"An Ru..." King An's expression changed, turning grim.
An Ru chuckled softly, "What? Are you angry? Look at you, you weren't even angry when An Ping treated me that way. Now I'm merely questioning you, and you're upset."
"An Ru, if you still recognize me as your father, put down your sword, otherwise..."
"Otherwise what? You disown me? It doesn't matter. I've returned this time precisely to sever ties with you. If you disown me, I don't want to recognize you either, because I believe you are incapable of distinguishing right from wrong. One day, An Ping will kill you. When that day comes, I'll come to see you again!"
With that, An Ru pointed her sword at An Ping. "I'm not killing you today, not because I'm afraid, but because a saying suddenly came to mind: evil people will reap what they sow. I want to personally witness the arrival of your bitter fruits."
After speaking, she dropped her sword and looked coldly at King An. "From this moment on, I am no longer your Princess An Ru. The An Ru of the past is dead, because the father who loved and cherished us is also dead. The past has turned to dust and smoke. When we meet again, we will be strangers."
She couldn't help but add one last sentence, "Take care of yourself. Once A Ning returns, you won't fare well either..."
She turned and walked out, tears streaming from her eyes. She was saying goodbye to the place she had lived for so many years.
From this day forward, this was no longer her home. She had no home.
"Your Highness, where are we going?" the man in the carriage outside the palace asked An Ru.
"Don't call me Your Highness anymore. I am an ordinary person now."
The man was startled. "You..."
"From now on, call me An Ru, Mo Yuan."
Mo Yuan blinked. He chuckled softly, "I am Feng Yuan now."
An Ru looked up at him. "That's fine too. Mo Yuan was Father's Moo position. Now you are A Ning's guard."
"My life was saved by you. When His Majesty returns, I will plead to protect you."
An Ru smiled upon hearing this. "Alright, otherwise I would be truly lonely. With you accompanying me, at least I'm not alone."
"You promised. I've kept it in my heart. You're not allowed to go back on your word."
"I won't go back on my word," An Ru said. Now that she was all alone, it was a blessing that someone was willing to follow her.
"Where are we going?" Feng Yuan asked.
"I don't know, but I want to see where A Ning lived. I want to wait for news of A Ning. After knowing A Ning is safe, we'll roam the world!"
Feng Yuan looked at her dotingly and nodded. "Okay, whatever you say."
"Your Highness..." Xue Feng's words were cut short as Xue Song shook his head and sighed, looking at him.
"It's taken such effort to emerge from that time, and now we've returned to it," Xue Song couldn't help but sigh.
Back then, the Empress's disappearance had already made people feel distressed. Now, seeing the Empress vanish before his eyes, how could His Highness not blame himself?
"Do you have any news from your side?" Xue Song asked.
Xue Feng shook his head. "It's as if she vanished into thin air. That courtyard has been turned upside down, but no useful information was found."
"How can a person vanish into thin air? There must be some mechanism," Xue Song said.
Xue Feng heard this and said, "I'll go take another look."
Xue Song nodded. "I'll stay here and watch His Highness. I'm afraid His Highness..."
He dared not continue. He knew His Highness had immense resilience, but this time was different. The Empress had vanished before His Highness's eyes. How could His Highness bear it?
If...
He dared not think further...
"Don't overthink it. His Majesty is blessed with good fortune and will surely be alright," Xue Yan came to his side and whispered.
Xue Song hugged her and said softly, "Why are things so difficult for His Highness and the Empress?"
Xue Yan replied, "This is the sorrow of those in high positions. It's impossible to pass through smoothly and safely."
In the room, Xue Jingyun closed his eyes. When he opened them, it was A Ning. When he closed them, it was still A Ning. But where are you, A Ning?
Cold, so cold, so cold...
Xue Zi Ning felt that her entire being was cold, as if she were immersed in ice.
"Congratulations, young master. Your wife is over a month pregnant..."
Pregnant? Is it her?
Could it be her and Yan Zhao's child?
Does she have a child with Yan Zhao?
Her heart was filled with joy, but soon she felt a sense of loss. Would Yan Zhao be unhappy?
"Doctor, my wife and I don't want this child. You see her body is still very weak, can we..."
Don't want the child? No. This is the child she yearned for with Yan Zhao. Who dares to harm her child?
She suddenly opened her eyes and saw a bowl of medicinal soup placed before her lips. She used all her strength to push the medicine aside.
"Han Xi Chen..." she said coldly, looking at the man before her. Who else could it be but Han Xi Chen?
Han Xi Chen put the medicine aside and looked at her, saying indifferently, "This child cannot be kept."
"Why? This is my child. What right do you have to say it cannot be kept?" Xue Zi Ning shouted, clutching her stomach. She would not allow anyone to harm her child.
"Xue Zi Ning, look at our current environment. Can we raise your child well?"
Xue Zi Ning glanced around, gritting her teeth, but refused to give up. "If you're worried about me eating too much, I can eat less."
"Xue Zi Ning..."
"Han Xi Chen, I want to keep him. Whatever you want to do, as long as I can do it, I will help you. I only hope you don't harm him..."
Han Xi Chen hesitated. Seeing this, Xue Zi Ning continued, "Don't you want the Miao Jiang secret arts?"
Han Xi Chen trembled all over and looked up at her. "You..."
"I can give it to you, but that book has already been destroyed by me. However, I've memorized it all. As long as you don't harm him, I can write it out for you."
The immense temptation of profit, she didn't believe Han Xi Chen wouldn't be tempted.
Indeed, Han Xi Chen fell into silence. Xue Zi Ning also waited, saying, "I can prove it to you now."
She got out of bed, grabbed a hen still struggling on the ground, and with a swift stroke, the hen fell to the ground and died after a couple of twitches.
She recited a few words. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the hen suddenly began to move.
Han Xi Chen trembled all over. He had heard of the mysterious Miao Jiang secret arts, but now, seeing it, it seemed capable of bringing the dead back to life. "How about it? A trade?" Xue Zi Ning asked.
Han Xi Chen looked at Xue Zi Ning, who appeared like a young girl before him, and chuckled softly. "If I take you as my own, won't all this be mine?"
Xue Zi Ning smiled faintly, pointing her dagger at her throat. "Is that so? You can try if you don't believe me."
"You still have a child in your womb. Can you bear to take him with you?" Han Xi Chen didn't believe that Xue Zi Ning, who desperately wanted to keep the child, would choose to die with him.
"If I can't even protect myself, how can I protect my child? Rather than be humiliated, it's better to leave with him. That way, at least it fulfills my heartfelt devotion to Yan Zhao." Xue Zi Ning spoke with a casual air, as if she were not afraid of death.
Han Xi Chen was stunned. "Why do you cling to one person? Perhaps at this very moment, he has already found a new love."
"He won't. Even if the whole world betrays me, I believe he won't."
So certain, yet so nonchalant, Han Xi Chen knew that his heart had been shaken by this kind of emotion.
Was Xue Jingyun truly worth it?
"Give me the Miao Jiang secret arts, and I won't harm you," Han Xi Chen said after deliberation.