Tan Hua - Chapter 46

At the moment, the Taihe Hall was dead silent, and no one dared to provoke Jun Qiyu in his current mood.

 

Emperor Xuan was also in a bad mood, but having weathered many storms, he managed to remain calm.

 

However, Jun Qiyu, being young and impetuous, saw his loss as a humiliation. He stood outside the hall, unable to contain his emotions for a long time.

 

“Song Liqing… you have such a ruthless heart!”

 

Jun Qiyu gritted his teeth, his pride wounded.

 

“You’d better not come asking for my help!”

 

With a snort, Jun Qiyu returned to the court.

 

Song Qing watched Song Liqing’s actions the entire time but did not say a word to stop him.

 

He understood Song Liqing’s character best: though simple, he was stubborn and always considerate of others. If he hadn’t been utterly wronged, he wouldn’t have resolutely asked for a divorce.

 

So, Song Qing allowed him to choose his own path and even felt proud and happy for him, as he was finally living for himself.

 

Song Qing stepped forward, knelt, and said, “Your Majesty, marriage is a matter of mutual consent. Since the two children have grown apart, we cannot force it. Liqing was also out of line; even a divorce can be discussed amicably instead of causing a scene in court. Tomorrow, I will personally bring him to apologize to Your Majesty for disappointing your benevolence…”

 

Having served as minister and emperor for so long, Emperor Xuan and Song Qing understood each other well. Song Qing gave Emperor Xuan enough face, and Emperor Xuan would not take his anger out on Song Liqing.

 

“Minister Song, you’re being too serious. Liqing is still recovering and should rest at home. How could I blame him for his rudeness?”

 

With these words, Emperor Xuan essentially agreed to the divorce.

 

Jun Qiyu, however, was not willing to accept it.

 

“General Song, why this pretense? You and your son are of one mind. Do you think he would dare to ask for a divorce without your instigation?”

 

“Qiyu.”

 

Emperor Xuan looked at Jun Qiyu, displeased with his outburst.

 

“A real man should know when to hold on and when to let go. Even if the marriage doesn’t work out, you should maintain dignity for both yourself and the other party.”

 

Jun Qiyu, scolded, revealed a hint of his frustration at being abandoned.

 

“Father, I don’t care about dignity… I just want…”

 

“Enough.”

 

Emperor Xuan’s stern voice echoed in the Taihe Hall.

 

“This matter ends here. Court is dismissed!”

 

The ministers immediately took the cue and respectfully withdrew.

 

Jun Qiyu stood in the empty hall, his face filled with defiance.

 

Emperor Xuan knew what he was thinking.

 

“I thought that after one lesson, you would have learned. Who knew you’d still act so impulsively and stubbornly! From today on, you are no longer to stand with the ministers in court. You will kneel outside the Taihe Hall and listen every day!”

 

“Kneel, then.” Jun Qiyu’s pride remained unyielding, “Father, why do you always defend Song Liqing and his father? Clearly, they are the ones…”

 

“Because you are the one at fault.”

 

Emperor Xuan cut him off.

 

These words stunned Jun Qiyu. In the first half of his life, he had never heard this sentence; no one had ever dared to accuse him of being wrong.

 

Everyone around him was always respectful. When he didn’t do his homework, someone took the punishment for him. When he got into trouble, someone willingly took the blame.

 

Especially after meeting Hu Nu’er, who flattered him, indulging Jun Qiyu’s arrogance. Hu Nu’er called him the Crown Prince of Jing Kingdom and the future ruler of the world, saying he was a war hero at a young age and would be an emperor more brilliant than his father…

 

From then on, Jun Qiyu could no longer listen to anyone else.

 

“I… I was wrong?”

 

For the first time, Jun Qiyu examined himself, but it made him uncomfortable.

 

But he was the one abandoned, wasn’t he? Didn’t he also feel wronged?

 

“Father, Song Liqing divorced me in front of everyone, leaving me no dignity at all. Am I not allowed to be angry? I just… I just don’t want a divorce. How am I wrong?”

 

Emperor Xuan sternly said, “You favored a slave, indulging in daily frivolities, neglecting and humiliating Song Liqing, even implicating his father and family. Your wrongs are countless. Even the most accommodating person will eventually become disheartened. Ask yourself, do you love him? Is there even a trace of your past affection left?”

 

“Love?” Jun Qiyu was uncertain, his expression confused. “No matter how much… there’s always some. He’s not as bad as I thought. I was planning to continue well with him.”

 

“You don’t love him. You’re just prideful, unable to accept betrayal.”

 

Emperor Xuan’s words pierced Jun Qiyu’s heart like a needle.

 

“No… that’s not true!”

 

Jun Qiyu vehemently denied.

 

Emperor Xuan reminded him, “Since you severed the bond yourself, you must bear the consequences. Reflect and repent, and perhaps the broken mirror can be mended.”

 

“I… I won’t reflect or repent. What reconciliation? He doesn’t want me! A mere Song Liqing… does he think he’s some great treasure? Can I not live without him?”

 

Jun Qiyu couldn’t accept that Song Liqing dared to abandon him!

 

“Gone is gone, let him roll far away! I don’t care about a remnant of the previous dynasty! Both father and son harbor ill intentions!”

 

A ripple of emotion crossed Emperor Xuan’s eyes.

 

“Where did you hear such things?”

 

Jun Qiyu realized his impulsive slip.

 

“It… it was Hu Nu’er. He encountered Song Liqing’s biological mother in the Western Regions, a concubine of the previous emperor Xiao. I checked the records; Song Liqing is indeed a bastard. Song Qing secretly raised him. Isn’t that harboring ill intentions? Father, you should be wary of them.”

 

Emperor Xuan didn’t get angry but showed complex emotions in his deep eyes.

 

“You harbor such prejudice against Song Liqing because of his lineage? Even allowing him to suffer in the dungeons?”

 

Jun Qiyu admitted, “When I first found out, I was furious, thinking he had harmed you.”

 

Emperor Xuan fell silent, lost in thought, reminiscing about long-ago events. After a while, he sighed deeply.

 

“Poor child… it’s my fault he got involved.”

 

“Father, what are you saying?” Jun Qiyu didn’t understand.

 

Emperor Xuan said, “I was the one who asked Song Qing to adopt him.”

 

Jun Qiyu was stunned.

 

It was like a thunderbolt striking his mind, leaving him numb and blank.

 

“What?”

 

Jun Qiyu couldn’t accept it. It was because of this reason that he had treated Song Liqing so harshly.

 

But now Emperor Xuan was telling him…

 

It wasn’t Song Liqing who concealed everything?

 

So from the beginning, Song Liqing had no ulterior motives. His endurance and humiliation were just for loving and indulging Jun Qiyu’s whims.

 

“Father, don’t lie to me.”

 

Jun Qiyu’s eyes turned red. If this was the truth, how could he face all he had done in the past?

 

Emperor Xuan slowly explained, “When Song Qing brought him back, he told me about his background. I privately asked Song Qing to adopt him. I worried that his identity would cause him to be despised and feared he would grow to resent it, so I had Song Qing half-truthfully fabricate his origins, saying he was an orphan of distant relatives.”

 

“But why did you do that? Why adopt him?”

 

Jun Qiyu shouted, clenching his fists.

 

“Perhaps it’s because with age, my desire to kill lessened.”

 

Emperor Xuan sighed, supporting his forehead with his fingers.

 

“You mentioned the previous emperor Xiao. I took the throne from him, a matter of life and death. But before that, we were sworn brothers who faced life and death together. His bloodline ended, leaving only an unborn child. I was conflicted for days. An unborn child is innocent, and my compassion moved me.”

 

Hearing this, Jun Qiyu felt his heart being twisted. No, it was worse than having his heart trampled on.

 

If he had known this earlier, would he have ordered Song Liqing to be imprisoned and tortured?

 

Would he have completely shattered Song Liqing’s heart?

 

Would there still be divorce today?

 

All these mistakes, it turned out, were because of his own presumptuousness.

 

“I…” Jun Qiyu muttered painfully, “Did I… did I misunderstand him?”

 

For the first time, Jun Qiyu tasted the bitterness of regret.

 

If he had shown even a little patience after hearing Hu Nu’er’s words, if he had listened to a few more of Song Liqing’s explanations, or taken some time to investigate the truth, none of this would have happened.

 

His impulsiveness and arrogance had destroyed all the love between him and Song Liqing.

 

Suddenly realizing something, Jun Qiyu ran out of the Taihe Hall, out of the palace, and directly to the Ministry of Justice’s prison. He dragged Hu Nu’er, who was confined in a beast cage, out.

 

Hu Nu’er had been imprisoned but hadn’t been severely punished because Jun Qiyu had not given the order. He was just kept in the beast cage, which made his limbs numb and joints sore, but otherwise, he was in good condition and wasn’t deprived of food.

 

When Jun Qiyu dragged him out, Hu Nu’er was initially panicked but quickly put on a weak facade.

 

“My lord… you’re hurting me…”

 

Hu Nu’er leaned towards Jun Qiyu, but Jun Qiyu sidestepped, letting Hu Nu’er fall to the ground.

 

Jun Qiyu said, “Put away that act! It disgusts me now.”

 

Hu Nu’er rubbed his legs and feet, speaking in a delicate voice, “My lord, you never treated me like this before.”

 

“You still haven’t paid for poisoning my father. Do you think I would show mercy?”

 

Jun Qiyu frowned at him. He had been deceived by Hu Nu’er’s submissive and humble demeanor, ignoring the fact that Hu Nu’er had a venomous heart.

 

“You’ve been harming me all along,” Jun Qiyu said with hatred. “You willingly stayed by my side as a lowly slave, constantly plotting against me!”

 

Seeing Jun Qiyu’s contorted face, Hu Nu’er’s shrewd mind quickly grasped the situation.

 

He knew that today’s visit from Jun Qiyu wouldn’t end well. Still, he was used to facing Jun Qiyu with a submissive facade, which gave him a twisted pleasure in continuing to deceive him.

 

“Why are you angry at me? Is it… your princess consort who upset you?”

 

Mentioning Song Liqing in front of Jun Qiyu now was like adding fuel to the fire.

 

Jun Qiyu’s eyebrows shot up in fury.

 

“Hu Nu’er, you’ve hidden well. Haha… Now that you’ve turned my life upside down, are you satisfied?”

 

The seductive smile vanished from Hu Nu’er’s face, and his once-passionate blue eyes turned cold.

 

“Turn your life upside down? Your Highness, I intend to do far more than that. I will ruin your reputation, kill your loved ones, destroy your marriage, make you an outcast despised by all! I want you to feel the pain of a broken country and a ruined family!”

 

Author’s Note:

 

Jun Qiyu: Everyone is stepping on me, waah waah…

 

TL Note: As they should