Chapter 43 Blood Letter.

Upon seeing Song Pingkou, Geng Qing dared not act recklessly under the influence of alcohol again. Song Pingkou summoned the imperial physician to treat him, and only then did he lower his head to look at Princess Yongjia.

The princess was pale and trembling, leaning fearfully into his arms.

Song Pingkou softened his tone, "This humble general was late due to other matters. The princess has been frightened."

Lingyi lifted her eyelashes to look at him, then quickly lowered her eyelids. In an instant, tears wet her eyelashes, and she said in a low voice, "I... am not feeling well and want to go back to the princess's residence first."

Her fear, yet her attempt to appear strong, only made her more pitiful.

Song Pingkou said, "This humble general will escort the princess out."

Once outside, Lingyi had calmed down considerably and said softly to Song Pingkou, "Thank you so much for helping me out today, General. It was also thanks to you that I was able to get here safely when we met by chance in the mountains. I will definitely prepare a grand gift and personally visit you another day to express my gratitude."

Song Pingkou said, "Princess, there is no need for such formalities. Just now, Geng Qing was being disrespectful. I will make sure he goes to the Princess's residence to apologize to her another day."

Upon hearing the mention of Geng Qing, Lingyi's face showed fear. "I dare not, I only hope that General Geng will not hold a grudge against me."

Song Pingkou snorted arrogantly, "He wouldn't dare!"

The two talked all the way to the palace gate. Song Pingkou wanted to send Lingyi back, but a carriage sped up outside and a man got out of the carriage with a look of urgency on his face.

It was Xie Yu.

After exchanging greetings with Song Pingkou, his gaze fell on Lingyi. "Your sister heard that you were frightened in the palace, so she sent me to fetch you."

Lingyi bowed her head, bid farewell to Song Pingkou, and boarded Xie Yu's carriage.

The carriage started moving and began to travel slowly outside the imperial city gate. Lingyi secretly lifted the curtain and saw Song Pingkou standing there watching her figure as she left, remaining motionless for a long time.

At this moment, there was no trace of fear on her face.

Xie Yu sat opposite her, watching her. The last time he saw her was on the boat that day. He watched her rush towards him, only to be shot down by Qin Lie's arrow.

It has been four years since the two were last this close.

He suddenly sighed, "Just now I went to the prison and saw Liu Yunfei. Before, when Shu Prefecture surrendered, only he continued to resist stubbornly and was only captured a few days ago. I went to see him to find out why he turned against us back then. I had anticipated all sorts of possible changes that day, but I never expected that General Shen's beloved disciple would harbor resentment towards the Seventh Prince's faction, and that the upright and resolute Liu Yunfei would betray the Crown Prince. If it weren't for his betrayal that day, things would not be like this today."

Lingyi smiled and asked, "Have you found out the reason?"

Xie Yu paused for a moment before saying, "When the late emperor arranged the marriage, he already had a wife."

"Since you already have a wife, why arrange a marriage?"

“His first wife came from the countryside and was very uncouth, and she was of no help to his career. We thought he would accept her gladly.”

Xie Yu's mind flashed back to the hateful eyes of Liu Yunfei in prison. "My wife, Yun'er, came to my family for a meal and raised me as a child bride. She was six years older than me and was already plain-looking. By the time I rose to prominence, she was over thirty, her face covered in wrinkles, and she couldn't read a single word. She even injured her body and couldn't bear me children, and you all thought I had to endure her for the sake of reputation and morality. So you issued an edict ordering me to divorce my wife and marry another, even allowing me to demote her to a concubine, thinking I would be grateful! Even my parents and relatives were overjoyed when they received the edict and immediately sent Yun'er back to her parents' home. Her family, on the other hand, were cowards and opportunists who actually forced her to commit suicide to curry favor with me and prevent her from hindering my rise to power."

Liu Yunfei's laughter was chilling: "But you're all wrong! Do you know that when I heard the news of her death, I wished I could go with her! I only stayed alive because I wanted to avenge her! I want to live, I want to watch you scheme and plot for the so-called Da Han, forcing her to commit suicide, only to end up regretting it all!"

"Xie Yu! You and your grandfather thought you had figured out the hearts of all people, but why did you forget that only those with feelings are truly human?"

"If a person has no feelings, what difference is there between them and plants?!"

"One wrong move, and the whole game is lost! Xie Yu, I feel incredibly relieved right now. What about you? Do you have any regrets?!"

After Liu Yunfei finished speaking, he struck his head against a pillar and died.

Xie Yu stood beside his body for a long time until a servant came to inform him that Princess Yongjia was being harassed by Geng Qing in the palace, at which point he rushed over.

He kept telling himself that once a move is made, there's no going back, and no turning back.

But now she has grown into an even more beautiful woman, with a gentle and charming beauty emanating from her very bones.

The peonies he carefully nurtured never bloomed for him, and now, when she faces him, she no longer even glances at him.

These days, even though he knows she's there, he hasn't visited her, and he even deliberately avoids the banquets she attends.

The reason was that I was afraid that after seeing it, the pain at night would consume me.

I never imagined this would happen today. Thinking of what would have become of her if Song Pingkou hadn't been there, how could Xie Yu not feel regret?

His regrets extend far beyond today.

"Lingyi." He called her name softly and said slowly, "Geng Qing is blind and will definitely not let this go. He is a general in the court, while you... are just a princess in name only. Even if he insults you, he will only reprimand you and at most punish you with some salary and confine you to your home to reflect on your mistakes. Now is the time when he needs people, and he will be reinstated sooner or later. You... need to find a way out for yourself."

Lingyi turned her head and asked him with great interest, "May I ask, Prime Minister Xie, what other options do I have?"

Xie Yu paused for a moment, then lowered his head and said, "If you come to my residence... I am, after all, the Prime Minister, and the old general values ​​me highly. Geng Qing is not a fool. As long as I am in power, he will not dare to touch you in the slightest."

After he finished speaking, he waited for a long time for Lingyi's reaction, so he had to look at her. He saw that she had a mocking look on her face, and his despicable face was reflected in her eyes.

All the memories flooded his mind tonight, and he grabbed her hand in a moment of panic. “Lingyi, you know, you were only fifteen years old then, and I have been waiting for you to grow up. Because of my gentlemanly conduct, I never confessed my feelings to you. If we had already pledged our lives to each other back then, I would have disregarded everything and begged my grandfather to arrange your marriage to me.”

Lingyi asked sarcastically, "And then? You'll become Miss Song's second wife again?"

Xie Yu released his grip, his face deathly pale. After a moment, he said, "If I were to marry you, I certainly wouldn't..."

“No, Brother Xie Yu, you will.” Ling Yi’s tone was calm and firm. “You will just agonize for a few more days, struggle a few more times, and feel more pain in your heart. But after the pain, agonizing and struggling, you will still do these things, regardless of who you marry.”

She sighed, "The empire and the beauty, the empire and the beauty, since ancient times the empire has always been in the foreground, and the beauty is merely an embellishment for heroes who have gained the empire. You don't need to blame yourself, I have never blamed you. If you still feel guilty, you should be kinder to Sixteenth Sister. I have few relatives, and I even had to abandon my own child. Now I only have the Emperor and Sixteenth Sister left as my relatives. You certainly don't want me to be sad for them, do you?"

She pleaded with him softly, as if she were still in the Eastern Palace in the past, when she spoke with a natural coquettish tone.

But what she asked for today was for him to treat another woman better. Xie Yu felt more than just sadness; he felt waves of dull pain that he couldn't avoid or escape, yet it wasn't painful enough to give him the courage to resist.

Unable to resist his own despicable nature, he continued to coax her: "If you come to my residence, you and your sisters can spend every day together."

Lingyi shook her head: "No, Brother Xie Yu. I can ask anyone for protection, but I cannot go to your residence."

Xie Yu pressed further, "Why?"

Lingyi's face revealed an innocent yet cruel expression. "It doesn't matter if it's someone else, but I truly loved you. How could I become your concubine? Seeing how well you treat others, just thinking about it makes me resent you."

Although Xie Yu had long known of Ling Yi's feelings for him, this was the first time he had heard her say it outright, and it was to reject him. His heart ached, and he closed his eyes briefly before saying, "In that case, I will make arrangements to send you back to the north."

Why?

Xie Yu said, "Qin Lie came to Zhuozhou by boat to find you before." He was greatly shocked when he received the news. Qin Lie, with his status, would risk infiltrating enemy territory. He knew that if he had given the order, Qin Lie might not have escaped unscathed. However, if Qin Lie died, there would be no one left to contend with the Song family. When the Song family became dominant, it would be the end of Emperor Chengtai. For the sake of maintaining balance, Xie Yu held back. "Given his status, he was willing to risk coming to find you… Although you will suffer some hardship upon returning, it will be safer than staying alone in the Princess's residence. If Geng Qing is like this, the others are no better. Besides returning to his side, how else can you protect yourself?"

Lingyi sighed softly: "You sent me back simply because men can marry multiple wives, have three or four concubines, and have women on both sides, while women can only be faithful to one man. Since I cannot go to your residence, I can only return to Qin Lie's side, which will save my life and also preserve my 'innocence'."

She shook her head and sighed, "Brother Xie Yu, the world is in chaos and people are suffering, yet you are still so stubborn and unyielding."

Xie Yu sensed the sarcasm in her words, "Could it be that you have another way?"

Lingyi smiled slightly: "For the past nineteen years, I have been manipulated by others in everything. Today, I want to be the master of my own destiny."

"This time, I choose Song Pingkou."

.

On the second day of the second month of the third year of the Chengtai reign, Emperor Chengtai bestowed a marriage upon General Song Pingkou and Princess Liu Lingyi of Yongjia.

For a moment, everyone was in an uproar. This Princess Yongjia had once married Qin Lie of Jizhou, and was now the wife of Prince Duan of Xianchao. Now she was going to remarry, and to the only son of General Song, who was now the actual leader of the Song family army.

Many people are speculating that perhaps the young emperor, in his desperation to protect himself, issued such an edict.

The rumors were quickly dispelled, because Song Pingkou not only readily accepted the imperial edict, but also got married ten days later in a grand and solemn ceremony, which was obviously premeditated.

Only then did everyone realize that this imperial decree was not forced by the young emperor, but was clearly the work of Song Pingkou.

On their wedding night, dragon and phoenix candles were lit together, creating a sea of ​​red that could sting the eyes if one looked at it too long.

The tall man pushed open the door and entered. Lingyi was momentarily dazed, as if she had returned to that autumn day five years ago.

Song Pingkou was slightly displeased by her absent-mindedness. "What is the princess thinking about?"

Lingyi lowered her head, her eyelashes fluttering slightly. She didn't answer, but said shyly and sweetly, "You must pity me..."

When they first met in the mountains, Song Pingkou was captivated by her beauty, but it was only a fleeting infatuation that he quickly forgot.

However, after he returned, he encountered her several times and saw her being bullied, which made him feel even more sorry for her.

Now that he has married her, and she has already said she will cherish her, what is he waiting for?

He chuckled softly and pulled her onto the bed.

After a long while, the commotion on the bed finally subsided. Song Pingkou, panting, embraced Lingyi and sighed, "The princess is truly a golden branch and jade leaf, incomparable to ordinary beauties!"

She was more than just beautiful; she possessed an innate allure that Song Pingkou couldn't get enough of.

Lingyi leaned obediently against him, a cold glint in her eyes.

This is what men are like: men who hold power and are high above others.

He went to great lengths to marry her, and then recklessly compared her to other women.

She couldn't even get angry.

She wasn't angry at all; instead, she became even more gentle and considerate, making Song Pingkou increasingly reluctant to part with her.

This move naturally made Lingyi the target of public criticism, and even General Song had some reservations about her.

He liked Princess Yongjia, who had abandoned darkness for light, but he did not like her becoming his daughter-in-law.

Song Pingkou was his only son, whom he had only had when he was over thirty. He had gotten whatever he wanted since childhood, and the more he went against his wishes, the more he cared for him.

Only then did he pinch his nose and let Lingyi in.

Therefore, when Song Pingkou's concubine came to him with evidence, General Song resolutely stood on the other side of Lingyi.

Song Pingkou was described as brave but reckless, and he hated being schemed against more than anything else. When General Song presented him with evidence of how Lingyi had bribed a servant to have a chance encounter with him, Song Pingkou immediately flew into a rage and went to confront Lingyi.

Ling Yi had no way to defend herself, and Song Pingkou was furious: "I have treated you well, yet you have schemed against me in such a scheming way!"

Lingyi retorted confidently, "If I hadn't schemed and plotted, how could I have married my husband?!"

Tears streamed down her face like pearls. "I first met my husband in the mountains, when I was filled with despair and didn't know what lay ahead. I met him again at a palace banquet, where I was humiliated. If it weren't for my husband's intervention, I would have died on the spot. My husband is a peerless hero who has saved me from danger many times. How could I not admire him wholeheartedly? But I am of humble appearance and a second wife. If I don't use some cunning, how can I win my husband's favor? I knew this day would come. Since admiration is wrong, it would be better if we never met. In that case, I request to leave this place and spend the rest of my life in seclusion with a Buddhist lamp."

After saying this, without waiting for Song Pingkou's reaction, she went out and stayed at a nunnery in the suburbs, without even returning to the Princess's residence.

Song Pingkou was spoiled growing up, and his temper was like that of a three-year-old child. He needed to be coaxed, but he couldn't be spoiled too much.

If Lingyi had begged for mercy, he would have been annoyed. But she left so decisively, as if she had obtained something rare and precious, and he hadn't even had his fill before she disappeared.

Moreover, Lingyi was thoughtful and meticulous, and she used the all-encompassing attentiveness of a palace eunuch on him. Suddenly separated from her, Song Pingkou felt uncomfortable and dissatisfied with everything.

When I recall her words about being a "hero of unparalleled skill" and "full of admiration," how could I not feel angry?

He went to fetch her in person, and there she was, dressed in plain clothes, kneeling between the ancient Buddha and the dim lamp. Her beauty was still evident in her simple clothes and hairpin, but she was thin and her eyes were slightly swollen, which showed that she had suffered a lot of lovesickness.

Upon seeing Song Pingkou, Lingyi hadn't even spoken before two streams of tears flowed down her cheeks.

The most touching emotions are those that are not spoken aloud, and Song Pingkou immediately embraced him.

But she was afraid and didn't want to go back with him.

Song Pingkou felt a surge of pity and awkwardly tried to coax someone for the first time, "Come back with me, and I promise no one will dare to bully you again!"

Lingyi looked at him resentfully: "When have I ever cared about anyone else? I only blame you for not believing me."

The hardest thing to bear is the kindness of a beautiful woman, and the most touching thing is the affection of a beautiful woman.

Song Pingkou said, "I will no longer doubt you. From now on, whatever you say will be the truth, and I will believe you without question."

Upon returning to the mansion, Song Pingkou's first act was to punish the concubine.

Lingyi dissuaded him, saying, "She was only thinking of her husband and did not frame anyone. What crime has she committed? The old general also loves his son dearly. Husband, please do not let me upset them."

Because of her profound understanding of righteousness, Song Pingkou favored her even more and stopped visiting other people.

Taking advantage of Song Pingkou's favor, she punished several palace servants who were outwardly compliant but inwardly negligent in their duties to Emperor Chengtai, making life much easier for Emperor Chengtai and his mother in the palace.

Lingyi then thought that she could pretend things were perfect by continuing like this.

Alas, though the tree desires stillness, the wind will not cease; fate mocks us in vain.

With Qin Shen's marriage alliance with the Liang family, who guarded the northwest, the north was now entirely under the Qin family's control.

Of those in the south who had not submitted to the Song family, only one rebel army remained that had not been wiped out years ago.

General Zhou, who was left to guard Yunzhou, had made it clear that he would only serve as a loyal subject and had no intention of getting involved in the struggle for power.

The world eventually became a state of confrontation between the Qin and Song dynasties.

Calls for Emperor Chengtai to abdicate are growing louder in the court.

Lingyi knew that Song Pingkou might improve his attitude towards Emperor Chengtai for her sake, but in the face of the vast empire and supreme imperial power, how insignificant was a woman?

On the other hand, if she could really influence Song Pingkou to such an extent, General Song would never have allowed her to live from the very beginning.

Lingyi only wanted to delay the matter as much as possible.

It would be best to drag this out until she passes away. Once she's dead, she'll be done with everything and won't care about anyone else.

But there are always people who are eager to court death.

In September of the third year of the Chengtai era, the Empress Dowager wrote a letter in blood and handed it to a palace eunuch, intending to collude with several ministers to kill General Song and his son when they entered the palace in order to seize power.

One of the ministers defected, and Song Pingkou immediately led his troops into the palace, arresting the Empress Dowager and related people, including Emperor Chengtai.

He considered himself to have treated Emperor Chengtai and his mother with considerable courtesy—if it weren't for the Song family, they would have died in the capital long ago, yet now they were plotting to murder them. Enraged, he drew his sword and began to kill. He had just killed a few eunuchs and was about to behead the Empress Dowager when Lingyi, who had rushed over, stopped him.

Song Pingkou has always acted arbitrarily, and in such a rage, even if General Song himself came, he would not stop.

Upon seeing Lingyi, though his face was full of anger, he explained, "I promised you I would treat them well, but today they are the ones who want to kill me!"

Lingyi pleaded with him, "Husband, you can demote them to commoners and keep them under strict guard. Just for my sake, please spare their lives."

Song Pingkou said bitterly, "They have been plotting to kill me, yet you still speak up for them! Madam, whose heart is truly with you? Or did you marry me only for this moment? If I had made a wrong move and fallen into their hands today, would you still be pleading for me like this?"

His anger couldn't hide his heartbreak, and Lingyi wept, asking, "Husband, why do you say such things?"

She took his hand and gently placed it on her lower abdomen. "Even if I feel sorry for my brother's child, I will only love our own child more."

The Song family has always had only one son per generation. Song Pingkou is now approaching thirty and has seven or eight concubines in his courtyard, but he only has two daughters.

Upon hearing that Lingyi was pregnant, he was stunned and stood there for a long time before finally saying, "Really?"

Lingyi smiled through her tears and said, "How could this be faked?"

She nestled gently in his arms, "My husband, please spare their lives, just for the sake of our children, okay?"

Song Pingkou was overjoyed, but scolded her, "You are pregnant, hurry back to the manor, don't be hurt by the blood and violence of these weapons!" Ignoring the many people present, he picked her up and left with the words "Lock them up" before laughing loudly.

Xie Yu, who had brought the order, watched the two of them leave with a somber expression.

The news of Lingyi's pregnancy was kept secret by her through bribery of the imperial physician. At the time, he didn't know why, but now he realized that this was the moment Lingyi had been waiting for. After standing there for a while, he turned around and ordered, "Clean this place up, and 'invite' the Empress Dowager and the Emperor back to their respective palaces. Keep a close watch on them!"