Chapter 68.5



Big Brother’s Epilogue (5)



//The chapters is a bit confusing with the time skips. The chapter is from Ziyu's son's perspective, the new Emperor.



Four more summers passed.



Suddenly, more people joined the harem. And many of those who came of age left the palace.



The initially empty harem suddenly ushered in a new concubine one day, and then more and more. The women of the originally empty harem gradually became rowdy, but Lan Ziyu became more and more irritable, and his mood increasingly foul.



He rarely participated in court matters. Instead, the young Prince, who was eleven years old, received the full delegation.



Day by day, he became more and more like Lan Ziyu and received more and more recognition from the court officials.



But the young Prince was not satisfied because the person he wanted recognition from most had locked himself in his room, becoming reticent in recent months.



He kept painting. And like a madman, would catch a person and ask them, “Do you know Lan Min?”



But everyone shook their heads. They didn’t know what happened to the Emperor, who was always calm and indifferent and in control of everything. But those who answered did not know.



If they were lucky, Emperor Father would present them with a kick to the face.



Those who were unlucky would have blood spattered on the spot.



Everyone said that this man, who was once like a god, had gone mad, but only he knew that he hadn’t because the Emperor’s eyes were still as bright as fire and as sharp as a sword!



But what happened to the name he spoke every day and the wedding dress he held in his arms, which he had never seen before?



And when was the ice palace in the palace, which was strictly forbidden to enter, built? And why did he have no recollection of it?



He once ordered someone to call a construction supervisor, but he didn’t have the slightest clue. Also, Empress Mother - this woman seemed to be a mystery. He didn’t remember such a woman and did not have the slightest impression of her.



But his father had decreed that if he ever showed the slightest disrespect or negligence towards that woman, the officials could call for a decree to oust him from the throne and install a new Emperor.



“Emperor, it is time for you to eat.”



The visitor said cautiously, but the man sat alone in the darkness, his back so lonely, as if he were a lone soul, without any of the glamour and dignity of a few months ago.



His head hung bowed, and he held something in his hands, muttering to himself.



The palace staff, carrying the meal, looked at the Grand Steward, who had no choice but to approach him curiously at the Prince’s behest.



He was surprised to see that the King, with his head hanging low, was still in his prime and that his long hair, which had been like lacquer in the morning, was now covered with white frost.



‘What is that ...?’



The steward hadn’t said anything yet, but Lan Ziyu suddenly thinned his lips with an indifferent smile. Repeatedly, he spoke incomprehensible words.



” The first time I saw her was in Empress Mother’s bedroom.



She hadn’t been born for long. Her features hadn’t grown. She was tiny, the size of a kitten. Her eyes were closed. Her skin was wrinkled; it was ugly”, Lan Ziyu smiled and spoke softly, “At that time, I was still too curious, so I poked her with my index finger, I didn’t expect, she opened her eyes ... those eyes were like a whirlpool that drew my eyes in... those eyes were so beautiful...”



“The second time I saw her was when she first returned to the palace from her studies in the mountains. She was three years old then, and she was so bold that she climbed up a tree without any of the decorum of a princess. She had a dusty face, like a little flower. A cat, but she stood barefoot on a tree full of greenery with a bird in her hands, smiling like the sun. I knew it then; it was her! That little crumpled lump of a child... I watched as she put the bird back into the nest when she suddenly stepped out of the way... My body moved in, a subconscious movement. I flew over and held the girl who had fallen from the tree at the base of the tree... The girl’s shocked eyes instantly turned to joy, and she hugged my neck, calling sweetly, “Brother ... you’ve finally come back. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time... At that moment, I felt so happy, for the first time. She was like the world in my arms ...”