this back to him and thank him for helping you flee under my nose?"

Shen Nuo was thunderstruck. He choked in his breath. He felt lame all over. But before he could do anything, Li Yan was gone. He just dumbly stared at the blue jade tassel that was on his palm...

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Ten minutes later, Li Yan entered into a cold prison cell at the underground dungeons of the north palace. The guards silently bowed and pulled the latch of the barred gates open, making him way in. Li Yan entered and silently watched.

A long weary face raised itself to look at the stranger who stood infront of him. The sharp sound of rattling iron chains as the kneeling prisoner moved, amplified in several folds, echoing throughout the dungeons in a frightening din. That face was very dirty, stained with lots of mud and bruises. But it couldn't hide those extremely handsome facial traits that had a touch of toughness and majesty unique to kings ...

The Crown Prince of Mongolia... Prince Altai...

Li Yan's face was indifferent again, as he watched Altai silently. "You knew you cannot win over Li Yang armies. Why would you still bother to attack?"

Altai did not reply. He rudely looked way and did not care to answer.

But strangely, Li Yan did not get angry this time. "You are even willing to die for the sake of her?" He asked Altai sternly. "You're a prince. A whole kingdom belongs to you. You have everything! Why would you do this and leave everything for the sake of a girl? A beautiful girl can be easily found. But a lost kingdom cannot be regained."

For this, Altai laughed mockingly. "What do you know, Li Yan... You know nothing at all. You don't know how to smile. You are always cold and unhappy. Why? Because you don't have a heart! You don't know what love and caring is! What is the difference between you and a walking corpse?"

Zhangsun, the emperor's personal body guard who stood beside, grasped from the sheath of his sword threateningly. "Watch your words, Prince Altai..."

But Li Yan shook his head and signed Zhangsun to leave. Zhangsun left reluctantly.

Li Yan half knelt the hard stony floor, reaching the the height of the person on his knees. "Zhen said it would be like dying for something useless." He said expressionlessly. "An Emperor is born fated to be heartless if he is to survive."

Altai looked at him resentfully. "Really? You don't even let me prove it!"

But Li Yan looked at him mockingly. "Aren't you already here now because of it? You'll be killed three days later. This is the lesson that Zhen teaches you before you die. Love and reigning are two different things that you shouldn't mix up together. There are numerous things he should sacrifice for the wellbeing of his country. If you mix this up, you'll loose so many things in your life that you don't want to loose."

Li Yan's eyes slowly unfocussed as he said this in a low voice. It so much looked as if he was speaking halfway to himself.

Altai raised his face with red eyes. There was a vehement sense of sarcasm in his slightly red eyes. His blood stained lips curled up into a strange smile. "At least I will die for someone. What about you? You won't die happily one day. Li Yan, you'll die a lonely death with no one there to grieve over you, with no one there to miss you..."

Li Yan slowly stood up, folding his strong arms around his sturdy chest. "So you say Zhen is heartless. Were not you the same when you attacked the Xu Lin Pass? Are they not innocent lives?"

"Li Yan, I might have captured Xu Lin pass but I never took an innocent life all my way here!" It was true. He did not kill anyone. He captured the pass by his own strategies without taking a single life.

Li Yan looked dead in the eyes of Altai. "Do you love her that much that you're even willing to die for her? What if Zhen tells you now that she's pregnant with Zhen's child?"

Altai's face remained resolute. "I won't mind! I'll take the child with her!"

Li Yan did not move for a long time. His face was half hidden in ghostly shadows in the half lit cell and it was hard to guess what was going in his mind. After a long time, he softly smiled startling even the Mongolia prince to feel strange.

That smile was rarely seen on that person's face to be honest. But it was a pity that it was wrenched with so much pain and sorrow. "Get ready!" He said to Prince Altai with a smile.

Then he turned to the guards. "Take him to his room." With that, he shrugged and strode away.

Altai: "?????"

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PRINCE ALTAI.

• Crown Prince of Mongolia.

• 25 years old.

• Bethrothed lover of Princess Sagangui before she was married off to Li Yang with her twin sister.

• A true and a strong leader who cared about his people and loved his beloveds.