"Execute the sentence!"
Out of the blue, a sudden thunderclap roared across the clear sky.
The executioner's heavy blade fell with a swift motion. In an instant, Chang Lin's smiling face, still framed by his long black hair, crashed to the ground.
His head bounced once on the ground, and in a split - second, blood sprayed everywhere.
That moment seemed to stretch on for an eternity.
Concubine Shu stared with eyes wide open, her eyes bloodshot with rage. She had watched, helplessly, as Chang Lin's head was chopped off.
Immediately afterwards, the whole place fell into a deathly silence.
The body of Concubine Shu, held up by guards, stiffened instantly. Then, from her throat came a heart - rending wail that shook the heavens.
Her voice was so mournful and desolate that the two guards holding her were so startled that they couldn't support her properly. She struggled free with all her might, crawled and stumbled towards the head, and hugged Chang Lin's still - warm head, crying hoarsely.
If one hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would surely find it hard to believe that such a sound could come from the seemingly petite body of Concubine Shu.
The commoners below the disciplinary platform began to whisper and discuss among themselves.
Liu Yun and the other guards looked ashen - faced.
Qin Lan stood in the shadow nearby, her expression hidden from view.
Suddenly, Concubine Shu's wailing stopped abruptly.
Her gaze fixed on a blood - stained note not far away.
It was the poem that Chang Lin couldn't bear to burn when he was destroying the letters.
Just four short lines, written in an unskilled and crooked hand, full of youthfulness and love.
Concubine Shu froze.
That moment seemed like an age, like eternity itself.
Then, while everyone was sighing in pity, Concubine Shu suddenly reached out and grabbed the only hairpin on her head. Amidst the gasps of the crowd, she accurately plunged it into her own throat!
Another thunderclap boomed across the sky. Immediately afterwards, a fine drizzle began to fall from the sky, dropping bit by bit on the overlapping bodies of the two.
The blood of the two meandered and intertwined, and under the washing of the rain, it dotted the platform like clusters of crimson spider lilies.
After that, the commoners dispersed one by one. Someone came to clean the disciplinary platform and found that note.
Some unknown person secretly spread the poem.
What people didn't know was that many years later, someone in the town adapted the poem into a song, which was passed on from mouth to mouth by the commoners and regarded as a beautiful love story.
Some also adapted the story of Concubine Shu and Chang Lin into operas and dances, which were actively performed and sung in teahouses and neighborhoods.
With the passing of the two, there was no more scolding or blame left for the later generations. All that remained was boundless imagination. The true events and causes of that year had long been lost in the long river of history and could never be traced again.
———————————————
Qin Lan returned to the Kunning Palace and informed Qin Huaiqiu of what had happened.
Qin Huaiqiu half - reclined on the bed and listened quietly to Qin Lan's account.
He let out a long sigh and asked Qin Lan, "Do you think what I did was right?"
Qin Lan lowered her head and said nothing.
Qin Huaiqiu didn't look at her anymore. Instead, he turned his gaze out of the window and murmured, "Actually, I don't think she did anything wrong, nor do I think I did the right thing. They were just a pair of ill - fated lovers. At the beginning, they were fine, but Concubine Shu made the first decision, and then Chang Lin followed without hesitation. One wrong step led to another, and there was no turning back long ago."
Qin Lan was silent for a while and then sighed, "Young master has grown up."
Qin Huaiqiu looked at her.
Qin Lan gave a bitter smile and said, "It's a good thing that you understand the meaning of love."
Qin Huaiqiu didn't say anything. He just smiled at her, and then there was no more conversation between them.
Concubine Shu was dead. Liu Cheng was extremely grief - stricken. Liu Yun exposed all the things that Concubine Shu and Chang Lin had done. The old prime minister cried his heart out. That night, he resigned from his post in the Sikuo Court and asked to take away the remains of Concubine Shu and Chang Lin, wanting to retire to his hometown. In the end, the Empress Dowager found out about this and specially came from the Cining Palace to persuade Liu Cheng to stay.
But in Liu Cheng's words, he was the one who had separated Chang Zixuan and Liu Wanyan, and he should also be the one to end this.
The Emperor hesitated for a moment and finally agreed to him.
Liu Cheng seemed to have aged ten years in an instant. He slowly knelt down in front of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager and bowed to them one last time.
Sadly, Liu Cheng always thought that sending Concubine Shu into the palace would bring glory to the Liu family, but he never expected that the outcome would be so different from what he had hoped.
Carriages after carriages, carrying the remains of the two and the members of the Liu family, slowly passed through the Zhuque Street. From then on, the Liu family completely withdrew from the center of the Dacheng Dynasty, away from the power center. They never returned to the capital within this dynasty.
Along with Liu Cheng, Yaze Bu and others were also leaving.
The Loulan mission had been in the capital for a month, achieving nothing in their talks with Dacheng. They just lounged around on Jingshan Mountain all day, living off the tax money of the Dacheng commoners. The Emperor had long been annoyed with them. So, when Yaze Bu came to bid farewell with Jimin and Kuluoer, the Emperor agreed without a second thought and said, "I won't see you off." The implication was that he wanted them to leave quickly.
But what Qin Huaiqiu never expected was that before Yaze Bu left, while the Emperor was in court, he knocked on the door of the Kunning Palace.
Qin Huaiqiu looked at Yaze Bu, who had taken a sip of tea and was savoring it for a long time. Frowning, he asked, "What are you doing here?"
"What do you mean 'what am I doing'? This isn't a boudoir. Why should a man care about such trivial things?" Yaze Bu shouted and pointed at the tea in front of him. "Your tea is good. Give me some, okay?"
Qin Huaiqiu's veins popped out. "Is that the point? I'm asking you what you're here for!"
Yaze Bu looked at him, waved the others away, and said, "Do you know why I saved you?"
Qin Huaiqiu was taken aback. A strange feeling welled up in his heart.
He held his breath and waited for Yaze Bu to continue.
Yaze Bu suddenly winked at him and grinned. "Because if you died, where could I find such a satisfying show?"
Qin Huaiqiu's eyes widened, and he frowned. "What do you mean?"
Yaze Bu said, "It doesn't mean anything. Give me some tea."
"No."
"So stingy."
Yaze Bu stood up, tilted his chin at Qin Huaiqiu, and said, "I'm looking forward to our next meeting, young master Qin～"
Qin Huaiqiu stared at him coldly and said nothing.
Yaze Bu didn't seem to care. He let out a few loud laughs and strode out of the door.
At the same time, in the territory of the Protector - General's Office, tens of thousands of miles away from Dacheng, Qin Feng, in full armor, rode his horse to the front of the two - hundred - thousand - strong army.
Under his feet was the territory of Dacheng, and in front of him was the most glorious army of Dacheng.
His eyes were as sharp and bright as those of a hunting falcon. He slowly raised the long spear in his hand and said in a voice that was old but still powerful:
"Defend our mountains and rivers! Protect our territory! Soldiers! Follow me on this expedition!"
The End of Book Two