He was someone who always cared the most about his appearance– when had he ever been like this?

“Your heart feels empty because the person you care about is being married off.” Du Xiaoli said lightly.

Ji Liufeng’s hand froze midair for a split second.

“Bang——”

The pitcher of wine fell onto the table, creating a sharp noise.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t know what I’m talking about? The Princess is going to be married off to Northern Yuan, your beloved is going to become someone else’s, and she might never be able to comme back. You’re despairing, aren’t you? If you’re in despair then why don’t you go fight it? A few years ago you sacrificed her for your future, and now a few years later, why are you letting go of her again? Because you’re scared? Or because you don’t love her at all?” Du Xiaoli’s words pierced into Ji Liufeng’s heart like needles, one by one. He couldn’t help but crush the cup in his hand again.

“No, it’s not that I don’t love her! I love her, love her beyond compare!” Ji Liufeng disregarded the wounds on his hands and yelled at Du Xiaoli. A tear freed itself from the corner of his eye and dripped onto the table, forming a bitterly pitiful flower-shaped puddle.

“You love her, so why don’t you go fight for her?” Du Xiaoli pushed him.

“I did fight, how haven’t I fought for her. All these years, I’ve been working so hard to try and make myself someone worthy of being hers. All those moments when I was hovering between life and death, I survived only because of my love for her. After every battle, I told myself, I’ve gotten a little closer to her again.” Ji Liufeng said, taking another pitcher of wine and pouring himself a glass.

“But she doesn’t care about this.” Du Xiaoli responded.

“I care!” Ji Liufeng yelled, “Yes, I am indeed the son of a great general, but I want to use my own hands to earn us a future worthy of her status. I don’t want others to view her as a laughingstock, saying she married a useless man!”

“You don’t understand women. She doesn’t care about what you are now or what you will be in the future. She only cares about whether you love her, if your heart has her in it– this is enough for her.” Du Xiaoli said with a measure of sadness. “Even if you were no longer a general, even if you were just a civilian, she wouldn’t care. As long as you’re with her, that’s enough.”

“It’s too late now, it’s too late now, ahhh, if I had known things would be like this now I wouldn’t have been that way, I would have married her early on into our home. I wouldn’t have let her become a tool for an alliance between two countries. But it’s too late now, it’s too late now, the Emperor said this is her mission, her responsibility as a royal, that she must undertake for the people of Feng Ming. The emperor wouldn’t let me speak, he wouldn’t let me speak, hahahaha. But my heart aches so much, Xiaoli. I’ve always viewed you as my sister and your medical skills are so good. Can you prescribe me some medicine, I can’t breathe from the pain, please cure me.” Ji Liufeng cried a little, then laughed a little. Picking up the pitcher of wine, he drank straight from its spout, then grabbed Du Xiaoli’s hand and begged her.

“I can’t cure your condition.” Seeing the wound on his hand, Du Xiaoli sighed and took out a handkerchief to bandage it for him. As she bandaged his hand, she told him, “Your condition can only be cured by time.”

“Mingxiang, Mingxiang, I love you, I love you, ahhh——” Ji Liufeng didn’t hear Du Xiaoli’s words, instead lying on the table with his eyes closed, saying nonsense. “Mingxiang, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I love you…”

The door of the private room suddenly opened. When Du Xiaoli turned her head to look, she saw that Han Mingxiang had somehow gotten there, and her face was full of tears.

“Princess? Didn’t you go to the palace?” Du Xiaoli stood up, looking at Han Mingxiang with surprise.

“When I came out and saw that you didn’t leave with the others, I quietly followed you over here.” Han Mingxiang said. Seeing the table of debris, the table with spots of blood, and the ground full of empty wine jugs, she blinked a few times. She had wanted to blink away the tears in her eyes, but found that no matter what, they kept falling.

“Princess, Liufeng-gege he…”

“I heard everything he said.” Han Mingxiang came to Ji Liufeng’s side, listening to him call her name. She smiled as tears ran down her face, “He has never called me by name, every time he calls me ‘Princess, Princess.’ He has never said he loves me. To hear these things today, I am quite content.”

“Princess, now there is still room to go back, why don’t you go ask the emperor to cancel the marriage alliance.” Seeing the two of them, Du Xiaoli found it unbearable.

“For him to be like this, perhaps will be the only time in his life.” Han Mingxiang sat beside Ji Liufeng. Taking out a handkerchief, she wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and said, “Yesterday evening the Emperor called me to his imperial study to speak with me. He said back when signing the agreement, Zhao Zhen said that if I reneged, two cities would have to be given as compensation.

“Zhao Zhen did it on purpose!” Speaking with certainty, Du Xiaoli thought of her encounter with him yesterday, when he had deliberately revealed the news of the marriage alliance to her. “But why would he do this?”

“To fight with me.” Han Mingyi appeared at the door, responding to Du Xiaoli’s words.

“Xiao Yi-gege.”

“Fifth Brother.”

Han Mingyi walked in, and furrowed his brows upon seeing he condition of the room: “He drunk so much.”

MoonWhisperer, skyrise's Thoughts

Hi all! Coincidentally, I have some bad news in line with this title. Due to some issues, I have left the team and am no longer translating this novel.

However, the wonderful Skyrise will be taking over, so you'll be able to continue enjoying this novel.

Stay healthy and do what makes you happy! -TWIP

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