Chapter 101
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Chapter 101: Title
When Gu Yuanqing rushed from the Prime Minister’s residence to the palace, Changning Palace was already filled with cries. He stumbled as he entered, and if Gu Cheng hadn’t caught him, he might have fallen to the ground. "Father," Gu Cheng could guess the situation without asking, his heart heavy but unsure how to speak.
As Gu Yuanqing was supported inside, several imperial physicians knelt on the ground, while the queen stood quietly to the side. Seeing him, she simply stated, "Prime Minister Gu, please accept my condolences."
Gu Yuanqing didn’t even greet her. He walked directly to the bed. The woman who had called him brother for over twenty years had now quietly closed her eyes. It was evident she had not suffered much in her passing. In that moment, Gu Yuanqing seemed to age several years. There was no expression on his face. By the time she departed, he could only see her as a subject, without even the chance to call her sister.
There were no loud cries, no panic; he remained the minister of a nation, controlling emotions that should not have been felt. He had personally placed her in this position. Though she never complained, he knew deep down she held resentment towards him. Now that everything had concluded, perhaps this was the ending she had hoped for.
When Gu Yuanqing exited Changning Palace, the sunlight hit him directly. What should have felt warm instead felt icy cold. He had devoted his life to loyalty and service to the nation, but what had he gained in return? If he didn’t follow Lian Rong and take one last gamble, he feared he would ultimately lose everything, including his own family.
Gu Cheng supported Gu Yuanqing out of the palace, his expression heavy. Comforting words wouldn’t come to him. He felt a mixture of love and hate towards his father. He should be grateful for being raised by him, yet what Gu Yuanqing did to Second Mother was truly disheartening.
"Cheng’er, I’ve lived my life in turmoil, and only now do I feel tired. I’m sorry for everything that has happened to you," he reflected. Once everything settled, it would be time for him to resign and retreat. His promise to Lian Rong was merely for the hope of living peacefully with his family in old age.
A year could change many things—fate and human hearts could shift in an instant.
Lianyang believed a grand banquet could change everything. When Lian Rong arrived alone, his joy surpassed everything. He thought that if he could hold her captive, he would get what he desired—things he had never dared to think about before, like Gu Hengbo, the woman who moved like the wind. If he didn’t exert all his effort to keep her, he might regret it for a lifetime.
Lian Rong knew that when she drank the wine offered by her nephew, she couldn’t refuse. He was to become the crown prince, and he knew she understood this was poison he handed to her, a blatant threat to make her comply with his greedy desires.
Look at this nephew who once meant so much to her. Everything was as she anticipated, yet also beyond her expectations. Facing Lianyang, she felt an inexplicable sadness and pity. Why should the grievances of previous generations burden these innocent children? Ultimately, it was her own inability to escape the confines of hatred.
She had always been someone who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals, and she could be just as ruthless to herself, even if what awaited her might be worse than death.
In the dark and damp prison, Lian Chen clung to the bars, his grip never slackening. He had held this position since the moment the person across from him was thrown in, kneeling the entire night.
"Royal Uncle—" Lian Chen’s face pressed against the cold bars, his eyes filled with despair.
After an unknown amount of time, Lian Rong opened her eyes once more. The darkness startled her, and she took a moment to adjust before fully opening her eyes. She tried to rise, but her body felt weak, forcing her to lie back down. She mocked herself with a wry smile. Was this the state of being discarded? Even in a state of unconsciousness, it seemed challenging to break her. It must have been due to that cup of wine. Her nephew had surely invested great effort to get what he wanted. "Ah Heng, from now on, should I view you differently?"
“Royal uncle—are you awake?” Lian Chen immediately shouted upon hearing the noise, his hoarse voice making others furrow their brows.
Lian Rong lay still and smiled, “How has my third nephew been lately?”
Lian Chen was momentarily taken aback but then shouted again. Once he confirmed Lian Rong was awake, he slumped down, finally lying on the ground like Lian Rong. He sighed, “Ever since I was a child, I have wanted to follow my royal uncle. As a child, I wanted to sleep beside my royal uncle; now that I’m grown up, I want to learn from him.”
Lian Chen’s opening remark pleased Lian Rong. He didn’t complain about how much he had suffered here, didn’t mention how he got in, nor did he even bring up Lianyang. It seemed that the torment of these past few days had made him more composed.
“Now it’s good; you can stay with your royal uncle. Is there anything you want to learn, like how to kill?” Lian Rong continued with a smile.
Lian Chen rolled over, wincing in pain from his injuries. “Royal uncle, when we were young, you often told us that good deeds bring good rewards and bad deeds bring bad consequences. Did you ever believe that?”
Lian Rong looked at the dark ceiling above but felt surprisingly at ease inside. “Yes!” she thought. She had always believed that good deeds would be rewarded and bad deeds would bring retribution.
Lian Chen laughed, “When there was a plague in Liangzhou, it was you who saved my life, right?”
“Indeed.”
“Royal uncle, when we get out, can you let me take Mother Empress and Fourth Brother with us?” Lian Chen asked quietly.
“Why?”
“This kingdom should belong to you, shouldn’t it?” At that moment, he didn’t want to think too much.
Lian Rong smiled, “No, it doesn’t belong to me; it belongs to you.” Just like she knew deep down that Lian Chen could never inherit the throne, she still pretended to care for him, showing a facet of hypocrisy.
Ah Heng had said she was a heartless person. Reflecting on herself, even if it wasn’t about revenge, what was she now? Getting married? Then being a good wife and mother?
No, it was none of that!
Hatred had shaped her into who she was now. Without who she had become, she would never have met Gu Hengbo, and even if they had met, perhaps it would have only been a fleeting encounter. Now she understood how comforting it was to think of someone. The farther apart they were and the longer the time passed, the more she missed him, and it became uncontrollable.
Lian Chen lay with his legs crossed. “Royal uncle, do you know? Even though I don’t want you to suffer, just seeing you gives me the courage to keep living.” When he was just imprisoned, he had been furious, angry—even considered suicide. He didn’t want to waste his life in such humiliation.
Lian Rong closed her eyes. “Don’t worry, as long as your royal uncle is alive, I won’t let you be imprisoned here for a lifetime.”
That night, the uncle and nephew talked for a long time, discussing various topics while deliberately avoiding one—Lianyang. Lian Chen was likely still in pain, angry, while Lian Rong thought it was unnecessary. She knew she would always owe something to this child. Of course, if it weren’t for greed, she would never have walked into his trap. That’s why her indifference after feeling pity seemed so cold; everyone is selfish, and she wouldn’t change the careful plans she had built for anyone.
She remembered Ah Heng once said that being loved by a person like her might be unfortunate, but if someone was hated by her, it would be complete misfortune.
Lian Chen had been locked in a secret room for a long time. When he woke up to find himself in a prison cell, he wasn’t too surprised. The next moment, Lian Rong appeared. Although neither had been in a prison before, they both understood that they were clearly inside the Tiangong Division of the royal palace.
“Royal uncle, if this is the Tiangong Division, why can’t we hear any sounds from other prisoners?” This was the question that had lingered in Lian Chen’s mind for days.
Lian Rong felt a bit drowsy, half-closing her eyes and speaking casually. “If I’m not mistaken, this place should be the bottom level of the Tiangong Division, used to hold the most dangerous prisoners.” Dangerous prisoners were those who committed the most serious crimes. In the past, even the number-one assassin in the world was schemed against by the palace guards and ultimately died here.
Lian Chen scoffed, “He really thinks highly of us.”
Lian Rong didn’t respond. She was already low on energy and hadn’t slept all night. As exhaustion washed over her, she didn’t answer Lian Chen any further and quickly fell asleep.
In her dream, Lian Rong only saw chaos and cries for help. It felt as if she were frozen in place, watching people around her collapse one by one. Then the dream switched; she found herself on the edge of a cliff. A familiar voice called from behind, and she saw a person lunging toward her—Gu Hengbo. The usually smiling face was now tear-streaked. She held her and cried, repeating, “Lian Rong, let’s jump together, okay?” She glanced back to see thousands of armored riders charging toward them, led by none other than Lianyang.
Lian Rong opened her eyes, the dream felt both familiar and strange. Could this be her future fate? She didn’t believe dreams could be so real. If she were the old her, she might have believed it, even feared it.
But now, she didn’t believe in fate; she only believed in herself.
“Royal uncle,” a cheerful voice rang out, “I hope my second nephew won’t take offense at trespassing.”
Lian Rong didn’t look up because she realized her entire being was bound by chains—not just locked up, but strung together. Had she slept too soundly? Why hadn’t she felt the chains cutting through flesh and bone? This mangled sight happening to her now felt strangely different.
