El cuento de la princesa Song en Heian-kyo

Capítulo 58

"That's none of my business, Your Majesty. You should worry about the upcoming matches." Yu Zhou's sharp words pulled him back to reality; even Xingzhi was no longer effective. So who in the world could possibly control this young man?

"Your Majesty, are we just going to let him go like this?" Zhan Ge asked, his blue eyes following Yu Zhou's retreating figure.

Chen Ze smiled faintly, "Just for now, what do you say?" The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a kingly aura, which carried an air of predation.

"Yes." Zhan Ge gave a faint, bitter smile. The vanished man will always belong to someone, but will he be at their mercy? Xingzhi, what should you do? Yu Qingqing, what should you do?

Wind and Rain Tower

"You wretch, don't you understand what the master said?" A woman in red was viciously slapping the man on the ground. It was hard to believe such a charming woman could do such a thing. The man behind the curtain simply watched silently, his hands supporting his chin. Yu Qingqing remained kneeling on one knee, her lips tightly pressed together. Her once alluring face was now deathly pale. A gray coat clung tightly to her thin frame.

"Stop." The man's authoritative yet eerie voice from behind the curtain interrupted everything.

"Hongxi obeys." Hongxi put away the chains and returned to the side of the curtain.

"Xiaoming, do you know what mistake Qinghong and you made?" he asked with amusement, his voice devoid of any emotion, only a hint of anger.

Ji Yuran, who was beaten to the point of barely breathing, groaned and could not speak. She could only look at the curtain out of the corner of her eye. Yu Qingqing paused for a moment and said calmly, "We can't lay a hand on Yu Zhou."

"I didn't expect our deputy leader to still have some memory." He sneered, the sarcasm in his voice easily discernible. The invisible beam of light was fixed on Yu Qingqing.

"Your subordinate is willing to accept punishment." Yu Qingqing glanced at Ji Yuran and said weakly, her face growing paler and paler, her chapped lips bearing a bitter and desolate expression. Her hands clenched quickly. She closed her eyes tightly, awaiting her master's punishment.

"Did I ever say I would punish the deputy leader?" Ghost said with a smile. Even Hongxi's eyes widened in surprise. Even Ghost's younger sister, Mei, was usually beaten badly by Ghost for not following orders. But why was Xiaoming unscathed? She was indignant.

The ghost gracefully drew back the curtain, revealing her slender figure to everyone.

But the face was bound by a thick iron mask, even the hair was firmly stuck inside. Yet, the cold lips could still be seen.

The ghost slowly crouched down, and with a silver-gloved hand, lifted Yu Qingqing's chin. Yu Qingqing's eyes were filled with terror, and tears still clung to her fair skin, each one glistening with a crystalline light.

"Tsk tsk, so pitiful." The ghost looked at Yu Qingqing's face with admiration. He bent down and kissed away each tear on Yu Qingqing's face. The soft and delicate kiss deeply moved Yu Qingqing's body. The ghost kissed her as if she were a precious treasure, inch by inch, and a tender emotion suddenly appeared in his deep eyes. He wrapped his large hand around Yu Qingqing's waist and pressed his lips heavily against hers.

A burning desire began to ignite in his eyes, accompanied by Yu Qingqing's resistance.

"You really look like him..." The hands that held Yu Qingqing down assaulted her like a storm. The words were meaningful. Ji Yuran painfully closed his eyes; he didn't want to see this scene.

[Dynasty Storm: The Smoke of War Is About to Begin]

A light drizzle draped the earth in a mysterious cloak, casting a hazy, autumnal glow. The night air felt rather cool. Yet, the lights remained brightly lit in the Yu family's study.

"Your subordinate reports to the Prime Minister that Fengyu Tower has disappeared." Wearing a bamboo hat and kneeling, water droplets dripping onto the carpet, Yu Zhou, who had been writing furiously, paused for a moment. Then he relaxed and said, "Go down."

"Yes!" The man in black hesitated before retreating.

Yes, the disappearance of Fengyulou was inevitable, but Yu Zhou didn't understand their purpose. Since that's the case, then let's take it slow; the competition is almost here. She doesn't have the energy to deal with everyone.

"Zhou'er, are you there?" Su Rongrong knocked on the door anxiously. Looking at her daughter's increasingly forlorn figure, her eyes welled with tears, and strands of silver appeared at her temples.

Yu Zhou glanced indifferently at the figure outside. He gently put down his pen.

"Mother, come in."

Su Rongrong pushed open the door, holding a set of Cuju (ancient Chinese football) outfit in her hands. Several silver armor plates glittered on the robe. The fabric was very new, and it was clear that it had been sewn just today.

"Mother, you..." Yu Zhou still looked coldly at the robe Su Rongrong was putting away, his clear eyes devoid of any warmth. But Su Rongrong knew that Yu Zhou wasn't cold; he was just hiding his true self.

"Mother knows you have a competition tomorrow, this is for you..." Yu Zhou immediately understood when he saw the tiny needle marks on Su Rongrong's fingers. Su Rongrong would never sew. A woman devoted to martial arts, she possessed an indomitable spirit; such a proud woman would never pick up an embroidery needle. Yet now, her hands were covered in tiny needle marks, and her fingers still bore traces of blood.

Yu Zhou quickly grabbed Su Rongrong's hand, his pupils flashing. But his dark, unfathomable eyes only held a chilling light.

"It's nothing." Su Rongrong panicked and tried to pull her slender hand away from Yu Zhou's, but Yu Zhou's irresistible expectation shocked her.

"Let me apply the medicine for you." Yu Zhou took Su Rongrong's hand. He took out the medicine and carefully applied it to Su Rongrong, bit by bit. The cool, refreshing scent wafted into Su Rongrong's nose.

Looking at Yu Zhou's profile with a bittersweet expression, the perfect curve of his face, his cheeks so pitiful, pale and weak, Yu Zhou looked like a fragile doll. He seemed so delicate, as if he could be broken at the slightest carelessness. How could such a frail boy endure this...?

Black hair hung down on either side, long eyelashes fluttered gently, and in the warm candlelight, Yu Zhou's face was so fragile, so otherworldly, as if he were about to ascend to immortality. Su Rongrong gripped Yu Zhou's sleeve tightly, completely ignoring the pain in her fingers.

"Zhou'er, I beg you, please don't do it anymore. It breaks my heart." Su Rongrong looked at Yu Zhou helplessly, her eyes brimming with tears. The desolation she felt was unimaginable to ordinary people.

"Mother, do you know why so many people died?" Yu Zhou asked, looking out at the light rain. Su Rongrong had no interest in the matter of life or death; she only wanted Yu Zhou to give up and revert to his female form. Her body simply couldn't withstand the torment of pursuing a man's ambitions.

"Because there are too many powers that drive wars, just as it was a thousand years ago and it is now. The world is always in a cycle of division and unification, and there is no eternal dynasty or eternal chaos. Everything will eventually return to its current state. Just as no one can live forever."

Many could say what Yu Zhou said, but only she could truly understand the anxiety in his eyes, the bitterness and heartache they contained. Families torn apart, corpses strewn across the fields—she had witnessed it all firsthand. The sight of blood flowing through every river. She had had enough. She would use her own hands to protect the innocent people. She wasn't noble, because those people included her parents and loved ones. Therefore, she would protect her family.

Seeing Yu Zhou's resolute expression, Su Rongrong cruelly threw off her robe and ran out, tears streaming down her face. She didn't understand; this child always thought about national affairs, but she wasn't a man, she was a woman. Thinking of this, she couldn't comprehend Yu Zhou at all.

[Dynasty Storms: A Conversation Between Brothers]

In the room

"Wuxin, you can leave now." Hua Qianmo glared fiercely at Hua Wuxin, who was sitting with his legs crossed. He paced back and forth in the room.

Hua Wuxin coldly replied, "I haven't had enough fun yet. Besides, didn't my brother ask me to choose a concubine? I've finally found a beautiful woman, how can I give her up? There are few women in the world more beautiful than my brother." Hua Wuxin grew happier the more he thought about it. That Qingfeng girl. Cold and aloof, yet so serene and peaceful. Her indifferent temperament carried a sense of mystery. How could he not want to kiss such a woman?

"You're not going to tell me it's that Yelü the Dead Transvestite, are you?" Hua Qianmo looked at Hua Wuxin with disdain. He hadn't expected Hua Wuxin's gaze to be so problematic. Hua Qianmo had always scoffed at Yelü the Dead Transvestite.

"Yelü the dead demon?" Hua Wuxin asked curiously.

"It's that person in the red dress, the one who looks so seductive," Hua Qianmo said angrily.

Hua Wuxin turned around and stood up abruptly, saying, "Of course not him. I'm talking about Miss Qingfeng." Hua Qianmo had just picked up a cup of tea, but before he could even take a sip, he spat it all onto Hua Wuxin's handsome face.

"You... what did you say?" Hua Qianmo's eyes widened like saucers as she stared at Hua Wuxin in disbelief. She even threw the teacup she was holding to the ground.

"Hua Qianmo, what are you doing?" Hua Wuxin angrily wiped the water and tea leaves off her face.