The Sovereign – Chapter 121

Volume Seven: Iron Horses Shock the World

Lingering Pain

In the next life, let’s not be sisters

The autumn sky stretches over the red palace walls. What was once a peaceful imperial city is stirred by waves of turmoil again. The autumn wind whispers softly, its sorrowful chill touching everyone’s heart.

Warm sunlight streams down, its halo reflecting on He Xi’s corpse, peaceful and serene. Yi Qinghuan, barely breathing, reveals a secret kept in her heart for years, shocking everyone present.

“Mother Empress means that I’m not Mother Consort’s biological daughter…” Yun Jin can hardly believe it. She never knew the reasons behind this, how this long story began, or how her own identity became entangled in it.

“Mother Consort?” She looks toward Yi Qingyu, wanting to hear it from her directly.

Yi Qingyu’s brows furrow slightly. She had intended to retreat from the world with Liu Zhu, but unexpectedly, so many troubles arose. At this point, there’s no meaning in hiding it from Yun Jin anymore, especially since letting her recognize Liu Zhu as family would surely make Liu Zhu happy.

“Yes, I raised you, but Zhu’er is your birth mother. You are Xun’er’s elder sister, sharing the same mother but different fathers.”

Yun Jin’s body weakens slightly, her eyes, originally clear as spring water, now flickering with uncertainty as she tries to process this shocking truth.

“Jin’er, people thought I favored you because you were the Cheng Wangfei’s daughter, but I’ve always seen you as my own. Keeping you by my side was also with the slight hope that Yu’er would return to the palace to see you, allowing me to catch a glimpse of her too, but…” She takes a difficult breath, as if the next moment she might lose her voice. Whenever mentioning Yi Qingyu, her eyes fill with sorrow. Gazing at Yi Qingyu, she struggles to speak each word, “I never thought she would hate me so deeply that she would rather let you leave the palace monthly than come back even once to see you.”

Blood from her chest stains the blue stone slabs, resembling blooming flowers. Yi Qinghuan’s body grows weak, her eyelids gradually drooping.

“Mother Empress, Mother Empress…” Yun Jin calls out anxiously, too worried about Yi Qinghuan to process the truth about her identity.

“Where are the imperial physicians, why haven’t they come yet!” Qin Junlan tries to cover Yi Qinghuan’s wound but is at a loss, her fingers trembling, afraid to touch anywhere lest she cause Yi Qinghuan pain. She momentarily loses her senses, forgetting that Yi Qingyu’s medical skills surpass any imperial physician in the palace. Only when she hears Yi Qinghuan softly call “Yu’er” does she remember.

“Aunt, Aunt!” Qin Junlan frantically moves toward Yi Qingyu, not even taking time to stand, crawling on her knees to Yi Qingyu’s side. She weakly clutches at her hem, her tone nearly begging, “Aunt, please save Mother Empress, I beg you to save her!”

As Yi Qingyu’s arm is violently shaken, she feels reluctant to comfort Qin Junlan. Suddenly, Qin Junlan bows down to kowtow, “Please save Mother Empress. Regardless of past grievances, Yan’er will apologize to Aunt on Mother Empress’s behalf, just please save her.”

She kowtows repeatedly in submission, her forehead bleeding from striking the ground, but she doesn’t stop. Yi Qingyu hurriedly supports her shoulders, “Enough, Yan’er, I’ll go check on her.”

“Thank you, Aunt!”

Red spreads between her brows and flows down. The wound on her forehead bleeds down between Qin Junlan’s eyes. Liu Qianxun wants to step forward in heartache but hesitates, while Yun Jin has already taken out an embroidered handkerchief to gently wipe Qin Junlan’s forehead.

“We are fine,” Qin Junlan gently brushes away Yun Jin’s hand, having no mood to care for herself, focused solely on Yi Qinghuan’s injuries.

Yi Qingyu raises her hand to seal several major acupoints to help stop the bleeding, her fingers checking Yi Qinghuan’s pulse. Yi Qinghuan’s bloodless face gradually shows a smile, her previously dim eyes now shining with clarity. She gazes at Yi Qingyu somewhat absently, thinking if time could stop, this moment would be beautiful enough.

Yi Qingyu’s brows furrow deeply, her expression grave as she shakes her head helplessly.

Qin Junlan refuses to accept this reality – she can’t believe it! Hot tears hover in her eyes – she is the Son of Heaven, yet she cannot save her own mother! If she could be saved by Guiguzi when so gravely injured, why can’t Mother Empress be saved?

Just as she’s in helpless agony, Yi Qinghuan’s hand reaches out, like those few warm moments from childhood. Her still-warm palm covers Qin Junlan’s hand, patting gently, “Imperial child, don’t be sad. Mother Empress has suffered all her life; this release is the best ending now.”

“Mother Empress… I’m sorry… your subject is useless…” Qin Junlan’s voice is hoarse with crying, full of self-blame that she let things come to this when she could have controlled the situation.

“No… it is Mother Empress who has wronged you. I never asked if you wanted to be emperor before placing such a heavy responsibility on your shoulders, making you lose the joy and warmth of childhood. For the sake of the family and the throne, I sacrificed my daughter’s happiness and repeatedly obstructed your relationship with Liu Qianxun.”

“Mother Empress, I was willing, willing.” Qin Junlan kneels, holding Yi Qinghuan’s hand, her heart aching as if cut by a knife. Despite their past estrangement, she cannot bear this final parting.

Yi Qinghuan sighs softly, looking at Liu Qianxun, “It’s a pity that just when I finally wanted to accept you both and acknowledge your feelings, there’s no more time.”

“Your subject is unfilial, unfilial.” Qin Junlan bows her head, her body trembling with grief. Her wounds not yet healed, combined with emotional turmoil, all her injuries seem to tear open anew, bleeding freely as pain spreads throughout her body.

Yi Qinghuan tenderly brushes Qin Junlan’s temple hair, reluctantly gazing at this daughter who has made her proud all her life. Fortunately, she is safe now, in a high position, ruling over all under heaven and about to unify the four seas, with Liu Qianxun by her side – she can rest easy now.

Yet her only lingering concern is the pain and regret deep in her heart. She coughs lightly twice, feeling her vision darkening, Yi Qingyu’s figure becoming blurry. She waves her arm uncertainly, “Yu’er, Yu’er… would you call me sister one more time?”

She helplessly tries to grasp Yi Qingyu but catches nothing. All her pride and dignity as holder of the phoenix throne vanishes. As she struggles in the abyss near despair, only Yi Qingyu can pull her out.

Yi Qingyu watches her like this, feeling a dull ache in her heart, ultimately unable to let go completely. Her tightly clenched fists slowly relax as she looks up at Yi Qinghuan, for the first time without hatred in her gaze.

“Ah Yu…” Liu Zhu gently pulls her hand. Yi Qingyu moves slightly closer, while Yun Jin pulls Guo’er aside to make room, allowing her to get closer to Yi Qinghuan.

For the first time in over twenty years, Yi Qinghuan sees no hatred in her eyes, catching at last the gentleness she has longed for.

“Yu’er…” Yi Qinghuan’s vision is blurry, but she can clearly feel Yi Qingyu beside her.

Yi Qingyu slowly reaches out, grasping her slightly cool fingers. Yi Qinghuan feels a trace of nervousness and secret joy.

“Sister…” Yi Qingyu’s voice is very soft, the title unfamiliar after so many years unused. Yet Yi Qinghuan’s eyes redden with tears. In her heart, she had never felt regret or remorse, except regarding Yi Qingyu, with whom she could never come to terms.

“Yu’er…” She holds Yi Qingyu’s hand, her body leaning slightly forward, as if seeing a final ray of light supporting her tear-filled eyes, yet her lips carry a smile.

Yi Qingyu supports her shoulders with both hands. Yi Qinghuan’s expression clears of shadows, as if crying from joy. Having fulfilled her life’s wish, she is content. With trembling lips, she whispers, “In the next life… let’s not be… sisters…”

Yi Qingyu suddenly feels the weight in her hands disappear as Yi Qinghuan’s body slowly falls backward. She quickly pulls her back, holding her in her arms. “Sister…” Hot tears stream down her face as her heart sinks into an abyss. All her previous hatred, coldness, and determination dissolve in this moment.

The one lying in her arms is her elder sister who raised her from childhood and, against all opposition, sent her to study at Tiancang Pavilion. Now of the prominent Yi family, only Yi Qingyu remains. She always thought herself stone-hearted and cold-blooded, caring for nothing except Liu Zhu. Yet unexpectedly, she finds herself grieving and crying at Yi Qinghuan’s passing.

“Mother Empress!” “Mother Empress!” “Imperial Grandmother!”

Qin Junlan sobs quietly, struggling to control her grief as tears silently fall. She’s near collapse, feeling unbearable chest pain as fresh blood suddenly surges forth, mixing with the blood on the ground.

“Yan’er!” Liu Qianxun rushes forward without thinking, bending to support her, asking frantically, “Yan’er, how are you?”

“Get away!” Qin Junlan pushes her away. Liu Qianxun stumbles, nearly falling, but Yun Jin catches her.

“I’m sorry…” Liu Qianxun bites her lip hard, her heart filled with intense bitterness. Who could have imagined things would turn out this way? She knows not what to say beyond apologies, but she’s truly worried about Qin Junlan, whose condition had just stabilized before suffering this new shock.

“I’m sorry… heh…” Qin Junlan is overwhelmed with grief, her anguish in this desperate situation directed at Liu Qianxun. “He Xi was already deserving of death. We showed mercy by letting him leave the palace. Even though the Wise King took matters into his own hands and harmed him, We would have handled the punishment! Why…” Qin Junlan’s finger points at Liu Qianxun, trembling, her entire body growing cold, her heart sinking into an ice cellar [metaphor for extreme despair], “Why did you have to resolve things through killing? Why did you kill Our Mother Empress, why…”

“I’m sorry…” Liu Qianxun accepts Qin Junlan’s accusations, knowing all her self-blame and guilt cannot undo today’s events.

“You… why did it have to be you… why??” Qin Junlan cries out hoarsely at Liu Qianxun. They had just reunited, just wanted to start anew, why did this happen?

“You can hit me, curse me, even kill me, but please don’t torture yourself, alright?” Liu Qianxun speaks with a hoarse, tearful voice, filled with helplessness. She never intended to take the Empress Dowager’s life, had even set aside her past prejudices and emotions to accept this elder, yet who could have predicted things would turn out this way.

Qin Junlan gives a cold laugh, suddenly drawing a sharp sword from a guard’s side. Seeing this, Yun Jin quickly steps in front of Liu Qianxun, instinctively shielding her, “Imperial Sister, this matter cannot be entirely blamed on Xun’er.” Yun Jin maintains a thread of rationality amid her grief, thinking Qin Junlan means to avenge her mother by harming Liu Qianxun.

“Sister…” Liu Qianxun lightly touches Yun Jin’s shoulder, walking to her side, giving her a reassuring look before walking directly to Qin Junlan. If someone must bear responsibility for all this, she is willing.

She slowly kneels down, bowing deeply to Qin Junlan, “This commoner has killed the Empress Dowager, a crime deserving of death. I request Your Majesty’s punishment.”

“You…”

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