Мир боевых искусств — это яма

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Jun Ying said, "Your Majesty, please think it over! If the Noble Prince Linde obtains this military tally, the consequences will be dire... Furthermore, Her Majesty the Empress will never agree to it. Your Majesty has put in so much effort to safeguard this empire. Her Majesty the Empress has already given up her family's ambitions for Your Majesty. If Your Majesty gives away this military tally, have you ever thought about how Her Majesty the Empress will feel?"

Zi Jin slowly sat up straight, a bitter smile appearing on her lips: "Jun Xiaosan... do you know? My heart is empty. I painstakingly, step by step, secured this empire, but only after I truly secured it did I realize that this empire, this world, was not what I wanted at all. I sit on this enormous dragon throne, yet my heart is empty... I am a woman, I am just an ordinary woman. I don't want the world, I don't want to constantly scheme and plot... This vast empire... in my heart, it can't compare to him..."

Jun Ying lowered his eyes: "But has Your Majesty ever considered how the Empress Dowager would feel if you acted this way? She has already betrayed her father and her clan because of you. The Sikou clan has been glorious for over five hundred years since the founding of the dynasty, but because of Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has caused her clan to decline step by step. Has Your Majesty ever thought about the Empress Dowager?"

"My brother..."

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!..." Eunuch Zhongxi rushed in, panting. "Your Majesty... please go to Weiyang Palace to see the young prince..."

Zi Jin frowned impatiently: "What's wrong with him now? Did he bully Hui'er again? Now that Lou Shuo is by Hui'er's side, he really doesn't learn his lesson!"

Eunuch Zhongxi, panting heavily, said, "No!...No! After the young prince was disciplined by Lou...that day, he was probably frightened and caught a cold. He has had a high fever for two days. The young prince refuses to take his medicine, and His Majesty the Emperor and Empress are almost frantic with worry."

Zi Jin suddenly stood up and said, "Why didn't anyone report this?!"

Eunuch Zhongxi raised his eyes and said, "Her Majesty the Emperor and Empress said that His Majesty is busy with many affairs of state, so we should not let this trivial matter disturb His Majesty."

Zi Jin quickly descended the high platform and strode towards the outside of the hall. Halfway there, she suddenly stopped, turned to Jun Ying, and asked, "Has the young master found suitable guards?"

Jun Ying said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, Jun Ying has already taken care of it... uh..."

Zi Jin frowned and glanced at Jun Ying, asking, "Hmm? What's wrong? Is something wrong?"

Jun Ying looked embarrassed and said in a low voice, "It's not like that. The young prince's injuries... although they've healed, they still haven't... still haven't... The other day, Jun Ying saw a pair of palace maids who were very clever. I think the young prince would like them. Those maids happen to be two years older than the young prince. If we find a nanny to properly guide them, they will naturally teach the young prince about matters of love between men and women. This would also ease Your Majesty's guilt... What does Your Majesty think?"

Zi Jin glanced at him thoughtfully for a moment, then smiled slightly and said, "That's very good. Go and summon the three of them quickly."

The afternoon sun in autumn was exceptionally scorching. Zi Jin braved the blazing sun and crossed the main hall of Weiyang Palace, going directly into the westernmost wing room of Weiyang Palace.

A small, half-grown child sat slumped weakly on the bed. His snow-white skin was flushed with an unusual redness. His once round face was now gaunt and thin, and his cherry-like lips were dry and peeling. His round eyes stared blankly toward the door. When he saw Zi Jin, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, but he quickly looked away resentfully.

Zi Jin quickly sat down on the edge of the bed, pulled the blanket over him, and the little boy turned his face away in a huff. Zi Jin chuckled softly, touched the little boy's forehead, and then her face darkened: "How could you let yourself get such a high fever? Why didn't you take your medicine?"

The little girl turned her face away, pursing her chapped lips tightly, refusing to even glance at Zi Jin.

Zi Jin glanced sideways and asked, "Where's your brother? Le'er is so sick, where did he go?"

Zhongxi looked at Zijin with difficulty: "Your Majesty... Her Highness the Empress heard that you were coming, so... so she returned to the main hall."

A hint of disappointment and guilt flashed in Zi Jin's eyes. She turned her face and gently turned Si Kou Xunle's face towards her: "Why isn't Le'er drinking her medicine?"

Sikou Xunle glared resentfully at Zi Jin, her eyes gradually reddening and brimming with tears. Looking at those sunken eyes, Zi Jin felt a strange unease. She gently pulled Sikou Xunle into her arms: "Xunle, be good... don't cry, don't cry... it's my fault, I've neglected you again. If you're angry with me, then be angry with me, hit me, scold me, just don't be so hard on yourself. How can you not take your medicine?"

Si Kou Xunle buried her face in Zi Jin's arms, sobbing softly, "I...I've been sick these past few days...Why didn't you come?...Ugh...You even found help for that Dugu Xihui...I feel so awful, so awful...Brother wouldn't let me come to you...Brother only felt sorry for me if I didn't take my medicine...That's why I asked you to come, you promised me then...that the chairman would come..."

Zi Jin gently patted Si Kou Xun Le's trembling body as he cried, "Who said I wouldn't come to see you? I've been busy finding you guards these past few days. Don't I also want to give you a personal guard?"

Sikou Xunle peeked her face out from Zi Jin's arms and asked with some doubt, "Really?"

Zi Jin gently pinched the extremely thin little face and smiled slightly, "Bring it in."

Sikou Xunle frowned as he looked at the three people kneeling not far away. One of them was a boy who was unusually thin, with unusually deep black eyes. Behind him stood two palace maids, who looked about 80% alike, especially one of them, whose bright, watery eyes seemed to speak volumes.

Sikou Xunle couldn't help but ask, "Can he... do it?"

Upon hearing this, the boy stiffened slightly and clenched his fists tightly.

Zi Jin kissed Qing Sikou Xunle, then glanced at the young man and said, "Quickly tell the young master about yourself."

The young man bowed his head and said, "I am Jin Yu, the fourteenth generation successor of the Breaking Void Sword."

Seeing Sikou Xunle's increasingly furrowed brows, Zi Jin leaned close to his ear and said, "Don't underestimate this Void-Piercing Sword. For over five hundred years, the Void-Piercing Sword has never fallen out of the top three in the martial arts world."

"real?"

Zi Jin tapped Sikou Xunle's forehead: "Why would I lie to you? My Le'er deserves the best. This person will be yours from now on. Although he is your subordinate, he cannot act recklessly. Shadow guards are meant to follow their master for life, so you should treat him well."

Sikou Xunle asked, "Just like Jun Ying and you?"

Zi Jin gently ruffled Si Kou Xun Le's hair and coaxed softly, "Yes, the first thing I gave you is something that will accompany you for life, so you should cherish it. Look at your bad temper. Now you have your brother and I protecting you, but what will happen when you grow up and there are no shadow guards to protect you?"

Sikou Xunle raised his head, looking disdainful: "Hmph! I'm not afraid at all! You said you'd protect me for life, who in this world is greater than you!"

Zi Jin shook her head helplessly: "What if I'm no longer here?"

A flicker of fear flashed in Si Kou Xun Le Yuan Yuan's eyes: "How could you not be here? How could you not be here?! Cough cough... cough... Don't you want me and my brother anymore? Are you going to that nobleman again? Have you been tired of us for a long time? You are..."

"Le'er, don't think such things." Zi Jin gently held Sikou Xunle's panicked face. "What are you thinking, Le'er? I'm so much older than you, and I'll be gone before you in the future, so..."

Sikou Xunle hurriedly interrupted Zi Jin, saying urgently, "I won't listen! I won't listen! Without my and my brother's permission, cough cough... cough cough cough... you dare to die! If you dare to die, I will seize your empire and destroy your Nalan Nan Clan's Yaochen Dynasty for all eternity... cough cough..."

"Le'er, stop talking nonsense!" Zi Jin glared at Sikou Xunle, and seeing his face gradually darken, she sighed inwardly. Then she smiled gently and pointed to the two palace maids behind the boy, saying, "Do you like them?"

Sikou Xunle glanced at them and said, "Didn't you say that you can only have one shadow guard in your lifetime? Besides, they are women..."

“Aren’t women good enough? Who said they were shadow guards?” Zi Jin tapped Sikou Xunle’s forehead and said softly, “I can’t be by Le’er’s side all the time, and I don’t feel at ease with the people in the palace following you. I’ll feel much more at ease having these two girls serve you personally from now on.”

Sikou Xunle turned his face away: "No! Cough...cough cough..."

Zi Jin quickly patted his back and coaxed him gently, "Why don't you want them? I've been choosing them for you for a long time. From now on, they'll be your servants. If you still don't want me to come to you, then you can send them to me. You're weak, and I can't watch over you all the time. With the two of them serving you, I can finally feel at ease."

"Cough...uh...cough cough...then...cough cough...leave them...cough cough cough cough..." Sikou Xunle coughed so hard he could barely breathe.

Zi Jin was shocked and gently patted Si Kou Xun Le's back, angrily saying, "Hurry up and summon the imperial physician!"

Love and hate leave no trace, deep affection is hard to wait for; the descendants of the gods, three generations of marriage and resentment fill the river, watching the tide rise and fall amidst the wind and rain (Part 3)