Silent Lover (The Silent Concubine) - Chap 101
Chapter 101 – Hatred and Love
Xiao Xieye, who was accustomed to rejection, patiently worked to break down Shen Yu’s defenses.
“Yuer, here are some records about Yunmeng and the Chu family. Take a look, perhaps it will help you find your relatives.”
Shen Yu took several volumes of messy books, which contained fragmented information. Overall, they indicated that the Chu family members of Yunmeng were referred to as “guardians of the tomb.” However, due to intermarriage between the Chu family and the locals of Yunmeng, the true direct lineage was rare. The last time the true Chu lineage was discovered was thirty years ago…
The ambiguous records puzzled Shen Yu even more.
“Yuer, do you remember anything?”
Xiao Xieye stared at Shen Yu intently, trying to catch any change in his expression…
Shen Yu shook his head. He was born in the Shen family estate and had never been to Yunmeng. How could he remember anything about his ancestral home?
Xiao Xieye was not discouraged and continued, “Then, have your parents ever told you anything about your ancestors?”
No, except for some local customs, his mother never mentioned anything about their hometown. She never even talked about his father…
Shen Yu felt that Xieye seemed more anxious than him. Xieye was slightly disappointed; it seemed that although Shen Yu was a member of the Chu family, he knew nothing about the situation.
Xieye did not get the result he wanted, but he was not disheartened. He shifted his attention to his own military map. The Northern Garrison was stationed on the north bank of the Yellow River. The Yellow River flowed swiftly, and there were only two stretches of river with slightly calmer water where they could cross. With Xieye’s forces, if they were divided for defense, they might not be able to stop the Northern Garrison…
“Yuer, based on your understanding of Xuan Xiao, where do you think he will cross the river?”
Sometimes, Prince Zhenbei shared his strategies for marching and warfare with Shen Yu, who learned to read and recite. Shen Yu glanced at the familiar map and pointed with his slender finger…
Ten days later, the news of Prince Zhenbei being captured and escorted back to the capital spread throughout the palace, even the eunuchs and palace maids were celebrating. With Prince Zhenbei captured, the rebel forces would soon be defeated. With the rebellion quelled, they no longer had to worry about Prince Zhenbei breaking into the palace…
Shen Yu was probably the last one to know this news. The people in the palace looked down on a man who had hands and feet but sold his looks, and they didn’t bother to talk to him…
It was Xieye who told him…
“Yuer! This time, capturing Prince Zhenbei is your credit! He unexpectedly took the opposite approach, abandoning the two calm stretches of river and crossing the river secretly at a dangerous location at night, catching my soldiers off guard! You are truly my lucky star!”
Xieye firmly grasped Shen Yu’s hand, so excited that he accidentally hurt Shen Yu…
Shen Yu pulled his hand away and wrote, “Will you kill him?”
Xiao Xieye was silent for a moment, then asked, “You still have feelings for him, so you don’t want me to kill him, right?”
Shen Yu lowered his head as if avoiding the question. He should hate Prince Zhenbei, which was why he told Xiao Xieye about Prince Zhenbei’s strategy, but the thought of him dying, never to be seen again, made Shen Yu anxious…
Shen Yu hated him, but this hatred was not even one-thousandth as strong as his love for him…
“I won’t kill him for the time being. I don’t want you to hate me for killing him,” Xiao Xieye said affectionately, “Besides, your mother is still in the hands of Jun Xuanxiao. I want to help you interrogate her.”
“I want to go see him,” Shen Yu wrote…
The joyful expression on Xiao Xieye’s face faded, replaced by a compromise: “Initially, I wouldn’t agree, but the more you can’t forget about him, the more it pains me… But Yuer, I will fulfill all your wishes. Even if you want to see him, as long as you can accept me one day, I’ll agree to your request.”
Shen Yu could only turn a blind eye to Xieye’s deep affection. His heart was already filled with someone else. Even if Xieye was eager, there was no space left for him…
Xiao Xieye kept his word and brought Shen Yu to the dungeon. He asked Shen Yu to wait in the adjacent dark cell…
“Xuanxiao, I didn’t expect that just before the new year, you and I were drinking together in the northern capital like good brothers. Now, we can only meet on the battlefield as enemies.”
Shen Yu pressed his ear against the wall, longing to hear and see the appearance of Prince Zhenbei. Even though he told himself countless times to let go of this cruel man, Jun Xuanxiao was on the other side of the wall, and his heart followed, unable to wait…
“It should be said that we are meeting as victor and captive.”
Jun Xuanxiao’s voice was as unruly and deep as ever…
At that moment, tears welled up in Shen Yu’s eyes uncontrollably. He cursed himself for being weak…
This man had brought him so much humiliation and torment. Even after breaking free from his control, Shen Yu still tossed and turned at night, haunted by nightmares. Why couldn’t he let go? Where was the determination he had when he left the prince’s mansion?
“Regardless of our current statuses, we were once brothers,” Emperor Ye’s voice echoed…
“Hahaha! Xieye, it seems that being emperor for these years has truly worn away your arrogance,” Jun Xuanxiao laughed wildly. “Someone who wins battles with such despicable means and still feels proud of himself is not worthy of being my brother!”
Suppressing his anger, Emperor Ye said, “No matter what you say, a win is a win, and a loss is a loss, both on the battlefield and in… Yuer as well! The one who eventually wins his heart will inevitably be me!”
“That’s the difference between you and me,” Jun Xuanxiao said arrogantly. “Your love is obtained through manipulation, but even if I disappoint him, he still can’t forget me. Xieye, you lack self-confidence.”
Shen Yu’s heart skipped a beat…
So everything Emperor Ye arranged in the northern capital, Jun Xuanxiao already knew? Then why didn’t he trust Shen Yu’s innocence? Just because he spent a night with Emperor Ye, he held a grudge against himself and treated him so contemptuously?
Shen Yu smiled bitterly. In the eyes of Prince Zhenbei, he had to be a flawless object. If he had the slightest stain, he would be discarded…
“Love you? Xuanxiao, you don’t need to be too proud,” Emperor Ye said coldly. “Do you know how deeply you’ve hurt him? He tosses and turns until dawn every night before he can fall asleep! Even when he sleeps lightly, he’s plagued by nightmares! I often hear him crying in his dreams. He’s mute! Have you seen a mute person crying, unable to shed tears, only making choking sobs? Can’t you see how much he hates you?”
The other side of the wall suddenly fell silent, and Shen Yu could hear his own panicked heartbeat…
“And what if he does?” Jun Xuanxiao’s voice was disdainful, as indifferent as when he crushed a delicate porcelain dice.
“He is mine. How I treat him is none of your business.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Yu walked slowly out of the cell, calm and composed, showing no trace of the vulnerability he had just displayed.
Prince Zhenbei’s pupils contracted as he watched Shen Yu walk up to Emperor Ye and take his hand, smiling sweetly at Xieye.
Jun Xuanxiao is Prince Zhenbei
