If they didn’t die, then they could prepare to surrender their power and glory.
For them, that would be even more painful than death.
For those who once stood at the pinnacle, the hardest thing to accept was falling into the dust.
But soon, they would come to find that life among commoners wasn’t so bad after all.
Time had dragged on too long. Xiao Mo began to feel unwell again and started to cry and fuss incessantly.
He was like a little child—more immature than Princess Mingcheng and Yongrong—completely unable to read the room.
At this point, when Liu Wangfei saw that Baorong hadn’t been killed after all, and Qi Wang, Princess Mingcheng, and Yongrong had all arrived, she immediately became extremely impatient.
She looked at Emperor Yongchang and said, “You all should leave. Give us mother and son some peace and quiet.”
But Emperor Yongchang had originally come to bring Liu Wangfei back to the palace to spend New Year’s Eve together.
Now that this had happened, one thing dragging out another, even more trouble had emerged. To bring Liu Wangfei back now was nearly impossible.
Emperor Yongchang forced himself to stay calm and said gently, “Wanyin, you are the original….”
Liu Wangfei coldly stared at him: “Xiao Xianjiao, stop lying to yourself. Have you really thought this through? Do you really want me to sit in the empress’s seat? Do you really want the whole world to know that I bore you a foolish, dull-witted eldest prince?”
Emperor Yongchang’s entire body stiffened.
He angrily asked, “Wanyin, how can you say that?! How could I ever think that way?!”
“Whether you think that way or not—we both know very well.” Liu Wangfei didn’t hesitate. She took out a sachet from her sleeve, and from it, she pulled out a lovers’ knot woven from their hair.
They had tied their hair together as husband and wife, vowing lifelong love and trust.
When they married, neither had parents who cared for them. They gave each other sincere hearts.
But still—they had come to this point.
Qi Yuan lowered her head, pressing her lips together to hide the cold smile in her eyes.
She had never doubted sincerity, but sincerity could change in an instant.
When Liu Wangfei took out that sachet, Emperor Yongchang’s expression turned emotional: “Wanyin!”
Liu Wangfei turned, picked up a pair of scissors from a bamboo basket, and without hesitation, cut the sachet and the lovers’ knot into pieces right in front of him.
When Emperor Yongchang reached out to stop her, it was already too late. He caught only a strand of hair.
He didn’t know whether it was his or Liu Wangfei’s.
But one thing was certain—they could never go back.
After doing this, Liu Wangfei pulled Xiao Mo to kneel on the ground and looked up at Emperor Yongchang: “Your Majesty, I have wandered outside the palace for many years and am no longer worthy of the position of empress. My virtue is lacking. I hereby ask to cut my hair and devote myself to spiritual cultivation—to enter a Taoist temple. I ask Your Majesty, for the sake of our years of marriage, to grant me this kindness.”
The Eldest Princess was deeply moved. She knelt down with tears in her eyes, grabbing her hand: “Sister-in-law!”
This was not asking the emperor for kindness.
This was clearly helping the emperor!
At first, Emperor Yongchang might have truly wanted to welcome Liu Wangfei back.
But from the moment he knew Xiao Mo was mentally challenged, from the fall of Duke Chu’s household, and from the death of Noble Consort Xiao Liu, he could no longer think that way.
Once faces were torn, how could emperor and wife still live harmoniously?
Now that Liu Wangfei requested to become a Taoist nun, it gave both of them a dignified ending to their past affection.
It also gave the court and the people an acceptable explanation.
It would prevent the world from cursing Emperor Yongchang as heartless.
Liu Wangfei no longer wanted to fight.
She had suffered enough from the battles for the throne and no longer wanted her child to follow her old path.
She had given Emperor Yongchang a way to save face—now it depended on whether he would give her justice in return.
She stared at him seriously, carefully.
They were childhood sweethearts, married young.
They could share hardship, but not prosperity. Emperor Yongchang was not without pain in his heart.
His chest ached so badly it spasmed—how could he not understand Liu Wangfei’s meaning?
She had already gone this far.
She no longer fought, no longer pursued the past, and even helped preserve his reputation as a righteous and benevolent ruler.
Could he really let her suffer any loss?
He couldn’t.
So, Emperor Yongchang’s voice calmed: “This matter—I will have the Ministry of Rites discuss it. If you are truly determined, then I will arrange for you to remain in the palace…”
Normally, when royal women chose to cultivate the Dao, they would have to stay in a special palace for seclusion.
But Liu Wangfei wasn’t willing. She immediately shook her head: “Your Majesty, there’s no need to trouble the people or waste resources. I think this place is quite good. Just convert this temple back into a Daoist monastery.”
In fact, Baiyun Temple had originally been a Daoist temple. It was only later, when Buddhism flourished and Daoism declined, that the Daoist nuns became Buddhist nuns.
Now that Liu Wangfei had made this decision, Emperor Yongchang hesitated for a moment but then agreed: “All your provisions and status will still be supplied according to the Empress’s standards! I will have the Ministry of Rites assign you a Daoist name.”
The Eldest Princess tightly gripped Liu Wangfei’s hand, tears falling uncontrollably.
At that moment, Princess Baorong was suddenly overwhelmed by a deep sense of foreboding.
No. It shouldn’t be like this!
As the once most beloved daughter of Emperor Yongchang, she certainly knew what her father responded to.
The more fiercely Liu Wangfei retreated, the more overcompensating Emperor Yongchang’s response would be.
So what would count as a sufficient compensation for Liu Wangfei?
Duke Chu’s household was already destroyed.
……
Baorong suddenly looked up at Qi Yuan, only to see Qi Yuan slowly smiling at her: “Your Highness, it’s your turn.”
It’s your turn.
From the moment you stopped treating others as human, from the moment you looked down on everyone else’s lives as mere grass, this day had already been waiting for you.
Yes, you were of royal blood.
Yes, you were noble.
You would not die. Emperor Yongchang would never be willing to let you die.
But there were things more painful than death.
Qi Yuan curled her lips.
Lai Chenglong watched and felt a deep chill run through him.
Sure enough, Emperor Yongchang suddenly turned his head and called out: “Pu Wuyong.”
Pu Wuyong, trembling in fear, walked out from the crowd and bowed: “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Emperor Yongchang asked casually, “A few days ago, didn’t the envoys from the Eastern Kingdom submit a petition requesting to marry a princess of our dynasty, to form an everlasting alliance?”
……
As soon as this question was asked, Qi Wang let out a heart-wrenching scream: “Royal Father!”
The Eastern Kingdom!
What kind of place was that?!
That was the land of the Wokou*!
* japanese pirates
That was the Wokou!
The Great Zhou Dynasty had never before agreed to a marriage alliance with the Eastern Kingdom!
The barbarian Wokou—how were they worthy of marrying a princess of the Celestial Empire?!
How could Father treat the most cherished treasure of both his late mother and himself in this way?!
Pu Wuyong was also inwardly shocked, but when the emperor asked, he could only answer: “Your Majesty, there is indeed such a matter. The Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial, following Your Majesty’s prior instructions, had already sent someone from the Bureau of Foreign Affairs to formally reject the proposal…”
At this moment, Princess Baorong no longer shouted.
She understood her father.
At this point, begging was useless. Even threatening death would not change anything.
She only glared at Qi Yuan with eyes that seemed as if they could kill.
Qi Yuan was completely unmoved.
Expecting her to feel guilt?
She didn’t possess such a thing.
Want to show your support? Go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! Want to get early access to at least 20+ chapters in advance? Go to my Patreon to join now! :)
