"Why didn't you stop him? Why?" Ji Wushang turned to look at Beigong Minhao. "He said you were his brother, the person he trusted most! Why did you watch him die for me without stabbing me? Did you want to torment my soul too?"
“I can’t stop him from making his decision…” Bei Gongminhao looked at her, “Wu Shang, take care of yourself, you are… pregnant now…”
"But he's gone, what's the use of having a baby?" Tears blurred her vision again. "He really wanted a baby, but I never conceived. And when I finally did, he left me... Heavens, what can I do to bring him back to me? Is it a matter of life for life? If so, please, God, give him back my life!"
Bei Gongminhao looked at Ji Wushang and shook his head, unsure of what to say. This was a decision made between them, and what was he, the outsider? He seemed destined to always be an outsider…
"He told me to take good care of you." Bei Gongminhao said in a deep voice after a long silence. He didn't know how to tell this woman, but he knew that he was getting further and further away from her.
"Hehe, no need." Ji Wushang held Nan Xuzong's body tightly, quietly, tears streaming down his face, soaking everything around him.
The rain, mixed with snow, became incredibly cold. Ji Wushang's shoulders trembled, but she was lost in her grief. Bei Gongminhao felt the bone-chilling cold as well. He looked at Ji Wushang, "Wushang... Fourth Imperial Consort, you should take good care of yourself..."
Ji Wushang seemed not to have heard his voice at all, remaining in the same initial position, her whole body numb.
Bei Gongminhao clutched his injured right shoulder blade, then stepped forward. He bent down behind Ji Wushang, unsure whether to call out to her or help her up. He was conflicted; he knew he could never replace Nan Xuzong, yet he simply wanted to protect Ji Wushang in his own way.
Ji Wushang seemed completely unaware that someone was behind her. Her gaze gradually became vacant. She closed her eyes and let herself sink into endless darkness, her consciousness growing weaker and weaker.
He should have taken himself with him when he left.
His heart no longer beats, and his body is so cold...
Cong, you left me all alone. How cruel.
Bei Gongminhao softly called out behind her, "Wu Shang, Wu Shang?"
There was no response and no movement. Bei Gongminhao immediately stepped forward and helped Ji Wushang up, only to find that Ji Wushang had already fainted!
The war between the Great Xia Zhou Dynasty and the Western Regions ended with the Great Xia Zhou Dynasty's Crown Prince Huangfu Xuan besieging a city in the Western Regions for several months without success. After discussing with General Hao Yueyi, the four elders, and others, Murs presented a treaty to the Great Xia Zhou Dynasty's Emperor, ceding territory. Crown Prince Huangfu Xuan originally intended to attack the city, but the Emperor ordered Huangfu Xuan to return in triumph. Therefore, Huangfu Xuan returned to his country in a huff.
Three-fifths of the Western Regions were ceded to the Great Xia Zhou Dynasty. The four elders, along with Murs, Hao Yueyi, and others, firmly believed that King Yiyun Shangcheng of the Western Regions was not dead. While leading the people to search for Yiyun Shangcheng, the six of them jointly managed the affairs of the Western Regions.
During the reign of Eyun Shangcheng, there was no tyranny, but rather diligent governance, which earned him the support of the people of the Western Regions. It was just a pity that he did not leave behind any children, and the rumored Queen of the Western Regions also disappeared in this battle (due to Murs's stabilization policy). Therefore, even without Eyun Shangcheng, no one proposed to establish a new King of the Western Regions.
In the Great Xia Zhou Dynasty, Huangfu Xuan had just returned to the capital after his military campaign when he was assigned to the northern frontier, a region bordering the desert, with the intention of having Huangfu Xuan guard it.
Huangfu Xuan was furious, but he was hesitant because the time was not yet ripe. So he took Ma Ruyi and went to the desert to temporarily bide his time and accumulate strength, waiting for the right opportunity.
Emperor Tuoba Heyan of Qingzhao swiftly swept away the surrounding small states with thunderous methods, becoming the second largest country on the entire continent after the Great Xia and Zhou Dynasties! At this time, Tuoba Heyan was focusing on developing the domestic economy and training soldiers to contend for the Central Plains, eyeing the Great Xia and Zhou Dynasties with hostility! As for the Western Regions, Tuoba Heyan no longer considered them a threat!
The entire process took only seven days.
Regarding the death of the Fourth Prince Huangfu Zong, Emperor Zhou ordered him to be given a grand burial in the royal ancestral tombs outside the city. What the world knew was that His Highness the Fourth Prince had died for his country, while the Fourth Princess Consort was pregnant with his posthumous child.
Ji Wushang felt as if she had been having a very long dream. In the dream, she met Nan Xuzong, and everything she experienced with him played out in her mind like a movie. Ji Wushang felt extremely tired, but it was as if a voice was constantly calling softly in her ear, "Wushang, Wushang..."
That voice sounded like Nan Xuzong calling her name on the battlefield, full of tenderness...
However, later in the dream, Ji Wushang dreamt that he broke into the palace of Yiyun Shangcheng in order to find the antidote for Nan Xuzong's Heart-Eating Gu. He tested the medicine on himself and obtained the antidote, but he became the queen of Yiyun Shangcheng. He forced him to eat the Heartless Gu and became a person he did not recognize. Later, when the two countries went to war, Nan Xuzong died by his own sword in the final battle between them in order to bring him back to life!
Ji Wushang was drenched in cold sweat! She was suddenly jolted awake by the long nightmare. "Ah!" Ji Wushang woke up with a start and immediately looked around. At that moment, Hongfei and Cuiwu ran in from outside. They looked at Ji Wushang and immediately exclaimed with delight, "The Fourth Imperial Consort is awake!"
"Where is Cong? Where is he?" Ji Wushang felt her heart pounding wildly as she stared intently at Hongfei and Cuiwu's faces. "Where is Cong?" she asked again.
Hongfei and Cuiwu lowered their heads, knelt on the ground, and silently shed tears.
Ji Wushang's face turned deathly pale; her dream had all come true! She stumbled out, but Hongfei and Cuiwu immediately rushed to support her, saying, "Fourth Imperial Consort, you...you should rest well!"
"Take me to see him! I want to see him!" Ji Wushang's eyes were resolute as she looked at Hongfei and Cuiwu. "Cong, Cong said he would never leave me. He said he would take care of me for the rest of his life! We are still young, he won't abandon me!" Ji Wushang was about to step forward when Hongfei supported her. "Fourth Imperial Consort, please calm down."
“Master, Master has already left…” Cuiwu wiped away her tears.
Just then, a person entered from outside. He looked at Ji Wushang, then at Hongfei and Cuiwu, and said, "Hongfei, Cuiwu, you may leave!"
"Yes, Second Master." Hongfei and Cuiwu immediately bowed to Beigong Minhao and then left.
Indeed, in Nan Xuzong's final instructions, he entrusted all his affairs after his death to Beigong Minhao, who was referred to as "Second Master" by Nan Xuzong's former subordinates.
Ji Wushang looked at him, a cold smile playing on her lips. It was all true…it was true! She had still lost him!
"Please take me to see him." Ji Wushang suddenly knelt down before Beigong Minhao, tears streaming down her face. "Why isn't there a mourning hall? Is it because you're afraid I'll be too sad, or what? I'm not sad, I want to see him..."
"Seven days have passed, and he has already been buried." Beigong Minhao bent down, then, after thinking for a moment, he helped her up by supporting her arms.
She was immediately shocked upon hearing this, "You, what did you say? Seven days, seven days have already passed?"
“Yes, you were unconscious for seven days.” Beigong Minhao looked at her.
Ji Wushang, looking completely distraught, collapsed to the ground again. Beigong Minhao immediately tried to help her up, but Ji Wushang pushed him away, saying, "...Go out! Let me have some peace and quiet."
"Wu Shang..." he called her name. Yes, his desire to possess her had never changed! Bei Gong Minhao looked at her, still worried, but Ji Wu Shang looked up at him and smiled, "I'm fine, don't worry."
Beigong Minhao was taken aback. He had been longing for her smile, but she was smiling now. Did that mean she was really alright?
Ji Wushang stood up from the ground. "I'm just tired. I'll rest for a bit." She murmured, "I want to see his grave. Can you tell me where it is?"
“Okay, I’ll take you to see it this afternoon.” Bei Gongminhao looked at her with a hint of worry, but she had already lifted the beaded curtain and entered the inner room.
Bei Gongminhao stared at her for a long time. When he finally heard a suppressed sob coming from inside, Bei Gongminhao sighed inwardly. He took out the Forget-Me-Not Water from his bosom, looked at it for a long time, and then turned around and put the Forget-Me-Not Water into his bosom.
Ji Wushang only remembered that he was in a daze the whole time, and he forced himself to get up at lunchtime.
At this moment, Hongfei and Cuiwu came in to set the table, and Ji Wushang went out. "Hongfei, Cuiwu, where is the Prince of Zhenbei?"
“I’m here.” Bei Gongminhao stood outside the door. He had just thought it over and realized that he should keep his distance from her. He couldn’t damage Ji Wushang’s reputation. She was a new widow, but as a member of the royal family and pregnant, she should be even more careful.
Countless people once envied the marriage of Nan Xuzong and Ji Wushang, but because of this battle, they had to lament the untimely death of the once peerless Fourth Prince Huangfu Zong!
"Take me there, right now!" Ji Wushang looked at Beigong Minhao and immediately stepped forward.
Bei Gongminhao's eyes darkened. He stepped forward and looked at her, "Fourth Imperial Consort, your health..."
"I'm fine." Ji Wushang's eyes were cold as she stepped forward. Her eyes were red, clearly indicating that she had been crying.
Bei Gongminhao looked at her and said, "You should take your medicine first. Hongfei, bring the Fourth Princess's medicine."
"Yes." Hongfei immediately went down to fetch the medicine and stepped forward.
"The baby is more important, Fourth Princess Consort. Please take good care of yourself." Bei Gongminhao said in a deep voice, his gaze falling on Ji Wushang's lower abdomen, which was already showing signs of swelling.
Ji Wushang was stunned, and suddenly remembered that there was a new life in his lower abdomen... This was his and his flesh and blood, but what was the meaning of living without him?
Cui Wu stepped forward and silently helped Ji Wushang sit down at the table. Bei Gong Minhao looked at her, while Ji Wushang placed her hand on her lower abdomen. The little life seemed to be able to sense Ji Wushang and actually moved slightly.
Ji Wushang was startled. "He... he moved."
Bei Gongminhao immediately stepped forward. "Really?" he asked, squatting down abruptly. He was about to touch Ji Wushang's lower abdomen when he realized his rudeness. He stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.
He was too excited. He had never disliked her or her child in the slightest! He would definitely treat the child she gave birth to as his own! But now, his actions were far too obvious!
“Your Highness, the silver needles on the ground are too thin. If you can’t pick them up, then forget it. It’s really unfair to you.” Ji Wushang pursed his lips.
Just then, Hongfei came in carrying a bowl of medicine and happened to overhear this remark. Cuiwu watched from the side, unsure how to describe her feelings.
Everyone in the capital knew that the former heir of the Prince of Zhenbei and the heir of the Marquis of Jinnan had sought marriage with General Ji's mansion, but the marriage was only concluded when an imperial decree granted Ji Wushang and Nan Xuzong a marriage. This meant that now that Nan Xuzong was dead, it was highly likely that the heir of the Prince of Zhenbei could remarry Ji Wushang.
In the Zhou Dynasty of the Xia Dynasty, a woman could remarry after three years of mourning for her husband's death. Of course, this required the consent of two respected elders in the local community. Who were these two elders? They were the oldest man and woman in the area.
Most importantly, of course, it depends on the widow's own wishes.
If she is divorced or separated from her husband, she does not have to wait three years.
However, regardless of the circumstances, remarrying in this way is unacceptable to the world, and the woman usually bears immense pressure from public opinion and psychological stress.
Women have always served only one husband.
Bei Gongminhao's face darkened. "Perhaps my eyes are a little blurry, for I was unable to find the silver needles to return to the Fourth Princess. I'm truly sorry for making the Fourth Princess laugh at me." With that, he stood up and pushed himself outside.
Hongfei then brought the medicine over and placed it in front of Ji Wushang, saying, "Fourth Imperial Consort, please."
Ji Wushang nodded, then glanced at Beigong Minhao. "Your Highness, after I take the medicine, will you take me to see his grave?"
“Yes,” Bei Gongminhao said, adding that he would give him all the letters Nan Xuzong had given her once he was there.
I will never forget the words I saw when I opened his letter that night.
Nan Xuzong, you are truly heartless!
Ji Wushang lowered his head, picked up the medicine in one swift motion, and gulped it down into his mouth. The speed at which he drank it startled Hong Fei, Cui Wu, and Bei Gong Minhao.
Ji Wushang used to dislike taking medicine the most, but today she obediently finished it!
Bei Gongminhao pursed his lips, "Hongfei, Cuiwu, go down and prepare a sedan chair for the Fourth Imperial Consort."
"Yes, Second Master." Hongfei and Cuiwu immediately obeyed and went downstairs.
Bei Gongminhao looked at Ji Wushang. He remembered that Nan Xuzong had written in his letter that she couldn't stand bitter medicine and asked him to instruct the servants to prepare candied fruit. However, before he could even say anything, she had already drunk all the medicine.
Ji Wushang stood up, her eyes cold and clear. "Please take me there, Your Highness."
“Okay,” Beigong Minhao replied calmly.
The north wind ripped everything apart; at the end of October, all things began to wither. Ji Wushang stared intently outside, remembering how he and she had climbed the mountain at the end of October and witnessed the entire mountain ablaze with red leaves. He also remembered the Mid-Autumn Festival before, meeting him, and the lotus lantern—everything in his memory.
Ji Wushang felt pain even when he was breathing.
Bei Gongminhao walked outside her sedan chair, protecting her. He didn't know if she heard anything, but he told her what had happened in the past seven days, which was also Nan Xuzong's intention.
In his letter, Nan Xuzong said that he must let Ji Wushang know everything about this matter. He had deceived her for half his life, but now he did not want to keep Ji Wushang in the dark any longer.
Because the threats that Nan Xuzong had worried about back then no longer exist.
Ji Wushang remained expressionless, having indeed heard everything Bei Gongminhao had told him.
But all of this is meaningless now; Nan Xuzong is gone.
If darkness falls, no one will light a lamp for her anymore. If it gets cold, no one will add clothes for her. If thunder rumbles, no one will hold her tightly in their arms. No one will whisper sweet nothings in her ear anymore, no one will gently recite poems from the Book of Songs for her, reciting the vows of holding hands and growing old together.
No one will tie up her hair anymore, and no one will write her unique words.
Ji Wushang was lost in thought.
Just then, the sedan chair stopped. "Fourth Imperial Consort, we've arrived," said Bei Gongminhao.
Ji Wushang opened his eyes. Hongfei and Cuiwu had already lifted the curtain. Hongfei stepped forward and reached out her hand, indicating that Ji Wushang should place his hand on hers and help her out.
Ji Wushang's eyes stung with tears. Every time, Nan Xuzong would carry her down from the sedan chair... Ji Wushang wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, placed her hand on Hongfei's hand, and then got down.
This place is desolate.
This cemetery is so huge, it's terrifying!
There is only one solitary grave here, and that is Nan Xuzong's.
Ji Wushang stared blankly at the tomb that stood there, the stone tablet inscribed with the words "Tomb of Huangfu Zong, the Fourth Prince of the Zhou Dynasty of the Great Xia Dynasty." Beside it were smaller characters introducing the life of Nan Xuzong.
Ji Wushang covered his mouth, but no sobs came out as tears streamed down his face.