Chapter 52: Choices (4)

“Is this Su Zhen, whom Lord knows well, from Deyang County in Hanzhou?”
Shen Er’s voice was clear and crisp, like the echo of a flute in a secluded valley. (Note 1) Li Linfu stopped abruptly and said in a stern tone, “How do you know that? Who exactly are you?”
“Why be so harsh on me, my lord? I am the reincarnation of Sister Su Zhen.”
Shen Er giggled lightly, looking at Li Linfu provocatively.
Li Linfu turned sharply, stepped forward, and grabbed Shen Er by the neck. “Witch! If you dare speak nonsense again, I’ll kill you!”
Shen Er struggled to breathe under his grip, kicking and thrashing. Seeing that she was about to die, Li Linfu snorted and threw her to the ground.
“Ah!”
Shen Er fell to the ground and coughed for a while before managing to catch her breath. She glared at Li Linfu resentfully. “My lord, you really don’t know how to cherish beauty. If Sister Su Zhen found out, she would surely blame you.”
Her words were particularly irritating. Li Linfu took a deep breath and said coldly, “Young lady, who sent you here? If you tell me, I will reward you generously.”
From the first moment he saw her, Li Linfu naturally thought of Su Zhen, but he would never believe in reincarnation. Someone must have sent a woman who resembled Su Zhen to approach him with ulterior motives.
“Lord, have you forgotten the promise you made to Sister Su Zhen? In the second year of the Kaiyuan era, you entered the capital and achieved the high position of Qianniu Zhichang, but you didn’t bring Sister Su Zhen to the capital as promised.”
No matter how Li Linfu threatened or bribed her, this girl named Shen Er refused to reveal anything, instead constantly recalling the past of Li Linfu’s youth.
“Later, thanks to the favor of your uncle, Duke Chu Jiang Jiao, you became a Taizi Zhongyun and entered officialdom. This was originally a good thing, and Sister Su Zhen wanted to come to the capital to be with you and live a peaceful life. But who would have thought that you would marry the daughter of Lord Yang? You may have risen quickly, but do you know how bitter Sister Su Zhen felt?”

After a pause, Shen’er sighed softly and said, “Sister waited for eighteen years. Her hair turned white, her eyes grew dim, yet she still never saw you return. Upon returning to Jiannan, she fell ill and refused to eat or drink. Even on her deathbed, she kept repeating, ‘Ge Nu, Ge Nu… I waited my whole life, resented my whole life, thought about you my whole life, hated you my whole life, yet never got that one glance from you. It turns out, no promise can compare to that thin piece of fame.’ That’s why she couldn’t accept it—hence she reappeared in my body.” (Note 2)
“Enough, enough!” Li Linfu glared at Shen’er with hatred and pleaded, “Please stop talking, stop it.”
The prime minister of the Tang Dynasty collapsed to the ground, nearly broken.
This woman knew everything about his past relationship with Su Zhen. Could it really be that Su Zhen had reappeared to avenge herself?
“You sought Lady Yang’s daughter merely to rise to power. That’s understandable, but you shouldn’t have abandoned Sister Su Zhen. Do you know that the thing Sister Su Zhen could never forgive in this life was falling in love with you, sir?”
Shen’er had no intention of letting Li Linfu off easily and continued in a coquettish tone.
“Stop talking, please stop. Tell me what you want—I’ll give it to you. Even my life!”
Li Linfu was in extreme pain. He never realized his feelings for Su Zhen were so deep, that he still couldn’t let go. He never imagined that once the wounds had healed, tearing them open again would still cause such agony. Why? Why did fate torment him like this?
At this moment, Li Linfu was no longer the cunning prime minister but more like a child whose heart had been shattered by love. He couldn’t face his betrayal of Su Zhen, nor could he bear Shen’er’s quiet accusations. He was gradually losing his sanity, trapped in guilt toward Su Zhen.
Even if given another chance, he would still marry the Yang family, but he would definitely keep Su Zhen. He didn’t want any more regrets—never!
But was that even possible? Su Zhen was dead—dead because of his greed for fame, dead because of his desire for power. It was he who killed Su Zhen, him alone!
“Sister Su Zhen said that a man like you is surely not ordinary. So though she hated you, she had no intention of avenging herself.”
Shen’er shook her head and said, “That’s why she reappeared in my body to find you. She just wants to ask: at this age with gray hair, do you still want her from thirty years ago?”
“What are you talking about? Say that again, you…”

Li Linfu felt a wave of dizziness. The woman before him resembled Su Zhen from years ago so much—same red clothes like plum blossoms, same alluring figure, same sharp tongue…
No, she wasn’t Su Zhen. She was Shen’er. She wasn’t Su Zhen. There could be no reincarnation; he had never believed in such things. It was all false—what was lost would never return. It was all a lie, a complete lie!
Li Linfu was on the verge of collapse. He forced himself to stand up and head for the exit. He had to leave this place, right away!
“I left through the east gate and happened upon Cheng Qingchen. Thinking of you, I stayed in the secluded room, holding your clothes while attending to you. There was no bond like that between us, yet here I am, by your side. I charm you with my appearance, and you admire my face too…”
No, that was their love poem, their private poem—only the two of them knew of it. It was Su Zhen, it had to be Su Zhen…
Li Linfu suddenly turned around. “Su Zhen, is it you? Really you?”
At this moment, he was no longer the ambitious chancellor of the Tang Dynasty obsessed with power and status. This aged man only wanted to find his true love again.
Lady Li Yang couldn’t be considered his true love—no, he only felt admiration for her. They treated each other with respect, but could never be truly intimate. That kind of affection was reserved for Su Zhen. The only person he loved was Su Zhen, without a doubt.
That girl named Shen’er had Su Zhen’s face and temperament—was she really Su Zhen?
Tears streamed down Li Linfu’s cheeks as he staggered forward to Shen’er and said, “Su Zhen… oh, no. Miss Shen’er, can… can we start over?”
Gently wiping the tears from Li Linfu’s face, Shen’er said softly, “Since you’ve repented, if I refuse you now, wouldn’t that be a betrayal of Sister Su Zhen’s kindness?”
Note 1: Hanzhou is located in Jiannan Circuit.
Note 2: Genu is another name for Li Linfu.