Rebirth
The rainstorm was still going on, thunder was rumbling, and the sound of swords and spears clashing with each other was mixed in with the rain, dripping into the puddles, staining them red with blood.
The candlelight in the bedroom was dim, leaving only a glimmer of cold light between the curtains. A dark shadow scrambled onto the bed, illuminating the pale, emaciated face of the young man lying there. His breath was weak, indicating that he was dying.
Jing Yao withdrew her hand and slumped down on the couch, her eyes glazed over. Her beautiful eyes were dim, her gaze uncertain. A few strands of hair drooped, her bright red clothes were disheveled, and her once charming and delicate face was now in disarray.
The guards outside the palace were still fighting off the rebels, but Jing Yao could hear that the sounds were getting closer.
No one expected that Prince Lin's power would grow so powerful under the nose of the Crown Prince. After declaring his uprising, he was able to break into Shanghua City overnight.
The palace servants were fleeing in all directions, and no one was guarding here. Jing Yao couldn't help but tremble slightly when he heard those shrill and painful screams.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince!" The commander of the Imperial Guard rushed into the bedroom dragging his seriously injured body. Rainwater mixed with blood dripped onto the ground. The wounds on his waist, abdomen and thighs were still bleeding. Jing Yao was so scared that he stepped back repeatedly and subconsciously held the hand of the person on the couch.
"Your Highness! I am incompetent!" The captain spoke with tears in his voice, "The rebels are almost at the inner palace gate. Your Highness, please leave through the secret passage immediately!"
"Take her away..."
The young man who had been unconscious on the couch for a long time uttered three words with difficulty.
"Your Highness!"
"I... am dying... take her away quickly..."
Si Pei opened his eyes slightly and stared at the girl in front of him without blinking, as if he wanted to use the last moments to engrave as much of her appearance as possible in his heart.
Jing Yao didn't have time to be surprised that he was still awake and talking. She didn't expect Si Pei to think of her first at this moment. Somehow, she felt a little sad.
At this critical moment of life and death, Jing Yao did not want to be coy and turned to the people in the hall and shouted, "Hurry up and leave!"
The commander of the Imperial Guard was Si Pei's most loyal personal guard, who never had any objection to his decisions. Upon hearing this, he suppressed his grief and blew the whistle to summon the secret guards.
"Madam Jing, please follow me."
Jing Yao stood up, lifting her skirt. After sitting for a long time, she suddenly stood up, and the fear in her heart made her legs weak and she almost fell.
But at this moment, the instinct for survival has surpassed everything else. She just wants to quickly escape from the palace where she has been imprisoned for four years, escape from the palace that has become a sea of blood and corpses under the swords of the rebels, and save her own life.
With a loud "bang", Jing Yao's hope of survival was kicked into pieces along with the door. The rebel soldiers rushed in with knives and bowstrings tightened. They easily defeated the resisting guards and surrounded her.
"Where are you going, Sister Jing?"
The young man who walked out slowly from the rebel army spoke as gently and warmly as ever. If he hadn't been holding a long sword in his hand that had been used to sacrifice countless souls, Jing Yao would have really thought that he was still the well-behaved brother who followed her and called her "sister".
"Si Jue..." Si Pei's weak voice came from behind the curtains, "Our dispute has nothing to do with her... Let her go."
He was trying to get up when Si Jue's mouth curled up into a mad smile: "Let her go? I'm not that kind. I've been fed up with this stupid woman for a long time... Only you, my royal brother, treat her like a treasure."
As Si Jue spoke, he pressed the long knife against the girl's fragile neck. The cold and sharp blade cut through her skin. Jing Yao panicked and burst into tears: "Ajue! I beg you... let me go! I'm your cousin!"
Jing Yao was desperate and tried every possible means to ask Si Jue to spare her because of their relationship, but she forgot that Si Jue wanted to kill even his own brother, not to mention that she was just a distant cousin.
Si Jue exerted force on his hands, and seeing that his neck was about to be cut, Jing Yao didn't know where he got the strength from to throw away the long knife and crawled backwards desperately.
But his legs were too weak to move, his heart was filled with the fear of death, and his bloodstained hands couldn't stop cramping.
Si Jue watched her feeble escape and couldn't help laughing: "Hahaha, Sister Jing, are you trying to crawl to my brother? Are you crawling in the wrong direction?"
The footsteps behind him gradually approached: "I want him to watch you die."
Jing Yao was so scared that she curled up into a ball subconsciously, but the knife did not stab her as expected.
"Ugh...cough cough!"
The young man placed his hands on both sides of Jing Yao's head and tilted his head to spit out a few mouthfuls of black blood.
Jing Yao stared at Si Pei who was standing in front of her with her eyes wide open, choking up so much that she couldn't utter a word.
The terminally ill Si Pei actually dragged his broken body over to block Jing Yao at the last moment.
Jing Yao suddenly felt a warm current. It was Si Pei's warm blood flowing out along the tip of the knife that pierced her chest and melted into her dress.
"Si Pei!" Jing Yao's voice trembled. The young man was unable to support himself and fell beside her.
"Yaoyao..." Si Pei leaned his head against her neck, "I'm useless and I've gotten you into trouble."
"You still know that it's you who implicated me! Si Pei, say something!"
Jing Yao felt the aura of the young man so close to him grow weaker and weaker, and finally couldn't hold back his collapse: "Si Pei, don't abandon me! I won't let you die!"
"Yaoyao...I won't abandon you..."
Si Pei's voice became softer and softer, but his words were extremely heavy: "I said...I will never leave you even if I die..."
The young man raised the corner of his mouth. It had been a long time since he saw Jing Yao so worried about him, although it was not really for him.
But he still felt very happy.
"Yaoyao, don't be afraid."
Jing Yao heard him say, "Even in the underworld, I will find you."
"Madman! Who wants to die with you?"
Jing Yao tried to push Si Pei hard, but found that he had no reaction.
"Si Pei...Si Pei! Si Lihong!"
Jing Yao still couldn't accept what he saw. How could Si Pei die like this?
He is Si Pei, the Si Pei who haunts her and says he will spend his whole life with her... How can he die so easily!
"Oh, dead?" Si Jue kicked his brother's body away, his expression rather regretful. "I was hoping to treat my good brother well."
"By the way, I have to thank you, Sister Jing." Si Jue smiled happily, "Without your help, it would be difficult for me to make Si Pei look half dead."
"What's the meaning?"
Jing Yao clasped his hands tightly on the cold ground and shook his head in panic: "I didn't do anything..."
Seeing that she was half crazy, Si Jue coldly threw an exquisitely crafted dagger in front of her.
Jing Yao felt like he was stabbed and picked up the dagger with trembling hands.
She remembered that this was a gift Si Pei had given her on her seventeenth birthday. He had it custom-made in Xibang, with the hilt and scabbard inlaid with countless precious, shimmering jewels. Si Pei knew she loved beautiful things, so he had this dagger made as a birthday gift.
But that night, she was unhappy because of the resentment in her heart, so she found a random excuse to quarrel with him, and finally stabbed him in the shoulder with a dagger in front of the guests and ministers.
"Thanks to that strike of yours, the slow-acting poison I carefully prepared was able to enter his body smoothly." Si Jue was quite proud. "This poison will take more than a year to take effect, and the imperial physician will be unable to diagnose the problem. But once it does, it will completely cripple him within three months."
Si Jue couldn't help but laugh after he finished speaking. His brother, the emperor, had been clever all his life, but he was a complete idiot when it came to Jing Yao. But that was fine, because this way he could easily seize the loophole and bring him down.
Jing Yao was disheartened. Now she had no way out but death.
"It's really pitiful. He can't even see the people around him clearly."
The delicate girl snuggled in Si Jue's arms, not knowing whether he was talking about Si Pei or Jing Yao.
"Ningning, it's dangerous here, don't dirty your eyes."
Si Jue held the girl lovingly and turned his back to her. Jing Yao raised her eyes and met the girl's indifferent gaze. She spoke sweet words to Si Jue, but her expression looked like she was waiting to see a show.
Thunder roared suddenly, and lovers embraced each other in tender comfort. The scene was so dazzling. Jing Yao drew out the dagger, and the blade, reflecting a pale light, swept across her face.
Jing Yao's hands were still shaking, but he stabbed the dagger into his chest with an expressionless face.
The intense pain took away all her strength. Jing Yao collapsed to the ground, looking at Si Pei who was lying in a pool of blood.
She reached out and tried to grab him.
During the years that she was imprisoned in the Eastern Palace by Si Pei, she had resisted Si Pei's approach and hated all contact with him.
They had tortured each other for so long, but at this moment before her death, she still wanted to hold his hand the most.
"Si Pei..."
The fingertips just brushed past, and the breath Jing Yao couldn't swallow dissipated as his hand slipped away.
In the end, it is rare to have a good ending.
Jing Yao closed his eyes deeply, and vaguely heard the sound of wind chimes from his childhood.
There was a continuous drizzle under the eaves, the tails of wind chimes danced with the flowers and leaves, the evening bells rang, and the palace ladies walked hurriedly.
She pulled the kite and fell into the arms of an old friend.
I don’t know how many years have passed.
—
The faint sound of wind chimes was drowned out by the sudden sound of cups and plates smashing. Noisy sounds continued to be heard all around, and the screams of palace servants pierced Jing Yao's eardrums. Jing Yao's blurred senses floating in the void gradually became clear.
"This! What is this vicious woman trying to do?!"
A high-pitched and somewhat familiar male voice finally woke Jing Yao. She suddenly opened her eyes and looked around. This was not the dark and cold prince's bedroom, and the people surrounding her were not ferocious rebels...
But the person in front of him was still Si Pei.
"Yaoyao..." The man called her nickname while enduring the severe pain. Jing Yao's eyes moved down, and the moment she saw the dagger inlaid with various gems in his hand, she was so scared that her breathing stopped.
Shouldn't this dagger be stuck in her chest... She held the hilt and stabbed it with her own hands!
Why is it stuck on Si Pei's shoulder now...
She was momentarily dazed, looking up to meet Si Pei's deep and silent eyes. He frowned slightly, and the ice layer broke, revealing a hint of attachment, but it was fleeting.
Si Pei was known for his quiet demeanor, but his eyes were truly captivating. Unfortunately, Jing Yao never understood the emotion within them, nor did he want to.
Jing Yao had a severe headache. Seeing that he was still holding the knife handle, she was so scared that she wanted to let go and stepped back. Before she could react, Si Pei grabbed her wrist and stabbed her deeper.
"you!"
Jing Yao was stunned. Si Pei smiled gently and said, "As long as Yao Yao likes it."
It seemed as if he wanted to let Jing Yao have a great time.
You lunatic! Do you really think your life is that tough?
Now Jing Yao couldn't think of anything. There was no other time except her seventeenth birthday party when she could have caused such a scene as stabbing the prince in the back.
Jing Yao remembered what Si Jue had said, that the knife was poisoned, and hurriedly pulled it out: "Si Pei, let go!"
She had rarely used a knife in her life and didn't know how to control her strength. Si Pei was even more stubborn and was sure that Jing Yao was angry and refused to let her go. These two blows made Si Pei so painful that she turned pale and fainted.
"Someone come! Someone is trying to assassinate the prince! Capture her quickly!"
The male voice raised its voice and yelled again. Jing Yao subconsciously glanced at him coldly, which made the man stammer and dare not speak.
The middle-aged man had a round head and a chubby belly. If you didn't look closely, he might have looked simple and honest, but a closer look revealed him to be a cunning and opportunistic person. Jing Yao barely remembered him: a deputy minister in the Ministry of Revenue named Yin. Because his father-in-law, Cui Shaofu, was a member of the Crown Prince's party, he also worked under Si Pei.
Master Cui had always disliked her, and his son-in-law had eagerly become his father-in-law's lackey. However, Si Pei couldn't bear to hear anyone say anything bad about her, so the two of them had never had a chance to cause trouble. Now, he had seized a golden opportunity.
As the guards hesitated and prepared to move forward, the prince was already semi-conscious and fell into Jing Yao's arms.
They were undecided, fearing Jing Yao was trying to hold the Crown Prince hostage. If pushed to the limit, they didn't know what she would do...
Jing Yao was in a state of panic at the moment. Si Pei was very heavy, and she had to use all her strength to barely hold him steady.
Think about it, she didn't have such a hard time in her previous life. She ran away immediately after stabbing. At that time, Si Pei didn't faint, and he could even order the guards to let her go and not chase her.
This time, he definitely couldn't leave. Turning around, he saw the guards still standing there with their knives in hand. Jing Yao was instantly furious: "You bunch of losers, why don't you call the imperial physician! Where's Xing Feng?!"
While everyone was stunned for a moment, the commander of the Imperial Guard, Xing Feng, had already sent someone to bring in the imperial physician.
Si Pei was escorted to the side to be examined by the imperial physician, and the hall was filled with hushed discussions. This was supposed to be the birthday banquet that the Crown Prince had put so much thought into hosting for Jing Yao, but the birthday boy, Jing Yao, had inexplicably stabbed the Crown Prince, and then hurriedly sent for treatment. What kind of drama was this?
Jing Yao was annoyed by the noise and sent the guests away without further explanation: "Everyone go back to your homes. His Highness will deal with today's matter after he wakes up."
The ministers were angry but dared not speak. If they kept this vicious woman by the side of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, how could His Royal Highness ever wake up?
But everyone in the world knew that Jing Yao was the apple of the prince's eye, and since she had spoken, no one dared to object.
Everyone scattered like birds and beasts. Jing Yao finally exhausted her strength and sat down on the ground. She still couldn't believe it.
She had actually returned to being seventeen, even though she and Si Pei were already dead... Was it God's mercy that gave her the chance to live again?
The imperial physician was bandaging Si Pei's wound. Jing Yao stared at the young man's peaceful and serene face, a look she still remembered vividly.
In his previous life, Si Pei quietly lost his vitality bit by bit in a coma. He was only sleeping, but it cost him his life.
At that time, the imperial physician could not diagnose the cause of Si Pei's illness and could only watch as this once strong man became increasingly thinner and thinner until he was emaciated and no longer resembled a human.
Jing Yao grabbed the dagger and handed it to the imperial physician under Xing Feng's wary gaze. "This dagger has been tampered with. It contains poison from the Western Regions. We can't diagnose the prince's condition right now. Please take it back to the Imperial Hospital and find out what the poison is."
The imperial physician trembled as he wrapped the dagger in a white cloth and took it away: "Yes, Madam Jing."
Xing Feng frowned: "You knew it was poisonous and yet..."
"I can't explain it to you clearly." Jing Yao knew that this matter was difficult to explain, and she didn't plan to tell Xing Feng about it.
Anyway, the problem is half solved. The next step is to wait for the Imperial Hospital to detoxify it.
Before Jing Yao could breathe a sigh of relief, he suddenly remembered something.
In her previous life, she had escaped after stabbing someone. Although she had heard that the palace had caused quite a stir, Si Pei had no intention of pursuing her. When she was later recaptured by Si Pei, he had already dealt with the matter himself, and no one mentioned it again.
Now that Si Pei is unconscious and she didn't run away, doesn't that mean...
Suddenly, there were bursts of footsteps outside the door, and Jing Yao shouted, "Oh no!" Speak of the devil, here comes the devil.
The emperor had suffered a stroke and was paralyzed in bed, unable to speak, so he naturally had no control over the prince. However, there was another difficult person to serve in the harem.
The chief eunuch walked in, holding his whisk and looking up. He glanced at Jing Yao with disdain in his triangular eyes and shouted at the top of his voice with a haughty air, "The Empress Dowager has arrived!"
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