Who knew the taste of regret?
Who knew the taste of lovesickness?
Who knew the taste of regret in lovesickness?
Just like the wind in this long night that was slowly cooling, like a thread of ice passing through the palm, like the past silently strolling back from the other end of the memory. Wearing a green mask, a pair of deep black pupils without white, so coldly staring at you, with a glance, with a "kacha" sound, the heart cracked.
More than a decade was just a dream.
In a dream, a piece of cloth with lingering hatred in the palace was broken, year after year the Yin Court tree was green.
In a dream, ten years of desolation, like a swallow going to Wu Guan's nest to desolation.
In a dream, the events of the six dynasties flowed like water, but the cold smoke and withered grass turned green. In a dream, the past could not be found, and could not be found, only the heart of youth.
So it was a dream.
He slowly turned the wine cup in his hand, and on the tall tree, he toasted it to the even higher moon.
The moonlight was cool, as cold as the wine in the cup. As it passed through his palm, it was like her gaze at that moment.
Drinking this cup of wine with that gaze, he drank it as bitter wine, so bitter that he had never tasted it in his life.
Fourteen years ago, he had tasted that kind of taste.
That year, he lost his letter, broke his promise, and then he lost his little girl.
That year, he encountered her in a dark cupboard.
That year, he searched for that little jade lotus under the mattress.
That year, he heard her say that she was the noblest princess born in Han Lian.
That year, he met her gaze. She clearly had tears in her eyes, but gave him a smile that shocked him, one that belonged to an adult and shocked him.
That year, he placed her on his knees, and combed the tangled hair that she hadn't combed for five years. The good hair had no one to take care of it, and it was a mess. He slowly combed the messy hair, and there seemed to be grass growing on his heart.
That year, he held her in his arms, wrapped in a thick cloak. The five year old child looked like a three year old, and was as light as a one year old. He held her like he was holding a kitten, extremely quiet and obedient.
That year, he had originally planned to take her away, but he suddenly heard Shishu's voice.
Shishu, who was still a room away, sent a message for him to go over and see Yu Heng. He put her down and prepared to see Yu Heng before coming back to take her away.
Halfway there, he saw an eight year old girl rushing over, her expression happy and anxious. He had heard that this princess was very interested in him, and had once specially sent an envoy to Limitless Sword God's Palace to greet him. He politely declined such greetings, and at that age, he was still a youth. Politely declined was really politely declined, he did not know how to beat around the bush, he did not know how to curry favor, of the thirty-six stratagems, hiding was the best.
He hid behind the palace walls and listened to Shishu and Yu Heng talking.
Martial Uncle seemed to be a little indignant, and his tone was not pleasant to hear.
"Look at that Senior Brother of mine. His meddlesome personality can never be cured. All day long, he takes the righteous path of the world as his own responsibility. There are so many demons and monsters in this world. How can they eliminate them all by themselves? Look, I was just sitting in seclusion when I suddenly said that a demoness had descended from the heavens, disturbing the balance of the world and that she had to be eliminated. She said that I was traveling the Jianghu, and it just so happened that I got rid of her in passing. " Shishu's finger tapped the table, and he tsked. "What a joke. In the sea of people, where can we find a living person?"
Inside the room, Yu Heng was also laughing. "There is something you cannot solve? In this world, other than your Shixiong and the group of elders in your sect, is there anyone you cannot solve? Also, since your Shixiong gave such an order, he definitely said who it was. "
"Pfft —" Shishu snorted. "He just gave a rough date of birth, and said that the female most likely had an apparition when she was born. But I have searched the world for five years, and have never heard of anyone having an apparition when they were born. And the birth eight characters — a girl is raised in her room, where would I go to ask for someone else's birth eight characters?"
"What birth eight characters?" Yu Heng seemed to be slowly drinking tea. A while later, he asked, "If there is a chance, I will help you find out."
So Shishu said.
He shook at the time.
That birth eight characters was only one day away from hers, and she … … was born with a lotus.
Was it her, was it her?
It must be her, it must be her.
Her gaze was so strange. She was clearly a five-year-old child, but her gaze was filled with an almost complete understanding and sorrow of the world and life. A five-year-old child knew pain, but she might not understand such a heavy sorrow.
A five-year-old child, locked in a cupboard, covered in bed sores, her face yellow and emaciated, her bones deformed. She was most likely handicapped and mentally retarded. Yet she spoke clearly, reacted quickly, and even had a bit of humor and strange words.
She, was not an ordinary child.
His heart sank. Originally, he had wanted to take her away, and if there was a chance, beg Master to take her in as a disciple, and give her a bright and stable life where no one would dare to bully her. But looking at it now, it was impossible.
He still had to follow Shishu back to the sect. If he took her with him, Shishu would find out sooner or later. The people in his sect all had great abhinna. She definitely could not hide from Shishu, much less from Master, who was extremely clever.
He hesitated for a moment, and then turned. He wanted to take her out of the palace before Shishu came out, and find someone to take care of her. After he came back from the sect, he would take her away.
However, just as he turned around, Shishu had already floated out, beckoned him, and left.
He had no choice but to leave with Shishu. Along the way, he forced himself not to look back, but in a trance, he seemed to hear her calling out to him from the window, and her cries for help. In that illusion, his face was pale and he was tortured. Shishu found out and even teased him for being afraid of Princess Xuanji. He was afraid that Shishu would find out, so he could only hold it in and force a smile.
That night, Shishu dragged him to practice and talk about martial arts, which was also his usual homework. That night, he was anxious and restless, and tried to interrupt Shishu several times. He even risked using hypnosis, but it had no effect other than making Shishu suspicious.
There was no other way. Shishu was too powerful, and not someone a thirteen-year-old like him could deal with. Even now, he could not.
It was not until the third day that he found a chance to leave Shishu, and ran all the way back to Xuanji Palace.
He came late.
The room was empty, and the cabinet was open. Not only the room, but the entire palace was empty.
What made him feel even more chilled was that the whole room was filled with a strong smell of blood. He even found blackened bloodstains in the cracks of the floor tiles that had been washed, densely packed everywhere, and there were even tiny pieces of flesh. At first glance, there was nothing special about the bed, except that the color seemed to have changed, from white to black, and it gave off a strong smell of blood. When he touched it, his hand was covered with light red.
How much blood had to flow out to dye the entire bed red?
He stood there, under the moonlight of the autumn night. At that moment, he felt cold from head to toe.
Who had suffered the worst torture in the world? Who had discovered the girl hiding in the cabinet? Whoever died on this bed would be covered in blood and flesh. Who knew what that five-year-old child had faced in these three days?
He could not even find anyone to ask — most of the people in Consort Ying's palace were dead, and even Consort Ying was said to have "died suddenly". He did not have much time to investigate, and he had to rush back to Shishu's side.
When he came, he ran all the way, and when he left, he stumbled. He did not know whether she was alive or dead, and his broken promise was like an iron chain that firmly locked his heart, and from then on, he could not let go of it.
Later, he tried to propose marriage to Xuanji — he held on to the slightest hope that Feng Xuan had discovered her? If Feng Xuan had discovered her, she would have a way out. No matter what, even a vicious tiger would not eat its cubs. Perhaps her mother would be killed, or perhaps Consort Ying would be blamed, but as a royal daughter, no matter how domineering the Empress of Xuanji was, she could not kill his daughter in front of Feng Xuan.
He proposed to marry "the youngest daughter of Emperor Xuanji, who was born in Hanlian."
He did not know her name, and he also knew that she did not have a name, and could only be described as such.
There was a reply from the other end very quickly, and the Emperor of Xuanji readily agreed. When he received the news, he was overjoyed, and thought that she had indeed been saved by Feng Xuan, but when they exchanged the Geng invitation, he knew that someone had impersonated her.
The Geng invitation was Feng Jingfan, and her date of birth was also wrong. At this time, the legend of Feng Jingfan being born with a lotus began to spread in the Five Continents, but it seemed that no one had thought about why Feng Jingfan was only born with a lotus when she was eight years old?
And as for the name Feng Jingfan, if he remembered correctly, when the Little Princess sent an envoy to see him, the name on the invitation was "Feng Jingfan kowtows."
It was a difference of one word, and in order to be closer to the Buddha lotus, she even changed her name.
And when people heard those rumors, they often did not think much about it, and so, year after year, Feng Jingfan was really born with a lotus. As time went on, the more time passed, the fewer people could remember the specific date of the birth of a lotus.
But he remembered, but he knew.
He insisted on breaking off the engagement.
For this reason, he traveled all the way to Xuanji, and in order to save the marriage, Feng Xuan even took out the Map of Xuanji, which made him even more certain that Feng Jingfan had seen that child.
If she had not seen it, how could she know the contents of the Map of Xuanji?
Since she had seen it, she was the biggest suspect in that tragedy. Because of this, he used the Heart Absorbing Technique on her. At that time, his skills were not proficient, but he managed to find out what happened that night.
As expected, it was Feng Jingfan who told the truth. The Empress was furious, and immediately ordered people to torture Xu Wan and get rid of Feng Wuming.
Feng Jingfan's memory became blurry when it came to Xu Wan's torture — at such a young age, when she saw such a tragic scene, even with her poor talent, she could not bear it, so she instinctively avoided it.
But he was so shocked by the word "get rid of" that he staggered and held onto a tree, unable to speak for a long time.
At that moment, he stared at the bewildered Feng Jingfan, and saw the viciousness and coldness inherited from the Empress of Xuanji on this little girl's face. This child, killed another child. At such a young age, she had the heart of a snake and scorpion, and even tried to deceive him, what reason did she have to keep her?
He reached out a hand, but was stopped by Yu Heng.
Yu Heng had always been the protector of both mother and daughter. He lived in seclusion in the Xuanji Imperial Palace and had not left Xuanji for many years.
Because of his presence, when he was still a youth, he could not kill the person he wanted to kill, and could not further investigate the truth of that night in the Xuanji Imperial Palace. That powerful man, who was loyal to that snake and scorpion woman, was an unshakable wall of protection in front of them. No matter whether it was Feng Xuan or him, they could not overcome it at that time.
He silently left. Even if he could not win by force, there were other ways. At the very least, he could not get rid of that fake lotus.
He used all his methods and finally broke off the engagement. As for the secret request of the Xuanji Imperial Family, he did not care. In short, no matter what, Feng Jingfan would never be his wife.
But that little girl, he instinctively felt that she was not dead.
He did not believe that she would die. That strange woman with bright but desolate eyes, who had experienced the darkest five years, still did not change her shining nature. Heaven must have given her a mission to be born. She should not have been silently dealt with by fate and died young in exchange for it.
He wanted to find her and then let her decide for herself if she wanted to take revenge. He wanted to leave those people for her to take revenge with her own hands. If he could not find Feng Wuming in this lifetime, he would help her before they died.
Later, he became lazy with politics, and when he had some time, he would travel incognito, hoping that he would have a chance to meet the child with the aged eyes in his memories.
Then that night, on Taiyuan Xuanyuan Mountain, the sky was cold and the pine trees rustled under the moonlight. He was dancing with his sword in the moonlight when he suddenly turned his head and saw the woman who had been pushed off the cliff slowly rise from the bottom.
He saw the young girl's eyes, sharp and cold, with a quenching weariness that did not belong to that age.
That weariness, so subtle and yet so deep, was so incongruous on that young and delicate face — just like that five-year-old child many years ago, who used that five-year-old face to convey the sorrow of a twenty-something year old.
At that moment, his heart ached slightly because of that gaze that was hidden deep in his memories.
So he made an exception and got close to her — ever since Feng Jingfan, he had actually been very reluctant to get close to women.
Getting close to her, knowing her, knowing her, overlapping her, overlapping her, and falling in love with her.
In those days, she had rushed over from the distant five-year-old, gradually matching his memories bit by bit. She had changed too much — her body, her appearance, her spirit, and even her bones had been reborn. However, the light in her eyes had not changed, the courageous and persevering temperament in those dark times had not changed, the determination that always maintained a strong heart in the face of adversity had not changed, and the unnatural awkwardness and loss of what to do after meeting tenderness and teasing had not changed.
However, from then on, he understood what it meant to be worried about personal gains and losses.
She had lost her memories from before she was five years old, and he was both happy and worried about this. He was happy because it was such a sad past, but it was good that she did not remember. She could forget those hardships, forget his mistake of breaking his promise, and still retain a complete and bright heart that had not been ruthlessly hurt by the cruel knives of the world. He was worried because any memory blockage actually had a time limit. Once she remembered it one day, how would she face it? And once she remembered it, how would he face her?
He told himself countless times not to tell her, not to tell her, because he felt that compared to revenge, he always felt that her happiness was more important. However, in his heart, he also asked himself countless times, was it really so? Was it not because he was afraid that the moment the truth was revealed, she, who originally did not want to get close to love, would retreat even further, would feel cold because she did not receive his help in that desperate and suffering, and thus draw an insurmountable gap between them?
He was Zhangsun Wuji. The world said that he was gifted with wisdom, and that in his life, every step he took was calculated, and the world said that he would not be wrong, would not be wrong, would always be the meticulous and rigorous Wuji Crown Prince. However, only he himself knew that in this life, he had missed it once.
Once was a sin that could not be redeemed in this lifetime.
The moment he saw the second painting that Old Lu had drawn, his whole body suddenly turned cold.
He fell into the coldest ice cave in the world.
The little Feng Wuming had lied to him, he knew, but he really did not know that what she had faced, was such cruel humiliation.
In that painting, behind the curtain was the cabinet. He knew, and the movements of the eunuch … as someone born in the royal family, he also understood.
He understood what she had experienced in that year.
Five years … 1,800 days and nights, she had passed like that. Not only had she suffered from hunger, bedsores, cold, heat, darkness that could not see the light of day, the pain of daily bondage, and the torture of the soul that surpassed all torments.
And he, at such a moment, after giving her the hope of freedom that she had hoped for, he abandoned her, leaving her to suffer again, to continue to face the humiliation of Old Lu, to face the cruelest ending in this world.
He left her to cry in the darkness, to cry for help in the darkness, to face the tragic death of her biological mother in the darkness, forever with no one to answer.
How could she endure it?
… He was wrong.
He should have returned at that time, even if he had to lie to Uncle-Master, even if he had to offend the sect, even if he had to take the risk of being hunted by the sect, he should have taken her away. He should not have hoped for luck, thinking that since he was safe and sound after hiding for so long, waiting a few more days should not be a problem.
Fate waited for no man.
A great mistake was made.
Also, a large part of what had happened to Fu Yao was related to him. If Shishu had not passed by the Xuanji Imperial Palace and suddenly wanted to visit Yu Heng, if he had not run out of patience and encountered her, if he had not appeared and caused Feng Jingfan to chase after him, Fu Yao would not have been discovered.
Maybe in the future, even if he was not discovered that time, the growing Fu Yao would be found sooner or later and suffer that kind of fate. But no matter what, that night was a nightmarish consequence that he had unconsciously brought.
Because of this consequence, he carried a heavy sin, and wanted to make it up to her. Yet after the incident, no matter how much he made it up to her, it could not make up for the enormous chasm of pain.
Sometimes, he thought to erase the people and events of the past, to silently take care of all the people related to that year. Then she would never have the chance to know the truth in this lifetime. Yet he also knew that he did not have the right to be so selfish.
"Breaking the Nine Heavens" required the most painful training of the body and soul. Only by safely passing through those training could one truly reach the peak. The pain of his past was a bone-piercing blow to Fu Yao, but at the same time, it was a rare chance to improve. He did not have the right to destroy such a precious chance.
Even if he left such a chance, it meant that he was not giving himself a chance.
For the arrival of this day, he did not stop forging Fu Yao's muscles and bones, replenishing Fu Yao's True Power, mending Fu Yao's meridians. It was because he was afraid that if Fu Yao was not strong enough, he would not be able to control himself when the blow came and he would go berserk. That would instead harm her.
The current Fu Yao already had the ability to control himself. He believed that he was not worried anymore.
As for himself …
Zhangsun Wuji laughed. His smile was transparent and thin like a broken piece of jade white porcelain. He raised his hand, as though he felt that the moonlight was somewhat dazzling and covered his eyes.
The jade white lotus in his palm was clear and distinct in the moonlight. It was vivid and lifelike. He looked at it in a trance. His gaze drifted and sank, in the gap of time.
"Wuji, the lotus imprint on your palm has been there since you were born, and it is getting deeper and deeper. Does that mean that your future wife, will be a jade lotus?" When he was three or four years old, he sat on his father's knees, flipping through his father's memorials. Listening to his father's nagging about him for the ten thousandth time, he casually changed the reply on the memorials.
"Tomorrow, I will find a lotus-like woman for you all over the world." His father hugged him and smiled leisurely. His face was full of joy and fascination. "What kind of lotus is worthy of my Wuji?"
He turned his head and said clearly, "Whether it is a lotus or not, it must first be a good woman."
His father's eyes widened. It seemed that he did not expect that his three or four years old son would talk to him about a good woman. He could not help but ask with a smile, "What kind of woman does Wuji think is a good woman?"
He turned his head back and continued to change the memorials that he was not pleased with. "Will hug me, will cry for me."
Behind him, his father was silent. He was also silent. He pursed his lips and did not speak. Even though he had been hugged by his father ten thousand times, he, who had not been hugged by his mother once, still felt cold and empty.
Many of his childhood memories were very clear to him. Especially this conversation, it was even clearer. It often turned over in his heart. Every time it flashed past, he could not help but smile bitterly. Such a simple request, to him, was so difficult.
For thirteen years, no one really got close to him. People said that he was a heavenly genius with a crafty mind. No one dared to get close to him. His father was kind and amiable, but because of his illness, he was powerless. Mother … Mother never needed him.
Until he was thirteen years old.
When he first met her, because he felt that they were in the same boat, he treated her with rare warmth. At that time, he did not think too much about it. However, when he was combing her hair, she turned back to look at him. The look in her eyes at that moment made his heart thump.
At that moment, a sentence suddenly floated through his heart — — She is crying for me.
Because of understanding, because of sympathy, because of the same deep loneliness, because of knowing the bitter heart under the bright appearance of a prematurely mature young boy.
At that moment, she gave him something that the closest people to him did not give him.
And when that small lotus flower was held in his palm, he almost immediately made up his mind.
She was his lotus flower.
Thus, there was the Map of Four Stars. He gently but without hesitation, signed his lifelong contract to her.
But now, she might not be willing to accept it, right?
Zhangsun Wuji smiled faintly. Under the cold moonlight, he poured a thousand cups of wine.
They drank from the moon to the darkest dawn, and from the darkest dawn to the first glimmer of dawn in the sky. A catty of the strongest wine was piled up from the tree to the bottom, and the entire courtyard was filled with the fragrance of wine.
He had been self-controlling his entire life, vigilant his entire life, and never got drunk. However, as long as one was human, there would always be a time when one would not get drunk. As long as one was human, it was impossible to be good all the time.
Moreover, the wine entered his heart like mercury, devouring his soul and penetrating his intestines.
The more he drank, the heavier his body became. The more he drank, the more wine he spilled. When he was only halfway through the last pot of wine, his sleeves suddenly shook, and he smashed the wine pot crookedly into the wall below. With a bang, it shattered into pieces.
Then, his body fell backward, and he fell from the tree.
He was drunk!
= = = =
That night, there were people who were drunk. That night, there were people who were silent and sober.
Meng Fuyao sat upright in a dark room. Her things were scattered all over the floor, and she did not tidy them up. She was calm in a cold embrace.
In fact, she had never really wanted to rely on anyone. She had never really held any hope for warmth in this cold world. As a person who had lived two lives, she knew better than anyone else how cold reality was. She had thought that she had long understood that the barrier was tight and would never be destroyed. However, when the reality was right before her eyes, she could not help but feel cold.
It turned out that people could not believe in warmth, but they could not help but look forward to it. Just like how moths knew that they would fly into a flame, they could not get rid of the natural yearning for light in their blood.
Light … Meng Fuyao laughed mockingly. Other than herself, no one could give her light.
She closed her eyes and quietly adjusted her breathing. Since she could not rely on anyone, she naturally had to rely on herself. She wanted to be strong, stronger than anyone else. Only then could she leave this damned gorgeous yet icy world and find the warmth of the simple candlelight in her previous life's small house.
As for the entanglement of the past, the mistakes that belonged to Zhangsun Wuji and Zong Yue, she felt that she had no right to pursue them. Perhaps they owed her, but the support they had given her all these years was enough to make up for it.
She could not forget her grudges, but she also remembered their kindness.
Without Zhangsun Wuji and Zong Yue, there would not be today's Meng Fuyao. Even if Zhangsun Wuji had saved her back then, who knew what her fate would have been like? Life went around in circles, and the wall erected in her fate had always been there. She could not guarantee that if she had changed direction, she would have broken her head in a different way.
What was the worst? Without comparison, who knew if the original ending would be the worst? She, Meng Fuyao, kept saying that her fate was in her own hands, but in fact, it had always been in the hands of the heavens, right?
If that was the case, why should she blame others?
As she thought about it, the chill in her heart dissipated a little. She could not help but perk up her ears to listen for movement. The two of them were very quiet. One had silently returned to his room, and the other had disappeared somewhere. She faintly smelled the aroma of wine and was a little surprised. 'Did Zhangsun Wuji take the initiative to drink?'
After a while, a faint 'plop' came from the front yard. When she heard it, her eyebrows twitched.
Lord Ingot, who was sitting on the table with one leg in front and one behind, was in a dilemma. He wanted to rush out to comfort his master, but at the same time, he wanted to stay and comfort Meng Fuyao. When he heard the sound, all his hair stood on end. With a 'kacha' sound, his already shaky split became a split.
Meng Fuyao looked at Lord Ingot, and he looked back at her. Four slightly moist black eyes met, and the latter revealed a pitiful expression. The last time she had impersonated Zhangsun Wuji, Lord Ingot had also begged for mercy like this, and ended up being made into a burger.
Meng Fuyao remained silent and used her finger to push Lord Ingot out.
Lord Ingot took the opportunity to grab her finger. She had not let him touch her at all, and made a pulling gesture.
Of course, he could not move it. It was just a gesture. Meng Fuyao did not move and let him pull. Suddenly, she said softly, "Sigh, your brain is really not working well. We don't have a good relationship, so you can take advantage of it."
Lord Ingot immediately turned around and glared fiercely at Meng Fuyao with his big black eyes. 'Take advantage of it? Is it so easy for my master to be taken advantage of?' 'We advocate fair competition, not playing tricks!'
Moreover … he swept his short tail in frustration. Compared to his master's mood, his love could be taken a step back.
Meng Fuyao sighed and gently pushed him away, indicating for him to go on his own. Lord Ingot was dispirited and carried the moonlight, leaving behind a dejected back view.
He did not return. Meng Fuyao adjusted her breathing for a while and opened her eyes. She was a little puzzled and did not move. She adjusted her breathing for a while and opened her eyes again. She frowned and still did not move. When she finished a full cycle, she looked at the empty table. Hearing that there was no movement in the front yard, she finally got off the bed.
She pushed the door open. It was completely silent. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard from Zong Yue's room. After some thought, she called Tie Cheng and pointed at Zong Yue's room. Tie Cheng understood and went over. Meng Fuyao stood at the door, sighed, and went out.
When she passed by the front yard, she saw the wine jars all over the ground. Zhangsun Wuji was sitting cross-legged under a tree, while Lord Ingot was silently guarding him. When he saw her coming, he was elated and wanted to pull her up. Meng Fuyao did not say a word and quickly walked over.
Lord Ingot froze in the middle of his walk. He looked at Meng Fuyao in a daze as she shook her head and left without turning back. He bit his paw and turned back to look at Zhangsun Wuji. Zhangsun Wuji slowly opened his eyes and calmly looked at Meng Fuyao's back before carrying her back.
He gently stroked Lord Ingot and quietly looked up at the floating clouds in the sky. Lord Ingot silently buried his head in his chest.
= = =
Meng Fuyao quietly went to the Ninth Princess' residence.
Things had come to this point. It was no longer something she could ignore. Even if she did not think of herself as a member of the Feng family, she had to take revenge for her and the Feng family.
The biggest obstacle in the Xuanji Palace was Yu Heng. In order to get rid of Yu Heng, she had to first get rid of the Empress.
But with Yu Heng's tight protection of the Empress, there was no way she could get through unless she left the palace alone.
How could the Empress leave the palace in such a chaotic situation?
There was no chance to create an opportunity. This was Meng Fuyao's specialty.
That day, she had a long discussion with the Ninth Princess. When she returned, she received a pigeon message from Zhan Beiye. "Do we need to send troops?"
Meng Fuyao pondered for a long time and gestured for Ji Yu to reply. "Let's wait and see."
She was still living under the same roof as Zhangsun Wuji and Zong Yue. Zong Yue seemed to be very busy, not forgetting to see his subordinates in the Xuanji Palace even when he was recuperating. Although Zong Yue's Guangde Hall was spread across the five continents, it was the first to develop and had the greatest power in the Xuanji Palace. After so many years of operation, it could be said that a single word from him was answered by thousands. Meng Fuyao and Zhangsun Wuji had received a lot of help along the way from the Northern Region.
Zong Yue seemed to have gone out once. When he returned, he looked even more haggard than before. But that night, he handed a letter to Meng Fuyao. Meng Fuyao was silent for a long time after reading the letter. She thought about how the few people who were so close to her had suddenly returned to where they started. Now that they were living next door, they still had to send a letter. She could not help but smile. But halfway through her smile, it changed into a bitter one.
Zhangsun Wuji was also very quiet. He almost shut himself in and didn't come out. Both he and Zong Yue seemed to want to give her time to think things through. Or were they hurting themselves? But she knew that he wouldn't just sit there and do nothing. The three of them weren't the type to lie down and complain about anything. They were like thorny springs that would spring out sooner or later if they were pressed down.
= = = =
After a few days, both the Ninth and Tenth Princesses suddenly fell ill.
One of them was the youngest daughter of Imperial Concubine Rong, and the other was the eldest daughter of the Empress. They were both noble princesses of the Xuanji Dynasty, but they had never interacted with each other. It was completely a coincidence that they fell ill together. Because of the chaos in Tong City, the Ninth Princess went to Jingan Temple to pray to Buddha. On the way back, she suddenly complained of a headache and happened to meet the carriage of the Tenth Princess. After all, they were sisters, so the Tenth Princess naturally had to ask about it. She only asked a few words through the curtain. She was very careful and didn't even get into the carriage. She didn't want to go back to the mansion and just lay down.
The symptoms of the two were similar. They both didn't eat or drink, their faces were red, and they lied in the middle of the night as if they had seen a ghost. The imperial physicians were all helpless. Imperial Concubine Rong and the Empress found famous doctors among the people, but all of them said that they had attracted Yin Qi and were bewitched.
The Empress immediately dismissed it as nonsense. How could a dignified member of the royal family, who had the most dignified body of light, be bewitched?
Although she said this, her confidence was a little weak. Jingan Temple was the imperial temple and was located in the southwest corner of the palace walls of the imperial city. On the way back to the princesses' mansions from Jingan Temple, they had to pass through the southwest of the imperial city. That place had always been the place where people who had committed crimes were punished. There was nothing else there, but the number of dead people.
Which palace didn't have the souls of the wronged dead hovering under the pillars and corridors? Not to mention the Xuanji Palace? Not to mention the Empress of Xuanji who was under the rule of the Empress of Xuanji. Compared to the other countries, Xuanji was not a big country in terms of national power or territory, but compared to the number of people who had died in the harem — it was definitely the most important.
After killing too many people, one would always have a guilty conscience, not to mention that the Xuanji Empress, who was honored as the number one killer in the harem, was influenced by fatalism as she grew older. In the past, Empress Xuanji did not care about being a vegetarian and praying to Buddha, but now she would occasionally fast. When this diagnosis reached the palace, she really took it to heart.
She wanted to bring her daughter into the palace, but this kind of bewitchment was the most taboo in the palace, not to mention that she herself had a guilty conscience and was afraid.
Seeing Imperial Concubine Rong crying and running to the Ninth Princess's residence every day, leaving the palace with a pile of rare medicine in the morning, and returning at night with two red and swollen eyes, Empress Xuanji gradually couldn't sit still.
She wanted to leave the palace several times, but Yu Heng didn't agree. He told her very clearly, "If you go to the Princess's residence, it will be very difficult for me to protect you. After all, it is not suitable for me to enter the inner chambers of women. The Tenth Princess's residence was originally very particular about the location. It was a place of" phoenix hiding ", which was very good for women, but it was a bit of a taboo for the Extreme Yang Skill that I practiced.
His attitude was firm. Empress Xuanji said a few times, but thinking that it was indeed not safe outside, she gave up. In fact, she didn't think too much about the worst — wasn't the Ninth Princess also sick and dying? Wasn't Imperial Concubine Rong fine going in and out every day in such a chaotic capital? It might not be such a coincidence that they were coming for her.
It was already four months now, only a few days before the new Emperor ascended the throne. The state of confrontation between the three armies in Tongcheng had not been resolved. Except for the purple cloaks and the Iron Guards, the real military forces were not bold enough to dare to make such a move. After all, no matter who raised the flag of rebellion first, it would definitely be the one to be attacked by the masses, and the first to be unlucky. Everyone was waiting for His Majesty's decree, waiting for the new Emperor to ascend the throne, or to forcefully suppress the chaos in Xuanji, or be forcefully suppressed by this chaos.
The capital of Xuanji, which was in a stalemate, was waiting for a "change".
And no one knew who was in control of this "change".
It was drizzling on the second day of the fourth month.
Empress Xuanji woke up early in the morning. Through the half-rolled curtain of her maid, she looked out at the spring rain that was like oil, and the flowers and trees that were moist and moist. It should have been a very pleasing thing, but somehow her heart was in a mess. She sat up in a daze for a long time, feeling empty in her heart. Suddenly, she remembered that autumn many years ago, in that narrow, dark room, that woman was tied to the bed. When she scolded her for being shameless and seducing the Emperor, that woman raised her head with difficulty and let out a heart-wrenching curse.
"Evil woman — one day, you will also die of shame!"
She thought of these words, of the woman whose bones were exposed under the oil lamp that night. She thought of the woman's eyes that had lost the whites of her eyes, leaving only the black of her eyes that were filled with boundless pain. Those almost demonic eyes stared at her in the dim, blood-red light. Until death, they never closed again.
She suddenly shivered.
Then she heard the sound of crying.
A large group of people rushed over in panic and hugged Imperial Concubine Rong, who had no time to wash up and dress, noisily into her hall. She was annoyed and couldn't help but rush to the corridor and yell angrily, "What are you shouting for? What a scandal! "
"Empress —" Imperial Concubine Rong didn't even kneel, but stood there with snot and tears, "My Ning 'er can't make it. Today, I'm going to save her …"
"How are you going to save her?" The Empress was amused and squinted at her, "With your divine medical skills?"
"A mysterious master has come to cast a spell for Ning 'er, but he wants her maternal relatives to stay by her side for a day and a night." Imperial Concubine Rong didn't seem to hear her sarcasm and said firmly, "I can't go back to the palace tonight, Your Highness, please allow it."
"Oh?" The Empress's heart moved. She wanted to stop her from going, but seeing the determination of Rong shi, who usually gave in, she was afraid that if she didn't go, Rong shi would immediately jump over and fight with her life. Also, she was worried about her Tenth Princess. If the Ninth Princess of Rong shi was cured, her daughter could be saved.
So she agreed. After a day and night, Imperial Concubine Rong came back with a haggard but joyful expression. She said that Dan Ning could already sit up and eat porridge.
Then the news of the Tenth Princess came, and it became worse.
The Empress couldn't sit still anymore. She turned and went into the hall to find Yu Heng. Then her trusted palace servants heard faint sobbing, crying, and the sound of things being thrown. After a storm, the palace servants looked at each other and silently twisted the corners of their mouths. The triad that never failed had begun again.
Not long after, the storm calmed down. The Empress cleaned up, hid her tears, and gave the order to leave.
She hurriedly went to the Tenth Princess' fu. For safety, she reluctantly listened to Yu Heng's suggestion, put down her pride, and sat with him in an inconspicuous carriage. They went to the Tenth Princess' fu through a side path of the Imperial Family behind the palace.
Along the way, she couldn't help but feel nervous. Her hands twisted and kneaded endlessly in her skirt. She didn't know if she was nervous because of the unknown danger he spoke of, or because of him.
She had never sat so close to Yu Heng before. Yu Heng practiced the virginity skill and didn't get close to women. She also adhered to the rules between men and women and never gave Yu Heng a chance to get close to her. She was the Empress of Xuanji, the mother of the world. Her nobility and status did not allow her to accept the touch of other men.
The world ridiculed her for being vicious and violent, and used the killings in the harem to judge her sins. She didn't care. Why should her husband be shared with others? A woman could do anything to defend her position and exclusive favor. She was also a scholar. In the history books of the previous dynasties, which harem did not have ghosts? Which imperial throne did not have white bones? If other people could do it, why couldn't she?
The carriage swayed slowly. The carriage was a woman's carriage. It wasn't big and was filled to the brim with two people. Yu Heng's legs kept bumping against her as the carriage swayed. She moved aside but there was nowhere to move.
The space was too small and her mind was nervous. Her senses were even more subtle and sensitive. Through the thin palace dress, she could feel the strong and firm skin under the long robe of the man beside her. That tight feeling caused her heart to jump. She suddenly thought of Feng Xuan's old and flabby body spots. They were both men and Feng Xuan was younger. How could there be such a big difference?
She was forty this year and was at the age where she was like a wolf and a tiger. Feng Xuan had long shown signs of old age and was impotent in bed. The two had not been intimate for almost a year. She had once suspected that Feng Xuan's dew had been enjoyed by someone else and was weak on her body. But there was no such thing. Feng Xuan was really old.
And Yu Heng looked like he was still in his prime. She heard that the ten strongest all had techniques to maintain their youthful looks, especially Yu Heng. Ever since he was young, he had practiced the Virgin Skill to the point where it was hard to destroy. His long and narrow eyes had shone like water for many years … when she thought about it, her heart wavered.
Yet it was just a waver. Empress Xuanji then sat up straight. Compared to the pleasure between a man and a woman, status and honor were naturally more important. She had to endure it.
The carriage quickly reached the Tenth Princess Fu. The journey was peaceful. Empress Xuanji released a breath and laughed at herself for being infected by Yu Heng's behavior. She was a laughing stock for being so paranoid.
The Tenth Princess Fu stood silently in the drizzle. A yellow lantern swayed on the tall building in the courtyard. It meant that the residence was not peaceful and someone was ill. The Empress quickly got off the carriage but did not hear the footsteps behind her.
She turned her head in puzzlement and saw Yu Heng still sitting in the carriage. He looked gravely at the yellow lantern. A beat later, he suddenly said, "Ning, let's go back."
Empress Xuanji stilled and her anger rose. She suppressed her throat and said shrilly, "You are crazy! We are already at the door, and you want to go back? "
"Go back," Yu Heng said resolutely, "I need to be responsible for you and me."
"I need to be responsible for my daughter!" Empress Xuanji angrily flicked her sleeve and started to walk towards the fu. "She is not your child, you do not know heartache!"
"Ning —" His sleeve was suddenly pulled by him. Yu Heng leaned down in the rain with a rare worried expression. "Listen to me, go back!"
Hearing such an urgent tone, Empress Xuanji hesitated. She was not an idiot. She had been with Yu Heng for many years and knew his personality. She said, "There is danger?"
Yu Heng looked at the lantern again and said with a dazed expression, "… Maybe."
"Muddleheaded!" Empress Xuanji's anger rose when she heard this. She heavily flung her sleeve away. "You have really been scared out of your wits by these juniors! The Tenth Princess Fu itself has three thousand guards, and there are imperial guards on the perimeter. What courage do they have to openly attack the Tenth Princess Fu? Even if they attack, are you afraid? "
She asked Yu Heng directly. "You are afraid? You are afraid? "
"Not this …" Yu Heng opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something but did not speak. A beat later, he said, "In short, you have to remember, when have I harmed you?"
"You did not harm me, but you are harming my daughter now!" Empress Xuanji snorted coldly and ignored him as she walked in. "Yu Heng Official, ben gong knows that your life is important. Go back and hide, ben gong will go in myself!"
She really ignored him and walked in under the guidance of the Tenth Princess Fu's family that had come out to welcome her. Yu Heng dazedly stood in the rain and forgot to circulate his energy to defend himself. A moment later, he was completely drenched. He suddenly remembered that in these years, he and she had fought many times, but it was the first time that she had ignored him and left.
He raised his head to look at the lantern … there really was nothing unusual about the lantern. Under his senses, there was no murderous energy in the entire Tenth Princess Fu. The reason that he had stopped because of a lantern was actually because of a sentence from fourteen years ago.
Fourteen years ago, an old friend had come to visit. As the two chatted over tea, he had jokingly asked the other, "How old is this person? Where did he die? "
The answer was, "Yellow lantern, rhyme."
He did not understand and continued to ask. That old guy hugged the teacup for a long time before saying, "Yellow lantern is yellow lantern."
He did not give up and asked about the rhyme. That guy laughed and said, "You don't know the rhyme of poetry? You don't know the four tones? Flat tone, up tone, going tone, entering tone, put them together … flat tone, entering tone. "
He instantly sprayed out the tea and jumped up to scold that guy. What flat tone, such dirty words. He, Yu Heng, had cultivated the Virgin Arts all his life, where did he come from "flat tone, entering tone"?
Yet today, he saw the yellow lantern.
He had seen many yellow lanterns in his life. At first, he had thought of these words and felt uneasy. But after a few times, he couldn't help but laugh at that guy for not being effective. But seeing the lantern today, for some reason, his heart started to beat.
But in the end, he could not retreat.
She was in danger.
In his entire life, he had never put her in danger and left on his own.
Also … what could happen? The great Yu Heng, fourth in the Top Ten, was scared away by a yellow lantern that he had seen many times, and abandoned the woman he loved. This was too absurd.
He stood in the rain and took a deep breath. Suppressing the restlessness and anxiousness in that moment, he chased after her footsteps into the fu.
The spring rain soaked the road and reflected the light of the yellow lantern. The Empress saw him follow in and a smug smile floated at the corner of her mouth. She said that the illness of the Empress was not suitable for an outsider to interfere and stopped him outside the door.
Yu Heng had not wanted to go in and sat down in the outer room. A place like the Tenth Princess Fu was not suitable for him to stay for long. Once he entered, he felt his entire body was not right and closed his eyes to rest.
The air in the surroundings was very quiet. He could hear the chanting of the monks and the tone of the Empress' devout prayers. There was incense burning in the inner room. He carefully sniffed it. It was a very normal and expensive sandalwood incense. There was nothing unusual about it.
His heart gradually calmed down. In a patch of emptiness, he heard the long sound of the sandalwood bell of Jing An Temple in the distance.
The yellow lantern on the tall building was still spinning in the wind. Spinning … spinning … spinning … spinning …
For some unknown reason, the lantern suddenly slanted, fell to the ground in front of the building, and silently started to burn.
Yu Heng opened his eyes and did not move. A manservant walked past him, wrapped in a thick sandalwood incense, and leapt towards the burning lantern. He patted and beat to extinguish the fire. Some dust rose from the ground, and some of it was on his body. As he patted, he came in and said with a smile to the servant girls who had hurried over, "Jiejie, keep watch, I'm going to change a lantern."
He walked past Yu Heng. Yu Heng suddenly raised a hand and grabbed him.
With this grab, the manservant gave a loud "Aiya." He was in so much pain that tears and snot flowed. His face changed shape. He curled into a ball and raised his head as he whimpered, "Noble, noble guest … wh wh what …"
Yu Heng knew from that grab that this person did not know martial arts. After looking closely, he really could not find anything suspicious. He raised his hand and threw the manservant aside. He said coolly, "All of you, get out. No one is allowed to walk around."
"You are interfering too much." The Empress poked her head out from behind the curtain. "Imperial Princess needs someone to serve here. Also, these are manservants of the fu. Ben gong knows all of them."
"Get out." Yu Heng's tone was light but unquestionable.
The Empress hesitated and then waved her hand to signal for everyone to leave. Even that Master Tong Xuan left. When he left, Yu Heng glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. It was a monk with average martial arts and a deep ring scar on his head.
The surroundings became silent. Now, even the yellow lantern was gone.
Yu Heng smiled calmly and continued to meditate.
Yet this time, he could not enter.
He didn't know where the heat started. It was not from his lower abdomen or his dantian, but from his limbs. It was like there was a small flame in his palms. He didn't feel anything at first, but then it spread bit by bit. The heat was not on the surface of his skin, but gnawing at his bones. It passed through his tendons, blood, and flesh to enter his lungs. After it entered, it started to itch. The itch was like a warm and fragrant tongue licking every inch of his body. Wherever it passed, grass grew. The grass grew longer and longer, teasing his body like ropes. He could faintly hear his blood cheering, his bones cracking, his dantian racing. A certain place tightened, and the emptiness in his heart became increasingly empty.
His heart roared. Even though he had never touched a woman in his life, he knew he had fallen for that thing. This was not the time to investigate when he had fallen for it. He quickly moved his zhenqi to suppress it. But when his zhenqi moved, it was like adding oil to a fire. With a boom, his entire body shot out like fireworks.
The tighter the pressure, the higher it bounced. The more childish a man was, the higher he broke his vows. Just like Yu Heng, who had been a childish man all his life, could not calm his heart and cultivate in the mountains. For many years, he had been immersed in the yin energy of the Imperial Palace. Accompanying women, even if he didn't want to, he had to. In the past, he had relied on his peerless martial arts to support himself, and the special rooms in the Imperial Palace to nurture his energy. Now, here, he had nothing to rely on.
Of course, the reason he was like this was because he had fallen into someone's scheme for many years. But maybe in this life, he would never know.
He shot out like fireworks. The sky and earth were as white as lightning. In that white light, he suddenly heard the Empress give a low exclamation. Just as the exclamation entered his ears, he shot in.
The thick curtain fell again. The Empress of the Embroidered Tent pressed her hand to her chest and stared in shock at him. She said, "Hua Er seems to have woken up for a moment …" She suddenly reacted. Her eyebrows furrowed as she said, "What are you doing in here? Get out, get out, do not intrude! "
Yu Heng silently leapt over.
He pushed her down, and used the position that he had simulated countless times in his dreams. His hand rose and fell, and there was a sharp sound of silk tearing. Her gold and red dress floated to the ground.
She seemed to be frightened, her red lips parted, unable to speak. However, he became more and more excited because of that jade-like snow-white ball. His hand pressed down on her shoulder, and with a burst of fierce tearing and pulling, he stripped her bare in an instant.
The curtains were heavy, and there was a faint fragrance. In order to not disturb the patients, the room was dark. The thick curtains blocked out the sound of rain and people. There was no one in the surroundings. It was extremely silent. In the extreme silence, an extremely bright fire burned.
She struggled, and propped up her neck to look at her daughter on the bed. She said in a low voice, "She's here … she's here … can't …" For some reason, the tone was more flirtatious than refusing. Her breathing was light and sweat was dripping. When it reached his ears, it was ecstasy — a violent reaction like hers was no longer a refusal!
He did not make a sound, and completely pushed himself down. A well-maintained female of forty, with all the curves of her body in all the right places. When he touched her, it was like touching a ball of cloud. Or a piece of jade? Or the softest grass in the world? He raised his head, opened his mouth, and took a few deep breaths. If he did not do this, he would not be able to suppress the blood rushing and moaning in his body … It turned out that decades of being a young man was really a stupid thing. It turned out that hugging the woman he loved was such a wonderful thing that he could not bear to part with. He hugged such a female body and galloped. Both of them were drenched in sweat, and their skin was slippery and wet like fish. They rolled into a ball on the ground, in the dark quiet room, under her daughter's bed.
The moment when he finally found the right place to fill himself in, she let out a low but happy cry. A loud bang sounded in his head, and there was a sudden cracking sound in his body. After the cracking, there was a burst of brilliant fireworks. In the golden light, the four words flashed over and over again:
Flat up, in.
Flat, up, go, in.
If the world was originally like this, the past decades would all be in vain.
In the golden light that filled the sky and the earth, years of repression finally broke out. The hungry man and the hungry woman rolled into a ball and fought endlessly. They forgot themselves, forgot their status, and also forgot the sky and the earth.
Before this, all living beings were equal, and there was no distinction of status and identity.
But suddenly, someone laughed coldly, unabashedly, and strode in from the outside, bringing with him the wind, the rain, the cold murderous aura, and the biting cold hatred. His footsteps were like the wind as he walked through the winding corridor, past the closed doors, and lifted the heavy curtains, unimpeded, and walked in with a murderous aura.
She laughed and waved the golden whip in her hand. With one whip, she woke up the Tenth Princess on the bed, who was so shocked by the underground battle that her eyelashes were flickering.
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