The Sovereign – Chapter 115

Volume Six: A Cold Rainy Night Buries the Famous Flower

Morning Flowers Gathered at Dusk

Holding hands and gazing at each other, how wonderful it would be to grow old together

Swords are like dreams, a lifetime of passion, sweeping through the jianghu, an era of unparalleled elegance.

Yi Qingyu was once the senior disciple of Tiancang Ge [Celestial Repository Pavilion] and a candidate for sect leader, but now she’s content with a simple life, staying faithful to one person. Yet the more outstanding a person is, the more easily they fall deeply in love.

Such was Yi Qingyu.

When she fell unconscious, it seemed the entire Shennong Valley [Divine Farmer Valley] sank into stillness. Tree leaves scattered across the ground, Liu Zhu brushed aside the hair at her temples, staring at her as if admiring a beautiful scene. Even at the age of forty, she still maintained her delicate grace, time never diminishing her elegance.

“Ah Yu…”

“She’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Guiguzi carefully inserted silver needles into Yi Qingyu’s head, neck, and back to clear the meridians. Her chaotic internal energy had caused blood stasis in her heart vessels, often leading to blood spitting.

“I’m not worried, I just…”

She was just heartbroken. How could she not notice Yi Qingyu’s daily abnormalities? But she was too proud, and Liu Zhu didn’t want to point it out. Yet when she was about to collapse, Liu Zhu could no longer hide it.

“Is Aunt really alright?” Qin Junlan, supported by Li Yue and Liu Qianxun, stepped forward worriedly, her frail body like a leaf that could be blown away by the wind at any moment.

“Each one more troublesome than the last. This old man hasn’t seen such difficult patients in his entire life,” Guiguzi couldn’t help but grumble, though his hands never stopped working, each needle requiring his complete concentration.

Yi Qingyu’s eyebrows twitched as she slowly opened her eyes, seeing everyone around her, but focusing only on Liu Zhu beside her, holding her hand without letting go. She managed a smile, gently caressing Liu Zhu’s worried face, “I’m just tired and took a nap, don’t worry.” Then she glanced at Guiguzi.

“Ahem…” Guiguzi, not daring to expose Yi Qingyu, could only play along to comfort everyone: “Qingyu needs to enter closed-door cultivation now to regulate her breathing. You all should focus on your own recovery.”

“Closed-door cultivation? How long will it take? I’ll stay with you.” Liu Zhu knew Yi Qingyu was saying this intentionally to prevent everyone from worrying, but the more she spoke like this, the more Liu Zhu couldn’t set her mind at ease.

“Zhu’er, Xun’er, and Yan’er are still weak, and you need to recover too. I need to meditate in peace during closed-door cultivation, I’ll emerge in seven days.”

“Closed-door cultivation requires solitude, without disturbance. This Shennong Valley is indeed a good place. Aunt Qing should properly heal her internal injuries.”

“Stop worrying, this old man has a place for Qingyu’s closed-door cultivation. I’ll take her there right away. Those who need to take medicine, take medicine; those who need to heal, heal – just give me some peace of mind!”

Yi Qingyu slowly stood up, placing both hands on Liu Zhu’s shoulders, her eyes full of tenderness. Yi Qingyu had given all her gentleness in this life to Liu Zhu, yet still felt it wasn’t enough. “Don’t worry about my internal injuries. For martial artists, closed-door cultivation is the best treatment. Now that you’re out of danger, I can rest easy, but I’m still concerned about Yan’er and Xun’er. Stay and take care of them, so I can be free from worry.”

“Alright, I’ll listen to you, Ah Yu. You’ll be fine, right?”

“Of course. I still need to take you traveling across the world, and take you back to see Jin’er and Guo’er. Don’t worry.”

Liu Zhu gently hugged her and said softly, “I’ll wait for you to emerge.”

Guiguzi took Yi Qingyu to a secluded mountain cave behind the mountain for her recovery. Yi Qingyu’s treatment would take five to seven days.

Liu Zhu’s lung condition gradually improved. Guiguzi’s medicinal treatment showed remarkable effects – her complexion gradually recovered, and even her voice was slowly becoming clearer.

Early autumn was showing its signs, with falling leaves in abundance. Shennong Valley was as beautiful as a fairyland, with jade-green lakes and forests merging into one color. Colorful flowers and lush branches reflected in the lake surface, with occasional cranes stopping by.

Liu Qianxun stood among the flowers, fluttering like a butterfly as she identified flowers by their fragrance, carefully selecting them.

“Six-path Wood, Saffron, Spoon-leaf Grass, Blue Snow Flower…” Liu Qianxun murmured to herself. The valley’s flowers were truly beautiful, their light purple color exuding nobility – perfect for Yan’er.

“Miss, you dropped your flowers.” Suddenly, a light voice came from behind. Liu Qianxun turned naturally, only to see an elegant light blue bouquet before her eyes – it was a modest arrangement of night-blooming cereus, bellflower, and pine-leaf chrysanthemum.

The bouquet blocked her face but couldn’t hide her graceful figure, though she was now thin and weak, her elegant demeanor remained unchanged. Liu Qianxun looked at the yet-unbundled flowers in her hands and smiled, “You haven’t recovered yet. Who allowed you to come out?”

“Well, I’m fine now, otherwise I wouldn’t dare come looking for you.” Qin Junlan peeked out from behind the bouquet with a gentle smile, stepped forward, pushed the bouquet into her hands, and took the flowers from Liu Qianxun’s hands, “Since these are Xun’er’s intentions, let’s exchange them.”

“Who said they were for you?” Liu Qianxun watched as Qin Junlan took the flowers without permission – how could she do that? She hadn’t said they were for her.

“Not for me? Perhaps for Li Yue? Or… for Senior Ghost Doctor?” Qin Junlan raised her eyebrows teasingly. Liu Qianxun glared at her lightly but couldn’t let go of the flowers in her hands.

A gentle breeze passed, and Qin Junlan suddenly started coughing – her body hadn’t recovered yet, and the cough was frequent.

Liu Qianxun quickly stepped forward to gently rub her back, though even slightly moving her arm caused pain in her shoulder wound. But she had never cared about such external injuries as long as Qin Junlan was alright.

“How are you? Where does it hurt?”

“I’m fine, don’t raise your shoulder, it will hurt your wound.” Qin Junlan held Liu Qianxun’s arm around her waist, treating her with utmost care. But Liu Qianxun dared not touch her – her body was covered in either whip marks or burns, so Liu Qianxun didn’t even dare to embrace her.

“Don’t move around, it’s time to change your medicine.” Liu Qianxun gently pulled Qin Junlan’s arm, but she took the opportunity to fall into Liu Qianxun’s embrace. Although she accidentally touched her burned abdomen, the happiness of holding her had already offset the physical pain.

“Did you hit your wound? Does it hurt?” Liu Qianxun clearly felt Qin Junlan’s abdomen bump against her body and anxiously wanted to check, but Qin Junlan held her tightly, refusing to let go. “Don’t move, moving makes it hurt more. When I’m holding you, I don’t feel any pain at all.”

“There’s plenty of time ahead, wait until your wounds heal…”

“What about when my wounds heal?” Qin Junlan deliberately leaned close to Liu Qianxun’s ear, feeling her unique breath. Liu Qianxun’s body trembled slightly, feeling a tickle by her ear. She clearly felt her words had been misunderstood, “That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh? Then what did Xun’er mean?” Qin Junlan looked at her with a mischievous smile. Nothing pleased her more than rendering her speechless, breaking through her cool demeanor. She loved seeing Liu Qianxun becoming shy and emotional because of her, making her heart bloom like a hundred flowers.

“I’m not talking to you anymore, let me go.” Liu Qianxun’s face was like a peach blossom, tinged with pink, making her even more enchanting. How could Qin Junlan bear to let go of her hands? Even the blooming flowers in her hands weren’t as beautiful as Liu Qianxun at this moment.

“I won’t let go. I can’t bear to let you go for even a moment.” Qin Junlan’s gentle words warmed Liu Qianxun’s heart.

All the gloom and grievances from their journey had dissipated like smoke. She caressed Qin Junlan’s face – after letting down the male-style hair bun and changing back to women’s clothes, Qin Junlan’s starlike eyes gradually regained their brilliance. Her hair hung down, dancing lightly in the wind, her previously pale face slowly regaining color, and most importantly, her eyes remained slightly upturned.

“You were once a lofty empress, yet you endured hell-like torment for me. Even though I was the one who deceived and hurt you first, you showed me endless tolerance and indulgence. How could I deserve…”

Before she could finish, Qin Junlan sealed her lips. Her cool thin lips made Qin Junlan’s heart ache. Her lips parted slightly, pressing against Liu Qianxun’s forehead as she softly said, “Xun’er, I love you, and I’m willing to do all this. Nothing else matters more than you. Will you promise never to leave me again?”

“How could I bear to leave you again?”

Liu Qianxun’s nose stung with emotion as she recalled their journey full of hardships and trials, as if everything was destined. She wrapped her arms around Qin Junlan, touching her carefully, not daring to use force. The light blue bouquet in her hands merged with the two of them into the most beautiful scene between heaven and earth.

Li Yue stood nearby, wanting to call them back to change their medicine, but was moved by the beauty of this moment. What a stunning scene – two of the world’s most beautiful women embracing. Their eyes held only each other, making one forget all worldly troubles and noise. If one could grow old with someone they love, what importance would power, high position, and struggles hold?

She tugged at her lips, gripping the delicate dagger at her waist as thoughts suddenly invaded her mind. She muttered to herself: “If you hadn’t left, if there hadn’t been war, would we have been like them, holding hands and gazing at each other…”

“Li Yue…” Qin Junlan’s voice pulled Li Yue back from her thoughts. She quickly put away her dagger, composed herself, and said with a faint smile: “Master, Miss Liu, the medicine is ready.”

“Mm, are you alright?” Qin Junlan seemed to see through Li Yue’s thoughts upon noticing the dagger.

“This servant just admires you and Miss Liu, only hoping that you both can stay together forever and grow old together.”

“We will.” Qin Junlan kept holding Liu Qianxun’s hand, their fingers intertwined, happiness evident on their faces, not looking at all like people who were seriously ill and poisoned.

Guiguzi had treated countless patients in his life but had never seen anyone so cheerful despite such severe injuries. Not to mention the unbearable pain during each medicine change, even the antidote for Liu Qianxun was nauseating to swallow.

The saying goes that good medicine tastes bitter, but to these two, it was like honey. It seems love can be like poison, yet also be the antidote. Though he could heal diseases with his miraculous hands, he couldn’t heal the heart. Heart wounds need heart medicine, and Liu Qianxun and Qin Junlan were each other’s healing medicine.

The most distressing thing was their burn wounds – their originally flawless white skin now bore scars.

“How did this shoulder wound become so severe, with bone showing through? Surely Yu’er didn’t do this to you?” Liu Zhu held the external medicine, seeing her daughter’s shoulder wound for the first time, feeling heartbroken, though she couldn’t believe Ling Yu would harm her like this.

“Mother, she didn’t hurt me. I did it to myself, at that time…”

“Ah, you’ve been stubborn since childhood. Hurting yourself like this, how heartbroken Yan’er must be, and Yu’er too… *sigh*…” Liu Zhu felt it inappropriate to mention Ling Yu further, after all, this involved not just personal grudges but two nations.

When she heard about the massacre in Luozhou, she was devastated. Though she believed in her heart that Qin Junlan wasn’t such a tyrannical ruler, something still bothered her. Perhaps as a citizen of Yu Kingdom, she worried about her country, and because she loved someone from Ji Kingdom’s royal family, mother and daughter truly shared the same sorrow.

“Mother, don’t sigh anymore. It was all my own choice. Don’t blame Ling Yu, everything was my fault.”

“Silly child, what fault do you have? Love is the most innocent thing in this world, and the most forgivable too. Don’t attribute all sins to yourself. Wars between nations aren’t something a single woman can influence. I understand your character – you just yearned for complete love. How could I not know that Xun’er only wanted to pursue a simple life?”

“Mother…” Liu Qianxun frowned deeply, her heavy thoughts couldn’t be hidden from Liu Zhu, “Yu Kingdom is no match for Ji Kingdom. I don’t want to see Yu Kingdom fall one day, nor do I want to see them clash in battle again. Your daughter truly doesn’t know what to do.”

Liu Zhu took Liu Qianxun’s hand tenderly in hers and said earnestly, “Xun’er, don’t think too much about it. Everything is already set in motion, beyond your influence. Yu Kingdom’s fate cannot be changed by our worries alone. Since Yan’er is a benevolent ruler, we must trust her. She won’t bring suffering to the people.”

“Thank you for your guidance, Mother. I understand.”

Outside the room, Qin Junlan stopped her steps and quietly withdrew, not disturbing the mother-daughter conversation. She walked alone to the lakeside, her calm eyes showing no ripples. Liu Qianxun was indeed in a dilemma. Though she hadn’t said it, Qin Junlan understood in her heart. Yet unification must be built on warfare, she only hoped to minimize the damage, especially to Yu Kingdom.

She sighed softly as Li Yue hurried over.

“How goes the war?”

“Your Majesty, three counties in Yuzhou have fallen, and troops from Qi County have been sent to reinforce Yuzhou.” It turned out Li Yue had received a pigeon message from the shadow guards reporting the war situation.

“Shouldn’t Yun Yao’s army have reached Yuzhou by now? With several tens of thousands of Red Armor troops, how can they not hold back Yu Kingdom’s army?” Qin Junlan’s expression was grave, her eyes blazing with royal authority.

“Yu Kingdom’s army gained momentum from somewhere, suddenly attacking the city. Additionally, a team of skilled warriors infiltrated Yuzhou and caused chaos. If not for Jiang Wei’s determination to resist and skill in deploying troops, Yuzhou might have fallen.”

“Could it be…” Qin Junlan paced back and forth, pondering, “The Yu army’s morale has surged – did Ling Yu secretly go to Yuzhou?”

She couldn’t think of any other reason why the Yu army would suddenly become so unstoppable.

“The memorial has been sent to Jidu. The Wise Princess Consort should make arrangements. Please focus on recovering your health first.”

“How can I rest easy? Make preparations – when Aunt emerges from meditation, we’ll return to the palace.”

“Yes…”

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