Chapter 79 Confession at the Tomb

"At that time, the army was running low on food and fodder, so General Luo sent a letter to his scouts, commanding them to take the battle report back to the capital and deliver it to the Saint. Unexpectedly, the Saint opened the letter and discovered that all was peaceful, with no fighting taking place."

"The saint believed it, believing that as long as General Luo was guarding the front lines, everything would be safe. However, due to the scout Gao's misinformation, the soldiers on the front lines were left fighting on an empty stomach. If it weren't for General Luo's desperate efforts to secure the Jiangnan Road, this area would have already been occupied by the people of Liuqiu State."

Mrs. Gao took out the letter that had been kept in the brocade box for many years. Luo Qingling took it and took a closer look. The handwriting in the letter was indeed that of his father, General Luo. Could it be that the person who wrote the letter was really his father?

But why would my father hide the war? It would only do him harm and no good, unless—

"Unless someone imitated General Luo's handwriting and secretly replaced the letter paper." Qin Yanheng folded his arms across his chest, half leaning against the door frame.

"Is there anyone in the court who can imitate handwriting?" Luo Qingling pressed on. She believed her father would never do such a thing. Someone must have framed him!

"Yes," Qin Yanheng said in a cold voice, "Uncle of the Emperor, Song Haisheng."

Song Haisheng's poor health was common knowledge in the capital. Furthermore, years earlier, Imperial Physician Zhao had diagnosed the emperor's uncle as dying. Upon learning of this, the Empress fell seriously ill, and upon waking, she became even kinder to her brother.

Just when everyone thought that the king's uncle would not live for many more years, he took some medicine and his health got better year by year. Doctor Zhao was so surprised that he often said that his medical skills were not good enough and he had misdiagnosed the noble man.

Looking back now, it's hard not to wonder why the uncle was dying around the same time the news of the crown prince's sudden death spread. It seems the uncle must have made the crown prince into a soul lamp to prolong his life, which is why he's still alive today.

From this perspective, if everything was done by Song Haisheng and his son, replacing General Luo's letter to deliver false military intelligence to the saint, killing the prince to make a soul lamp to prolong his life, and killing several noble ladies in the capital to replenish the lamp oil... everything makes sense.

"But why did the uncle of the king attack my father?" Luo Qingling breathed rapidly.

"Because of the life-seeking ghost," Madam Gao suddenly said, "the life-seeking ghost that poisoned the Crown Prince and Gao Yu was the one that the Song father and son exchanged for war with the State of Liuqiu."

"Traitor." Qin Yanheng squeezed out his voice from between his teeth.

The sky was getting slightly brighter, and the warm sun slanted into the room, shining on the faces of the three people. Gao Yu was still lying on the bed with his eyes half open, as if he didn't want to close his eyes and fall asleep before he saw the truth.

In this huge mansion, there are only three people left.

*

The next day.

The sea water was azure blue, and the salty smell of the sea hit my face. The boat at the ferry was swaying with the waves. The white waves circled the big boat and hit the shore, almost wetting the pair of exquisitely embroidered shoes.

Luo Qingling turned his head to look at the young man on a tall horse not far away. Even after going through so much, he was still the young prince from a golden branch and jade leaf who made people's hearts beat faster at first sight. Only his phoenix eyes that showed a bit of sadness from time to time revealed his thoughts.

Qin Yanheng must be in pain, she thought.

No one could accept that their beloved brother was killed by the younger brother whom they raised, but Qin Yanheng could still pretend to be normal in front of others. One can imagine the pain he endured behind the scenes.

Luo Qingling moved her fingers, staring intently at Qin Yanheng on horseback. Perhaps because they were so far apart, Luo Qingling couldn't quite see Qin Yanheng's expression, but for some reason she felt like he was looking at her, his eyes burning as hers.

"Qin Yanheng!"

Luo Qingling had an idea, and she ran towards Qin Yanheng without hesitation.

Sitting on his high horse, Qin Yanheng raised his eyebrows and looked at Luo Qingling who was running towards him. He deliberately concealed his shocked expression and pulled a smile into his thin lips. As Luo Qingling got closer, the smile on Qin Yanheng's face gradually deepened.

"Your Highness, if you and I return safely from this trip..."

Luo Qingling ran so fast that she was almost out of breath. She wanted to say that if she returned safely, she would definitely tell Qin Yanheng her feelings in person!

After taking two breaths, Luo Qingling opened her red lips slightly and was about to continue speaking. The next moment, her eyes widened and she stared blankly at the face so close to her.

The hand that had just been raised fell down weakly, and was suddenly grabbed by Qin Yanheng and pressed against his chest. The man sat on his high horse and leaned close to her, holding the back of her head with one hand and kissed her with his head tilted.

Luo Qingling's mind suddenly exploded, and her chest was pounding. She held her breath and dared not move at all, just standing there in a daze.

Her lips were warm, and the man seemed unwilling to give up, and he pressed closer to her with more force. A low laugh came from his throat into Luo Qingling's ears, causing her to blush all over her cheeks without her knowing when, and even her earlobes were not spared.

Seeing this, Qin Yanheng became more excited. He stared at Luo Qingling without closing his eyes. Seeing that she looked like a ripe jade dew dumpling, Qin Yanheng's heart softened.

Yulu Tuanzi's ears turned completely red.

Qin Yanheng's hand, which was held behind her head, slowly moved to her ear, and his fingers gently rubbed Luo Qingling's red ears, while his mouth did not stop, chasing her red lips and rubbing and sucking deeply.

Feeling the hand on his chest tightening, Qin Yanheng chuckled and let go of Luo Qingling. He moved his thin lips an inch away, pressed his forehead against Luo Qingling's, and spoke in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

"Qingqing, some things are better left to me to say."

"I like you, Luo Qingling."

"I believe that you, like me, deeply love each other. There is no doubt about it, because you and I are destined to be together, and love is inevitable."

Qin Yanheng stepped back slightly, giving Luo Qingling room to breathe. He held her face in his hands, his eyes full of affection.

"There's a rumor in the capital that Prince Rong'an doesn't want to travel with anyone in his lifetime. It's true," Qin Yanheng chuckled, as if mocking his own past naiveté. "But I've known since I was a child that the jade and I were destined to be together."

"I say this because I have been waiting for that piece of jade to appear, and I am very lucky to have waited for it."

"Therefore, falling in love with Luo Qingling is Qin Yanheng's inevitable fate in this life."

He said he loved her too.

Luo Qingling suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Qin Yanheng with stars in her eyes. She sniffed a little aggrieved, and pursed her lips, not knowing how to start.

She obviously liked him very much and wanted to tell him her feelings before he opened his mouth, but this man was so domineering that he would not let go of even such a thing.

"So, don't worry. No matter where you are, I will find you and ensure that you live a safe and worry-free life." Qin Yanheng hugged Luo Qingling and put his chin on her shoulder.

"good."

Luo Qingling nodded slightly and stretched out her arms to hug Qin Yanheng back.

The autumn wind blew some fallen leaves on the ground, and the girl's skirt fluttered, revealing a pair of embroidered shoes that had been worn through many years of running around.

With important events approaching, they had no choice but to part ways.

Luo Qingling let go of her hand and walked towards the ship without looking back. Qin Yanheng's gaze made her back hot, but Luo Qingling didn't dare to look back.

She was afraid that she would lose control and throw herself into his arms, begging him to accompany her to the sea to Liuqiu Kingdom, to work together to find the truth about the life-seeking ghost as before, and to never be separated from her.

But Luo Qingling couldn't.

Now they are close to the truth of that year. The Song father and son must have been prepared to overthrow the dynasty in the capital long ago. As the only prince in the court, Qin Yanheng must return to the capital to protect this peaceful and prosperous era.

They each have their own mission and cannot be childish.

The embroidered shoes stepped onto the board, and the ship under her feet gradually moved forward. Mrs. Gao sat in the boat and looked at the two people who were reluctant to leave. She lowered her head silently, and after a moment, tears sparkled in her eyes.

Even Madam Gao knew this journey was incredibly dangerous; if his whereabouts were exposed, his life would be in danger. Prince Rong'an's journey north back to the capital was also filled with danger, with countless thieves lurking along the way, waiting for him to show up.

I hope God will bless this pair of lovers, and don’t let them end up like her and Gao Yu, one dying with regrets while the other has to leave the country. Mrs. Gao thought so.

A month later, Liuqiu State.

The hawking of the street vendors was hoarse and mocking. Luo Qingling covered her ears and turned over to continue sleeping, but Mrs. Gao pulled her up, grabbed her shoulders with both hands and shook her back and forth.

"Sleepyhead, wake up! Don't sleep any more. How can you sell things like this? The morning market is almost closing, but you're still not up. Are you planning to go to the night market?"

Mrs. Gao stood up and opened the lattice window. The sounds of playfulness from the street below reached Luo Qingling's ears. She climbed out of bed with a whimper and washed with her eyes closed.

"I bought a lot of goods at the market yesterday. They were not expensive, just some small items. We will set up a stall to sell them today. First, we will get some information about Liuqiu Country, and then investigate step by step." Mrs. Gao casually put on her coat and walked towards the door.

"Hurry up, I'll wait for you downstairs."

A quarter of an hour later, the two arrived at the morning market. Luo Qingling squatted on the ground and smoothed the cloth they brought, while Mrs. Gao placed the little gadgets on the cloth one by one.

People came and went around him, speaking words that Luo Qingling could not understand. Fortunately, the Gao family once had a servant from Liuqiu State, and Mrs. Gao had become proficient in talking to him over time. Now that Mrs. Gao was present, Luo Qingling was not worried.

A pair of black boots appeared in front of him. The style was familiar, like a style that was popular in Beijing.

Luo Qingling raised his eyes slightly and looked in the direction of his sight, only to see a man who did not look like a native of Beijing standing in front of the stall. He looked around, then picked up one of the gadgets and looked at Luo Qingling and the other man with a mocking look, mumbling something to himself.

"He said how could we two young ladies have the nerve to sell such a thing." Mrs. Gao translated to Luo Qingling calmly.

Why do you say that?

Luo Qingling took the small object from the man's hand with a puzzled look on her face. After carefully examining it, she turned her head and exchanged a glance with Madam Gao. It was just a double-bodied Buddha, so why was the man so surprised?

Before Luo Qingling and the other two could blush, the man seemed to be angry and embarrassed, snorted coldly, and left with a flick of his sleeves.

Luo Qingling glanced at the double-bodied Buddha statue in his hand. The naked male and female bodies were entangled together, hugging each other and merging into each other, as if they were practicing some secret technique.

"Don't mind him, my dear! He must be looking to bully us because we two ladies are out in the open selling things!"

Mrs. Gao wanted to take the double-bodied Buddha statue from Luo Qingling's hand, but the latter took it into his arms and examined it carefully.

"Madam," Luo Qingling said with a slow smile, "I have a way to get more information than setting up a stall."

The Buddha statue in his hand shone with golden light in the autumn sun, reflecting on Luo Qingling's face, making her eyes sparkle.

Mrs. Gao couldn't help but feel curious: "What's the method? Tell me about it."

Luo Qingling stuffed the Buddha statue into Mrs. Gao's hand, and then raised her chin towards the golden roof in the distance. Mrs. Gao immediately understood what she meant, smiled and tapped her forehead with her finger.

"You, despite your young age, have some pretty good ideas."