Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
Golden House for a Beauty
墨書 Inktalez
After the autumn rain, a particularly desolate atmosphere lingered in the air.
Liu Che walked with steady steps, his feet crunching on the damp yellow leaves, as if lost in deep thoughts, he strolled into the garden of Changmen Palace.
How long had it been since he last saw her? A year, two years, or perhaps a long ten years?
He pondered silently within himself but realized he could no longer recall.
The days without her felt unbearably long, each minute and second dragging by in torment.
Changmen Palace was shrouded in deep shadows, its dark surroundings appearing somewhat eerie and frightening, entirely unlike the palace that was always bright and resplendent, showcasing royal majesty and luxury both day and night.
Liu Che slowly passed through an ancient archway and finally caught sight of a faint glimmer of light ahead.
His footsteps hesitated for a moment, a flicker of doubt rising within him; however, he ultimately took a step forward and continued walking slowly toward it.
As an emperor, he was never short of charming courtesans and vibrant flowers surrounding him. Yet, gazing at those heavily made-up faces daily and listening to their monotonous flattery over time inevitably led to feelings of weariness.
Humans are indeed strange and complex creatures. When he was with Ajiao, he often criticized her for being too ostentatious, failing to restrain herself in public or private, repeatedly putting him in embarrassing situations as a ruler.
But now, in this quiet moment, he found himself nostalgically recalling those years of arguments with her—those memories that once annoyed him had now become his most cherished recollections.
During his reign of several decades, he had expanded territories and struck fear across the lands; his remarkable military achievements earned him fame throughout the realm. Internally, he had purged corruption, ensuring peace and stability for the Han Dynasty under his rule, bringing it to unprecedented heights of glory.
Yet behind this honor and brilliance, he always felt something missing deep within—a sense of emptiness and melancholy that was hard to articulate.
Perhaps he had indeed been too harsh in his treatment of her.
Liu Che pondered silently in his heart. If he were to see her later, and if she could greet him with joy and warmth, or perhaps cry and repent, then he would let her return to the palace and allow everything to start anew.
At that moment, a faint sound suddenly came from within the room.
Liu Che abruptly halted his steps, straining to listen. In an instant, his expression shifted from shock to fury.
It was the voices of a woman and a man, speaking softly to each other. Their words were so quiet that they were difficult to discern clearly.
Yet the silhouettes cast against the paper window mercilessly revealed their intimacy and familiarity, a scene that pierced Liu Che's heart like a sharp blade.
His anger surged uncontrollably, flames of rage igniting within him.
He had thought she would remain alone in this cold palace, silently reflecting on her actions; he had believed her arrogance stemmed from a deep love for him that had caused her to lose herself.
However, everything before him shattered that perception, plunging his heart into profound pain and struggle.
He stood there dazed, unable to gather his thoughts for a long while.
Ultimately, he could not bring himself to harm her; instead, he left in sorrow and anger, sweeping away with a heavy heart.
Inside the room, the two entwined figures slowly separated. The man gently opened the window a crack, cautiously peering outside to confirm that Liu Che had gone far away. Only then did he carefully remove the hairpin from his hair, allowing his long black locks to cascade down like a waterfall, revealing a strikingly handsome woman.
"Has he left?" Ajiao said with a bitter smile at the corners of her mouth. She gently wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. Then she slowly raised her wine cup and drank deeply, as if trying to swallow down all her sorrow and grievances along with the wine.
"Your Highness, why must you do this?" The woman sighed softly, her tone filled with helplessness and regret. "The Emperor clearly cares about you; why do you have to..."
"I remember the first time I met him; he was only six years old."
Ajiao seemed lost in deep memories as she spoke, her words drifting off-topic. "That day, my mother held him and gently asked, 'When you grow up, will you marry a wife?' His tender little face was filled with seriousness as he answered without hesitation, 'Of course.' My mother then pointed to the hundreds of palace maids around us, asking him which one he wanted to marry. He shook his head and firmly said he didn't want any of them."
"My mother then turned to me and smiled, asking, 'What about Ajiao?' His bright eyes sparkled with joy as he exclaimed loudly, 'Yes! If I can marry Ajiao, I will build a grand palace out of gold, a Golden House to Hide a Beauty.' Haha, look at that! The affection of a child is so pure and sincere!"
"Your Highness..." The woman hesitated, unsure how to comfort her.
"At that time, he was just a little Jiaodong King, neither the legitimate son nor the eldest son. However, with my mother's full support, he was eventually crowned as the crown prince and later ascended to the throne, ruling over all. Yet, as time passed, everything quietly changed. He is the only Liu Che in my heart, but I am no longer his only Ajiao."
Ajiao's eyelashes fluttered slightly, a hint of loneliness flashing in her eyes as she slowly lowered them, seemingly trying to hide her inner pain.
"The harem is filled with thousands of beauties; this has been the way of kings since ancient times!" The woman sighed softly.
Ajiao shook her head gently. "I actually miss the time when he was Jiaodong King. Back then, we laughed and played every day without a care in the world; it felt like there were only the two of us in the entire universe. No matter how others viewed us or what they said, as long as our hands were held together, it felt like we had our own warm and beautiful little world."
"You still have a chance to return to the Emperor's side," the woman reminded cautiously. "You shouldn't have let your temper get the better of you."
Ajiao smiled faintly, but her smile was filled with sorrow. "What difference does it make? Rather than staying in that cold and lonely palace alone, I would prefer to spend my remaining days here freely. Now that I have lost my noble status and my beloved partner, I still have my last bit of pride. I want him to see that without him, I can still live happily and freely. I, Chen Ajiao, will never lower myself for any man."
Hearing this, the woman fell silent again, letting out a long sigh filled with sympathy and helplessness for Ajiao.
Comment 0 Comment Count