Chapter 593: Until we meet again, the Southern Screen lays down its brush!

Jinling?

How could someone from Jinling send her a letter?

Li Qingluo was certain that when she left back then, she had disappeared without a trace.

So she had completely cut off contact with Jinling for the past two years.

And even if they were old friends from Jinling, they likely wouldn't know whether she was alive or dead now.

What's more, she was in Nan'an.

Who was looking for her?

She took the letter, and Sha Yi said, 'It was forwarded by Rongle.'

They must have found Rongle's young master; the young master knows where we are now, so he sent the letter over.

That makes sense.

After Li Jingchuan and A Lan married, they returned to Jinling once.

So, if someone wanted to try to find her, they might contact Li Jingchuan.

Li Qingluo was about to open the letter when the crowd erupted in an uproar again.

Only then did she see clearly that Duan Rongshi's troops had already arrived ahead.

She looked up and saw him riding a tall horse, imposing and dignified, at the very front of the mighty procession.

Moreover, he wore a mask on his face.

It was a half iron mask, yet it could not conceal the handsome bearing of the half of his face that was visible.

Li Qingluo was somewhat surprised: He wasn't wearing a human-skin mask anymore?

Was this the Chu emperor's idea, or his own?

Was he about to gradually reveal his true appearance to the world?

'It's Your Highness, Your Highness is coming—'

Zheng Mama and Que'er both rose excitedly.

Li Qingluo was also helped to stand in front of the carriage.

Because she was standing high up, she was especially conspicuous.

Although she wore a veil on her face.

But Duan Rongshi caught sight of her with just a casual glance.

A flicker of surprise and delight flashed in his eyes, hardly noticeable.

His gaze fell deeply upon her; in that instant, the world in his eyes seemed to vanish, leaving only the two of them gazing at each other with deep affection.

And his gaze was overly focused.

Even the bustling onlookers noticed that something was off with the King of Yue.

What's there to see on the left, anyway?

The King of Yue, who had originally been stern and austere, suddenly seemed to have thawed like ice and snow, becoming surprisingly approachable.

'Who is the King of Yue looking at?'

'Right, could it be that his wife has come?'

'Is it the Queen of Yue?'

'Where is the Queen of Yue?'

Everyone strained to look in Li Qingluo's direction.

Li Qingluo hurriedly turned and ducked into the carriage.

Fortunately, their carriage was stopped at an alley entrance.

Moreover, the carriage bore no markings, so even if passersby saw the carriage they would never guess that the plain vehicle carried the Queen of Yue who had drawn the King of Yue's deep, affectionate gaze.

Back in the carriage, Li Qingluo immediately said, 'Your Highness still needs to return to the palace to make a report.'

'Let's go back to the mansion first.'

'We'll prepare a welcome feast to cleanse the dust for Your Highness when we get back.'

Everyone was delighted: 'Yes!'

Seeing her flee like that, Duan Rongshi reluctantly withdrew his gaze.

Since returning to the city last time, he and Luo'er haven't had a single proper conversation.

If he didn't still have to go to the palace, he would have loved to rush straight to her and simply go home with her.

This palace—if he didn't still have to give face to Zong Zheng Langri, he truly wouldn't want to go today.

Thinking of her leaving, he couldn't help feeling a bit annoyed.

All he wanted now was to hurry into the palace, finish his duty, then return home to hold Luo'er and pour out his heart.

Thinking this, Duan Rongshi stopped dawdling, instead suddenly snapping the reins with a 'Drive!' and galloping toward the imperial palace at full speed.

Luo'er, wait for me!

On the way back to the mansion, Li Qingluo opened the letter sent by Sha Yi.

Unfolding it to look at the handwriting, she felt a mix of surprise and joy.

'It's the Princess of Nanping! It's really her?'

How did she come to write me a letter?

Li Qingluo hurriedly read on; the more she read, the graver her expression became.

'Miss, what's happened?'

Que'er was bursting with curiosity and handed over a teacup.

Li Qingluo's face fell full of worry: 'Nanping has been sent to the Western Regions for a marriage alliance.'

Luo'er, older sister:

Seeing your letter is like meeting you; opening it, my countenance relaxes.

Over the past two years, I have wondered whether you are still well.

Actually, I don't even know if you're still alive, so how could I know whether you're well?

I don't even know if this letter will reach your hands.

All I hope is that your older brother receives this letter and can pass it to you. Speaking of this, it's because I have been taking care of your concubine sister Huan Jieer, so when your half-brother returned to Jinling, I discovered you actually still have an older brother.

For this, I also feel happy for you.

Because your older brother appears frail, but at least he is a kind older brother.

So, if this letter cannot reach your hands… I will add a note asking him to burn it for me.

Since Luo'er Jiejie left, in the blink of an eye two years have passed; I still recall the year we first met, when I was fourteen and you were sixteen.

Now I am already seventeen.

Luo'er Jiejie, do you know? Since you left, the skies of Jinling have changed.

Mother suddenly became another person; no, perhaps she has always been like this, just previously hidden too deeply, so my father and I could not accept it at first, and we argued with her several times.

Later I learned that it was because Mother, as a child, personally witnessed something too cruel, so her heart has never let go of hatred.

All these years, just to survive, she has exhausted her efforts; now the Grand Emperor has collapsed, after the former Crown Prince died, Mother quickly took control of the Grand Emperor's life and death, and also held a portion of great authority that even the Third Royal Uncle dare not interfere with.

Father wanted Mother to let go of past hatred and bygones, wishing to restore the former simple days.

But Mother has come this far with difficulty; even if Father does not understand, she has no intention of letting go.

Thus, our once harmonious and happy family now teeters on the brink, about to collapse and fragment.

Luo'er Jiejie, Mother and the Third Royal Uncle's struggle has now become ever more intense.

The Third Royal Uncle was ennobled by the Grand Emperor as the new Crown Prince.

Yet his position as Crown Prince is not yet secure, his foundation unstable, and thus there is my mother, the Emperor's eldest daughter, eyeing him like a tiger, wanting to contend for power.

Mother, in order to prolong the Grand Emperor's life, these past two years has left no stone unturned, using every vicious method, just to cling to the Grand Emperor's last breath.

Because of this, the Third Royal Uncle, now as Crown Prince, will not smoothly ascend the throne.

They, brother and sister, each wish the other dead.

And the more miserable the death, the better.

So, Jinling now is also reeking of blood and wind, no longer peaceful.

You might not believe it, but the former Princess Xiyue would now be like this?

But she has no way back.

Last month, somehow some leverage of Mother fell into the Third Royal Uncle's hands.

Mother, to extricate herself, had no choice but to grit her teeth and agree to the Third Royal Uncle's plan to marry me off to the Western Regions.

Since Zong Zheng Yu'er died, I've heard that Da Chu still intends to send another princess over; two years ago I was still mocking, saying Da Chu is a soft persimmon, and the Western Regions will surely devour them one day.

Never expected that this matter would happen so quickly, first befalling our DaLiang, and me.

Since the Fifth Royal Uncle died in battle, DaLiang's morale has plummeted.

Like a warrior who died after his spine was severed, now he can no longer stand.

The Pei family also lacks capable generals.

Your Li family has also completely declined.

The remaining Zhong family and others have also declined over these years.

Now the entirety of DaLiang can no longer find a true great general's material.

DaLiang has reached the point where no one can be used.

Originally, the Third Royal Uncle could go out to campaign against the Western Regions, perhaps even rekindle the fallen morale and even win that war against the Western Regions.

However, the Third Royal Uncle fears that once he leaves Jinling, the Mother Consort will utterly eradicate his power, even completely seize control of all Jinling.

So, now facing the Western Regions' strong offensive, the repeatedly defeated DaLiang ultimately admitted defeat.

Not only did they cede cities, they also lost countless gold, silver, and treasures.

Now they still have to send another marriage-alliance 'princess'.

It is for Luo'er Jiejie, in order to marry me off, that they have made me a princess.

At first Mother naturally opposed it fiercely; I am her most beloved daughter, and she even considered assassinating the Third Royal Uncle over this.

However, Mother ultimately lost on this matter.

She had no choice but to give me up; otherwise, she could only abandon her own long-laid plan.

I cannot bear Mother to retreat for my sake; I do not want Mother's efforts to fall short, nor do I want Mother to resent her all her life.

So, in my heart I harbor no resentment about this.

Moreover, they now only hope that I can marry into the Western Regions one step sooner than the Da Chu people.

Once the external war is halted, Mother and the Third Royal Uncle can finally settle their victory or defeat.

But if Da Chu's actions could be faster than ours, perhaps their alliance would no longer need me, a low-status commandery princess.

I can only place my hopes day and night on this, yet I also know it is merely a vain hope.

If Da Chu were to marry off, they would have already sent the new princess to the Western Regions.

Why wait another two years?

Luo'er Jiejie, I think we will never be able to meet again in this lifetime.

If I am destined to die in the Western Regions in this lifetime, if you are still alive, please in the season when mountain flowers are in full bloom still remember me, and pluck a bunch of wildflowers, chanting 'Nanping' for me.

Luo'er Jiejie, farewell without expectation of meeting again.

Nanping, final brush.

After finishing the letter, Li Qingluo's heart also sank step by step into a ten-thousand-zhang abyss.

What is a final letter, why is it a final letter?

Could it be that she will never write a letter again from now on?

Could it be that she already knows she will die in the Western Regions!?

This idiot, she doesn't like Cui Qilang, does she?

Why, after all these years, has she still not married her Seventh Lang?

And now it's actually her turn to go on a marriage alliance?

Besides, DaLiang is clearly strong and prosperous, and has been the hegemon among these Three Kingdoms for many years!

In just a few years, it's already come to this—so weak that they're forced to marry off a commandery princess and cede land and pay reparations, reaching such a humiliating point?

Li Qingluo felt extremely uneasy in her heart.

For DaLiang, and also for Southern Screen.

Before the palace gates were locked shut, Duan Rongshi finally managed to leave the palace.