In the long silence within the palace hall,
Xiao Jingheng stumbled backward and collapsed onto the couch, with fresh blood constantly surging out from his lungs, spilling from the corners of his mouth,
yet he lacked even the strength to raise a hand to wipe it away.
Perhaps knowing that his death was now inevitable, after a brief moment of shock, he actually felt a sense of relief.
He gazed calmly at Ning Wanshuang, and after a short while, said weakly:
"You truly lack skill. If I die from poisoning, the coroners will uncover the truth upon examination, and you too will die."
"Die? Does Your Majesty think death is what I fear?" Ning Wanshuang countered, not waiting for Xiao Jingheng's reply before continuing:
"In my view, I was already dead when my beloved ruler issued the order to behead my father and brothers, and personally slaughtered our children. Your Majesty killed me long ago, so why would I fear death now?"
She spoke these words with great calm, then picked up a bowl, intending to drink the deadly poison herself.
Perhaps misinterpreting her raised hand as an attempt to poison him further,
the already weakened Xiao Jingheng, spurred by instinct, violently shoved Ning Wanshuang, causing the bowl in her hand to shatter on the floor, splattering shards and liquid.
Ning Wanshuang looked on in bewilderment, unable to react before hearing Xiao Jingheng's cold laughter:
"No, you will not die. Song Zhao has unmatched skills - she managed to rescue Princess Dowager Jinggui and Prince An right under my nose, so she can surely keep you alive too. But there is one thing I wish to ask you clearly."
As he spoke, he tried to grasp Ning Wanshuang's hand, but she nimbly evaded him,
leaving him to clench his fist dejectedly before sighing bitterly:
"Was it Song Zhao who compelled you to poison me, or did you act of your own true will?"
Ning Wanshuang lowered her eyes and said with conviction:
"Your Majesty should know that no one can compel me to do what I am unwilling to do."
Xiao Jingheng fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "I understand."
Ning Wanshuang could no longer recall how long it had been since she last had a private conversation with Xiao Jingheng like this,
for such ordinary days of the past could now only resurface at the precipice of life and death, evoking profound melancholy.
She took a handkerchief from her waist and gently wiped the blood from Xiao Jingheng's lips, then softly said:
"There is something Your Majesty may not yet know. The deaths of Princess Jinggui and Princess Chenghuan were no accident - Chenghuan sought to harm Cheng Yu out of jealousy, but instead mistakenly killed Jinggui and Chenghuan. As for Chenghuan's death, it was because I substituted the medicine he took daily, leading to his terminal illness.
I am not Chenghuan's birth mother, but the love I poured into him was no less than what I felt for Jin Yue. Though I have read few books, I understand well the principles of being human. A life for a life, a debt repaid - these are natural laws. Many wrongs cannot be easily erased with a simple apology once harm has been done.
So on that day, I personally bid farewell to Chenghuan, ending his sins and allowing him to depart in peace. Just as today, I will personally bid farewell to Your Majesty."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingheng had much he wished to say, but the words died on his lips as he suddenly felt it unnecessary.
He merely smiled weakly and waved his hand feebly,
"Enough, enough. I have offered many high-sounding excuses to conceal my despicable side. I am the Son of Heaven, I should be perfection itself - how could I let my subjects see me in such a pathetic state? Thus one mistake after another, covered up and hidden away, leading to the suffering of so many. Like your father and brothers, like our children... I have wronged them, and I have wronged you."
Ning Wanshuang never imagined she would hear such words from Xiao Jingheng's mouth.
In her view, he had always been an extremely arrogant man,
the kind who, even when in the wrong, could blame the entire world instead,
the kind who, now admitting his faults and confessing to her, was almost unrecognizable.
In a daze, she saw Xiao Jingheng struggle to raise his hand, as if intending to caress her cheek.
And this time, she did not evade him, sitting still and allowing it.
His rough fingertips traced across Ning Wanshuang's no longer delicate skin, and he could not help but lament:
"In this life, if speaking of love, you alone have stirred such feeling in me. But for the sake of ruling, for solidifying my throne, I had no choice but to exploit you, to hurt you time and again. Until I had thoroughly broken your heart, causing an irreparable rift between us. This conclusion we have reached today is perhaps my just punishment."
Ning Wanshuang shook her head with a bitter smile, "What meaning is there in Your Majesty saying such things now? Whether we wish it or not, we have already come to this point. And ultimately, it was you who betrayed my true heart."
Her hand slowly moved to rest atop Xiao Jingheng's, gently guiding it away from her cheek,
"You should know that true love is among the rarest things in this world. And you obtained it all too easily, so you never learned to cherish it."
