This fact had haunted Li Qiyu for half her life. She had explained to Song Jiaye time and again that there was nothing between her and Zhou Donglin, but Song Jiaye simply refused to believe her. Even the jade hairpin that Zhou Donglin had given her, Li Qiyu didn't dare to wear it later. She only dared to keep it in a corner where Song Jiaye couldn't see it, lest he get angry.
Back then, she was terrified of having angered Song Jiaye. But now, it seemed that the one she truly owed an apology to was Zhou Donglin.
She had wasted most of his life.
"Given their relationship, one can't talk about Zhou Donglin without mentioning Empress Li," Li Xichi continued. "Later, the Li family plotted a rebellion and was captured by His Majesty. His Majesty ordered the execution of the entire Li family, and Empress Li was sent to the Cold Palace. Heartbroken, Empress Li jumped from the Star - Picking Tower."
The Li family didn't rebel!
Li Qiyu desperately wanted to defend the Li family, but she held back. She had long known that it was all in vain.
It was simply a case of "a pretext can always be found to condemn the innocent." It was just like "the hound is killed once the hares are hunted down."
"When Empress Li jumped, Zhou Donglin was right below the tower. Even now, the scene still gives me the creeps. A person falling from such a high tower would surely be mangled. Yet Zhou Donglin managed to hold her in his arms. The empress's blood flowed all over the ground. Everyone knew that there was no hope for her, but he still called for the imperial physician. What could the physician do when she was already dead?"
Li Qiyu listened in silence, and the image of Zhou Donglin holding her in despair flashed before her eyes.
Li Qiyu never expected that at the last moment of her life, only he didn't despise her and was willing to hold her, giving a bit of warmth to her lonely soul.
What a fool.
Even in death, she was still the empress. Wasn't he afraid that Song Jiaye would come after him?
Sure enough, Li Xichi soon brought up this point.
"Even in death, Empress Li was still the empress. As a courtier, it was a great disrespect for him to hold the empress. Moreover, he cried more sorrowfully than His Majesty. An outsider might have thought it was his wife who had died. Of course, His Majesty was angry."
"And then?" Hearing that Song Jiaye was angry, Li Qiyu tensed up. It wasn't for Song Jiaye that she was worried; she was concerned about Zhou Donglin.
"Later, he became a tomb - keeper. I heard that he asked His Majesty for this himself. But I guess he must have realized that he had overstepped and that His Majesty was angry, so he voluntarily offered to leave. Leaving on his own at least saved his face."
"He... became a tomb - keeper?"
"Yes, to guard the empress's tomb. He's really a lovesick fool. Still guarding even after she's dead."
"Wasn't he the son of the prime minister? Would the prime minister allow him to be a tomb - keeper?"
"Of course, the prime minister didn't agree. But this Zhou Donglin was really brave. He cut off the father - son relationship with the prime minister and even gave up the Zhou surname."
Li Qiyu suddenly understood why there was nothing in the unearthed tomb that could prove the identity of the tomb - owner. Why "The Collection of Spring and Yu" was anonymous. Why the tomb of the son of the prime minister was so simple.
Because he had no identity anymore.
After her death, Zhou Donglin actually gave up everything for her?!
He was really a fool!
Li Qiyu now wished she could go back to ancient times immediately, give him a hard slap to wake him up.
Then, hug him tightly and say sorry to him.
For so many years, she had failed to notice his feelings and made him wait his whole life. She was sorry.
At this point, Li Xichi stopped. Li Qiyu looked up at her with tears in her eyes.
Li Xichi knew what she meant and shrugged. "Don't look at me. This is all I know."
Her father was a stubborn old man. He didn't like to form cliques in the officialdom like others. He even avoided basic social events. So, he kept a distance from high - ranking officials.
Therefore, her family rarely interacted with the Zhou family, and Li Xichi had little to do with Zhou Donglin. She remembered Zhou Donglin only because of the rumors about Li Qiyu and Zhou Donglin back then, and the scene of Zhou Donglin holding Li Qiyu tightly and crying heart - rendingly on the day the empress died.
As for what happened after Zhou Donglin went to the imperial mausoleum, within a few years, people had completely forgotten about him.
After all, if the mistress of the palace, the empress, could be forgotten, how much more so a cast - off son of the Zhou family.
Li Qiyu held back her grief. Since the opportunity was rare, she forced herself to cheer up and asked a question that had been bothering her for a long time.
"Why was he castrated and became a eunuch?"
"Castrated? A eunuch?" Li Xichi was completely confused. "I've never heard of this. Where did you hear it?"
"Some time ago, his tomb was discovered. Archaeologists, those who specialize in studying such things, examined him and found out."
Li Xichi shook her head.
"I really don't know about this. In fact, the last time I saw him was when the empress jumped. After that, all I heard were just rumors."
Li Xichi had dedicated her whole life to Song Jiaye. He was the only one in her eyes and heart. Naturally, she didn't care about other men.
Only occasionally in the middle of the night, when she had dreams, would she think of Li Qiyu and, by the way, Zhou Donglin.
Sometimes, she thought Li Qiyu was really lucky.
It was already a rare thing in the world for someone to have a devoted lover.
She even had two.
One was Zhou Donglin, who was willing to follow her even after her death.
The other was Song Jiaye, who missed her for most of his life.
Back then, when Concubine Yu was pushed off the top floor of the Star - Picking Tower and was left alone without anyone to rescue her, she had also thought about it.
When Li Qiyu jumped, up on the tower, Song Jiaye had desperately tried to stop her, and below the tower, there was Zhou Donglin wailing for her.
But what about her? She had no one. She was like someone who had been forgotten.
If she were Li Qiyu, maybe she wouldn't have been forgotten.
At least Song Jiaye would surely have tried his best to save her.
Ironically, she had actually become Li Qiyu.
Now, looking at herself with Li Qiyu's face, she just couldn't get used to it.
"Okay, you've asked me so many questions. Now it's my turn to ask you one," Li Xichi said.
Li Qiyu knew what she was going to ask.
What else could Concubine Yu ask but about Song Jiaye?
But thinking of Song Jiaye, Li Qiyu decided to spare him this little trouble.
She lied casually. "I've calculated. The current Song Jiaye has nothing to do with the Song Jiaye in your ancient world."
"They look exactly the same and even have the same name."
"But he really has nothing to do with Song Jiaye." This was also Li Qiyu's experience after getting along with Song Jiaye.
Seeing that Li Xichi clearly didn't believe her, she asked, "Think about it. If he were Song Jiaye, why wouldn't he recognize you?"
Li Xichi felt extremely bitter.
Song Jiaye would never recognize her. Song Jiaye only had eyes for Li Qiyu.