・❥・ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀ'ꜱ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ : In the majestic Tang Dynasty, where poetry and valor are celebrated, a forbidden love story unfolds within the palace walls.
Xu Liang, the beloved son of the emperor, is known for his gentle nature and exception...
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════ ⋆ 𝐗𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐆 ⋆ ════
ｏｎｅ ｗｅｅｋ ｌａｔｅｒ
As I sat confined within the cold, ornate walls of my chamber, the isolation weighed heavily upon me. The silence was stifling, broken only by the occasional distant echo of palace life continuing without me. Mei had not returned with any news about the council meeting, and the uncertainty of what decisions had been made about Zhao gnawed at me incessantly. Locked away, I felt powerless, cut off not only from him but from any ability to influence our fates.
The window became my only connection to the outside world, the light that streamed through it both a comfort and a cruel reminder of the freedom I lacked. I found myself repeatedly running my fingers over the jade pendant Zhao had given me, each touch a desperate attempt to draw strength from its cool smoothness, a token of our love and the promises we had made to each other. The pendant, usually a source of comfort, now seemed to symbolize the fragile state of my hope—so close to shattering.
Just as despair threatened to overcome me, the lock on the door clicked open abruptly. The door swung wide and then slammed shut with a force that made me jump. Mei stepped into the room, her expression tense and her eyes darting nervously, as if she feared being watched even here.
I quickly stood up, my heart pounding with anticipation and dread. "Mei," I breathed out, my voice a mix of relief and urgent inquiry. "What happened? What did the council decide?"
Mei approached, her steps hesitant. She looked around once more before speaking, her voice low and urgent. "The council has made their decision," she began, her face paling as she delivered the news. "It's not good, Xu. They've sentenced Zhao to..."
She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence, her eyes brimming with tears. The finality of her tone, the grief in her eyes, it all hinted at a conclusion too terrible to voice.
I felt a cold rush of fear tighten around my heart. "What? What have they sentenced him to?" I demanded, my voice rising in panic. The jade pendant in my hand felt suddenly heavy, as if it bore the weight of the dreadful news.
Mei swallowed hard, gathering her courage. "To death, Xu. They've sentenced him to death. The execution is set for dawn, three days from now."
The room seemed to spin around me, and I staggered slightly, reaching out to grasp the back of a chair for support. The light from the window dimmed as if a cloud had passed over the sun. "No," I whispered, the word a denial, a plea, a cry of despair all at once.
"They say it's to be made an example of... to deter any further disobedience of this nature," Mei continued, her voice breaking. "I'm so sorry, Xu. I tried to find out sooner, to get word to you..."
Her apology hung in the air, tangled with my shock and the sharp pang of impending loss. For a moment, all I could do was stand there, the reality of the situation slowly settling in like a dark fog.
