Chapter 53: The road of the past was fair, and people all over the world followed it.
"Do you want to go to a place suitable for talking?" Lou Wanqiao looked around. This area was not suitable for them to communicate because palace servants would pass by.
She and Wen Xuechi were both in a very delicate situation, whether in the palace or in the court. Although she had a good relationship with Li Su, it was inevitable that others would not think so.
At this critical moment, it's best to avoid public criticism. Lou Wanqiao himself doesn't care, but the new emperor's dignity must be maintained.
"I know a good place." Wen Xuechi snapped his fingers. "Follow me."
Lou Wanqiao raised his eyebrows. He had never thought that this person, who had been away from the imperial palace for so long, actually had a secret camp inside the palace?
Out of curiosity, she walked forward with Wen Xuechi.
The weather was clear, the breeze blew a few strands of hair across her cheeks, the fragrance of flowers filled the air, and she was inexplicably in a good mood.
Wen Xuechi stopped in front of a pavilion and looked up.
"What is this...?" She then looked up. The architecture of the pavilion was very exquisite. Just by looking at it, one could imagine the noble status of the owner.
I didn't expect there was such a place deep in the palace.
"My aunt lives here." He said softly.
aunt?
Lou Wanqiao blinked, thinking quickly. Unfamiliar with the harem's situation, she subconsciously asked, "So, what's she doing now..."
She stopped abruptly before she finished her words. Neither the previous emperor nor the one she had deposed, Li Lianhan, had met a good end. And considering how deserted this place was, the palace maids probably didn't even clean it. I'm afraid...
"Oh, her," Wen Xuechi smiled. "She's not a caged bird; her heart is in the martial arts world. So one night, she escaped from the palace, sword in hand, and set out on the treacherous journey of the martial arts world. Now, she and the man she loves are a duo of heroes and heroines in the martial arts world, and they're truly feared by everyone."
Lou Wanqiao's eyes lit up: "So that's how it is! That's great!"
"Yes, my aunt was a very brave woman. I have always admired her. She taught me swordsmanship and martial arts when I was young. Many people have fallen to her sword. What does a mere palace mean to me?"
"It's just that the imperial court was once filled with those who were not worthy of being seen, and they were accustomed to using their power to oppress others. My aunt was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see others suffer, so she was forced to enter the palace." At this point, Wen Xuechi paused, then suddenly understood. "But this was not a compromise or giving up. On the contrary, she saved most people and only left when she had nothing to worry about."
"Ah Qiao," he looked at her again, his eyes firm, "I wasn't a burden to Aunt before, and I won't hold you back now."
"..." Lou Wanqiao met his eyes, sincere, bright, and filled with a unique cherishment. She felt something stuck in her throat, unable to express it. After a long silence, she uttered a "hmm".
She seldom comforts others. Let alone comforting them, judging by her behavior over the years, it's considered good enough if she doesn't take advantage of others' misfortunes or make a few sarcastic remarks.
Now that the situation has gotten like this, I'm not sure how to start.
But Wen Xuechi didn't want her to say anything, so he just ran his fingers along her wrist all the way to her palm and gently made a circle: "Come on, I'll take you in." "...Okay?" Lou Wanqiao took a long time to speak.
Wen Xuechi burst out laughing: "Of course. Qiao, you are so... cute."
Lou Wanqiao scratched his head, knowing that he was not good at these things, so he decided to quietly be a good listener and visitor, and become a secret keeper from then on.
She never thought Wen Xuechi was a burden.
On the contrary, he has been helping me to the best of his ability since we first met.
Although she was part of the plot, Wen Xuechi had to agree with her and be willing to participate in it.
He is the Marquis of Pingyuan, who holds a large number of troops in the court, and he is also Wen Xuechi, a chivalrous knight who lives in seclusion in the martial arts world. Lou Wanqiao really can't imagine how these two disparate identities can appear harmoniously in the same person.
From that night in the jungle, to the subsequent martial arts conference, and then to the cave of Dengxianmen, Wen Xuechi always followed her arrangements well.
Although we can do without him, having this kind of help is a great help.
Lou Wanqiao followed Wen Xuechi's footsteps and walked into the attic door.
The first thing you see is a very simple layout, concise yet elegant, which makes Lou Wanqiao feel refreshed.
Judging from the layout and decoration, she could roughly guess her aunt's life and state of mind here.
"Is it okay for us to come here? Uh, I mean, your aunt..." Lou Wanqiao was speechless for a moment, "Does this place bring back any bad memories?"
"This is her residence within the palace, but it won't be a prison for her," Wen Xuechi explained gently. "She passes intelligence from here and cultivates her own power. She's teaching me swordsmanship on the rooftop. The view from the rooftop is beautiful. I'll take you up there."
"good."
After hearing what he said, Lou Wanqiao probably understood what kind of person his aunt was.
Unfortunately, they were in different times. At that time, Lou Wanqiao was still a fully grown woman and was still growing.
But it doesn’t matter. Within the four borders, there are still many women working hard and going through hardships to achieve freedom.
She has saved many people in the past, and now Lou Wanqiao is also using her own way to redress the grievances of people all over the world.
This is a very difficult thing. Nothing is easy. Some people stop halfway, some people go around in circles, but there will always be results in the end.
Wen Xuechi's aunt never gave up, she would not give up, and many, many people would certainly not give up either.
"Ever since then, I've been working hard." Wen Xuechi walked up the stairs step by step and said softly, "You know, Qiao, I used to work hard on swordsmanship and reading poetry, just so that one day I could see all living beings."
"Seeing sentient beings?"
"Yes. I knew Dali was under attack from all sides, with wolves in front and tigers and leopards behind, so I volunteered to go to the border." He walked to the second floor and looked back at her. "I thought this would at least help Dali, but... it's not enough, far from enough. No matter how thoroughly we kill the external enemies, it can't remove the wounds within us. Dali has long been rotten from the root."
"I fought bravely in front of countless armies, witnessed many people die on the battlefield, and watched the blood-red sunset in the desert. When I finally returned to the capital, I felt that everything was unreal."
Having said this, Wen Xuechi was silent for a long time, and Lou Wanqiao stood in front of him quietly waiting for the second half of the sentence.
"It's so unreal. They're living in riotous pleasures, singing and dancing. The soldiers are doing their utmost to protect Dali's borders from being invaded, yet they're living a life of revelry and drunkenness every night."
"Aqiao, I've always wondered what true morality is." Wen Xuechi's tone grew a little lost as he spoke, as if transported back to that winter many years ago. "What is justice? What is fairness? Is power truly so invincible?"
He was silent again.
This seems to be a very painful memory.
Seeing him frown as he lost himself in memories, Lou Wanqiao grasped his hand just in time: "Don't be afraid, everything is fine now. Morality is in the hearts of the people. Fairness should be in the hands of the people, and power... should be given to those who can uphold justice for the people."
Her tone softened, "...just like we are now. Yan Gui, now we have done it. No matter how much suffering and hardship there was, we have endured it. From now on, the great way will be fair, and everyone in the world will be on the same path."
"Everyone in the world...will go together." He murmured again, his eyes slowly lighting up. "Yes, Qiao, yes, fairness and morality should be like this!"
"And then? What did you do then?" Lou Wanqiao was led by him upstairs. Seeing that he had recovered, she couldn't help but ask.
"I have tried many things and followed my aunt's footsteps, but it seems to be of no avail. I have supreme power, standing above everyone else, and possessing military authority that even emperors fear..." Wen Xuechi said slowly, "But these are not enough, none of them are enough.
The emperor was wary of me, the court officials were terrified of me, and dared not complain openly, but were secretly wary of me. Qiao, the people were still suffering at that time.
"I just realized that what I am protecting is still the peace of mind of those above me."
His words were powerful, and each word was an unforgettable memory and a painful journey.
"I found that I couldn't seem to change anything. If that was the case, what was the point of being the Marquis of Pingyuan? They feared the Marquis of Pingyuan, his military exploits, and the sword in my hand. So I took up this sword and went out into the world of Jianghu to meet all living beings."
"Since they all use force, it would be better for me to go among the people, so that I can protect more people."
Having said that, they also reached the top floor.
Gazing out from the railing of Louwan Bridge, one can see the entire imperial palace.
From this perspective, the palace was not actually that big, so how could it have imprisoned so many people and ended the lives of so many people?
"When I was a child, I liked to look out from here. When I was tired of practicing sword, I would enjoy the fresh air and then get up to continue." Wen Xuechi's tone suddenly became much more relaxed, as if he had let out the depressed air in his heart after saying this.
"Aqiao, thank you."
"Um?"
"I've never told anyone these things. You're the first person to look at my past so directly."
Lou Wanqiao gently pinched his fingers. "You've been a little vague. I want to hear more. I want to know how you marched and fought, how you remained calm in the face of danger in front of a huge army, what it was like when you first went to the battlefield, and who you helped during your time in the martial arts world... I want to hear all these questions."
Wen Xuechi's eyes slowly filled with a smile. "Aqiao, you have so many questions, I don't know which one to answer first... Then how about I tell you everything in detail one by one? But I also want to hear you talk about it, to hear you tell me about your past, those interesting, shocking, and sad memories."
"Okay." Lou Wanqiao agreed. "I'll tell you about it sometime, or you can just tell it as a bedtime story."
The wind was strong on the top floor, blowing Wen Xuechi's robe into a flutter, and the cold fragrance became clearer. "What are you going to do next, Qiao? Just tell me if you have anything to say."
"Oh, next, let's deal with Prince Duan, and by the way, check... Li Lianhan and Li Jin to see if there are any fish that have slipped through the net. If there is anything, just let Li Yulan take the blame."
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