vrcanaries Chapter 266 Confrontation
Chapter 266 Confrontation
“I was surprised that day. As the emperor, the whole world belongs to you. How could you change your mind based on my words? It turns out... you were planning this day.”
His voice was as cold as blood-red snow falling silently in the dead of winter in the land of Yelan, inspiring fear in those who looked upon it.
Of course, only he had ever seen that red snow, and in the history of Yelan, it had only fallen once.
Yuan Huaijun was confused by what he said, but he still concealed the confusion in his eyes and said coldly, "Xuanyuan, I don't understand what you are talking about. Your sudden entry into Hanyuan Palace today is an act of insubordination. I can punish you directly."
"Ha! Punish me? Punish me however you want, just one thing: hand over Yan'er, or... I will never let this go!" A murderous aura suddenly rose, and behind that noble figure, it seemed as if a thousand troops stood.
Yuan Huaijun understood immediately, and the image of that lively and cheerful girl appeared in his mind. His tone became more urgent, "Yan'er? What's wrong with Yan'er? Xuan Yuan, explain it to me clearly."
Xuan Yuan sneered, "Hmph! Even now, are you still going to play dumb? Yan'er was kidnapped from the General's Mansion this morning. In this capital, right under your nose, who else but you has the ability to do it so secretly?"
"Bastard!"
With a sudden shout, he finally understood: the guy in front of him had misunderstood that he had kidnapped Yan'er.
"I do have the ability, but I disdain to do it."
Xuan Yuan no longer believed it. A murderous intent flashed in his cold eyes. He took a step forward and became aggressive.
"Besides you, who else would covet Yan'er? Yan'er disappeared this morning. My elder brother and Prince Lie immediately sealed off all the entrances and exits of the capital, but after a whole day, they searched the entire capital and still couldn't find any trace of Yan'er. The only place they couldn't find her was the palace."
Seeing that he remained silent, Xuan Yuan's face darkened with anger.
"Enough! Xuan Yuan, I'll say it again, I didn't take Yan'er away. If you don't believe me, you can search this palace yourself."
Yuan Huaijun was already in a bad mood, and he was even more furious at this inexplicable accusation.
“Lord Yuan Huai, I’ll say it again: hand over Yan’er, or don’t blame me for disregarding our years of acquaintance.”
"What do you mean by this?" Yuan Huaijun narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly, looking down at his face.
Xuan Yuan did not answer. He straightened his chest, slowly put his right hand behind his back, and their sharp eyes met, a silent contest.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Empress Dowager has fainted from shock and grief upon learning of Princess Danhua's disappearance."
"what?"
Yuan Huaijun immediately stood up, his face full of worry, "How is the Empress Dowager?"
Upon hearing that the Empress Dowager had fallen ill, a hint of worry flashed in Xuan Yuan's eyes.
Wang Si hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, the people from the Imperial Medical Academy are all guarding Yongning Palace. The head of the academy said that the Empress is currently out of danger, but she has been overworked for the past few days and was frightened by the disappearance of the Princess, which is why she suddenly fainted. She needs to rest in bed for a few days and cannot be subjected to any more stimulation."
Yuan Huaijun breathed a sigh of relief, "I will go see the Empress Dowager later."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
He waved his hand, signaling Wang Si to step back.
"Xuanyuan, did you hear that? I have no reason to hide Yan'er and cause the Empress Dowager worry."
"It really wasn't you?"
"Ah!"
Seeing the continued aggression in his eyes, Yuan Huaijun suddenly sneered. He hadn't expected Yan'er to be able to throw this guy into such a state of disarray. Now he didn't even bother to pretend anymore.
"Xuanyuan, the most urgent thing right now is to find Yan'er. You should think about what those people's purpose is. Is it for Yan'er? Or... your enemies?"
These words were like a wake-up call, instantly enlightening Xuan Yuan. However, they also increased his doubts.
Yuan Huaijun paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, "If anyone dares to lay a finger on Yan'er, I will not let them off easily."
Hearing this, Xuan Yuan put aside his doubts, looked up and coldly stared upwards, "Are you really willing to let Yan'er be with me?"
Yuan Huaijun stared at him as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, and said with a mocking look, "Xuanyuan, as you said, I am the emperor, and I will not let go of anything I want. Yan'er is no exception. What do you mean by willingly? If I didn't want to see Yan'er sad, do you think I would have let go so easily?"
"Is this what you really think?"
"Not entirely."
As he spoke, he walked down the steps one by one and stood in front of Xuan Yuan.
They were almost the same height and had equally powerful auras.
Yuan Huaijun's lips curled into a meaningful smile as he stared into his eyes and said, word by word, "I'd like to know whether love can lead to a lasting relationship. That's something you'll have to prove."
Xuan Yuan seemed to remember something, his eyes flashing, "Don't worry, Yan'er and I will definitely grow old together."
"Well, that's best."
Yuan Huaijun turned around and stopped looking at him, his deep voice coming from behind him.
"Our dynasty has few heirs. In order to consolidate the country, I have decided to hold a joint imperial selection in half a month. Xuan Yuan, you don't need to doubt me. Go find Yan'er first!"
A talent show? This surprised Xuan Yuan; he had thought that Yuan Huaijun would be different from other emperors…
However, remembering what Emperor Yuan had just mentioned, Xuan Yuan dared not delay and immediately left the palace for the General's Mansion.
Inside the imperial study, a large group of dark figures knelt before Emperor Yuan.
"So, you don't even know who kidnapped Yan'er?"
"Your Majesty, please calm down. The Grand General has already sent several trusted men to guard the General's Mansion. In addition, His Highness Prince Lie has had people patrolling the area these past few days. The fact that the Princess was abducted silently in the morning suggests that the person must be a highly skilled martial artist."
His expression at this moment was not as calm and collected as when he was facing Xuan Yuan; a powerful and invisible pressure was pressing down on him.
"I don't want to hear this. Find me another one."
"Your Majesty, didn't Consort Yun send people to chase and kill the Princess in the street just a few days ago? Could it be... Her Highness?"
Without even thinking, he immediately dismissed the question, "Impossible, the Grand Tutor's mansion has no such expert? By the way, is everything prepared on Qin Huai's side?"
"Yes! Once the Prime Minister returns to court, we can lead the Censorate to wipe them all out in one fell swoop."
Upon hearing Lou Shenghan's name, he immediately snorted irritably, "You all go find Yan'er immediately, and don't miss a single corner."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
As dusk approached, Xin Moling and Yuan Huailie sat in the hall of the General's Mansion, both with gloomy faces.
Shui Yi wiped away her tears from time to time, but dared not ask any more questions, afraid of making Xin Moling even more worried.
Hua Buyu, on the other hand, was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth in the hall.
"I'm telling you, we can't just sit here like this! Beijing is such a big city, are you sure you've searched everywhere?"
Yuan Huailie frowned. "I also find it strange. Logically speaking, even if the Imperial Guards were slightly careless and missed something, how come they still can't find Yan'er when forces from all directions are mobilized at the same time?"