Тhе wintеr skу wаs thiсk with dark clоuds, аs if hеаvу snow were imminеnt. А cold wind swеpt through Нuаjing, driving реdеstriаns indoors аnd rattling the windows.
Seeing that Li Rоng rеmainеd silent, Реi Wеnхuan tооk it аs tасit aрproval. Не rosе and knelt oрpositе her, sitting faсе tо fасе.
Li Rоng lookеd intо the сlеаr eуes оf thе man aсrоss from hеr and couldn’t hеlp but smile. “From thе tоnе of уour voicе, it sееms yоu knоw mаnу things I аm unаwarе оf.”
“I do,” hе reрlied. “Your Нighness knоws thе gеnerаl оutlinе, but in this wоrld, hearing the оutline and hearing the dеtails are еntirely diffеrent mаttеrs.”
Hеaring this, Li Rong thought for a moment and finally spoke. “Then tell me.”
“Very well,” Pei Wenxuan said. “Let me begin with what Your Highness knows the least about.”
After a moment of thought, he found a starting point. “Su Ronghua and Shangguan Ya—this should be considered the earliest beginning for all of us.”
“You knew about them from the start?” Li Rong frowned. Pei Wenxuan shook his head.
“In the third year of Dexu, Qin Zhenzhen was poisoned, and His Majesty ordered me to investigate. I traced the matter all the way to Su Ronghua and spent five years investigating him before learning of his past with Shangguan Ya.”
“Your Highness should know that Su Ronghua was originally the eldest legitimate son of the Su Clan and, by rights, the heir to the family headship. However, in his youth, he studied under Gu Zixiao.”
“He was a madman.”
Li Rong knew of this man—a rare eccentric among the noble families. Though he had been somewhat unruly in his youth, he was also quite talented. It was not unusual for the Su Clan to invite him as Su Ronghua’s teacher.
“Gu Zixiao did not teach Su Ronghua for long before he was expelled from the Gu family registry for eloping with a commoner woman. After that, he disappeared without a trace—whether he truly wandered the world or was eliminated by the Gu family remains unknown. Perhaps influenced by Gu Zixiao, Su Ronghua was rebellious from a young age. At eleven, he publicly declared that he would not inherit the family headship and began wandering outside, spending most of the year away from home. He traveled widely, engaged in business, and was passionate about befriending people from the martial world.”
“In the fifteenth year of Yuanhui, Su Ronghua returned to the capital and was summoned to serve as Prince Su’s teacher. From then on, he spent his days gambling and cockfighting, becoming a thoroughgoing wastrel.”
“In the eighteenth year of Yuanhui, Shangguan Ya arrived in the capital. At the Wealth Gathering Pavilion,” Pei Wenxuan emphasized his tone, “the two met.”
“In the eighteenth year of Yuanhui, you and Shangguan Ya met by chance at the Wealth Gathering Pavilion.”
On the other side, Su Rongqing began his own account.
“That day, you came home and told me you had met a girl disguised as a man gambling in a casino. She gambled ten rounds with you, lost all ten, and even invited you to gamble again the next day.”
He opened a white porcelain jar, scooped out tea leaves with a tea spoon, and placed them into the teapot.
“You laughed happily that day, saying the girl was very interesting. After that, you often mentioned her to me. She didn’t want to pay you any attention, but you kept teasing her. The girl avoided you, switching to another casino, and you followed her to every one. Finally, one day on your way home, someone threw a sack over you and beat you up.”
Hearing this, Su Ronghua chuckled.
Su Rongqing also smiled, glancing up at Su Ronghua. “Unwilling to let it go, you naturally planned revenge. So, you secretly schemed and, while the girl was on her way to a cockfight, pretended to be a trafficker and kidnapped her. But after leaving the city, you actually encountered bandits. Both of you were tied up together. I don’t know what happened during the kidnapping, but when you were rescued and returned, you told me you had made up your mind—you were going to marry her.”"You know the Su Clan holds high position and great power. With your status, if you went to propose marriage, the young lady would have to agree even if she didn't want to. So you decided to ask her wishes first. That day, I picked out clothes for you, and you personally polished a jade hairpin, taking it to find her. When you returned in the evening, drenched in rain, I asked what happened, and you told me it was nothing."
"From that day on, you hardly went out, until a palace banquet where you, as Prince Su's teacher, were forced to attend."
"At the banquet, he saw Shangguan Ya."
Pei Wenxuan's voice was soft. Li Rong rested her chin on her knees: "Palace banquet?"
Li Rong frowned, vaguely recalling some memory. Before Shangguan Ya became Crown Princess, she seemed to have attended only one palace banquet. That banquet was supposed to be for Li Chuan to request marriage, but Li Chuan refused. She even had an argument with Li Chuan over it.
"It was the time you argued fiercely with the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince defied the Empress's wishes and didn't request marriage. Afterward, you quarreled with him, scolding him harshly, asking how he, as Crown Prince, could be so willful. The Crown Prince was convinced by your scolding and later agreed that next time, he would request marriage."
"That day, he privately told me that he could actually tell Shangguan Ya didn't like him and had no desire for the palace. He already felt pitiful enough being here alone—why drag another person into it? He also told me that everyone says he's the Crown Prince, that he's noble, but nothing is up to him, nothing is his choice. He didn't feel any nobility from being Crown Prince; he only felt that standing by the lake, he wanted to jump in."
"That was just childish talk. A'ya was much more mature than him." Li Rong said dismissively. Pei Wenxuan smiled.
"Yes, Shangguan Ya didn't speak a word to Su Ronghua at the palace banquet, but from that brief encounter, Su Ronghua understood her reason for rejecting him and naturally wouldn't let go so easily. Later, he stopped Shangguan Ya's carriage and asked if she liked him. He said if she did, he would come with a grand procession to propose marriage and marry her."
"How could that be possible?"
Li Rong was puzzled: "Shangguan Ya came to the capital precisely for Chuan'er. This was already decided by the Shangguan Clan. The Su Clan isn't so foolish as to get involved in such matters."
"Did Su Ronghua not know this?"
Pei Wenxuan sighed: "But people always want to try once, so they decided to try."
"You returned from the palace banquet and went to find your father. You said you wanted to propose marriage to the Shangguan Clan, but Shangguan Ya was the designated candidate for Crown Princess. How could your father allow you to compete for the future Crown Princess? When your father refused, you told him you were willing to voluntarily leave the Su Clan, sever ties with the family, and propose to the Shangguan Clan. Life or death, you would bear it alone."
The water in the kettle boiled. Su Rongqing poured the boiling water into the teapot filled with tea leaves.
"You endured three hundred lashes according to clan rules, covered in wounds, and went to the Shangguan Clan." Su Rongqing's voice carried a hint of choking, but he maintained his usual calm. "The Shangguan Clan didn't dare leave you at the gate, so they let you into the inner courtyard. You knelt before Shangguan Xu, begging him to marry Shangguan Ya to you. You analyzed the pros and cons for him, telling him that marrying Shangguan Ya into the Eastern Palace would only hasten the Shangguan Clan's downfall. How could Shangguan Xu listen to such nonsense? He couldn't drive you away, nor could he kill you because of your status as the Su Clan's eldest son, so he made you kneel in the Shangguan residence.""You knelt for three days, and during those three days, the palace had already drafted the decree, preparing to bestow the marriage."
"During those three days Su Ronghua knelt at the Shangguan residence, Shangguan Ya was locked in the backyard. Her temperament, as you know now, is clear-cut in love and hate, decisive in action. For Su Ronghua to go this far for her, how could she let him down? So she kept pleading with Shangguan Xu, kept shouting, saying the Shangguan Clan had so many daughters, why must it be her? She already had someone she loved, she didn’t want to be the Crown Princess, to let her go."
"The Shangguan Clan paid her no heed, until the imperial marriage decree arrived at the Shangguan residence. Shangguan Xu directly took the decree to find Shangguan Ya. He told her that the Shangguan Clan had given her over a decade of wealth and glory, and whether she intended to abandon the Shangguan Clan at this critical moment. The imperial marriage decree had already arrived; if she left with Su Ronghua, the Shangguan Clan would become the biggest joke in all of Great Xia."
"Shangguan Ya could not bear that." Li Rong, for some reason, suddenly felt a heaviness in her heart. "She could not let her family suffer such humiliation for the sake of her own love."
"You are right," Pei Wenxuan knew she was distressed, but he had to continue. "So Shangguan Ya personally went to the inner courtyard to persuade him, and then she saw Su Ronghua kneeling on the ground, his body covered in blood. Shangguan Ya cried the moment she saw him."
How could she not cry?
This was the first time in her life that someone had cast aside life and death for her.
This was also the first time in her life that she had pushed aside the layers of restraints imposed by her noble family, glimpsing the most gentle and radiant existence outside. She struggled to grasp it.
But she could not hold on.
It was raining heavily that day. She looked down at the young man kneeling before her. She should have directly scolded him, humiliated him, but as soon as she opened her mouth, tears fell.
She could not utter a word. She could only crouch down, trembling as she placed the jade hairpin he had given her on the day of his confession into his hand.
"Let me go," she said hoarsely, "and let yourself go too."
"Love is nothing, affection is nothing. As long as we live, we have our own responsibilities to fulfill. I will enter the palace, I will become the Crown Princess, the future Empress. The future me is someone you will not like. Just pretend you never met me, as you said, leave Huajing."
"Go far away, to many places. The mountains and rivers you see, consider them seen for me. The joyful things you do, consider them done for me. If one day you can meet someone you love, and marry her, that would be for the best."
"Su Ronghua," she said, trembling, "don’t force me anymore."
"How could you bear to force her?"
Su Rongqing’s tea had been steeped once; he lifted the pot to pour water for the second steeping.
"So you returned home. Seeing your state, Father softened and let it go. The matter between you and Shangguan Ya was covered up by both families. Shangguan Ya entered the palace, dutifully becoming the Crown Princess, and you left Huajing, traveling to many places."
"What happened later?"
Su Ronghua lowered his gaze. Su Rongqing finished steeping the tea, poured it into a cup, and pushed it toward Su Ronghua. "Later, just as you predicted, the marriage alliance between the Shangguan Clan and Li Chuan became a dead knot in His Majesty’s heart. He supported Prince Su and deposed the Crown Prince. After the Crown Prince was deposed, Pei Wenxuan persuaded the noble families, hoping they would send troops.""Whether to send troops was still a matter of hesitation among the noble families. In the end, you were the first to step forward, hoping the Su Clan would dispatch forces. You had countless reasons, and it was indeed appropriate, but deep down I knew that no amount of reasoning could conceal that improper thought in your heart," Su Rongqing said, looking up. "You were worried about Shangguan Ya."
"I would never gamble the Su Clan's fate on my personal feelings."
Su Ronghua spoke calmly. Su Rongqing nodded: "You weren't gambling—it just so happened that this decision was more appropriate. You weren't wrong. Supporting Li Chuan, at that time, was indeed the choice the Su Clan had to make. Li Chuan was known for his virtue and was the legitimate heir. His ascension would be most justified, preventing future dissent and rebellions. If we wanted to end the chaos, Li Chuan taking the throne was the best option."
"So the various families gathered their armies and, together with Qin Lin, stormed the imperial palace to install Li Chuan as emperor. After Li Chuan ascended the throne, Shangguan Ya became the Empress, and you remained in Huajing. In the first year of the Dexu era, shortly after Li Chuan took power, war broke out in the north. The entire court advocated for peace, but only Li Chuan, Qin Lin, and Pei Wenxuan insisted on fighting. Later, Li Chuan and Pei Wenxuan pulled strings everywhere for Qin Lin, securing funds to forcibly launch the war."
"Once the war began, they realized they had miscalculated. They had theories but no practical experience. The money they had obtained was far from enough to sustain the northern front. They were forced to halt, and soon after, floods struck the south. The funds had all been spent on the northern war, leaving no silver for disaster relief. At that time, corpses littered the south, and uprisings erupted continuously. It was then that Li Chuan began to scheme."
"What did he want to do?"
"He wanted to reform the system." Su Rongqing couldn't help but laugh as he said this. "Implementing the imperial examination, imposing taxes on noble families, restricting the amount of land and servants they could own, establishing a merit-based system, requiring the Ministry of Personnel to promote officials based on scores—with noble families deducted ten points and commoners added ten points during scoring."
Hearing this, Su Ronghua frowned. "Too hasty."
"He had just ascended the throne and made such drastic moves. Naturally, many local powerful clans disagreed. His orders from above were either ignored or deliberately twisted, increasing the burden on the people. He wanted to kill to establish authority but couldn't even touch a second-tier noble family. In the winter of the Dexu era, ignoring Pei Wenxuan's dissuasion, he ordered Qin Lin to kill the leader of a minor local clan. As a result, that region experienced continuous uprisings for three years. What was once a relatively prosperous city ended up deserted."
"When His Highness the Crown Prince first ascended the throne, war broke out in the north. Qin Lin calculated the required military funds based on battlefield experience. We estimated a ninety percent chance of success if we went to war, so we insisted on fighting," Pei Wenxuan recounted the events of those years. "But once the war truly began, we discovered that the military pay allocated from Huajing to the north was being siphoned off layer by layer by the noble families along the way. Despite our best efforts, Cui Qinghe and I couldn't turn the tide of defeat. Thus, the northern campaign was forced to halt."
"That was simply your recklessness," Li Rong said, recalling those events with a bitter smile. "Do you think I opposed you back then for the sake of the noble families? It was because I knew what Great Xia was like. Going to war at that time was pushing Great Xia to its death. But did any of you listen?"Pei Wenxuan fell silent for a long while before continuing, "Then came the southern floods. The national treasury was empty. I tried many methods and accompanied His Majesty on a southern tour to provide disaster relief. Once we arrived in the south, the aristocratic families hoarded grain and drove up prices, preventing relief funds from reaching the affected areas. Your Highness, you have never seen Great Xia beyond Huajing. On the battlefield, corpses littered the fields; in famine-stricken areas, people exchanged children to eat. Meanwhile, Huajing was filled with song and dance. Heaven and hell were no different. At that time, we were indeed naive and impulsive. After returning, to save the southern disaster victims, we devised a plan and attempted to reform the system."
"You were too hasty," Li Rong said calmly. "Chuan'er was too young to understand. A country is like a great ship; you must move slowly. When the emperor points the direction at will, what is crushed beneath are the countless common people. I know Chuan'er's policies and understand his intentions, but it's not enough for him to issue good policies—they must also be properly implemented."
"But in His Majesty's eyes, his heart was in the right place, and his policies were correct. The fault lay only with the aristocratic officials who refused to implement them. And at that time, aside from reform, what other options were there? Eliminating one aristocratic family could save millions of people. Your Highness, how could His Majesty choose otherwise?"
"But did he have the ability to kill?" Li Rong stared at Pei Wenxuan.
Pei Wenxuan smiled bitterly. "Your Highness asked His Majesty the same question back then. Every time you asked, His Majesty would shut himself in the imperial study for the entire night. Your Highness, nothing is more humiliating than realizing one's own powerlessness. Especially for an emperor, that sense of humiliation can drive a person mad."
Li Rong remained silent, and Pei Wenxuan continued, "Although major clans like the Shangguan Clan and the Su Clan did not exploit the common people like the local powerful families, they sought to uphold the aristocratic system. This made the conflict between His Majesty and the aristocratic families irreconcilable and increasingly intense. Caught in the middle was Shangguan Ya."
"Shangguan Ya was His Majesty's cousin, and he still held some affection for her in his heart. But he couldn't suppress his growing disgust toward the aristocratic families. His Majesty told me that every time he entered Weiyang Palace and saw Shangguan Ya adorned in gold and silver, he would think of the starving common people."
"Shangguan Ya, however, believed she couldn't compare to Qin Zhenzhen. The more she dressed up and the more gentle and considerate she became, the more His Majesty despised her. Later, as His Majesty's feelings for Qin Zhenzhen deepened, he couldn't even bear to share a bed with Shangguan Ya. His Majesty told me that every time he did, he felt nauseated. He was disgusted with himself—he didn't like Shangguan Ya and felt he was betraying his beloved. So, when he saw Shangguan Ya, he couldn't even muster any desire."
"Shangguan Ya's lack of favor naturally worried the Shangguan Clan, who constantly pressured her to try harder and strive to bear the legitimate eldest son. With no way out, she came to you, asking for your help."
"I remember," Li Rong lowered her eyes. "When I heard that Chuan'er only slept in the empress's palace before leaving, I went to scold him. At that time, his policies were being pushed too urgently. The Shangguan Clan was his foundation, and if he even severed ties with them, I feared something would happen to him."
"When you spoke to him, he felt guilty. Deep down, he knew the Shangguan Clan had supported his rise to the throne for the sake of the crown prince, and Shangguan Ya was innocent. So, His Majesty later resorted to taking medicine. Every time he went to see Shangguan Ya, he would take the medicine beforehand and return vomiting uncontrollably."Li Rong widened her eyes in shock upon hearing this: "Does Shangguan Ya know?"
Pei Wenxuan pondered for a moment before nodding: "She should know. In fact, Shangguan Ya herself also uses medicine."
Li Rong was speechless. In that instant, she suddenly felt an immense sense of sorrow.
Shangguan Ya was such a proud person, yet she was trapped in this deep palace like livestock, all for the sake of bearing a crown prince. She also had to face the fact that her husband needed medicine to touch her and would secretly vomit afterward, all while remaining silent.
Two people who did not love each other—almost to the point of mutual loathing—were forced to engage in such base acts on luxurious beds and silk quilts, all for the sake of a child.
And such a secret was known to no one else; only the two of them had to swallow it and hide it away.
Li Rong felt an indescribable chill in her heart.
"What happened afterward?"
"Afterward, His Majesty finally discovered that Shangguan Ya was also using medicine. He realized it was a deadlock for both of them. His Majesty made up his mind, drank some wine, went to the central palace, found Shangguan Ya, and discussed with her: she would remain the Empress, and he would grant her all the power she desired. They would no longer pretend. His Majesty hoped that he and Shangguan Ya could solve the problems between them together, rather than trapping each other in the palace."
"But Shangguan Ya could not accept it."
"In her heart, this was a sign that Li Chuan intended to depose her. She could not accept it."
"She had abandoned herself, abandoned the love she should have had, and come to this deep palace not to hear His Majesty naively suggest they each live their own lives. Even less did she come to the palace to fulfill His Majesty's wishes. Shangguan Ya cried bitterly that night. She asked His Majesty, why should she be buried alive in the palace while His Majesty could live as he pleased?"
"His Majesty also felt guilty and asked her what she wanted. She said she wanted a child. His Majesty initially agreed. They both took the medicine, removed their clothes, and went to bed. But when His Majesty touched her, he still couldn't bear it and ran out."
"I heard from Shangguan Ya's palace attendants that she kept retching that night, crying as she retched. The next day, Shangguan Ya took the initiative to find His Majesty and reconcile with him. She acted very understanding and pitiful, so His Majesty promised her that, no matter what, she would remain the Empress, hoping to reassure her."
"Li Chuan found touching Shangguan Ya repulsive and refused to share a bed with her, saying he hoped they could each live their own lives. But the day after he said this, Qin Zhenzhen was discovered to be pregnant. That night, Shangguan Ya sent a message from the palace to the Shangguan Clan, saying His Majesty had made up his mind not to touch anyone in the harem except Consort Qin. She needed a man—anyone would do—she wanted a child."
As Su Rongqing spoke these words, Su Ronghua's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly. He tried to calm himself, but he still felt pain.
Even now, it was like this. He couldn't imagine how much pain he would have been in if this had truly happened back then.
"At that time, Elder Brother, you were planning to leave again, but the Shangguan Clan found Father. Mixing up the royal bloodline—this was something the Shangguan Clan dared not do. But if they stood by and watched Qin Zhenzhen's child ascend the throne, it would mean that the Qin family, a commoner clan that fully supported His Majesty's reforms, would produce a crown prince.""The Shangguan Clan wished to use this child to form an alliance with the Su Clan. The child born from the bloodlines of the Shangguan and Su clans would be jointly supported by both families in the future. At that time, the court was extremely dissatisfied with His Majesty, and my father already strongly disapproved of Li Chuan's actions. The two clans secretly deliberated for a long time before finally deciding on this matter. Because of your past with Shangguan Ya, the Shangguan Clan hoped you would go. You were about to leave—you even told me that this journey would be your last, never to return. Yet when Shangguan Ya was placed before you, you thought it over for a night and ultimately chose to stay."
To stay meant sinking into the depths of the palace alongside that person.
There would be no more of the distant horizons she spoke of, no more of the freedom and beauty she described.
Yet he was willing to stay nonetheless. And so, under the arrangements of both families, within the palace walls, Shangguan Ya waited for that unfamiliar man to enter the palace, expecting him to humiliate her just as Li Chuan had.
What she saw instead was the most beautiful dream of her youth, arriving under the moonlight.
He knelt before her, lifting his gaze to meet hers: "I pay my respects to Your Highness."
Shangguan Ya looked at this distant yet familiar person, and after a long while, her voice came out hoarse: "Why have you come?"
"To be with you."
To descend into hell with her, to journey to the underworld together.
Tears streamed down Shangguan Ya's face. She could accept anyone, but she could not accept him. Trembling, she said, "Leave. I don't want you."
"But you have no choice," Su Ronghua took her hand and kissed the back of it. "And I have no way back either."
From the moment he entered the palace, he became her burial companion.
Thus, they entangled in the dark of night. Those evenings were the most beautiful dreams of Shangguan Ya's life—filled with guilt and sin, yet they were the only harbor where she could escape in her entire existence.
"Two months later, Shangguan Ya was diagnosed as pregnant. Su Ronghua participated in the imperial examinations and became the second-place scholar that year, entering officialdom. The timing of this child was too awkward. In fact, even now, I don't know whose child it really was."
"Did Chuan'er know?" Li Rong curled up, her voice soft. Pei Wenxuan shook his head. "At that time, His Majesty didn't even know about the affair between Shangguan Ya and Su Ronghua. It was the third year of Dexu's reign, and His Majesty had already cultivated a group of his own people. Seeing that the emperor favored Qin Zhenzhen, who was also pregnant, common-born officials spread rumors among the people and fabricated divine signs. After the child was born, some even submitted memorials, claiming that this child, as the eldest son, should be named Crown Prince."
"They were forcing Qin Zhenzhen to her death."
"Many of the common-born officials came from impoverished backgrounds, with no elders in their families who had ever participated in court politics. How could they understand these intricate schemes? His Majesty actually knew Qin Zhenzhen was in danger. To show that she and her child had no ambition for the throne, Qin Zhenzhen personally submitted a memorial requesting that Li Xin be named Crown Prince."
"At that time, His Majesty did not intend to clash too severely with the noble families and also felt guilty toward the Shangguan Clan. So he was already prepared to name Li Xin as Crown Prince and had me draft the edict of investiture. But rumors were rampant among the people. That year, a strange bird happened to land at the entrance of the Guardian Temple. Everyone said this strange bird was a phoenix, an omen of the empress's downfall."
"So the noble families couldn't wait for the investiture edict to be issued."
"Su Ronghua personally took action," Li Rong understood what followed. "He poisoned Qin Zhenzhen."
"You originally intended to poison Li Ping," Su Rongqing looked at the somewhat dazed Su Ronghua before him. "But Qin Zhenzhen protected Li Ping day and night, eating, drinking, and taking medicine with him. She tasted every sip of water, every dose of medicine, and every bite of food first. So she was poisoned first, saving Li Ping.""After Qin Zhenzhen's death, His Majesty's temperament changed drastically. He no longer cared about war, the people, or justice—he only wanted to overthrow the noble families. In those years, Great Xia was in turmoil, with conflicts erupting everywhere. He promoted commoners to high positions and indiscriminately slaughtered noble families. Many of the officials selected from commoner backgrounds were cruel and corrupt, plunging the entire nation into misery. The Su Clan exhausted all efforts, advising the emperor above and comforting the people below, spending vast sums on disaster relief and suppressing rebellions at great cost in troops and provisions. Looking back now, all of this was intentional on his part. He used these repeated rebellions to deplete the strength of the noble families."
"In the eighth year of Dexu, to consolidate military power, he falsely accused Prince Su of treason and demanded the Su Clan send troops to suppress him. Knowing full well it was a pretext, you spoke up in defense of Prince Su. He then charged you with colluding with the enemy and imprisoned the entire Su Clan. At the time, I was unaware of your affair with Shangguan Ya and believed we were wronged. Princess Ping Le, knowing the Su Clan was innocent, tried to save us. In the end, he spared the Su Clan, but Li Chuan... he subjected all the men of the Su Clan to castration."
Su Ronghua's pupils contracted sharply, his fists clenched: "Castration?"
"How could the Su Clan endure such humiliation? They all took their own lives in prison. Filled with hatred, I wished to become a vengeful spirit and remain in this world. So I clung to life, surviving thanks to Princess Pingle's rescue."
"After Qin Zhenzhen's death, the last shred of tolerance His Majesty held for the noble families vanished. It wasn’t just because of the death of a favored consort, but because it was the first time he so clearly recognized his own powerlessness. He had been driven mad."
Pei Wenxuan recounted the past of his friend from the previous life, his expression tinged with pity: "While he was keeping vigil for Qin Zhenzhen, the noble families and court officials knelt outside, forcing him to appoint Li Xin as crown prince. That day, His Majesty told me that to contend with demons, one must become a demon to have any chance of winning. Then he went out and appointed Li Xin as crown prince."
"The noble families thought this was His Majesty’s compromise. From then on, he became a tyrannical ruler—capricious, imposing heavy taxes, promoting commoners, and slaughtering noble families indiscriminately. He used tax revenue to fund Qin Lin’s troops, employed cruel commoner officials to intimidate the noble families, and drew close to the Shangguan Clan, appearing to dote on Li Xin, making the Shangguan Clan his protective talisman."
"Thus, when local noble families rebelled, the Shangguan Clan helped suppress them. As for great clans like the Su Clan, bound by their traditions of benevolence, they had no choice but to contribute troops and funds during the turmoil. As one side weakened and the other grew stronger, His Majesty finally gained his own power. And through my own investigations, I uncovered the true culprit behind Qin Zhenzhen’s death."
"In the seventh year of Dexu, I presented His Majesty with the full account of Qin Zhenzhen’s death. He imprisoned the Empress Dowager, executed Shangguan Xu, and exterminated half of the Shangguan Clan. He originally intended to kill Li Xin and depose Shangguan Ya, but Shangguan Ya insisted the child was His Majesty’s and volunteered for a Blood-Dropping Kinship Test. His Majesty conducted the test, and the blood indeed merged. Shangguan Ya wept and begged His Majesty, reminding him of his promise not to depose her. Later, the Empress Dowager took her own life in the cold palace, pleading with His Majesty to spare Shangguan Ya and Li Xin. Bound by familial ties, His Majesty ultimately did not kill her."
"Mother..." Li Rong’s lips trembled slightly, "took her own life."Pei Wenxuan did not speak. He remained silent for a long time before saying, "In the eighth year of Dexu, His Majesty was preparing troops for a northern campaign, but the Su Clan stubbornly opposed it, claiming the treasury was empty and that Great Xia could no longer sustain continuous warfare. What they didn’t understand was that His Majesty wasn’t truly intent on the northern campaign—what he wanted was the military power in their hands. He aimed to exhaust the noble families. However, by then, the Su Clan had already lost the ability to resist. All His Majesty needed was an excuse. So he deliberately framed Prince Su, accusing him of treason and demanding the Su Clan mobilize troops. Su Ronghua stepped forward to deny Prince Su’s rebellion, and His Majesty imprisoned the entire Su Clan on charges of colluding with the enemy. At the time, His Majesty genuinely intended to execute them, but Her Highness pleaded for mercy. In the end, to humiliate them, His Majesty subjected the entire Su Clan to castration."
"Su Ronghua, unable to bear the humiliation, died in prison. When His Majesty and I arrived, we found a jade hairpin in his hand. His Majesty took the hairpin and went to see Shangguan Ya that very night. He described in detail how Su Ronghua had died, and when he handed the hairpin to Shangguan Ya, she suddenly let out a sharp scream."
"Shangguan Ya wept and screamed in agony, while His Majesty laughed heartily, slapping his thigh. I stood outside, feeling both absurd and sorrowful. At that moment, I missed Her Highness deeply. She was like the only beacon of light in the entire palace. All other lights could be extinguished, but Her Highness alone would forever march forward, sword in hand."
"At that time, Chuan’er wanted to depose Shangguan Ya, didn’t he?"
Li Rong hugged herself. "But Shangguan Ya allied with the noble families. The Su Clan was seen as a righteous and benevolent family in the eyes of the people. Even if there were reasons behind it, Chuan’er’s framing and persecution would never be accepted by the people. After years of warfare, the commoners had long suffered, and the noble families had reached their limit of endurance. As far as I know, at that time, no fewer than twenty noble families were plotting rebellion."
"Yes," Pei Wenxuan acknowledged. "Didn’t Your Highness also ally with these noble families?"
"If I hadn’t taken on the role of mediator for the noble families, someone else would have. By then, I feared Chuan’er wouldn’t even have a chance to survive."
"His Majesty understood this as well," Pei Wenxuan leaned against the wall. "That’s why, after forcing the Su Clan to their deaths and completing the northern campaign, he proposed cultivating immortality and seeking enlightenment. It wasn’t that he had fulfilled his revenge and found peace—it was because he knew Great Xia no longer needed a tyrant like him. It was time for the empire to recuperate and rebuild."
"Over these eight years, the humble clans have risen while the noble families have declined. The noble families are now at the end of their strength. He couldn’t push them to the brink, or it would lead to mutual destruction. So he chose to cultivate immortality and seek enlightenment, appointing Your Highness as the Princess Regent to oversee the state on behalf of imperial authority. This was his way of signaling to the noble families that he was ceasing hostilities, allowing them to rest easy."
"For this reason, Shangguan Ya—he couldn’t touch her, nor did he dare to. He could only wait for another opportunity and make a decision later."
"As the leader of the humble clans and Your Highness as the representative of the noble families, we balanced and restrained each other while forming an alliance. In the remaining twenty-two years of Great Xia, the empire recuperated and rebuilt, finally ushering in a prosperous era once more."
"But twenty-two years..."
Li Rong looked up at Pei Wenxuan.
"But twenty-two years..."
Elsewhere, Su Rongqing looked at Su Ronghua before him and smiled bitterly.
In different spaces, the two of them sighed in unison: "It’s too long."
Long enough for people to become unrecognizable, to forget their original selves, to lose sight of the path ahead and forget the way back.
And so, the one holding the sword looked around in confusion, swinging wildly, hurting others and themselves alike.As ghosts sink into hell, they stop at nothing, even mistakenly killing those they love.
Who remembers the original intent behind the Northern Expedition reforms? Who remembers the purpose of opposing the tyrant?
Who remembers, within the palace walls, the promise of the Northern Expedition—for whom it was made?
Even less do they recall, beneath the long corridor, that vow made to the ruler: "Bound by grass and holding a ring in the mouth, I shall never betray you for all eternity."
Only two figures remain, trapped in this mire, separated by the veil of time, each holding a long sword, serving as each other's guiding light, passing by without meeting.
Now the wheel of fate turns once more, bringing them to another moment of choice.
Pei Wenxuan gazed quietly at Li Rong: "Your Highness, the past is now known. Do you still intend to abandon the Crown Prince?"
Su Rongqing poured the last cup of tea into the bowl, then looked up at Su Ronghua: "Elder Brother, the tale has reached its end. Do you still intend to obstruct the struggle for the throne?"
Within the palace walls, the first snowflake of the year in Great Xia drifted down. A palace messenger galloped in along the imperial road, shouting loudly: "Your Majesty—Prince Su is unharmed!"
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