"Your Highness, it's getting late, please get some rest early."

  He gazed faintly out the window, in the direction of the Taiji Hall, where lights were still shining brightly and people were bustling about. He knew that this bustle would continue until dawn the next day, before he woke up, when his coronation ceremony would be held there.

  The last time such a grand scene was seen in Tai Chi Temple Square was only a few years ago, but it seems like an eternity has passed since then.

  At that time, he followed the crowd and knelt down to look up at the dragon chair inlaid with gold and jade, on which a man wearing a dragon robe sat.

  The bright and majestic yellow, in his eyes gradually transformed into a piercing red intention, the sky filled with flames, the ground covered with blood, and that one dress full of joyful atmosphere, with the determination of jade shattering, and the beauty of a startled swan, just like that, disappeared from his sight.

  Farewell, never to meet again.

  "Long live our Emperor! Long live! Long long live!"

  He bowed his head along with the crowd, and a cold arc slowly appeared at the corner of his lips.

  There were countless people who died for this dragon throne.

  What would be the scene if it were turned around?

  At that moment, he determined the path for the rest of his life.

  It wasn't until later that he finally realized that there had never been a second road for him to choose from.

  To the northwest of Taiji Hall, there are six palaces, where three thousand concubines live in Zijing Palace. At this moment, it is also brightly lit with candles, and occasionally a faintly suppressed sob can be heard, lingering within these ancient and gloomy palace walls.

  Tonight is their last night living in the Forbidden City.

  The day after tomorrow, after the grand ceremony of ascending the throne, these women will set out for Puzi Temple as imperial concubines and start their Buddhist practice.

  Suddenly thought of a white mourning dress, Qing Guifei's eyes were hidden with a hint of madness, as if she didn't dare to believe it, and opened her mouth to him -

  "How can you do this to me? Do you know what it's like when I'm oppressed by the father of the one I love, an old man who could be my own father, and yet I still have to try to please him and win his favor? Do you know how many nights I've closed my eyes and seen the image of Empress Dowager Ci Xi screaming for help in the flames? I kept telling myself to endure it all because I believed that you wouldn't let me down, that one day I could finally stop pretending. And now that day has come, but what's the result? Pujisi Temple?! Ha! How can you do this to me? Have you forgotten everything I've done for you?"

  He smiled slightly, but his eyes were cold: "If I had forgotten, do you think I would have kept you until now?"

  She was stunned and stopped talking.

  And he turned his gaze away from her, as if only in this way could he forcibly suppress the dark and sinister intentions that lurked beneath.

  He isn't unaware of what she has sacrificed for him.

  On that day before she entered the palace, he had clearly and calmly stated in front of her what lay ahead, yet she still chose to do it for him.

  So after she entered the palace, within his ability, he always did his best to protect her and let her step by step become the most favored one in the six palaces.

  So he occasionally indulges her some harmless willfulness, she is just a pitiful woman, this is what he owes her, and there is nothing in this world that is worth his persistence and concern, so, it doesn't matter.

  Until he met her again.

  If it weren't for her calm and composure, he would have almost taken her life at the moment of their first reunion, and even now, thinking about it still makes him shudder.

  Later on, she gradually walked into his heart.

  Later, at the foot of Qingmu Cliff, he tightly held her who had been lost and found again, for the first time in his life, grateful to heaven.

  Later on, in the grand hall above, a sudden swan-like reflection appeared, unparalleled in the world, transformed into an eternal wound.

  Later on, he opened his eyes, ignoring the injuries on his body, and struggled to find and recognize the scorched faces beside him, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find them anymore.

  In fact, for Qing Fei, he wasn't without thoughts of giving her a brand new identity and returning her freedom once everything was over, only...

  His eyes suddenly turned cold, she shouldn't have been involved in this.

  The imperial edict that beheaded Murong Yu was so urgent that it had just left the palace and followed to the Wangfu, and even more, he was ordered to supervise the execution.

  She may not necessarily want to get rid of Murong Li, but the estrangement between her and her husband is undoubtedly what she delights in.

  Then, just as he was about to set out for Qi and Yue, a sudden change occurred in Youzhou, forcing Zhao Mo to take action hastily, without even having time to report back to him. He knew that she couldn't be absolved of her connection to this matter.

  Not to mention, she repeatedly pleaded with the emperor to sentence her to death. If he had truly forgotten about the past, how could he possibly tolerate her until now? How is that possible?

  Even at this moment, the hatred and pain in my heart, as well as that endless void, still cannot find a place to go.

  So he just let her stumble away without saying another word.

  By her ear, still lingering was her sharp laughter——

  Hehe, as expected, so you really love her. Unfortunately, do you really know how to love someone? You think doing everything for her behind her back is enough, but what's the result? You still can't keep her, haha---

  Regret?

  Many times he had asked himself like this.

  In front of the emperor, Princess Yi Yang casually mentioned Crown Prince's various affairs, while the emperor's face grew increasingly dark. Meanwhile, Du Ruoyan also discovered the toxicity of "Thousand Days Drunken Orchid" in his body, as well as the repeated attacks and poisonings that had occurred. After the traitor within the Three Kingdoms' palace had exhausted all means but still couldn't detect anything, he told himself that what he was doing wasn't wrong; all he wanted was for her to be safe and sound.

  He didn't even bother to arrange for someone to protect Du Ruyin, and instead deliberately used her as bait, which is why she kept running into trouble time and again.

  If it were her, she would never have done so, he knew, yet at the same time, he didn't dare to take that one-in-ten-thousand chance.

  Du Ruyun's similar face is the best tool for people to bind and control him, but in fact, it is also an excellent weapon for him to gain trust from the world.

  So he doesn't even need to do anything, just accept it, and they are overjoyed, without a shred of doubt. And his favoritism is seen by the world as even more convincing.

  However, he did not want any other woman to take the place of his wife, so he granted her the title of Consort Xi, and then used elaborate rituals and a three-month mourning period to put an end to everything from the beginning.

  The greatest thing under heaven is what he wants, and it has always been her all along.

  But as the indifference and coldness in her eyes grew, when she held Pei Ying's lifeless body and was in unbearable pain, for the first time in his life, he actually doubted his decision, wondering if he had made a mistake.

  He had asked her if there was nothing she wanted to ask him?

  And she just smiled faintly, Your Highness hopes that I will ask something?

  In the end, nothing was said, and he turned around and left.

  They were all too proud back then.

  But later on, after some careful thought, I realized that if she had really asked me that day, what kind of excuse could I have come up with?

  Tell her, he loves is her, accepting Du Ruyin is just because of the gentle princess behind her back. He spoils her, but it's just a show for the world to see, put in a prominent place, just to replace her and block out many overt and covert arrows.

  Even if she believed his words, it was impossible for her to agree with and accept his actions, but he had already lost all room for retreat.

  Blood and rain on the road to usurpation, he has experienced too much. From the year he was almost killed by an assassin's sword at the age of five, he had no choice but to keep getting stronger, otherwise, there would only be a dead end. He knew it all too well.

  In fact, she was by his side, and he no longer had the heart to take her away and turn her over. Or rather, he never had any other choice from the start.

  So isn't it, the farther she is, the less she knows, the safer she is.

  So be it, as long as I can protect her completely, as long as she is safe and sound, there's nothing that can't be abandoned, there's nothing that can't be endured.

  There will be a day when he no longer has to endure, and then he will have a long life to explain and make up for it, to seek her forgiveness, and never let her be sad again.

  But never thought that this day would finally arrive, and she was no longer by his side.

  "Your Highness—"

  In the quiet night, that one sharp and fine voice trembled with fear, under the bright lights of the Tai Chi Hall shining like daytime, an out-of-place sudden sound rose.

  "Empress Qi has passed away, in Qingyang Palace, she took her own life by swallowing gold..."

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