Chapter 203: Thousands and thousands of years, all begin from here (Part 2)
Darkness. A thick, rusty, metallic darkness.
And pain.
At first, it was a sharp pain that exploded in his chest, then spread rapidly throughout his body into an endless, dull ache, as if he were being thrown into a mortar and pestle, slowly and relentlessly ground. Zhao Ji was being hammered at every inch of his flesh, clearly feeling the unbearable pain. Even breathing pulled at his bleeding wounds, and all he could inhale was the smell of blood and dust, while he vomited out his own blood.
As he was dying, he felt these four words.
Lying face down, the cold bricks pressed against half of Zhao Ji's cheek. Slowly, as more blood flowed, it was soaked into the warm pool of his own blood. From this angle, he could see nothing; his vision was blurred by darkness and bloodstains. Of his remaining four senses, his smell was filled with the stench of blood, his taste was steeped in his own salty-sweet flavor, his touch tormented him with pain, and only his hearing was somewhat relieved.
He heard screams from men and women, the clash of weapons, roars from one person or another, and the screams of the dying… He also heard hurried footsteps, some running closer, some running further away, all avoiding him and trying to escape him. Some people were shouting “Protect the Emperor!” but their voices were fading into the distance. A few who kept shouting were quickly drowned out or stopped abruptly.
He also heard other voices, increasingly clear and cold commands. He knew these were the voices of his throne being completely overthrown, coming from the treacherous officials who had rebelled.
Hatred gnawed at Zhao Ji's mind like a poisonous insect.
Traitors and rebels, they are all traitors and rebels!
He cursed inwardly, finding some solace in the act. He roared, "Zhuge Zhengwo, you ungrateful old dog! Don't forget who promoted you! And Su Mengzhen, I should have uprooted your Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion long ago! As for the rest of the Southern Prince's Mansion, the Taiping Prince's Mansion… how dare you, how dare you collude in treason! How could you?!"
Fools never acknowledge their mistakes; he keeps cursing. And Cai Jing, those sycophantic lackeys who always fawn over me? Come save me! Kill them, exterminate their entire families!
What millions of subjects… these unruly people! They're all a bunch of ungrateful unruly people! I gave them a chance to live, and they dare to treat me like this! Have I done anything wrong? I merely enjoy collecting rare stones and calligraphy, and I merely employ a few ministers who know how to read my mind. The world is so vast, it all belongs to me alone. What's wrong with taking a little? What do those ant-like commoners know? Their suffering is because their lives are cheap, because they aren't diligent enough. What does it have to do with me? What does it have to do with my hobbies?
Yes, it's these people who are jealous of me, can't stand seeing me enjoy this prosperity, and want to seize my empire. That's why they say my ascension to the throne was illegitimate. And with just a tattered cloth and a few lines of old words, they want to deny my twenty years of rule.
As long as he could convince himself, that was enough. Zhao Ji lay in a pool of blood, resentment and hatred corroding him, and he needed these to continue to live.
Cold, so cold. Was he about to bleed to death? Zhao Ji didn't know. He gradually sank into despair. Why hadn't anyone come to save him? Where were his imperial guards? Where were his Imperial City Guards? Help! He couldn't die here. He didn't want to die. He absolutely couldn't die like this. He still had endless riches and honors to enjoy.
However, no one cared about a dying stray dog, or rather, a piece of trash even worse than a stray dog. His death was a cause for celebration, and his corpse was something to be avoided at all costs. Time thus became thick and long amidst the excruciating pain, darkness, and overwhelming hatred. No one knew how much time had passed—perhaps just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, perhaps a century—before the sounds within the hall gradually changed.
The shouts of battle and the clash of weapons subsided, eventually fading into a chilling silence. Everything gradually disappeared, and the clearest sound became Zhao Ji's breathing.
No one came, not a soul. Even if he wasn't dead yet, he was no different from a corpse. The former emperor of a dynasty, abandoned in the middle of a chaotic banquet, with only the ever-growing pool of blood beneath him silently proving that he had once been the master of this place, proving his mistakes, and proving that he deserved his fate.
He still harbors hatred.
Why didn't you come to save me? I am the emperor, I...
His eyelids felt like they couldn't bear the weight, and just before his consciousness was about to sink completely into the boundless darkness, Zhao Ji heard footsteps.
It rang out steadily, softly, and with a hint of nonchalance, not far from him. It turned out that someone had been watching his wretched state, watching his life slip away, and then, at the very last moment, slowly approached him, finally stopping beside his head.
With his last ounce of strength, Zhao Ji tried to move, even just to lift his eyelids. But he couldn't. Even moving his eyes was a luxury. He could only lie there like a lump of mud. He heard the owner of the footsteps stop, and then felt a hand reach out and grab his blood-streaked hair without any gentleness. With a forceful twist, the hand pulled his face off the pool of blood and bricks, forcing him to turn at an angle.
The excruciating pain nearly made him faint, and his vision returned, followed by a face.
A face he had never seen before, yet in this situation, it inexplicably evoked a chilling and terrifying feeling. Exquisitely beautiful, like a fairy from the moon, her appearance was beyond description, a natural beauty unmatched by most in the mortal world. This beauty looked at him coldly; she had been watching him for a long time, wanting to see all his flaws, her gaze like icy water, mercilessly stimulating his wounds.
She wouldn't let him bleed to death; she was going to kill him. Zhao Ji realized this with horror.
He was too exhausted to escape. He didn't even know her name, but his intuition told him that she was the woman who had spoken of "offering a gift to millions of people" to Gong Jiu. She must have been disguised as well.
Xie Huailing held the bright yellow imperial edict in her hand and waved it in front of Zhao Ji to make sure he could see what it was. Then, after enjoying his resentful eyes and fearful expression, she spoke: "It's about time. It seems that no one can save you, and no one intends to save you. Very well, then I'll begin."
Emperor Huizong swallowed hard, wanting to curse and swear, but could only spit out a string of bloody spittle.
"I'm here to send you on your way, but don't make me beat you up right now." Seeing the hatred in his eyes, Xie Huailing continued, and Zhao Ji immediately shut up in fear. "But before that, there's something I think you should know. After all, I've seen plenty of fools, but an emperor as foolish as you is a rare find throughout history."
She paused, seemingly organizing her thoughts, or perhaps just giving him some time to understand. After all, the difference between people is greater than the difference between people and dogs, and Zhao Ji was clearly the lowest of the low. She worried that his brain simply couldn't comprehend it.
After waiting for a while, Xie Huailing unfolded the imperial edict in his hand and read its contents word by word. It was nothing more than an accusation against Zhao Ji for usurping the throne and the lack of capable officials in the Song Dynasty. He left instructions to execute those who had committed treason and to entrust the world to someone who could restore order.
After reading it aloud, Xie Huailing closed the edict. She was met with Zhao Ji's eyes, which, though forcibly restrained by fear, still radiated a visible venomous resentment. She found it even more laughable, both laughable and disgusting, and said, "Judging from your expression, do you hate this 'edict' to the extreme?"
She suddenly smiled: "Don't rush, I'll tell you. This imperial edict itself is genuine; it was personally handed over by the late emperor to his trusted confidants before his death, a true document that has been passed down through generations. But—"
Xie Huailing's tone was almost cruelly sarcastic, and her smile was genuine, a genuine sense of satisfaction at her revenge: "The words on it were written by someone else later. The handwriting was 99% similar, but it's still fake. Anyone who looks closely can tell."
Fake? !
Zhao Ji's mind was about to explode. If the imperial edict was fake, then his outburst of rage at the banquet would be evidence of his own instability, and his current miserable state would be evidence of his self-destruction.
"But thanks to your guilty conscience, no one will believe it's fake now. So, you see."
Xie Huailing's voice softened: "If you can sit still, be wicked in a smart way, and not become a fool, or if you can be a decent emperor and make your subjects and people feel that there is still some hope, even if you just pretend to be decent and don't incur the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, and completely dishearten people like Zhuge Shenhou... even if there are rumors of a will, even if someone wants to take advantage of the situation, even if you have indeed usurped the throne, you may not necessarily have no way out, and you may not necessarily be unable to hold onto this position."
She leaned closer, looking at the complex expression that suddenly rose on Zhao Ji's face, appreciating his astonishment, regret, and despair, and said softly, "It was you who personally blocked all the paths, one by one. It was also you who made your country and your people wish you were dead immediately. Zhao Ji, you wanted to die."
"No, no!" Zhao Ji finally managed to squeeze out broken syllables from his throat.
But he couldn't finish speaking, as blood and foam gushed out in a rush.
"Don't rush to die, I have something to say." Xie Huailing slapped his face hard with the imperial edict, and when he didn't react, she raised her hand and slapped Zhao Ji across the face.
The slap was crisp and loud. Zhao Ji's head was knocked to the side, and the last bit of imperial dignity was shattered by the slap. Xie Huailing shook his wrist, as if he didn't even want to slap him.
"The contents of the will I just read were fake, but there are some things I have to tell you that are true."
The mockery and amusement on her face vanished, replaced by a chilling calm. Her eyes were clouded, concealing her true feelings.
"Zhao Ji." She called out this name that was destined to be infamous for eternity, finally crossing the long river of history as she wished, to nail him to this moment, "Listen carefully."
"Since you ascended the throne, you have been extravagant and ruthless. For every piece of precious stones transported, every household along the shores of Taihu Lake would be dressed in mourning for you. For every load of birthday tribute, countless more people would starve to death along the banks of the Yellow River. But you don't care, you don't care at all. You continue to build your Genyue Garden, refine your elixirs, burning away the people's hard-earned money and the tears of those who sold their children. Cai Jing and Fu Zongshu may have committed many evils, they may be parasites and wolves, but it was you who put them in this position, tacitly approved of them, and indulged them in their bone-sucking exploitation."
"All the suffering is because of you, it's all because of you."
She didn't speak fast, nor did she speak quickly; her blood and tears were endless, yet they would never pass away.
"Do you think the suffering of the common people is due to their lowly fate? Let me tell you, no, it's because they were blind when they were reincarnated and stumbled into the Song Dynasty under your rule, Zhao Ji. Do you think your fondness for calligraphy, paintings, and unusual stones is harmless? Let me tell you, no, because of your hobbies, thousands of families have been destroyed and people have died, and nine out of ten houses in the Mengzhou area are empty."
"You have no idea what would happen if you didn't die tonight, if everything continued as usual. Thousands upon thousands of people would die, blood would flow for miles across the Central Plains, and corpses would litter the fields. And all of this would happen because of you, Zhao Ji, and your good son, you bunch of fools who are living a life of debauchery in the prosperous dream of Bianjing."
Zhao Ji's breathing became more and more rapid. He was not reflecting on his actions at all, but rather filled with fear—fear of Xie Huailing at this moment.
She continued, "This is all I wanted to tell you, and the reason I'm telling you this isn't so you can die knowing why."
"I just want you to remember clearly why you died. It was because you were stupid, wicked, incompetent, and a scourge to the country and its people. It was because of those who died because of you, and those who would have died because of you in the future. Your death has absolutely nothing to do with your petty affair of usurping the throne. You don't deserve such neutral assessments as 'failure in a single day' or 'dying after the throne changed hands.' You were rotten and disgusting from head to toe, inside and out. You should have died long ago, and you should have paid for the lives of those unseen corpses long ago!"
"And after you die, I will revise the history books properly, and you will be cursed for thousands of generations. Since you have enjoyed enough happiness while you are alive, you will not have a good death either."
An exquisite bracelet peeked out from Xie Huailing's sleeve, pointing directly at Zhao Ji's face.
"Do you recognize this?" she asked softly, and before anyone could answer, she answered herself, "It doesn't matter if you don't know, I'll tell you, the number one hidden weapon and the number one poison in the world, 'Tianyun Five-Flower Cotton'."
She pressed the trigger.
After the sound of the hidden weapon piercing flesh, a shrill, inhuman scream erupted from Zhao Ji's throat. Starting from around the wound, his skin corroded and festered at a visible speed, spreading all the way to his face. His face, his eyes, his nose, his mouth... all began to swell, turn black, and ooze a yellowish-red liquid. The flesh peeled off, revealing the stark white bone beneath.
The excruciating pain exceeded the limits of human endurance. Xie Huailing threw his head aside, and he convulsed and writhed on the ground like a fish out of water, his hands futilely trying to scratch his disfigured face, only tearing off his own festering flesh, the stench spreading out.
This hellish torture did not last long. After a few breaths, the convulsions stopped, leaving only a disfigured, swollen corpse on the ground, completely unrecognizable.
Xie Huailing watched quietly, her face expressionless. It should have been like this long ago; this was destiny.
She was destined to do this, and she was destined to succeed at it.
Xie Huailing let out a deep breath. This time, she truly exhaled something, and an unprecedented sense of ease spread from the depths of her bones, flowing through her limbs and entire body. She also felt as if she had unloaded something, experiencing boundless joy like never before.
Looking around, the magnificent palace was in ruins. Most of the candles had been extinguished in the fighting, leaving only a few lonely ones, which reflected the desolation on the ground in a bizarre way. The air was filled with a heavy atmosphere of death.
But looking at all of this, she strangely felt that nothing was wrong with it.
No day is better than tonight.
She bent down, picked up the edict stained with a little blood, and without glancing again at the rapidly decaying filth on the ground, turned and walked towards the wide-open palace gates. Xie Huailing's steps were initially a little hesitant, as if she was not yet used to the lightness after avenging her eternal hatred, but soon, she walked more and more steadily and quickly.
As she crossed the high threshold, a gentle night breeze blew towards her, carrying a cool breath that dispelled the stench of blood and decay surrounding her, welcoming her return. The world was like water, and she moved freely through it. The palace before her seemed incredibly welcoming. Although scattered lights illuminated only parts of the area, with most still shrouded in the deepest darkness before dawn, the darkness was no longer suffocating; instead, it held infinite possibilities.
Xie Huailing looked up and took a deep breath of the night air.
Then, she saw him.
Beneath the palace, at the edge of a fire, Su Mengzhen stood silently. He had changed out of his princely robes, which he used as a disguise, and was now only wearing a simple white robe, half of which was soaked in blood. He had only a dark outer cloak over it for warmth, barely enough to conceal his true identity. The red-sleeved knife was sheathed, held in his pale but steady hand, blood still dripping from it. She knew he had killed many people tonight.
That's great, Xie Huailing thought.
Su Mengzhen's expression was exactly the same as hers, both showing a strange yet relaxed look. He tilted his head back, looking towards the direction of the palace gate, watching her walk out from inside. The firelight danced on his fair profile, illuminating his unusually gentle eyes. His fire was no longer buried deep in his eyes; in her hands, his fire ignited the entire Song Dynasty.
Their eyes met, and neither of them spoke a word, nor did they need to. It was as if they had been gazing at each other like this for thousands of years, and would continue to do so until the end of time.
Su Mengzhen extended his hand to her. This hand was pale and slender, which had once hung limply on the sickbed, but had also delivered the decisive blow that would decide the fate of the world tonight. Now it was steadily extended towards her, palm facing upward. Xie Huailing looked at that hand, then looked up at Su Mengzhen's eyes. She understood that this meant he wanted to take her home. After she got down, he would take her home with him.
But she just wouldn't.
No longer looking at the palace that had just witnessed death and the change of dynasties, she knew that everything would start anew from here, from tonight. All those humiliating and painful histories would be strangled by her, and completely ended in her hands. For thousands of years, the mountains and rivers would be transformed into a completely different and unknown future.
And they will walk together, trusting each other implicitly, for a lifetime.
Xie Huailing lifted her blood-stained skirt and, taking an unconventional path, leaped over the white railing and jumped down from outside the palace, like a bird in flight or a bright moon, as she sank in the west.
Su Mengzhen caught her steadily and held her in his arms.
This was also destined.
—End of text—
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After more than half a year, the main text of this book is finally finished!
Thank you so much for all of you who have been with me for so long. During the creation of this book, I know that I still have many shortcomings and I often worry about them. Thank you so much for your tolerance and understanding. I am truly grateful.
Next up is the romance storyline. The romance storylines of the five male guests will be featured in the regular side stories. Each story will have a rather interesting title (whistling), and the content will contain some... well, I hope I don't get rejected.
The remaining side stories are all fan service stories, such as the romantic storylines of the young landlord or other male characters.
Thank you all so much for your support. Every reader is a source of motivation for my writing. As usual, I'll be holding a giveaway. Since the giveaway center hasn't reached its cooldown period yet, I'll be distributing the prizes via random red envelopes tomorrow.
Finally, let me give a shout-out to my next book, which will be a bit more unrestrained. As usual, it features a protagonist who doesn't follow the usual path, which is something I'm good at. If you're interested, you can check it out!
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