The Fourth Lady

Qingyan looked to the practiced writings on the table up until the last moments, when she finally angrily picked up the piece of paper and threw it.

She couldn't forget; she simply just couldn't forget. Every time she closed her eyes to sleep would remember how everything started, remember all the pain she had suffered. She would remember her family, her children.

How were they not all innocent?

Her father, her children, how would they end up?

She took out the dagger she'd always carried and craved onto the table. Only like this, could she slightly relieve the pain suppressed in her heart.

As long as she takes the right steps and obtain the current emperor of Donghe's acknowledgement, she can go to Nanchen with this identity and extract her revenge. Let that cheating pair meet the end they deserve. The only thing she can do now is to turn the entire Su manor on its head.

Since Ning Siyao and Chai Yiyun wanted to go against her, then she won't mind to stir up this pond even more.

What does 'to not practice good virtue, heaven will strike you down' mean?

It was this.

"Su fourth miss sure is skilled."

When she heard this voice and looked up, Qingyan saw Murong Jingxuan clad in purple sitting on the window sill. He had his legs crossed and even leisurely carried a blade of green bristlegrass in his mouth.

"Oh!" Qingyan said this as she threw out the dagger in hand. Seeing the dagger get caught, she smiled, "Since your Highness likes this dagger so much, I'll just pretend that I've given it to your Highness as a gift."

Murong Jingxuan played with the blade in hand, but his gaze not once leaving Qingyan. After staring at her for awhile, he smiled and said, "Miss, you should have already known that the third house is going to act, why haven't you made a move yet!"

"How do you know I haven't made a move yet? Did Fengqing not tell you anything?" Su Qingyan listened to Murong Jingxuan's words and looked to him in surprise.

Fengqing would usually report everything about her to Murong Jingxuan; could it be that Fengqing made a mistake?

"Fengqing, what is this?" Murong Jingxuan impatiently called out to the air. "Why didn't you report to me Su Miss's recent developments?"

Fengqing silhouette immediately appeared hanging on the window ledge, "Master, I hadn't had the time to report to you the recent affairs. Just when I was about to report to you, you came." "Hmph." Murong Jingxuan coldly snorted at Fengqing. Fengqing gulped before immediately disappearing again.

"Your Highness, have you finished preparing the thing I asked of you?" Recalling that she had asked him to prepare the seven toxins for her previously, Qingyan looked to him with a bit of excitement in her gaze.

Perhaps it was because of that look of hers, Murong Jingxuan suddenly felt his mood improve greatly. The unpleasant feeling from earlier seemed to have also instantly vanished into thin air, "Naturally, I would acquired them for you."

Murong Jingxuan recalled her sleep talk from last time, and wanted to use this opportunity to ask her about it, but for some reason seeing her appearance now, the words wouldn't come out.

"One of my subordinates told me that granny Ruo has yet to return, is that true?" Murong Jingxuan looked to Su Qingyan, and after clearing his throat, he chose to change the topic. Thinking of granny Ruo, Su Qingyan smiled, "Of course, after all, her son's life span is at its end. If I'm right, then the net cast is slowly being reeled in."

Murong Jingxuan looked to her smile; it wasn't a smiled someone her age would have. Her smiled didn't have a shred of emotion mix in; it was as if granny Ruo was only an outsider to her. Especially that dead look in her eyes; it was as unmoving as the dead sea.

"Missy, why didn't you just directly kill granny Ruo?" Although he knew the reason why Su Qingyan did this, he still didn't want believe that someone as young as Qingyan would think of something so cruel. How was this any different from a reaper from hell?

Thinking of this, Su Qingyan tightly clenched her fist, "Your Highness, did you know that granny Ruo was my wet nurse? In the beginning, when mother and father chose her, it was because she had a kind heart. That's why mother and father had always been good to her. As for me, I also grew up drinking her milk...." She lifted her head and looked into Murong Jingxuan's abysmal eyes. In a regretful tone, she lightly spoke, "But a human's heart can always change."

Naturally, Murong Jingxuan knew that a human heart can always change, just like his father's. He very much knew in his heart that all these years, if it wasn't for his mother constantly whispering into his father's ears to not defect, otherwise with Wenxuan Lord*'s violent temper, he would have already stormed into Diqiu and revolted.

(*TN: More literal translation would be as King as he is a provincial ruler under the Donghe Emperor's rule)

And the only reason why his mother would do this was precisely because of him. That's why he constantly kept in touch with his mother, to not let her worry. Letting her know that he was well here in Diqiu, and that at least the old Emperor was good him.

"After my parents left me here at the Su manor, that granny Ruo, seeing that there was nothing to gain from me, went to rely on Ning Siyao. As a child I was raised by Ning Siyao, and granny Ruo would also often interfere. So it was given that I would become so arrogant and rash, else who would be the foil to my elder sister's gentle and virtuous appearance." Su Qingyan continued indifferently.

When she looked up, she met Murong Jingxuan's eyes again, "Your Highness, say, what use is there for me to leave such an ungrateful trash?"

Murong Jingxuan looked at her and immediately walked to her side, pulling her into his embrace, "Qingyan, don't be sad."

Su Qingyan wiped away the drop of tear that was still in her eyes. She pushed away from his embrace and looked down to her palms, "If there's no place for me in this grand manor, then I will surely slaughter out a bloody path for me." She said this as she tightly clenched her fist.

Murong Jingxuan suddenly felt that the Su Qingyan before him made him feel sorry for her. Sometimes he could even see his past self in her. When he thought of this, he smiled; so that's why he felt they were similar.

"Qingyan, if you want to kill, I will pass you the torch; if you want to topple a country, then I will topple this country for you." Murong Jingxuan said this as he once again pulled her into his embrace.

Qingyan smelled the faint scent of sandalwood coming from him, and this time she didn't push him away, but rather rested her head in his embrace.

He had a similar scent to Weisheng Junmo on him, And carried a similar feeling to Weisheng Junmo too.

In the past they rode bamboo horses around the plum tree*, At that time, she only ever wanted to be Weisheng Junmo's only bride in life.

But a single imperial edict shattered their dreams, And she floated in the depths of misery for ten years.

(*TN: It's an allegory to childhood lovers as the phrase for childhood lovers in Chinese is loosely translated to mean green plum and bamboo horse)

If she could, she would rather just by Weisheng Junmo's only love;

If she could, she would rather escape with Weisheng Junmo to the ends of the earth.

But she didn't do it, and he didn't either.

They carried on them different responsibilities;

One for her family, and one for his country.

"Murong Jingxuan, will you abandon me? Will you abandon me for this vast land*?"

(*TN: The land or jiangshang symbolizes power and in a way the throne as well)☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐