Chapter 29: Past Bonds Part 1

Wei Lingci remembered that her final memory of Xun Changqing from her previous life was that graceful figure leaping into the Yangtze River in an instant. Her fingertips still retained the warmth of Xun Changqing’s touch, and she was utterly astonished: Why didn’t she believe her?

The world was vast, but she only wanted to protect her—whether by expelling her from the sect or standing by idly, it was all just to preserve her life. Yet these things were easy to say but hard to do. Changqing, she had staked everything on that one bet, only to receive a plunge into the Yangtze in return.

In the pitch-black moonlight, the waters surged turbulently. Her startled gaze froze as the waves crashed against the shore, slamming violently into her heart. Behind her, the commander of the Imperial Guards, Shao Yi, urged her to return, but she seemed not to hear.

Her fingertips slid across her cheek, as if feeling Xun Changqing’s warmth. The cold wind from the shore carried the waves, sweeping over her. The depths of the palace gardens had always been the most treacherous place of all, riddled with human malice. She didn’t want to enter, but the imperial decree was hard to defy.

The new emperor, Xun Yiran, had ascended the throne two years prior and had widely filled the Rear Palace. Selecting her as empress was merely because she had repeatedly rejected him in their youth; what he couldn’t have, he cherished all the more. She was nothing but his plaything.

At that time, Xun Yi of the Pingnan Prince’s Mansion had seized the Southwest Region and stood in opposition to the court. His forces were ample, his generals united, and his deployments meticulous—it was no longer something the court’s troops could contend with. Others might not know, but Wei Lingci did: the so-called treason was just a fabricated crime.

Xun Yi’s mother came from the direct eldest lineage, but she harbored no ambitions for the throne and yielded it to others. In the end, she was envied by the new emperor, who always feared that one day Xun Yi, with his overwhelming merits, would return to the capital under the banner of the eldest legitimate heir and seize the throne.

Xun Yiran appeared humble and compliant on the surface, but his nature was ruthless and sinister, heavily influenced by his maternal uncle’s Shao Family. Xun Yi had guarded the Southwest for over twenty years with a heart full of hot blood and loyal devotion to the nation. When the Previous Emperor Xun Ziqian passed away, he was not permitted to return to the capital for mourning and even had his authority stripped.

If he didn’t rebel, his entire family would be slaughtered!

It was a pity for Xun Changqing, who knew nothing, yet perished in this conspiracy.

In the autumn of the Imperial Capital, the maple leaves burned even redder. From the County Princess Mansion to the depths of the palace, the road was laid with a vibrant red carpet. In her red wedding gown, she touched the embroidered phoenix on it, her heart pounding wildly. If she didn’t marry, the Wei family would suffer the same fate as the Pingnan Prince’s Mansion.

As she stepped into the phoenix carriage, longing and hatred intertwined chaotically in her heart. After death, did souls exist? If souls existed, would old acquaintances meet again?

That night, the crimson lanterns and fireworks mingled with the stars, bustling and lively everywhere—yet in one corner, it was chilling to the extreme. Fireworks celebrating the emperor and empress’s grand wedding bloomed above the city gates. In the inky black sky, the moon sank into the depths, silver flowers blooming amid fiery trees, and the entire Imperial Capital immersed itself in the festive atmosphere.

But upon closer inspection, behind the fireworks, cold starlight floated in the horizon, with ghostly black voids between the stars.

In Changle Palace, red lanterns hung along the corridors, but no one walked there. The main hall was filled with an eerie airflow. The doors opened and closed, allowing the pervasive autumn wind to slip in and brush against cheeks, causing involuntary shivers.

The emperor wore red robes that day, his face flushed with joy. He smiled as he strode into the hall, gazing at Wei Lingci sitting primly under the red veil on the bed. He was overjoyed. His happiness infected the serving palace servants, who showered him with auspicious words. With a wave of his hand, he rewarded them all.

The veil was lifted, and the matchmaker uttered clichés like “a hundred years of harmony,” which the emperor loved to hear. He had drunk some wine outside and was slightly tipsy, the thick fragrance of alcohol wafting mistily. Finding the palace servants an eyesore, he waved them all away.

He sat to one side, admiring her beautiful jade-like face. Beneath the heavy makeup, she exuded a bewitching allure, her ink-black hair scented. He leaned close to Wei Lingci’s ear, greedily inhaling, and murmured softly, “A’ci, you finally married me. I become emperor, you become empress—how perfect. These years you didn’t marry anyone; were you waiting for me?”

Wei Lingci smiled faintly, sweeping her gaze over the famously luxurious Changle Palace. Wisps of pale smoke rose, gold-inlaid jade decorations gleamed, jade-carved pillars dazzled the eyes, intoxicating the heart.