I vomited up everything I ate that morning, as if I wanted to vomit up my bile as well. Changming was frantic and didn't know what to do. This place was secluded in the Danwang Palace, and no servants would come and go to find me. No matter how much I cried for help, it would be in vain. Before I fell into a coma, the only thing I saw was Changming holding me tightly and his bloodshot eyes.
And then there was Wu Chengsi, who appeared out of nowhere. The only thing I could feel was the shadow he cast on my face as he approached, the warmth of his body as he lifted me from the cold ground, and how close we were that I could easily hear his heart pounding like a drum.
That was Wu Chengsi.
Changming quietly slipped away, her expression slightly sorrowful, which became even more pronounced the moment Wu Chengsi carried me away.
Wu Chengsi held me tightly, his hands gripping the back of my legs, his rapid breathing echoing above my head. Whether from his haste or carelessness, I stumbled and fell onto the rain-soaked moss. He instinctively pulled me into his arms. Even the panicked cry of "Taiping" sounded unbelievably familiar.
My mind was a complete blank. He picked me up from the ground again, his voice slightly hoarse from not speaking for a long time, and called out, "Taiping."
Finally, I had a legitimate reason to curl up in his arms and cry my heart out. My mother hated me crying; even when I cried, I had to let the tears fall where no one could see them. Wu Chengsi paused slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but he only opened his mouth and remained silent. Finally, he pulled out a clean sleeve from his undershirt and wiped the tears from my cheeks.
I was escorted back to the princess's residence by Wu Chengsi. The people who greeted me at the gate seemed to have never seen the princess and her husband return to the residence at the same time before, and they all looked at each other with joy.
Only Changming's face remained etched with the same sorrow as always. After everyone had left, he knelt earnestly before me, clasped my hands together, looked up at me with a desolate gaze: "Taiping, leave Wu Chengsi. Don't let him fall in love with you."
I will protect you so that you may live a long and worry-free life, and I will protect you so that you may live in peace and joy.
I wearily lowered my eyes, unable to meet the overwhelming emotions within them—hope, worry, and despair. This ghost who had cared for me so tenderly since I was eight—I believed in him, but I couldn't bear to part with him. I turned my face away and whispered, "I just can't bear to."
"When I was little, because I was losing my baby teeth, you never allowed me to eat candy. But I know that if I just begged you, you would still be willing to give me back the candied fruit." My voice gradually lowered, my eyelashes drooped, and tears rolled down my cheeks. "Changming, if I beg you now, would you still be willing to return Wu Chengsi to me?"
It seemed like it took a long time for him to come to his senses. Changming stared at me with misty eyes, as if murmuring to himself, "Peace."
eight,
Wu Chengsi's visits to my pavilion increased daily. Although we didn't exchange many words, we mostly sat in silence. Looking out, there was a ten-mile-long lake embankment, the scenery lush and green. Life is inherently perfect; if we don't cling to things, there will be no regrets.
Most of the time, I was the one talking, rambling on about my childhood. I talked most about my memories from when I was eight years old, when my father was in power and my mother was the empress, living a harmonious life like any ordinary couple. He remained calm, and when he heard something interesting, he even smiled slightly, indicating that he was still listening.
I don't know if I'm just overthinking it.
For a long fifteen minutes, Changming sat quietly within my line of sight, her gaze gentle yet filled with sorrow.
I know that many things have already begun to change silently before I even realized it.
The mother met with Wu Chengsi several times outside of court hours, which was against the ancestral rules of the Tang Dynasty, as the title of Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant was merely an empty honor. The fact that the mother met with him so frequently outside of normal times suggested that she intended to give him an important position, which inevitably led to speculation.
The mother relied on the Wu family far more than she trusted the Li family.
Until her two older brothers passed away one after another, her mother went to pay her respects, crying until she was hoarse, yet stubbornly refusing to shed a single tear. Wu Chengsi stood a little further away, his white banner fluttering in the wind. When I happened to turn around and our eyes met, he seemed slightly taken aback for a moment, then quickly looked away without making a sound.
So much melancholy and despair that brushed past me, but I didn't see it, including the fleeting hatred within it.
The only one left in the world was my brother, Li Xian, who stood motionless in the farthest corner, surrounded by the crowd, cowering and afraid to approach. He was the only son in my mother's eyes who could not be considered a success, but he was undoubtedly well-versed in the ways of survival in the palace.
As if sensing my thoughts, Changming chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Not necessarily."
From that day on, Changming spoke to me less and less each day, mostly just staring at me blankly. The only thing that remained unchanged was his determination to separate me from Wu Chengsi. I was confused: "Changming, who exactly are you?"
Unexpectedly, he answered me with a serious expression: "I am Changming. Your name is Taiping, meaning long life without worries and peace with joy."
I laughed, shaking my head as I said, "You've asked me to leave Wu Chengsi time and time again, but you never tell me why. How can I trust you like that?"
Changming gradually fell silent, his ethereal image in the air blurring and then reappearing, like a freehand ink painting of distant mountains and tranquil waters. Even his voice was soft and gentle. Suddenly, he lowered his head and stared intently into my eyes.
It took me a long time to understand.
I lowered my head, paused for a long time, and then asked him blankly, "You're saying that Brother Dan was killed by Wu Chengsi?"
“Yes.” He didn’t flinch, meeting my gaze directly, letting the pain in his eyes overflow like a sea, giving me no room to maneuver. “I said long ago that the Empress Wu was afraid the throne would return to the Li family. So she would rather have a princess as a queen than let her four sons become emperors. And she,” Changming looked at me intently, “the person she has chosen is Wu Chengsi.”
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
