Flames soared into the sky.
The sounds of slaughter were everywhere, with corpses strewn haphazardly across the ground.
People fell one after another, the clamor of clashing weapons incessant, blood staining the earth crimson.
“Sister truly has good fortune—even now, the Regent is still willing to come to your rescue.” Gu Nanyin groggily opened her eyes and was met with these words.
Gu Nanyin felt utterly weak, unable to muster even a shred of strength. Before she could grasp what was happening, Gu Qinglian scooped up a basin of cold water and splashed it over her.
It was the dead of winter. Gu Nanyin couldn’t help but shiver, the icy water jolting her fully awake.
“Sister, what’s wrong with you?” Though they were not born of the same mother, Qinglian had been close to her since childhood. Despite the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate, Gu Nanyin had always treated Gu Qinglian as her own sister, showering her with affection and yielding to her at every turn.
The scene before her left her utterly stunned. A mocking smile spread across Gu Qinglian’s face: “Sister probably still doesn’t understand the situation. Right now, you’re nothing but a prisoner. But don’t be afraid—we won’t harm you, as long as the Regent is willing to exchange his life for yours.”
“Speaking of which, sister truly is fortunate. Just because your mother came from a noble background, you became the mistress of the Prime Minister’s household. Meanwhile, my mother could only be a lowly concubine, and even I, in the eyes of others, am nothing but an illegitimate daughter unworthy of the spotlight. Why, sister? Tell me, why?”
Gu Qinglian’s face twisted into a hideous expression, her once lovely features contorted with malice. After enduring for so many years, she could finally hold her head high before Gu Nanyin. So what if she was an illegitimate daughter? After tonight, Gu Nanyin would cease to exist.
At this thought, Gu Qinglian suddenly burst into laughter: “Sister probably doesn’t know that you’ll be dead soon. Let me have a good talk with you while I still can. All these years of playing humble and submissive in front of you—I’ve had enough. You’re nothing but a fool; I only had to pretend a little, and you were completely taken in.”
Gu Nanyin stared at the utterly unfamiliar Gu Qinglian before her, unable to believe what she was hearing. “All these years, were you just deceiving me?”
Gu Qinglian felt even more exhilarated seeing her despair. “Not just me? Father, and that Fang Xuan you love—none of them truly care for you. They only have their own motives. Only you, sister, are blind to it…”
Before Gu Qinglian could finish, the Crown Prince hurriedly entered from outside. They had made thorough preparations today, believing they could trap and kill the Regent here, but they had underestimated his strength.
Outside, the Crown Prince’s soldiers had been slaughtered in large numbers by the Regent’s men, while casualties on the Regent’s side were few. Truly, they were the elite forces personally trained by the Regent.
The Crown Prince had no time for the sisters’ dispute and spoke anxiously: “Qinglian, it seems we’re going to lose this battle.” From his demeanor as he entered, Gu Qinglian had already guessed that the situation outside was far from ideal. But after years of playing the humble role, finally able to trample her legitimate sister underfoot, she would not allow failure.
A venomous smile crept onto Gu Qinglian’s face. “Your Highness, don’t worry. With her here, we cannot lose.” She pointed at Gu Nanyin.
The Crown Prince immediately understood. Though he doubted the Regent would sacrifice his life for a mere woman, he had witnessed firsthand how well the Regent had treated Gu Nanyin over the years. Besides, they were now at the end of their rope.With that thought, he grabbed Gu Nanyin and strode out, with Gu Qinglian following closely behind.
Gu Nanyin immediately spotted the Regent among the crowd. He stood there like a deity, completely unaffected by the surrounding chaos. At that moment, his gaze was fixed intently on Gu Nanyin.
The Crown Prince pressed his blade against Gu Nanyin’s neck, but before he could speak, the Regent’s men had already ceased fighting. Seeing this, the Crown Prince grew even more confident: “Imperial Uncle is indeed a man of sentiment and honor. If Imperial Uncle will take his own life before me today, I will spare Gu Nanyin’s life.”
Gu Nanyin looked at the man in the crowd whom she had despised for so long, tears streaming uncontrollably from her eyes. She hadn’t cried when she learned Gu Qinglian had deceived her, nor when she realized her father didn’t love her, nor even when she understood that the man she had longed for had only used her as a tool. These were all her own mistakes—misjudging people—and she accepted the blame.
But the Regent was entirely innocent. His only mistake was falling for someone like her. Gu Nanyin screamed hoarsely at the Regent: “No, I’m not worth this. I was the one who gave them the information. It’s all my fault, all my fault.”
She had thought the Regent was a ruthless monster and that her father had been forced to marry her off to the Regent’s manor under duress. Looking back now, every time her father visited her, he had been extracting information from her. Otherwise, with the Regent’s power, who could possibly be his match?
But to her surprise, the Regent merely uttered calmly: “I knew all along. As long as you were happy.” With that, he raised his sword and plunged it into his own chest without hesitation. He wasn’t worried that the Crown Prince would break his word—with so many of his men present, the Crown Prince would have no choice but to protect Gu Nanyin if he wanted to survive.
It was just a pity that he could no longer protect this young girl. Perhaps it was for the best—she would be free from now on.
Gu Nanyin watched helplessly as the Regent fell. She rushed to his side without a second thought and heard him utter his final words with his last breath: “Live well, A Yin.” Gu Nanyin held his lifeless body and wept bitterly. It was the first time she had ever been this close to the Regent.
She watched as blood stained his robes. The Regent had always been a man of impeccable cleanliness—Gu Nanyin had never seen even a speck of dirt on his clothes. This was the only time.
She picked up the Regent’s sword and, without a moment’s hesitation, plunged it into her own body.
If there is a next life, Yuan Jue, I will never let go of your hand. I will spend my entire life making amends to you. Gu Nanyin thought to herself.
“Yuan Jue, don’t die, don’t die,” Gu Nanyin murmured repeatedly in her sleep.
“A Yin, A Yin…”
Who was calling her? Gu Nanyin was still not fully awake, yet the voice seemed to penetrate the depths of her soul, urging her to wake up no matter what.
Gu Nanyin heeded the call in her heart and struggled to open her eyes. Sure enough, Regent Yuan Jue was sitting by her bedside.
“The fever should have subsided,” said the man, whose demeanor was usually calm and detached, with a hint of barely perceptible relief in his voice.Gu Nanyin stared blankly at the noble and handsome man before her, as if seeing through him to the moment when he was drenched in blood. Yuan Jue was still dressed in white today, a small silver crown inlaid with white jade holding back his ink-black hair. Though his appearance was as graceful as a startled swan, he exuded an innate aura of nobility that made him seem unattainable.
In her past life, every time Gu Nanyin saw him in white, she felt nothing but contempt deep down. He was clearly a demon who killed without blinking, yet he preferred to masquerade as an ethereal deity untouched by worldly affairs.