Ne vous appuyez pas contre la rambarde ouest pour profiter pleinement de l'automne clair

Chapitre 128

"I'm sure you know very well why I'm here, Your Highness."

"Chu Xuyao, don't be so presumptuous! This is a foreign embassy, not a place where you can do whatever you want!"

"Hahaha—Dongfang Yao, I really underestimated you! Deceiving the emperor and bluffing the heavens, you've got some nerve!"

Dongfang Yao was startled, but remained calm on the surface: "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't know what I'm talking about?" Chu Xuyao's tone changed, becoming unusually cold and indifferent: "You should be familiar with the name Liu Rongyue, shouldn't you?"

She glanced frantically out the window, then slammed it shut. Dongfang Yao pulled Chu Xuyao aside and whispered, "You know everything?"

"You know more than just that!" Chu Xuyao sneered.

"You...you've seen her?"

What do you think?

Lost in thought and silent, Dongfang Yao's expression was unusually complex in the flickering candlelight.

"What do you want me to do?" Knowing such a big secret, instead of returning to the country to report to the imperial historian, she came to find him. She probably wants to use this matter to blackmail him into doing things for her!

He was slightly surprised that Dongfang Yao had guessed the purpose of his trip so quickly.

"Let me accompany you to the Loulan royal palace to pay homage..."

"No..."

Without a second thought, Dongfang Yao immediately refused. She absolutely did not want to see this person…

"No way?" Chu Xuyao's hawk-like eyes narrowed, his voice unusually cold: "You'd better think this through. If the Human Emperor Shi finds out, not to mention your fate, you know better than anyone what will happen to her!"

The scene of Rongyue jumping off the cliff flashed before my eyes again.

His body trembled, and a hint of fear clouded Dongfang Yao's eyes. No, he couldn't let her be in danger...

He closed his eyes, meditated for a moment, and when he opened them again, his eyes were like a clear lake.

What do you want to do in the Loulan Palace?

"Don't worry about that! Just take me to see the emperor!"

The best course of action now is to keep him calm for the time being. As for the audience... he will keep a close watch on him and will never let him harm her in the slightest...

He nodded in agreement.

Upon seeing Dongfang Yao agree, a flicker of joy crossed Chu Xuyao's cold face. "Moon, we'll see each other again soon..."

"Ah—" Startled awake from the dragon bed, Rongyue was covered in cold sweat, her almond-shaped eyes wide open, staring blankly at the gauze curtains fluttering wildly in the wind in front of her, panting heavily.

"What's wrong, mistress?" Startled awake from his sleep by Rongyue's terrified scream, Tuoba Chen quickly sat up, put his arm around the trembling Rongyue beside him, and lovingly stroked her back to help her catch her breath.

In Tuoba Chen's warm and safe embrace, she felt a moment of peace, but her wildly beating heart still caused her great distress, and the shadow of her previous nightmare swept over her again.

Blood, blood, crimson plasma, like a disgusting snake, relentlessly pursued her, no matter where she fled, no matter how hard she struggled. The meandering blood, as if infused with a soul, clung to her, spreading past her ankles, up to her knees, engulfing her waist, and reaching her neck, mouth, nose, and eyes… The thick plasma seeped into every nook and cranny, desperately burrowing and squeezing into her body. Her mouth, her nose, her ears—everywhere was filled with viscous blood…

Looking at the person holding him tightly in his arms, Tuoba Chen gently patted her back and coaxed her softly, "It's okay, it's okay, it was just a dream. Dreams are mostly the opposite of reality, everything will be alright when you wake up..."

This is so bizarre! How could she have such a dream? It's terrifying! Dreaming of blood... could this be a sign that she's having something...?

March 20th, Chongde Hall.

"Your esteemed nation has traveled a great distance to contribute to the friendship and harmony between our two countries, for which I am deeply grateful! The envoy has journeyed a long and arduous way, enduring months of travel and hardship, and I imagine he has not had a proper rest. To express my gratitude for the envoy's hard work and great achievements, I have specially prepared this banquet to entertain him. I hope the envoy can relax, enjoy himself, and relieve his fatigue of the past few months! Bring him a seat!"

"Thank you for your trouble, Your Majesty!"

The words "messenger" and "Your Majesty" instantly created a distance between the two.

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Dongfang Yao remained calm as he followed his attendant to the front seat in the left row, where he sat down.

Years had passed, and she had grown more mature, more composed, and more elegant. Every gesture exuded the dignity and majesty befitting an emperor. Perched atop the nine-tiered white jade steps, she reigned supreme, her nobility beyond description. She had changed. She was no longer the little girl who would snuggle into his arms, nor the wife who would indulge his every whim and play his pranks. She no longer belonged to him. She was a phoenix soaring through the heavens, spreading her wings to conquer the sky, basking in the glory of a thousand men. He, however, could only stand on tiptoe, craning his neck, hoping only to catch a glimpse of her solitary figure…

The past is like the wind; where are they now? It's all gone, yet why does my heart still ache uncontrollably whenever I think of them? Like a flower in a mirror, the moon in the water, those dreamlike, beautiful times have turned into a wisp of ethereal smoke, carrying with it the pain of a broken heart, drifting away with the wind…

After the wind passed, the smoke dissipated, the sky was still as blue as ever, and the clouds were still as white as ever, but who can say that it never existed?

Often in the dead of night, when no one is around, he would stand alone, gazing quietly at the bright yet unreachable moon in the deep sky, and murmur to himself: Who missed whom, in the end?

"Damn it! In public, can't she at least be a little more discreet?!"

A furious roar filled with jealousy behind him startled Dongfang Yao, who was lost in his own sorrow, and reminded him of the man who had come with him disguised as a servant.

Following Chu Xuyao's implication, Dongfang Yao subtly raised her eyes and, unsurprisingly, saw her smiling and chatting with Tuoba Chen.

Her heart still ached uncontrollably, a bitter ache indescribable. She quickly averted her eyes, no longer wanting to witness this jarring scene of affection. Dongfang Yao turned her face slightly back, her luxurious voice warning, "What she does is her own business, none of your concern. Chu Xuyao, remember your place, and don't do anything out of line. Don't blame me for not warning you; if you dare do anything to harm her again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"You're welcome? If you have time for that, you should worry about yourself!"

"What do you mean?"

With a cold snort, Chu Xuyao did not reply, his face remaining expressionless as he continued to glance out of the corner of his eye at the smile that had warmed his heart.

Colorful dancers, accompanied by the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments, create a warm and inviting atmosphere on the stage, bathed in the gentle warmth of spring.

Colorful ribbons fluttered, silk ribbons waved, and pink petals rained down. In the center of the hall, several women in colorful robes danced gracefully, their lithe waists swaying and their movements deftly changing. Their dance was ethereal, their flowing garments shimmering in the air. The delicately fragrant petals fell like a shower of blossoms, creating a dreamlike scene, as if fairies had descended to earth, spirits on earth…

Xuande Gate.

"By imperial decree, General Zhang He of the Right Cavalry is ordered to lead 30,000 troops to the border immediately and depart without delay!"