Chapter 66 His Highness is Lost? The Prince's Funeral is a Grand Procession

In the void, the fox squatted on the ground, tugging at its tail fur in utter frustration, one hair after another.

As a result, the fox's tail fur wasn't as fluffy anymore.

"Why are you unhappy?" Guan Ning asked, stopping the fox's hand.

The fox gathered the white fur it had plucked into a ball, held it in its hand, sighed, and whispered, "I'm not unhappy."

"real?"

"Really." The fox nodded vigorously, then lowered his head and pinched his little fur ball.

He didn't look very happy.

Guan Ning sighed, patted his younger brother's shoulder, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "...What was Ting Lan's reaction when he saw you in his dream?"

Were you terrified?

Our good, silly fox was tricked into having an affair with him; how despicable!

"He was so happy, he kept hugging me." The fox raised its little paw to wipe its eyes, its ears drooping. "Sister, I want to go back to him as soon as possible."

Guan Ning froze, his eyes widening, and he took two steps back. "...He's very happy?"

The fox nodded.

Guan Ning suddenly clutched his head, "It's all over, it's all over, it's all over!"

I'm not scared at all. Tinglan must genuinely care for Ji Qing...

Oh no, this has startled an innocent person. What should we do? Will this fright cause any problems?

"Ji Qing, stay here by yourself and don't wander off. I'm going out for a bit." Guan Ning rushed out in a panic.

We need to go see him right away, lest he get sick from fright...

Guan Ning concealed himself and silently slipped into the Directorate of Ceremonial.

The sun was already high in the sky, but Tinglan was still sitting blankly by the couch, the sunlight shining on his bloodless face.

"Your Highness," Tinglan grasped the fox's wrist, "it's dark inside the coffin, and it's stuffy being buried underground. Will Your Highness be afraid?"

Guan Ning, who was standing furtively not far from him, gasped when he heard this.

Please don't bury my brother!

I have to dig this out again, what if I suffocate it again?

Tinglan lowered her head, "But the war outside hasn't ended, and I can't leave for the time being. I can't be with you. Wait for me..."

Guan Ning darted forward and knocked Ting Lan unconscious with a chop to the neck. He helped him lie down on the bed, then stuffed a pill into Ting Lan's mouth, saying, "You seem to be in poor health, so I'll give you some tonic."

I was wrong. I didn't realize you and Ji Qing were truly in love. Don't die, please don't die.

Guan Ning finished feeding the medicine and was about to leave when he stopped after a few steps, looked back at Ji Qing on the bed, and looked extremely troubled.

Shall I take you away now?

When Tinglan wakes up and sees you're gone, she'll be even more heartbroken...

Guan Ning frantically scratched his head. It would take time to revive Ji Qing, but seeing Ting Lan like this, he was afraid that Ting Lan would turn around and commit suicide for love.

What should we do?

Ugh, this is so frustrating.

*

Tinglan woke up, opening his eyes in a daze and looking at the carved ceiling of the bed.

What happened just now? Why did I suddenly faint?

He struggled to sit up, looking down at himself in confusion. How did he end up in bed? Wasn't he just sitting on the chair by the bed...?

Just as Tinglan was about to get up, she touched something hard under her hand.

He picked it up somewhat absentmindedly; it was a small box.

Upon opening the box, I found a piece of paper inside with crooked and illegible handwriting.

"Tinglan, don't die, I'll come back!"

A fox's head and a chicken leg were drawn in the back.

Tinglan turned around abruptly to look at the person beside her pillow. Was His Highness... manifesting his spirit or returning to life?

He examined the note repeatedly. There was no further content on it, but judging from the handwriting, it seemed to be... the young prince's handwriting.

Tinglan was stunned. He bent down and checked the little prince's breath again.

Nothing was gained.

He remained defiant and buried his ear in the fox's chest.

I couldn't help but recall that in my dream, the little prince seemed to have said something similar, that he would come back.

I thought that dream was about my lovesickness... but it turned out to be real?

Tinglan sat blankly on the bed, clutching the note tightly, remaining motionless for a long time.

To have Your Highness care for me so much, I would die without regret.

Footsteps sounded outside. Chen Yu knocked on the door. "Master, please have a bite of the ginseng soup made in the small kitchen."

Tinglan got up to open the door and found, somewhat strangely, that her steps seemed much lighter and her body felt warm.

He opened the door and asked Chen Yu, "Has anyone come into my room?"

Chen Yu shook his head, "Who would dare to enter your room so casually?"

Tinglan took the ginseng soup, frowned, and said, "Alright, go downstairs."

Since His Highness doesn't want him to die, then he won't die.

Tinglan leaned against the wall, holding a bowl, and drank the ginseng soup in one gulp.

The dead cannot be brought back to life, so the idea that he would return was probably just something the young prince made up to put his mind at ease.

Three days later, the siege of the capital was finally resolved.

The Western Army suffered a crushing defeat, the general was captured alive, and the crown prince was rescued.

Meanwhile, His Highness Prince An is preparing for his burial.

Rumors about Ji Qing's death had been circulating widely in the palace for some time.

"The assassin was originally targeting the Ninth Prince, but for some reason, His Highness Prince An suddenly rushed up and tackled the Ninth Prince away."

The other person was silent for a moment, then said, "So that means, if it wasn't Prince An, it would have been the Ninth Prince who died."

Upon hearing this, both of them fell silent.

They dared not utter a single word of gossip about Prince An and the Ninth Prince, yet they couldn't help but speculate in their hearts.

What exactly is the relationship between Prince An and the powerful Ninth Prince? One is a prince, and the other is the Ninth Prince, who wields immense power... Looking at it this way, they might actually be somewhat compatible.

Since being rescued, the Crown Prince had been seriously ill. He had just woken up and was drinking the medicine his younger brother had brought him when he couldn't help but frown.

Why are you dressed so plainly today?

Prince Ning's eyes were already slightly red, and when he heard his elder brother ask this question, he immediately couldn't hold back anymore, and his voice was trembling with sobs, "Your Majesty, the thirteenth brother is gone."

The prince suddenly raised his head, his hand trembling, spilling most of the medicine from the bowl. "How did it all disappear? Was it a sudden illness?"

Prince Ning wiped away his tears and said, "He was killed by assassins sent by the Western Army."

"How is that possible? The assassin was after the Ninth Prince, what does this have to do with Guan Jiqing?"

“The plan was to kill the Ninth Prince, but Ji Qing… he went up and pushed Tinglan away.” Prince Ning lowered his head.

He knew that Ji Qing and the Ninth Prince had an unusual relationship, but he never knew that Ji Qing was so deeply in love with the Ninth Prince.

“Brother, you said Ji Qing was such a good boy. Of all the brothers in us, he was the one I liked the most. How could he be gone?”

The prince trembled as he put down the medicine bowl in his hand, then stiffly leaned back and lay on the bed.

Tinglan didn't die, but Ji Qing is gone?

Ji Qing pushed Tinglan away, thus thwarting the Western Army's plan and saving the capital.

But... what happened to Ji Qing?

The crown prince lay on the bed, raising his sleeve to cover his face. After a long while, he finally spoke and asked Prince Ning, "Are there any oranges? Could you get me one?"

The Crown Prince suddenly remembered the orange that Ji Qing had given him after the palace banquet a long time ago.

"Your Majesty, it's already spring, where can we find oranges?" Prince Ning asked, sounding quite troubled.

*

The prince's funeral was a grand affair, with princes and ministers all coming to pay their respects. White banners fluttered in the wind, and paper money, like snowflakes, drifted through the streets of the capital.

Tinglan was among them, dressed in white, with no expression on her face.

Guan Ning was sitting on a rooftop, holding a bead containing a fox.

"Did you see that? Your funeral was a grand affair. There are so many people who like you and care about you."

The fox nodded vigorously. His body was not yet fully repaired, so he could only exist as a spirit, looking out through the bead.

There were so many people on this street, but the fox only stared at Tinglan.

He thought that Tinglan would look good in white too.

Tinglan looks much better; she must have listened to me and been eating properly.

hey-hey.

He turned to his sister happily and said, "I told you Tinglan was a good girl, didn't I?"

A hint of guilt crossed Guan Ning's face. She hadn't dared to tell the fox yet that she had done something sneaky while he was in his dream...

She nodded vigorously. "Yes, he's very good. When you come home, invite him over and treat him well."

"But sister, I have another question. You're usually very skilled, so how did you get stabbed by a mere mortal?"

The fox pouted. "I don't know either, but I feel so weak and uncomfortable."

Guan Ning immediately tensed up, "Good boy, are you poisoned? Did the medicine I gave you not work?"

"I've already eaten. The Taoist priest once told me that everything would be fine if I left Tinglan."

Guan Ning was silent for a moment, then suddenly remembered the key point, "You slept with that Ting Lan, right?"

“Yes, that’s right.” The fox nodded happily.

“Silly child, that’s dual cultivation…” Guan Ning covered his forehead, “No wonder your magic power suddenly declined.”

You've gone too far with dual cultivation. Originally, it was supposed to be about mutual support and cultivation, but Tinglan has no cultivation at all, so you're the one helping him...

Guan Ning stood up, holding the fox. "Now that we've finished watching, let's go back. Go back and cultivate diligently so you can return to see your sweetheart as soon as possible."

It was late at night, and the other funeral procession members had already left.

The black coffin sat in the mourning hall, and Pei Yue was crying and burning paper money in front of it.

His crying was particularly awful, like a duck wailing in silence.

Tinglan stood a little further away from him, staring intently at the dark coffin, and asked, "The Crown Prince has come today too?"

"They've arrived."

"Do you want to be the crown prince?" Tinglan asked without even tilting his head, his tone flat, as if he were just asking about the weather.

With tears still on his face, Pei Yue suddenly raised his head. "I am neither the eldest son nor the legitimate heir. My mother died early, and my maternal clan is weak. How could it possibly be my turn?"

"Just tell me, are you willing or not?"

Pei Yue nodded stiffly.

Tinglan flicked the dust off the corner of his clothes and said calmly, "Alright, if you ascend the throne, remember to posthumously confer a title upon Ji Qing."

He stared blankly at the coffin in front of him.

Life and death are separated by only this one step.

He stepped forward, gently touched the coffin, bent down, and said apologetically in a low voice, "I'm sorry to have disturbed Your Highness's peaceful sleep."

Then, with all his might, he pushed open the coffin lid.

The coffin will be nailed up tomorrow, and he wants to see the little prince one last time.

Or, tonight, for the last time we'll share a bed.

His Highness is lying alone in the mourning hall today, all lonely. He should go and keep him company.

Tinglan looked away, hesitated for a moment, and then looked down into the coffin.

But the coffin was empty...

He personally dressed the little prince and placed him in the coffin, so why did he disappear into thin air?

Tinglan staggered a few steps, raised her head, and stared blankly at the memorial tablet in front of the hall.

Your Highness, it's lost? What happened?

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Author's Note: The fox spirit shared some of her cultivation with Tinglan during their dual cultivation, so don't worry about anything related to lifespan. If you're still concerned, I'll have my sister invent an elixir of immortality! [Sprinkling flowers]