Chapter 581 I'm sorry, Aning, I used you.
Lin Changning pursed her lips and looked at Li Mingxiu with a stubborn expression. Li Mingxiu suddenly softened his heart and realized that if it were him, he probably wouldn't have stood up for Ashu like that.
He and his father, being in a higher position, always had various concerns, making them less sincere than Xiao Liu.
"Alright, I'll take you back. There's nothing else to do. Try not to leave the palace these days. The Second Prince and I will handle things in the court."
Qi Rong patted Lin Changning on the shoulder: "Don't be impulsive next time. You can discuss everything with me and your older brother. No matter what, you were really reckless this time."
Lin Changning lowered his head and mumbled a reply, "I know, but I don't want to implicate you."
Li Mingxiu couldn't help but point at Lin Changning again, pacing around twice in anger: "We've come this far together, what's with all this talk about being implicated? If you say such things again, don't ever set foot in my mansion again!"
After saying that, he couldn't help but slap Lin Changning hard on the back of the head: "Forget it, let's go, I'll take you back to the palace!"
Li Mingshu's palace was lit with a dim yellow light all night. When Lin Changning returned to the palace, Li Mingshu was already asleep. Little Yue'er lay beside Li Mingshu, unwilling to leave her mother no matter what.
She was sobbing uncomfortably in her dream, as if she was dreaming of something sad.
Lin Changning sniffed to make sure there was no blood on him, then stood by the heater to dispel the chill before slowly sitting down next to Li Mingshu.
Hearing Yue'er's suppressed sobs, Lin Changning reached out and gently patted her back. As if sensing a sense of security, Yue'er quickly fell asleep peacefully under Lin Changning's comforting presence.
Startled by the slight noise, Li Mingshu rolled over, opened her eyes groggily, and sat up in bed when she saw Lin Changning: "You're back?"
Lin Changning smiled gently at the person: "Yes, you're back."
Li Mingshu moved closer to the inside while holding Yue'er: "I heard that there are still people in the court causing trouble for you and your second brother. You must be tired today. Come, lie down inside."
Lin Changning crawled into the covers, lay down on her side, and looked at Li Mingshu with gentle eyes. Seeing that Li Mingshu's eyelids were already drooping with sleep, she gently patted Li Mingshu and said, "Go to sleep."
The next day, Lin Changning had a rare good night's sleep. Incense was burning in the room, which seemed to have a calming effect. Holding Yue'er in his arms, Lin Changning slept soundly until dawn.
Lin Changning instinctively reached for the edge of the bed, only to find it empty. Startled awake, she sat up and saw that beside her, only the sleeping Yue'er was there.
Lin Changning's heart skipped a beat. He wrapped Yue'er in the quilt, tiptoed out of bed, and just as he reached the door, he saw Li Mingshu, dressed in a moon-white dress, sitting quietly by the window.
A layer of snow had accumulated in the courtyard, making the red plum blossoms in the courtyard stand out even more. Today was a rare good day, and the warm sunlight shone on Li Mingshu, as if she were being gilded.
Lin Changning, without even putting on her shoes, strode towards the window. Just as she was about to say something and bring Li Mingshu back, she saw Li Mingshu turn her head and look at her with gentle eyes: "Awake? Aning, it's a beautiful day today. The plum blossoms in the yard are in bloom, they're very pretty. Come and see."
Lin Changning stepped forward, about to take Li Mingshu's hand, when she saw Li Mingshu gently tug at her sleeve: "There's no need to call the imperial physician, Aning, come with me to enjoy the snow."
After saying that, she raised her head, her brown eyes appearing as clear as glass in the sunlight, and looked at Lin Changning quietly with a hint of expectation.
Lin Changning paused for a moment, pursed his lips, nodded, turned around, took a red fox fur cloak from the clothes rack, sat down next to Li Mingshu, and wrapped the two of them in it.
Li Mingshu leaned against Lin Changning subconsciously, tilted her head, and looked out the window at the scenery outside, slowly saying, "The red plum blossoms are in bloom. When I was little, my grandmother often held me in the courtyard to admire the flowers and play in the snow. It's been a long time since I've felt this peaceful."
Lin Changning didn't speak, but quietly covered Li Mingshu's hand, trying to warm her cold hand.
"Is it pretty, Aning?"
Lin Changning nodded, her voice tinged with restraint: "Yes, it looks good."
Li Mingshu looked at the plum tree outside the window; under the sunlight, the snowflakes on the petals emitted a shimmering glow.
“I think Aning is like a plum blossom, resilient and of noble character. During those years in the capital, I was often looked down upon. I felt that my father would be eliminated by the emperor sooner or later. In addition, someone instructed me to do so. I had a very hard time during those years. After Yue’er was born, many people looked at us with strange eyes.”
Lin Changning tightened his embrace around Li Mingshu: "I've already avenged A-Shu..."
Li Mingshu seemed to be stunned for a moment, looked up at Lin Changning, and after a long while, sighed: "A-Ning, there's no need for that. I would rather you and Yue'er be safe and sound."
Lin Changning couldn't help but feel her eyes well up with tears. She felt that Li Mingshu was giving her last words, and for a moment she couldn't even speak, afraid that if she opened her mouth, it would be a broken sob.
Li Mingshu turned her head and pretended not to see Lin Changning's restrained expression, and continued, "A-Ning, I'm sorry. I had ulterior motives in asking you to marry me. I secretly hinted to the Empress Dowager. I know you are a good person and the only one who never looks at Yue'er with strange eyes."
Born into royalty, there are always unavoidable circumstances. Although my father and mother loved me, they also sacrificed me in political struggles. In their hearts, I am not as good as my eldest brother.
When Yue'er arrived home, her mother and father were also startled. Yue'er was born with extraordinary abilities. I am willing to sacrifice for my father and mother, but I do not want my daughter to follow in my footsteps.
The moon's white hair foretells a troubled future. I wanted to find a way for the moon to survive, so I schemed against and used you. I'm sorry.
Tears welled up in Lin Changning's eyes and fell with a soft thud, rolling down the soft fox fur and dripping onto the back of Li Mingshu's hand: "Ashu, it's okay."
Li Mingshu turned her head and looked at the sobbing Lin Changning. She stretched out her thin fingers, which were so thin that you could only see a layer of skin, and gently wiped away Lin Changning's tears.
"A-Ning, don't cry."
A soft sob escaped Lin Changning's throat, and large tears streamed down her face, falling onto Li Mingshu's arm.
Li Mingshu leaned back again, lying in Lin Changning's arms, tilting her head back to look at Lin Changning quietly, a chill slowly seeping from her bones.
Li Mingshu felt a little dizzy, and Lin Changning in front of her was also a little blurry, but she still subconsciously reached out to wipe away Lin Changning's tears.
After a long silence, he whispered, "Ah Ning, when Yue'er wakes up, please tell her for me that I'm sorry I can't be there to watch her grow up. But with you here, I'm at ease. I'm sorry, Ah Ning, and also, Ping An..."
The soft, almost inaudible words slowly reached Lin Changning's ears. Li Mingshu slowly closed her eyes and lay quietly in Lin Changning's arms, as if she had fallen asleep.
The sunlight fell on the two of them, but it could no longer warm one of them.
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