Events in Jiangzhou City
A month has passed since that day. Gongsun Dou has disappeared since then, along with Hongxing. Li Xingyi has also been out of sight for a month and hasn't left his house.
Inside the Lulin Palace, Li Xingyi knelt on the ground, her hair disheveled, dressed in thin white clothes, her eyes seemingly devoid of light.
In fact, Li Xingyi didn't know why she was in so much pain. For the past month, Li Xingyi's mind had been filled with the events from her first meeting with Gongsun Dou to the day they parted ways. She had recalled them countless times.
At this moment, Li Xingyi remembered Han Sheng's last words. She slowly stood up, walked barefoot to the bookshelf, and turned to look at the lily of the valley placed in the middle shelf. The next second, the lily of the valley slowly moved down, and in its place was a bottle of water in a crystal clear bottle.
Li Xingyi slowly reached out his hand, opened the lid, hesitated for a moment, and then drank it all in one gulp.
With a "crack!" the bottle fell to the ground, and Li Xingyi collapsed as well.
Qingyi was worried and had been waiting outside the door. Upon hearing the commotion, she rushed in and anxiously called out, "Miss! Miss!" while holding Li Xingyi in her arms.
She immediately shouted, "Help! The sect leader has fainted!"
When Li Xingyi woke up, her eyes returned to normal. Upon seeing this, Qingyi immediately grabbed her hand and asked anxiously, "Sect Leader, are you alright?"
Li Xingyi, puzzled, asked calmly, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Upon hearing this, Qingyi was stunned. She quickly looked at Mu Shang and the others and asked, "Uncle-Master, what's going on?"
Mu Shang glanced at Mu Chu, who immediately pulled Qing Yi out the door. Mu Shang explained, "The sect leader fainted due to overwork, and we are all very worried."
Li Xingyi said calmly, "Yes, I'm fine now."
Mu Chu said to Qing Yi, "Since things have come to this, I won't hide it from you anymore. The sect leader drank the sect's treasure, the Forgetfulness Potion, and now she has forgotten everything about Gongsun Dou. Let's not let her remember it in the future, after all, it was her choice."
Qingyi was surprised.
Huh? Miss fell for him? And now it's all over? Doesn't that mean she's back to square one?!
Qingyi sighed helplessly and said, "I understand."
In January of the twelfth year of Dewei, Li Xingyi, the eldest daughter of the Minister of Rites, recovered from her illness and returned home. Due to her frail health, she stayed at home for three years and never went out.
In December of the fifteenth year of Dewei, Emperor Qi Lie fell ill due to overwork. Consort Liangqu, who did not believe in ghosts and gods, knelt before a Buddha statue for a long time in order to help the emperor recover.
At night, in the Xuanzheng Hall, the ailing Emperor Qi Lie lay in bed and summoned Crown Prince Qi Dou to give his final instructions. He said, "A Dou, from now on you must be a wise ruler."
Qi Dou cried out, "Father, you'll be alright!"
Qi Lie patted his head and said, "Also, I have wronged Qi Hui. Even his name means bad luck. I hope his title will be Ping Shou, which means to live as long as the emperor."
Qi Dou, suppressing his grief, said, "Father, I hope that you will bestow the title upon my younger brother."
Qi Lie smiled and said, "No, this child probably resents me, so you don't need to tell him about this."
Qi Dou nodded and said, "Your subject understands."
Qi Lie coughed and said, "Qing'er, go to the border to help you first. Shu'er can go with you if she wants. As for Min'er, let her go to Putuo Temple to pray for blessings for a while."
Qi Dou said, "Your subject will make the arrangements."
Qi Lie took out the imperial edict from his bosom and handed it to him, saying, "A Dou, your father is giving you a final gift. You must be happy from now on."
Qi Dou received the imperial edict, and saw that it read:
Qi Dou's wife is decided by Qi Dou himself; anyone can become Qi Dou's wife.
Having said what needed to be said, Qi Lie drove everyone away, leaving only himself behind.
At this moment, Li Xingyi, wearing a veil, quietly arrived at Xuanzheng Hall and slowly walked towards Qi Lie, who was lying on the bed.
Hearing the noise, Qi Lie asked, "Who is it?"
Li Xingyi stopped in front of the bed, unfolded the portrait in his hand, and said, "Does Your Majesty still remember this person?"
The person in the portrait is beautiful, standing in the painting with a smile, and there are several lotus flowers beside her, as if it were the first time they met.
Qi Lie looked at the portrait with a moved expression and said softly, "Hehua..."
Upon hearing the name, Li Xingyi said calmly, "Does Your Majesty regret it? Do you regret killing her?"
Qi Lie was stunned, and looked up at her, asking, "Who exactly are you?"
Li Xingyi remained calm and said, "It's not important. You just need to answer me."
Do I regret it? Qi Lie has asked himself this question hundreds of times since Li Hehua died.
Qi Lie looked at the portrait, tears streaming down his face, and said, "Perhaps..."
"..."
Li Xingyi looked at him, unsure of what to say. He left the portrait behind, turned around, and said, "I wonder what she would say if she heard this down there."
Qi Lie smiled wryly.
Yes, Hehua... what would you say?
The woman in black on the rooftop watched all of this in silence.
Li Xingyi stood in the shadows outside and said calmly, "It's time for the next one."
At this moment, many palace servants arrived, and soon after, the news came: "His Majesty has passed away!"
And now, it is April of the first year of Taigan.
Inside the Phoenix Palace, Li Xingyi slowly opened his eyes, stood up, looked at the palace before him, and said, "In the end... it's goodbye."
She looked at the incense burner in the room, got up and walked to it, reaching out her hand to the smoke, and said, "It's... the Incense of Remembering Love."
The smoke passed through his palm and reached the roof, swirling inside. Li Xingyi didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said, "You think this is for my own good, right?"
After a long silence, Li Xingyi sighed softly, "Very well, if you are unwilling to show yourself, I know who you are. Speechless."
On the roof of Fengyi Palace, a man in black remained silent for a moment before quickly leaving.
At this moment, Qingyi pushed open the door and came in, saying, "Your Majesty, you're awake."
Li Xingyi looked at her and said softly, "Gongsun Dou, Qi Dou, A Dou..."
Qingyi was stunned when she heard this. She knew that Li Xingyi had remembered. She looked up at Li Xingyi, and the two of them were speechless.
For the next two weeks, Li Xingyi refused to see Qi Dou, citing the need to surprise him at a banquet.
Inside the Xuanzheng Hall, Qi Dou was both looking forward to the surprise and saddened that they could not meet. So he said happily, "I can't wait for Xingyi's surprise."
She said sadly, "A surprise is a surprise, but why can't we meet?"
Hongxing shouted in his heart.
Your surprises are fine, but why can't I even see Qingyi?!
Here, Qingyi knelt on the ground and said calmly, "Sect Leader, I didn't tell you because I saw you were in too much pain. I hope you will punish me."
Li Xingyi looked at Qingyi calmly and said, "I don't blame you, it's just that you should seek justice for me."
After all, I don't want people to think that I'm someone who can easily have sex with someone.
At this time, Qi Hui and his entourage were resting on their journey. Qi Hui sat down to rest, and his servant handed him some dry food, saying, "Young master, eat."
Seeing this, Qi Hui said, "We're tired of eating dry rations every day!"
Qi Wenzhe advised, "Young Master, hang in there a little longer, we'll be there soon. Just make do for now."
In a corner where no one was paying attention, a plump chicken was slowly walking towards Mu Ming, whose eyes lit up as he stared at it.
Not long after, Qi Hui smelled the aroma of roast chicken and asked, "Where is that roast chicken smelling?"
Mu Ming paused for a moment, then awkwardly raised his hand and said, "...Here."
Everyone looked over at the sound and saw Mu Ming skillfully roasting a chicken with one hand while holding the other hand up.
Ji Shao asked, "Girl, where did you get this chicken?"
Mu Ming scratched his face sheepishly and said, "It was quite a coincidence. I was just sitting there when it came over by itself, and then I roasted it."
Upon hearing this, Qi Hui said in disbelief, "If chickens come to our door, pigs will fly."
Mu Ming laughed and said, "Young Master, you are truly knowledgeable. I actually saw a sow climb a tree when I was a child."
"..."
Qi Hui was speechless. Seeing this, Ji Shao immediately said, "In that case, shall we divide this chicken among ourselves?"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked on with anticipation. Mu Ming looked at them and said, "Of course I'd love to. It'll be ready in a little while."
The chicken was roasted in no time, and everyone shared it. Not long after they finished eating, a farmer came over and angrily said, "How dare you steal my chicken?!"
Mu Ming exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Isn't it a pheasant?"
The farmer became even angrier and said, "It's so plump, how could it be a pheasant?!"
Seeing this, Qi Hui took out a heavy money bag from his person and casually tossed it to the farmer, saying, "I'll compensate you for the chicken."
The farmer accepted the item, weighed it in his hand, and laughed, "Since you are so generous, I am naturally willing."
After the farmer left, Mu Ming smiled at Qi Hui and said, "Thank you so much, otherwise I would have been finished."
Qi Hui said, "Don't worry, no one will bully you here."
Mu Ming smiled after hearing this, his smile as warm as a sunflower in the bright sunshine, shining into Qi Hui's heart.
Soon after, Qi Hui and his companions arrived in the Jiangzhou area. At first glance, the people in the city lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the place was a scene of tranquility.
Qi Wenzhe spoke first: "This place has not been affected by the plague."
Mu Ming said, "That's right, after all, it's about half a month's journey from here to Sichuan."
Qi Hui walked past them and said, "Hurry up and get into the city, rest, eat, drink and have fun, and then go to your death."
...
Feeling a little awkward, Mu Ming said, "Actually, if you don't speak, no one will think you're mute."
Qi Hui smiled and said, "You too, little girl."
Mu Ming didn't back down and said, "Excuse me, young master, how old are you?"
Ji Shao thought for a moment and said, "Young Master is seventeen this year."
After hearing this, Mu Ming walked over to Qi Hui, leaned to the side and smiled at him, "Young Master, it seems I'm the older sister."
Qi Hui looked at her face and unconsciously wanted to keep his gaze fixed on her.
Seeing that he was just looking at him without saying anything, Mu Ming thought that he had gone too far, so he immediately straightened up and said, "Let's go into the city. Let's finish the mission as soon as possible and go home sooner."
Only then did Qi Hui come to his senses, and he stared silently at Mu Ming's retreating figure.
One by one, the crowd headed towards the city gate. Qi Hui glanced at the sky, seemingly becoming even more determined in his thoughts, and then he also stepped forward.
At the city gate, soldiers stopped them, asking, "Who goes there?"
To avoid revealing his identity, Qi Wenzhe pointed to Qi Hui, who had just stood beside him, and said, "This is my young master, he's here for a visit."
Then, pointing to Ji Shao, he said, "This is the steward."
Then, pointing to himself, he said, "And I am the young master's study companion."
The soldier asked in confusion, "Is the butler not home?"
Qi Wenzhe pondered, "Uh, there's also a housekeeper at home."
Upon hearing this, the soldier pointed at Mu Ming and asked, "Where is she?"
Qi Wenzhe, Ji Shao, and Qi Hui all said at the same time: "Maid, young mistress, personal maid."
...
The soldier paused for a moment, then asked impatiently, "What is it?"
The three looked at each other and said, "Young mistress, maid, personal maid."
Mu Ming was speechless.
Can't we use a unified script? Besides, what's with this "young mistress" thing?
Qi Hui looked at them and said, "I am the young master, and I decide who she is."
He then said to the soldier, "She is my personal maid."
After everyone went inside, only a bewildered soldier remained. He exclaimed in surprise, "Wealthy families are really different; it's so chaotic!"
Upon arriving at an inn, Ji Shao stepped forward and said, "We'll take this inn for ourselves."
A gold ingot glittered on the table. The landlady quickly picked it up, bit it, and said with a smile, "Oh my! Our inn has truly met its lucky star today! Don't worry, there are plenty of rooms!"
She then quickly gave the waiter beside her a wink, and the waiter immediately went to the door and hung up a sign that read "VIP Guest Private Session".
Qi Wenzhe went to a table and said, "Bring some good food and wine."
The proprietress smiled and walked away, saying, "Okay, just you wait, it'll be ready soon."
After Mu Ming sat down, he asked, "What do we do after we finish eating?"
Qi Wenzhe said, "I want to find out about the plague so I know what to do."
Qi Hui laughed and said, "Since that's the case, then... my personal maid will serve me first."
Upon hearing this, Mu Ming angrily slammed his hand on the table and said, "I'm not really your personal maid. You expect me to serve you? In your next life!"
Seeing this, Qi Hui shrugged and said, "But this is our current status. If you don't cooperate, you might be kicked out, right?"
Ji Shaowen said gently, "Mu girl, why don't you become the young mistress?"
Mu Ming's lips twitched.
As expected of you! You're so eloquent!
Qi Wenzhe sighed and said, "Alright, young master, please be more tolerant."
Just then, the food and drinks arrived, and the proprietress busied herself pouring the drinks. Mu Ming said, "Please just give me some water."
The proprietress glanced at her and said, "Okay."
Qi Hui asked, "You don't drink?"
Mu Ming looked at him and thought for a moment.
Yes, I can drink. Of course I can drink. I used to be the King of Wine in Frostbite Sect. But now I have to pretend I can't drink.
Mu Ming laughed and said, "Young master, have you forgotten? I'm just a country girl, how could I possibly drink alcohol?"
Qi Hui said ambiguously, "Yes, I almost forgot you're a country girl."
The proprietress brought over a teapot and said, "Miss, please have this."
Mu Ming said sweetly, "Thank you, sister."
The proprietress said coquettishly, "Oh dear, why are you calling me 'sister'? Little sister."
Upon hearing this, Qi Hui, who had just taken a sip of wine, almost spat it out.
Mu Ming smiled and said, "Sister, may I ask you some questions?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Wenzhe immediately understood her plan: Mu Ming wanted to help Qi Wenzhe inquire about the plague.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
