CHAPTER 209 — HIS HIGHNESS IS DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH ME FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE
"What do you want?"
Ye Qian's, the Emperor, voice dropped several degrees, cold enough to frost the air between them. He could tolerate the Northern King's disdain. He could even swallow the humiliation. But he could not — would not — tolerate anyone treating Qing'er's life as a bargaining chip.
Bei Qingtian (the Northern King) fell silent.
What did he want?
He wanted Qing'er back. He wanted the woman he had loved for decades — the woman he had lost — to return to him.
But nineteen years had passed. Nineteen years in which she had never once looked back.
What did that say?
His hand tightened around the small jade vial until his knuckles whitened. For a moment, it seemed he might crush it entirely.
Then, from the shadows, a pale hand extended — offering a small jade bottle.
"Give her this first," Bei Qingtian said quietly. "It will slow the poison. The Jadeblood Heart Grass isn't ready. Come back in ten days."
His voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed the storm beneath.
He could not gamble with Qing'er's life. Even if he wanted her back, he would never harm her to achieve it.
"Thank you," Ye Qian said, exhaling shakily. His gratitude was sincere.
"There's no need to thank me for anything concerning Qing'er."
Bei Qingtian vanished into the night, leaving only the faint scent of cold wind behind.
Ye Qian stared at the jade bottle in his hand, expression unreadable.
"Master!"
Lei Ying appeared silently, eyes sharp. "You've waited so long for this chance. Why didn't you take her back?"
"You don't understand," Bei Qingtian murmured.
He rarely showed emotion — but Qing'er had always been the exception.
Lei Ying opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. There was nothing he could say.
"Have you informed Yao'er?" Bei Qingtian asked.
"Yes. The princess will bring the Jadeblood Heart Grass soon."
Bei Qingtian sighed. "It's a pity Yuan'er and Yao'er will miss each other. I don't know how she'll react."
Lei Ying hesitated. "Princess… she…"
"You're too biased against her," Bei Qingtian said flatly. "Her emotions run deep. Her methods are… unconventional. But she is still my daughter."
Lei Ying bowed his head.
"I wonder if the princess will like Prince Rui's Consort being our new Princess," he muttered.
"If Xin'er cannot handle Yao'er," Bei Qingtian said coolly, "then she is not worthy of being this king's daughter."
His tone was arrogant, but beneath it lay a fierce protectiveness.
He trusted Xin'er. He trusted Yuan'er. He trusted fate to bring them together.
Meanwhile, atop the roof of Rongxi Palace, Tang Kexin and Ye Lanjue lay flat against the tiles, watching the scene below unfold.
Inside, Imperial Concubine Rong sat beside the Crown Prince's bed, her expression twisted with grief and fury.
"My son… are you alright?"
"Mother…" The Crown Prince struggled to sit up.
"Don't move." Her voice trembled. "Mother will make you Emperor."
The Crown Prince stiffened. "What did you do?"
"Nothing you need to worry about," she said quickly — too quickly.
But her eyes were wild. Her hands shook. Her voice cracked.
The Crown Prince's heart sank.
"Mother… did you see that man in black?"
Imperial Concubine Rong froze. "Yes."
"Then you know," he whispered. "We're being used. Since the first death… everything has been spiralling. Someone is pulling strings. Someone wants everyone in the palace gone."
Imperial Concubine's Rong's face paled.
"My son…"
"It's not that we want to fight," he said bitterly. "We have no choice. The Third Prince's influence grows daily. The Emperor favours him. If we don't act now… we'll be crushed."
Imperial Concubine Rong's tears fell silently.
For years she had endured humiliation, kept her head down, lived like a shadow — all for her son's future. And now, everything she had built was crumbling.
"My son… leave the rest to me. Success or failure will be decided in one strike."
Tang Kexin's stomach twisted.
Imperial Concubine Rong was far more dangerous than she had imagined.
"Let's go," she whispered, tugging Ye Lanjue's sleeve.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and leapt silently from the roof, carrying her back to the manor.
"Xin..."
Ye Lanjue stopped in the courtyard, moonlight spilling over him like silver water. His eyes glowed — deep, steady, impossibly gentle.
Tang Kexin's breath caught.
"What is it?" she asked softly.
He walked toward her slowly, as though approaching something fragile. Something precious. Something he feared might vanish if he moved too quickly.
Then he pulled her into his arms.
Not with hunger. Not with urgency. But with a quiet, aching tenderness.
He held her as if she were the only thing anchoring him to the world.
"Xin," he whispered against her hair, "I will only marry you. For the rest of my life."
Her heart jolted.
He continued, voice low and earnest:
"I want someone who loves me for who I am — not for my title, not for my power. Someone who stands beside me, not behind me. Someone who shares my burdens, my hopes, my future."
He drew back slightly, cupping her face.
"I want you. Only you. For a lifetime."
Tang Kexin trembled.
A fire ignited in her chest — fierce, bright, terrifying. It hurt. It warmed. It consumed.
A lifetime…
Was she ready for that?
Was she brave enough?
Her lips parted.
"Is it… truly me?" she whispered.
And under the moonlight, Ye Lanjue smiled — a smile filled with devotion, longing, and a love that could burn down kingdoms.
"For the rest of my life," he said, "it will only ever be you."
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CHAPTER 210 — HIS HIGHNESS' WORDS WERE TOO TOUCHING
"Ye… Lan… Jue."
It was the first time she had ever spoken his name like that — steady, unguarded, almost reverent. The sound of it hung in the air between them, soft yet powerful enough to make his breath catch.
Hearing her call him that… It would be a lie to say he wasn't moved.
He was a prince of the Great Yuan Empire. A man born to power, to duty, to a life where affection was a luxury.
Yet he had just told her — with absolute sincerity — that he would only marry her in this lifetime.
Only her.
"I'm here." His lips curved gently, the faintest smile softening his usually cold features. He didn't say this king. He said I. In front of her, he wasn't a prince. He was simply a man — her man.
"Ye Lan Jue?" she murmured again, as if testing the weight of his name on her tongue.
"I'm here." His voice warmed, his brows lifting slightly. Hearing her call him like this… it was the sweetest sound he had ever known.
"Ye Lan Jue!" She called again, louder this time, as though she wanted to carve his name into her bones, into her memory, into her very soul.
"I'm here," he whispered, stepping closer. "My heart is here. I will always be here. Always."
Ye Lanjue — the cold, aloof Third Prince — was speaking words of love with a tenderness that could melt stone. And every word struck her like a blow.
"Lan Jue…" Her voice trembled.
Why? Why did this man cling to her so fiercely?
There were countless women in the world. With his status, he could have anyone he wanted. Even in modern times, a promise of lifelong devotion was rare — almost impossible.
So why was he so serious? So unwavering? So… hers?
She knew one thing with painful clarity: A man like him, once he decided, would never let go.
She could resist his charm. She could resist his teasing. But she could not resist his sincerity.
Her heart thudded violently. Her eyes stung. Something warm and unfamiliar rolled down her cheek.
Ye Lanjue immediately pulled her into his arms, his thumb brushing away her tears with infinite gentleness. He pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her eye — feather‑light, chaste, filled with nothing but affection.
Tang Kexin froze.
She had always longed for a kiss like this — simple, tender, without desire or demand. She never imagined she would receive it from him.
"Let's go inside," he murmured.
He held her close as he guided her into the room.
That night, they slept in each other's arms. For the first time, Tang Kexin found herself looking forward to such a night — to this quiet warmth, this steady heartbeat, this sense of safety she had never known before.
This calmness… This was what she had always wanted.
"Wait — I'll go to the palace with you."
The next morning, Ye Lanjue rose early, careful not to wake her. But Tang Kexin stirred anyway, eyes opening the moment he moved.
"You're awake?" he asked softly, a hint of worry in his gaze.
"Yes," she said, sitting up. "Let's go together. We need to seize Imperial Concubine Rong as soon as possible."
The sooner, the better. The longer they waited, the more unpredictable things would become.
"Alright."
He didn't argue. He preferred taking the initiative anyway.
When they reached the palace, they split ways — Ye Lanjue heading to morning court, Tang Kexin going straight to Kunning Palace.
She expected the chamber to be quiet, with only Dong'er tending to the Empress.
But when she entered, she froze.
The Emperor was there.
He sat at the Empress's bedside, her hand clasped tightly in his, his thumb brushing her knuckles in a silent plea. His eyes were bloodshot. He hadn't slept at all.
"Imperial Father," she said softly.
The word slipped out naturally — perhaps because her heart had shifted, perhaps because Ye Lanjue's presence had changed something in her.
The Emperor looked up. "Xin'er."
He didn't comment on her change of address. His exhaustion was too heavy, his grief too raw.
"Father didn't…" She couldn't finish. He was the Emperor — he should be in court. But he had chosen to stay here, by the woman he loved.
"It's fine," he murmured. "Jue'er will handle it."
His voice was hoarse.
"Did Father find the Jadeblood Heart Grass?" she asked.
His hand trembled. "I found it… but it will take ten days to arrive."
Ten days.
The words seemed to drain the last of his strength.
Tang Kexin didn't press further. She knew he had done everything he could.
"Xin'er," the Emperor said suddenly, "have you ever thought… that your mother might not be the Prime Minister's wife?"
Tang Kexin froze.
She didn't answer. She couldn't.
"Never mind," he sighed. "You won't let the Empress die, will you?"
"No," she said firmly. "Xin'er will never let Imperial Mother die."
"Good."
He stroked the Empress's cheek again, his expression softening with a love so deep it hurt to witness.
"Father," Tang Kexin said quietly, "I know who did this. Will you let me handle it?"
The Emperor looked at her — and nodded without hesitation.
"Very well."
"Then… please don't eat anything Imperial Concubine Rong sends in the next two days."
The Emperor stiffened — then nodded again, eyes turning cold.
"Understood."
Ye Lanjue arrived soon after court ended.
"Father," he said, bowing. "What does Xin'er plan to do?"
"To lure the snake out of its hole," Tang Kexin replied.
Their eyes met — and in that instant, they understood each other perfectly.
The Emperor exhaled. "Go."
He watched them leave, a strange heaviness settling in his chest.
For them, this was a strategy. For him… it was the beginning of the end for the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince he chose.
Rumours spread like wildfire.
The Third Prince and Princess had left Kunning Palace early in the morning. They were searching for the Jadeblood Heart Grass. They had a way to save the Empress.
The palace buzzed with excitement and fear.
Imperial Concubine Rong paced her chamber, panic twisting her features.
They had found the medicine. They had found it.
She had to act now — before everything collapsed.
She ordered a bowl of white porridge and carried it personally to Kunning Palace.
"Your Majesty," she said softly, tears shimmering in her eyes.
The Emperor didn't look at her.
He didn't even acknowledge the bowl she held.
"Your Majesty, please… you must eat something," she whispered, lifting the spoon.
"Leave it," he said coldly. "I have no appetite."
Her hand froze mid‑air.
"Even if you eat a little… the Empress would feel distressed seeing you like this."
"Would she?" The Emperor's voice cracked.
Would Qing'er feel sorry for him? After nineteen years of marriage… would she?
He looked at the bowl of porridge — simple, warm, carefully prepared.
But he didn't touch it.
He didn't trust her.
Not anymore.