HLnovel Chapter 263 My Princess
Chapter 263 My Princess
The eldest princess, dressed in a dazzling red gown, collapsed in front of Bo Zi'an.
With tears blurring his vision, Bo Zi'an strained, straining even harder, trying to hold that hand tightly.
But in the end, consciousness completely sank away.
When he closed his eyes, Bo Zian thought to himself,
She still looks the same as when we first met.
Dressed in red, she exuded a free and unrestrained style.
It was as bright as a blazing fire.
He was born in a small town in Jiangnan. His family were just ordinary local gentry. Because of his good grades, he had many suitors coming to propose marriage from a young age. His mother would pick and choose, but he always refused, citing his studies as the priority. His mother was very helpless and kept asking him what kind of woman he liked.
He had no idea what kind of woman he liked; his mind was only focused on studying, on using his knowledge to enter the court, serve the emperor and the country, and contribute to the well-being of the people. This was the goal of all scholars. He was no different, except for his scholarly idealism, his heart filled with lofty ambitions and aspirations.
On the day he was selected as the third-ranked scholar, he was full of vigor and ambition, waiting for the official appointment to be carried out step by step so that he could enter the court and put his knowledge to use, so as not to waste his years of hard study.
Then, riding through the streets, he saw her.
With just one glance, he knew what kind of woman he liked—someone like her.
Everything that followed went as he wished. They married naturally and were very loving. He also entered the court as an official and became close friends with Crown Prince Chongwen.
Later, he was imprisoned in the Northern Yan for twenty-two years, struggling until he was completely exhausted.
I want to come back, I want to ask the emperor sitting in the high hall if he still remembers those people from Northern Yan who were taken hostage!
I want to see her again.
If only things could be like when they first met, she would come to marry him in a red dress, and they could start over.
But it's too late for this life's path; in the next life, we'll never be apart again.
Okay, my princess?
……
Li Duan slammed his knees to the ground with a thud, his pupils dilating suddenly, then dilating even further.
On the stage, her mother lay there quietly.
"Mother, Mother..." Li Duan murmured softly, barely able to make a sound. The colorful world before her eyes turned black and white in that instant.
She didn't know where the strength came from, but she broke free from Helian Jue's hand and stumbled towards the performance stage.
Helian Jue reached out to grab her, but was suddenly grabbed by a hand and pushed away forcefully.
Lu Yangyang pushed Helian Jue away and turned to walk towards Li Duan.
The Imperial Guards drew their long swords to block them, but Lu Yangyang kicked them aside, walked to Li Duan's side, and helped Li Duan up.
"Halt!" Two more Imperial Guards drew their swords and blocked their path.
Lu Yangyang coldly shouted, "Get out of the way!"
The Imperial Guards stood their ground, pointing their long swords at the two men.
Just then, a cup slammed precisely onto the long sword, and the prince's voice was icy: "Get out of the way!"
The imperial guards were taken aback and instinctively sheathed their swords and made way for them.
Lu Yangyang helped Li Duan, whose legs were already weak, to the front of the stage.
It was only a few dozen steps, but it felt like Li Duan had walked through half a lifetime.
When she reached the front of the stage, she let go of Lu Yangyang and stumbled towards the Princess. She fell with every step, dropping her hairpin and scraping her palms, but she didn't notice. Only when she reached the Princess did she tremble and raise her hands, tears streaming down her face.
"Mother, Mother, Mother, wake up! Mother, what's wrong? Wake up!"
"Mom, today is my birthday, but I've prepared the ingredients. I'll make longevity noodles for you when I get home tonight. Didn't you say my longevity noodles are the best? Mom, from now on you can eat longevity noodles twice a year, once on your birthday and once on mine, okay, Mom? Open your eyes and look at me..."
"Please open your eyes and look at me, okay? It's all my fault, it's all my fault. Mother, please don't suffer so much for me anymore, okay? I'm okay, I can go and marry into a foreign family, I can do it, Mother, really, I'll be alright. Please wake up, please wake up..."
Her hands trembled as she tried to touch her mother's face, but she was too afraid to do so.
"Mother, don't go, please don't go! What will I do if you leave? We made a promise, we promised you would be with me when I got married, we promised I would come back to live with you after my wedding, we would never be separated, you promised me, Mother, you promised me..."
"You said I could be a little willful because you're here... Mother, I beg you, please don't leave me alone, please don't leave me..."
The entire place was silent, except for the low sobs of Li Duan.
Once proud as a peacock, relying on the princess's favor, she now kneels on the ground, wishing she could beg all the gods and Buddhas in the heavens, hoping that her mother could come back to life and not abandon her.
Lu Yangyang stood guard beside Li Duan, her eyes stinging with tension.
The scene of drinking and talking late into the night with the Eldest Princess and Li Duan was still vivid in her mind. After she came to the capital, her start was not good. She also had a knot in her heart with Madam Lan. She had never felt a bit of her mother's love. However, the time she spent with the Eldest Princess always gave her a strange and warm comfort. She liked that unreserved and tolerant look in her eyes and that unreserved favoritism.
When she had no role models, she secretly thought about what kind of life she wanted to live. Among her female elders, her aunt taught her survival skills, but she saw love for the first time in the princess. She thought that if one day she met someone she liked, got married and had children, she would love the princess unreservedly to fill the void in her past.
Such a radiant person is now lying here lifeless.
The emperor's face was extremely gloomy, probably because his tolerance had reached its limit. He glanced at Eunuch Feng indifferently, and Eunuch Feng immediately understood and ordered, "Take the county princess away to rest."
The imperial guards immediately stepped forward to pull Li Duan away, but Li Duan abruptly turned around, knelt down, and kowtowed repeatedly to the emperor: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am willing to marry into a foreign power. I will go anywhere and marry whomever I want. Please, please give me back my mother! I beg you, Uncle, I beg you, please give me back my mother! Give me back my mother! I will give my life for her! I will give this life, and the next! I will give anything for her! I want my mother! I beg you, I beg you..."
She didn't know what she was saying. She banged her head harder and harder with each bang, and blood seeped from between her eyebrows after a few bangs. But she was like a woman possessed, banging her head desperately.
"Nonsense! Pull her away!" the emperor said coldly.
The imperial guards stepped forward, and Lu Yangyang instinctively stood in front of Li Duan, kneeling down with her and opening her arms to firmly protect her.
She knew she couldn't act now. This was the palace, full of experts, and archers were hidden all around. If she made any rash moves, she and Xiaoli would both die without a burial place.
Just then, a report came in.
"Your Majesty, the heir of the Duke of Sheng has returned to the capital to report and requests an audience!"