The Empress in the Emperor's memory always treated him with utmost ruthlessness, disgust, and malice.
Having grown up dependent on her, the Emperor repeatedly sought her affection and tried to please her, despite her indifference and hostility.
Then, one day, she genuinely tried to kill him. He barely managed to escape her clutches. From that moment on, his dependence and longing vanished. Out of childish revenge, he decided to treat her the same way she had treated him. He wanted her to regret how she had treated him.
He fled from her side and went to his father, the Emperor, whom she hated. He even "befriended" Consort Ji and others. He ignored her, was cold towards her, and even refused to see her. He abandoned her, leaving her to live alone in the desolate Cold Palace.
Later, he transformed from a humble prince into the Crown Prince. When he returned to see her in his elevated status, she died before his eyes in a manner so decisive and cruel. In that moment, he truly hated her. He hated her so much that he had her soul captured, preventing her from reincarnating to find the man she had loved and felt guilty towards her entire life.
"What use is there in saying this now?" The Emperor's eyes held a deep, hollow coldness.
Gu Junshi said, "It seems your memory has not fully recovered. Your Empress, indeed, under years of confinement and guilt, became mentally unstable and lost control of her actions. But even so, she did everything she could to protect you."
"Because of her, your father disliked you and let you and your mother fend for yourselves in the Cold Palace. However, her title as Empress and your position as the First Prince were still coveted, especially by Consort Ji, who was gaining significant influence. To ensure Prince Rui became the Crown Prince, she repeatedly attempted to harm you in secret. Knowing she couldn't protect you in her current situation, she acted in ways that seemed to hurt you, intending to make you distance yourself from her and draw closer to your father."
This was so he could escape the same mire she was trapped in. As long as she was harsh enough, the Emperor, who resented her, would accept the Emperor, because the Emperor was his son. As long as the Emperor and the Emperor stood on the same side, resenting and hating her, the Emperor would not abandon him.
Everything unfolded as Nan Wengmiao had envisioned. However, Consort Chang, who could no longer act directly against the Emperor, harbored a wicked plan. If she couldn't deal with the lesser, she would first eliminate the greater.
"Your Empress committed suicide, trading her position as Empress with the Emperor and Consort Chang to guarantee your temporary safety."
The Emperor listened quietly, unmoved. All of this was mere conjecture and imagination; who could truly know what Nan Wengmiao had been thinking at the time? Besides, after all these years, whether these events were true or false, they no longer mattered to him.
"What use is there in saying this now?"
Standing before the Marriage Stone, this stone was as transparent as red crystal, with clear ice-crack patterns visible within its structure. It reflected the light, and also illuminated the two of them. He turned to Gu Junshi, his gaze distant and ethereal, fixed on her. He spoke with earnestness, "No matter what you say today, it will not deter my resolve to marry you, to become your Dao companion, sharing one heart and one dream. This vow is unwavering."
Gu Junshi smiled. "I'm not trying to stop you. I just want you to see your heart clearly. You've forgotten yourself, forgotten everything, yet you tirelessly search for Nan Wengmiao in her reincarnation. Everything you're doing is simply your penance. You feel you burdened her, and you've always wanted to repay what you owe her."
"Is that so?" He indifferently cut his palm, then took Gu Junshi's hand, slicing her palm with a finger. Their palms met, their fingers interlaced, and they raised their hands to the sky in an oath.
A large formation of phoenixes and luan birds in intertwined flight instantly expanded beneath their feet. Purple-red light enveloped them, making them radiant and as bright as spring.
"Heaven and Earth bear witness. I, the Emperor, hereby become Dao companions with Gu Junshi. I only wish to hold one person's hand and grow old together, never to abandon."
"Now that your memory has been restored, you should understand that I am not the one you should be repaying. I am not Nan Fengmiao, nor am I Nan Wengmiao."
"Gu Junshi, you are not blind, nor are you foolish. I have always known who you are! And I know clearly who I, the Emperor, wish to marry!" The Emperor looked at her calm, placid face and suddenly said with hatred.
Gu Junshi continued, "Nan Fengmiao is dead. The scene of her hanging was orchestrated by Prince Rui to provoke you, making you remember your Empress and thus completely descend into an evil spirit, slaughtering the entire royal palace. You can no longer distinguish between Nan Wengmiao and Nan Fengmiao. But no matter which one it was, they gave their all for you."
The Emperor suddenly looked up. The heavens showed no unusual signs, no blessings, and no response. This meant their marriage contract was not completed. It also meant that the heavens did not recognize their union... Heaven's will did not approve?!
The Emperor questioned absurdly, "Why?"
"Is it because I am of the evil path that even Heaven's will refuses to bestow the marriage contract!?"
Gu Junshi sighed, walked to his side, her pupils gradually shifting to become as clear as a mirror, allowing him to see clearly. "Because you—possess three souls. How can you form a divine soul bond with someone? Do you not feel it?"
"Years ago, after you were killed through Prince Rui's scheme, Nan Wengmiao, who had been confined to your side, did not hesitate to sacrifice all her spiritual power to help your vengeful spirit be reborn. And when you were driven mad by Nan Fengmiao's corpse, losing your senses, it was Nan Fengmiao who used her own Miao clan bloodline, sacrificing her flesh and blood, to be reborn through reincarnation, preventing you from completely falling into demonic ways and becoming a mindless, inhuman evil spirit."
Hearing this, the Emperor's expression was stunned. The icy heart that had been frozen as if imprisoned for so long was finally shattered.
Gu Junshi asked him, "Do you see it?"
Through the reflection in her pupils, he saw two ethereal figures by his side. A woman dressed in blue, with a string of ornaments on her forehead, looked at him with love and apology, her gaze gentle and complex. A woman dressed in a green skirt and lotus-leaf apron, with a graceful waist and eyes like cut jade, gazed at him with guilt and sadness.
"I'm sorry…"
"I'm sorry…"
They had always been by his side, never leaving. It was just that he had never seen them, nor had he ever perceived their constant presence.
Meeting the Emperor's shocked and bewildered gaze, they appeared surprised and delighted, but simultaneously parted their lips and uttered these three words to him.
"This is all an illusion you've conjured. They aren't real. You're lying to me…" The Emperor closed his eyes fiercely, muttering. He grabbed her arm, his fingertips trembling, like a wounded beast driven into a corner, unwilling to reveal the fragility and desolation that had reached its breaking point. "Tell me, it's your turn to make your marriage vows…"