Upon hearing that hoarse voice, Duanmu Shenghua froze instantly, then stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
Although the voice was hoarse, she could still recognize it as Duanmu Junyu's voice!
Duanmu Junyu is still alive?! And she's even back?!
How is this possible?!
Upon hearing those words, Shao Yichen turned around abruptly. When she saw Duanmu Junyu standing in the corner of the training ground, her eyes widened in surprise and joy. She immediately rushed to Duanmu Junyu and knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty, is it really you? You're back!"
The moment she knelt down, Shao Yichen saw the shadow behind Duanmu Junyu, and her eyes instantly reddened.
Her Majesty is not a ghost; she is still alive and well.
His Majesty has really returned alive!
The soldiers below were stunned into silence when they actually saw Duanmu Junyu.
Wasn't it said that His Majesty was doomed if he fell off the cliff? Wasn't it said that the cliff was so high that no one had ever survived? Wasn't it said that many people were sent down the cliff but they still couldn't find His Majesty?
So who is this person standing in front of them now?
The soldiers who had seen Duanmu Junyu return before were excited when they saw her again, shouting, "I told you, Her Majesty is still alive! You didn't believe me!"
"I just said I saw His Majesty return. Look, His Majesty is alive and well, isn't he?"
"Who said His Majesty was dead? His Majesty is clearly still alive, and he even came back on his own!"
As the soldiers shouted, they excitedly knelt down before Duanmu Junyu: "Your humble servants pay their respects to Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"
"Your humble servants pay their respects to Your Majesty! Long live ...!"
Duanmu Shenghua finally recovered from her shock and resentment. She quickly turned around and saw Duanmu Junyu standing alive not far behind her. A cold glint flashed in her eyes, and she rushed towards Duanmu Junyu.
She stood not far away, watching her coldly, until Duanmu Shenghua suddenly hugged her: "Royal sister, you're really back! I was so worried about you, I was so afraid something really happened to you!"
Duanmu Shenghua hugged her tightly, crying with tears streaming down her face.
Looking at Duanmu Shenghua crying so heartbrokenly, she felt no emotion whatsoever.
She knew that Duanmu Shenghua's tears were not tears of joy for her return, but tears of sorrow for her failed plan!
She didn't miss the murderous intent that flashed in Duanmu Shenghua's eyes when she saw her. She probably wanted to kill her right now!
But she realized it too late. It wasn't until a dream twenty years later that she fully understood Duanmu Shenghua's heart. In the reality twenty years ago, when Duanmu Shenghua excitedly hugged her, tears streaming down her face, she still held a sliver of hope for her. She felt that Duanmu Shenghua truly cared for her, and she was somewhat happy about her return. After all, they were sisters born of the same mother and father, and now that their mother and father had passed away, they were the closest people in the world.
She thought she would treat her as the most important person in the world, just like she did. How naive she was back then.
Now, in her dream, she didn't want to be foolish anymore. Hearing her "sincere" cries, she suddenly pushed her away: "I heard that my royal sister sent many soldiers down the cliff to find me?"
Duanmu Shenghua stiffened again upon hearing this, forcing a stiff smile as she looked at her: "My elder sister fell off a cliff and her fate is unknown. I wanted to go down and find you myself, but as you know, I have a severe fear of heights. So I sent a team of soldiers down to look for you, but the cliff was too high, and not a single soldier came back up alive. So I thought you might have also..."
Duanmu Shenghua said these things not only to answer her question, but also to explain to her why she said she had passed away.
She must have been standing behind her for a long time, so she had to make this explanation.
"Is that so?" But she was no longer buying it: "When I was at the bottom of the cliff, I did not see anyone fall off the cliff, and when I was climbing the cliff, I did not see any traces of anyone climbing the cliff."
Upon hearing this, Shao Yichen, who was kneeling on the ground, immediately frowned.
She had always suspected that Prince Hui had never sent anyone down the cliff to look for His Majesty, but she had no concrete evidence. Now that Her Majesty said this, she was even more certain that Prince Hui really had not sent anyone down the cliff to look for His Majesty!
The soldiers below looked at each other with suspicion.
Didn't King Hui just say that he sent many soldiers down the cliff to look for His Majesty, and that none of those soldiers ever returned?
Since there was no return, they must have fallen off the cliff. But His Majesty saw no one fall off the cliff at the bottom, nor did he see anyone climb over the cliff face. What does this mean?
Everyone looked at Prince Hui with suspicion. Was Prince Hui lying? Did she really send someone down the cliff to find His Majesty?
Duanmu Shenghua didn't expect her to ask these questions in public, and she was even more surprised that she had thought of these things. Her face stiffened for a moment, and then she quickly explained stiffly, "I really sent a lot of people down the cliff to look for you, and those people have indeed never come back. If you didn't see anyone fall off the cliff, maybe there's something mysterious about that cliff!"
Before anyone could think about it, Duanmu Shenghua quickly changed the subject, saying, "That cliff is so high, how did you get up there, my elder sister?"
It has to be said that the topic shifted very successfully, and everyone immediately looked at her with curiosity.
She didn't hide anything: "It was General Su of Eastern Chu who saved me."
Upon hearing this, the soldiers erupted in an uproar.
"It was actually that great general from Eastern Chu who saved His Majesty!"
"The Grand General of Eastern Chu jumped off the cliff with His Majesty, so it's perfectly normal for him to save His Majesty!"
"Wait a minute, isn't he an enemy soldier? Why would he save His Majesty?"
"Could it be that he admires His Majesty, which is why he has saved His Majesty time and time again?"
"I must say, that general is quite handsome, with a good physique, and he's also a skilled warrior. If he were willing to join His Majesty's harem, it wouldn't be out of the question!"
"What nonsense are you spouting? How could His Majesty marry a man from Eastern Chu, so vulgar!"
"General Su saved His Majesty, so General Su is not dead either!"
"Both commanders are unharmed, so should we retreat?"
She overheard the soldiers' words and raised her voice, "Having experienced this, I know how much a war costs the people and resources, and how much it depletes the nation's strength. I was willful before, but now I've come to my senses. We'll withdraw our troops. Everyone, pack up and we'll leave tomorrow!"
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