Chapter 83 Chapter 83 "Your Majesty, let us say goodbye...
Zhao Qingyi stood at the other end of the corridor, looked at him silently, then turned and left.
"Watch out, don't let this bastard die easily." Chu Yuanhe only had time to say this to Cao Hu before he quickly chased after him.
Li Che fell to the ground. Through the bars of the cell, he looked at his slightly staggering steps, a sarcastic smile spreading across his bloody lips.
Zhao Qingyi didn't walk fast, so Chu Yuanhe easily caught up with her and blocked her way.
"Banban, I can explain it!"
His tone was urgent, and he subconsciously wanted to get closer to her and hug her. As soon as he raised his hand, he found that there were bloodstains on his fingertips and cuffs. He hurriedly lowered his head to wipe them, but after searching for a long time on his body, he couldn't find a clean place.
Zhao Qingyi rarely saw him at a loss. After a pause, she handed him the handkerchief embroidered with a peony.
Chu Yuanhe was slightly startled, a smile of relief flashing across his face. He knew that his Banban wouldn't be angry with him...
However, just as he took the handkerchief, the woman in front of him suddenly took two steps back and bowed to him.
“Banban!”
Chu Yuanhe became increasingly panicked, not even bothering to wipe his hands. He hurriedly supported her elbow to prevent her from kneeling. "Don't do this... We... We shouldn't do this..."
He didn't know how long Zhao Qingyi had been there, or how much she had heard. He tried to explain, but his mind was a mess, and he stammered, "I didn't mean to hide anything from you or deceive you. I..."
"I know."
Zhao Qingyi lowered her eyelashes, hiding the emotion in her eyes. Her tone remained gentle, yet hinted at a sense of distance. "Your Majesty is the supreme ruler. You have your reasons for doing things. I, the Zhao family, will do my utmost to cooperate with you. You do not need to explain yourself to anyone. Serving you and the court is the duty of the Zhao family and I."
The moment she knew Chu Yuanhe's identity, Zhao Qingyi was shocked and angry, but it was only for a moment. In the end, she remembered his kindness.
She did not deny that they had true feelings for each other during this period of time, and she also gave him the opportunity to confess, but she did not expect to learn the truth in such an embarrassing way.
Zhao Qingyi was used to being cautious, but one day she suddenly discovered that the man beside her was actually the emperor. She couldn't help but doubt the other party's original purpose of approaching her.
...It's probably because of my father.
In this life, her father is not dead, the main branch of the Zhao family is still standing, and she has the immense wealth of the Meng family behind her. She is indeed a target worth winning over, and this may be the only value in her that is worth exploiting.
The Zhao family and the Zhang family are on good terms, but Prime Minister Zhang must stabilize the situation in the capital. Only the Zhao family is a sharp sword that His Majesty can trust and use, a sword that is wielded towards the aristocratic families.
Now, His Majesty's goal has been achieved, and the Zhao family should retreat bravely. If she takes the past feelings seriously and forces Chu Yuanhe to marry her, or even makes her the queen, that would be an act of audacity. Who knows what kind of disaster it will bring to the Zhao family in the future. After all, serving the emperor is like serving a tiger, and who can predict what will happen in the future?
Retreating is the only thing Zhao Qingyi can do now, so as to avoid the Zhao family being at the center of the storm.
The result of her careful consideration revealed a different emotion in Chu Yuanhe's eyes.
She is angry.
Chu Yuanhe couldn't stand her calling him "Your Majesty" all the time. The unprecedented unfamiliarity made him uneasy.
"Banban, don't do this." He took two steps forward and tried to pull her up.
Zhao Qingyi remained indifferent. His eyes turned red with anxiety. "I didn't mean to deceive you. From the beginning to the end, my feelings for you were genuine. Except for my fake identity, everything I did for you came from the bottom of my heart..."
Zhao Qingyi still kept his head down, his expression unclear in the darkness.
She tried her best to control her turbulent emotions and not lose her composure. After a long while, she finally managed to squeeze out a difficult voice from her throat, "...Your Majesty, please do not say these words from now on."
It took her a lot of courage to marry a prince, so how could she bear the love of an emperor?
The emperor's love is the most unpredictable. If you marry him, there will be no turning back.
Chu Yuanhe held her shoulders tightly, "Banban, if you have any grievances, you can scold me or beat me, but please... don't push me away like this..."
He was more accustomed to the shy, playful, and angry Banban, rather than the well-behaved, calm, and rational Zhao Qingyi.
"Your Majesty." Zhao Qingyi sighed, slowly raised her eyes, and said in a gentle voice, "This subject has no resentment in her heart."
She would not blame him. In this life, because of Chu Yuanhe's appearance and his coming into her life, her most important family was saved. Just for this reason, she was so grateful that she couldn't bear any resentment.
Her eyes softened, and she expressed her feelings to Chu Yuanhe, "...I have never regretted being with Your Majesty, but all this is ultimately a dream. Your Majesty, let us part ways now."
Chu Yuanhe was stunned again, his handsome eyebrows slightly frowned, as if he was panicked and confused.
Zhao Qingyi's reaction was completely beyond his expectations. He tilted his head slightly, trying to discern a hint of falsehood in her tone and expression, but there was none.
He could be sure that what Zhao Qingyi said was completely from the heart.
She was expressing her affection and gratitude to him, and at the same time, her rejection.
Realizing this, Chu Yuanhe's hands, which were holding her shoulders, began to tremble uncontrollably.
Zhao Qingyi glanced at the big hand on her shoulder inconspicuously and sighed silently again. Then she gently brushed his hand away and bowed again.
"It's getting late, Your Majesty, please rest early. I'll take my leave." Zhao Qingyi stood up and left.
Not far away, I saw Zhao Huaiyi who was also walking in a hurry.
Zhao Huaiyi and his group settled in the inn and would return to Beijing with Chu Yuanhe soon. However, he thought about it for a long time at night and decided to find his daughter to find out the truth.
Now that his daughter has a relationship with His Majesty, whatever happens between them will have a ripple effect on the Zhao family. He had to be cautious and contact his daughter in advance to inform her. As a result, when he went to the county government office, he learned that his daughter was in jail, so he rushed here.
The father and daughter met in the corridor. Zhao Huaiyi was about to speak when he saw Chu Yuanhe stumbling over.
Without caring about his daughter, Zhao Huaiyi immediately knelt down to pay his respects.
In the past, Chu Yuanhe would have calmly accepted this gift, but now, in front of Zhao Qingyi, how could he dare to accept this gift? If he knelt down at this moment, they would be the king and his subject.
Chu Yuanhe hoped that they were father-in-law and son-in-law. The moment Zhao Huaiyi knelt down tremblingly, Chu Yuanhe rushed up. Because he was anxious, he even knelt on one knee to barely support Zhao Huaiyi.
When their eyes met, both of them were terrified.
"This old minister deserves death!"
After thinking for a moment, Chu Yuanhe let out a long breath, "...Master Zhao, there's no need to be so polite."
In the end, he helped Zhao Huaiyi up. Zhao Qingyi quickly stood in front of his father and bowed, saying, "Father was eager to find me. I hope Your Majesty will not blame me for my imperfections."
"No... I didn't mean that..."
Chu Yuanhe opened his mouth, but for a moment he couldn't find the right words, even though he was always smooth-talking and eloquent.
Zhao Qingyi didn't want to have too much involvement with him in front of his father, so he pulled his father's sleeve and left quickly.
Chu Yuanhe wanted to chase him several times, but seeing Zhao Huaiyi looking back every few steps, he finally resisted the urge to chase him. He just froze in place, unable to hold his forehead.
It was indeed too early for him to be proud.
…
Zhao Huaiyi was really frightened. After he recovered on the way back to the inn, he lectured his daughter about how she could be so disrespectful to His Majesty.
In the situation just now, Zhao Qingyi's words and actions were really inappropriate, which was very disrespectful to His Majesty.
After teaching the lesson, he then inquired about the relationship between his daughter and His Majesty, and how the Prince of Pingxi became His Majesty?
The relationship here is too complicated, and Zhao Huaiyi needs his daughter, who is involved in the situation, to help him sort it out.
Of course, the most important thing was that he had inquired about what had happened between his daughter and Chu Yuanhe during this period. He knew that they had pretended to be a couple and lurked in Qiantang. Although it was for the public good, it caused a lot of uproar. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that there was love between them.
After returning to Beijing, if the news spreads, it will definitely be detrimental to Zhao Qingyi's reputation.
Could it be that my daughter really intended to enter the palace? If she didn't become a concubine, it would end badly...
In a short period of time, several thoughts flashed through Zhao Huaiyi's mind. There were intrigues and deceptions in the deep palace. With his daughter's personality, could she really handle it?
When she was married to Li Che, she couldn't stand Zhao Manyi, the only concubine. Now Chu Yuanhe is the emperor. In the future, there will be three palaces and six courtyards, and concubines will compete for favor. Can her daughter adapt to it?
"Banpan, tell me what you are thinking quickly so I can make arrangements. If you want to enter the palace, the Zhao family will be your support. I will do my best to support you and help you gain a firm foothold in the harem..."
"Father." Zhao Qingyi listened all the way and finally couldn't help but interrupt Zhao Huaiyi's chattering.
Zhao Huaiyi paused and looked up to find that his daughter's eyes were red.
"Don't say these words again in the future. I have never thought about entering the palace." Zhao Qingyi took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Father should understand that this is the most beneficial situation for our Zhao family."
After making great contributions, the Zhao family retired bravely, and she left when her relationship with him was the most passionate. In the future, Chu Yuanhe will sit firmly on the throne, and when he thinks of the Zhao family and her, he will only think of their good points.
This thought is the Zhao family's last lifeline.
"When we return to the capital, many aristocratic families will be liquidated. There's no guarantee that some will seek to destroy us. If they do, they'll unite and attack us. Even if my father is innocent, they'll be able to fabricate false accusations and frame him... Only Your Majesty's compassion and sympathy can ensure the safety of the Zhao family."
Zhao Huaiyi was stunned as he listened to his daughter's calculations word by word.
He used to be proud of his daughter, but now he feels sad.
Zhao Qingyi considered the life and death of everyone, but she didn't consider what she wanted. Even love became her bargaining chip to protect her loved ones.
This is not the result Zhao Huaiyi wanted.
“Panpan…”
Zhao Qingyi didn't give him a chance to persuade him, "Father, I'm tired and want to go back to rest." She bowed, turned around and walked quickly upstairs.
After returning to her room, Zhao Qingyi bolted the door. Her forced emotions collapsed in an instant. She crawled into her quilt and cried. In the second half of the night, she was so tired from crying that she fell asleep in a daze.
Chu Yuanhe came in late, asked everyone to leave, and stood quietly outside the door. After listening to the silence inside, he walked around to the window. As soon as he pressed his big hand on it, the window opened by itself.
“…”
The moment before, she wanted to break off all ties with him and pretend to be a stranger, but at night she left a window open for him.
Even though I knew he loved to climb through windows, I didn't guard against him.
Always hard on the outside but soft on the inside.
Chu Yuanhe felt mixed emotions. After a long time, he breathed a sigh of relief, carefully climbed through the window and came to her bed.
Zhao Qingyi lay on her side on the soft pillow, her black hair spread out like clouds. Even though she was asleep, there was still an unshakable sadness between her eyebrows and eyes, and her long drooping eyelashes were still stained with undried tears.
Chu Yuanhe slowly reached out and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. The already cold tears sank into his fingertips and instantly turned into lava, burning his internal organs and making them ache.
He stammered, and after a long while, he slowly uttered three words, "I'm sorry..."
The person on the couch didn't respond and was still sleeping soundly. However, Chu Yuanhe seemed to open up and held her slightly cold little hand. "Originally, I wanted to confess to you after returning to Beijing..."
Rebirth was too bizarre. He wasn't sure if his explanation could convince Zhao Qingyi. Besides, it wasn't like he hadn't doubted her...
In this life, many of Zhao Qingyi's actions are contrary to his previous life.
If that were the case, perhaps she could understand him.
"Banpan, do you know that I dreamed of your past life? I dreamed that you were only thirty-six years old, lying in a cold coffin..."
Chu Yuanhe sat on the footstool, put her hand to his heart, and talked about his dream. The dream was long and profound. He was in it, as if he had experienced a short yet long life.
In his dream, he avenged Zhao Qingyi and killed the entire Li family. In the third year after her death, he died of illness in the long night, and the throne was passed to the eldest princess's son.
Perhaps the dream was too real. After waking up, he decided to change everything and find ways to get closer to her.
"Banpan, have you ever... dreamt of me? Have I ever had a place in your dreams?"
He murmured, then laughed at himself.
Probably not.
Chu Yuanhe did not regret what he had done. If he had not taken the initiative, in this life, he would still be the emperor who seemed high and mighty but actually had no existence in her heart.
In dreams and in reality, he is always the only one who is chasing after it.
At this moment, Chu Yuanhe suddenly felt a little tired. He lowered his eyes and a tear suddenly rolled down his cheeks.
Zhao Qingyi's hands trembled slightly, but she didn't dare to wake up.
That night, Chu Yuanhe couldn't remember how long he stayed by her bed and talked to her. When the daybreak came, he realized that it was time for him to leave.
He stood up, gave her a final kiss between the eyebrows, and turned to leave.
Not long after he walked out of the room, Zhao Huaiyi's voice suddenly rang out from the corridor, "Your Majesty."
Chu Yuanhe stopped and made eye contact with the respectful minister in front of him. At this point, there was no need to hide anything, so he responded to the title frankly.
Zhao Huaiyi's gaze passed over his shoulder and fell on the closed door behind him.
Chu Yuanhe's face showed a trace of embarrassment. "Master Zhao, please don't worry. I... I just looked at her and didn't do anything."
After thinking about it, he felt that his words were a bit like trying to cover up the truth. After meeting Zhao Huaiyi's strange look, he simply shut up.
Zhao Huaiyi, however, showed a look of relief. As an experienced person, he could naturally see the emperor's sincerity. After thinking it over again and again, he made up his mind.
"Your Majesty, may I have a moment with you?"
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