Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 100

Xu Lie closed his eyes, lowered his head, clenched his fists tightly, and gritted his teeth until he was sure his voice wouldn't tremble with emotion before he said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry..." Xu Lie's pride wouldn't allow him to cry, much less lower his head. But he had to say those three words with his head down. Because those three words carried immense weight, representing all his apologies and remorse, and a farewell to his foolish and cowardly self from the past.

Gaqi snorted again, but his expression softened somewhat. Though his tone was awkward, he seemed to treat him as someone close: "Although I really hate you, there are some things I should tell you. The onlooker sees more of the game than the player..."

Xu Lie looked into his bright, clear eyes and asked hesitantly, "Wh...what?"

Xu Lie's question seemed to remind Jiaqi of something, his eyes dimmed, and he sighed before saying, "Lanlan has almost completely changed in the past six months in Switzerland. She's blind, but she's calm and composed; she can only stay at home alone every day, but she doesn't complain; many times, the things she says move even Auntie, as if they're spoken by someone who has experienced the vicissitudes of life. Lanlan has become mature and steady; Lanlan has grown up. However, she has also become increasingly taciturn and expressionless. Many times, I have no idea what she's thinking in the dark."

Xu Lie stared blankly at him, looking somewhat silly, which made Jiaqi smile.

He patted Xu Lie on the shoulder and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Do you understand now? That's why Lanlan had such a strong reaction just now; anyone could see how excited she was. It means she still cares about you."

Xu Lie's eyes widened suddenly, his heart filled with a mixture of hope and guilt, causing him to clench his fists even tighter.

Gaqi rambled on and on, until finally his tone was filled with resentment and unwillingness: "So... only you can give her... blue... blue!"

Gaqi's voice suddenly paused, instantly shifting from a sigh to shock and embarrassment. He looked up at Xu Lie's back and stammered, "You...you said you went up, didn't you?"

"I've come to get my phone." Jia Lan's calm and peaceful voice came from behind. Xu Lie could no longer control his boiling blood and turned around to rush to her side. His outstretched hand hesitated in the air for three seconds before finally just gently touching her back.

"Galan...Galan..." Xu Lie carefully put his arm around her shoulder, his voice hoarse, "You've suffered so much, damn me...I actually let you suffer so much!"

"But I don't want to let go!" Xu Lie tightened his grip, pressing the struggling, thin body against his rapidly heaving chest. "Knowing I'm not worthy of your love, knowing you'll never forgive me, I still don't want to let go... I can't let go... Galan! Galan!"

Happiness may only last a moment, but after that moment comes a long period of heartbreak. So this is love—a love that gnaws at your heart and burns your soul. He can't let go. If he loses Garan without making any effort, his life will be filled with endless loneliness from now on.

Perhaps one day, he will have to despair. Xu Lie thought this as he held the person in his arms, who was slowly ceasing to struggle: If that day truly comes, and he knows that the person he's lost can never be found again, that the love he's lost can never be retrieved, then perhaps he will find a corner where he can curl up alone, waiting for his wounds to heal, experiencing the freedom of daring to love, hate, and lose, and then stand up again… if he can still stand up!

Galan's struggles finally ceased completely. She quietly lowered her slightly curled, trembling eyelashes, placed her hands on his arms, and then slowly pulled away from his embrace. Xu Lie's hands, which had been slowly pulled away, stiffened, but he was utterly powerless. When Galan struggled desperately, he could hold her in his arms without hesitation; when Galan coldly rebuked him, he could abandon everything and stay by her side.

But only at this moment, with her indifferent and nonchalant yet resolute expression, did he find himself unable to even grasp her hand.

Galan took a deep breath, her cheeks slightly flushed as she tilted her head in a small arc. Her expression seemed to be speaking to him, yet also to herself: "There was someone who learned to restrain his emotions from a young age; there was someone who didn't understand romance but could only silently protect; there was someone who promised me forever, and then fulfilled that promise with a love more precious than his own life. We were together but couldn't love each other, so close yet so far..."

A gentle smile graced her face, the corners of her lips slightly upturned, yet beneath that gentleness lay a deep sorrow and bitterness. Xu Lie felt a chill run through him, shocked and yet unable to suppress his pity and heartache: "Galan, what...what are you saying?"

"What am I saying?" Galan paused, then, after a moment of stunned silence, her gentle smile softened into one of tender care, as if she were cherishing a priceless treasure. Yet, no matter how radiant the smile, it couldn't conceal the pain in her eyes. "I'm saying that I've fallen in love with someone I'm destined never to love, but I'm willing to accept it, and I have no regrets. Yesterday is gone, Xu Lie, let's both let go, let go of that unbearable past..."

Xu Lie, let's both let go...

So easily he said "let go," so easily he shattered the last vestiges of his faith and longing. He still thought of someone else with such a tender expression, said he loved someone else with such a sorrowful and lingering tone! Someone he didn't even know, someone he didn't even recognize! Only six months, just six months apart! Galan, how could you be so cruel, how could you?!

"I won't let go!" Xu Lie roared in a voice almost filled with despair and collapse, gripping her shoulders tightly. His beloved wife, "Those memories that have sustained me to this point, those memories that have helped me find you, those memories that have become a part of me, how can I let go?! Galan, tell me how to let go?!"

Just as Xu Lie was about to pull that frail body into his arms again, hurried footsteps and an aunt's excited shouts suddenly came from the second-floor corridor: "Lanlan... Jiaqi... Lanlan... Lanlan...!!"

Aunt Cao seemed completely oblivious to the strange atmosphere in the room. She simply hugged Jialan, who was standing in front of Xu Lie, crying and laughing at the same time. From her expression, voice, and actions, it was clear that she was overjoyed: "Lanlan, she's awake... she's awake... Waaah... Yufei is awake! Fei'er is finally awake, thank God!! The Bodhisattva has finally appeared! God has blessed us! Waaah..."

Xu Lie felt his heart skip a beat. Before he could even process his emotions, he saw Jialan's expression suddenly change. Although it was only for a moment, neither the overjoyed Jiaqi nor Aunt Cao noticed it, but Xu Lie did.

Galan's extremely complex expression was less of surprise and more of... terror! Although it contained some joyful anticipation, it could not hide the shock and fear in her eyes that left her speechless.

Fear? Why would she be afraid? Xu Lie frowned in disbelief. Wasn't it Galan who most wanted Yufei to wake up? Wasn't it Galan who had always taken such good care of Yufei? If so, why would she be afraid?

Xu Lie felt something important flash through his mind, its details unfolding before his eyes, yet it vanished in an instant, leaving him unable to grasp or understand it...

—Lie, let me tell you, if—just if! I'll tell you, every night in my dreams I enter an ancient alternate world and become the prime minister of a country…

—I must fall asleep before dark because once the moon rises, time in that world also begins to flow, and Yi Han will be alone… in the desert, where there will be danger. I absolutely, positively do not hate you touching me, not even the slightest bit…

"Yihan, what time is it?"

The room erupted in a cacophony of excitement at the sudden, overwhelming good news. Xu Lie watched as the doctors streamed in from downstairs, then glanced at Jia Lan beside him, her lips pressed tightly together in deep thought. A sudden pang of bittersweet pain welled up inside him, leaving him standing there blankly, staring at the woman who seemed worlds apart from him, unable to reach out and grasp her…

Several people walked up the stairs beside them, and Galan was bumped and stumbled. Xu Lie, who was in a daze, suddenly snapped back to reality. What was he afraid of? What was he despairing about? Shouldn't the most important thing now be to protect the woman before him and prevent her from suffering any harm?

Whatever Galan feared, whatever the problem he couldn't understand, it didn't matter. Xu Lie took a deep breath, supported the woman who was standing frozen in front of Yu Fei's door, held her cold, trembling hand tightly, and said softly, "Galan, don't worry, no matter what happens, I will protect you."

Yes! Protect her! Take care of her! With his remaining determination and strength, he would protect his beloved wife, even at the cost of his life!

The extra chapter is long and the waters are wide; where will it end?

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Volume 2: If the Three Heavens Had Feelings, Heaven Would Grow Old

Prologue: The Trajectory of History

Prologue: The Trajectory of History

Author's Note:

Many people might find this section tedious and difficult to read, so you can skip it. It serves as the background for the later battle and counter-espionage plot, so it's necessary to include it. You can refer back to it later if you encounter anything you don't understand. Actually, this chapter was the most tiring to write of all the chapters because it involves a lot of geography, tactics, and classical Chinese… ugh!

Prologue: The Trajectory of History

Smoke and fire filled the air, and the flames of war raged across the sky. The world has changed, and the past is now just a memory.

From the 766th to the 768th year of the Wanli reign, no matter how many years later, when the people of the Ishu Continent recall those short but turbulent three years, they can't help but sigh with emotion.

For emperors, it was the beginning of the downfall of their ancestors' centuries-old legacy; for the powerful and wealthy, it was the arrival of an unknown disaster; for brave and skilled soldiers, it was the starting point for establishing unparalleled achievements to protect their homeland; for the common people who had lived in chaos for hundreds of years, it was the darkness before dawn, the harsh cold before spring blossoms.

What is right? What is wrong? What is righteous? What is evil? In this mortal world, one can only sigh that iron horses and golden spears enter one's dreams, stirring up intense emotions; after a thousand sails have passed, one can only lament that one general's success is thwarted by the decay of countless ages, leaving only empty sorrow.

War is a matter of vital importance to the State; it is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected. [Note 1]

July of the 766th year of the Wanli reign

Qin Luo, the eighteen-year-old prime minister of Jin Yaoguo, secretly submitted a memorial to Emperor Yang Yi, stating that Jin Yaoguo possessed all the advantages of favorable timing and popular support, but lacked only the advantage of strategic location. Therefore, if the world wished to be unified, the land of Fengyin must be seized first. This insightful statement was not adopted by Yang Yi. Instead, suspecting Qin Luo of usurping power, Yang Yi gradually promoted rising stars in the court. On one hand, he appointed Han Ning as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and on the other hand, he distributed Qin Luo's military power to Yang Qian, the young Marquis of Ningbei, and Ling Chu, the deputy general under Lü Shaojun.