Gan Lin cried until her voice was hoarse, and Gan Qiongying sat there trying to comfort her, but the more she tried, the angrier she became.
Li Hua is really... Gan Qiongying feels that if this continues, she will be unable to live without liver-soothing and chest-opening medicine from now on.
We need to find some time to properly set some rules for him. Is it really necessary? It's one thing to be jealous of your own child, but Gan Qiongying and Gan Lin don't even see each other every day!
When Gan Lin found out about this so suddenly, how could he possibly get over it?
Gan Qiongying originally planned to tell Gan Lin that Eunuch Li died of illness, and Gan Qiongying was not happy when she received the news.
He didn't tell him that Eunuch Li had died of illness beforehand, because if Gan Lin returned to become emperor in the future, he would naturally know the true cause of Eunuch Li's death. If Gan Lin never returned to the palace, then he would never have to know this tragic truth.
Now that this matter has been exposed so abruptly, and the person who replied to Gan Lin was someone that Eunuch Li had trained in the palace, Gan Qiongying couldn't even argue that someone had deliberately set a trap.
Moreover, this matter did not end there. Gan Lin was crying so hard, and when Xiao Qiansong, who had gone to provide free medical consultations for others, returned and learned of the death of Eunuch Li, he was stunned for a moment before throwing the medicine box he was carrying on his shoulder to the ground.
Then Gan Lin and Gan Lin started hugging and crying.
Since his father passed away, followed by his mother, Xiao Qiansong had few relatives left, only a few old servants guarding the house. No one in the household helped him, and because he had once served under Gan Lin, he was ostracized by the Imperial Medical Academy and lived a precarious life, so he hadn't even married.
When Gan Lin was about to escape, it was Eunuch Li who suddenly found him, kneeling down and begging him to go with Gan Lin, asking him to take care of Gan Lin's health on the way.
Because of Li Quan's sudden kneeling, and also because... he was grateful for Li Quan's care and wanted to recognize him as his father, but Li Quan kept declining.
Xiao Qiansong thought that Li Quan, the chief eunuch, had failed to respect him, a mere physician. Physician Xiao did not resent it, but felt it was a great pity.
But on that very day, Xiao Qiansong finally understood that Eunuch Li didn't look down on him; he was just afraid that if he became the son of a eunuch, his reputation wouldn't be good, which was why he had never dared to recognize him as his godson.
However, the two of them ultimately failed to address each other as father and son, because Gan Lin left in a hurry, and Physician Xiao didn't even pack anything before following him out of the palace that very night.
A year has passed since Xiao Qiansong left the palace, and he has tried every means to inquire about what's happening there. However, because they cannot inquire openly and must remain hidden, they have been unable to make contact with the palace in Nanzhao.
After all, Eunuch Li was the chief of the imperial guards, and not just anyone could contact him casually.
But who would have thought that only a year later... he would be gone.
Moreover, from Gan Lin's choked-up description, Xiao Qiansong learned that Eunuch Li died because he assassinated the Empress Dowager, buying them time to escape. He and Gan Lin cried like a pair of dead dogs.
Gan Qiongying tried to appease this person with a few words, and that person with a few words, but the more she tried to appease them, the more the floodwaters seemed to burst.
Gan Qiongying was very sad. Since leaving the palace, they had been able to shake off the gloom, but this news suddenly made the whole room seem to be shrouded in gloom again.
Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, the wet nurse took both children away. After Li Hua had made a mistake, she did not dare to stay in the room for long. Under the pretext of looking at the account book, she went to the next room.
Gan Qiongying kept comforting the two of them in a low voice, and the two of them comforted each other in return. But for Gan Lin, Eunuch Li was like an elder who had accompanied him as he grew up.
Unlike the bond of mutual dependence between him and Gan Qiongying, Li Quan took care of her in every little detail. Every time she was tormented by the Regent, it was Li Quan who was there to comfort and care for her.
When Gan Lin first left the palace, what he found hardest to adjust to was not having Li Quan by his side.
In just over a year, Gan Lin had hoped that they would meet again someday. Although Li Quan was bloated, he had no other health problems. Because he spent his days in the palace, he was quite healthy.
The person was gone so suddenly, and died so tragically. How could Gan Lin not be saddened, and how could she bear such a blow?
In the end, it was Xiao Qiansong who recovered first. Gan Lin was still sobbing and burying his face in his hands on the table. Xiao Qiansong and Gan Qiongying were afraid that he would hurt himself by crying, so Xiao Qiansong prescribed a calming medicine and had it brewed for Gan Lin to drink.
As a result, Gan Lin drank a bowl of medicine and slept for a whole day and night.
The calming soup wasn't nearly as potent as it seemed; it was just that Gan Lin was trapped in a nightmare from which she couldn't escape, crying and laughing in her dream, and even convulsing.
Xiao Qiansong stayed by Gan Lin's side, trying to dissuade Gan Qiongying from going to rest.
Gan Qiongying stayed by Gan Lin's side, and slept for two days in a daze by his bedside.
He didn't go back to Lihua's house at all, and he didn't even look at the two children much.
Li Hua came several times to relieve Gan Qiongying and watch over Gan Lin, but Gan Qiongying didn't even glance at him. Several times, Li Hua's eyes reddened, and he knelt down at Gan Qiongying's feet, apologizing softly.
However, Gan Lin in bed remained unconscious, and Gan Qiongying had no mood to pay attention to Li Hua. She should teach him a lesson, otherwise, what would happen if he continued to act like this?
He's the male protagonist of this book, full of schemes and tricks. What if he uses them on his own family members later?
Li Hua was truly terrified this time. He had a conflict with Gan Qiongying, and Gan Qiongying had never treated him so coldly before. Li Hua was so frightened that he couldn't eat or sleep well every day.
I can't even look at the ledgers; the pain is so intense I want to hurt myself to relieve it, but I don't dare...
When Gan Lin woke up the following night, Li Hua was even happier than Gan Qiongying.
Directing her maids to fuss over Gan Lin, wiping his body and helping him change clothes, Gan Qiongying sat at a table not far away, frowning as she watched. Li Hua even personally served Gan Lin a bowl of ginseng soup.
He has no psychological barriers to being humble and unassuming; his ability to bend and stretch is truly remarkable.
While taking care of Gan Lin, she would secretly glance at Gan Qiongying, her eyes and brows not daring to show the slightest hint of seeking credit or reward, only flattery and ingratiation.
Gan Qiongying sipped her tea and gave a cold snort, finally managing to give Li Hua a sharp look.
Li Hua's anxiety eased slightly, as long as Gan Qiongying was still angry with him and still looked at him.
After this experience, Li Hua fully understood the importance of Gan Lin. She was still extremely jealous, but she would never dare to play any tricks on Gan Lin again.
However, it was precisely because of Li Hua's helpful suggestion, and because of Li Quan's matter, that Gan Lin, who had been hesitant and wavering, finally settled down.
We couldn't enjoy the New Year properly, and now it's already the second day of the Lunar New Year.
Gan Lin ate his fill under the servants' care. Although he stopped crying and was given ginseng soup and various calming medicines after waking up, he didn't seem to wear his sadness on his face. However, the spirited young man he had been before had almost completely vanished overnight.
How could Gan Qiongying not be worried? Gan Lin, however, comforted her instead: "I'm really alright, sister..."
Gan Qiongying couldn't possibly tell Gan Lin who did it, and this was the first time she had defended Li Hua in front of Gan Lin.
It wasn't that Gan Qiongying had any bias; it was just that they were family, and if this matter were brought up, it would definitely create a rift. So, it was best to leave it unresolved, to let it remain unresolved in Gan Qiongying's heart.
Gan Qiongying looked at Gan Lin with heartache in her eyes. Early in the morning, after Gan Lin got dressed and had breakfast, he even said "Happy New Year" to Gan Qiongying.
Gan Qiongying said, "I'll be happy if you get better soon. I just want you all to be well. I received news of this beforehand, but Eunuch Li died too tragically, and we've only just started to recover. You've only just started to smile again, and you're so happy every day. I didn't tell you. Will you blame me?"
"I was thinking of explaining this later... I thought that after a while, if you still haven't received any news from the palace, you'll start to notice and make your own guesses."
“I know why you didn’t tell me, sister,” Gan Lin said as she walked up to Gan Qiongying. Gan Qiongying was sitting at the table, so Gan Lin knelt down and hugged her waist, resting her head on her lap.
Gan Lin said, "If it were me... if someone my sister cared about died, I would also weigh the pros and cons and perhaps not tell her the truth. I know my sister loves me, and I don't blame her."
Gan Qiongying stroked Gan Lin's head, her heart aching terribly.
Gan Qiongying's feelings for Gan Lin even surpassed those for her own two children. They depended on each other for survival, drank poison with a smile, and escaped the palace together through life and death. The kinship that came from the superposition of two souls was something that others could not understand.
Gan Lin could naturally sense Gan Qiongying's heartache, and gently shook her waist, saying, "Sister, don't be sad... I'm really fine. I'm all grown up now, I can handle it."
But the more Gan Lin said this, the more heartbroken Gan Qiongying became. Of course, Gan Qiongying knew that Gan Lin could bear it. He was treated as a puppet emperor, and even when he was poisoned and torn apart by insects, he gritted his teeth and endured the pain without complaining.
But this time it's different. The death of Eunuch Li... is truly hard to let go of.
Gan Lin rested his head on Gan Qiongying's knees, while Gan Qiongying stroked his hair. The two siblings nestled together quietly.
The sunlight outside is particularly bright tonight, shining through the window and casting a warm glow that envelops the two of us, like a beautiful, still painting.
But time does not stand still, just like hatred.
Gan Lin was genuinely afraid that if he returned too late, he wouldn't have the chance to avenge Eunuch Li.
Therefore, even though he felt deeply guilty towards Gan Qiongying, Gan Lin still spoke up.
“Sister, I have already made contact with the Northwest Army. Chen Wa is now the deputy general of the Northwest Army. I am confident that I can persuade his brother and father to lead the Northwest Army to escort me back to the capital city of Yin.”
"Sister... I'm sorry. You gave up everything to bring me out of the palace, but I still have to go back in the end."
Gan Qiongying paused slightly while touching Gan Lin's hand, and finally sighed deeply.
At the same time, I felt a bit annoyed. Li Hua always achieves his goal, you bastard!
Gan Lin said, “I have been in power for several years and have accomplished nothing. I am merely surviving under the control of others. The country is on the verge of collapse, the people are suffering, disasters are frequent, and refugees are displaced. Is this not because the ruler is incompetent?”
“Sister, I also thought about studying medicine, like Xiao Qiansong, carrying a package to go out and provide free medical services. I wanted to travel the world and save as many people as I could see as possible.”
"But with the world ravaged and the land shattered, where is there any freedom? I am powerless even to help the people in the northwest border region after the snow disaster, let alone the countless corrupt officials in Nanzhao, plagued by locust plagues, floods, and droughts year after year. Even if I work day and night, how many people can I save?"
"But if I were to return to that pinnacle, and if I were to work diligently and tirelessly to govern the country, perhaps I could restore some peace to the people and bring stability to the land for several years. Then I could die without regret."
Gan Qiongying had remained silent, letting Gan Lin speak with great ambition.
But upon hearing this, he frowned and held up three fingers to Gan Lin.
He pressed down the first finger with his other hand and said, "First, your lack of achievements over the decades has nothing to do with your own abilities. It is because of treacherous officials who brought disaster to the country, the checks and balances of aristocratic families, the Empress Dowager's monopoly of the harem, and the birth of an illegitimate son who attempted to seize the throne and distort the orthodoxy."
"It's a miracle you survived. You're taking so much blame on yourself. That's not being responsible, that's being crazy."
Gan Lin's raging anger was extinguished by Gan Qiongying's douse of cold water.
Gan Qiongying pressed down her second finger and said, "Secondly, droughts, floods, locust plagues, and snow disasters are natural disasters. They have existed since the beginning of time, before there were any countries or even people in the world. Who was to blame then? The gods?"
"All of this has nothing to do with the ruler's lack of virtue. There are plenty of tyrants out there, and their countries are still prosperous and powerful. You can blame yourself for not being able to govern the country well enough, and that's all you need to do. To wallow in self-pity and blame yourself for natural disasters and man-made calamities is a sign that you are seriously ill!"
Gan Lin stared blankly at Gan Qiongying and licked his lips.
Gan Qiongying pressed down her last finger and said, "Third, all emperors and monarchs don't need to be measured by any ruler. Do what you can do, and if you can't do it, you can't do it. Don't worry about whether history will record your name as infamy or evil after you die."
"If you want to avenge Li Quan, then do so. If you feel sorry for the disaster victims and the people, then go and make changes and find solutions. Don't harbor hatred, don't feel sorrow, and don't feel guilty. None of this is your sin."
"You can do all this with hope and dreams, to change your land and soothe its cries. You can hold life and death in your hands and have compassion in your heart, but you cannot blame everything on yourself."
Even up to this point, all the words were kind, and Gan Lin's eyes welled up with tears as Gan Qiongying spoke to her.
Gan Qiongying then said, "You know your own problem: you're always hesitant and afraid of everything. What can you accomplish if you're afraid of everything? You also know you're not that important. Has the country collapsed since you left the capital a year ago?"
"The sun still rises as usual, and the rooster still crows proudly every morning."
"A person is a person. If you have desires, do what you want to do, and live however you want to live. Don't put yourself in a bunch of traps and make up a bunch of excuses."
"The country and its people may not need you. You may want to return to that position legitimately because you are surnamed Gan, but you don't need to extinguish your own desires for the sake of the country and its people."
"In short... revenge is fine, becoming emperor is fine too. You can also strive for good governance, but you can't be obsessed with it."
"You must not harm yourself, you must not hurt yourself, you must not destroy yourself," Gan Qiongying said, touching Gan Lin's face. "You must remember that your older sister will feel sorry for you."
"Besides, you haven't done anything to wrong me. We were forced to leave the palace. If we hadn't come out, we would probably be someone else's meal by now."
"I named you Changshengnu (Eternal Slave) not because I wanted you to waste your life and die young for anyone."
Gan Lin was completely dispelled by Gan Qiongying's words, and he calmed down and his heart became more composed.
Examining his tumultuous thoughts over the past two days, it is indeed as his elder sister said: he wants to go back for revenge and wants to do something to change the status quo for the country.
Other than that... he wanted to climb back to the top and take control of everything he had never been able to control before.
There's really no need to think about anything else.
Gan Lin suddenly understood, and hugged Gan Qiongying, tears welling up in his eyes. He promised, "Sister, don't worry, I will never hurt myself, destroy myself, or wallow in self-pity..."
"That's good. Then you can do whatever you want," Gan Qiongying said.
Gan Lin and the Northwest Army left on the fifth day of the first lunar month. Before their main army set off, the news had already been spread that the emperor had been kidnapped by villains and had gone through many hardships, but was rescued by the Northwest Army. Now they were going to send the true dragon back to the throne.
Upon hearing this news, the various clans fighting amongst themselves in the imperial city, as well as the powerful Prince Ganlikang, who coveted the throne, were all filled with alarm.
Princess Hui'an and the imperial clan, who had painstakingly supported a mere child who was utterly incapable of being an emperor, to sit on the throne, breathed a sigh of relief.
Even if Gan Lin is not good, he has been in power for many years. Although he cannot compete with the clans, the regent has now fallen, and the largest clan, the Kou clan, is teetering on the brink of collapse. If the true dragon returns to the throne, it will be the best outcome!
The day Gan Lin left was still filled with heavy snow. He was dressed in armor and riding a tall horse.
Gan Qiongying stood in front of the horse looking at him. Her long hair was half-draped and covered with frost and snow, but her back was as straight as a pine tree. She looked like a war god descending from the heavens, majestic and imposing.
The Northwest Army behind him stretched as far as the eye could see. The entire force escorting the monarch back to the Dragon Guard would receive tremendous merit as long as they successfully reached the imperial city, so they were all in high spirits and exuded an imposing aura.
Now that things have come to this, there's no turning back. Gan Qiongying has learned about the basic thoughts of the imperial city through the messages that Li Hua has been sending over the past few days through Hai Dongqing.
Gan Lin was escorted back to the capital by the Northwest Army. There was no danger whatsoever, and it was even something that everyone was looking forward to.
Because Nanzhao today truly needs a God to take charge of the overall situation, otherwise it will inevitably become like a pile of loose sand that can never be gathered together again.
Of course, some people would want to stop it, but such an invincible elite army of tens of thousands of people would be a force that even winged assassins would never dare to confront head-on.
Moreover, Gan Qiongying assigned sixteen of her seventeen shadow guards to Gan Lin, giving them a strict order to protect Gan Lin's life at all costs.
Li Hua added many more experts to Gan Lin's side, making Gan Lin's defenses impregnable, even more so than the guards in the imperial city.
Gan Qiongying was slightly relieved, but before Gan Lin left, she was still anxious and uneasy.
Li Hua had been trying to coax Gan Qiongying these past few days, and she was starting to pay attention to him, but she would still sleep with her back to him and wouldn't let him touch her.
Seeing that Gan Lin was finally leaving, Li Hua was overjoyed. And just as he expected, this move was a double-edged sword, because Xiao Qiansong was also leaving. Xiao Qiansong would stay by Gan Lin's side and take care of Gan Lin's health at any time!
Li Hua barely suppressed his pleasure, reached out and patted Gan Qiongying's shoulder. Seeing that Gan Qiongying did not resist, he hugged her and stroked her back to comfort her.
He leaned close to Gan Qiongying's ear and said, "Don't worry, Madam. My men will follow Gan Lin all the way. I have also sent a message to Jinchuan. The 'Crown Prince of Jinchuan' will personally lead his army to the border to support the return of the true dragon emperor of Nanzhao."
“Gan Lin will be in no danger whatsoever. I have also placed some people in the capital city of Nanzhao, and no one will dare to oppose me.”
"Gan Lin's return to power is legitimate and a matter of restoring order. The world is as easy as taking candy from a baby for him..."
A torrent of compliments poured into Gan Qiongying's ears. Gan Qiongying naturally knew that Gan Lin's trip was basically risk-free. Even if he ascended the throne, the regent was now a cripple, the empress dowager was barely clinging to life, and the Kou clan was already preoccupied with the infighting between the siblings Kou Ningyu and Kou Ning'an. The other clans were no threat.
But Gan Qiongying was very worried. She had thought of everything she could, and even checked the clothes she gave Gan Lin several times.
Just as the army was about to march, Gan Qiongying suddenly looked up and saw a string of Buddhist prayer beads in Li Hua's hand.
Then he remembered that Li Hua had bought this thing from Ding Zhen for 50,000 taels of silver, and Li Hua had always worn it on his wrist.
Last time, Gan Qiongying spent 100,000 taels of silver to buy a string of Buddhist prayer beads from the monk Dingzhen. The monk told her that the beads could ward off a bloody calamity. Gan Qiongying gave the prayer beads to Li Hua, and Li Hua once mentioned that the prayer beads had indeed warded him off a bloody calamity.
At this point, people are desperate and will try anything, like going to a temple and worshipping Buddha indiscriminately.
Gan Qiongying immediately took off the string of Buddhist beads, ran quickly to Gan Lin's horse, grabbed Gan Lin's hand, and put the string of beads on his head.
"Keep it close to your body! Never take it off, it might protect you from a bloody disaster."
Gan Lin looked down at Gan Qiongying, smiled and nodded. The two of them would not say anything more; they had said everything that needed to be said today.
Gan Qiongying was protected by Li Hua and stepped back a little. Gan Lin raised his hand and took off the mask on his head.
Then a mournful bugle call sounded, and the army began to march.
Gan Lin turned back to look at Gan Qiongying one last time; his eyes behind the mask were curved.
A long wind swept up the flying snow, scattering it across the sky. The distant bugle call accompanied the army's march, echoing through the valley like the roar of a dragon and the howl of a tiger amidst the earth-shaking tremors, shaking the very soul.
The return of the true dragon to its rightful place is no empty talk.
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