EMPRESS LIU

~FORTY-ONE~

Alongside Liu Changsheng's voice another voice echoed in the dark shells of the dungeon.

"A-Ying."

A figure clad in safron comes nearer to the the shell that held Ying Lianying.

"Han Weijiao. Why are you here?"

"I'm here to fix what I've destroyed."

The woman inside the shell scoffs again. Looks like she's doing this a lot lately.

"You destroyed my mother by rejecting her when she went to you. When she needed you. How are you going to fix that, old man?"

The shadow guard was a shadow guard indeed. She did not need to see to know how many people were there.

She threw a metal token out of the shell. "Tell Duan Jiali to take over the Mifeng. She's a good master. She'll do the sect good."

"Ying Lianying. You took your revenge on the wrong person. I know by experience that revenge really isn't worth it. You have suffered, I know. But it's time you forgive yourself."

Liu Changsheng tried to comfort the woman who has been with him in two lifetimes. Even though this woman gave him enough reason to suspect her, but at the end of the day she was his protector. She protected him. Saved his body. And he felt a connection towards this woman. He felt that they both were similar in some way.

"Why are you trying to comfort me, Liu Changsheng?"

"Because you are my shadow guard. And I'm your Shengsheng. The one you would sit in front of and try to annoy. And ask silly questions. Because even if you think you're a bad person, you're not. I've seen the real you, Ying Lianying. And I believe in you."

This somehow convinced the distressed woman held inside a prison shell.

She looks at Monk Han. Expecting him to say something. And he really did have something to say.

"A-Ying. Your mother knew very well why I rejected her. We loved each other and we willingly went different ways. Because being with me would bring disaster to her life. My martial arts was about time and space. And to master it I could die. I couldn't bear your mather to see that and hurt so much.

"Your mother knew it and she understood the pain I would have to go through just like I knew the pain she would have to go through.

"Whatever happened has happened for a reason. Remember, the sky is blue but the jade is green."

This made Liu Changsheng snap his head towards him.

And taking advantage of this Ying Lianying stood up. Came near Liu Changsheng and ever so knowingly found the black hidden dagger inside Liu Changsheng's sleeves and swiftly brought it to her own heart pushing it deep. Surprising the three people witnessing the incident unfold in front of them.

Monk Han said in a whisper. "You were the worthy daughter of my Chenghua. You remembered. The hole you creat in time and space, you yourself have to fill it."

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A week went in a blur.

In this week Liu Changsheng got to know a lot of things from Monk Han. Why everything had to happen. How Ying Lianying mastered bending time and space to her advantage and sent his soul back to the past. How in a way she helped him.

After the one week long vigil of the two royal members ended, it was time for Liu Changsheng to leave.

On the other hand Duan Jiali gathered the Mifeng in the sect and decreed their master's order.

"Mifeng sect master Ying Lianying has given me the sect order and pronounced me the next sect master."

She holds up the metal token emblem with the gold bee engraving.

"I pronounce the Mifeng as an independent shadow sect. Anyone who has an objection can leave the sect this instance and never associate themselves with the shadow guard business ever again."

She pauses for some moments to see who leaves. Three-four of the sect members starts to leave. Seeing this she sighs. And then continues.

"The rest of the Mifeng will be given the duty of protecting Dachen. You will get the right to the security of Dachen. I talked to his highness the second prince and he will be assigning some of you who are capable, in the military.

"I, Duan Jiali, will be responsible for everything that happens to the Mifeng from now on."

The future wasn't what it was supposed to look like. But still the future was what it was. It was something they all had to agree on.

Dachen has changed a lot. And there will be change in future too. But for now the emperor's seat remained empty. Until the emperor's first son becomes sixteen.

Liu Changsheng met Li Xiang for the last time and bid hia goodbye. He didn't have anyone else to say goodbye either.

And then left for a journey unknown.

On the other side of Dachen,
In a village far away an old lady was sitting in a wooden hut sewing a blue hanfu that has been worn out from unuse. Maybe once it used to be her youngest son's. Who loved to hang around her kitchen and loved the colour blue.

She didn't know how much pain it was for that boy to never be able to see his mother again. But all she's done was protecting him. She has loved all her children. Losing every one of them wasn't what she wanted.

To protect her son, if she had to go through a lifetime of pain, she was willing. She was but a mother.

From a distance a blue flattering hanfu was visible. A tall and fair figure was slowly coming closer to the hut. Age has played a role in her capability in seeing from a distance but she could easily tell who this person was.

"A-Sheng!"

He went to his mother. But the years of rejection from his own mother made him scared.

"Mother, it's all over now. Shengsheng did best to make everything right. Will mother forgive this son?"

Finally this story is coming to an end! It'll be over after a few chapters! And I hope you like the ending I created!!

Also please remember that not all our decisions are perfect decisions.... We're all trying to make a decision depending on the situation and how we feel about the situation! It might not be right for someone when it's right for someone else...

So whatever decision we take please be sure to be there for yourself! When nobody else is.... Because that's when you need yourself the most!

And remember to love wholeheartedly not just others but yourself too!

Enjoy
All the love
C 💕

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