L'hibiscus comme peinture

Chapitre 119

"Uh? Yi Tian told me that the Holy Emperor..." Chen Han hesitated, glancing at Zheng Xuan before stammering. Seeing Zheng Xuan's growing impatience, he gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "Yi Tian told me that the Holy Emperor resembles the Grand Tutor. Although his face is covered and his features are obscured, and he has only seen him once from afar, Yi Tian and the others feel that he is very much like the Grand Tutor, especially the Prince. He often sees the Holy Emperor as the Grand Tutor's shadow, especially after the destruction of the Seven Fiends Tower. The Prince has changed, often spacing out and becoming more sensitive to matters concerning the Holy Emperor. I think that's why Prince Jin lingered for so many days, even following the Holy Emperor." After finishing in one breath, Chen Han lowered his head considerably, not daring to look at their Emperor.

Zheng Xuan narrowed his sharp, piercing eyes and suddenly stood up. He began pacing around the dragon desk, tapping on it as he spoke. His handsome face, which was filled with stern anger, revealed no emotion. The atmosphere in the imperial study became oppressive, so quiet that only the sound of the emperor tapping on the dragon desk could be heard.

A sage ruler? Does he really resemble a ruler? Or is there some conspiracy? Is he deliberately trying to mislead his younger brother? Was his abrupt departure also a ploy to lure his brother after him? Who exactly is this sage ruler? What are his intentions?

Inside the Emperor's bedchamber, Empress Xiao Yuqing, also known as Ling Aoxue, sat with a somber expression. Her usually sunny and smiling face was now clouded with worry, and her bright eyes were brimming with tears. She held a white robe in her hands, muttering to herself, but it was unclear what she was saying. As she spoke, one or two tears fell onto the white robe, slowly spreading, just like the pain in her heart, growing larger and more intense with each passing moment. It hurt so much! My Lord…

"My lord...where are you? Do you hate me for being useless, so you don't come to see me anymore? I'm really useless, I couldn't protect you. I'm so sorry, Uncle and Aunt. My lord...are you doing well in heaven? Have you seen Uncle and Aunt? Have you said anything bad about me?...How could you be so heartless, abandoning Jinxuan, abandoning me, abandoning your nephew and student? You are the Crown Prince's tutor! You still have to teach your nephew the Five Elements Numerology and military strategy! How could you...how could you abandon us? My lord...Waaah...My lord..." Aoxue couldn't hold back anymore, burying her head in her white robes, crying incoherently, her heart breaking.

The palace maids nearby also began to weep softly, wiping away their tears, some of them already sobbing aloud.

"Your Majesty, please stop crying. You'll hurt yourself." Lin'er, the palace maid closest to Ao Xue, knelt down beside Ao Xue with two lines of tears on her face, gently comforting Ao Xue's emotions that were about to spiral out of control.

But Aoxue seemed not to hear, and continued to cry with her head down. Lin'er herself was also crying her eyes out. How could she possibly comfort Aoxue?

Some of the palace maids had already huddled together and wept, grieving for the passing of the Grand Tutor and the Empress's sorrow. This scene had played out almost daily for the past six months. The Empress would hold the clothes left behind by the Grand Tutor every day, often unable to hold back her tears. The Empress had always been the most cheerful and mischievous, seemingly without a care in the world, the kind of optimistic person who would use even the sky falling as a blanket. But since the Grand Tutor's passing, the Empress had rarely smiled. The entire palace was deathly still; her cheerful laughter was no longer heard, nor was her lively figure seen anymore…

As soon as Zhengxuan entered the palace, he saw the same scene he saw every day. His heart ached. How could Qing'er's body withstand this?

“Your Majesty…” The palace maids saw Zheng Xuan and immediately knelt down to pay their respects with tears in her eyes, but Zheng Xuan stopped them and waved his sleeve, signaling them to leave.

After Lin'er and the palace maids withdrew, Zhengxuan walked to Aoxue's side, sat down, and gently embraced her, letting her lean on his shoulder, giving her unseen comfort.

"Xiao Xuanzi... Waaah..." Ao Xue hugged Zheng Xuan's waist and vented loudly.

Zhengxuan didn't speak, but quietly stroked Aoxue's back with a sorrowful expression. Qing'er and Jinxuan were his most important lovers and family. Seeing them in pain, his heart ached, and he wanted to shout it out.

After crying for a while, her loud sobs gradually turned into soft sobs, and the palace fell silent except for Aoxue's sobs.

"Qing'er, it's been more than half a year since the Emperor left. Don't be sad anymore. I think the Emperor wouldn't want to see you so heartbroken." Zhengxuan helped Aoxue up from his embrace, gently wiping away her tears, and said with heartache.

“Xiao Xuanzi, I’m so sorry for making you worry, but I’m really heartbroken! I can’t accept Jun’s permanent departure. Jun was such a capable and kind person, why was God so cruel to her? Xiao Xuanzi…” Ao Xue sobbed as she spoke. She knew that for the past six months, Xiao Xuanzi had to take care of Jin Xuan, look after her, and worry about her, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted. She had truly neglected Xiao Xuanzi’s feelings. But the thought of Jun’s tragic death made her unable to control herself!

Since choosing to stay in Longxuan forever, she knew she would never see her father, mother, and Jun again in this life, but at least she knew they were living well in the 21st century, which put her at ease. But she never imagined that Jun would leave forever, that the Longxuan Dynasty would no longer have Jun, and that the 21st century would no longer have Jun...

"Qing'er, don't apologize to me. I know your feelings for Jun, I know the pain in your heart. Although Jun is gone, she will always be Ling'er's tutor, and her Crown Prince Tutor's residence will be preserved forever, as if she were still here." Zhengxuan embraced Aoxue again, speaking gently and sorrowfully. He was also heartbroken by Jun's passing. Jinxuan had lost its princess, Qing'er had lost her best friend, and the Longxuan Dynasty had lost a brilliant strategist and minister.

"Qing'er, the place where the Crown Prince's tutor was burned down has been completely restored to its original state. Would you like to go and take a look?" Zhengxuan said to Aoxue as if he had just thought of something. He had recently had the Crown Prince's tutor's residence rebuilt, and it was now complete. Actually, he didn't really want Qing'er to go to the Crown Prince's tutor's residence. He just hoped to take Qing'er out for a walk and clear her mind, so that perhaps Qing'er wouldn't be so sad all the time.

"No, I'm afraid that if I go, I'll remember how Jun died in the Great Fire of Peking University, sob... Jun said that the way she hated to die was being burned alive, I never thought... sob... that hateful fire... how could Jun be so foolish... sob..." The tears she had finally managed to stop started flowing again. Aoxue buried her head in Zhengxuan's arms and cried incoherently. Jun said that being burned alive was the most disgusting way to die, the way she hated it the most, I never thought... The scenes of her and Jun in the 21st century flashed through her mind again:

They were both in junior high school at the time. One day, they were watching TV when a news report came on. It was about a man with a terminal illness who, unable to bear the torment of the disease, set himself on fire in his home. He was burned beyond recognition, his death a horrific sight. Jun looked disgusted and said, "Even if I were truly in despair, I would never choose to end my life by self-immolation. Being burned to a crisp is disgusting. I hate that kind of blackened look." Of course, she laughed at Jun, knowing that Jun had always been a germaphobe.

Waaah... My lord, I never imagined that in the end, you would still... No, that's not right...

"Xiao Xuanzi, did Jun really set himself on fire?" Ao Xue, who was crying, suddenly remembered something and asked in surprise. She wasn't there at the time; Xiao Xuanzi had told her everything.

"Qing'er, what's wrong?" Zhengxuan was startled by Aoxue and asked worriedly. Why was Qing'er asking this question now?

"Don't ask any more questions. Tell me what you discovered back then. Tell me again." Aoxue stared intently at Zhengxuan, her face tense. She seemed to have grasped something.

"When we learned the truth, we rushed to the Crown Prince's tutor's residence, only to find that Mo Yueying's room was engulfed in flames. The servants in the Crown Prince's tutor's residence all knew that Jun was inside and tried their best to put out the fire, but the fire was too big. Mo Yueying also said that Jun was inside. Jin Xuan and Yelü Ying carried Jun, whose face had been burned beyond recognition, out of the fire. Cheng Wuying had said before that there was no cure for the poison Jun was suffering from, and that Jun had set himself on fire in despair. Qing'er, you..." Although Zheng Xuan was puzzled, he still recounted what had happened half a year ago.

"No, no, Jun would never set herself on fire. Even if she were truly desperate, she wouldn't do that." Ao Xue looked utterly lost, shaking her head and muttering to herself.

"Qing'er, what's wrong? Don't scare me. Jun was personally carried out of the fire by Jin Xuan, there's no mistake, Qing'er..." Zheng Xuan felt a wave of terror wash over him as he held Ao Xue tightly, speaking anxiously. He thought Qing'er couldn't take the shock and had finally broken down. He was truly terrified, and didn't even bother with the title of Emperor anymore.

Aoxue pushed Zhengxuan away, her face lighting up with joy, and exclaimed, "No, you don't understand! Jun said that even in despair, she would never choose to die by self-immolation. You also said that Jun's martial arts skills are extremely high; she could easily end her life by striking herself with a single palm strike. How could she choose to commit suicide in a way she despises most? Absolutely impossible!" The thought that Jun might not be dead filled Aoxue with hope.

"Even if that's true, perhaps Cheng Wuying sent someone to set fire again?" Zhengxuan pondered for a moment, analyzing the situation. He also hoped Qing'er was telling the truth, but if it wasn't Jun who died, then who was it? And where was Jun? According to Mo Yueying, Jun was severely poisoned at the time, so it was impossible for him to leave on his own without anyone knowing.

"Impossible! According to your logic, if Cheng Wuying tricked Mo Yueying into giving Jun a deadly poison, why would she go to the trouble of risking discovery by sending someone to infiltrate the Crown Prince's tutor's residence and burn Jun, who was already beyond saving, to death? Besides, the person Jinxuan brought out was unrecognizable; how can we be sure it was Jun? And most importantly, there's the jade flute Jinxuan gave Jun. You said that jade flute was impervious to water and fire, but after that fire, the jade flute disappeared without a trace. It wasn't found on 'Jun.' Given Jun's feelings for Jinxuan, she would definitely have carried the jade flute with her at all times, so... that corpse wasn't Jun at all..." Aoxue stood up excitedly, the more she thought about it, the more she realized something was wrong, and the more certain she became that the corpse wasn't Jun. So, perhaps Jun wasn't dead...

“What you said makes sense. Perhaps it really isn’t Jun.” Zhengxuan also felt that what Aoxue said made a lot of sense. He murmured to himself while deep in thought. After Qing’er said this, he also felt that there was something strange about it. At that time, the charred corpse that Jinxuan brought out was unrecognizable. They had assumed that it was Jun. As for the jade flute, Jinxuan was completely devastated at the time. Although he felt strange, too many things happened afterward that left him no time to think about this issue. Moreover, everything was so logical that no one would doubt that the corpse was not Jun.

"You agree, right? Haha... Jun is not dead yet, Jun is still alive..." As soon as Ao Xue received the 'affirmation' from the main selection, she laughed happily, sweeping away the gloom of the past six months, and a bright smile returned to her face.

Looking at Aoxue's bright smile, Zhengxuan felt as if he were in a dream, and his heart was filled with excitement. He didn't want to break the beautiful scene in front of him, and he didn't want to break Qing'er's bright and beautiful smile, but he still had to prepare Qing'er mentally. Otherwise, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment, and the more heartbroken Qing'er would be.

“Qing’er, you were already poisoned at that time. Even if that corpse wasn’t you, you still…” Zhengxuan really didn’t want to dampen Aoxue’s spirits, but it was the truth.

"No, until I actually see Jun's body, I won't believe that Jun is really dead. Anything is possible, isn't it?" Ao Xue raised her head, her face full of conviction. Even she and her sister could travel through the same space at different times and fall in love with their brother. What else is impossible, especially when it's just a so-called incurable poison?

“Qing’er is right. I don’t believe that such a person could die so young.” Zhengxuan smiled and echoed Aoxue.

“Yes, but don’t tell Jinxuan about this yet. I’m afraid if Jun really… Jinxuan won’t be able to handle another blow.” Aoxue looked at Zhengxuan seriously and said. Seeing Zhengxuan nod, she took Zhengxuan’s hand and said firmly, “Little Xuanzi, I’m going to leave the palace to find Jun. Please don’t stop me, okay?”

"Ah, I won't stop you, but I'm going with you. The affairs of the court will be temporarily handled by the Prime Minister." Zheng Xuan sighed slightly, smoothing Ao Xue's hair, and said in an unyielding tone. He knew Qing'er would make this request, and he knew he couldn't stop her, but he wouldn't let Qing'er go out alone. The Seven Fiends Tower had been destroyed, and the political situation had stabilized. He could leave the capital with peace of mind.

"Xiao Xuanzi, you're so kind, let's go!" Ao Xue nestled happily into Zheng Xuan's arms and smiled, she couldn't wait a moment longer.

"Wait..." Zhengxuan suddenly seemed to remember something, frowned, and pulled Aoxue aside. Seeing Aoxue looking at him with a puzzled expression, he told her everything Chen Han had reported. If it was really as Qing'er said, and Jun was not dead, could it be that the Holy Emperor was...

"The new sect leader of the Holy Immortal Sect, Saint Lord? Saint Lord?" Ao Xue murmured to herself, pondering Zheng Xuan's words. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she excitedly grabbed Zheng Xuan, exclaiming, "It must be! Saint Lord must be Jun! Saint Lord? The cold-faced Saint Lord? Haha... It must be! Jun really didn't die! Haha..."

"Cold-faced Saint?" Zhengxuan looked at Aoxue in confusion as she inexplicably laughed and said nonsensical things, wondering why Aoxue would suddenly mention "cold-faced Saint."

Seeing Zhengxuan's puzzled expression, Aoxue laughed happily and explained, "Cold-faced Saint Lord, you used to have a nickname called Cold-faced Saint Lord. I can't explain it to you now, so let's go find the Saint Lord!"

On this day, Zhengxuan and Aoxue, along with Chen Han, rode swiftly out of the capital, galloping towards the direction of the Holy Emperor.

The Strategist and the Princess: Chapter 82 - The Chess Game

In front of a secluded mansion, five fine horses and a carriage were parked. Leading the group was none other than Duan Zhengfei, the current leader of the martial arts alliance. However, he hesitated at the door, raising his hand as if to knock, but then suddenly lowering it.

"Alliance Leader, please come down!" The Divine Sword Sect Master, having waited for a long time without seeing their Alliance Leader make a move, said impatiently. He inwardly cursed: "Alliance Leader of the Martial World? So indecisive!"

"Wait... Although all the sect leaders have good intentions, who is the Holy Lord? He may not need our help. Coming here so rashly is probably..." Duan Zhengfei stopped the Divine Sword Sect Master's hand that was about to knock on the door, and thought for a moment before speaking. He still felt that it was too abrupt to disturb the Holy Lord. Although their original intention was to help the Holy Lord, given the Holy Lord's aloof and mysterious personality, he probably wouldn't even see them. Moreover, he always felt uneasy, but he couldn't explain why.