The final battle raged on for a full five days. During these five days, the corpses inside and outside the walls of Lige City piled up layer upon layer. The Lu Family Army and the Imperial Guards clashed back and forth. The soldiers of the Imperial Guards were no match for the Lu Family Army. They lacked combat experience, yet under Fei Yu's guidance, they managed to withstand three offensives from the Lu Family Army.
If Lu Yan's previous knowledge of Fei Yu was only based on Shen Qingfeng's description, after this, he couldn't help but feel a deep respect for him. He even sent an envoy into the city to invite Fei Yu to submit to him again, but Fei Yu refused.
Within these five days, although the city gates had not fallen, compared to the well - trained Lu Family Army, more soldiers of the Imperial Guards died in each battle. It was only a matter of time before Lige City would be taken.
Finally, on the sixth day, a riot broke out in Lige City. Fei Yu was stabbed in the back during the chaos by an unknown assailant. Thanks to the protection of a few loyal subordinates, he managed to survive and retreated to the Bian Palace.
At noon, the gates of Lige City swung open. Qi Yang led the Imperial Guards to surrender to Lu Yan.
Lige City had fallen.
Shen Qingfeng arrived in Lige City that day. When he rode into the Bian Palace with Lu Yan, the entire palace was empty. Xia Chuli had dismissed all the eunuchs and maids, and her whereabouts were unknown.
Lan whistled from the side and nudged Xia Yanhe, who was sitting upright on his horse. With a meaningful look, he said, "Oh, she's gone."
Xu Ruhui and Gong Tan quickly found the seriously injured Fei Yu in the Bian Palace. They brought him to Lu Yan's horse. Lu Yan dismounted respectfully. After seeing Fei Yu's wounds, he frowned and shouted, "Find a royal physician! Hurry!"
"Thank you, but there's no need, Lord Marquis." Fei Yu was barely able to stand. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and said softly, "I've only had one master in my life, and that will never change."
Lu Yan cherished talented people. Although he desperately wanted to save Fei Yu's life, considering that Fei Yu had killed so many soldiers of the Lu Family Army and said those words in front of everyone, Lu Yan could only harden his face. He ordered Xu Ruhui to temporarily confine Fei Yu in the Bian Palace and send a royal physician to treat him first.
After the fall of Lige City, everything needed to be rebuilt. Lu Yan and Shen Qingfeng quickly got busy. Lu Yan was familiar with military affairs, while Shen Qingfeng was more knowledgeable about court affairs. Lu Yan was responsible for reorganizing the army and increasing the search for Xia Chuli's whereabouts. Shen Qingfeng began to reconstruct the court officials of Lixia.
Fortunately, the court officials appointed by Xia Chuli in this life were similar to those in the previous one. Shen Qingfeng quickly sorted out the officials and was ready to report to Lu Yan.
Since Lu Yan had rebelled in the name of supporting a wise monarch, now, under the surveillance of the army, Xia Yanhe and Lan remained in the Bian Palace, while Lu Yan temporarily stayed in his original Lu Mansion.
When Shen Qingfeng arrived, there were already people in the room. He nodded to Yu Shuang to let go of the hand supporting him and looked at Xu Ruhui and Lu Yan in the room. Both of them looked rather grim.
"What's going on?"
Xu Ruhui glanced at him and then at Lu Yan. He said in a deep voice, "It's my fault. Lan has disappeared."
Shen Qingfeng was taken aback but not overly surprised. For Lan, a stable whereabouts would be truly terrifying.
"It's okay. Maybe his departure is good for everyone. He thrived in the chaotic world. Now that Lixia is stable, there's no need for him to stay." Shen Qingfeng asked, "What about Xia Yanhe?"
Xu Ruhui replied, "Lan left a note in the Bian Palace, saying it was a gift for his senior brother."
"Humph." Lu Yan snorted from his nose. He paused for a moment and then looked at Shen Qingfeng. "There's another thing."
Shen Qingfeng looked at him.
"Fei Yu committed suicide by slitting his throat." After Lu Yan said this, a look of regret flashed across his eyes.
Shen Qingfeng sighed and said, "Loyalty and righteousness have always been hard to reconcile. Fei Yu is truly a hero."
Lu Yan also felt sorry. "It's a pity. He was a great general."
Shen Qingfeng smiled but said nothing. He reached into his bosom and took out the list he had compiled, ready to hand it to Lu Yan.
But just as he reached into his bosom, something unexpected happened.
He suddenly felt dizzy and then a sharp pain spread from his chest. Before he could even cry out, he collapsed. In his last moment before losing consciousness, he fell into Yu Shuang's arms, while Lu Yan and Xu Ruhui were running towards him in panic.
Is it time already? It's so soon.
This was his last thought before he lost consciousness.
He didn't know how much time had passed. When Shen Qingfeng woke up from the darkness, he was lying in the bedroom of the Lu Mansion. His whole body ached, especially his chest, which felt like it was about to split open.
He slightly raised his eyes and saw Lu Yan's haggard face, his eyes blood - shot.
They stared at each other for a long time, but neither of them could say a word.
What could they say? They both knew.
Shen Qingfeng struggled to sit up. Seeing this, Lu Yan took off his boots and got into the bed. He hugged Shen Qingfeng tightly in his arms, as if he would never let go.
Shen Qingfeng endured the pain all over his body and leaned into Lu Yan's arms. Lu Yan's chest was so warm that it made him shiver.
"A Yan, after everything is settled, remember to deal with Xia Yanhe. You don't need to take any drastic measures. Just let him abdicate in your favor." Shen Qingfeng said softly.
Lu Yan gave a soft grunt and tightened his embrace.
They both knew that Shen Qingfeng was using his last bit of strength to give his last words.
"The names I wrote for you... They are all talented people. Remember to use them in the future."
"Okay."
"Be vigilant against Lan... And Xiangcheng. He was under someone's control. I'm afraid Lan can still manipulate him. Remember to send him away from Lige City..."
"Okay."
"And your junior brother. He and Yu Shuang are in love. Remember to grant them a marriage..."
"I'll do as you say."
Shen Qingfeng gasped. The sharp pain in his chest almost made him unable to speak. He slowly reached out his hand and covered Lu Yan's. Finally, two lines of clear tears streamed down his face. "A Yan... Do you... Hate me?"
Lu Yan pressed his forehead against Shen Qingfeng's and gave a soft laugh. The laugh was more painful than crying, as if it was forced out of his throat. "How could I not hate?"
How could I not hate...
Hate that you lied to me until the end, hate that you said nothing and took everything on yourself, hate that you wanted to protect everyone but yourself.
Lu Yan choked with sobs and his hands holding Shen Qingfeng trembled. "But no matter how much I hate you, it's not even one - ten - thousandth of my love for you."
Shen Qingfeng shed tears. Leaning against Lu Yan's chest, feeling the man's suppressed sobs, his heart was filled with both warmth and pain. He clung to Lu Yan's hand lovingly. Despite the excruciating pain in his body and every movement feeling like a stabbing pain, he just refused to let go.
"A Yan, let me confess something to you." Shen Qingfeng's eyes were a bit unfocused. He forced himself to speak. "Actually, I've known for a long time that you like me."
"I... I've lived two lifetimes. In my previous life, I was blind to your feelings. I broke off our engagement and followed Xia Chuli until I died. But in the end, he killed everyone in the Shen Mansion, imprisoned me, and finally poisoned me to death." Shen Qingfeng had to catch his breath after saying a few sentences, as if trying hard to pull his fading consciousness back. "After I died, you led your army to break into Lige City. You held my body and cried, and finally set fire to the Bian Palace."
"At that time, I knew that you had always liked me. Then I was reborn. When King Xia Jie bestowed the marriage... I didn't try to break it off anymore." Shen Qingfeng said with a smile on his lips. "Do you believe me?"
"I believe you." Lu Yan kissed Shen Qingfeng's forehead, and tears fell drop by drop. "I was overjoyed at that time."
Shen Qingfeng let out a sob and said in a trembling voice, "But why... Why don't you ever say how long you've liked me?"
He held tightly onto Lu Yan's hand, using almost all his last bit of strength.
"You... You're always like this... You didn't say anything in the previous life, and you didn't say anything in this life either... If you don't say it, how would I know?"
Lu Yan called out in a trembling voice, "Feng'er..."
"I remembered it myself... Before our marriage was bestowed, we only met twice... Once was sixteen years ago. We were both young. You came to the Bian Palace to study... But halfway through, something happened to your father, and you had to go back to inherit his position..."
"Once was three years ago... You came to report on your duties. I didn't recognize you at that time. I just took a look at you in the long pavilion..."
Shen Qingfeng's vision was slowly blurring. He was a bit anxious and said, "Tell me, which time was it?"
Lu Yan's heart was filled with bitterness. His love for Shen Qingfeng was so deep and heavy. Now, the person he loved was dying in his arms, asking one by one with sobs, How long have you liked me?
It had been too long. More than a decade of love and more than a decade of yearning had been engraved into Lu Yan's soul and could never be removed.
He pressed his lips against Shen Qingfeng's ear and whole - heartedly, as if baring his heart, dug out his most hidden feelings. "The year I came to study, I saw you in the imperial garden of the Bian Palace. You were so small and cute then, with two buns on your head. You smiled at me and gave me a bunch of candied haws you secretly bought."
Shen Qingfeng smiled. "I was so young then..."
Lu Yan also let out a few soft laughs. "Because I said there were no candied haws in the Northern Kingdom, so you went to buy a bunch for me."
"You gave it to me and said you would always buy them for me in the future."
"I don't remember, A Yan." Shen Qingfeng said softly. "Look... If you don't say it, I won't remember."
"I've always been waiting for you to say it, but you never did... I know what you're worried about. You thought I liked Xia Chuli, so you didn't tell me at first... Later, you thought if you told me your long - standing feelings, I would feel burdened, so you still didn't say it..." Shen Qingfeng's tears were flowing more and more, and his vision was getting more and more blurred. The pain in his chest was so intense that he could hardly hear. He just kept talking to himself.
"In my previous life, you were the same. You didn't say anything, and I thought you broke off the engagement yourself. In the end, I followed Xia Chuli."
"Fifteen years in the previous life and fifteen years in this life."
"A Yan, I've made you wait for thirty years..."
"A Yan..."
Shen Qingfeng felt his five senses being stripped away, and his body was starting to float. He wanted to take one last look at Lu Yan, but his vision was so blurry that he couldn't see anything. He couldn't hear anything either, and even the warm temperature of Lu Yan holding him was gradually disappearing.
He knew it was time, but he was unwilling.
He thought he had done everything right and owed nothing to anyone.
But in two lifetimes, he had always owed Lu Yan.
Owed this man who loved him to the core.
"A Yan..."
Everything in front of Shen Qingfeng was pitch - black, and it was completely silent in his ears.
He wanted to grab Lu Yan's hand, but he couldn't feel it anymore.
With tears in his eyes, he opened his mouth desperately and used his last bit of strength -
"A Yan... I... Love you..."
-
Lu Yan was in a daze.
He seemed to have lost his soul, leaving only an empty shell.
He hugged the person in his arms tightly, motionless. There was no wailing, no extreme grief.
He was just so quiet.
As if holding a lover who was snuggling in his arms for warmth.
He didn't know what was happening. Maybe it was very fast, or maybe it was a long time.
Someone rushed in. This person started to pry his hands open, shouting something about there being no more time. He then took out a small golden fruit from his bosom.
See? This is it!
This person seemed very anxious.
Let go of him. I'll save him!
Save? How? Shen Qingfeng's body was already starting to get cold...
See? This is the merman's tear, a twin fruit. My sister used the male fruit as her dowry, and I took the female fruit.
This person stuffed the golden fruit into Shen Qingfeng's mouth, then fussed around him for a while, and finally let out a long sigh of relief.
The room fell silent again.
Lu Yan sat stupidly in front of the bed, looking blankly at the person on the bed who was slowly starting to breathe again.
His soul, his beloved, his - Shen Qingfeng.
Young Master Shen is right. This person stood up and said.
Lu Yan was still in a daze, and the person's voice sounded very fuzzy.
This person flicked his sleeves and was about to leave. But when he reached the door, he suddenly stopped.
I misjudged someone.
So, I'm here to thank Young Master Shen.
-
The gentle breeze blew the weeping willows, and a gentle rain began to fall outside. It was the Grain Rain season.
Several days passed in a flash. The leaves became greener because of the rain. After the Grain Rain, the Beginning of Summer arrived.
Shen Qingfeng opened his eyes.
Lu Yan was sitting by his bedside, with one hand inside the quilt, interlacing fingers with him.
He smiled at Shen Qingfeng, like a lover after a short separation. "You're finally awake."
Shen Qingfeng looked deeply at him, nodded, and replied, "Yes, I'm awake."
He lay down on the bed fully dressed and reached out to embrace Shen Qingfeng.
"You won't lie to me again in this life, right?"
Shen Qingfeng kissed the new stubble on his chin. "No, I won't."
Lu Yan rolled over and pinned Shen Qingfeng down on the bed. He propped his hands on both sides of Shen Qingfeng's head. "You're a repeat offender. I need a guarantee."
"Then..." Shen Qingfeng smiled and reached out to put his arms around Lu Yan's neck. "If I lie to you again, then punish me to love you in the next life, the life after that, and for all eternity."
THE END