EMPRESS LIU

~TWENTY-FIVE~

Revenge is a dangerous game. A life of a person is worth so much without revenge. But to Liu Changsheng the meaning of his life was just the revenge he was brewing in his head. He has been through enough. Send back in time and brought back again. Had to take stabs in his heart. Stand up against the love of his life and question himself even falling in love.

But right now it all meant nothing. Because right now he was happy. Because if he was doomed to be trapped in this life where he was a criminal, without a family, alone in this world, he would at least make the best of it. And try to at least enjoy the few days he's left with.

After Liu Changsheng got to know everything after questioning Ying Lianying he just sat there alone to make a plan. Without a plan he wouldn't survive a day in this world. He knew he belonged to this world. He knew everything that happened in here. But maybe he was getting too used to the reborn life he was blessed with. He was getting too relaxed around the people who could practically stab him to his heart without him noticing. Trust was a luxury for Liu Changsheng. And this time he promised himself that he won't be a fool.

Ying Lianying promised him to take him to the capital and he just wanted to stay in the imperial capital for a few days before going back to meet Mu Ling.

Mu Ling cannot go to the capital because there was an order if he was seen in the capital again, he'll be executed instantly, no questions asked. So Liu Changsheng sent him to Sifu village to look for A-Lian.

He didn't expose what his plan was, but being a shadow guard, Ying Lianying could tell. He was planning on disappearing from the memory of the people he cares about the most and start a new life somewhere. She could tell how the light around Liu Changsheng has a fierceness to cut through a person. And she was happy.

Finally! She thought.

At midnight of one such day in the imperial capital Ying Lianying went out to run errands and Liu Changsheng went out to look around. He was a wanted man. Of course he had to go out at night.

Destiny and maybe a bout of unmindfullness took him to a courtyard that is very familiar to him, yet so far away. He looked at the familiar wooden gate that may have never been opened after he left. For once his mind wondered.

"Who closed the doors that day? Was it Li gong gong?" The breathy voice of the forgotten male didn't reach anyone's ears.

But he didn't let his heart takeover for too long. He looked away from the pain filled past he used to call home. But if only he looked a bit longer he would have seen how the couryard was silently carrying the memories of an enthusiastic youth. He would have seen how everything stayed the same. How the peony lives.

With lightness in his feet he carried himself to a nearby rooftop. To be precise, the roof of the forth Prince's room. Not knowing why, he expected to see the face of the older male even for once.

To grow the hate, was what he used to console his mind to stop it from believing the opposite. Maybe he'll even see the fourth prince continuing his night endeavours with his concubine. But all men do is lie.

His heart craved something totally different. His heart wanted to believe the impossible. That the prince still waited. But that was unlikely, right?

To his surprise, there was no one in the fourth Prince's sleeping quarters. And Duan Jiali, the concubine responsible for his downfall was standing in front of a shrine. He was curious. However he let go of it and left from there.

But not before promising one thing in his heart. "This time you won't live, Hong Daqing."

Unknown to him, inside the shrine a drooping face has felt the presence of the other person nearby. But for some reason this presence wasn't threatening, but very inviting. This presence felt a lot like their beloved.

The life of two people were revolving around wrong decisions, underlying regret and unfulfilled love. The life of two people were entangled so much that maybe two lifetime isn't enough.

Liu Changsheng walked aimlessly around the familiar allyways. No one was around except some drunkards probably coming back from nearby liquor shops. Liu Changsheng remembers this city like a distant memory that game him enough only to take it back again.

His aimless walking got him to the abandoned Buddha temple where he used to come a lot before.

He stood in front of the dilapidated dark building not knowing if he should go in. When he finally decided to return back a figure came sneaking in, looking aroung if anyone was following when the figure bumped into Liu Changsheng tumbling both of them down to the ground.

Liu Changsheng wasn't fully recovered from all the injury his body carried. Being pushed at the chest injury a slight groan escaped his mouth. He looked to the side to see a female figure trying really hard not to be seen. Her left wrist had a burn mark and a jade ring on the same hand caught Liu Changsheng's attention.

"Li mei?"

This made the twenty five years old female to look at him, shocked. Concubine Li's face has marks of grim, proving how long she has to scavenge in the streets.

"Li mei ma?"

The young concubine's face distorted a bit. Her face showed discomfort and unfamiliarity. As if she didn't recognise Liu Changsheng.

"Shei?" Her voice hoarse. A bit breathy maybe from unuse. "Who am I?"

The irony of fate hit Liu Changsheng hard. The person he did so much to save was alive in this timeline, but they didn't even remember who they are. And what shocked him even more is how she was sneaking into an abandoned Buddha temple in the middle of night.

"Are you living here, Li mei? What about the first Prince? Did he drive you away?" After saying this much he remembered the first Prince was already the emperor here. "Does the emperor know that you're alive? How do you not remember who you are?"

Confusion engulfed the young lady's expressions. And traces of pain reaching the eyes of the pitiful concubine.

"I don't know who I am! Will you help me, gongzi?" The breathy painful voice begged from young master Liu.

And he couldn't just let go of the request of his only confidant in the royal harem.

Revenge can wait, for now.

Well hello everyone! Here goes another chapter.... I don't know what is happening here either, so please don't ask me to clear it up! I'm lost myself!

LoL! Also concubine Li is alive! What do you think is happening behind the scenes?

Let's wait some more to know in the next chapter! So, stay tuned! See you in the next chapter!

Annyeong!
Enjoy
All the love
C 💕

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