Chapter 1963

This "subject," this standard grand salute, was like a heavy hammer, fiercely smashing into Wu Zhao's heart, which had been soaked in regret and was fragile beyond measure.

Since Gao Yang resigned from the Jin Luan Hall, Shangguan Wan'er had claimed illness and stayed at home.

Now that the imperial edict had just been issued, Shangguan Wan'er had come, and she was not wearing her official uniform; the moment she saw her, she performed a standard monarch-subject salute.

Shangguan Wan'er's purpose was self-evident.

The urgency and regret on Wu Zhao's face instantly froze, turning into a deathly pale silence; the hand she was using to support herself on the imperial desk tightened, her nails almost embedding themselves into the sandalwood.

"Wan'er, you... what is this for?"

"I once promised that you don't have to salute when you see me."

Wu Zhao revealed a forced smile and said.

Shangguan Wan'er's forehead remained pressed against the ground, and her voice followed, "Your Majesty, I have come to resign from office, and I implore Your Majesty to grant it."

Boom!

"Resign?"

Once these words were spoken, it was like a thunderclap.

Wu Zhao's jade hand, which was gripping the armrest of the dragon chair, tightened suddenly, her pupils shrank, and a stormy sea surged in her heart.

She looked at Shangguan Wan'er, who was kneeling on the ground without even raising her head, her voice trembling, "Wan'er, I treat you like family, you are my arm! In the court, you are my right-hand man! Gao Yang resigning... is that not enough? Even you... even you want to abandon me and leave?!"

"You... all want to abandon me and leave?!"

Wu Zhao's eyes were blood-red.

If her feelings for Gao Yang were a hazy sentiment, and he was the peerless scholar she relied on, then Shangguan Wan'er had grown up with her, and in her heart, she was a person she held closest!

Her father, the Emperor, had passed away, and her mother, the Empress Dowager, had died early.

The Wu family relatives were eyeing her like tigers, coveting the dragon throne that she, a "woman," had stolen; the Zhang clan was full of ambition, and people like Zhang Ping and Zhang Shou were deceiving the Emperor to her face!

Looking at this vast world, she, Wu Zhao, was already truly alone!

In this world, the only people who could make her let down all her guard and entrust all her trust were Gao Yang and Shangguan Wan'er!

But Gao Yang had left her.

Now... even Shangguan Wan'er, whom she treated like a younger sister, wanted to break off their ties and leave her!

Shangguan Wan'er finally raised her head, her eyes already filled with tears: "Your Majesty! Wan'er's heart toward Your Majesty is witnessed by heaven and earth, and has never changed!"

"Wan'er resigning is not to abandon Your Majesty, but because Wan'er truly has no other choice! Your Majesty and Chancellor Gao are both the closest and most important people in Wan'er's life; Wan'er is incompetent, unable to bridge this rift, unable to share Your Majesty's worries, and also unable to... stand in the court with a clear conscience, enjoying Your Majesty's trust and favor!"

"Only by resigning from this official robe and taking off the shackles imposed by the Shangguan surname can Wan'er follow her own heart with a pure body!"

"I implore Your Majesty to fulfill Wan'er's wish; this is the only path Wan'er can take! It is also... the final loyalty to Your Majesty!"

Wu Zhao's phoenix eyes were blood-red; she stared fixedly at Shangguan Wan'er, her voice sounding as if it were squeezed out from between her teeth.

"So, in the end, you chose him and abandoned me?"

Shangguan Wan'er was silent.

Seeing this, Wu Zhao knew the answer.

She said, "Enough!"

"I already know your choice."

"But considering our past feelings, I will ask you one last time, do you, truly not regret it?!"

"Do you know that once you step out of this door, you will no longer be my confidante, no longer a female official of Da Qian! The trust, glory, and all the honor that was within your reach that I gave you will all vanish! You will have nothing! To be with Gao Yang, betting everything you have, do you, truly not regret it?!"

Shangguan Wan'er's beautiful eyes were blood-red, and a smile slowly bloomed on her lips, like a snow lotus blooming in the cold wind.

"Your Majesty, Wan'er's heart is made up, this is absolutely not a momentary impulse."

"Wan'er has long since decided on Gao Yang in her heart, this heart has long belonged to him; in this life, Shangguan Wan'er should be with him, sharing glory and disgrace, following him in life and death!"

"Please, Your Majesty, fulfill my wish!"

"..."

Duke of Dingguo's residence.

Inside the room.

Chu Qingluan, in a simple and elegant dress, looked at Gao Yang beside her and said, "The old Duke sent word that Her Majesty's edict has been issued, the storm in Changancheng has not yet settled, and now it is the time of the autumn harvest; the old Duke wants you to go out of the city to your own manor, firstly to avoid the limelight and relax, and secondly to preside over the autumn harvest sacrificial ceremony, praying for favorable weather for the coming year."

Hearing this, Gao Yang nodded.

The weather was getting colder and colder, and it was already the time of the autumn harvest; this was an extremely important day for both Da Qian and the other six kingdoms.

Even the Xiongnu attached great importance to the autumn harvest.

Because after this day, they could go south to plunder.

If they went too early, there wouldn't be a single hair to be found.

After all, in this world where people couldn't get enough to eat, grain was heaven, it was the life of the commoners!

Even the high officials and nobles of Changancheng would send their own direct descendants to their own manors to hold ceremonies, praying for a bumper harvest this year and favorable weather for the coming year.

Therefore, Gao Yang was not surprised.

Chu Qingluan hesitated for a moment and said, "Once you leave Changancheng, it will be at least ten days or half a month; what should be done about Wan'er?"

Once these words were spoken.

Gao Yang fell into silence.

For these six or seven days, he had resisted the urge to find Shangguan Wan'er.

Because he knew that the one who was in the most pain and had the hardest time was not him, but Shangguan Wan'er, who was caught between him and Wu Zhao, enduring double the torment.

He was afraid that his appearance would make Shangguan Wan'er even more painful and even harder to choose.

Just at this moment.

Bang!

The door was pushed open.

A trace of displeasure appeared on Gao Yang's face; he thought it was Gao Changwen rushing in recklessly, and just wanted to explode and beat him up to vent his anger.

But the next second.

Gao Yang was stunned.

All sound stuck in his throat, and his breathing even stopped!

Against the cold light outside the door, a slender and resolute figure stood there.

Within his line of sight.

Shangguan Wan'er was not wearing her official robes, but was in plain clothes; at her wide cuffs, there were two glaring, torn marks; her long hair was held up by a rough wooden hairpin; her face was without any makeup, pale to the point of transparency, only a pair of eyes, bright as burning stars, carrying an all-consuming heat and expectation, looking straight at him.

She just stood there, breathing slightly, her chest heaving, as if she had just broken free from a thousand shackles, crossed ten thousand mountains and rivers, just to rush toward him.

Shangguan Wan'er was simple to the extreme, but also... pure to the extreme!

"You two talk."

Seeing this, Chu Qingluan walked out very tactfully.

Gao Yang stood there dumbfounded, looking at Shangguan Wan'er dressed like this, his nose feeling a bit sour, his body trembling slightly.

"Wan'er?"

He called out somewhat unrealistically.

As soon as the words fell.

The smile on Shangguan Wan'er's lips suddenly bloomed, like the morning sun breaking through the haze, brilliant enough to make his heart tremble!

"The Shangguan family, I have broken with!"

"This official robe, I have taken off!"

"The glory and future bestowed by Her Majesty, I don't want any of it!"

She walked closer step by step, each step like stepping on the tip of Gao Yang's heart.

"Now, standing before you is just an ordinary person who has nothing."

"An... ordinary person who is only called Shangguan Wan'er, and only belongs to Gao Yang!"

She stared at Gao Yang with brilliant eyes until she reached Gao Yang's side, and then she slowly stopped.

"Gao Yang, are you willing to support me, support me for a lifetime, the kind that will never leave or abandon?"

Gao Yang suddenly opened his arms and used all his strength to fiercely, fiercely embrace the woman who had abandoned everything for him!

The force was so great that it seemed as if he wanted to crush her and merge her into his own bones and blood!

"I will support you!"

"Even if it means losing everything! Even if it means smashing the pots and selling the iron! For a lifetime! For generations to come! I will support you!"

Shangguan Wan'er in his arms had a heartbeat like a beating drum; through her thin clothes, that violent pulsation was clearly transmitted to Gao Yang's chest, fast to an astonishing degree.

He loosened his embrace slightly, lowered his head to look at Shangguan Wan'er in his arms, his nose sour, and asked with doubt.