95 Confrontation (1/2)

”I've done wrong too, Fuyao,” Meng Fuyao heard Zhangsun Wuji say in a low voice.

”Hmm?”

”I did not think that he would make a move on me, and at the expense of Yaocheng at that. It's my fault that you almost ended your own life.” His voice sounded rather bitter, and Meng Fuyao wondered why.

'Why wouldn't he expect King De's motive? Hadn't they been aggressively fighting over the throne? No one could go easy on his opponent, and for someone so wise, how could Zhangsun Wuji not see that coming? Why, why, why…?'

Doubts circled in her mind, and she struggled to break free but to no avail. Nights of insomnia and exhaustion finally took a toll on her upon Zhangsun Wuji's return. Her endlessly binding train of thought soon set its weight on her eyelids.

Just like that, she plunged into a deep sleep, but not before processing Zhangsun Wuji's last drifting sentence, ”The torment you've been feeling during this period has also been my punishment, Fuyao.”

…..

A faint yellow glimmer of warm light shone down as Meng Fuyao heard someone else speaking in a low voice, ”… should we wake her up for some food?”

”… let her sleep more…”

Meng Fuyao opened her eyes and gradually gained full awareness of her surroundings.

Meng Fuyao laid motionless, a smile blossoming on her face. 'The baddie hasn't died because of me. He has returned.'

Before the table, someone turned around with a rolled document in his hand. With a beautiful smile on his face, he asked, ”Slept your fill?”

Meng Fuyao sat up, looking at the yellow tinted window paper. ”How long have I slept for? Why is it still morning?”

”It's the next morning already,” Zhangsun Wuji answered, blowing out the candles and opening the windows. A fresh breeze blew in and onto his robe and hair, causing it to flutter.

”I've slept for a whole day and night?” Meng Fuyao exclaimed while looking at Zhangsun Wuji's back view. Noticing that his robe seemed to have gotten looser, she asked, ”You haven't slept?”

”I wanted to see if you'd grind your teeth, or sleep talk, or even drool while you sleep.”

”I sleep-punch people, that's a fact.” Meng Fuyao smiled, letting her eyes cruise over his body again. Events-wise, he had rushed out from the coastal camp and back, mustered troops, met the enemy, and surrounded King De. Timewise, all of those happened within a relatively short period of time. King De's fall had occurred only one or two days back, and Zhangsun Wuji had already appeared. He must have thrown everything aside immediately after that to rush over to her side. He hadn't had a good rest, had he?

Meng Fuyao sprang up and ran over to him before pushing him onto her bed. ”Go sleep and don't wake up until I tell you to.”

”It's not time to enjoy your bed yet,” he stood firmly on the ground as two men approached from the courtyard, ”I have to receive these noble guests.”

The ”noble guests”, of course, referred to Zhan Beiye and Zong Yue.

Seeing them come forward Meng Fuyao felt her head exploding as if she had seen lightning flashes in the sky. The friction was overwhelming, and it shot recklessly across the sky like fireballs.

If two were explosive storehouses, what would three be? Europe's gunpowder barrel?

Since ancient times, kings never met one another. What could the outcome of the two kings' encounter be? A king destroying a king? A king eating a king? A king slaughtering a king?

Meng Fuyao did the calculations in her head. 'No way, they're both important political figures after all, and their self-restraint, etiquette, facade, pleasantries and what not should have already been perfected. Resorting to violence due to verbal conflict was something that happened in the marketplace and not between men like Zhangsun Wuji, Zong Yue and Zhan Beiye.'

”Excuse me for not going out to receive you, noble guests.” Before Meng Fuyao could complete her thoughts Zhan Beiye's laughter filled the vicinity. At the same time, while taking forthright strides over to the room, he smiled at Zhangsun Wuji. ”Hello, Your Highness. The military affair must be coming along great, am I right? How could you have arrived so leisurely amid all that, otherwise? Shouldn't you be relentless pursuing the rebellious army in Mianzhou?”

”D*mn. Both are trying to turn the other into the noble guest…'

”How's our noble prince doing?” Zhangsun Wuji smiled. ”Getting used to living life in Tiansha? The weather is warm and moist in Wuji, unlike in Tiansha Geya where it's dry and refreshing. It must have been hard on you, Prince. As for the front military situation, it's Wuji's internal affair, but thank you for your kind concern.”