Chapter 114 [VIP]
...Shall we take action?
For a moment, Xue Yi had the illusion that he was the one lying on the small bed. He and Lu Xuejin had become one; to kill Lu Xuejin was to kill himself. His thoughts seeped into the crevices of Lu Xuejin's body, becoming part of her blood, circulating through her bones and becoming inseparable.
“Song Zhao… I can’t bring myself to do it. You want me to hurt him… you might as well hurt me directly,” he said in a low voice.
When his palm touched Lu Xuejin's soft cheek, the skin on the young man's cheek sank down, and his beautiful eyelashes trembled slightly, silently touching his heartstrings.
Song Zhao stood at the doorway, as if he already knew the answer, his body gradually blending into the shadows under the sunlight.
The sound of the zither strings continued to be plucked slowly, gradually fading into the distance. Song Zhao looked in the distance, his profile blurred into a heavy gray shadow, like a deflated sandbag, swarming with countless ants that eagerly encroached upon Song Zhao's face.
"Your Majesty...did you hear that?"
Xue Yi stared at Song Zhao's profile. The distinct black and white of the other's eyes and the reflection beside him blended together to form a large area of gray. The heavy gray and light gray intertwined and divided, making it seem as if Song Zhao was no longer in the human world, but rather on the boundary between life and death.
"...Did you hear that?"
...Can you hear me?
He heard faint sounds of strings, but nothing else.
He looked in the direction Song Zhao was staring at, but saw nothing.
After an unknown amount of time, Song Zhao withdrew his gaze and stared at him for a long time. Song Zhao examined every inch of his hair as if it were the first time they were meeting, or as if he were looking through him at something sublime.
Song Zhao said nothing.
Song Zhao stared at his lord's face, watching helplessly as his lord's body dissipated, turning into bones the moment the decision was made. He watched his lord's blood flow down, yet even as the blood flowed, he remained by the small bedside.
...Did you hear that?
...Can you hear me?
--rustle
—Shh shh shh
Under the bright sun, a faint sound emanated from somewhere within the palace. After that faint sound, all was silent. A snowfall had fallen in Wei capital, and the chill it brought enveloped the city once more. After a long silence, a violent sound startled the birds in the sky, scattering them in all directions, yet the world remained unmoved.
That was the sound of a dynasty collapsing.
This land is so cruel that whether the living or the dead dwell within it, it remains, undeterred by momentary upheavals. This land is also so benevolent that, amidst the recurring upheavals of millennia, it allows some survivors to glimpse the inevitable end of their destiny.
Everything stems from the wonder of fate, and ultimately returns to silence.
"Feiyue... Lord Song, let's go take a look over there!"
...Jade Moon Pure Ruler, Golden Jade Loyal Minister.
Song Zhao left.
Xue Yi stayed by Lu Xuejin's small bed until she woke up.
“…Brother?” Lu Xuejin had slept for nearly two hours, and when she opened her eyes, it was almost dusk.
At such a moment... Xue Yi looked at the young man's profile, his heart so fragile... The thoughts he had been lost in because of Song Zhao's departure all disappeared after the other opened his eyes and called his name.
"Brother, what time is it now?"
How long did I sleep?
He replied, "Changyou slept for two hours... Now the time is just right, does Changyou feel the effects of the alcohol have worn off?"
Lu Xuejin: "Much better... Has my brother been watching over me the whole time?"
For some reason, looking at Lu Xuejin's expression, he felt that there was a certain expectation in her eyes. He knew the answer she was hoping for, so he said, "No... I just arrived, and Changyou woke up."
"Lord Lu is awake? That's good. The ship is docked near Fengming Terrace. Let's go take a look." Zhang Lin said from the doorway.
Lu Xuejin glanced at Zhang Lin before smiling at him, "Then brother has arrived just in time... thankfully, he hasn't spoiled everyone's fun. Brother, let's go out too."
Outside the door, Song Zhao and Elder Wei were also waiting for them. Song Zhao was speaking softly to the woman playing the pipa. It turned out that after she finished playing, the woman couldn't help but tell him about her life story. Song Zhao didn't know what he said to her, but the woman wiped away her tears and knelt down before him.
Zhang Lin: "Let me see, this is someone seeking Lord Song's release from slavery... Meeting Lord Song today is quite a coincidence, the music is indeed played very well."
After Song Zhao finished talking with the zither player, she wiped away her tears and stood up. Gratefully, she tried to thank Song Zhao again, but Song Zhao's expression remained unchanged. He exchanged a few words with the guards, and then the guards took the zither player away.
Song Zhao said to Lu Xuejin, "I need to review the laws and regulations again. If there are no problems, I will go to the Nine Departments after His Majesty gives them his final approval."
Lu Xuejin nodded: "I'll trouble Lord Song with this matter."
Zhang Lin walked ahead and couldn't help but laugh. "Look at Lord Song and Lord Lu, they were arguing just now, but now they're fine again. Brothers don't hold grudges overnight, and you both work in the Censorate... you see each other all the time, don't you?"
The streets were bustling with activity during the spring outing. The entire street was shrouded in emerald green gauze, with verdant leaves and pink trees everywhere. Warm sunlight shone on the bluestone floor, and a few golden hairpins dangled from the dusty streets, revealing the powdered eyes of women.
Zhang Lin and Elder Wei walked ahead. Upon seeing the woman's figure emerging from the water, Elder Wei immediately prepared to leave, saying, "This...this old man will not go to such a place."
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