Chapter 493 (2/2)
In the past, she hadn't known what love was. It was only when she met him that she had learned what love was. And yet, in the end, he hadn't been able to hold onto his promise to her.
The servant girl's sobs choked her utterance. She could only helplessly watch as Pengyue pa.s.sed away. Soon after, a voice called out from downstairs.
”Someone! Come here, help this emperor upstairs.”
The servant girl packed up her bag, saluted towards the bed, and slowly went downstairs.
The palace servants had scattered, so there was naturally no one here to help him. Zhao Li's eyes were red. This was the first time he felt such loathing that he was a cripple. He couldn't even go upstairs to bring Pengyue down.
A female palace servant came downstairs. His eyes brightened. ”Help this emperor upstairs to see the empress!”
The female palace servant compa.s.sionately glanced at him. ”Her Majesty's dying decree was that she didn't want to see you. If Your Majesty wants to go up, you'll have to climb up there yourself.”
Dying decree?
Zhao Li smiled. This palace servant must be stupid. Pengyue was still alive. How could her words be a dying decree? ”Don't say such nonsense...”
The palace servant had already run away. Zhao Li called out a few times, but she didn't look back.
It was quiet upstairs. Zhao Li fumbled his way out of his wheelchair. Dragging his heavy legs, he crawled up the stairs. As he crawled up, he cursed, ”The servants in the palace use words they don't know. What dying decree? It should be called imperial decree. What a hopeless idiot.”
His unfeeling legs were sc.r.a.pped by the stairs as he dragged himself up. It felt so laborious as he pulled himself up the stairs one at a time with his hands.
”w.a.n.gyue Building is truly tall enough. Would it be possibly to see Yuzhen from w.a.n.gyue Building's roof?”
When he couldn't climb anymore, he took a break and leaned on the railing to rest. Zhao Li looked upwards and dejectedly called out, ”Yue-er”
That person could never bear to see him hurt. How could she be willing for him to be so tired?
Sigh. Keep climbing. She was probably mad at him and wanted to see him climb up to see her. Zhao Li couldn't help but laugh. Really, it felt quite scary to witness a woman getting mad.
The building was very quiet. When Zhao Li finally climbed up to the doors of Pengyue's room, he smiled out of happiness. But, he put away his smile and said, ”Aren't you going to come over and help this emperor up? This emperor's legs are already broken. This emperor doesn't want to break his hands too!”
No one answered him. Zhao Li leaned against the side of the door and laughed. ”Oldest imperial brother's people are going to enter the palace. If you don't leave with me now, it'll be too late.”
However, the person on the bed still didn't respond to him. Zhao Li sighed. Keeping the smile off his face, he resumed crawling. As he crawled, he angrily rebuked her. Pengyue was short-tempered. Just wait, with him scolding her like this, she was sure to jump out to refute him!
But, he had already waited so long this time. Why was she refusing to say a single word of retort?
Zhao Li opened his eyes wide and smiled. ”It's really difficult when a woman is throwing a tantrum, ah.”
This time, he was willing to say sweet words to coax her. Really. Whatever she wanted, he would give it to her. As long as... as long as she woke up and looked at him. As long as she... wiped the blood on his face for him.
This emperor hadn't come yet. Why did you leave first?
Translator Ramblings: Even though its tragic, I really liked Zhao Li and Pengyue's story.
And, I like the imagery of a fallen Zhao Li climbing up the stairs and reading his descent into delusion, especially when he smiles in happiness. I think it makes it all the more tragic that Zhao Li already found out that Pengyue was dead before he crawled up all those stairs in chapter 417, but he just didn't want to admit it. Zhao Li does a lot of bad things, but by the end of this chapter, I got a bit teary.
What do you guys think of Zhao Li and Pengyue's story?