9 – Before Dying, Please Send Off the Emperor (Revised)
Jiang Lige returned to Moon Departure Palace after court. Luzhu had already heard the news that Nine Thousand Years was to perform the Sacrifice to Heaven. She welcomed Jiang Lige into the inner hall, closed the door, and could no longer conceal the joy on her face.
“Your Majesty…” Luzhu mysteriously slipped a note into Jiang Lige’s hand.
“This is a letter sent by Young Master Xie.”
Jiang Lige immediately unfolded it and read it carefully.
Luzhu asked from the side, “What did Young Master Xie say?”
Jiang Lige did not hide it and relayed the contents of the letter to her: “Young Master Xie said that although he has formed an alliance with Duke Su on the surface, his loyalty lies with me, and he asks me to rest assured.”
“He also said that everything is in order. The Sacrificial Altar has already been set with a Heavenly Net and Earthly Snare. Nine Thousand Years will surely die the day after tomorrow.”
Jiang Lige stood up and threw the note into the incense burner, reducing it to ashes.
“This is truly wonderful. Heaven has opened its eyes, and Your Majesty has finally gained the assistance of a worthy talent.” Luzhu could hardly contain her excitement.
But Jiang Lige was not as pleased.
Forcing Shang Guanqi to perform the Sacrifice to Heaven was clearly a plan Xie Shu had laid out for a long time.
From the initial rumors among the people, to the abnormal celestial phenomena and the sudden appearance of the stone tablet, and today’s commoners surrounding the palace—every step was within Xie Shu’s scheme.
Rather than loyalty to the country, Jiang Lige believed that Xie Shu had more personal grievances with Shang Guanqi.
This person was meticulous and scheming, no less than Shang Guanqi.
If Shang Guanqi truly died during the Sacrifice to Heaven, with no real power in her hands, she would merely go from being Shang Guanqi’s puppet to Xie Shu’s puppet. She might not even get to be a puppet and could be directly eliminated by Duke Su.
Seeing Jiang Lige frowning, Luzhu asked with concern, “Your Majesty, what are you worried about?”
Jiang Lige said, “I’m thinking about Nine Thousand Years…”
After saying this, she realized the slip of the tongue and added, “I’m thinking about what Nine Thousand Years is doing right now.”
How could he possibly sit back and wait for death?
There was still one day left, and one day could change many things.
Luzhu said, “Your Majesty need not worry. Although the commoners at the palace gates have dispersed, there are spies everywhere in the city. Nine Thousand Years has nowhere to escape and must perform the Sacrifice to Heaven the day after tomorrow.”
Luzhu was thinking too simply of Shang Guanqi.
Could someone who had controlled the court for years be trapped just by having spies watch him?
“Luzhu, I have a headache. I won’t go out these next few days.”
Jiang Lige said this and lay down on the bed fully clothed.
Luzhu thought Jiang Lige was feigning illness. “Your Majesty, don’t go out these next few days. Nine Thousand Years is surely furious right now. If he becomes desperate and takes Your Majesty hostage, Young Master Xie’s plan will be ruined.”
Jiang Lige truly had a headache. She had suffered two days ago and been caught in the rain, yesterday’s trip out of the palace was as frightening as going to war, and she hadn’t rested well last night. Her frail body couldn’t take it.
She fell asleep, unaware of the time outside, and slept until the afternoon of the next day when Wuhuan came with a cold expression to summon her.
“Your Majesty, please quickly move to Longevity Lake. The Thousand Years wishes to see you.”
Luzhu looked worried, taking her time to change Jiang Lige’s clothes.
Wuhuan urged from the side, his tone more impatient than usual.
“Your Majesty, this is likely a dangerous situation. What should we do?” Luzhu asked nervously.
“Don’t worry, he won’t harm me at this time,” Jiang Lige reassured her.
Luzhu was still uneasy, nervously following behind Jiang Lige, thinking that if anyone dared to harm the Emperor, she would be the first to charge forward and fight to the death.
Jiang Lige followed Wuhuan to Longevity Lake and from afar saw a striking purple figure.
In the month since she had arrived, aside from Moon Departure Palace, Longevity Lake was the place she had visited most often.Aside from providing cool respite in summer, the shallow waters by the lake were also planted with many irises—her favorite flowers in the past.
According to Luzhu, the Late Emperor adored lotus flowers, and Longevity Lake was once filled with red lotuses.
Later, after Shang Guanqi entered the palace, the Late Emperor ordered the red lotuses to be uprooted and replaced with purple irises.
It was fortunate that no lotuses were planted; otherwise, when she fell into the lake last time, rescuing her would have been even more difficult.
“Palace maids, halt. The Emperor is requested to board the skiff.”
A small skiff was moored by the shore of Longevity Lake, and Wuhuan stopped Luzhu.
Jiang Lige looked toward the painted pleasure boat anchored at the center of the lake, where a figure could faintly be seen standing at the stern.
“Your Majesty, your Dragon Robe is wrinkled. Allow this servant to straighten it for you.”
Just as Jiang Lige was about to step onto the skiff, Luzhu approached to adjust her clothing, discreetly slipping something into her hand.
She felt inside her sleeve—it was a sharp, short hairpin.
She inwardly laughed at Luzhu for underestimating Shang Guanqi. With his formidable martial skills, her previous attempts to poison him had failed to even touch him, let alone such a crude weapon.
Wuhuan poled the skiff, slowly bringing it closer to the painted pleasure boat, and the figure aboard gradually became clearer.
Shang Guanqi stood with his hands behind his back, having abandoned his usual red robes for a moon-white gown. The gentle breeze stirred, causing the soft fabric of his sleeves to sway. At first glance, he appeared even more elegant than a refined nobleman.
Seeing her board the boat, Shang Guanqi turned and took a seat by the wine table.
“I heard the Emperor has fallen ill? Was it because you were too heartbroken upon hearing that I am to perform the Sacrifice to Heaven?” Shang Guanqi said with a laugh.
Jiang Lige disliked his sarcastic tone and replied, “No.”
“No to what? Not ill, or not heartbroken?” Shang Guanqi pressed further, his tone tinged with mockery.
Provoked by his words, Jiang Lige felt an inexplicable surge of defiance. Straightening her posture, she declared, “Not ill, and not heartbroken.”
Shang Guanqi let out a soft ‘tsk.’ “Then you were feigning illness, which means you were happy.”
Happy to soon be free from his control, and feigning illness out of fear that he might, in a fit of anger, drag her to her death.
“Tomorrow, I will perform the Sacrifice to Heaven. Before my death, I invite the Emperor to bid me farewell.”
Shang Guanqi poured two cups of wine, pushing one toward her.
Jiang Lige had no idea what he was scheming. No one spoke so calmly about their own impending death unless they were utterly confident of victory, which explained why he was here enjoying the flowers and breeze.
If he was content to revel in his own ease, why torment her as well?
“I wasn’t feigning illness—I merely had a headache. This breeze is making it worse. After this cup, send me back to shore.”
With that, Jiang Lige raised the cup, drank the wine, and stood up to walk toward the bow of the boat.
Thinking she was trying to escape out of fear, Shang Guanqi felt displeased and reached out to stop her.
In her haste to brush him away, Jiang Lige forgot she was still clutching a sharp object in her hand.
The hairpin was sharper than she had imagined. With just a light touch, it tore through Shang Guanqi’s sleeve, leaving a bloody gash on his wrist that quickly turned bluish-black.
Jiang Lige froze—the hairpin was poisoned!
“Nine Thousand Years!”
Seeing Shang Guanqi injured, Wuhuan leaped from the skiff onto the painted pleasure boat, roughly shoving Jiang Lige aside as he rushed to shield Shang Guanqi.
“Ah—”
Unbeknownst to him, Jiang Lige was standing at the edge. With his push, she tumbled into the water.
Unable to swim, she flailed in panic as she sank. Gulping down large amounts of lake water, she failed to resurface and instead sank deeper.
As she descended to the lakebed, the sensation of suffocation grew increasingly clear.Jiang Lige felt her life was about to end, her mind drifting in a daze.
She had arrived through this lakebed, and now she would depart the same way—only she didn’t know whether she would wake from a long dream or be utterly annihilated.
Just then, the lakebed shimmered with shifting light, and a white figure swam toward her from above, moving like a fish.
He wrapped an arm around her waist, pressed his lips to hers, and breathed a breath of air into her…