Chapter 417 Confession
The color of blood was like an ominous omen, flashing by at the intersection of the three people's qi, and the vague and mysterious Dao rhyme dissipated.
Chu Xinglan's face suddenly became extremely solemn, as if it was instantly covered by ice and snow.
Qin Zhaoyue did not do anything deliberately throughout the process, and the flow of true energy in his body was not disturbed. Everything seemed to be a spontaneous response from the mysterious book of merit.
However, at the moment when the red flashed, some extremely blurry but heart-pounding images seemed to pass before her eyes.
Galloping cavalry, blood-stained spears, ruthless massacre...
The broken scene was intertwined with a tragic atmosphere. Although it flashed by, it left a heavy shadow in her heart.
"Just now...what happened?"
Qin Zhaoyue asked subconsciously, with a barely perceptible tenseness in his voice.
Chu Xinglan's eyes were stern, and his voice lost its usual coldness, carrying an unprecedented severity:
“The person pointed out by the deduction is indeed Yan Wujiu, and he is currently in Zhenbei Pass in the northern border.
The border war... may undergo a major change!"
When everyone present heard this, their expressions became extremely ugly.
Thousands of miles apart, is it really possible to use magic to deduce and instantly understand the border situation thousands of miles away?
This method is too unbelievable.
However, it was not someone else who said this.
If it was what Jiang Wuya said, everyone might still have doubts.
The leader of the Tianyan Sect behaves in an erratic manner, so his trustworthiness is questionable.
But the one who made the judgment at this moment was Chu Xinglan, the official who had been in charge of the Ziwei Terrace in the Dagan Palace for fourteen years.
The weight of their words is completely different.
What's more, this is the result of the joint deduction of the three plates of heaven, earth and man, two second-grade sorcerers and a third-grade divine warrior who carries the heavenly plate. Who can easily assert that it is false?
On the soft couch, Qin Minghuang, who was breathing weakly, suddenly changed his expression.
She struggled to hold on a little, her voice as hoarse as sandpaper:
"Are you... sure?"
Every word took up a lot of her energy.
"The aura is locked, and the cause and effect are connected. It should be correct." Chu Xinglan said with certainty.
The atmosphere in the imperial study instantly dropped to freezing point.
The aftermath of the imperial examination paper swap is still lingering, the palace assassination attempt is still a shock, and now comes the dire news of a possible incident at the northern border...
It is hard not to connect all the events together and regard them as a huge conspiracy that has been planned for a long time against the Dagan Dynasty.
At this moment, Qin Zhaoyue's heart suddenly skipped a beat as he remembered something extremely crucial.
She immediately focused a part of her mind on the book of merit in her mind.
On the newly opened page, the four words "Peace and Prosperity for the Country and the People" were still there.
However, the merit value that should have slowly increased over time was now completely stagnant.
Her expression suddenly became extremely ugly, and she said in a lost voice:
“No, I’m afraid it’s true, the country’s fortune is being damaged.
I can’t make up for it here!”
She subconsciously didn't want to reveal the details of the merit book, so she used Jiang Wuya's previous statement about "luck" to explain it. Anyway, the meaning was roughly the same.
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the imperial study suddenly became extremely solemn, as if even the air had stopped flowing.
The third princess, Qin Zhaowan, clenched her fists so hard that her nails almost dug into her palms.
She couldn't stop shaking from extreme shock and worry, her voice even tinged with tears:
"Sixth sister! Then... then what should we do now!"
Qin Zhaoyue's face was equally gloomy, looking like water could drip out of it.
The first thing he did was to turn around and look at the empress lying on the couch, her face haggard and her breath nearly gone.
If the Queen Mother passed away at this moment, Dagan would lose its backbone and would be plunged into unprecedented turmoil.
They were so poorly prepared.
The two most prestigious princes were both far away in the frontier. Although the third sister who stayed in the capital was good, her reputation and foundation were not enough to immediately shock the overall situation.
In addition, with the sudden outbreak of war in the north, the minds of those ambitious people hiding in the dark will immediately become restless.
What's more, there is the huge hidden danger that the former crown prince may still be alive.
If he were really alive, he would jump out and raise his arms, accusing the empress of bringing disaster to the country and the people, causing the border to be lost and the people to suffer...
The consequences are unimaginable!
No, absolutely not!
Qin Zhaoyue's face showed an unprecedented seriousness and determination. She looked at Qin Minghuang and said in a firm tone:
"Queen Mother, there is only one solution for now!
You must fall into a deep sleep immediately to minimize the consumption of vitality.
We want to take a gamble, betting that your children will have time to stabilize the situation.
Bet we can buy you enough time!"
There was silence in the imperial study, and everyone's eyes were focused on the dragon bed, waiting for the emperor's final decision.
At this moment, Qin Minghuang slowly forced a very faint smile on his old and haggard face.
That smile contained endless fatigue, deep guilt, and a hint of indescribable...relief.
Children...will eventually be pushed to grow up.
"It's the Queen Mother... I wasn't thoughtful enough..."
Her voice was barely perceptible, but it was clearly heard by every child.
"It's not enough time... to let you grow up peacefully and safely until you are fully grown...
Such a heavy burden is being forced upon your shoulders..."
"Queen Mother!"
Upon hearing this, the royal heirs felt as if their hearts were being cut by a knife. They all knelt on the ground and cried out in grief.
Qin Minghuang shook his head very slightly, raised his hand and waved it with difficulty.
"Don't kneel... Come closer..."
The royal heirs hurriedly stood up, staggered to the front of the couch, and surrounded the dragon bed tightly.
Little Seven, Little Eight, and Little Nine almost rolled and crawled to the front, their little faces full of fear and attachment.
Qin Minghuang used all his strength to lift his extremely heavy arm.
The skin on the exposed back of the hand was loose, covered with deep wrinkles and horrible purple marks.
She trembled, and very slowly and gently, she stroked the heads of the three youngest children one by one, her movements filled with an almost pious reluctance.
"Queen Mother..." the children called out fondly.
Xiaojiu subconsciously rubbed her mother's cold palm with the top of her head, and tears rolled down her face like beads from a broken string.
Qin Minghuang struggled and used his rough fingertips to wipe away Xiaojiu's tears, which felt cold.
"Don't cry... Queen Mother's children, be strong... There is still hope..."
His gaze turned to the three older princesses and princes kneeling before the couch.
The third princess, Qin Zhaowan, immediately held her mother's old hand tightly, feeling an indescribable bitterness in her heart and her eyes instantly turned red.
"Zhao Wan..." Qin Minghuang's voice was almost inaudible, "Next... I'll leave it to you..."
"Yes, Queen Mother!" Qin Zhaowan choked with sobs, but her tone was extremely firm.
"I, your son, will not let you down!"
He turned his gaze to the fourth princess, Qin Zhaoshu, and held her hand.
"Fourth Brother, stop hiding...
Your third sister needs your strength, she will treat you well... Trust her..."
The fourth princess' chest heaved violently, she nodded heavily, tears falling silently:
"Yes, Queen Mother! I will give my all to assist Third Sister!"
Then came the fifth prince Qin Jingzhan. This son who was usually rather honest and straightforward, now had tears soaking his clothes and was sobbing uncontrollably.
Qin Minghuang held his hand and said, "Good boy, I'm sorry for having wronged you over the years..."
Of all her children, the ones she felt most indebted to were Xiaowu and Xiaoliu.
When they succeeded to the throne, they were still young and focused on government affairs, rarely caring about others.
"Mother Queen!" The fifth prince's mind was blank. He could only repeat the words and hold his mother's hand tightly.
"Okay, okay..." Qin Minghuang responded very weakly, and finally his gaze fell on Qin Zhaoyue's face.
She stretched out her hands tremblingly and loosely wrapped her arms around Qin Zhaoyue's hands, which had been pressing on her heart to channel his inner energy.
Her smile became a little erratic, and her tone even took on a touch of frivolity:
"You... you... please be less aggressive next time... The Queen Mother's life... is truly... in your hands..."
Qin Zhaoyue pursed her lips tightly.
Logically speaking, she is not the real Sixth Princess and does not have any deep feelings for this person.
I don't know if it was the atmosphere that stirred my emotions, but my tone was more calm than ever when I spoke.
"Don't worry, I'm here, nothing unexpected will happen.
Mother, you still owe me a lot of money, but I have kept a record of it. I must rescue you.
Just think of it as... a good night's sleep and a break. You've been so exhausted these past few years."
Qin Minghuang smiled, his breath becoming weaker:
"It's so rare to hear you say such filial words. Yes... old mother... deserves a rest..."
Before she finished speaking, her tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and the hand that had been lightly holding Qin Zhaoyue slipped away weakly.
The last bit of spirit in his eyes was rapidly fading, becoming empty and scattered, and his consciousness was rapidly sinking into endless darkness.
"Pei Xuanyun, Meng Guang... I entrust... him to you..."
This was the last vague murmur before he completely lost consciousness.
The two important officials knelt down hurriedly, their voices heavy and sad:
"Your servants, we will not refuse even if death is the cost!"
Qin Minghuang's eyes finally closed slowly, his head tilted weakly to one side, and he fainted completely.
The imperial study fell into dead silence.
Only the heavy breathing of the crowd and the unspeakable great sorrow and pressure filled every inch of the air.
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