Chapter 308:
When Lu Ziyan returned, Xie Wanning and her maidservant Er Qing were embracing and weeping.
They were telling each other about the things that had happened to them over the past five years.
After the old emperor issued a decree for the Pei Family to divorce their wife, Er Qing followed Xie Wanning’s dowry back to the Xie Family.
This afternoon upon returning to the palace, the Xie Family sent Er Qing into the palace.
Considering that their daughter had endured a long journey and it was getting late, Madam Zheng and Xie Shu, the couple, planned to enter the palace for an audience tomorrow.
At this moment, the master and servant both had red-rimmed eyes and were speaking animatedly when they saw him enter and both stopped.
Er Qing hurriedly stood up, respectfully curtsied, and said: “Greetings, Your Majesty.”
Lu Ziyan obliged and said, “No need for formalities.”
But evidently, with his reputation for killing and as the Nine-Five Supreme, even though Er Qing had followed her master and seen him often since childhood, she was still extremely restrained.
Seeing this, Xie Wanning said: “You go rest. We’ll talk properly tomorrow.”
Unlike her past life, Er Qing had already married in this life.
Madam Zheng pitied her for serving her daughter and, after asking her wishes, arranged a marriage for her.
It was the shopkeeper of a restaurant in the capital city.
The restaurant was the Xie Family’s industry, and after marriage, her contract was returned.
At this point, the couple had both been freed from slavery.
Xie Wanning had resurrected and entered the central palace; Er Qing wanted to continue serving by her master’s side.
She was refused.
Xie Wanning did not lack servants to wait on her, and though Er Qing called herself a maidservant, she was no different from a sister.
Not to mention that Er Qing was already married and had her own life to live.
She could frequently enter the palace to visit, but as for becoming a palace maid, better not.
The bedroom door gently closed, leaving only the two of them inside.
Suddenly seeing Er Qing, Lu Ziyan’s expression was somewhat uneasy.
In her past life, Er Qing had been beaten to death with a staff, and the scene of her spitting blood and dying in rage was a shadow the two of them could never forget in this life.
Xie Wanning pulled him to sit beside her and pouted: “You wouldn’t see that I have a good relationship with Er Qing and secretly plot how to kill her, would you?”
“…” Lu Ziyan choked and cautiously chose not to respond to her words.
Instead, he lowered his gaze to her swollen red eyes, frowned, and said: “Why cry like this.”
Xie Wanning hummed softly and rested her head on his shoulder: “Such a perilous parting, and after five years, we finally meet again—can’t we cry a little?”
“…” Lu Ziyan choked again.
He reached out to embrace her shoulders, trying his best to suppress the sourness in his heart.
This young lady was good in every way, kind to everyone, reluctant to part with anyone.
Only to him was she the most heartless.
She left without looking back.
Xie Wanning could now somewhat feel his pulse and, seeing him like this, knew this man was probably tormenting himself again in his heart.
She reached up to his neck, pecked his jaw, and before he could pounce, Xie Wanning said: “Summon the imperial doctor now to check your pulse.”
She always remembered the man from her dream who spat blood every few days.
Before he died from a hidden arrow on the battlefield, his body was already gravely ill with signs of premature aging.
And in this life, they had also been separated for five years.
She didn’t believe the man before her was completely fine.
Clearly, five years ago, he had been so angered by her that he spat blood several times.
At the time, she only thought he might have an internal injury and didn’t care.
Now, thinking back, she finally understood what regret meant.
He might have had a heart condition long ago, and after awakening his past life memories, the heart condition returned with his memories.
And she was completely unaware, only wanting to stay away from him.
Time and again, she angered him and tormented him.
Also, during the five years she left, was he like in his past life—had he also damaged his current lifespan?
