Chapter 26: Shou Ta Yi Bing "A Tale of Love and Loyalty"
FlamingoBees
Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)
Shou Ta Yi Bing "A Tale of Love and Loyalty"
Chapter 26:
The Last Will
Xiao Yuan was gravely injured, with wounds on his waist and abdomen and two arrows lodged in his leg.
Both the Southern River army and the Imperial Guards suffered significant casualties, and all affairs inside and outside the palace were taken over by the reinforcements from Qu Cheng.
Qu Cheng, neighboring the Southern River, was now led by a trusted ally of the late Prince Xiao. The old Prince of the clan, had only one son who was unruly and troublesome. However, despite Xiao Yuan's reckless behavior, the stability of the southern border for many years after the old Prince's sudden death was largely due to Xiao Yuan's efforts.
The reinforcements arrived in three separate groups. Although their arrival was quiet, it was incredibly timely.
The so-called timeliness meant that they arrived just before Xiao Yuan was about to die.
He was carried back, and after his wounds were treated, he lay in the side hall of Ming Wu as if he were dead. He was so exhausted that he did not even hear Chu Li’s loud cries when he saw Xiao Yuan’s coffin, despite Chu Li having fought his way back to the palace while ensuring the safety of the young prince.
But in the midst of excruciating pain and dizziness, the sound of a woman’s cries and her gentle words reached his ears.
Xiao Yuan was unsure whether he was alive or dead, but hearing a woman cry for someone else made him furious, as if he wanted to escape the underworld and confront her.
Inside the main hall, people were crying and speaking, while the man in the side hall struggled to sit up, forcing his numb and aching legs to move.
The closer he got, the clearer the voices became.
When he heard her say, "Xiao Yuan, even if you don't want to, I'll force you to marry me in the next life," his heart skipped a beat and a surge of ecstatic joy overwhelmed him. The pain in his body instantly vanished. However, when he emerged, he saw her holding a dagger, aiming it at herself.
If it hadn’t been for his swift action, he might have found Pei Qing’s lifeless body before him.
He had thought she was crying for the death of Xiao Jing, but he had never imagined she would go so far for him.
It should have been evident when the edict was announced to open the palace gates and surrender.
Xiao Jing, as an emperor, was benevolent, but as a man, he was not the kind to ignore the fact that his wife’s heart belonged to another.
That’s why, before heading out to face the battle, Xiao Yuan had returned to the Yangju Palace one more time. He had insisted that, in exchange for preserving Xiao Jing's only son, Xiao Yuan must promise never to punish Pei Qing, no matter what.
Even if they won this battle, Pei Qing would remain the empress. If they lost, she would not be blamed or pursued.
This was the first time Xiao Jing had abandoned his usual calm demeanor to agree to such a rebellious request from Prince Nan Chuan.
Given their previous agreement, Xiao Yuan had never expected that Xiao Jing would personally issue the decree to open the palace gates and surrender. In hindsight, only Pei Qing could have convinced Xiao Jing to make such a concession.
Pei Qing was startled by the sudden noise from the side hall. She stared at the figure emerging from it, momentarily unsure if it was real. It wasn’t until she saw the person smiling wickedly and waving at her that she realized it was indeed him.
Without hesitation, she threw herself into Xiao Yuan’s arms, clinging to his waist and crying pitifully.
Xiao Yuan felt his insides jostle, but the pain miraculously disappeared, replaced by a comforting sensation in his chest.
He embraced Pei Qing and kissed her hair. “I’m fine, really. You’re making me feel like I’m the one hurt.”
Pei Qing quickly looked up, her voice choked with tears. “Where does it hurt?” It was then that she noticed the bloodstains on Xiao Yuan and panicked, trying to pull away. “Did I touch your wounds? I’m so sorry.”
Tears streamed down her face as she spoke.
Having almost traded his life for the affection of the beautiful woman who willingly threw herself into his embrace, Xiao Yuan was naturally unwilling to let go. He held her waist tightly and whispered in her ear, “Qing’er, your tears are breaking my heart.”
Pei Qing’s ears turned red, and though she tried to push him away, she couldn’t bring herself to do it forcefully.
The sight of this intimate moment left Xu Da, the leader of the Qucheng army stationed outside the door, frowning. He couldn’t understand why the empress, who had been crying sorrowfully at the emperor’s coffin earlier, was now in another man’s arms.
As for Xiao Yuan, Xu Da was even more baffled. This guy was only known for his martial prowess and troublemaking; who would have thought he could be so tender and soothing? And not just with anyone, but with the current empress, the future empress dowager.
What kind of propriety is this!
Seeing more and more people peeking into the hall from outside, Xu Da cleared his throat loudly to draw their attention.
Xiao Yuan raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”
His expression was so irritating that if Xu Da were this Prince's father, he would have already jumped up to give him a good thrashing. If not for the old Prince’s reputation, he wouldn’t have come to assist this scoundrel.
“Lord Xiang is here.”
Xiao Yuan continued to hold Pei Qing without letting go. “Who?”
“Who else but the Prime Minister Xiang Zhi Yi!” Xu Da said impatiently. “He’s come to read the imperial edict and announce it to the world before the emperor passes away.”
At this, Pei Qing suddenly looked toward the black coffin in the hall.
© translations belonging to flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.
•••
https://ko-fi.com/flamingobeestranslations
https://twitter.com/FlamingoBee2009
Thank You For Reading <3
Comments
Post a Comment
What did you think of this chapter?