"She's not dead, she won't die."
Shang Huai shook his head in disbelief, "Xiao Chengci, open your eyes and take a closer look, Zhizhi's body has already started to rot."
"She's already dead. Are you really going to just stand by and watch her die, unable to find peace?"
“I said she’s not dead, she’s not dead.” Xiao Chengci said ferociously, his eyes red. “If you dare to say she’s dead again, I will execute you right now.”
"Fine!" Shang Huai shouted defiantly, "Come on, I want to see who in the entire Eastern Palace dares to execute me!"
Shang Huai was, after all, the Marquis of Zhenyuan, and moreover, he was the Empress's nephew.
Because of his noble status, even the servants of the Eastern Palace, upon receiving the Crown Prince's orders, dared not easily execute Shang Huai.
Xiao Chengci drew the sword from the servant beside him, "I dare."
Xiao Chengci pointed his sword at Shang Huai, but Shang Huai didn't back down at all.
Shang Huai walked directly towards Xiao Chengci, the sword pressed against Shang Huai's chest.
"Today, you either kill me, or let me bury Zhizhi in peace."
Xiao Chengci warned Shang Huai: "If you dare to take Zhizhi away, I will kill you."
Shang Huai sneered, his tone unusually sarcastic, "Then come on then."
"Kill me, that's fine, let me go to the underworld and apologize to Zhizhi."
Shang Huai knew that Pei Zhi was blaming him.
That day, he kissed Zhizhi, and Zhizhi was blaming him.
It's all his fault; he shouldn't have taken advantage of Zhizhi.
"Xiao Chengci, your current behavior will only make Zhizhi hate you even more."
"Shut up!" Xiao Chengci refused to listen. "Zhizhi won't hate me!"
“No, Xiao Chengci, you’re wrong.” Shang Huai reminded Xiao Chengci, “Have you forgotten that Zhizhi didn’t want to say a word to us before she died?”
"Zhizhi said she hoped to meet Lu Xiuyuan soon."
"Zhizhi also said that she wanted to spend her last moments with Lu Xiuyuan."
These words have been tormenting Shang Huai.
“Zhizhi didn’t care about us at all. She regretted meeting us. In her final moments, all she wanted was to be by Lu Xiuyuan’s side.”
Shang Huai said miserably, "In the end, she didn't leave us a single word, not even a word. Isn't that enough, Xiao Chengci?"
"That's enough, really enough." After saying that, Shang Huai went to hug Pei Zhi, regardless of Xiao Chengci's reaction.
"I told you, you are not allowed to touch her!" Xiao Chengci pointed his sword at Shang Huai. "Even if she dies, she must stay by my side. None of you can take her away."
Shang Huai looked at Xiao Chengci in disbelief, "You're a madman, you've completely gone mad."
Ignoring Xiao Chengci's words, Shang Huai took Pei Zhi's hand.
Seeing that Shang Huai wouldn't listen to him, Xiao Chengci used force and thrust his sword into Shang Huai's chest.
Shang Huai never expected that Xiao Chengci would actually dare to make a move.
Emperor Xiao brought Lu Xiuyuan in and saw this scene.
"Someone, summon the imperial physician."
Emperor Xiao then ordered his attendants, "Go up and tie up His Highness the Crown Prince."
Xiao Chengci is currently not quite in his right mind.
Emperor Xiao also saw Pei Zhi's body, and seeing this, he was certain that Pei Zhi was truly dead this time.
Lu Xiuyuan took Pei Zhi's hand and gently kissed the back of it.
"I'm sorry I'm late. I'll take you home right away."
"You're not allowed to touch her!" Xiao Chengci shouted immediately upon seeing this. "Lu Xiuyuan, put her down for me! I won't allow you to touch her!"
This time, Emperor Xiao had no intention of being polite to Xiao Chengci. "Guards, take the Crown Prince away."
A group of palace servants forcibly took Xiao Chengci away.
Seeing this, Shang Huai forced himself to say, "Lu Xiuyuan, I want to see her off on her final journey, is that alright?"
Lu Xiuyuan shook his head, "I want her to leave peacefully."
Shang Huai watched helplessly as Lu Xiuyuan covered Pei Zhi with a white cloth, and finally closed his eyes in despair.
After Lu Xiuyuan took Pei Zhi away, the imperial physician bandaged Shang Huai's wounds.
Shang Huai knelt before Emperor Xiao, "Your Majesty, I beg you to allow me to return to the North."
"I hereby swear that I will not step out of the North City without an imperial edict."
Emperor Xiao sighed, "Ah Huai, why have you come to this?"
"Shang Huai had previously caused a great disaster, but Your Majesty did not hold it against me, and I feel extremely guilty."
For Emperor Xiao, it was naturally the best thing that Shang Huai was willing to take the initiative to speak.
"Once you have recovered from your injuries, I will issue an edict to make you the new General Zhenyuan, so that your father can finally get some rest."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Emperor Xiao patted Shang Huai on the shoulder, "The Crown Prince is still young. He was too impulsive this time and hurt you. Don't take it to heart."
Of course, Shang Huai would not speak ill of Xiao Chengci in front of Emperor Xiao.
"It was Your Highness who overstepped your bounds and injured me; it has nothing to do with Your Highness."
Shang Huai ignored the two words Emperor Xiao used to describe Xiao Chengci's youth.
You should know that Xiao Chengci is Shang Huai's cousin.
Emperor Xiao was pleased with Shang Huai's sensibility and allowed him to return home to recuperate.
Emperor Xiao turned around, intending to visit his rebellious son, Xiao Chengci.
Xiao Chengci was tied up by his servants and was throwing a tantrum.
When Emperor Xiao arrived and saw Xiao Chengci's appearance, he sighed in disappointment.
"Someone, pour a bucket of cold water on him to calm him down."
A palace servant brought over a basin of cold water and splashed it directly onto Xiao Chengci's face.
"Xiao Chengci, are you awake now?"
Xiao Chengci questioned, "Father, why are you helping Lu Xiuyuan?"
Emperor Xiao said disappointedly, "I'm trying to help you. If you continue to act so recklessly, do you really intend to abandon the Great Xiao?"
If Xiao Chengci's actions were to escalate, they would only cause the ministers to lose faith in him.
"She is mine, Father. Zhizhi is mine, and no one can take her away!"
Emperor Xiao did not want to see Xiao Chengci continue his nonsense. "Pei Zhi is her own."
"She chose to marry Lu Xiuyuan, therefore, she is Lu Xiuyuan's wife."
"You are not important to her at all, understand?"
“Pei Zhi, she doesn’t care about you at all. You need to wake up.”
If someone else had said these words to Xiao Chengci, he wouldn't have listened.
Xiao Chengci was used to being arrogant, and he believed that as long as he worked hard, Pei Zhi would definitely fall in love with him.
He had clearly already learned how to please Pei Zhi.
Xiao Chengci shook his head in a murmur: "Father, you're wrong, it's not like that, it's not like that."
Emperor Xiao felt sorry for Xiao Chengci when he saw him in such a disheveled state.
But Emperor Xiao was even more determined to make Xiao Chengci pull through this time.
"If she cared about you, she wouldn't have chosen to marry someone else, and she wouldn't have faked her death to leave in the first place."
Emperor Xiao said gently, "She has already left. If you keep pestering her, she will only hate you more."
"Do you really want to die without ever seeing her again?"
Xiao Chengci asked expectantly, "After I die, will I still be able to see her?"
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