Chapter 367: Becoming the Princess Consort of Prince Yi (Part 1)

Chapter 367: Becoming the Princess Consort of Prince Yi (Part 1)

The day was bright, but by evening, snow began to fall from the sky once more.

Tonight's snowfall was even heavier than the night before.

It was only the beginning of winter, not yet the coldest depths of winter, yet the world was already blanketed in a vast expanse of white.

The entire Plum Snow Garden was completely covered in a thick layer of snow.

"Miss, are you really going to marry Prince Yi?"

From inside the room, Yi Su's voice came, heavy and somber.

Though Ying Ying hadn't voiced his thoughts, his expression mirrored Yi Su's. He watched Su Rao, who stood quietly by the window, gazing calmly at the falling snow outside. His lips were slightly pursed, and his brows were furrowed with concern.

Both Yi Su and Ying Ying were reluctant to see Su Rao use her marriage as a bargaining chip to secure the trust of Emperor Wei of Zhu Xian and the support of the Zhu Xian kingdom. Yet, they found it difficult to stop her, to challenge her decision.

"With just a marriage, I can secure the Zhu Xian army. It's a good deal, and it's the best guarantee to make Emperor Wei feel at ease with us. Besides..."

The serene calm within Su Rao's peach blossom eyes flickered for a moment as she gazed toward Xianyi Chishaou's distant chambers. Though the night obscured everything, she still looked in that direction.

She was the princess of the former dynasty, and marrying Xianyi Chishaou would provide the greatest security for herself and her people within the Zhu Xian kingdom.

By becoming Xianyi Chishaou's princess consort, Emperor Wei's suspicions toward her, the former princess, would lessen. Her actions within Zhu Xian would also become more convenient, with fewer eyes watching her every move, as Xianyi Chishaou would serve as her public overseer.

This was another reason Su Rao had agreed to Emperor Wei's terms.

Hearing Su Rao's words, Ying Ying and Yi Su could say nothing more.

Su Rao's decision was indeed the best guarantee for their safety within the Zhu Xian kingdom at this time. Otherwise, Emperor Wei would never truly trust them to stay in Zhu Xian and would undoubtedly keep them under constant surveillance, which would severely restrict their actions.

"Go! Make the preparations. Three days, no more than three days."

Closing the window, Su Rao turned and walked into the inner chamber.

"Miss and Prince Yun Ji... there will never be a chance for them again."

At this moment, Yi Su sniffled, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Miss knows better than anyone that Prince Yun Ji only wanted her to live, to live well..."

"But Prince Yun Ji chose the cruelest method, one that Miss could neither accept nor endure."

Ying Ying stepped forward and patted Yi Su's shoulder.

"Besides, Miss and Prince Yun Ji were never meant to be. Emperor Yun Lang's hands are stained with the blood of Miss's royal father, and the Rong family, to which Prince Yun Ji truly belongs, is also drenched in the blood of the Great Qin royal family. This doomed them from the start. Miss would never allow herself to indulge in such a relationship."

Su Rao, who had entered the inner chamber, did not pause. She undressed and climbed into bed, falling asleep.

As she slept, her thoughts drifted away. In this space that belonged solely to her, she no longer needed to maintain her facade of strength. Yet, no tears of vulnerability appeared at the corners of her eyes, for she was not pretending to be strong—her heart was truly enveloped in a deathly gloom.

Meanwhile...

In Yun Lang's domain, the world was also blanketed in a vast expanse of white.

Thick, heavy snowflakes covered the official roads outside Langjing. Under the night sky, there was neither moon nor a single star, yet the snow's brightness was enough to dispel the darkness and illuminate the path.

In the mountains, footsteps left deep imprints in the snow as someone walked into the forest under the night sky. Holding an umbrella, though wrapped in a Yue Hua cloak for warmth, there was no delicate hand warmer to offer comfort.

Those slender phoenix eyes, though veiled by a white silk band, glistened with an inner radiance.

Though wearing Yun Ji's attire, it was actually Han Mochen.

But the Han Mochen who appeared now seemed somewhat different from the usual Han Mochen.

He lacked Han Mochen's bloodthirstiness, instead exuding the calmness unique to Yun Ji, as if the two traits had merged.

A cold, reserved, and introverted presence.

He walked to the eight graves buried in the forest.

The Su family, including Su San's parents, Su Er's parents, and Su San's uncle and his wife, were buried together.

This feng shui site was chosen for the Su family's burial.

He approached and stood quietly, mirroring Su Rao, who often stood quietly at the mountaintop, gazing into the distance.

The surface of the YueHua parasol was already covered with a layer of snow, completely obscuring the painted full moon.

The cold wind whistled, chilling his cheeks, and the icy air seeped through his collar, numbing his limbs and chilling his body. Even with the heavy cloak, it felt ineffective.

After standing quietly for a long time, he finally stirred.

He walked to the foremost grave, his slender fingers brushing away the snow covering the tombstone, revealing the epitaph. It bore only a short inscription: the name of old General Su, with no details of his life.

"Cough..."

Suddenly, a cough escaped, and the bright eyes beneath the silk band flickered with a misty hue, as if Yun Ji had surfaced.

Because at this moment, his vision beneath the silk band gradually blurred, obscuring the tombstone.

"Grandpa... Su..."

Though he had no memory of Han Mochen, Yun Ji was well aware of where he was and why he was here.

After glancing at the tombstone, he knelt in the snow, his robe billowing, and placed the umbrella on the ground.

Snowflakes quickly covered his hair and clothes.

"Grandpa Su, Rao Rao couldn't come. Yun Ji has been unwell these days and couldn't visit you. Now, I come on her behalf. Yun Ji failed to fulfill his promise to you, to ensure the Su family left with dignity. Now, all I can do is..."

"It's not that you couldn't do it, but that you did it on purpose."

The sudden shift in tone froze the falling snowflakes around, as if a sudden burst of icy cold had solidified them into ice.

Though it was still as cold as an ice cave, there was no longer the urge to kill, no longer the bloodthirsty aura demanding release, uncontrollable, requiring bloodshed to quell the darkness within.

"Yun Muhao, you're afraid. You're afraid I'll pull Su Rao into the shadows. But do you think sending her to Zhu Xian will keep her safe? No, she won't be safe. Sending her to Zhu Xian is the greatest danger you could give her..."

The words abruptly stopped.

Another shift.

"You're wrong. The one who should be afraid isn't Yun Ji, but you."

A smile, characteristic of Yun Ji, reappeared on his lips.

A faint smile, as light as a breeze under the bright moon.

The almond-shaped eyes beneath the silk band did not blur again with Yun Ji's reappearance, but instead remained clear and bright. Yet, this clarity now held a trace of fear—a fear his true self had never felt before.

"Even if you refuse to admit it, you can’t change the fact that half your blood comes from that man—and you never will. And he, in truth, is the real reason behind Great Qin’s downfall."

Cough... cough, cough, cough... His coughing fit returned, harsh and unrelenting.

He coughed again, blood staining his lips and spilling onto the snow, dyeing a small patch of white into crimson.

The deep red hue, once flooding every street and corner of the city during its fall.

"Han Mochen, there’s not a single part of you that’s clean—your body, your flesh, all of it tainted. How can you even think of building a future with her? The only thing left for you to do is return to Dan Liang and carry out your plans there. This is to make things right for you, your mother, and your Rao Rao..."