latelenovela Chapter 178 Hanging
Chapter 178 Hanging
Seeing that Nan Fei remained silent, Yue Chunqiu could only say, "If a son is not taught, it is the father's fault; if the teaching is not strict, it is the teacher's laziness... General Tang speaks humbly, asking to become your students. If he were to be impolite, he would be issuing a military order, and military orders are absolute..."
Shi Lei glanced at Nan Fei, then pulled Ouyang Jin away. The future imperial brother-in-law, a man of high rank and great power—it's best to avoid him.
After the two men left, Yue Chunqiu said, "Young Master, I am truly sorry about the General's injury..."
Nan Fei said calmly, "Uncle Le, being injured or dying on the battlefield is common. There's no need to apologize."
Seeing that Nanfei seemed unwilling to talk about it, Yue Chunqiu said, "With you here, the general will be in a better mood and recover faster."
Nanfei forced a smile: "Uncle Le, I want Ah Feng to go back to Heaven and Earth to recuperate, but she doesn't want to. Can you help me persuade her?"
Le Chunqiu felt that Yuan Feng would not agree, but it was inconvenient to refuse directly: "I'll give it a try."
Nanfei pushed open the door and saw a white silk ribbon hanging high on the beam and a person hanging motionless on the ribbon. He was so frightened that he stood there dumbfounded.
Le Chunqiu was shocked and rushed forward to pick Yuan Feng up. He checked her breathing and shouted in a panic, "Someone, call Doctor Hua, quick!"
Hua Xuan rushed over and almost bumped into Nan Fei by the door. Hua Xuan loosened Yuan Feng's collar slightly, lifted her chin, and pressed her chest with his hands clasped together.
As Yuan Feng coughed and exhaled, Hua Xuan and Le Chunqiu wiped the sweat from their foreheads.
Le Chunqiu asked cautiously, "How are you feeling? Is anything bothering you?"
Yuan Feng watched the figures in front of her change, then slowly reached out and tugged at Le Chunqiu's sleeve, calling out, "Father."
Tears streamed down Yue Chunqiu's face as he cried out, "Feng'er, it's me, Uncle Yue!"
Yuan Feng asked, still confused, "Uncle Le, where's my dad...?"
Le Chunqiu's heart, which had just dropped, jumped back into his throat. He nudged Hua Xuan.
Hua Xuan held up three fingers: "General, how many is this?"
Yuan Feng stared at Hua Xuan's hand, frowned slightly, and her expression became serious. After a while, she said, "Uncle Le, does Doctor Hua think I'm mentally challenged?"
Le Chunqiu wiped away his tears: "General, how could you do such a foolish thing? If anything really happens to you, how will I explain it to the old general..."
Yuan Feng said with shame, "Uncle Le, I'm sorry!"
Upon hearing the news, Ouyang Jin and Xiaoman rushed in together. Nan Fei, who was standing frozen by the door, was nearly knocked over by their bumping into him.
Nan Fei was drenched in sweat, looking as if he had been pulled from the water. Instead of walking towards the bed, he retreated step by step, leaving the room.
Le Chunqiu's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down, but when he turned around, Nanfei was nowhere to be seen. He instructed Ouyang and Xiaoman to keep an eye on Yuan Feng, and then went out to look for Nanfei.
Le Chunqiu searched around but couldn't find anyone, and couldn't help but feel anxious: What exactly happened?
It's not like the Crown Prince bestowed a gentle and virtuous woman from the North upon Nan Fei as a concubine, and Yuan Feng was unwilling? It's normal for men to have three wives and four concubines; a small quarrel is all it takes.
It's understandable for a wife to attempt suicide during a quarrel between an ordinary couple. But how could a general like Yuan Feng, who had faced life and death so many times, also resort to such extreme measures?
Even if they've been married for a day, they'll still think about each other for a hundred days. Even if they've argued, would they really be so indifferent to each other's fates and avoid each other altogether? Could it be that they're fleeing to escape punishment?
Le Chunqiu hurried along, sweating profusely. Yan Zeyu emerged from around the corner, grabbed him, and pointed towards the rooftop.
Nanfei sat on the roof and looked west. The distant mountains were like dark eyebrows, and the top was a white expanse, like layers of blank space in an ink painting.
Nanfei knew that in the chilly early spring, the mountain was covered with withered branches and fallen leaves. Beneath the pristine white snow lay countless tangled messes.
Life is like a winter scene; it is breathtaking from afar, but desolate up close. The human heart is hidden beneath the skin, and no one can see what thoughts and intentions it holds.
His tone was a bit harsh, but not enough to drive someone to suicide. Given Yuan Feng's stubbornness and strength, why would she do something as cowardly as hanging herself?
Before, it was Duoyi; now it's Yuan Feng. Whether they're noble ladies or dignified generals, they all seem to be contemplating suicide in his presence. Is he really that despairing?
Nanfei slowly raised his hand, which was still trembling violently. When he saw Yuan Feng hanging from the beam, the pain of his heart stopping and his breathing ceasing was still there; this was what it meant to experience death firsthand.
Le Chunqiu stood behind Nan Fei, intending to scold him a couple of times. But seeing Nan Fei's trembling hands, he felt a pang of pity. After all, it was a matter between husband and wife, and it was inappropriate for outsiders to interfere.
Le Chunqiu sat down next to Nan Fei and patted him on the shoulder. Yuan Feng was completely different from her mother; she kept everything to herself and would rather die than say anything.
Nanfei's voice trembled: "Uncle Le, is she really alright?"
Le Chunqiu comforted him, "It's really alright now. The general is tough; even the King of Hell wouldn't dare take him. But this was a false alarm; it scared us all."
Nan Fei placed his hands on his knees, his voice barely audible: "That's good."
Le Chunqiu sat with him for a while: "General, go down. You're not dressed warmly enough, so don't catch a cold."
The room was warm, so Nanfei took off his cloak. Just as Nanfei was about to stand up, he sat down again, his legs stiff and straight: "I'm frozen, I can't get down."
It wasn't that he was frozen stiff, but rather that he was terrified. Looking down from the south, he had absolutely no idea how he had gotten up there.
Le Chunqiu helped Nan Fei jump down and led him towards the door.
Nan Fei broke free from Le Chunqiu and whispered, "Uncle Le, are there any empty rooms? I'd like to rest by myself for a while."
Yue Chunqiu hesitated slightly: "...No more..."
Nan Fei glanced at Yan Zeyu out of the corner of his eye: "Then I'll squeeze in with Brother Yan."
Yan Zeyu thought to himself that this was a complete misfortune, but what he said was: "It is my great honor to share a bed with the General."
Just borrowing a room to rest, and it turns into sharing a bed?
Nan Fei sat cross-legged on the bed: "Brother Yan is too modest. The Crown Prince sent you here because he is afraid that I am too powerful and Yuan Feng is too influential. After the war in Beirou ends, the Crown Prince will take back the military power, and then you will be second only to the Crown Prince."
Yan Zeyu laughed heartily, neither confirming nor denying: "The General is being modest. How could a subject be more important than the future Imperial Uncle?"
Nanfei said, "Brother Yan, are you saying that I rose to power by abusing my influence?"
Yan Zeyu raised his hands in surrender: "General, please spare me."
No sooner had Yan Zeyu finished speaking than Nan Fei lunged at him. Yan Zeyu nimbly jumped outside the door, and Nan Fei immediately stepped in front of him to block his path.
The two exchanged over a hundred blows without a clear victor, then stopped simultaneously as if by telepathy. Nan Fei relaxed his muscles and bones, his movements returning to normal. He praised Yan Zeyu's skill and left.
Nanfei was teasing him like a little girl to relax? Yan Zeyu caught up with Nanfei: "Young Master Nan, I'd like to invite you to listen to some music. You can choose the place."
"He gets to choose the location?" Nan Fei smiled enigmatically. "When I returned to Bianjing this time, I specifically mentioned General Yan's marriage to the Crown Prince. The Vice Minister of War is very satisfied with General Yan..."
Yan Zeyu ran off in three strides: "General, this humble general is going to patrol the camp."