Chapter 211 (1/2)

Chapter 211

Translator: Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

It had been four months. It was enough.

He smiled slightly, taking up his flute to play a joyful farewell song for her. The tune was clear and echoed across the extravagant palace, following her shadow as it stepped out of the rows of palace doors, over the golden door sills, the tall corridors, the red palace walls, and finally into the vast lands.

The Tang Empire had helped him out as he was rejected by his family, almost ruining the bright future he had ahead of him. Since the battle at Yuegong, he had defied all odds to live. He had been driven to desperation, to the extremes where he had nearly lost his life. He had been despised and shunned by his family and country, turning into a public enemy and being spit on thousands of civilians. Even if he died, he was not able to enter the ancestral records of his family. He became the number one rebel of the royal capital. As he rose from the ashes of the dead, he single-handedly rebuilt his reputation as he came to be known as the King of Qinghai, taking West Meng by storm. The time had not come, but he used his troops to carry out an assault in the east, providing a lifeline for her.

The Xia Empire coveted the Tang Empire; Yan Bei dispatched troops towards the east in order to avenge the theft of the emperor's wife. They were willing to give up their empire, which they had painstakingly built, in order to return to the land of their ex-tormentors in chief. They used their million troops as a wager, managing to achieve some of their wishes.

Zhuge Yue, I thought that I was the craziest person alive. However, when I compared to you, I am insignificant. Li Ce mocked himself in his thoughts. How could he compete with a lunatic?

We have all been assigned to wander on a predetermined path by the heavens. I cannot break free, and neither can Yan Xun. Only you are brave enough to break free repeatedly and jump into the whirlpool again. Ultimately, I lose out to you, and I accept this defeat with grace.

The tune was lively and fast, appearing comical as compared to the officials bawling their eyes out below.

Sun Di stood on the steps of the palace and gazed towards that defiant shadow. As the joyous tune permeated his ears, he felt a sense of loneliness instead. The paths of the palace were long and cold, as it was surrounded by tall palace walls on both sides. The fragrance outside was faintly detectable.

On such a bright, warm day, the ripples emerged from within his heart, slicing through the lonely fog in his heart and sweeping up the thin layers of dust in the lonely palace. He had always been like this, viewing the happenings of the world through the slightly drunken look in his eyes.

As night fell, the officials had cried their throats hoarse. Some of the elderly ones were stricken with illness, and had been taken away in stretchers.

An extravagant layer of lights blanketed the entire Jinwu Palace as it seeped through the thousands of doors. His memories were blurry. Just like a thin thread that had dislodged itself from a piece of cloth, a slight jolt was sufficient was able to cause the piece of cloth to disintegrate.

Li Ce walked down the steps of the ladder as the officials crawled towards him, crying for him to mind his health and not to fool around. ”All of you are indeed loyal to me. I have sorted my thoughts out. Please rise quickly,” he said.

The audience cried out in joy, appreciating the fact that the emperor had come to his senses.

”In order to reflect on my actions, I have decided to adjourn the court sessions for three days. All of you should go back, think hard, and research on ways to make our country prosperous.” As he finished his words, he walked into the distance while the officials were dazed. Before he walked out of the palace, he ordered his inner servants, ”Host banquets for the next three days. Bring all the ladies to Roufu Palace.”

The audience was once again rendered speechless as the emperor gallivanted away into the distance.

Once one stepped out of Baizhi Pass, one would have reached the territory of Xia. Although it was wintertime, the climate was still warm towards the southwest of Xianyang. When Chu Qiao stepped out of the pass, it was actually raining. As she stood on the passageway leading into Xianyang City, she felt hesitant, not knowing if she should have walked in. The past 11 years of her life had been eventful. The first eight years of her life had been filled with dark times, while the last three years had been doused with bloodshed. Now that she had finally broken out of the chains of her fate, she did not know where to wander to.

Her initial sense of excitement had subsided; calmness and rationality had taken over. If it was really true, what kind of person would he be now? How could he mix around with a person of her status? She had caused him to nearly die a few times. Was she going to destroy whatever he had now, yet again? If her thoughts proved to be wrong, Li Ce's words would have meant that Yan Xun had let her go out of mercy. How would she view this matter then? Presently, she no longer had any more courage to ask about anything else. Hence, she resided in Xianyang City. She rented a small house with one door and one courtyard in a remote place. Two willow branches hung in front of her door, but had wilted.

Seven or eight days passed in a flash. As Xianyang City welcomed the new year, decorations were placed everywhere. The festive mood in the city was joyous. The landlord opposite, seeing that she lived alone, invited her over repeatedly to spend the new year. However, she rejected the landlord's gestures.

Another few days had passed. As the annual Lantern Festival neared, a bout of snow fell at dawn. However, before the snowflakes touched the ground, they had melted. The remnants of the snow accumulated on the tree branches. Into the distance, the snowy white mountains were visible; streams flowed at its feet. The city was covered in sycamores, giving off a spectacular sight.

The landlord was a chubby lady in her thirties. She looked friendly and had two children; a boy and a girl. Her husband was a teacher in a private school within the city; their household was considered well-off. The girl seemed to like Chu Qiao a lot. As she passed by her door, she would often gaze into her house. Her brother, seeing her curiosity, supported her on his shoulders and allowed her to sneak a peek inside her house.