Chapter 1117: Grand Finale: Return of an Old Friend (25)

"You are probably different from me." Empress Xian De didn't wait for Shen Miao to answer and continued, "In the past, His Majesty didn't know who you were and asked about your affairs. From what I heard, I knew you were a person with your own ideas. You dealt with the Mingqi royal family and protected the Shen family. You probably had your own ideas from the beginning. As for meeting Jingxing and marrying him, it was all accidental and natural. If you hadn't met Jingxing, you could have lived your own life because your original goal was not to become someone's wife."

"But I'm different." She looked at the rubies on her long armor and said, "My family is rich and stable, and I have no conflicts with the court. I'm born without worries. When I met the emperor, I felt that the most important thing in life is to become his wife and stay with him for the rest of my life." She supported her head with her elbows and spoke slowly, as if she was going to fall asleep at the next moment, but she was still talking.

"Perhaps it's because I lived a carefree life in the first half of my life that I didn't realize how difficult it is to be someone's wife."

Shen Miao said nothing.

Empress Xian De was suffering so much. These days, she said nothing, but Shen Miao understood that feeling. Because speaking out could not change anything, but sometimes, it was always good to speak out. Empress Xian De was willing to speak out now, at least it was better than keeping it in her heart.

"Now that the emperor is gone, I don't know what to do. The women in the harem have also been dismissed. This palace used to be noisy and annoying, but now it's cold and deserted, making people feel lonely. I just think, if only I hadn't met the emperor in the first place, I would rather be like you, fighting with the royal family, protecting the Shen family and leaving cautiously, than this doomed sad ending."

What she said was so sad and hopeless, so Shen Miao comforted her, "It's the same for me. In fact, no one's life is always safe and smooth. Since I was born, apart from the care of my parents and brothers, there has not been a single moment of good fortune blessed by God. I never dared to hope for such things, so I have to trust myself in everything. Meeting Your Highness is my blessing, but if it weren't for Your Highness, I would have continued on my path no matter how difficult it was." After a pause, she said, "It's the same for Your Highness. Even if Your Highness leaves first, Your Highness should think about yourself and live for yourself. No matter how difficult the road is, keep going and see. This is what Your Highness wants to see."

Empress Xian De was silent for a long time, so long that Shen Miao thought she hadn’t heard what she said at all, and then she heard her say, “Princess, thank you.”

"I understand all the truths you said."

"It's just that this is too difficult, too difficult."

That night, Shen Miao and Empress Xian De sat for a long time. They spoke very little, yet it seemed as if they had spoken a lot.

After Shen Miao left, Empress Xian De sat alone in the palace for a long time.

It was not until Aunt Tao came to urge her to go to bed that Empress Xian De got up. After seeing her wash and get into bed, Aunt Tao left.

After the door was closed, the person on the couch sat up again.

She lit the lamp and rummaged through the boxes to find her clothes. She didn't choose any court dress for the empress, but a moon-white plain dress. She loved such simple and refreshing colors, but after becoming the empress, she could no longer wear such styles. If it was not exquisite and grand, it would "not be able to overshadow" the other concubines.

She looks calm and steady, but in fact she is just a quiet and introverted girl.

She wore a simple dress, sat in front of the mirror, lightly brushed her eyebrows, and put on some rouge, and she looked extremely pretty.