Chapter 287 Jianghu (End of Chapter 35, including bonus chapter)
Lu Lingjun still refused.
Lu Lingjun didn't tell Gu Yanjing any of these things, and Gu Yanjing, living in a daze, was completely unaware of them.
So, as soon as he stepped out today, before he had even finished gathering all the information, he was nearly killed by an assassin who appeared out of the shadows.
It wasn't that Gu Yanjing's hands and feet had become sluggish from being tormented for so long.
On the contrary...
What the heck? Running so fast, it tripped itself.
This was truly unexpected; to everyone's surprise, Gu Yanjing almost had his foot chopped off by the flying scalpel.
This is so unreliable.
Gu Yanjing casually helped these unreliable assassins give their ashes to Yang.
It's raining outside now, and the scene looks misty and dreamlike, creating a very picturesque atmosphere.
Lu Lingjun arrived at that moment with an umbrella, and the misty rain of the city seemed unable to dampen the gentle smile on his lips.
Gu Yan looked on in surprise, momentarily flustered.
Having seen Lu Lingjun so often in bed, I don't know how long it's been since I've seen that smug smile.
"Zhuque, it's raining. I've come to take you home." Lu Lingjun walked up to Gu Yanjing and placed the umbrella on the ground.
Lu Lingjun seemed to have brought a body full of moisture with him, which made Gu Yanjing feel a little cold, and goosebumps rose on his arms.
"Are you cold? Wear my clothes first, I'll carry you back." Lu Lingjun grasped Gu Yanjing's hand, his unsightly arm with bulging veins, looking like a vengeful ghost.
Lu Lingjun, however, showed no disgust whatsoever, wrapping his arm around Gu Yanjing's wrist as if measuring its size.
Gu Yan jerked back, but couldn't pull her hand back. Her gaze fell on the continuous rain outside: "I'm not going back. I'll stay here tonight."
He felt disgusted when he saw that bed after going back.
Lu Lingjun glanced at the inn behind Gu Yanjing and nodded: "That's fine too."
This place is nice too.
After saying that, he went inside with Gu Yanjing.
Nan Wan'er and Zhang Ling'er were roasting sweet potatoes together, while Tun Tian stood guard over Nan Wan'er.
Gu Yanjing took Lu Lingjun to the kitchen and brought back some dishes, both meat and vegetables, which she gave to Zhang Ling'er.
Zhang Ling'er felt that in that instant, she had transformed from an apprentice back into a cook.
Ugh, her cooking skills are terrible.
The five of them were grilling something, looking at the stars, and chatting.
"Your Majesty, can't we leave yet? I'm so tired of this place. I want to go to a modern world to play in." Nan Wan'er complained to Gu Yanjing tearfully while munching on a sweet potato.
Ancient worlds are such a nuisance! Even taking a bath is a huge hassle. Winters are too cold, and summers are teeming with mosquitoes. It's just unbearable. Modern worlds are so much more comfortable.
"You should talk to Gu Congxin about this. He's the one who decides the dimensions." Gu Yanjing bit into his meat, shifting the blame to Gu Congxin, who was secretly eating barbecue skewers on the roof.
Gu Congxin was standing on the roof, holding a skewer in one foot and standing on the other. She was then diligently tearing the meat off the skewer with her mouth. When she heard someone calling her from below, she felt guilty and almost fell over.
"Gu Congxin, can we go to a modern world next time?" Nan Wan'er stood below, looking up at Gu Congxin.
I didn't see it.
All you can see is a bunch of bird feathers on its bottom.
"Random, how would I know?" Gu Congxin took a bite of meat, feeling so happy she almost fainted.
It's been so long since I've eaten meat. That wicked woman, Nan Wan'er, actually tricked Zhang Ling'er into thinking that parrots only eat grains and can't eat meat, which made him go without meat for ages.
It's so painful.
"Impossible. The plane that His Majesty's brother lived in was designated by His Majesty himself. Don't think I don't know that." Nan Wan'er picked up a pebble from the ground and threw it at the plane.
As a result, the pebble didn't hit Gu Congxin, but it rolled down and almost hit her head. Fortunately, Tuntian was watching over her, so Nan Wan'er didn't crack her own head open.
Gu Congxin, watching from above, chuckled and became even more arrogant: "Your Majesty can go wherever you want, but you can't. You have to follow my wishes."
This is the difference in treatment between experts and novices.
"Dad, can I go to the modern world?"
As it turns out, Nan Wan'er is a good girl who can bend and stretch. Upon hearing this, she immediately behaved properly and even consciously lowered her generation.
Everyone who saw it was speechless.
I've never seen someone change their generation so quickly, impressive.
However, Gu Congxin was not someone who could be easily satisfied. Upon hearing that he was called "Dad," he even gloated a little. Then, Nan Wan'er couldn't bear it any longer and had Tuntian drag Gu Congxin down and beat him up.
Gu Congxin was beaten so badly that he cried and begged Nan Wan'er to let him go and Gu Yanjing to save him.
Gu Yanjing, annoyed by the noise, picked up Gu Congxin and threw her outside into the yard.
Gu Congxin: ...All love will disappear, right?
After the five of them finished eating, they went back to rest.
The next step was to wait for Gu Yuan's notification, but, unexpectedly, Gu Yuan's notification came so late. This was the first time Gu Yanjing had stayed in one plane for dozens of days, and he was getting so bored that he was about to grow hair.
In the end, in order to prevent others from knowing that he would not age or die, he had no choice but to take Lu Lingjun to live in seclusion in the mountains.
A few days later, Nan Wan'er and Tun Tian also arrived. Zhang Ling'er, on the other hand, liked to wander around and would come back to stay for a while from time to time. The rest of the time, she was out collecting her eighteen husbands.
Outside, the world is peaceful and tranquil, and the martial arts world seems to have ceased to exist. Even the Fengming Sect, which lost Gu Yanjing, is only in name.
In today's world, the days when simply drawing your sword against someone you don't like could be over.
I can't stand them anymore, so I'll slaughter their entire family.
Even if it still cannot prevent the occurrence of corrupt officials, it is still much better than being able to be killed arbitrarily in the street.
However, what was most surprising was that Mo Lanzhi actually came over.
They still looked like officials, but Mo Lanzhi was different. He was just an ordinary person. More than twenty years had passed, and Mo Lanzhi had worked hard in the court. His temples had turned white. Although he still looked like a handsome middle-aged man, old age was old age.
So much court infighting had long since worn away his youthful ambition and made him unambitious.
All he wants now is to go home and farm.
"As expected of a young lady, you still look as elegant as ever, which makes Lanzhi quite envious." Mo Lanzhi came alone and looked somewhat disheveled, but her smile remained the same as when she was young.
"Why are you here alone? Where is your emperor?" Nan Wan'er was squatting at the door, munching on the akebia quinata that Tuntian had picked for her. When she saw Mo Lanzhi arrive, she tossed him one as well.
She suspected something was going on between Mo Lanzhi and the young emperor, and sure enough, when the young emperor came of age, he ate Mo Lanzhi.
Tsk tsk tsk.
How similar this is to Su Youyi and Gu Yanjing back then!
However, Mo Lanzhi's life wasn't good either.
The young emperor suffered too much hardship in his childhood, which fostered his suspicious nature. As he grew up, he became even more suspicious. The eldest prince died, and all his other brothers went to join the old emperor. Many old ministers also died. Now, only Mo Lanzhi remains by the young emperor's side.
However, now it seems that Mo Lanzhi can no longer stay in the palace.
"It's gone, it's no longer mine."
Mo Lanzhi smiled wryly, broke open a bunch of akebia stems, sat down next to Nan Wan'er, and ate with her.
"Tsk tsk tsk, from today onwards, there are two more lonely people in this world." Nan Wan'er was too lazy to ask why. It was nothing more than writing about love, hate, and power struggles. After all, it was a palace, and these things were unavoidable.
She's been through it all; she's been there.
"Can you please stop mocking me like this? I'm middle-aged and have nothing left, and you don't even offer me some comfort." Mo Lanzhi sighed.
He should have left from the very beginning, even though he knew it was wrong, even though he knew that one wrong step would mean a lifetime of regret, even though he knew that person cared nothing for anything but imperial power.
But at that time he was probably really bewitched, probably really moved. He knew it was wrong, but he still took that step.
The so-called Imperial Advisor, however, spent his nights on the Emperor's bed, doing nothing but the affairs of the concubines.
He devoted himself to that person, giving everything he could, but he never expected that it would still be no match for the person's suspicion.
Perhaps, the little emperor who would rely on himself and be moved to tears by the simple noodles he was fed by his own hands had long since died, succumbing to the corrupting influence of imperial power.
They just haven't been willing to believe it, haven't been willing to face it.
"Look at me, do you think I'm good at comforting people? If you want comfort, go down the mountain and find a brothel. Give them some money, and the girls there will comfort you until you're completely satisfied." Nan Wan'er spat out a mouthful of sarcasm.
Sure enough, she was a vicious woman, only good at saying harsh words.
Well done, Nan Wan'er.
"I have no money left." Mo Lanzhi was even more heartbroken when she heard this.
Oh dear, so much money gone, people are gone, and so is all the money.
They were scammed out of their money.
He's lost everything. He's truly all alone. I wonder what he's been doing for most of his life, how he could live such a miserable life.
"Oh, this is terrible. Aren't you hungry?" Nan Wan'er couldn't help but sigh.
He used to be such a spirited young man, and now he's turned into a颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it conveys a sense of listlessness, apathy, and a lack of motivation) middle-aged man. It's so pitiful.
"Hungry." I haven't eaten for two days.
The money ran out the day before yesterday, so I couldn't afford to eat, and I couldn't very well steal or rob.
"Wait a minute, let me go find some leftovers from lunch and get you a bite." Nan Wan'er sighed again and stood up.
"Can't you just let me in?" Mo Lanzhi hesitated for a moment, but still grabbed the little girl's skirt.
"You'd better not come in. There's no room in the house. You know I can't make the decisions here. You should eat something first and rest for a bit."
Nan Wan'er puffed out her cheeks, turned around and left. A little while later, she came out with a bowl of rice and a bowl of water.
This looks too much like someone trying to fob off a beggar. Nan Wan'er couldn't help but chuckle to herself.
"Eat up. His Majesty has been cultivating his character lately, and his temper is quite good. Take it easy and don't make him angry. Say some nice things to him, and maybe he'll let you build a small house to live in nearby."
The girl coughed lightly twice, handed the food to Mo Lanzhi, and casually offered some advice.
The so-called grudges have long since vanished. Besides, Nan Wan'er didn't suffer any losses. Moreover, it was Nan Wan'er who almost killed Mo Lanzhi in the beginning.
Ultimately, she still owed Mo Lanzhi a favor.
"Okay." Mo Lanzhi ate a little too quickly and choked, almost not recovering.
"Eat slowly, there's still some left in the pot. I'll add more if you're not full." Nan Wan'er was stunned by his extremely hungry appearance.
Is life really this hard for someone living with the emperor? They can't even get enough to eat.
"By the way, Nan Wan'er, my father, isn't he long dead? His Majesty isn't my father, is he?" Mo Lanzhi swallowed the food stuck in her throat with some embarrassment, and when she spoke again, the light in her eyes seemed to have been extinguished.
“Yes, he died a long time ago. Can’t you tell what kind of person His Majesty is and what kind of person your father is? It’s very obvious.” Nan Wan’er sat next to Mo Lanzhi, watching him eat.
Sigh, just looking at this makes her a little hungry.
"I can tell the difference, but I was too unwilling to believe it back then." I didn't want to believe that the only person who was good to me would leave me.
In this world, there will never be another person like Feng Wuyai, who was willing to treat him as his own son and truly embody the phrase "treat him as one's own child."
"Regret it now, huh? You hated her back then, but now you miss how good she was to you." Nan Wan'er went back into her room, found some snacks for herself, and mocked her as she ate.
She was still very curious about what had happened between Mo Lanzhi and the emperor in the palace, and how they had suddenly fallen out.
A while ago, when she went to a teahouse to listen to storytelling, the storyteller subtly recounted the story of these two people, only to be rebuked by two upright and righteous scholars next to her.
The storyteller said they were sincere and earnest, but the scholars felt that Mo Lanzhi was disrupting the court, causing the emperor to not establish a harem and have no offspring, and that sooner or later he would become like Daji and Baosi.
Although the emperor and the imperial advisor kept their affair secret, the fact that they remained single and were so close made it obvious to anyone who wasn't a fool that their relationship was unusual.
There are countless folk tales about it.
It's simply that these two people truly love each other; one is willing to bear the world's condemnation for her, and the other is willing to give up her harem for her.
However, Mo Lanzhi was unwilling to talk to Nan Wan'er about things in the palace; his mouth was as hard as a clam shell.
Nan Wan'er left helplessly, leaving Mo Lanzhi sitting there alone.
That evening, Gu Yanjing returned from the foot of the mountain. He saw Mo Lanzhi but didn't say anything, telling her to build her own house and earn money to support herself in the future.
Mo Lanzhi did not disappoint his luck as the male lead. On the first day of building the house, he actually dug up a basket of medicinal herbs while cutting down trees and went down the mountain to sell them.
The next day, while digging, they found a box of gold. This time, Mo Lanzhi didn't sell it. After the house was built, he sent half of it to Zhang Ling'er, hoping that she could have a meal from now on.
Zhang Ling'er agreed, hugged the gold and was very happy. She then pulled Nan Wan'er down the mountain and made two new sets of clothes.
The clothes in the mortal world have more patterns than those in the heavenly realm.
Mo Lanzhi was very happy with his life, but it didn't last long. Three months later, the emperor came looking for him.
When they first met, Mo Lan was twenty and the emperor was thirteen.
Now, twenty-three years have passed, and Mo Lanzhi is forty-three, old, while the emperor is thirty-six, in his prime, and looks much younger than Mo Lanzhi.
Knowing that Gu Yanjing was on the mountain, the emperor did not dare to send his entourage up and came up alone. He immediately saw the two courtyards, one large and one small.
At the entrance of the small courtyard sat Mo Lanzhi, who was preparing spinach for Zhang Ling'er.
Gu Yanjing likes to eat spinach roots, but spinach roots are not easy to prepare. Zhang Ling'er was too busy, so she asked Mo Lanzhi to help her take care of them.
Mo Lanzhi had nothing to do, so he took it. However, before he had even finished sorting the spinach, he heard the urge to move and looked up to see the emperor coming towards him.
"Lanzhi," the emperor called to him.
Mo Lanzhi lowered her head, pretending not to hear, and continued to handle the spinach in her hands, her hands covered in mud.
Seeing that Mo Lanzhi ignored him, the emperor's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, but he softened his tone and tried to persuade him.
"Lanzhi, come back with me. I know I was wrong. I misunderstood you this time."
This time, he was indeed mistaken. However, once the seed of doubt is planted, it will continue to take root and sprout, and can never be eradicated.
Mo Lanzhi understands.
So he left.
Even the emperor understood.
However, he couldn't bear to part with Mo Lanzhi.
He couldn't bear to part with the person who had been with him for so long.
Mo Lanzhi is probably his only attachment and his only source of warmth, making him feel like he is still a human being, not a cold and aloof emperor.
“Nan Wan’er said that if I want to stay, you absolutely cannot take me away. Do you think she is telling the truth?”
Mo Lanzhi finally finished preparing the spinach, put it in the bamboo basket, and looked up at the emperor.
The emperor's face visibly darkened.
Mo Lanzhi's statement is true, and Nan Wan'er's statement is also true.
If Mo Lanzhi does not consent, he cannot take him away.
"Are you really going to leave me?" The emperor took a deep breath, finding Mo Lanzhi somewhat unreasonable.
He's already apologized, what more does he want? Does he want him to atone with his death?
The emperor is no longer the young man he once was; he has long forgotten what respect means.
What Mo Lanzhi wants now is not an apology, but to leave her alone.
If the emperor doesn't come, it means he's letting Mo Lanzhi off the hook.
The emperor ultimately failed to take Mo Lanzhi away, and never saw Mo Lanzhi again until his death, even after Gu Yanjing and the others had left.
He's a drunkard who's lost his original heart, and he's long since unworthy of being the person he likes.
However, even after his death, he still had someone bring the bowl of noodles that Mo Lanzhi had given him to Mo Lanzhi.
Let's just say it was his last act of selfishness.
However, Mo Lanzhi did not see anyone sent by the emperor and kept the mountain gate tightly closed.
The guard had no choice but to put the bowl on the ground and go back to report.
The old emperor had no concubines or children in his life, and eventually passed the throne to the youngest son of the eldest prince whom he had forced to commit suicide.
The guards were the new emperor's confidants and were eager to return to claim credit, so they naturally wouldn't stay here for long.
After the guard left, the already elderly Mo Lanzhi staggered out, stared at the bowl for a long time, and finally spat out a mouthful of bright red blood. He collapsed to the ground and died suddenly.
He still forgave the young man in his heart.
And that young man couldn't forgive himself either.
May they never meet again on their journey to the underworld, or in their next life.
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