The Star Lord Chang Sheng of the Palace of Trials - Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Charge! Drama-Loving Girl!
After receiving the decree for this ordeal, Lord Chang Sheng called Ju Fang into the study to explain the situation.
Ju Fang gazed into the distance, thoughtfully saying, “Why is it so hard for lovers to be together?”
The girl’s emotions were always poetic.
In Ju Fang’s eyes, what the Lianyue had done was not a mistake at all.
Who one falls in love with is not something they can choose.
Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many lovesick men and women in the world.
Lord Chang Sheng spoke in a calm tone with no trace of emotion: “Love? That was just Lianyue’s one-sided wish. That woman will never remember him in every lifetime, yet he keeps trying to make her fall in love with him again and again. Whether it’s three lives or three thousand, it doesn’t matter to that mortal woman; it’s just a one-sided obsession.”
Scoff at it? Not really.
Lord Chang Sheng had seen countless love tribulations.
No matter how intensely one loved in the beginning, time would always eventually dull everything.
Rather than disdain, it was more of a detached clarity from an observer’s point of view.
Ju Fang shook her head, disagreeing: “I don’t believe it! For the same person to fall in love with you in every reincarnation is absolutely not an easy feat! If Lianyue can achieve this, wouldn’t it prove that there must be something deeper in the soul, something more important than memories, something that reincarnation cannot erase?”
Lord Chang Sheng pointed at Ju Fang: “You! You must be someone who has never experienced love! I’ve seen countless love tribulations. These fleeting, brilliant sparks are nothing but brief moments, not lasting at all. Even if Lianyue experiences three lifetimes, it would only be less than a year in the celestial realm. After that, he’ll be left with thousands or even tens of thousands of years of loneliness. It’s incredibly foolish!”
Ju Fang widened her eyes and retorted: “It’s not foolish! Those memories will last for millions of years!”
Lord Chang Sheng responded: “True love should be like water wearing through stone, striving for longevity, not brilliance. Great love and great hate are signs of insufficient cultivation. Not being able to let go, unwilling to part, unable to forget—those are all manifestations of anger, ignorance, and hatred!”
Ju Fang sneered: “What nonsense are you talking? Water wearing through stone? Love should be like a waterfall! I love meat! If you give me only one piece instead of a whole plate for every meal, even if I eat it every day, I won’t be happy! Who are you fooling? You gods in the heavenly realm are all self-torturing, abstinent types. And what cultivation? It’s just a lie to make you feel superior to the little spirits in the lower realm!”
Lord Chang Sheng was infuriated and snapped: “If you eat braised pork every day, you’d get sick of it after a while!”
Ju Fang placed her hands on her hips: “I’ve never had the luxury of eating braised pork every day, so I wouldn’t know! If I get sick of braised pork, I’ll just switch to boiled beef, or sweet and sour ribs!”
Lord Chang Sheng was so enraged that he laughed with a “ha” and said, “What kind of trashy woman’s talk is that? Are you saying that when a man gets tired of one, he just switches to another? And you say I lack cultivation? Your basic sense of morality is all wrong!”
Ju Fang angrily shot back: “I’m talking about meat! You don’t buy pre-cooked braised pork, you have to cook it yourself, right? I love cooking something different every day, what’s it to you? You’re the trashy man! Your whole family are trashy men!”
Though Lord Chang Sheng was often confronted with revenge, being called a trashy man was a first.
Glancing at Niyan, who stood by like nothing was happening, Lord Chang Sheng was even more furious, thinking, “You bastard, you’re not even helping me!”
Ju Fang continued: “By the way, if the Record of Love Tribulations were still here, you could just scribble a few lines and make Lianyue fall in love with anyone. But since the Record of Love Tribulations is gone, I’ll appear in front of him exactly like the mortal woman he admires. If he falls in love with me, that’ll prove my theory right!”
Lord Chang Sheng shot back angrily: “If he doesn’t fall in love with you, how will the love tribulation play out?”
Ju Fang, flustered and speechless, replied: “I don’t care! If I’m right, you’re a scumbag man! scumbag man! Big scumbag man!”
With that, Ju Fang stormed off to her room to work on her plan.
God Lianyue was punished because of love—he needed love but could not have it, suffering for decades.
Ju Fang spent the entire night thinking, and since it was love unfulfilled, it would be best to have a rival.
She had initially wanted Niyan to descend and help, but Niyan refused on the grounds that he couldn’t leave Lord Chang Sheng.
Unwilling to ask Lord Chang Sheng for help, Ju Fang sought out Wu Yi to secretly help her descend.
With everything ready, Ju Fang and Wu Yi were about to leap into the mortal world from the Narcissus Pool when suddenly, Xiao Fan called out to them.
Xiao Fan smiled and said, “I have a treasure here that can help you.”
With that, Xiao Fan took out a red string from his bosom.
“My senior, Yuelao, once used a red string to bind the little finger of two people destined to be together in the mortal world, kind of like a way to arrange their fates. Now, I’m giving you half a strand of this red string to wish you success in your tribulation.”
Xiao Fan added.
Ju Fang looked at the red string and asked, “Thank you for your help, Senior Xiao Fan. Does that mean if I tie my little finger with Lianyue’s finger, we are destined to be together?”
Xiao Fan shook his head, saying, “Not exactly! Neither of you are mortals, and this is only half a strand of red string, so simply tying your fingers together won’t work. You must tie Lianyue’s reincarnated hair with this red string and wear it on your hand. As long as he develops feelings for you, the red string will glow, and that’s a way to make up for the missing Records of Romance Tribulation. As for how to make him fall for you, that depends on you.”
Ju Fang nodded, saying, “I understand. Thank you for your assistance, Senior Xiao Fan.”
Xiao Fan smiled and said, “Then I wish you success in your tribulation and a triumphant return!”
Ju Fang and Wu Yi leaped into the mortal world together.
[Textbook Level of Retreat for Progress]
As previously mentioned, God Lianyue has a noble identity.
Lord Chang Sheng arranged for him to reincarnate as the crown prince of a kingdom, Chu Jie.
From the moment he was born, he was showered with adoration, growing into a handsome and charismatic man.
With such a setting, to make him love but not obtain, we must resort to the most common trope in idol dramas—the prince falling for an enemy spy.
Ju Fang then transformed into the enemy kingdom’s spy, Qiu Die, who pretended to fail during an assassination attempt.
Dressed in black, a masked woman entered a perilous situation to assassinate the prince.
But she accidentally failed, only to be surrounded by archers, her life hanging by a thread.
The proud Prince Chu Jie wanted to capture the assassin himself in front of his soldiers to boost morale and strengthen the army’s resolve.
As the situation progressed, the female assassin gradually began to lose ground.
With a whoosh, the mask was sliced off by Chu Jie’s sword, flying into the air.
“Just wait for this moment!” Ju Fang thought to herself.
Qiu Die turned to face Chu Jie.
The look in his eyes, her expression, the surprise at the corners of his mouth, and the subtle twitch between his brows—Ju Fang didn’t even need to look at the red string to know that Chu Jie had already fallen.
It wasn’t just love; he probably wouldn’t be able to live without her.
“This is just the face of the mortal woman God Lianyue likes! I haven’t even spoken yet!” Ju Fang thought, secretly pleased that someone was about to become a scumbag when she returns to celestial realm.
After a few seconds of astonishment, Chu Jie hurriedly said, “Take her back! Not a scratch on her!”
All of this was clearly observed by Lord Chang Sheng through the Mirror of Mortal Observation.
At first, he couldn’t help but sweat for Ju Fang, as the situation was quite dangerous.
If Chu Jie hadn’t fallen for her at first glance, Ju Fang could have died under a shower of arrows.
But when he truly fell in love, Lord Chang Sheng was somewhat incredulous.
However, the glowing red string didn’t lie.
In prison, Qiu Die fabricated a tragic backstory that could melt hearts.
It was so casual that it’s not worth going into details here.
But Chu Jie immediately softened and let her go.
His affection was so deep, he escorted her all the way out, almost to her doorstep.
Of course, just this was not enough to create a love unfulfilled.
Several months later, Prince Chu Jie, often distracted, was ambushed by the enemy kingdom during a covert outing.
Surrounded by a rain of arrows and blades, his guards fell one by one, and Chu Jie, holding a broken shield, was struggling for his life.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, two hidden weapons appeared, taking down two of the enemies closing in on Chu Jie.
Qiu Die suddenly leaped from the forest, cutting down several more enemies with swift movements, and pulled Chu Jie to safety, urgently saying, “Come with me!”
With Qiu Die’s help, Chu Jie escaped certain death.
She even used spel to create a few fake wounds, one of which was a deep sword injury.
Chu Jie hurriedly said, “You’re injured! Come back with me, I’ll find the best doctor to treat your wounds.”
Qiu Die replied, “No need. The reason I saved you this time is to repay your mercy for not killing me last time. After all, we are enemies, and this will only make things difficult for both of us in the future.”
Seeing Qiu Die turn to leave, Chu Jie stepped forward and grabbed her hand, saying, “Is it impossible for you to ally with me?”
Qiu Die hesitated for exactly two seconds (because one second was too short and might not convey her hesitation, while three seconds seemed too pretentious ( ͡º ꒳ ͡º) ), then said, “What virtue or ability does Qiu Die have to deserve such favor from the prince?”
With that, she elegantly shrugged off his hand and walked away.
At that moment, Lord Chang Sheng, watching from above, even started cracking sunflower seeds, thinking, “This little cat’s way of thinking is quite unconventional. A woman actually saves a hero? Shouldn’t she be more like a bird depending on its mate? Looks like she’s destined to be the second female lead.”
However, Chu Jie didn’t think the same.
Qiu Die’s move, saving him with her life and then walking away, was textbook-level retreat for progress.
Chu Jie began to lose his appetite and sleep, constantly thinking about how to find Qiu Die, who was now in an enemy kingdom, in the vast sea of people.
Seeing the red string on his hand grow brighter, Ju Fang knew it was time to reel in the big catch.
From the very beginning, she hadn’t planned to let Lianyue suffer the decades of emotional torment that the Jade Emperor had mentioned. Compassionate for Lianyue, she planned to take decisive action to quickly end this and let him enter a joyful cycle of reincarnation.
“It’s time for Wu Yi to take the stage,” Ju Fang thought to herself.
One day, when Prince Chu Jie was supervising the frontline battles, he once again encountered Qiu Die.
This time, however, she had a ‘lover’ by her side.
Seeing Wu Yi’s appearance,Lord Chang Sheng thought, “Is Wu Yi accompanying her to experience tribulations? This is a private descent to the mortal world, violating celestial laws. Looks like this little guy has deep feelings for Ju Fang.”
He then resumed cracking sunflower seeds.
Inside the tent, Qiu Die stood face to face with her ‘lover,’ while Chu Jie hid outside the tent, spying on them.
Qiu Die spoke passionately, “My loyalty to my country remains unchanged, but I am not heartless or ungrateful. If you try to kill Prince Chu Jie, I will stop you every time. I will not let you kill him…”
Wu Yi clumsily read the lines that Ju Fang had given him, “You… you actually don’t care about our engagement anymore? I thought we truly loved each other!”
Upon seeing this poor acting, Lord Chang Sheng burst out laughing and even spilled his tea, his face trembling.
But, this level of acting was more than enough to deceive Chu Jie.
Qiu Die continued with a show of emotion, “I… you know Qiu Die’s feelings for you are genuine, but… he really did save me.”
With that, she threw herself into Wu Yi’s arms, affectionately nuzzling his chest, exuding tenderness and passion.
By this point, Lord Chang Sheng was so engrossed in the scene that he thought, “It seems these two really like each other! No wonder they dared to break celestial laws for this.”
Just then, Wu Yi lowered his head, seemingly about to kiss Autumn Butterfly.
At that moment, Lord Chang Sheng suddenly realized that continuing to spy on this sweet moment, even though it was being shown to Chu Jie, was still an intimate matter between the two lovers.
He decided it was inappropriate to keep watching, so he put down the Mirror of Mortal Observation for now.
He stopped watching, but the story on mortal world continued to unfold.
Suddenly, an arrow was shot, as it seemed Chu Jie had been discovered by the enemy.
This arrow forced Chu Jie to stop spying and instead focus on escaping.
It also, as Ju Fang had planned, interrupted the moment between the couple, preventing them from actually kissing.
Wu Yi, puzzled, asked, “Aren’t we supposed to let him see us kiss?”
Ju Fang, with an air of mystery, replied, “No need. Some images, when imagined, have a stronger impact.”
With Ju Fang deliberately causing some chaos, Chu Jie’s kingdom quickly won.
As expected, Qiu Die was captured.
Despite the objections of his ministers, Chu Jie not only didn’t imprison her in a dungeon but treated her like an honored guest, placing her under house arrest in his own palace.
Chu Jie spared no effort to please Qiu Die, bringing her the finest clothes, the most expensive jewelry, and even delicacies from her hometown, just to see her smile.
However, after four years of being under house arrest, Qiu Die never smiled once.
At this moment, Lord Chang Sheng was so hooked on the drama that he couldn’t stop watching.
Ju Fang seemed to be having a great time, always delivering a perfect performance, looking so deeply immersed in the scene.
Qiu Die, with her brows furrowed throughout the year, made even Chu Jie, who was part of the story, feel her sorrow.
Even Lord Chang Sheng, the observer, couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.
“This little cat is quite the actress. Is she too deeply immersed in the role? Does she really want to make up for the lost Records of Romance Tribulation ? Or is she trying to prove that what she said that day was right?” Lord Chang Sheng wondered.
However, no matter how good the drama is, it always has to come to an end.
【The autumn wind can sometimes be painfully cold.】
It was autumn.
Chu Jie had set up a table and chairs in the courtyard to accompany Qiu Die in moon-gazing.
Qiu Die, for once, wore a red dress, the one Chu Jie had ordered, made from the finest fabric.
She had lightly applied some makeup, and under the moonlight, she looked intoxicating.
Chu Jie was stunned, but he didn’t dare to touch Qiu Die.
For four years, he had never overstepped his boundaries, afraid that with a careless move, she would vanish like a bubble.
Qiu Die said softly, “It’s getting cold. Prince, remember to wear more clothes. Though the autumn night seems cool, the autumn wind can sometimes be painfully cold.”
For four years,Qiu Die had never spoken a word of concern for Chu Jie, but these words were like a knife, deeply cutting into his chest.
Chu Jie trembled and asked, “Are you… leaving?”
Seeing that Qiu Die remained silent, Chu Jie continued, “Only those about to leave say such things, as if they are making final arrangements.”
Tears filled Chu Jie’s eyes uncontrollably.
Qiu Die stood up and knelt before him.
“Get up! I won’t allow you to kneel!” Chu Jie panicked.
He tried to pull her up, but didn’t dare use too much force, and in the end, he ended up kneeling beside her like a deflated balloon.
Chu Jie’s tears fell as he tried to maintain composure and said, “After four years, haven’t you understood how I’ve treated you?”
Qiu Die replied, “The prince has treated Qiu Die well. I know it in my heart.”
Chu Jie began to choke on his words, “I’ve treated you more than just well…”
He took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing, “If you truly understood, you should know you’ve never needed to ask me for anything.”
Qiu Die replied firmly, “I ask for nothing. It is because I know the prince’s heart that I cannot leave without a proper explanation.”
Chu Jie slowly embraced Qiu Die, as if giving her enough time to refuse.
But Qiu Die made no resistance and let him hold her.
Chu Jie’s tears couldn’t be stopped as he whispered, “Wherever you go, I will go with you. Without you, I don’t want to be the prince anymore.”
Qiu Die answered, “You and I are enemies, after all. Qiu Die doesn’t blame you; in a war between two countries, who can say what’s right or wrong? But I cannot betray my deceased parents and my people by living here, pretending to call the enemy father.”
“Where will you go? Your homeland has long been destroyed. Apart from here, you have nowhere to go!” Chu Jie said anxiously.
“Are you really just going to leave?” Chu Jie secretly doubted in his heart.
For four years, Qiu Die had never mentioned or even inquired about her fiancé in the tent that day (mainly because Ju Fang knew where Wu Yi was).
Now, without warning, she was about to leave—how could this not be related?
Chu Jie released Qiu Die and stood up.
It was as if the pain had made him numb.
Chu Jie, unusually calm, said, “If you want to leave alone, then go! But if you run off with someone else, the archers on the walls will make sure both of you have no place to be buried.”
Qiu Die stood up, smiled softly, and said, “You wouldn’t do that. If you wanted me dead, I would have died a thousand times over already.”
For the first time, he saw her smile, but it was because he had let her go.
“If I had known, that letting you go would make you smile… would I have been able to let you go so easily?” Chu Jie asked himself silently, but there was no answer.
Qiu Die turned and walked towards the palace gates, casually removing the priceless red dress, revealing the night attire she had worn underneath.
Chu Jie shouted at the archers on the city walls, “Shoot arrows as soon as you see anyone else!”
Qiu Die walked gracefully to the city gate and lightly leapt onto the wall.
That’s when everyone saw Wu Yi in black standing on the wall.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The archers followed the prince’s command, and arrows flew mercilessly towards Qiu Die and Wu Yi.
Though Chu Jie was betrayed by the one he loved, with his heart torn apart, he still couldn’t bring himself to kill Qiu Die.
His princely arrogance, his ruthless determination, all seemed meaningless when faced with Qiu Die.
Chu Jie—no, Lianyue—was never a cruel or jealous person.
He was simply a man who loved deeply.
In a single stride, Chu Jie dashed into the rain of arrows, using his own body to block them.
Five arrows pierced through his body.
Their gazes met.
Qiu Die saw deep love, regret, obsession, and overwhelming pain in Chu Jie’s eyes.
Ju Fang knew that he had successfully passed his trial, and she had succeeded in sparing him decades of suffering.
Lord Chang Sheng, watching from above, couldn’t help but clap and cheer, “That was really well done!”
Meanwhile, Xiao Fan, who was drinking at the Palace of Trial, complained, “How come you act like a drama-obsessed girl every day? I came here to chat, but you haven’t said a word to me. You’ve just been staring at your broken mirror!”
Lord Chang Sheng responded, “It’s a good show!”
Xiao Fan smiled and, finishing his drink, asked, “Are you talking about the plot or the people?”