Chapter 695 Can You Tell the Difference?
The emperor was furious, but he still managed to laugh out loud.
"Hahaha, very good, very good. As expected, a woman who can catch the eye of Xie Zheng, that stubborn mule, must be no ordinary woman. Meeting her today has truly made me look at her in a new light."
He pointed at Song Chunxue and looked at Lord Zhao, his eyes carrying the scrutinizing look typical of someone in a superior position. "Is she still your junior brother?"
Lord Zhao thought to himself, "Isn't it because of this relationship that you deliberately made things difficult for Xie Zheng? And now you're putting on an act for me."
Silly cousin.
But he smiled politely and replied, "Yes, my master, whom I apprenticed with many years ago, has recently taken on a new disciple, probably because she has a fearless and courageous spirit. After all, there aren't many people like her anymore, especially at her age."
The Emperor nodded. "It seems your master is quite easygoing."
As he spoke, he changed the subject, raised an eyebrow, and his eyes held an imperial aura of authority.
"But your trespassing into the imperial prison is a capital offense. She may be ignorant, but you barging in like this shows you don't respect me at all?"
Lord Zhao immediately knelt on one knee. “Your Majesty, please forgive us. We did not intend to break him out of prison. It’s just that my junior brother misses Lord Xie so much and is worried about him. He tearfully begged me to let him go. I was moved by their deep affection, so I thought I would bring them to see him.”
“My junior brother has made his decision to grant Lord Xie's request and leave the capital as soon as possible. I beg Your Majesty to consider their deep affection and allow them to meet alone to say goodbye. I will go and accept my punishment tomorrow.”
"..." Seeing Xie Zheng's affectionate and distressed eyes, Song Chunxue thought to herself, "What a great senior brother! He was the one who wanted to bring her here."
The next moment, Xie Zheng walked over, grabbed Song Chunxue's hands, and called out emotionally, "Xue'er."
"..." Oh my god, Song Chunxue immediately pinched Xie Zheng without hesitation and glared at him with embarrassment and anger.
"Don't be so mushy..." she warned him through gritted teeth, her hair standing on end.
Xie Zheng not only wasn't angry, but he actually laughed.
“Then I’ll call you that in my heart from now on. Your parents and sister probably called you that when you were little.”
"No!" Song Chunxue raised her hand to her forehead. "They only call me 'stinky fifth brother.' Don't give me these cloying city nicknames. They make me want to punch someone."
"..." The Emperor looked at the two flirting with mixed feelings, and put his hands on his hips in anger.
Lord Zhao said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I heard that Daoist Huoxiang has just refined a pill. Would you mind taking me to see it?"
The Emperor pointed at Xie Zheng and said, "You have disappointed me greatly."
Xie Zheng turned around calmly, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I am not greedy for beauty. I am only willing to admire one person. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request."
"Absolutely impossible. Even my sister couldn't catch your eye back then," the Emperor said, looking at Song Chunxue. "Besides, she wasn't as deeply in love as you are. Wake up! People who believe in true love never have a good ending!"
The Emperor was dragged out of the prison by Lord Zhao, and looked at Xie Zheng with eyes full of disappointment.
Song Chunxue suddenly didn't know whether to be glad that the Emperor was actually easy to talk to, or to feel sorry for him. Judging from his words, the Emperor must have been hurt by some woman when he was young, and the hurt was quite severe.
This is completely different from the emperor she imagined, and the inescapable prison.
In fact, she had prepared herself for the inescapable trap before she came, even envisioning a desperate fight to the death, risking her life to escape the prison.
Unexpectedly, the reality made her completely doubt whether she was just daydreaming and indulging in wishful thinking.
"Sister Song, I never expected you would risk your life for me. Have you really thought it through and decided to stand with me through thick and thin?"
Xie Zheng embraced her, unable to hide his excitement.
Song Chunxue had no intention of lying to him. "I've come to say goodbye. Leaving the capital is probably the best choice right now, for everyone's sake."
If everyone takes a step back, there will be no casualties or sacrifices, so why not?
"No!" Xie Zheng hugged her tightly and said urgently, "You can't leave the capital. We agreed to leave the capital together."
Song Chunxue quietly savored the moment of warmth, remaining silent for a long time.
She gently stroked his back. "Let's not push our luck. Today, my senior brother and I were able to leave the prison safely, and it's your greatest fortune that you can be released from the prison as soon as possible."
“I’ll wait for you in Jincheng. As long as we’re alive, we can always rebuild. You can’t fight city hall. Besides, the Emperor has already been very lenient with you. If it were anyone else, you would have been beheaded long ago.”
Xie Zheng didn't say anything, and the two hugged silently for a long time.
Song Chunxue didn't think about anything; she didn't feel much joy or sorrow.
She felt that this moment was precious and that it was enough to have no other thoughts.
After a long pause, Xie Zheng asked, "Have you decided when to leave the capital? Aren't you waiting for your senior brother to show up?"
Song Chunxue was taken aback. "You've seen him?"
"Yes, I've met him once. He's been very busy lately."
He released her and looked at her smooth, full forehead and her jet-black, lustrous hair. Suddenly, he realized that perhaps he was an obstacle on her path of cultivation.
Human nature is greedy; when faced with gifts from heaven, people will take advantage of them.
Actually, compared to previous years, things are much better now. At least he has made up for the regrets of his youth at an age when he should have been old and lonely.
He experienced the bittersweetness of love, the pain of unrequited love and separation.
“I’m worried about you leaving the capital alone. Let your senior brother accompany you back,” he said, though he was reluctant and unwilling. “You must be very worried about him. He always manages to turn danger into safety.”
Song Chunxue smiled and looked at him, "You're not jealous anymore?"
Xie Zheng turned his face away. "Yes, that's a bit of a thing, it's human nature, but I know..."
“My senior brother must have his own things to do. He has already delayed a lot of things for me over the years. His cultivation speed is even faster than mine. I can’t let my momentary impulse delay his plans.”
"Besides, everyone has to be able to stand on their own. It's dangerous for me, a woman, to go out. So many men who don't know martial arts still manage to travel far away, don't they?"
Song Chunxue smiled and said, "I can protect myself. Ever since I embarked on this path, I have hoped to become like my senior brother in the future, traveling alone on any road I want to go, seeing all living beings and seeing myself, cultivating my character, and watching the beautiful rivers and mountains and all aspects of human life disappear into the world."
"Then let Liu Chunshu take a few men..."
She touched his face. "This time, I want to go alone. If I really encounter someone powerful, Liu Chunshu will only make me run away. Don't hurt him; his wife and children are waiting for him to come home."
She knew very well that since Wuyou had been targeted, there would definitely be a lot of obstacles when she went out this time, and she wanted to give it a try.
She wasn't afraid of death. Her children were all grown up, and her second son's marriage would be arranged. As long as they supported each other in Jincheng, it wouldn't matter whether she, as their mother, was there or not.
The only person he couldn't let go of was Jiang Hongying.
But she had already written a letter, and if anything unexpected happened, she had already made arrangements for those shops and the family's estate and land.
"Sister Song, you're so heartless. Don't you feel any reluctance to part with me?" Xie Zheng smiled bitterly. "Can you tell whether you pity me or genuinely like me?"
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