Chapter 321: The Prelude to Su Rao’s Descent into Darkness (IX)

Chapter 321: The Prelude to Su Rao's Descent into Darkness (IX)

The rain that had fallen through the night continued into the next morning.

The sky remained misty but was no longer as gloomy as it had been the previous afternoon. Instead, the dark clouds had turned a warm white.

Although the rain had not stopped, the sky showed signs of clearing. Once this autumn rain stops, the sun will surely shine brightly again.

The early morning breeze, fresh with the scent of rain, brushed against her face, carrying a strong, refreshing scent. The drizzle was gentle, lightly caressing her face, bringing comfort.

In Qingfeng Garden, a woman in red stood quietly outside the door, watching the rain.

Awakened in the middle of the night and unable to find Yun Ji, she had stood outside the door ever since.

It was unclear whether she was waiting for news from Yun Ji, wondering how he would save the Su family, or if he had gone to rescue Grandfather and the others.

Or if she was simply unable to sleep, unable to find rest.

Her almond-shaped eyes, staring blankly at the raindrops falling from the eaves, had no focus, lost in thought.

Yet beneath this daze was a heart that could not calm itself.

The night had passed, but she still found it hard to calm her inner turmoil.

The previous day, she had asked Yun Ji, and he had given her an answer.

He believed in the Su Rao he knew, that her kind heart would not be consumed by hatred, and that her conscience would not be overwhelmed by vengeance. Whether or not to kill Uncle Royal was not a condition for his help, but her own choice.

If she insisted on the assassination, he would not try to stop her. However, he would share the consequences of assassinating Uncle Royal, standing by her side to face them together.

If the Su family cast her out, he would take her in, cherishing her without the need for a marriage contract, and ensure her safety for the rest of her life.

"In a world of chaos, why would I care? Why should I care? The suffering of the people is none of my concern. They are the citizens of your Yun Lang. What does it have to do with me? When they destroyed my Great Qin, did anyone ever ask about the suffering of my people? Yun Ji, I was never a good person..."

This hoarse, bone-chilling voice, filled with icy resentment and indifference, suddenly broke the silence.

Yet a tear glistened at the corner of Su Rao's eyes.

But with the Su family at stake, she could not ignore them.

If she killed Yun Yu, Yun Lang would surely descend into chaos. Even if the Su family was saved and the executioner had abandoned the Su family, with their sense of righteousness, they would not stand by and watch Yun Lang descend into chaos.

At that time, would she become an enemy of the entire Su family?

Would she be an enemy of Grandfather and the others?

Her soft, drooping hand had already been clenched into a fist, dripping with blood, which fell onto the stone steps. In an instant, the rain washed it clean, leaving no trace behind.

"No, I can't..."

After standing outside for half the night, Su Rao finally made her decision and stepped into the rain, without an umbrella. The falling rain instantly soaked her entire body, her hair sticking to her cheeks, her face ice-cold.

She went to the graves of Qin Niang and Uncle Hao.

With a plop, she knelt down.

The mud and rain in the forest splattered onto her red dress.

"Qin Niang, Uncle Hao, I'm sorry. Rao Rao has come to her senses. I can no longer disregard the Su family, nor can I kill that executioner to avenge you, Father, and Mother. I wanted to lose myself completely to madness, but I can't. I can't go mad anymore."

She apologized for her choice, apologized for waking up due to Yun Ji's words. She couldn't seek revenge now; she needed to create the right opportunity for it...

She couldn't oppose the Su family, nor did she want to become an enemy of Grandfather, Father, and Mother. Given some time, she would replace the emperor of Yun Lang, and when that time came, she would bring the heads of Yun Yu and Yun Murui to pay respects to her family.

With her hands placed in front of her, Su Rao directly prostrated herself and kowtowed.

The mud smeared her fair forehead, covering the unsightly indented scar on her brow.

After kowtowing three times, Su Rao stood up and looked back at Qin Niang’s and Uncle Hao’s tombstones, with no lingering heaviness. She turned away and left. She had things to do.

"Freshen up, warm yourself, so you don’t catch a cold."

As she returned to the outskirts of Qingfeng Garden, she saw that slender figure, Moonlight, standing there in the drizzle, holding an oil-paper umbrella the color of the moon.

The morning breeze brushed past them, with fine rain drizzling down. He stood there, waiting, as if waiting for his wife to return home.

Knowing she was back, he walked over and opened the umbrella over her head, shielding her from the wind and rain, from the morning's chill.

Looking up, Su Rao gazed at Yun Ji beside her. In one glance, she saw his pale face, and the question she was about to ask—"Are Grandfather and the others safe?"—remained unspoken.

Her delicate hand took his long, jade-like fingers, checking his pulse for a moment. It was weak and irregular, as usual.

"Yun Ji, if you insist on helping me, take care of yourself. Don't make me worry about you too."

Her tone was calm, devoid of anger, as she led Yun Ji into Qingfeng Garden.

"Alright."

Yun Ji responded, a gentle smile on his lips.

Entering Qingfeng Garden, hot water had already been prepared, unnoticed by her.

Steam rose in tendrils.

Her almond-shaped eyes flickered, and the lifeless expression on her face finally showed a glimmer of life.

He must have returned before she went to the graves.

She glanced back at Yun Ji again but ultimately didn’t ask anything further. First, she washed and changed out of her soiled clothes.

The cold from her body had dissipated, and after a bowl of ginger soup to dispel the chill, her body warmed up.

Even the deep-seated cold in her heart seemed to thaw slightly.

The meal was silent, neither of them speaking. After breakfast, Yun Ji finally brought up the topic.

The Su family was unharmed. Though they were imprisoned in the palace dungeon, Emperor Yu had not tortured them.

As for Old General Su, he had fainted from anger that night. The emperor had ordered the imperial physicians to take care of his health. Despite being imprisoned, he had not been mistreated, and Emperor Yu's attitude toward him remained respectful.

"Res...pect...ful."

The word slipped from her cherry lips, her face expressionless, only a hint of cold mockery in her eyes.

What hypocrisy!

"How do we save Grandfather and the others?"

"Afterward, she consulted Yun Ji about this.

'This matter cannot be hurried,' Yun Ji replied, and did not elaborate further.

'If we only wanted to ensure the Su family's safe exit, it would be easy. But to ensure the Su family’s innocence when they are released, we must carefully plan. Otherwise, the Su family, who have always been honorable, will ultimately be accused of treason and rebellion...'

Yun Ji's words resonated with Su Rao. She understood that saving the Su family was indeed simple. She could think of hundreds of ways to get them out. But ensuring the Su family's innocence was not something easily achieved.

Her identity as a princess of the former dynasty alone makes it impossible for the Su family to remain untainted. Unless the Su family themselves hand her, a remnant of the former dynasty, over to clear their names.

'Rao Rao, don’t be overly anxious. The Su family will be fine for the time being. Uncle Royal’s thoughts are deep. Since he has meticulously planned against us, he won’t easily endanger Grandpa Su’s life.'

Through the white silk veil, Yun Ji saw Su Rao’s furrowed brows. He stood up, walked to her, and knelt down. His delicate fingers gently took hold of Su Rao’s clenched hand.

'Last night, Uncle Royal sent word for me to enter the palace today. Please wait here patiently for a while. I’ll go to the palace first to assess the situation, and then we can discuss how to save the Su family.'

Yun Ji gently opened Su Rao’s hand and took out a moon-colored handkerchief from his sleeve. He wiped away the fresh blood on her palm and bandaged the injured finger marks.

Su Rao remained silent, gazing at her bandaged right hand. After a moment, she spoke again. 'When you enter the palace, will you be able to leave safely, Yun Ji? I need a definitive answer. Otherwise, I won’t just sit and wait...'

'I will,' Yun Ji said firmly.

'Alright, I’ll wait for you to return.'

With those words, Su Rao withdrew her hand from Yun Ji’s grip, walked past him, and returned to her chamber."