She remained standing there, still motionless, her gaze fixed on the dagger with the leather sheath.
Lu Ziyuan followed her gaze and looked down, saying, "When I went to Lingnan that year, I heard that there was an ironworking family there, so I ordered that pair of daggers."
He had been more composed than his peers since childhood, and as he grew older, he beca increasingly reserved. The straightforward love of a youth placed upon him seed very deep, yet perhaps only half of it was ever revealed in small, subtle ways.
For instance, he never ntioned how frantic he was to return upon hearing the news of her snow blindness.
But upon returning, she was busy seeking out other n.
Music, companionship, gentle comfort.
It was the first ti he tasted the bitterness of jealousy and the first ti he feared another man so intensely.
He chuckled softly, asking, "Do you think that by intercepting your carriage midway and abducting you here, I am acting outrageously and unreasonably?"
Xie Wanqing said nothing.
But her expression clearly said yes.
Lu Ziyuan’s heart grew sourer, saying angrily, "Do you think that sickly man is a good thing? When you were my fiancée, he coveted you. When you were my wife, he still didn’t give up, like a rat in the gutter scheming over you."
He continued, his smile turning cold, "After twisting and turning through two lifetis, he rely got the advantage of awakening his mory slower than I did, taking you away and forcing to resign to fate. Why should I resign to fate?"
If he had awakened his previous life’s mories first, they wouldn’t have ended up in this situation.
How could she marry another?
In this life, she’s already soone else’s rightful wife, a fact that makes him rage every ti he thinks of it.
These words carried imnse weight, making Xie Wanqing’s heart skip slightly.
"...In the previous life, after I died, he..."
So, did Pei Yuqing really always silently care for her in the past life?
Lu Ziyuan glanced at her, saying, "Wanwan, you must understand, it’s him who first crossed , trying to steal you away for two lifetis, so I owe him no courtesy."
Including abducting the other’s wife under a false na and bringing her to his own courtyard.
He refused to discuss what Pei Yuqing did after her death in the previous life but the tone of his words had already conveyed his animosity.
Xie Wanqing listened quietly but couldn’t help but wonder how the man who never appeared before her in the previous life reacted upon hearing the news of her death.
He also had a heart condition.
Her mind wandered, Lu Ziyuan saw through it clearly, his gaze darkened.
"What are you thinking about? That sickly man who always pretends to be weak? I died but he stayed alive and well," he said, "The one who truly sacrificed for you was , I killed all my enemies then ended my own life to apologize to you."
His tone was calm, speaking of self-harm as if it were sothing trivial, leaving Xie Wanqing feeling complex.
Panic, shock, more than anything, she felt he was terribly insane.
Lu Ziyuan glanced at her, reached for the dagger on the table, and pulled it from its sheath, saying lightly, "Didn’t you say you’d sentence to death? Go ahead and execute it."
Xie Wanqing still didn’t move.
"Afraid?"
"If you’re afraid of facing consequences for killing , you can rest assured."
He lowered the dagger and smiled at her, "This house is my private residence, no one will know you’ve been here. After I’m dead, Mingjian and the others will cover the tracks for you, everyone will only know I died from a recurrence of an old illness, and you can continue being the Duke Mansion’s heir’s wife."
"Wanwan, I’ll say it again," he paused, slowly collecting his smile, saying lightly, "This is your only chance this life to rid yourself of . As long as I live, I won’t let go of you under any circumstances."
He was sincere, speaking everything clearly.
Perhaps truly softened by seeing her emotions collapse, or perhaps he was taking a gamble, to see if she was truly as she claid to have completely let go, or if she had any lingering attachnt to him.
So he decided to give her this chance.
As long as she hardened her heart and took his life with one stroke, she’d be free from entanglent with him forever.
Xie Wanqing’s gaze fell on that dagger on the table.
She was delighted when she first received it and even gave it a na.
Cai Yue.
Her dagger was nad Cai Yue, but she didn’t know what this one was called.
Xie Wanqing finally moved, walking step by step to the table, Lu Ziyuan’s gaze locked onto her, she ignored him and reached out to grasp the hilt inlaid with a ruby.
The iron-refined blade shone with a bright watery color under the candlelight, sharp and cold.
With Lu Ziyuan’s temperant, no matter what caused him to make the decision, if she dared to stab him, he would never retract his words.
With one stroke, she might truly end everything.
To stab his chest, or his neck?
Not the neck, the wound would be too obvious, the excuse of an old illness recurrence wouldn’t pass.
That ans... the chest.
But what if she plunged it down?
He’s never lost a battle, a brave warrior, and the Great Khan is long new to internal and external troubles, lacking military generals capable of commanding troops.
Though she only lived to eighteen in the previous life, it was enough to know how important he was to the Great Khan.
Even as a re vassal, the Emperor treasured him dearly, not to ntion his true identity as...
Of course, she was just a young lady, worrying about the nation was not her concern, no matter how chaotic, there were officials to sort things out, even if the sky fell, tall people could bear the weight.
She was born wealthy, even if the country was in shambles, suffering would only befall the poor, not reach her.
Killing him wouldn’t affect her...
Xie Wanqing tightened her grip on the dagger’s hilt, suddenly questioning.
"You said you were ambushed on your return from the Northern Border Battlefield, ...was it the Crown Prince’s doing?"
At that ti, she had just left the monastery and heard the news of his great victory in the Northern Border, capturing the Prince of Northern Border alive.
Only waiting for the Northern Border to approach for a truce, deciding whether to return the hostage.
Such a great victory, not only inspired the soldiers guarding the gates but also deterred dostic troublemakers.
Periodic bandit disturbances across various provinces were also pacified.
Yet amidst this victory celebrated by all, he was ambushed and left for dead on his return to the Capital.
Lu Ziyuan seed a bit puzzled by her sudden question, his eyes subtly lifted before nodding, "It was him."
"He knows your identity, sees you winning a great victory, feared you might threaten his position as the Crown Prince, so he wanted to eliminate you?" Xie Wanqing was puzzled, "He is the Holy Emperor’s eldest son, renowned for his virtue, admired by the whole court, you..."
Even if victorious, even if restoring identity, an Emperor’s illegitimate son, raised outside, such a birth shouldn’t be enough to affect his inheritance right as the Eldest Prince, right?
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