The night wind was very strong, gushing into the lattice windows, almost extinguishing the remaining candle on the table.
Little Fu Zi bent over and went forward. When she was closing the window, the gold brocade box she was holding was placed on the small table in front of Shang Yang.
Shang Yang stared at the brocade box in puzzlement, "You've been holding this thing since you arrived. Is this another new torment he devised for me?"
Zhao Hua pushed the brocade box towards Shang Yang, "Open it and take a look."
Shang Yang hesitated slightly before slowly opening the brocade box. But upon seeing what was inside, her eyes instantly reddened.
"This is..."
Inside the large brocade box, lying very conspicuously, was a broken coral ring.
Shang Yang recognized it at a glance. This was the coral ring that Zhao Hua had smashed in front of her face, the one she had always worn.
She was extremely emotional. She quickly took out the ring and clutched it tightly in her palm.
The sharp broken coral pierced the swollen skin of her palm, oozing crimson blood that dyed it even more vibrant.
Shang Yang's hands were pressed tightly to her chest.
Though the tears would not stop falling, the corners of her lips still bore a joyful smile.
"Thank you," she said sincerely to Zhao Hua, and gazed longingly towards the southwest,
where Zhu Yin was located.
She then asked, "Jiang Muye..."
Zhao Hua said, "Your dedication is all worth it. Zhuyin Country Emperor has not given up on you. The Emperor found fault with Zhuyin because of you spying for him, but Jiang Muye is willing to exchange thirty thousand of Zhuyin's private troops and all the gold and silver treasures in his private treasury for your life."
Shang Yang looked at Zhao Hua with tearful eyes, her slender eyelashes quivering intensely,
"Did Jiang Muye really say that?"
Zhao Hua said firmly, "This palace has no need to lie to you."
Shang Yang clutched the coral ring even tighter.
She pushed open the lattice window and faced southwest, closing her eyes. She let the slightly warm summer night wind blow on her cheeks.
She thought of the countless nights in her youth when she and Jiang Muye had climbed the hills on the edge of the wilderness to wait for sunrise,
Zhuyin's night sky was full of glittering stars, dots of fireflies fluttering in the mountain valleys.
With her loved one by her side, one day of twelve hours always seemed to pass too quickly during those days of endless joy. She wished it could be slower, even slower.
She thought that was probably the most beautiful time of her life.
And the wind here, the grassy scent swirling in it, was exactly the same as those days.
It was as if as long as she closed her eyes, all the years of tribulations and hardships would go up in flames.
She was still that bright and innocent girl of the past,
and her young lover would also hold her hand and protect her for life.
After a long time, such illusory and beautiful visions finally disappeared with Zhao Hua's calm voice.
"But what you two did has violated the emperor's greatest taboo. The Emperor showed mercy, but only allowed one of you to live. If you live, the Zhuyin Country Emperor will be executed. But if you... then the Emperor will not pursue any responsibility from Zhuyin."
Upon hearing this, Shang Yang smiled knowingly.
In the seventeen years since the founding of Qi Dynasty, she had not heard any news better than this.
She slowly opened her eyes and sat closer to Zhao Hua, holding out her blood-stained palm excitedly to show Zhao Hua the red coral ring.
It was as if they had never been enemies, but intimate friends.
"Zhao Hua, do you know the origin of this ring?"
Zhao Hua guessed, "Zhuyin produces a lot of coral, this should be a gift Jiang Muye gave you?"
"Yes!" Shang Yang nodded vigorously, smiling happily.
"This originally belonged to Jiang Muye. Jiang Muye said that since I entered the palace, he could no longer accompany me, so let this coral ring take his place and accompany me from afar. I have always known that he never took advantage of me, never..."
She lowered her head and affectionately kissed the broken ring, then said to Zhao Hua:
"You Han people have a poem that I really like."
Then she recited slowly:
"Cherished coral in palm, yet it must be moved to become apricot blossom facing the sun. Do you know what this means?"
Zhao Hua nodded, "No matter how beautiful the coral is, even if you hold and protect it in your heart and palm, you can never truly make it your own. In the end, it will be raised as a flower facing the sun in a higher palace chamber."
Shang Yang's gaze lingered on the broken coral in her palm as she smiled gently.
"Yes, but now this coral is shattered, and my 'Shang Yang flower' should also wither appropriately."
She stubbornly wiped away the tears on her face, and suddenly said solemnly to Zhao Hua,
"I will plead guilty and accept punishment. But before that, I want to tell you a secret."
She then whispered in Zhao Hua's ear, word for word:
"A secret about how the traitor killed the emperor and usurped the throne years ago!"
