64. One Life, One Love (Final Episode)
The person most revered by the people in the capital is not the current emperor, but the current Prince Xiaoyao. Although he has long since withdrawn from worldly affairs and is content to live a carefree life as a leisurely prince, his past achievements are still indelible in the hearts of the people. This is what is meant by "his merits overshadow the emperor," and it is precisely because of this that he has aroused the current emperor's suspicion.
When the Emperor learned from Liu Hanruo that Prince Xiaoyao was seriously injured and unlikely to recover, it was undoubtedly a great joy for him. After all, once Prince Xiaoyao was dead, no one would threaten his throne anymore.
To be on the safe side, the Emperor already had a good idea of what was going on. To test the waters, he feigned sorrow and said:
“The Prince of Xiaoyao was both learned and skilled in martial arts, and he helped me a great deal. He was always my right-hand man, but now… well, life and death are predestined. I am going to see the Prince of Xiaoyao one last time. The Princess Consort does not need to come with me.”
Liu Hanruo lowered her head, her eyes flickered slightly, and she sighed inwardly:
"At their last meeting, the emperor probably wished Chu Che would die soon. Alas, as the saying goes, 'The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind.' How much more so when someone's merits overshadow the emperor's? How can one remain uninvolved? Indeed, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger."
Seeing the Emperor enter the inner chamber, Liu Hanruo showed no sign of panic. She guessed that Ouyang Ziren, as a close friend of Prince Xiaoyao, must be well aware of the subtle relationship between the Emperor and Prince Xiaoyao. Her loud voice just now was undoubtedly just to buy time, intending to remind Ouyang Ziren in the inner chamber that the Emperor had arrived and that he should avoid him.
When the Emperor entered the inner room, he saw the Prince of Xiaoyao lying motionless on the bed. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the Prince's face was extremely pale and his breathing was very weak and faint, as if he were about to take his last breath at any moment, showing no signs of life.
Since no one was around, the Emperor stopped pretending to be deeply devoted to his subject. The thought that the Prince of Xiaoyao might die at any moment filled him with joy, and he whispered to the Prince of Xiaoyao on the bed:
"Hehe, Chu Che, dragging on like this until your last breath is too exhausting. It would be better to go down sooner. You seem to really like your princess, don't you? Don't worry, after you die, I will have her buried with you. No need to thank me, just consider it the last thing I will do for you! Haha!"
Upon witnessing the imminent death of the Prince of Xiaoyao, the Emperor was overjoyed and left the inner chamber with light steps. However, upon seeing Liu Hanruo, he immediately suppressed his joy and looked at her with feigned regret, sighing:
"Oh, how could this happen? Oh, what a pity."
"I am very worried about Prince Xiaoyao and will stay in the Prince's residence for the time being. However, I know that the Princess Consort is concerned about the Prince and has no time to spare. So let the two maids there accompany me to the garden of the Prince's residence. The Princess Consort just needs to take good care of Prince Xiaoyao."
The Emperor casually pointed at Liu Hanxue, seemingly unintentionally. He deliberately ignored Liu Hanxue's clothes and only referred to her as a maid in the mansion. At this moment, Liu Hanxue seemed a little flattered, raised her eyebrows in a wicked way, and gave the Emperor a charming smile.
At the Emperor's signal, Liu Hanruo half-knelt to pay her respects and saw the Emperor off. Liu Hanxue and Dongmei followed closely behind. Before leaving, Liu Hanxue suddenly gave Liu Hanruo a provocative smile, full of ill intent.
Liu Hanruo didn't care about Liu Hanxue's last eerie smile. She only saw a slight curl at the corner of her lips, her eyes full of mockery as she watched them leave. She wasn't stupid; she wouldn't point it out. She just hoped that Liu Hanxue could figure it out herself, otherwise… sigh…
Seeing that the Emperor's figure had disappeared, Liu Hanruo turned around and went into the inner room. At this moment, she saw Ouyang Ziren flip down from the eaves and continue what he had just finished, slowly injecting his inner strength into the body of the Prince of Xiaoyao.
Another hour passed, and Ouyang Ziren's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his face was getting paler and paler. Because of the sudden interruption, Ouyang Ziren had wasted a lot of internal energy, resulting in his current internal energy deficiency. He was only able to grit his teeth and endure it with amazing willpower. He had only one thought in his mind: no matter what, he must persevere and save Che!
Seeing this, Liu Hanruo, who had been standing to the side, immediately realized that Ouyang had reached his limit. She placed her hand behind Ouyang and poured all her inner strength into him, using Ouyang's hand to sustain herself.
And so it went, from dawn till dusk, without either Liu Hanruo or Ouyang Ziren daring to slack off for the slightest. After six hours, Ouyang Ziren got up, wanting to take Chu Che's pulse to ensure everything was alright, but Liu Hanruo stopped him. She quickly and skillfully took Chu Che's pulse first, and after confirming that the pulse had regained its vitality, she breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. Ouyang returned the smile.
Liu Hanruo's smile was bright and radiant, slowly overlapping with a smile from a memory. But upon thinking of his junior sister, Ouyang's smile vanished, and he sighed inwardly.
The investigation is almost complete; it seems like it's time to go and take a look.
With his mind on something, Ouyang stopped resting and started making the most of every second, wanting to perform acupuncture on Chu Che before leaving.
Seeing Ouyang take out the golden needles, Liu Hanruo immediately understood his intention. However, inserting the golden needles into the acupoints would consume internal energy. At this moment, she understood that in his current state, inserting the golden needles into the acupoints seemed a bit too much. Helpless, she had no choice but to unexpectedly seal Ouyang's acupoints, rendering him unable to move. She then took the golden needles and took over Ouyang's task to complete what he had not finished.
This set of acupuncture techniques was created by the Ghost Doctor and is never passed on to outsiders. In the world today, there are only three people who know this technique. Seeing Liu Hanruo's unparalleled skill in it, Ouyang had a bold guess in his mind.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and Ouyang's acupoints had automatically reopened. However, he did not move at this moment, but focused on watching Liu Hanruo's busy figure. Only after the entire set of golden needles was applied to his acupoints did he slowly speak:
"Golden needles through the acupuncture point, is that you, Li'er? Is it really you...?"
Liu Hanruo turned around, looked at Ouyang Ziren, and said calmly:
"Li'er, hehe, it's been a long time since I've heard anyone call me that!"
"That's wonderful, that's wonderful! I knew it was all a misunderstanding. Li'er, you won't die so easily!" Upon hearing Liu Hanruo's admission, Ouyang Ziren was extremely excited and said excitedly.
“Senior brother, it’s not a rumor, it’s the truth. The former Li’er has died once. My name now is Liu Hanruo. You can still call me Ruo’er. The incident happened eight years ago, back then…”
Liu Hanruo recounted everything that had happened. Unlike before, this time she appeared very calm, as if she were simply telling a story. And she, not being a participant herself, found that the deep-seated hatred had gradually faded away without her realizing it, leaving only…
Ouyang never expected it to end like this; his beloved junior sister had become Che's princess. Before, when he saw Che risk his life several times for his princess, he even felt some resentment towards her. Only now did he realize that the "she" he was referring to was actually her.
Over these days, Che's feelings for Liu Hanruo have become clear to him. Only the two of them know the bond they have shared, and no one else can interfere.
Having figured this out, Ouyang only hoped that she could be happy, and he also believed that Che would be her final destination.
"Ruo'er, those involved are often blinded, while bystanders see things clearly. Che truly loves you; these past few days, he..."
"Senior brother, you don't need to say anymore. Many things are in the past and that's it. No matter what the reason for our separation was, perhaps it was just a misunderstanding, but in the end, it only proves that we were not meant to be."
"Ruo'er, what is fate? Meeting is fate, falling in love is fate, and staying together is even more so. Heaven has not predetermined the ending of this relationship you have been given. As for how the outcome will be, whether it will be joy or sorrow, it all depends on how you choose and how you grasp it. Ruo'er, never let some unresolved issues ruin your life's destiny."
"Senior brother, there's no need to say anything more. Ruo'er is only thinking about revenge right now, and has no other thoughts!"
"Ruo'er..."
While the two were engrossed in their conversation, no one noticed that the carefree Prince Chu Che had already woken up and overheard their entire exchange. Only then did he realize that reincarnation truly existed, and that Ruo'er's past life had led to such an ordeal. No wonder Ruo'er was always so agitated and argumentative whenever she saw Xiao Feng.
Now that he understands everything, the carefree king has no intention of letting Ruo'er face it alone. He will avenge Ruo'er's death and make Xiao Feng pay a thousand times the price!
The carefree prince casually touched the bed railing with his hand, making a sound that alerted the two of them and interrupted their conversation.
Just then, the Carefree King tried to get up, but Liu Hanruo stopped him:
"You're not fully recovered yet, so don't move around like that. Just tell me what you want!"
"Ruo'er, I feel much better. It's nothing. I just remembered to have a drink of water."
The carefree prince was deeply moved by Liu Hanruo's concern, which subtly implied:
Ruo'er still cares about me. It seems that in Ruo'er's heart, I am not a dispensable existence, but still have some value.
Liu Hanruo took the water, gently supported Xiaoyao Wang's back with one hand, and held the water to his lips with the other, slowly feeding him. This action was Liu Hanruo's instinct, without giving it much thought, but to Xiaoyao Wang, it excited him greatly and made him even more convinced that Ruo'er also had her own ideas.
Just then, Ouyang Ziren suddenly spoke up:
"Che, don't be too happy yet. Don't forget that there's still a covetous emperor waiting in the backyard, just waiting for news of your death."
"Then let's play along and secretly spread the news that I'm seriously injured and have just breathed my last. Knowing that person's temperament, he will definitely come to confirm it when he hears the news of my death. At that time, we only need to..." King Xiaoyao said after thinking for a moment.
Although the carefree king's scheme was somewhat dangerous, it was also the most direct method.
On the other hand, after leaving with the Emperor, Liu Hanxue did not wander around the backyard. Instead, she went straight back to her own courtyard, dismissed the maids and servants under various pretexts, and left Dongmei to wait at the door. Afterward, various ambiguous moans came from inside the house, making Dongmei, who had been waiting outside the door, blush and have the most natural reaction, feeling hot all over.
Just then, the tightly closed door suddenly opened, and Dongmei was dragged inside without any warning. Before she could even scream, a pair of large, thick hands ripped all her clothes off. With her clothes out of the way, he proceeded with practiced ease, without any foreplay or tenderness whatsoever.
The unique fragrance of winter plum blossoms completely stimulated the emperor's senses. He began to struggle desperately, seemingly very satisfied. Just as he was about to release his passion, he suddenly stopped at the last moment, which was puzzling.
"Your Majesty, why is this?" Both Liu Hanxue and Dongmei were puzzled by the Emperor's behavior.
The Emperor did not answer their questions, not even bothering to glance at them. He simply dressed, then opened the door. Before leaving, he suddenly said sarcastically:
"A worn-out shoe, a lowly servant girl, do you think you deserve the dragon's offspring?! Hah!"
After the emperor was satisfied, he left Yunluo Garden. As he passed through the garden, he overheard two servants talking about some secrets.
"Have you heard? The prince has passed away. What a pity," the servant sighed regretfully.
"What? The prince has passed away? This is not something to be said lightly. Cursing a member of the royal family is a capital offense!" Servant Yi said in disbelief.
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have dared to say such a thing. Just a quarter of an hour ago, the prince breathed his last. At that time, the princess was crying her eyes out and fainted several times."
"Alas, with the prince dead, who knows what our lives will be like from now on?"
"Yes, I hope so..."
The Emperor couldn't remember what the two servants said afterward; he only remembered what he had heard. This news was undoubtedly great news for him. He rushed towards Shuiyun Pavilion, taking three steps at a time, out of excitement. Before he even arrived, he heard a voice arrive first:
"Your Highness, I heard that the Prince of Xiaoyao has passed away. Please accept my condolences..."
As soon as the Emperor stepped into the inner chamber, Liu Hanruo quickly closed the door. The Emperor was puzzled and filled with doubt. Then he saw the Prince of Xiaoyao sitting comfortably on the bed; although his face was still pale, he didn't look like a dead man at all. He forced himself to remain calm and looked at the Prince of Xiaoyao, saying:
"I must kill that dog servant. What nonsense he's spouting about the Prince of Xiaoyao's passing is utter rubbish. It's good that you're alright. I'll head back to the palace now and come see you again another day."
“Now that Your Majesty has arrived, why the rush to leave? Your Majesty would like to stay at my residence as a guest for a few more days,” Prince Xiaoyao said with a faint smile.
"A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. I still have to go back to deal with important state affairs. I will visit your residence another day."
"Hehe, Your Majesty, I'm afraid this is beyond your control!"
The carefree prince gently pressed a button in the hidden compartment beside the bed, and the solid wall suddenly opened, revealing a secret room.
"Chu Che, this is treason! You deserve to be punished!" the Emperor roared in fury.
The carefree prince remained noncommittal, but instead took out a dragon pendant from his robes, played with it in his hand, and said to the emperor:
"Heh, rebellion? Your Majesty, have you forgotten what happened twenty years ago?"
"Twenty years ago?"
"Hehe, it seems Your Majesty has a bad memory. I wonder if you still remember this jade pendant?"
Upon seeing the jade pendant, the emperor's expression changed, and his face turned ashen.
"Who are you, and how do you come to possess this jade pendant? Wasn't the pendant's owner already...?"
"Hehe, Your Majesty, are you saying that the owner of the jade pendant is dead? What a pity. If you had stayed a little longer back then, perhaps I would have really died. What a pity! Hehe."
"Heh, Your Majesty, are you still going to tell me that I have committed treason? Don't forget how you seized the throne twenty years ago—by murdering your brother. Doesn't that count as treason?"
"Throughout history, the victor is king and the loser is villain; they can only blame themselves for their own incompetence, and no one else is to blame!"
"Fine, very well, yet you don't even spare young children! How can someone so cruel and heartless be fit to be a ruler!"
"Hmph. To achieve an eternal dynasty, there's no way you can do it without shedding blood!"
"Very well, then Your Majesty will have to spend the rest of your life here."
Ouyang Ziren suddenly appeared and forced the emperor into the secret chamber. At that moment, the door to the secret chamber slowly closed.
"Che, what do you plan to do next? Do you intend to clear your name and reclaim the throne?" Ouyang Ziren asked.
"No, being emperor is too tiring, and there are too many helpless situations. After assisting Prince Jin to ascend the throne, I will retire and only want to be a carefree person, to grow old with Ruo'er and roam freely." Prince Xiaoyao said to Liu Hanruo with deep affection.
"Your Highness, you should find two other people to accompany you. I have important matters to attend to!"
"Ruo'er, I already know everything about you. I won't stop you. I only hope to stand with you through thick and thin. Your hatred is my hatred. Anyone who has hurt you will pay with their blood! I have already fallen into hell and killed countless people. I don't care about adding a few more lives!"
"you…"
After that, the entire court was in turmoil because of the emperor's disappearance. According to the investigation, the emperor last appeared at the residence of Prince Xiaoyao. However, for some reason, the emperor took advantage of Prince Xiaoyao's serious illness to have an affair with his concubine and also had illicit relations with a lowly maid. This became a hot topic and caused a great uproar. The people were already indignant about the emperor's debauchery and hoped from the bottom of their hearts that the emperor would disappear and never appear again, so that the entire dynasty could find a wise ruler!
Later, someone spread the rumor that Prince Jin was the posthumous son of the eldest prince twenty years ago, and that there was a dragon and phoenix pairing as proof. From then on, the search for the emperor also came to a halt.
Half a month later, with the strong support of Prince Xiaoyao, Prince Jin ascended the throne. The new emperor first rectified the court and dismissed those corrupt and lawless officials.
Another month passed, and rumors spread even more widely in the streets and alleys. Various secrets of several important ministers in the court were revealed, becoming the gossip of ordinary people. The most widely circulated and most criticized was Xiao Feng of the Ministry of Personnel.
Rumor has it that Xiao Feng was greedy and treacherous, abandoning his wife and children, and even poisoning them to death. Even tigers don't eat their cubs, so Xiao Feng was even more vicious than tigers and leopards.
Rumors circulated that Xiao Feng and Qin Siyan colluded, forming a faction with Grand Commandant Qin for personal gain, accepting countless bribes, and committing twelve major crimes, the most egregious of which was framing loyal officials. These crimes were heinous and punishable by death.
Xiao Feng's crimes were made public, and he instantly became the object of everyone's contempt. Many families used Xiao Feng as a negative example when educating their children, hoping that their children would take heed and not become ungrateful people!
Following Xiao Feng, Liu Hanxue shamelessly had an affair with the former emperor. This news had already spread far and wide. Wherever Liu Hanxue went, she was pointed at and gossiped about. Some of the bolder people even threw eggs at her, their words being quite explicit:
"The prince is kind and, out of consideration for our years of friendship, he will not pursue the matter further. He has only stripped her of her title as a concubine. In their eyes, such a lewd woman should be thrown into a pig cage!"
From then on, Liu Hanxue was like a rat in the street, chased and beaten by everyone. Even in the Prince's mansion, everyone looked at her with contempt and trampled on her whenever she was down. If Liu Hanxue wanted to live a comfortable life, she had to be mindful of the servants' moods at all times. Finally, one day, Liu Hanxue couldn't take it anymore and hanged herself.
After a period of rectification, the wrongful conviction of Prime Minister Leng was overturned, and Grand Commandant Qin Xiao Feng was brought to justice. Dozens of people in the court were dismissed, creating several important vacancy positions. The new emperor made a decisive decision to reopen the imperial examination in six months to recruit new pillars of the nation. This news drove countless scholars and literati into a frenzy, sparking a craze for taking the exam.
A month later, on a dark night, Liu Hanruo packed her simple belongings, preparing to leave the Xiaoyao Prince's Mansion alone, when Chunxiang suddenly appeared in front of her with a bag on her back.
"Chunxiang, what's wrong with you...?"
“Chunhyang has been by the Queen’s side since she was a child. Wherever the Queen is, Chunhyang is there too. The Queen’s side is Chunhyang’s eternal home.”
Liu Hanruo smiled at Chunxiang's persistence, nodded, blew out the candle, turned and left, with Chunxiang following closely behind.
As soon as Liu Hanruo stepped out, she saw a figure standing at the door. By the moonlight, she could clearly see that the Prince of Xiaoyao was dressed in a purple robe and stood quietly at the gate of the courtyard. As if he had a premonition, he was waiting for her. Liu Hanruo stopped a meter away from the Prince of Xiaoyao and quietly looked at him, waiting for him to speak.
"Ruo'er, are you really leaving?"
"The revenge has been taken, the matter is settled. Ruo'er has occupied the position of Princess for too long, and it is time to return it to you. If you find a suitable woman in the future, marry her and give her a complete love! Ruo'er wishes you happiness!"
"I have already given you my heart. If you are not here, how can there be happiness?"
"Ruo'er is but a drop in the ocean, insignificant. Even without me, there will be other better women among the envoys. Eventually, someone will catch the prince's eye."
"Having seen the vast ocean, other waters seem insignificant; having beheld the clouds of Wushan, other clouds seem pale in comparison! Apart from you, everyone else is the same in my eyes. Life is still long, and I will wait for you until death do us part!"
"Your Highness, the divorce papers are on the table inside. Please sign them when you have time. I bid you farewell. Take care, Your Highness!"
After saying her last words, Liu Hanruo left without looking back. Chunxiang glanced at Xiaoyao Wang with a hint of regret before following her.
Five years later
Ouyang Ziren looked at the Prince of Xiaoyao and calmly offered his advice:
"Che, give up. Why are you doing this to yourself? Ruo'er has been gone for five years. How can you be so sure that she will come back?"
"I believe in our destiny. I firmly believe that our relationship won't end like this. Ruo'er must still have feelings for me. Otherwise, she wouldn't have left me a note five years ago saying that the return of the necklace would be the time for our reunion." The carefree king was lost in his memories, unable to pull himself out. "Now, I've found the necklace. Ziren, I have a feeling that it won't be long before I see Ruo'er again! On the day we meet again, I will definitely tell Ruo'er: I'm willing to be with you for life!"
"I hope it will be as you wish, and that Ruo'er will come back. I wish you both happiness!"
Five years ago, on that night, Liu Hanruo wrote a letter and placed it on the table. At first glance, the letter appeared to be a divorce agreement, but upon closer reading, it became clear that it was an acrostic; the first character of each sentence, when added together, formed the phrase:
If fate allows, the day your lost necklace returns will be the day we reunite.
If by then, you are not married and I am not married, and if we can be together for life, let's be together!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
