Martial Cultivator

Before the bell rang.

In the palace, the imperial physicians departed one by one and prostrated themselves before the palace. Then, they left with sorrowful expressions on their faces.

From a further distance, a eunuch came hurriedly and prostrated themselves in front of the palace. His voice trembled as he said, ”Reporting to Your Majesty, the Myriad Willow Convention has reached a conclusion.”

His voice was very soft, afraid that the slightest movement would startle the woman in the imperial city who should be the least startled.

That consort had always been an exceptionally kind and understanding person.

When the palace attendants made some mistakes, if it were not too serious, she would not blame them excessively, she would just reprimand them. If it was truly an accident, she might not even reprimand them. One actually did not need to be overly cautious when working around this consort and felt very carefree.

Many palace attendants had entered the palace long before this reign. They entered the palace much earlier and were the ladies-in-waiting of the deposed emperor. According to custom, when a new emperor ascended the throne, they would all be purged. If that were the case, their fate would not be too good. However, the Empress did not make them leave. She kept all the survivors and did not treat them differently at all. In these 13 years, that consort fulfilled her responsibilities as Empress to the utmost.

But now, everything had reached its final end.

The Great Liang emperor quickly received the news that came from the lakeside. After glancing at it, he said to the woman in front of him, who could hardly open her eyes, ”That child has won.”

His voice was gentle, like a spring breeze.

Upon hearing this, the Empress who had been struggling to open her eyes, finally managed to do so. A faint radiance gradually appeared in her cloudy eyes as she asked weakly, ”Your Majesty, that child won?”

The Great Liang Emperor spoke softly, briefly recounting the events of the martial exam. His words were concise yet clear.

The Empress listened quietly. Only after a long time, did she say softly, ”That child has the exact same temperament as his mother, so Your Majesty has always claimed to be uncertain. But I can see clearly, he’s that child. It’s a pity I won’t be able to hold on to see him one last time or hear him call me ’Aunt’.”

After this person transitioned from princess consort to empress, she had been freely switching between addressing herself as ”I” and ”your subject.” There was a glimmer in her eyes as she spoke softly, ”Although back then, their family struck first, our family ultimately left them ruined and destroyed. Your Majesty may not feel much, but your subject hopes that you’ll no longer harbor any enmity towards that child.”

”Your subject has never asked anything of Your Majesty for so many years. This matter will be my final request. If Your Majesty wishes to refuse me, please don’t say it now. Wait until your subject closes her eyes.”

The Empress who was lying on the bed seemed to have suddenly regained some energy and slowly sat up. The Great Liang emperor reached out and placed a pillow behind her waist.

”Are you really not going to meet those children?”

The Great Liang emperor looked at the woman before him, whom he had loved for many years, and asked softly, ”They have been asking all this time to see their mother one last time.”

The Empress shook her head and said, ”During these final moments, your subject only wishes to speak with Your Majesty. Just the two of us. As for the children, just take it as their mother has failed them.”

The Great Liang emperor shook his head and said, ”Don’t say that.”

The Empress reminisced about the past days, her eyes filled with longing. ”In the years of being married to Your Majesty, there have been only two things that your subject has been discontented about. I never spoke of them before, but now I want to talk about them because if I don’t, there won’t be another opportunity.”

”My younger brother was also a loyal servant to the throne. Although his loyalty was not to Your Majesty, he was still a good subject. Your Majesty shouldn’t have confined him to his residence back then. You should have let him leave the capital. Great Liang is so vast, he could go wherever he wished. I understand Your Majesty’s considerations, but he is still my younger brother. Mother passed away first, and then Father followed as well. After I entered the capital, these were the only relatives I had left. That lass has a stubborn temper, and my younger brother’s temperament isn’t much different either. The war actually tore my family apart.”

The Great Liang emperor listened to her words and expressed his apologies, ”It’s Our fault.”

In reality, the Empress’ biological younger brother had been in contact with remnants of the previous dynasty after the self-immolation of the deposed emperor, trying to regain the throne. The Great Liang emperor learned about this matter, but he did nothing. He just placed him under house arrest without revealing this crime to anyone, not even the Empress. If he had disclosed this matter, perhaps the Empress wouldn’t be able to speak these words now.

In the eyes of outsiders, the Great Liang emperor was an extremely iron-fisted and stern emperor. But when it came to all matters concerning the Empress, he always handled them with the utmost care, fearing that the slightest blunder would sadden this woman.

Back then, in the bridal chamber, when he lifted her veil, the Great Liang emperor had vowed to treat her well for the rest of his life. In truth, a huge part of the reason for his uprising was because of the Empress who was next to him.

Rebelling and usurping the throne would lead to a lifetime of condemnation from the world. He could not expect to leave behind a good reputation in history. After his death, how would he face that Crown Prince, whom he had a close relationship with, that Emperor Lingzong, as well as his ancestors...

These were all things the Great Liang emperor needed to consider. But he thought about what his princess consort would face if he surrendered without a fight, there was no hesitation anymore.

The Great Liang emperor looked at the empress and said softly, ”We were wrong, We were truly wrong.”

Under the heavens, there was only this one woman who could make the Great Liang emperor show such vulnerability.

The Empress said softly, ”The second matter is actually about the same too. When Your Majesty entered the Divine Capital that year, too many people were killed and many were exiled. They were the subjects of that child and also Your Majesty’s subjects. Your Majesty shouldn’t have treated them in such a manner.”

”We will issue a decree immediately to allow those exiled people to return.”

The Empress spoke softly, ”This Great Liang Dynasty is Your Majesty’s Great Liang Dynasty, it’s the entire world’s Great Liang Dynasty. Your Majesty has to live well for the people of Great Liang and not act too arbitrarily. It’s not good.”

Before the Great Liang emperor could speak, the Empress continued with a smile, ”In these years of being married to Your Majesty, we have weathered storms. Your Majesty’s devotion has spared me from experiencing the schemes and conspiracies of the harem. Looking back now, those things would be quite interesting too, but they weren’t unnecessary. I can’t force Your Majesty to engage in such matters.” ”The other day, I dreamed of Mother. She asked me how I was doing now, and I didn’t know how to answer. Should I say that I have become the Empress of the Great Liang Dynasty and taken over the things Mother did?” ”But I’m not really that happy. When I was in the Prince’s Manor, I wasn’t as happy as when I was in the academy.” ”If I hadn’t met Your Majesty, I would probably have been a renowned female teacher in the academy. Speaking of which, I saw that girl a few days ago and I really like her. If she can marry that child, it would be wonderful. I see my younger self in her.”

”As for that child, he is actually somewhat like Your Majesty. That tenacity really isn’t what ordinary people can compare to. I heard that his body is covered in countless scars. I wonder how much hardship he has endured over these years. Just the thought of it makes me feel uneasy.”

”Actually, Your Majesty doesn’t need to be saddened. Who in this world doesn’t die eventually?” ”I have been dragging my weakened body all these years, and now, it’s finally coming to an end. For me, it’s a kind of relief. Why should Your Majesty be so grief-stricken?”

At this point, the Great Liang emperor could not hold back anymore. Tears started to flow down his cheeks. The highest ruler of the Great Liang Dynasty was now overwhelmed with sorrow, shedding silent tears.

Seeing him like this, the Empress struggled to raise her hand, gently wiping away the tears on the face of the Great Liang emperor. She scolded playfully, ”Your Majesty, you’re already so old, why do you still act like a child?”

The Great Liang emperor remained silent, tears flowing silently.

The Empress knew that no matter how she wiped, the tears could not be completely wiped away, so she gave up and just said softly, ”Your Majesty, help me draw my eyebrows. It’s been many years and I suddenly remembered a poem I read in my youth, what was it called?”

The Great Liang emperor whispered, ”I can’t remember either.”

The Empress said softly, ”Your Majesty, it’s been many years since you last read books as well.”

”I also want to tell Your Majesty that in all these years, I’ve never regretted.”

……

……

Soon, the Great Liang emperor brought the eyebrow pencil. After a long silence, the Empress slowly lay down and gently closed her eyes.

At this moment, her vitality and spirit were gradually dissipating.

The Great Liang emperor closed his eyes in pain.

Then, he reached out to pick up the pencil.

He drew gently.

The Empress was talking about some incomprehensible things in the end.

The bits and pieces were actually the memories of these years.

It was unknown how long had passed.

The Empress’ voice gradually faded away.

The Great Liang Emperor’s hand trembled slightly.

Silence persisted for a long time.

The Great Liang emperor stopped the pencil in his hand and tears kept falling.

This Great Liang emperor was currently heartbroken to the extreme.

Tears fell onto the Empress’ face.

But soon, the Empress suddenly opened her eyes again, playfully asking, ”Your Majesty, how does it look?”

The Great Liang emperor looked at her, unable to utter a single word despite a thousand words in his heart.

The Empress looked at him and raised her hand. But she really had no strength left.

She slowly closed her eyes, her breath fading.

Her lips moved.

Two words were left unspoken.

”Your Majesty.”