Chapter 63
◎The Finale◎
Lan Hua looked at Regas; his love for this man began with his appearance and remained true to it. He had always believed that only death could create immortal love. He had thought that if someone as handsome as this man appeared, he could let him go without hesitation.
But at this moment, looking at Regas approaching against the light, his previous views on love seemed to begin to crumble...
His heart wanted to agree, so Lan Hua chose to follow his heart: "Okay."
Regas smiled, gently kissed Lan Hua's hand, and made his promise: "All my glory will belong to you."
*
Following the Kentura Palace wedding incident, the wanted third prince, Osset Gamondon, surrendered himself to the authorities after a month on the run and was sentenced to death.
Although His Majesty Leo VI, who had been seriously injured and in a coma, regained his senses, his health had been severely compromised, and his body and energy were no longer sufficient to handle the numerous affairs of state personally. Therefore, Leo VI announced his voluntary abdication to focus on recuperation.
Prince Regas Gamondon ascended the throne and declared a general amnesty, thus sparing the third prince, Ose Gamondon, from the death penalty and commuting his sentence to life imprisonment.
The second major announcement made by the new Emperor Regas after his ascension to the throne shook the Silver Glow Empire and even the entire universe: his announcement of his marriage to Lan Hua, the new Duke of the Southern Cross in the Southern Region.
"My God, the Southern Region has actually formed a marriage alliance with the royal family? Is this a sacrifice by our Emperor for the sake of unification, or is it because the Southern Region foresaw that the Four Regions would eventually become history, so they compromised?"
"What are you joking about upstairs? If the Southern Region could still contend with the royal family before, after the incident at the Kendula Palace wedding, the Southern Region's power is now at a disadvantage compared to His Majesty's. Of course, the Southern Region compromised. Before, the Southern Region didn't care about anyone, especially the royal family, whom they practically ignored."
"His Majesty the Emperor is incomparably handsome, how could he have married so young? Waaaaah~"
"Sacrificing marriage for power in the Southern Region is definitely a huge win."
"Why do you always think that other people's marriages are just an exchange of interests? Maybe they are truly in love."
"Tsk tsk tsk, true love my foot~ Have you all forgotten Lan Ye by Daming Lake? Before, His Majesty sent him love letters, allowed him to openly enter the Perles Palace, and even took him to the wedding of the Third Prince Osei. He was so indulgent and doting on him. In the end, so-called love can't beat the real interests."
"Oh right, speaking of which, wasn't Lan Ye abandoned again? The first time, he chose Gani because Ou Sai wanted the support of the Subec family. The second time, it seemed like a glamorous comeback and a slap in the face, but reality proved otherwise. He was abandoned again because His Majesty wanted the Lan family's power and chose to marry into the Lan family..."
"The life of Lan Ye, who was disliked... I suddenly feel a little sorry for him."
"What's there to sympathize with? He was so arrogant when he came back, everyone thought he'd turned his life around, but he just made a fool of himself. It's hilarious!"
...
"Hehe..." When Gani saw the message, an extremely twisted smile appeared on her face, and her laughter was loud and grating.
Because of his involvement in the Subek family's rebellion, he was imprisoned on Tatu Star for a period of time. When he was finally released, the world he knew had been completely turned upside down.
With the downfall of the Subek family, he and the remaining members of the clan were like stray dogs. Those who had once fawned over him and tried their best to please him were now few and far between, while most mocked and retaliated against his misfortune.
He was filled with hatred, but powerless to retaliate. The enormous disparity and the hardships of life turned Jia Ni's originally elegant face into one that was gloomy and ferocious.
So when he saw the news of Regas and Lan Hua's marriage, he was overjoyed. Seeing Lan Ye abandoned again, seeing him become a laughingstock once more, gave Gani's twisted heart immense satisfaction. As long as that bitch was doing worse than him, he felt that life wasn't so bleak and unpleasant after all.
The comments and mockery surrounding Lan Ye's abandonment became Gan Ni's mental opiate during this period; only these messages and comments could make Gan Ni feel comfortable. He even personally joined in, posting various vicious comments under different accounts, mocking and insulting Lan Ye.
"Lan Ye is a despicable woman, of lowly blood and humble origins, yet she dared to dream of marrying into the royal family... In the end, she was discarded without hesitation like trash, she deserved it!!!!!!!!!"
...
Under the guise of an alias, Jia Ni vented his hostility towards Lan Ye and his extreme dissatisfaction with his current life in a barrage of mocking and insulting comments about Lan Ye.
Just as everyone was enthusiastically discussing the royal family's marriage alliance with the Southern Region and Lan Ye's abandonment, the movie "The Crown Prince's Love Story," which Lan Ye had announced his comeback and invested in, was released with great fanfare!
The Crown Prince's face is that of the former Crown Prince, the current Emperor—Regus! There's even his authorization letter at the end! The protagonist, Ides Narcissus, uses Lan Ye's face.
The overwhelming publicity seemed completely unaffected by reality, and the focus of everyone's attention—Lan Ye—did not appear at the preview screenings or various promotional roadshows.
He explained that he was currently busy with personal matters and had no time to attend to film promotion.
Of course, this Weibo post immediately topped the trending searches:
"Lan Ye is just being stubborn. The Crown Prince abandoned him as soon as he was crowned, and this movie became ready-made material to ridicule him. It's amazing that he actually let it be released."
"It's probably because of money. This movie obviously has a huge budget; if it's not released, he probably won't break even and will go bankrupt."
"Have some decency! Ye Ye Zi has already suffered enough; you're rubbing salt into her wounds. Have a good pat on the back!"
"Who told him to be so high-profile before? Even the Third Prince looked down on him, yet he actually thought His Majesty would marry him back then. Doesn't he have any self-awareness? He brought this all on himself."
"Haha, I'm just a bystander, but I'm really curious, it's quite interesting that His Majesty or Duke Lanhua would allow this movie to be screened~"
...
Due to the influence of reality and public opinion, "The Crown Prince's Love Affair" saw its box office soar, even breaking historical records and becoming the highest-grossing film in the history of the Silver Empire and even the entire universe.
Viewers who went to see the show for its bizarre plot and the even more dramatic realities of the characters it alluded to were left with a bewildered look: Lan Ye is really too stubborn, he actually changed the script!
The original script's ending was:
Crown Prince Agales died unexpectedly during an official visit. The protagonist, Ides Narcissus, was deeply saddened.
Crown Prince Agares' younger brother, Vinay, was chosen by the protagonist, Ides Narcissus, because he bore the most striking resemblance to Agares—his face. Being a sucker for good looks, Ides Narcissus naturally doted on Vinay. With Ides Narcissus's help, Vinay successfully obtained the title of Crown Prince and lived happily ever after with Ides. Over.
But now the ending has been changed to:
The original crown prince, Agales, did not die but escaped the accident and eventually returned. In the end, the crown prince and the protagonist, Ides Narcissus, became a couple and married with everyone's blessings, living a carefree life. Over.
"This must be Lan Ye's fantasy masterpiece, quite contemporary indeed. The Crown Prince returns and eventually ascends the throne as Emperor, while the Third Prince rebels and falls from power, only to be pardoned by His Majesty but imprisoned for life. So, the original script was probably adapted based on reality. Logically, it should have been hastily revised, but the plot actually flows quite smoothly..."
"I went to see the movie with the intention of collecting material to make fun of Lan Ye. But the plot is so addictive. When I saw the crown prince and the protagonist get married, I actually smiled like an aunt... It's addictive, it's that kind of ridiculously satisfying feeling."
"Upstairs +1"
...
Whether in reality or on the StarNet, "The Crown Prince's Love Affair" has been incredibly popular, with its soaring box office not only breaking the universe's box office record but also showing no signs of stopping after breaking the record.
Despite the fact that the film was fabricating stories about the royal family and even concerned the new emperor's past romantic affairs, neither Emperor Regas nor his actual marriage partner, Duke Lan Hua of the Southern Cross, made any comment or even tried to stop it, allowing the film to keep the story of Regas's fleeting affair with the beautiful but talentless Lan Ye in the spotlight.
Therefore, some people even believe this is evidence that the Emperor and the Duke of the Southern Cross married for mutual benefit. If the two truly had feelings for each other, one wouldn't have ignored the film and public opinion, and the other wouldn't have been so indifferent. If either of them cared even a little, whoever it was, they would have had enough power to prevent the film's release and the spread of the news.
*
The wedding of His Majesty the Emperor of the Silver Empire and the Duke of the Southern Cross was the focus of attention throughout the universe, but it was different in nature from the Osei wedding, which attracted the attention of the entire universe.
This has nothing to do with dramatic gossip or personal feelings; it's purely due to the political impact of this marriage. It was a wedding that completely changed the power structure of the Silver Empire, and its political and historical impact was far greater than that of the Kendula Palace wedding incident.
The Four Regions may become history during the current emperor's lifetime. As for the Lan family, who chose to form a marriage alliance with the royal family, it's unclear whether they will be the winners or losers.
Many believe that the marriage between Regas and Lan Hua is merely a stopgap measure for both sides, and that the two will inevitably clash in the future. After all, they are of similar birth and both are chosen ones, unwilling to be subservient to others. The two had virtually no prior connection, and the sudden announcement of their marriage is clearly a product of an exchange of interests.
Within a single year, the Silver Glow Empire's royal family held three weddings, each one more impactful than the last.
The emperor's and crown prince's weddings were both held at the Viñolens Palace.
Therefore, this wedding was naturally held at the Vinoren Palace. The wedding was attended by the most prominent officials and dignitaries of the Silver Glow Empire, as well as heads of state, political figures, and royal nobles from various countries that were on friendly terms with the Silver Glow Empire.
The official royal account broadcast the event live across the entire universe on the StarNet. The number of viewers reached a new high for live streaming, but unlike the scene at the Ossa wedding where the screen was filled with comments that blurred the figures, this time, although there were many comments, the comments were very serious and carefully chosen, and the content was all very official blessings.
After all, for the audience, the two main figures of this wedding were far beyond their comprehension. Especially Lan Hua, the other main figure of the wedding, who was too mysterious and distant to most people.
The wedding ceremony was held at the Temple of Allegiance.
Following his abdication, Emperor Leo VI was in extremely poor health, so only Empress Dowager Eve attended the ceremony. Empress Dowager Eve appeared to be in excellent spirits and looked radiant; a smile, a rare sight on her face that she had never shown in public before, was now on her lips.
After Regas ascended the throne, Riel was granted the title of Prince. He accompanied Queen Eve, but his expression was strange. He had learned a shocking secret, a secret that was about to be revealed, a secret that would surely shake the universe. As someone who knew a tiny bit of it beforehand, he had nowhere to tell, his feelings indescribable, a bittersweet mix of emotions.
He's having a really tough time.
This time, the delegation from the Southern Region wasn't represented by Lan Yang; it was led by Lan Xi, the former Duke of the Southern Cross. Although he didn't want to leave Ninghui Star, as a loving father, he felt he should at least attend his son's first wedding. As for whether there would be a second or third, he said that this rebellious son was beyond the control of his retired father. In short, he would only attend one wedding.
Emperor Regas, dressed in military uniform, was incomparably handsome and had an upright posture; no one could overshadow his brilliance.
And the other protagonist of the wedding, Lan Hua—
The moment Lan Hua appeared before everyone, both the scene and the StarNet live broadcast room were blown up! Apart from the people from the Southern Region, Empress Dowager Eve, and Lil, everyone else, even the heads of state and dignitaries of various countries who were used to all kinds of storms and events and could remain calm even if their planets collapsed, could not maintain their professional fake smiles and their expressions all collapsed.
The live stream room, which had previously seen record-breaking viewership but was inactive, was now so crowded with comments that no new comments could be sent.
"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, someone wake me up! Why am I seeing Lan Ye's face? I must not be fully awake! I shouldn't have rewatched 'The Crown Prince's Romantic Affair' so many times. Now I'm hallucinating... This is terrifying, waaaaah!"
"If this is a hallucination, then it's a collective hallucination. I saw Lan Ye too!!!"
"But this is a live stream from the official royal account, and the official identification above his head is Duke of the Southern Cross - Lan Hua! His listed name is Lan Hua! Lan Hua! Lan Hua!"
"I can't even tell the difference between the characters 'Ye' and 'Hua' anymore, even though I can show off my degree certificate from Silverlight Royal University..." Silverlight Royal University is the number one university in the Silverlight Empire, and also the number one university in the entire universe.
"If I'm not crazy, the label is correct, and the face isn't fake, then everything before can actually be explained. If Lan Hua and Lan Ye are the same person, then Lan Ye's mysterious background and backing, the rumors about His Majesty and him, and His Majesty and Lan Hua's failure to suppress the release of 'The Crown Prince's Romance' and public opinion all make sense!"
"No problem. If we break away from our previous preconceived notions and assume that Lan Hua and Lan Ye are the same person, then many things can be explained."
"I can't accept this assumption! It's too bizarre! More bizarre than the movie itself!"
"Ye Ye Zi said before that he was busy with personal matters, which is why he didn't have time to participate in the movie promotion... Could it be that he was busy with wedding preparations?"
"If that's the case, are His Majesty and the Duke of the Southern Cross truly in love?! I'm totally shipping them!"
"Why is Lan Hua wearing Lan Ye's vest? Is it some strange noble fetish?"
"It feels like the Third Prince missed out on a crown..."
"I think Lan Hua is probably just playing around with the Third Prince. If she really wanted to marry him, she wouldn't have gone through all this under a different guise. It was never going to happen between them in the first place."
All I want to say is that I've already slapped myself in the face until it's swollen...
...
"Impossible!" The moment Gani saw Lan Hua appear, the immense shock made it hard for him to breathe. He couldn't accept such a terrible reality!
If Lan Ye wasn't Lan Hua's illegitimate son, but Lan Hua himself, then all his previous antics would be a joke in Lan Ye's eyes.
He could be jealous of Lan Ye, but even if the Subec family hadn't fallen, he understood that the gap between him and Lan Hua was as vast as an insurmountable chasm.
He couldn't accept this terrible and dark reality. He was already living like a stray dog, and Lan Ye, whom he had previously thought was living an even worse life than him, had become his only solace every day. Now, he felt as if the sky had fallen and the world he was barely holding together had collapsed in an instant.
"Impossible, this is impossible, haha, hahaha..." He squatted on the ground, holding his head, trying to convince himself over and over again.
Tatu Star
Although Tatu Star is a prison planet, the prisoners were allowed to watch the emperor's wedding ceremony live.
Ose was originally sentenced to death, but was commuted to life imprisonment due to an amnesty. He was placed in solitary confinement and was not allowed to access the StarNet normally, but he was now granted special permission to attend the ceremony.
When Lan Hua's face appeared in the live broadcast room, Ou Sai, who had maintained a numb expression, looked pained, with obvious regret mixed in.
Actually, when he awoke in that underground palace and saw that face, he had a vague guess. But the guess was too outrageous, making him subconsciously want to deny it.
Now, with reality laid bare before him, he couldn't even deny it. He felt like he'd become a joke; if he hadn't broken off the engagement in the first place, wouldn't Regas's position be his now?
That was Lan Hua, backed by the powerful Southern Region. Compared to the Subec family, the Lan family's power was enough to ensure his stable position. Even if Regas hadn't died, he would have returned.
"Hehe." He suddenly covered his face and laughed. He actually still had such wishful thinking. Lan Hua's previous actions had already eliminated him from the game. Lan Hua was just playing with him. Otherwise, he could have directly revealed his identity to him, instead of watching him and Jia Ni have an affair like a clown.
"Lan Hua—Lan Ye—" he whispered the two names, his voice hoarse like a trapped beast.
*
Lan Hua knew that his appearance before the entire universe with his true face would cause a huge uproar, given how arrogant he had been in the past. But what did it matter to him what others thought or thought?
Inside the Temple of All Rites, Prince Mord held the Codex of Oaths, about to speak. Regas raised a hand to stop Prince Mord from asking both parties the fixed oath.
He took Lan Hua's hand, gently kissed the back of his hand, then looked up at Lan Hua with his purple eyes and said gently but firmly, "I swear to dedicate my soul and the rest of my life to you. All my wealth, power and glory will be shared with you. I will protect you until the last moment of my life, until death do us part."
After saying that, he placed the seal ring, a symbol of his succession, on Lan Hua's hand and whispered, "Will you marry me?"
Lan Hua looked at him, her gaze shifting slightly. He closed his eyes, but a slight smile played on his lips. Then, he opened his eyes and smiled, saying, "I'm willing."
Regas lowered his head, his lips landing on Regas's smooth forehead, then down the straight bridge of his nose, finally settling on Regas's lips.
—I will keep all my vows, share everything with you, and protect you until death do us part, but I don't need any promises from you…
—The End—
A note from the author:
The story of Regas and Lanhua has basically come to an end here, but there may be extra chapters later.
Thank you to all my lovely angels who have been with me along the way. It's because of your support that I was able to persevere until the end. *bows*
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The next plan is to start a fantasy light comedy novel.
Lucky koi fish bottom x Unlucky big boss top. Feel free to add it to your favorites if you're interested! Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2022-10-02 21:44:21 and 2022-10-04 00:41:50!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Yunxixixixi (3 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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