The Sovereign – Chapter 122

Volume Seven: Iron Horses Shock the World

Ten Thousand Thoughts Turn to Ashes

A hard-won reunion crumbles again

The sharp blade gleamed coldly, sending a chill through Liu Qianxun’s heart. She looked up at Qin Junlan who was looking down at her, heartbroken.

“Xun’er…” Qin Junlan gritted her teeth, forcing out these words as tears streamed down her face.

“I beg Your Majesty’s mercy! Let me take the punishment in Xun’er’s place. Please, for the sake of our past relationship, don’t harm Xun’er.” Liu Zhu, thinking she would harm Liu Qianxun, quickly knelt beside her to protect her daughter.

“I beg Imperial Sister’s mercy!” Yun Jin also stepped forward and knelt down. She and Liu Zhu flanked Liu Qianxun on both sides, three delicate figures showing no fear as they faced Qin Junlan – if the sword were to fall, it would fall upon their heads.

Yi Qingyu held Yi Qinghuan, her face showing grief. They were once the closest of kin, yet now they faced each other as enemies? But she believed Qin Junlan wouldn’t act this way, wouldn’t make rash decisions in a moment of impulse. She looked down at Yi Qinghuan, whose serene face bore a smile – she had never seen her sister smile so peacefully before.

Yi Qinghuan entered the palace at sixteen, rising from palace lady [female candidates for imperial consorts] to consort in just two years. After that, every time the sisters met, she felt Yi Qinghuan had changed, maintaining a degree of wariness and suspicion toward everyone, with even her occasional smiles hiding calculations. Only when seeing her did she still feel that childhood warmth.

“Sister, perhaps only by laying down your burdens can you find peace.” Yi Qingyu gently brushed her temple, where fine lines marked the passage of time. She could vaguely sense Yi Qinghuan’s lifetime of pain, but didn’t want to dwell on it. Now that she was gone, let everything disperse with the wind.

She gently laid Yi Qinghuan’s body flat, feeling grief weighing on her heart. Though she wanted to cry out loud, only silent tears came as she held Yi Qinghuan’s hands, reluctant to let go. Her mind was filled with memories of how her sister had cared for her in their youth – the gentle smiles, the meticulous care, always doing everything to protect her. In childhood, she feared Yi Qinghuan being bullied; when older, worried about her bearing the family’s expectations; after learning martial arts, concerned about her injuries; during her wandering years, worried about her safety – every little detail remained in her heart.

But everything changed starting with Liu Zhu. Yi Qinghuan’s resolute coldness regarding her and Liu Zhu’s matter was beyond imagination, using all the palace’s methods against her own sister. Now, everything had vanished like smoke.

How can sisters hold grudges overnight? Everything has passed now – letting go turns out to be just a moment’s decision, but why must death be the price?

“Imperial Mother, Imperial Mother, it’s this humble son’s fault. I’ve failed you.” Qin Junhao wept bitterly, continuously kowtowing in repentance. He crawled to Yi Qinghuan’s side, repeatedly slapping himself – no matter how much he regretted his impulsive actions, it couldn’t bring Yi Qinghuan back to life.

His words completely enraged Qin Junlan, who hadn’t yet recovered from her grief. While she couldn’t truly punish Liu Qianxun, Qin Junhao was the executioner who caused this tragedy. She stepped forward and kicked his shoulder hard, “You worthless thing!” She raised her sword, but suddenly a small figure rushed out, crying: “Imperial Aunt, please don’t kill Father, please don’t kill Father!”

“Guo’er…” Qin Junlan’s sword froze in mid-air. Seeing Guo’er, she instantly calmed down, her hand holding the sword trembled, and it fell heavily to the ground, her eyes showing even deeper sorrow.

“Guo’er has lost Imperial Grandmother already, doesn’t want to lose Father too…” Guo’er cried while wiping tears, too young to understand the adult world, only knowing he didn’t want to watch his father die.

“Guo’er…” Qin Junhao’s hand weakly rested on Guo’er’s shoulder. He looked at the sword on the ground, his grief paused, and in a daze suddenly picked up the sword to slash at his own neck.

“No!” Qin Junlan instinctively shouted, but couldn’t stop him in time.

In that lightning and flint spark [meaning: split second], a flying stone struck his wrist, causing his hand to weaken and drop the sword. Liu Qianxun withdrew her hand, silently lowering her head, completely drained, too exhausted even for grief. She had lost her dear brother who once depended on her and helped her wholeheartedly – wanting revenge in such deep grief was human nature.

And Qin Junlan’s sudden loss of her mother and resulting confusion in extreme grief was also natural human emotion. But Liu Qianxun had now calmed down – when would the cycle of revenge end? The Empress Dowager was already dead, having sacrificed herself to save her son. If anything happened to the Wise King, the Empress Dowager’s death would be in vain, and Guo’er would lose his father.

Enough was truly enough – the tragedy shouldn’t continue. So in that instant, Liu Qianxun acted without hesitation to stop Qin Junhao’s suicide attempt.

“Your Majesty…” Yun Jin wanted to explain for Liu Qianxun but was pulled back by her. She shook her head slightly at Yun Jin, who could only give up, sighing deeply – this habit of not explaining herself hadn’t changed at all.

Qin Junlan, unaware that Liu Qianxun had saved Qin Junhao, angrily stepped forward and delivered a heavy slap, “Useless thing! Do you want your mother’s death to be in vain? If you want to die, go die on the battlefield where you can at least kill enemies for the country!”

“Father…” Guo’er timidly watched the angry Qin Junlan, tears flowing silently as he dared not speak.

Yun Jin said nothing, gently pulling Guo’er to her side, “Be good, Guo’er. Your father just made a mistake and needs to be punished, but Imperial Aunt won’t kill him.” She looked at Qin Junlan, trusting she would understand her implied meaning.

Qin Junlan exhaled deeply, feeling her chest churning with uncontrollable emotions. Yun Jin’s words awakened her – even though Qin Junhao deserved death for his terrible crime, should she let her mother’s sacrifice of her own life to save him be in vain? Moreover, there was Guo’er… how could he handle his future position if he lost his father under such circumstances?

“Guards! Take the Wise King to the Bureau of Execution!” At Qin Junlan’s command, Qin Junhao collapsed on the ground, having lost even the hope of seeking death. He looked at Yun Jin, his rekindled hope shattering again, knowing she would give him no more chances.

Yun Jin looked at him, shaking her head helplessly. Holding Guo’er’s hand, she gazed at Qin Junhao with utmost disappointment, “Violent killing and suicide were never the best solutions to problems. If you had grievances, you should have directed them at me, not taken them out on others.”

“Jin’er…” Qin Junhao deeply hated his own uselessness and foolishness, deserving to lose everything now. Seeing Yun Jin’s disappointment, he completely lost his will to live – being arrested was fitting, letting him live a life worse than death, suffering in regret, more painful than being killed outright.

Guards came forward to take Qin Junhao away. Guo’er wept quietly, seeming to understand that everything happened because his father had made an unforgivable mistake. He curled up in Yun Jin’s arms, finding a bit of comfort there. Yun Jin held Guo’er’s hand tightly – a tragedy that ended with two lives lost, and the hard-won reunion between Qin Junlan and Liu Qianxun would likely crumble because of this.

“No one is to breathe a word about today’s events. Those who violate this order will be executed!”

Qin Junlan spoke these words heavily, her entire being as cold and lonely as a fallen leaf, the hardly kindled light in her dimming once again.

With the Empress Dowager’s death [hōng shì, formal term for death of royal family members], white mourning cloth hung throughout the imperial city. The whole country entered mourning – all celebrations, revelry, and discussion of the Empress Dowager’s cause of death were forbidden in Jidu. Qin Junlan issued an imperial edict commanding all witnesses that day to maintain absolute silence, with immediate execution for violators. Thus, the truth of the Empress Dowager’s death was concealed, and the whole country believed she had died suddenly of natural causes.

Liu Qianxun arranged for He Xi’s body to be transported to Yu Kingdom. She didn’t know how to face Qin Junlan – in that moment of hatred, she never expected the Empress Dowager would rush out in desperate desire to save her son. Watching Qin Junlan take all blame upon herself, kneeling in the ancestral temple for reflection, Liu Qianxun felt unbearable guilt.

Dressed in plain mourning clothes, Qin Junlan knelt perfectly straight, refusing food and not letting anyone approach. Liu Qianxun could only stand quietly outside the door, keeping watch over her. She had become the executioner who killed Qin Junlan’s mother – perhaps she was the last person Qin Junlan wanted to see right now.

After enduring countless hardships, they still couldn’t fight fate. Were she and Qin Junlan destined to be apart in this life? Even so, Qin Junlan still suppressed rumors, preventing Liu Qianxun from becoming known as the Empress Dowager’s murderer. Liu Qianxun gazed helplessly at the sky, her lips twitching slightly – what more did heaven want from her? Having worked so hard to separate her from Yan’er, it had finally achieved its wish.

“Yan’er, perhaps I should never have stayed by your side. How will you face me in the days to come? How will I face you?”

Seeing Qin Junlan’s still-weak body about to collapse, Liu Qianxun’s heart ached. She wanted to step forward but was stopped by Li Yue, “Miss Liu, it’s not appropriate to see Her Majesty now. She… probably doesn’t want to see you.”

“I know, Li Yue. Promise me you’ll take good care of her. Her health already needs nurturing, and now with such extreme grief, I fear her old illness might return.” Liu Qianxun anxiously gripped Li Yue’s hand as she spoke. Li Yue nodded, patting her hand reassuringly.

“I won’t go in to disturb her. I won’t go in. I’ll just stand here watching, just watching is enough.” Liu Qianxun mumbled, only able to stand far away, silently watching her.

In an instant, all hope had vanished like smoke. Yi Qingyu and Liu Zhu, who had planned to leave, stayed temporarily. As a sister, Yi Qingyu wanted to wait until after the mourning period to leave, accompanying Yi Qinghuan on her final journey. While Qin Junlan knelt in the ancestral temple and Yun Jin knelt in the memorial hall, the entire palace was immersed in deep sorrow.

“Jin’er…” Yi Qingyu’s voice called out. Yun Jin looked up at her, “Mother Consort…”

“You’ve been kneeling all day. Come rest a while, and let Guo’er rest too.” Yi Qingyu reached out to help her up. Yun Jin showed no awkwardness despite the revelation of her identity, gracefully accepting Yi Qingyu’s hand. But just as she stood, her legs grew weak, and as she fell, another pair of hands caught her.

“Are you alright? Are your legs sore from kneeling?” Liu Zhu’s gentle voice carried concern and worry. There was still uncertainty in her eyes – how Yun Jin would face her after just learning about her true identity remained unknown.

Yi Qingyu remained silent – whether to acknowledge the relationship and how to handle it should be Yun Jin’s own choice to make and face.

Yun Jin looked at Liu Zhu, remembering their first meeting and her unstable emotions then. Though wearing a mask, she had been constantly anxious. Even then, Yun Jin had noticed how strange Liu Qianxun’s mother’s behavior was. Now she understood it was just a mother’s uncontrollable joy and helplessness upon first seeing her daughter, how bitter that moment must have been – watching her grandson and daughter unable to acknowledge each other, having to maintain the politeness of strangers.

Thinking back, when she first entered the palace, Liu Qianxun’s special care and kindness came because she already knew Yun Jin was her younger sister. Only Yun Jin had drifted through all these years never questioning her identity. Though she knew Yi Qingyu had a story, she never imagined it would involve her own origins.

Lost in thought, Yun Jin considered many things. Liu Zhu, mistaking her silence for rejection of her identity and distancing herself, felt immediately dejected. Though prepared for this, seeing Yun Jin’s reaction still brought her sadness – after all, she had failed her child and could blame no one else.

As she dejectedly lowered her hand, Yun Jin suddenly knelt before her, “For not being able to show filial piety these years, daughter asks for Mother’s forgiveness.”

“You… what did you call me?” Liu Zhu couldn’t believe her ears, thinking she must have misheard, but Yun Jin’s gaze was utterly sincere and pure.

“Mother.” Yun Jin’s lips curved slightly, her gentle eyes full of warmth. She finally understood where that familiar feeling had come from – it was the natural closeness of blood relations.

“Jin’er, it’s Mother who wronged you, giving birth to you but never raising you.” Liu Zhu began sobbing with heartache. Yun Jin’s understanding and consideration only increased her guilt – she had failed her child, yet this child who never knew her true identity still knelt before her.

Yun Jin shook her head repeatedly, eyes reddening with mixed joy and sorrow, “Mother had her reasons. Daughter doesn’t blame you.”

“Jin’er, my daughter.” Liu Zhu held Yun Jin tightly, voice hoarse with crying. The joy of reunion after long separation, the pain of forced parting – at this moment all the hardships seemed worth it, all the past less important than this moment of happiness and beauty.

Yi Qingyu watched this mother-daughter reunion with great joy. She smiled faintly, though still feeling heavy at the sight of the white mourning cloth. She stepped forward, gently touching the golden nanmu coffin, thinking, “Sister, you see? Jin’er and Zhu’er have reunited. You must have understood Jin’er’s nature to deliberately reveal her identity. Even at the end, you wanted to fulfill Zhu’er’s wish – you truly knew your mistakes. Sadly, we can’t restore our sisterly bond. Travel well; someday we’ll meet underground, and then Yu’er will make up for all these missing years.”

“In our next life, let’s not be sisters…” As Yi Qinghuan’s final words echoed in her ears, Yi Qingyu gave a bitter smile. Sister, why did it have to be this way?

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