Li Jie released a weary exhale. His fingers forsook the grasp of the forgotten book, meandering through his disheveled locks. The unrelenting headache persisted—a ceaseless companion marking the toll of his declining well-being.
In recent days, a tumultuous whirlwind engulfed him—a maelstrom from which he found no escape. The cumulative weight bore down on him, and encroaching despair became an undeniable presence.
Two days prior, when Shi He’s cutting words lacerated his being, Li Jie found himself immobilized. He was ensnared in a labyrinth of conflicting sentiments. The once-clear demarcation between right and wrong blurred, leaving him adrift in a sea of uncertainty. Each step felt like navigating a minefield of choices, the consequences looming large.
Yet, Huang Yiming, his unwavering allegiance initially stoked by Li Jie’s cowardice, seized control of the situation. His plea to Li Jie’s father unfolded with a poignant display of submission. His body bowed in humility as he fervently implored for the opportunity to stand as a bulwark, trying to shield Li Jie from the impending storm.
However, the emperor remained as frigid and unyielding as the fortress walls that surrounded them. The echoes of his disdain for the Huang siblings reverberated in Li Jie’s mind, resurrecting specters of truths he yearned to bury in the recesses of his consciousness.
In the current shadows, the absence of Huang Yiming weighed heavily on Li Jie’s soul. The throbbing ache in his head escalated—a cruel testament to his isolation.
Yet, whether in the past or the present obscurity, Li Jie’s sentiments remained unchanged. Despite his initial reluctance and anxiety upon encountering the ex-general, he couldn’t help but entertain the notion that if his father could preserve the ex-general’s reputation, then safeguarding Huang Yiming’s honor wouldn’t prove insurmountable.
As for matters beyond Li Jie’s control, he opted to relegate them to the periphery for the time being—a temporary reprieve in the face of his tumultuous reality.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Though concern for his dear friend weighed heavily on him, an additional layer of emotion stemmed from the realization that he, in part, orchestrated this fate—a consequence he could have altered but chose not to.
The encounter with Shi He, the emperor’s loyal dog, struck Li Jie harder than anticipated.
If only…
“Your Highness,” Han Yasheng’s voice, tender and caring, reached him as she wielded a hairbrush, attempting to bring solace to both his troubled hair and mind. However, her efforts proved futile against the pervasive despair that enveloped him. “Allow yourself a moment of respite.”
“What’s the point?” Li Jie’s voice wavered, a faint echo of his former self. “I’m at a loss, unsure of what steps to take or whether I even want to take any. No matter how diligently I strive to mend the fragments, it seems as though my entire world is destined to crumble repeatedly, leaving me perpetually ensnared, suffocating beneath its weight. I can’t envision a way beyond this darkness… I’m uncertain if I even desire to emerge from this blissful ignorance.”
Han Yasheng’s grip on the hairbrush faltered, alarm widening her eyes. She took a step back, her voice trembling as she sought to steady herself. “Your Highness, please… Please don’t say such things. There is always hope, even in the darkest of times.”
Li Jie’s gaze, laden with weariness, shifted momentarily from his reflection in the gilded mirror to his loyal maid. “Merely an ill-phrased remark,” he confessed, a melancholic smile gracing his lips. “My words, alas, strayed from their intended mark. You know that I won’t break my promise to him.”
“Your Highness, it seems improbable for such a sentiment to find a favorable expression,” Han Yasheng sighed, aware of her limited ability to assuage the crown prince’s troubles.
“Indeed, I am aware,” Li Jie replied, his voice tinged with desolation. “What I truly meant was the longing to slumber and awaken in a future untethered from these present afflictions.” Li Jie chuckled, looking down. “Of course, it’d be nice if I could just wake up and realize it was all a dream.”
Han Yasheng persisted in her gentle ministrations, the strokes of the brush aimed at calming the tormented soul within Li Jie. “Your Highness, I venture to say that countless hearts harbor similar yearnings each passing day. Yet, the realm of dreams is one that eludes our grasp, leaving us to seek solace in the moments that lie before us.”
“The day approaches its twilight,” Li Jie observed, tilting his head to catch a glimpse of the waning sun through the corner of his eyes. “Alas, it seems that nothing possesses the power to reshape the dreariness that enshrouds our existence.”
With a touch of reluctance, Han Yasheng set the brush aside, retrieving a cherished adornment approved by the crown prince—a jade hairpin, a gift from his mother, its hue mirroring the warmth of his blue-green eyes.
“I may be overstepping, but…” Han Yasheng placed a comforting hand on Li Jie’s shoulder, her reflection smiling back at him in the mirror. “Why not embark on an unforeseen visit to young master Huang? They say surprise has the power to transform even the bleakest of days.”
Li Jie, his lip caught between his teeth, pondered the suggestion. “The emperor has forbidden any encounter until the conclusion of his prostration.”
“And have such decrees ever managed to stifle your resolve in the past?” Han Yasheng’s smile morphed into a mischievous smirk.
“How…?” Li Jie’s eyes widened, astonishment etched across his face, before giving way to a grateful smile. “I extend my sincerest gratitude.”
Buoyed by newfound hope, Li Jie leaped from his seat, white locks trailing behind him like ribbons, as he hastened toward the exit. If he could reunite with his dearest friend before the sun descended, this woeful day might yet undergo a transformation of epic proportions.
Surveying the hallways, Li Jie detected no signs of vigilant gazes within the confines of the crown prince’s abode. Swiftly, he made his way toward the portal, a semblance of youthful exhilaration rekindled within his heart—evoking memories of days when disobedience offered him a taste of fleeting freedom.
In his formative years, after that incident, Li Jie had been anything but rebellious, yet the ties of friendship had consistently proven mightier than his father’s prohibitions and fears.
A subdued chuckle escaped his lips, its echoes resurrecting a bygone era. Envisaging the bemused countenance of Huang Yiming upon witnessing Li Jie stealthily venturing forth, the crown prince felt a glimmer of joy pierce his desolate heart.
With graceful swiftness, Li Jie navigated the less-traveled corridors of the grand palace, his movements as silent as whispers carried by the wind. However, preoccupied with thoughts of his friend’s reaction, he failed to discern the figure materializing before him in the dimly lit passageway.
“Your Highness,” Shi He’s voice carried a tone of strange and out-of-place concern, his brow furrowed in both surprise and worry. “Pray tell, what brings you to this place at such an hour?”
Thanks very much for the chaptes