Chapter 1 The End A muffled sound suddenly echoed from the dark, damp, and cramped water prison, followed by a ray of light that quickly disappeared, and the narrow space returned to darkness. Light, subtle footsteps approached from afar, standing out clearly in the deathly silence of th
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Capítulo 1
Chapter 1 The End
A muffled sound suddenly echoed from the dark, damp, and cramped water prison, followed by a ray of light that quickly disappeared, and the narrow space returned to darkness. Light, subtle footsteps approached from afar, standing out clearly in the deathly silence of the water prison.
Before long, a soft light seemed to appear before his eyes, and the footsteps stopped abruptly. Belatedly realizing what was happening, Zhang Yu opened his eyes with difficulty and looked up at the person who had appeared. It was Song Shuhao, the former lady-in-waiting of his mother and now the wife of Zhao Jian, the heir apparent of the Prince of Anping.
After his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he felt uncomfortable. Zhang Yu subconsciously closed his eyes, feeling his strength almost completely drained. He had endured over ten days here, covered in wounds, with little food and much torture. Even the strongest person would have only a breath left. Ultimately, that person intended to torture him like this, leaving him unable to live or die. He tried to open his mouth, laboriously parting his dry lips, but no sound came out.
The shackles binding him were touched unconsciously, the chains clanging loudly in his ears. What did she want to do? Zhang Yu wanted to frown, but his face remained expressionless. He didn't quite understand. Even though she had served his mother for ten years and had been married to Zhao Jian for quite some time, her repeated actions showed no loyalty whatsoever to those who had always been by his side. It seemed she was far too stubborn.
Song Shuhao lowered her voice, but could not hide her anxiety. "Your Majesty, this servant will take you away from here. Please hold on a little longer; there are still many people waiting for Your Majesty outside the palace."
She somehow obtained the key and unlocked the lock. His hands, now free, fell heavily, limp and powerless. Seemingly disregarding this, she put away the luminous pearl in her hand and jumped into the waist-deep water. Bending down, she reached for the shackles on his feet, attempting to unlock them as well.
Zhang Yu was too weak to stand, leaning half his body against Song Shuhao's back. She was slender and couldn't bear such weight, but she gritted her teeth and endured it without a sound. The victor is king, the loser is villain; he had lost, and that was it—he didn't want to run away.
Thinking of this, Zhang Yu struggled to straighten himself up, then slammed against the wall to support his weight. The pain aggravated most of his wounds, and the pain, which he thought had gone numb, instantly cleared his mind a little. Leaning against the damp wall, Zhang Yu tried to speak again, finally managing to utter a word, albeit in a hoarse voice.
"You may leave..."
He lowered his eyes and saw her pause, but her hands did not stop moving. Then he heard her say, "Your Majesty, please do not give up on yourself. You have left here today, and there will always be a chance to come back in the future."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the water dungeon was opened again. This time, it seemed that quite a few people had arrived; their footsteps were chaotic yet hurried, and torches illuminated the entire area from afar.
Zhang Yu's face suddenly turned cold, but the person groping in the water still hadn't given up. As the footsteps gradually stopped, he felt the restraints on his feet disappear. Song Shuhao stood up, supporting him firmly, and stood with him facing the person who had just entered.
His gaze swept over them inch by inch. Zhao Jian, Xie Lanyan, Xue Liangyue… all familiar faces. And behind them stood many others, some strangers, some familiar. His former ministers, his former concubines. Zhang Yu sneered inwardly. It was a pity there was no afterlife, otherwise he would surely take revenge on these treacherous bastards one by one!
Zhao Jian's gaze, however, was fixed solely on Song Shuhao. His face was icy, but a hint of sarcasm curled at the corner of his lips. He spoke coldly, his voice deep, "Shuhao, come back." He even reached out his hand to Song Shuhao.
“No.” Zhang Yu heard Song Shuhao beside him firmly refuse, “I’m not going back. Today, either I leave with His Majesty, or I die here.”
The torch illuminated Zhao Jianjun's handsome face, which was now even colder. He withdrew his hand and spoke again, almost through gritted teeth, "He's nothing but a prisoner now. Do you really think you can get out? His empire is mine now, his concubines are mine, and his ministers are kneeling at my feet. Don't you understand?"
Song Shuhao seemed to shake her head and said, "Zhao Jian, I really don't understand, and I don't want to understand. I only know that the Empress Dowager has been kind to me, and His Majesty has been kind to me, and I must repay them. As a subject, you plotted to seize power, which is disloyal and unjust." Besides, this was the only thing the Empress Dowager asked her for before she died, and she had to do it even if it cost her her life.
Her gaze shifted from Zhao Jian to Xue Liangyue, and she said, "Ayue, you and I are the same. I just didn't expect that even you would choose to betray us." Then she looked at Xie Lanyan and smiled, "Consort Xie... in the future, you may become the Empress. Congratulations on getting your wish. From now on, you and Zhao Jian will live happily ever after."
Xue Liangyue's eyes flickered as she looked at Song Shuhao. She unconsciously took a step forward and said in a sorrowful voice, "Shuhao, don't do this. I have no choice. I don't want to die." Xie Lanyan smiled gently, as if in response to her congratulation.
Zhao Jian seemed to be angered by Song Shuhao's words and immediately scolded her, "What nonsense are you talking about!" Xie Lanyan's smile froze instantly. Zhao Jian continued, "If you come back, I won't hold it against you." But when he said this, he lost his previous momentum.
"I've said it before, I won't go back, not even if it kills me." Song Shuhao's words remained firm. "I've long seen through it all. Back then, you begged the Empress Dowager to arrange my marriage, just to cover for yourself. Now that you've achieved your goal, I'm of no use to you anymore. I know what will happen to me. Why put on this pitiful act? Don't you find it disgusting?"
The word "disgusting" must have deeply stung Zhao Jian. He drew a long sword from the waist of the guard behind him, the tip of the blade pointing diagonally at Zhang Yu. "So you just want to be a pair of star-crossed lovers with him? I'll grant your wish!"
Zhang Yu watched the blade hurtling towards him, powerless to stop it, when a small, slender figure stepped in front of him. He couldn't see her expression, but he could imagine its unwavering resolve. The blade grazed Song Shuhao's neck, then abruptly stopped as a soft, delicate hand gripped the bare blade.
Only then did Zhang Yu realize that Song Shuhao was actually a head shorter than him, and even though she stood in front of him, she couldn't block his view at all. His senses were fading at a perceptible speed; his legs went weak, and he couldn't even stand
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