Xiao Jin looked at Chu Shao without responding to her words. Because she didn't know if she would leave or how to leave at this point.
The cold snow was still falling.
Chu Shao looked at the thin prisoner's clothes on Xiao Jin and intended to take off her own ceremonial gown to cover her.
Just as she touched the collar, she felt the cold and dampness of blood.
So Chu Shao stood up, surveyed the various faces around her. In the end, she was reluctant to let Xiao Jin wear someone else's clothes.
She said to the eunuch beside her, "Go to the sleeping hall and bring the silver fox cape."
The eunuch, trembling at the expression on Chu Shao's face, nodded repeatedly and quickly ran off.
No word was spoken by the new Empress, so even if the noble ministers wanted to leave, they didn't dare to.
Kneeling in the icy and snowy weather, the surroundings were eerily quiet. No one stood up, and no one dared to speak, fearing that Chu Shao's sword would be aimed at them in the next moment.
The most esteemed people of Yao Country knelt here, waiting for the eunuch to bring clothes for the enemy country's prisoner.
If it were in the past, the nobles would have sneered at such a sight, thinking that even if it were a legendary tale, it wouldn't be so absurd.
Now, they witnessed nothing but complete silence.
The eunuch was afraid of the nobles waiting for too long and losing face. He was also afraid of the Empress waiting for too long and drawing his sword to kill him.
That's why he ran very fast. One could say that he had never run so fast in his entire life.
Kneeling on the ground, he presented the silver fox cape embroidered with white jin to Chu Shao.
His lips trembled, and his hands shook like a sieve.
Chu Shao accepted the silk handkerchief handed to her by a palace maid, wiped the blood off her hands, and then unfolded the cape, gently draping it over Xiao Jin's shoulders.
With extreme caution, she took a few steps closer and squatted down, raising her hand to fasten the ribbon of the cape collar on the wheelchair-bound person.
The more gentle and delicate Chu Shao's movements were, the wider the eyes of the kneeling nobles became.
Before they could take another glance at this bizarre scene, which seemed like a dream, the beautiful yet ruthless monarch turned her head and smiled at them.
"You are not allowed to look."
"If you look again, gouge your own eyes out."
If someone else had said this, the nobles would have probably thought it was a playful remark with a touch of reprimand.
But it was Chu Shao who said it.
Therefore, the nobles didn't doubt for a moment that this monarch truly wanted them to gouge their own eyes out.
So they closed their eyes, lowered their heads, and didn't dare to take another glimpse.
Chu Shao didn't like the wheelchair stained with blood and coldness, so she reached out and gently lifted the person from the wheelchair.
She was so light, even lighter than before.
Standing in the drifting sunlight, holding the person tightly in her arms, Chu Shao walked past the kneeling subjects, stepping through the falling snow of Yao Country.
Her hem soaked in blood trailed over the stone slabs, leaving a scattered plum blossom pattern on the ground.
It wasn't until the sound of footsteps gradually faded in their ears that the crowd opened their eyes and looked up towards the high place.
They only saw a glimpse of dark clothing disappearing at the end of the grand hall.
....
Nestled in Chu Shao's embrace, Xiao Jin couldn't help but wonder where this palace had emerged from.
In her fragmented memories, she had never seen it before. From the outside, it had a yellow-tiled roof with intersecting brackets. In terms of craftsmanship, it was even more exquisite and luxurious than the Xuanzheng Hall of the Qigong Palace.
Despite it being daytime, as they entered the courtyard, a palace lantern hanging from the eaves of the corridor was lit.
On the empty space beside it, several locust trees were planted. With the arrival of summer, one could find respite from the heat under the trees in the evening and enjoy the faint scent of locust flowers. With the presence of these iconic plants, Xiao Jin had a rough guess as to when this palace was built.
Upon entering the room, Xiao Jin found the decorations inside to be familiar to the point of suspecting whether Chu Shao had moved the Yan Mansion here. The only difference was perhaps that the furnishings here were fresh and clean, while the Yan Mansion was slightly older.
At this moment, Xiao Jin also remembered that there was no one living in the hall, so she wondered why Chu Shao still lit a lamp.
A few years ago, in order to fulfill the task of bidding Chu Shao goodnight, she had set up a table of dishes in the pavilion and lit a silver-bone charcoal stove.
Unexpectedly, when Chu Shao returned, the food had gone cold, and the charcoal had grown cold as well. The only thing that remained was the lamp in the corner of the pavilion.
Facing this solitary lamp, in order to complete the task, Xiao Jin had pretended to be solemn and rambled on with a bunch of nonsense. It was called leaving the lamp to wait for the return of the princess. It was said that the Yan Mansion was still waiting for her to come back.
Now, recalling these memories, Xiao Jin understood Chu Shao's intentions but couldn't help but sigh.
Indeed, the most piercing knife in the world was the past self that had come running and stabbed the present self.
Normally, being treated with such care and meticulousness should have been a happy thing, but Xiao Jin felt it difficult because she had already prepared to leave.
Just as her thoughts drifted here, Chu Shao let go of her and placed her on the bed. The blanket beneath was made of soft wool, and the coolness caused by splashing cold water on her back was instantly reduced. However, since her back wounds had not yet healed, even though Chu Shao's movements were gentle, when the smooth blanket touched her wounds, Xiao Jin instinctively furrowed her brow slightly.
Chu Shao furrowed her brows as well and asked, "Does it hurt?"
After a moment of silence, Xiao Jin replied, "It doesn't hurt."
It had been a long time since she last spoke, and her voice was still crisp and cold, albeit slightly hoarse.
Chu Shaoyang lowered her gaze and looked at Xiao Jin lying on the bed. The twelve strings of pearls flashed before her eyes, and her face was mostly covered by jade beads, making it difficult to discern her expression.
At the same time, it also meant that she couldn't see Xiao Jin's face clearly.
This ceremonial attire, along with the crown on her head, was something Chu Shao specifically changed into to meet Xiao Jin.
However, now it seemed quite obtrusive.
With this in mind, Chu Shao reached out and pulled out the jade hairpins on both sides of her crown, undoing the silk ribbon tied under her chin.
Xiao Jin watched this scene and suddenly realized what Chu Shao intended to do.
Before she could stop her, the person in front of her had already raised her hand and removed the crown from her head.
"Bang—"
The crown fell to the ground, and the white jade tassels snapped off, rolling away.
Xiao Jin's heart trembled along with the crisp sound.
She truly didn't expect that after becoming Empress, Chu Shao would be so extravagant as to throw the crown, which was only worn on important occasions, like a pebble.
Of course, Chu Shao had no idea that Xiao Jin was thinking about the fallen crown. She simply lowered her eyelashes, gazed at the person in front of her, and then reached out to undo the blood-stained prisoner's garment.
As soon as her hand touched the damp fabric, Xiao Jin grabbed her finger.
Chu Shao paused and met Xiao Jin's gaze, trying her best to let her eyes reveal gentleness. "I won't do anything, I'm just helping you check your injuries."
Xiao Jin remained silent. After a while, she uttered slowly, "Shao'er, don't look."
At this moment, they were inside the hall, and it was impossible for snow to be falling inside.
Yet, there was still snow in Chu Shao's eyes, and even her smiling brows appeared cold.
"What if I insist on looking?"
"In that case, would you despise me?"
Xiao Jin didn't answer.
Chu Shao took it as a tacit approval. If she didn't answer, it meant she wouldn't despise her.
Moreover, even if Xiao Jin harbored a bit more resentment because of it, she still wanted to look.
Besides, hatred was also an emotion.
Knowing this, a few more traces of amusement appeared in Chu Shao's eyes.
She took out the white jade hairpin with a red thread tied around it from her sleeve.
In Xiao Jin's moment of daze, she took the hairpin and gently tied the slender thread around both of her wrists.
"..."
The harm was minimal, but the insult was strong.
Xiao Jin stared at the red thread so delicate that it could be easily broken without much force, and said to Chu Shao, "Your Majesty, even though I am now a useless person, trying to bind me with this thing is quite uncivilized."
Upon hearing the term "Your Majesty," Chu Shao's eyelashes trembled slightly.
In fact, Xiao Jin had learned this term from the past few days, and it was just a casual address. If someone else called her that way, Chu Shao wouldn't have any emotional fluctuations. However, when Xiao Jin said it, it carried a slightly different meaning when it reached her ears.
It seemed as if she was pleased, and her heart skipped a beat.
Chu Shao explained, "I was afraid that using something else to bind you would cause harm."
She said this with a smile, holding the jade hairpin and taking Xiao Jin's fingers in her grasp, reattaching it for her.
Xiao Jin looked at the jade ring between her fingers and became momentarily stunned. In less than an hour, her supposedly thoroughly cold heart had frozen two or three times.
Someone like her, if she were to shave her head and enter the Dali Temple, she probably wouldn't be able to engage in meditation and could only ring the bell outside the temple.
Xiao Jin sighed softly, feeling that indeed, someone with such strong desires like herself couldn't completely let go and see through the world of mortals.
In the gap of her sigh, Chu Shao undid Xiao Jin's prisoner's garment, but her fingers paused in mid-air, freezing the motion.
The slightly accelerated heartbeat from before was now almost out of control.
Suppressing the urge to kill within her heart, Chu Shao moved her fingers, gently untangling the prisoner's garment and undergarments, continuing to undress Xiao Jin.
Xiao Jin could have struggled free from the thin rope that Chu Shao had bound her with, but there was no need. Because she understood that if Chu Shao wanted to see her injuries, with her frail body, she would definitely not be able to stop her.
Instead of struggling, it was better to lie down and accept her fate.
Until all the scars on Xiao Jin's body were exposed to the air and within Chu Shao's line of sight, a cold breeze blew in, and at this moment, she felt a bit cold.
There was also a slight sense of awkwardness and embarrassment.
After all, she was without clothes.
After all, it was daytime.
Chu Shaoyang sat by the edge of the bed, watching quietly. After a while, she realized that a gust of wind had entered the hall, so she picked up the bedsheet, intending to cover Xiao Jin.
However, just as she covered the legs wrapped in bloodied bandages, she let go.
She kicked off her boots and knelt on the bed.
With both hands supported between the bedsheets, her fingers trembling and turning white, sinking deeply into them.
Chu Shao stared at the person below, leaning down, with her 3,000 strands of black hair cascading down.
Brushing against Xiao Jin's face, it was slightly itchy but still as soft and smooth as before, like silk.
She brought her lips closer and lightly kissed Xiao Jin's eyes, her slightly cold cheek, the bridge of her nose dampened by snow, and the scattered hair on the pillow.
With utmost care and reverence, devoid of any desire.
Only her trembling lips and eyelashes revealed Chu Shao's less devout heart.
She bypassed the wounds and kissed Xiao Jin's body, while her mind pondered over blood and slaughter, these filthy and ugly acts.
But soon, Chu Shao came to her senses.
She herself was also filthy, engaged in sacrilege.
However, Chu Shao didn't mind.
Because she had always intended to use this less devout heart to lure the god, to make her stay by her side.
But even though the god, who had looked down upon all living beings, had been forcibly brought down from the altar by the collective efforts of everyone, they still only watched her with an indifferent gaze.
Raising her finger, she brushed against Xiao Jin's eyes and softly said, "Don't cry."
Droplets of water fell onto Xiao Jin's face.
Xiao Jin didn't wipe them away; instead, she used her hand to wipe away Chu Shao's tears, her voice filled with helplessness. "Shao'er, I'm not in pain. Don't cry. I can't bear to see others cry."
Chu Shao realized belatedly that she had shed tears, but no matter what Xiao Jin said, she only smiled.
Because her tears stemmed from overwhelming joy. The precious treasure she had lost for many years had finally been regained and now resided in the house she had meticulously built.
Chu Shao still didn't understand what love truly was.
But she understood that sometimes tears flowed because of a sense of happiness.
And this useless thing called happiness had unexpectedly appeared by her side one day. It descended in the form of a gift, causing every emotion surging within her to willingly yield, surrender, including the relentless urge to kill.
This was starting to be unlike her.
But what did it matter?
As long as she could keep that person by her side, whether she resembled herself or not, whether she truly was herself, what did it matter?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator's note: Sigh... I'm thankful. I thought she would pierce Xiao Jin's heart. 😭😭😭😭
TO BE CONTINUE...