The Sovereign – Chapter 106

Volume Six: A Cold Rainy Night Buries the Famous Flower

Wind and Clouds Change Color

Before one wave settles, another rises

The white silk hung high in Changning Prefecture (a symbol of mourning and death), and the entire capital was filled with a heavy atmosphere. News of the massacre in Luo County had spread throughout the Yu Kingdom. The whole Yu Kingdom was in panic, yet the civilians and soldiers of the capital had never been afraid, for they had the Grand Princess in command – they had never feared external enemies.

To the people of Yu Kingdom, Ling Yu was like heaven itself (meaning she was regarded as divine/absolute authority). Perhaps no one understood why she was so deeply loved by the common people, or why the Shura Sect members were willing to die for her with absolute loyalty. However, she never cared about these things, nor did she fear what rumors said about her. When killing was necessary, she killed, and her methods were never soft – countless people had died by her hands.

Ling Yu placed Bei Yifei’s head in the Garden of Empty Tombs (a memorial garden for those whose bodies couldn’t be recovered), and knelt before the tombstone in silence. After the city massacre, many nameless tombstones were added there. Unable to atone with her own death, she could only kneel here to find a trace of redemption. Since regaining consciousness, Ling Yu had been kneeling in this graveyard, blaming everything on herself. She neither ate nor drank, and even when her knees went numb, she didn’t rise.

“Princess.” No matter when, there was always a figure by Ling Yu’s side – Lin Wuming.

“Have the letters to Luo and Qing kingdoms been sent?” Ling Yu’s voice was low and hoarse, with unclear emotions – perhaps the pain had taken away its original clarity, leaving no trace of feeling in her speech.

When pain reaches its peak, there are no tears; when sorrow reaches its depths, there are no words – this was how Ling Yu had spent these years.

“In response to the Princess, Luo Kingdom’s troops have concentrated at the border city, confronting the Red Armor Army. The Nalan family head has sent the latest defensive weapons, which have been installed on the capital’s walls.” Lin Wuming always spoke while kneeling – as long as Ling Yu remained kneeling, he would stay with her, guard her, and like her, neither eat nor drink, neither sleep nor rest.

“The Nalan family are imperial merchants, and Nalan Qing never involves herself in politics or warfare. Send her a reply, telling her not to let the Nalan family get dragged into this war.” While Ling Yu indeed wanted to use other countries’ forces to counter Ji Kingdom’s army, she feared that these two small countries’ forces would only delay the inevitable. If so, there was no need to implicate Nalan Qing.

“Yes, but according to the deployment map, Ji Kingdom only has 50,000 troops stationed at the border, mainly to monitor Luo and Qing kingdoms. If they launch an attack rashly, wouldn’t they risk leaving themselves vulnerable?”

“Haven’t you realized by now that the deployment map is fake?” Ling Yu’s voice was pale and weak. From the moment the war began, from when she understood the situation clearly, she knew that Ji Kingdom’s claimed 400,000 troops were just a facade.

“What? But my subordinates went to investigate, and the garrison troops at the outposts showed no abnormalities. Moreover, how could it be fake when the deployment maps in the Empress’s study match those in the Military Affairs Bureau?”

“How could ordinary people fathom Qin Junlan’s depths of scheming? If I’m not mistaken, she has secretly prepared an army of 100,000 troops over the past two years. They haven’t yet reached the Red Armor Army’s standards, so they haven’t been deployed. Perhaps she’s waiting for the right moment to catch everyone off guard. She’ll send these 100,000 troops to deal with Luo and Qing kingdoms, leaving her free from worry to focus on conquering Yu Kingdom. After all, what she wants most is just the prosperous Yu Kingdom.”

“Such wolfish ambition! To secretly expand the army by 100,000 – her scheming is truly frightening.”

Ling Yu closed her eyes slightly. They couldn’t escape this ill fate, but someone had to bear the blood debt of Yu Kingdom. Since the city massacre, she could no longer tolerate Qin Junlan. She had never wanted to kill her before, because killing Qin Junlan would surely throw Ji Kingdom into chaos. Then warlords would divide the territory, and if Ji Kingdom fell into the hands of a brutal ruler, the other three kingdoms would inevitably face greater impact – it would truly become chaos under heaven.

Ling Yu never wanted to create such a catastrophe; she had only wanted to maintain the balance between the four kingdoms and protect Yu Kingdom. But now, no amount of rationality or calmness could suppress her killing intent.

“Have you found out where the Tower Master is?”

“Scouts report she’s in Shennong Valley.” Lin Wuming answered. Ling Yu rose slightly, her legs weak and numb. Lin Wuming hurried to support her, but she shook off his hand. Though it pained him to see her like this, he was helpless. Even knowing her legs were in pain, knowing her internal organs were in turmoil, knowing she would meaninglessly wipe away blood from the corners of her mouth – all he could do was stand by her side.

Ling Yu raised her head toward the sky, just as a sharp eagle cry pierced the heavens.

Ling Yu extended her arm, and Lightning landed steadily. She gently stroked Lightning’s forehead and said softly, “Help me make a trip to Shennong Valley to find Xun’er.” She then took out a small prepared bamboo tube. Lightning understood and took it in its beak, then flew away with beating wings.

“Since you’re so fond of Qin Junlan, I’ll make sure you two are properly united!” Ling Yu raised a cold smile.

After the city massacre, only a cold light remained in Ling Yu’s eyes. After despair comes endless darkness, but she would never submit to the current misery.

Shennong Valley was isolated from the world and didn’t know that war had already broken out. Under Guiguzi’s treatment, Liu Qianxun’s body gradually improved, her sallow complexion finally recovering. However, Liu Zhu’s condition hadn’t been fully cured – she alternated between consciousness and coughing blood, her condition very unstable.

When she occasionally woke, Yi Qingyu would stay by her side without taking a single step away. Liu Zhu loved composing music; she could create melodies by striking stones and could fashion musical instruments from various types of objects.

But now her body didn’t even have the strength to stand. Every day, Yi Qingyu would hold her as they sat in the corridor, accompanying her as she gazed at the vast green valley and the boundless landscape.

“Ah Yu, I’m afraid I might fall asleep one day and never wake up again.” Liu Zhu’s eyes drooped, lacking even the strength to keep them open. She leaned in Yi Qingyu’s embrace, still able to feel warmth, though in reality her hands and feet were ice-cold daily, and her body was gradually losing sensation.

“Don’t be afraid, I’ll always be with you.”

“I’m afraid of leaving you, afraid you’ll be alone again.” Liu Zhu had never feared death; what she had always feared was leaving Qingyu behind.

“Zhu’er, you know me – I’ve never feared anything in this life. Whether living or dying, it’s never mattered to me.” Yi Qingyu now didn’t dare to recall how she had spent these twenty years.

“Ah Yu…”

“So don’t imagine that you can make me promise to live on alone – I can’t do it. I’m not as strong as you think, nor as detached as others believe. A warrior fears nothing, and I can give up everything – I can abandon being the master of Tiancanglou (literally ‘Heaven Storage Tower’), I care even less about becoming any prince’s wife, and I don’t even fear losing all my martial arts skills. As long as you’re safe, as long as we’re not separated again – sharing the same bed in life and the same grave in death – this life will not have been in vain.”

“But how can I bear…” Liu Zhu pressed against Yi Qingyu’s neck, nestling in her embrace, always feeling so secure. She had never feared death before, but now she wanted to live.

“Don’t say more. Old Ghost will cure you – I believe in him.” Yi Qingyu held Liu Zhu tightly, unwilling to separate even for a moment.

Liu Zhu’s body trembled slightly from pain as she weakly curled up in Yi Qingyu’s embrace. Could the heavens give her one more chance to stay with Qingyu? She couldn’t bear the thought of Qingyu following her in death – she dared not imagine such a terrible thing. Qingyu was a great heroine who should belong to the free jianghu, yet she had given up so much for her sake. She didn’t want this to be their fate in their later years.

“Come now, stop acting like you’re facing eternal separation. If someone dies in my Shennong Valley, wouldn’t that ruin this old man’s reputation?” Guiguzi held an exquisite box while stroking his beard, looking at the two.

“What? Have you thought of a treatment?” Yi Qingyu raised an eyebrow and asked.

“We can only try our best, but…”

“But what?”

“It will be extremely painful because I’ll need to use gu-worm therapy, introducing gu insects into little Liu Zhu’s body. The pain would be unbearable for ordinary people…”

Yi Qingyu glanced at Liu Zhu, seeing a smile gradually appear on her face. “Can it really work? Can I live on? Can I stay with Ah Yu?”

“If all goes well, it should work. However, this is my first time using such a risky treatment method, so I can’t guarantee it will be completely successful. Whether to proceed with the treatment or not – that’s for you to decide.” After speaking, Guiguzi walked towards Liu Qianxun while humming a tune.

Only Yi Qingyu knew that Guiguzi would hum tunes when nervous, meaning he wasn’t just trying to frighten them – this treatment truly carried risks.

“Ah Yu?” Liu Zhu didn’t want to give up. Her will to live was growing stronger now because she had become greedy – she wanted to spend more time with Yi Qingyu, to make up for the time they had lost.

“But…”

“No buts. Even if the hope is slim, I want to try my best. I want to stay with you, accompany you, I still want…” Liu Zhu thought of Yun Jin still in the deep palace – the daughter she had never raised, and the grandchild she had never met. She had many, many thoughts…

“Alright, alright, Zhu’er, I’ll do as you wish. I just can’t bear to see you in pain…”

“What pain could be worse than leaving you?” Liu Zhu showed a gentle smile, gazing at Yi Qingyu, blooming as beautifully as spring flowers.

Since returning to the valley, Liu Qianxun had become quiet and reserved. In her free time, she learned medicine from Guiguzi, and through this immersion, she had become quite proficient. While Guiguzi researched the gu-worm treatment for Liu Zhu, she assisted by feeding herbs to the medicinal gu-worms. Her mind was now focused solely on this, her heart seemingly closed off to all else, though she still worried about Qin Junlan’s poison. Although there was medicine to treat it, the mother gu-worm remained in Ling Yu’s hands – if Ling Yu wanted to kill her, it would be as easy as turning over her palm (a Chinese idiom meaning extremely easy).

“Little Qianxun, didn’t you notice anything unusual on your way back from Jidu?” Guiguzi suddenly asked. He often appeared and disappeared mysteriously – if he wasn’t gathering herbs in the valley, he would be crouching by the medicine hut, staring blankly at some medicinal plants, or burying himself in medical texts.

“Unusual? What do you mean?” Liu Qianxun only remembered being in unbearable pain at the time, wanting to see yet unable to meet, almost fleeing from Jidu.

“When this old man was returning to the valley, Ji Kingdom’s troops were mobilizing toward Qixian County. I fear war has broken out outside.”

“The two kingdoms are at war?” Liu Qianxun stopped her movements, her expression freezing on her face, brows furrowing into several lines. Had war really broken out? Had Qin Junlan truly become intolerant of Yu Kingdom? But how could Yu Kingdom match Ji Kingdom? Had Ling Yu thought of a countermeasure?

No, when Ling Yu poisoned Qin Junlan, was it because she knew that one day the Red Armor Army’s cavalry would set foot in Yu Kingdom, so she took precautions? Actually, she had countless opportunities to kill Qin Junlan, but she didn’t. Liu Qianxun had never understood why Ling Yu didn’t just kill Qin Junlan directly, why take such a roundabout approach? Now, she gradually realized that Ling Yu sending her to the Ji Imperial Palace was never really about the deployment maps and military strategies.

“The winds and clouds of the world are changing color – it seems a hegemon is about to emerge.”

Liu Qianxun truly didn’t know how to feel. Should she grieve for Yu Kingdom, or should she rejoice for Qin Junlan, whose grand ambitions were finally beginning? But she didn’t want them to both end up wounded, and even more, she didn’t want to see the common people of both countries suffer in devastation.

Just as she was thinking, an eagle’s cry pierced the long sky. Liu Qianxun raised her head to see an eagle circling overhead.

This eagle… Liu Qianxun unconsciously stepped forward as Lightning flew toward her. She extended her hand, and Lightning dropped a message into her palm before soaring away.

“This eagle is quite well-trained indeed.” Guiguzi watched Lightning with great interest, feeling it was quite spirited. But Liu Qianxun’s expression changed upon reading the message’s contents.

“Return to Changning Prefecture immediately, or the Empress dies.”

These words shocked Liu Qianxun’s heart. This was Ling Yu’s handwriting, she could tell. Had something happened to make her threaten her with Qin Junlan’s life? The Empress’s death… if she killed the mother gu-worm, Qin Junlan would die instantly.

She couldn’t hide in Shennong Valley anymore. With such major events happening outside, she couldn’t sit still. She must return to Yu Kingdom immediately!

Liu Qianxun put away the message and was about to leave when she turned to find Yi Qingyu standing behind her. She froze slightly, “Aunt Qing.”

“Hand it over!” Yi Qingyu extended her hand, her authoritative tone leaving Liu Qianxun no room for hesitation. She could only give the message to Yi Qingyu.

An eagle suddenly flying into the valley couldn’t escape Yi Qingyu’s notice. Having lived alone in the loquat forest for many years, she could detect not just an eagle’s intrusion, but even a wild rabbit’s presence.

Yi Qingyu opened the message, her eyes turning cold. After a moment of silence, she asked, “Are you truly going back?”

“Yes, otherwise I won’t be at peace.” Liu Qianxun’s tone was firm. Yi Qingyu just nodded, “Your heart isn’t settled, so you’re not suited to stay here anyway. Since Yan’er’s life is at stake, you should go. But you must be careful of your own safety.”

“Please, Aunt Qing and Master Ghost, take care of my mother.” After speaking, Liu Qianxun suddenly knelt and kowtowed to them. With this departure, she didn’t know when she would return, or what might happen – she just had a vague feeling that disaster was approaching.

“Little Qianxun, you must be careful. The poison remnants are still in your body – you absolutely must not use martial arts carelessly, or it will backfire. This old man’s treatments these days would all be wasted.” Guiguzi anxiously instructed. Liu Qianxun nodded and turned to leave.

After Liu Qianxun left Shennong Valley, Yi Qingyu sent a secret message to the Ji Imperial Palace via Guiguzi’s white crane. When Li Yue saw the message’s contents, she was shocked and immediately reported to Qin Junlan.

“Your Majesty, a letter from King Cheng’s wife.”

“Oh? My aunt finally remembered me.” Qin Junlan smiled, thinking Yi Qingyu was just sending her well-wishes. Little did she know, the letter’s contents would make her expression change dramatically. She clutched the letter in her hand as waves of emotion rose in her heart.

“Xun’er returns to Yu, danger awaits.”

Had Ling Yu captured Xun’er? Qin Junlan maintained her composure while falling into deep thought. With the two kingdoms at war, what was Ling Yu’s purpose in having Xun’er return to Yu Kingdom at this time? Could it be that the city massacre had caused her to direct her anger at Xun’er? That seemed unlikely. Had she left the Shura Sect? What exactly was their relationship now?

Countless questions filled Qin Junlan’s mind. If she didn’t make this journey, she would never solve the mysteries in her heart. Moreover, Liu Qianxun had done so much for her… Qin Junlan found herself in a dilemma. If she didn’t go, and lost Liu Qianxun forever… she dared not think further. She couldn’t take that risk!

With Yun Jin managing the palace, and eight brave and skilled generals defending the borders, they could still advance like an unstoppable force even without her presence. But if she wasn’t by Liu Qianxun’s side, what would be the point of conquering the world? She had only wanted to fulfill her lifelong wish and then retire with her. Without her, what meaning would her life have?

“Imperial Sister!” Yun Jin suddenly rushed in. The latest military intelligence from the War Ministry was now reported directly to her, and upon receiving the news, she came straight to find Qin Junlan. “Imperial Sister, the Luo and Qing kingdoms have suddenly attacked the Red Armor Army at the border.”

“So quickly?” Although Qin Junlan had anticipated this, she hadn’t expected such swift action. Just three days after the massacre, both kingdoms had mobilized. If not for Yu Kingdom’s spies spreading information, how could Luo and Qing kingdoms have switched from defense to offense so rapidly?

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty…” Before one wave settled, another rose. A Shadow Guard rushed in from outside the palace in panic. Having received a pigeon message from the vice commander, he fell to his knees, “Your Majesty, General Bai has been killed, and his head was taken.”

Qin Junlan was shocked but remained remarkably calm. She leaned forward and asked coolly, “Who did it?”

“They say it was a woman, but she came and went without a trace – no one knows who…”

“A woman…” Qin Junlan pondered, “To infiltrate the military camp without leaving any trace and kill Bei Yifei – in Yu Kingdom, only Xun’er and Ling Yu are capable of such a feat.”

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