Their conversation quickly reached Xie Zhaozhao's ears, and she chuckled after hearing what Zhou Shaoyu said.
He said, "You're cunning and shrewd, yet you pretend to be honest!"
Zhou Shaoyu's path to becoming a powerful minister was not a gift from Emperor Hui; rather, it was his meticulous planning that helped Emperor Hui consolidate his rule for over a decade.
His feelings for Xie Zhaozhao were never arranged by his parents, but rather something he had schemed for.
The vast empire was never his goal. He indulged Xie Zhaozhao, giving her preferential treatment both openly and secretly, and using his position as a powerful minister to protect her rapid growth.
Her journey from the inner quarters to the imperial court, from a noblewoman strictly adhering to rules and regulations to an empress renowned throughout the land, was inseparable from his gentle and nurturing support.
Da Gan and Yu Long were united as one, with two emperors ruling together. The court was stable and the country was prosperous. Who can say that this was not due to his efforts?
Without him, there would be no Yulong today!
He was her mentor in her growth, the driving force behind her success, and her eternal support.
No one can provoke them.
*Temple of Loyal Martyrs.
Today, the sky over Zhongzhou was overcast with a light drizzle. There weren't many people offering incense, and the Temple of Loyal Martyrs was quite quiet.
Xie Zhaozhao's carriage stopped outside the temple, and Bei Chen, Dong Yue, and Yun Yuan accompanied Xie Zhaozhao and Zhou Shaoyu into the temple.
They had all met Yin Jin'an; they were all brothers.
Yun Yuan, in particular, fought alongside Yin Jin'an in the desolate lands and the thirty-six northern states, and their bond was deeper than that of the others.
Upon entering the temple, he arranged the incense, lotus candles, and other items he had prepared beforehand on the altar, lit the incense, and placed it in the incense burner.
Xie Zhaozhao looked around the temple, inside and out. There was a lot of dust, and a layer of it had settled on Yin Jin'an's statue.
The eternal lamp in front of the statue was running out of oil.
She frowned and said to Yun Yuan, "Find the temple manager."
Yun Yuan summoned the person in charge, a man around forty years old, whose trousers were still rolled up, probably having just returned from the fields.
"Are you in charge here?"
"Yes, sir, what are your orders?"
"Where did the lamp oil go? Why wasn't the dust wiped off?"
The steward smiled and said, "My lord, the weather here is rather dry, and dust fills the air all year round. Even if you wipe it clean, it won't last more than half a day before the dust settles again. The ever-burning lamp has always been on, but we forgot to add oil today."
Xie Zhaozhao said, "Didn't the imperial court allocate funds specifically for this?"
The steward said, "The funds have always been allocated on time, but recently there have been personnel changes at the higher-ups, and the new prefect and county magistrate probably haven't had time to attend to them yet. Please rest assured, sir, I will immediately use my own money to buy oil and offerings."
Xie Zhaozhao said to Dongyue, "You go with him."
Dongyue drove the carriage with the steward and quickly bought three or four baskets of incense and candles, as well as several large barrels of sesame oil, which greatly excited the steward.
"My lord, the Prince and the Duke will surely bless you with great wealth and honor. You don't know, the Prince is incredibly powerful!"
They quickly refilled the ever-burning lamps with oil, and then asked the local people near the temple for help to wipe all the statues clean and install sand-proof windows.
Each incense table was also decorated with snacks and flowers.
Xie Zhaozhao was slightly relieved.
He sat in front of the statue and talked with Yin Jin'an for a while.
"Jin'an, time flies so fast. More than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. Now, Yulong Kingdom is prosperous and strong, with a well-trained and powerful army."
I have four children. The eldest, fourteen years old, is both scholarly and martial, and has been made crown prince. He bears much of his father's character and is likely to become a wise and benevolent ruler in the future.
The second son loves literature and has a photographic memory for all classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections. He is skilled at understanding people and their minds, and will surely be a great help to his elder brother.
The third child is lively and still young, but he likes to follow Gu Chongjin around. He can easily spend a whole day at the martial arts training ground. He is likely skilled in martial arts and will be Heng'er's right-hand man in protecting the border in the future.
However, the youngest daughter was born unable to bear wealth. The daily food, clothing, and shelter of the royal family were all a burden for her. Now she has been sent to Fanghu Mountain to learn from the immortal master and will not be able to return until after twelve years.
The Living Buddha said that his daughter had come to settle a matter on his mind.
I have everything I need now, but if I had to say something, it would be about you!
I was able to defy fate, all thanks to your help.
Without you opening up overseas routes for me, I wouldn't have been able to accumulate wealth so quickly.
Without your help in conquering the barbaric lands and the thirty-six northern states, I would be utterly powerless against the Great Gan, and the tragedy of my entire family's annihilation in my previous life would be repeated.
But you left so early, leaving behind a will asking the court to exchange your military power and merits for my safety.
Even if I kill the person who killed you, even if I make you king or god, it's just an empty title and I can't bring you back to life.
Even this temple, which has only been standing for a little over ten years, has already been neglected. If I hadn't come today, I wouldn't have known that your face was covered in dust and your ever-burning lamp was dead.
Jin'an, if I had to confide in you, it would be you. You are the greatest pain of my life.
But how can this worry be put to rest?
Xie Zhaozhao shed tears.
Zhou Shaoyu had already escaped from Rong Wang's side and come to the temple. He silently helped Xie Zhaozhao up and also lit an incense stick for Yin Jin'an.
Men always speak simply and directly: "Brother, we're all doing well."
He gently tidied Xie Zhaozhao's stray hairs at her temples and said with a smile, "Shall we go back to the palace?"
"Yes, let's go back to the palace."
I've already met my daughter once; in another eight years, the whole family can be together.
As we left the Chungnyeol Shrine, the dark clouds dispersed, and the sun shone brightly, bathing the entire shrine in golden light.
Xie Zhaozhao turned to look at the statue of Yin Jin'an. In the golden light, Yin Jin'an's arrogant eyebrows and eyes seemed to come alive.
"Living Guanyin, wait for me!"
Ah, that day in Tokyo, at the Seigen Tea House, we first met...
(End of text)
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