Can you face
A mental illness requires a mental cure, but if those around the patient expect him to be cured, while the patient himself has no such intention, or even does not believe he is ill, then this mental illness is incurable.
The people in the hall exchanged glances. If their previous respect for Bai Shi stemmed from her beauty and demeanor, Gu Yi's endorsement, and even Gongye Fusu's recommendation, their current admiration for her was truly based on their respect for her ability to see through people's hearts.
Consort Chen, Li Lanxiu, had long been experienced in the ways of the world, and her expression was always gentle and serene. But at this moment, her beautiful brows were furrowed, clearly indicating that she was under some kind of pressure.
After a moment, she said, "I tried to bring it up briefly in front of His Majesty. His Majesty immediately and firmly denied it. So I understood that there was no need to mention it again."
Both Mu Huaying and Sikong Zhao, who were listening outside, showed expressions of surprise followed by disbelief.
Their surprise was entirely unexpected, and even Xie Lang himself was completely unaware of the matter.
Li Lanxiu said, "If he suffers from insomnia in the middle of the night, he will go out for a walk alone while awake. He will only say that he is worried about the affairs of the court and has difficulty falling asleep. But whenever he has a nightmare, he will be unaware that the Dragon Sword of the Ancestral Emperor is wandering around the palace."
Bai Shi asked, "May I ask how Your Highness tested His Majesty, and how His Majesty denied it?"
Consort Chen was lost in thought for a moment before saying, "I only dared to ask indirectly: Is there anyone or anything that His Majesty cannot let go of? He immediately frowned and cut me off, telling me not to speculate anymore. He replied: 'My whole life is for the sake of the world, and I have no worries.'"
The entire hall fell into a silence so profound you could hear a pin drop.
Mu Huaying's face was ashen, Sikong Zhao looked completely bewildered, while Gongye Fusu showed a knowing expression.
A Qiu, like Gongye Fusu, understood the situation but found it difficult to express.
Xie Lang's nightmares and loss of consciousness were so severe that he experienced headaches during the day, yet he resolutely refused to admit it. He insisted that his heart was only for the world, and he had no other concerns. If a person is so unwilling to face his true inner self, he will certainly refuse to cooperate with treatment.
Bai Shi let out a long sigh and said, "It seems that this heart ailment is not easy to cure."
Consort Chen naturally understood Bai Shi's meaning and asked, "If treatment is absolutely necessary, may I ask how you would proceed, young lady?"
Bai Shi looked at Consort Chen and said, word by word, "First, Your Majesty needs to face the fact that your soul is split. Then, you need to completely trust me and, under my guidance, explore your spiritual world, trace back to the source of the initial outburst of inner fire, and let go of the obsessions that should be let go. Perhaps then your mind and spirit can be unified. But in Your Majesty's opinion, what are the chances of getting His Majesty's cooperation?"
Everyone present fell silent.
This treatment method differs from surgical bone-scraping and from taking medicine to regulate qi. No one else can force, substitute for, or deceive the person involved to perform it. Even the pain of bone-scraping can be relieved with anesthesia to make the patient lose consciousness; and medication can be secretly added to the daily diet. But this treatment for mental illness requires the person to completely let go of their consciousness and cooperate, which everyone knows is impossible.
Xie Lang had always been well-behaved and deeply humble, and now, having reigned over the world for years, he was even more dignified and composed, rarely showing his emotions. Even with Consort Chen's close relationship with him, it's hard to say she had truly entered his heart. Perhaps, the person most unfamiliar with him was himself!
Consort Chen roused herself and said, "If His Majesty does not cooperate, is there any other way? Those two great sorcerers seemed to have no consent from His Majesty when they wandered around Qiwu Palace at night."
The "two great shamans" she mentioned were Bai Shi's master and senior uncle. Bai Shi showed no sign of abnormality and bowed, saying, "It is not difficult to seduce, control, or manipulate a person, but it is the most difficult thing to do to make a person face the deepest and most difficult part of themselves in a sober state. I hope Your Majesty will see this clearly."
She paused slightly, then said meaningfully, "In fact, in my opinion, Your Majesty's illness is not a problem if it is left untreated."
Even Consort Chen was taken aback, and Mu Huaying listened intently, asking, "Why do you say that?"
Bai Shi smiled bitterly: "Think about each of us, who doesn't have a secret that's hard to talk about? It's not necessarily something that's shameful to be seen by others, sometimes it's just a self-conscious difficulty in speaking out. Most people carry these past events throughout their lives that they don't even want to admit, or have even forgotten, until the day they are buried in the yellow earth. It's not a big deal, and it doesn't necessarily need to be dealt with."
Bai Shi's opinion was clear: it's not necessarily a bad thing not to treat him. Everyone carries the scars and secrets of the past, and everyone has to pay the price for their past selves. Xie Lang is not unique, and forcing him to face his past is not a necessary step.
Bai Shi softly uttered her last sentence, which was like a thunderbolt:
"Moreover, if His Majesty himself cannot face himself, I'm afraid none of you here can face him either."
Upon hearing this, Consort Chen and Mu Huaying exchanged glances, and even Sikong Zhao, who had been guarding the outer room, unconsciously tiptoed in with a solemn expression.
Bai Shi phrased it tactfully, but Gongye Fusu, as a guest of the Dayan Kingdom, had no need to be concerned about any distinctions of rank or status. He explained with a smile:
"The bond between the Flying Phoenix Guards and His Majesty is as strong as gold and as solid as stone. Their joint efforts in creating the Great Yan Dynasty are a well-known story even among the common people. But if one day you discover that His Majesty is not the person you have always thought he is, I wonder if your friendship will still remain the same."
If these words were spoken under normal circumstances, they would inevitably be seen as sowing discord and being treasonous. But since they were uttered by Gongye Fusu, an outsider, at this moment, everyone knew that he was stating the most simple truth.
For a moment, Mu Huaying, the oldest and most experienced among the Flying Phoenix, also had her expression change unpredictably.
Consort Chen, Li Lanxiu's face suddenly lost all color.
The Four Guards of Flying Phoenix chose to support Xie Lang rather than others during the chaos at the end of the Huan Dynasty. This decision, besides reflecting a wise political judgment of choosing the right path, inevitably also involved personal feelings. These feelings were not romantic love, but even if they were brotherly and sisterly affection, or gratitude for being recognized and rewarded, they were still based on a deep-rooted recognition and trust in Xie Lang as a person.
What if the very foundation of this trust is flawed?
For example, Zhao Lingying. Her background and motives have now become the biggest questions.
Of the previous generation of the Four Flying Phoenix Guards, one has now been lost. The trust that once stood between them through thick and thin, and helped them overcome difficulties together, could not withstand another blow.
A Qiu, who had been standing by the dragon bed, keeping a close eye on Xie Lang's movements, spoke up just in time to remind him, "His Majesty is about to wake up." Everyone immediately fell silent in unison.
Xie Lang slowly opened his eyes, his gaze gradually focusing from a blank stare in mid-air, finally settling on A Qiu's face, which was closest to him.
For some reason, recalling the scene in her dream where Xie Lang stared at her from inside the secret room of the phoenix tree, A Qiu felt a chill run down her spine whenever she met his gaze.
She could no longer simply see Xie Lang as a king, rather than a murderer who didn't even spare children.
Xie Lang's lips moved slightly, and everyone's hearts immediately jumped into their throats.
Everyone wanted to know what his first words would be after he woke up from his nightmare. Was he fully conscious? What had he heard? How much of what happened during the nightmare did he remember?
From his first words upon waking, one can tell whether this emperor is now fully conscious.
Xie Lang spoke very slowly, each word spoken with utmost care.
But upon hearing his words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he was both mentally and verbally sound, and was still the Xie Lang they knew.
Because that's how the Great Yan Monarch should react after experiencing all these unexpected events.
Xie Lang asked, "Where is the Junior Tutor?"
The Grand Commandant of the Great Yan Court, the Heavenly Prison.
The walls were damp and dark, and the terrain was narrow and cramped, with only a sliver of light shining through the stone walls. But it was much better than the dungeon that A-Qiu had been in.
At least there is still daylight, which means there is a glimmer of hope.
The dungeon was lit only by candlelight and never saw the light of day.
At first glance, A Qiu saw Zhao Lingying sitting cross-legged in the sliver of sunlight. The cascading light outlined the silhouette of her hair, and her face remained as delicate and lively as ever, though her complexion had turned pale due to excessive blood loss.
For some reason, after dreaming of Yanxiu again, Aqiu could no longer feel any wariness or malice towards Zhao Lingying in front of her.
She now knew that Zhao Lingying was Yanxiu's only close friend during her lonely years in the palace. Moreover, he was the one who remembered Yanxiu's request even after her death.
Xie Lang and Yan Xiu have known each other since childhood, they are childhood friends who grew up together, but even as a man, he has never done what Zhao Lingying did.
Therefore, Zhao Lingying once angrily rebuked him to his face: "It is Your Majesty who has greatly betrayed the principles of friendship."
Yanxiu's good friend, so you could say she's a good friend too!
She instinctively stepped forward, wanting to heal Zhao Lingying's injuries, but Zhao Lingying smiled and succinctly interrupted her: "Thank you, but it's not necessary."
A Qiu accompanied Xie Lang. Xie Lang had specifically requested that Gu Yi accompany him, but since Gu Yi wasn't there, A Qiu's presence was perfectly acceptable. No one present objected, clearly acknowledging A Qiu's role as Gu Yi's representative.
Xie Lang said in a deep voice from behind A Qiu, "I heard you are unwilling to die, just to see me one more time?"
Zhao Lingying smiled slightly, then a cunning glint appeared in his eyes as he said calmly, "Does Your Majesty wish to know the long-term strategy for pacifying Jiangdong?"
With just these words, A Qiu knew that Zhao Lingying was still the same Zhao Lingying, the talented woman of Dayan. Even though she was now on her deathbed, she could still manipulate anyone with her extraordinary cunning.
In this world, those who can lure people like bait are nothing more than those who wield power, fame, and lust. As long as the bait is good enough, there's no need to worry about them not falling into the trap. Zhao Lingying was using the last moments of his life to personally demonstrate to A Qiu what a strategist's scheme was all about.
As soon as Xie Lang woke up, upon hearing about Zhao Lingying's matter, he immediately got out of bed and, despite his weak body, went to the prison. He refused to bring anyone except A Qiu.
Upon hearing Zhao Lingying's words, a bitter smile appeared on his pale face. He then stared intently at Zhao Lingying's face and asked, "Brother, can you say no?"
Given Zhao Lingying's exceptional talent, it would be impossible for a monarch not to be moved by her brilliant dying strategy. However, Xie Lang, despite knowing that Zhao Lingying was trying to provoke him, ultimately could not ignore the fact that she was about to pass away.
A smile appeared in Zhao Lingying's eyes, and she said with a touch of naivety, "Of course not!"
This was the first time since A Qiu had met Zhao Lingying that she had seen a genuine, undisguised, radiant smile in her eyes.
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