Yan Shang wept.
Mu Wan Yao, bewildered and heartbroken, embraced him, shielding him from his tears.
Trembling, he grasped her hand. Through blurred vision, he gazed at her slender, jade-white fingers, tracing them one by one.
Tears welled in Yan Shang’s eyes, dripping from his lashes as he whispered softly, “Your fingers are unharmed.”
In the end, he had not committed an irreparable wrong.
Apart from the dust smudging her face and the grime staining her skirt, she remained entirely unscathed.
Yan Shang held Mu Wan Yao tightly once more—
War was an abyss, a mire of filth. This abyss dragged everyone downward, submerging and drowning them, until mud clung to their bodies and a handful of yellow earth covered them.
There was no war without sacrifice, no war devoid of cruelty. To presume that one could prevent death in war with meager strength—no matter how exceptional one’s talent or how formidable one’s methods—was nothing but futile delusion.
Such was Yan Shang’s plight.
The conflict in Jiannan had been quelled, with only a general left behind to garrison and clear the battlefield. Returning to Guangzhou, Yan Shang needed but a single day to compel the exhausted Southern Barbarian troops beneath the city walls to surrender, capturing King Ale alive.
King Ale, unwilling to yield, sought to end his own life in the camp but was thwarted by the timely intrusion of Great Wei’s forces. By now, King Ale’s fate was sealed—he would inevitably pay the price for this war. Yet, he deserved to be taken to Chang’an, to atone for his crimes before the eyes of all.
He did not deserve to die in obscurity.
Thus, only the Hexi battlefield remained unresolved. However, before leaving Jiannan, Yan Shang had dispatched several generals with half the troops to reinforce Hexi. Combined with the imperial rescue forces that had once aided Chang’an and the foreign troops Wei Shu had secured from neighboring states, the Southern Barbarian forces in Hexi were trapped, caught in an impossible predicament.
Surrender was merely a matter of time.
Yan Shang intended for the troops fighting in Hexi to conclude the war within a month.
By August, he demanded that the conflict between Great Wei and the Southern Barbarians cease entirely. Great Wei had no interest in the barren lands of the Southern Barbarians; instead, it would implement a system of indirect rule, installing a new king whom Great Wei could trust. When the time came, a suitable candidate would be selected from among the captives to negotiate with Great Wei.
Unconsciously, Yan Shang had consolidated control over Great Wei’s military and governance. This large-scale war had rapidly elevated his political and military influence to unprecedented heights. Especially after Lord Liu’s sacrifice and the imprisonment of the Minister of War, Yan Shang had effectively become the unchallenged leader in Great Wei’s court.
His sole shortcoming was his absence from the central administration.
For the central administration had Wei Shu.
Countless individuals awaited Yan Shang’s return to Chang’an, anticipating a power struggle between him and Wei Shu.
But these were matters for the future.
On the surface, Yan Shang’s official career flourished, his authority immense. Yet Mu Wan Yao knew that, given a choice, Yan Shang would willingly relinquish it all if it could bring back the dead—
The war in Guangzhou had been far less arduous for Yan Shang than the one in Jiannan. After reuniting with Mu Wan Yao, she was alarmed by his deteriorated state. Only after coaxing him to sleep did she learn of the events that had transpired outside.
Guangzhou had been sealed off for six months, cut off from all external communication. It was only now that Mu Wan Yao discovered how many of their old acquaintances had perished.
Particularly Lord Liu and Yang Si.
Their deaths must have been devastating blows to Yan Shang.
Deep in the night, as Yan Shang slept restlessly in his tent, Mu Wan Yao lit a small amount of the sandalwood incense he always used. Watching the tension ease from his furrowed brow, she quietly left the bedchamber.After instructing the maids to keep an eye on the Imperial Son-in-Law, Mu Wan Yao went to the study to inquire about the events she had missed over the past six months.
Seated by the desk, the princess’s long skirt trailed on the floor. Her complexion was fair, and her demeanor was exceptionally composed.
The guard who had followed Yan Shang on the campaign took one look at the beautiful princess and felt his eyes redden. If even he felt such sorrow, how much more must Yan Shang have suffered?
The guard choked back tears: "...When the news of the third young master’s death arrived, those despicable Southern Barbarians kept telling us that Your Highness was in their hands. They even used a severed finger, claiming it was Yours, to deceive us. Erlang was already in agony, and upon hearing that, he coughed up blood on the spot."
Mu Wan Yao’s pupils contracted.
Her fingers curled, gripping the armrest tightly.
For a moment, her mind went blank. Her heart ached so intensely that she bent over, struggling to breathe.
Tears quickly welled up in her eyes.
So many had died in battle—his mentor was gone, her childhood friend was gone... Just hearing about it pained her so deeply. How much effort had it taken Yan Shang to endure it all this time? How much strength had it cost him to finally break down in tears when he saw her?
For someone like him, unless the pain was unbearable, would he ever be rendered speechless by sobs?
Mu Wan Yao closed her eyes, her voice trembling: "You may leave."
She needed to calm herself. She needed to lick her wounds clean. Only by processing all of this could she help Yan Shang recover.
In the past, it was always Yan Shang who comforted her.
But now, it was her turn to hold him up and keep him from collapsing—
Yan Shang had a restless night.
The nightmares that tormented him day and night did not cease, even after he returned to Mu Wan Yao’s side.
He dreamed of countless corpses, of clashing weapons. He dreamed of his mentor and of Yang Si, kneeling on the ground, his face covered in blood, pierced by countless arrows.
—Why couldn’t he save them?
"Creak."
The wooden door swung open.
Mu Wan Yao tiptoed in, lifting her skirt, intending to check on Yan Shang. She found him sitting on the edge of the bed, his long hair disheveled, lost in thought. The sunlight streaming in made him appear exceptionally frail.
He turned to look at her. The young man’s eyes were still slightly red, and the bloodshot veins in them were starkly visible. Mu Wan Yao froze for a moment.
She thought to herself that he clearly hadn’t slept well.
Mu Wan Yao smiled brightly: "You’re awake? You woke up so early. How about we go to your father’s house for breakfast? Your sister-in-law made congee today, and your father and elder brother are eager to see you."
She counted on her fingers the tasks for the day: "Many houses collapsed during the city battle, leaving countless civilians homeless. And the provisions you brought need to be distributed. The people have gathered in front of the government office, wanting to kowtow to you and me.
"So many people—we should meet them all, right?"
Yan Shang’s voice was slightly hoarse when he spoke: "Let’s skip it for today."
Mu Wan Yao remained unfazed: "Then we’ll discuss it tomorrow. You should get up now. I won’t go out today; I’ll stay home with you. We won’t do anything—just bask in the sun and admire the flowers. How does that sound?"
Yan Shang’s dark eyes fixed on her.
Mu Wan Yao lowered her head: "The jade pendant... I really did lose it. It wasn’t intentional, so please don’t be angry with me over it, alright? Between us, what does it matter if a token of love is lost? I don’t believe in such things. Our bond isn’t sustained by tokens.
"I’ve already apologized to your father! And he forgave me."
Yan Shang studied her intently.Back in his familiar surroundings, his agitated emotions seemed to slowly settle. He began to regain his gentleness, speaking in a slow tone: "I brought the jade pendant back for you. You didn’t go through my clothes and find it?"
Mu Wan Yao widened her eyes: "No, I didn’t."
Yan Shang stared at her.
He couldn’t help but laugh: "Liar."
He said, "How could you possibly not go through my things? In Your Highness’s eyes, I am entirely your possession. After a year apart, wouldn’t Your Highness want to confirm whether your belongings still belong to you? Without checking or asking, how could Your Highness rest assured?"
Mu Wan Yao: "..."
She complained, "You’re speaking so bluntly now, not giving me any face at all."
Yan Shang: "Sorry, I’m a bit tired and not in the mood to pay attention to such things."
Mu Wan Yao, however, pursed her lips and smiled: "It’s fine. You know, I really like it when you lose your temper, when you don’t care about others’ feelings. I adore the willful Second Brother Yan."
Yan Shang was lost in thought for a long moment, watching her stand gracefully a few steps away, chattering away to him. He let her words go in one ear and out the other, yet she remained happy and cheerful, pacing before him. She was like a vibrant butterfly, dazzlingly beautiful. Even though the war wasn’t over, even though she knew the news, she could still hold herself together.
Yan Shang softly interrupted her: "Your Highness is the bravest person I have ever met."
Mu Wan Yao paused and tilted her head to look at him.
He sat on the couch, reaching out to her with a smile: "Yao Yao, come here."
Seeing him so haggard and pale, Mu Wan Yao’s heart ached unbearably. How could she put on airs now? She obediently walked over, thinking that, as was his habit, he would surely embrace her. He needed to hold her to confirm she was alive, to confirm she was real.
Yan Shang indeed reached out and pulled her into his arms, seating her beside him.
Mu Wan Yao felt a little proud of her understanding of Yan Shang, but then she saw him lower his head, his fingers lightly tracing below her collarbone, loosening the sash of her robe.
Her skin was smooth as snow, her curves elegant and alluring.
She sprang to attention.
Mu Wan Yao was stunned.
This wasn’t something Yan Shang would do... He never acted so suddenly.
But this time, he truly did.
He casually removed her gauze and sash, and while Mu Wan Yao was still bewildered and confused, he pulled her into his embrace, lowered his head, and kissed her.
Dawn had just broken, birds were chirping outside, and the room was filled with the warmth of spring—
Yan Shang was somewhat unrestrained, different from his usual self.
He had always been gentle before, always prioritizing her comfort. Only when she was satisfied would he think of himself. But this time was different. He seemed absent-minded, yet wholly focused.
He watched her the entire time, but his dark eyes were utterly hollow. Before him was a vivid beauty, yet perhaps his heart held no room for her.
Moreover, after a year apart, their first time was somewhat difficult and awkward.
Mu Wan Yao endured it, striving to get into the rhythm as quickly as possible. Only when she relaxed would both of them feel better. Physical intimacy between a man and a woman was always the simplest way to draw closer. Their sweat-drenched bodies became an outlet for release, a means to vent all trivial matters, and the effect was always good.
When it was over, the warm sun bathed the room. Mu Wan Yao leaned against his shoulder and bit him resentfully. Her delicate brows relaxed as she looked up at him, offering a smile.
He did not smile back.He gathered her silken hair in his hand, watching the dark strands slip through his fingers, and said, "Your hair is shorter."
Mu Wan Yao: "What's the big difference? I'm still just as beautiful."
Yan Shang murmured, "I don't like it."
Mu Wan Yao glared: "How dare you not like it!"
Yan Shang: "I still prefer your hair long enough to reach your ankles, the kind that's been meticulously cared for without enduring any hardship."
Mu Wan Yao froze.
Yan Shang lowered his head, one hand cupping her cheek while the other gently brushed past her brows, eyes, and nose: "I love the pride in your eyes, the sharp intensity when you glare at someone. I adore your delicate skin, nurtured to be as fair as snow—so tender it feels like it might melt in my palm. Fearing you might dissolve, I cherish you even more carefully. And so you grow softer, making me even more reluctant to let go.
"I love your lips. So red, as if you've always worn rouge. But in truth, you're naturally dark-eyed and red-lipped, inherently beautiful. Even without makeup, when you wash it off at night, your lips remain that vivid red. Small and soft, when I kiss them, it feels like the sweetest candy I've ever tasted."
Mu Wan Yao's cheeks burned.
Her robes were disheveled, her snow-like skin faintly visible, half-concealed yet all the more provocative. She had intended to play the temptress to seduce him, but his straightforward praise still made her shy.
Mu Wan Yao covered her face and tried to slip away from his embrace: "Why are you suddenly saying such sweet things..."
Yan Shang tightened his arm around her waist and pulled her back: "Don't go."
Mu Wan Yao complained, "I wasn't going to leave."
Ignoring her protest, he lifted her up. Rising to his feet, he cradled her horizontally in his arms. Mu Wan Yao thought his diligent habits had taken over, that he meant to carry her to the bathing chamber. Instead, he carried her out of the inner room and seated her on the shelf where flowers usually rested.
He brushed the stray strands from her face and leaned in to kiss her again.
Yan Shang whispered, "Again."
Mu Wan Yao's expression shifted dramatically: "Again?!"
Intimacy wasn't always entirely pleasurable; the oscillation between comfort and discomfort could be utterly agonizing. By day, it was improper; leaving the inner room was improper; doing it on the outer shelf was completely improper.
But now, all was permitted.
Yan Shang used what Mu Wan Yao had taught him to torment her.
He vented his emotions in this way.
Forceful, ruthless, and unyielding.
At first, Mu Wan Yao enjoyed it, but soon it turned into agony. He frowned, clearly not entirely comfortable either. Yet his hands gripped her slender waist as if obsessed. Mu Wan Yao covered her mouth, enduring silently, then buried her face in his shoulder, whimpering softly and begging him to stop.
Three times in succession.
During the third time, it dragged on without end. He couldn't find release, and she suffered, growing anxious along with him. They moved from the inner room to the outer chamber, finally ending up on the small couch behind the screen. Stifling and cramped, it was fortunate both were so slender.
When it finally ended, Yan Shang's hand still rested on Mu Wan Yao's waist. Without a word, he fell backward. The bedding had been tossed to the floor, and Yan Shang thudded onto the couch, his head knocking against the wooden frame.
Startled, Mu Wan Yao leaned over to check on him.
She found him merely asleep.
Mu Wan Yao lowered her head, enduring her own soreness, and traced her fingers over his serene brows and eyes, brushing past the weariness on his face.
She gently kissed his lips and whispered, "So even you have moments when you rely on desire to vent your emotions.""So it turns out you too can collapse after it's all over... You too possess the same emotions as other men.
"Second Brother Yan, I'm so glad you trust me this much. Let's walk this path together."—
The couple did not linger long in Guangzhou. After Yan Shang's emotional release, Mu Wan Yao witnessed with her own eyes how he improved day by day, gradually returning to his usual self. Once matters in Guangzhou were concluded, they immediately returned to Chang'an to handle postwar affairs.
At this time, the Southern Barbarians on the Hexi battlefield finally surrendered.
By late July, all officials in Chang'an were awaiting the return of Yan Shang and his wife to take charge of governmental affairs. The only remaining threat in Chang'an was Liu Wenji, who had closed the palace gates and was relying on the Northern Agency troops to guard them against the imperial guards.
But even this resistance was nearing its end.
The tide had turned, beyond redemption.
In early August, the palace gates were on the verge of being breached as the Northern Agency troops could no longer withstand the attackers. The entire population of Chang'an condemned Liu Wenji, leaving his reputation in tatters.
Amid the raging battles, one palace gate was broken through from outside. When soldiers came to report this, Liu Wenji stood dazed by the imperial lake in front of a palace building. His hand trembled as he gripped his sword, gritting his teeth in refusal to admit defeat. Hoarsely, he ordered more men to reinforce the gates when commotion erupted behind him.
Eunuchs cried out: "Your Highness! Your Highness! You mustn't go there!"
Liu Wenji turned to see Chunhua, who held the title of Xian Fei.
The eunuchs failed to stop Chunhua. Seeing Liu Wenji turn, she rushed forward and grasped his sleeve. Her disheveled clothing showed she had come in great haste. Liu Wenji looked down at her, steadying his breath.
Through clenched teeth, he rasped: "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be hiding with the Empress Dowager and other palace women... Even if the gates fall, as former emperor's consorts, those self-righteous ministers won't kill you women who've been under my control."
Ignoring his words, Chunhua tightly clutched his sleeve. She pressed a medicine bottle into his hand, speaking urgently: "I heard one gate has fallen. They'll break through soon. You... you must escape! Don't bother with this anymore..."
Liu Wenji replied indifferently: "Every direction holds those who want me dead. Where could I flee?"
Chunhua explained: "This medicine was prepared by the imperial physicians - it can induce a deathlike state for twenty hours. I originally intended... originally intended... but you take it! Use it!"
Liu Wenji stared blankly.
He looked down at the bottle she'd given him, then raised his eyes to her spring-fresh features. Softly, he asked: "What were your original intentions?"
Chunhua insisted: "That doesn't matter... Your survival is what's important."
Liu Wenji said: "Everyone wants me dead."
Tearfully, Chunhua responded: "But you've always been kind to me..."
Liu Wenji noted: "You abandoned your princess.Chunhua explained: "I've been able to remain as a consort this long in the palace, not favored by His Majesty yet not bullied, and for Yue'er to grow up safely... all because of your protection. I know you've always looked after me. Your words may be harsh, but you've consistently treated me well."
Sobbing, she pleaded: "I want you to live. Just... stay away from all this. Stop committing evil deeds."
As if deaf to her admonitions, Chunhua tried to leave after delivering the medicine, but Liu Wenji grabbed her wrist.
He stared at her with a twisted expression, smiling grimly: "You wish for a eunuch to live happily ever after!"Chunhua's face turned pale, her heart aching at his mention of "eunuch."
Liu Wenji sneered coldly: "Looking after you was merely a trivial effort! What are you, really? I never treated you well at all! I deceived that fool into writing a self-criticism edict and establishing a new emperor. The new emperor was originally meant for me to curry favor with the scholar-officials, to win them over! So the new emperor is the Empress's son! Not your son! He has nothing to do with you!
"I won't even grant your son a future... How dare you say I treated you well? How dare you think I gave you my all?"
Chunhua looked up at his gloomy expression, her wrist aching from the cold grip of his hand. He exposed their relationship in front of the eunuchs and soldiers, causing everyone's expressions to change as they lowered their heads. Chunhua's face also turned pale.
Yet she remained gentle.
She insisted stubbornly: "I know what kind of person you are. Perhaps I was wrong, but don't dwell on it... What matters now is that you flee for your life.
"Your Highness is returning, Yan Erlang is returning... Once they are back, you will surely die!"
She choked up: "I don't want you to die."
Liu Wenji stared at her blankly.
Suddenly, at that moment, he felt defeated and accepted that his power had crumbled. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a general rushing to report something to him, and he grew weary of it—always losing! Always defeated by those who wanted him dead. Why bother asking incessantly!
Liu Wenji suddenly grabbed Chunhua's hand and dragged her along with him: "Come with me!"
Stumbling, Chunhua was pushed by Liu Wenji into a palace chamber. As she fell inside, she saw a room full of children standing up in surprise, staring at her in astonishment.
The palace door slammed shut behind them. Liu Wenji roared, ordering everyone to barricade the door. Sword in hand, he advanced toward the children.
One child, around eight years old, stood up and walked toward the door, exclaiming: "Mother! Mother, have you come to save us?"
Another boy, wearing a scaled-down dragon robe and looking youthful, cautiously grabbed the hand of Chunhua's son and pulled him back: "A Yue, don't go over!"
This was the newly enthroned young emperor.
The young emperor was the son of the former Empress, now the Empress Dowager, but what use was being emperor? Liu Wenji had imprisoned him and all his siblings—they were all captives.
Liu Wenji strode toward the children with his sword.
The children retreated.
Chunhua stood up, supporting herself on her knees, and cried out in alarm: "What are you doing?!"
Liu Wenji glared cruelly at the children.
His gaze, numb and vicious, fixed on the young emperor. The young emperor stepped back, and the children retreated together as Liu Wenji raised his sword.
He murmured: "I originally planned to imprison you, hold you hostage, and eventually use you to bargain for my life. As long as the young emperor was in my hands, those ministers would have no choice but to let me go! But Chunhua, you're right. By now, those officials might not care anymore... especially Yan Shang.
"You see how respectfully Yan Shang treats the emperor, but in truth, he is the most irreverent toward the throne! It's precisely because he disregards the emperor that he dared to marry the princess! If I try to threaten him with the young emperor to let me go, he would never agree.
"You say I treated you well, but in truth, I did not. I was only after power, I only wanted authority... But now, I am different. I never did anything for you, but now I will do one thing for you.""All these children must die! Only when the young Emperor is dead can your son ascend the throne! You shall become Empress Dowager and enjoy boundless wealth and honor—live it all for me!"
Chunhua screamed, "You're insane!"
Mu Yue cried out in terror, "Stay away from me!"
The young Emperor shouted, "Guards, guards, protect your Emperor—"
The eunuchs and palace maids caring for the imperial children rushed to protect them, with Chunhua joining from behind. Yet Liu Wenji seemed to have gone completely mad, and no one could restrain him. He laughed maniacally, unable to comprehend why Chunhua would try to stop him.
The eunuchs Liu Wenji had brought with him, trembling with fear, assisted him in slaughtering others.
The child named Mu Yue, clearly Chunhua’s son, shielded the young Emperor behind him.
Liu Wenji coaxed, "Mu Yue, don’t you want to be the Son of Heaven? Don’t you wish to stand above all others? Only when they are all dead, when Yan Shang and Mu Wan Yao have no other choice, can you become the Emperor! To be the Emperor, one must be ruthless!"
With a swing of his sword, a palace servant fell dead at his feet, clutching his sleeve in a desperate attempt to hold him back. Liu Wenji struck again, blood splattering across his face.
Mu Yue desperately tried to keep the young Emperor hidden behind him. The late Empress had disliked his mother’s gentleness, but he had grown up alongside the young Emperor, and the two had always been close.
He had once resented his mother’s poor treatment in the palace and his own inadequate privileges as the eldest son. But he had never wished for his younger brother to die, nor for all his siblings to make way for him.
Mu Yue cried out loudly, "You’re insane, you’re insane! Spare my brother! Spare my brother!"
Chunhua broke down, "Liu Wenji—"
But she was restrained by the palace servants Liu Wenji had brought, unable to move.
The palace hall descended into chaos, a river of blood flowing across the floor.
At that moment, a thunderous crash echoed as the palace doors were smashed open from the outside, collapsing with a roar and sending dust flying into the air.
Liu Wenji, his face stained with blood, turned to see a vast crowd standing solemnly at the palace entrance.
At the forefront were Yan Shang and Mu Wan Yao, followed by Wei Shu, Chancellor Zhang, and other court officials.
Soldiers armed with weapons charged into the hall.
Seeing the corpses on the ground, their eyes blazed with fury: "Liu Wenji!"
Liu Wenji stared at Yan Shang and Mu Wan Yao and laughed wildly, "You’ve returned—have you come back to kill me? Just a little more, just a little more—"
He suddenly turned, shoved the stunned Mu Yue aside, and lunged to kill the young Emperor. But from behind Yan Shang, a general hurled a dagger, striking Liu Wenji’s raised arm.
An elderly man, trembling and supported by another, stepped forward, his voice filled with grief and rage, "Liu Wenji, you murdered the late Emperor, and now you seek to kill the young Prince! Your crimes are innumerable, and you show no remorse!"
It was Cheng An.
Liu Wenji’s eyes grew even wilder, and he raised his sword to strike.
Behind him, Mu Yue rushed forward again, clinging to his leg and biting down hard.
Mu Yue wept, "You violated my mother, and now you want to kill my brother! Chancellor Yan, Aunt, kill him, kill him…"
Violated.
The word hung in the air, stunning not only Liu Wenji but also Chunhua, who collapsed to the ground, her face pale.
Liu Wenji looked down at the child clinging to his leg. Mu Yue looked up, his eyes filled with hatred. Liu Wenji felt dazed, thinking to himself that he had done everything for the boy to become Emperor—why would he hate him?
Liu Wenji then turned his gaze to Cheng An, to the officials, to Yan Shang, and to Mu Wan Yao.
They were cold, indifferent.
Their eyes all declared that he deserved to die.
Liu Wenji staggered backward, leaning on his sword to keep from falling, and roared hoarsely, "What wrong have I done—"
Yan Shang cut him off, "You are gravely mistaken!"
Liu Wenji stared blankly.
He watched as Yan Shang strode toward him—"You erred in assassinating the Emperor and framing the former Crown Prince.
"You erred in colluding with the enemy, in treasonous dealings with foreign powers! Together with the late Emperor, you caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of border garrison soldiers, the death of a nation's prime minister, the deaths of countless pillar ministers... You left Great Wei battered by storms, its people suffering.
"You erred in killing Luo Xiu, erred in harboring malicious intentions from the very beginning, erred in straying further from the path, growing increasingly vicious."
Yan Shang spoke word by word, advancing step by step.
His tone was agitated, his eyes even misting with tears. Then his words shifted, spoken softly: "I too have erred."
He said: "I erred in discovering your wrongdoing early yet always thinking to give you chances, believing you weren't born evil, that you could still turn back. I erred in being soft-hearted toward you, erred in... not killing you sooner!
"I should have killed you long ago! Should have ended all this long ago!"—
Liu Wenji stared blankly at Yan Shang.
He suddenly dropped his sword, voice choked with emotion: "This is all your fault. I treated you so well, I always cared for you in the palace, yet you never once turned to look at me. When the former Crown Prince rebelled, when former Prince Qin rebelled, when Mi's reinforcements failed to arrive... You still looked down on me, still didn't consider me a friend."
His voice broke: "You still didn't trust me."
Yan Shang closed his eyes.
Mu Wan Yao's face was somewhat pale, her expression somewhat weary. Yet she grasped Yan Shang's hand and turned to Liu Wenji: "Your crimes are monstrous, yet in the end you only blame us for not treating you well enough. Has the entire world failed you?"
She was different from Yan Shang.
She remained sharp and incisive: "Wrong is wrong—don't make so many excuses for yourself!"
Liu Wenji looked at her.
Liu Wenji nodded: "Killing the Emperor, dealing with foreign powers, leading the Emperor astray... What else? Why not continue? Your Highness? Why not list all my crimes completely?"
He laughed wildly: "Can't say it, can you? Because you too have a heart, don't you? You also don't want your people... your people...!"
He suddenly fell silent, standing dazed. Then he collapsed limply, caught from behind.
Everyone saw clearly—a dagger had been plunged into his heart from behind. He fell, body convulsing, unwilling to look back.
And Chunhua, face streaked with tears, held him.
She was broken to the extreme, nearly mad herself. She murmured obsessively: "You also erred in... carrying on with the imperial concubines."
Liu Wenji lay in Chunhua's embrace, his eyes vacant, blood flowing from his chest. Chunhua's tears fell on his face as she gripped the dagger, her own hand bleeding. She then used that same dagger to stab her own heart.
Mu Wan Yao's eyes narrowed as she stepped forward: "Chunhua!"
Mu Yue screamed: "Mother Consort!"
The ever-gentle Chunhua shouted loudly for the first time: "No one come closer!"
She held Liu Wenji tightly in her arms and began to weep.
From the moment she entered Prince Jin's residence, her life had been as if soaked in tears. She cried all day, forever weeping. Her life held too much bitterness, and she herself was too fragile.
Unable to love where she loved, unable to hate where she hated.
Her son looked at her with strange eyes, the mistress looked at her with disgust, the former master looked at her with disappointment.
It was all her fault, all her failing.
Chunhua held Liu Wenji tightly against her, weeping violently as never before. Trembling, she reached to touch the blood on his chest, then shivered: "A thousand, ten thousand errors—they're all my fault. If only I hadn't entered the prince's residence back then... everything would be different.""Wenji, Wenji... It was I who harmed you, I who led you astray.
"Yue'er, I know you hate me for consorting with a eunuch, hate me for betraying your Emperor father. You didn't tell your Emperor father, didn't tell the Empress, I'm grateful to you... but Wenji is no ordinary eunuch. He is my beloved, the person I love most in this life... my only true love! I had him even before entering your Emperor father's residence, we never truly betrayed your Emperor father.
"It was your Emperor father who forced himself upon me, who tore us apart. I only became like this to give birth to you. If you must blame someone, blame me, don't blame Wenji.
"Your Highness, Your Highness... I've disappointed you, I know Wenji has committed too many evil deeds, he deserves to die. I only beg that after we die, let us be together. I never want to be with Prince Jin, with the Emperor again! I never want that again!"
She wept bitterly, holding Liu Wenji tightly. Liu Wenji stared blankly, the gloom in his eyes gradually fading. Before dying, he heard her true feelings, and finally felt some release.
Liu Wenji thought to himself, then... so be it.
His mind drifted to that year's winter sunshine, that fleeting encounter when she stood in the Yan residence, turning back to smile at him.
Tears welled in his eyes as he murmured: "When we meet, do not forget each other, strive to cherish the spring blossoms..."
His hand trembled as he reached up, wanting to touch her face one last time. She lowered her head, burying her face, shoulders shaking.
When we meet, do not forget each other, strive to cherish the spring blossoms.
Perhaps it was wrong from the very beginning.
Perhaps we should never have met in the first place—
As a fire consumed this palace, when Yan Shang and Mu Wan Yao left, dusk had fallen, heaven and earth plunged into darkness.
But a new day would begin again.
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