But she wasn't sure if Hongli was lying to her, so she could only change the subject, "What's there to ask? You've always doubted me, you've never truly trusted me!"
See? She really is avoiding the main issue and doesn't dare to give a direct answer. Hongli is becoming increasingly disappointed in her.
"I did suspect that other men were secretly keeping your handkerchiefs. Can't I be suspicious? But in the end, I still chose to believe you. And what was the result? Lies, all lies! The three of you conspired to deceive me! Su Yushan, how could you bear to do this?"
"I already explained the handkerchief thing to you, why are you still suspicious?"
She was so self-righteous! Hongli wanted to believe her, but unfortunately, he already knew the truth.
"Su Yushan, how dare you ask such a question? Do you think I know nothing and want to continue deceiving me? Fu Qing himself admitted about the handkerchief! It wasn't a gift from Yunfang at all; you used it to bandage his wounds!"
Yu Shan never mentioned the bandaging incident, so how could Hongli know? Could it be that Fu Qing really told the truth?
She remained silent for a long time, her face showing fear. Seeing this, Hongli's heart sank even further. "Not saying a word? What's wrong? Still making excuses? Still trying to continue making up lies?"
Since Hongli was so certain, it seemed pointless for her to deny it any further. Helpless, Yushan had no choice but to admit, "I gave him the handkerchief, but it was only for bandaging, and it had no other meaning."
"Yet he treasured it all this time, regarding it as a precious gem! When I inquired about the handkerchief's origin, why didn't you tell the truth? Since it was just for bandaging, why did you lie and conceal it?" This was the point that Hongli cared about most, but Yushan had her own considerations.
"At that time, I never revealed my identity to him. Even if he had a slight affection for me, it was only out of youthful ignorance. If I told you the truth, if you knew that Fu Qing was hiding my handkerchief, what would you think? You would definitely think that he still couldn't forget me, and you would harbor resentment towards him. Wouldn't that ruin his career? I don't want to ruin his future because of myself!"
The more she explained, the more indignant Hongli became. "What does his future have to do with you? Who is he to you? Why do you worry about him? Since you don't like him, why bother about his future?"
"It was out of a kind instinct, and had nothing to do with romantic feelings!" Su Yushan had a clear conscience, but Hongli found it hard to accept.
“If you had said that back then, perhaps I would have believed you. Even if I had doubts, I would have only doubted him, not you. But you also concealed it. You knew that man was interested in you, yet you still thought of him. Where do you place me?”
Su Yushan was speechless. To be fair, she was indeed wrong in this matter. "Your Majesty is absolutely right. I should not have concealed it from you. I was wrong first. I apologize to you and beg Your Majesty to be magnanimous and not hold a grudge about what happened twenty years ago."
The truth of this matter deeply shocked Hongli, and he still cannot accept it. Even though Yushan apologized, he still feels that she only admitted her mistake to exonerate Fu Qing.
“I can overlook your affair with Zheng Lin, because that happened before I met you. But Fu Qing is different; he is someone I met after we met. You have always kept your distance from Zheng Lin and drawn a clear line, but you have shown extra concern for Fu Qing and even shed tears for him. I cannot accept that!”
I gave you my whole heart, breaking countless rules for you, even clashing with my own mother. I wanted to give you the best of everything, ignoring all other women and only cherishing you. But what did you do? You deceived me, worrying about another man behind my back. You were distracted in this relationship! This is what bothers me most!
Hongli clung to that one point, even starting to overthink again. Anger made him lose his reason, and Su Yushan tried to reason with him, "If I really had anything for him, I should have stayed there in the first place. Why would I have come back to the capital to find you?"
Mentioning her purpose for returning to the capital years ago, Hongli felt increasingly ironic. "You didn't come back for me at all; it was because your brother was in trouble. If it weren't to save Jiafeng, would you have come back?" At this point, Hongli gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"You're right. If it weren't for a twist of fate that led to Jia Feng's accident, you might have really stayed there and ended up with Fu Qing!"
Even back then, Su Yushan never considered being with Fu Qing. "I admit I lied about the handkerchief, but I never really liked Fu Qing. I only hid it out of pity, not out of romantic feelings. The only person I've ever liked, from beginning to end, is you!"
She looked directly into his eyes, suppressing her heartache as she explained and expressed her feelings. However, when Hongli looked back at her, his gaze was full of inquiry and doubt.
"Are you lying now too? Are you saying this because you're afraid I'll take my anger out on Fu Qing?"
She laid her heart bare before him, yet he still harbored doubts. Su Yushan felt utterly exhausted. "If I hide things from you, you blame me; if I tell the truth, you still don't believe me. You doubted me twenty years ago, and you still doubt me twenty years later. When will you finally stop doubting me?"
After staring at her for a long time, Hongli's dark eyes hardened, and he said coldly, "I don't care about others' pretense and scheming. I only hope that you will treat me sincerely. You are the only pure land in my heart, untouched by worldly affairs and scheming."
I've said it before: I only want to hear the truth from you. Yet you still lied to me because of Fu Qing. The three of you conspired to weave a lie. Do you know how disappointed I was in you when I learned the truth? Once trust collapses, it can never be restored!
The two argued incessantly, and Yun Fang, who was outside, was on tenterhooks. She had come to deliver a change of clothes for Yu Shan to use for bathing, but unexpectedly overheard the Emperor arguing with Yu Shan about the events of that year.
She had hoped that the two could resolve their conflict by talking things out, but their argument only escalated. Yunfang felt guilty and had no choice but to bravely go in and clarify the situation.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
