Xian Wang Dotes On Wife - novelonlinefull.com
You’re read light novel Xian Wang Dotes On Wife Chapter 62 online at NovelOnlineFull.com. Please use the follow button to get notification about the latest chapter next time when you visit NovelOnlineFull.com. Use F11 button to read novel in full-screen(PC only). Drop by anytime you want to read free – fast – latest novel. It’s great if you could leave a comment, share your opinion about the new chapters, new novel with others on the internet. We’ll do our best to bring you the finest, latest novel everyday. Enjoy
Chapter 62
Chapter 62 Part 1 Ascending the Throne in Advance The red beans inside the box are plump and exquisite. The beans are uniform in size, just like Hua Man Xi’s. It is clear that they are selected after a careful screening.
Yun Qian Yu freezes as she looks at the box. Her usually indifferent face completely changes because of this one box. “You picked this yourself?” Yun Qian Yu softly asks as she glance at Gong Sang Mo and his travel-worn robe. “En.” Yun Qian Yu picks up one bean and lifts it up to get a closer look. “Are you not worried I will not accept them?” “Have you ever rejected anything I have given you?” Gong Sang Mo replies, completely confident. Yun Qian Yu’s hand pauses before elegantly closing the box. Then, she hands it back to Gong Sang Mo. Gong Sang Mo’s handsome face immediately freezes. “You don’t like it?” Yun Qian Yu does not reply him. “Are you angry I crushed Hua Man Xi’s beans into powder?” Gong Sang Mo’s face already becomes hard to look. Yun Qian Yu continues looking at him with calm, shimmering eyes. Gong Sang Mo stubbornly does not take the box back, his phoenix eyes heatedly staring at Yun Qian Yu. He looks as though he is trying to see through her; he wants to know what she is thinking inside. The sky gradually turns dark, and as the wind blows over the trees and flowers around them, the tall and pet.i.te silhouette continues facing each other. Seeing Gong Sang Mo’s darkening face, Yun Qian Yu finally opens her mouth, “Weren’t you really confident, just now?” Gong Sang Mo’s eyes flash as he purse his lips. He is very confident when it comes to other things, but he will always have to be really careful when it comes to Yun Qian Yu. Yun Qian Yu stuffs the box into Gong Sang Mo’s chest. His star-like eyes immediately dims sadly. “Turn them into a bracelet; not one bead less.” Yun Qian Yu’s lips are raised lightly as she says that. Gong Sang Mo’s expression-less eyes immediately brightens greatly; looking at Yun Qian Yu shiningly. Yun Qian Yu’s eyelashes flutter as she softly speaks, “Don’t tell me you want me to carry around this one whole box wherever I go?” Gong Sang Mo smiles; one that is akin to spring breeze. He looks really really charming. “Alright!” He only says one word, but he sounds really good and tempting. Yun Qian Yu stares at him in a daze. Gong Sang Mo’s smiling face is like a warm spring breeze, effectively melting Yun Qian Yu’s icy heart. This exceptional, peerless man actually invests so much effort and feelings for her. Perhaps the G.o.ds have finally taken pity on her; that is why they are giving her someone to lean on. Gong Sang Mo looks at her gently; enjoying the expression on her face. The feeling of lost he felt just now has disappeared. “Snap out of your daze!” Gong Sang Mo is in a really good mood, so his words are naturally laced with delight. Yun Qian Yu blinks, finally regaining her thoughts. She blushes a little; glancing at the proud-looking Gong Sang Mo before turning around to enter her own palace. Gong Sang Mo quickly follows her. “Qian Yu, please do not accept gifts from other men from now on. Okay?” Yun Qian Yu secretly rolls her eyes at him. This smiling fox will never be truly satisfied. She gives him an inch and he pushes for a mile. Gong Sang Mo also does not wait for Yun Qian Yu’s answer. He continues speaking, “The vinegar is too sour. I don’t want to drink it anymore!” The corner of Yun Qian Yu’s lips inadvertently jerks. He does not want to drink it, that’s why he came over to let her smell it. “Tell me what you want, I will use my greatest effort to search for it!” Unable to get a promise from Yun Qian Yu, Gong Sang Mo continues to fight for his position. Yun Qian Yu continues walking forward. Seeing that, Gong Sang Mo puts on a pitiful look that can invoke sympathy from just about anyone. “Qian Yu, I have not eaten dinner!” Yun Qian Yu finally stops in her steps and looks at him. He puts on a poor, pitiful look. “Come in. I will ask Hong Su to cook something for you.” Yun Qian Yu knows Gong Sang Mo is not lying. He went to pick red beans the moment he left the palace, he naturally did not have time to eat dinner. “Alright!” Gong Sang Mo cheerfully replies. Entering Yun Qian Yu’s palace, he ignores the shocked looks from Chen Xiang and the rest of the maids. He puts the box on top of a table, raises his sleeves and washes his hand on the water basin that Yu Nuo brought. Then, he casually sits in front of the table, waiting for Hong Su’s cooking as though he has been doing this loads of times before. Hong Su is really busy tonight. After cooking the porridge for Murong Cang, she still needs to cook for Xian w.a.n.g. She feels like she is the only cook in the whole Nan Lou Kingdom. However, thinking about the backgrounds of the people she is cooking for, she becomes proud a little. Fatigue can no longer be felt. When Feng Ran returns, he returns to the sight of Gong Sang Mo heartily eating in Yun Qian Yu’s palace. The happiness he felt from defeating Hua Man Xi immediately disappears. Gong Sang Mo raise his eyebrows when he sees Feng Ran’s messy clothes, “It was not an easy victory.” Feng Ran chokes in his own breath before he scowls. Hong Su speaks to him, “Feng Ran, I left you some food.” Feng Ran nods, “Mistress, Han Zhu is here.” Yun Qian Yu’s eyes light up sharply. “After you eat, bring him to Jin Luan Palace, the imperial study and the emperor’s palace. He is to check everything thoroughly. He also needs to check Yu Jian’s palace. Remember to tell grandfather to keep everything quiet. If he discover anything, we are not to make any move first.” “Yes, I understand,” Feng Ran replies before leaving. “Han Zhu?” Gong Sang Mo has eaten enough and has put down his chopsticks. “Situ Han Yi’s half-brother, Situ Han Zhu.” “Isn’t he dead?” “He was harmed, almost to the point of death by Situ Han Yi’s mother. I stumbled upon him and discovered that he was still breathing, so I saved him.” “Oh! Did anything happened in the palace?” “Someone put a trap in Jin Luan Palace, right in the spot where Yu Jian always stands. The other end of the trap is in the throne,” Yun Qian Yu calmly explains to him. “The target is Yu Jian?” “I have no idea. We will probably know once Han Zhu gives it a look.” Yun Qian Yu did not personally investigate the trap in Jin Luan Palace, but she has a faint idea of everything, inside. It is very unlikely for Murong Cang to be the target. After all, he does not have much time left. Other people does not know that, but whoever poisoned him does. It is more likely for the perpetrator to be targeting Yu Jian. With Yu Jian out of the picture, the only blood heir that Murong Cang has is gone. Once that happened, what is to become of the kingdom? Who will get it? Deep down inside, she agrees with Gong Sang Mo. There is a slight frown on Gong Sang Mo’s handsome face. Someone actually managed to plant a trap in the palace. And it is in the heavily-guarded Jin Luan Palace at that! His own people are not even aware of that. Did he accidentally overlooked something? Gong Sang Mo does not leave. He instructs San Qiu who is waiting in a hidden spot to bring ice silks from Xian w.a.n.g’s manor. After San Qiu left, Gong Sang Mo instructs Chen Xiang to bring him a sewing needle. Chen Xiang curiously brings the needle over. Gong Sang Mo, then, opens the wooden box. Chen Xiang can see the red beans inside it. She inadvertently looks at Yun Qian Yu only to finds her looking at Gong Sang Mo with her usual expression. Chen Xiang quietly retreats; she knows now, the one her Mistress like is Xian w.a.n.g. As Gong Sang Mo chats idly with Yun Qian Yu, he pokes little hole into the beans using the needle. The beans are hard like diamonds, but Gong Sang Mo easily puts a hole through it using a sewing needle. Yun Qian Yu knows he is using his inner power to make it easy. When San Qiu returns with strands of ice silk, Gong Sang Mo has already finished putting a hole through all the beans. He finds the head of the silk and puts it through the holes of the red beans; not a single bead of red bean is left inside the box. Then, Gong Sang Mo takes a pendant from his neck; one that is also made of ice silk. There are two jade hearts hanging from the pendant; glitteringly green, as though there is a layer of cloud above it. Gong Sang Mo takes out one of the hearts, “This is a pendant that my Father carved from Mount Bing’s snow jade. These originally belonged to my parents, but after my Mother died, he gave them to me.” As Yun Qian Yu listens to him, she can feel the deep feeling he has for her. Her heart moves. She takes 6 beads of red beans from the bracelet that Gong Sang Mo a.s.sembled. Then, she takes Gong Sang Mo’s pendant and put three beads of beans on each side of the jade. She ties it properly and hands it back to Gong Sang Mo. Gong Sang Mo stares at her with heated eyes. He does not take the pendant back, instead, he lowers his head. Yun Qian Yu’s hand freezes for a moment. Then, she gets up and puts the pendant around Gong Sang Mo’s neck. She raises his hair and let it fall freely after putting the pendant on. She only realizes now just how silky his hair is; it is as silky as the strands of ice silk. It made her reluctant to part from it. She narrows her eyes before letting the hair go. Gong Sang Mo slid the pendant inside his robe, the corner of his lips curled upwards. Then, he places the other jade on the bracelet before beckoning Yun Qian Yu to sit down. Yun Qian Yu moves a seat closer to him; she is now sitting beside him. Gong Sang Mo holds up Yun Qian Yu’s hand. He drapes the bracelet around her wrist before tying it in a dead knot. He twists his finger lightly around it and the excess ice silk snaps off. The ice silk that is unperturbed by blades and swords easily comes apart upon one pinch from him. That says a lot about his inner power. Yun Qian Yu eyes the bracelet and the jade pendant; red and green co-exists together without damaging the scene. “I do not know how to do any other knot but the dead knot,” Gong Sang Mo explains. “You did it on purpose.” Yun Qian Yu looks at the bracelet that is long enough to have been looped around seven or eight times around her wrist. “I got discovered by Qian Yu!” Gong Sang Mo smiles. “You didn’t want me to take it off.” Yun Qian Yu glances at him. “Haha, smart girl!” Gong Sang Mo laughs lightly before praising her. Yun Qian Yu touches the bracelet before looking at Gong Sang Mo who is clearly pleased that he had gained what he wants. “Are you happy now?” “Of course! This way, other people will know that Qian Yu is already taken.” The corner of her lips twitches, “Does a bracelet signifies that I am already taken?” “No, it means that I am already taken,” Gong Sang Mo currently feels happy beyond words. In the palace’s entrance, Yu Jian freezes as he watches the two of them. His eyes fall on the bracelet around Yun Qian Yu’s wrist. His imperial sister likes Brother Sang Mo? This is a bolt from the blue for Yu Jian. He still plans on marrying her and making her the empress once he is big enough! But now, Brother Sang Mo is robbing her away from him. Feng Ran and Han Zhu who are behind him wonder why he continues standing in the doorway and not entering. Feng Ran looks into the palace and discovers the bracelet around Yun Qian Yu’s wrist. His face darkens considerably. The oblivious Han Zhu asks, “Are we not entering?” Yu Jian regains his composure and walks into the palace. “Imperial sister,” he greets her softly. “Why are you here, Yu Jian?” Yun Qian Yu lets down her sleeves and let it cover the bracelet. Yu Jian’s eyes dim down. His imperial sister has always disliked wearing ornaments, but she actually allowed Brother Sang Mo to put it on for her, today. It is even the kind of bracelet she cannot take off! His imperial sister seems to really like Brother Sang Mo. No wonder she said so much to him, tonight. It is because she is bound to leave him, one day. Feng Ran speaks up, “There is a secret pa.s.sage inside the imperial grandson’s palace.” Yun Qian Yu’s face changes, “What else did you discover?” Han Zhu steps forward and replies her, “There is only one trap in Jin Luan Hall. It is constructed rather cleverly. The device will be activated once the imperial grandson stand on his spot and the emperor sits on his throne. If the imperial grandson as much as move one step, weapons will darts out from it’s hidden place and will go straight to where the imperial grandson ought to stand. There are three poisoned arrows hidden there, once someone is. .h.i.t, it is certain for them to die.” Feng Ran quips in, “I have given it a look. The poison is the kind that blocks your throat once it meets blood.” Han Zhu continues on, “There is nothing in the imperial study and the emperor’s palace. As for the secret pa.s.sage in the imperial grandson’s palace, it cannot be opened from outside. It can only be opened from inside the pa.s.sage. You cannot tell anything from outside.” Yun Qian Yu frowns heavily. Turns out, the other party has made their preparation long ago. They even have back-up plan. If the trap in Jin Luan Palace is not successful, they still have the hidden pa.s.sage. Gong Sang Mo speaks up, “Since they can build a secret pa.s.sage under His Majesty’s tight security; and built it rather well too, they must be in the possession of the imperial palace’s map. The map is stored in the Cang Bao Pavillion. Other than the emperor, no one is allowed entry over there, not even Yu Jian. They either stole it out or bribed a Cang Bao Pavilion’s guard.” Yun Qian Yu thinks for a moment, “The latter is more possible.” If they bribed a guard, they only need to have someone who is a master in drawing. That person can simply copy the map. “Yu Jian, do you know what you need to do?” Yun Qian Yu looks at Yu Jian. Yu Jian nods, “I will ask people to look into this.” “Do not do anything that will alert the other party.” “En.” “Han Zhu,” Yun Qian Yu turns to Han Zhu. “Mistress.” “Do you wish to return to Situ Clan?” “No, I do not wish so!” Han Zhu freezes for a moment before quickly replying. There is no one left for him to love in Situ Clan. If Yun Qian Yu had not stumbled upon him that year, he too would be one with earth, right now. “Do you still wish to develop weapons?” “Yes!” Situ Han Zhu replies without a trace of hesitation. The only interesting thing he could do was designing weapons, back then. “If I hand over the imperial family’s Military’s Weaponry Department to you, will you be able to handle it?” Situ Han Zhu freezes; Military Weaponry Department? That kind of place? For him? Situ Clan is only a merchant family hired to develop military weapons. If he handle the Military Weaponry Department, he will be involved in everything. “I can!” Situ Han Zhu confidently replies. “Do you know what you need to do if you make that decision?” “I know; I will have to abandon my surname and clan,” Situ Han Zhu replies. “You will not regret it?” “I will not regret it.” Yun Qian Yu, then, turns to Yu Jian, “What do you think, Yu Jian?” Yu Jian knows Yun Qian Yu is thinking for him; a talent like Situ Han Zhu is really rare. “I will listen to imperial sister!” Yu Jian turns to face Situ Han Zhu, “This prince will bestow you the imperial surname. From today onwards, you will be known as Murong Han Zhu.” Han Zhu kneels in grat.i.tude, “Thanking Your Highness for your grace!” Chapter 62 Part 2 Ascending the Throne in Advance “You may get up. Tomorrow, this prince will dispatch people to send you to the Military Weaponry Department. From now onwards, you will be in charge of that department.” “This subordinate will not forsake Your Highness’s trust.” After that, Situ Han Zhu gets up and kneels towards Yun Qian Yu, “Two years ago, it is thanks to Mistress that Han Zhu gets to live. It is already a given for Han Zhu to serve Mistress for this entire life to repay your grace. And now, Mistress actually gives Han Zhu the life I have always been yearning for. Since Mistress wants to help the imperial grandson, Han Zhu vows to give His Highness his loyalty. One day, there will be a day where the weapons that Han Zhu developed becomes His Highness’ best support.” After saying that, Situ Han Zhu looks up at Yun Qian Yu with tearful eyes. “After Han Zhu gets up, I will no longer be able to swear my loyalty to Mistress. I would like to thank Mistress’ grace while I still can.” Yun Qian Yu gets up and helps him up. “In this world, everything will part in due time. Having met someone is called fate; it needs to be cherished. Having to part means that your fate with the other person has run out; it needs to be dealt with gracefully. You are of exceptional talent, it will be such a waste if you are not allowed to fully utilize your ability. Follow Yu Jian properly; this is probably why the G.o.ds had bestowed you so much pain prior.” Han Zhu nods in agreement. He wipes his tears before proceed to stand behind Yu Jian. “Han Zhu, you will leave tomorrow, so you must una.s.semble the trap in Jin Luan Palace. But do not make it obvious, they must not be able to sense it. Can you do that?” Yun Qian Yu asks. “I can, please rest a.s.sured Your Highness,” Han Zhu replies. “Alright, you can do it now.” Yun Qian Yu instructs Feng Ran to go with him. Yun Qian Yu then turns to Yu Jian, “Let’s check your palace.” She glances at Gong Sang Mo, as though asking whether he will come with them or leave. He looks at Yu Jian who is clearly not keen for his presence today, “I will come with you.” The three of them heads over to Yu Jian’s palace. The hidden pa.s.sage is underneath Yu Jian’s bed. Yun Qian Yu uses her power to lift the entire bed and move it 2 metres away. A white jade tile underneath the bed is raised slightly. A green tile is visible underneath it, looking really sleek. In one look, nothing seems out of the ordinary. Yun Qian Yu place her ears on top of the tile; she can hear a long, hollow sound. She gets up and turns to Gong Sang Mo, “The pa.s.sage is very long. Do you have a way to open it?” Gong Sang Mo calls for San Qiu who is hidden somewhere, “San Qiu, go and get Yi Ri.” Hearing Yi Ri’s name, the corner of Yun Qian Yu’s lips twitches. Yi Ri arrives real quick. He is pretty similar to San Qiu in appearance, just he looks more serious than San Qiu. “Master.” “Go and see if you can open that green tile.” Yi Ri carefully eyes the green tile before leaning over to give it a soft knock. An incense stick time later, he gets up. “I will not be able to take it out properly. There should a self-destruct mechanism on the other side. If we force this open, the entire pa.s.sage will blow up.” Gong Sang Mo looks at Yun Qian Yu, waiting for her decision. “Is he an idiot?” Yu Jian asks curiously. The enemy is basically grasping him within their palm, isn’t the construction of the pa.s.sage will be of vain then, if it will simply collapse if they try to open the tile from this side. He cannot understand the perpetrator. Yun Qian Yu’s eyes shines, she suddenly realizes something after hearing what Yu Jian said. This pa.s.sage is leading to somewhere the perpetrators didn’t want anyone to know. That’s why they construct it in this self-destructive manner. That place must be somewhere she and her grandfather could not even imagine. Yun Qian Yu orders a hidden guard to restore the entrance of the pa.s.sage to it’s original appearance. Seeing Yun Qian Yu understanding everything now, Gong Sang Mo smiles. “You can go back first. I will chat with Yu Jian first before returning to the manor.” He knows Yun Qian Yu still have some doubts to solve. Yun Qian Yu looks at him curiously. What is there for them to talk about? Thinking about how the person Yu Jian respects the most is Gong Sang Mo, she lets it be. She instructs Feng Ran to guard Yu Jian tonight before turning around and leave. Instead of going back to her palace, she goes to the imperial study. Once Yun Qian Yu left, Gong Sang Mo and Yu Jian are left staring at each other. “What is wrong with Yu Jian today?” Gong Sang Mo asks, wanting to laugh at the little big man look on Yu Jian. Yu Jian’s eyes flash as he purse his lips, not saying anything. “You don’t like me together with your Qian Yu jiejie?” Gong Sang Mo asks, going straight to the point. Yu Jian’s face changes once Gong Sang Mo exposed him. “But your Qian Yu jiejie will have to marry, sooner or later,” Seeing that look on Yu Jian’s face, Gong Sang Mo knows he guessed right. “Jiejie can be my empress once I am old enough!” Yu Jian finally admits what he really wants. Gong Sang Mo suddenly remembers what Yu Jian said in the resting palace in Mount Yun the other day, about how he wants to marry Qian Yu once he is older. His heart suddenly falls, why is it so hard to bring home this wife of his? Never mind Hua Man Xi, at least he is of age, but what is little Yu Jian doing here joining the fanfare? By the time he is old enough, Yun Qian Yu would have already becomes a spinster. Gong Sang Mo looks at him earnestly; he needs to deal with this properly. Or else, if Yun Qian Yu finds out, things will become awkward between these two imperial siblings. It will affect their interaction, in the future. “Yu Jian, let’s not even talk about the age gap between you two; the two of you are imperial siblings, it is impossible for Qian Yu to be your empress in the future.” “Why not? We are not even blood-related.” “Even though you two are not blood-related, Qian Yu has personally been instated by the emperor as Princess Hu Guo. She is included in the imperial family’s registry, this is an undeniable truth.” “When the time comes, I will retract her official t.i.tle.” “Yu Jian, things are not as simple as you think it is. Your imperial grandfather will not be able to keep you company for long. Qian Yu will be accompanying you through the most difficult phase of your life; she will help you protect this land once it falls into your hand. Have you even consider what Qian Yu will have to sacrifice for you? When the time comes, how will you explain everything to your people? How you pushed your Qian Yu jiejie to that position? Are you sure Qian Yu will accept your arrangement instead of leaving in disappointment?” Yu Jian’s eyes dims down. He purse his lips. “You have been in the morning court these past two days, you have seen how hard it is to deal with everyone. The emperor has to read memorials everyday and barely has time to rest, you see that yourself. Once you are emperor and cannot do that on your own, Qian Yu will have to do that for you. Our kingdom is currently peaceful, but if something happens that threatens that peace, it will be even harder and more tiring. Qian Yu is a girl, don’t you wish there will be someone whom she can lean to while she sacrifices herself to help you? A shoulder to lean on while she is tired?” Yu Jian lowers his head. “Besides, marrying her is what you want; are you sure Qian Yu shares the same idea as you? How do you know she hasn’t liked someone else? You are only ten years old, but Qian Yu is already of age. By the time you are 18 years old, Qian Yu will already be 23. Do you want your jiejie who dedicates her life to help you, to waste away the most beautiful years of her life?” Yu Jian clutches his hand together, clearly uneasy. “If you are grateful for what Qian Yu does for you, then you need to do everything you can to make her happy. Even though both of you are not blood-related, you are closer than most blood-related people out there. Families does things for each other; you cannot only receive without giving. She did not have to do this for you, but instead, she chose to forgo her freedom to help you secure the throne. The reason she did that is because she considers you her little brother, her loved one.” After saying all that, Gong Sang Mo falls into silence as he looks at Yu Jian, waiting for him to soaks everything in. Yu Jian finally raises his head, “I understand everything. I am only sad because there will be a day where imperial sister will leave me.” “You are still young; you don’t understand the feelings between men and women. Once you are older, you will meet the girl that you like. By then, you will understand. Besides, if I marry Qian Yu, I not only can protect her, I can also help her. Not only that, you and I are so close; if she marries me, do you think she can go very far from you?” Hearing that, Yu Jian’s eyes sparkles; why had he not think of that? Brother Sang Mo is the biggest hero in his heart while Qian Yu jiejie is the warmest shoulder he can lean on; if they get together, they will suit each other very much. He also no longer need to worry about her leaving him. Xian w.a.n.g’s manor and the imperial palace are both in the capital, he only needs to release a verbal decree and Qian Yu jiejie can immediately enter the palace. He, himself, can sneak out to Xian w.a.n.g’s manor, too. At the moment, Yu Jian does not realized that he is being mollified by the Gong fox. By the time he is be old enough to understand, Gong Sang Mo would have taken Yun Qian Yu far away and he will be left in the imperial palace, gritting his teeth while waiting for their news. “Alright, Sang Mo gege. I am putting Qian Yu jiejie in your hands. You must not bully her!” Yu Jian finally thinks it through; the dark expression on his face finally disappearing. “With a great brother-in-law like you backing her up, how can I bully her?” Deep inside, Gong Sang Mo says: How can I bear to bully her? I won’t even have enough time to pamper her! With this, Gong Sang Mo finally settles his youngest compet.i.tor on the battlefield. He happily returns to Xian w.a.n.g’s manor. At this moment, Yun Qian Yu is in the imperial study, looking at the palace’s map with Murong Cang. Murong Cang has personally fetched this map from Cang Bao Pavillion and has replaced it with a fake one. Yun Qian Yu eyes the couple of lines that are stretched from Yu Jian’s palace. Yu Jian’s palace is located in the eastern part of the imperial palace, which is also the late crown prince’s palace. The secret pa.s.sage should not be heading west; it will have to pa.s.s through Jin Luan Palace. The northern side is where normal officials lives; while the southern side is the gate entrance to the imperial city. After that, it is mostly business premises and Tian Street; it is impossible for them to dig through the pa.s.sage without anyone noticing. From the look of it, it can only be heading east. Yun Qian Yu ponders heavily; the eastern side is very complicated. Not only is it the area where the Prime Minister lives, it is also where the Vice-Minister of Work, Vice Minister of Rites, Rui Qinw.a.n.g and Duke Rong lives. Without investigating deeper, the immediate suspect ought to be Rui Qinw.a.n.g; after all, he is the next immediate member of Murong Clan. But, the more Yun Qian Yu looks at it, the more impossible it becomes. In order to get to Rui Qinw.a.n.g’s manor, they would have to go through Duke Rong’s manor first. When Yun Qian Yu voice that out to Murong Cang, he nods in agreement. Murong Cang’s expression is solemn. When he first heard of the secret pa.s.sage underneath Yu Jian’s palace, his mind immediately went to Rui Qinw.a.n.g. But now, it seems pretty unlikely. That is what makes him worried the most; the person he always considered an enemy is actually not the most dangerous one. Turns out, someone else is also watching him and Yu Jian in bated breath and he has no idea who that person is. “Yatou, thing seems to be getting more and more complicated. I do not have much time left, do you think you can do it?” Murong Cang asks in worry. Yun Qian Yu senses the storm inside Murong Cang; she takes her eyes away from the map. “Grandfather, we have no other way. Whether I can do it or not is not the problem here. Since I already picked this road, I can only walk forward without looking back.” “Yatou-ah, am I too selfish?” “I consider Yu Jian my little brother, my loved one.” Murong Cang sighs. No matter who the perpetrator is, they no longer have a route to back-up from. “Yatou, I have a plan. Let me share it with you.” Yun Qin Yu looks at Murong Cang without blinking, waiting for him to speak. “It is clear that my health is not as good as in the past; these past few days, I cannot even bring myself to eat. My days are really numbered.” Murong Cang is. .h.i.t with a sense of powerlessness. “I have been thinking; what will you two do once I pa.s.sed? Will Yu Jian be able to grow in peace? Will Yu Jian be able to succeed the throne?” Yun Qian Yu understands what Murong Cang is trying to say, now. “You want to let him succeed the throne in advance?” Murong Cang knows that Yun Qian Yu is smart; he is not surprised that she got it spot-on. “Correct. Rather than let you and Yu Jian face this big problem while still mourning over my death, why not let him succeed me in advance? Besides, I only have a couple of months left. At least, if we put it in advance, the two of you will not have to face the trouble after the succession all by yourselves. Now that Yu Jian’s palace is no longer habitable, he can also use this chance to move palace without arousing suspicion.” “This idea is good, grandfather.” Yun Qian Yu nods. This way, Yu Jian’s safety will be secured. Once grandfather has pa.s.sed away, Yu Jian is already an established emperor. Their enemies will have to think really careful before doing anything. “Since you agree, I will arrange Yu Jian’s enthronement on my birthday. This matter should not be spread outside before it’s time.” Yun Qian Yu calculates in her heart; Murong Cang’s birthday is less than 10 days from now. An emperor ascending the throne is no trivial matter, seems like the coming days will be really busy. “Yatou, I have already asked people to prepare everything in the dark. However, on the sacrificial day, he will need to go to the imperial monastery to pray and it will take three days. And it cannot be done openly too, what should we do?” Murong Cang is troubled. It is compulsory to go to the imperial monastery before ascension; otherwise, they will not get the G.o.ds’ protection. Even though he does not really believe in things like that, the common people do! Yun Qian Yu’s eyes sparkles after thinking for a while, “Grandfather, this is not really that hard.” “You have a plan, yatou?” Murong Cang excitedly looks at Yun Qian Yu. Yun Qian Yu whispers something to his ears, one that makes him laughs out loud, “Sly yatou.” Yun Qian Yu looks at the laughing Murong Cang before pointing at something on the map. Murong Cang promptly stops laughing, his face turning solemn, “Just do as you sees fit; nothing is more important than Yu Jian.” Yun Qian Yu understands what Murong Cang means. Murong Cang suddenly thinks of something, “Yatou, once Yu Jian ascends the throne, you will still attends the court and be involved in politics. That authority is very essential, so….” “Grandfather, Qian Yu already has authority in politic, I do not need power in anything else. You can hand over everything to Yu Jian. That will tell everyone from the very start, who their master is and to whom their loyalty should lie to. Qian Yu only wants to ask of one thing.” “What do you want, yatou?” Murong Cang did not expect that Yun Qian Yu would reject other powers. “I want grandfather’s Xiang Bao Sword.” Yun Qian Yu solemnly says. Murong Cang is surprised; Xiang Bao Sword is an emperor’s imperial sword, it represents imperial authority. It enables the wielder to strike first and reasons later. If the wielder is a former ruler, he can even wield it to kill corrupted ruler and disloyal ministers. That is how much power the Shang Bao Sword wields. “Alright, grandpa will bestow it to you on the day of Yu Jian’s ascension,” Murong Cang promises, without any doubt towards Yun Qian Yu’s intention. Yun Qian Yu smiles at how much Murong Cang trusts her. “Grandfather, Yu Jian is very smart. He grows up faster than we thought he will, once he is capable enough to rule on his own, I will give that sword back to him.” “Yatou, if the sword is bestowed to you, it means it is already yours. If you do that, doesn’t that mean you are scorning grandpa’s good intention? If I don’t trust you, who else can I trust?” Murong Cang unhappily says. “Grandfather, Qian Yu knows you trust me, but Qian Yu does not trust my own descendant. The only use that sword has for me is to sweep obstacles from Yu Jian’s path. Once Yu Jian is strong enough to protect Nan Lou Kingdom on his own, the sword will be rendered useless to me.” “Yatou, why do you make other’s heart aches so much?” Murong Cang’s old eyes are glistening in tears. He knows Yun Qian Yu is saying all that so that he will not worry the sword will be used against the imperial clan in the future. After the pair of grandfather and granddaughter finish discussing about the ascension matter, Yun Qian Yu returns to her own palace. Murong Cang on the other hand, continues sitting there in a daze. Li Jin Tian stands by his side, his heart aching beyond words. “Old companion, come here.” Murong Cang beckons Li Jin Tian. “Yes, Your Majesty.” “Old companion, how old are you this year?” “This servant is 63 years old this year, Your Majesty,” Li Jin Tian raise his sleeves and uses it to wipe his tears. “Zhen is older than you by two years. How fast time pa.s.ses. In the blink of an eye, we are both old.” “You are right, Your Majesty.” “You have followed zhen since zhen was only 6 or 7 years old. Back then, you were just a little thing. You couldn’t even walk properly. Zhen had to purposely walk slower to wait for you.” Murong Cang laughs, remembering about the past. “That was Your Majesty being compa.s.sionate towards this servant.” “A few decades pa.s.sed in the blink of an eye. In this lifetime, you have been with zhen longer than anyone else. You understand zhen as much as you understand yourself. Once zhen pa.s.sed, you, my old companion, must protect the two children on my behalf. Inform me everything about them every year, during the tomb sweeping day.” “Your Majesty….” Li Jin Tian is now choking in tears. “What are you crying for? Everyone will have that day, the only difference is when. Zhen wants to let go, but zhen is still worried about the two children,” Murong Cang sighs. “Your Majesty, the imperial grandson is clever beyond his age and the princess is outstanding above everyone else. This servant has been watching her and this servant think that it will be very hard for people to harm the imperial grandson as long as she is with him.” “You are right. That girl is very clever!” Thinking about Yun Qian Yu, Murong Cang cannot stop himself from laughing. Murong Cang has witnessed it himself; how Yun Qian Yu solve all the problems coming her way with an indifferent expression on her face; from the breaking of her engagement in Feng Yun Manor to right now. No one knows though, that Yun Qian Yu is not as calm as she appears to be. After she return to her palace, she goes to bed to rest, skipping her daily practice. She knows that a lot of things are out of her control; things like death and such. Hearing what Murong Cang said just now made her realize that the people she cherish will leave, one day. This lifetime is not the same as her previous lifetime. In the previous lifetime, she only thought about her little brother. After her little brother grew under her care, she no longer had to worry about anything else. When she pa.s.sed, she had no regret. But in this lifetime, a lot of people have entered her heart. She is suddenly afraid; afraid of losing them. She is afraid of getting close to them, only to lose them the next day. Yun Qian Yu trace the red bean bracelet and heart-shaped pendant with her fingers, thinking about Gong Sang Mo. What if Gong Sang Mo leaves her? Yun Qian Yu’s heart twists in pain, suddenly feeling empty. She finally realizes that Gong Sang Mo has slowly wormed his way into her life and has become an indispensible part of her days. Yun Qian Yu rest her face against the bracelet; lucky she understands it at the right time. The color of the night sky is thick; Yun Qian Yu falls into the dreamland with a slight smile on her face. On the next day, Yu Jian comes over in a hurry. He immediately asks her the moment he enters, “Imperial sister, have you prepared yourself?” “Why are you so happy?” Yun Qian Yu asks. “You won the bet, of course I am happy!” “Come here, I have something to discuss with you,” Yun Qian Yu calls Yu Jian over. “What is it?” Yu Jian walks over to her. Yun Qian Yu tells him everything she and Murong Cang discussed about last night. Yu Jian falls into silence after hearing that. He did not make a fuss as per what Yun Qian Yu expected him to do; in fact, he is pretty calm about the entire thing, “This is also good. Grandfather has been busy his entire life. Let him rest properly for his remaining life.” Yun Qian Yu looks at him in surprise before praising him, “Yu Jian has grown up.” She remains oblivious to the fact that Gong Sang Mo’s coaxing last night plays a big role to this reaction of his. He made Yu Jian realize that he too needs to do something in return for the people who cares for him. “Alright, imperial sister. The morning court ought to be arduous today, let’s fill our bellies first.” Yu Jian sits down first and downs Hong Su’s porridge.
Chapter 62 Part 1 Ascending the Throne in Advance The red beans inside the box are plump and exquisite. The beans are uniform in size, just like Hua Man Xi’s. It is clear that they are selected after a careful screening.
Yun Qian Yu freezes as she looks at the box. Her usually indifferent face completely changes because of this one box. “You picked this yourself?” Yun Qian Yu softly asks as she glance at Gong Sang Mo and his travel-worn robe. “En.” Yun Qian Yu picks up one bean and lifts it up to get a closer look. “Are you not worried I will not accept them?” “Have you ever rejected anything I have given you?” Gong Sang Mo replies, completely confident. Yun Qian Yu’s hand pauses before elegantly closing the box. Then, she hands it back to Gong Sang Mo. Gong Sang Mo’s handsome face immediately freezes. “You don’t like it?” Yun Qian Yu does not reply him. “Are you angry I crushed Hua Man Xi’s beans into powder?” Gong Sang Mo’s face already becomes hard to look. Yun Qian Yu continues looking at him with calm, shimmering eyes. Gong Sang Mo stubbornly does not take the box back, his phoenix eyes heatedly staring at Yun Qian Yu. He looks as though he is trying to see through her; he wants to know what she is thinking inside. The sky gradually turns dark, and as the wind blows over the trees and flowers around them, the tall and pet.i.te silhouette continues facing each other. Seeing Gong Sang Mo’s darkening face, Yun Qian Yu finally opens her mouth, “Weren’t you really confident, just now?” Gong Sang Mo’s eyes flash as he purse his lips. He is very confident when it comes to other things, but he will always have to be really careful when it comes to Yun Qian Yu. Yun Qian Yu stuffs the box into Gong Sang Mo’s chest. His star-like eyes immediately dims sadly. “Turn them into a bracelet; not one bead less.” Yun Qian Yu’s lips are raised lightly as she says that. Gong Sang Mo’s expression-less eyes immediately brightens greatly; looking at Yun Qian Yu shiningly. Yun Qian Yu’s eyelashes flutter as she softly speaks, “Don’t tell me you want me to carry around this one whole box wherever I go?” Gong Sang Mo smiles; one that is akin to spring breeze. He looks really really charming. “Alright!” He only says one word, but he sounds really good and tempting. Yun Qian Yu stares at him in a daze. Gong Sang Mo’s smiling face is like a warm spring breeze, effectively melting Yun Qian Yu’s icy heart. This exceptional, peerless man actually invests so much effort and feelings for her. Perhaps the G.o.ds have finally taken pity on her; that is why they are giving her someone to lean on. Gong Sang Mo looks at her gently; enjoying the expression on her face. The feeling of lost he felt just now has disappeared. “Snap out of your daze!” Gong Sang Mo is in a really good mood, so his words are naturally laced with delight. Yun Qian Yu blinks, finally regaining her thoughts. She blushes a little; glancing at the proud-looking Gong Sang Mo before turning around to enter her own palace. Gong Sang Mo quickly follows her. “Qian Yu, please do not accept gifts from other men from now on. Okay?” Yun Qian Yu secretly rolls her eyes at him. This smiling fox will never be truly satisfied. She gives him an inch and he pushes for a mile. Gong Sang Mo also does not wait for Yun Qian Yu’s answer. He continues speaking, “The vinegar is too sour. I don’t want to drink it anymore!” The corner of Yun Qian Yu’s lips inadvertently jerks. He does not want to drink it, that’s why he came over to let her smell it. “Tell me what you want, I will use my greatest effort to search for it!” Unable to get a promise from Yun Qian Yu, Gong Sang Mo continues to fight for his position. Yun Qian Yu continues walking forward. Seeing that, Gong Sang Mo puts on a pitiful look that can invoke sympathy from just about anyone. “Qian Yu, I have not eaten dinner!” Yun Qian Yu finally stops in her steps and looks at him. He puts on a poor, pitiful look. “Come in. I will ask Hong Su to cook something for you.” Yun Qian Yu knows Gong Sang Mo is not lying. He went to pick red beans the moment he left the palace, he naturally did not have time to eat dinner. “Alright!” Gong Sang Mo cheerfully replies. Entering Yun Qian Yu’s palace, he ignores the shocked looks from Chen Xiang and the rest of the maids. He puts the box on top of a table, raises his sleeves and washes his hand on the water basin that Yu Nuo brought. Then, he casually sits in front of the table, waiting for Hong Su’s cooking as though he has been doing this loads of times before. Hong Su is really busy tonight. After cooking the porridge for Murong Cang, she still needs to cook for Xian w.a.n.g. She feels like she is the only cook in the whole Nan Lou Kingdom. However, thinking about the backgrounds of the people she is cooking for, she becomes proud a little. Fatigue can no longer be felt. When Feng Ran returns, he returns to the sight of Gong Sang Mo heartily eating in Yun Qian Yu’s palace. The happiness he felt from defeating Hua Man Xi immediately disappears. Gong Sang Mo raise his eyebrows when he sees Feng Ran’s messy clothes, “It was not an easy victory.” Feng Ran chokes in his own breath before he scowls. Hong Su speaks to him, “Feng Ran, I left you some food.” Feng Ran nods, “Mistress, Han Zhu is here.” Yun Qian Yu’s eyes light up sharply. “After you eat, bring him to Jin Luan Palace, the imperial study and the emperor’s palace. He is to check everything thoroughly. He also needs to check Yu Jian’s palace. Remember to tell grandfather to keep everything quiet. If he discover anything, we are not to make any move first.” “Yes, I understand,” Feng Ran replies before leaving. “Han Zhu?” Gong Sang Mo has eaten enough and has put down his chopsticks. “Situ Han Yi’s half-brother, Situ Han Zhu.” “Isn’t he dead?” “He was harmed, almost to the point of death by Situ Han Yi’s mother. I stumbled upon him and discovered that he was still breathing, so I saved him.” “Oh! Did anything happened in the palace?” “Someone put a trap in Jin Luan Palace, right in the spot where Yu Jian always stands. The other end of the trap is in the throne,” Yun Qian Yu calmly explains to him. “The target is Yu Jian?” “I have no idea. We will probably know once Han Zhu gives it a look.” Yun Qian Yu did not personally investigate the trap in Jin Luan Palace, but she has a faint idea of everything, inside. It is very unlikely for Murong Cang to be the target. After all, he does not have much time left. Other people does not know that, but whoever poisoned him does. It is more likely for the perpetrator to be targeting Yu Jian. With Yu Jian out of the picture, the only blood heir that Murong Cang has is gone. Once that happened, what is to become of the kingdom? Who will get it? Deep down inside, she agrees with Gong Sang Mo. There is a slight frown on Gong Sang Mo’s handsome face. Someone actually managed to plant a trap in the palace. And it is in the heavily-guarded Jin Luan Palace at that! His own people are not even aware of that. Did he accidentally overlooked something? Gong Sang Mo does not leave. He instructs San Qiu who is waiting in a hidden spot to bring ice silks from Xian w.a.n.g’s manor. After San Qiu left, Gong Sang Mo instructs Chen Xiang to bring him a sewing needle. Chen Xiang curiously brings the needle over. Gong Sang Mo, then, opens the wooden box. Chen Xiang can see the red beans inside it. She inadvertently looks at Yun Qian Yu only to finds her looking at Gong Sang Mo with her usual expression. Chen Xiang quietly retreats; she knows now, the one her Mistress like is Xian w.a.n.g. As Gong Sang Mo chats idly with Yun Qian Yu, he pokes little hole into the beans using the needle. The beans are hard like diamonds, but Gong Sang Mo easily puts a hole through it using a sewing needle. Yun Qian Yu knows he is using his inner power to make it easy. When San Qiu returns with strands of ice silk, Gong Sang Mo has already finished putting a hole through all the beans. He finds the head of the silk and puts it through the holes of the red beans; not a single bead of red bean is left inside the box. Then, Gong Sang Mo takes a pendant from his neck; one that is also made of ice silk. There are two jade hearts hanging from the pendant; glitteringly green, as though there is a layer of cloud above it. Gong Sang Mo takes out one of the hearts, “This is a pendant that my Father carved from Mount Bing’s snow jade. These originally belonged to my parents, but after my Mother died, he gave them to me.” As Yun Qian Yu listens to him, she can feel the deep feeling he has for her. Her heart moves. She takes 6 beads of red beans from the bracelet that Gong Sang Mo a.s.sembled. Then, she takes Gong Sang Mo’s pendant and put three beads of beans on each side of the jade. She ties it properly and hands it back to Gong Sang Mo. Gong Sang Mo stares at her with heated eyes. He does not take the pendant back, instead, he lowers his head. Yun Qian Yu’s hand freezes for a moment. Then, she gets up and puts the pendant around Gong Sang Mo’s neck. She raises his hair and let it fall freely after putting the pendant on. She only realizes now just how silky his hair is; it is as silky as the strands of ice silk. It made her reluctant to part from it. She narrows her eyes before letting the hair go. Gong Sang Mo slid the pendant inside his robe, the corner of his lips curled upwards. Then, he places the other jade on the bracelet before beckoning Yun Qian Yu to sit down. Yun Qian Yu moves a seat closer to him; she is now sitting beside him. Gong Sang Mo holds up Yun Qian Yu’s hand. He drapes the bracelet around her wrist before tying it in a dead knot. He twists his finger lightly around it and the excess ice silk snaps off. The ice silk that is unperturbed by blades and swords easily comes apart upon one pinch from him. That says a lot about his inner power. Yun Qian Yu eyes the bracelet and the jade pendant; red and green co-exists together without damaging the scene. “I do not know how to do any other knot but the dead knot,” Gong Sang Mo explains. “You did it on purpose.” Yun Qian Yu looks at the bracelet that is long enough to have been looped around seven or eight times around her wrist. “I got discovered by Qian Yu!” Gong Sang Mo smiles. “You didn’t want me to take it off.” Yun Qian Yu glances at him. “Haha, smart girl!” Gong Sang Mo laughs lightly before praising her. Yun Qian Yu touches the bracelet before looking at Gong Sang Mo who is clearly pleased that he had gained what he wants. “Are you happy now?” “Of course! This way, other people will know that Qian Yu is already taken.” The corner of her lips twitches, “Does a bracelet signifies that I am already taken?” “No, it means that I am already taken,” Gong Sang Mo currently feels happy beyond words. In the palace’s entrance, Yu Jian freezes as he watches the two of them. His eyes fall on the bracelet around Yun Qian Yu’s wrist. His imperial sister likes Brother Sang Mo? This is a bolt from the blue for Yu Jian. He still plans on marrying her and making her the empress once he is big enough! But now, Brother Sang Mo is robbing her away from him. Feng Ran and Han Zhu who are behind him wonder why he continues standing in the doorway and not entering. Feng Ran looks into the palace and discovers the bracelet around Yun Qian Yu’s wrist. His face darkens considerably. The oblivious Han Zhu asks, “Are we not entering?” Yu Jian regains his composure and walks into the palace. “Imperial sister,” he greets her softly. “Why are you here, Yu Jian?” Yun Qian Yu lets down her sleeves and let it cover the bracelet. Yu Jian’s eyes dim down. His imperial sister has always disliked wearing ornaments, but she actually allowed Brother Sang Mo to put it on for her, today. It is even the kind of bracelet she cannot take off! His imperial sister seems to really like Brother Sang Mo. No wonder she said so much to him, tonight. It is because she is bound to leave him, one day. Feng Ran speaks up, “There is a secret pa.s.sage inside the imperial grandson’s palace.” Yun Qian Yu’s face changes, “What else did you discover?” Han Zhu steps forward and replies her, “There is only one trap in Jin Luan Hall. It is constructed rather cleverly. The device will be activated once the imperial grandson stand on his spot and the emperor sits on his throne. If the imperial grandson as much as move one step, weapons will darts out from it’s hidden place and will go straight to where the imperial grandson ought to stand. There are three poisoned arrows hidden there, once someone is. .h.i.t, it is certain for them to die.” Feng Ran quips in, “I have given it a look. The poison is the kind that blocks your throat once it meets blood.” Han Zhu continues on, “There is nothing in the imperial study and the emperor’s palace. As for the secret pa.s.sage in the imperial grandson’s palace, it cannot be opened from outside. It can only be opened from inside the pa.s.sage. You cannot tell anything from outside.” Yun Qian Yu frowns heavily. Turns out, the other party has made their preparation long ago. They even have back-up plan. If the trap in Jin Luan Palace is not successful, they still have the hidden pa.s.sage. Gong Sang Mo speaks up, “Since they can build a secret pa.s.sage under His Majesty’s tight security; and built it rather well too, they must be in the possession of the imperial palace’s map. The map is stored in the Cang Bao Pavillion. Other than the emperor, no one is allowed entry over there, not even Yu Jian. They either stole it out or bribed a Cang Bao Pavilion’s guard.” Yun Qian Yu thinks for a moment, “The latter is more possible.” If they bribed a guard, they only need to have someone who is a master in drawing. That person can simply copy the map. “Yu Jian, do you know what you need to do?” Yun Qian Yu looks at Yu Jian. Yu Jian nods, “I will ask people to look into this.” “Do not do anything that will alert the other party.” “En.” “Han Zhu,” Yun Qian Yu turns to Han Zhu. “Mistress.” “Do you wish to return to Situ Clan?” “No, I do not wish so!” Han Zhu freezes for a moment before quickly replying. There is no one left for him to love in Situ Clan. If Yun Qian Yu had not stumbled upon him that year, he too would be one with earth, right now. “Do you still wish to develop weapons?” “Yes!” Situ Han Zhu replies without a trace of hesitation. The only interesting thing he could do was designing weapons, back then. “If I hand over the imperial family’s Military’s Weaponry Department to you, will you be able to handle it?” Situ Han Zhu freezes; Military Weaponry Department? That kind of place? For him? Situ Clan is only a merchant family hired to develop military weapons. If he handle the Military Weaponry Department, he will be involved in everything. “I can!” Situ Han Zhu confidently replies. “Do you know what you need to do if you make that decision?” “I know; I will have to abandon my surname and clan,” Situ Han Zhu replies. “You will not regret it?” “I will not regret it.” Yun Qian Yu, then, turns to Yu Jian, “What do you think, Yu Jian?” Yu Jian knows Yun Qian Yu is thinking for him; a talent like Situ Han Zhu is really rare. “I will listen to imperial sister!” Yu Jian turns to face Situ Han Zhu, “This prince will bestow you the imperial surname. From today onwards, you will be known as Murong Han Zhu.” Han Zhu kneels in grat.i.tude, “Thanking Your Highness for your grace!” Chapter 62 Part 2 Ascending the Throne in Advance “You may get up. Tomorrow, this prince will dispatch people to send you to the Military Weaponry Department. From now onwards, you will be in charge of that department.” “This subordinate will not forsake Your Highness’s trust.” After that, Situ Han Zhu gets up and kneels towards Yun Qian Yu, “Two years ago, it is thanks to Mistress that Han Zhu gets to live. It is already a given for Han Zhu to serve Mistress for this entire life to repay your grace. And now, Mistress actually gives Han Zhu the life I have always been yearning for. Since Mistress wants to help the imperial grandson, Han Zhu vows to give His Highness his loyalty. One day, there will be a day where the weapons that Han Zhu developed becomes His Highness’ best support.” After saying that, Situ Han Zhu looks up at Yun Qian Yu with tearful eyes. “After Han Zhu gets up, I will no longer be able to swear my loyalty to Mistress. I would like to thank Mistress’ grace while I still can.” Yun Qian Yu gets up and helps him up. “In this world, everything will part in due time. Having met someone is called fate; it needs to be cherished. Having to part means that your fate with the other person has run out; it needs to be dealt with gracefully. You are of exceptional talent, it will be such a waste if you are not allowed to fully utilize your ability. Follow Yu Jian properly; this is probably why the G.o.ds had bestowed you so much pain prior.” Han Zhu nods in agreement. He wipes his tears before proceed to stand behind Yu Jian. “Han Zhu, you will leave tomorrow, so you must una.s.semble the trap in Jin Luan Palace. But do not make it obvious, they must not be able to sense it. Can you do that?” Yun Qian Yu asks. “I can, please rest a.s.sured Your Highness,” Han Zhu replies. “Alright, you can do it now.” Yun Qian Yu instructs Feng Ran to go with him. Yun Qian Yu then turns to Yu Jian, “Let’s check your palace.” She glances at Gong Sang Mo, as though asking whether he will come with them or leave. He looks at Yu Jian who is clearly not keen for his presence today, “I will come with you.” The three of them heads over to Yu Jian’s palace. The hidden pa.s.sage is underneath Yu Jian’s bed. Yun Qian Yu uses her power to lift the entire bed and move it 2 metres away. A white jade tile underneath the bed is raised slightly. A green tile is visible underneath it, looking really sleek. In one look, nothing seems out of the ordinary. Yun Qian Yu place her ears on top of the tile; she can hear a long, hollow sound. She gets up and turns to Gong Sang Mo, “The pa.s.sage is very long. Do you have a way to open it?” Gong Sang Mo calls for San Qiu who is hidden somewhere, “San Qiu, go and get Yi Ri.” Hearing Yi Ri’s name, the corner of Yun Qian Yu’s lips twitches. Yi Ri arrives real quick. He is pretty similar to San Qiu in appearance, just he looks more serious than San Qiu. “Master.” “Go and see if you can open that green tile.” Yi Ri carefully eyes the green tile before leaning over to give it a soft knock. An incense stick time later, he gets up. “I will not be able to take it out properly. There should a self-destruct mechanism on the other side. If we force this open, the entire pa.s.sage will blow up.” Gong Sang Mo looks at Yun Qian Yu, waiting for her decision. “Is he an idiot?” Yu Jian asks curiously. The enemy is basically grasping him within their palm, isn’t the construction of the pa.s.sage will be of vain then, if it will simply collapse if they try to open the tile from this side. He cannot understand the perpetrator. Yun Qian Yu’s eyes shines, she suddenly realizes something after hearing what Yu Jian said. This pa.s.sage is leading to somewhere the perpetrators didn’t want anyone to know. That’s why they construct it in this self-destructive manner. That place must be somewhere she and her grandfather could not even imagine. Yun Qian Yu orders a hidden guard to restore the entrance of the pa.s.sage to it’s original appearance. Seeing Yun Qian Yu understanding everything now, Gong Sang Mo smiles. “You can go back first. I will chat with Yu Jian first before returning to the manor.” He knows Yun Qian Yu still have some doubts to solve. Yun Qian Yu looks at him curiously. What is there for them to talk about? Thinking about how the person Yu Jian respects the most is Gong Sang Mo, she lets it be. She instructs Feng Ran to guard Yu Jian tonight before turning around and leave. Instead of going back to her palace, she goes to the imperial study. Once Yun Qian Yu left, Gong Sang Mo and Yu Jian are left staring at each other. “What is wrong with Yu Jian today?” Gong Sang Mo asks, wanting to laugh at the little big man look on Yu Jian. Yu Jian’s eyes flash as he purse his lips, not saying anything. “You don’t like me together with your Qian Yu jiejie?” Gong Sang Mo asks, going straight to the point. Yu Jian’s face changes once Gong Sang Mo exposed him. “But your Qian Yu jiejie will have to marry, sooner or later,” Seeing that look on Yu Jian’s face, Gong Sang Mo knows he guessed right. “Jiejie can be my empress once I am old enough!” Yu Jian finally admits what he really wants. Gong Sang Mo suddenly remembers what Yu Jian said in the resting palace in Mount Yun the other day, about how he wants to marry Qian Yu once he is older. His heart suddenly falls, why is it so hard to bring home this wife of his? Never mind Hua Man Xi, at least he is of age, but what is little Yu Jian doing here joining the fanfare? By the time he is old enough, Yun Qian Yu would have already becomes a spinster. Gong Sang Mo looks at him earnestly; he needs to deal with this properly. Or else, if Yun Qian Yu finds out, things will become awkward between these two imperial siblings. It will affect their interaction, in the future. “Yu Jian, let’s not even talk about the age gap between you two; the two of you are imperial siblings, it is impossible for Qian Yu to be your empress in the future.” “Why not? We are not even blood-related.” “Even though you two are not blood-related, Qian Yu has personally been instated by the emperor as Princess Hu Guo. She is included in the imperial family’s registry, this is an undeniable truth.” “When the time comes, I will retract her official t.i.tle.” “Yu Jian, things are not as simple as you think it is. Your imperial grandfather will not be able to keep you company for long. Qian Yu will be accompanying you through the most difficult phase of your life; she will help you protect this land once it falls into your hand. Have you even consider what Qian Yu will have to sacrifice for you? When the time comes, how will you explain everything to your people? How you pushed your Qian Yu jiejie to that position? Are you sure Qian Yu will accept your arrangement instead of leaving in disappointment?” Yu Jian’s eyes dims down. He purse his lips. “You have been in the morning court these past two days, you have seen how hard it is to deal with everyone. The emperor has to read memorials everyday and barely has time to rest, you see that yourself. Once you are emperor and cannot do that on your own, Qian Yu will have to do that for you. Our kingdom is currently peaceful, but if something happens that threatens that peace, it will be even harder and more tiring. Qian Yu is a girl, don’t you wish there will be someone whom she can lean to while she sacrifices herself to help you? A shoulder to lean on while she is tired?” Yu Jian lowers his head. “Besides, marrying her is what you want; are you sure Qian Yu shares the same idea as you? How do you know she hasn’t liked someone else? You are only ten years old, but Qian Yu is already of age. By the time you are 18 years old, Qian Yu will already be 23. Do you want your jiejie who dedicates her life to help you, to waste away the most beautiful years of her life?” Yu Jian clutches his hand together, clearly uneasy. “If you are grateful for what Qian Yu does for you, then you need to do everything you can to make her happy. Even though both of you are not blood-related, you are closer than most blood-related people out there. Families does things for each other; you cannot only receive without giving. She did not have to do this for you, but instead, she chose to forgo her freedom to help you secure the throne. The reason she did that is because she considers you her little brother, her loved one.” After saying all that, Gong Sang Mo falls into silence as he looks at Yu Jian, waiting for him to soaks everything in. Yu Jian finally raises his head, “I understand everything. I am only sad because there will be a day where imperial sister will leave me.” “You are still young; you don’t understand the feelings between men and women. Once you are older, you will meet the girl that you like. By then, you will understand. Besides, if I marry Qian Yu, I not only can protect her, I can also help her. Not only that, you and I are so close; if she marries me, do you think she can go very far from you?” Hearing that, Yu Jian’s eyes sparkles; why had he not think of that? Brother Sang Mo is the biggest hero in his heart while Qian Yu jiejie is the warmest shoulder he can lean on; if they get together, they will suit each other very much. He also no longer need to worry about her leaving him. Xian w.a.n.g’s manor and the imperial palace are both in the capital, he only needs to release a verbal decree and Qian Yu jiejie can immediately enter the palace. He, himself, can sneak out to Xian w.a.n.g’s manor, too. At the moment, Yu Jian does not realized that he is being mollified by the Gong fox. By the time he is be old enough to understand, Gong Sang Mo would have taken Yun Qian Yu far away and he will be left in the imperial palace, gritting his teeth while waiting for their news. “Alright, Sang Mo gege. I am putting Qian Yu jiejie in your hands. You must not bully her!” Yu Jian finally thinks it through; the dark expression on his face finally disappearing. “With a great brother-in-law like you backing her up, how can I bully her?” Deep inside, Gong Sang Mo says: How can I bear to bully her? I won’t even have enough time to pamper her! With this, Gong Sang Mo finally settles his youngest compet.i.tor on the battlefield. He happily returns to Xian w.a.n.g’s manor. At this moment, Yun Qian Yu is in the imperial study, looking at the palace’s map with Murong Cang. Murong Cang has personally fetched this map from Cang Bao Pavillion and has replaced it with a fake one. Yun Qian Yu eyes the couple of lines that are stretched from Yu Jian’s palace. Yu Jian’s palace is located in the eastern part of the imperial palace, which is also the late crown prince’s palace. The secret pa.s.sage should not be heading west; it will have to pa.s.s through Jin Luan Palace. The northern side is where normal officials lives; while the southern side is the gate entrance to the imperial city. After that, it is mostly business premises and Tian Street; it is impossible for them to dig through the pa.s.sage without anyone noticing. From the look of it, it can only be heading east. Yun Qian Yu ponders heavily; the eastern side is very complicated. Not only is it the area where the Prime Minister lives, it is also where the Vice-Minister of Work, Vice Minister of Rites, Rui Qinw.a.n.g and Duke Rong lives. Without investigating deeper, the immediate suspect ought to be Rui Qinw.a.n.g; after all, he is the next immediate member of Murong Clan. But, the more Yun Qian Yu looks at it, the more impossible it becomes. In order to get to Rui Qinw.a.n.g’s manor, they would have to go through Duke Rong’s manor first. When Yun Qian Yu voice that out to Murong Cang, he nods in agreement. Murong Cang’s expression is solemn. When he first heard of the secret pa.s.sage underneath Yu Jian’s palace, his mind immediately went to Rui Qinw.a.n.g. But now, it seems pretty unlikely. That is what makes him worried the most; the person he always considered an enemy is actually not the most dangerous one. Turns out, someone else is also watching him and Yu Jian in bated breath and he has no idea who that person is. “Yatou, thing seems to be getting more and more complicated. I do not have much time left, do you think you can do it?” Murong Cang asks in worry. Yun Qian Yu senses the storm inside Murong Cang; she takes her eyes away from the map. “Grandfather, we have no other way. Whether I can do it or not is not the problem here. Since I already picked this road, I can only walk forward without looking back.” “Yatou-ah, am I too selfish?” “I consider Yu Jian my little brother, my loved one.” Murong Cang sighs. No matter who the perpetrator is, they no longer have a route to back-up from. “Yatou, I have a plan. Let me share it with you.” Yun Qin Yu looks at Murong Cang without blinking, waiting for him to speak. “It is clear that my health is not as good as in the past; these past few days, I cannot even bring myself to eat. My days are really numbered.” Murong Cang is. .h.i.t with a sense of powerlessness. “I have been thinking; what will you two do once I pa.s.sed? Will Yu Jian be able to grow in peace? Will Yu Jian be able to succeed the throne?” Yun Qian Yu understands what Murong Cang is trying to say, now. “You want to let him succeed the throne in advance?” Murong Cang knows that Yun Qian Yu is smart; he is not surprised that she got it spot-on. “Correct. Rather than let you and Yu Jian face this big problem while still mourning over my death, why not let him succeed me in advance? Besides, I only have a couple of months left. At least, if we put it in advance, the two of you will not have to face the trouble after the succession all by yourselves. Now that Yu Jian’s palace is no longer habitable, he can also use this chance to move palace without arousing suspicion.” “This idea is good, grandfather.” Yun Qian Yu nods. This way, Yu Jian’s safety will be secured. Once grandfather has pa.s.sed away, Yu Jian is already an established emperor. Their enemies will have to think really careful before doing anything. “Since you agree, I will arrange Yu Jian’s enthronement on my birthday. This matter should not be spread outside before it’s time.” Yun Qian Yu calculates in her heart; Murong Cang’s birthday is less than 10 days from now. An emperor ascending the throne is no trivial matter, seems like the coming days will be really busy. “Yatou, I have already asked people to prepare everything in the dark. However, on the sacrificial day, he will need to go to the imperial monastery to pray and it will take three days. And it cannot be done openly too, what should we do?” Murong Cang is troubled. It is compulsory to go to the imperial monastery before ascension; otherwise, they will not get the G.o.ds’ protection. Even though he does not really believe in things like that, the common people do! Yun Qian Yu’s eyes sparkles after thinking for a while, “Grandfather, this is not really that hard.” “You have a plan, yatou?” Murong Cang excitedly looks at Yun Qian Yu. Yun Qian Yu whispers something to his ears, one that makes him laughs out loud, “Sly yatou.” Yun Qian Yu looks at the laughing Murong Cang before pointing at something on the map. Murong Cang promptly stops laughing, his face turning solemn, “Just do as you sees fit; nothing is more important than Yu Jian.” Yun Qian Yu understands what Murong Cang means. Murong Cang suddenly thinks of something, “Yatou, once Yu Jian ascends the throne, you will still attends the court and be involved in politics. That authority is very essential, so….” “Grandfather, Qian Yu already has authority in politic, I do not need power in anything else. You can hand over everything to Yu Jian. That will tell everyone from the very start, who their master is and to whom their loyalty should lie to. Qian Yu only wants to ask of one thing.” “What do you want, yatou?” Murong Cang did not expect that Yun Qian Yu would reject other powers. “I want grandfather’s Xiang Bao Sword.” Yun Qian Yu solemnly says. Murong Cang is surprised; Xiang Bao Sword is an emperor’s imperial sword, it represents imperial authority. It enables the wielder to strike first and reasons later. If the wielder is a former ruler, he can even wield it to kill corrupted ruler and disloyal ministers. That is how much power the Shang Bao Sword wields. “Alright, grandpa will bestow it to you on the day of Yu Jian’s ascension,” Murong Cang promises, without any doubt towards Yun Qian Yu’s intention. Yun Qian Yu smiles at how much Murong Cang trusts her. “Grandfather, Yu Jian is very smart. He grows up faster than we thought he will, once he is capable enough to rule on his own, I will give that sword back to him.” “Yatou, if the sword is bestowed to you, it means it is already yours. If you do that, doesn’t that mean you are scorning grandpa’s good intention? If I don’t trust you, who else can I trust?” Murong Cang unhappily says. “Grandfather, Qian Yu knows you trust me, but Qian Yu does not trust my own descendant. The only use that sword has for me is to sweep obstacles from Yu Jian’s path. Once Yu Jian is strong enough to protect Nan Lou Kingdom on his own, the sword will be rendered useless to me.” “Yatou, why do you make other’s heart aches so much?” Murong Cang’s old eyes are glistening in tears. He knows Yun Qian Yu is saying all that so that he will not worry the sword will be used against the imperial clan in the future. After the pair of grandfather and granddaughter finish discussing about the ascension matter, Yun Qian Yu returns to her own palace. Murong Cang on the other hand, continues sitting there in a daze. Li Jin Tian stands by his side, his heart aching beyond words. “Old companion, come here.” Murong Cang beckons Li Jin Tian. “Yes, Your Majesty.” “Old companion, how old are you this year?” “This servant is 63 years old this year, Your Majesty,” Li Jin Tian raise his sleeves and uses it to wipe his tears. “Zhen is older than you by two years. How fast time pa.s.ses. In the blink of an eye, we are both old.” “You are right, Your Majesty.” “You have followed zhen since zhen was only 6 or 7 years old. Back then, you were just a little thing. You couldn’t even walk properly. Zhen had to purposely walk slower to wait for you.” Murong Cang laughs, remembering about the past. “That was Your Majesty being compa.s.sionate towards this servant.” “A few decades pa.s.sed in the blink of an eye. In this lifetime, you have been with zhen longer than anyone else. You understand zhen as much as you understand yourself. Once zhen pa.s.sed, you, my old companion, must protect the two children on my behalf. Inform me everything about them every year, during the tomb sweeping day.” “Your Majesty….” Li Jin Tian is now choking in tears. “What are you crying for? Everyone will have that day, the only difference is when. Zhen wants to let go, but zhen is still worried about the two children,” Murong Cang sighs. “Your Majesty, the imperial grandson is clever beyond his age and the princess is outstanding above everyone else. This servant has been watching her and this servant think that it will be very hard for people to harm the imperial grandson as long as she is with him.” “You are right. That girl is very clever!” Thinking about Yun Qian Yu, Murong Cang cannot stop himself from laughing. Murong Cang has witnessed it himself; how Yun Qian Yu solve all the problems coming her way with an indifferent expression on her face; from the breaking of her engagement in Feng Yun Manor to right now. No one knows though, that Yun Qian Yu is not as calm as she appears to be. After she return to her palace, she goes to bed to rest, skipping her daily practice. She knows that a lot of things are out of her control; things like death and such. Hearing what Murong Cang said just now made her realize that the people she cherish will leave, one day. This lifetime is not the same as her previous lifetime. In the previous lifetime, she only thought about her little brother. After her little brother grew under her care, she no longer had to worry about anything else. When she pa.s.sed, she had no regret. But in this lifetime, a lot of people have entered her heart. She is suddenly afraid; afraid of losing them. She is afraid of getting close to them, only to lose them the next day. Yun Qian Yu trace the red bean bracelet and heart-shaped pendant with her fingers, thinking about Gong Sang Mo. What if Gong Sang Mo leaves her? Yun Qian Yu’s heart twists in pain, suddenly feeling empty. She finally realizes that Gong Sang Mo has slowly wormed his way into her life and has become an indispensible part of her days. Yun Qian Yu rest her face against the bracelet; lucky she understands it at the right time. The color of the night sky is thick; Yun Qian Yu falls into the dreamland with a slight smile on her face. On the next day, Yu Jian comes over in a hurry. He immediately asks her the moment he enters, “Imperial sister, have you prepared yourself?” “Why are you so happy?” Yun Qian Yu asks. “You won the bet, of course I am happy!” “Come here, I have something to discuss with you,” Yun Qian Yu calls Yu Jian over. “What is it?” Yu Jian walks over to her. Yun Qian Yu tells him everything she and Murong Cang discussed about last night. Yu Jian falls into silence after hearing that. He did not make a fuss as per what Yun Qian Yu expected him to do; in fact, he is pretty calm about the entire thing, “This is also good. Grandfather has been busy his entire life. Let him rest properly for his remaining life.” Yun Qian Yu looks at him in surprise before praising him, “Yu Jian has grown up.” She remains oblivious to the fact that Gong Sang Mo’s coaxing last night plays a big role to this reaction of his. He made Yu Jian realize that he too needs to do something in return for the people who cares for him. “Alright, imperial sister. The morning court ought to be arduous today, let’s fill our bellies first.” Yu Jian sits down first and downs Hong Su’s porridge.
