Chapter 128 Rebirth.

Inside the quiet room, a long sandalwood table sits under the window, and on the table sits a zither with a warm, lustrous lacquer finish and mother-of-pearl inlaid on the thirteen frets, clearly an object used by a woman.

Beside the zither was an incense burner with a mythical beast design, its fragrance rising gently, the incense being agarwood.

On the wall to the side hung a sword with a narrow blade and an ancient scabbard made of rare ebony. The scabbard opening was inlaid with cloud patterns in silver wire, and the sword tassel was made of kesi (silk tapestry) and adorned with filigree gold bells. It must have been a very precious sword.

The woman sat beside the couch. As the wisps of smoke dissipated, her face was fully revealed. She was utterly ethereal and otherworldly, with snow-white skin and a moon-like face.

But her brows were furrowed, a faint sorrow lingering between her delicate features. Holding a damp handkerchief, she carefully wiped the face of the man on the bed: "It's been half a month since you took the Xuanlin Pill, you should wake up..."

The man lay quietly on the couch, his handsome face as usual, showing no signs of distress, and his breathing was very steady, as if he were simply asleep.

But he has been "sleeping" for a full half month.

Suddenly, the man's brow furrowed tightly, and the next moment, his eyes darted around rapidly.

The woman's face lit up with joy, and she quickly grasped the man's hand: "Xiao Che, you're awake?"

"Mother... I'm sorry... It's my fault for being useless..."

"Yan Yan...no..."

He seemed trapped in a nightmare, unable to break free, beads of sweat constantly seeping from his fair forehead, his expression one of great pain.

The woman frowned, wiping his forehead with a damp towel while calling his name repeatedly.

"Xiao Che, that's a nightmare, it's not real... Don't be afraid, open your eyes... it'll be alright once you open your eyes..."

Amidst these shouts, Xiao Che finally opened his eyes.

His gaze was initially blank and confused, but it gradually cleared up when it fell upon the person in front of him.

"Cui...Lingyi?"

Having been unconscious for so long, his voice was surprisingly dry when he finally spoke: "Where am I? I...wasn't I dead?"

“This is my quiet room. It’s in a secluded place, with a large patch of Xiangfei bamboo outside. It’s set up with a Qimen Bagua formation, so no one can find this place. You don’t need to worry.” Cui Lingyi said, “You didn’t die. I saved you.”

As she spoke, she poured a cup of tea from the table beside her, picked up the teacup and handed it over: "Your Highness has been unconscious for so long, you must be thirsty. Have a cup of tea to soothe your throat."

Every day when she came to see him, she would brew a pot of tea and then quietly wait for him to wake up.

Half a month, fifteen days, is neither long nor short, but for her, it felt like an eternity.

She waited with such fear and anxiety, but thankfully, she finally got to see him.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he glanced at her, but instead of taking the teacup, he asked, "Save me? I was stabbed in the vital spot and was doomed. How did you save me?"

"Your Highness, don't you remember? Back in the palace, I told you that the Cui family possessed a Xuanlin Pill, which had the power to bring the dead back to life. If you were to marry me, it would be part of my dowry."

“That’s the Cui family’s heirloom, incomparably precious. How could Cui Shoujie agree to let you use the Xuanlin Pill to save me? Besides, I never agreed to marry you, you…”

"It's alright. Since you've taken my Xuanlin Pill, I'll consider it as you marrying me—I mean, since Your Highness has already taken the Xuanlin Pill, you don't need to think about these things anymore. In short, you don't need to worry. I won't take advantage of your kindness or force you to marry me—I always do things according to my heart and don't care about gains or losses."

"As for why my father gave me the Xuanlin Pill, it's because I was dying and he had no choice. He couldn't just watch me die, so he had to give it to me. As for the details, Your Highness doesn't need to ask anymore—I think you wouldn't want to know anyway."

Xiao Che gave her a deep look: "Why did you save me?"

Cui Lingyi's hand holding the teacup tightened slightly, and she said, "You don't know?"

Xiao Che shook his head.

If she bet on him, certain that he would rise again and hoping to use him to help her rise to power, then her audacity was a bit too much—snatching his body from Xiao Jue's hands must have taken a lot of effort and risked offending him. If she had bet on the wrong person later, this incident would have sown a huge hidden danger.

Moreover, she was a young woman who had secretly hidden him in a separate courtyard without Cui Shoujie's knowledge. If word got out, her reputation would be ruined, and she would be ostracized by the entire Cui family. He really didn't know what she was thinking that would dare to do such a thing.

But she didn't say anything, only looked up at her, her eyes clear and bright, with something flowing quietly in them.

Xiao Che frowned slightly, then asked, "Why would Xiao Jue agree to let you take me away?"

Cui Lingyi snapped out of her reverie, her eyelashes fluttering slightly as she said, "I naturally have my own way of handling things. It's all in the past, so why does Your Highness need to ask again?"

"As for why I saved you," she slowly leaned closer, a meaningful smile curving her lips, and said, "If Your Highness still doesn't understand, then there's no need for you to know."

"Alright, Your Highness." She straightened up. "I've stayed here long enough today. To avoid arousing suspicion in the household, I must go back now. I'll come see you again tomorrow. There's a lacquered box on the table containing some food. Please feel free to have some."

She turned and went out again, took a letter from a rosewood bookshelf, and returned to hand it to him, saying, "This was given to me by Ji Le before I left the palace. She asked me to save you. She said that if you could wake up, she would give you this letter. This is the last thing your mother left for her, and she was to open it at the most critical moment. But she didn't get to open it yet, and I'm afraid there won't be another chance. So she asked me to give it to you."

Xiao Jue reached out and took the envelope, his fingertips tracing its shape as he lowered his eyes and asked, "How is she now?"

"According to the information I gathered, she went to assassinate Xiao Jue, but unfortunately failed... She was stabbed to death by Xiao Jue. Princess Qinghe pleaded for her life, and Xiao Jue barely managed to leave her with a complete body. She is now buried in the cemetery south of the city."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Che clenched the envelope in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white. A chilling glint appeared in his eyes as he gritted his teeth and said, "Xiao Jue."

Cui Lingyi glanced at him: "Speaking of Princess Qinghe, I heard that she hasn't been doing well lately. A while ago, she was always staring blankly at the two snowmen in the courtyard. Then the weather cleared up and the snowmen melted, and her condition got even worse. She was in a daze all day long and looked a bit crazy."

Xiao Che lowered his eyelashes, his fingers curled slightly as he said, "You don't need to tell me about her."

What happens to her in the future is none of my business.

Cui Lingyi observed his expression and nodded slightly: "Okay."

——

After Cui Lingyi left, Xiao Che knelt down on the couch and closed his eyes tightly.

The nightmare I had just experienced still lingered in my mind; the terrifying scene was still vivid in my memory.

In her dream, Jiang Chenyu's delicate face twisted in pain as she repeatedly questioned him: why hadn't he fulfilled her last wish? Why was he so useless? She had painstakingly raised him for eighteen years; from head to toe, he was in no way inferior. Intelligence, skill, strategy—in every aspect, wasn't he the most outstanding among the princes?

With just his physical appearance and a little effort, he could have found a noble lady among the many women to help him. But in the end, not only did he fail to seize the throne from Xiao Jue, he also lost his life. What a waste! He was a complete and utter waste!

He was terrified of seeing the disappointment in Jiang Chenyu's eyes. He wanted to say, "Mother, I have truly done my best... I have never forgotten your last wish... I have been planning for this matter all this time..."

However, he was ultimately unable to say those words in his dream.

Because in the face of the result, all explanations seem so pale and powerless, more like futile sophistry.

He really disappointed her.

Jiang Chenyu had advised him long ago: "Love should only be an embellishment; you must not take it too seriously or become obsessed with it."

She had clearly taught him: "If you like someone, you must make her feel sorry for you, feel heartache for you, and even feel heartbreak for you. Only in this way will she find it hard to forget you."

But he didn't understand at the time. He only felt that if you like someone, you must pamper and love them. How could he bear to do that for her?

Jiang Chenyu simply sighed at the time: "Since you are so reluctant to part with her, you will have to suffer heartache and heartbreak for her in the future."

She said, "You child, I'm afraid you'll suffer a lot when it comes to matters of the heart in the future."

The words came true.

Unable to break free from the nightmare, he turned his head and saw Yan Jiarou standing behind him. In the dream, he seemed to have forgotten what she had done to him, and immediately went up to her. Yan Jiarou obediently leaned into his arms.

Just as he was about to put his arm around her waist, he suddenly felt a chill on his chest. Looking down, he saw a dagger stuck in his chest, near his vital spot, and heard her icy voice in his ear: "Go to hell."

It was this one strike that finally freed him from his nightmare.

Upon waking up, I discovered that it wasn't a nightmare after all.

There could be nothing more hopeless than this.

Xiao Che slowly opened his eyes and gave a self-deprecating laugh.

He stroked the envelope in his hand, his eyes lowered, and tore a hole in it.

A token fell out of it. It was made of black jade with inlaid gold inscriptions and Lanling script on the back. This was the token that Jiang Chenyu left him, which could command the loyal soldiers of the previous dynasty.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he slowly stroked the lines on the paper, then clenched it in his palm and opened the letter inside.

That was a letter Jiang Chenyu wrote to Ji Le.

Since it was written for Ji Le, he had no intention of reading it, but his gaze inadvertently swept over it and caught a glimpse of his name.

He raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly and finally read the letter.

So his fingers tightened inch by inch, and his knuckles turned faintly white.

The letter was crumpled from being gripped so tightly. He stared intently at the lines of elegant Lanling seal script, which were undoubtedly Jiang Chenyu's handwriting: "...I set the stage with my own body and paved the way with my life. My death was only to ignite Xiao Che's fighting spirit."

“I made him believe that it was Cui and her two sons who killed me, so he could only avenge me. I know his personality. My teachings and example have made him live with guilt towards me since childhood. He will not leave the murder of his mother unavenged. Before I died, I asked him to fulfill my last wish. Even if it costs him his life, he will not fail to do it.”

"His cunning and strategic thinking far surpass those of Xiao Jue and Xiao Yan, and he should be able to help me accomplish my great cause."

"My only worry is that he is deeply in love with Yan Mu's daughter. Her father saved me back then, which may have sown the seeds of karma. In the end, my son has to repay her for a lifetime of love. I'm afraid he will be like me, ruining his life because of love, and also delaying my great cause."

"If he is truly so incompetent, unable to seize the crown prince position from Xiao Jue, unable to ensure that the blood of my Lanling clan flows through the Great Wei for generations to come, and unable to complete my great cause of restoring the kingdom, then kill him. You know where his weakness lies. He treats you like a sister and is completely unguarded. You should be able to strike him down in one blow. Remember, do not be soft-hearted. Just treat him as Xiao Yuangan's son—I cannot take revenge on him. The only way I can get my revenge is to kill myself and his son."

With a heavy thud, Xiao Che suddenly closed his eyes.

A tear finally fell from the corner of her eye, landing on the letter paper and spreading as ink.

It turns out that the so-called revenge was nothing more than a complete scheme.

Jiang Chenyu set up a scheme, even willing to get herself involved, while he was always just a pawn in his mother's game.

So what was the purpose of all that painstaking planning and meticulous maneuvering, including framing Xiao Yan and severely injuring Xiao Jue?

He hated the wrong person and sought revenge on the wrong person.

But if he fails to fulfill her wishes and help her complete her so-called plan to restore the country, he becomes a completely useless pawn.

Since they were already expendable, there was no need to spare their lives. They were willing to take Xiao Yuangan's life just to get one last revenge. They were truly ruthless and exploitative.

He always knew he owed his mother a debt, simply because he carried half of Xiao Yuangan's blood. Xiao Yuangan destroyed her kingdom and slaughtered her people, so he was born guilty.

He wasn't unaware or unsuspecting that Jiang Chenyu was using him.

He always believed that even if there was some manipulation involved, she was still his mother and ultimately had some genuine feelings for him.

But no, in the end, not a single trace remained.

They've only ever used me!

But Mother, he thought, I am also your child... He originally thought that no mother would not want her child to live well.

He thought sadly that in his life, he had been despised by the world, killed by his mother, and stabbed in the heart by the one he loved. Perhaps no one had ever truly cared for him or truly loved him.

His birth was a mistake, a sin.

He turned to look out the window, his pale brown pupils reflecting a sliver of sunlight, yet deep within them lay only emptiness. His gaze lingered on the void for a long, long time…

Tiny dust particles floated in the light, rising and falling as if being manipulated by an invisible hand.

It's just like his life.

Rootless dust, relying on the sunlight to live, yet adrift and uncertain, never finding its home.

He gave a slight twitch of his lips, suddenly feeling that everything in this world was really meaningless.

Fine, since they all want him dead, what's the point of him living... so they granted their wish.

Since this light does not belong to him, then let him be forever plunged into darkness.

...

Just as Cui Lingyi was about to leave the bamboo grove, he suddenly felt his eyelids twitching violently. He felt a vague unease in his heart. After thinking for a moment, he turned around and quickly walked back.

The moment she pushed open the door, she never expected to witness Xiao Che committing suicide.

She felt her heart stop, and before she could fully react, he had already stepped forward, snatched her sword, and slapped her across the face.

The crisp sound of a slap echoed in the quiet room, and her voice trembled.

"Xiao Wenqi, what are you doing?!"

"I saved your life with the Xuanlin Pill. How dare you die without my permission?!"

"Xiao Wenqi, you've already died once. Heaven brought you to me, so it's your destiny to survive! If that's the case, how dare you defy the will of Heaven?! You've died again and again, so you must be willing to risk everything. If that's the case, why must you die!"

Xiao Che looked up, the mist in his eyes slowly dissipating. His fingers, which were resting on the edge of the bed, twitched slightly, and a strange smile gradually appeared on his face: "You're right."

"Since we're going to hell anyway, let's go together. There's no shortage of hate in this world, even if there's no love. When love disappears, hate will naturally take its place. Thinking about it this way, it's not so boring after all."

He snapped out of his reverie, glanced at her, and said with a smile, "Lingyi, thank you."

Sunlight streamed in through the window, making his pupils appear even lighter, like amber.

She always thought that light pupils were the most beautiful pupil color in the world; the mere change of light and shadow was enough to captivate the soul.

His skin was almost transparent in the sunlight.

The sunlight cast a pale golden halo around him, and his lowered eyelashes cast a fan-shaped shadow that swayed gently with his smile.

Cui Lingyi felt her cheeks burning slightly, and quickly said with her eyes down, "It's nothing."

Xiao Che raised his hand and handed the sword back to her. Just as she reached out to take it, he raised an eyebrow slightly: "However, why would a young girl like you have a sword hanging in your quiet room?"

"What's wrong with women? Are women only meant to be confined to their chambers? Is it only men who can roam the world with swords and travel across thousands of miles of rivers and mountains?"

"The Yue Maiden Swordplay states that in all hand-to-hand combat, one should cultivate inner strength and outward composure. This way of wielding the sword is the way of navigating the world."

"A woman's sword should shine on her silk skirt."

She glanced at him as she spoke: "...Besides, women can also have people they want to protect."

Xiao Che paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Of course."

——

Xiao Che recovered quickly, and within just a few days, he was back to normal.

That day, he had Cui Lingyi lead him through the bamboo forest and demonstrate how to escape the Qimen Bagua Formation.

After one round, he was able to go into battle.

Cui Lingyi raised the corners of her lips, lowered her eyelashes to hide the sadness in her eyes, and said only, "Your Highness is indeed clever, you can learn it in one go."

On the day before he left, Xiao Che asked Cui Lingyi what she wanted, and said that he would grant her any wish if he had it or could do it.

She sensed Xiao Che's departure the moment she heard those words.

She also knew that Xiao Che wanted to repay her for saving her life.

From then on, they owed each other nothing.

She looked up at him and suddenly smiled: "Then give me a gift that will never be forgotten."

——

Xiao Che indeed gave her an unforgettable gift.

After nightfall, she waited for him in the bamboo forest.

The moonlight, as white as frost, poured down through the gaps in the bamboo leaves.

Suddenly, the sound of a flute rang out not far away. The moment the first note was played, the remaining snow on the bamboo leaves fell in a soft rustling sound.

The glistening snowflakes swirled in the air, gradually emitting a warm yellow glow.

—It turned out to be a firefly.

Cui Lingyi suddenly remembered a rumor about the Lanling people.

Legend has it that the people of Lanling are skilled in music and can control fireflies, even defying the natural order of their appearance.

It seems the rumors are true.

Such a useless skill, however, seems perfectly reasonable when applied to the Lanling clan.

The Lanling clan, even their specialty skills are such bewitching little tricks.

She felt that her failure to win him over was not unjust.

Thousands of fireflies gathered to form a winding starry path as the flute music played. Xiao Che arrived, stepping on the stars, the moonlight flowing tenderly over him.

His light-colored eyes reflected the fireflies, and he twitched the corners of his lips. In an instant, the spring breeze rippled the pond water, making it shimmer and shimmer, and even the moonlight became a mere backdrop.

Everything seemed like a dream.

As he approached, the flute twirled between his fingers. He lifted her wrist, pressed down slightly on the end of the flute, and gently tapped it into her palm.

One of the brightest fireflies danced gracefully in her palm. She felt a tickle and was about to pull her hand away when Xiao Che grabbed her wrist and chuckled, "Don't dodge."

Cui Lingyi stared at him blankly, momentarily dazed.

Xiao Che raised an eyebrow slightly, glancing down and gesturing for her to look down at her palm.

She finally came to her senses and looked down. She saw fireflies fluttering about, their tails leaving trails of light that gradually coalesced into two characters—her name, Lingyi.

Xiao Che snapped his fingers amidst the fireflies, which then scattered, swirling around her and transforming into twinkling lights. Being there was like being in a dream; there could be no more beautiful scene. He smiled and asked simply, "Is it beautiful? Do you like it?"

Cui Lingyi looked at him intently for a long time before saying, "...It's beautiful, I like it."

At that moment, she knew that she would never forget it for the rest of her life.

When they returned the next day, Xiao Che was nowhere to be found in the quiet room. Everything from yesterday seemed like a dream.