143 The Death of the Sea East Azure

After the baby fell asleep, Afu carried him back to the heir’s bedchamber, while Li Yexuan remained at Qingran Residence. According to custom, he was to stay in my room for the three days before the wedding.

Li Yexuan sat at the table, a book in hand. I personally poured him a cup of tea and dismissed the servants.

“Your Highness, I have something to discuss with you.”

“Speak,” Li Yexuan said, his gaze fixed on the book, not looking at me.

“The baby is still very young and has just come to Yuehua Kingdom. He must be unfamiliar with the environment here. Although Your Highness looks after him, the emperor is still small, and you can’t completely attend to the baby. I would like to personally take him to Yue for a month, so he can get used to this place. Would that be acceptable?”

“Why for a month?”

Li Yexuan put down his book and fixed his gaze on me without blinking. I felt uneasy under his scrutiny.

“I can’t keep him from your education. It’s just that the baby’s health isn’t great, and he’s smaller than other children his age. Today must have tired him.”

“He is indeed a bit small, not even five years old, it seems.”

“When I was carrying him, I didn’t take good care of myself, and he was premature...” I glanced at Li Yexuan quickly, seeing that he hadn’t noticed anything unusual, then continued, “I’m just worried about my son. If you discipline him in the future, I have no objections. Today I met Your Highness’s consorts and concubines—all young and beautiful. Soon enough, you will surely have other children, but perhaps mine will be the only one. I hope, for the sake of our past ties, Your Highness can show him some consideration.”

Li Yexuan said nothing, but his eyes remained fixed on me.

“Did I say something wrong?”

With a sharp slap, the book was thrown onto the table.

I stood up in alarm, but the next second, Li Yexuan’s hand was choking my neck.

“What’s this? Didn’t you once swear you would never share a husband with another woman?”

“Times have changed, haven’t they?”

I gripped his hand tightly, but couldn’t budge him an inch.

“Huangfu Ziyun, your backbone is nothing but this. If you don’t behave, don’t blame me for keeping you away from your son.”

“Li Yexuan!”

He dragged me over and pushed me onto the bed.

“Don’t forget, you married me so my army would withdraw, not to become a princess! Don’t think of leaving, or I’ll lay waste to Lingyun Kingdom and show you your younger brother’s severed head.”

“How dare you!”

“Do you think I’m bluffing?” His grip tightened on my jaw.

After his fury, he kissed me. I thought I glimpsed a trace of guilt in his eyes, but it vanished quickly.

How could he possibly feel guilty toward me? I closed my eyes and let him take what he wanted, again and again...

Before I lost consciousness, I called him a demon, and he whispered coldly in my ear not to even think about leaving him.

Li Yexuan, you may be able to suppress me, but you cannot suppress fate. Sooner or later, I will leave, whether willing or not.

The next morning when I awoke, he was gone. Looking around at the chaotic room, tears fell from my eyes. Just two days into our marriage, all sorts of misfortune—both expected and unexpected—had descended upon me. When did Li Yexuan become like this? Suddenly, I recalled the national advisor’s words from when the emperor and empress were still alive. Was I destined for a life of hardship?

Shaking, I got up, took the ancient vine pill, and summoned someone to attend to me. Once again, it was Zi’er.

For the next three days, Li Yexuan did not come, nor did the baby, and I did not step outside Qingran Residence. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I sensed an overwhelming fatigue within me. The ancient vine had warned that unless absolutely necessary, he would not have me try this medicine, as even he did not fully understand its consequences. These three months felt like an unearned extension of my life, and I squandered it on what I foolishly called love...

“Princess, Zi’er will accompany you for a walk. Zi’er heard the heir practicing swordsmanship in the garden.”

Zi’er’s words surprised me.

Seeing my silence, she continued, “Though Zi’er reports your matters to Your Highness, I am not someone who wishes to oppose you deliberately. I feel uneasy seeing you like this...”

“Very well.”

I changed into a water-blue dress, tied my hair up with a hairpin, and left without makeup.

Sure enough, the baby was in the garden. From afar, I saw him.

“Baby...”

“Mother...” The child rushed into my arms, burying his head against me. I took two steps back, nearly falling, but Zi’er caught me.

“Greetings, Princess,” Shi Mo bowed to me.

“What of Zhuque and Xuanwu? Weren’t they always by the baby’s side? How did they fail to notice this?”

“Zhuque and Xuanwu spoke back to Your Highness and have been detained,” Shi Mo turned his head away.

“What happened exactly?”

“Mother, it’s my fault,” the baby tugged at my clothes, tears falling.

“What happened, tell Mother.”

“Father said if I don’t train well, I can’t see you. Baby insisted on coming, so Zhuque and Xuanwu argued with Father...”

“It’s all right, child. Mother is here now and won’t leave you anymore.”

“Mother...”

At this moment, I let down all defenses and wept silently with the child in my arms.

A sound came from above. Looking up, I saw the sea eagle circling over Qingran Residence.

“Mother, look—it's the sea eagle.”

“Yes, Mother sees it.”

Qingyu Dongfang kept a few sea eagles; this was one of them, likely from Zijun’s side. Could it be that the matter was uncovered? Perhaps there was still hope for my body.

I placed a finger on my lips and softly whistled. The sea eagle saw me and flew over.

The baby smiled through his tears, watching the bird in the sky.

Suddenly, an arrow pierced the sea eagle’s body right before me and the baby. The eagle fell, intercepted by some force.

Li Yexuan approached from nearby, followed by Shi Yan holding the sea eagle, along with Yun Rong and Madam Feng.

The baby clung to me in fear; I hugged him tighter. Li Yexuan looked like a harbinger from hell, his face darkened.

In front of me, Li Yexuan took the message from the sea eagle and casually dropped its body on the ground.

“Mother...” Tears streamed down the baby’s cheeks.

“It’s all right. Let’s go see the sea eagle together, okay?”

Hearing this, the baby ran to the bird and cried while holding it.

Thankfully, before coming to Yuehua Kingdom, I had left the baby’s milk-fed puppy in Lingyun Kingdom; otherwise, who knows what further suffering awaited.

“That was just a letter from my younger brother. My mother is from the Jiang clan and retired after the palace coup. He was merely checking if we still have relatives. Do you know this sea eagle grew up with the baby?” I looked at Li Yexuan calmly.

“Stop boasting. How can a human grow up with animals?” Yun Rong spoke, though Madam Feng pulled her back.

“I’m not boasting. My child was born with a hard fate, no playmates, because other children mocked him for having a mother but no father. When he was little, he would cry and run home; as he grew older, he fought with the other kids.” I tore a piece from my clothing and covered the sea eagle’s body.

“Mother, he’s dead. He will never fly over the sea again...” The baby sobbed in my arms.

“It’s okay. Mother and baby will bury him together. Godfather still has the sea eagle’s chicks. Later, Mother will take you to see them. If you like, we can raise one.”

“Baby doesn’t want that. They will die too.”

In that instant, I regretted marrying here. The baby doesn’t want to recognize Li Yexuan as his father. With just the Mortal Heaven Pavilion, I could support him for life.

I lifted the baby.

“Your Highness, since Zhuque and Xuanwu erred, send them back to the pavilion. They are short-staffed anyway. Take the sea eagle’s body back for burial as well.”

Li Yexuan said nothing but waved his hand. Shi Yan took the sea eagle’s body away.

I pressed the baby’s head down to prevent him from looking.

“I won’t disturb Your Highness further,” I said, holding the baby as I left.

“Stop. Did I say you could leave?”

“What do you want?”

“Everyone, leave,” Li Yexuan commanded. Shi Mo, Zi’er, Yun Rong, and Madam Feng all departed. Yun Rong shot me a fierce glare.

We were alike—too stubborn. Even though we loved him, I held back from blaming or hating him over the sea eagle. My time was short; I didn’t want to waste it on hate.

“Mother, baby was wrong.” The little face rubbed against mine.

“You’re not wrong, Mother was bad for scaring you.” I softened instantly.

“Mother, can we go back to the Mortal Heaven Pavilion? Or to uncle’s place? Baby doesn’t want Father anymore.”

Li Yexuan took two steps back at the child’s words.

I set the baby down and crouched before him.

“Baby, haven’t you always wanted a father?”

“But with a father, I never see Mother. Godfather doesn’t come. Big and little uncles aren’t here. Auntie hasn’t visited either...”

The baby nestled into my arms again. Li Yexuan stepped forward and knelt before us.

“Mu Feng...” he called softly, but the baby didn’t respond.

“The child doesn’t understand yet...”

I gently patted his back and lifted him again.

“Don’t cry. Mother will take you home.”

I held him close, soothing him as we returned to Qingran Residence.

“Mother, baby wants the sea eagle...”

“Don’t cry, don’t cry...” I had no words to comfort him. The sea eagle was dead—killed by the baby’s own father...