Chapter 649 Love is not so pure
Nan Yan asked, "Where did he go?"
Concubine Ning did not answer but asked: "Didn't the emperor tell you?"
“…”
Nan Yan's heart trembled slightly.
But she immediately took a deep breath and said calmly, "Your Majesty, there is no need to tell me everything."
Qin Ruolan said calmly: "That's right."
After she finished speaking, she turned around and walked out. Nan Yan frowned and caught up with her a few steps: "Where are you going?"
“…”
Qin Ruolan paused, turned around and looked at her, with a faint, almost cold expression on her face, and said, "Is the Imperial Concubine also going to inquire about my whereabouts?"
“…”
"But it doesn't hurt to tell you this."
“…”
"I left in a hurry that day and didn't bring enough supplies for the memorial service."
“…”
"So today, I want to visit my father and aunt's graves again."
Nan Yan thought about it and suddenly said, "Can I go with you?"
“……?”
Qin Ruolan looked at her in surprise, and for a moment she remained silent. However, Ran Xiaoyu frowned slightly, stepped forward, and whispered, "My Lady?"
Nan Yan raised her hand, signaling her not to speak.
Qin Ruolan thought for a moment and said calmly, "If your Majesty wants to go, I would be more than happy to help you."
So, Nan Yan followed her out of the Imperial Tomb Temple.
After going down the mountain, they saw a bamboo raft waiting at the foot of the mountain, but the person rowing the boat was not a Taoist priest. There were no Taoist priests from the Imperial Tomb Temple along the way. Instead, they were people brought by Qin Ruolan himself.
I think if she comes here to visit the graves every year, the people around her should be familiar with this place.
Nan Yan took Ran Xiaoyu and boarded the bamboo raft.
The bamboo raft cut through the tranquil lake surface, and a few ripples slowly spread out. After circling in the lake, they circled behind the island and saw the island with the imperial ancestral tomb.
There is still fog there.
It's like a fairy mountain.
The person next to him was like a fairy practicing in the mountains. When the bamboo raft reached the shore, Qin Ruolan slowly went ashore with a bamboo basket. Without waiting for them, he walked up the mountain path on his own.
The boatman did not follow.
Nan Yan thought for a moment and said to Xiao Yu, "Wait downstairs. If I call you, come up."
"yes."
Then, Nan Yan followed Qin Ruolan and went up the mountain.
The mountain road was narrow, and the wind blew from time to time, wrapping the milky white mist around them. Nan Yan looked at Qin Ruolan in front of her, and felt more and more that such a beauty was about to ascend to heaven.
After a while, the two of them finally reached the top of the mountain.
There was nothing on the top of the mountain except those stone tablets.
Nan Yan sighed softly.
Qin Ruolan turned her head and glanced at her. She said softly, "The emperor is not here."
"Do you think the Emperor is here?"
Qin Ruolan glanced at her, shook his head with a dumb smile, and walked forward.
Of course, she was not here to pay homage to the ancestors of the Zhu family. Instead, she walked straight to the stone tablets of Qin Zhengqi and the imperial concubine Qin Xixi.
In the bamboo basket, there were more offerings and incense sticks than that day.
I think she had just arrived that day, and probably heard that Zhu Feng and I were coming too, so she hurried over, so she didn't prepare everything.
Today, everything is finally done.
Nan Yan stood by, watching her place the offerings one by one in front of the tombstone, and then lit the incense and candles. Nan Yan thought for a moment, stepped forward and said, "I—"
Qin Ruolan said coldly without even turning her head, "Your Highness, what instructions do you have? Can't you wait until I finish paying homage to my ancestors?"
“…”
Nan Yan didn't say anything else.
After bowing three times and kowtow nine times, he turned around and said, "My Lady, what's the matter?"
Nan Yan said calmly, "I was wondering if I could also light a stick of incense for them?"
“…”
Qin Ruolan looked at her with some surprise.
After a moment of silence, he lit three incense sticks and placed them in her hands.
Nan Yan placed the incense in front of the tombstone of Concubine Qin.
Then he stood up and bowed three times.
The two people looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment.
After a long silence, Nan Yan said, "I never knew that Concubine Ning came from a famous family with a distinguished background."
"From a well-known family? A distinguished family?"
Qin Ruolan repeated these words with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
"Your Highness' words are truly full of irony to me."
Nan Yan frowned: "How could that be?"
“…”
"That is not my intention."
Qin Ruolan glanced at her again before saying calmly, "The Imperial Concubine knows that my father was the Grand Secretary of the Dongge and the Prince's Junior Tutor of the previous dynasty. She also knows that my aunt is the Imperial Concubine."
"Yes."
"Then do you know where they both came from?"
“…”
Nan Yan frowned.
Fortunately, Qin Ruolan didn't really ask her to answer, but slowly turned around and looked at the vast Xingluo Lake.
“They were born here.”
“…”
Nan Yan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly seemed to understand something and took a breath: "You, you mean, they——"
Qin Ruolan said calmly: "The one who fought with Emperor Gao to seize the world."
“…”
"My father originally assisted him."
“…”
"But later, due to some changes, he came under the command of Emperor Gao."
“…”
"After the founding of the country, Emperor Gao appointed the crown prince."
“…”
"My father also became the Grand Secretary of the Dongge."
“…”
"But not long after, an uprising against Emperor Gao broke out on Xingluo Lake."
“…”
So that's how it is.
At that time, no matter how much you trust someone, there will inevitably be some resentment in your heart.
I think Qin Zhengqi must have been subject to a lot of suspicion at that time, and must have been very frightened.
But she thought for a moment and said, "However, with the Imperial Concubine here, if she can console the Emperor, nothing serious should happen."
“…”
Qin Ruolan didn't say anything.
She just looked at Qin Xixi's tombstone, was silent for a long time, and said lightly: "My aunt passed away very early."
“…”
"My father has walked on thin ice all his life."
“…”
"As the daughter of the Qin family, my identity doesn't bring me any more benefits."
“…”
"Instead, it makes me and him——"
At this point, she suddenly stopped talking.
As if cut by a knife, Nan Yan looked at her, only to see a flash of light in Qin Ruolan's eyes. She clenched her teeth as if she was severely hurt.
Nan Yan began to understand a little.
It is true.
Sometimes, love is not so pure.
Although this is just a matter between two people, background, family, and even the forces behind them often add some shadows that should not exist to this beautiful relationship.
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