Chapter 49: Qingshan was entangled in a chilling embrace by a cold-blooded animal...
The hall was deathly silent.
When Xie Jiming stepped into the Xuanzheng Hall, he was still somewhat smug, believing that he had handled the extermination of evil at Ci'en Temple cleanly and efficiently.
Not only did it break the illusion set by the evil spirits, restoring peace to the temple, it also preserved the reputation of Ci'en Temple. If the evil spirits in the temple had not been eliminated for a long time, how could people have believed in its abilities and felt its compassion?
Although most of the trapped monks and pilgrims were not successfully rescued and became food for the evil spirits, he managed to save the foreign beauty with the help of the elders.
The capital has always been extremely cautious in its treatment of foreigners. Saving that foreign beauty was enough for him to be rewarded upon his return.
Sure enough, he was summoned to the palace by His Majesty himself today.
The emperor sat high in the palace, looking down at everyone in the hall.
Xie Jiming was too far away to see much clearly, but he could barely make out that the emperor on the throne had a calm expression. After the attendants finished chanting loudly, the emperor finally asked a few questions about the details of the extermination of evil.
When the emperor was silent, no one dared to make a sound in the Xuanzheng Hall.
Amid the deliberate silence maintained by everyone, Xie Jiming's initial smugness gradually dissipated.
Xie Jiming had encountered many tense situations, but this was the first time that the person sitting high in the hall had made him unable to straighten up simply by being calm.
In the course of their question-and-answer session, the topic subtly shifted to the foreign beauty that Xie Jiming had rescued.
"I have heard that there is a pilgrim with a peculiar demeanor, unlike anyone from the Central Plains?"
The emperor's voice echoed in the empty Xuanzheng Hall.
Xie Jiming felt a chill run down his spine, vaguely sensing that something was amiss.
The Xuanzheng Hall was a special place, and he could not call upon the senior, fearing that the hidden masters in the hall would discover his abnormality.
Trying hard to hide his panic, he bowed and said, "...There is indeed a woman who claims to be from Tulan."
“Oh, Tu Lan,” the emperor said, his expression and tone revealing neither joy nor anger, “did she mention to you why she went deep into Ci’en Temple, or what happened to her?”
Xie Jiming didn't know how to answer; he had never even thought about such a question.
His eyes were filled with the image of the frail beauty helplessly pleading with him for help. The beauty was lucky; she always managed to escape the pursuit of evil spirits. He also took good care of her. As they spent more time together, the two of them became the only two survivors of the Ci'en Temple incident.
Xie Jiming could vaguely sense that the ministers in the hall seemed to want to exchange something, and they exchanged glances under the cover of their jade tablets.
But he was completely unaware of this, and if he made a careless mistake and behaved improperly in front of the emperor…
He could not remain silent for too long in front of the emperor.
Xie Jiming respectfully replied, "I only met that Tu Lan woman by chance in the temple. My mind was completely focused on the matter of exterminating evil, and I did not have any interaction with that woman. Your Majesty is wise."
The emperor listened quietly, his gaze deep and unreadable, revealing neither his belief nor his disbelief.
After a long pause, he nodded and said, "In that case, you have rendered meritorious service in eliminating evil. You shall be promoted one rank and awarded one hundred taels of gold. You may leave."
Xie Jiming was overjoyed.
A promotion within the Xuandu Bureau grants access to several times more techniques to study, not to mention the reward of a hundred taels of gold!
This generous reward came so casually that Xie Jiming was about to express his gratitude with great joy when he heard a clear and steady voice ring out from the side of the hall:
"Father, wait a moment."
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Crown Prince Su Heng slowly stepping out of the ranks.
The light inside the hall fell on him, as if bathing him in a halo.
Xie Jiming lowered his head and thought to himself, "How come I can't see this kind of spirit in others? It seems so precious, but I don't know if it's really usable."
Although he had heard some rumors about Su Heng, rumors are just rumors. Before he met Zhengyi in person, he had some fantasies about the princess. He never expected that she would be a disheveled madman who wasted her good looks...
No one cared about Xie Jiming's feelings.
Everyone in the hall looked at Su Heng.
Su Heng said, “The Ci’en Temple matter seems independent, but it is actually closely related to the mission case. I have already handled this case myself. Now that the truth has come to light, whether it is the negotiation with Tu Lan or the punishment and reward of those involved, it is better to leave it to me to handle, so as to take care of everything and live up to Father’s trust.”
Xie Jiming was deeply surprised.
The bestowal of honors upon him seemed to become the core of the power struggle between father and son in the palace.
Was his contribution even greater than he had imagined?
He looked up in confusion, just in time to see Su Heng smiling gently, nodding at him, and asking, "What does Xie Qing think?"
Xie Jiming no longer hesitated, and with a joyful tone, bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness!"
The atmosphere in the hall became heavy for a moment.
Xie Jiming was confused, but everyone in the hall heard him clearly.
The Crown Prince's words were watertight, and he even took the initiative to take responsibility. In reality, he was taking back control from the Emperor. Once the decision was made, the final outcome of the mission case and the Ci'en Temple case would depend on the Crown Prince's will.
Even though Xie Jiming didn't respond, someone had already been arranged in the hall—the person was about to step forward when Xie Jiming's unexpected response interrupted him, causing the tablet in his hand to shake.
Su Heng remained in a bowed posture, his eyelashes slightly lowered, his gaze calm as an ancient pool, showing no emotion in response to Xie Jiming's reaction.
Finally, the emperor spoke calmly: "As the Crown Prince has suggested, all matters shall be coordinated by the Eastern Palace."
"Your subject obeys the decree."
Su Heng bowed gracefully, unhurried and relaxed.
...
After leaving the palace, Xie Jiming happened to be traveling the same way as the Crown Prince.
Xie Jiming didn't know why the Crown Prince had taken on this matter. Although he had received a hint from Su Heng and felt that the Crown Prince would certainly not treat him unfairly, he was still uneasy as things remained uncertain.
Thinking this, Xie Jiming stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Your Highness, I wonder..."
Su Heng interrupted him with a slight smile, saying, "What Father Emperor refers to as promotion is an official title, which is not very useful to Minister Xie. I will make the decision for now and offer a suggestion for the good general."
Xie Jiming was both surprised and delighted. In the past, there were always some blind people who blocked his way. He almost thought... but unexpectedly, his mentor was right in front of him. Being able to climb up to the Crown Prince was great news for him!
He immediately said, "Thank you, Your Highness!"
Su Heng pointed into the distance and said, "I have other matters to discuss with my father. Thank you, please."
Xie Jiming bowed his head in agreement, turned and left with a cheerful gait.
A servant stepped forward and whispered to Su Heng, "Your Highness, that person is currently at the Yinguang Tower. Should we...?"
Su Heng shook his head.
I'd better not go see her.
He had a medicinal smell about him, which most people wouldn't be able to detect, but... he didn't want her to smell it.
Besides, he will meet her again soon.
“Your subject obeys,” the attendant said, somewhat puzzled. “But I don’t know why that lord would willingly put himself in danger.”
Yes, why is that?
She was clearly moved by compassion, yet she insisted on finding a reason for herself, as if becoming more realistic and even despicable would make her feel more at ease. Beneath her composure, the suppressed, pulsating, and ceaseless warmth within her made him want to get closer again and again.
He easily suppressed his initial, most basic desire to devour, but as he followed her directions step by step to this place, he could no longer distinguish whether it was the original chaotic desire or the longing for her clear eyes that made him repeatedly indulge in it.
He smiled and said, "May I have the right to comment?"
The servant immediately prostrated himself on the ground to apologize, saying he dared not.
This unintentional remark made him deeply understand the status of that person in the Crown Prince's heart.
From now on, any matter involving Jiang Geyun must be handled with utmost caution.
*
She seemed to be trapped in icy lava.
The description sounded very strange, she admitted, where is there any cold lava?
But Jiang Geyun's feeling was indeed just that.
It was icy to the touch, like being gripped by the chilling embrace of some cold-blooded animal; but a step further, and it was intensely hot, causing her breathing and heartbeat, which had gradually slowed to the point of almost disappearing, to become even more fervent—
Thump, thump, thump...
The sound grew louder and louder, and her chest felt increasingly tight, making it impossible for her to remain asleep. She was suddenly awakened!
—She saw the store manager fall from her chest.
All right.
So, the feeling I had just experienced was because I was almost murdered by a cat? Oh well, it's alright now.
No, something's really important!
Jiang Geyun sat up, rubbing her forehead, and looked around.
This place wasn't unfamiliar; it was the top floor of the Yinguang Tower where she had first arrived in the capital.
Light gauze fluttered all around, just like on that day.
Looking around, everything was shrouded in a hazy mist.
...If she remembered correctly, she had successfully "kidnapped" Guttulu Ur and saved her own life.
Zheng Yi never directly killed Wu Er, either because of political or capability reasons, that Wu Er could not be easily killed, or because keeping Wu Er around made it easier to collect evidence so that once he returned to Tu Lan and took power, he could use him to control Tu Lan.
She had to keep Ur alive, no matter what.
Since that's the case, if this matter is to be resolved amicably, Jiang Geyun must also live.
If you use her as a knife, you must be careful not to cut your hand; even if you end up with a bloody mess, you won't be able to shake her off.
At that time, Jiang Geyun originally wanted to maintain her consciousness, until the shopkeeper brought Zheng Yi or Xuan Dujian's group of people over, and after "exchanging" a few more words, she fainted prematurely for some reason.
Jiang Geyun looked down at her chest.
Someone changed her clothes, and they were the same moon-white color she had worn before.
Before she transmigrated into the book, her style of dress could be summarized as black, white, and gray. It was only recently that she started wearing these colors more often, and she didn't dislike them.
Beneath the finely crafted clothes, she could feel layers of gauze wrapping her up.
Hmm, the sensation is indeed a bit strange...
With no one around, Jiang Geyun frantically searched her memory while asking, "System, what happened after I lost consciousness?"
A mechanical voice responded: [The host has been asked the question "What happened after I fell unconscious?" The answer will now be played according to the pre-programmed procedure.]
[Core...Zi...Protocol...Damage...Zi]
[Buzz... AI channel temporarily closed...]
[Under repair...]
Automatic repair failed. Currently, only access to the basic database is supported.
Jiang Geyun covered her chest with her hand.
She suddenly remembered Ur's knife, which was aimed straight at her heart.
The gauze is now wrapped around the chest.
Thinking about it this way, the pain she felt when she was being punished by the system was very similar to the symptoms of a heart-related illness. Could it be...?
The system itself has always been hidden inside her heart!
Jiang Geyun felt a sudden numbness in her chest, and her hand, which was covering her chest, froze for a moment.
The fact that the system is still functioning normally proves that it has not been successfully dismantled.
However, this time it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. If it weren't for Ur's knife, she would never have discovered that this thing was actually living in this place.
She thought this thing had no physical form!
However, if only the basic functions remain...
Jiang Geyun asked, "What is my goal?"
The system replied: [The system detected a question from the host, "What is my goal?" The host likely wants to revisit the main task. The answer is: Hello host, you should, within 87 days, ensure that the villain of *Xuan Du Zhao Ye*, namely Prince Su Heng of the 29th year of the Great Zhou Dynasty's Cheng'an era, achieves 100% favorability towards you, i.e., a state of "unwavering devotion."]
Jiang Geyun sighed helplessly; sure enough, it hadn't forgotten.
She asked, not entirely hopefully, "What if I fail?"
The system stated: [The question "What if I fail?" has been detected. The host likely means she is pessimistic about completing the task within 87 days, and is anxious about failing. I should answer the host's question and offer reassurance.]
The answer is—if the mission cannot be completed, a program to eliminate the host will be executed. Host, keep trying, don't be discouraged!
...Without the artificial intelligence channel, this system feels even more malevolent.
Jiang Geyun sighed softly.
In reality, a slightly hoarse voice suddenly rang in my ears: "What's wrong, Lord Jiang?"
Jiang Geyun was startled, but quickly realized it was Zhengyi.
She quickly composed herself and replied, "This humble subject has just awakened and is still in a daze... What is Your Highness doing?"
As they were talking, Zheng Yi dragged a stool over to Jiang Geyun and sat down in front of her.
“I’ve come to visit you in the hospital,” Zheng Yi said. “And by the way, why hasn’t Gutulu Ur woken up yet?”
Jiang Geyun's hand touched her waist.
He remains simple and unassuming.
Although I don't know why Zhengyi didn't take it...
Jiang Geyun smiled and replied, "Perhaps it's because I haven't received an answer from Your Highness yet?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: The next chapter will just be a quick fix for my sister, and then... I can finally go back to my hometown to get married! (?)
This guy initially thought Yun would despise him because of her injury, but later he discovered that feigning weakness was particularly effective, so he decisively transformed into a green tea b*tch...
Also: Considering the progress of those who followed the V series, I've enabled anti-theft protection. It's 48H+30%. I'm currently too busy to actually combat theft, so I'm just symbolically enabling it for now. I'm very grateful to all the readers who have been following the series!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
