Chapter 114: Precognitive Dream (Qin Lie)
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After a five-month standoff with the riverbank, taking advantage of the frozen river and the southerners' inability to withstand the severe cold, Qin Lie finally led his army south and crossed the river in one fell swoop.
Then came the trampling of iron hooves, sweeping southwards.
In his letter, he said that he would have to fight his way to Zhuozhou, and the earliest he could return to the capital would probably be around the Mid-Autumn Festival in August.
Lingyi was already used to this separation, but poor Jue'er had completely forgotten what her father looked like.
She casually mentioned it in her letter, but Qin Lie, that shameless fellow, actually sent back a self-portrait. In the painting, he was wearing armor, riding a horse, holding a long sword, and his cloak was billowing in the wind—truly a magnificent sight!
That's not all; he even shamelessly instructed in the letter to let her hang it in the room so that her daughter could admire it every day.
Lingyi placed the painting at the bottom of the box without expression, then placed Huan'er and Jue'er, naked and without shoes or socks, on top of it, and ordered someone to move it to the storeroom.
At the end of June, the battle report came that the army had finally captured Zhuozhou.
Before the Crown Prince captured Zhuozhou, General Song, knowing that there was no way to reverse the situation, trapped all the civil and military officials and concubines in the main hall and burned the palace to the ground. Emperor Chengtai and his mother were among those burned.
The battle report clearly states that, although there may have been some who escaped, the deaths of General Song and his son, as well as Emperor Chengtai and his mother, are absolutely true.
The Qin and Song families were both once great generals who guarded the borders. After hearing this, the Empress Dowager sighed and said, "I only knew that General Song was always arrogant, but I didn't expect him to be so fierce."
If he had been willing to surrender, given his reputation in Zhuozhou and among the people, even Qin Shiyan would not have dared to easily harm him. Although he would not have been free, he would have been able to live a life of honor and comfort.
Lingyi remained silent, her head bowed ever since she heard the news that Emperor Chengtai and his mother had perished in the fire.
The Empress Dowager looked at her with affection and comforted her, saying, "Chengtai is, after all, your nephew. So, I will immediately send someone to write to Lie'er to see if he has left anything behind so that we can bring it back and bury it with your brother."
After Qin Lie entered the capital, he did not destroy the imperial tombs of the previous dynasty. Except for Emperor Jiahe, who was hastily buried in Hengzhou, all the emperors and empresses of the Great Han Dynasty were buried there. Although the crown prince had not yet ascended the throne, he was also buried there to demonstrate legitimacy and counter the seventh prince.
Lingyi responded softly.
Although she tried her best to appear nonchalant, how could the Empress Dowager not notice her melancholy? After exchanging only a few words with Huan'er and Jue'er, she considerately told them to go back first, and then instructed them, "Since Lie'er won't be back for a while, you might as well invite the Princess Consort Xian and take the children to the Imperial Estate to escape the summer heat and relax."
Lingyi knew that the Empress Dowager was concerned for her, so she stood up and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
After leaving Cining Palace, she unknowingly walked back to Chonghua Palace.
This place was already in a remote location, and now it's even worse without anyone taking care of it, so it looks dilapidated.
The Crown Prince's former Eastern Palace has long been uninhabited, and it is likely in even worse disrepair than Chonghua Palace, and will soon be demolished.
Lingyi easily found the dappled swing deep in the shadows of the trees, sat on it and swayed gently, reminiscing about the past.
She had to say goodbye to her sixteenth sister at the city gate, but her brother, the Crown Prince, was only going to provide disaster relief and thought it would be just another ordinary and short separation. Little did he know that it would be their last farewell.
Having read many historical books, she could now discern that the Crown Prince was too gentle and tolerant, and indecisive, making him unsuitable to be the heir apparent. Yet, it was precisely because of his gentleness and tolerance that she and Aunt Liu Cui were saved, allowing her to live a few peaceful years in the secluded palace.
Thinking about it this way, she suddenly realized that from the time she sought help outside the East Palace in the heavy snow to her wedding and departure from the capital, only eight years had passed.
Nine years have passed since her wedding, longer than the time she spent with her elder brother, the Crown Prince.
Time flowed by like water, and she only remembered how kind her brother, the Crown Prince, was to her, but could no longer recall his clear appearance.
She lost her mother at a young age. It wasn't that she didn't know that separation and death were inevitable in this world, but she couldn't help but harbor a sliver of hope that she could preserve her brother, the Crown Prince's, bloodline. She never imagined that her sister-in-law and her son would meet such a tragic end, and she couldn't help but feel a deep sense of loss.
Until Jue'er staggered over, looking at her with concern: "Mother, Mother, why are you crying?"
Lingyi quickly wiped away her tears and smiled at her: "Mother Consort didn't cry, she just got sand in her eyes."
Jue'er then smiled and hurriedly explained to her, "Mother walked so fast that Jue'er couldn't keep up. Jue'er wanted to call you, but brother said that Mother was sad and wanted to be alone for a while. Otherwise, Jue'er would have come over early this morning to blow on Mother's eyes."
“Mother is not sad.” Lingyi looked at her, then at Huan’er standing by the door, and said softly, “Seeing you makes me not sad.”
Upon returning to the East Palace, the palace servants immediately presented her with Qin Lie's letter. Had she not gone to the Imperial Palace, this letter would have reached her hands even earlier than the battle report.
In his letter, Qin Lie wrote that he had been trying to persuade General Song to surrender, promising that if the Song family handed over Emperor Chengtai, he would guarantee the lives of the Song clan and ensure they would enjoy endless wealth and honor in the future. However, he never expected that General Song's talk was merely a delaying tactic. Under the pretext of discussing surrender, General Song summoned his ministers to the palace, then sealed the doors and windows, handed over oil, and set the palace on fire.
The letter was written in Qin Lie's usual tone; he never bothered to explain, simply recounting the events briefly.
However, in the next page of the letter, the anxiety between the lines was almost palpable. He blamed himself for being too careless and too negligent, for not taking precautions in advance.
He also wrote that he did not believe Xie Yu was dead and was still searching for the whereabouts of Xie Yu and the sixteenth princess's daughter. So he did this for the sake of the child and hoped that she would not be too sad and would take care of her health.
This was not his fault, and he never made any promises; he only said he would try his best to save Chengtai's life.
But he still took all the blame upon himself, simply so that she could have an outlet for all her emotions.
Lingyi was slightly moved. She unfolded the letter paper, wanting to write something, but didn't know where to begin.
Just then, someone outside requested an audience; it was none other than the Fifteenth Princess, who never set foot in the Eastern Palace.
As soon as she entered, she got straight to the point: "After receiving the battle report, the Princess Consort was afraid that you would be sad, so she specially sent someone to find me, hoping that I could come and comfort you."
Although everyone tacitly understood, this was the first time that Madam Zhen had revealed that she knew her identity.
The Fifteenth Princess said to Lingyi, "The dead are gone, and the Crown Prince has been gone for so many years. For people of our status, it is already a blessing to be alive and not be bullied or humiliated. We cannot take on the burden of other people's lives and deaths."
Lingyi said, "Sister, don't worry. I know what's important and I won't show it in front of others, so as not to be criticized for the Crown Princess's loyalty to the previous dynasty."
Lingyi smiled bitterly: "In fact, even now, I don't know whether I'm unconsciously holding back or if I'm really not that sad anymore."
Surrounded by her children and living a peaceful life, she rarely thinks of her deceased loved ones anymore.
The Fifteenth Princess said with relief, "The fact that you can say this shows that you are different from before. If it were before, you would only smile and comfort me, and you wouldn't even admit that you were deep in thought." Her gaze fell into the distance, "Actually, I often think of the days in the palace, only because my mother was still alive then. Apart from that, now is the best time of my life, and it's the same for you, Lingyi."
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On the Mid-Autumn Festival, August 15th, Qin Lie was unable to return, but Ling Yi unexpectedly met an old friend.
Xie Yu still looked like the peerless young master he once was, but he was not yet thirty years old, and there were already a few strands of white hair at his temples.
"Lingyi." He smiled and walked towards her, as if they were still in the old Eastern Palace, when he and the Crown Prince finished their lessons and came to find her.
But the joy and excitement in Lingyi's eyes were gone. She looked at him and asked knowingly, "Brother-in-law, where is Sixteenth Sister? Why didn't she come back with you?"
Xie Yu stopped in her tracks, and even her smile faded.
When he awoke after his rebirth, he was already in Zhuozhou, on the second day of his wedding night with Miss Song.
If only it had been sooner, he thought. If he could be reborn before the arranged marriage, or at least while the Crown Prince was still alive, he would surely have a way to save the day.
He is the grandson of the former chief minister, the younger brother of the crown princess, a handsome and unparalleled gentleman.
Perfection without any flaws should have been the defining characteristic of his life: to be a renowned civil official in history and to marry a woman he loved.
Unfortunately, he was born at the wrong time, during a chaotic era.
It was one thing to live in the past, but why was he given a second chance, only to be faced with a cruel fate again?
That day, he sat there stiffly, facing the memorial tablet of the former chief minister, only to hear the cruel mockery of fate.
In his previous life, despite being despised by the world for changing masters three times, he endured humiliation and was eventually able to display his talents, fulfill his grandfather's wishes, and implement the reform ideas left by his grandfather.
He had already lived a lifetime for his grandfather and the Xie family. Now that God had given him a second chance, he decided to live life to the fullest for himself this time.
He wanted to make amends for the mistakes he made in his previous life.
The one he should make amends to the most is the girl he cruelly betrayed, the seventeenth princess, Liu Lingyi.
Knowing her personality, he understood that the moment he married her sister, he was destined never to be able to rekindle their past relationship.
He only hoped to give her freedom, to stop her from being trapped by someone she didn't love, and to stop her from becoming unrecognizable.
She should live a peaceful and joyful life, to an island or the ends of the earth, wherever she wants to go, and live the life she desires.
Thus, relying on his memories from his previous life, he painstakingly and cautiously advanced, finally reaching the power center of the Southern Dynasty and gaining enough authority to protect Emperor Chengtai. Afterward, he would destroy the Northern Dynasty and unify the country. Neither Geng Qing nor Qin Lie could force her anymore, and she would no longer need to submit to the likes of Song Pingkou. In the end, she would only remain as a beautiful yet tragic figure adorning the chaotic world.
He had made all the preparations.
But she didn't come, she never came.
Today, he finally met her. Without exchanging pleasantries or greetings, she immediately asked him for her sixteenth sister.
The sixteenth princess, his first wife.
At first, she was just a shadow by Lingyi's side, blushing whenever she saw him. He noticed this, but over the years, there were countless people who admired her like that. His gentle gaze swept over them indifferently, and he didn't take them to heart at all.
Later, he married her as his grandfather had wished. The only consolation was that she was actually very similar to Lingyi, beautiful and innocent.
They even grew up together and shared the same interests and hobbies.
But she is not Lingyi after all.
Lingyi's naivety and innocence stem from her lack of experience with the world.
Her naivety and innocence stemmed from her utter foolishness and complete lack of vigilance.
This is perfect. He only needs a little tenderness, and she is overjoyed and gives him everything she has.
They had a sweet time together. Even though the capital city was ever-changing, whether in glory or in despair, whether her uncle was a help or a hindrance, he always treated his wife well, and she always loved her husband.
Their child was born when he was at his lowest point. Holding his infant daughter and looking at his weak but uncomplaining wife, he vowed in his heart that he would repay her a thousandfold for all the hardships she had endured along the way.
However, things didn't go as planned. The Crown Prince died, and the Seventh Prince gained power, so he had no choice but to seek help from Zhuozhou.
One of the conditions set by the Song family was that he had to marry Miss Song.
He agreed without hesitation. He could even abandon the person he loved, let alone a wife.
Moreover, he did not abandon her. What the Song family wanted was for him to divorce his wife and remarry. Marrying a concubine was already the result of his best efforts.
He never felt he had let down the Sixteenth Princess. A man should strive to achieve great things in life, especially since he was a promising young man from the Xie family.
Moreover, husband and wife are one, so isn't what he's doing all this also for her and their child's future?
Nevertheless, he prepared a high-sounding explanation to tell her.
For example, if they don't go to Zhuozhou, the Seventh Prince will definitely wipe them out.
For example, the Seventh Prince's perverse actions are intolerable to Heaven. His mission to Zhuozhou to support the Crown Prince's youngest son to ascend the throne is to uphold the legitimacy of the Great Han Dynasty. Moreover, the Crown Princess is his only sister, so he cannot stand idly by.
For example, he did all this to avenge her mother and uncle, and to give her and her daughter a better future.
Everything he said was true. He knew that she was completely obedient to him, and that it involved the deep hatred between her and her mother, as well as her daughter's future. He was sure she would agree.
As he expected, she was initially surprised, then remained silent for a long time before finally smiling and nodding, telling him not to worry about her and to just go for it.
But her pale face, her astonished gaze, and the tears that slid down her cheeks when she smiled—even in this second life, he still dared not recall them.
Xie Yu noticed her melancholy after that day.
In his past life, he was too busy, looked down upon, guarded against, and suppressed, and simply couldn't spare much time to care.
Sometimes I even feel annoyed. They are both princesses, so why can't she be as resilient as Lingyi?
Compared to Lingyi, her situation was a thousand times better; at least he always treated her with politeness and gentleness.
In this life, he doesn't need to care, because he knows she will pull through and become the Mrs. Xie he is most satisfied with.
So in this lifetime, he wanted to make amends to Lingyi and give her freedom.
He also thought of treating Miss Song even better, so that she would not die young.
But he neglected his wife, because he thought she didn't need to be made up for.
It wasn't until her sudden death that he seemed to wake from a dream. Looking at the emaciated, closed-eyed sixteenth princess, he felt a sudden, sharp pain in his chest and vomited blood from his heart.
Through decades of ups and downs in his past life, he had long been accustomed to it. No matter where he worked or where he went, she was always there waiting for him at home.
She was his wife of many years, and they went through countless storms together, sharing both joy and sorrow.
The officialdom is full of ups and downs, and people's hearts are fickle, but as long as he thinks that she is there, he feels at ease.
No matter how talented or unforgettable others may be, they are just passersby to them.
Even children and grandchildren have their own paths to walk, and at most, one can only see them off halfway.
She was his only wife, his home, his refuge.
What went wrong that prevented her from living a peaceful and carefree life, leading to her death in despair?
Xie Yu's gaze fell on Ling Yi's radiant face.
A gentleman should value his appearance and demeanor, but after his rebirth, he rarely looked in the bronze mirror because he was afraid of seeing his own eyes.
Even the youngest face cannot hide the weariness, dejection, and lifelessness in those eyes that have seen it all.
But the Lingyi before me had clear and bright eyes, with soft water in their depths, and even still carried a bit of the naivety of her youth. But it was not because she was ignorant of the world, but because of the confidence that could only be revealed by being carefully pampered.
Therefore, the person who, like him, was reborn and returned was Qin Lie.
He couldn't help but laugh bitterly. Qin Lie, he's really lucky!
This only made him seem more ridiculous. Despite his rebirth and all his scheming, he still had nothing and accomplished nothing.
Lingyi didn't understand why Xie Yu was bringing up so many people, but she remembered that she had come today for only one thing: to persuade Xie Yu to hand Tong'er over to her. All the land under heaven belongs to the emperor. If Tong'er followed him, she would only be able to hide and run away. Where would she find a safe place? Only by her side could Tong'er live a peaceful and safe life.
Xie Yu naturally understood that this was the best arrangement for Tong'er, but...
If it weren't for seeking an answer, he should have taken Tong'er and left for distant lands long ago; he shouldn't have risked returning to the capital.
The answer he received filled him with deep resentment.
My mind is filled with only the question, "Why should I?"
After losing what was most important to him and the person he should cherish most, how could Qin Lie possibly get what he wanted?
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