#380 - The last three words
The Great Feng Imperial Palace.
While Wei Changtian was gazing at the moon with Li Wutong in the Princess's mansion, while You Jia was walking down the mountain path with Ning Yongnian, while Li Si was brushing past Bai Youheng in Yuanzhou City... Li Qi, bathed in moonlight, stood alone at the entrance of the Ministry of Justice's prison.
After hesitating for three days, he finally stood here.
Therefore, he had to be responsible for the vast land conquered by the Li family's ancestors, and for the tens of thousands of people living on this land.
In the night wind, the white robe embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon fluttered, then disappeared into the long tunnel of the prison.
...
Your Majesty!
At the end of the tunnel, outside cell number one of the Heaven-Class prison.
Several jailers knelt on the ground with surprised expressions, seemingly not understanding why Li Qi would appear here without a word.
The latter didn't intend to explain, simply waving his hand calmly.
Open the door.
Yes!
Although Wei Changtian had instructed that no one but him was allowed to interrogate Yu Pingjun, the Emperor's decree was above all else, so the jailers immediately inserted the key into the lock, then forcefully pushed the heavy prison door open slowly.
Squeak...
The friction of the metal mechanism was clear and grating, and the dim firelight in the cell vaguely illuminated the figure slumped on the stone bed.
Close the door.
He commanded in a deep voice, then walked forward step by step.
Li Qi's steps became slower and slower, and Yu Pingjun also suddenly opened her eyes at this moment.
A brief surprise flashed across her face, then only hatred remained in those eyes.
This was the first time the two had met since that night.
And perhaps the last time.
...
Without dodging Yu Pingjun's gaze, Li Qi walked to the edge of the stone bed, and as the heavy prison door slammed shut, he released her pressure points.
In the flickering firelight, the cell fell silent.
Both seemed to have a lot to say, but neither seemed willing to speak first.
Finally, Li Qi's slightly bitter voice spoke first.
You've lost weight.
...
Giggle, giggle, giggle...
As if hearing the funniest joke in the world, the laughter slowly rose, growing louder and louder, until it became almost manic.
Hahahaha, Your Majesty...
This concubine never imagined that the first thing you would say to me upon seeing me would be this.
Lost weight? Hahahaha...
One hand pressed against her heaving chest, the other pointing at Li Qi, who was frowning.
Yu Pingjun laughed until she could barely breathe, mocking him as much as she could while laughing: Your Majesty, this concubine thinks you seem to have lost some weight as well.
Giggle, giggle...
Could it be because of this concubine?
Giggle, giggle...
...
The chilling laughter echoed in the dim cell, one after another.
Li Qi simply stood there silently, until Yu Pingjun was tired of laughing, then he slowly opened his mouth again.
Pingjun, I only have three things to say to you this time.
I know you may not want to hear them, but this may be the last three things I ever say to you.
...
The last three things.
The meaning of these words was already obvious—
No matter what, you will die.
Hmm?
Seeming somewhat surprised by Li Qi's honesty, the smile on Yu Pingjun's face finally slowly faded at this moment.
She struggled to support herself, leaning against the stone wall and sitting up on the bed.
Then, staring straight at the man in front of her, she coldly spat out a sentence.
Your Majesty, speak, this concubine is listening.
...
Good.
The last rays of candlelight were swallowed by the darkness, unable to stir up even a ripple on the seamless stone walls.
At this moment, the seemingly spacious cell was like a coffin, located in the most remote corner of the prison, crowded with oppression and sorrow.
Pingjun, I have thought about what you and Ding Zhong did for a long time, but I still can't get over this hurdle in my heart.
His hands, hidden in his sleeves, clenched into fists, and Li Qi spoke his first sentence in a somewhat dry but calm voice.
For some reason, he no longer referred to himself as '朕' (朕, zhen, imperial 'I'), but switched back to the most ordinary '我' (我, wo, I).
I will find a plausible reason for your death, no one will know what you did.
As for the others in the Yu family... those not involved in this matter, I will all let go.
...
They looked at each other in silence. After Li Qi finished his first sentence, the expression on Yu Pingjun's face did not change in the slightest.
She knew that it was already very difficult for the latter to be able to do this, but...
The second thing, about her...
On the other side, Li Qi seemed to have never thought about getting a response from Yu Pingjun from the beginning, and after a slight pause, he continued to speak again.
Yes, I have never forgotten her.
And it is indeed because of this that I am unwilling to have any more children.
You may have guessed this a long time ago, and I will not hide it from you.
It's just that Tong'er is innocent, since she really regards you as her mother, you shouldn't treat her like this.
...
First, he confessed that he would definitely kill Yu Pingjun, and then he confessed that he did indeed never forget that woman.
What Li Qi was saying now could be said to be completely the opposite of what Wei Changtian wanted him to say.
But these were all from the bottom of his heart.
After a few more moments of silence, he slowly raised his head.
Li Qi looked at Yu Pingjun's eyes, which contained all kinds of complex emotions, and his shoulders suddenly trembled slightly.
He took a light breath, hesitated and took a step closer, as if gathering great courage, and finally said the last sentence, which was also the apology that Yu Pingjun had waited twenty years for.
The last thing...
Pingjun, whether you believe it or not, I never knew that you held such great resentment towards me in your heart.
If I had known what you were thinking, I would never have forced you to accept Tong'er, nor would I have been so indifferent to you.
I know, it's too late to say these things now.
However... these twenty years, I have failed you.
It is I, who have failed you.
...
His head lowered little by little, and Li Qi repeated the last six words again and again.
These six words were actually written on the piece of paper left by Wei Changtian, but at this time, they were also Li Qi's true feelings.
For Yu Pingjun, she could naturally hear whether this sentence was true or false.
It was precisely because of this that her vision became blurred at this moment.
Drip...
A large teardrop fell on her prison clothes, and her pale lips were also bitten with traces of blood.
At this moment, Yu Pingjun suddenly remembered the two lines of poetry that Wei Changtian had once said to her.
If life were only as at first sight, what cause would there be for painted fans in the autumn wind to grieve?
Carelessly, people change, yet they say that old friends easily change.
...
A regret that had never existed in twenty years surged into her heart, and then turned into a deeper sadness.
Just like what Li Qi said.
If only I had known, why do it in the first place.
Wasn't she the same?
Was everything that was happening now really what she wanted?
Your Majesty...
Tears blurring her eyes, Yu Pingjun slowly stretched out a hand, as if wanting to stroke the trembling shoulders of the man in front of her.
But at this moment, accompanied by a muffled sound of 'crack', the heavy prison door behind them suddenly opened little by little.
The violently shaking firelight squeezed in from the slowly widening gap, shining on several bright long knives, faintly illuminating the dark red blood flowing on the ground.
