The Sovereign – Chapter 79

Volume Four: Opulent Splendor Like a Dream, Waters Flow East

A Heart Full of Worry

Once emotions are stirred, she occupies her entire heart

Liu Qianxun found herself in the greatest dilemma of her life, caught between Ling Yu and Qin Junlan, feeling suffocated. She never imagined she would lose control to such an extent. The beauty trap ultimately ensnared whom? It only pushed herself into an abyss of no return.

If she were to leave the Shura Sect, Ling Yu would certainly not let her off easily, and might even endanger her mother. Fortunately, her mother was now by Yi Qingyu’s side, which gave her some peace of mind. If she didn’t leave the Shura Sect, the harm to Qin Junlan would only grow greater. One day the truth would be revealed, and when such a cruel reality came to light, wouldn’t the bloody wound cut her to the bone?

Thinking of this, Liu Qianxun’s heart ached. Qin Junlan was the ruler of the world, the high and mighty empress. If after giving her all, she discovered it was just a scheme and a deliberate arrangement, how would she react? Liu Qianxun felt a sudden fear in her heart, never before so afraid of something happening.

Walking out of Fengluang Palace, her mood was heavy. Though she wanted to stay by her side, she deliberately said she didn’t want to disturb her writing. She dared not indulge in it; before she could think of a solution, she didn’t know how to interact with her.

She walked aimlessly in the palace, unconsciously arriving at the Iris Garden. The irises under the moon were still brilliantly beautiful, swaying gently in the night breeze. Liu Qianxun gazed at this scene of flowers as beautiful as brocade, lost in thought. Thinking of Qin Junlan, she unconsciously raised the corners of her lips.

From their first encounter to today, she and Qin Junlan had been through so much. She finally understood what those inexplicable emotions and feelings were about. Perhaps her heart had long since detached from Ling Yu, but she never thought it would be slowly occupied by Qin Junlan.

She had fallen in love with Qin Junlan, what a laughable and ironic fact. She had calculated everything, meticulously planned for this scheme, but the result was digging her own grave. Now her body and heart belonged to Qin Junlan, how could she face Ling Yu? Leaving the Shura Sect was easier said than done. Moreover, with so much blood on her hands, could she still turn back?

If Qi Kingdom and Yu Kingdom really went to war, how should she position herself? In an instant, she thought of too many things. The situation had spiraled out of control. Her primary task was to figure out why Ling Yu had entered the palace. Not only that, but she also had to be wary of Ling Yu harming Qin Junlan.

She was worried about another matter, that the Ghost Eye would inexplicably plot in secret. The Ghost Eye’s tasks and orders were directly under Ling Yu. Although she had suspicions about certain people, she couldn’t investigate without solid proof. If it weren’t for the coincidence of diplomatic relations, she could have asked Ye Ming to test that person’s skills. Now she could only “see the move and break it” (见招拆招, an idiom meaning to deal with situations as they arise).

The Jing Garden was brightly lit. Ling Yu, with an air of arrogance, stood on the rockery, playing the xun. She had changed to the jade xun given by Liu Qianxun, its sound ethereal and leisurely, yet the xun’s tone was even more deep and low. Perhaps due to the melody, it had a heaviness that weighed on one’s heart.

“The Sect Leader’s smile has been appearing less and less.” Lin Wuming looked at her, his tone full of helplessness. He was willing to give her everything of his, but it wasn’t what she wanted. No matter what, he couldn’t please her in the slightest. The world thought he was the one who had been favored for the longest time, but only he understood that now he was merely Ling Yu’s confidant, never having entered her heart.

“Sect Leader, you watch her from the treetop, while I gaze at you from beneath the tree. We are the same kind of people. I can never have you, and she is also going in the opposite direction from her.” Lin Wuming looked at Ling Yu with infatuation, his eyes filled with desolation and loneliness.

Perhaps one day, when the music ends and people disperse (曲终人散, an idiom meaning all good things come to an end), Ling Yu will forever stand alone proudly between heaven and earth, accompanied only by the sound of the xun.

The accompanying guards received orders and gathered here. All stood in formation, not daring to disturb Ling Yu, just standing silently.

“Sect Leader, everyone has arrived,” He Xi bowed. Ling Yu stopped her movements, carefully put away the xun, and with a leap, floated down in front of everyone. A cold air gradually spread. “From now on, call me the Imperial Princess.”

Everyone knelt and bowed, paying higher respects to Ling Yu, “We pay our respects to the Imperial Princess~” The loud voices echoed in the hall, like a gust of wind passing through, showing Ling Yu’s lofty status.

“Rise~” She raised her hand slightly, her face without a smile, a flickering light passing through her eyes, always inscrutable. “Suyuan Tower should be prepared to withdraw at any time. As soon as the Tower Master returns, leave immediately. If the Tower Master is in danger, I will exchange your lives for hers, understand?”

“We swear to protect the Tower Master with our lives! We swear allegiance to the Imperial Princess~”

Ling Yu revealed a cold smile, the chilling air intensifying. She wanted to arrange for all unknown possibilities. In her eyes, all the people of Suyuan Tower were not as important as Liu Qianxun’s safety.

In front of the Dragon City Gate, the grand procession of the Nine Ministers divided into two teams, heading towards Suyuan Tower and Tianyi Inn respectively. Nalan Qing traveled low-key, bringing only Nalan Ling and one attendant, but wherever they went, they amazed passersby. The transcendent aura of the two sisters showed their extraordinary status at a glance.

Ling Yu, with her status as the noble Imperial Princess of Yu Kingdom, entered the sedan chair, followed by two rows of guards protecting her left and right, successfully escorting the envoys of the two countries into the palace.

The residences of the three kingdoms’ envoys were arranged in the South Garden, named after the three countries: Yu Garden, Luo Garden, and Qing Garden. The closest place to the South Garden was Qixia Palace, with Yu Garden only a stick of incense’s burning time away from Qixia Palace (30 minutes). Ling Yu only needed to stand on the tower of Yu Garden to be able to gaze at the viewing pavilion of Qixia Palace.

The palace was bustling with activity. The person who should have been the happiest was Bai Ruoxi, but unfortunately, Ye Ming had suddenly become distant from her again these past few days. She ran to Qixia Palace to look for Ye Ming without success, then rushed to Fengluang Palace to ask Liu Qianxun about her whereabouts.

“Sister Xunxun, where on earth has Ye Ming gone?” Bai Ruoxi lightly tugged at Liu Qianxun’s sleeve. Liu Qianxun felt dizzy from her shaking and gently patted her shoulder. “Little Princess, Ye Ming has hands and feet, it’s not like I’ve hidden her. You should go look for her yourself.”

“But she wouldn’t just wander around aimlessly. She must have told you where she was going.”

“Xiaoxi, Xunxun stayed overnight in Fengluang Palace last night. How would she know where your Ye Ming is?” Qin Junlan glared slightly at Bai Ruoxi, protective of Liu Qianxun. Bai Ruoxi couldn’t help but feel envious, even jealous. She let out a light hum, her coquettish tone tinged with a crying voice, “Sister Emperor has Xunxun now and doesn’t care about Xiaoxi anymore. Xiaoxi has long since fallen out of favor, wuwu…”

“Little Princess, Ye Ming has a habit of practicing sword every day. Have you looked in the back garden of Qixia Palace?”

“Oh, right! I’ve become so muddled. I ran to the front garden and didn’t see her, so I thought she wasn’t there. Well, I’ll be going then, Sister Emperor, Sister Xunxun.” Bai Ruoxi instantly became excited, disregarding the etiquette of leaving, and ran off as quick as the wind.

Qin Junlan shook her head helplessly, a smile appearing on her face as she watched Bai Ruoxi’s departing figure. “This Xiaoxi has always loved lively events. Now that the three kingdoms have come to pay tribute, she shows no interest and only thinks of Ye Ming.”

“She has fallen in love. In her eyes, there is only Ye Ming now.” Liu Qianxun looked worriedly at the gradually disappearing Bai Ruoxi. She could guess why Ye Ming was avoiding her at this time. If Ling Yu noticed anything unusual about their relationship, it could be very unfavorable.

Ye Ming was worried about Bai Ruoxi being implicated and intentionally distanced herself. However, the tacit understanding and sweetness between lovers are simply impossible to conceal, and Bai Ruoxi’s sharp edge and passion are difficult to extinguish. Ling Yu would find out about this sooner or later, and even if she stepped forward to explain, Ling Yu might not believe her. This is the reason for Ye Ming’s many concerns.

In this world, there are always some unavoidable reasons that make people uneasy and hesitant to move forward. Wasn’t she herself the same?

Bai Ruoxi searched all over Qixia Palace and finally found Ye Ming in the depths of the back garden. She approached quietly, only to see Ye Ming’s sword moving as fast as a shadow, her sword qi imposing. The strands of hair hanging by her temples were gently lifted by the wind. She spun around, person and sword as one, her posture beautiful, making Bai Ruoxi’s heart surge with excitement, her eyes revealing a lovesick expression.

Ye Ming sensed someone approaching, knew it was Bai Ruoxi, but didn’t stop. She had clearly decided not to get involved anymore, yet she kept using the excuse of investigating palace matters to be together every day. She herself couldn’t distinguish whether it was personal feelings or a mission.

Seeing that Ye Ming had no intention of stopping, Bai Ruoxi didn’t go forward to disturb her, but instead squatted by a nearby tree, resting her chin on her hands, gazing at her lovingly.

Only when Ye Ming was exhausted and drenched in sweat did she stop practicing. Bai Ruoxi happily took out a silk handkerchief and offered it to her. “Practicing sword? Why so intense?”

“Why are you here? There are guests in the palace these days. The Little Princess shouldn’t wander around carelessly.” Ye Ming didn’t take her handkerchief but walked forward coldly. Bai Ruoxi wasn’t angry and bounced forward, taking the initiative to wipe away her sweat. Ye Ming frowned and dodged, “Little Princess, there are many people coming and going in the palace these days. You need to be mindful of your behavior.”

Bai Ruoxi felt wronged, feeling that Ye Ming was always hot and cold towards her, not understanding what she was hiding in her heart, never revealing anything to her.

“So what if there are people in the palace? This is the Qi Imperial Palace, not the Yu Imperial Palace or the Qing Imperial Palace. What is there to be afraid of?” Bai Ruoxi was naive and didn’t understand the dangers of human hearts, but Ye Ming was helpless and could only avoid her entanglement.

“Anyway, just don’t follow me.” Ye Ming picked up her sword and walked away quickly, or more accurately, almost ran away to escape Bai Ruoxi’s pursuit.

How could Bai Ruoxi let such an opportunity pass? She immediately ran after her. Ye Ming had qinggong and moved as swiftly as a cloud with just a step. Even at her fastest pace, Bai Ruoxi couldn’t catch up.

Just as they exited the gate of Qixia Palace, Bai Ruoxi was already out of breath. She tried to lift her foot but felt her sole soften, stumbling to the ground. “Ah~”

She fell heavily, her palms scraping the ground and drawing blood. Ye Ming heard her cry out, turned back to see her fallen on the ground, and rushed back to help her up, asking anxiously, “Are you alright?”

“What do you think? Do I have to die for you to care?” Bai Ruoxi’s nose turned sour, the pain in her palms nothing compared to the sourness in her heart. To this day, Ye Ming had never said she liked her. How much she truly cared, Bai Ruoxi had no idea.

“What nonsense about dying or not dying? It’s just a small scrape.” Ye Ming scolded, displeased at hearing words like ‘die’. She took the silk handkerchief Bai Ruoxi had prepared for her and gently wiped her palms.

Her movements were gentle, and Bai Ruoxi instantly forgot the pain. Seeing Ye Ming’s serious expression, she couldn’t help but lean forward and lightly kiss the corner of her eyebrow. Ye Ming suddenly looked up at her, a blush spreading from her face to her neck. How could she be so intimate without regard for the setting? This was the imperial palace! The Empress Dowager was most sensitive about women loving each other. Weren’t they afraid of being beaten to death?

Ye Ming sighed helplessly, but then sensed someone approaching. It was a powerful aura and strength that made her feel fearful. She looked up slightly and saw Ling Yu had suddenly passed by for some reason. Ye Ming’s heart was in her throat, suddenly feeling very uneasy. Ling Yu’s deep gaze was unfathomable. She was looking at the two with great interest, wearing a meaningful smile, and walked away without a word.

Just that light glance, like the eye of Asura, made Ye Ming break out in a cold sweat.

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