Chapter 1183
The Unfavored Princess 5
At first, frequent reports of victories led people to believe that the war would soon be over.
However, joy turned to sorrow as the State of Chu was defeated, and suffered a series of defeats.
The commander-in-chief, Marquis Guangde, was beheaded, and his son, Jiang Lijun, was captured alive. The Chu army was utterly defeated.
There were even rumors that the Chu state was defeated because Jiang Lijun leaked the battle plan, and that Jiang Lijun was not captured, but was sent to the Liang state as a meritorious official.
Even after sending a new commander, morale had been lost, making it difficult to continue fighting. Several battles were fought, but the results were poor.
Having suffered such heavy losses, the State of Chu was unwilling to continue and began to withdraw. They then sent envoys to deliver a letter of sue for peace.
I thought the chances were slim, but to my surprise, the Liang Kingdom agreed to make peace.
Just then, news came that a new ruler of Liang had ascended the throne, and everything was under his control.
Soon, Liang presented its conditions, one of which was quite strange: it required the princess to be sent to Liang. They added that everything else was negotiable, but this condition was essential.
For many people in the State of Chu, sending a princess there was nothing unusual.
The court officials who agreed to the conditions were worried that the emperor and empress dowager would be reluctant to part with the princess and therefore unwilling to agree.
The client had also heard rumors, and she had already foreseen her fate. Even if her identity changed, they would still eventually send her to the Liang Kingdom.
They just act like they're in pain and helpless.
So when she actually faced all of this, she felt no sadness or distress, and accepted it calmly.
For a person who has no desires and will not live long, there is no difference between the state of Chu and the state of Liang.
Although the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were surprised by her calmness, they were relieved that she didn't make a fuss. Naturally, they made many compensations to her and even felt a little guilty, promising to bring her back when the opportunity arose.
The client simply smiled and went to Liang with the envoy, showing no reluctance whatsoever.
She was born a wanderer, with no home of her own, and no desire to return to the State of Chu. She didn't expose the Emperor and Empress Dowager's true feelings; it was pointless.
I thought going to Liang Kingdom would be a humiliation, a repetition of the bitter days of my childhood.
To her surprise, the palace servants treated her with great courtesy, even with a cautious attempt to please her, which aroused her curiosity about why.
She didn't understand until she met the new ruler of Liang.
It turns out that the new ruler of Liang was actually Li Gufang.
This surprised her, yet she felt that this was how things should be.
She didn't think things were that dramatic. It was ridiculous that Li Gufang would have any thoughts about her. But why did he bring her here?
She looked directly into Li Gufang's eyes, which were too calm, like a stagnant pool, and she couldn't see clearly.
Li Gufang said to her, "We have both been abandoned countless times. Live well here, and I won't do anything to you."
This answer was somewhat unexpected, but the client accepted it quickly.
At that moment, she seemed to understand that Li Gufang probably didn't like men, and there might have been something more to the story between her and Jiang Lijun.
Li Gufang also took her to see Jiang Lijun, and in front of her, he whipped Jiang Lijun severely, his ferocious smile a bit perverted as he vented his anger.
She wasn't scared.
Jiang Lijun asked her for help, but she ignored him and just watched quietly.
She didn't know what had happened between the two of them, and had no right to interfere.
Given her circumstances, there's nothing she can do about it.
Finally, this is Jiang Lijun, why would she care?
She never visited Jiang Lijun again, and didn't know how he was doing. He was living peacefully in the palace, and didn't care about outside affairs.
She only occasionally saw Li Gufang and noticed that the palace servants were full of fear of him, guessing that something must have happened, but she couldn't care less.
In the Liang Kingdom's palace, she found herself living a rare period of peace. There was no scheming, no fighting, and no one dared to neglect or disturb her.
It wasn't until a palace banquet, when an assassin disguised as a palace servant killed Li Gufang, shouting "tyrant!", that she became a little curious about the outside world, but she had no way to inquire about anything.
She didn't know whether he was a real tyrant or a fake one.
All she knew was that the entire Liang Kingdom was in chaos. As someone with a certain level of knowledge, she didn't think that the problems were solely Li Gufang's responsibility.
Even with her abilities, she still couldn't change anything.
That day, the rebels stormed the palace.
She had already seen through life and death and was prepared for it, but unexpectedly Li Gufang came again, sent her to the secret passage, and waved to her with a smile: "You can go now."
"It seems I don't have the ability to keep things peaceful either."
"Perhaps I am not suited to be an emperor."
“I know that with your abilities, you will definitely be able to survive outside. You were able to return to Chu from the Great Wilderness Tribe Kingdom before, and you will definitely be able to survive now.”
"This time, you are not abandoned."
The client was genuinely surprised and moved by these words, and unusually asked, "You...aren't you leaving?"
"I...I'm not leaving."
"Nobody wants me to live."
"I don't want to be a prisoner again, and I don't have the will to start over."
"Do you want me to live?" he asked again.
Putting everything else aside, the client was hopeful, so he nodded.
Li Gufang laughed: "Good, then it's not a wasted life."
The client left, because staying meant certain death; she couldn't change anything. Leaving meant she could at least find a chance to collect Li Gufang's body, giving him a final moment of dignity, as a way of repaying the care she had received during this time.
Later, when Li Gufang died, she actually found an opportunity to help him collect his body, fulfilling the promise she had made in her heart.
Using her remaining time, she traveled to various places.
The Liang Kingdom was destroyed, but no new dynasty was established. Instead, various factions rose up in war, and even the Chu Kingdom was thrown into chaos. Along the way, she witnessed far more horrific scenes than she had seen on her previous journey from the Great Wilderness Tribe Kingdom to the Chu Kingdom.
It was only then that she realized that the Liang Kingdom was rotten to the core, and no matter whether Li Gufang was a tyrant or a wise ruler, it would be extremely difficult for him to govern well.
The situation in Chu was similar; the war with Liang only slightly accelerated the process, and all sides were already restless.
There was a kingdom called Chong in a faraway place, but unfortunately, it couldn't govern this place. The people there lived in peace and happiness, a story told by merchants who used to travel there. Many people went there, but whether anyone achieved their wish, she didn't know, because she didn't go that way.
She has always been a person without much goal, or rather, without lofty ambitions.
Seeing the tragic scenes before her, her greatest wish was for peace and tranquility for all, for everyone to live peaceful and undisturbed lives. No war, no displacement, no fighting to the death over a wild vegetable pancake, and no cannibalism.
She began to regret that she was a girl and didn't even have the right to compete.
Perhaps some women could compete, but she knew her own limitations and knew she couldn't compete for anything from this starting point.
And her life was coming to an end.
The regret is not the family affection I never received.
If she could do it all over again, she would still hope to do something with her meager strength, even though it would be very difficult.
She's not capable enough; what if she hired a helper?
Therefore, the client's wish is to contribute to peace and stability in the world. She doesn't know the extent to which this can be done, nor does she know how the world will unfold; she only hopes that Azhen will do her best to reduce suffering for some. (End of Chapter)