Learning that she had gone to great lengths to help Ji Shiyou consolidate his position, Mingyue was furious. She let out a loud cry and was about to draw her dagger.
She fumbled in her sleeve for two handfuls, but found nothing.
Then she remembered that her dagger had been confiscated by Ji Shiyou at the Imperial Household Department just now.
"Are you looking for this? You've been carrying it all along?"
Ji Shiyou walked over, handed her the dagger, and said smugly.
Mingyue snatched the dagger and turned to leave in a huff.
She knew in her heart that she had been no match for him since Ji Shiyou left Wuman.
Any attempt to fight now would only be humiliating.
So she didn't want to make a fool of herself; she just wanted to be alone.
Her heart filled with anger, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going.
Remarkably, she found her way back to the Lan Yue Palace without getting lost.
Looking at the empty palace, devoid of even a single shadow, Mingyue felt a wave of desolation.
In this world, she had no family left, only herself, alone and solitary.
She thought of her father, her mother, her brothers, and the happy times of the past.
Back then, her palace was the liveliest, always filled with laughter.
But now, she was in a foreign land, with no one to turn to.
Carrying the deep hatred of her kin, her enemy was right before her, yet she was powerless to exact revenge.
She only wished for death, to return to her homeland, but even this simple wish could not be fulfilled.
Looking at the desolate palace, Mingyue felt even more miserable, unsure of where to go.
She sat on the swing in the courtyard, lost in thought for a while, then returned to her sleeping quarters.
She buried herself under the covers, tears flowing silently.
She didn't notice that a figure in imperial yellow had been following her since she left the Department of Punishment.
Now standing outside her window, he saw her small body trembling under the covers from stifled sobs.
Ji Shiyou's face was etched with conflict. He wanted to go in.
To hold the heartbroken girl in his arms and comfort her, to tell her all the truth.
But in the end, he restrained himself, let out a soft sigh, and turned to leave.
Mingyue cried herself to sleep. In her dreams, she returned to Wuman.
She was still the little princess, cherished by her family.
All her family members were present, enjoying the bliss of family reunion.
The scene shifted. The magnificent palace vanished, and her family disappeared.
Before her lay the farewell pavilion outside Cangcheng city, on the official road. The autumn wind was crisp, and yellow flowers carpeted the ground.
"Mingyue, thank you for persuading your father to let me return to Langyue.
Wait for me. When I become the Emperor of Langyue, I will return to marry you as my Empress.
This dagger was crafted by my own hands, named Lan Yue. Keep it with you.
You are the bright moon of the nine heavens, and I, Ji Shiyou, swear to embrace you."
The twenty-year-old Ji Shiyou's eyes seemed to hold stars and oceans, full of youthful vigor.
With a face full of deep affection, he handed the dagger he had personally forged to Mingyue, who had come to see him off.
After making his promise, he rode away with the southeastern forces.
Mingyue watched his departing back, clutching the dagger tightly.
From then on, the Lan Yue dagger was never separated from Mingyue, as if Ji Shiyou were by her side.
After seeing Ji Shiyou off, Mingyue seemed to transform.
The once playful and lively girl became quiet.
Every day, she would sit in her palace, lost in thought, waiting for Ji Shiyou to fetch her.
She missed no news from Langyue, searching for any trace of Ji Shiyou.
She knew that Ji Shiyou faced ostracism upon his return to court.
She knew that Ji Shiyou showed his talent and was favored by the Emperor of Langyue.
She knew that Ji Shiyou struggled with his brothers, and was eventually made Crown Prince.
She worried for him, rejoiced for him, and silently waited for the day they would meet.
After two years of anxious waiting, she finally received the news of Ji Shiyou's ascension to the throne.
She was so happy that she couldn't sleep all night. Ji Shiyou was coming to get her.
Mingyue had never been so happy, anticipating becoming the most beautiful bride in the world.
But she didn't receive the welcoming delegation from Langyue; instead, she received a war report stating that the Langyue army was invading.
She was stunned. She couldn't understand what was happening. Why would Ji Shiyou do this?
She wanted to go to Yuecheng to confront Ji Shiyou and ask him directly, but she couldn't.
Because her father and mother had fallen ill simultaneously, and her three brothers had to lead troops to resist the invading army of Langyue.
At this time, she could not leave her ailing parents. She could only stay to care for them and stabilize the court.
The war lasted for three years, her parents were bedridden for three years, and Mingyue endured three years of torment.
During these three years, her three brothers were successively killed in battle.
They perished on the battlefield, and their bodies could not even be recovered.
The past tender affections, with the passage of time and the death of her loved ones, transformed into deep hatred.
In her sleep, Mingyue gritted her teeth, her hand tightly gripping the dagger.
The scene in her dream shifted. She went to a temple ten miles outside Cangcheng to pray for her parents and to offer solace to her three fallen brothers.
She received news that Ji Shiyou, leading his army, had broken through Cangcheng.
Ji Shiyou stormed into the Wuman imperial palace, forcing her father to commit suicide and her mother to follow him in death.
Mingyue galloped back to the imperial city, her heart filled with urgency.
She saw Ji Shiyou, clad in armor, emerging from the golden hall with a blood-dripping long sword.
Mingyue looked at Ji Shiyou, thought of her deceased parents, and her anger surged, causing her to spit out a mouthful of blood.
She fell from her horse, unconscious. When she awoke, she found herself confined to her sleeping quarters.
She also learned that the Wuman royal family, over five hundred members, had been massacred by Ji Shiyou, not even sparing three-year-old infants.
"Ji Shiyou, I hate you!"
Mingyue cried out and woke up from her dream, throwing the dagger in her hand.
After steadying her emotions, she picked up the dagger from the ground and put it back in her sleeve.
Although the dagger was a gift from Ji Shiyou, it was her only weapon, and she could not lose it.
She took a sip of cold tea, and Mingyue calmed herself.
She experienced this dream almost every night and had grown accustomed to it.
Each time she woke from a midnight dream, her hatred for Ji Shiyou deepened.
The deep-seated hatred for her kin made her stronger, offsetting her helplessness and sorrow.
Waking from her dream, Mingyue forgot the day's blows and began to ponder her "death-seeking" plan.
Just then, her stomach rumbled.
She looked out the window; it was already dark.
The meals for each palace were collected from the Imperial Kitchen by the servants of each palace.
Lan Yue Palace was left with only her, so naturally, there was no food.
Mingyue considered whether she should go to the Imperial Kitchen to get something to eat.
However, she had been busy all day and felt a bit lazy.
Moreover, the Imperial Kitchen was a bit far, and she didn't remember the way.
She was afraid that if she went out and couldn't find the Imperial Kitchen, she wouldn't be able to return to Lan Yue Palace.
She picked up the teapot and gulped down the remaining cold tea.
Mingyue thought about how to get through the night and cause trouble at the Imperial Household Department tomorrow.
Since her plan was not yet complete, she had to live comfortably. How could she do without servants?
Just then, she heard the rustling sound of footsteps in the courtyard, moving towards her room.
She was the only one in Lan Yue Palace; all the servants had fled. Who could it be?
Thinking that she had killed many people today and injured many, was someone coming to seek revenge?
Mingyue's mind raced with conspiracy, and then she was overjoyed!
If she didn't resist and let the intruder kill her, wouldn't her plan succeed?
Mingyue's heart pounded, wondering how she could avoid scaring away the assassin.
So she decided to pretend to be asleep. This way, the assassin wouldn't be afraid and could act easily.
She was probably the first victim in history to worry about an assassin.
Just then, the door was pushed open. Mingyue quickly closed her eyes.
The person entered the room, their footsteps light, almost inaudible.
"Is it really a professional assassin? Their footsteps are so light."
Mingyue thought to herself. Unexpectedly, the footsteps stopped.
"What's going on? Did he discover I'm pretending to be asleep and is afraid to come closer?"