CHAPTER 271: CHAPTER 269: LU YING, DO YOU LOVE ZHAOZHAO?

Her tone was heavy.

Lu Shiyan was hurt by her words. On his refined and noble face, traces of awkwardness and sorrow emerged.

He gripped his folding fan tightly and said, "Zhaozhao, I don’t understand. Is distancing oneself from deception and strife truly so bad? Must you throw away your entire life for so-called revenge? You only have a mere hundred years in this lifetime—why torment yourself so?"

When Shen Yinning didn’t smile, her almond-shaped eyes with upturned corners appeared especially sharp and coldly alluring. "The Shen Family has been upright for generations, with countless military achievements to their name. My father and elder brothers defended the border and protected our homeland, making no mistakes through the years. They should have been this nation’s heroes, yet they were burdened with baseless accusations and subjected to undeserved condemnation. As the daughter of the Shen Family, it is my duty to redress their grievances and make my case. There is no reason for me to hide away and live disgracefully!"

Lu Shiyan looked despondent.

The rebellion case involving Shen Zhi and Shen Xingye had been personally adjudicated by his father, the Emperor.

His father was known for his wisdom and strength, a ruler of unmatched integrity. How could he have wronged loyal officials?

Yet Zhaozhao refused to give up, adamant that her father and brothers had been wrongly accused...

He murmured softly, "So many years have passed. Trying to overturn the verdict is as difficult as reaching for the heavens. If you don’t seek justice for your father and brothers, does it mean you can no longer pursue your own happiness in this lifetime?"

Shen Yinning turned slightly to one side.

Moonlight and the soft glow of lanterns intertwined, casting firefly-like radiance on her silk dress. Her skin was as pale and delicate as pear blossoms. Because she wore no makeup, the charm in her brows and the corners of her eyes was subdued, yet on this spring night, she exuded a kind of natural, unyielding sharpness.

Her voice was light yet firm, like the edge of a blade tempered by wind and snow: "To learn the truth at dawn, and die content at dusk."

"To learn the truth at dawn, and die content at dusk..."

Lu Shiyan echoed her words, each syllable weighing a thousand pounds.

He fell silent for a long time, then smiled bitterly. "Zhaozhao, I understand your resolve now. To right the wrongs and clear your father and brothers’ names, you are unafraid of death."

He lifted his eyes to gaze at Shen Yinning, his stare filled with yearning admiration. "Zhaozhao, though you are but a young woman, you can cast aside wealth and comfort for the sake of your father and brothers. You are worthy of being the girl I’ve cherished since childhood. Compared to you, I, who have thought only of love and attachment, am far inferior."

Shen Yinning did not reply, her expression remaining as cold as before.

A breeze stirred in the Liang Garden, scattering pear blossom petals that drifted onto the rails.

Lu Shiyan reached out and caught a petal.

Suddenly, many memories resurfaced—back when he was also a young man with grand ambitions.

The vows exchanged beneath the pear tree with Zhaozhao still rang in his ears:

——Zhaozhao, if I serve as a minister in the future, I will ensure honesty and integrity, cleansing the realm. If I become a ruler, I will care for the nation and love the people as if they were my own children!

But those vows were ultimately forgotten in the torrent of time.

The fight for the throne against Lu Ying left him utterly exhausted, costing him even the use of his legs.

As a defeated prince seeking refuge in Jiangnan, in order to establish himself and chase power, he betrayed his conscience, colluding with corrupt officials and bandits, selling offices and ranks—committing countless disgraceful deeds.

Little by little, he had become someone entirely unrecognizable.

A pear blossom petal fell from his palm, landing on the hem of his snowy white robe.

He inhaled deeply, cast one last glance at Shen Yinning, then turned his wheelchair to leave the Zhao Yue Pavilion.

Lu Shiyan sought out Lu Ying, his demeanor uncharacteristically resolute: "Jiangnan has two hundred thousand troops. The Commander’s Seal is in my possession. With a single command, you and Xue Ling might not leave Jiangnan unscathed. Lu Ying, I demand that you spare the Luo Family, and that you show mercy to Zhaozhao. I can promise you that as long as you relent this time, so long as I remain Prince Wu, I will ensure Jiangnan has no more collusion between officials and bandits or acceptance of bribes. I, Lu Shiyan, will restore Jiangnan to the Great Zhou as a land of integrity."

Lu Ying propped his hand against his temple.

The accounts of the Luo Family had all been sorted after a night and a day of rectification.

He hadn’t slept well these past few days, the faint shadows under his fox-like eyes revealing his exhaustion, while his temples throbbed faintly.

Hearing Lu Shiyan’s threat, he rubbed his temple, a mocking smile tugging at his thin lips.

Clearly, this older half-brother had not only been rebuffed by Shen Zhaozhao but was also harshly humiliated and scorned. Only then, freed from matters of love, had he decided to change his ways and protect the Luo Family using military power.

But it was too late.

Lu Ying pulled a Commander’s Seal from his wide sleeve. "Is this what the Crown Prince refers to?"

Lu Shiyan’s pupils constricted instantly, and he reached out in desperation. "How did my Commander’s Seal end up in your hands?!"

Lu Ying evaded his grasp. "These past few days, you’ve secluded yourself behind closed doors, providing me with the perfect opportunity. Dear brother, despite your lessons in the Emperor’s Skill, how could you fail to realize that no one wishes to follow a master mired in infatuation, with no future prospects? Even those closest to you are no exception."

Only now did Lu Shiyan understand—his trusted allies had betrayed him.

While he had been preoccupied with thoughts of Zhaozhao, Lu Ying had already accomplished so much in secret.

Forged alliances, dismantled the Luo Family, seized military authority...

Each move was swift and decisive, striking with precision and ruthlessness.

Just as in the past, while he had been chasing Zhaozhao, he had failed to notice how Lu Ying had grown from a child beaten in the Imperial Garden on New Year’s Eve to a Crown Prince far more powerful than him. It was clear how much effort Lu Ying had put in behind the scenes while he basked in intoxicating feminine fragrance.

Time and time again, he had lost to Lu Ying, and he could no longer deny its justice.

Zhaozhao, a woman who admired strength above all else, found abandoning him in favor of Lu Ying to be a perfectly logical choice.

Lu Shiyan’s tense body gradually slumped, even the once-straight lines of his shoulders sagging slightly.

He clutched tightly at his fan, inscribed with the words, "Unreachable as coral upon the palm, yet destined to transform into the Upper Yang Flower." On this spring night, facing Lu Ying in his dark robe and golden hairpin, cold and aloof, he suddenly realized—he might have lost Zhaozhao forever.

He could not outmatch Lu Ying.

He had failed in the past, failed now, and would surely fail in the future.

He lowered his head, fell silent for a long while, and whispered, "Lu Ying, do you love Zhaozhao?"

Lu Ying gave no answer.

The young Crown Prince, as always, was taciturn. When he gazed toward the Zhao Yue Pavilion, his dark eyes brimmed with a possessiveness that ran deep.

For Shen Zhaozhao, he could feel tenderness, like, but he could never offer love.

"Love"—this one word—was too heavy a burden for the future Emperor to bear.

The Emperor’s Skill he had learned never taught him how to love a woman.

His teacher had once said that an Emperor’s love should be evenly distributed among the people, not selfishly hoarded for one individual.

Lu Shiyan looked at him and suddenly let out two hollow laughs, finally understanding why he had lost the fight for the throne.

He turned his wheelchair and headed out. "I know you hesitate, afraid that Luo Xibai might harm Zhaozhao, which is why you’ve delayed storming the Zhao Yue Pavilion for so long. Let me reassure you: Luo Xibai now treasures Zhaozhao more than his own eyes. He would never harm her. Naturally, Zhaozhao treats Luo Xibai as an elder brother. Lu Ying, while my situation with Zhaozhao is a doomed stalemate, yours is no better. Zhaozhao has already lost one elder brother. If you kill Luo Xibai, she will never forgive you for the rest of her life."