The voice came very quickly, and it seemed that it did not encounter much resistance. In the blink of an eye, it arrived outside the palace. The guards at the door all turned around to face the newcomer. After just one look, everyone gave up resistance, dispersed to make way, threw their weapons at their feet, knelt down and bowed their heads.
Princess Roujia stared at the figure walking towards her, her body trembled violently, her lips moved, but no sound came out.
The firelight illuminated the face that was not young, but still majestic and beautiful. There seemed to be more silver hair on her temples, and her eyes were full of vicissitudes and sadness. She leaned on the Zhuxie Sword in her right hand and slowly walked towards Princess Roujia, suppressing her heartache and disappointment, and shouted: "Jiaojiao, it's really you..."
Princess Roujia suddenly trembled all over, her face turned pale, and she wanted to go forward to support her, but as soon as her toes moved, she stopped again.
"Grandma..." Her voice was low, with a hint of trembling and fear, "Why are you here..."
Princess Zhenguo stared at her soft face quietly. She was as gentle and obedient as ever in front of her, even at this moment of fighting.
"Why can't I come?" Princess Zhenguo smiled, a little bitter, "Because you put sleeping pills in my medicine, right?"
Princess Roujia's throat tightened. She saw Mu Zhuohua standing behind Princess Zhenguo, and suddenly understood.
"You woke up Grandma?" Princess Roujia looked at Mu Zhuohua with a complicated expression. She used to value her intelligence, but now she hated her for being too smart.
Mu Zhuohua lowered his head slightly and said calmly, "Princess Zhenguo did not drink the bowl of medicine."
Princess Zhenguo looked at Princess Roujia's astonished expression and said, "Three days ago, Mu Zhuohua secretly handed me the evidence of your crimes that he collected. I didn't believe it at first, but I had to doubt it."
Princess Roujia believed that she never left any traces of her actions, and she had never even done it herself, but she didn't know what evidence Mu Zhuohua could find. She looked at Mu Zhuohua with a puzzled look, and Mu Zhuohua said, "The princess is indeed careful. Wherever she goes, she will leave traces."
Mu Zhuohua turned over a token in his palm, with an ancient character "Yi" on it.
"Princess, do you think it looks familiar?" Mu Zhuohua smiled. "This is the token found in Xue Xiaotang's study. It is also the evidence of his collusion with the late Queen Mother. I have always felt a sense of disharmony about this matter. I didn't figure it out until the Zhou family was framed and imprisoned by Shen Jinghong. Shen Jinghong asked the Zhou family about treason. I went to ask them, and Zhou Kui told me one thing. Although it was the late Queen Mother's intention to instruct Xue Xiaotang to betray the prince, it was always Zhou Kui who contacted Xue Xiaotang. Xue Xiaotang was a foreign man, how could the Queen Mother Can you give him a token so that he can enter the harem for secret discussions? If the token was not given by the Queen Mother, who gave it to him? I have been suspicious about this for a long time, but I have never been willing to doubt the kindest and most tolerant princess. "
Princess Roujia looked at the token solemnly, and suddenly smiled: "It's rare that I was kind and wanted to let you know who was the mastermind behind the scenes. Unexpectedly, it became my own flaw in the end." "There is another doubt, that is the identity of Shen Jinghong." Following Mu Zhuohua's words, everyone turned their eyes to Shen Jinghong. He was covered in wounds, but he stood straight, like an extremely sharp sword protecting Princess Roujia, without the slightest hesitation or retreat. "Shen Jinghong's actions have aroused people's attention. It's hard for me not to suspect him, but he has no father or mother, so I have no way to investigate, so I went to investigate his followers." Mu Zhuohua turned his eyes and said with a smile, "What a coincidence, those poor scholars who were placed in important positions by Shen Jinghong almost all have the same background. Where do so many talented people without fathers and mothers come from? Could it be that someone is cultivating them on purpose? I remember that Xue Xiaotang, who is loyal to the princess, is also an orphan, and he has received great kindness from Jishan Hall. So are Shen Jinghong and his followers also from Jishan Hall?"
"Since I had doubts about Jishan Hall, I went to the Mu family again and asked my father for news about Jishan Hall. Since he dared to plead with the princess for the Mu family, he must have had a vested interest in the princess." Mu Zhuohua said slowly, "He was stubborn, but he was still forced to tell the truth. Jishan Hall falsified accounts, embezzled donations, and received 100,000 taels of donations from wealthy businessmen, but only 10,000 taels was used to help the orphans and widows. Where did the rest of the money go? This is not something the kind-hearted Princess Roujia would do."
"All this is just your speculation and suspicion," Princess Roujia said coldly.
“Murder requires evidence, but to be on guard, suspicion is enough.” Mu Zhuohua sighed with some disappointment, “In my heart, Princess is noble and virtuous. I don’t want to doubt you, but I have to be on guard.”
Princess Roujia looked at Princess Zhenguo, her eyelashes trembling, and her voice dropped, “So, Imperial Aunt, you believed her words and suspected me too.” She looked at the martial artists outside the door. Each of them was a top master who could fight one against a hundred. She laughed at herself, “You used the Sword of Zhuxie to summon all the masters in the world to deal with me... In the Imperial Aunt’s heart, I have become a demon.”
Princess Zhenguo lowered her eyes sadly and said in a trembling voice, “Jiaojiao, how could you become like this…”
Princess Roujia’s eyes were filled with tears . With tears in her eyes, she laughed sadly: "What happened to me? I failed to become the gentle and kind Jiaojiao in the eyes of the imperial aunt, right? But the imperial aunt, this is the real me... From the moment I witnessed my mother being poisoned to death, I was destined to take this path in my life! If I don't kill Zhou Yi, I will never escape from that nightmare in my life!"
She thought of the countless nights when she woke up from nightmares in her childhood. In her dreams, she watched her mother fall down in front of her again and again. The life in her eyes dimmed little by little, and tears of blood flowed out. She bit her wrist tightly, afraid that she would make a sound and be discovered. The tears hit the back of her hand, burning like hot oil.
"I thought you had forgotten it after so many years..." Princess Zhenguo looked at her with pity.
"How dare I forget..." Princess Roujia murmured in a low voice, as if she had lost her soul, "I just learned to disguise..."
"The Zhou family colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country for their own selfish interests. They deserve to die. But Jiaojiao, you have already avenged your great hatred. Why are you still stubborn?" Princess Zhenguo said with great sorrow, "Come back to Taoyuan Villa with me. That is your home. I will protect you all my life!"
Princess Roujia smiled proudly and raised her hand to wipe away her tears. "Why do I need the protection of my great aunt? Why can't I be an empress? Is it because my mother was born in a humble family and because I am a woman? Besides, how am I inferior to Liu Chen and Liu Yu? My father said he loved me, but he never thought of passing the throne to me. Chen The country has an empress, but unless there are no princes, it will not be the turn of the princess. As the eldest daughter, my mother is humble. Even though my talent is higher than that of my three younger brothers, it is still a thousand times more difficult for me to sit in this position than others! I thought that you, my great-aunt, are different from others, and you will understand me. "Princess Roujia looked at Mu Zhuohua, "At least, you should understand that I protect you because you and I are the most similar. We both came from difficult backgrounds, but we are equally unwilling to be manipulated by others."
Mu Zhuohua sighed helplessly and shook his head, saying, "I can understand what the princess did, but I cannot agree with it."
"Because of the emperor's uncle, right?" Princess Roujia saw the ripples in Mu Zhuohua's eyes and couldn't help but laugh at herself. "You and I have the same idea, but unfortunately our positions are different. If I hadn't led the emperor's uncle to Xiaoqin Palace and facilitated your meeting with him, perhaps I would have known you first, and we would have become true close friends."
Mu Zhuohua's eyes met Liu Yan's through several people. His gentle and affectionate eyes seemed to be able to accommodate everything, but could only accommodate a small her. She suddenly had a strong urge to run into his arms and tell him about her grievances, but in the public eye, she could only suppress her emotions and force herself to look away.
But she didn't move, but Liu Yan did. He walked towards her, stood beside her, and held her hand as if no one was around, showing his relationship with her.
"Princess, you are wrong." Liu Yan lowered his head and looked at Mu Zhuohua's surprised almond eyes with a smile, but he said to Princess Roujia, "You are heartless, so how can you be friendly with others? Zhuohua is different from you. Although the world has never treated her well, she still pities every plant and tree. She is a truly compassionate and gentle person. Your understanding of her is your wishful thinking and self-righteousness. I am the only one who truly understands and loves her."
Liu Yan's actions and words shocked everyone in the palace. Princess Roujia was pale and on the verge of collapse. She said in a daze, "Heartless... What if I am heartless? All love is sin, and being heartless is not painful." Mu Zhuohua's eyes suddenly welled up with a sour feeling. She lowered her head to hide her tears, but she couldn't control the slight trembling of her palms. She held her own palms warmly and powerfully, as if a warm current was flowing into her body from her palms, giving her inner peace and firmness.
Princess Zhenguo could not bear to see Princess Roujia in such a state of despair. Even though she had seen and heard everything she had done, she still couldn't bear it! This was the child she had watched grow up. She had held her in her arms through countless nights of waking up and crying. She had watched her grow from a little girl to a graceful young lady. Whether it was the little girl who acted coquettishly in her arms with a baby voice or the scheming and calculating eldest princess today, in her eyes, they were all the same. She walked towards Princess Roujia tremblingly, reached out and held her cold hand, and said softly: "Jiaojiao, don't cry, go home with the royal aunt..."
Princess Roujia smiled at her, but tears rolled down her face: "Royal aunt, I'm a complete failure and have no home... I have no regrets... but I still hurt your heart." She slowly knelt down in front of her, her wet and cold cheek against the back of her hand, just like she used to act coquettishly in front of her, "I didn't live the way the royal aunt wanted... I was kind and upright, and I disappointed the royal aunt... I drugged you, not because I wanted to hurt you. You are the only person I love most in this world. If it weren't for you, I would have died long ago... I just don't want you to see my ugly side..."
“No, it’s the Imperial Aunt’s fault. She didn’t take good care of you and made you suffer.” Princess Zhenguo patted her shoulder tremblingly and couldn’t help crying with her. “Jiaojiao, I shouldn’t have let you go back to Dingjing. I shouldn’t have… It’s your fault. The Imperial Aunt will be punished with you…”
Princess Roujia raised her head and stared at Princess Zhenguo with tears streaming down her face with wide eyes. Her heart felt as if it was suffocating. Hot tears kept welling up in her eyes: "Grandaunt, don't cry... Jiaojiao was wrong..." She wiped her tears carefully, "I never thought of killing my father and making you sad."
Princess Zhenguo nodded and said in a hoarse voice: "I know, I know Jiaojiao is kind-hearted and affectionate, and you still love your father."
"But, I did kill many people, and even put the State of Chen in danger." Princess Roujia showed a sad and beautiful smile on her tear-soaked face, "I deserve to be killed for my crimes."
Princess Zhenguo leaned on the Zhuxie Sword and shouted, "Who dares to touch you while I'm here! I'll give up the title of Princess Zhenguo and won't let anyone hurt you in the slightest!" Princess
Roujia looked up at Princess Zhenguo, tears flashing in her eyes with a moving light, and she said in a hoarse voice: "Grandaunt, thank you for seeing my true face and still being willing to love and tolerate me like this... But, I'm going to disappoint you again..."
As soon as Princess Roujia finished speaking, she reached out and grasped the Zhuxie Sword in Princess Zhenguo's hand. Princess Zhenguo was caught off guard and her sword was taken away by her. Everyone was shocked, thinking that she was going to harm Princess Zhenguo, and was about to stop her, but they saw that Princess Zhenguo subconsciously protected her and blocked everyone's weapons.
Princess Roujia tightly grasped the Zhuxie Sword, but turned her hand across her neck. When she was about to fall, she was blocked by a long sword. The sharpness of the Zhuxie Sword was unparalleled in the world. The long sword immediately broke into two pieces, and the Zhuxie Sword also escaped from Princess Roujia's control and was caught in Shen Jinghong's hand in time. Princess Roujia's knees softened, and she fell back into a slightly cool embrace.
Shen Jinghong held the Zhuxie Sword in one hand, and with the other hand, he wrapped his arms around Princess Roujia's trembling body. He lowered his head to look at her pale face, and his long eyelashes concealed the pity and grief in his phoenix eyes.
"Princess..." His voice was hoarse and low, with a barely perceptible tremor. Only Princess Roujia could feel his fear from his embrace. "I will bear all the sins alone."
After saying that, he pushed Princess Roujia away from his arms and pushed her to the side of Princess Zhenguo. The next moment, the sharp tip of the sword pierced his chest with his backhand.
Everyone looked at the change in front of them blankly, watching the handsome young man who once amazed Dingjing die with a smile, but there was no pain on his face. His beautiful phoenix eyes seemed to crush the stars in the sky, flowing with tenderness that no one had ever seen. He was willing to die for her, as if this was the destination he had pursued all his life.
He endured the severe pain and said slowly: "With my blood, I apologize to the world."
Liu Chen widened his eyes and watched his former close friend kneel on the ground, blood gushing out of his chest, draining his strength and soul.
Princess Roujia looked at the scene in front of her absent-mindedly. She walked towards Shen Jinghong tremblingly, and no one stopped her. She knelt in front of him, stretched out her arms and embraced his body. This was the first time she took the initiative to hug him since they met, giving his gradually cold body a trace of the last warmth.
"Shen Jinghong..." She pressed one hand on the wound on his chest, feeling the temperature of the blood, and the heart that once beat for her was slowly returning to death. "You said you would never leave me..."
Shen Jinghong looked at her with a smile, his beautiful phoenix eyes burning with the last love and glory of this life. He felt that his life was passing away, but he got the greatest joy in this life. He used all his strength to hold her hand, and gently kissed the back of her hand. He said four silent words with a weak breath: "My...Princess..."
The hand finally let go of her and fell weakly. The kiss on the back of her hand was cold, but it seemed to have always been there.
Princess Roujia smiled, but tears fell down.
——Shen Jinghong, if you hadn't met me, it would have been great...
——I can guard my endless dark night alone, and you will eventually meet your own bright moon.
——Love is sin, and indifference is pain...
Everyone was stunned by this sudden change. Before they could react, they saw Princess Roujia grab the half of the broken sword on the ground and pierce it into her heart without hesitation. Half of the sword sank into her body, and blood immediately dyed her heavy clothes red. It poured out and fell into Shen Jinghong's arms, merging with his blood.
"Jiaojiao--" Princess Zhenguo was heartbroken
. She fell to the ground and crawled towards Princess Roujia, "Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao, don't do stupid things, don't leave the emperor's aunt..." Princess Roujia looked at Princess Zhenguo sadly, with deep attachment and guilt in her eyes, but she couldn't say a word.
She didn't know what to say to be worthy of her upbringing. She owed her too much, and she couldn't pay it back, and she couldn't owe her more.
- Emperor's aunt, you are the upright Princess Zhenguo who holds the sword of killing evil. You can't trample on the prestige of the sword of killing evil for me alone.
——I lost, no regrets...
——Shen Jinghong, you promised that you would never leave me...
——Wait for me...
In the empty Fenghua Palace, only the sad and painful cry of an old woman echoed. She had completely lost her most beloved child.
Mu Zhuohua stared at Princess Roujia and Shen Jinghong hugging each other in a pool of blood. She couldn't help but wet her eyes and said in a hoarse voice: "Liu Yan, you are wrong too..."
Liu Yan looked down at her and heard her say: "The princess is thoughtful..."
It's just that she understood it too late.
Liu Chen's eyes slowly turned red, and he murmured: "Imperial sister..."
He walked over slowly, kicked something with his foot, and looked down, only to see a jade seal rolling on the ground, with a corner stained red by blood.
He leaned over to pick it up, only to feel that it weighed more than a thousand pounds, which made him tremble slightly.
The blood slid down from the jade seal and stained his hands. Liu Chen suddenly felt that all the weight was on his shoulders, making him want to kneel down, but he forced himself to stand up.
He had not yet truly understood what maturity was, but he had already felt old. The hot blood in his chest slowly cooled down as he cried. He won, but he was not happy at all.
He suddenly remembered a sentence his father had said to him when he was very young - only those who do not want to be an emperor can be a good emperor.
He did not understand it at that time, but now he finally realized it.
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