489: Re-entering Kunning Palace

Outside the hall, the watch drum struck the second watch. The night grew deeper, and in the silence of the deep palace, only the light crackle of burning red candles and the rustling of the palace locust trees brushed by the evening wind remained.

Liu Airu sighed softly and was about to get up to extinguish the lamp when the air in the sleeping quarters suddenly fluctuated slightly, as if an invisible wind had swept through. The candle flame flickered violently, casting flickering shadows across the hall.

A low voice suddenly rang out in the hall, carrying a familiar scent of pine, wrapped in a bit of indulgence and a bit of helplessness:

"Still not asleep so late, who are you waiting for?"

Liu Airu's body trembled violently, like a startled fawn, and she whipped her head around.

She saw Situ Jun's figure appear out of thin air in the hall. His black robes were not stained by even a drop of night dew. The candlelight fell upon him, outlining his handsome and upright silhouette, less cold and sharp than during the day, and more soft and affectionate.

He stood there, looking at her with burning eyes, the affection in them almost overflowing.

She hurriedly stood up, subconsciously clutching the collar of her nightgown, her voice carrying a hint of imperceptible panic and a bit of reproach:

"Why have you come again? If you are discovered by the people in the palace, the consequences would be unthinkable..."

"What if they find out?"

Situ Jun took a step forward, approaching her step by step. His black robes swept across the floor, bringing with them a faint scent of pine resin.

His gaze locked onto her face, filled with unquestionable determination:

"That Li Xuan, though he rules the world, does not know how to cherish you. He simply does not deserve to have you."

That gaze was too hot, too direct, leaving Liu Airu with nowhere to hide.

She looked away, biting her lip, her fingertips gripping the fabric of her nightgown. Her voice carried a hint of a sob:

"But I am a daughter of the Liu Clan, the Empress of Tianqi! If I am discovered having an illicit affair with a foreign official, the Liu Clan will be finished. Everyone in the Family would die because of me! And the Northern Frontier and Tianqi would also meet on the battlefield..."

"The Liu Clan, I will protect them."

Situ Jun raised his hand, his fingertips gently stroking her cheek, wiping away the tears that had unconsciously fallen from the corners of her eyes.

The warmth from his fingertips transmitted through her skin, carrying a reassuring power. His voice was resolute, carrying the overbearing aura of someone who looked down upon the world, yet hiding the most sincere tenderness:

"Never mind a single Lord of Tianqi, even if it were the entire Tianqi Dynasty, if they dare to harm you in the slightest, I will trample the imperial city and turn it into scorched earth."

His words were not empty threats. The Northern Frontier Iron Cavalry were brave and skilled in battle, and he himself was a Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator with vast Divine Ability. Li Xuan's imperial power was nothing more than a paper decoration before him.

Liu Airu looked up into his eyes. There was no calculation, no exploitation, no weighing of the imperial Family's interests—only pity and protection for her, so pure it made her heart tremble.

In that moment, she actually birthed a ridiculous yet incredibly longing thought—how wonderful it would be if she could really cast everything aside, leave her Family and identity behind, and follow him.

Seeing the wavering in her eyes, Situ Jun's heart softened. His tone slowed down a bit, carrying a hint of expectation and a trace of cautious tenderness:

"Airu, come with me to the City of the Northern Frontier. There are no palace rules or shackles there, no power struggles or schemes, no thin-bloodedness of an Emperor, and no constraints of a Family. I will protect you for the rest of your life, letting you be the most free woman in this world, never to suffer the slightest grievance again."

To the City of the Northern Frontier.

These words were like a beam of light piercing through the haze, shining into the gloom of her heart.

How could she not want to leave this cold, deep palace?

In the years since entering the palace, she had been cautious and calculating every day, forcing smiles for Li Xuan, dealing insincerely with the harem concubines, and being respectful and filial to the Empress Dowager. She was already tired and exhausted.

What she longed for was never the honor of the position of Empress or the glory of power over the harem, but simply a steady protection and a sincere treatment.

And Situ Jun had given her all of this.

His passion, his tenderness, his protection, and his dominance had all been deeply engraved in her heart during last night's intimacy, becoming the only warmth and the only light in this deep palace cage.

But, she could not leave.

Liu Airu's eyes gradually dimmed, and the spark that had just been lit was instantly extinguished by the coldness of reality.

She shook her head gently, tears snaking down from the corners of her eyes and dripping onto her moon-white nightgown, spreading into small wet stains. Her voice was choked with sobs and an unspeakable helplessness:

"I cannot leave. Situ Jun, I thank you for your intentions, but I am a daughter of the Liu Clan, the Empress of Tianqi. My fate has long been tied to the Liu Clan. I cannot abandon them; I cannot let hundreds of people die because of me."

Her refusal was like a bucket of ice-cold snow water, ruthlessly poured over Situ Jun's heart.

He looked at the tears in her eyes, at her suppressed grievances, and at how she was shackled by responsibility. Pity and anger intertwined in his heart—he felt for her lack of choice and for her compromising herself for her Family, yet he was also annoyed by her stubbornness and that she would rather guard this cold Empress's throne and that thin-blooded Emperor than run toward freedom with him.

"The Liu Clan? The Empress of Tianqi?"

Situ Jun's voice turned a few degrees colder, carrying a hint of interrogation, his tone full of incomprehension and heartache:

"In these years, haven't you sacrificed enough for your Family? From being sent into the palace in your youth, being calculating and swallowing your pride, what did you get in the end? Nothing more than trapping yourself in this tiny harem as a canary, a pawn to be manipulated! Airu, this position of Empress is simply not worth such persistence and sacrifice!"

Liu Airu closed her eyes, and tears gushed out, no longer able to be suppressed.

How could she not know it wasn't worth it?

How could she not want to break free?

But the phrase "having no choice" was far too heavy.

She choked out, her voice broken, revealing the deepest concern in her heart:

"I know, I know it all, but I have no choice. Even if we take a step back, I was only just invested as the Empress of Tianqi yesterday. If I leave this harem with you today, even if Li Xuan can do nothing to you, the spit of the people of Tianqi will drown us. You are the dignified City Lord of the Northern Frontier with a lifelong reputation; you would also bear the infamy of abducting the Empress. I cannot ruin you."

She wasn't just thinking of her Family; she was also thinking of him.

She knew of his prestige in the Northern Frontier and that he was a City Lord admired by ten thousand people. She could not let him become the object of public scorn because of her.

Seeing her weeping and how she was still considering him even in her refusal, the anger in Situ Jun's heart was eventually replaced by deep pity.

He raised his hand and gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, his fingertips brushing her skin with a warm temperature. His voice was low, carrying a hint of compromise:

"I know what you are worried about. I won't force you."

Though he said this, the disappointment in his eyes was hard to hide.

That trace of expectation was shattered by reality, and even the aura surrounding him dimmed a bit.