Chapter 105

Chapter 105

To keep the Eastern Palace from falling into panic, Yu Lang had forbidden the palace maids and eunuchs from entering before he went into Yongqing Study.

Later, afraid that the Crown Prince, covered head to toe in blood, would frighten the Crown Princess, he had even gone out himself to fetch a clean set of clothes and personally changed the Crown Prince into them.

By the time he finished all that, Ren Fengjue had just led Tang Yuelang into the secret chamber.

At that moment, Zhao Li lay on the bed inside. His face was pale with a bluish cast, and a chill seemed to emanate from his entire body. He looked utterly devoid of life.

Tang Yuelang suddenly did not dare step forward.

Everything that had happened over these days had made her hate Zhao Li to the bone.

Even so, compared to learning that Zhao Li’s temperament had changed so drastically because he had been haunted by a Vengeful Ghost, she was even less willing to hear news of his death.

“Crown Princess.”

The unfamiliar young Daoist bowed respectfully to her before saying, “Right now, the Crown Prince’s soul is right beside you. Though you cannot see him, as long as your hearts are connected, the words you speak can awaken the memories he had in life.”

Tang Yuelang trembled all over, but she was at a loss for what to do.

Behind her, Ren Fengjue could not help saying, “I believe the Crown Princess should already know that for nearly the past year, the one occupying the Crown Prince’s body was in fact a Vengeful Ghost.”

“The true Crown Prince was harmed by the Vengeful Ghost. Now, only a wisp of his remnant soul remains.”

“Crown Princess, the affection between you two-I witnessed it with my own eyes, whether from what your cousin Du Yueming told me or during our days at the palace school.”

“Now that things have come to this, it is time for you both to untie the knots in your hearts and reconcile.”

At the word “reconcile,” tears streamed down Tang Yuelang’s face. She said, “There will be no reconciliation. Even if the Crown Prince returns, once he knows all the wrongs I have committed, he will never forgive me…”

Ren Fengjue had naturally heard about the “wrongs” she spoke of.

But his expression did not change. He merely addressed the matter as it stood. “If we are to look at it that way, then the ‘evils’ the Crown Prince committed while possessed by the Vengeful Ghost cannot be forgiven by you either?”

Tang Yuelang retorted, “That was not his will…”

“The same is true for you.”

Ren Fengjue continued, “The Vengeful Ghost not only committed Body Snatching and seized the Crown Prince’s body, it also destroyed the bond between you. You are a victim as well.”

“Crown Princess, please set aside the barriers in your heart and think more about the days to come.”

Knowing he had said all he could, he gave Yu Lang a look. The two of them then withdrew to outside the secret chamber.

Yu Lang’s ears were still practically standing on end as he whispered, “My lord, I still want to see how the Crown Prince ‘comes back to life.'”

Ren Fengjue, however, directly blocked his line of sight. “With us here, I fear the Crown Princess will not be able to open her heart.”

“Fine.”

Inside the chamber, Yan Zhengchu also quietly retreated a few steps and said to Tang Yuelang, “Crown Princess, you need only step forward, hold His Highness the Crown Prince’s hand, and speak with him more.”

“It would be best to speak of things only the two of you know.”

Tang Yuelang sobbed softly as she slowly walked forward. She half-knelt beside the bed and clasped Zhao Li’s ice-cold right hand between both of hers. Before she even spoke, tears were already falling.

“Shuyu, in truth, there have always been so many, so many things I wanted to say to you…”

“Linglong is gone. I… only have you now.”

Once she began to speak, all her emotions seemed to find an outlet and started pouring out.

Her tears were like floodwaters breaking through a dam.

Yan Zhengchu had only heard two words before he very tactfully moved outside the secret chamber as well.

Seeing him come out, Yu Lang could not help teasing him. “I thought Daoist Yan had a heart as still as water. So it turns out you cannot bear to listen to such ‘heartbreaking words’ either.”

Yan Zhengchu huffed. “I’ll have you know, I’m a deeply feeling man too, all right?”
The three of them stood clustered outside the door, exchanging a smile.

Inside the room, the soul drifting beside the corpse slowly took on a human shape as well, drawn out by those sincere words. It was none other than the gentle-browed Crown Prince Zhao Li.

–

Steward Wang led Xia Ximo to a remote courtyard within the Eastern Palace.

Several Eastern Palace guards were carrying corpses one by one into coffins. From the looks of it, they were preparing to send them outside for burial.

When Steward Wang arrived, the guards stopped what they were doing and asked, “Does Steward Wang have any orders?”

Instead, Steward Wang turned to Xia Ximo with a respectful air. “Miss, what are your instructions?”

Xia Ximo said, “I’m looking for a corpse.”

The guards were clearly baffled by her words.

After all, when these things had crawled out of the ground earlier, they had nearly scared people half to death.

They had been dead for so long, yet they had not rotted at all. One could imagine just how sinister they were.

Normally, with other assignments, the guards might have been able to slack off in secret.

But with this matter, there could be no delay whatsoever.

“Miss, these corpses just now…”

“I know.”

Xia Ximo showed no fear. She only said, “I’ll leave once I’m done.”

The guards stopped trying to dissuade her and hurriedly retreated to the side. Then they watched as the young woman walked up to the coffins and opened them one by one to inspect the contents, leaving them stunned.

Because the corpses had been affected by the Blood Array, they had barely decomposed.

So among the dozen or so coffins, Xia Ximo soon found Linglong’s body.

She bent slightly and was just about to touch the remains with her finger when Linglong’s voice suddenly sounded from within the Soul-Ferrying Lantern. “Miss, if my lady and the Crown Prince make peace, how will I know after I go to the Underworld Administration?”

The question made Xia Ximo fall silent for a moment.

The Underworld Administration and the mortal world were two separate realms. Once one went there, there would be no more entanglements, and neither side would interfere with the other.

As the Underworld Administration put it, a Yin Soul should not cling to affairs from life; after drinking the bitter soup, it crossed beyond Naihe.

Linglong would have no way of knowing at all.

Xia Ximo suddenly glanced in the direction of Qianqiu Garden, then said, “There was never any rift between them. You should know that better than anyone.”

At that, Linglong suddenly smiled and replied, “Yes. There was never any rift, so how could there be any ‘making peace’?”

“They will only… go on being this good to each other…”

After murmuring those words, she finally set off in peace.

Xia Ximo gently closed the coffin lid. Only then did the anxious Eastern Palace guards dare to come over. Seeing that she had no other instructions, they only wanted to dispose of these corpses as quickly as possible.

A fine, cold rain began to fall.

By the time Ren Fengjue finished dealing with the Crown Prince’s matter and left the Eastern Palace, it was nearly seven in the evening.

He came to the carriage. Before getting in, he caught a glimpse through a corner of the curtain of Xia Ximo leaning against the carriage wall, seemingly asleep.

And so, Lord Ren directly stopped Yan Zhengchu behind him and said, “Daoist Yan, you should ride in Vice Minister Yu’s carriage instead.”

Yu Lang stood nearby holding an umbrella and said in confusion, “But we aren’t going the same way.”

Ren Fengjue said with perfect seriousness, “Doesn’t Vice Minister Yu still have official business to report?”

“…Today?”

Yu Lang found it unbelievable. He had thought he could go straight back and get a good night’s sleep.

“Yes. It’s still early. Report first, then go back.”

“…”

Only after Yan Zhengchu boarded Yu Lang’s carriage did Ren Fengjue step lightly into his own.

Axia, who had been holding the umbrella for him at the side, took in every one of those subtle movements without missing a thing and could not help but stand there in a daze.

It was not until he heard a soft cough that he remembered to close the umbrella, take the driver’s seat, and head back to the residence.

“Drive slowly.”

“…Yes.”