"Your Highness, she is the Empress of the current dynasty."
As Zhao Jiu finished speaking, it was like a thunderbolt from the clear sky, exploding over Zhan Yun's head.
This woman was actually the Empress. So she was the Empress rumored to be ugly. If she was the Empress, why would she go to Black Wind City? No wonder the Emperor was so furious when he saw the portrait that he wanted to kill him. It turned out that the person he had plastered was the Empress.
Zhan Yun's face was pale and weak. Although his body was unsteady, when Zhao Jiu attacked, he went berserk. His figure flashed in the air, unleashing poisonous and fierce moves, each aimed at a fatal spot, as if he wanted to kill Zhao Mei.
Why did he tell him this fact? It made his joy last only a short while before it crumbled. Did he have to fight the Emperor for a woman?
Unless the Emperor no longer wanted her, the frenzied Zhan Yun was a dangerous bomb, radiating a murderous aura as he pressed closer to Zhao Mei.
However, Zhao Jiu was not to be trifled with. The two were evenly matched, with the slightest difference separating masters. Thus, they both went all out, not daring to be negligent.
Feeling bored, Liu Liu sat down on the grass beside them and turned her head to watch the figures gradually receding into the distance, soon blending into the sky.
Liu Liu kept throwing pebbles into the lake. She tossed them lightly and quickly, hitting the center of the lake and creating ripples that spread outward. Looking into the distance, the two were nowhere to be seen. She might as well go back and let them fight.
In the cold palace, because the deceased Emperor had not taken many concubines, there were very few people. The place was desolate, with scattered branches and mottled leaves. A few eunuchs were sweeping fallen leaves, their faces also listless and dejected.
Who would want to stay in a place like the cold palace, where the sun never shone? Only palace maids and eunuchs who had committed mistakes were assigned to the cold palace.
As the years passed, they aged quickly, devoid of any joy or purpose in life, living like walking corpses, numb and indifferent.
Their pupils were glazed over, and they showed no reaction to Liu Liu. They lowered their heads to sweep the fallen leaves, completely uninterested in how someone had entered the cold palace.
Seeing that the eunuchs ignored her, Liu Liu also couldn't be bothered with them. She flashed away from the cold palace, intending to return to her own Huaqing Palace. However, at the end of the long corridor, she unexpectedly saw Princess Jie Lan.
Behind the princess stood the two young maids, Cui'er and Caixia. As soon as they saw Liu Liu, they rushed over and bowed.
"Your Highness, the Princess wishes to see you. Your maids could not stop her."
"Hmm, she wants to see me?" Liu Liu looked up, somewhat surprised. Although she and Jie Lan had a mutual appreciation, there shouldn't be anything so urgent that she had to see her.
Jie Lan, standing behind Cui'er and the others, had a face etched with weariness and her eyes were filled with melancholy. Her abundant dark hair was pulled up high, but a small lock had slipped down. This was completely unlike the noble Jie Lan. What had struck Jie Lan to make her so unconcerned about her appearance?
"Jie Lan, what's wrong?" she asked softly, walking over and standing firmly in front of Jie Lan. The young maids standing behind Jie Lan clearly harbored an inexplicable hostility towards Liu Liu, with a flicker of contempt in their eyes.
A hint of unease flashed through Liu Liu's mind. Could it be that the princess knew Feng Lie liked her? Was she heartbroken? Then why would she want to see her?
"Can I ask for your help with something?" Jie Lan spoke cautiously, her large eyes blinking, misty moisture gathering within them. Her curled eyelashes trembled, clearly with teardrops clinging to them.
Bai Wang, her small hands tightly rubbing the corners of her clothes, indicated her extreme unease at the moment. Liu Liu looked at Jie Lan, puzzled. She was a forthright and brave girl. What was wrong this time?
"Princess, please speak," Liu Liu said, leading Jie Lan to the pavilion ahead. The pavilion was surrounded by white jade railings, and outside, plants like banana trees were planted.
Liu Liu and Jie Lan stood by the railings, both gazing into the distance. Liu Liu waited quietly, knowing that what Jie Lan was about to say would be difficult to articulate.
Perhaps such words would be a great blow to her, but since she had come to find her, Liu Liu believed Jie Lan would definitely speak.
Jie Lan gradually calmed down from her initial agitation. Although her tone was desolate, her expression was calm.
"So, the person he likes is Your Highness. Perhaps only someone like Your Highness is who he likes. Alas, I, Jie Lan, traveled thousands of miles to Tian Feng, only to find that the man I fancied has another woman in his heart. Is this not very sad?" She said with a smile, but there were tears in the corners of her eyes.
A proud daughter of heaven, with both talent and beauty, she had always gotten what she wanted. Since arriving in Tian Feng, she had suffered repeated blows, which made her realize that not everything in the world could be obtained just by wishing for it.
Although the price of this realization was too high, it had helped her grow, making her less naive than before.
"Princess, actually, he and I have nothing. Truly?" A faint smile played on Liu Liu's lips, her eyes distant. Scenes from the past flashed before her eyes. Her interactions with Feng Lie during their youth were mostly as friends.
She didn't understand why Feng Lie would say he liked her when she had already moved on. Liu Liu retracted her gaze and focused on Jie Lan. Her gentle, soft eyes were like a wisp of cloud in the sky, light and ethereal, yet strangely able to soothe one's heart.
"Jie Lan, do you know? Feng Lie and I met a long time ago. I once thought we had a childhood sweetheart relationship, so for a period, I fantasized about him sending matchmakers to propose. But after year after year of disappointment, I finally understood one fact: he and I could never be together. We have too much in common, and can only be friends. Feng Lie is just confused. Princess should stand by his side and wait for him. He will realize that he and I are impossible. We missed each other once. Some things, once missed, are for a lifetime. Not everyone and everything will wait for you in the same place."
Jie Lan heard Liu Liu's meaningful words and felt a little joy in her heart. She liked Feng Lie very much. Today, she had mustered the courage to seek out Your Highness, fearing she would hear that Liu Liu also liked Feng Lie.
Now, hearing Liu Liu's words, hope inexplicably rose in her heart. A radiant smile bloomed on her small face, her lips curved in a smile. There were still un-dried tear marks at the corners of her eyes.
"Your Highness, is what you said true? Feng Lie and Your Highness are nothing to each other?"
"Nothing at all, not even friends anymore. So please, Princess, don't overthink it. He should have a talented woman like you by his side."
Liu Liu suddenly admired Jie Lan. If she had had half her courage back then, could she have changed everything? If she had told Feng Lie that she had always wanted to marry him, would something be different?
But it was meaningless to think about these things now.
After comforting Jie Lan, Liu Liu excused herself and returned to Huaqing Palace. Jie Lan quickly blocked her path. Today, she hadn't come to Your Highness to complain; she had something to ask for her help.
"Your Highness, Prince Yan drinks himself into a frenzy every day, and no one can stop him. So Jie Lan wants to ask Your Highness for a favor and go see him. I hope Your Highness can enlighten him and make him give up this idea."
"Jie Lan, why would you do this?" Liu Liu couldn't understand why Jie Lan would make such a request. Was it because of her magnanimity, or because she loved so deeply that she had completely forgotten herself and was making a sacrifice? In any case, she would not go to see Feng Lie, because the Emperor would not agree.
"The Emperor will not agree. Let this matter end here." She would do what she could, but she would never interfere in what she could not do, she sighed inwardly.
Feng Lie, why are you tormenting yourself like this? Is this what they call 'the unobtainable is always the best'? You should open your eyes and see what you have now. Don't wait until you lose it to know how to cherish it.
Missing once is a lack of fate. Missing twice is your own self-inflicted suffering.