Love Lock

Chapter 28 The Prince's Relief
Han Lei took out cleaning tools from her spatial storage and cleaned up the dirt on the floor. Then she took out air freshener, sprayed the room, and closed the doors and windows after the air had circulated.

After cleaning the room, Han Lei sighed softly as she looked at Zhao Zun, who was fast asleep.

She sat sideways on the edge of the bed, took out hot water and a towel from her storage space, wrung out the towel and gently wiped Zhao Zun's cheeks and the stains left around his mouth.

Perhaps it was the warmth on his face that made Zhao Zun feel comfortable, because he gently shifted his body and turned his face toward Han Lei.

Han Lei carefully wiped his hands twice, then wrung out a towel to dry them.

"Sigh!" Han Lei sighed softly, "I know you're heartbroken that the court has taken away your military power. But why drink yourself so drunk? You're only hurting your own body."

After putting down the towel, Han Lei held Zhao Zun's hand in her own and stroked it gently, as if she wanted to convey her care and comfort to him through this caress.

"I'm not good at comforting people," Han Lei murmured to the sleeping Zhao Zun. "But I know that the end of one life may also be the beginning of another."

"What can you do if you're unwilling? Just hand over your military power and vent your anger here with Uncle Luo. Tomorrow will be a brand new day. You've been enfeoffed as a king of a different surname. You can receive a reward when you return to the capital, and enjoy a few days of leisure before making any further plans."

"You may have weighed the options yourself. If you don't hand over military power, given the emperor's suspicious nature, coupled with instigation from others, he will definitely accuse you of treason and send troops to attack. There are also foreign enemies eyeing you from beyond the northern pass. You will be attacked from both sides. Is that what you want?"

Zhao Zun groaned and curled up into a ball. Han Lei tidied his blanket, fed him some water, and then took his hand, continuing to chatter on and on.

"The reason you are sad and have a grudge is because your efforts and hard work are different from others. You are risking your life! You and your brothers are using your youth and your lives to defend the peace of the Great Jing Dynasty. However, all of this cannot escape the control of the imperial power."

"I understand your sadness and resentment. You wanted to lead troops, but you were stripped of your command. Your years of loyalty and dedication, along with your brothers', have been slandered and framed, leaving you feeling regretful and heartbroken. It's like a book I read called 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.' Do you know what the regrets in the entire 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils' are?"

As Han Lei spoke, her thoughts drifted back to the time when she was a teenager and loved watching TV dramas.

"In Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, Duan Yu didn't want to practice martial arts but eventually became a martial arts master, while Kumārajīva pursued the highest level of martial arts but ultimately lost all his skills and became a cripple. The goal that Murong Fu pursued throughout his life was something Duan Yu obtained at birth, while Wang Yuyan, whom Duan Yu spent most of his life pursuing, was something Murong Fu could easily possess. Qiao Feng hated the Khitans the most, but in the end, he discovered that he himself was a Khitan. Isn't that ironic?"

"It's like many people dream of what others already have; the goal that many people strive for their whole lives is just someone else's starting point. Or even, it's just a wedding dress made for someone else."

Han Lei's thoughts wandered through the scenes of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. She didn't notice the person curled up in a ball, their shoulders trembling slightly, and soft sobs emanating from them.

"The moon waxes and wanes, and everyone's life has regrets and is never perfect. Now that you've decided to return to the capital, let bygones be bygones! When faced with setbacks and regrets in life, as long as you meet them head-on and go against the current, you won't have lived in vain in this prosperous world. Losing the garrison marshal may mean that a better life awaits you ahead."

"Woooooooo..."

The sobs suddenly turned into loud sobs that echoed throughout the room, startling Han Lei. Zhao Zun, who should have been fast asleep, suddenly sat up and buried his head in Han Lei's lap. With Han Lei's self-comforting words, he finally abandoned his male pride in front of the woman he loved and burst into tears.

Han Lei snapped out of her daze and looked at the head that had suddenly buried itself in her lap and was wailing, feeling completely helpless.

"Hey...you...what's wrong? Why are you crying? Did...did I accidentally hurt you?"

Han Lei quickly let go and raised her hand. She thought to herself, "I think I was just gently stroking, not massaging."

Zhao Zun hugged Han Lei's leg and cried for a while. Perhaps he felt better after venting his emotions, because his loud crying gradually turned into sobs.

Zhao Zun sniffed and looked up at Han Lei, a hint of embarrassment on his face. "You said you didn't know how to comfort people, but you're really good at it! Girl, thank you! I'm sorry you had to see this."

"No, no, no." Han Lei quickly waved her hands, shaking her head like a rattle drum.

So what if he's a man? Even the strongest man has moments of emotional breakdown. It's just him venting; how could she possibly laugh at him?

It is said that men do not easily shed tears, unless they are deeply hurt. She knew that Emperor Jing's suspicious nature had truly broken Zhao Zun's heart.

"After you cried, did you feel much better?" Han Lei asked timidly, afraid that she might accidentally hurt the pride of this big man.

"Hmm! Much better." Zhao Zun raised his hand to wipe away the remaining tear stains on his cheek and said with relief, "You're right, what's past is past, there's nothing to be heartbroken about."

"Exactly. Losing military power is not your fault, but the emperor's loss. The emperor doesn't know how to recognize and utilize talent; he's only suspicious and distrustful. He'll regret it later!"

Seeing that Zhao Zun seemed to have gotten over this hurdle, Han Lei felt less restrained and openly comforted him. After all, it was just the two of them in the room; they could vent their anger by cursing the emperor without anyone hearing them.

“You’re right! No matter how His Majesty treats me, I’ll just deal with whatever comes my way. I’m not just good at leading troops; as long as I put in the effort, I can live a good life too.”

Han Lei's words of comfort were indeed effective, and Zhao Zun felt a sense of relief.

"Yes! I'm here with you. Now that I'm by your side, I'll definitely fight alongside you. If we work together, we can definitely create a wonderful life," Han Lei said confidently.

Since she was destined to be entangled with Zhao Zun for life, she was also destined to face all kinds of storms and fight side by side with him.

Zhao Zun gazed deeply into Han Lei's eyes, remaining silent for a long time. He could feel the firmness and encouragement in Han Lei's words, as well as her acceptance and entrustment of him.

Han Lei felt embarrassed by Zhao Zun's affectionate gaze. She looked out the window, stood up, bought bread and milk from the system, and handed them to him.

"You threw up everything last night. Now that you've figured it out, eat something to fill your stomach and get some rest. It's already dawn," Han Lei said softly.

Zhao Zun looked out the window; it was indeed already getting light.

"I'll take you back to rest first; you've had a long night." Zhao Zun said, lifting the blanket to get out of bed, but Han Lei pressed him down and pulled the blanket back over him.

"Don't bother sending it back and forth, I'm just in the yard next door, it's not far."

"Oh well!"

Zhao Zun stopped insisting and obediently lay back down in bed, clenching his fists. The gentle touch of Han Lei's hand still lingered in his palms.

Han Lei walked out, closed the door behind her, stretched, and left.

Instead of returning to her own courtyard to rest, she walked towards the courtyard where Amao and the others lived, doing deep breathing and chest expansion exercises along the way.

(End of this chapter)