Chapter 72 All Past Events Revealed
Chapter Seventy-Two: All Past Events Resolved
That day, Li Qianche was reviewing memorials at Yongshou Palace when an urgent report from the local authorities made him frown. He pondered for a moment, then looked at Su Su, who was leaning against the warm couch reading a book, and said gently, "Su'er, come and listen to this."
After saying that, he slowly read aloud the contents of the memorial, which stated that the local disaster was severe, the people were displaced, and the court urgently needed to allocate disaster relief funds and grain.
When Su Su heard the words, "The disaster victims are starving, and many of them are eating tree bark and grass roots to fill their stomachs...", her hand holding the book trembled violently.
Those cold words instantly transformed into sharp hooks, brutally tearing open the corner of her memory that she least wanted to touch.
In the cold palace, the wind was biting cold, and when she was so hungry that she was dizzy, she could only dig out the bitter tree roots under the hard frozen soil with her bare hands... The despair and hardship of the past, along with her emotional sensitivity after pregnancy, surged up like a flood that had burst its banks.
Her nose tingled, and tears rolled down her cheeks unexpectedly, soaking the pages of the book and leaving a wet patch.
After Li Qianche finished reading, he was about to discuss it with her when he looked up and saw her silently shedding tears, which immediately made him panic.
He immediately threw down the memorial, strode to the bedside, carefully picked her up along with the blanket, and placed her on his lap. He gently wiped away the tears on her face with his fingertips, his voice more anxious than ever before: "What's wrong, Su Su? Why are you crying? Are you feeling unwell? Or did something frighten you?"
Su Su just shook her head, burying her face in his neck and sobbing, but she couldn't utter a complete sentence.
Seeing her overwhelming reaction to the word "tree root," and recalling the dramatic change in her personality after her rebirth, as well as the subtle clues revealed in her dream ramblings, a bold and startling conjecture suddenly became clear in Li Qianche's mind: Lingyun Daoist's mysterious statement, "Those who are reincarnated carry the old soul," could it be... could it be that Su Su has returned with memories of her past life? The lifeless woman he had dreamed of, curled up in the cold palace garden...
His heart trembled violently, and his arms tightened involuntarily. He tentatively asked in a very soft and slow voice in her ear, "Su Su...did you dream about something during your last nightmare?" He paused, almost holding his breath, "Did you...dream about being in the Cold Palace?"
The crying in her arms stopped abruptly.
Su Su suddenly raised her head, her wet eyes filled with shock and disbelief, her voice still trembling with tears: "Your Majesty... how did you know?"
Her reaction almost confirmed Li Qianche's guess. He felt both extremely painful and panicked, and tried his best to keep his tone steady, continuing along the clues of the dream: "Because I also dreamed... dreamed that Su Su was locked in the cold palace, so hungry... that she was eating tree roots."
He stared intently into her eyes and finally asked the most crucial question, "Su Su, do you... have memories of your past life?"
Su Su was completely stunned. She stared blankly at the man in front of her. His eyes showed concern, pain, and a desire for confirmation, but no doubt or fear.
The sudden revelation of her enormous secret left her momentarily flustered, and she instinctively asked, "Your Majesty dreamt...dreamed about my past life? Then...how does Your Majesty know that I have memories of my past life?"
Just as I expected!
Li Qianche suddenly understood! No wonder... no wonder she seemed to have changed later, no longer clinging, no longer fighting, and even only wanting to escape the palace and get away from him.
So this is the root of everything! She returned alone, carrying such painful memories, and looking at him, the "culprit," how agonizing it must have been for her!
“I… only dreamt of some vague fragments,” he carefully chose his words, his heart clenching with tension at the question to come, his voice trembling slightly, “I dreamt of Su Su… dying in the snow… and after that, I don’t know.”
He took a deep breath, almost summoning all his courage, before struggling to ask, "In your past life... was it I... who punished Su Su to the Cold Palace?... Was it I... who killed you?"
He asked the last few words with great difficulty, his eyes filled with disbelief and deep fear.
Looking into his eyes at the self-reproach and remorse, Su Su recalled the changes in him since her rebirth, his cautiousness, his desperate attempts to make amends, and the price he paid by sacrificing his lifespan for her rebirth… At this moment, the grievances and resentment in her heart were strangely replaced by a bittersweet sense of relief. Tears streaming down her face, she nodded gently.
Upon receiving the affirmative answer, Li Qianche was struck dumb, completely frozen in place. A wave of immense regret and lingering fear overwhelmed him. "How could I... how could I have done this to Su Su!"
His voice was hoarse, filled with unspeakable pain, "It's my fault... I'm such a bastard! Why... why did I treat you like that?!"
Seeing his self-blame, Su Su softened. She reached out and gently stroked his furrowed brows, choking back tears as she said, "It's not entirely Your Majesty's fault... Consort Zhuang and the others... also plotted against you. I did hate Your Majesty before, but now... I forgive Your Majesty."
She looked at him, her eyes filled with tears but also with a hint of relief and tenderness, "I was able to return because... Your Majesty used the lifespan of your previous life to give me the opportunity to be reborn."
These words were like a salvation, instantly soothing some of the overwhelming regret and fear in Li Qianche's heart.
He suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace, as if trying to meld her into his very bones, his voice trembling with the shock of surviving a catastrophe: "So it was me... it was me who brought you back..."
As if he had finally found a reason, his tone became resolute and matter-of-fact, "Since I was the one who harmed Su Su, it is only right that I pay the price and bring you back! Su'er, in this life, I will never treat you like that again! I will never let you suffer even the slightest grievance again!"
Su Su tilted her head back, looking at him with eyes that had become even clearer after being washed by tears, her gaze carrying a hint of uncertain vulnerability: "Your Majesty... are you really sure you won't?"
"No!" Li Qianche's expression was more solemn than ever before. He raised his right hand, as if making the most solemn vow, "I swear to Heaven, if I ever betray Su Su again in this life, and break this vow, may I, like in my previous life, have my lifespan shortened..."
"Stop talking!" Su Su's face turned pale, and she hurriedly reached out her small hand to cover his mouth to prevent him from uttering that unlucky word. Her eyes were full of panic. "Your Majesty, I understand. You must not say it again!"
Li Qianche felt the soft touch of her palm and her nervousness, his heart filled with warmth and joy. He took her hand that was covering her mouth, kissed it tenderly, and his tone became gentle and full of tenderness again: "Okay, I won't say anything more. Su Su is not sad anymore, right? It was my fault before, I made Su'er go hungry. It won't happen again, I will never let Su Su go hungry again. What do you want to eat? I will arrange it for you right away, okay?"
Looking at the genuine tenderness and promise in his eyes, Su Su finally nodded slowly, buried her face back in his warm chest, and felt his steady and powerful heartbeat. A heart that had wandered for two lifetimes seemed to have finally found a safe haven.
Li Qianche's heart was filled with turmoil. He was shocked that Su Su had been reborn and returned, and he was even more grateful that in the end, he had exchanged his previous life for the opportunity to reunite with her in this life.
Having lost her and then regained her, he could not bear the pain of losing her a second time.
He composed himself and called out to Chunlan outside the hall to bring over some exquisite pastries and candied fruits. After the pastries were served, he personally picked up a crystal-clear candied date, held it to Su Su's lips, and said softly, "Come on, open your mouth."
Su Su blushed slightly, feeling a little embarrassed, and whispered, "I can do it myself."
Li Qianche refused, insisting on feeding her, his eyes filled with a mischievous yet indulgent smile: "I just want to feed you. I want to feed my Su'er until she's plump and healthy, like a little lucky pig."
Upon hearing this, Su Su immediately made a face and muttered, "I don't want to become a little fat pig!"
Seeing her like this, Li Qianche was filled with affection and couldn't help but lower his head to kiss her blushing cheeks. His laughter was deep and pleasant: "It's alright. In my eyes, even if Su Su is a little chubby pig, she is the cutest little chubby pig in the world. I like her just the same."
Su Su blushed at his teasing, playfully dodging away, and the two of them burst into laughter.
Chunlan and Qiuju, who were standing by, couldn't help but smile at the intimate way the emperor and empress were behaving.
Heads bowed quietly, the hall was filled with a warm and sweet atmosphere. Outside the window, the cold wind still blew, but inside the hall, spring had already arrived and flowers were in bloom.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com