The Sovereign – Chapter 50

Volume Three: A Hundred Things Changed with the Spring Breeze

Meeting is difficult

Meeting is difficult, parting is also difficult; it’s been twenty years, and I’ve heard her voice again.

Yun Jin’s loss and melancholy are something Qin Junlan won’t understand; she never considered this sister-in-law’s feelings towards her. If she hadn’t met Liu Qianxun, who opened her heart, she wouldn’t have realized how wonderful yet tormenting love can be.

After regaining her identity, Liu Qianxun distanced herself from her, and her mood plummeted. Although she managed state affairs effortlessly, she lost her appetite and couldn’t sleep at night, leaving her spirit weak. The sword wound on her arm was gradually healing, and each time she saw the scar, she remembered Liu Qianxun’s fearless figure. Qin Junlan wanted to find her, but thinking of how Liu rejected her identity, repeatedly calling herself a common woman, made her angry again.

She never acted superior with Liu Qianxun, yet Liu remained distant. For the sake of pride, Qin Junlan became awkward, feeling deeply lost; she sighed with a sense of loss.

“Emperor, when you sigh and lament, this servant trembles with fear, worried I haven’t served you well,” Yuan Xi said, bringing new tea and snacks, noticing that the food beside Qin Junlan’s dragon desk remained untouched.

“Yuan Xi, you don’t know, the emperor’s dragon body is unwell,” Li Yue said, arranging the documents neatly to the side, lips holding a faint smile.

“Could it be that the sword wound hasn’t healed?” Yuan Xi raised an eyebrow and asked, while Li Yue shook her head, “The heart wound hasn’t healed.”

“This…” Yuan Xi glanced at Qin Junlan and saw her glaring angrily at them, quickly she blinked and leaned closer to Li Yue, fearing that the emperor’s anger might extend to her.

“Li Yue, you’re getting more audacious, daring to tease me.” Qin Junlan pretended to be angry, intending to scare her. How could Li Yue not understand her? She wouldn’t be easily frightened, but still laughed and echoed, “This servant knows her guilt, please calm your anger, Your Majesty.” After speaking, she raised an eyebrow, and Yuan Xi knowingly nodded.

“Speaking of the Empress Dowager’s big birthday, I wonder if Princess Cheng will return to the capital.” Yuan Xi deliberately mentioned Yi Qingyu, and Li Yue quickly added, “According to tradition, the Emperor invites Princess Cheng every year, although she refuses every year.”

“Before leaving the capital, the Emperor also paid respects to Princess Cheng, but returned hastily and hasn’t yet visited her.” Yuan Xi and Li Yue spoke in harmony for Qin Junlan to hear, as she needed an excuse, a reason to convince herself to find Liu Qianxun. Going to the loquat forest requires starting from Xuan Gate, which is close to Suyuan Tower, offering a chance to meet.

Qin Junlan looked at the two of them, feeling both amused and helpless, wondering whether to reward or punish them. Presumptuously guessing the imperial intentions and daring to say it deliberately for her to hear, but indeed, the idea doesn’t sound bad. She should go see her aunt, not only to visit her but also to discuss the matter of removing Yi Hongchuan with her.

During this time away from the palace, Li Ruo controlled the Imperial Guard, and afterward, Yi Hongchuan secretly and openly punished and demoted the vice commander and several patrol commanders for various reasons, replacing them with his own people. Li Ruo reported all this to Qin Junlan. Now, with the Empress Dowager’s big birthday, Yi Hongchuan actively took on the role of birthday coordinator, and everyone knows his ambitions.

Qin Junlan pretended not to hear or ask, fully granting power to Yi Hongchuan, showing no reaction to the Imperial Guard matters. In reality, she had already arranged everything, just waiting for Yi Hongchuan to reveal his flaws.

“Cough, Emperor?” Li Yue saw Qin Junlan’s expression and guessed she was tempted. She dared not show too much understanding of her master, always ready to act, waiting for her master’s order.

Not knowing if these days her anger has subsided, Qin Junlan pondered. If she goes to see Liu Qianxun, what if she politely addresses herself as a common woman again? Forget it, she should first visit her aunt, then consider whether to go to Suyuan Tower to see her. As Qin Junlan thought, she unconsciously tapped the table corner, lost in thoughts of missing Liu Qianxun, not realizing she always became distracted thinking of her.

“Emperor?” Li Yue softly called again, drawing Qin Junlan’s thoughts back. She decisively said, “Prepare the horse, we’re going to the loquat forest.”

“Yes.” Li Yue finally breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the master was willing to take this step, there would be a chance to see Liu Qianxun. Once they met, she believed the two would reconcile. Both were angry, and Liu Qianxun wouldn’t enter the palace, while the emperor, due to pride and face, was unwilling to directly seek a meeting, so they had to proceed indirectly.

Zhen Garden is located three li from Xuan Gate, as elegant and beautiful as the Peach Blossom Spring. The garden is small and exquisite, ingeniously crafted. Ling Yu specially arranged this quiet place for Liu Zhu to recuperate, and it was also convenient for her own travels in Jidu to have multiple resting spots. She never stays long in one place, moving every three days for her safety and due to her innate alertness.

The sound of the xun arose, the melody light and orderly. This is Liu Zhu’s new composition, and Ling Yu was the first to ask her guidance. The song is titled 《As Dream Reflects》, ethereal and lingering, as if one is in a serene bamboo sea. After the main melody, the residual sound can be called a classic, indeed a lingering sound around beams, not ceasing in the ear for three days.

“Yu’er’s xun sound truly is unmatched.” Liu Zhu smiled, her relaxed brow like a June day, warmth mixed with a trace of warmth, like a gentle stream flowing into Ling Yu’s heart.

“Aunt’s music and compositions are truly unique in the world.” Ling Yu, very courteous, slightly bowed to Liu Zhu, “Thank you, Aunt, for bestowing the composition.”

“Born from emptiness, desires arise without delusion, the heart is then at peace. Empty fame brings no benefit, power desires are boundless, the heart is then burdened. Yu’er, I wish you can truly focus solely, without shame in your heart, without regret in your feelings.” Liu Zhu spoke earnestly, and Ling Yu gently smiled, as calm as ever, “Aunt speaks truly, but what one’s heart desires, the weight is on the shoulder, and Ling Yu moves forward with one heart, without other thoughts.”

“As long as you understand yourself, living as you please is difficult, yet not impossible…” A low, hoarse voice carried the calmness of seeing through life and death, with concern in her heart overflowing in her eyes.

“Aunt speaks truly.” Ling Yu understood Liu Zhu’s implied meaning. She respected her, but it didn’t mean she would heed her words; she always politely called her “aunt,” never spoke disrespectfully, nor argued with her.

What she insists on in her heart won’t be influenced by anyone. What she must do concerns the country, even the whole world. She neither has the right nor the strength to have a relationship, even though she likes Liu Qianxun so much and worked so hard to suppress that deep feeling, she still has no regrets. This is her, what she should do, and must do.

“Mother.” Liu Qianxun came with light steps, slowly erasing the name “Hong Yuan” from Suyuan Tower, having He Xi change the business model, allowing Qinghe’s most beautiful woman to gradually fade from people’s sight.

Initially, Suyuan Tower’s guests caused trouble due to not seeing Hong Yuan for many days, but later, Suyuan Tower’s twelve art girls defeated those troublemaking noble sons one by one. The storm gradually calmed, and people no longer insisted on seeing Hong Yuan. Liu Qianxun would no longer appear as the top name in romantic places.

From now on, she’s just Liu Qianxun, with no need to hide her identity. She is the master of Suyuan Tower, and He Xi is merely the nominal boss; she decides all arrangements.

“Xun’er, you’ve come.” Liu Zhu smiled lightly. Now, the happiest thing is being able to spend every day with her daughter, morning to night. After being separated for so long, it’s rare to live so peacefully in one place, but all this is just the prelude to a storm, with true danger still ahead.

“Xun’er, you accompany aunt, I’ll leave first. If there’s anything, I’ll have He Xi notify you.” Ling Yu gracefully turned, her plain clothes fluttering, a noble yet proud and aloof temperament evident.

“Wait.” Liu Qianxun called to stop her and took out a jade xun from her bosom, engraved with the character “Yu.” It was clear and flawless, white jade like frost, perfectly matching Ling Yu’s white gauze and green shirt today. “This is for you, it’s time to replace yours.”

This was made from the thousand-year cold jade Liu Qianxun had painstakingly sought, intending to give it to Ling Yu. Originally, cold jade was too chilly, with a bad meaning, but now it was the best opportunity to give it to her.

Ling Yu raised the wooden xun in her hand, its edges already worn white. It was given by Liu Qianxun when she first learned to play the xun, accompanying her for seven years. Year after year, day after day playing tunes, day and night together, she never noticed the wooden xun was no longer as it once was, full of holes and worn.

She took the jade xun, noble and pure, only the jade was cold as ice. Where did this chill to the heart’s estrangement come from? She looked deeply at Liu Qianxun, who gave a slight glance, truly feeling she suddenly seemed far away. Ling Yu felt flustered but tried hard to conceal her emotions, “Thank you.”

The graceful figure leisurely left, gradually increasing the distance between the two. After all, nothing was like before.

“Xun’er, why put yourself through this?” Liu Zhu knew Liu Qianxun’s feelings for Ling Yu, a deep love that finally turned into illusion. Mother and daughter are so similar; once they love someone, they go all out, regardless of the cost. But she was luckier than Liu Qianxun; Qingyu loved her for a lifetime and never let her suffer any grievances. Yet Ling Yu hurt Liu Qianxun deeply, like that old xun, always held but long since changed.

“It’s okay, Mother, I’ll take you out for a walk. Staying in this Zhen Garden all day is boring.” Liu Qianxun thought about it over and over, unwilling for Liu Zhu to painfully guard her heart, suffering every day. If there were no hope, that would be fine, but once the mind has thoughts, happiness is elusive.

Although she came to Jidu, she’s more melancholy than before, wanting to see but unable to, loving yet afraid to meet. This kind of heartache Liu Qianxun understands, precisely because she empathizes, she’s even more unwilling for her mother to torment herself.

“Twenty years have passed, and Jidu has changed drastically. Many places are indeed already blurry in memory.” Twenty years ago, she was so familiar with Jidu, but now everything has changed; things have changed, and people have gone. She is already an aging person, her health worsening.

“Xun’er knows you don’t like noise, so I’ll take you for a walk in the quiet countryside.”

“Okay.”

In the June scenery, the countryside was an expanse of boundless green, full of vigorous vitality and exuberance. Liu Qianxun drove the carriage at a slow pace, and from afar, she saw the loquat forest swaying in the wind.

The golden, full loquat fruits were already nowhere to be seen, and she couldn’t help but wonder how Yi Qingyu had handled so many loquat fruits.

A loquat forest spanning three li, a lifetime of concern, and a lifetime of love concluded here.

The horse hooves lifted lightly, and the carriage stopped deep within the loquat forest. Liu Qianxun helped Liu Zhu off the carriage.

“Where have you brought me?” Liu Zhu asked with a smile, stepping off the carriage. As she raised her eyes, she saw the vast loquat forest, as if time had traveled back to twenty-five years ago, to that summer night when they first met, taking her back to the loquat forest in the Yu Kingdom.

She stood dazed in place; this dense forest, from the shape of the trees to their spacing, was all similar to back then. Liu Zhu’s brows drooped deeply, and she suddenly felt as if in a dream, with illusions appearing before her eyes. Yi Qingyu’s flying figure, shuttling through the loquat forest, circling freely, like a dream, like a fairy.

“Loquat forest…” she said, terrified, turning her head, wanting to escape. She didn’t dare to face it, didn’t dare to take another step forward, didn’t dare to think further…

“Xun’er, take me back.” After speaking, she hurriedly wanted to leave.

“Mother~” Liu Qianxun just wanted to persuade her, then felt a movement like the wind and crane’s alarm, not a natural wind, but a surging momentum stirred up by strong internal force.

She only heard someone stepping on the loquat tree branches, as if walking on flat ground, their figure light, airborne steps thick and powerful, like riding clouds and driving mist.

“What person trespasses my loquat forest?” That voice, like an orchid in an empty valley, was just like flowing water striking stone, clear and melodious, yet also like mountains and seas colliding, deep and powerful.

Before the words fell, she gracefully descended like a banished immortal. Liu Zhu, with her back facing her, was slightly trembling, only feeling her feet as heavy as a thousand jin, unable to move.

Liu Qianxun worriedly glanced at her, then calmly saluted Yi Qingyu, “Junior greets senior.”

“So it is you.” Yi Qingyu wore a white robe inside and a red robe on top, her waist tied with a red belt, three thousand strands of hair hanging at her waist. The red ribbon was gracefully like a swimming dragon, threading through her waist. She had beautiful skin and appearance, and her unique temperament exuded elegance and nobility, while her graceful figure also carried a kind of dashing air.

“Junior unintentionally trespassed the loquat forest; only the carriage lost control, and my mother and I lost our way, coming here.” Liu Qianxun again worriedly looked at Liu Zhu, whose eyes were bloodshot. In panic, she pulled up the cloak’s hood, trembling hands covering her face.

Yi Qingyu slightly tilted her head, observing the mother Liu Qianxun mentioned, whose thin and weak, trembling back, without seeing her face, could be judged as a sickly body.

Yet this back… was indeed somewhat familiar. Yi Qingyu lifted her steps, and the sound of her stepping on branches and leaves slowly grew louder. Liu Zhu only felt her getting closer and closer, tightly clenching her fists, her breath nearly suffocating. One leaf, one flower, one step, one thought—she had walked in darkness for twenty years, a full twenty years. She unexpectedly heard Qingyu’s voice again, but alas, at this moment, it felt like being struck at an acupoint, her body unable to move.

But her heart, however, was churning, like huge waves surging in the sea, like collapsing mountain rocks, all her stubbornness and persistence collapsing with a roar. She wanted to turn around, wanted to rush into her arms, without a word, just holding her, truly feeling the missing years.

In that very moment, impulsively wanting to turn around, she was interrupted by the discomfort in her chest rising and falling. She forced herself to endure the metallic taste in her throat, this uncooperative body, why precisely at this time did the illness strike, cruelly pulling her back to reality.

Yi Qingyu slowly walked closer to her, stopping at a short distance, her clear voice sounded behind Liu Zhu, “You, turn your head around.”