So even though Qi Xiao had realized his own feelings and understood that he also loved Qi Zhenzhen, he still didn't plan to do anything.
The greetings in the memorial to Shen Shi and the longing in the quiet of the night became the only things he could do for Qi Zhenzhen.
As for the deeper issues, Qi Xiao neither wanted to nor could continue.
If the original plot had unfolded as it should, in order to prove herself to Qi Xiao, Qi Zhenzhen would have taken advantage of Shen Shi's affection for her and constantly caused trouble.
This young girl, who only cares about love, is willing to ruin her reputation to show Qi Xiao that if he doesn't like her, there are plenty of others who do.
As more and more news reached the border, Qi Xiao's fragile defenses began to crumble.
Then, Shen Shi, the male supporting character, provided a crucial assist to the two.
The specific incident is quite simple. Qi Zhenzhen, who has Qi Xiao in her heart, has been extremely disgusted by Shen Shi's touch since entering the palace. Although she holds the title of a favored concubine, she and Shen Shi have no marital relationship.
Since Shen Shi genuinely liked her, he didn't force her when he saw how strongly she resisted. After all, she was one of his concubines, and this was bound to happen sooner or later. She couldn't just run away, could she?
Shen Shi desperately wanted to win Qi Zhenzhen's heart, hoping that one day she would love him as much as he loved her.
But as time went on, Shen Shi gradually realized that Qi Zhenzhen was not so innocent, and that his beloved concubine might be harboring feelings for another man.
Seeing the beauty so close yet unable to possess her, Qi Zhenzhen initially managed to coax Shen Shi with sweet words, relying on his affection for her. However, when Shen Shi no longer showed her any pity, only resentment and possessiveness remained, all her eloquence rendered language pale and powerless.
Shen Shi could no longer control his burgeoning possessiveness. He was eager to consummate his marriage with Qi Zhenzhen, and was even willing to force himself on her. If he couldn't win Qi Zhenzhen's heart, he would at least have her body.
Seeing that her long-held principles were about to be shattered, Qi Zhenzhen, in the final moment, chose death over dishonor and desperately rammed her head against a pillar, finally stopping Chen Shi's violent actions.
Because of this, Shen Shi completely despised Qi Zhenzhen, feeling that she dared to refuse the emperor, who was above all others, making him lose face. In a fit of anger, he banished her to the cold palace.
Qi Zhenzhen, who had a bloody hole in her head, was thrown into the cold palace like a rag. There was no one by her side, and she could only fend for herself.
The servants in the harem are the most opportunistic. When Qi Zhenzhen was a concubine, they flattered and fawned over her. But when Qi Zhenzhen offended the emperor and lost power, they all wanted to kick her while she was down.
Qi Zhenzhen was thrown into the Cold Palace in September. When she came in, she had nothing but the clothes she was wearing.
To fill her stomach, she could only eat spoiled food, but even so, when winter came, she still faced a huge crisis.
No one would give her a blanket. Qi Zhenzhen, who had grown up in luxury, was shivering in the cold winter night.
If it weren't for the protection of the female lead's light, Qi Zhenzhen would likely have died in the cold palace.
The story that followed was even simpler: Qi Xiao, stationed at the border, was heartbroken and could not breathe after hearing about Qi Zhenzhen's tragic experiences in the palace.
Qi Xiao felt that it was all because he couldn't recognize his own heart and insisted on sending Qi Zhenzhen to the palace as a concubine, which caused her to end up in such a state.
After much painful reflection, Qi Xiao suddenly broke free from the shackles of imperial power and also raised an army in rebellion.
There isn't much description of the specific details of the war; in short, Qi Xiao went through countless hardships and finally led his men into the palace, where they found Qi Zhenzhen, who was on the verge of death.
At that time, Qi Zhenzhen was barely breathing, and she was so thin that she was just skin and bones. It was heartbreaking to see her like that.
Upon seeing her like this, Qi Xiao's tears immediately fell. He held the barely recognizable Qi Zhenzhen and cried uncontrollably.
Then a soldier came to report, "Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the Emperor set fire to Qingyang Palace and committed suicide."
Upon hearing the news of Shen Shi's death, Qi Xiao felt a sense of relief.
I remember when Zhenzhen was sent to the palace, she was a beautiful and radiant girl. But in this cannibalistic palace, she was tortured to the point of near death in just two years.
As the leader who stormed into the capital, Qi Xiao succeeded Shen Shi to the throne after Shen Shi committed suicide.
The first thing he did after ascending the throne was to widely solicit skilled doctors throughout the land to help Qi Zhenzhen recover her health.
Despite the abundance of rare and precious medicinal herbs piled up, Qi Zhenzhen's condition remained poor; the imperial physician said it was a mental illness.
After her brush with death, Qi Zhenzhen became much more open-minded than before, but the only change was that she harbored resentment towards Qi Xiao.
“Zhenzhen, you can hit me or scold me, just don’t be so cold to me. You may not know, but every time I see your expressionless face, my heart aches as if it’s being crushed.”
The roles between the two have shifted, with Qi Xiao becoming the one seeking love.
Qi Zhenzhen, who was originally infatuated with him, showed little reaction after hearing this passionate confession.
"If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened. I shouldn't have liked you, and I will never like you again."
Noticing that Qi Xiao's gaze was still lingering on her face, Qi Zhenzhen said coldly.
After hearing her heartless words, Qi Xiao didn't show a pained expression.
In short, thanks to the male supporting character Shen Shi's antics, this immoral love story of a woman pursuing a man has successfully transformed into a "wife-chasing-in-the-cremation" scenario.
This is the only world where Shen Shi is not a victim. Qi Xiao, who cannot recognize his own heart, is wrong; Qi Zhenzhen, who uses his love as a pretext to annoy others, is wrong; and Shen Shi, who wants to force himself on her, is even more wrong.
If we really have to say who is the complete victim, then it's probably only Ji Ying'er.
After all, this silly girl was still waiting desperately for the lifelong promise he had made, right up until she set herself on fire.
He then rushed into the fire and perished in the flames along with Shen Shi.
Although the male and female protagonists of this world are not quite right in the head and love to have cremation scenes, the Marquis of Zhenbei is indeed a loyal general, at least for now.
As long as the downfall wasn't too excessive, his imperial power could be said to be as stable as Mount Tai.
Because he had transmigrated very early, Shen Shi was not worried about Qi Xiao's rebellion, but rather about Prime Minister Zhang's disloyal intentions.
After all, if Qi Xiao's rebellion hadn't disrupted his plans, that old scoundrel Prime Minister Zhang would have actually intended to have his daughter poison him.
Thinking this through, Chen Shi's reply to Qi Xiao's memorial was no longer a simple "read," but rather several sentences written in crimson ink.
"Your daughter is doing well in the palace, so Marquis Zhenbei need not worry too much."
Shen Shi first replied to the question about Qi Zhenzhen, and then wrote: "But recently there have been many things happening in the capital, which has made me very unhappy. Therefore, I have ordered the Marquis of Zhenbei to return to the capital next month to share my burdens and solve my problems."
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