Song Jinyu drove out the remaining elders and their disciples from the Elders' Courtyard and imprisoned them. She had long endured the Elders' Courtyard's meddling.
Lin Wan's eyes were brimming with tears. She didn't know what Song Jinyu was up to. But she could tell that Song Jinyu would surely not spare the Elders' Courtyard.
Sure enough, the next moment, many servants appeared with torches and kerosene.
Ouyang Jinsè understood Song Jinyu's intention but was helpless. After all, Song Jinyu was the legitimate young mistress of Tianmen Mountain. After Miao Yunshen's death, she would be the next sect leader.
"Burn it for this young mistress!"
From then on, there would be no more Elders' Courtyard on Tianmen Mountain!
The big fire blazed up, lighting up everyone present. Zhongli Mingye watched the young girl with heartache. Her face was deathly pale, her cheeks sunken, without a trace of color.
Ouyang Jinsè stood there, not knowing what to say. Suddenly, Song Jinyu turned around, smiling like a flower in full bloom. "Palace Master Ouyang, does this fire meet your expectations?"
Thinking of that day when she set fire to the Jinshui Palace to escape the arranged marriage. She had also smiled like this. That fire had accidentally killed Lady Jinhua.
From then on, Ouyang Jinsè and Song Jinyu drifted apart. Today's fire was a sign of their inevitable deadly confrontation in the future.
The fire raged for a whole day, and Song Jinyu locked herself in her room alone, silent, neither eating nor drinking.
"Your Highness... The shadow guards reported that the emperor is extremely angry." "Let the crown prince cause more trouble in the court to divert the court's attention."
Zhongli Mingye faintly felt that there was more to Miao Yunshen's death. Otherwise, why was Du Zhouli so certain that the will was genuine?
He still remembered Song Jinyu's expression when she saw the will. It seemed that there was a lot going on behind it.
Xing Jian continued, "Mr. Yu said that Your Highness should return to Liuzhou City... to prepare for the wedding. Moreover..."
"All the other princes got married in the capital. There isn't much time left until the wedding date!"
Zhongli Mingye sighed. "First, send someone back to the capital to make preparations. I... have my own plans." Plans? What plans could he have? The would - be princess had stayed on the mountain to become the sect leader. He smiled bitterly. How could the emperor tolerate him marrying the sect leader of Tianmen Mountain?
Let go?
Impossible. The person he had been longing for, he had planned step by step to pull her into this sweet and deep affection.
"If... it's possible..." Zhongli Mingye frowned. "I'll wait for her longer!"
He didn't know what the young girl was thinking. He never doubted Song Jinyu's feelings for him. But that day, she had truly hurt him.
How could this situation continue today? Zhongli Mingye was helpless. Sometimes fate was too absolute. It left men and women in the mortal world with no choice.
But there was absolutely no way he would let go!
Song Jinyu stayed in her courtyard, leaning on the swing. This swing was made by Yan Fei for her, polished by his own hands. Now everything had changed!
Tomorrow would be her master's funeral. After seeing off her master, it would be her enthronement ceremony.
The warm spring sun shone on her body, but she didn't feel warm at all. Was her master scheming something? She had clearly seen that the will was in Miao Yunshen's handwriting.
Wen Sirong walked in. Song Jinyu glanced at him. "Senior brother... After all these years... you still remain indifferent to fame and fortune."
"But do you think, junior sister, that no one in this world is completely without desires?"
"What about you, junior sister? What do you want?" Wen Sirong sat on the cushioned couch beside her. Usually, Song Jinyu liked to lie on it and read story - books. Now, she might not have such leisurely days in the future.
Song Jinyu looked at him and said, "I was almost getting married... but now, it's all over." Thinking of Zhongli Mingye, her heart ached.
"People always face many helpless situations... If everything goes smoothly all the time, life would be boring." Wen Sirong was open - minded. "In this lifetime, as long as I can live without regret, that's enough."
"Senior brother, what do you want?"
"I want Tianmen Mountain to exist for a long time, I want master's will to come true, and I want you, junior sister, to be happy." Wen Sirong's words made Song Jinyu want to cry. All along, she had been closest to Yan Fei, but Wen Sirong understood and doted on her.
"May this prosperous world be as you wish!"
Song Jinyu got off the swing and went back to her room. Zhongli Mingye stood at the door of her courtyard, hesitating to move forward.
Now, in this situation, not only could he not enter, but Song Jinyu probably also had no way out.
Suddenly, he laughed at himself for being too melancholy. When had they ever been so painfully entangled? Whether Song Jinyu was the eldest daughter of the governor's mansion or the sect leader of Tianmen Mountain didn't matter to him.
All he wanted was her.
When she was the eldest daughter of the governor's mansion, he had planned to lure her into his world; now that she had become the sect leader of Tianmen Mountain, it should be a test from heaven.
"If you don't eat or drink, and your body breaks down, what will you do?" Zhongli Mingye brought a bowl of plain congee.
Song Jinyu had no appetite and pushed it aside, refusing to eat. "If you don't eat, I'll feed you..."
Zhongli Mingye's eyes were filled with a faint pain. Watching her expressionless face, he felt both heart - broken and sad. Song Jinyu still refused to look at him, but she took the congee and ate it.
"I've already arranged for someone to confuse the court. Do whatever you want boldly." Hearing this, Song Jinyu looked up. She hadn't dared to look for Zhongli Mingye these days because of her guilt and the fear of not being able to let go.
He said this and did this. It left her at a loss. She clearly knew that this act would arouse the emperor's suspicion, but he still did it.
Song Jinyu looked deeply at this man and concealed the sadness in her heart. She silently finished the congee and said in a low voice, "Thank you..."
In the past, no matter how much he helped her, he would always receive her gentle response. The two of them were in love and never said thank you.
This time, she said thank you.
Did it mean that they were drifting further and further apart? Zhongli Mingye turned around and left... His back looked a bit lonely, which made Song Jinyu's heart ache.
The pressure that had been piling up for many days hadn't defeated her. But Zhongli Mingye's back alone had broken through her inner defense.
Tears rolled down one by one, and her voice was nasally. With tear - filled eyes, she watched Zhongli Mingye's departing back. Song Jinyu knew clearly that she no longer deserved his deep affection, let alone his kindness.
Since the day she shot at him, she had known that she had lost the most precious and overbearing deep affection in the world.