Chapter 557

Xiao Ting stared fixedly at the woman beside him, not understanding what she meant.

At this moment, a little bit of vitality was drawn from his body; he was extremely weak, gradually becoming dazed.

However, Gu Jiu Ling being able to accompany him through this final stretch gave him an inexplicable sense of relief.

Gu Jiu Ling said coldly, "I am not Gu Jiu Ling; the real Gu Jiu Ling is already dead."

"I am a wisp of soul from another world that has crossed over into her body!"

"The foolish woman who gave you red envelopes at the Origin Festival, followed you shouting 'Crown Prince Brother,' and brought you tasty snacks to the Crown Prince's residence—she has long been dead in the poison trap you set for her."

"What... what are you saying?" Xiao Ting's eyes widened instantly.

Gu Jiu Ling's smile turned slightly cold: "You colluded with her concubine sister, ruined her purity, and forced her to become the laughingstock of the entire Shang Jing; she was killed by a scheme of her own concubine sister—how are you not the murderer?"

Xiao Ting could no longer speak at this moment; a gurgling sound came from his throat, and black blood kept pouring out.

At this moment, his gaze toward Gu Jiu Ling even carried a hint of pleading.

Gu Jiu Ling said slowly: "This time, for your own wealth and honor, you have betrayed me before the emperor again—no, it should be her!"

Gu Jiu Ling's smile gradually revealed a hint of icy chill: "Xiao Ting, in fact you love only yourself; however, in your life I have merely been an optional adornment."

After speaking, Gu Jiu Ling slowly rose, staring fixedly at Xiao Ting, whose face had become utterly ferocious, her eyes full of contempt.

"Crown Prince, you will see her soon; as for whether she can forgive you, that's another matter—do as you see fit!"

Gu Jiu Ling never looked back at him again, turning and striding away.

At this moment, Xiao Ting leaned his head against the cold wall, slowly raising his hand, as if he saw a faint apparition appear in midair.

He whispered softly: "Jiu Ling... I'm sorry..."

Xiao Ting's hand lunged forward desperately, trying to grasp something, but it merely hovered in midair before instantly dropping.

Gu Jiu Ling pushed open the door and walked toward the man standing under the tree shade.

Xiao Yin was tall and slender; this time, elongated by the moonlight, his bearing looked somewhat desolate—for some reason, seeing him like this made Gu Jiu Ling feel an inexplicable pang of heartache.

She hurried over, and before Xiao Yin could turn, she tightly embraced him from the waist.

Xiao Yin was somewhat surprised; such an initiative from Gu Jiu Ling was still quite rare.

Gu Jiu Ling clung tightly to his waist, barely able to reach around, resting her head against his broad back, and in a slightly nasal voice asked, "Do you love me or not?"

Xiao Yin couldn't help but laugh incredulously: "You're really foolish—I even let you meet your former lover one last time; given how stingy I am, being this generous, you still ask if I love you—I should be asking you whether you love me."

Xiao Yin spoke with a hint of resentment, gritting his teeth; to Gu Jiu Ling's ears it sounded like a few clumsy tongue-twisters, and she couldn't help but laugh.

Xiao Yin gritted his teeth and snapped, "What are you laughing at? This prince..."

Xiao Yin's words trailed off mid-sentence; he suddenly realized he had no way to deal with this woman at all.

Even if he tried his hardest, in Gu Jiu Ling's eyes it was like a kitten scratching an itch—utterly insignificant.

He suddenly sighed and said softly: "Do you think I am a bloodthirsty, ruthless beast without humanity? I scheme even against my own nephew; so many have died by my hand, my sins are deep..."

Gu Jiu Ling slowly shook her head: "No, it was they who first forced you..."

"Although you are indeed ruthless, you still have principles; it was they who drove you to a dead end."

"I believe that before the incident at Qi Sha Gu seven years ago, you were still a youthful general galloping across the grasslands."

"You were so bright and vigorous, like summer sunshine, illuminating everyone around you, defending Southern Qi's borders; you were the backbone of all your brothers, and in Mo Bei you drank from big bowls and ate meat heartily."

"It was those rats hiding in the gutters who dragged you from the sunlight into hell—not your fault, truly not your fault."

After Gu Jiu Ling finished speaking, Xiao Yin's spine stiffened.

Xiao Yin remained silent for a long while; Gu Jiu Ling grew a bit anxious, hurriedly turned to face him to see what was wrong, only to meet those shimmering peach-blossom eyes.

At this moment, Xiao Yin's eyes rarely held tears; it had been seven years since he crawled out of Qi Sha Gu, and he had not cried since—this was his first tear.

Gu Jiu Ling raised her hand to wipe the tear from the corner of his eye, stood on tiptoe, and placed a kiss on his slightly trembling lips.

Xiao Yin grabbed her waist tightly, gritted his teeth, and whispered low: "You damned woman, what are you playing with fire for at this moment?"

The horizon was about to dawn; not far away came the eunuch Wang's long voice: "By the mandate of heaven, the emperor decrees: Crown Prince, you practice witchcraft, plotting to harm the holy emperor—here is a cup of poisoned wine! Prince Rui, for your merit in saving the emperor, you shall be richly rewarded!"

The secret chamber behind the Hall of Nourishing Heart, its heavy iron door slowly opening, Xiao Yin entered with Eunuch Wang.

At that moment, a gaunt middle-aged man sat in the place of honor, wearing a dragon robe already filthy.

Both his hands were bound; even though he was confined there, he still bore the dignity and bearing of an emperor.

His face was ashen, his body trembling slightly; seeing Xiao Yin enter, he slowly lifted his gaze, that stare like a sword, as if he wished to pierce Xiao Yin's body with several holes before being satisfied.

Beside him, Eunuch Wang whispered: "I don't know where Empress Dowager Ning'an has fled; it's my fault—I never expected her to get away from me!"

"You dog slave! After all these years of my trust, you've been eating from inside and stealing from outside!"

Emperor Longqing glared fiercely at Eunuch Wang.

Emperor Longqing still couldn't believe that in just one short night, Xiao Yin had turned the tables against the wind and imprisoned him here.

What surprised him even more was that the Empress Dowager Ning'an, who had always protected him, actually abandoned him and fled on her own at the critical moment.

And Eunuch Wang, who had been by his side since he was a prince, never imagined he would end up stabbing him in the back and leading Xiao Yin to him.

Xiao Yin never imagined that, while he was setting fire to the Hall of Nourishing Heart, Emperor Longqing was already hiding in the underground secret chamber of that very hall.

Xiao Yin had searched long and wide around the Hall of Nourishing Heart, but Emperor Longqing never left; when Empress Dowager Ning'an sensed something amiss, she took her guards and abandoned him, and now no one knows where she is.

Xiao Yin made a gesture; Ling Feng ordered someone to lift a box and bring it before Eunuch Wang.

He opened the box; it was full of banknotes, and Eunuch Wang's eyes instantly flickered with joy.

Ling Feng said: "This is a reward from the prince for you, Eunuch Wang; I will see you out."

Eunuch Wang still trusted Xiao Yin's character; although this man was ruthless and heartless, whatever he promised he never went back on.

Eunuch Wang hastily took the banknotes and hurried into the night.

At this moment, only Xiao Yin and the physically weakened Emperor Longqing sitting opposite remained in the secret chamber.

"Speak, how do you want me to die?" Emperor Longqing stared fixedly at Xiao Yin, his eyes full of contempt, yet still retaining the last dignity of a sovereign.

Xiao Yin gave a cold snort, pulled over a chair, and sat opposite Emperor Longqing.

The two brothers, inseparable partners since childhood, have walked all the way to this moment when they meet as enemies; this instant feels somewhat dazed.