Chapter 90: Heir Apparent

The gauze veiled her eyes, and before Yu Lingxi, everything appeared blurry and white, with all senses magnified infinitely.

“What’s wrong?”

Her red lips slightly puckered as she reached out to touch Ning Yin’s cheek.

His face still carried a bit of chill, but his lips were warm, lightly grazing her moist eyelashes through the gauze.

“Enough, that’s enough, where do you get so much energy?”

Yu Lingxi pressed down his wandering hand and spoke softly.

After some persuasion, she finally managed to push Ning Yin back onto the bed.

Before she could catch her breath, she felt a tightness around her waist and was pulled into his solid embrace.

Then, the gauze in front of her eyes loosened, and light poured in. Yu Lingxi opened her eyelashes slightly uncomfortably, focusing her gaze. Ning Yin’s eyes, so close, had a captivating darkness.

Yu Lingxi blinked, wondering if last year, in the secret chamber beneath the Dali Temple, when the gauze was removed and Ning Yin opened his eyes, did he see the same dazzling sight as she did now?

“Am I that good-looking?”

Ning Yin smirked faintly and tapped the corner of her eye with his finger.

After the commotion, the coldness that enveloped his body seemed to dissipate a bit.

“Good-looking.”

Yu Lingxi nodded honestly, a smile playing at the corners of her eyes. “One lifetime is not enough to see enough.”

“We still have a long lifetime ahead, and you’re already thinking about the next one.”

Ning Yin seemed nonchalant, but the faint red marks on his chest betrayed his excitement.

“Busy all night, let’s get some sleep.”

Yu Lingxi gently touched the dark circles under his eyes with her fingertips, then picked up the apricot-white gauze from the pillow and gently covered Ning Yin’s eyes. “I’ll stay with you.”

Under the gauze, his eyelashes fluttered, finally relenting as his eyes closed slowly.

As his breathing became steady, Yu Lingxi carefully adjusted her posture and looked at his peaceful sleeping face.

The gentle gauze covered his eyes that exuded an oppressive indifference, his straight nose and thin lips, presenting a quiet and harmless demeanor.

Yu Lingxi couldn’t help but curl her lips.

“Rest well, you little lunatic.”

…

Ning Yin didn’t sleep for long.

When Yu Lingxi woke up from her nap, he was already energetically giving orders to his subordinates, exuding a powerful and dominating aura without a trace of fatigue.

Messengers from the surveillance department came and went, and after Yu Lingxi estimated the time, she roughly guessed what had happened in the palace.

Sure enough, just after supper in the evening, the funeral bell rang mournfully throughout the imperial city.

The old Emperor had passed away.

In an indescribably embarrassing manner, he died on the dragon bed in Changyang Palace.

It was an unsettled night.

With the Emperor’s sudden death and no heir appointed, chaos ensued in the court.

As people from the palace came one after another to report on the matters of national mourning, there was not a hint of emotion on Ning Yin’s perfectly cold face.

“He didn’t even pick a good time to die.”

Perhaps dissatisfied with the Emperor’s premature death, Ning Yin’s indifferent voice carried a hint of disgust. “He ruined the joy of my new marriage for no reason.”

The palace attendants kneeling before the steps lowered themselves even further, no one dared to question his blasphemous words.

Back in the bedchamber, Yu Lingxi had changed out of her bridal attire into a plain white dress. Her hair was loosely tied with the white jade hairpin Ning Yin had given her, her face devoid of makeup, yet radiating a natural and charming beauty.

Ning Yin sat behind the dressing table, watching her. Unable to resist, he reached out and lightly tugged at the plain silk around her waist.

“White is too glaring, it doesn’t suit the vibrant dressing of the years.”

With a slight force from Ning Yin’s hand, Yu Lingxi fell into his embrace.

She knew of Ning Yin’s hatred for the old Emperor, the enemy he sought revenge against even if it meant bearing the infamous title of patricide.

While the Empress Consort treated Ning Yin poorly, Yu Lingxi had never heard him express any resentment towards his birth mother, only a cold and indifferent apathy.

Because he knew that the man on the dragon throne was the root of all evil.

But with the Emperor newly deceased, Yu Lingxi still had to wear white as a formality.

It’s not out of loyalty to the Emperor, but rather out of fear that erratic behavior would cause trouble for Ning Yin. After all, the absence of a crown prince upon the Emperor’s death is a time of turmoil.

“When should I enter the palace?” Yu Lingxi leaned her forehead against Ning Yin’s shoulder and softly asked.

“The Changyang Palace is too dirty. Let’s talk about it after he’s in the coffin.”

Ning Yin stroked her cold hair and casually said, “Last night, the old Emperor wanted to issue an edict, but unfortunately, I ruined it… Ha, you should have seen his expression at that moment, he was so angry that his eyes seemed to be dripping blood.”

The past Ning Yin was even crazier and more ruthless than the present one, so Yu Lingxi wasn’t particularly surprised.

The Emperor had done many outrageous things under the guise of being a just ruler, so he deserved it.

She softly murmured in agreement and asked, “Without a will, what does my husband plan to do next?”

She rarely took the initiative to call him “husband,” occasionally uttering it with a tone that seemed to flirt with a hook at the end.

Ning Yin’s hand, which was stroking her hair, slowed down.

After a while, he pinched Yu Lingxi’s delicate nape, indicating for her to turn her face.

“How about letting Sui Sui be the emperor?”

He asked with a smile, his eyes crazy yet gentle. “As long as Sui Sui wants it, I can make it happen.”

His words were shocking but unwavering.

Yu Lingxi was startled. As someone without grand ambitions, she was unexpectedly entrusted with such a heavy expectation by this little madman.

She even suspected whether Ning Yin had said the wrong name or was joking.

But soon, she realized that Ning Yin was not joking at all.

She remembered before their marriage in the Yu Mansion, after Ning Yin had written love poems on her waist, he had calmly asked her, “Do you want to be the Emperor?”

At that time, Yu Lingxi felt that something was off about that question, thinking he was asking, “Do you want me to be the Emperor?”

…Now it seemed that Ning Yin hadn’t asked the wrong question at all!

Absurd, inconceivable.

But daring to defy the world was indeed something only a madman would do.

“Why are you so silly?”

Ning Yin pinched Yu Lingxi’s chin and shook it, laughing, “You look so dumbfounded that I feel like biting you.”

In fact, he did exactly that.

His teeth lightly caught her cheek, and with a muffled laugh, his breath brushed against her earlobe, finally bringing Yu Lingxi back to her senses.

“You really scared me.”

A faint mark of a bite quickly appeared on Yu Lingxi’s fair cheek, like a faint peach blossom reflecting on her icy skin. Even when annoyed, she was still extremely beautiful.

She cupped Ning Yin’s lean and handsome cheeks, gazing into the madness in his eyes, and earnestly said, “I’ve never thought of being an Emperor, nor am I suitable for it. Such words should not be spoken lightly.”

Yu Lingxi was not born to manipulate power and enjoy life and death decisions. All she sought was to grow old together with her loved one, surrounded by family and friends in joy.

Moreover, allowing a woman without any royal blood to ascend to the throne is tantamount to going against the natural order, leading either to a sea of corpses and bloodshed burying the world or to a backlash against her and Ning Yin.

Ning Yin looked at her for a moment and nodded, “Then, Yu Huanchen or General Yuan could also be considered.”

“But Father and Brother don’t want it either!”

Yu Lingxi couldn’t help but rub Ning Yin’s cheek, truly wondering what outrageous thoughts were in his head.

Ning Yin’s skin was tight, and his cheeks slightly thin. Yu Lingxi didn’t feel satisfied rubbing them, so she said somewhat petulantly, “My family has no intention of scheming for power. My husband should seriously consider who to put in power after the funeral.”

Although she said this, Yu Lingxi had a basic understanding in her heart.

If Ning Yin followed the path of his past life, he would undoubtedly put up the young crown prince.

The child was still unable to speak and couldn’t even sit securely on the dragon throne. He was most suitable to be controlled. However, in this way, those past intrigues would be difficult to eliminate, and the position of regent wouldn’t be easy.

As the young crown prince grew older and the courtiers changed, no one could predict what the situation would be like in ten years.

Unless an adult and virtuous prince from the royal family was chosen, Ning Yin could do what he wanted and spend the rest of his life peacefully with her.

Or…

Yu Lingxi raised her eyes and carefully examined Ning Yin’s face.

Ning Yin allowed her to look openly, then turned his head and bit her fingertip. “What do you want to say?”

Yu Lingxi cleared her throat and tentatively asked the long-standing doubt in her heart, “Ning Yin, have you ever thought about becoming the Emperor yourself?”

Her voice was very soft, her eyes clean and soft, without a trace of shadow.

Different from the ministers and attendants under his command, and even different from General Yuan, who had asked the same question.

Ning Yin knew that more and more people under his command followed him wholeheartedly not out of loyalty, but out of fear and self-interest.

Many people hoped he would ascend the throne to benefit themselves, but he didn’t meet their expectations.

“Sui Sui, I’m different from you all.”

Ning Yin looked back at her calmly, with a faint curve in his lips. “I am not someone who lets emotions cloud my judgment. Today’s disasters here, tomorrow’s deaths there, they cannot stir any sympathy in my heart. Are you sure you want someone like me…”

He paused, lazily finding an appropriate phrase, “…a monster, to become the Emperor?”

“You are my husband, not a monster.”

Yu Lingxi’s expression became more solemn, but her voice remained as gentle as ever. “You just can’t love the world’s people like you love me.”

Ning Yin’s eyes flickered slightly.

Strange, even such a cold-hearted person’s heart would unintentionally soften when faced with her comfort.

“Yeah, I’ve given you even the tiny bit of clean conscience under my fingernail.”

A hint of a smile spread in his dark eyes. “I’m more comfortable being a villain who fears the world not being chaotic enough. I really don’t have the patience to guard any kingdoms or territories.”

The only thing he wanted to protect, from beginning to end, was one person.

If Sui Sui looked down on the throne, then it could be Yu Huanchen or the young crown prince, whoever became the puppet Emperor was fine.

As long as they didn’t stand in his way.

“Your Highness.”

A figure of a guard appeared at the door and reported, “Everything you ordered has been prepared.”

Ning Yin released Yu Lingxi and said leisurely, “I can’t accompany Sui Sui to sleep tonight, what a pity.”

“What’s there to regret? Whatever is owed at night, has already been repaid during the day.”

Yu Lingxi murmured softly, then suddenly realized, “You didn’t anticipate this earlier, so you’d rather not sleep during the day just to…”

Ning Yin chuckled softly, his eyes full of mischief.

“Be good.”

He flicked her pretty eyelashes with his finger, and whispered, “If you can’t sleep, just ring the bell yourself.”

The copper tongue of the golden bell had been installed. When one bell was shaken within a thirty-yard range, the other would resonate in harmony.

Yu Lingxi was about to say goodbye tenderly, but the words were blocked in her mouth. She glanced at him helplessly, then ran off amidst his pleasant chuckle.

When Yu Lingxi returned from bathing, Ning Yin was indeed gone.

The spacious sleeping chamber suddenly felt empty.

Yu Lingxi sat in front of the dressing table, carefully recalling whether any major events had occurred when the previous Emperor passed away in her past life. However, she was confined to the backyard of the Zhao Mansion at that time, cut off from news. Even if there were struggles for the throne, she wouldn’t have heard of them.

After Ning Yin became the regent prince, apart from the epithet of “fratricide,” all other details were buried in the passage of time, shrouded in secrecy.

However, the ascension of a new emperor would have to wait until after the previous emperor’s funeral, it was still too early for that.

With these thoughts in mind, Yu Lingxi felt somewhat relieved.

Her thoughts wandered for a moment, and her gaze inadvertently fell on the low cabinet beside the bed. After hesitating for a while, she couldn’t resist her curiosity, quietly walked over, and opened the top drawer.

The red string had come loose, leaving only one golden bell lying alone in the brocade box, the other one was nowhere to be seen.

Who took it away?

“Little rascal.” Yu Lingxi rested her chin on her hand, picked up the bell, and shook it.

A faint, tingling vibration spread, a smile forming in her eyes. She loosened the length of the red string and then hung the bell around her neck, tucking it into her clothes.

This thing was really not proper, it shouldn’t be seen by others.

The next day, she had to enter the palace to keep vigil.

As soon as the sky began to brighten, palace maids entered one after another, attending to Yu Lingxi’s grooming and dressing.

During the period of deep mourning, extravagant makeup was forbidden, sparing her the tedious steps of applying eyebrow makeup and powder. She only adorned her simple hair bun with the white jade hairpin gifted by Ning Yin, and within a short span of time, she was ready.

Sitting in the soft sedan chair sent by the palace, Yu Lingxi touched the golden bell hidden in her plain white clothes.

According to the ritual, princes and royal descendants would keep vigil inside the Fengxian Hall, while the queen consort and concubines would kneel outside the Fengxian Gate.

Calculating the distance from the Fengxian Gate to where Ning Yin was, it was about ten yards away. As long as Ning Yin moved, she would definitely notice. When the sedan chair stopped at the palace gate, it could no longer proceed. All the attendants from the palace and the royal household servants would remain outside the palace gate.

The one who came to greet Yu Lingxi was a young eunuch she didn’t recognize, along with a somewhat familiar palace maid.

Yu Lingxi remembered that the round-faced palace maid was serving in the Prince Ning’s mansion, and among the people who tidied her clothes after the hot spring incident, she was one of them.

“Your Highness, let this servant guide you to the Fengxian Gate,” the young eunuch said respectfully.

Yu Lingxi nodded, “Thank you.”

She followed behind the two for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, gradually realizing that something was amiss. Her memory was excellent, she had just toured the palace the day before, so she had a rough idea of the layout of the palaces.

Seeing Yu Lingxi stop in her tracks, the young palace maid became somewhat nervous and asked softly, “What’s wrong, Your Highness?”

Yu Lingxi glanced towards the end of the palace path, her expression calm.

This wasn’t the direction to Fengxian Gate.

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