Chapter 1 Ashes
Pain, heart-wrenching pain.
It's not on the body, but it surges from the heart.
Sun Wei sat there in a daze, holding Sima Jun's cold body in her arms.
His blood soaked her clothes, and after drying, they stuck together as if they could never be separated.
Below, the palace had become a sea of fire, with noise and killing heard everywhere.
Behind Sun Wei was a broken gap in the women's wall.
The rolling hot air rushed in through the gap, but Sun Wei did not dodge at all, as if he had lost consciousness.
The commander-in-chief is dead, Xunyang City is broken, and the Sima family's kingdom will soon be passed on to Luqiu.
A figure walked forward and blocked Sun Wei's sight.
Sun Wei knew who it was without having to see clearly.
Sun Zhi, her cousin.
"If I remember correctly, it was also around this time that you first met Sima Jun."
Sun Zhi's voice remained gentle and elegant, his expression smug, as if reminiscing: "That was in the fourteenth year of Jianyang. You told me you would marry Sima Jun. From that day on, you should have known this day would come."
"Cui Pan played a significant role in today's capture of the city. Do you still remember him? If Sima Jun had married his sister, he could have easily brought Cui Pan and the Northern Army under his command. But then Sima Jun married you, and Cui Pan joined Lü Qiuyan." Sun Zhi spoke slowly, gently wiping his sword with his sleeve. "Sima Jun truly made you what you wanted. All the wealth and glory in the world is within your reach, Princess Yuzhang. Even I haven't thought about it, and he's willing to give you even more."
Sun Zhi said this, glancing at Sima Jun's body in her arms, "He even gave up his own life to save you."
Sun Wei stared blankly at Sima Jun's calm face in her arms, motionless.
She also wanted to know why.
Her cousin Sun Zhi held her hostage, obviously to lure Sima Jun out. Why did Sima Jun still go?
"Sister," Sun Zhi continued, "you and I are one family. You may hate me for what happened now, but I will never abandon you. Don't worry, General Luqiu has already said that if you hand over Sima Jun's body and tell the world that Sima Jun's usurpation of power is unforgivable and that it was General Luqiu who saved the country from danger, he will spare your life."
Sun Weiwei raised her head.
Her hair was disheveled and her hairpins and rings had all fallen off. She no longer had the renowned and stunning beauty of Princess Yuzhang.
But those eyes were still bright and sharp.
"I believe Lu Qiuyan has fulfilled everything you want," she said.
"I'm doing this for the Sun family." Sun Zhi still had a smile on his face. "Besides, if I hadn't helped you back then, how could you have become the Princess of Yuzhang, and how could we be where we are today? Sister, after all, we are family."
Sun Wei didn't say anything.
She lowered her eyes and her gaze fell on Sima Jun's face again.
His eyes were closed, peaceful and quiet, as if he was asleep.
She had seen this face many nights and mornings after her marriage, but this time, she knew he would never open his eyes again.
Under the parapet, the beams of a palace collapsed due to the fire, and flames leaped up amidst a loud bang.
Under the blazing light, the tears became hot, falling on Sima Jun's cold face and sliding down.
Sima Jun knew that she married for fame and fortune.
The two of them had ignored each other for many years. She thought that they had been a couple on paper for so many years, and Sima Jun had already become indifferent to her.
But in the end, he never abandoned her.
——"Let's go and live well."
This was the last thing Sima Jun said to her.
Sun Wei looked at his face and smiled coldly.
Easier said than done, where else could she go?
Sun Zhi saw that Sun Wei's expression seemed to be softening, and thought she was about to agree. He was about to step forward when he heard her say, "Wait."
She was seen holding the dead Sima Jun's arm on her body, supporting herself against the parapet, and struggling to stand up.
The gap at the back suddenly opened up, and looking down, there was a raging flame.
"I belong to no one." She looked at Sun Zhi and said word by word, "I am me."
After saying that, she hugged Sima Jun tightly and lay on her back.
It's all over.
In the last light of the fire, she seemed to see herself and Sima Jun six years ago.
At that time, she had just arrived in the capital, feeling both naive and excited about everything she knew. In the warm autumn sun, a galloping horse passed by, stirring up the golden fallen leaves in the apricot grove. The general on horseback was filled with high spirits.
Sun Wei suddenly felt unwilling. It shouldn't end like this for him, and it shouldn't end like this for them either.
But it was too late.
The strong wind blew up a fire that engulfed Sima Jun and her.
She still owed him after all.
She thought, if there is an afterlife, she only hopes that they will owe each other nothing and live in peace.
In the third year of Emperor Zhaoshi's reign, Sima Jun, the Prince of Yuzhang, died suddenly. Emperor Huai, Sima Xian, abdicated to General Luqiu Yan, and the Xuan Dynasty fell.
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