Chapter 93
The sunlight shines through the screen window, casting tiny streaks of light and shadow, which seems to add a bit of illusion to this cold space.
Li Yin clutched the wanted poster tightly, his knuckles turning white from the strain, the paper trembling slightly in his hands. With a loud "snap," he slammed the wanted poster down on the table.
Wei Dao stood aside, his posture as straight as a pine tree, but he could not hide the worry in his expression. He whispered, "Your Highness, once this happens, I'm afraid we will have no place to stay in the capital." His voice was low and steady, but in this tense atmosphere, it seemed to reveal a hint of powerlessness.
Li Yin raised his hand to support his forehead, his eyes full of fatigue and confusion, and muttered to himself: "Is she... really still alive?" The voice seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his soul, carrying endless hesitation and expectation.
Weidao kept his lips tightly closed and remained silent, only the hand holding the sword tightened slightly, and his knuckles turned bluish-white, as if he was suppressing the waves in his heart.
After a long time, Li Yin slowly raised his head, looking haggard, but a trace of determination flashed in his eyes: "Weidao, I... Can my previous promise be invalidated? Just once, just ask to see her again, okay?" His voice trembled slightly, and his eyes were full of pleading, as if a drowning man grasping at the last straw.
Weidao looked at Li Yin with mixed feelings.
He had never seen his Highness like this. His usual spirited spirit, composure, and courage were now replaced by a gnawing longing and pain. He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately, unable to resist the pleading in Li Yin's eyes, he nodded slightly and whispered, "Your Highness... I will do my best."
Outside the city, a quiet cabin is surrounded by a lush forest. It is quiet and silent, with only the rustling of leaves in the breeze.
Li Yin arrived early and paced back and forth in the room, each step heavy and anxious. Thinking of meeting his beloved soon, his heartbeat accelerated involuntarily, as if a restless deer was in his chest.
"Thump, thump, thump—" The familiar sound of footsteps approached from afar, breaking the silence. Li Yin paused, turned abruptly, and fixed his eyes on the door.
The door slowly opened, and Luo Sanrong appeared. She was dressed in plain clothes, her long hair casually tied up, a few strands of hair falling on her cheeks, making her face look even more pale and haggard. However, the look she gave Li Yin was cold as ice, as if the unforgettable past between them had never happened.
Li Yin looked at her, and his originally anxious steps suddenly stopped. His throat seemed to be choked by something. Thousands of words were stuck in his heart, and he didn't know where to start.
Luo Sanrong kept his head down since he entered the room, and his voice was cold and without a trace of warmth: "Your Highness, I wonder what you want to talk to me about?" The tone was unfamiliar and polite, as if the two were just strangers meeting for the first time.
Li Yin tried to regain the warmth of the past, forced a smile, and said softly: "Luo Er, there's no need to be so distant. But someone is following you? Or... does it feel dangerous for you to meet me?" His voice was soft and cautious, as if he was afraid of disturbing the person in front of him.
Upon hearing this, Luo Sanrong slowly raised her head and met Li Yin's gaze. The coldness and distance in her eyes sent a shock through Li Yin's heart. "Now, being around His Highness is the greatest danger. His Highness only needs one word to arrest me, right?" Her voice was calm, yet it shone with a deep sense of helplessness and sorrow.
Li Yin felt a pang in his heart and hurriedly explained: "Luo Yan, you know I will never hurt you. I..."
Luo Sanrong seemed not to hear. He took a step back, avoiding Li Yin's gaze, and his voice became even colder: "Your Highness, since the last time we met, I feel you are so unfamiliar. You never thought of putting me in this situation before."
Li Yin's face was filled with confusion. He took a step forward and said anxiously, "Luo Yan, what are you talking about? I am still me, I have never changed. It's just..."
Before she could finish her words, Luo Sanrong suddenly raised her hand, a small pocket dagger flashing with a cold light, pointing directly at Li Yin. Her hand trembled slightly, but her eyes were filled with determination. "I heard that Your Majesty is deeply troubled. Is it because of my father?"
Li Yin paused, a flicker of panic in his eyes. He stared at the flashing dagger, at the nervous Luo Sanrong, his heart pounding like a hammer, the pain stifling his breath. He slowly extended his hand and whispered, "Luo Rong, you'll get hurt. Put the knife down first and let me explain..."
Luo Sanrong was unmoved, tears glistened in her eyes, and her voice was filled with endless hatred: "Your Highness, you must be holding a deep grudge against me, right? I feel the same way. What crime did my father commit to deserve being accused of treason?" Her voice trembled, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth, filled with deep grief and indignation.
Li Yin's body froze and he stood there, looking at Luo Sanrong, his eyes full of pain and helplessness: "You once said that no matter what happens, you will never abandon me. Why... did you break your promise?" His voice was hoarse, as if all his strength had been drained away.
Luo Sanrong bit her lower lip tightly, tears streaming down her face: "Your Highness, now that things have come to this, do you think we can go back to the way things were before?" Her eyes were filled with despair, but she gripped the dagger in her hand even tighter.
Li Yin looked at Luo Sanrong before him, his heart pierced by countless needles. He slowly reached out, ignoring the dagger's cold gleam, and grasped Luo Sanrong's wrist. The dagger slashed his palm, and the bright red blood dripped onto the ground, blooming into a stream of sad, beautiful flowers.
He seemed oblivious, his other hand trembling as he untied the bracelet from his wrist. It was their token of love, once carrying countless sweet promises. Now, looking at the bracelet, Li Yin's heart was filled with bitterness and despair.
"Now, you don't have to worry about it. From now on, we are done with each other and will never see each other again." His voice was low and calm, as if it had experienced a thousand years of vicissitudes. After saying this, he let go of Luo Sanrong's hand, dropped the bracelet to the ground, turned around, and walked slowly out of the wooden house, step by step. Each step seemed to step on his broken heart.
As Li Yin disappeared through the door, Luo Sanrong's dagger dropped with a clang. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, covering her face with her hands. Suppressed sobs escaped through her fingers, echoing through the empty wooden house, revealing endless sorrow and pain.
——
The early autumn wind carried the fallen petals of the late cherry blossoms in the courtyard and quietly sneaked into the red windows of the East Palace, but it could not blow away the melancholy between Li Yin's brows.
Weidao stood in the corridor, his gray cloth boots crushing the petals that looked like broken porcelain. He raised his hand several times to knock on the door, but his fingertips finally dropped. He could see clearly that the knot in His Highness's heart could not be untied by a few words of comfort.
Unexpectedly, this depression did not last long, and an imperial decree granting marriage broke the silence of the Eastern Palace.
Li Yin remained calm when he received the order. He simply said, "I obey your order." This made Weidao, who was waiting for comfort, stand there in a daze, not knowing whether to breathe a sigh of relief or become more worried.
In the blink of an eye, the wedding day arrived, but the embroidery building was filled with a slight sadness that did not match the festive atmosphere.
Zhao Wanyong looked at his daughter in the mirror. The bright red wedding dress made Zhao Yan'er's skin look whiter than snow. The pearls on her golden hairpin swayed gently with her movements, but as a father, he felt his throat tighten.
His daughter grew up by his side, from a babbling toddler to the graceful young lady she is today. He originally wanted to find a son from a noble family who was considerate and caring, so that she could live a peaceful life, but he never expected that he would end up sending her to the royal palace, which was as deep as the sea.
"The wedding is about to begin, are you ready?" Zhao Wanyong took a step forward, his voice a little lower than usual, his eyes fell on the velvet flowers on his daughter's temples, as if he wanted to engrave her current appearance in his heart.
Zhao Yan'er turned around, reached out and took her father's arm, gently shaking his sleeve with her fingertips, and said in a coquettish tone, "Dad, don't worry! This boring life in the embroidery building is finally coming to an end."
She deliberately raised her chin and pretended to be indifferent, but the nervousness that flashed in her eyes was still seen by Zhao Wanyong.
"The palace is not like home," Zhao Wanyong sighed, reached out and patted the back of his daughter's hand, his tone full of instructions, "It looks gorgeous and noble there, and there are splendid things everywhere, but people's hearts are complicated, and innocent people won't survive long in the palace." He had seen too many twists and turns in the palace, and was really afraid that his daughter would be wronged.
"Dad!" Zhao Yan'er gently shook his arm and winked coquettishly, "Have you forgotten? I am your daughter, Zhao Wanyong. How could I be bullied so easily?"
She said it lightly, but secretly remembered her father's words in her heart. Although she longed for life outside the palace, she also knew that the palace was not a good place to be, but she just didn't want her father to worry about her anymore.
Zhao Wanyong looked at his daughter pretending to be strong, his eyes warmed slightly, and his voice lowered: "Yan'er, this may be the last time your father calls you by your name like this. When you get to the palace, be careful in everything, and be sure to... be happy." From now on, she is the Crown Princess, and is no longer his little daughter who can be called "Yan'er" at will.
"Dad, what are you talking about?" Zhao Yan'er laughed and joked, trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere. "If you didn't know, you would think we would never see each other again! I will definitely come to see you often in the future and bring you snacks from the palace."
Just as he finished speaking, there was a sudden sound of chaotic footsteps outside the door, accompanied by the panicked whispers of the maids, breaking the tranquility in the embroidery building.
Zhao Yaner frowned, turned to Chun Tao, her personal maid, and said, "Go and see what's going on."
Chun Tao responded and quickly ran out the door. Not long after, she came back in a panic, her face pale and her voice trembling: "Oh no, Miss! People outside said that His Majesty heard that the traitor Hong Jingxiu was still alive, and he was so angry that he fainted!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the embroidery building fell silent. The smile on Zhao Yan'er's face froze, and her hand around her father's arm unconsciously tightened. The bright red wedding dress seemed to suddenly become heavy at this moment.
Zhao Wanyong was also stunned, and then his face darkened. On the day of the wedding, His Majesty suddenly suffered an accident. This was not a good sign.
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