Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?-Chapter 452 - 392: People in the mortal world, nothing more than love and hate
What she saw was the former Empress Jiang, the Empress Dowager of the Da Ye Dynasty, not unfamiliar—her skin still as pale as snow, her hair still adorned as beautifully as ever, and when those tender eyes looked up at her, it felt as if a gentle hand had caressed all her scars, taking away all her pain.
It was her unchanging gentleness.
Everything seemed just like the first time they met.
However, Shang Ruyi still couldn’t believe her eyes. She even forgot how to speak or pay her respects, just staring wide-eyed at the person before her, step by step walking up to her.
No matter how closely she looked, it was still—
Shang Ruyi trembled as she spoke, her voice already fragmented, even tinged with the salty tang of tears.
"Your Highness..."
Empress Jiang—or rather, the Empress Dowager—smiled at her, but unlike past meetings, she did not speak softly to her, only nodding gently.
Yet Shang Ruyi knew she was not being ignored.
She simply couldn’t speak.
Because, around her slender neck, at her throat, there lay a nearly hideous scar!
Shang Ruyi looked at that scar and felt a chill engulf her body.
Even though she once harbored unbearable jealousy, even though she knew she could never meet her without a care in the future, deep in her heart, Shang Ruyi couldn’t deny that Jiang Xinyue—this supreme woman of the Da Ye Dynasty—was a perfect woman.
But now, a flaw had appeared in her perfection.
At that moment, tears welled up in Shang Ruyi’s eyes uncontrollably, refusing to be repressed, bursting forth and pattering onto the small low table.
Though the sound was faint, it seemed to stir a great commotion in the quiet Great Hero Hall.
She suddenly knelt, as if a soulless shell drawn toward her, gazing blankly at the person before her, choking up, "Your Highness, how could this happen?"
Watching her cry, the Empress Dowager’s gentle gaze, though still smiling, was tinged with a slight sorrow. But by this time, she had already moved past her overwhelming grief, quickly calming her emotions, merely smiling at Shang Ruyi.
Though she said nothing, it seemed she had said everything.
Why else?
Because she attempted to end her own life.
Back in Yanyue City, Yu Wenye had told her that after hearing the news of Chu Yang’s death, she had drawn a sword to her throat, though fortunately, they saved her in time.
This was the only decisive mark of her otherwise gentle as water disposition!
As if knowing there was no need to answer the question, the Empress Dowager didn’t speak, only gently watching the inconsolable Shang Ruyi, reaching out to softly stroke her cheek, wiping away some of her tears.
Which only led to more flooding tears.
The Empress Dowager sighed lightly, extending another hand to gently wipe away the flowing tears, even lightly shook her head.
Stop crying—she was saying.
And at that moment, seeing her silent comfort, Shang Ruyi realized, it was clearly she who had endured the greatest pain, yet she, herself, was the one shedding tears before her, even needing her comfort, how despicable of herself.
Thinking of this, she had to force down her sorrows, swallowing all her tears back.
When she looked up at the Empress Dowager again, tears only brimmed in her eyes, blurring her vision, almost distorting everything around her. Yet that hideous scar remained vividly etched in her sight.
Shang Ruyi nearly broke into tears again.
She sobbed, whispered, "Does it still hurt—"
Before she could finish, the Empress Dowager was already smiling, gently shaking her head.
Shang Ruyi said again, "Then—"
The Empress Dowager still shook her head.
Though she hadn’t uttered a word, it seemed as though those tender eyes had seen through all her distress, and the Empress Dowager reached out again, gently patting her hand in comfort.
She could say no more.
Being this close, Shang Ruyi could see more clearly how the scar almost spanned the entire width of her neck, probably having only recently healed and scabbed over, yet the scar still carried a slight redness. Imagine the harrowing scene when she was haunted by the memory of blood at Jiangdu Palace, and far in Daxing City, the Empress Dowager also descended into her own sea of blood.
This scene suffocated Shang Ruyi.
She even felt some hatred.
Hating that man, why hadn’t he thought of this woman who could sacrifice her life for him even at his deathbed, he had everything, why be so capricious, why give up so easily?
She also hated herself.
What had she done?
Thinking about it, Shang Ruyi felt tears welling up again, almost on the brink of surging forth, she had to bite her lip, choking, "Empress Dowager, do you wish to ask me something?"
"..."
"At Jiangdu Palace, actually—"
She almost summoned the courage to tell her everything that happened at Jiangdu Palace. Though just moments ago she explained everything outside, facing everyone, only she knew it wasn’t the truth, the real Jiangdu Palace, that blood-drenched night, was hidden in her heart.
But for this woman, she was willing to let it out.
She was willing to confront those nightmarish memories again.
Yet just as she was about to speak, she saw the Empress Dowager looking at her tenderly, then gently shaking her head.
"...?"
Shang Ruyi instantly froze.
All her words lodged in her throat.
She stared dazedly at the Empress Dowager, her vision blurry, tears streaming, hot tears falling down her cheek before turning cold, as if she balanced on the verge of breaking, enduring such torture of ice and fire.
But the Empress Dowager’s eyes were as gentle as a breeze.
Brushing over her eyes, and over her cheeks.
Taking away all the torturous heat, soothing the emotions nearly collapsing in her heart, after a long while, she saw her reach for something nearby.
Only then did Shang Ruyi notice, on one side of the small low table, there was a stack of papers along with ink and brush.
On the top few sheets, there seemed to be some faint writing.
She cannot speak now; the ink and brush were likely what she used to direct those around her. Indeed, she unfolded a piece of blank paper, her jade-like hand holding a brush, quickly writing a line before her, then she looked up at Shang Ruyi, softly handing her the paper. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
Shang Ruyi clumsily sniffed, hastily received it.
Lowering her head, through blurred vision, a line of gentle yet solemn handwriting came into view—
In the mortal world, nothing more than love and hate.
"...!"
Her heart trembled, looking up at the Empress Dowager.
