Putting aside the Empress's melancholy, Luo Zhiheng and her grandmother had an unusually long chat during their meeting. After two days of lively conversation with her maternal grandparents, Luo Zhiheng once again asked the Empress to let her go.
This time, the Empress did not hesitate: "You can go back. As long as it's for your health, your grandmother will not stop you. But you must promise your grandmother that you must come back! No matter what happens, you must be strong and come back healthy!"
Luo Zhiheng was overjoyed that she could go back and see Mu Yunhe, so naturally she agreed to whatever the Empress said. Moreover, she didn't delve into the meaning of the Empress's words; she believed that now that she was better, she would naturally return safely.
Luo Zhiheng was eager to return home. She packed her things with her wet nurse Qiwan, preparing to leave early the next morning.
But this night in the Silver Moon Kingdom was a sleepless one. The Empress gazed coldly at the moonlight outside the window, her eyes filled with deep worry and sorrow.
Behind her, the Prince Shi also looked irritated and complained, "Mother, how could you agree to let Aheng leave now? You know perfectly well that now is not the best time. The old man still hasn't figured out Mu Yunhe's condition. We've gone to so much trouble to keep it a secret so that Aheng could focus on her treatment and recovery. Now look what's happened! If you let her leave, she'll be unable to hide anything from him as soon as she sees Mu Yunhe in person! What will we do then? Have you thought about what will happen to Aheng? Can she handle it?"
The Empress remained unusually silent.
The Prince grew even angrier, raising his voice even higher: "Mother! Say something! Let Aheng stay. At least give the old man some more time, and give Mu Yunhe some more time. They can't take any more hardship or setbacks. Aheng was just pulled back from the brink of death. Can you bear to watch her collapse?"
The Empress said coldly, "I understand. But this is Heng'er's fate. If she can't face it, if she can't bear it, then she will never grow up. We have done too much for her, but she has to walk her own path in life. The road we pave for her will eventually become a stumbling block that kills her. A smooth road is not suitable for the heir of the royal family. Besides, Heng'er has already experienced death so many times, what else could she be afraid of? Mu Yunhe is still alive, isn't he?"
The Queen found her mother's somewhat cold words hard to accept and harbored some resentment, but she could not disobey her mother.
That evening, the Empress arranged for Luo Zhiheng to meet Qin Yinxian.
Walking through the gloomy and dimly lit prison cell, Luo Zhiheng's heart turned cold. When she saw the once glorious Qin Yinxian bound by more than a dozen iron chains as thick as an arm, covered in wounds, Luo Zhiheng finally witnessed the cold-bloodedness of an emperor.
The empress, who had once raised and nurtured this daughter with high hopes, could be just as ruthless as the empress herself once the truth was revealed. Qin Yinxian's numerous wounds, however, did not appease Luo Zhiheng. She walked up to Qin Yinxian, whose proud head had been completely lowered. Luo Zhiheng coldly mocked, "The renowned Empress Xian, what has become of you? You've become a prisoner?"
Luo Zhiheng's voice spurred Qin Yinxian on. She slowly and laboriously raised her head, the chains clanging. Beneath her disheveled hair, her face was covered in thick, congealed blood and filthy, gruesome wounds. She grinned maliciously at Luo Zhiheng: "You're still alive? Luo Zhiheng, the thing I regret most is not killing you!"
A fierce glint flashed in Luo Zhiheng's eyes as she roared in fury: "Kill me? You killed my imperial grandfather, caused my mother to lose her parents at such a young age, to be accused and questioned, to be assassinated and hunted down, and to be forced to live a life of constant fear and displacement from such a young age! Do you have any humanity left? That was your own sister! Even if you wanted the throne, she was just a child back then. How could you do such a thing? How could you bear to do such a heinous act? It's only because you're not dead that Heaven is so unjust!"
"You hate me? Hahaha, hate me then! It's because I ruined your mother's chance to become the Crown Princess, and she's destined never to become Empress! Your despicable grandfather only knew how to bewitch the Empress, causing my father to be filled with sorrow and grief every day. Your whole family deserves to die! But what can you do even if you hate me? You can't kill me, and nobody can kill me! Because I am the Crown Princess of Silver Moon Kingdom, I am the Empress's own daughter! Nobody can touch me without the Empress's order! The Empress won't kill me; she can't bear to part with me, so you can only hate me, hahaha!" Qin Yinxian laughed maniacally and wildly. Although she appeared insane, her mind was perfectly clear.
Luo Zhiheng's red eyes flashed with murderous intent, and she gripped the dagger hidden in her sleeve tightly. Provoked by Qin Yinxian, her anger grew, and she suddenly sneered, "What are you being so arrogant about? What do you think the Empress sent me here for today? Just as you said, would I have come without the Empress's order?"
Qin Yinxian suddenly stopped laughing, glaring fiercely at Luo Zhiheng: "No way! The Empress Mother wouldn't have let you come! You must have sneaked here on your own! You're asking for death!"
"Are you scared? Even the mighty Emperor Xian has moments of fear?" Luo Zhiheng brandished her dagger, smiling nonchalantly.
Emperor Xian's pupils constricted, his body trembled violently, and he screamed, "What are you doing? Luo Zhiheng, get out! Get out!"
"Don't worry, I don't want to stay here for even a second longer, but you'll soon find out what I'm going to do." Luo Zhiheng grinned, a slightly sinister smile spreading across her face. Suddenly, she stepped forward and plunged a knife into Qin Yinxian's chest. Blood splattered onto her hand, and she said expressionlessly, "This knife is for my imperial grandfather!"
"You, you actually dare to..." Qin Yinxian was in so much pain that she couldn't speak, but she was more shocked and terrified.
"I dare! What wouldn't I dare?" With that, she drew her dagger and swiftly stabbed Qin Yinxian in the abdomen again. Seeing Qin Yinxian scream in pain, Luo Zhiheng said, "This stab was for my mother!"
With a soft thud, she stabbed again: "This stab is for my imperial grandmother! Qin Yinxian, you have caused my imperial grandmother to live a lifetime of regret and pain. You are not worthy of being called a human being!"
Qin Yinxian gasped for breath, gritting her teeth as she said, "Then do you even deserve to be her granddaughter? You killed her daughter, and she'll hate you just the same!"
Luo Zhiheng sneered, "You think I could have come without her tacit approval? You think she wouldn't know what I was going to do when I came to see you? Qin Yinxian, you're about to die and you still think so highly of yourself. You'll die because you're too arrogant."
With another thud, Qin Yinxian's face turned ashen, and she coughed up blood. Luo Zhiheng slowly released her grip, letting the knife remain embedded in Qin Yinxian's heart, and coldly said, "This stab was for my husband. You damaged Mu Yunhe's soul; you deserve to die! When you committed those evil deeds, did you ever think that these debts would have to be repaid?"
Just one update today, all of you! Goodnight, my darlings!
563 A First Meeting After Life and Death: A Dazzling Array of Beauties! (Part 1)
Updated: 2014-01-18 20:10:24 Word Count: 4687
Luo Zhiheng watched as Qin Yinxian stared at her with wide, seemingly bulging eyes. Her face was cold and stern as she watched Qin Yinxian struggle and suffer, unable to utter a single word. She watched coldly as blood rapidly flowed from the knife wounds on Qin Yinxian's body.
No one knows what Qin Yinxian was thinking at the end. She just glared fiercely at Luo Zhiheng, but in the end, she didn't utter a single word of begging for mercy. She just grinned, but she was panting heavily. Finally, she lowered her head, and her tense body finally went completely limp. The swaying iron chains finally fell silent and stopped moving.
Luo Zhiheng endured the foul smell in the dungeon, stepped forward to check Qin Yinxian's breathing, her gaze cold and sharp. She then grabbed Qin Yinxian's wrist to confirm that she had truly stopped breathing and had no pulse before letting go.
Having avenged herself, she turned and left without hesitation.
Shortly after she left, the Empress emerged from the corner, her face pale, and walked to Qin Yinxian. Her gaze, filled with complex emotions, fell upon her dead daughter. Trembling, she closed her eyes, then staggered away. For her, every glance, every bit of care for this child was agonizing. As for Qin Yinxian, she truly felt a love-hate relationship that defied description.
Everything Luo Zhiheng did was something she had anticipated and tacitly approved. There had to be a result regarding Qin Yinxian's actions; an explanation was needed for the Empress, Qin Yinheng, and Luo Zhiheng's family. Qin Yinxian had to die! But she was, after all, the Empress's daughter. No one could remain without feelings after so many years. She couldn't kill Qin Yinxian herself, nor could she order her execution; she could only use Luo Zhiheng to kill her.
This feud, spanning nearly half a century, has finally come to an end.
The next morning, Luo Zhiheng, along with her wet nurse and Qiwan, prepared to leave Silver Moon Kingdom. As soon as they stepped out the door, they saw the King standing there with a smile on his face. Luo Zhiheng asked in surprise, "Aunt? You've come to see us off?"
The king feigned anger and said, "What do you mean by 'send off'? You are my daughter. I don't want to be separated from you. Of course I'll go with you. You wouldn't be so unwilling to take your mother with you, would you?"
"And your father here too! Wherever my good daughter goes, I'll go too." Poison Saint quickly made his presence known, walking up to King Shi and deliberately doing so in front of him.
Luo Zhiheng felt a warmth in her heart. She took the Prince's arm with one hand and the Poison Saint's hand with the other, and said sweetly, "Okay, it just so happens that I also can't bear to part with my father and mother. Let's go together. As long as my grandmother is not angry that I took her right-hand men with me, that's fine."
Calling her "father" and "mother" is to distinguish her from her biological parents, since Luo Zhiheng's biological father is still alive.
The group left Silver Moon Kingdom without incident. Luo Zhiheng looked back from the carriage but did not see Her Majesty the Empress. She felt a little disappointed and uneasy and asked the King, "Mother, you said that Grandmother didn't come. Is she angry with me?"
The Prince raised an eyebrow in surprise: "Your grandmother loves you the most, why would she be angry with you? Or did Heng'er do something?"
A fierce glint flashed in Luo Zhiheng's eyes. She did not hide anything from the Prince and looked him directly in the eye, saying, "Last night, I killed Qin Yinxian!"
With a thud, the teacup in the Queen's hand fell to the ground. She looked at Luo Zhiheng with disbelief, her face cold: "Aheng, this joke is not funny at all."
Luo Zhiheng smiled, frankly and openly: "Aheng did not lie to Mother. I killed her to avenge my grandfather and mother!"
The King's expression shifted rapidly. After all, she was her biological sister; they had been born from the same womb. Logically, they should have been the closest two people in the world. But everything changed as they grew up, and their relationship had fallen apart, becoming increasingly tense. Yet, Qin Yinxian was still her sister. Upon suddenly hearing the news of Qin Yinxian's death, the King was not without anger.
But the murderer was her beloved youngest daughter.
"How could your royal grandmother possibly let you kill her?" The king's voice, which he didn't know where he had found, was tense and taut.
Luo Zhiheng laughed and said, "If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's permission, do you think I would have the ability to kill someone on the Empress Dowager's territory? And would I still be alive and well now?"
After careful consideration, the King realized the key point, and his expression changed repeatedly. His mother had once valued Qin Yinxian so much, but once the scheme was exposed, Qin Yinxian was nothing more than an insignificant pawn. Feeling sad and sorrowful, the King forced a smile and said, "Then why are you so worried? Since it was approved by your grandmother, she naturally won't be angry with you."
Luo Zhiheng said no more, and the carriage fell silent for a moment.
There was a secret passage to leave the Silver Moon Kingdom, but Luo Zhiheng didn't want to know about it; she just wanted to get out. They probably traveled for five or six days, riding at breakneck speed with very little rest, and finally arrived outside the Mu Dynasty city on the seventh day.
Luo Zhiheng couldn't contain her excitement; her small face shone with the most radiant beauty she had shown in four years. She was even more stunning than before.
The King handed over a mask and shook his head, saying, "Hurry up and put it on. If your face shows up, won't it just bring trouble? Don't let the crowd block your way before you even see Mu Yunhe."
"It's not that exaggerated!" Luo Zhiheng laughed, but still took it and put it on. This was her golden mask, and she wasn't afraid that Mu Yunhe wouldn't recognize her even if she wore it. Just thinking about Mu Yunhe made Luo Zhiheng's heart flutter with joy.
After the inspection, they were allowed to enter. As soon as they entered, Luo Zhiheng couldn't wait to jump off the carriage, but the Prince grabbed her wrist and hurriedly said, "Aheng, I have something to tell you."
Luo Zhiheng raised an eyebrow and smiled, "So you're finally going to tell me? I've sensed that Mother has been hesitant to speak these past few days. Please go ahead and say it."
The Prince was indeed hesitant to speak, truly unsure how to tell Luo Zhiheng about that matter. The more enthusiastic Luo Zhiheng was about her return, the more at a loss the Prince became, even feeling that speaking out would be a sin. She had witnessed firsthand how Luo Zhiheng had gone from near death to life; the process was too heart-wrenching and painful. She couldn't bear to let Luo Zhiheng be brought back to her original state by even the slightest setback.
But if we don't speak out, won't things get even more serious, and the consequences be even more unimaginable?
"Mother? What exactly do you want to say?" Luo Zhiheng playfully slapped the Prince's hand, her voice still cheerful and excited.
The King's throat tightened. He glanced at the Poison Saint, who also looked pale and even carried a hint of anger. Luo Zhiheng finally snapped out of her joy, squinting her eyes, feeling somewhat dazed. The King's words, which elicited such expressions from the two men, must be something very difficult to utter.
"Is Mother going to talk about something related to me?" She had just finished speaking when she suddenly heard screams coming from outside. Luo Zhiheng was startled and frowned subconsciously. She was annoyed by the screams of the women outside. After listening carefully to the women's words, she said with a forced smile, "After the Mu Dynasty went through a baptism of devils and priests, the women have become so open? Heh, they're comparable to me in the past."
The Luo Zhiheng she was referring to was the ancient Luo Zhiheng, that infatuated, lecherous, and disgusting woman who craved beautiful women.
And now, the shouts of the women outside are "I love you!" "I'm here, Yunlang, can you see me? Choose me, I can play the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and dance!"
The various voices outside were filled with undisguised enthusiasm and unrestrained passion, bold words and fervent calls, as if they had seen their beloved. This would have been absolutely impossible in the former Mu Dynasty, otherwise Luo Zhiheng would not have been so universally despised back then.
The World King and the Poison Saint had obviously heard the seductive and charming voices of Yun Lang, and their expressions immediately changed drastically.
Poison Saint even hurriedly opened the carriage curtain to look outside, and sure enough, he saw a group of brightly dressed women crowding together enthusiastically, looking towards the other side of the street, hoping for someone. Poison Saint's face turned completely black.
"Shameless! Despicable!" the Poison Saint roared through gritted teeth.
"Why are you so angry, Father? Could it be that the person outside is someone you know? Hmm, aren't you afraid Mother will be angry?" Luo Zhiheng teased, but then she saw that Poison Saint's face suddenly turned pale. She was stunned and went to lift the carriage curtain as well, but before she could fully open it, Poison Saint excitedly stopped her.
"Don't look!" Poison Saint gripped Luo Zhiheng's hand tightly, his eyes filled with anxiety.
Luo Zhiheng stared at the tense Poison Saint, then at the King's gloomy face, which seemed to be on the verge of a storm. Her heart skipped a beat, and an absurd and ominous thought arose in her mind.
What else could make these two important figures so openly express their emotions? Their gazes were filled with deep worry and unease as they looked at her. Luo Zhiheng's heart sank slightly, and she stiffly asked, "Mother, what are you hiding from me? Is Yunhe not well?"
The Poison Saint roared in uncontrollable rage, "He's not good? He's excellent! Who can compare to him? Who lives a better life than him? You were still foolishly thinking of him, missing him, and loving him deeply! But he's been seeking pleasure..."
"Enough!" The Prince hurriedly interrupted the Poison Saint, then looked at Luo Zhiheng, only to see that her chin was tense, and her emotions were completely hidden behind the mask. The Prince reassured her, "Don't listen to your father's nonsense. He's just like this, acting crazy. Aren't you anxious to see Mu Yunhe? Let's hurry and have the carriage go to the Divine Official's residence. The Emperor has bestowed another residence upon Mu Yunhe."
The carriage started moving at the king's command, but Luo Zhiheng remained silent. As the women outside grew louder and their words became more and more unbearable, Luo Zhiheng's brows furrowed more and more as they called her "Yun Lang".
Luo Zhiheng was incredibly clever. Considering the unusual attitude of the Poison Saint King and the cries outside, a bizarre thought, one that was utterly unacceptable to her, emerged. Not only was the thought bizarre, but even considering it seemed unbelievable. Her Yun He would never betray her!
"Stop the car!" she suddenly said, her voice cold and clear.
"Ah Heng..." Poison Saint nervously grabbed Luo Zhiheng's hand, afraid that she would discover something or get off the car.
The carriage wouldn't stop until the King spoke. Luo Zhiheng looked at the King, but his face remained cold and unyielding, showing no sign of complying with her wishes. Luo Zhiheng then stood up and said, "If you don't stop, I'll jump."
"Nonsense!" the King roared.
Luo Zhiheng raised her chin slightly: "Mother, you should know my personality. I mean what I say. Besides, I just want to see who this expert is outside. Mother, there's no need to be nervous."
While the Prince hesitated, Luo Zhiheng had already quickly reached the carriage door. In the urgency, the Prince shouted, "Stop the carriage now! If you fall, Miss will kill you!"
The carriage stopped, and neither the wet nurse nor Qi Wan came to help her. Luo Zhiheng found this strange. She jumped down herself, and when she looked up, she saw the wet nurse and Qi Wan standing in front of her like wooden figures. In front of them was a sea of people, all of them women! Some of the women were alluring and charming, some were pure and innocent, and some were generous and enthusiastic. Every one of them was dressed in their finest attire, excitedly cheering and waving at someone in front of them, as if this would attract that person's attention and make them take them into his household.
Luo Zhiheng frowned. The noisy scene made her, who had been quiet for a year, very uncomfortable, and she felt a headache coming on. She gently patted her wet nurse Qiwan's shoulder and had to shout, "Wet nurse, what are you looking at? Who are those people in there?"
The wet nurse turned around abruptly, her face deathly pale, as if she had seen a ghost. Upon seeing Luo Zhiheng, she instinctively covered Luo Zhiheng's eyes with her hands and said angrily, "Master, don't look! They're just a bunch of filthy, shameful creatures. Let's go back to the carriage quickly."
"We won't let Miss see? Wet nurse, you let Miss see! Look at how few sons-in-law there are!" Qi Wan's honest voice was filled with anger, and his words made it impossible to hide the truth any longer.
Luo Zhiheng brushed the wet nurse's hand away and said coldly, "Seven bowls, who are you talking about? Mu Yunhe? Where is he?"
At this moment, she had no choice but to face the worst possible scenario that Luo Zhiheng could not accept.
Qi Wan angrily pointed into the crowd: "They're right there! Those women are shameless, scrambling to throw themselves at the young master!"
Luo Zhiheng's grip on the seven bowls tightened suddenly, her pupils filled with coldness. She looked up at the group of women scrambling to squeeze inside without any restraint. She couldn't see what was happening inside at all. She seemed to hear her own teeth chattering, or perhaps she was grinding her teeth.
She stepped forward and tapped a woman on the shoulder. The woman turned to look at her, and Luo Zhiheng said with a light laugh, "Excuse me, please move aside."
"No way! Why should I give it to you! You ugly monster trying to steal Yun Lang from me!" The woman was very agitated. After saying that, she turned around and tried to squeeze inside again.