Finale
No one spoke for a moment, the room shrouded in sadness and silence. When Xie Jingyuan regained his composure, Xiao Lin slowly told him this heavy, ancient story, but he made no mention of his and A Yan's rebirth.
Since Xie Jingyuan did not protect A Yan in the previous life, they are strangers in this life. What reason is there for them to recognize each other again?
A Yan hated her identity as a princess in her previous life. She finally managed to get rid of it in this life, but the price she paid was her life. It was heartbreaking. Naturally, she had to protect Su Manyan, her hard-earned new life.
As Xiao Lin told the story, Xie Jingyuan seemed to have lost his soul. He held the white jade ring tightly in his hand, his eyes were extremely empty, and he almost relied on Ying Xiao to support him so that he did not faint.
His expression was calm, yet it hinted at death. Xiao Lin continued to talk to himself, and when he saw his distraught look, he paused for a moment, wondering if he was listening.
Su Manyan remained silent, but she thought that Xie Jingyuan must be listening, otherwise why would he be crying so hard.
Xiao Lin's tone was calm, as if he were merely telling a story, yet he was clearly the protagonist of this tragic story. Finally, he added, "As far as I know, a hundred years ago, the relationship between the Southern Hu and Southern Hu nations was close, but it suddenly took a sharp turn for the worse overnight, reaching a freezing point. I don't know what their murderous intent against my aunt is, but I suspect it might be related. If you trust me, you can investigate and avenge my aunt."
Xie Jingyuan's eyes were red, and he clenched his teeth, holding back his tears, and said, "I will investigate. If everything is true..."
He left with Shadow Owl before he could finish what he was saying.
The figure walked to the door, and he turned back again, his eyes resting on the clasped hands of Su Manyan and Xiao Lin, and then on Su Manyan's familiar face.
Finally, he withdrew his gaze and walked away without looking back.
"Why are you suddenly telling him all this openly?"
Su Manyan tilted his head and asked in confusion.
The gloom that had been lingering in Xiao Lin's heart was instantly swept away. Ah Yan was like his sun, able to dispel all the haze. He gently pulled her to sit down, but looked around and said something else: "Ah Yan, I have something to discuss with you."
Su Manyan saw that the other person's brows were relaxed, but not as relaxed as usual, as if they would frown in the next second.
She didn't like seeing him looking so worried, so she used her fingertips to smooth his brows one by one, motioning him to continue.
"As for the Hu Kingdom, I've already discussed countermeasures with Marquis Quyi, my grandfather. We've found evidence that Xiao Ye is secretly befriending the Southern Kingdom and intends to rebel and usurp the throne. I'm afraid the Hu Kingdom is about to change, so I plan to return now."
Su Manyan's fingertips trembled, his eyelids twitched, his throat was extremely dry, and he couldn't utter a word for a long time.
She looked unusually calm, not speaking or moving, not even changing her posture, the faint smile on her lips still frozen on her face. But Xiao Lin understood her restlessness, as if he could see her heart collapsing, her blood and bone marrow screaming.
Xiao Lin panicked immediately, holding Su Manyan's hand tightly and kissing it gently on his lips. He looked at Su Manyan eagerly, and the sadness in her eyes still stung his eyes.
He had been hesitant for the past few days, unsure how to begin. The situation in Hu Country was treacherous and unpredictable. If he returned, he would have rebelled. Why drag Ah Yan into this mess? Staying in the South Country was much safer than in Hu Country.
But such deception is unfair to A Yan. She is his wife and has the right to know everything.
He was filled with regret and resentment, unable to speak or remain silent. The days dragged on, and he had thought he could still gain some time, but last night, a secret letter arrived from the Marquis of Quyi, saying that Xiao Ye had dispatched his cavalry, placing them on high alert and seeking an opportunity to attack the imperial city.
The reason he hurriedly confronted the prince today was because returning to the Hu Kingdom was imminent and he had to speak.
"Ayan, I didn't hide it from you all along, it's just that things developed faster than I expected, I..."
Su Manyan heaved a sigh of relief. The worry that had been hanging in her heart for the past few days finally fell to the ground. She had known that Xiao Lin had been talking to someone secretly every night these days, and he must be planning something. She also guessed that this matter
It must be related to the Hu Kingdom. Faced with national affairs, how could he have been huddled in a corner of the South? Naturally, he had to return to the Hu Kingdom.
But she didn't expect that this day would come so soon...
"So that's why you revealed all your cards to the prince, so that he wouldn't make things difficult for me and even take care of me when you're not around?" Su Manyan lowered his head, leaving only the top of his dark head exposed, and asked in a muffled voice.
"yes……"
"When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning..."
Xiao Lin held Su Manyan's face in his hands in panic and begged, "Ayan, you can hit me or scold me, it's my fault. I shouldn't have kept silent. I didn't mean to hide it from you! It's just..."
Before he could finish his words, something soft covered his lips, blocking his unfinished words.
Silence is better than words. Sometimes, intimate actions can soothe people's hearts better than lengthy explanations.
Su Manyan didn't want to hear anything now. She just wanted to use the most direct way to fill the emptiness in her heart with tenderness and love.
There was nothing to explain; she understood everything about him. If it were her, she probably wouldn't be willing to tell him something so dangerous.
There are no lovers in the world who are more compatible than them. They always understand each other's thoughts.
Su Manyan kissed him without any rules, like a lost little animal licking randomly, leaving a wet spot on his lips.
Xiao Lin felt the probing tongue tip, his eyes darkened, and he immediately took the initiative, put his arms around her waist, pressed her tightly in his arms, and deepened the kiss.
As their lips and teeth met, even the air became thick. An ambiguous atmosphere flowed between the two of them, as if they wanted to tear each other apart and devour each other, and every collision of lips and teeth was filled with suppressed attachment.
After the kiss, both of their lips were bright red and plump, and it was obvious that they had experienced a passionate kiss.
Su Manyan hugged Xiao Lin's neck tightly and buried her head in the crook of his neck.
"Come back soon and safely."
In the early morning hours of the day Xiao Lin left, the sky was still dark, with only a few fading stars hanging in the dark blue sky. Su Manyan stood at the deserted gate of the cold palace, watching him mount his horse, his dark cloak drawing a sharp arc in the morning breeze.
He did not look back, fearing that if he did, he would be reluctant to leave. But before turning his horse around, he quietly raised his right hand - that was the gesture they had agreed on, meaning
"wait for me".
Su Manyan clenched her sleeves until the figure disappeared at the end of the alley, then she slowly squatted down and buried her face in her knees, her tears silently soaking her clothes.
She didn't know that Xiao Lin's departure not only affected her heart, but also caused an uproar in the Southern Kingdom's court.
The next morning, during court, the Southern Kingdom's Emperor learned that "hostage Xiao Lin hadn't returned all night and had disappeared without a trace." Furious, he slammed the throne and demanded, "How dare a hostage escape without permission within Southern Kingdom territory! Is it that my palace is unguarded, or does Xiao Lin have no regard for Southern Kingdom at all?"
The civil and military officials of His Majesty fell into a state of utter silence. The Minister of War stepped forward first, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, as a hostage of the Hu Kingdom, Xiao Lin should have been under the control of our Southern Kingdom. Now that he has disappeared without a trace, I'm afraid he has fled back to the Hu Kingdom to plot something treacherous. I implore Your Majesty to immediately order the arrest and interrogation of his accomplices, Si Ji and others, to force the discovery of Xiao Lin's whereabouts!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the court officials echoed them. Only Crown Prince Xie Jingyuan stood at the front of the group and spoke calmly, "Father, Xiao Lin's disappearance has not yet been fully investigated. It would be inappropriate to rashly arrest Xiao Lin's subordinates. They are just ordinary subordinates and may not be related to Xiao Lin's whereabouts. If we mistakenly arrest good people because of this, it will give people something to criticize."
The emperor glanced at him and said in a dissatisfied tone, "Jingyuan, you always defend Xiao Lin! Don't forget, Xiao Lin is a hostage. His escape is a provocation to the Southern Kingdom. If you don't take some measures, how can you deter other countries?"
Xie Jingyuan lowered his eyes, his voice still calm, "Father, I'm not defending him, but this matter requires long-term consideration. If Xiao Lin really escapes back to the Hu Kingdom, he will definitely take action. Why don't we send someone to secretly monitor those subordinates first, wait and see what happens, and then make plans."
The emperor thought for a moment and finally accepted his suggestion, but he did not notice the deep meaning that flashed in Xie Jingyuan's eyes.
The days that followed became a long wait. Spring came early in the south, and the peach blossoms in the courtyard blossomed and faded. Every day, Su Manyan would sit under the peach tree, holding the white jade ring with a crane pattern that Xiao Lin had left behind before he left, stroking it over and over again.
At first, we could still receive secret letters sent by him. The letters contained only a few words, mostly "Everything is fine, don't worry" and "The war is going well, there will be victory news soon." However, as the war with the Hu Kingdom became more and more stalemate, the secret letters gradually stopped coming.
What made her even more uneasy was that she always felt that someone was secretly watching her recently. Although the person did not show up, it made her feel uncomfortable.
It wasn't until the tenth day after Xiao Lin left that Xie Jingyuan came to visit again, finally clearing up her doubts. He was still wearing the crown prince's court robes, looking a little more haggard than the last time they met. He was also holding a food box of snacks, saying they were freshly made by the Southern Kingdom Imperial Kitchen, thinking Su Manyan might like them.
After Su Manyan poured him some tea, Xie Jingyuan lowered his voice and said, "Those who are watching you were sent by the Emperor. The court officials all suspect that Xiao Lin has fled back to the Hu Kingdom and want to get clues from you. Some even suggested using you to threaten Xiao Lin."
Su Manyan's grip on the teacup suddenly tightened, and a few drops of tea splashed onto her hand, but she was completely unaware: "Then the prince..." Xie Jingyuan raised his eyes and looked at her with a firm gaze: "Don't worry, no one can hurt you with me here. I have secretly ordered those people to watch from a distance and not to approach the cold palace."
He and Xiao Lin were cousins, and Ah Yan was his sister-in-law, so it was natural for him to protect her. Besides, for some reason, he always felt a liking for Su Manyan and wanted to protect her.
Su Manyan felt a warm feeling in his heart and was about to thank him when Xie Jingyuan spoke again, "I have already sent people to investigate what Xiao Lin said that day." Su Manyan paused holding the teapot and looked up at him, "What did the prince find out?"
"The grudge between the two countries."
"Originally, the relationship between the two countries was very close. One winter day a hundred years ago, a wandering Taoist priest broke into the Southern Kingdom's palace and left a prophecy."
Su Manyan paused, looking at him curiously. Xie Jingyuan picked up the teacup but didn't drink. Instead, he stared at the swaying tea in the cup and said slowly, "The Taoist said that the fate of the two Southern Hu countries will eventually come to an end, and their relationship will be completely shattered. The fuse will be the birth of a dragon son from each country. The two princes' horoscopes clash, which will not only restrain themselves but also affect the destiny of both countries. If not dealt with in time, both countries will decline. The only solution is to sacrifice one of the princes, using his life to appease the god's wrath and ensure the safety of the country."
"At the time, the imperial court dismissed this nonsense. After all, the friendship between the two nations was deep, so how could it be shattered by a single prophecy? But within a few years, strange events began to unfold one after another—floods ravaged the southern kingdom, destroying the harvest; locust plagues ravaged the borders of the Hu kingdom, displacing the people. As the fortunes of both nations waned, suspicion grew, and some in the court began to revisit the prophecy."
Xie Jingyuan's voice deepened. "Even more coincidentally, around that time, the Queen of the Southern Kingdom and the Queen of the Hu Kingdom gave birth to princes almost simultaneously. Panic spread, and both royal families became concerned. While ostensibly discussing how to respond, they secretly each wanted to protect their own princes. Finally, on a full-moon night, the Southern Kingdom sent people to infiltrate the Hu Kingdom's palace and assassinate the Hu Kingdom's prince. Meanwhile, the Hu Kingdom had already deployed spies who simultaneously killed the Southern Kingdom's prince."
Su Manyan was stunned when she heard this. She had never thought that the century-long gap between the two countries originated from such a cruel past.
Xie Jingyuan continued, "The two princes died tragically, their sins grievous. The gods' 'punishment' seemed to come even faster—plague ravaged the Southern Kingdom, and civil unrest erupted in the Hu Kingdom. The two nations completely fell out, severing all ties, and the hatred has been passed down from generation to generation."
At this point, Xie Jingyuan's eyes reddened slightly. He looked up at Su Manyan, his voice choked with sobs: "My mother was originally Princess Wanning of the Hu Kingdom. Twenty years ago, in order to ease relations with the Hu Kingdom, my father made her a princess and married her off to the Southern Kingdom. But by then, the two countries had deep-seated grievances, and my mother's life in the Southern Kingdom was not easy. Later, there was a power struggle within the Hu Kingdom's royal family, and someone falsely accused my mother of being a Southern Kingdom spy, intending to murder the Hu Kingdom monarch. The Hu Kingdom monarch, who already had a grudge against the Southern Kingdom, indiscriminately ordered my mother to be imprisoned in Ci'en Temple. My father had been hiding this matter from me, telling me that my mother was murdered by the Xiao family. I only recently found out the truth."
Su Manyan covered her mouth in shock, tears welling up in her eyes. She finally understood why Xie Jingyuan cared so deeply about the past, and why he would desperately help Xiao Lin now—not only to seek justice for her mother, but also to end this century-long hatred.
Xie Jingyuan took a deep breath and said, "I cannot let my father's ambition succeed, nor can I let my mother be humiliated in vain, and let the century-old hatred continue to torment the people of both countries."
A few days later, the crown prince ascended the throne and placed the old emperor under house arrest. The new emperor immediately demonstrated his resolve: first, he eliminated corruption and cleaned up the court, then revitalized all industries. Within a month, the atmosphere at court was transformed, and even the smoke from cooking fires among the people increased by 30% compared to previous years.
Another two weeks later, news of victory arrived from the Hu Kingdom: Xiao Lin had defeated Xiao Ye and ascended the throne as the new Hu monarch. When the news reached the Southern Kingdom, Xie Jingyuan immediately released the imprisoned emperor, though he still limited his power, allowing him to spend his remaining years in peace. He himself continued to preside over the Southern Kingdom's government, appeasing the people and repairing relations between the Southern and Hu kingdoms.
On the night Xiao Lin became the new monarch, an unexpected old friend suddenly appeared—625. Su Manyan looked at the familiar little ball, furious. She immediately hugged it tightly to prevent it from escaping, her voice tinged with tears: "You still remembered to come back! Do you know how worried I was about you? You didn't come back for all these days, and you left without even telling me." As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.
625 hurriedly coaxed, wiping away the other's tears with its chubby little wings. "Host, I was wrong." It apologized good-naturedly, but suddenly lowered its wings and said in a dull tone, "But this time, I just want to say goodbye to you."
"What do you mean?" Su Manyan was stunned, watching 625 becoming more and more transparent in its arms.
"I'm going back, and maybe we'll never meet again." The ball became dimmer and dimmer, and gradually disappeared. Its voice was trembling.
"Why, where are you going? You can go home, but why do we have to see each other forever? Aren't we friends? I can also go find you." Su Manyan spoke in a hurried tone, and tried frantically to grab the little ball in his arms with his hands, but he couldn't touch it, and in the end he only caught a hand full of wind.
"Because my home is too far away, but I'm happy to be with you for two lifetimes." 625 said this with a smile, even though she was crying.
It has been guarding Su Manyan for two lifetimes, and it loves this princess very much. In its previous life, it was the adopted son of Eunuch Qian, and the Queen took pity on it and assigned it to Su Manyan for her personal care.
It had never seen such a good person before. It did not believe in gods and Buddhas, but later it did, because it met Su Manyan. In 625's mind, this gentle princess was its goddess.
However, it seems that the better the good people are, the less likely they are to have a good ending. Later, Su Manyan passed away, and 625 lost his master, so naturally he lost the desire to live.
After death, it didn't lead to paradise, but rather to a return of consciousness. 625 only then remembered that it was an emotionless, fleshless system on the space station. On its journey through the human world, it was nurtured by this kind girl's sincerity, bringing out the laughter and tears of humanity.
So, it abused its power, pretended to be a god and made a deal with Xiao Lin: Su Manyan and Xiao Lin were able to live again.
This matter was naturally discovered by the administrator of the space station, and a system ball with thoughts and emotions would eventually be wiped out.
But the corridor leading to the other world was also open, and the transmission link could not be interrupted. 625 then returned to this small world as a system himself. He admitted that he had selfish motives, wanting to accompany Su Manyan once more.
This time, Su Manyan became it in the previous life. This was the life it had lived, and it knew how to live it. It gave Su Manyan the greatest hint, allowing her to have a smooth life and have all her wishes come true.
"Princess, I'm leaving..."
It spoke softly, and before leaving, to satisfy its selfish desire one more time, it finally called out "Princess".
Su Manyan waved her arms forward, but her arms were empty. She couldn't hold on to 625...
On the third day after Xiao Lin became the new monarch, Xie Jingyuan personally came to the cold palace to pick up Su Manyan. Standing outside the palace gate, he watched Su Manyan pack her luggage, clutching the white jade ring with a crane pattern. He smiled and said, "Xiao Lin has sent someone to the Southern Kingdom to pick you up. He said he'd personally meet you at the gate of the Hu Kingdom's palace."
Su Manyan couldn't help laughing when she heard this, but her eyes also turned red. She had waited for so long, and finally waited for this day.
The sun was shining brightly on the day they left the South. Su Manyan sat in the carriage, watching the familiar scenery fade away outside the window, her heart filled with anticipation.
She knew that there was someone out there, waiting for her across thousands of mountains and rivers, and that all the sorrows and grudges of the past would eventually fade away in the joy of reunion. She had a red string tied around her wrist, with a small ball with wings strung on it.
This was her friend. She believed that her friend was just busy with something and they would meet again one day...
As the carriage drove out of the capital city, Su Manyan looked back and saw Xie Jingyuan standing on the city wall, waving gently in her direction. She knew that the Southern Kingdom would become better and better because of him, and she and Xiao Lin would eventually start a new life in the Hu Kingdom.
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