“Xier, don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you. Besides, I have already drunk the poisonous wine. I will soon die. I just want to have a nice talk with you.”
“What do you want to say?”
“I have always known that you want to kill me.”
“You know it?”
“I also know that you have arranged a prostitute to sleep with me every night. You only come back early in the morning.”
“Then why do you still...?”
“I didn’t touch her. I also arranged someone to play my role and sleep with her to finish your big show.”
“What? Why do you do so?”
“To make you relieved! More importantly, to make you happy! However, I don’t want to touch any other women after I meet you. Therefore, I could only hire someone to play my role.”
“Hai, you...”
“Actually, I have always known everything.”
“You...you are such a fool.”
“Yeah, I’m a fool, and I am will
“Princess of the Kindom of Shui... 9 years old... 16 as a living sacrifice... the Kingdom of Yun prosperous... Otherwise... the Kingdom of Yun would perish...” In the darkness, as the world-known prophecy was uttered by a low, magnetic male voice, candles were lit all around. The lanterns on the top illuminated the stage below. On the stage, corpses were lying all over. Dressed all in white, a sixteen-year-old girl walked in under the light. She looked pure and beautiful, wearing a simple pearl hairpin on her head. Looking at the dead bodies all around, she was beyond despair. Slowly, she approached a middle-aged couple who were holding each other. Without any music, on the unusually quiet stage, the girl began to sing. Soft but heart-breaking, her singing was beautifully painful, like a dagger stabbed into the audiences’ hearts. “Behind the gate is an aggrieved country. Alone in hell on earth shall be my tragic story.”
Many thought they didn’t have the opportunity to see Wu Nian’s show before he left, but only two days ago, the news came out that there was an extra show. After hearing that, many people lined up for tickets. Today, people arrived early in the morning to occupy their seats. The theatre was overcrowded. Before the show started, Wu Nian, who was getting prepared backstage, had heard some good news. The special guest, Lord Xiaoyao, was here today. Lord Xiaoyao was a mysterious man! It was said that he was not only granted by the late King Yun the title but also the privilege to enjoy the royal salary without attending any meeting in the Congress. Because he had been traveling for years, few people had heard of him, let alone seen him in person. Who would have known that he was here today for the show?The entertainer Wu Nian’s wonderful performance definitely deserved his visit! However, no one knew if Lan Li was here just for the show.
Looking down at Wu Nian’s peevish face, Xuan Zhi bent to kiss the top of his head, “I’m sorry that I made you worried. It was my fault.” “Zhi, never leave me. I was really afraid that you might disappear.” “I won’t. I will always be by your side.” “I don’t believe you. Yue said it, too, but he broke his promise.” “I’m not like him. I always keep my words,” Xuan Zhi said, raising the middle three fingers of his right hand, “I swear to all the gods that I, Xuan Zhi, will stay with Shui Yinzhu forever. If I break my promise, I will die in a terrible way, and my soul will vanish...” Frightened by what he said, Wu Nian immediately covered his mouth with his small hands, not allowing him to say a word more. “No, no, no. Forgive him, gods. He was just joking.” Wu Nian looked into Xuan Zhi’s eyes. “Zhi, you can’t make random vows anymore,” said he seriously. “OK.” “Zhi, I’d rather you b
Wu Nian was lying on the ground in the rain. Lan Li ran out a few moments later. He held this drenched man on the ground in his arms and rushed to the inn. Lan Li didn’t discover the truth—Wu Nian, who should be in a coma in his arms, showed a tricky smile to Xuan Zhi hiding in the tree when Lan Li didn’t notice. Xuan Zhi had been trying his best to control himself on the tree. He saw Wu Nian’s tricky smile. Xuan Zhi couldn’t stay angry anymore and smiled. He could never deal with Wu Nian. The only thing he knew was to spoil him! He sighed and continued to play the role of an invisible man. Holding Wu Nian in his arms, Lan Li felt he was too thin. This man was like a woman. Lan Li gently put him on the bed and wanted to help him change his sodden clothes. However, Wu Nian woke up weakly when Lan Li wanted to take his clothes off. Wu Nian’s eyes were filled with confusion, and he kept blinking his eyes. He was dripping wet, which looke
Lan Li was so excited at this moment. He finally saw his Sister Yinzhu again. The guilt, restlessness, longing, and missing for so many years turned into an excited hug. He hugged Wu Nian. His tears rolled in his eyes uncontrollably but did not fall, “Great... you are fine. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Don’t move. Just let me hold you for a while, okay?” Wu Nian felt disgusted in the arms of other men, but he didn’t feel that way about Lan Li. This hug had a warm feeling, and he was like his family. It’s just that such warmth didn’t last long. He recalled the collapse of his kingdom and his family when he was only nine-year-old. He had trusted Lan Li, his Brother Li, the most. However, he had betrayed his kingdom. The Kingdom of Shui collapsed because of him. Wu Nian gradually clenched his hands. He pushed the man who was hugging him away and turned around. Wu Nian now was not that simple little princess. Seeing Lan Li’s reaction and the str
More than 30 years ago, the Kingdom of Yun was still one of the five kingdoms. It was a kingdom that was neither the largest nor the smallest. At that time, the five kingdoms sometimes had wars. However, they still coexisted peacefully on the surface. The imperial families of the five kingdoms even had the custom of political marriages to maintain such kind of superficial peace. At that time, King Yun was still the Crown Prince. He was young and handsome, looking harmless. The domineering arrogance hadn’t shown up in his eyes yet. He looked completely different from Yun Su. Their appearance was different, but their gentle temperament was very similar. However, they were two different kinds of gentlemen. Yun Su was ruthless inside but gentle on the outside. In contrast, King Yun, who was still Crown Prince Yun at that time, was truly gentle from the inside to the outside. Crown Prince Yun was born in a complex royal family. He shouldn’t have been so
The fight on the corridor on the second floor became more and more fierce. People were fighting, but the aisles in the corridor were too small. From time to time, people were thrown down on the first floor, which had affected the first-floor lobby filled with laughter. This was the largest brothel in Huaiyang City in the Kingdom of Yun. People came to have fun. Now there was a fight, and many people started to watch the scene of bustle. In the meantime, many people felt scared, so they escaped. The procuress came out to calm people down. However, there were so many people, and she could not stop them. The prostitutes were also panicked. They stopped their guests and yelled, “You haven’t paid me yet.” The procuress could only say to the manager next to her, “Find the lady as soon as possible!” The fight on the second floor was still going on. No matter how powerful an elephant was, a lot of mice could still kill it. Crown Prince Yun’s group was tota
Meng Xi didn’t spend much effort to figure out who Crown Prince Yun’s friends were in the brothel that day. However, she still didn’t know Crown Prince Yun’s identity. Meng Xi didn’t think it was a big deal. She thought it meant Crown Prince Yun was a decent young master from a good family. She felt more satisfied after knowing his behavior in the brothel that day. She wanted to marry such an innocent man. However, maybe she was the real innocent white rabbit. To court Crown Prince Yun, Meng Xi had bribed his best friend Young Master Jin. She met him in a restaurant, made an appointment with him, and then had a nice talk with him... Young Master Jin was not in the brothel that day. However, he was sold by Crown Prince Yun’s friends, who actually went to the brothel. The sons of important ministers didn’t have the nerve to betray Crown Prince Yun, so they sold Young Master Jin for beauties in their arms. The Jins had always been important ministers
In the Hall of Death, Xuan Zhi stood courteously in front of the sculpture. The atheistic man sincerely prayed for the first time in his life. Lying beside him was the dead body of Shui Yinzhu.Shui Yinzhu’s body was still in the pink dress. There was a hairpin with two pearls on its hair. The body had decayed, but Xuan Zhi still grabbed her hand and treated it like a treasure.He took up a dagger and cut his two wrists. His blood flowed onto her body as if he was transferring vitality to her. When the blood was drained, his life came to an end. It was a sacrifice of his soul so that he would stay with Shui Yinzhu in the afterlife.Time went back to the day when Shui Yinzhu passed away. Xuan Zhi wrote an edict that Yun Su wouldn’t be sentenced to death and would be locked in that palace for the rest of his life. It was what Shui Yinzhu wished, and Xuan Zhi was fulfilling her wish.On the same day, Xuan Zhi abdicated the thro
He was thrilled at her consent. But when he was about to move on, he noticed the fear in her eyes. Xuan Zhi realized that it must have reminded her of what Yun Su did to her, so he stopped moving and held Shui Yinzhu in his arms instead. He wouldn’t continue, knowing that she was hurt so deep within and that she might get unhappy.“What’s wrong?” Shui Yinzhu asked.“Nothing. There’s no need to hurry. We have plenty of time for you to get used to it.”Shui Yinzhu didn’t say a word. Her Zhi had always been a silly man in front of her. She kissed on Xuan Zhi’s lips. The woman was running out of time, and she couldn’t wait for her inner world to heal. What she hated was the touch of Yun Su, the past of herself, and even her own body. But Shui Yinzhu loved Xuan Zhi. She was willing to consummate the wedding with him.Xuan Zhi was no longer repressing himself now that Shui Yinzhu had already taken the initiative. Hesitation would
“Oh, you fool. You are such a fool.”Shui Yinzhu felt moved and sad. The two opposite emotions lingered at the bottom of her heart. The mixture was kinda sweet. As she lied down in Xuan Zhi’s arms, the girl understood that she was selfish and couldn’t accept any betrayal of Xuan Zhi. Tears dropped from her eyes. Xuan Zhi loved her so much. What should be done to repay that?As he saw her tears, Xuan Zhi immediately wiped her face clean. “Come on, easy, Yinzhu. It’s my fault. Feel free to blame it on me. Just stop crying, or I will feel hurt. I’ll always be by your side and keep you happy.”Their love moved Uncle Zhi and Li Yi. But Zuo Xin was still there. Uncle Zhi had to interrupt as he said, “Your Majesty, how are we supposed to deal with Zuo Xin?”“Zhi, let go of her and marry her to Xiaojing.” No one expected to hear that from Shui Yinzhu. She wasn’t born a Bodhisatva, but she wanted to accumulate merit for him as Xuan Z
At that moment, Uncle Zhi had mixed feelings about her. He didn’t hate Shui Yinzhu. Instead, he simply felt that she had too much influence on Xuan Zhi. Besides, her reputation had been discredited by Zuo Xin. But the woman in front of her had only several months to live. Uncle Zhi agreed to her request, partly because of his selfishness and partly out of sympathy.Shui Yinzhu wiped the tears on her face, kept down her sadness, and told Uncle Zhi to get Li Yi in. No matter how bad she felt, she had to keep up with the show.The conversation was quite simple with Li Yi. Shui Yinzhu promised her that she would give an answer to everyone in a month. She got Li Yi reassured and told him to treat Paner well before sending him away.To her surprise, Xiaoba showed up right after Li Yi left. He shook Shui Yinzhu’s shoulders as his eyes went red for sadness.“Did you hear our conversation?” Shui Yinzhu immediately realized that. “Don
In the name of their so-called reputation, the men in the audience hall in the imperial palace suddenly had amnesia of the benefit they got as well as the reduced casualty. They simply tried to ditch the poor girl after conquering the Empire of Yun.That was the misfortune of women in this period of time. The men had a selfish will that the woman would make the “proper” choice so that they would secure their loyalty and morality at the same time.Shui Yinzhu never thought that Xuan Zhi would chase her out of the hall. Xuan Zhi held her in his arms and kissed her lips regardless of her resistance. It was one of the very few times for him to be aggressive in front of her.It was a clean kiss filled with warmth and yearning, different from the disgusting one of Yun Su. The two hearts in love started to beat faster. Shui Yinzhu was soon lost in that kiss. The veteran in love was as innocent as a maiden in front of him. That was how love coul
The Empire of Yun, the once superpower and the only Kingdom that ever conquered the entire world, had turned into a place in turmoil under more than ten years’ reign of Yun Su. People all over the empire complained about their rulers. The empire would soon fail, and the end was coming near.The morning session in the Empire of Yun continued. But the evil empress in red remained the same unreasonable woman. She sat in Yun Su’s arms and flirted with him even though the empire was in grave danger.The silent ministers were not sure if they should speak against their irresponsible emperor as the grave situation and the serious discussion had been defiled by the erotic aura. But Yun Su seemed to enjoy holding the beauty in his arms as he accepted it and didn’t say a single word against it.The ministers were there to suffer. They had to do their report with their head lowered. No one had the courage to look at the two on the throne. It wasn’t
“Many years ago, there was a little girl. She was the little princess of the Kingdom of Shui. Her parents loved her and provided her with the best affection. However, when she turned nine years old, the Kingdom of Yun waged war against the Kingdom of Shui... The little princess felt as if she was a jinx. In order to protect the ones she loved from dying, she had to sacrifice herself to live with her enemies.”Shui Yinzhu then told her story, including her relationship with Kong Yue and Xuan Zhi. She told the little girl about the death of Kong Yue, the injury of Xuan Zhi, the care of Qi Yuan, and the destiny of Wu Chen. She omitted the part that she was a child of the emperor’s father and how she retaliated upon the general, the Prime Minister, and the lords.Shui Yinzhu was the storyteller, but her heart still ached when she recalled the past. Surprisingly, the string of her heart could still be plucked by the past after all the time passed. She was
Speaking of the empress Shui Yinzhu, people all recognized her as the personification of a succubus. She was so charming like a vixen whose glamour in innocence could attract everyone around her. She didn’t wear the phoenix crown and robe, the status symbols as the empress but the blood-red dress. She kept her hair in a bun, and wore a simple hairpin with two pearls on it. The emperor of Yun was so fascinated by her that he forgot the responsibility of the throne and started to kill innocent people.Under the constant and mostly intentional influence of the evil empress, Yun Su raised the tax over and over again. He forced his people to do labor work and abused his power and the financial resources to build wonders. The nervous people were sent everywhere to build grandiose temporary palaces for the pleasure of the emperor and the empress.The emperor totally ignored the welfare of his people as he would torture them for saying anything wrong. He con
“Paner, where is the...bamboo scroll?”“What?”“The bamboo scroll...you mentioned.”“Oh, right.” Paner finally remembered what she came here for and took out a bamboo scroll from her pocket. This was the reason why she came to find Shui Yinzhu.“Okay.” The pain drained all the strength from Shui Yinzhu’s body. But she still managed to read the message before sending Paner to burn it.The bamboo scroll came from Wei Ruxuan. He intended to cooperate with Shui Yinzhu. It wouldn’t be hard to guess that it was because of Bu Xiaoyan. But Shui Yinzhu didn’t expect was that Wei Ruxuan could send this bamboo scroll to her through this well-guarded harem. Prime Minister Wei’s influence could reach farther than it seemed.As the window opened again, Xiaoba took out a flask and handed it to Shui Yinzhu. “I asked the doctor to have the medicine boiled for you.”“Okay.” Shui Yinzhu took the flask and