“I have a mother, a father, and brothers and sisters,” Yao Biluo said with some difficulty.
"I fell into the water last year and almost died."
"After being rescued, although I don't remember things from before very clearly, and my mind is filled with many strange things, I have never thought that I am not myself anymore!"
"I never thought I would become someone else. So where did my original self go?"
Yao Bilu twisted her sleeves and carefully explained her thoughts.
Anmei felt a pang of pity seeing her conflicted expression, but if she didn't give her a wake-up call, her thinking might become muddled, and the consequences could be disastrous...
"You say you are Yao Biluo, what proof do you have? Besides this face! You don't even have any memory of her!" Anmei pressed aggressively. "You say you are not Lin Zijing, how do you explain your dreams, your internal energy, your soft whip, your Linglong Stone, and your speculations these past few days?"
Faced with An Mei's relentless pursuit, Yao Biluo's eyes widened, this was also the question in her mind!
Yes! Why? Why?
Yao Biluo closed her eyes in pain, buried her head in her hands, and squatted down.
Dark Enchantress steeled her resolve, grabbed her shoulder, and pulled her up: "There's a way to unravel this mystery. Would you be willing to try?"
Yao Biluo was in a lot of pain from being grabbed, but her mind was drawn to An Mei's words, and she forgot about the pain. She opened her eyes: "How do we try?"
She saw her own pale face reflected in Anmei's pupils, and she also saw Anmei's reluctance and worry.
She heard Anmei say, "Didn't Xuan Yi tell you that in your dream?"
In my dream, in my dream, Xuan Yi said that I needed Jun Yilin's blood... that way my memories would be restored!
Yao Biluo saw herself nodding firmly in Anmei's pupils.
Anmei breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much more relaxed. "Great! Once everything comes to light, everyone will be free from suffering."
Looking at Yao Biluo's pale face, Anmei reached out and pulled her into her arms, gently patting her back. Even this person she had always looked up to could have such moments of fear and anxiety!
Inside the Zichen Palace.
"What did you say? She agreed! That's great! How did you convince her?" Jun Yilin had just finished the morning court session and was changing his clothes when he heard An Mei's words. He hurriedly came over, and the eunuch serving him hurriedly followed behind to help him tie his belt.
"All of you, leave. I'll do it myself," Jun Yilin said impatiently, taking the belt from the eunuch's hand.
After the palace maids and eunuchs had left, Anmei said, "You don't need to worry about this. Just be prepared, and I will bring her over tonight."
Jun Yilin quickly fastened his belt and nodded excitedly.
"Great! Everything is ready, she'll be back soon!" Jun Yilin paced around the bedchamber helplessly for a moment before calling out, "Someone, clean my bedchamber again and put on some agarwood incense."
After thinking for a while, he said, "Clean up Fengyi Palace again, replace the furnishings and bedding, and invite the Empress to stay temporarily in Yunhuang Palace."
The palace maids and eunuchs were somewhat surprised to hear Jun Yilin's new order, but they still complied.
The efficiency of the dozens of palace maids and eunuchs was astonishing. By evening, they had tidied up both palaces and wasted no time even when asking the Empress to move the palace. Yao Bile was absent-minded when she heard the order and was helped to Yunhuang Palace by two palace maids with simple bundles.
Yunhuang Palace had been uninhabited for a long time. Although it had once been magnificent, it was now covered in dust and had lost all its former splendor. Yao Bile moved in here, and the rumors about the Empress falling out of favor intensified.
Inside the Zichen Palace, the hourglass ticked away, but Jun Yilin's anxious heart wished it would tick away even faster.
At the third quarter of the hour of Wu (戊时), a palace maid came to report: "Lord Anmei has arrived."
Jun Yilin said "send a message," but couldn't wait and went outside himself. After taking a few steps, he saw Anmei bring Yao Biluo in. Yao Biluo looked haggard, but her expression revealed a firmness.
Dark Enchantress asked, "Are you ready?"
Jun Yilin nodded, and then Anmei helped Yao Biluo sit on a stool and said to Jun Yilin, "Let's begin!"
Jun Yilin sat down on the stool opposite Yao Biluo, gazing at her. Yao Biluo lowered her head and said softly, "Thank you for your trouble."
Jun Yilin felt a little bitter. When did they become so polite?
Yao Biluo gently pulled out the exquisite stone, and Jun Yilin immediately grabbed a sharp blade and stabbed it into his heart.
"Wait!" Yao Biluo exclaimed.
Jun Yilin stopped and looked at her, puzzled.
When Yao Biluo saw Jun Yilin about to harm himself, she suddenly felt a pang of heartache. She anxiously asked, "Has the imperial physician been summoned? Has any medicine been prepared?"
Jun Yilin's heavy expression suddenly eased. These words were like a flower blooming in his heart, bright and beautiful. He smiled: "The imperial physician is waiting outside, don't worry."
Yao Biluo nodded in relief.
As the blood slowly seeped into the exquisite stone, its hidden light, which had been hidden for the past year, suddenly burst forth! It grew stronger and stronger, gradually enveloping the two of them.
The bright light made Anmei squint, but she still refused to close her eyes out of worry.
In the bright light, a figure in black robes gracefully appeared, smiling as he held up a flower: "You've finally found him!"
Meanwhile, Yao Biluo's memories were being pieced together and restored, and everything was finally becoming so clear again...
Her initial dislike for Jun Yilin, her gratitude and embarrassment after being saved by him, their journey of revenge together, his tender care for her, and the budding feelings in her heart...
She finally smiled and replied to Xuan Yi, "Thank you!"
Three words cannot express the gratitude she felt in this life; it was a rebirth for her, and a rebirth for her love.
Seeing her happiness and contentment, Xuan Yi tossed the cherry blossom in his hand to her: "That's good!" Yes, seeing her realize her wish, he also felt redeemed.
The cherry blossoms suddenly grew large and fell on Yao Biluo. She raised her hand to block them and woke up. By the bedside, Anmei and Jun Yilin were looking at her with concern. She was surprised to find that Jun Yilin's wound had completely healed and there was no trace of injury. It seemed that it was also thanks to Xuanyi.
Yao Biluo suddenly smiled, her beauty radiating charm and incomparable brilliance, as if she had been reborn. She looked at Jun Yilin and gently scolded, "Fool!"
He then said to Dark Charm, "You've done enough to me! I have some new gadgets that I'd like to see someone try out!"
Anmei blushed and felt uneasy. She hurriedly explained, "It's what you're supposed to do, so don't blame me. I have something to do, so I'm leaving now. You two can chat slowly!" After saying that, she fled in a panic.
Jun Yilin was stunned and speechless.
☆、Seventeen、Reunion
"Silly boy, you see me but don't say anything?" Yao Biluo covered her mouth and laughed. It had been so many years since she had made such a girlish gesture. It felt so good to be a woman again!
Jun Yilin then seemed to wake up: "Luo'er, no, Zijing, you're back!"
Seeing Jun Yilin's dazed expression, Yao Biluo felt a pang of sympathy. She said reproachfully, "Let's call her Luo'er. Lin Zijin is already dead. Besides, I want to thank this girl. If it weren't for her body, I wouldn't be able to come back. From now on, I will live in her place."
Yao Biluo sat up, reached out and stroked Jun Yilin's slightly weathered face, and said, "You've aged again. You're no longer the dashing prince you used to be!"
Jun Yilin held her hand and said, "I'm getting older and older, but you're getting younger and younger. I'm really afraid that one day you'll get tired of me."
Hearing Jun Yilin's heartfelt confession, Yao Biluo's heart trembled. The two stopped talking and just gazed at each other, their eyes filled with tenderness and affection, all their feelings unspoken!
"Gurgle," Yao Biluo's stomach rumbled, and Jun Yilin chuckled, his eyes full of doting affection: "Are you hungry? I'll have someone bring you food right away?"
Yao Biluo rubbed her stomach: "It's all your fault! You've made me lose my appetite and sleep poorly lately. I didn't eat dinner tonight, I'm starving!"
Jun Yilin was about to clap his hands and call for help when Yao Biluo stopped him, saying, "I don't want to eat the food in the palace. It's not appetizing at all. Let's go eat outside."
Seeing Yao Biluo's expectant face, Jun Yilin nodded and said, "Okay!"
The two secretly slipped out of the Zichen Palace, avoiding the palace guards, and soon arrived at the palace gate.
Looking at the tightly closed palace gates, Yao Biluo smiled slyly: "Let me see if your skills have deteriorated recently!"
After saying that, he flicked his silver whip, which had already wrapped around a tree branch. With a flash, he lightly leaped onto the palace wall and stood there, grinning at Jun Yilin.
Jun Yilin shook his head and said with a smile, "I have nothing to use for leverage, how can I get up there? Lend me your silver whip!"
Yao Biluo covered her mouth and laughed: "I won't give it to you!"
Jun Yilin had no choice but to look around, take a few steps back, use the tree trunk as a springboard to leap up to the treetop, and then leap from the treetop to the city wall.
Yao Biluo widened her eyes and said in a mocking tone, "As expected, there's no regression." Suppressing a laugh, she followed Jun Yilin into the city.
"The moon rises above the willow branches, and we meet after dusk. Does this count as a secret rendezvous?" Yao Biluo joked as they walked.
Jun Yilin chuckled and tapped her on the head: "You've long been my rightful empress. How dare you talk about secret meetings like that!"
Yao Bilu tilted her head and thought for a moment: "On the surface, that's true, but in reality, that's not the case."
Jun Yilin smiled ambiguously: "I don't care about that. Anyway, everyone in the Jun Kingdom knows that you are the Empress I carried in through the main gate of the palace, my only wife. You can't deny it."
Yao Biluo reached out and broke off a willow branch from the roadside, playing with it in her hand: "Then wouldn't I be at a disadvantage? You neither obtained my consent nor did you perform the wedding ceremony with me, and I wasn't the one who enjoyed the honors and rites of an empress on the wedding day."
Jun Yilin grabbed Yao Biluo's hand: "I know you don't care about those things. That woman dared to impersonate you. I never touched her. I spared her life just to protect this position for you, so that those old stubborn people won't keep nagging."
Yao Biluo pulled her hand away and was about to speak when Jun Yilin said smugly, "I know, all your nagging about these trivial matters is just to say—you're jealous!" After saying that, he ran forward, laughing triumphantly as he ran.
Yao Biluo threw the willow branch at his back and yelled behind him, "You bastard, you're always so annoying!" Then she chased after him.
The two chased each other, their laughter echoing through the sky.
How long has it been since I laughed so happily...
"Seriously, what do you want to do with Yao Bile?" Yao Biluo asked.
The two got tired of playing and found a stall selling wontons. An old man was cooking wontons, and the two chatted casually.
Jun Yilin countered with, "What are your plans?"
Yao Biluo frowned: "I still have the memories from the past year or so. To be honest, I really hate her, and I hate her father even more, and I hate their whole family! I'm thinking that the original Yao Biluo might have been killed by Yao Bile. If it were me, I would have taught them a lesson. However, since I've already taken Yao Biluo's body, I should repay her kindness. These are her family, so a small punishment will suffice!"
Jun Yilin remained noncommittal: "It's all up to you. I have no objection to how you handle it."
Two steaming bowls of wontons were served, their aroma irresistible. The bright green scallions on the surface of the soup were incredibly tempting. Yao Biluo's mouth watered instantly, and she exclaimed, "Ah, it smells so good! I'm going to eat some first!"
Jun Yilin quickly said, "Be careful, it's hot!"
Yao Biluo was so burned that she couldn't speak, and she mumbled a response.
Jun Yilin had no choice but to go along with her.
The following day, an imperial edict was issued, and the Empress recovered her health and regained her power to rule the harem. She was granted special permission to participate in court affairs and declared that she would never marry again in this life.
A huge uproar erupted in the court, with opinions swirling. Some conservative ministers even fainted on the spot from anger. Jun Yilin watched coldly, remaining silent. Only when several white-haired old ministers questioned him did he coldly say, "The Empress is my only wife, one with me. What's wrong with me allowing her to participate in politics? Besides, some people dare to disobey my imperial edict. Are you trying to rebel?"
The tone was harsh, making the ministers, who were used to the emperor's wisdom and intelligence, very uncomfortable with this image of a foolish ruler. For a moment, the scene was awkward and quiet.
A soft chuckle came from Jiang Yumin, who hadn't attended court in a long time. "Have you all become senile? Who is the Emperor? He is the Son of Heaven! The words of the Son of Heaven are law! As his subjects, we are merely fulfilling our duties and sharing the burdens of the Emperor! When did it become your place to point fingers here? Or is it that any of you intend to overstep your bounds?" Her sharp gaze swept over them, and the ministers who were caught in her gaze lowered their heads, not daring to answer.
Jiang Yumin then dismissively withdrew her gaze.