Chapter 338 The Ending (Part 2)
A few days later.
The water clock in the Qianqing Palace drips softly, its faint sound serving as a reminder to the man on the dragon throne of the passage of time.
Emperor Zhaoheng sat behind his desk, having just finished discussing the final details of this year's grain transport reform with several court officials.
He pressed his temple, a lingering weariness in his eyes.
It was late spring outside the window, and the Imperial Garden should be in full bloom with vibrant colors, but he hadn't set foot there for more than half a month.
For the past five years, he has practically devoted himself to the imperial study and the court, working diligently to the point of self-torture.
It seemed that only the endless political affairs could fill the increasingly empty corner in his heart since she left, and suppress the longing that gnawed at his bones at all times.
Feng Shunxiang quietly stepped forward, poured him a fresh cup of tea, and moved several important memorials closer to him, then hesitated to speak.
The dark circles under the Emperor's eyes were even deeper than yesterday.
Just then, the candlelight inside the hall flickered very slightly.
A dark figure appeared silently three steps in front of the imperial desk, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head without saying a word.
The guards who returned looking travel-worn were the very same guards who had rushed back from Narcissus's place a few days ago.
Emperor Zhaoheng raised his eyes somewhat slowly. Five years of high self-discipline had made him accustomed to locking all his emotions behind the mask of an emperor.
He assumed it was another urgent secret report from somewhere.
"speak."
His voice was slightly hoarse, carrying the weariness of reviewing memorials.
The leader of the secret guards did not utter a word, but simply raised his hands above his head and presented an inconspicuous plain brocade pouch.
Emperor Zhaoheng's gaze fell on the brocade pouch. At first, he was indifferent as usual, but then his pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
He reached out, his fingertips trembling almost imperceptibly for a moment just before touching the brocade pouch, before he steadily took it.
The pouch was very light, but it contained a small, heavy object.
He held it between his fingers, not opening it immediately, but just looking at it, as if there were patterns on it that required great effort to decipher.
The hall was deathly silent, save for the monotonous ticking of the water clock and his own heartbeat, which had suddenly become heavy.
Finally, he slowly untied the knot.
A warm, slightly cool object slid into his palm.
It is a seal.
The material is a common type of jade in Lingnan, not particularly precious. It has not been carved much, only slightly polished according to the shape of the stone, retaining its natural simplicity.
The seal surface is flat, with a single character engraved on it.
Emperor Zhaoheng's fingertip slowly traced the character.
The depth of each engraving, through the cool jade, was clearly transmitted to his fingertips, and then struck his heart hard.
Return.
There is only one word.
Simple and clean.
His fingers began to tremble uncontrollably, from slowly stroking to repeatedly tracing the outline of the word.
It's as if I'm trying to confirm its reality through this touch.
Five years.
A full 1,842 days and nights.
She had been gone for five years, and news of her had become increasingly scarce. The only evidence that kept him clinging to that faint hope was the brief, secret reports that his bodyguards regularly sent back about her safety.
He dared not ask for anything, dared not disturb them, and could only stay in this empty palace, watching over the children, enduring each passing day.
And now, this seal, imbued with her essence, lies truly in his palm.
It's not a dream.
It wasn't a hallucination caused by his extreme fatigue.
"she……"
Emperor Zhaoheng spoke, his voice hoarse as if it had been ground by sand, "Where...is she?!"
He suddenly stood up from behind his desk, his movement so forceful that it knocked over the teacup and stacks of memorials beside him.
The finest official kiln white porcelain cup crashed to the ground with a loud bang, shards of porcelain scattering everywhere, and tea staining the bright yellow cover of the memorial.
But he didn't even look at him, his eyes fixed on the kneeling guard.
Those unfathomable eyes were now swirling with a darkness that could devour everything.
The guard felt the oppressive force that was almost tangible, so he lowered his head even further, but spoke clearly.
"Your Majesty, Her Majesty has departed from Lingnan for the north, traveling with minimal entourage..."
After that, Emperor Zhaoheng could no longer hear.
He clutched the seal of Narcissus tightly, his mind filled only with the news that Narcissus was coming back.
He finally got what he'd been waiting for!
——
Two months later, at Shenwu Gate.
The setting sun cast a long shadow of the massive city gate, and the vermilion paint on the gate had become deep and heavy with the erosion of years of wind and rain.
Above the gate tower, the glazed tiles reflected the last rays of golden sunlight.
Narcissus stood in front of that huge palace gate, about ten steps away.
She was not dressed in brocade or adorned with pearls and jade.
She wore a plain blue cotton dress, which was slightly faded from washing, but was very clean.
Her long hair was loosely tied into a bun at the back of her head, secured with only a smooth peach wood hairpin.
Beside her was only a worn-out blue cloth bag, bulging and full, containing five years of her life in the mountains and rivers.
Despite their travel-worn appearance, the calm brilliance in their eyes remained undiminished.
Five years of travel have stripped away the mask bestowed upon her by the palace, revealing her more authentic self beneath.
That is the clarity that comes from having seen the vastness of the world and the myriad aspects of human life.
It is the confidence to take control of one's destiny.
She tilted her head slightly, squinted, and gazed at the sky above the palace walls and eaves, which was gradually turning twilight.
Five years ago, she felt that the sky was cut off by palace walls.
Looking at it now, the sky is still the same sky, but her state of mind is different.
These palace walls are no longer the cage that confines her.
She left freely, and now she is returning freely.
Standing here is not out of coercion or compromise, but rather a deliberate choice she made to mark the beginning of the next chapter of her life.
The guards at the gate had been replaced by a new batch of unfamiliar faces, carrying the vigilance typical of the royal guards.
They looked at the simply dressed but extraordinary woman with suspicion, their hands unconsciously resting on the hilt of their knives.
Just then, the leader of the guards on duty came out of the gatehouse.
His gaze fell on Narcissus's face. He was first stunned, then as if struck by lightning, his pupils suddenly contracted!
He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to utter that supreme title, but his throat felt as if something was blocking it.
The next moment, his knees buckled and he fell heavily to the ground, his forehead pressed deeply against the cold stone slab.
The newly arrived guards were stunned, looking at their leader with a bewildered expression, then at the plain-clad woman who still stood calmly.
Shui Xian turned her gaze from the sky to the old guard, recognizing him as one of the guards of Shenwu Gate back in the day, someone she had seen when she was still the empress.
She shook her head at him very gently and slowly.
There's no need to make a fuss.
The old guard understood her meaning, lay prostrate on the ground, clenched his teeth tightly, and dared not make a sound.
Narcissus turned her gaze back to the tightly closed palace gates.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached from afar, like a rapid drumbeat.
The footsteps grew closer and more urgent.
The heavy palace gates were suddenly pushed open a crack from the inside.
The rays of the setting sun rushed in through the gap, outlining a tall figure standing against the light.
Narcissus slowly turned around.
Emperor Zhaoheng suddenly stopped just a few steps away from her.
He ran too fast, too recklessly.
But nothing was better news than hearing that Narcissus had arrived outside the palace.
Ever since the news of Narcissus's departure to return to the palace arrived, Emperor Zhaoheng has felt as if he had just woken up from a dream every day.
He wanted to rush off to greet her without hesitation, but he was afraid that his eagerness would scare her away.
For two whole months, Emperor Zhaoheng was tormented daily by his longing for her and his fear that her return was just a figment of his imagination.
Now, seeing her standing outside the palace gates, Emperor Zhaoheng's heart finally settled down.
It's true.
She really is standing here.
Time stretched out infinitely at this moment.
Emperor Zhaoheng's fingertips trembled slightly. He reached out his hand, but stopped a short distance in front of the narcissus.
For a fleeting moment, a hint of worry flashed in the man's deep eyes.
He was afraid; he was afraid that everything was just an illusion caused by his excessive longing.
finally.
Narcissus's lips curved upwards in a shallow, yet incredibly real, arc.
She took a small step forward.
"Yiheng".
She called to him.
It's not "Emperor", it's "Yiheng".
"I'm back."
Emperor Zhaoheng suddenly took a big step forward, stretched out his arms, and used all his strength to hug her tightly!
Five years have passed.
He finally held her in his arms once again.
"Welcome home."
(End of article)
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