Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Goddess of Moonlight Pagoda

Xu Haoran gaped at her. "You? You're the infamous Goddess of Moonlight Pagoda?!"

She raised her chin in a challenge. "What? Don't believe me? Nowadays, I'm called the Goddess of Moonlight Pagoda, but only a very few actually know what the Goddess's real identity is."

"Who? Who knows?"

Li Yingshan sighed. "Qiu Ling and Miao Chuntao, for one thing. Then, there's a messenger boy, Han Shaolei, who works for Moonlight Pagoda. He knows who I am. Then, there's the Crown Prince and Madam Meng. The other courtesans know as well. A few patrons of Dream House know too."

"I don't call that 'a very few'. That's more like a lot of people!"

"Compared to the people in the Jianghu alone though? It's still relatively small."

Worry suddenly filled her eyes. She wrung her hands nervously as she thought of what to say. Finally, she commanded, "Qiu Ling, Miao Chuntao, leave us."

The two women bowed slightly and walked away. Once they were alone, Li Yingshan lowered her head.

"You probably don't want me to remain the Goddess of Moonlight Pagoda, do you?"

"Li Yingshan, you are my wife. How can you be the Goddess at the same time?"

Despair filled her teary eyes, but he couldn't see it. Her voice cracked as she choked out, "I understand. I'll find the best successor to hand it over to."

She brushed past him and swiftly returned to Cherry Blossom Hall. She slammed the doors shut and wrapped her arms around herself as she fell to her knees and let out a sob. Qiu Ling and Miao Chuntao were already inside and came over to her.

"My Lady..."

"Goddess..."

They both watched her break down with pain in their hearts. They felt bad that she had to go through all of this. After having already suffered so much, why did she have to keep suffering?

"Miao Chuntao, M- M- Moonlight Pagoda... is yours now."

Her eyes widened. "No, Goddess! You're our founder! Without you, many of us would not have homes or purpose in life. You've done so much for us. We won't follow anyone but you!"

Xu Haoran had followed her back and heard Miao Chuntao's proclamation.

"You don't understand. I am a wife first and foremost. I cannot be the Goddess any longer."

Qiu Ling protested, "But you were able to be Goddess while you lived in Dream House!"

"And I was freer there!" Li Yingshan snapped back. "Here, I had to have you sneak around Longxin City, dodging Hero Xu's watchful eyes. Now that he knows, do you really think that he'd let me stay the Goddess of Moonlight Pagoda?! No! What choice do I have but to give it up?"

"But you worked so hard to make it into what it is today!" Miao Chuntao cried. "Moonlight Pagoda belongs to you!"

"Not anymore," Li Yingshan replied in a monotone. "Nothing is mine anymore. Ever since I got married, my possessions and even myself now belong to my husband. Whatever I do reflects on him. And Moonlight Pagoda is intertwined with court politics. Why would Hero Xu wish to be associated with that? It's all my fault. I damned Moonlight Pagoda the moment I started working for the Crown Prince."

"That bastard. After what he did to you, my Lady, he doesn't deserve Moonlight Pagoda's help anymore!"

Xu Haoran's eyebrows furrowed. What did the Crown Prince do to Li Yingshan?

"He shut down Jade Bell Inn. He's trying to kill me. Isn't it obvious, Qiu Ling? He's trying to destroy my Moonlight Pagoda. By destroying it, he'll destroy the evidence of his rise to Heir Apparency. The treasonous things we've done, the underhanded deals we've made, everything has been recorded by Moonlight Pagoda at Jade Bell Inn. And now? That evidence is now in his hands. If he calls for my execution, there's nothing I can do. I will either hang or my head will roll." Li Yingshan sighed sadly and continued, "Breaking ties with Moonlight Pagoda won't help a bit. He can warrant my arrest under my real name."

"Goddess, all you have left is Moonlight Pagoda. Why would you give it up so quickly?" Miao Chuntao asked.

But Li Yingshan never got the chance to answer. The front doors slid open, causing all three to jump. Admittedly, Xu Haoran hadn't been expecting to see his wife on her knees just inside the residence. His eyes flicked over to Qiu Ling and Miao Chuntao.

"Go out."

They bowed their heads and obeyed. Qiu Ling turned and started to close the doors behind her. But then, she stopped.

"Young Master, my Lady has already fulfilled your request. Please go easy on her. I don't wish to dress any more wounds caused by those who claim to be family."

Xu Haoran's heart clenched at her words.

"QIU LING!" Li Yingshan lashed out reproachfully.

"I'm sorry, my Lady. But I was just telling the truth."

She closed the doors, leaving Li Yingshan at Xu Haoran's mercy. He walked around to her front.

"Stand up."

Li Yingshan flicked her skirt up and stood. She kept her head lowered, unwilling to look him in the eye. He ensnared her wrist in his hand and led her over to the bed. After they had both sat, he reached out and used two fingers to slowly raise her chin. Their eyes met. 

You are reading story 爱与坚持 Love and Perseverance at novel35.com

"I'm not going to hurt you," he promised.

"Qiu Ling shouldn't have said those words. I apologize if she's offended you. This wife will scold her later tonight for her impudence."

His eyelashes fluttered. Not this again.

Seeing his displeased expression, Li Yingshan quickly bit her lip. "Or you can."

He watched her. She didn't say anymore though, waiting for him. He could see the misery and despair in her eyes and inwardly chastised himself. She kept her gaze averted and absentmindedly picked at her nails.

"What happened to the bold martial artist that was here before? Why is it that your personality changes so drastically around me? You feared nothing and no one when your maid's life was on the line. Yet, standing here before me, you act like a submissive wife who's never thought for herself a day in her life. Are you scared of me?"

She shook her head without saying a word.

"Then why? Please, just help me to understand."

Her mouth opened, but no words came out. She shut her mouth and didn't try again. He groaned.

"Li Yingshan, I'm not your enemy. I'm not going to hurt you. You don't have to be scared."

Silence.

This time, Xu Haoran waited too.

Silence.

Then, finally, she asked softly, "Why are you here?"

Figuring that her talking was a good thing, he answered, "I didn't mean to come in, but I heard Qiu Ling mention that the Crown Prince had done something to you. I grew worried because before you never said he did anything."

Li Yingshan scooched away. "I don't want to talk about it."

"So he did do something to you. Is that why you're scared of me?"

She repeated, "I don't want to talk about it."

"You are my wife, and I am your husband. You can tell me anything."

No, I can't.

"In what sense are we married? We never had a ceremony, we never had the customary wedding night, and even now our marriage is still not consummated. The only thing done is the payment of the bride price. Is that all I'm worth to you? Ten thousand taels?"

He took her hands in his and shook his head. "No! Of course not. I didn't think that you wanted any of the customary rituals, so I never bothered with organizing them."

And he had already explained their wedding night before, so she didn't press that matter.

"What did the Crown Prince do to you? If he hurt you, I won't let him off!"

"He's heir to the throne, what can you do to him? You'll only wind up getting yourself killed."

"Then we'll hang together or our heads will roll together."

Li Yingshan sighed. "That's what I didn't want. You dying with me. I never understood why you chose to marry me because I'm a curse. I'm doomed to drag everyone I know down with me. You should've listened to my father and steered clear of me. You shouldn't have sought me out. You shouldn't have paid the bride price for me."

"Well it's too late now. You are mine and no one else's."

That's when she choked out an anguished sob. Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head.

"Divorce me as soon as possible. Don't force yourself to protect me or stand up for me. I'm not worth it."

"Why do you put yourself down so much?" Xu Haoran asked, not understanding. "Why do you think so little of yourself?"

"Because you'll end up hating me, I know it."

His eyebrows scrunched. "Hate you? For what? You haven't done anything wrong?"

She looked away, guilt clearly written all over her face. Oh, but I have.

"LI Yingshan, what have you done?" he breathed.

The flood gates opened as she sobbed uncontrollably. "I. Betrayed. You."

You can find story with these keywords: 爱与坚持 Love and Perseverance, Read 爱与坚持 Love and Perseverance, 爱与坚持 Love and Perseverance novel, 爱与坚持 Love and Perseverance book, 爱与坚持 Love and Perseverance story, 爱与坚持 Love and Perseverance full, 爱与坚持 Love and Perseverance Latest Chapter