Chapter 48: The Obsessive, Passionate Hostage Prince x The Spoiled, Arrogant Princess (Finale)

Zhaoyang knew very early on that she was the female protagonist in a storybook.

And the Great Liao prince who would later enter the capital as a hostage was the so-called male protagonist.

The storybook said she was pure, innocent, and possessed the finest qualities in the world.

Yet the gentle and virtuous female protagonist had to endure endless torment before she could meet the male protagonist destined to protect her for life.

Zhaoyang found this laughable.

Unfavored and born into a rugged background, her birth mother was the lowliest palace maid in the chambers of Empress Xiaode.

Her mother had dared to dream the impossible, climbing onto Emperor Chuan's dragon bed and using base means to conceive an heir.

Thus, she was born.

From her earliest memories, not a single person in the inner court was willing to treat her kindly.

They wished for nothing more than her death, desiring her to be crushed like a humble ant, erased from sight entirely.

She had tasted every bit of warmth and coldness in human relationships within the palace, save for one person—Princess Jianing.

Jianing's birth mother had passed away due to illness, but unlike Zhaoyang, she was deeply cherished by Emperor Chuan.

The storybook claimed that Princess Jianing was a malicious supporting female character, destined to kill and harm her, subjecting her to extreme torture.

Zhaoyang looked at the obedient, soft, and adorable little princess before her and fell into silence.

She thought the ending in the storybook could surely be changed.

So she tried her best to be good to Jianing, accompanying her, protecting her, and even shielding her when a candle tipped over, leaving her with an ugly scar despite her efforts.

Yet the power of the storybook was formidable; she watched helplessly as Jianing grew arrogant, overbearing, and unlike her former self.

She felt a sense of panic.

Until Shen Jingmu appeared.

Zhaoyang took an instant dislike to him upon their first meeting, and a wild idea suddenly formed in her mind.

If she killed the male protagonist, could the story still go on?

Thus, at the birthday banquet, where she should have stepped in to save him, she remained indifferent.

A twist occurred.

Jianing stepped forward, finding a rather clumsy excuse to rescue him.

A small fork finally appeared in the unyielding, tough storyline, even though Jianing remained malicious.

To exact revenge on Emperor Chuan, she decided to cooperate with Shen Jingmu. If he could ultimately overthrow the Chu State, she would lend a hand.

Things continued to develop in the direction she had planned, until she discovered that Jianing had not turned into a malicious supporting female character.

She remained pure, kind, and lovable.

She tried to back out halfway, but was trapped and poisoned by Shen Jingmu.

The mission had to continue, but she only wished to keep Jianing safe.

Emperor Chuan was dead, killed by her own hands.

Zhaoyang had finally reversed her own tragic ending, yet she felt a deep sense of guilt solely toward Jianing.

The one who was imprisoned changed from herself to Jianing.

Fortunately, there were differences still; Shen Jingmu was not as cold-blooded and ruthless as described in the storybook. He spared the lives of the innocent people from the previous dynasty and even showed a degree of indulgence toward Jianing.

She had tried to take Jianing away, but all her attempts ended in failure.

Over time, Jianing gave up, but Zhaoyang had not yet surrendered.

Once again, Zhaoyang witnessed Shen Jingmu's terrifying methods. He had never changed; he merely sheathed his fangs in front of Jianing.

In the end, Jianing smiled and said to her:

Go on, go.

The vast and beautiful realm was waiting for her. She had spent a decade consumed by the treacherous machinations of the imperial palace, and freedom was finally within her grasp.

Zhaoyang looked at Shen Jingmu's arm wrapped around Jianing's waist and finally gave up.

She gave up not because Shen Jingmu was formidable, but because of the creases between Jianing's brows that were increasingly relaxed.

Shen Jingmu treated her exceptionally well, entirely unlike his portrayal in the storybook.

Zhaoyang thought that as long as her heart was set on Jianing and Jianing cared for her in return, that was enough.

She was a person easily satisfied.

In a long and tedious life, if one could catch a fleeting touch of warm light, there would be no regrets even in death.

-

After Wantao was driven away by Shuyou, the guards locked her up in a small peasant courtyard for three full days.

Upon emerging from the courtyard, the horrifying news she received was that the Liao army had broken through and the Great Chu had fallen.

Wantao rushed toward the imperial palace to find Shuyou, only to be blocked outside the palace gates by the Liao guards.

She was no longer a palace maid and possessed no tally.

So she thrust all the silver she had onto the guards, begging them for news of Princess Jianing.

It was then that Wantao learned she had been imprisoned by Shen Jingmu.

Seizing an opportunity, Wantao sneaked into the palace, but before she could even see Shuyou, she was discovered, captured, and thrown into the death row.

In the gloomy depths of the death row, she encountered Shen Jingmu and hurled every curse known to the world at him.

"You are unworthy of such a high position!"

"Considering how good the Princess was to you, saving you repeatedly and even sending you medicine, is this how you repay her?"

"You are heartless, ungrateful dogs!"

If she had a weapon in hand, Wantao would have plunged it into his chest without hesitation.

The iron bars of the cell rattled noisily under her frantic shaking.

Mindful that she was Shuyou's loyal maid who cared for her sincerely, Shen Jingmu endured it all.

However, he would never allow her to return to Shuyou's side and steal even a fraction of her attention.

Shen Jingmu offered Wantao a condition—a condition she could not refuse.

The remains of the original owner's mother were enshrined in the imperial ancestral tombs, which had fallen into disrepair with no one to tend to the offerings.

Emperor Chuan had repeatedly used Lady Yu's remains to threaten the original owner, declaring that if she disobeyed, her mother's remains would be cast out.

Ultimately, Wantao chose to go to the imperial tombs to keep vigil, serving her former mistress and guarding that final shred of attachment for Shuyou.

-

Beneath the palace wall, two heads leaned close together in whispers.

Cen Mo: "His Lordship is truly going too far. Now that the revenge is exacted and the man is dead, he lingers in the capital and refuses to leave."

The deputy general crossed his arms and said: "Princess Jianing is delicate and precious; how could she ever adapt to the climate of our lands? His Lordship is simply tender-hearted toward her."

He chuckled. "And you wonder why he managed to find a wife."

Cen Mo gave him a sidelong glance and said sourly: "Nothing is certain yet, and you're already calling her a wife. Is Princess Jianing even willing to marry His Lordship?"

The deputy general felt Cen Mo made a very valid point, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"That's true as well. His Lordship probably wants to get Princess Jianing with child right now so he can use the child's status to secure his own title."

Yet, no matter how hard Shen Jingmu tried, he could not make Shuyou's belly swell.

He knew well that between the two of them, it had always been his own coercion; Shuyou had never given him her heart.

Thus, he desperately needed a bargaining chip—a chip that could tether Shuyou to him.

On the bed, he tormented her relentlessly, pinching Shuyou's waist and asking over and over again.

"Your Highness, do you love me?"

"Bear a child for your servant..."

"Do you love me?"

"Still want to run away? Stop running, won't you..."

Love?

Shuyou reckoned she had not reached that depth; she could not even bring herself to say she liked Shen Jingmu.

Yet Shen Jingmu's tears were scalding, as if they would burn a hole straight through her neck, sending uncontrollable shudders through her body.

Unable to hide his sob, he choked out, "This servant begs you."

Shuyou did not know why he was having such a breakdown today, and could only pat his back perfunctorily to comfort him.

A broad palm rested on Shuyou's abdomen as Shen Jingmu tried to feel if there was a heartbeat within.

For over a year, he had worked day and night; why would heaven not grant him a child?

Suspecting something was wrong with his own body, he ordered imperial physicians to diagnose and treat him.

The ultimate diagnosis was that his body was robust, even healthier than the average person.

The physician said euphemistically, "Perhaps... perhaps Princess Jianing's constitution is unsuited for conception."

"Get out! Get out of my sight!"

Shen Jingmu flew into a towering rage, only to return to the bedside, smoothing away his violent aura to smile gently.

The physician, assuming he merely desired an imperial heir, had specially consulted General Cen Mo on how to relieve His Lordship's troubles.

If Princess Jianing was the one struggling with conception, medicine would have to be administered to her, and His Lordship might not agree.

Cen Mo sighed. "It seems His Lordship's official title as consort is going to be hard to win, alas."

Administering medicine would inevitably harm the body; he would never consent to it.

Moreover, His Lordship cared nothing for children; the only person he loved was Princess Jianing.

"General Cen, come, let's go drink."

The deputy general suddenly threw an arm around his shoulder, startling Cen Mo.

He smiled calculatingly. "Drinking is fine, provided you pay."

Not far away, a folding screen cast the shadows of two intertwined figures.

The woman had slender limbs and a graceful silhouette. Overcome by midday drowsiness perhaps, she was being encircled and held in the man's embrace to rest.

A wide dark cloak draped over her, with a strong arm locked securely around her waist.

Feeling Shuyou's steady, warm breathing, Shen Jingmu suddenly felt that having an official title or not did not matter anymore.

At least she was by his side and would not leave.

He would never regret the decision he had made back then.

Driving himself mad, reckless of everything, solely to keep a woman who loathed and detested him.

Shen Jingmu thought, if love was a luxury, then he would do without it.

All he wanted was companionship—companionship for all eternity.

Making rotting flesh bloom with flowers and soothing all pain.

The paranoid little madman whispered his wish to the moon goddess, praying it would come true in days to come.

His body began to operate mechanically, slipping beyond conscious control as a blinding white light exploded across his field of vision.

Time froze, the scene began to distort, and the vivid colors faded rapidly, gradually turning into the monochrome of a storybook world.

This world was about to reset.

"No, Your Highness..."

"No! No!"

"You dare leave me behind! You dare!"

Realizing something, Shen Jingmu lunged forward desperately, using hands and feet alike in a thoroughly wretched manner.

Alas, before he could touch Shuyou's fingertips, the last shred of his consciousness vanished, leaving the scene frozen on his face, contorted in extreme panic.

A single tear slowly slipped from the corner of his eye.

-

[Beep! Plotline deviation detected, forcefully repairing the plot!]

[Plot repair in progress... 10%... 20%... 99%, plot repair successful!]

[This plane is concluded.]