The river deep in the forest had not yet frozen. Standing by the rocks, Li Qiuxue quietly watched the rushing water. She walked to the edge, closed her eyes, and fell into the water. The freezing cold water seeped into every inch of her skin. At this moment, she had no fear, only relief. She did not struggle, and sank to the bottom of the water. The rushing water flowed by, and she didn't know where it flowed to. Her consciousness gradually dispersed, and finally turned into fragments and disappeared.
The interlinked rivers brought Li Qiuxue back to the water system of Qingyang City. She was rescued by an old woman who lived in the mountains and made a living as a doctor. When the old woman found her, she was swept to the shore by the river. She found that she was still breathing, so she took her back to the cabin in the forest for treatment.
When Li Qiuxue woke up, the old woman was cooking medicine outside the yard. She seemed to be unwell due to her old age and was coughing softly. Li Qiuxue looked around the familiar furnishings in the house, and the old images of the past passed through her mind, turning into a huge wave, making the sadness even more intense.
Why did someone always want to save her? Why not just let her die like this? What was the point of living alone like this?
When my mother-in-law walked back into the house with the medicine, a snowstorm started outside, blowing over many empty drying boards.
Grandma came to the bedside with medicine in her hand. Li Qiuxue opened her eyes with tears in her eyes, but she was unwilling to get up as if she was dead. Grandma sighed. She had heard about her story and although she felt sad, she didn't know how to comfort her.
"Mother-in-law, why did you save me? The people who loved me and the people I loved have all left me. There is no meaning for me to live alone in this world." Li Qiuxue spoke slowly. She turned her head to the other side, slowly closed her eyes, and let the last tear fall.
"People are lonely all their lives. We must adapt to this loneliness. Even in pain, we must learn to enjoy this loneliness." The grandmother sat down with a hunched back, leaning on a cane. A bitter smile appeared on her kind face. She has been living alone all these years. But the nature of human beings is loneliness. No one can bear it for you, and no one can pity you.
"Xue'er, people will encounter numerous hardships in their lives. Those who cannot overcome them will seek death. But once you die, there will really be no hope. Are you really willing to die like this?"
No, I won't! How can I be willing to die like this? The person I love the most and the person who hates me the most hurt me together, and they are still alive, why should I die? Why should I give in and give everything up?
The words of her mother-in-law stirred ripples in Li Qiuxue's heart. She turned around and looked at her mother-in-law who was sitting at the table and sighing about life. She couldn't die now. She wanted to survive and take revenge! She wanted to survive and let those who had hurt her get the retribution they deserved!
"If you have figured it out, get up and drink this bowl of medicine. You are weak now. It is probably because you didn't take care when you gave birth to the child, and you have a root of illness. You need to take good care of yourself." As the mother-in-law said this, she walked out of the door with her crutches to put away the drying board to prevent it from being blown away by the wind again.
Li Qiuxue clenched her fists and swallowed back all her tears. She got up, put on a thin quilt, walked to the elm table, picked up the bowl of bitter medicine and drank it all.
The grandmother who saved Li Qiuxue was named Bai. She was born to study medicine, but she could not be a doctor because of her identity as a woman. In order to do what she liked, Granny Bai lived in seclusion in the forest. She had no children and her husband died early. She was kind-hearted and indifferent to fame and fortune, which made Li Qiuxue admire her.
Li Qiuxue followed her to learn medicine, and learned about all the herbs in the world and the essence of medical skills. Granny Bai passed on all she had learned throughout her life to her. Granny Bai always sat on the steps outside the door and murmured, hoping that after she died, someone would inherit her legacy.
Li Qiuxue, who originally learned these things with hatred, gradually saw through the world. Granny Bai's life of seeking nothing moved her, and her heart gradually returned to peace. The hatred in the world is like a surging river, endless and endless.
Hatred can bring inner pain, but love can bring inner peace.
Perhaps because she felt Granny Bai's loneliness and love , Li Qiuxue began to think that it would be a happy thing if she could always stay with Granny Bai. If this were possible, it would be a new beginning. She was willing to do as Granny Bai said, and forget all grudges with a smile.
But things didn't go as planned. The elderly White Grandma didn't survive the third winter. She died in a rocking chair with a peaceful face and no pain. At first, Li Qiuxue thought she fell asleep sitting there. At night, she wanted to wake White Grandma up and take a rest in the house, but White Grandma never woke up again. The cane beside the rocking chair was blown by the wind and fell to the ground. White Grandma's hand holding the cane also fell in the silent air like a reed blown by the wind.
Granny Bai passed away after all, leaving her alone.
According to what Grandma Bai said before her death, Li Qiuxue cremated her body and scattered the ashes into the Wujiang River that runs through all the cities.
At nightfall, there was a small boat in the middle of the river, where the cold mist was shrouded. A woman in white stood at the corner of the boat, the cold wind blowing her clothes, with a white flower in her hair, she was as quiet as a fairy in a painting. Occasionally, passers-by looked at the cold mist in the river, and the boat was hidden by the mist. People could only see a woman floating on the misty river, with a pretty face and a cold expression. She looked back at the people on the riverside, and many people who recognized her face were shocked and ran away in fear.
Li Qiuxue looked at her reflection in the river and thought, maybe she should change her face.
In early spring, Qingyang City was bustling with dragon and lion dances. However, amidst all the excitement there was one place that was extremely deserted.
Somewhere on the main street of Qingyang City, there is often a white-haired old lady sitting. People call her Granny Bai. Every day, she sets up a table and a chair on the street corner, with a banner that says "Free Clinic" erected beside her. People ignored her at first, and only some poor people went to her for treatment out of desperation.
Later, the young master of the Lin family in the city fell ill and no one could cure him. Granny Bai walked into the Lin mansion and recommended herself, saying that she could cure the young master's illness. Although Mr. Lin was skeptical of quack doctors, he had no choice but to allow her into the mansion.
The young master's illness improved under Granny Bai's treatment, and within half a month, the young master recovered. Granny Bai also became famous because of this, and the people in this area of ​​Qingyang City would go to that street corner whenever they felt unwell.
"Shijie, don't walk too far alone." A familiar voice came from the attic on East Street. Grandma Bai's breathing stopped when she heard the voice. She looked in the direction of the voice. She saw a boy in a long gown with a front opening walking in front, and Hua Yu behind him holding Chu Shaoqin's arm. The three of them were walking happily on the street.
At that moment, all the hatred that had settled in Li Qiuxue's heart was turned up. She disguised herself as Granny Bai, inherited Granny Bai's legacy, and practiced medicine in this inconspicuous place. She never thought that one day she would see them again, and never thought that the hatred that she thought would be put down would so easily rise up into a huge wave.
Why did my lotus bead die, but you guys are still alive? Why!
Li Qiuxue stared straight in that direction, forgetting that there was a group of patients waiting in line for her treatment. She stood up, pulled up the shawl on her shoulders, slightly covering her face, and walked towards Chu Shijie.
At this time, Chu Shijie was standing in front of the uncle who was selling candied haws. The guard following behind Chu Shaoqin came forward to pay, and the uncle who was selling candied haws handed a string of candied haws to Chu Shijie. At this time, Li Qiuxue, who was leaning on a cane, shook her shawl and passed by Chu Shijie. The powder hidden in the shawl naturally fell on the string of candied haws. It was colorless and tasteless, but it was a poison that could take a person's life.
She glanced at Chu Shijie. He had grown a lot taller after not seeing him for three years. His features were somewhat similar to those of an old friend she knew. He raised his eyes inadvertently and met Li Qiuxue's gaze. That innocent smile touched her heart. Shijie was a kind and good boy. He always liked to run behind her and was also Lianzhu's good brother.
What had Shijie done wrong? Why did he have to die because of his parents' sins?
At that moment, Li Qiuxue felt a little guilty.
No, she couldn't have mercy at this moment. The road of revenge would sacrifice many people, even if it wasn't Shijie, it would be someone else.
Li Qiuxue passed by Chu Shijie and Chu Shaoqin.
After passing each other, Chu Shaoqin stopped. He looked back, but couldn't find the figure he was looking for.
After hearing that someone had seen Li Qiuxue in Qingyang City, he decided to go to Qingyang City. That was where they first met. He thought that if Xueer was still alive, she might come back here, and he might be able to find her here. But as the king of a country, he couldn't leave the palace casually. In addition, in the past three years, many people in the court tended to Hua Shenghe. Although he was the emperor, he was controlled by the Hua family in many ways. If he didn't bring Hua Yu and Shijie with him on this trip, Hua Shenghe didn't know what he would do in private.
"Xue'er, if you are still alive, why don't you come out to see me?" Chu Shaoqin sighed in his heart.
In the past three years, he hadn't missed her for a single day. He didn't want to believe that Xue'er and An Qing had an affair, nor did he want to believe that Xue'er had left him. But no matter what, An Qing, whom he regarded as a rival in love, was dead. If his Xue'er was willing to come back, he would definitely not pursue the matter of the past.
On the second day of Chu Shaoqin's visit to Qingyang City, Chu Shijie fell seriously ill. The doctors in the city were helpless, and even the imperial physician who came on horseback shook his head and sighed, not knowing what disease the prince had contracted and how to treat it. When Chu Shaoqin was at his wit's end, the doctors in the city told him about Granny Bai from East Street.
There was a white old lady in East Street. No one knew where she came from, but her medical skills were very famous in Qingyang City. Chu Shaoqin had already lost a daughter, and he couldn't lose Chu Shijie again. After hearing the doctor's recommendation, Chu Shaoqin went to the street corner to find the white old lady himself.
It was a rainy day, and the spring rain moistened everything silently. Chu Shaoqin walked around several bluestone streets, looking for the figure of Granny Bai. The pedestrians on the road opened their oil-paper umbrellas, and the drizzle wet his clothes. Under the eaves of an attic at the end of East Street, sat a white-haired grandmother. She lowered her head and was counting the ears of wheat on the table. A shadow fell on her, and she seemed to have a premonition that Chu Shaoqin would come to find her. She raised her head, and a familiar face reflected in her eyes. She tried to swallow all the grief and anger in her heart, turning it into a kind and well-intentioned smile.
"Granny? It's you?" Chu Shaoqin exclaimed. He recognized the person in front of him as the grandma he and Xue'er had saved in the past. If grandma had always been in Qingyang City, would she have seen Xue'er?
"Mother-in-law, have you seen Xue'er in Qingyang City? I've been looking for her, but there's been no news from her."
"Miss Xue'er? She died three years ago." Li Qiuxue changed her voice and appearance. There was a hint of compassion in her low and hoarse voice. She said slowly, "When I saw Miss Xue'er, she was washed ashore by the river and was no longer breathing. I cremated her and scattered her ashes into the river."
"Xue'er..." Chu Shaoqin trembled all over and couldn't help but take a step back, falling into grief.
He searched for her for three years, but what he got in return was the news of her death.
"The person has passed away. Please mourn for him. Please mourn for him." Li Qiuxue picked up the crutch and sighed.
She followed Chu Shaoqin to the inn, where Chu Shijie was already on the verge of death. Hua Yu and the imperial physician stood by, anxious, but Li Qiuxue knew that Hua Yu was anxious only because she was afraid that if the prince died, her position would be in jeopardy.
"Go get a bowl of salt water and sugar water." Li Qiuxue sat down beside Chu Shijie's bed. She originally wanted to use his death to make Huayu collapse, but Huayu had a heart of stone. She never cared about Shijie's life or death. Shijie was a good boy. He did nothing wrong. He was just wrong for not being born into the royal family.
When Chu Shaoqin brought a bowl of water, Li Qiuxue was piercing his finger with a silver needle to bleed him. She had already applied the antidote to the silver needle, and as long as the silver needle pierced Chu Shijie's skin, the antidote would spread through the blood.
She took the salt water, took out a herb from her sleeve, and asked Chu Shijie to take it. Chu Shijie's complexion gradually improved after taking the medicine. Li Qiuxue stood up and prepared to leave the inn. Chu Shaoqin tried to persuade her to stay, hoping that she could go back to the palace with them and take care of Chu Shijie in the future.
Chu Shijie had been ill many times, which made him feel uneasy. Although the mother-in-law in front of him could not bring Xue'er back to life, she gave him a particularly familiar feeling. He hoped that there would be someone familiar to accompany him in this palace. Li Qiuxue smiled lightly in a place where they could not see, agreed to his request, and returned to the palace with them.
Everything in the palace had changed a lot, the only thing that hadn't changed was the pear tree in Xiyang Palace. It was still in full bloom in the courtyard, as if it was taller than the sky. Although Xiyang Palace was deserted, there were still palace maids cleaning and tidying up every day, and everything remained the same as when she left.
People in the palace said that the emperor always returned to Xiyang Palace in the dead of night. He would sit under the pear tree and play music with leaves. After Concubine Li left, the emperor's heart also left the palace.
Li Qiuxue entered the palace as a doctor. She often accompanied Chu Shijie and treated some of the palace maids and eunuchs. Many times, she could have poisoned Chu Shijie's food, and many times she could have killed Chu Shijie. In the end, she was soft-hearted and did not do anything to a six-year-old child.
Although Chu Shijie had never met Grandma Bai, he was willing to get close to her and treat her as a relative.
That day, Chu Shijie came back from the tutor's office, and he ran to Li Qiuxue and knelt down to pay his respects to her. Li Qiuxue seemed to have returned to three years ago, as if she saw herself who was still favored.
"Grandma Bai, today the Grand Tutor taught me that one should be grateful and repay a drop of kindness with a spring of water. Grandma Bai saved my life, and when I grow up, I will definitely treat Grandma Bai well." Chu Shijie's words completely stopped her from thinking of killing him.
Chu Shijie is kindhearted, unlike Hua Yu who is scheming. After all, he is just a child, the only person in the world who is still willing to be close to her.
"The best reward for you, Crown Prince, is for you to be a good emperor in the future." Li Qiuxue hugged Chu Shijie, smiled benevolently, and then handed him a sachet. "I heard that the Queen has suffered from palpitations and insomnia in the past few days. This sachet can help her sleep. Can you help me put it in the Queen's bedroom?"
"Yes." Chu Shijie took the sachet, turned around and ran to the queen's bedroom.
Li Qiuxue walked out of the prince's bedroom, and she walked step by step in the palace covered by moonlight and candlelight. Night had fallen, and there were faint candlelights swaying on the path leading to Xiyang Palace. She looked up and saw that the palace servant holding the lamp in front of her stopped with Chu Shaoqin's footsteps, and he stood in the light.
Not far away, the man stood in the vast night under the moonlight. His straight back was like a green bamboo, as if he was never afraid of the wind and rain in the world. It was this kind of him that made her fall into eternal damnation.
She watched him dismiss all the palace servants who were holding the lamps and walk into Xiyang Palace alone. A faint sound of music came from the backyard of Xiyang Palace, a tune played with leaves.
That night, she could have killed him with her own hands. But when he said those words to her, she felt that letting him continue to live would be the greatest torture for him.
"Is the emperor missing his old friend?" Li Qiuxue walked into the courtyard and looked at Chu Shaoqin who was sitting under the tree. He looked gloomy, and his dark eyes were like the deepest pool of water. When he saw Granny Bai suddenly appear, he forced a bleak smile.
"I remember the first time I met Xue'er was under the pear tree. I was on the run at that time, and I met her when I had nothing and was the most desperate. Xue'er was very troublesome at that time, and I was always tormented to death by her. But sometimes fate is like this, the harder you resist, the more you can't escape." The man leaned against the tree, his brows were bleak under the moonlight, which was the sorrow and sadness deep in his bones.
Li Qiuxue also sat down with the help of a cane, and they leaned against the pear tree and looked up at the night sky together.
"I never thought that one day I would lose Xue'er. Until now, I still feel that she is still alive and by my side..." Chu Shaoqin was tired of talking, so he leaned against a big tree and closed his eyes.
After Xue'er left, his world became blank. He often wondered in the dead of night, why did he go to such great lengths to return to this palace, to this prison? Which one was more despairing, the hatred that once engulfed everything or the regret that he felt now?
When Li Qiuxue pulled out the dagger, Chu Shaoqin was already sleeping peacefully. He was like a child and had no defense against her. It would be easy for her to kill him.
But just when the dagger touched his neck, she stopped. She gently stroked his brow and his face. Maybe for you now, living is the most terrifying thing.
I want you to live forever in guilt and loneliness.
The palace was particularly eerie in the dead of night. A white figure was swaying by the pond outside Xiyang Palace. The first person to see the white figure was the eunuch beside the emperor. He came out of the queen's bedroom with a lamp, and seemed to have just delivered a message to the queen. The woman in white floating in the water caught his attention. He took a closer look with a lamp, and Li Qiuxue suddenly turned her head, which scared him so much that he fell to the ground.
"My death was so unjust."
"Ghost!" the eunuch screamed, and without caring about the lantern on the ground that was blown out by the wind, he crawled and rolled away.
The news of the haunted palace spread quickly, and people in the palace began to discuss the disappearance and death of Concubine Li, fearing that Concubine Li's ghost would return to the palace for revenge. Not long after, all the palace maids and eunuchs who had bullied Li Qiuxue died. Their bodies appeared one by one in the lotus pond, and only the eunuch who had falsely conveyed the imperial edict was still alive.
After he saw Li Qiuxue's ghost, he was so scared that he didn't dare to go out for several days. The emperor didn't investigate the matter because those people deserved to die. He even hoped that Li Qiuxue's soul would come back to seek revenge on him and take him away with her. But no, the palace went from panic to calm, and he never saw the wronged ghosts that the palace people talked about.
Li Qiuxue's spirit also went to Dongxiang Palace. She echoed outside Huayu's bedroom door, emitting waves of mournful cries. The palace maids were frightened and fainted on the spot, while Huayu, who did not believe in ghosts and gods, rushed out and mobilized all the guards of Dongxiang Palace to look for the person who pretended to be a ghost. They were looking for the ghost, but Granny Bai walked out from where the ghost disappeared. She smiled grimly and watched Huayu and the guards who were chasing the ghost pass by.
Hua Yu glanced at her, as if he was afraid of her. All the strange things in the palace happened after she came. Could it be that she was the one arranged by Li Qiuxue to come back for revenge?
"Grandma Bai, have you ever seen a woman in white?" Hua Yu deliberately stopped Grandma Bai who was walking with a cane. Grandma Bai paused, raised her hand and pointed in another direction.
"I just saw a white shadow floating across the lake. I wonder if it's the person you're looking for."
Hua Yu glanced at Granny Bai, and although she had some doubts, she still chased in the direction she pointed.
Contradiction may just be a feeling, just like Hua Yu's feeling towards Li Qiuxue. No matter whether her voice and appearance change, the feeling of disgust will not change. Since Li Qiuxue entered the palace a month ago, Hua Yu has always disliked her. She is obviously just an old woman who may not live until next spring, but she has a feeling of wanting to get rid of her as soon as possible.
All the conflicts probably broke out that afternoon, when Li Qiuxue and Chu Shijie were picking flowers to make sachets in the imperial garden. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, they picked all of Huayu's favorite peonies. Huayu was naturally shocked when she heard about this. She originally just wanted to scold her, but she spoke harshly to her. In a rage, Huayu took several eunuchs to arrest Li Qiuxue and ordered them to beat her with fifty sticks.
When Chu Shaoqin arrived, the Dongxiang Palace was carrying out a private punishment. The maids in the palace knelt down hastily when they saw the emperor coming. The eunuchs who were torturing the emperor dropped their wooden sticks and knelt down together.
"How dare you torture an unarmed old woman!" Chu Shaoqin helped Granny Bai, who had been beaten with a few sticks, up and asked the palace maids behind him to help her. He walked in front of Hua Yu, raised his hand and slapped her, "Don't think that you can do whatever you want in my palace just because you have the support of the Hua family."
"Your Majesty, it's her..."
"As the mother of a country, you actually persecuted a life for a few peonies! If it weren't for the prince's kindness and coming to me, are you planning to destroy even the body of Grandma Bai?" Chu Shaoqin pointed at Chu Shijie angrily. Chu Shijie stood trembling behind Chu Shaoqin, afraid to look his mother directly in the eye.
"So it was the prince who informed you." Hua Yu sneered. The next moment, something unexpected happened to everyone. Hua Yu grabbed the scissors beside the potted plant and rushed towards Chu Shijie, as if to take his life. If Li Qiuxue hadn't suddenly rushed up and pulled Chu Shijie away, Chu Shijie might have died tragically at the hands of his mother.
"I should have poisoned you!"
"You're crazy!" Chu Shaoqin pushed away Hua Yu who had suddenly gone mad. She never expressed her thoughts, but she actually said such words. Or maybe this was Hua Yu's true face. In a trance, Chu Shaoqin remembered the poisoning of the prince.
"When the crown prince was poisoned, was it you who poisoned him? Was it you who slandered Xue'er?"
"Hahaha, so what? Didn't you believe it? You don't trust her at all. You only believed what you saw with your own eyes. I just ordered people to give An Qing some drugs, but you actually believed it, hahaha... But it's too late for you to know all this now, because your Xue'er is dead, already dead, hahaha... In this palace, I am the master, I am! Hahaha..." Hua Yu laughed unscrupulously, her shoulders trembling with laughter, and finally she opened her arms and danced around in the yard.
Li Qiuxue felt a little happy watching her go crazy. Her medicine finally worked. The sachet she asked Chu Shijie to put in Huayu's room was not poison, but it was a drug that could make people lose their minds and become furious. As long as a certain level of anger and stimulation was reached, the drug would take effect quickly. However, the drugs she put on Huayu were far more than that...
"My queen is crazy."
"Empress, Empress." The palace maids serving Hua Yu hurried forward to stop her from going crazy, and when her sleeves were inadvertently rolled up, Chu Shaoqin couldn't help but frown.
"What's wrong with the queen's hands? Why are there so many red spots?" Chu Shaoqin noticed Hua Yu's arms and grabbed her, pulling up her sleeves. Her arms were covered with red spots. She scratched the red spots on her body while she was mad and angry, and Chu Shaoqin was pushed away by her and took a few steps back.
The palace doctors came to diagnose Hua Yu, and they all shook their heads and sighed.
"Your Majesty, it seems that the Empress has contracted... syphilis..." They said this cautiously.
"Venereosis? How could she get venereal disease out of the blue?" Chu Shaoqin frowned, seeming dissatisfied with the diagnosis.
"Logically speaking, this woman would not get smallpox on her own, and the emperor is in good health and does not have this disease. I don't know how the queen got smallpox." The imperial physician said tactfully, and Chu Shaoqin frowned, as if thinking about something.
After leaving Dongxiang Palace, he summoned all the palace maids and eunuchs who were related to Hua Yu for questioning. The palace maids and eunuchs who were afraid of death told all about Xue Shaoheng's incident and the fact that Xue Shaoheng died in Dongxiang Palace. When Chu Shaoqin heard the words "Xue Shaoheng", his brows furrowed even deeper. He seemed to have guessed something and ordered someone to bring the prince.
The prince came with Li Qiuxue, and when they came, everyone else in the palace was sent away. Chu Shaoqin placed a bowl of water on the table, and when Chu Shijie arrived, he pricked his finger with the silver needle on the table and dripped a drop of blood into the water.
"Shijie, give your hand to father." Chu Shaoqin tried to keep himself calm. When Chu Shijie handed him his hand, he paused.
If the result is really as he expected, how should he deal with Chu Shijie?
Chu Shaoqin finally picked up the silver needle and pierced Chu Shijie's finger. The two drops of blood dripped into the water and touched each other. Chu Shaoqin watched the two drops of blood blend together, then quickly separate and sink into the water.
The result that Chu Shaoqin least wanted to see happened. He took a deep breath, walked out of the hall with his hands behind his back, and walked towards Dongxiang Palace.
Hua Yu, who was recuperating in Dongxiang Palace, had red spots all over her body. She sat in the yard, scratching the red spots on her neck and face, the itchiness was unbearable.
The palace maid beside her tried to stop her from scratching her skin, but she pushed her away.
When Chu Shaoqin walked into Dongxiang Palace, a palace maid was pushed over. He instinctively supported the palace maid and looked at Hua Yu with a sinister look.
"Your Highness!" The maid knelt down hurriedly, fearing that she might anger him.
"Hua Yu, you are the master of the six palaces, but you have an affair with an outsider. Not only that, you also kill someone. It is really a heinous crime. Today I will give you a three-foot white silk and execute you on the spot!" Chu Shaoqin wanted to kill Hua Yu, not only because she had an affair with Xue Shaoheng, and not only because the prince was not his biological son, but because she killed his beloved Xue'er and his beloved Lianzhu.
When the eunuch standing behind Chu Shaoqin brought up the white silk, Hua Yu laughed loudly, without any remorse or fear. She stopped going crazy and stared at Chu Shaoqin with cold eyes.
"Your Majesty, do you remember that you owed me a life because you saved Li Qiuxue? Your Majesty, if you want me to die, it means you are breaking your promise and you will be punished by God, hahaha..." Hua Yu laughed and danced gracefully in the yard, just like that year when she danced in the pavilion with her sleeves flying.
That year, she fell in love with a man who would never love her in his life. In order to get this man, she planned and planned every step, at all costs. But in the end, she was still no match for a dead man.
"Okay, I won't kill you, but I want you to live in the cold palace for the rest of your life!" Chu Shaoqin turned and left. He ordered Hua Yu to be placed under house arrest in Dongxiang Palace and not to leave for the rest of her life.
The Emperor's sudden decision to abolish the Empress caused a stir in the court. The ministers headed by the Hua family were the most dissatisfied. Hua Shenghe also praised the Emperor in the court, believing that the Emperor was too decisive in abolishing the Empress and should have discussed it with the ministers before making a decision.
"Hua Shenghe, as a father, you should know what Hua Yu has done. Now I am only deposing the queen. If your Hua family has other opinions, I can disregard our past relationship and depose the prince as well!" As soon as Chu Shaoqin said this, the court fell silent, and even the arrogant Hua Shenghe was speechless.
The people in the court looked at each other in silence, not knowing what had happened between the Hua family and the emperor. Seeing that no one was talking anymore, Chu Shaoqin announced the end of the court and walked out of the hall.
Li Qiuxue was standing outside the backyard of Xiyang Palace. She felt calm when she learned this series of news.
When she was taking care of Chu Shijie, she accidentally discovered that Chu Shijie might not be Chu Shaoqin's child, so she took advantage of the situation and made Huayu show symptoms of "syphilis", thus involving the "secret" behind. With such a stain, Huayu's position as queen would definitely not be saved. And she was confident that no one could tell the difference in the way she used the medicine.
But Chu Shijie is innocent. He cannot choose his own birth, nor can he choose his parents... After the incident, she will definitely save the child, even if she reveals her identity, to at least save his life.
Li Qiuxue quietly looked at the pear tree through the vine-covered wall. Those who had falsely accused her and hurt her had all received their due retribution, and she no longer had any worries in her heart. For her, there was nothing here worth remembering. The only thing worth recalling was the memory of her, Lianzhu, and Anqing in this yard.
Footsteps came from behind her, and when she turned around, Chu Shaoqin was already standing behind her. She fell into his arms unexpectedly, but she felt inexplicably sad.
"I am very conflicted right now. I don't know whether I should depose the crown prince or not. After all, the crown prince is not my own flesh and blood. I..."
"Your Majesty, there is no royal bloodline in this world. Anyone can become a king and rule a region. Although the prince is not your own flesh and blood, the thoughts and feelings you have for him are real. A king should put the wise first, not the so-called bloodline."
"That's right, just let him be..." Chu Shaoqin laughed softly.
Li Qiuxue was a little surprised. Even if her argument made sense, no emperor would be willing to give the kingdom to someone outside of his bloodline.
At this moment, Chu Shaoqin seemed to sense her doubts and took the initiative to say, "Anyway, it's not Xue'er and I's child, so it doesn't matter who takes the baby..."
Hearing this, Li Qiuxue was flustered. She forced herself to suppress her excitement, pretended to be calm, gently pushed Chu Shaoqin away, smiled at him, and said goodbye: "Your Majesty, I am old and want to leave the palace. This is not the place for me to stay. Please let me leave as I wish."
Chu Shaoqin stood there like an unshakable green bamboo, watching Li Qiuxue pass by him on crutches.
After a long while, he finally couldn't help but turn around and yelled at the figure from behind: "Li Qiuxue, are you really going to leave like this? Do you really have nothing to say to me?"
The person standing not far away trembled. She tightly grasped the cane in her hand and tried to suppress the surging in her heart. When did he know that she was Li Qiuxue? Why did he remain silent even though he knew it was her?
"From the day you appeared in the backyard of Xiyang Palace, I knew you were Xue'er. A person's voice and appearance can change, but feelings cannot. Look at my eyes, look at Huayu's eyes... You could have killed me that day, but you didn't. In your heart, you still love me. Why don't you admit it?" Chu Shaoqin stepped forward quickly, grabbed her hand and pulled up her sleeves.
The silver bracelet with a bell hanging on it was revealed. Chu Shaoqin looked at the bracelet, bit his lips tightly, and choked up: "You are Xue'er, I didn't recognize you wrongly."
"Yes, I am Li Qiuxue, but I don't love you anymore. I hate you, I hate you to the bone!" Li Qiuxue tore off the human skin mask on her face bit by bit, and straightened her deliberately hunched back. She shook off Chu Shaoqin's hand and looked at him with resentful eyes, "My father is dead, An Qing is dead, and my beloved Lianzhu is also dead. All my dreams in this world have been destroyed by you. From the moment you issued an order to give me three feet of white silk, I only have hatred for you. I wish you would die now!"
"Three feet of white silk? I have never issued such an order." Chu Shaoqin was stunned. How could he order Xue'er to be executed? There must be a misunderstanding. "Xue'er, listen to me..."
"Catch the assassin!" The maids and eunuchs of Dongxiang Palace shouted, and the guards took action in the palace. Something seemed to have happened in Dongxiang Palace. Before Chu Shaoqin had time to understand the situation, he saw an archer in black clothes on the roof of the palace not far away. The archer's target was Xue'er in front of him.
"Xue'er, be careful!" Chu Shaoqin quickly embraced Li Qiuxue, turned around and used his back to block the feather arrow.
Li Qiuxue looked up and felt Chu Shaoqin, who was holding her, tremble all over. He looked at her with peace of mind and slowly fell into her arms.
The eunuchs in the palace shouted "Protect the emperor!" and guards came hurriedly from all directions. They seemed to be trapped in an abyss, unable to perceive anything except each other.
"Shao Qin?"
"Xue'er, if you want me to die, I can help you, but I hope you don't hate me. I don't want to leave with your hatred for me. Xue'er, I have never given true feelings to anyone in my life, but you are the only one I want to protect with my life. You are the only one I love most in my life. I don't want you to hate me, even if you don't love me..." Chu Shaoqin raised his hand and stroked Li Qiuxue's cheek. Her eyes were filled with tears, which fell on his face drop by drop. The hot temperature seemed to convey emotions. "I know that my Xue'er loves me."
"Shaoqin, if you dare to die, I will never forgive you in this life, never." Li Qiuxue hugged the unconscious Chu Shaoqin tightly, crying .