The cliffs in the capital city were different from those in Xingzhou. Here, there were only jagged rocks, and few vines to cling to. Once one fell, it would mean certain death.
Moreover, there was their child in her belly.
Ji Lingchuan dared not think further. He couldn't bear the consequence if she were to fall.
His chest heaved. He said to Song Yihuan, "Don't be afraid. Stand still. I'll come over and take you back."
As soon as he took a step forward, he heard a call carried by the wind to his ears.
"Your Highness."
Hasty footsteps came from behind. Fu Zhou, Fu Xing and others caught up. "Your Highness, Miss Song. Song Nanxin has been captured, and all the Northern Di assassins have been under control. It's safe down the mountain."
For some reason, Song Yihuan standing on the cliff edge made Ji Lingchuan feel a little flustered. He suppressed that strange feeling and said to Song Yihuan, "Come back quickly. It's safe down the mountain. I'll take you back right away."
Song Yihuan looked at Ji Lingchuan and lifted the corners of her lips in a smile. There was a bloodstain on her fair neck, which was cut by Song Nanxin with a dagger just now.
After such a long time of running away, the blood on it had already dried up. But that bloodstain on her skin made Ji Lingchuan feel extremely distressed.
"Your Highness, do you know? I've been waiting for this day for almost five years to avenge my mother."
Ji Lingchuan said, "I know. I know you've endured a lot of pain to avenge your mother. Now that your great revenge has been avenged, you should let go of your heart. Come, go back with me."
She looked up at the sky. The weather today was not very good. Dark clouds were densely gathered, hanging low over the capital city, making people feel a little out of breath, just like her mood at the moment.
She gently shook her head, and the smile on her face became more obvious than before.
"Your Highness, you may not know me well enough. I'm a very scheming person. I'm not as innocent as you think at all. Do you know what I've done to avenge my mother?"
Ji Lingchuan clenched his fists tightly. The uneasiness in his heart became stronger. He followed her words and asked, "What did you do?"
"Actually, on the day my mother died, I went to the dilapidated temple behind the Imperial College. When I was at the foot of the mountain, I passed by Your Highness who was leaving in a hurry. Since then, I've known that the Mr. Lingji who corresponded with me was the Prince of Ningqin. That nine - link puzzle was indeed deliberately left there by me."
Ji Lingchuan's pupils suddenly shrank. "You - but why didn't you admit it?"
"Silly. It was naturally to arouse your curiosity." Song Yihuan said with a smile.
"I had already guessed that Song Nanxin was related to my mother's death. I suppressed my doubts and continued to study at the Imperial College for her, keeping an eye on her every move. When I learned that she was betrothed by the Empress Dowager, I secretly put some fire - resistant pictures in her room on the eve of her wedding, leading her to read them. With her character, she would surely not be able to bear the loneliness and would want to try what was in the fire - resistant pictures."
"Sure enough, less than two months after she got married, she went to the Changyue Nunnery. After that, Your Highness should also know. She found out that she was pregnant and took the abortifacient. I changed one ingredient in that abortifacient, turning it into a sterilizing medicine. From then on, she could never have a child again. And when Your Highness returned in triumph, she would surely find a way to hide this matter."
"So, I made her think of me, of the younger sister she had always used but disdained."
Song Yihuan raised her hand. That hand had just held a dagger and stabbed it fiercely into Cui Muyuan's body. There was still blood on her fingers. The smell of blood made her stomach churn and feel a little nauseous.
And Ji Lingchuan understood her words. "So, from the very beginning, all this was your scheme? There was not a bit of affection for me in your heart?"
"Yes." Song Yihuan's eyes suddenly became moist. Her heart ached. "Everything was designed by me. In order to achieve my goal, I could do anything. I only calculated you from the very beginning. There was not a bit of affection."
Ji Lingchuan closed his eyes tightly. When he opened them again, he still reached out his hand to her. "I understand your pain and your choice. What's done is done. It's meaningless to dwell on the past. I only look at the present and the future. Song Yihuan, I order you now, come here."
"The present and the future?" Song Yihuan gave a soft laugh and raised her hand to touch her abdomen. "Does Your Highness mean the child in my belly?"
"It's really a pity. In this matter, Your Highness was also calculated by me. There's nothing in my belly. The so - called child and pregnancy are all fake."
Ji Lingchuan was shocked. "What did you say? But the doctor clearly diagnosed a pregnancy!"
Song Yihuan said, "It's because I took a medicine that could make people be diagnosed as pregnant. After taking this medicine, the body would show symptoms of pregnancy."
"This is impossible!" Ji Lingchuan didn't believe it at all. "Come back. We'll let the doctor diagnose you again!"
Song Yihuan shook her head and took a small step back. The sound of the falling gravel was a bit louder than before. Ji Lingchuan's face was extremely tense. He was like a taut bowstring, ready to rush forward at any time.
"Your Highness, look. I'm such a scheming and cunning woman. I'm not even worthy to be your concubine. How could I dare to expect more?"
Realizing what she wanted to do, Ji Lingchuan said coldly, "Song Yihuan, if you dare to jump from here, I'll kill Fu Ling, Chun Xing, Fei Xue, Qi Lei, and all the people you care about!"
Song Yihuan burst out laughing. "I can even calculate myself. Your Highness, do you think I'll care about them? My great revenge has been avenged. I have no relatives and nothing to miss in this world. A person whose heart is already dead is just a walking corpse living in the world."
She stared deeply at Ji Lingchuan again. "A woman like me is not worth Your Highness's trouble. This humble concubine wishes Your Highness to marry a good wife and have many children and grandchildren."
Ji Lingchuan no longer cared about the danger. He rushed forward like an arrow, trying to reach out and grab the figure swaying on the cliff edge.
"No -"
However, he was a step too late. His fingers only managed to grab a corner of her sleeve. He watched helplessly as that figure fell like a broken - string kite. He was about to jump down after her regardless, just like he saved her in Xingzhou. But Fu Zhou and others behind him grabbed him tightly and held him firmly on the cliff edge.
"Song Yihuan! Song Yihuan!"
"Let go of me!"
"Get out of the way!"
"Your Highness, you can't! There are still many things waiting for you to deal with in the capital city. The princess is still waiting for you to go back in the mansion. You mustn't act recklessly at this time!"
The wind howled through the mountains, sounding like someone crying sadly. Ji Lingchuan felt his face was cold. He reached out his hand and wiped it. He found that he didn't know when he had shed tears.
He shook off the guards who were holding him behind. His eyes were blood - red as he looked at the bottom of the cliff. He gritted his teeth and said,
"A Northern Di spy was shot and fell off the cliff. This person is insidious and cunning. He once escaped several searches and pursuits by feigning death. Everyone, listen to my order! Search the mountain! Whether alive or dead, I want to see the person or the body!"
And that included her!