The Sovereign – Chapter 83

Volume Five: Remembering a Lifetime in the Sound of a Breaking Heart

Disillusionment

This is my last chance for you to confess.

At their first meeting, Huachi’s breathtaking glance left an indelible impression on her; during the southern tour, she accompanied him throughout, facing life and death together, touching her heart; during the assassination attempt, she risked her life to save him, unafraid of danger. That night, under the palace candlelight, they became one, believing everything would naturally fall into place, and one day she would gain her true heart and see her sincerity.

Yet unexpectedly, it all turned out to be like a “mirror flower, water moon” (chengyu meaning something illusory)…

Qin Junlan pressed her chest, each breath pulling at every ache in her body, as if knives were stabbing into her heart, stirring vigorously, causing blood to splash internally, and the pain to spread throughout her body. She leaned on the table corner, her feet felt as if weighed down by a thousand-pound stone, each step pulling at her muscles, so heavy she could hardly breathe.

Such a touching pair of lovers’ tattoos, haha… Qin Junlan unconsciously lifted her lips, chuckling bitterly like a beast gravely injured, emitting a painful low growl. She collapsed to the ground, for the first time feeling herself the most ridiculous person in the world, the most foolish emperor in history, played within someone’s palm, yet still enjoying it.

Such a beauty trap, such a pure and flawless virgin body… Qin Junlan raised her hand, her fingertips stained with the blood from her palm, reminding her of that uncontrollable night. Bitterness blossomed within her, akin to a “bitter pill to swallow” (idiom meaning a difficult reality to accept), spreading throughout her body, completely shattering the hope she had ignited.

“To hold your hand and grow old together.” Qin Junlan gazed blankly at her palm, her pupils unfocused, losing all brilliance.

What royal majesty, imperial wisdom, all turned into nothing, only the cruel truth after being skinned and boned, smashing her pride and strength to pieces. This time, she lost terribly.

“Your Majesty…” Li Yue had not dared to speak, seeing Qin Junlan like this, she seemed to have guessed something. But how did the emperor confirm it? The tattoo had always been a knot in her heart; could it be Liu Qianxun was truly a spy from the Yu Kingdom?

“Li Yue~” Qin Junlan’s voice was weak, low, and hoarse, making Li Yue feel both heartache and oppression. She took a few steps forward, kneeling on the ground to listen to Qin Junlan’s words.

“Your Majesty~ this servant is here~”

Qin Junlan exhaled deeply, retracting that sense of decay and sorrow. Her eyes, once dim, suddenly sharpened, like the king of the forest, exuding both majesty and anger, a frightening bloodthirsty aura beginning to spread everywhere…

At that moment of lifting her gaze, Li Yue gasped, Qin Junlan had never shown such a cold look, like ice frost condensed over a thousand years, as chilling as hell, devoid of emotion, only absolute resolve and ruthlessness.

“Send orders to the Shadow Guards, thoroughly investigate the Suyuan Tower; if there’s any suspicion, kill! No! Mercy!”

“No need for interrogation?” Li Yue asked tremblingly. Qin Junlan’s dark eyes, shrouded in an inscrutable mist, suddenly curled into a slight smile, “No, better to kill mistakenly than let go, kill!”

“Yes!” Li Yue hurried away to deliver the orders.

Qin Junlan chuckled coldly. Is she from the Shura Sect? Since Shura is like hell, she would turn the entire Shura Sect into a Shura field, using their blood and corpses to mourn her wasted true heart.

She was truly a master strategist, engaging in a battle of wits before even meeting, willing to sacrifice her subordinates to chase herself to Suyuan Tower to arrange a first meeting. Now thinking back, all suspicions have become conclusive, and all doubts have logically become clear.

What did she come to the palace for? Qin Junlan slightly raised her eyes, recognizing reality after the pain; she must uncover the Yu Kingdom’s purpose. She paced back and forth, glancing at the bookshelf, pondering, finding the section with the military map. Her pupils contracted slightly, angrily slapping the bookshelf, causing books to fall all over the floor; the military map had indeed been tampered with! What she placed herself had a particular rule; she liked to place things slantingly, but the military map was placed neatly.

No one dared to touch her study’s items; even when Li Yue helped organize, she wouldn’t touch the military map.

After much thought, only that night did she have the chance to act. Taking advantage of her lack of vigilance, she didn’t hesitate to give up her virgin body… Qin Junlan’s rage surged, ultimately unable to maintain calm.

Such a Liu Qianxun, so deeply scheming, meticulously planned, playing hard to get, pulling the rug from under one’s feet (idiom meaning to undermine someone), perhaps all the common military strategies were used completely on her.

Qin Junlan locked herself in the imperial study, not leaving until dusk, the meals sent in were taken away cold, and when sent again, remained untouched.

“Your Majesty~” Yuan Xi gently knocked on the door, speaking softly, not daring to breathe heavily, always feeling the master could ignite at any moment, being with the emperor is like being with a tiger, no one dared disturb her at this time.

Qin Junlan remained silent, not responding, so Yuan Xi dared not speak further, glancing at Liu Qianxun standing beside her.

“You all retreat, I’ll go in myself.”

Li Yue and Yuan Xi exchanged glances, nodding slightly, but Li Yue worried her presence at this time would only backfire.

Liu Qianxun had been waiting for her, knowing she wouldn’t go to Qixia Palace until dusk. Thinking of her attitude during the day, always felt odd. Where did something go wrong, or what was exposed? Even if the reason is unclear, she wanted to visit her.

Since the Four Kingdoms summit, they hadn’t truly been together for many days now.

The imperial study was pitch black, all the lights ordered by Qin Junlan to be extinguished, books scattered chaotically on the ground, along with other items thrown about, the study suffused with oppressive air.

Qin Junlan stood alone by the window, the bright moonlight illuminating her pale face, standing motionless for a long while, her body already numb. She wanted to roar, wanted to be angry, but found herself without a trace of strength. In the end, it was just her solitary pleasure in the mortal world, everything she believed in turned out to be a mere deception.

Her lone figure made Liu Qianxun’s heart ache, seeing the mess on the ground, she knew Qin Junlan had unleashed a storm of fury, but when had it happened? Liu Qianxun couldn’t know she had already discovered the most unspeakable thing in her heart.

“Yan’er…” Liu Qianxun’s voice floated by, Qin Junlan’s heart trembled slightly, her mouth began to twitch involuntarily, her heart aching faintly, the relaxed expression once again tense.

She wanted to grab her and ask why? Wanted to confront her angrily, yet upon hearing that “Yan’er,” her heart softened, unable to express anger or pain. She, as always, gentle, turned to look at Liu Qianxun, “Why have you come?”

“You didn’t come to Qixia Palace to see me, so I had to seek you out.” Liu Qianxun moved slightly forward, “Yan’er, what’s wrong with you?”

“Matters of concern in the court, you need not worry~” Qin Junlan forced a weak smile. Liu Qianxun knew things weren’t so simple, she approached Qin Junlan, wanting to embrace her, touch her weary visage. Qin Junlan, however, evaded, stepping back two steps, indifferently saying, “I still have things to handle, you should return first.”

Liu Qianxun’s hand stalled in mid-air, her heart pounded as if struck by a heavy hammer, Qin Junlan suddenly pulled away, creating a distance between them. She hadn’t had the chance to tell her how much she missed her these days, hadn’t had the chance to invite her to Qixia Palace, where she personally prepared her favorite dishes, hadn’t had the chance to say everything.

This sense of alienation made Liu Qianxun feel she was so unfamiliar, as if they had never been close, once giving their bodies to each other, once closely connected hearts, now a vast chasm pulling them apart. Liu Qianxun’s heart was twisted into a fine string, pulled by Qin Junlan, aching to the point of breathlessness. A sourness filled her nose, and she inexplicably began to feel aggrieved, never having felt such a strange sensation, actually wanting to cry.

“Yan’er~” She didn’t want to leave like this, wanting to get closer to Qin Junlan. She didn’t want such alienation. What pride, what coldness and nobility, she only wished for things to be good between them.

Holding onto a last shred of hope, Liu Qianxun stepped forward, looking intently, “Did Xun’er do something to upset you?”

Qin Junlan met her eager eyes, what a convincing act, who could match Liu Qianxun in disguise and performance? Pitiful and charming, stunningly beautiful, who in the world could achieve this, using her beauty to the fullest, who could, like Ling Yu, use such a person’s beauty and body to obtain what she wanted.

But knowing all her expressions were false, Qin Junlan still softened her heart, always hoping there might be a possibility, to strive once more, to give her one more chance.

She stiffly lifted her lips, grabbing one of Liu Qianxun’s hands, pulling her to herself slightly forcefully, “Do you have something you want to tell me?”

Liu Qianxun, I’m giving you one last chance… Qin Junlan always defended her in her heart, thinking she had compelling reasons, maybe she was already moved by herself, perhaps she would soften too, hearts are made of flesh, did Liu Qianxun truly do everything just for Ling Yu, never having a place for her in her heart?

Staring into Qin Junlan’s clear, deep pupils, Liu Qianxun felt a bit nervous, was she giving herself a chance to confess? Or something else? Regardless, she couldn’t reveal her identity; otherwise, her mother, Ye Ming, Mu Jin, and even the entire Suyuan Tower would be buried with her. Her mind focused on waiting, waiting until the time was right, until her mother and those in Suyuan Tower were settled, only then would she reveal herself. Now, with dozens of lives behind her, how could she bear to let them be dragged down to accompany her in death?

Moreover, the hidden threat of the “Ghost Eye” had yet to be eliminated; as long as this person existed, Qin Junlan would always have an extra pair of eyes around her, making her unsafe.

“I want to tell you I miss you, want you to come to Qixia Palace, want you…”

“Leave…” Qin Junlan’s cold words interrupted her. She turned indifferently, “Yuan Xi, escort the princess back to the palace~” She didn’t want to hear another word.

Liu Qianxun bit her lip lightly, heartbroken and unable to restrain herself, she could only kneel and salute, bowing deeply to Qin Junlan, “Xun’er takes her leave.”

“Princess, please~” Yuan Xi respectfully escorted Liu Qianxun out. At the door, Liu Qianxun paused, reluctantly looking at Qin Junlan, eyes like a pool of clear water, calm yet filled with deep sorrow, tears faintly lingering, ultimately reduced to silence.

Once Liu Qianxun had completely left, Qin Junlan angrily slammed the table, what a honey-tongued woman! At this critical moment, still daring to utter such false sweet words! Why not cherish even the last chance?

Why not take even the last chance, she had already conceded to such an extent, why not?? If Liu Qianxun spoke now, Qin Junlan would surely forgive her, persuading herself to pardon her, but alas, how many chances had she given Liu Qianxun to confess to her, yet she remained unchanged.

Enough, perhaps the person she loved was only Ling Yu, the one with whom her shoulder bore the same tattoo. She was merely a mission Liu Qianxun executed, nothing more.

“Your Majesty~” Li Yue softly reported, “The Prince of Zhennan has returned to report his duties, just arrived in Jidu, when do you wish to meet him?”

“Let him reside in Yi Mansion first, I will summon him in a few days~” Qin Junlan finally spoke, Li Yue promptly responded, “Yes, as you command~”

Bai Yifei returned, returning at such a time, Qin Junlan walked to the map of the world, observing the distribution of cities between the Yu and Ji Kingdoms, her eyes fixed on Zhengyi, suddenly letting out a cold laugh.

Yu Kingdom, it was your princess who placed you in dire straits, do not blame me for being cold-hearted!

“Li Yue! Prepare wine, tomorrow night I want to have a small drink with the princess in the Yu Garden!” Qin Junlan’s eyes, cold as frost, emitted a chilling murderous intent.

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