Chapter 164 Chu Huaiyu's Death (but not yet completely over)
After Chu Huaiyu ascended the throne and became emperor, he completely broke off relations with Chu Siheng.
The battle flags of the two armies faced each other across the border, and from then on, the flames of war spread and swept across all directions.
Horse hooves shattered the tranquility of the countryside, and the smoke of war blackened the smoke of the marketplace. The people who once lived in peace and prosperity either died from stray arrows or were forced to endure hunger and cold.
People fled through the mud with their families, their bones exposed in the fields, and for miles there was not a rooster's crow. Everywhere one looked, there was only the sorrow of being displaced, and even the wind was filled with an overwhelming grief.
This internal strife lasted for half a year.
Just when the situation was at a stalemate and everyone was worried about how to resettle the displaced people, Chu Huaiyu's secret letter was quietly delivered to Chu Siheng.
The handwriting on the letter was so strong it seemed to penetrate the paper, each word carrying immense weight. The letter said he only wanted to see Lu Zhaoxue once, and if she arrived, he would immediately call it quits.
The letter ended with the words: "Chu Huaiyu will forever end war and restore peace to the world!"
Chu Siheng's hand, gripping the letter, bulged with veins, his eyes filled with boundless rage and deep-seated worry.
Chu Siheng knew all too well Chu Huaiyu’s obsession and madness. That man had always been deeply obsessed and had used any means necessary to keep Lu Zhaoxue in the past. This invitation was clearly a trap to lure her into a pit. How could he let Lu Zhaoxue step into this dragon’s den?
He immediately threw the letter onto the table and said in a deep voice, "This is absolutely impossible!"
Lu Zhaoxue, who was outside the hall, heard it clearly.
Lately, the news she hears most often is children crying and searching for their relatives, and elderly people lamenting the destruction of their homes.
At night, when Lu Zhaoxue closed her eyes, all she could see was the suffering of the common people, and her heart was already torn apart.
She gently pushed open the palace door and entered, her expression unusually firm: "Siheng, I know you are worried about my safety, but every day the war continues, there will be thousands more lost souls and countless broken homes."
"It is worth it for me to sacrifice my life to bring peace to the world."
Looking at the pity filling Lu Zhaoxue's eyes, Chu Siheng, despite his reluctance and attempts to dissuade her, could not resist her compassion and was unwilling to go against her wishes.
After several arguments, Chu Siheng finally relented, but he uttered a vow with every word resounding: "Axue, I will go with you. This time, I will not leave your side for even a moment!"
"If Chu Huaiyu dares to harm you in the slightest, I will make him pay with his blood!"
Three days later, the two traveled lightly to the capital where Chu Huaiyu was located.
The heavy city gate slowly opened, and the guards stood with their heads bowed, none daring to step forward to check. In the empty city gate, only Chu Huaiyu, dressed in a black dragon robe, walked slowly alone.
The gold thread on the dragon robe gleamed coldly in the sunlight, which only made his face look paler. The imperial majesty and battlefield ruthlessness had faded from his brows, leaving only an unconcealable weariness and loneliness.
His gaze passed over Chu Siheng and landed directly on Lu Zhaoxue, burning with a hint of caution, as if afraid of disturbing this hard-won meeting.
He approached step by step, his voice hoarse as if worn by wind and sand, trembling slightly, as he asked, word by word, "Zhaoxue, did you ever love me?"
The wind swept across the banners atop the city wall, making them flutter and ruffle the strands of hair at Lu Zhaoxue's temples.
Lu Zhaoxue lowered her eyes and remained silent for a long time.
The light in Chu Huaiyu's eyes dimmed little by little with the long silence, from the initial hope to the deepening desolation, and finally to a deathly gray.
He tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword at his waist, as if he were determined to harden his heart, withdraw that last remaining thought, and end this absurd obsession.
Just then, Lu Zhaoxue slowly raised her eyes, her gaze clear, her tone calm yet each word distinct: "Chu Huaiyu, I did love you."
Chu Huaiyu was startled.
His lifeless eyes suddenly lit up, as if a dying man had grasped the last piece of driftwood.
Looking into the light in Chu Huaiyu's eyes, Lu Zhaoxue's tone was calm but resolute: "I don't want to deceive you, and I don't want to deceive myself. I once loved you wholeheartedly and sincerely."
"But that affection was worn away long ago in your past of scheming and obsession, leaving only the word 'once'."
Upon hearing this, Chu Huaiyu was not angry at all. Instead, he smiled with relief, his eyes filled with a joyful sense of relief.
Chu Huaiyu said softly, "Zhaoxue, in my whole life, to have heard these words from you is enough."
"And I know that Lingyang is not my child."
Before Lu Zhaoxue could react, a flash of cold light appeared, and Chu Huaiyu suddenly drew his sword from his waist. The blade swiftly sliced across her neck, and blood gushed out.
Chu Huaiyu's body swayed, and finally fell straight down, his eyes still fixed on Lu Zhaoxue's direction, unclosed until his death.
Chu Siheng's pupils shrank suddenly, his heart filled with unexpected shock.
He never imagined that Chu Huaiyu would end his life in such a resolute way.
Lu Zhaoxue only showed surprise for a moment at the beginning, a fleeting ripple in her eyes, but she quickly regained her usual calm and indifference, as if the person who had fallen in front of her was just an insignificant stranger.
Chu Huaiyu's body was still warm when all the generals of the capital lined up and came out.
They were all dressed in military uniforms, with solemn expressions. They all bowed their heads and knelt on the ground, raising their military tallies high with both hands, and shouted in unison to surrender, their voices echoing through the long street.
Chu Siheng then realized that Chu Huaiyu had already made all the necessary arrangements for his affairs before sending the letter.
At that time, Chu Huaiyu's trusted generals all strongly opposed and advised him not to give up the throne so easily. However, he simply shook his head and said in a heavy but clear tone: "Soldiers fight on the battlefield to protect their homes and country and safeguard the people, not to fight against their own people and cause the common people to be displaced and their families to be destroyed."
This was probably the last bit of goodness that Chu Huaiyu retained in his life.
Chu Siheng slowly stepped forward and bent down to examine it. He saw that Chu Huaiyu's already stiff hand was still tightly clutching a jade bracelet.
The jade bracelet was so hot from being gripped that the edges were embedded in his palm, just like Chu Huaiyu's obsessive love back then.
Looking at Chu Huaiyu's appearance, who still cherished their past relationship even in death, Chu Siheng, despite having many grudges and entanglements in his heart, finally sighed.
Chu Siheng then ordered: "After cremateing Chu Huaiyu, throw him into the sea and use the waves as his tomb, so as to put an end to his lifelong obsession."
...
The sea was calm, and the rising sun pierced through the clouds, casting its light on the shimmering blue waves.
Chu Huaiyu's ashes were scattered into the sea, carried away by the wind, and gradually disappeared into the ocean.
Lu Zhaoxue stood at the bow of the boat, her clothes fluttering, her eyes calm and undisturbed.
Chu Siheng stood beside her, silently holding Lu Zhaoxue's slightly cool hand, and said softly, "Ah Xue, it's all in the past."
Lu Zhaoxue nodded slightly, remaining silent. Only the sea breeze brushed against her cheeks, carrying a salty scent, dispelling the last trace of Chu Huaiyu.
All of Chu Huaiyu's generals surrendered, and the military tally was taken into the hands of Chu Siheng, thus completely ending the war.
Chu Siheng and Lu Zhaoxue worked together to reduce taxes, appease refugees, repair city walls, and reclaim wasteland, rebuilding the war-torn lands one by one.
Life was peaceful and uneventful.
In their leisure time, Chu Siheng and Lu Zhaoxue often went out of the palace to stroll along the seaside, watching the tides rise and fall and observing the clouds drift and gather.
Sometimes Lu Zhaoxue would gaze at the vast ocean in a daze, and Chu Siheng would never ask her questions, but would simply stay quietly by her side.
One day, a guard brought over a jade bracelet covered in sea sand. Although the bracelet had been soaked in seawater for many years, it was still warm and lustrous.
Lu Zhaoxue took the jade bracelet, a faint trace of melancholy flashing across her eyes, but it vanished in an instant.
Chu Siheng looked at Lu Zhaoxue and said softly, "If you don't like it, then discard it."
Lu Zhaoxue shook her head, placed the jade bracelet in her palm, and said slowly, "No need, it's just a lost gem."
Later, Lu Zhaoxue buried the jade bracelet under an old locust tree by the sea.
The locust tree flourishes year after year, and the sea breeze blows ceaselessly. The jade bracelet that carries Chu Huaiyu's lifelong obsession and the past affection between the two will eventually be accompanied by grass and trees and live alongside the vast sea.
Chu Siheng held Lu Zhaoxue's hand and watched her bend over to bury the bracelet. The setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them, which overlapped and became indistinguishable.
May the rest of my life be peaceful and tranquil, with calm seas and clear rivers.
Those war-torn past events, those obsessive loves and hates, were eventually buried by the surging waves of time and diluted by the long passage of time.
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