At the same time, Zhangsun Wuji quickly interrupted, "General Meng, step down."
Meng Fuyao immediately bowed. "Yes!" She took three steps back and turned to leave.
"Wait."
Empress Yuan's cold gaze seemed to burn a hole in Meng Fuyao's back. "I'm talking. How dare a lowly official like you leave just like that?"
Meng Fuyao sighed with her back facing her. 'How could Zhangsun Wuji's mother be like this? 'Lady, am I your fart official? Why wouldn't I dare to leave? If it weren't for Zhangsun Wuji's face, I would have kicked you. '
"Your Highness." She turned around, bowed slightly, and said in a tone that was neither servile nor overbearing, "This humble official listens to the Crown Prince's orders. Since the Crown Prince has ordered this humble official to step down, this humble official will naturally obey. Moreover, this humble official has never heard of any royal family in the Five Continents being able to directly order and punish foreign officials."
"You!" Empress Yuan was so angry that her pearl crown was trembling. After a while, she gritted her teeth and said, "Indeed, an arrogant and rude brat who doesn't know his place!"
"Your Highness, you're being rude." Zhangsun Wuji suddenly added in an indifferent tone, "This is a meritorious official of Wuji, a hero who has made great contributions in the case of King De. General Meng has just been bestowed the title by Father. Everyone in the Wuji imperial court is very grateful to General Meng for his bravery and loyalty. As the head of the imperial harem, you have the right to treat a meritorious official in such a manner. It has also bitterly disappointed the soldiers who have been bathed in blood."
"Meritorious official?" Empress Yuan raised her voice slightly, not knowing whether it was a smile or a sarcasm. "The world has really turned upside down. A loyal and devoted official is imprisoned, and a young and inexperienced brat has become a meritorious official. Haha, haha."
She laughed twice and slowly walked forward. Her steps were extremely slow, and her jewelry jingled as she moved. The sound of it rang in the deep corridors of the inner courtyard, giving off an oppressive pressure.
She walked in front of Meng Fuyao. The swaying pearl light covered her eyes as she sized up Meng Fuyao, but Meng Fuyao could still feel her sharp and cold gaze behind the pearl light. She looked at her as if she was looking at a mortal enemy rather than a subject.
"I'd like to know how Meng Gongchen broke into the enemy's camp, killed seven generals, and ruined the King of Virtue with a scheme." Empress Yuan's deep red lips parted slightly as she looked at her with a smile. "Your story is being sung throughout the entire capital. Even I, a woman deep in the palace, was fortunate enough to hear of it. Usually, I wonder what kind of brave man you are. I didn't expect you to be so young …" She smiled. "You are truly a blessing for my Limitless Imperial Court."
Meng Fuyao took a step back and bowed slightly. "This kid is ignorant. Thank you for your kindness, Empress."
Empress Yuan said slowly, "Well said, well said." She reached out her sleeves, which were embroidered with phoenixes. Her ten slender fingers, which were covered with enamel armor, personally helped her up. "My son said that you are a meritorious minister. You may dispense with the formalities."
Before Fuyao could get up, she reached out to help her up. Her wide sleeves hung down, and her palms flipped over. Suddenly, her ten fingers hooked forward, aiming for the eyes of Fuyao, whose head was lowered.
Sharp, curved fingernails resembling ten daggers were right in front of Fuyao's face. With a single hook, Fuyao's eyes would be gouged out!
"Crack."
An extremely faint cracking sound was heard. Empress Yuan suddenly froze. A moment later, ten pieces of dark blue armor inlaid with gravel and garnets fell onto the white stone floor, splashing everywhere and making a series of crisp shattering sounds.
Meng Fuyao smiled and raised her head. Her scissor-like fingers moved away from Empress Yuan's stiff fingertips. She mischievously waved her "scissor hand" at Empress Yuan and laughed. "Empress, the quality of this armor is really poor. One touch and it breaks."
Immediately, Meng Fuyao ruthlessly swung her hand. Empress Yuan immediately staggered and almost fell onto Zhangsun Wuji. Zhangsun Wuji stood behind him with his hands behind his back. He had no intention of helping her up. He looked at Empress Yuan with a very complicated expression. It seemed to be pain, hatred, sadness, and helplessness. Just one look from him was like a long sigh.
Empress Yuan took a few steps back before reaching out to support herself on the pillar. She raised her head and stared fiercely at Fuyao. After a while, she suddenly laughed and actually regained her graceful and calm demeanor. She said gently, "I couldn't stand steadily and almost hurt General Meng. Thank you for saving me."
"Is that so? I thought Your Highness was practicing a new martial art. "Meng Fuyao blew on her fingers and played it down." Probably something like the Nine Yin White Bone Claw? It's a pity that you haven't practiced it to perfection. "
"Naturally, it can't be compared to General," Empress Yuan said faintly. "If General didn't have good martial arts, how could you sneak into King De's army camp, kill our imperial court's grain transport officer, and disrupt the morale of King De's army?"
"Your Highness, please forgive me for reminding you." Zhangsun Wuji, who had been silently watching Empress Yuan, suddenly said, "King De's army is a rebel army. The grain transport officer appointed by King De is a rebellious subject and should be executed. General Meng went to quell the rebellion. Don't be confused about what is right and wrong."
"Quell the rebellion?" This word was like a fire, burning the cold and calm Empress Yuan. She suddenly sneered. "How can this crime be judged before the trial? King De's merits and demerits have not been determined, and the Crown Prince wants to frame him for treason? You 'died in the middle', and King De mobilized his army to take revenge for you. What's wrong with that? How can he suffer this crime and become a scapegoat for eliminating dissidents! "
Zhangsun Wuji stared at her. At this moment, pain flashed through his eyes. After a while, he slowly said, "I 'died in the middle', and never saw Empress Mother come to Wanzhou. King De was detained in Huazhou, but Empress Mother arrived within two days. The wonders of the world really make one sigh with emotion."
His tone was calm, but each word was as sharp as a knife. Empress Yuan's face turned pale, and she was tongue-tied. After a while, she said, "You just faked your death."
"Yes, Your Highness is perceptive. You know that I faked my death, and you also understand that King De was wronged." Zhangsun Wuji laughed mockingly. "I will remember your defense for King De, and I will strive to be fair during the trial. However, since Your Highness came to Huazhou not for fun, but for King De, you must not have gotten father's permission. As the regent, I have to remind you that palace women are not allowed to leave the palace at will, and they are not allowed to interfere in state affairs. You have violated both rules, so it's better for you to return to the palace earlier."
Without looking at Empress Yuan, he flicked his sleeves and said, "Come. Respectfully send Your Highness back to the palace. "
"I'm not going back!" Empress Yuan did not even say "Your Highness" anymore. She stood straight on the ground, her fingers clutching the stem of the window tightly. She said coldly, "I'll just watch from here, and see how my son deals with him …"
"Send Your Highness to rest!" Zhangsun Wuji suddenly cut her off, turned around, and pulled Meng Fuyao away. His steps were very fast, and Meng Fuyao was a little worried as she looked at the ashen expression between his brows. This was the second time Zhangsun Wuji had gotten angry, but this time, there was more sorrow in his anger.
"Zhangsun Wuji, you're so cruel!" Empress Yuan's scream tore through the suffocating silence. Her crystal-clear nails that had lost their enamel armor broke with a crack because she used too much force. Her voice was even more frightening than the sound of breaking. "You can't kill him, he's … he's …"
A purple shadow floated and swept backward like a gust of wind. In an instant, Zhangsun Wuji appeared beside Empress Yuan. Slightly lowering his head, Zhangsun Wuji looked at his mother expressionlessly and said faintly, "You're really talkative today."
Empress Yuan raised her eyes and stared at him, her breath rising and falling. After a while, she said, "Unfilial son, you might as well kill me as well."
"Why would I kill you, Mother?" Zhangsun Wuji regained his indifferent smile and said softly, "Only those who deserve to die should die."
"Who deserves to die?" Empress Yuan replied quickly. "King De has the right to discuss personal matters!"
"Those with evil intentions deserve to die," Yuan Zhaoxu answered coldly. Suddenly, he leaned over to Empress Yuan's ear and said in a low voice, "I've been patient with him for a long time, and I've given him one last chance. However, I've taken a step back, and he's advanced ten feet … even touching my bottom line … I'm sorry, Mother. I don't want to bear the sin, but some people who don't know when to stop are forcing me to."
"You're also forcing me to die." Empress Yuan also calmed down. She slowly placed the finger with the broken enamel armor on her throat and gave Yuan Zhaoxu a calm and eerie smile. "Wuji, don't regret this."
"Committing suicide with a broken fingernail?" Zhangsun Wuji smiled and said faintly, "Last time, it was a broken vase, and last time, it was almond juice. Empress, you really have a lot of tricks up your sleeve."
He no longer looked at Empress Yuan. Instead, he raised his head and called out to the guards who stood at the side, not daring to look at the mother and son. "Send the Empress to rest!" He turned and left.
He had only taken a few steps when the Governor hurried over. His face was pale and covered in sweat. He whispered a few words into Zhangsun Wuji's ear. Fuyao could vaguely hear the words' suicide '. Her heart tightened and she looked up at Zhangsun Wuji. The smile on his face was gone, replaced by a turbulent and dark tide. She leaned on his hand and felt that his fingertips were ice-cold. Empress Yuan seemed to have sensed something as well. She quickly caught up and asked, "What happened?"
Without looking back, Zhangsun Wuji said, "Send the Empress back!"
The guards walked over hesitantly. Behind them, Empress Yuan said sternly, "Stand down! Is there any place for you to meddle? I'll come and go as I please. Let's see who can touch me! "
Zhangsun Wuji looked back and said with a smile, "Yes, Your Highness, no one can touch you. You can do whatever you want, but I have to remind you that there are still people I can touch. If you make me feel uneasy, I can only directly deal with the source of the trouble. Do as you see fit."
"You!"
Zhangsun Wuji had already pulled Fuyao away. When she reached the middle of the corridor, she could not help but look back. She saw the gorgeous and noble woman trembling in the middle of the corridor. That thick and threatening bright yellow color made her look weak and haggard from afar, like a withered leaf falling helplessly into the luxurious palace filled with gold and jade.
Fuyao sighed from the bottom of her heart. This was the life of the royal family. Mutual deception, tit-for-tat, murderous intent, cold and merciless. She had always thought that as the only prince with the highest status in the Five Continents, Zhangsun Wuji, who had been supervising the country at the age of 15, would be the only pride and glory of her father and mother. The Wuji Royal Family would also be the most harmonious and harmonious among the royal families of the Five Continents. She had never thought that there would be such a deep rift between the mother and son. Their conversation was so cold that it made her hair stand on end. How many secrets of the royal family were hidden in the thousands of floors of the palace?
Was the relationship between King De and the Empress not ordinary?
Was that why Zhangsun Wuji was lenient toward King De?
She had unintentionally offended Zhangsun Wuji's mother. Looking at her eyes, which looked as if she wanted to skin her alive, Fuyao felt sorrowful. Offending the Great God was one thing, but offending the Empress would result in serious consequences …
= = =
Zhangsun Wuji walked faster and faster. His lavender robe was a patch of green in the early spring, like a gust of wind blowing past him. Meng Fuyao stared at his footsteps, feeling a little uneasy. Ever since she had known him, he had always been calm and collected. Losing his composure seemed to have nothing to do with him. However, at this moment, looking at his footsteps, which were obviously affected by the complex emotions in his heart, Meng Fuyao was a little stunned.
What had happened to make him so shocked?
The two of them followed the Governor to the backyard. The more they walked, the more secluded they became. Finally, they stopped in front of a row of servants' houses. The houses looked ordinary, with colorful clothes hanging outside. The three of them walked through them. The Governor opened the door of the third house. When the door was pushed open, a heavy smell of pig iron rushed out. The interior was dark and gloomy. At first glance, the utensils looked ordinary, but Fuyao's gaze had already landed on an ordinary oil lamp.
Sure enough, the Governor stepped forward and reached his hand into the lamp cap. With a rumble, the west wall was lifted. The Governor bowed to give way, but he did not dare to take another step forward. He stood at the bottom of the deep staircase and bowed down with a face full of sweat.
Having accidentally stumbled upon a royal secret, the Governor only felt that things were not going well. He looked at Fuyao foolishly following him, as if he was looking at a silly goose that was about to enter the slaughterhouse.
The silly goose did not have any self-awareness. Following Zhangsun Wuji down the iron staircase, he asked the Governor politely, "Aren't you going to lead the way?"
The Governor wiped the sweat off his forehead and cursed the idiot in his heart. "I'll guard the door for Your Highness …"
Zhangsun Wuji waved his hand without turning his head. The secret door closed with a rumble, and an even heavier smell of rust rushed in. There was also a faint, cold, and pungent smell. It was a smell that Fuyao was very familiar with. She was startled and felt a chill in her palm.
The stairs went all the way down. The two of them walked quickly on the iron stairs, and the sound of their footsteps echoed far away. Other than that, there was no other sound. This place was deathly silent, cold, dark, and empty. It was like an eternal bed of life, like a mausoleum that buried countless dead people.
Zhangsun Wuji suddenly stopped at the bottom of the stairs. He stopped so abruptly that Meng Fuyao, who was deep in thought with her head lowered, almost bumped into his back. She raised her head and inhaled sharply.
Blood.
Her eyes were full of blood.
The dripping blood slowly flowed out from the middle of the iron fence. It was sticky and thick, wriggling like scarlet snakes, soundless and creepy as they slowly slithered on the ground.
The iron wall directly facing the stairs was also covered with large amounts of blood. The blood sprayed on the iron wall like a fountain, blooming blood flowers on the iron wall. Among the blood flowers, there were a few large characters written with sharp strokes, brandishing their claws in the middle. It was a ghastly sight.
"With my life, I cast your sins!"
Those few words were written with hatred, and each stroke was as thick as a finger. The ends of those strokes that were filled with blood seemed to be unable to bear the viciousness and hatred. The blood that was filled with blood first fell in a curved arc, and then slid down. Every stroke dragged out countless thin lines of blood that interweaved into a blood-colored net, as if to catch some curse from the depths of hell.
The King of De was sitting under these words.
He sat cross-legged with his eyes and mouth wide open. The tongue in his mouth was already gone, and some blood, which had almost completely flowed out, slowly dripped out of his mouth.
He sat facing the end of the staircase. In other words, anyone who entered the iron prison would first see that horrifying bloody mouth.
How many people could withstand such a violent impact?
As for those words … Fuyao clenched her fists and slowly turned to look at Zhangsun Wuji. He was standing on the last step, but he did not take the last step. He stood ramrod straight, but his sleeves moved despite the absence of wind. An eerie chill emanated from his side, heavier than the rust, heavier than the smell of blood.
Fuyao took the next step and stood behind him. She felt that Zhangsun Wuji's back seemed so frail at that moment. It was the weakest he had ever been since she knew him. The blood in the room seemed to have invaded his muscles and bones, so much so that he felt a chill in his heart and his blood froze.
Someone had used the most tragic way of death as revenge. He had dealt the last and most powerful blow to the person he had never been able to control.
This moment seemed very short, and this moment seemed very long.
In the suffocating darkness and bloody silence, Zhangsun Wuji finally let out a long sigh.
"You're so ruthless …"
Fuyao's heart skipped a beat. The desolation in Zhangsun Wuji's voice was like a pair of powerless hands that suddenly grabbed her breath.
Then, she heard him say in a low voice,
"Father."
= = =
The lightning that filled the sky suddenly struck Fuyao's head.
The explosion caused her spirit to scatter and scatter into pieces.
With a clang, Fuyao hit the iron staircase, but she no longer felt pain. She gripped the iron railing tightly, the rough and cold iron rubbing against her hand. Amidst the pain, she suddenly realized that it was not a dream.
King De was Zhangsun Wuji's biological father!
Just a moment ago, when Empress Yuan shouted, "He is …", Meng Fuyao thought that she was going to say, "He is my lover." Never did she expect that the blank space behind the dash would be such a shocking secret.
She saw stars in front of her eyes, and many chaotic thoughts ran rampant in her mind … King De's Mad Concubine … She insulted Zhangsun Wuji for not having a proper position … Zhangsun Wuji's patience and probing of King De … Zhangsun Wuji's words: I never thought he would really kill me … The bitterness in his voice when he said that … And the words, "With my life, I cast you!"
Cast you to the death of your biological father!
What kind of father and son were they? What kind of parents were they?
Meng Fuyao shuddered, her teeth chattering loudly. She was not afraid, but cold. She was chilled by the bloody mystery of the royal family's incestuous past and the final outcome. Zhangsun Wuji, who was as smooth and flawless as a piece of jade, had always been carrying such an unspeakable pain on his back. She was so cold, yet she opened her arms to Zhangsun Wuji, who had not turned his head all this while.
She hugged Zhangsun Wuji from behind, just like how Zhangsun Wuji hugged her that night when he snuck into her room. She pressed her face tightly against Zhangsun Wuji's ice-cold back, her movements gentle, just like how Zhangsun Wuji rested his chin on her shoulder that night.
That night, the spring breeze was gentle and the fragrance of flowers was faint. They lay on the bed side by side, watching the spring scenery slowly swaying in the wind. The night was bloody and evil. They stood on the rusted stairs, looking at the tragic body of a man in front of them, their mouths wide open as they complained with their death.
Zhangsun Wuji silently stood there, his wide sleeves hanging down. His usually indifferent and straight back seemed weak and powerless at this moment. Although he was standing, it was as if a gust of wind could sweep him away and sweep him into the ice-cold pavilion. From then on, he would never be able to find redemption from his fate.
He stood there for an unknown amount of time. The moonlight shone on him, and a strand of hair that had escaped from his temples gradually faded, from black to gray, and then to white, until it finally became the same color as the moonlight.
In an instant, it turned white.
Fuyao watched in shock as the strand of white hair danced mournfully in the air. That thin strand of hair was like an iron whip, ruthlessly lashing at her heart.
She did not know when, but her tears had already fallen. At that moment, she felt so useless that she could not use fate's Hand of Turning Clouds and Rain to erase the most tragic scene in her life.
She could only hug Zhangsun Wuji tightly, hugging his trembling back.
"Wuji … say something, say something …" she said.
"It's not your fault, it's not your fault …"
She repeated it over and over again, her tears slowly soaking Zhangsun Wuji's light purple robe. The color of his robe gradually darkened, and from afar, it looked like blood.
Finally, Zhangsun Wuji moved.
He slowly turned around and gently hugged her in his arms. The coldness of his fingertips penetrated through the layers of her clothes and reached the bottom of her heart. She looked up at his pale face and heard him say, "Fuyao … are we all born to be sinners …"
"No!" Fuyao shook her head. "This is an intentional crime. It's the wrong choice of others. What does it have to do with you? Zhangsun Wuji, you've been wise all your life. You should understand the logic behind this. You can't use other people's mistakes to punish yourself. "
She suddenly let go of Zhangsun Wuji and strode to the door of the prison. She pulled out the Heaven Piercing Sword and slashed at the chains. She pushed the door open and walked to King De. She knelt on both knees and kowtowed three times. "The dead should be respected. No matter what grudges we had when they were alive, I should still kowtow to you. Besides, this is my apology for disturbing your body. There's something that I have to do, whether you're willing or not."
She stood up, walked forward, and closed King De's gaping mouth.
"No matter who's at fault, this is not how a father should punish his son." She reached out with a determined expression and closed King De's eyes. She gently placed his body down and wiped off the bloody words on the wall without hesitation.
There was no cloth around, so she used her sleeve to wipe off the blood stains bit by bit.
When she was done, she turned around and saw that Zhangsun Wuji had come down the stairs and was sitting cross-legged on the floor, silently watching her do it. His expression had always been very calm, so calm that it was like the moonlight that shone through the narrow window at the top of the iron prison. It was clear and cool, plated on the dark floor like a scroll of an indelible inscription.
Those grudges, love, and hate that faded with death, right and wrong, just like a scroll of an inscription, could only be commented on with blank space. In an instant, all the worries of the night were wasted, leaving only the Glaze Fire in the dark sky.
The bloody words on the wall could be erased, but how could the imprints left in his heart be freed?
Meng Fuyao walked over slowly and took out a match from her bosom to light the copper lamp. She then sat down in front of Zhangsun Wuji, amidst the bloodstains.
The copper lamp's dim light flickered and swayed, the dim yellow shadows shuttling back and forth in the empty room, intertwining the long-settled past and the irreversible present.
"A long time ago, there was an emperor who was seriously injured during a war to suppress a rebellion. It was a general who carried him and hid in a cave. In the end, he died in his place at the most dangerous moment. This general was a distant branch of the royal family and had the same surname as the emperor. After the emperor escaped from danger, he swore to all the civil and military officials that the royal family would never let down the general's descendants. He adopted the general's orphan and treated him as his own."
"From then on, the orphan's bloodline was conferred the title of King, and they protected the royal bloodline. They were as close as a family. About three generations later, this generation's Emperor was born with a congenital defect, and his body was weak and sickly. This generation's King was brave, good at fighting, and loyal to the country. He was the Emperor's right-hand man. When they were young, they often traveled together."
"That year, in late spring, the two of them went to a mountain in the outskirts of the capital. The emperor was in high spirits and played a song on the guqin while the prince performed a sword dance. Both of them were enjoying themselves to their heart's content when a passing lady interrupted them. Her words were sharp and incisive. She ridiculed both of their guqin skills and swordsmanship. The two of them returned dispiritedly, but for some reason, they never forgot about her."
The dim light of the lantern illuminated Zhangsun Wuji's calm face. His eyes were distant, as if he could see through this cold and desolate scene many years ago. A delicate man was playing the zither in the pavilion, a brave young man was dancing with his sword under a tree, and a young girl in light yellow clothes was walking over amidst the falling flowers that filled the sky. Her words were like that of an oriole. From then on, she stirred up the emotions of this world, stirred up the ups and downs of a royal family, stirred up the fates of countless people, and many, many years later, she was still harming the innocent.
Meng Fuyao silently reached out and held his hand. Zhangsun Wuji smiled faintly and gently patted her hand.
"After some time, the emperor was busy with national affairs and gradually forgot about the lady. One day, the prince rushed into the palace excitedly and told the emperor that he had found the lady and wanted to marry her. The emperor heard that the lady came from a noble family and was moved, but he didn't want to take away his brother's love. Thus, he ordered his personal eunuch to go to the lady's residence and deliver a famous painting. It was a painting of a sword dance in the snow by the previous dynasty. The emperor thought that since the lady knew martial arts, she would definitely like the painting. He asked the eunuch not to reveal his identity. He only said that he met the lady on a walk and learned a lesson from her. Since then, he has never forgotten it and bravely presented the painting to the lady."
"The lady took the painting and looked at it carefully. She asked the eunuch, 'Guqin player? Sword dancer? '"
"The eunuch thought that she was asking about the painting and answered, 'Sword dancer.'"
"The lady smiled and said, 'Good.'"
"The decision was made. The emperor was very happy and immediately issued a decree to take the lady as his concubine. The second year after she entered the palace, the lady gave birth to the first and only prince of this generation of the royal family. The emperor was even more delighted and conferred her the title of empress."
"The year the empress was crowned, the prince also took in a concubine. She was the eldest daughter of the Linjiang Duke, a princess of the royal family. Originally, it was forbidden for people of the same clan to marry. However, this princess had been pampered since she was young and had many requests. Since she fell in love with the prince, he decided to marry her. At that time, the people were magnanimous and not inflexible. In the eyes of the world, they were an extremely happy couple."
Zhangsun Wuji raised his head to look at the sliver of moonlight outside the window. Tonight seemed to be a full moon. Many years ago, on that night, on the eaves of the bridal chamber of the seemingly happy royal couple, was there also a full moon like this hanging high up in the sky? And on that moonlit night, what kind of story happened that caused the future to be poisoned by hatred? Day after day, it gnawed away at his bones until he was permanently crippled in the end?
"Just like that, the days passed. In the eyes of everyone, there was nothing unusual. However, only the people involved knew the turbulence within. For example, the empress realized that she had married the wrong person and that the emperor could no longer have sex due to his weak body. Another example was the emperor who realized that the man in the empress' heart was not him. Another example was the prince who thought that the emperor had stolen the girl he loved. Another example was the concubine, who finally realized that her husband was not her true husband. These thoughts were buried in the hearts of the four of them like tumors. Not a single day went by that they could find peace."
"Then the child grew up. When he was three years old, he disappeared for half a month. Actually, he did not disappear. He was carried away by the concubine."
Meng Fuyao let out a short "ah".
"The concubine was a naturally paranoid and crazy woman. She took the risk to enter the palace and secretly carried the child away. She locked him in a secret chamber. She did not beat or scold him, but used a mirror to look at him all day long. She pointed at the person in the mirror and said, 'Look at your nose, look at your forehead. You're his! You're his! That bitch! Bitch, bitch, bitch … 'She kept cursing him. The child wanted to cry, but the woman pinched him hard to stop him from crying. She said,' In this world, smiling is not smiling, crying is not crying. Everything that is shown on the face is fake. Only the bitterness in the heart is real. And the bitterness in the heart cannot be seen by others. Once it is seen, it will be over. '
"The boy stayed in that pitch-dark room for half a month, being shone upon by the mirror all day, until his eyes were dazzled. When he was rescued, he was nearly blind, and from then on, he never cried again."
Meng Fuyao suddenly raised her head, sniffed, and said in a hoarse voice, "Stop for a minute. Let me digest it."
Zhangsun Wuji lowered his eyes and used his ice-cold hand to gently stroke her fingers. "It's all in the past …" he said softly.
Meng Fuyao stared at his chest. Unknowingly, it had become wet. She reached over and pulled out the guy who was secretly crying. Pressing his forehead against hers, she said softly, "Rat, don't hide. Let's hug each other and cry."
Lord Ingot extended his claws and silently hugged her neck.
Zhangsun Wuji smiled, still smiling. Meng Fuyao turned her head away. At that moment, she did not want to see his smile at all. That perpetually graceful, noble, and unperturbed smile hid the transformation of a child who was forced to struggle, the pain that could not be known or spoken of, and the irreparable shattering of the Crown Prince Zhangsun.
She was powerless to make up for that shattering pain. All she could do was hold his hand tightly, trying in vain to warm his frozen heart with her own warmth.
"… The one who came to save the child was the Prince. He stared straight at the child until he was afraid. Only then did he carry him. He laughed crazily and said, 'Mine, mine … Haha, this is mine. This time, you can't snatch it away …"
"The Empress was there too. She dismissed the palace maids and walked over to close the door. Suddenly, she threw herself at him and cried," It's yours … It's ours … In the future, it'll all be ours … They didn't avoid the child. They thought he didn't understand, but he did. "
"When the child was more than ten years old, he gradually showed some talent. His father doted on him a lot and gave him the power of the military and the country early on, allowing him to display his political talents. The Prince and the Empress were very happy. They discussed to help the Prince ascend the throne and kill the Emperor."
"When the child found out about this, he thought about it for several days and nights, but could not make up his mind. That night, he went to the Emperor's bedchamber to pay his respects. The Emperor, who had been bedridden the whole time, was playing with a painting. When the Emperor saw him, he did not put it away, but instead beckoned him over."
"That night, the child learned the whole story. However, what he could not forget was the tenderness in the Emperor's eyes when he mentioned the Empress, the faint apology when he mentioned the Prince, and the gentle look in the Emperor's eyes when he looked at him."
"At that moment, he immediately understood that the Emperor knew everything, including his past!"
He had to admit that no matter if it was a father or the Emperor, no one was better than the latter. His Highness was narrow-minded and had been stimulated by hatred over the years to the point that his heart was not right. Even though the Emperor was limited by his weak body and could not have greater achievements, he was generous and kind. He did not conscript taxes and taxes. Because of him, the people could have days of peace. And towards that child, he had never done anything wrong. He helped him learn how to walk, he held his hand to teach him how to write, he placed him on his knees to mark memorials. Before that night, he had never made the child realize that he was not his father. "
"Blood and kinship cannot be combined. That night, the child thought of a white hair. In the morning, he plucked out the white hair in the first rays of the morning sun. Then, he used the order of the country supervisor to issue a few decrees."
"Those edicts gave His Highness a more honorable title and more land, but removed his military power. At that time, that child still had hope in his heart that His Highness would take the initiative to give up the title and go far away. That way, those old grudges that have been buried in the passage of time would slowly fade away."
"However, His Highness refused to take the title on the grounds that Wang Fei's health was not good. After losing his military power, he was not willing to retire. He kept a low profile and secretly made contacts. He did things openly and always appeared to be loyal to the court. Everyone in court praised him for his loyalty and bravery. That child always watched coldly. On one hand, he could not casually punish a 'loyal official.' On the other hand, he hoped that his biological father would rein in at the brink of the precipice. That was why he only hindered him in secret and did not actually touch him. "
"Who would have thought that His Highness would be so daring? He could not bear to live like this and actually joined forces with the Empress to hint to the child about his identity. He wanted him to return to his ancestry, kill his adoptive father, and welcome his biological father back to the throne."
"The request was really absurd. That child only smiled, but His Highness was so angry that he actually took the risk out of desperation. He colluded with foreign countries and wanted to incite the old troops in the capital to start a rebellion. When the child found out about this, he knew that things could not be done. He could only make up his mind and give him 200,000 troops to quell the rebellion at the border."
"This was a test and also the last chance. If His Highness had obediently quelled the rebellion, the child would not have made things difficult for his biological father. But he … really did rebel."
Zhangsun Wuji smiled without any trace of a smile. "You naturally know what happened next. That was the story of the Zhangsun Imperial Family. His Highness is King De, the Empress is my mother, and that child is me."
Meng Fuyao held his hand tightly, not knowing what to say or do. Why were there so many mistakes and reversals in this world? Ruining the happiness of those innocent people. In this story, no one was wrong, but in the end, it led to consequences that no one could have expected.
"Fuyao, the rebellion in Gao Luo is real. I did not lie to you," Zhangsun Wuji said in a low voice. Zhangsun Wuji said in a low voice, "However, since I was able to find Tory, the spy of Gaul, who was hiding in the country, I was naturally prepared for Gaul. So, not long after I arrived, the Gaul war ended, but this news was not released."
"And I can finally explain what I needed to explain to you now." He gently combed her hair that was stuck to the side of her forehead due to her tears and personally combed her messy sideburns. "I really didn't think that he would give up Yao City just to kill me. I had expected everything, but I was so stupid that I didn't expect my father to kill me."
'My father wants to kill me.'
Her tears dripped onto the blood-soaked ground. The congealed purplish blood melted away, leaving a faint red on the ground. It was like a Red Spider Lily that had bloomed on the other side of the Yellow Springs, a flower that no one would ever want to see.
She suddenly threw herself over, hugging the unmoving Changsun Wuji's shoulder, her tears burning hot as they landed on Changsun Wuji's skin, every single drop as heavy as mercury, piercing through his flesh and bones, straight into his heart, producing a large area of scorching pain.
Zhangsun Wuji slowly raised his eyes and looked at the tearful Meng Fuyao.
At that moment, under the dim yellow light, the lonely story of the vicissitudes of life slowly flowed by. This woman, who had never frowned in the face of death in the Shuraba, was weeping hot tears for his story.
Lord Ingot also rushed over and threw himself between them, hugging Zhangsun Wuji tightly.
"I beg you, cry once, just once …" Meng Fuyao shook the silently sitting Zhangsun Wuji's shoulder, her nails digging into his clothes. "Cry it out, cry it out …"
"I beg you … cry it out …" She buried her head in his shoulder and repeated, crying over and over again.
Zhangsun Wuji stared at her for a long time and finally reached out to hold her. He raised his head and looked at the thin sliver of moonlight that penetrated through the window.
It was the moonlight that did not distinguish between the present and the past. It was the moonlight that was full of joys and sorrows. It was the moonlight that crossed the desolate river and peeled off the golden powder of the human world. It was the moonlight that shone coldly from afar, unaware of the sufferings of the world.
His previous life was also the moonlight that was cold and distant. It did not belong to the thousands of lights, the ordinary days, and the warmth of the mortal world. He was trapped in power for a few rounds, and gratitude and grudges were overturned like sand flowing through his fingers. When he woke up, he was a guest.
He was the master of the dynasty, and he was a passerby of the human world's happiness.
He enjoyed all the luxuries of the world, and some things were also extravagant for him.
But now, someone was hugging him and crying for him. Her warmth penetrated his bones, and he could not refuse to hear the sound of ice melting.
A long, long time later.
He raised his head and closed his eyes.
The moonlight outlined his delicate jaw.
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