Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Lord Wei shouted a sharp rebuke.

Madam Wei’s face turned pale.

Wei Jue, though his expression was ashen, opened his mouth but surprisingly did not take Wei Huan’s side to question the man.

A flash of humiliation and anger crossed Third Son Zhou’s face before it was replaced by a look of righteous indignation. “Since you insist on a clear explanation, let us speak in private.”

Lord Wei and Madam Wei dismissed the servants, leaving only Third Son Zhou and Wei Huan in the hall.

Wei Huan’s face was covered in tears, looking like a pear blossom bathed in rain.

“Third Son Zhou, ever since we were betrothed, do you not know in your heart how I have treated you? Are you truly so heartless toward me?”

She was a beauty; her sudden tears were like a lotus dusted with dew, breathtakingly lovely.

Third Son Zhou dithered for a moment before taking a deep breath.

“You have a reputation for beauty, but I am by no means a man who lusts after looks. Anyone who cares to look into what happened at the flower viewing banquet can find out the truth. You plotted against me to make us fall into the water together. Do you admit it or not?”

“No, I never did such a thing!” Wei Huan immediately denied it.

But Third Son Zhou pulled out a sachet and said coldly, “You dropped this sachet. I went to return it to you, but as soon as I got close, I smelled the floral scent on you and became dizzy, falling into the pond with you. Afterward, I had someone investigate. The herbs in this sachet, when mixed with the scent of lilies, create a powerful sedative. Do you dare say you didn’t drop this on purpose for me to find? Do you want me to bring the shopkeeper who sold you the drugs to confront you?”

Wei Huan panicked, her tears flowing freely.

“No, no… Third Son Zhou, even if I did something wrong, it was because I truly admire you. You accepted this marriage before, which shows you had feelings for me. Why must you break the engagement now? Are you really going to kick the Wei Family while we are down? You aren’t that kind of person!”

Third Son Zhou took another deep breath.

“Wei Huan, you are wrong. I never truly accepted this marriage in my heart. Ever since I realized I was set up by you, I have felt nothing but disgust. The only reason I went through with the betrothal was to save the Princess’s face. But the thought of sharing a bed with you and spending a hundred years by your side makes me wish I had never existed. You and your brother are both like the snake that tries to swallow an elephant-never satisfied. Your brother had the Princess, yet he was unfaithful and impure. Your Wei Family was already a noble house, yet you still schemed for more. If you had used honorable means, it would be one thing, but you resorted to such lowly tactics. With your looks, why was any of this necessary? In the end, it is simply a matter of a corrupt character. Furthermore, I should tell you that the Princess knew of your actions long before I did. That is why she confined you for six months and personally sent gifts to my home to apologize to my father. Otherwise, given the state of your Wei Family, I would have fought to the death before marrying you.”

Having finished his piece, he strode away.

Wei Huan stared blankly at his retreating back. The hairpin slipped from her hand, hitting the floor with a crisp metallic ring.

She covered her face and wailed loudly.

Wei Jue looked at Wei Huan in disbelief, as if seeing his sister for the first time.

He stumbled back step by step until he finally left the Wei Mansion and returned once more to the Princess’s Mansion.

He drifted into my bedroom, sat on the couch, clutched his head, and began to cry.

Ghosts have no tears, but they have regrets!

He likely realized his mistake now, understanding how he had misunderstood me all these years.

But I didn’t care. A late repentance was like spoiled grain to me-toxic!

Days passed.

The Wei Family remained behind closed doors.

Madam Wei spent her days eating vegetarian meals and praying to Buddha, hoping Wei Jue would wake up soon.

Wei Huan grew thinner by the day, losing even the will to dress up and apply makeup, which she used to love.

Meanwhile, Wei Jue’s soul stayed in the Princess’s Mansion every day, never leaving again.

I was getting tired of him, so I ordered the entire Princess’s Mansion to be covered in talismans.

He was blasted away once more…

And I no longer cared where he went.

Currently, the most troubled household in the Capital was the Lu Family.

This was because Lu Qingshuang had returned. Although Lord Lu had kicked her out, Lu Mother had threatened to take her own life, forcing Lord Lu to angrily let Lu Qingshuang back in and lock her in the Buddha Hall.

Lord Lu wanted to send Lu Qingshuang to a Nunnery to shave her head and live as a nun to ride out the storm.

Unexpectedly, Lu Qingshuang was terrified.

She couldn’t bear to lose her long, silky hair, so she wrote a letter overnight and had a trusted maid sneak it out of the mansion.

The next morning, as soon as the gates of the Lu Mansion opened, someone arrived to propose marriage.

That person was none other than Wei Jue’s close friend, Lu Zhenglun.

Lu Zhenglun was a famous scholar, renowned throughout the world for his poetry. My Father Emperor had once recruited him into the Hanlin Academy.

However, he had let alcohol get the better of him and made arrogant remarks, leading the Father Emperor to grant him gold and dismiss him from service.

Since then, he had become cynical, indulging in landscapes and claiming to care nothing for fame or fortune, yet he had become a kindred spirit to Wei Jue.

The two of them, along with a group of idle youths in the Capital, often traveled together to engage in philosophical discussions. That must have been how he met Lu Qingshuang.

But I hadn’t expected him to come and propose marriage to Lu Qingshuang. He truly was throwing away any hope of future rank or wealth for her.

I sneered when I heard the news.

This was the woman Wei Jue held so dearly in his heart. Before he had even woken up, she was already trying to marry someone else out of self-preservation.

I truly hoped that when Wei Jue woke, he would find it in himself to forgive his precious ‘Little Sister Lu’ once more.

Lu Zhenglun’s proposal was a stroke of luck for the family, and Lord Lu was practically desperate to rid himself of the hot potato that was Lu Qingshuang. The two parties agreed that the wedding would take place in three days.

Upon receiving the news, I tapped my fingers lightly against the desk.

What should I do?

I wasn’t particularly keen on letting Lu Qingshuang become a dignified primary wife. Someone like her belonged in the gutter.

However, it felt beneath me to personally move against such a petty commoner. I finally realized that Lu Qingshuang was like a fly-bothering with her was disgusting, but ignoring her was equally nauseating.

Just as I was struggling to come up with a plan, a flash of spiritual light flickered within my jade pendant.

The jade shattered.

Wei Jue’s soul could no longer be restrained.

In an instant, I lost all connection to his spirit. This ill-fated entanglement was finally, truly severed.

I stared blankly at the broken jade for a moment before turning to Ning Sheng.

“Are there any good places to visit on the outskirts of the city?”

“There is a hot spring that is passable.”

“Have you been?”

“I have heard good things.”

“Then let us go.”

Our procession departed the palace in grand fashion. Unfortunately, the path we had to take led us right past the Lu Family estate.

The Lu Family was currently performing the betrothal rites. Though the wedding was rushed, they weren’t skipping a single step of the formal process.

How dreadfully unlucky.

Right then, a rider came galloping toward us. Wei Jue sat atop his horse, his face cold as iron and his posture heroic. If one ignored the bandages on his hands, he was still the picture of a handsome, elegant young nobleman.

As he passed my carriage, he suddenly jerked the reins to a halt and asked, “Lingyue, where are you going?”

Ning Sheng said icily, “Spying on the Princess’s movements is a capital offense!”

Ignoring him, Wei Jue said softly, “Wait for me. Once I finish my business here, I will come find you.”

He spurred his horse past me and stopped before the gates of the Lu Family. Looking down from his mount, he shouted, “Lu Qingshuang is my concubine! Lord Lu, how dare you betroth one daughter to two men?”

An immediate uproar broke out among the crowd.

I stopped my carriage to watch the show.

Lord Lu hurried out to speak with Wei Jue, but they were too far away for me to hear what was said. I only saw Wei Jue pull Lu Qingshuang’s personal effects from his robes one by one: a sachet, a handkerchief, a hairpin, earrings, and even a pair of silk stockings.

He threw the items onto the ground one by one, displaying them before everyone. He was intent on utterly destroying Lu Qingshuang’s reputation. Lord Lu’s face turned beet red, while Lu Zhenglun’s expression became as dark as iron.

No man could endure finding out that his bride-to-be had been exchanging private tokens-and likely sharing her bed-with another man while he was preparing for the wedding.

Lu Zhenglun swept his sleeves and stormed off.

Lord Lu glared viciously at Wei Jue before retreating inside. When he emerged again, he was dragging Lu Qingshuang, whom he shoved toward Wei Jue.

“Wei Jue, the Lu Family only sought self-preservation before; we did you a grievance. Consider this daughter compensation. Her life or death is in your hands now. From this day forth, she has nothing to do with the Lu Family!”

Lu Qingshuang fell to the ground. When she looked at Wei Jue, there was no longer any tenderness for a lover in her eyes-only deep, soul-shaking terror.

Wei Jue looked at her with nothing but loathing.

The former childhood sweethearts had turned into a pair of bitter enemies.

Losing interest in the spectacle, I ordered my people to take a detour and leave.

On the road, I asked Ning Sheng, “Will we ever turn against each other in the future?”

Ning Sheng thought seriously for a moment. “No. If I ever fail you, you may kill me.”

His words struck a chord in my heart, and a sense of peace settled over me. In this world, there are some people and some bonds that will never change. I was satisfied.

I eventually drifted into a light sleep, only to be startled awake by the sound of galloping hooves.

Wei Jue leaped from his horse and knelt before my carriage, forcing the procession to a halt. I lifted the curtain and looked at the beautiful youth who had once been as radiant as the morning sun. Now, he seemed covered in a layer of dust from the passing years; no matter how one wiped it away, he felt tarnished.

His clear, dark eyes were fixed on me. Suddenly, he drew a sword from his waist and began a sword dance.

The blade moved like a soaring dragon, graceful as a startled swan. He danced with such raw emotion, yet all I felt was that the bright figure from my youth had become filthy.

I turned to Ning Sheng and asked, “Do you know how to perform a sword dance?”

“I only know how to kill.”

“Then kill.”

Ning Sheng leaped from the carriage. With a single strike, he sent Wei Jue crashing to the ground. The tip of his sword pierced the skin of Wei Jue’s neck; one inch further, and it would claim his life.

Bright red blood trickled down Wei Jue’s snow-white neck. He looked at me stubbornly, his lips trembling as he spoke.

“Lingyue, I know I was wrong. Can you… come back…”