The Sovereign – Chapter 39

Volume Two: An Abundance of Blossoms Always Feels Lonely

Narrow Escape from Death

Want to kill her? What if I don’t agree, go ahead and try?

In a life-and-death situation, there was no time to mourn. Qin Junlan noticed that the person standing next to Liu Qianxun was the leader. She grabbed him by the collar and said, “Gather everyone immediately and have them stay close to the rocks where the flames are smaller. If you hesitate again, you’re gambling with the lives of your loved ones and yourself!”

The man, thrown aside by Qin Junlan, did not hesitate for a moment. Delaying any further could cost another life. He quickly used his unique method to spread the word, gathering people into clusters and waiting for further instructions.

“Each group must select a leader, and the leader must account for everyone around them to ensure no one is lost along the way,” Qin Junlan commanded calmly. This set of rules seemed like a military strategy. Liu Qianxun observed and remembered it in her heart. In the current chaos, a step-by-step command was necessary, as it was impossible for such a large crowd to descend the mountain together.

“Save my child, save my child,” a woman suddenly cried, running over and kneeling in front of Qin Junlan. “Master Yan, please save my child.”

“Quickly, stand up, big sister. What happened to the child?”

“The child climbed up the tree out of fear, but the fire started below and is about to climb up!” The woman anxiously shed tears. Qin Junlan, without hesitation, ignored the need to observe others, while Liu Qianxun noticed the woman’s flaw.

Thunder without rain, the crying was exaggerated and lacked true sadness. As she covered her face, her eyes slightly lifted, secretly watching for reactions. Who could this person be? Liu Qianxun followed, wanting to see what tricks the woman might play.

Running to a large tree, over ten feet high, there was indeed a child hanging there. She clung tightly to the trunk, her small body trembling slightly, fearfully looking around with tears streaming down. The despair of being alone was reflected in her small eyes.

The tree trunk was wide, and the fire climbed rapidly. Qin Junlan steadied her breath, using her dantian, and stepped up with the wind, gracefully ascending like a fairy spirit. She easily stood on another branch, not far from the child, and steadied herself, moving slowly over.

The woman’s face darkened slightly beneath the tree, with a hidden weapon in her sleeve. She sneered coldly, aiming at Qin Junlan, ready to strike, but was hit heavily. Intense pain shot through her wrist, the strike so powerful it seemed to shatter her bones. The woman, clutching her wrist, trembled and couldn’t move, seeing Liu Qianxun radiating a cold light, her chilling pupils like a sharp sword, as if capable of killing from afar. If that strike had aimed at her heart, the woman would surely have died.

“Eagle Eye, you have a lot of nerve! Daring to take action right under my nose.” Liu Qianxun’s foot stepped on gravel, the crisp sound like breaking bones. Eagle Eye felt the pain in her wrist intensify, as Liu Qianxun’s killing aura burned like fire, capable of killing invisibly. Just being stared at by her felt like being marked by the King of Hell, with the path to the underworld right in sight.

The aura forced her to retreat step by step, but she still maintained a strong tone, “Tower Master, do not meddle in others’ affairs. The Sect Leader only intends to teach the Empress a lesson, not take her life.”

“What if I do not allow it?” Liu Qianxun was not surprised that this was Ling Yu’s instruction; she had many unexpected moves. She originally thought only one person was sent to infiltrate the mountain. Unexpectedly, there were more, fortunately, she was trained to have keen perception and quickly noticed the signs.

Ling Yu would never have thought that one day, the person she trained would become her biggest obstacle and weakness.

“This subordinate will report to the Sect Leader.” Eagle Eye’s words only pushed herself toward the abyss. Just as she was about to escape, Liu Qianxun instantly moved in front of her, swiftly locking her throat, squeezing her neck, with the force of her hand gradually increasing, “Then I will make sure you never have the chance to speak.”

“Tower Master, spare my life… subordinate knows her wrongs!” Eagle Eye, considered an expert of the Shura Sect, found herself powerless before Liu Qianxun. She was choked at a vital point, unable to move, her face turning blue from suffocation, without even the strength to struggle. She clearly did not expect Liu Qianxun to not only dare to obstruct the Sect Leader’s mission but also dare to kill her to silence her. She finally began to fear, recalling the rumors that Liu Qianxun killed mercilessly, her martial arts unfathomable. She never expected to encounter this legendary Shura Sect figure—Shura Cold Killer—today.

Suddenly, a figure flashed by, bowing in salute, “Please, Tower Master, have mercy! I have found the way down the mountain, here is the map.”

This was the disciple who had warned her about the drugged wine. Liu Qianxun, with some suspicion, glanced at him, slowly released her grip, and memorized the map. She flicked her sleeve, standing proudly under the moon, looking up to see Qin Junlan had safely caught the child and turned her back, “Leave!”

The man supported Eagle Eye, thanked her profusely, and hurriedly left.

Unexpectedly, Ling Yu had sent Eagle Eye, one of the four secret agents spread across the four kingdoms. Why would she send Eagle Eye to assassinate Qin Junlan? Could something have happened in the Yu Kingdom? Why did she suddenly want to assassinate Qin Junlan? Liu Qianxun increasingly couldn’t understand Ling Yu, not knowing what she truly intended.

Qin Junlan held the child in her arms, worried she might be afraid of heights, and covered her eyes with her hand as she gently leapt down. Liu Qianxun’s expression softened for a moment, caught between thoughts of hell and heaven, black and white, darkness and light, unsure of where her heart truly lay.

At that moment, Qin Junlan seemed to be the gentlest and kindest person in the world, as she carefully placed the child down safely and gently brushed her hair. Looking around and not seeing the woman, she asked, “Oh, where is the child’s mother?”

“No father or mother, I came up the mountain with my uncle,” the child’s tender voice, like a soft song of an oriole, reminded Qin Junlan of the hungry grandparents she encountered on the road. How many children were without family or support?

“So that lady wasn’t your mother, no matter. Xun’er, you take the child, I will find the way.” Qin Junlan felt doubtful, as the woman earlier claimed to save her child but now said she wasn’t her mother, which seemed very suspicious. However, she had no time to ponder it, so she entrusted the child to Liu Qianxun and busied herself with the leader to discuss the way down the mountain, using the sentry and mountain terrain layout map she memorized to plan the escape routes.

“Sister~” The girl suddenly opened her arms, as if wanting Liu Qianxun to hold her. But Liu Qianxun remained unmoved, not understanding the meaning of the girl’s gesture, having never been close to anyone, not even a child.

The child pouted and took another step forward, looking at Liu Qianxun with an aggrieved expression, her small hand tugging at the corner of Liu Qianxun’s clothing, “Sister, I am afraid, can you hold me?”

This little brat actually recognized her as a girl, and Liu Qianxun really didn’t want to pay her any attention. Why did Qin Junlan become so soft-hearted at the sight of a child? Clearly, she had never been a mother, yet she was always so tolerant and overly indulgent with children.

This child was quite bold, actually asking to be held, but those round eyes and rosy cheeks were indeed a bit cute. Liu Qianxun twitched the corner of her mouth, opened her arms, and the girl happily leapt into them, hugging her shoulder tightly and leaning against her.

What was happening? Clearly, an unrelated person, yet her heart inexplicably felt warm. The girl’s breath was by her ear, and she could feel the child’s smiling face, making her own heart unexpectedly fill with joy.

It turns out that sometimes being kind to others and getting close to people feels quite nice.

Liu Qianxun did not provide the Shura Sect disciple’s map to Qin Junlan because she realized Qin Junlan didn’t need it. The safe points she identified herself were identical to those on the disciple’s map. According to the original layout, some areas wouldn’t explode. As long as they didn’t, even if the mountain had no path, it could still be traversed. In places where the fire wasn’t intense, the men would use water to extinguish it. Although the road was rugged, it could bypass explosion points and roads engulfed by fire.

When encountering areas with heavy smoke, they would tear strips of cloth from their clothes, soak them in water, and cover their noses.

Qin Junlan led the men in clearing the path ahead, with Li Yue guarding the sides. She couldn’t help but frequently glance back at Liu Qianxun, feeling reassured only when she saw her following safely. Every glance back was met by Liu Qianxun, that faint look was the deepest concern in her heart.

“Sister’s embrace is really warm,” the girl whispered in her ear, and Liu Qianxun’s lips curled into a barely noticeable smile. She remained silent, only tightening her hold on the child.

The shadows of her childhood had closed her heart, and the training by the Shura Sect made her indifferent to worldly matters, justice, and human life. It was said she once regarded human life as insignificant. But this time, she clearly felt her nature seemed to be influenced by Qin Junlan. The hard armor of the past was slowly being melted away.

She once thought that Qin Junlan was someone who would stop at nothing for her throne and empire. However, she is generous and kind to the people, never harsh on her citizens, and never harms innocent people lightly.

This group of bandits, even if killed entirely, would not be surprising. They threatened the sovereign, entrenched themselves with the rebel army in the mountains, and embezzled disaster relief funds, each a capital crime. Just the crime of executing relatives would implicate even the elderly, weak, women, and children, but Qin Junlan was unwilling to abandon any of her people. In her eyes, the lives of innocent people are equally important.

Qin Junlan possesses a magical ability to unite people’s hearts, inspiring respect and awe. This innate sense of reliability and dependence affects not only Liu Qianxun but extends to her entire nation and its people.

The journey was fraught with difficulties and dangers, filled with thorns, originally a path to the underworld. Yet, through mutual cooperation, they successfully reached the foot of the mountain. Jiang Wei, with the Wei County city defense army, had been waiting for a long time and finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Qin Junlan and the others descend the mountain.

Seeing the large group of people and horses following behind, he initially thought they were bandits chasing down the mountain and immediately became vigilant, knowing that he only had two hundred men while the opposing side could number over a thousand.

A thousand people huddled together in tacit understanding, embracing their families and weeping. Having survived against all odds, nothing was more important than being alive. Looking back toward the mountain, flames had already consumed Qionglong Mountain, erasing it along with its past secrets and filth.

Suddenly, the rescued people threw down all their weapons, joined hands with their family members, and everyone bowed to Qin Junlan, saying, “Thank you, sir, for your life-saving grace.”

This scene was truly moving. Those once fierce eyes now held only gratitude, and the sight of their families safe brought satisfaction and relief. They were not bandits but were forced by circumstances, becoming homeless and taking refuge on the mountain. Clad in differently colored patchwork clothes, bowing and kneeling, even Liu Qianxun was moved.

“Everyone, please rise; there’s no need for such courtesy,” Qin Junlan stepped forward and helped an elder up, gently raising her hand as a signal to everyone.

“Please, sir, forgive our ignorance. For the crimes committed in the mountain, we are willing to accept punishment. We only wish that you spare our wives and children and grant pardon from the execution of relatives.” The men pleaded again with Qin Junlan, as anyone could see that this Master Yan, dignified and impressive, must hold a high position of power.

The laws of the Ji Dynasty are strict, and the punishment of execution of relatives is even more severe. However, implicating innocent wives and children is cruel, and for the past two years, Qin Junlan has been considering revising these laws.

“Rein in at the brink of the precipice, what crime is there? You are not homeless people; the Ji Kingdom under the emperor’s rule will never let anyone be without a home. Commander Jiang!”

“Subordinate here.”

“Coordinate with Feng County to settle these people, and Lord Lin, report to the court to explain the situation. I will rush to Yuzhou tomorrow. I want to see how many officials in these ten counties of Yuzhou have lost all conscience!” Qin Junlan’s sharp demeanor turned into rays of hope. Once, the people thought they were abandoned by the country and ignored by the emperor. Today, with such an imperial envoy, not only forgiving past offenses but also handling matters with generosity and vowing to eliminate corrupt officials, who would still be disappointed with the country or suspicious of the emperor?

“Subordinate will handle it immediately.”

Her face was like the moon of Mid-Autumn, her complexion like the flowers of spring dawn, and her eyes like autumn waves shimmering with a thousand hues of glassy light. At this moment, Qin Junlan stood with her hands behind her back, like a domineering totem carved in the golden hall, a thousand years of elegance flowing through the world, with an unattainable kingly majesty, shining brightly. Liu Qianxun seemed to see Qin Junlan clad in a golden robe embroidered with a hundred butterflies and flowers, tied with a multicolored silk long tassel palace sash, so distant and unattainable to her.

Outside the palace, dangers were everywhere, and the palace was deeply worried. Since the Empress Dowager learned of Qin Junlan’s departure from the palace, she lived every day in fear. Separated by a hundred miles, bringing only one trusted aide and ten shadow guards, the consequences of encountering danger were unimaginable. Qin Junlan had never traveled for so long, and rumors in the court were likely rising, though the Grand Academician and Grand Chancellor were suppressing the ministers. This half-month without the emperor was not a long-term plan.

“Mother, Imperial Sister is now in Wei County, and there are stationed troops nearby, so there’s no need to worry too much,” Yun Jin reassured daily, discussing the outside palace situation and Qin Junlan’s condition with her. The daily reassurances were effective, at least ensuring Yi Qinghuan would not be sleepless.

In fact, Qin Junlan’s movements were transparent to the palace. She was surely wandering through the ten counties of Yuzhou for disaster relief, and would naturally return upon finding a solution. But since this was caused by a natural disaster, how long would it take to solve the pressing issues?

Yi Qinghuan understood her daughter, whose heart was always concerned for the people’s safety, yet she always disregarded herself. She wondered if, having left the palace, Qin Junlan was sleeping peacefully, if her food was safe, or if the disaster area, where people often died, might cause a plague. As soon as she had free time, she would still worry endlessly.

“You still don’t know your imperial sister’s personality; she would never use the stationed troops, nor would she easily reveal her identity. Even traveling incognito, she would handle things low-key. I just heard that area has many troubles, and I wonder how the imperial child is doing now.”

“You sometimes just scare yourself; deep down, you don’t know how much you care for the imperial sister.” Yun Jin fiddled with the clear tea, her slender hand gently raised, the tea’s fragrance refreshing and soothing Yi Qinghuan, making her feel somewhat relaxed.

Yun Jin offered the tea, and Yi Qinghuan felt a bit of comfort, her affection for Yun Jin growing stronger than before. “Luckily, I have you, Jin’er, to often accompany me; otherwise, I wouldn’t know how to get through these days. Ah, you are right, grown children don’t stay with mothers, especially since my child is a ruler of a nation.”

“Exactly, Jin’er has never worried about the imperial sister, because of her belief in her wisdom to resolve all calamities in the world. She is the true emperor favored by heaven; she is heaven itself. How could heaven dare to do anything to her?” Yun Jin’s words were filled with happiness; in her heart, Qin Junlan is the sky, always high above. Even looking up to her, very high and far, she still feels a bit of sweetness.

“I see, it is you who praises her to the skies.” Yi Qinghuan lightly tapped Yun Jin, who unexpectedly showed shyness. This subtle change Yi Qinghuan noticed, always feeling that Yun Jin was overly concerned about Qin Junlan, yet couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong.

“Empress Dowager, the Grand Chancellor requests an audience.”

“Let him come in.”

Since the Grand Chancellor’s residence was investigated, Yi Hongchuan appeared to submit but was actually secretly planning his grand scheme.

“Empress Dowager, this minister and younger brother has something to report.” Yi Hongchuan’s face was serious, as if something significant had occurred. He glanced at Yun Jin, “Greetings, Wise King Consort.”

“Uncle, there is no need for such courtesy.” Yun Jin always understands the propriety of manners, neither contending nor yielding, humble without subservience, always making people feel at ease.

“Grand Chancellor, there is no need to adhere to formalities; there are no outsiders here. Feel free to speak.”

“My disciple in Yuzhou informed me that Her Majesty left the palace with a brothel courtesan by her side, traveling together, ensuring her safety.” Yi Hongchuan is fully aware of all changes in Yuzhou, and this audience with the Empress Dowager has only one purpose.

“What did you say? Is it that Hong Yuan?”

Yi Hongchuan nodded, “Exactly, Her Majesty delayed attending court for her, and even the southern tour must include her…” He watched as the Empress Dowager’s face darkened and decided to deliver a heavier blow, deliberately lowering his voice and changing his manner of address to draw closer the sibling intimacy with Yi Qinghuan, “Little brother is truly worried that second sister’s situation might repeat with Her Majesty.”

“Impossible!” Yi Qinghuan smashed the cup on the table’s corner, shattering it instantly. Yi Qingyu’s situation is a forever untouchable scar in her heart, and she will absolutely not allow her daughter to follow her old path.

“Mother Empress, calm your anger. Even if Imperial Sister is bringing the girl Hong Yuan, she will not delay important matters. Maybe she just feels lonely on the road and needs a confidant to accompany her.”

“A confidant? Only a kind girl like you, Jin’er, would believe such words!”

Yi Hongchuan remained silent, merely waiting for Yi Qinghuan’s outburst.

Hong Yuan, this femme fatale… Yi Qinghuan frowned, her tone gradually calming. She lightly wiped the corner of her mouth, “As the nation’s Grand Chancellor, Her Majesty is momentarily confused, bewitched by a demon. You… should know what to do, right?”

“This minister and younger brother understands.” Yi Hongchuan’s mouth corner slightly twitched; he had been waiting for exactly this sentence from the Empress Dowager.

He understood that Qin Junlan had already discovered the Iron Guard army’s secret, and the issues with tribute silver and disaster silver could no longer be concealed. He had already abandoned the situation in Yuzhou. Since this was the case, he must not let her live to return to Jidu; otherwise, she would surely act against him. He must intercept and kill her halfway.

That night, Yi Hongchuan ordered the Black Shura Sect to send out experts, while he himself dispatched over a hundred assassins from near Yuzhou. Their target was Qin Junlan and her group, with orders to kill without mercy!

---

---