If it were any other matter, the Empress would never have backed down, but with her own son still waiting outside, she felt it was indeed inappropriate to say more. After all, she had plenty of time to bide with the Second Prince. Even if she couldn't act openly, she could scheme behind the scenes.
Seeing this, the Third Prince couldn't help but feel a chill of fear. He dared not imagine what his fate would have been if Wu Caiwei hadn't warned him and he had rashly entered that forest. If the Second Prince's plan had succeeded and everyone believed he had murdered the Crown Prince, what would his situation be without the support of his maternal family? He could not bear to imagine that scene.
Speaking of Wu Caiwei, it brought to mind that man who looked so much like himself. Too many questions swirled in his heart, and he needed to find time to ask them properly.
Wu Caiwei returned to her shop feeling somewhat dejected. Lu Zi was overjoyed to see her. With her master away from the city for the past few days, everything had felt a bit off. Although the Third Prince's patronage meant no one dared to cause trouble, she had still felt uneasy. Now that her master was back, she realized she was her anchor.
She soon noticed something was wrong. "Master, what's wrong?" she asked tentatively.
Wu Caiwei shook her head feebly. Her relationship with him was something others could not comprehend. She thought that after so many lifetimes, they had reached a point where nothing was left unsaid, that they were each other's support. Yet, today's events had slapped her hard, making her feel that no one in this world could be trusted, as if their past sweetness had all been a beautiful dream.
Today was the first day of the Crown Prince's funeral. The Third Prince was exceptionally busy. By the time he stopped for a drink of water, night had fallen. He didn't have time to return home and ended up spending the night in the palace. He thought he might finally get some good sleep, but unexpectedly, Wu Caiwei appeared before him as silently as a ghost.
Looking at her, the Third Prince, while somewhat surprised, found it within his expectations. After all, anyone could see her abnormal expression when she faced that man earlier today.
"Do you want to go to the prison to see him, or do you want me to rescue him?" The Third Prince was exhausted and didn't want to beat around the bush. He directly asked the question that was on his mind.
"Deep down, of course, I want you to rescue him. But he has already drawn the attention of the Empress and the Emperor. You will inevitably be implicated, so I won't trouble you. I came to see him today." Wu Caiwei knew that he was a person of intense scrutiny by the Emperor and Empress, and seeing him involved great risk.
The Third Prince nodded and quickly beckoned someone over. He whispered a few words to them and had them make the arrangements.
Before long, Wu Caiwei, clad in a black cloak, followed a eunuch to the gloomy prison. Walking to the end, she finally saw the person she had longed to see.
He was not surprised by her appearance. After all, with her abilities, she would find a way to see him eventually. He sighed, helpless, "You've come?"
"Yes, I had to come and get things clear. After all, we've been together for so many years, and I want to know if your feelings have changed and what your plans are for the future." Wu Caiwei smiled, her gaze calm as she looked at him, as if they weren't in a prison but on the street, two old friends catching up.
"I'm afraid you've already guessed my true identity. Yes, my original name was Li Shengxu. If I'm not mistaken, my fiancée Liu Qingqing is long dead. How could the actions of these people be leaked? They would definitely kill them to cut off all future trouble."
Whether in this life or the last, he felt he had let Liu Qingqing down. He hated that he had returned too late. If he had come sooner, he would never have allowed her to fall into such a state.
Wu Caiwei listened quietly, knowing he wanted someone to confide in, and she was willing to be that listener.
After a moment's thought, he continued, "Actually, after I returned, I considered resisting. But after so many years, my body had already been ruined by them. Even if the Emperor didn't kill me, I wouldn't have much longer to live. Coupled with the sustenance from the drugs, and lacking suitable medicine, I couldn't resist their control, which led me to commit this mistake. My death is of no consequence, but I pity my parents and my brothers, who will likely be implicated."
Hearing this, Wu Caiwei quickly took his hand and felt his pulse. After a while, she let go of his hand. If one looked closely, they would notice her hand trembling. She had never imagined his body could be in such a deplorable state.
She thought he was no different from a normal person, merely having committed a heinous crime due to the hallucinogenic drugs. But she never expected that if not for those drugs sustaining his body, he would have already died.
Wu Caiwei mused that it made sense. He knew so many of the Second Prince's secrets; how could the Second Prince let him leave alive? Only the dead could keep secrets. However, she found this outcome difficult to accept, her mind going blank.
Li Shengxu looked at her heartbroken expression, patted her hand, and said with affection, "We've been together for so many years; our feelings are not fake. You have always been in my heart, and my feelings for Liu Qingqing were merely guilt. Although we were engaged, we were not allowed to meet often before marriage. However, her family valued sons over daughters, and her life at home was not easy. I was eager to marry her and let her enjoy a few days of comfort. Who knew fate would play such a trick? Later, I met you and finally understood what true love was."
Hearing his confession firsthand, Wu Caiwei's heart finally settled. This time, she was very uncertain, fearing that Li Shengxu's feelings for Liu Qingqing were deep and that he had never forgotten her.
"In the past few lifetimes, I've had a bad premonition that I would eventually have to leave you, so I treated you exceptionally well. I thought I was just being overly worried, but this lifetime, I've remembered everything.
In the original lifetime, I completed a mission for the Second Prince, just like today, framing the Third Prince. To quickly get rid of me, they buried me alive before I even died. At that time, my resentment was sky-high, and I was unwilling to reincarnate.
A voice in my mind told me that if I completed the mission, I would be sent back to before the incident, giving me a chance to change my fate. I was desperate for revenge and agreed without a second thought." He spoke with a mix of emotion, melancholy, and a deep sense of longing.
"What was your mission?" Wu Caiwei asked curiously. They had been together for so many lifetimes, yet she never knew he had also come with a mission.