Chapter 174: Willingness

“Remembered something?” Chu Mingheng softly repeated his own words, then suddenly let out a derisive laugh. “Indeed, I have remembered something.”

His gaze swept indifferently over Huifan before glancing around the Golden Hall. “Since when has Buddhism also resorted to such sinister and unorthodox methods as using blood as a medium?”

“It truly astonishes me.”

Yet Huifan appeared entirely unaware of what he meant, calmly and gently shaking his head. “This humble monk knows nothing of any method that uses blood as a medium. However, I believe that in all things, once an action is taken, there must be a price to pay.”

“To be able to exchange for this present life, I imagine Your Majesty would naturally be willing.”

He was not wrong. To be able to exchange for Lan Wu’s present life, not to mention the heart’s blood from his memories, even if it cost his own life, he would be willing.

As his expression gradually eased, Huifan spoke again. “Your Majesty need not worry about any mishaps befalling Her Ladyship on Changyong Mountain. Your Majesty need only quietly await her return.”

Easier said than done.

Now that he was not by Lan Wu’s side, even matters concerning her recent emotional distress had to be learned through letters from others. Huifan repeatedly claimed there would be no accidents, but who could truly foresee such things?

Chu Mingheng glanced at Huifan. “You said that for these three months, I must be separated from Guifei and cannot see her. Yet you propose that Guifei go to Changyong Mountain. If separation is necessary, why must it be there? She could very well remain in the palace, and I simply refrain from seeing her. Why must it specifically be Changyong Mountain?”

Upon hearing this, Huifan smiled and gently shook his head. “If Her Ladyship were in the palace, Your Majesty would inevitably find ways to see her no matter what. I once advised Your Majesty to let go. If you had let go, naturally these matters would not have arisen. But precisely because Your Majesty could not let go, your obsession ran too deep, leading to your current state.”

“Your Majesty’s obsession lies entirely with Her Ladyship. If she remains by your side, Your Majesty might sink deeper day by day, refusing to awaken. Continuing like this would endanger state affairs, and Your Majesty might descend into madness, damaging your sanity. Therefore, separation between Your Majesty and Her Ladyship is unavoidable.”

“As for why Her Ladyship must make this journey to Changyong Mountain… Your Majesty will understand in due time.”

…

Returning to the palace from Nanli Temple, Chu Mingheng did not order carriages or horses to go to Changyong Mountain. Instead, he shut himself in the Imperial Study to read the letters Lan Wu had written to him.

In her letters, Lan Wu always reported only good news, avoiding any mention of troubles. When speaking of him, she seemed to have endless words; when speaking of herself, she only mentioned happy things, occasionally interspersing a line or two about missing him. Just reading her letters made her seem utterly endearing.

Endearing as she was, she was also far from honest.

Thinking of this, Chu Mingheng continued to read through the letters.

After finishing all the letters Lan Wu had written for the two of them, he finally understood why Lan Wu had been in low spirits.

These letters mentioned several of Lan Wu’s dreams. In them, she subtly inquired about the “him” from their previous life, asking whether he had experienced the events from these dreams.

If he guessed correctly, Lan Wu must have learned about some matters concerning his previous life while on Changyong Mountain.

And she learned through dreams.

That was why Lan Wu was in low spirits.

What exactly had he done in his previous life?

Chu Mingheng rubbed his temples, trying to search his memories. Fragmented recollections gradually unfolded, yet each event seemed unlike anything he could have done.

But they had indeed truly occurred.

At this point, saying these things is utterly useless.

Chu Mingheng steadied his mind, took out paper, and began writing a letter to Lan Wu. He spent half an hour writing it.

After finishing the letter, he handed it to Chen Kangan, instructing him to have it delivered to Changyong Mountain immediately without a moment’s delay.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Chen Kangan promptly responded, quickly taking the letter and withdrawing.

Four days later, the letter reached Lan Wu.

At that time, Lan Wu had just finished her morning meal.

The letter arrived just in time. Lan Wu turned around, returned to her chamber, and opened it to read.

She had dreamed again the previous day.

Originally, she thought that since Chu Mingheng had even gone so far as to arrange a posthumous marriage with her, no further madness would surprise her. Yet she had still overestimated herself and underestimated Chu Mingheng.

Yesterday’s dream was even more gruesome.

Her body had already been interred in the imperial mausoleum, and her memorial tablet placed in the royal ancestral hall. She had assumed that those who harmed her would all be dead, but she never imagined Chu Mingheng had not allowed a single one of them to die.

They knelt outside the Cold Palace, their fingernails and toenails torn off one by one. Piercing screams echoed incessantly, but soon, Chu Mingheng complained that their voices were too noisy and ordered their tongues to be cut out…

For them, perhaps living was far more agonizing than dying.

Chu Mingheng watched their wretched, blood-soaked state, feeling not the slightest hint that such cruelty or gore was excessive. Instead, he felt it was insufficient—far from enough.

He refused to hear even the faintest sound from their mouths and was unwilling to let them die too quickly. So, he ordered the palace servants to monitor their condition daily, slicing off pieces of flesh from their bodies each day and feeding the severed meat to the dogs in cages.

Unlike Chu Mingheng, Lan Wu turned pale with fright at the sight. She forced herself to endure until the dream completely faded away.

These people had caused her death, so she naturally felt no pity for them—they deserved their punishment.

But what worried her was Chu Mingheng.

If these deeds were to become known, Chu Mingheng might bear the label of a tyrant.

Yet, because of yesterday’s dream, her appetite had worsened even more.

As she opened Chu Mingheng’s letter, the image of his cold, ruthless, ghost-like face from yesterday’s dream still flickered before her eyes. She couldn’t help but swallow hard and began reading from the first word of the letter.

The more she read, the more Lan Wu frowned and widened her eyes.

How did Chu Mingheng know she had been losing her appetite and feeling down lately? He even warned that if she didn’t start eating properly, he would come ahead of schedule to deal with her.

Lan Wu gasped, reached for the cup beside her, and took a sip of water to calm her nerves.

So, which little traitor had reported her condition to Chu Mingheng!

Lan Wu glanced at the letter once more, pursed her lips lightly, and put it away.

She carefully considered the palace servants around her: Mujin, Lian Xi, Dan Shan, Lian Qiao…

Aunt Dan Shan and Mujin were both connected to Chu Mingheng, but Aunt Dan Shan should be on her side and wouldn’t report her condition to Chu Mingheng without warning.

As for Lian Xi and Lian Qiao, one was meticulous, and the other was guileless—neither seemed the type to do such a thing.

That left only Mujin.

Mujin had originally been a covert guard, loyal to Chu Mingheng, so she couldn’t exactly be called a traitor.

Lan Wu felt somewhat dejected.

Chu Mingheng hadn’t said anything unreasonable like forbidding her from feeling unhappy, but he did insist she eat properly…

Lan Wu’s mind instinctively flashed to the bloodied bodies of those people, and she covered her mouth with the back of her hand, nearly vomiting.

Although she later turned away and didn’t see exactly how the skin and flesh were cut open, that initial scene was already etched in her mind, impossible to forget for now.

If she hadn’t dreamed of this scene, it might have been fine, but now that she had, how could she possibly enjoy her meal?