Acuerdo de Mu Yucheng

Capítulo 152

"You're doing this...you're doing this..."

Zhao Defang suddenly stood up and glared at him fiercely, her eyes moist with deep pain, and she growled uncontrollably, "How can you do this to us! How can I continue to be happy as if nothing happened!"

Zhao Dezhao calmly observed his pain and suddenly said, "I love her."

Zhao Defang's breath hitched, and she stared at him blankly.

"She once tried to stop your father and uncle from killing each other, but she was seriously injured and almost didn't make it back. However, despite this, your father still died and your uncle still ascended the throne. Nothing unexpected happened. On the contrary, she almost left this world because of that one impulsive act."

Zhao Dezhao slowly stood up and looked him in the eye. "If I don't die, she will most likely disappear from this world."

Zhao Defang was startled and unable to move.

These are precisely what he fears.

But he also greedily wanted to spare his elder brother's life...

“I’m dying for her, not for you. I’m telling you today that I love her to warn you that you must love her even more in the future and give her a lifetime of happiness, or I will never let you go.”

"Big brother..."

"alright!"

Zhao Dezhao smiled with relief, "There's nothing more to say. A month here is enough. Since your marriage, we've never spent time together as peacefully as we have in the past month. I've wronged so many people in my life, yet I'm also conflictedly glad that you married Lan'er and brought Wanlan here. So, nothing else matters."

After saying that, he patted Zhao Defang on the shoulder and turned to leave.

He was destined to bear the burden of Lan'er's love and resentment for the rest of his life, a burden he could never repay.

Because he... with that incomplete heart, betrayed everyone.

Zhao Guangyi 1. Regret that we didn't meet before I was married

When Zhao Guangyi first heard that his elder brother had bestowed the crown and robes upon a teenage girl, he could only express his astonishment.

He knew that the position of Crown Prince had been vacant since Empress Xiaoming's death, but—his elder brother didn't need to bring a teenage girl into the harem and make her empress, did he?

Because of this, he often advised his elder brother to think twice before acting. His elder brother, however, just smiled and said nothing, only that he would be at ease once he met the other party. His elder brother said that although the woman was young, she was definitely not rash in her dealings with people.

Half a month later, he gradually came to believe his elder brother's assertion.

At the investiture ceremony, he met Song Huining, who was only seventeen years old, for the first time.

Her beautiful face, still faintly showing signs of youth, possessed a composure beyond her years. A relaxed smile always graced her lips, and she handled everything with ease, making it impossible for him to look away from her from beginning to end.

Before realizing his own feelings, he let himself focus his attention on her. He watched as she became the most favored concubine in the harem, receiving all the affection and devotion of his elder brother, while even Lady Huarui, who had been the emperor's favorite since his death, was neglected by his brother.

Knowing these things, Zhao Guangyi's feelings were complicated and hard to discern; even he himself couldn't figure out what he was thinking.

Perhaps he should be happy for her and wish that she could continue to be favored like this. As the mother of the nation, she must be quite happy to have the emperor's exclusive favor.

Then, a piece of news he heard from Eunuch Wang shocked him and made him worry about her.

"Empress Xiaohui He? You say she looks remarkably like Empress Xiaohui?" [Note: Empress Xiaohui He was the first wife of Emperor Taizu of Song.]

“Your Highness Prince Jin, this is not something I, your servant, have said. However, the Empress was introduced to His Majesty by Lord Zhao Pu.”

"Damn it! How does she resemble her?"

I can't explain why I'm so angry, but I suddenly feel sorry for that gentle woman. Was she just someone else's substitute?

"Your Highness Prince Jin, please forgive me for saying something unpleasant. Regardless of whether the Empress resembles Empress Xiaohui or not, she now has everything that all women dream of, and the reason for that seems to be irrelevant."

Wang Jisi's words may have been meant to dissuade him, but they only made him angrier.

Could it be that she was thinking the same thing? Using her resemblance to Empress Xiaohui to gain wealth and status? Was he overestimating her? In the end, she was just a woman.

Fueled by his suppressed anger, he immediately sought out his elder brother and argued with him about whether the Empress resembled Empress Xiaohui. He admitted that he acted impulsively, but he never imagined that his actions would bring her a long-lasting calamity.

The emperor seemed to wake up from a drunken dream, and suddenly realized that the woman he had conferred the title of was completely different from Empress He. He gradually visited the empress's palace less often, and the empress, who had been his favorite for two years, was suddenly banished to the cold palace because no good news came.

Lady Huarui regained favor, and Zhao Guangyi was shocked, realizing what a terrible thing he had done.

From the initial amazement at her beauty, to the irresistible urge to gaze upon her, to the anger that arose from misjudging her thoughts, to the regret upon learning that she had fallen out of favor because of his impulsiveness, he suddenly understood all his feelings for that woman.

It was this feeling of being moved, angry, and pained for her that made him increasingly remorseful for the harm he had caused her. He began to try every means to find an opportunity to get to know her, and finally, on the Mid-Autumn Festival that year, the opportunity came.

Hearing that she intended to go to the Kunning Palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, he also used the excuse of paying his respects to the Empress Dowager to meet her under the palace corridor.

She wore a bright purple dress and walked gracefully, followed by Yuan Niang, who had accompanied her to the palace.

He had just turned the corner when he saw her coming towards him. He immediately stopped and his gaze fell on her calm, somewhat indifferent face, never looking away.

For the past two years, excluding the distant gaze on the day she was conferred her title, today is the first time they have officially met.

As she drew closer, his hand, which was hanging by his side, tightened and loosened repeatedly, and finally suddenly reached out just as she was close, blocking her way.

"Your Highness Prince Jin?" She seemed to be taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "I'm sorry, I didn't notice you. I hope Your Highness is well."

"You—" He gritted his teeth, glaring at her relaxed smile, and blurted out, "You can still laugh?"

She looked at him in surprise, "Why does the Prince of Jin say such a thing?"

"She took everything that belonged to you, aren't you angry?" He glared at her fiercely. Wasn't this what she had always wanted? To be the empress, to enjoy the favor of the harem, why was she so carefree? As if nothing had happened?

She remained bewildered. "I... don't quite understand what Prince Jin means."

"Don't understand?" He didn't know why he was so angry. He considered himself a very patient person, but he broke down as soon as he saw her. "How long has it been since my brother last visited you?"