Hua Yunjin shook her head, "Impossible, you're lying, you're lying, impossible?"
The Empress Dowager bit her lower lip. She looked up at Shen Yunxuan and said, "All past grievances should end here. Shen Yunxuan, what do you think?"
"I don't want to think about the future. I'm not Shen family's child. You must be mistaken."
Shen Yunxuan didn't believe a word she said. She was only saying this to save Hua Yunjin's life.
Such a traitor to the Empress was not worth pitying.
"Shen Yunxuan, I know you don't believe me, but haven't you ever thought about it? Do you have any memories from before you were ten years old?"
Shen Yunxuan trembled all over. He indeed had no memory of his life before the age of ten. He had asked his grandmother and mother. His grandmother told him that he had lost his memory due to an illness in his childhood, which was why he couldn't remember.
Seeing his silence, she continued, "Haven't you ever suspected it?"
Had he not suspected it? How could that be? He had suspected, but he couldn't find a way to recover his lost memories.
"Don't try to confuse me here. I won't believe you. I will not let go of anyone who betrays the Empress."
"Since that is the case, I fear I cannot let you live..."
Suddenly, the Empress Dowager drew the sword from a nearby guard and lunged at Shen Yunxuan.
The long sword pierced his chest, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Shen Yunxuan, I will repay you in the next life."
Shen Yunxuan looked at her. After a long pause, his gaze dropped. The Empress Dowager looked up at Hua Yunjin, who was slumped on the ground, and said, "Jin'er, I will take this secret with me. You will have to walk your own path from now on."
After speaking, the Empress Dowager pressed herself against Shen Yunxuan, and the sword that had pierced Shen Yunxuan's body also pierced the Empress Dowager's body.
Hua Yunjin shook his head, "Mother, Mother..."
The Empress Dowager looked at Hua Yunjin, spitting out a mouthful of blood, "Jin'er, from now on... from now on, you are the true Emperor, and there will be no more shame..."
With that, the Empress Dowager collapsed.
Hua Yunjin stood there blankly. After a long time, he suddenly let out a long howl, tears streaming down his face. Cheng Changxing, seeing this, was about to comfort him, but Hua Yundan said, "Let His Highness have some quiet time alone!"
Cheng Changxing was stunned, then bowed and said, "The Prince is right."
After everyone had left, Hua Yunjin slumped onto the ground. He could never have imagined that his true identity was so intricately linked to Shen Yunxuan, nor that Shen Yunxuan was his brother?
When Hua Yundan returned, he saw Ming Yu sitting in the courtyard. He walked over and asked her, "Miss Ming Yu is waiting for me?"
Ming Yu was startled, then nodded, "Yes, I have something I want to ask the Prince."
"Speak," Hua Yundan said.
"Your Highness..."
"Shen Yunxuan is dead," Hua Yundan said suddenly.
Ming Yu was startled. "Shen Yunxuan is dead?" How could someone so adept at strategy die? She found it hard to believe.
Seeing her reaction, Hua Yundan's lips curled into a cold smile. "Sometimes, killing a person isn't necessarily done by a mortal enemy, but by a reason."
Ming Yu didn't understand the meaning of Hua Yundan's words. Her only concern was Hua Yunjin. "Then how is His Highness now?"
For some reason, she felt Hua Yundan's gaze was cold, and a chill seemed to creep up from her feet. Just as she thought she would be frozen to death by Hua Yundan's gaze, he suddenly spoke, "He is not well."
Not well? Ming Yu looked at Hua Yundan and asked, "How is he not well?"
Hua Yundan looked at her for a moment and said, "Miss Ming Yu, if you are worried, I can send someone to take you to see him."
Ming Yu was stunned, then shook her head, "Forget it!"
Their past acquaintance was only out of necessity. Now that Shen Yunxuan was dead, she had no reason to see him.
From the day he favored the dancing girl Shen Yunxuan had given him, she had understood one thing: begging for the Emperor's love was utterly foolish.
In his eyes, only the throne and power were important. What was she? Merely a passerby in his worldly affairs. In that case, meeting him would only bring more trouble.
Sometimes, not meeting was the best memory one could give the other.
Ming Yu thought of this and looked at Hua Yundan, asking, "Prince, when are we returning?"
Hua Yundan looked at her. For some reason, she felt an unprecedented sadness in his gaze. In her impression, Hua Yundan had always been unyielding, but now, looking at her like this, it made her suspicious. She instinctively took a step back, "Prince, you..."
Hua Yundan withdrew his gaze and looked into the distance. At this moment, a loneliness surrounded him. "Miss Ming Yu, if one day I become nothing, will I still be your friend in your heart?"
Friend? Ming Yu was stunned. How could she dare to be friends with the Prince of Hua City? But seeing the faint sorrow in his eyes, she still said, "In the past, I was just a humble commoner, and the Prince never disliked me. So, it will be the same in the future."
Although she had been disliked quite a bit, at least Hua Yundan had never intended to harm her.
In this chaotic world, anyone who didn't harm her was a good person.
"Good, Miss Ming Yu, I remember your words." For some reason, Ming Yu felt that Hua Yundan's mood seemed much better.
She didn't know how this good mood had begun.
A few days passed in a flash. During these days, Ming Yu paid no attention to the outside events because whatever happened had nothing to do with her. As for finding her so-called father, she had let it go.
The saying goes, "Good people don't live long, while villains live for a thousand years." Therefore, someone so attached to his life, who would abandon his daughter, would surely not let himself be harmed.
In that case, why should she rack her brains to find him? Should she blame him or resent him?
It no longer mattered. She planned to return and continue her small business, find an honest man to marry, and her life in this world would be complete.
"Miss Ming Yu, someone wishes to see you," Bai Luo said, entering from outside.
Ming Yu buried the flower in the soil and looked up, asking, "Who wants to see me?" She couldn't recall anyone she knew here.
"It's a Miss Ming Xiu," Chang Yu said.
Ming Yu was startled. Ming Xiu? She put down her things and said, "Tell Miss Ming Xiu that I am not her young lady. After this parting, we will never meet again."
Chang Yu looked at her and said, "Miss Ming Yu, aren't you going to see her?"
Ming Yu was stunned, then smiled. "We met in the wrong way from the beginning. Not wanting to see her is simply to prevent the mistake from continuing. Go!"
Chang Yu nodded. "Alright, I will go and reply."
Ming Yu didn't know what Chang Yu had said, but Chang Yu never returned, clearly indicating that Ming Xiu had left after hearing her words.