Chapter 286 A Cataclysmic Mistake
The north wind howled, and snowflakes flew in all directions.
The entire eastern capital, Luoyang, seemed to be shrouded in a chaotic and confused atmosphere. The faces of the people were numb from the freezing wind and snow, and even their emotions and actions had become numb. When they watched the emperor's carriage pass through the streets and head towards the city gate, they even forgot to kowtow and pay their respects.
At the hour of Si (9-11 AM), the emperor, surrounded by his imperial guards, boarded his imperial carriage and left the eastern capital, which he had cultivated for many years, heading south to Jiangdu, the city of his dreams, where magnolias swayed in the breeze and birds sang in spring.
The 400,000-strong army set off from the four city gates and took a full day to completely leave the Eastern Capital.
As the last group of people walked out of the city gate and disappeared into the snowstorm, Empress Jiang, who was standing on the city tower to see them off, was already freezing cold all over. However, she seemed not to feel cold at all. Her gentle and affectionate eyes were not frozen in the snowstorm. Instead, they were filled with tenderness as she looked at the people who had already walked far away in the snowstorm.
Just then, Princess Crescent's soft voice sounded from behind—
"Mother, Father has already gone far away, let's go back."
"..."
Empress Jiang remained motionless. Her thick fox fur coat was covered with snowflakes, and even her eyebrows were covered with frost.
A pair of slender hands took her arm, and Empress Jiang seemed to come back to her senses. She turned around and saw that Princess Xinyue was wearing a pale yellow dress with a circle of fluffy white fox fur around the collar and cuffs, which made her cheeks look full as the moon and her skin as white as snow. When she stood in the wind and snow, it seemed that even the wind and snow stopped because of her.
She said softly with concern, "Mother, your health is of utmost importance."
"..."
“You’ve been standing here for most of the day. If you keep standing in the wind like this, your illness will get worse.”
"..."
"Does Mother not want to recover from her illness soon and go to Jiangdu to find Father?"
Hearing her say that, Empress Jiang's expression finally softened, and she nodded silently: "Let's go."
Princess Xinyue, Eunuch Lu, and several accompanying palace maids breathed a sigh of relief. She hurriedly helped Empress Jiang slowly walk towards the stairwell. As they were about to descend the city wall, Empress Jiang couldn't help but look up one last time.
This time, she saw not only the vast snowscape outside the city, but also the desolate scene inside the city.
Then, with a sigh, she descended the city wall with her daughter's help.
As soon as she stepped down, the soldiers guarding the city immediately came forward to salute. The deputy commander of the city guard respectfully asked, "Your Majesty, should we close the city gates?"
Empress Jiang said, "Normally, the city gates don't close until 3:45 PM. It's not time yet."
The deputy commander guarding the city said, "It's not that we can't reach it, it's just—"
He looked around hesitantly.
Empress Jiang also looked up at the open city gate. Although 400,000 troops had left today, the city gate was not quiet. On the contrary, more and more people were walking out in an endless stream. They were either driving or riding horses, or carrying large and small packages. It was clear that they were moving away from Luoyang.
These people had planned to leave long ago, but were worried about encountering rebels or bandits along the way, so they stayed until today to leave with the Emperor. At least, the rebels and bandits wouldn't dare to harass such a large group of people.
Seeing how difficult it was for these people to walk, Empress Jiang sighed softly.
"What have the common people done wrong?"
She said, "There's no need to close the city gates in advance; let's close them when the time comes."
"yes."
Empress Jiang then turned around and boarded the sedan chair with Princess Xinyue. Soon, the surrounding palace maids, eunuchs, and guards gathered and escorted her to the Ziwei Palace.
At the city gate, where snow was flying wildly, several tall and strong men went against the flow of people and came into the city. They exchanged glances with several groups of people who had been waiting in the city for a long time, and then dispersed. Soon, they disappeared into the chaotic and surging crowd in the Eastern Capital.
When she returned to the Eastern Palace, Empress Jiang's face was even paler than before.
Princess Xinyue helped her to the bed in the inner palace and laid her down. She then ordered the imperial kitchen to bring ginger soup. After drinking the steaming soup, the chill in her body was finally dispelled, and a little rosy color appeared on her pale and thin cheeks.
Princess Xinyue said softly, "Mother can no longer disregard her own health."
Seeing her daughter's thoughtfulness, Empress Jiang smiled gently, her face full of tenderness and relief.
Just as Princess Xinyue was tucking the blanket over her even tighter, she inadvertently noticed several bundles on the other side of the bed and several large trunks in the corner, seemingly packed luggage. She couldn't help but ask, "Mother, why are you packing your luggage?"
Empress Jiang glanced at her but said nothing.
Princess Xinyue said, "Does Mother want to go to Jiangdu Palace with Father? But Father said that we should wait until Mother has recovered before we set off, and there is no rush."
"..."
Empress Jiang looked at her again, but this time, she hesitated several times before speaking.
Her daughter was intelligent, charming, and adorable, a precious gem who had been pampered since childhood. Perhaps because she understood all too well the weight and hardship of responsibility, she always protected her daughter very well, never letting her participate in any affairs of the court or the inner palace from childhood to adulthood; and Chu Yang, in turn, doted on this daughter even more. Thus, even at sixteen, she remained innocent and naive, without a trace of wariness or defensiveness towards human relationships.
Not to mention those unpredictable and treacherous conspiracies and traps.
But now, she regrets it.
Nothing in this world is permanent. If she couldn't protect her idyllic paradise in the long run, then she shouldn't have been allowed to live only in that paradise in the first place...
Now, she really does regret it.
Sensing a hint of sadness creeping into the gentleness in her mother's eyes, Princess Xinyue asked in confusion, "Mother, what's wrong?"
"..."
Empress Jiang looked at her intently for a long time before finally saying softly, "Not only my own luggage, but also yours, Fei'er's luggage, I have had it packed for you."
"us?"
Princess Xinyue opened her bright almond-shaped eyes wide and asked doubtfully, "Mother, we just saw Father off, and you are not well yet. There is no need for us to rush on our way."
"No, you must get going."
"But Mother, you—"
"We are not on the same path."
"……What?"
Princess Crescent Moon looked at her mother's face, which was gradually turning pale again, with surprise. Although she did not understand what her mother's words meant, her sensitive heart immediately sensed a sense of unease, or even an ominous sign.
She whispered, "Mother, are you going to separate from us?"
"..."
Where are you going?
Empress Jiang reached out and gently grasped her trembling hand, saying, "Your mother is the Empress, and as the Empress, she naturally has to stay by the Emperor's side. Therefore, your mother will follow your father to the Jiangdu Palace in the south."
Princess Xinyue's mind was even more confused. She said softly, "But shouldn't we go together? Didn't Mother say before that you're unwell, and Xinyue and my brother will stay in Dongdu to keep you company until you recover, then we'll—"
"No,"
Empress Jiang interrupted her, gently shaking her head: "You will not follow me."
Princess Crescent Moon gasped for breath and whispered, "Then, where does Mother want us to go?"
"..."
Why did we break up?
"..."
"Mother, what exactly do you want to do?"
The unease and sense of foreboding grew deeper and deeper, as if a huge stone was pressing on her heart. The more Princess Xinyue spoke, the more difficult it became for her to breathe and her heart to beat. She gripped Empress Jiang's hand tightly, panting slightly, but her own hand was already trembling uncontrollably.
Seeing her daughter like this, she was overwhelmed with regret.
But it was too late to regret it.
Empress Jiang smiled calmly, then said softly, "Xinyue, do you still remember what your mother once told you? Everyone has selfish desires."
Princess Crescent nodded somewhat stiffly.
Empress Jiang said, "As the Empress, Mother, you are not without selfishness in your heart. And this selfishness is that you are always too lenient with your own family."
"..."
"He can tolerate minor mistakes; he can forgive major mistakes."
Princess Crescent Moon said, "Because family members are special, they can be loved and protected with selfishness."
Empress Jiang nodded slightly, but then continued, "But what if he commits a heinous crime?"
"..."
Princess Crescent Moon was stunned.
This was a problem that neither the Empress nor her teachers had ever taught her. In her beautiful and innocent world, she had made small mistakes and big mistakes, but she had never thought that there would be such a "monstrous mistake," and for a moment she did not know how to deal with it.
After a long pause, she looked at her mother and said blankly, "Xinyue doesn't know."
"..."
"Can a colossal mistake be forgiven? Or pardoned?"
The smile on Empress Jiang's face gradually faded, replaced by an almost cold solemnity. She said, "A heinous mistake is a heinous mistake; it cannot be tolerated or forgiven."
Princess Crescent Moon's heart sank heavily, as if the stone that had just been placed on her had become countless times heavier in an instant, making it hard for her to breathe.
She asked with some difficulty, "Why?"
Empress Jiang said, word by word, "Because people can have selfish desires; but people must also be able to distinguish right from wrong."
Princess Crescent Moon suddenly felt a shiver, as if some chill had arisen from the deepest part of her heart, instantly spreading throughout her limbs and body, so cold that the blood in her body seemed to freeze at that moment.
She suddenly spoke, her voice trembling, "Mother, who are you talking about?"
"..."
"Who has committed such a heinous crime that cannot be tolerated or forgiven?"
At this point, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes, and her voice choked with emotion: "What Mother Empress said, is it—"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com