Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Sima Shao stared blankly at the bold palace maid who had just left him, standing there for a long time, forgetting to cry, with tears leaving a trace on his cheek.
After a while, Sima Shao came back to his senses. "Damn that Servant! I will find you—"
However, strangely enough, despite the pain in his face and backside, he did not truly feel angry. On the contrary, it was as if he had found a relative—someone who dared to scold him, to teach him a lesson, and to point out his mistakes, unlike everyone else in this palace who were all fake towards him. Sima Shao rubbed his reddened backside and cheek, feeling an inexplicable flush on his face as he tried to ignore the joy that inexplicably bubbled up inside him, trying to dismiss the fact that she occupied his thoughts constantly. But how could something buried deep in his heart be easily discarded?
He thought about how there was someone in this world who truly cared for him.
Lost in thought, he unexpectedly smiled sweetly like a child for the first time, revealing two small tiger teeth.
Immersed in his own musings, Sima Shao did not notice a bright yellow figure that had come for a stroll. Gaze looked at him and the departing woman with a complex and dangerous expression.
How dare she act this way towards a prince? Was this some maid's deliberate seduction? He had not organized the harem for a long time; how could such bold and novel tactics arise? The man squinted his eyes; if he could see what that maid looked like, he would surely have her assassinated. Seducing the crown prince was an unforgivable crime.
The tide rose, and a mournful song played.
All memories were damp...
From then on, he anticipated more of everything.
He hoped that one day they would meet again. This was not just the sentiment of Xie Weiying, the abandoned consort of an emperor; it was also the perspective of An Jin, who grew up alongside Brother Sima.
In searching around aimlessly, what I sought was something I had never seriously considered before.
These past few days, I had been discussing the history of the Three Kingdoms with Li Jiu, particularly focusing on figures like Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan (the famous characters from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms). I shared with Li Jiu our contemporary adaptations of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which piqued his interest. He insisted on having an in-depth conversation with me about it. It had been a long time since I met someone I could talk to so easily, so naturally, I was quite enthusiastic. However, due to that Little Benefactor's influence, I rarely visited "Miyu"—Li Jiu's dilapidated house—since it was given to him by the emperor and he named it himself. I usually only went to see him at night; after all, I didn't do much during the day and had grown accustomed to being a night owl in modern times.
Initially, Li Jiu was concerned about my reputation as a young lady. However, seeing me often dressed in men's clothing and appearing nonchalant about it made him feel overly conservative. Plus, when I disdainfully asked if he minded associating with me as a woman and whether it diminished his status or made him unwilling to befriend me, he naturally denied it vehemently. Seeing my determination made him relent. I knew he was worried about tarnishing my reputation and purity. But I wasn't that kind of woman; my mindset didn't care about such things at all. A true confidant is hard to find for me. Gradually, he also set aside secular views and focused on discussing various topics with me. Having one true friend in life is indeed enough. My life began to improve; it was no longer dull.
Tonight, as usual, I waited for Yun Ying to fall asleep. I didn't want to inform her; otherwise she would nag me not to go out for fear of ruining my reputation... etc. I put on my clothes and quietly climbed over the wall to leave. Every night Xiao Quanzi would occasionally guard the door; I didn’t want to disturb him or scare him by letting him see his master climbing walls.
As usual, I climbed over and arrived at Li Jiu's study door while muttering, "Li Jiu, why is your broken house's wall so high?" As I pushed open the door—who would have thought that when I looked up, I saw Li Jiu across from me blinking furiously? When did he develop such a habit? Was his eye bothering him? I could never have imagined that someone as serious as Li Jiu would resort to such childish antics to warn me about something significant. Nor could I have anticipated that my heart's desire would lead me to encounter him like this—
If only I could foresee everything; then I wouldn't have come here. I'd rather remain oblivious for a lifetime than meet like this in such an unfortunate manner—
Just as I was surprised and about to ask him what was wrong today, suddenly turning my head revealed a pair of shoes edged in gold trim. A little higher up was a corner of bright yellow clothing. My face instantly paled; my whole body trembled as if frozen in place. Yet instinctively my body knelt down on its own as I stammered: "This servant greets Your Majesty. This servant did not know Your Majesty was here and intruded recklessly; please forgive me."
The Emperor looked at the woman who had inexplicably appeared before him. Given her casual demeanor upon entering, she must have been familiar with Li Taifu. He said calmly, "Hmm. Get up." Why did her figure seem somewhat familiar?
"Thank you, Your Majesty." I stood up, trembling with fear, lowering my head and stepping aside, my expression filled with anxiety. I never expected that at such a moment, the Emperor would not be enjoying the company of his favored consort but would be here instead!
Fortunately, I was dressed in the simple attire of a palace maid, suitable for outings and leisure. My hairstyle was also the simplest style worn by maids. Otherwise, if he knew that his consort had sneaked into a minister's quarters in the middle of the night, what would he think? Speaking of which, why did his voice sound so familiar? Where had I heard it before? It felt so comforting.
As I was lost in thought, Li Jiu noticed that the Emperor did not seem to blame me and smiled, saying, "Your Majesty, this maid is the one I mentioned to you not long ago—the one who has become close to me and discusses academic matters with me. The story about the Three Kingdoms I just told you was also shared with me by her."
I kept my head down and couldn't see the Emperor's expression. In my heart, I silently blamed Li Jiu for revealing our connection to the Emperor!
"Is that so?" He smiled lightly, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. He continued, "Lift your head; let me see what kind of remarkable woman has impressed Taifu."
With my thoughts in disarray, I wasn’t really listening; all I could think about was how familiar his voice sounded, as if it had always echoed in my ears. What could it be?
Just as I was about to raise my head to look at him and see who he was, I heard him command me to lift my head. Reflexively, I complied and found myself gazing directly into his deep pupils—still familiar with their enchanting colors. Light purple and silver hues danced like whispers at dusk, clear yet enveloping.
He wore a bright yellow Dragon Robe, cinched at the waist with a rare gold-inlaid belt adorned with unique totems. His handsome face was framed by thick black eyebrows that slanted into casually flowing hair. His dark eyes sparkled like obsidian as they scrutinized me with an air of authority mixed with curiosity. He exuded nobility and an aura of danger—just as he had when we first met years ago.
I felt as if I were under a spell, staring blankly at him, forgetting words and everything around me—even the world itself... Unconsciously, I murmured at my lips: "Brother Sima—" But as soon as I spoke, everything vanished into thin air. It felt like I was smiling and playfully calling him "Brother Sima" just like before; oh how much I wanted to—without realizing it, tears welled up in my eyes, but I stubbornly held them back.
In that moment, my heart was in turmoil; I forgot everything—the world faded away. There was no joy in recognizing him as a brother; instead, chills ran down my spine and despair filled my heart—I didn’t even know why. The scene of brotherly recognition was something I did not anticipate at all. From that moment on, I almost confirmed that I would never tell him that I am An Jin.
No wonder Sister Danyi always seemed hesitant when mentioning Brother Sima! No wonder Brother Sima lacked martial skills yet had so many experts protecting him! No wonder Sister Danyi and Brother Sima often spoke in riddles!
Brother Sima is actually the Emperor?! He is not some prince or nobleman; he is the Emperor!?
I forgot everything—I couldn’t recall any of our shared moments...
He noticed my unwavering gaze and frowned slightly; impatience and disgust filled his eyes... He was no longer the Brother Sima who cherished me; standing before me was Sima Rui, the Emperor of Jin Dynasty... Why did he deceive me? Why keep me in the dark? If—I had known this beforehand, no matter what, I wouldn’t have entered the palace. This encounter leaves me feeling utterly helpless—Brother Sima, how can you put me in such a position?
Brother Sima, how should I face you now? How do I tell you that your brother is one among your many consorts? How can I convey this while preserving what little dignity I have left?
"Impudent!" His expression turned cold as he looked at me—tearful and bewildered—for a long time before coldly saying: "Get out."
Get out. He told me to get out. I stood there in shock, dazedly staring at him as if looking through him. Brother Sima no longer recognized me; he couldn’t remember me anymore—all that filled his mind were these thoughts; everything else faded away from sight and sound...
I unconsciously touched my face. Was it this face, this unfamiliar face that he no longer recognized? A bitter smile escaped me; it turned out that what he remembered was always just An Jin—
Brother Sima would always say that An Jin was the most perfect person in the world. An Jin was Brother Sima's most beloved younger brother. My An Jin was unparalleled...
And now, the same Brother Sima told me to get lost.
Seeing that I had not reacted for a long time, the Emperor narrowed his eyes dangerously. Li Jiu, noticing the Emperor was about to lose his temper, hurried over, pulled me down, and we both knelt on the ground. He anxiously said, "Your Majesty, please forgive us. This servant has only just entered the palace and does not understand the rules. Please forgive us." He tugged at my sleeve desperately as he spoke.
A pang of bitterness surged in my heart, but I suppressed the waves of pain and lowered my head respectfully. "Your Majesty, please forgive me. This servant has only just entered the palace. It is my first time gazing upon your esteemed face; I was momentarily frightened and lost my manners, falling under a spell. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
The Emperor remained silent, still coldly saying, "Get lost."
I bowed my head and suddenly spoke calmly, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Taking a deep breath, I clenched my fists in despair, closed my eyes, and bit my lip until it turned white. In the end, I bit down hard enough to draw blood, droplets falling onto the back of my hand. It was almost at that moment that I made a decision: from now on, there would be no more An Jin in this world—only a discarded consort named Xie Weiying, the Emperor's woman.
I would never tell him the truth. Xie Weiying is An Jin; An Jin is Xie Weiying.
Comment 0 Comment Count