The Sovereign – Chapter 120

Volume Six: A Cold Rainy Night Buries the Famous Flower

Matters of Past Lives and Deaths

Things hidden for twenty years turned out not to be secrets at all

Crimson spread everywhere as blood stained the long robe. He Xi’s mighty figure slowly went limp. Three sharp arrows pierced through his chest bone, abdomen, and heart. Originally, Qin Junhao had targeted him, but due to the urgent situation, he stood too close to Liu Zhu. Fearing the arrows might hurt Liu Zhu, he pushed her away.

Qin Junlan and Liu Qianxun arrived almost simultaneously, but before they could prevent this tragedy, they watched helplessly as He Xi was struck by arrows. Yet like a warrior on the battlefield, despite his trembling body barely able to stand, he still supported himself with his sharp sword in a half-kneeling position.

“Stop!” Qin Junlan shouted sternly. The Imperial Guards saw her arrival and hurriedly knelt down. She glared furiously at Qin Junhao, who avoided her gaze and dropped the bow from his hands.

“He Xi, how are you?” Liu Zhu anxiously supported He Xi’s shoulders, afraid to touch him. His body had been pierced through, and the pain made him twitch slightly. The veins in his neck were bulging as if he was using all his strength to hold onto his last breath.

“He Xi…” Liu Qianxun rushed forward, seeing He Xi already at death’s door. Beneath her calm eyes lay grief and fear, with countless emotional waves hidden in those deep pupils.

She covered the wound on He Xi’s chest, blood seeping through her fingers, flowing down to her wrist, staining her clothes red. She used her other hand to cover his abdomen, but still couldn’t stop the blood from gushing. She wanted to stop the bleeding, thinking that if it flowed more slowly, perhaps He Xi would be alright. Liu Qianxun’s hands trembled, and though she remained silent, her eyes had reddened without her knowing.

“Sister… sister…” He Xi’s lips were pale white, his eyes struggling to stay open, wanting to speak but his throat too weak to make sound. He laboriously raised his hand, and Liu Qianxun quickly grasped it tightly. Her eyes, holding back grief, couldn’t find focus, and she didn’t dare look at He Xi’s face. “Sister is here, sister is here…”

“Princess… Princess…” When He Xi mentioned Ling Yu, his eyes grew wet with tears. He couldn’t go back anymore. Originally, he had thought of returning to Ling Yu’s side, helping her fight battles and sharing her burdens, but now he couldn’t do that anymore.

A man of seven chi [traditional Chinese measurement equal to about 7 feet] should not shed tears easily, but his regret turned into anguish. Even though he was reluctant to die, his final moment had arrived. Sadly, he could not see Ling Yu one last time. He envied Li Wuming, who could always stay by Ling Yu’s side, while he merely existed. Throughout his journey – dispatching the Suyuan Tower, being imprisoned, and finally being released – it was only the belief of returning to Yu Kingdom to see Ling Yu that sustained him.

“The Princess is fine, she’s doing well,” Liu Qianxun knew he was worried about Ling Yu. This love-struck fool was thinking only of Ling Yu even on his deathbed.

“Sister… I want… want…” He Xi tried to express his last wish, but his body betrayed him and began to tremble. He suddenly convulsed, unable to catch his breath, only tightly gripping Liu Qianxun’s arm, staring at her as tears fell.

“Sister will send you back to Yu Kingdom, to the Princess’s side.” Liu Qianxun bit her lower lip, understanding He Xi’s wishes. These final heavy words finally allowed He Xi to relax. He turned his head slightly towards the south, where Yu Kingdom lay – he would return there after all.

The long sword clattered to the ground as He Xi’s body slowly fell, landing on Liu Qianxun’s shoulder.

“He Xi!” Liu Zhu called out to him in grief, but he could no longer hear.

Liu Qianxun’s brows furrowed, her facial muscles trembling slightly, every nerve frozen like frost. Memories of He Xi’s childhood voice echoed in her ears, scenes from the past flooding back.

That winter, when six-year-old Liu Qianxun was sick with a persistent fever, He Xi deliberately caught cold and secretly gave her all the medicine that the servants had prepared for him.

Another year, when Liu Zhu was bullied by the Principal Consort [primary wife of a noble] and punished to chop firewood in the back courtyard, He Xi brought his attendants to help her complete everything, then quietly left.

Liu Zhu had watched He Xi grow up, often treating him like her own child. Now that he had died tragically protecting her, Liu Zhu felt unbearable grief. Tears flowed silently as she collapsed powerlessly into Yi Qingyu’s arms.

As for Liu Qianxun, she merely held He Xi with an expressionless face, but that cold murderous intent was something Liu Zhu hadn’t seen in her daughter for a long time.

“Xun’er…” she called out to Liu Qianxun worriedly.

Liu Qianxun didn’t respond, but gently laid down He Xi’s body, her calm eyes flashing with cold intent. “Sister won’t let your death be in vain.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she suddenly turned, swift as the wind, her hands grabbing a scattered spear from the ground and launching it through the air at Qin Junhao. However, several guards blocked the path, intercepting the lethal attack for him.

“Xun’er, don’t!” Qin Junlan reached out to grab Liu Qianxun but caught only air, her fingers merely brushing against the corner of her clothes as Liu Qianxun’s figure had already flashed to Qin Junhao’s side.

“Stop her!” The Imperial Guards raised their weapons again to defend against Liu Qianxun’s attack, but she broke through their defenses like bamboo [meaning: easily and unstoppably], her eyes blood-red with rage, effortlessly defeating anyone who stood in her way.

When Yi Qinghuan hurriedly arrived at this moment, she discovered He Xi’s corpse lying on the ground and Liu Qianxun charging toward Qin Junhao with murderous intent, immediately understanding everything. What should have been a farewell ceremony had turned into a bloodbath.

“Xun’er, calm down, stop fighting!” Qin Junlan anxiously tried to stop Liu Qianxun’s wrathful actions, but regrettably, her current condition left her unable to perform qinggong, let alone muster the strength to grab her.

Yi Qingyu merely watched coldly from the sidelines. He Xi’s revenge should rightfully be carried out by Liu Qianxun’s own hands. She didn’t stop Liu Qianxun, feeling this was what needed to be done.

The wind caught her clothes as she moved like an immortal, her eyes like those of an Asura. She was like an enraged jiaolong [mythical dragon] whose reverse scales [most sensitive scales] had been touched, roaring toward her prey. The Imperial Guards continued blocking her path to protect Qin Junhao, fueling her rage further. She leaped lightly, stepping on two men’s shoulders to suspend herself in the air. Concentrating her inner force into her fingers, her eyes sharp as swords, she shot out a finger strike like a beam of light toward Qin Junhao’s heart.

The scene of her using this move to kill Hei and Bai duo was still vivid in memory. She thought Qin Junhao couldn’t escape his fate today, but unexpectedly, a figure rushed toward him just as Liu Qianxun was about to strike. No one knew where she found the strength to run so quickly to Qin Junhao’s side, physically blocking Liu Qianxun’s lethal attack. Her body was pierced through with two holes, blood staining her embroidered yellow robe.

They heard only her soft murmur as her body began to fall.

Qin Junlan and Qin Junhao were stunned, and even Liu Qianxun froze in place, staring at her, speechless.

“Mother!” “Mother!”

The siblings cried out almost simultaneously as Qin Junlan rushed over in panic, watching Yi Qinghuan collapse weakly into Qin Junhao’s arms.

“Mother…” Qin Junhao opened his mouth, holding Yi Qinghuan while trembling, unable to speak.

“Imperial Physician, summon the Imperial Physician!” Qin Junlan gripped Yi Qinghuan’s hand, her voice shaking and hoarse as she tried to suppress her anxiety.

“No need, my child.” Yi Qinghuan coughed lightly, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Yet her face remained composed as she looked at Liu Qianxun, who stood frozen, and said softly, “Liu Qianxun, today I take this punishment on behalf of my son, repaying the life of your brother. I beg you to show mercy and spare my son’s life.”

“Mother…” Qin Junhao broke down in tears, feeling like the most worthless person in the world – he couldn’t be a good husband, and now he couldn’t even be a filial son.

Liu Qianxun dug her nails into her palms, struggling to contain her grief as she looked at Yi Qinghuan. Looking at Qin Junlan, she didn’t know how to react – she had wounded her own mother-in-law with her own hands. Qin Junlan looked at her helplessly; she had failed to stop her by just one step, and now everything had fallen into an irreversible abyss.

“Yu’er…” Yi Qinghuan’s eyes moved across the children’s faces, finally turning to Yi Qingyu.

No one had expected things to turn out this way. He Xi had just died, and in seeking revenge, they had accidentally wounded the Empress Dowager. Yet Yi Qinghuan seemed fearless of death, as if after suffering for so many years, this moment was her true liberation.

Yi Qingyu stared at Yi Qinghuan, standing stiffly in place without moving forward. She avoided eye contact, suddenly unable to look directly at Yi Qinghuan. What happened to the hatred she had sworn? The vow never to meet again? The wish to kill her? Yet her heart softened at that weak but affectionate call of “Yu’er.”

“Ah Yu, go see her.” Liu Zhu gently pulled her sleeve. Yi Qingyu remained motionless, so Liu Zhu gripped her wrist and pulled her before Yi Qinghuan.

Yi Qinghuan looked at Yi Qingyu with a smile in her eyes. Usually, she would see Yi Qingyu hurrying about anxiously, but now, facing death, she had found courage. She finally had the courage to face Yi Qingyu’s past questions and dare to confront her reproach and coldness. She had long known she was wrong but remained stubbornly unrepentant, afraid to admit it. Yet what was there left to fear facing now?

“I’m sorry.” These three words, Yi Qinghuan had never said before. She had stubbornly believed she had never been wrong, but after all these years, witnessing everything between Qin Junlan and Liu Qianxun, and seeing Liu Zhu again, she found herself slowly coming to terms with everything after her initial fear, because she saw Yi Qingyu flourishing once again.

Rather than countless obstructions and showing love in her self-righteous way, it turned out that seeing Yi Qingyu happy was what Yi Qinghuan desired most.

“It’s all in the past, Empress Dowager, everything is in the past.” Liu Zhu’s magnanimity and forgiveness made Yi Qinghuan ashamed. She had ruined this woman’s life, yet Liu Zhu could still treat her this way. Yi Qingyu hadn’t loved the wrong person – how could someone like this not be worthy of love?

Yi Qingyu remained silent throughout, never looking directly at Yi Qinghuan, turning her eyes away with a barely perceptible sadness on her face.

“Yu’er, you always said I didn’t understand love. Perhaps you’re right. Actually, I just didn’t dare to love, couldn’t allow myself to love. Bearing the family’s mission [ancestral duty], how could I… how could I dare to have such thoughts?” Yi Qinghuan looked at Yi Qingyu with eyes full of sorrow. The pain and torment she had endured all these years, perhaps no one could understand. Her throat choked as she weakly said, “I’ve made countless mistakes in my life, and all my wrongs were against you, planting the seeds of my own misfortune.”

With each word she spoke, Yi Qingyu’s reluctance to let go grew stronger. In this moment, it was as if all the previous hatred had dissipated like smoke. There was no detestable Empress Dowager anymore, only a pitiful elder sister.

“Can you forgive me?” Yi Qinghuan reached out toward Yi Qingyu, but the distance between them prevented her from touching her. Blood continued to flow from her wounds, and she grew increasingly weak, yet still she yearned for Yi Qingyu’s forgiveness.

It was as if a great mountain stood between the sisters. Even though Yi Qingyu wanted to forgive in her heart, she felt unable to overcome her own barriers. How could she let go of twenty years of hatred? It was like an obsession that had merged with her very bones, impossible to change.

She couldn’t reach out her hand!

In the end, it was too much to hope for. Yi Qinghuan’s hand fell limply, a bitter smile playing at her lips.

“Mother!”

“Grandmother!”

Yun Jin and Guo’er suddenly appeared. Originally not wanting Guo’er to witness this chaos, Yun Jin had still brought him after much consideration due to a persistent bad feeling, only to encounter such a tragic scene.

Seeing Yi Qinghuan bleeding from her wounds, Guo’er became immediately anxious, “Grandmother is hurt, quickly call the Imperial Physician, Grandmother…”

“Jin’er, why did you bring Guo’er here? Quickly take him away.” Yi Qinghuan gazed at Guo’er with reluctance, greedily taking one more look at her grandson.

“Mother, how did this…” Yun Jin watched Yi Qinghuan seeming to be at death’s door, never imagining things would come to this.

Yi Qinghuan looked at Yun Jin with both reluctance and joy. She truly loved Yun Jin, having always treated her as her own child over the years. She held Yun Jin’s hand while looking at Liu Zhu, saying: “You truly bore two excellent daughters. Liu Qianxun is clever and brave, clear in her loves and hates, while Yun Jin possesses both virtue and talent, with extraordinary wisdom.”

Yi Qingyu suddenly turned her head, staring at her in shock, “What did you say?”

Liu Zhu was too stunned to speak, unconsciously looking toward Yun Jin.

“Mother? What are you saying?” Yun Jin froze, understanding the literal meaning but not daring to guess the truth behind the words.

The corners of Yi Qinghuan’s lips curved weakly as she looked at Yi Qingyu, “I know my sister whom I raised – how could she submit to anyone? From the moment Yun Jin was brought back, I had my suspicions. As she grew, her personality became more and more like Liu Zhu’s – kind and modest, neither competitive nor aggressive. Though her appearance resembles King Cheng more, there are still aspects that resemble Liu Zhu.”

“So you knew all along…” Yi Qingyu had never expected that the secret she had hidden for over twenty years was never really a secret at all.

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