Rebirth: The Time-locked Girl
Chapter 311: Emperor Yongshun, Princess Yongle [1 update]

Chapter 311: Emperor Yongshun, Princess Yongle [1 update]

If one’s life could be exchanged for the safety of a city’s people, then what harm would there be in dying a thousand, ten thousand times?

Xiang Chen suddenly recalled something his Imperial Elder Sister had once said—

"A monarch who cannot protect his subjects is unworthy of the title."

To be a ruler, is to nurture all under heaven.

To be a king, is to aid the whole world.

These were the very duties of a monarch.

Suddenly, Xiang Chen drew his sword, to the great alarm of the few remaining old ministers, who one after another chased after him.

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, you must not!"

"Your Majesty, you are of inestimable value, the True Dragon Emperor, you simply cannot belittle your own life like this because of their words!"

"In the face of death, all beings are equal; where comes the notion of an emperor’s status?" Xiang Chen said calmly, "Years ago, my Imperial Elder Sister, despite her frail health, personally tasted medicines to save the people from fire and flood. What is my life compared to that?"

This statement stunned the few old ministers who had rushed out.

By invoking Princess Yongning, the old ministers fell silent.

"If the Imperial Elder Sister were still here, I wouldn’t be fit to sit upon this throne," Xiang Chen walked step by step toward the highest tower, "Aunt pushed me up here; how could I let them down?"

"Your Majesty!"

The old ministers were still chasing, trying to stop him, yet not knowing how.

Ye Wanlan slowly closed her eyes, her fingers clasped tightly into fists.

What did the history books record?

—Emperor Yongshun hung himself to protect his subjects.

These nine simple words, the shock they delivered to her, was far more than just the moment she saw them.

Xiang Chen and Princess Yongle were the youngest of their generation.

When they were born, Ning Zhaozong had already ended the chaos of the world and reunited Shenzhou. From childhood, neither of them had ever suffered any hardship.

Following the natural course of events, their lives should have been carefree and smooth.

Why should they endure such suffering?

The tower was also full of corpses, with some blood yet to dry, indicating that this terrible battle had occurred not long ago.

"I remember my father always liked standing here, gazing over the whole of Fengyuan City," said Xiang Chen abruptly, "He would tell the Imperial Elder Sister, ’In the future, this will be your world, and you must protect everyone on this land well.’"

At this moment, Ye Wanlan was standing right behind him, silently listening to his soliloquy.

She knew what was to come, yet she was completely unable to prevent it.

"Imperial Elder Sister, if you were here, you would surely come up with a better solution," muttered Xiang Chen, "When Aunt passed, I truly did not know what to do."

Ye Wanlan whispered softly, "Little Chen..."

She was six years his senior and had always taken care of them.

Xiang Chen’s talents were not inferior, but he was more playful.

Yet since he had ascended the throne, he had never neglected the affairs of state.

Xiang Chen then slashed his imperial robe with the sword, and after that bit his fingertip, beginning to write upon it.

When he finished the last character, he stood up again, gave a final look over this land from the heights, and resolutely drew the blade across his neck.

Blood surged out, pain exploded.

But his mind did not dwell on it any further; he simply sighed deeply, dissipating in the wind.

Who now knows where Shenzhou will stand?

Yet, with the people unharmed, he had no regrets.

The history books would record that in the year 1723 of the Shenzhou Calendar, the 16-year-old Emperor Yongshun committed suicide at the Northern High Tower District in Fengyuan City. Before his death, he wrote on his yellow robe: "I’m unworthy to face my ancestors; with my death, I exchange for my people’s lives, with the pride of the Xiang Imperial Family intact. As long as I live, I shall carry on Zhaozong’s legacy. The true emperor guards the nation’s gates. As I leave, I fulfill the Grand Ancestor’s spirit; a king dies for his country. May the sun and the moon above, forever shine upon Shenzhou."

At that moment, it seemed as if the whole world went silent, with only the whistling wind continuously in one’s ears.

Ye Wanlan didn’t realize how she had crouched down; all she remembered was seeing a splash of blood before her eyes, dyeing her vision red.

Besides the red of blood, there were no other colors left.

Another complete corpse lay on the ground; another of her relatives was gone.

Her brother, whom she had cherished since childhood, had permanently fallen asleep in his prime on this land stained with blood.

And there she stood, even unable to collect his body for him.

Did it hurt?

Ye Wanlan thought, it must have hurt tremendously.

As a doctor, of course, she knew the excruciating pain of self-slaughter.

Was Xiang Chen not afraid of the pain?

He was afraid too.

But still, he did it so decisively.

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty ah!"

The old ministers stood there, tears streaming down their faces.

They were veterans from two reigns, having followed Ning Zhaozong in the reclamation of the lands, fought in wars to the north and south.

They had watched Princess Yongning grow up, and had accompanied Emperor Yongshun to his ascension. The depth of their affection was self-evident.

"With His Majesty gone, how can this minister live alone?" one old minister also picked up a scattered weapon, "Please, Your Majesty, walk slowly on the Netherworld Path, I am coming after you!"

"Slash—"

The sound of flesh being torn reverberated again and again, followed by a fresh torrent of blood.

The wind grew stronger, and more people died.

Such commotion could naturally not escape the ears of the enemy.

"Sir, Emperor Yongshun has already committed suicide," a junior officer said respectfully, "Should we chop up his corpse and feed it to the dogs?"

"Committed suicide?" The tall man frowned and snorted lightly, "Sure, these Xiang Imperial Family members, one has more backbone than the next. They command my respect."

The King of Yan fought to the death without retreating, Prince of Chu fought desperately.

Princess Jingan armed herself in red, Emperor Yongshun committed suicide for his country.

In their eyes, these were unfathomably incredible acts.

Shouldn’t these people of high rank and power fear death even more?

If they surrendered to them, they could preserve their lives and even obtain more power than before.

But if their lives were gone, then everything was gone.

"Sir, that Young Emperor is also foolish. What makes him think that after his suicide, we would really spare the lives of the citizens?" the junior officer sneered coldly, "We should kill all of the city’s populace, so that he will not rest in peace after death!"

"That’s not possible," the tall man said, waving a hand, "I have already spoken such words before, which amounts to a vow. In Shenzhou, if one makes a vow and does not fulfill it, they will be struck by divine punishment."

"Sir, you are mistaken. Besides Emperor Yongshun, there’s still Princess Yongle," the junior officer suddenly exclaimed with excitement, "A mere twelve-year-old girl, she must be even more afraid!"

"Oh?" The tall man raised an eyebrow, "There’s another from the Xiang Imperial Family? Let’s go and have a look."

Ye Wanlan’s expression turned cold.

The murderous intent that had been suppressed for a long time surged up at this moment, nearly devouring all her reason.

She took a slow breath and followed these people forward, arriving at Yongle Palace.

This was the Yongle Palace from three hundred years ago, resplendently golden, stunningly beautiful.

And three hundred years later, Yongle Palace was scorched earth, even though people in later times kept restoring it, they could hardly bring back its former prosperity.

When Ye Wanlan stepped into Yongle Palace, the palace was very quiet.

All the palace maids had been dispersed, only a small figure stood in the middle of the great hall, holding a piece of clothing.

This was the twelve-year-old Princess Yongle.

When she left, Princess Yongle was but a six-year-old child.

"Little princess, your brother, your aunt, they’ve all died clean. What do you think?" the tall man stroked his chin, "You’re quite pretty. Why don’t you kneel down and beg me? If I’m pleased, I might just spare you, and even let you meet our Crown Prince. That way, the bloodline of your Xiang Imperial Family won’t be extinguished."

Princess Yongle said nothing, standing there silently.

Even at this moment, her heart was far from calm.

If Princess Yongning were here, faced with such a scene, what would she do?

She did not know.

She was born during the heyday of the Ning Dynasty, with Emperor Qianhe above and Prince of Chu below, followed by Princess Jingan and then Princess Yongning. Born into pleasure, she was thus titled "Yongle."

She grew up spoiled by everyone, knowing nothing of hardship.

But she was a princess of Daning, a child of Shenzhou.

She was from the Xiang Imperial Family, a member of the Xiang Family.

She had a spine, she had pride.

She could not bend, she could not break.

Princess Yongle did not speak, but Ye Wanlan could clearly discern her thoughts.

"Yongle..." Ye Wanlan whispered softly, "You’ve done very well, far better than I expected. Your Imperial Elder Sister is proud of you."

Suddenly, she remembered something from long ago.

After finishing her studies, Yongle came to find her, and they fished and read by the river together.

This scene was coincidentally seen by Ning Zhaozong, who at the time clapped his hands and laughed heartily: "Hahaha, with Yongning and Yongle, my Daning will surely thrive for a myriad of eras!"

But Yongning ultimately knew no peace, and Yongle never knew happiness again.

Yongning died young, Yongle set herself on fire.

She was proud of Yongle.

But she also felt heartache.

How could she not? To be burned by fire, leaving no remains, Ye Wanlan could not imagine the pain.

And Yongle was only twelve years old.

At that age today, she would still just be a middle school student.

When she left, Yongle was only five years old and would cling to her legs calling her Imperial Elder Sister.

Back then, who would have thought that six years later Daning would fall, and all would become irretrievable?

As if she had made up her mind, Princess Yongle lifted her head to look at the tall man, with fearless eyes and a slight smile, "All right."

She did not leave because she was waiting for this moment, and had been waiting for a long time.

The contemptuous smile had not yet faded from the tall man’s face when in the next instant, fire engulfed him.

Flames rose from Yongle Palace reaching for the sky as if to drown the entire world, to set the heavens and earth ablaze.

This fire was ignited decisively and swiftly, so much that the enemy did not anticipate it, nor did they have time to flee, all were suffocated by the fire and burned to charcoal.

In the year 1723 of the Shenzhou Calendar, Princess Yongle self-immolated in Yongle Palace at the tender age of 12.

With her death, the Xiang Imperial Family line was severed, and the Ning Dynasty that ruled Shenzhou for 384 years was destroyed.

The scene vanished, the light dimmed, and a voice came through.

"Miss Ye?!"

"Xiao Wan?"

Countless voices swirled around her ears, Ye Wanlan’s vision darkened, and she knew nothing more.