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墨書 Inktalez
"Shut up!"
A cold voice suddenly rang out.
Looking in the direction of the sound, I saw a figure standing by the lake—it was none other than the Empress Dowager!
"Zhenbei Wang," she sneered, "do you also want to share a piece of the pie?"
Zhenbei Wang's expression changed: "Empress Dowager..."
"Enough," the Empress Dowager raised her hand. "Since they are all here, it saves me quite a bit of trouble."
As she spoke, she took something from her sleeve: "Xiao Yuyang, do you recognize this?"
In the moonlight, it was unmistakably a chess piece—the very one from the earlier game!
"This is..." Xiao Yuyang's voice tightened.
"The day after tomorrow is the Former Emperor's Anniversary of Death," the Empress Dowager said slowly. "I intend to settle this sixteen-year grudge before his spirit."
Suddenly, a sound like a dragon's roar echoed—a sword's cry!
Xiao Yuyang and my sword resonated simultaneously, unsheathing themselves as if by their own will, intertwining into a beam of golden light!
"What is this..." The Empress Dowager's expression changed dramatically. "Twin Swords Unite?!"
Zhenbei Wang exclaimed in disbelief: "The legendary Zhen Hun and Duan Hun swords can actually..."
But Xiao Yuyang seized this opportunity.
He pulled me into his embrace, saying, "Hold me tight!"
His heartbeat was rapid and strong, the heat radiating through our clothes. In that moment, nothing else mattered—no identities, no positions.
With the glow of the twin swords illuminating our path, we soared into the air and landed on the roof of the Lake Pavilion.
"Good, good, good!" The Empress Dowager suddenly burst into laughter. "Truly a match made in heaven!"
"But unfortunately..." Her voice turned icy. "You will not escape tonight!"
As she spoke, she took out a jade flute. "Do you know why I chose this night?"
"Because tonight is the time of The Moon Wanes..."
The Moon Wanes?! Suddenly, I recalled the prophecy: " The Moon Wanes, Flowers Scatter, Intricate Mechanisms..."
Before I could think further, the Empress Dowager had already blown into the flute. A strange melody filled the air, and ripples suddenly spread across the lake's surface.
"This is bad!" Xiao Yuyang's expression changed dramatically. "This is..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the lake began to boil, and a massive whirlpool appeared at its center!
"Sixteen years ago," the Empress Dowager's voice echoed ominously, "the Former Emperor discovered that secret right here..."
"He thought that hiding it within a game of chess would ensure its safety..."
"But little did he know, what I have been waiting for is today!"
As her words faded away, a stone platform rose from the whirlpool, revealing a chessboard laid out upon it.
"This is..." Zhenbei Wang exclaimed in shock.
"What about that unfinished game?!"
No wonder Father said this game wasn't over; it was hidden here!
"Luo Qingyu,"
the Empress Dowager sneered,
"If you can finish this game, I will let you go."
"But if you cannot..."
She shifted her tone sharply:
"Then you will remain in this secret forever, just like your parents!"
What?! My heart trembled. "You mean my parents..."
"Indeed," the Empress Dowager said smugly,
"Sixteen years ago, your biological parents were protecting this secret when they..."
"Enough!"
A voice suddenly rang out.
I turned to see that outside Garden Stroll, a crowd had gathered without my noticing!
At the forefront stood several high-ranking officials, holding torches and looking grave.
"Empress Dowager,"
the Minister of Rites stepped forward,
"At this point, do you still intend to keep this from the world?"
The Empress Dowager's expression changed: "You all..."
"We are here on the Former Emperor's secret order,"
the Minister of War said solemnly, "and we have been waiting here for quite some time."
Xiao Yuyang suddenly spoke up:
"So that's how it is... Father left behind not just an unfinished game, but..."
"Another scheme!"
I finally understood,
"A scheme that requires the Empress Dowager to solve herself!"
But... why tonight of all nights?
Why is it the time of The Moon Wanes?
At that moment, the twin swords suddenly emitted a stronger light, shooting directly towards the chessboard!
"I see!" A glint of insight flashed in Xiao Yuyang's eyes. "Do you remember that prophecy, A Yu?"
" Moon Reflected in the Mirror, only then can one see the true form..."
I felt a stir in my heart. "You mean..."
"That's right," he nodded. "This is not a deadlock; it is clearly..."
"A mirror!"
I suddenly understood. "A mirror formed by the chess pieces!"
"And tonight's moon..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a beam of moonlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the chessboard!
"No!" The Empress suddenly screamed, "We can't let the moonlight..."
But it was already too late.
Under the reflection of the moonlight, the chessboard actually cracked open, revealing a hidden compartment! Inside the compartment lay an imperial edict, sealed with the jade seal of the Former Emperor!
"Bang!" Before the edict could be retrieved, the surface of the lake suddenly exploded! A column of water shot up into the sky.
It transformed into a Water Dragon, charging towards us!
"Be careful!"
Xiao Yuyang shielded me behind him, dual swords in hand.
"This is the Empress's secret technique, the Water Spirit spell!"
Indeed, I saw the Water Dragon's eyes glowing with an eerie red light, emitting a chilling roar.
"Hahaha..."
The Empress laughed maniacally.
"Did you think I would let you see the truth so easily?"
"This Water Dragon has been nurtured by sixteen years of resentment; today, your blood will be its offering!"
As she spoke, her jade flute sounded again, and the Water Dragon roared as it dove down!
"A Yu," Xiao Yuyang suddenly spoke, his voice softer than ever.
"Do you remember I said I would take you to see the Shan Ying in Luoyang?"
My heart trembled.
"Why are you bringing this up now..."
"Because..."
He turned his head, his eyes filled with deep regret.
"I'm afraid I won't have time to take you there."
What?! Before I could react, he had already released me and faced the Water Dragon alone!
"A Yang!"
I cried out in shock, wanting to rush forward, but he pushed me back with his internal energy.
"Go get the imperial edict! Hurry!"
"No!"
I desperately tried to charge forward.
"You can't..."
"Silly girl," he said, turning his back to me, his voice carrying a hint of laughter.
"Did you think I would die so easily?"
"Go, fulfill your father's last wish."
"I'll be waiting for you here."
Tears blurred my vision.
This fool, knowing that only the Twin Swords Unite could combat Water Spirit, still insisted on facing it alone!
At that moment, a gentle voice rang out:
"Qing Yu, go."
"Let him protect you; it is his greatest wish."
Mother!
I turned abruptly, only to find her standing by the stone platform, having appeared there without my notice.
"Mother, you..."
"I'm fine," she smiled. "But you should go retrieve that edict."
"But A Yang..."
"Don't you understand yet?" Mother sighed. "He is using his life to fulfill a promise."
"Sixteen years ago, it was his father who protected us both in the same way."
What?! My body trembled.
"You mean..."
"Yes," Mother gazed at the figure standing before the Water Dragon, her eyes filled with nostalgia. "That year, your father did the same, knowing he could not win, yet still..."
"Enough!" The Empress suddenly shrieked.
" Consort Duan, how can you still be alive!"
"If that's the case, then let's die together!"
Her flute's melody shifted abruptly, and the Water Dragon split into two; one surged toward Xiao Yuyang while the other charged directly at Mother!
At that moment, time seemed to stand still.
I looked at the two most important people in my life, both protecting my path with their very lives.
No!
I cannot lose anyone else!
"Zheng!"
The Duan Hun sword suddenly let out a dragon's roar, and the blade ignited with golden flames!
This is... what Father spoke of in his lifetime, "Rebirth Through Fire"?
I couldn't think about it any longer; I raised my sword and charged toward the stone platform:
"Empress!"
"Today, let me finish what Father started!"
The sword light surged like a rainbow, heading straight for the stone platform!
The Empress's expression changed drastically:
"No! That place must not be touched..."
Too late!
The Duan Hun sword had already pierced the stone platform, and a beam of golden light shot into the sky!
"Boom!"
The entire surface of the lake shook violently, and the Water Dragon instantly disintegrated into countless specks of starlight!
And that imperial edict finally floated up slowly from its hidden compartment.
"No..." The Empress collapsed to the ground:
"It's over... Everything is over..."
But at that moment, Zhenbei Wang stepped forward:
"Empress, it's time to let go."
"This obsession of sixteen years should come to an end."
The Empress smiled bitterly:
"Obsession?"
"Do you know why the Former Emperor chose Consort Duan back then?"
"It was because she understood the chess game in his heart, understood the world he desired..."
"And I..."
Her voice carried years of suppressed pain:
"I am merely a pitiful person hindered by social status..."
"That great fire was nothing but my unwilling revenge,"
She looked at Consort Duan, tears shimmering in her eyes:
"I hate that you received his true heart, yet still took away his only bloodline..."
"All these years of obsession were actually because of that unspoken sentiment..."
I trembled as I took the edict.
The moment I unfolded it, tears streamed down my face:
"My heart is greatly comforted; both sons are loyal and virtuous descendants..."
"Consort Duan nurtures the Crown Princess, while the Luo protects the prince..."
"Hereby I leave this edict, hoping that they will ultimately be together and contribute to great achievements..."
What... what does this mean?!
"So you're saying..." My voice trembled,
"I am the true Crown Princess, and A Yang..."
"...is the true prince."
My mother took over,
"The Former Emperor exchanged our identities to protect you."
"Because what the Empress Dowager wanted was the position of Crown Prince."
Xiao Yuyang staggered to my side,
whispering softly:
"So father said before he passed that I must protect you..."
"It wasn't out of guilt, but rather..."
"...out of guardianship."
My mother’s eyes glistened with tears.
"Your father guarded a secret with his life, hoping that one day you would be able to stand by each other's side."
"But..." I looked at Xiao Yuyang, my heart filled with mixed emotions. "We are..."
"Qing Yu," Mother interrupted me. "Do you know why the Former Emperor arranged your marriage?"
What?! Both Xiao Yuyang and I were taken aback.
"There is another page behind this edict," Mother said, pulling out another piece of silk from a hidden compartment. "The Former Emperor knew that the Empress Dowager would plot against him, so he left this marriage decree..."
"He said that you two are a match made in heaven, the rightful owners of Duan Hun , Zhen Hun , two swords, destined to rule the world together."
"More importantly..." She turned to Xiao Yuyang, tears mingling with a smile. "There is no blood relation between you."
What?! I looked at Xiao Yuyang in disbelief, only to find tears glistening in his eyes as well.
"So that's why I recognized you at the Lantern Festival..." he said softly. "Because in my heart, you were never just Crown Princess; you were always my beloved A Yu..."
"You..." I could no longer hold back my tears. "You knew all along?"
"Yes," he replied with a bittersweet smile. "That night, before my father passed away, he told me to find you in my own way and protect you..."
"So that's why you..." I choked on my words. "That's why you saved me at the theater?"
"No," he shook his head, his voice gentle enough to draw tears. "I saved you then simply because... the moment I laid eyes on you, I couldn't look away."
At that moment, nothing else mattered—no identities, no grudges. All I knew was that this person before me was someone I would protect through life and death.
"Fool..." I threw myself into his embrace.
"Why didn't you say it earlier..."
"Because I was afraid you would only see me as an elder brother,"
he held me tightly, his voice laced with laughter:
"What I want is for you to willingly be with me..."
At that moment,
the Empress Dowager suddenly let out a bitter laugh:
"Do you think this is the end?"
She staggered to her feet:
"The edict of the Former Emperor is fake!" "They have no blood relation at all; it's because..."
"Enough!" Zhenbei Wang suddenly shouted sternly:
"Empress Dowager, how long will you remain in denial?"
As he spoke, he took out a jade seal:
"This was entrusted to me by the Former Emperor, waiting for today..."
He walked towards the Empress Dowager: "All these years, you have only been jealous, jealous that Consort Duan received the Former Emperor's true heart, which is why you..."
The Empress Dowager's face turned pale: "You!"
"How could you know..."
"I not only know," Zhenbei Wang sighed,
"I have witnessed everything with my own eyes."
"Everything today was also arranged by the Former Emperor."
"He said he wanted to give you a chance to resolve this obsession yourself..."
The Empress Dowager trembled all over:
"So it turns out... it was like this..."
Suddenly, she laughed, a desolate laugh:
"Very well... this sixteen-year obsession should be put down..."
After saying that, she took out a jade pendant:
"This is the last thing the Former Emperor left for me; today..." "I will return it to you."
The moment the pendant hit the ground, a beam of golden light shot up into the sky!
When the light faded, the Empress Dowager had vanished without a trace.
Only the jade pendant remained, lying quietly on the ground.
It was engraved with two characters:
"Together"
At this moment, the sky began to lighten with the first light of dawn. A new day was about to begin. Xiao Yuyang gently wiped away my tears.
"A Yu, this time, we won't return to the palace."
"Where shall we go?" I looked up.
In the distance, the morning bell rang, and a flock of white doves flew across the sky above the Forbidden City. His eyes sparkled like stars.
"Let's go see Shan Ying."
I smiled brightly.
"Just like you said back then."
(End of text)
Male Lead's Side Story:
Father left me a letter on his deathbed.
"Protect her well," was his dying wish.
I promised to fulfill this vow, yet I had no idea who she was.
That year, on the First Night of the Lunar Year, the lights were as bright as day.
The moment I saw her standing beneath the cherry blossom tree, I knew in my heart.
With cinnabar on her forehead and a charming smile, she resembled Consort Duan in seven aspects with every gesture she made.
As I wiped the cinnabar from her forehead, I sighed inwardly.
She was the one Father wanted me to protect, the jewel of this court.
She expressed a desire to see Luoyang Mountain Cherry.
I agreed.
Knowing full well that the next day would bring bloodshed, I still said yes.
At that moment, all I wanted was to capture her smiling face in my memory.
That night, a great fire consumed half the city.
I stood amidst the flames, watching her flee in panic.
The Zhenhun Sword trembled in my hand, as if calling out to her Duan Hun.
We could not acknowledge each other.
If she hates me, then it is peace.
When she returned to the palace, she dressed as Mr. Luo.
Draped in moon-white garments, her silken tresses were elegantly tied up high.
Her demeanor was distant yet courteous, truly resembling a graceful young gentleman.
Yet, when I saw her standing beneath the Mountain Cherry Tree in the back garden, her eyes often glistened with unshed tears.
I imagined she was missing someone dear.
She thought I was unaware of her identity.
Often wandering alone, she refused to get close to anyone.
Every time I saw her in danger, my heart felt like it was being torn apart.
I had spent eight years laying plans at Tianji Pavilion,
All for the sake of protecting her tonight.
She need not know how I had schemed over these years.
Whether she hates or resents me,
All I seek is her safety.
Yet I had forgotten one thing:
She was born a sharp sword,
Not a fragile being in need of my protection.
Tonight, under the Double Moons on the Same Night, she came seeking me once more.
This girl truly knows no danger.
The time has come; it is time to bring everything to an end.
The promise made beneath the Mountain Cherry Tree that year still lingers.
When the flowers bloom again, I will tell her:
“To protect you is not for the sake of royal blood ties.”
“It is simply because you are you.”
“You are in my heart, A Yu.”
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