Chapter 26 The incestuous force was so great it almost crushed her.

Bai Ziyuan had been waiting here for a long time. He knew that Bai Lian disliked getting up early, and even remembered clearly the time when Cuizhu would wake her up every day when they were in the manor.

Therefore, he deliberately calculated the time when she should be half-awake before instructing a palace maid to inform her.

Hearing the soft rustling of the beaded curtain, he slowly turned around, trying to put on his usual gentle smile to greet his "sister".

The morning light shines softly through the carved window lattice, gently illuminating the white lotus.

Now, the childishness in her eyes has completely faded, replaced by breathtaking beauty. With just a slight curve of her lips, she is already charming and peerless.

Looking at this woman who captivated him but whom he was destined to never have, Bai Ziyuan felt as if his heart was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and the bitterness and pain almost broke through his forced calm.

Back then, to protect that secret and shield her from gossip, he chose to bury his surging emotions deep within his heart, forcing himself to be merely a dutiful elder brother. But fate played a cruel trick; she eventually learned the whole truth after marrying into the Eastern Palace… What meaning did all his past forbearance and self-imposed exile ultimately hold?

Now, he is about to marry a princess whom he has always genuinely regarded as a younger sister; while the only person he ever truly loved has long since become someone else's wife, bestowed with the honor of being a crown princess.

He, Bai Ziyuan, possessed the talent of a top scholar and the courage of a general, yet he was powerless to grasp even the happiness he desired most.

A faint, almost imperceptible bitter smile finally escaped from the corner of her lips, drawing a questioning look from Bai Lian.

"Brother," she asked with a smile, "has the wedding date been chosen?"

After a long time, Ziyuan's appearance was still exceptionally handsome. However, his years of military service and the scorching sun at the border had given his skin a deep bronze color, adding to his calm and resolute demeanor.

Bai Lian smiled as she looked at him. Even though she knew they were not related by blood, the sense of closeness that came from their years of companionship never changed.

Bai Ziyuan did not answer her question immediately.

His gaze swept past her seemingly calm face, drifting into an unknown distance, his voice low and almost a soliloquy: "Is he... good to you?"

“…It’s fine,” Bai Lian paused slightly, then replied, “Brother, you don’t need to worry.”

Cui Zhu, who was standing to the side, had already observed the situation and quietly waved her hand to dismiss the other palace servants in the hall. She also quietly withdrew and gently closed the door.

The room was suddenly empty except for the two of them. In the silence, Bai Ziyuan lowered his eyes, his expression unreadable, but his next question struck like a boulder thrown into a deep pool: "Then... do you love him?"

Bai Lian was completely stunned. The question was so direct, so untimely, and even crossed the line of concern that an elder brother should have.

She vaguely sensed that beneath the pure kinship she once firmly believed in, there seemed to be some undercurrent of emotions that she had never noticed or was unwilling to delve into.

But whatever the truth is, he can only be her brother, and that will never change.

"I..." she hesitated, her thoughts a jumbled mess. Was she trying to comfort her brother out of fear of worrying him, or was it that deep down she truly harbored feelings for Galorin that she herself hadn't fully analyzed? Even she herself couldn't tell.

Finally, she heard her own voice softly emerge, with a barely perceptible tremor: "...I love him."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell into a suffocating silence.

“…That’s good.” After a long silence, Bai Ziyuan suddenly stood up, still with his head bowed, his voice almost hoarse from suppressed emotion. “Then I’m relieved. I came here today just to see you. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.” He paused, then added with difficulty, “When you have time…go home and visit. Your parents are very worried about you.”

"Brother..." Bai Lian couldn't help but call out softly as she watched his retreating figure.

The call made Bai Ziyuan freeze abruptly.

She walked slowly towards him and gently instructed, "Brother, in the future... treat your sister-in-law well. Shuli is a good girl, don't let her down."

Bai Ziyuan suddenly turned around and met her gaze. Her eyes were so complex they were heartbreaking, a mixture of pain, resentment, and deep-seated love.

He gazed at her for a long time, as if trying to etch her image into the depths of his soul.

Suddenly, he reached out and pulled Bai Lian tightly into his arms, his arms encircling her like iron hoops, the force so great that he almost crushed her, as if he wanted to pour out all the longing and feelings that had been accumulating for more than ten years at this moment.

Bai Lian opened her eyes wide in astonishment, unable to move for a moment in Bai Ziyuan's firm embrace.

Bai Ziyuan held the figure that had appeared countless times in his dreams tightly, feeling the warmth that would never belong to him, and the dam of his reason completely collapsed.

“Lian’er,” his voice was hoarse, filled with desperate urgency, “I’ll take you away! Leave this place! This palace is not suitable for you at all. It’s too dark, too dirty… This place…” The overwhelming emotions made him incoherent. The words that had swirled in his heart a thousand times over came out as broken syllables.

"Brother!" Bai Lian struggled and pushed him away little by little. Her gaze was calm as water, and her tone was distant. "I am already the Crown Princess. Please have some self-respect."

“Lian’er…” Bai Ziyuan’s face was almost overflowing with sorrow. The gentle and refined gentleman of the past was now nothing but endless desolation and bleakness.

He gazed at her, the last glimmer of light in his eyes fading, his voice as soft as a sigh: "If... if from the very beginning you had known we weren't related by blood... would you... have fallen in love with me?"

Bai Lian lowered her eyes, then raised them firmly again, answering each word resolutely: "In my heart, you will always be my respected elder brother. You were, you are, and you will be in the future. I can never repay you for all the kindness you have shown me in this lifetime."

After saying that, she slowly bowed and gave him a solemn yet distant bow.

When she straightened up again, the last glimmer of humble hope in Bai Ziyuan's eyes, like a brief, brilliant firework in the night sky, was completely extinguished by those words, turning into a deathly ashes.

-

In the early spring of the twenty-third year of Fengtian, as the ice and snow melted and all things revived, the entire Feng Dynasty was immersed in the joy of a grand and joyous occasion. Princess Shuli and Bai Ziyuan, the newly appointed martial arts champion and son of the Prime Minister, were happily married.

This marriage, hailed as a "perfect match," became the most talked-about topic of conversation, with everyone marveling that it was truly a match made in heaven.

The day after the wedding, Princess Shuli was ordered to enter the palace to visit her father, Emperor Jia Fengtian.

After leaving Jinyang Palace, she walked briskly to the East Palace, intending to talk to Bai Lian.

At this moment, Shuli was dressed as a married woman, her hair slightly tied up and her pearl hairpins swaying gently. The immaturity of her girlhood had faded from her eyes, replaced by a bright and charming demeanor. She exuded the gentleness and happiness of a newlywed, and was even more beautiful than before.

Bai Lian greeted her with a smile as she entered. When her gaze swept over Shu Li's rosy cheeks, she couldn't help but recall the scene on her wedding day—her petite body was wrapped in layers of gorgeous and elaborate wedding dresses, almost too heavy to bear.

Just before getting into the sedan chair, she suddenly turned around, tightly grasped Bai Lian's hands, looked up, her bright eyes glistening with tears, and said in a trembling but urgent voice, "Sister Lian, I...I really love him."

Bai Lian then grasped her slightly cool hand, her tone gentle yet firm: "I know. You will definitely be happy."

She knew the girl's unease and hope; it was that deep and unwavering love that gave her the courage to persevere.

"How have you been, sister?" Shuli sat down with a smile, her voice filled with sweetness.

"Everything is fine." Bai Lian raised her hand and gently smoothed a strand of hair that had been ruffled by the wind from her forehead, feeling a pang of emotion in her heart.

Time has passed, and the little girl who once needed her comfort is now her sister-in-law. What a wonderful coincidence!

Upon hearing this, Shu Li's cheeks flushed crimson. She lowered her eyes shyly, her thick, long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, and the satisfaction and sweetness in her eyes almost overflowed.

She said softly, in a voice barely audible, "He...treats me very well."

"That would be perfect." Bai Lian's smile deepened, and the subtle knot in her heart caused by the past truly vanished at this moment. "If he dares to bully you in the slightest in the future, never suffer in silence. Be sure to tell your sister, and I will stand up for you."

Changing the subject, Bai Lian remembered that a few days ago, Jia Luolin had mentioned that the Emperor seemed to be unwell, so she asked with concern, "By the way, you just visited Father Emperor. Is he alright?"

Mentioning her father, Shuli's face dimmed slightly, replaced by a look of worry: "Father... says he often feels heartburn and stomach burning, and his spirits are getting worse. The imperial physicians have taken his pulse, but none of them can figure out what's wrong. They dare not prescribe any medicine rashly, only speculating that it might be due to his recent overwork in state affairs. For now... we can only try to slowly recuperate him with a mild and nourishing diet."

Bai Lian listened quietly, a slight thought stirring within her. She realized that the description of these symptoms somewhat matched the occasional discomfort she had recently experienced, though it was nowhere near as severe as the Emperor's. She had never paid much attention to her health since childhood, and knew very little about medicine. Now, she felt a pang of regret for not having been more attentive in the past.

However... it's probably just a common discomfort, nothing serious, right?

"Sister?" Shuli called softly when she saw Bailian deep in thought.

"Hmm," Bai Lian snapped out of her reverie, collected her thoughts, and timely changed the subject with a smile, "The Crown Prince has official business to attend to today and won't be back for dinner. If you're not in a hurry to return to your residence, would you like to stay and have dinner with me?"

“Okay!” Shuli immediately agreed, her smile brightening again.