BLPSG Chapter 70: Finally saw Xie Bufeng again

Abyss: Thank you so much Charlie and Jujü女王Joō for the kofi, Enjoy the updatess!

 

“Squeak——”

 

The latch outside the main room had long rusted and fallen off.

 

Xie Bufeng barely exerted any force, and he pushed open the already decayed and deformed wooden door and stepped into the room.

 

He stood at the threshold, holding his breath and looking forward.

 

In the small main room, there was only one case table.

 

On both sides, there were bedrooms, and the wooden bed in the room had already cracked and warped, emitting a strong musty smell.

 

The room was covered in dust, it was indeed like no one had lived there for many years.

 

Xie Bufeng stood here quietly, motionless.

 

Only his trembling fingers and slightly noticeable breathing inadvertently revealed the owner’s nervousness.

 

The rooms in the small village were not paved with blue bricks.

 

On the ground compacted by soil, it was impossible to see if there was any dust.

 

Xie Bufeng’s gaze slowly slid over this place.

 

At this moment, he was like a lone wolf patiently looking for the traces of his prey.

 

His amber pupils were calm and composed.

 

But in the young man’s heart, there seemed to be a raging fire burning under his skin.

 

Just at this moment, a bird’s cry came from outside the window——

 

This sound pierced the silence of Shan Yu Jian in an instant, and also pierced Xie Bufeng’s heart, suddenly becoming chaotic.

 

Xie Bufeng squinted his eyes, his dark pupils contracted, and he suddenly walked quickly to the bedroom on the south side.

 

Next to the bed was a small desk made of thin wooden boards.

 

The new emperor in black clothes slowly bent down.

 

He saw:

 

On the dusty desk, there were two shallow fingerprints.

 

The fingerprints were still clear, that person might have just left here.

 

“……Wen Qingci.”

 

Xie Bufeng slowly forced out this name from between his teeth, he trembled and put his finger on the fingerprint, his eyebrows were full of tenderness and affection.

 

After a pause of a few seconds, the muscles on the young man’s forearm suddenly tightened, and then he clenched his fist bit by bit.

 

It was as if he was crossing time and space, and firmly grasping that jade-white and slender wrist.

 

Dust, fingerprints.

 

These things are too insignificant, Xie Bufeng’s reason told him that based on what he saw, he couldn’t prove anything.

 

But his instinct was shouting, it was Wen Qingci, only Wen Qingci would come here to revisit the old place after twenty years.

 

The traces in the old house seemed like two sparks, igniting the barren ground in Xie Bufeng’s eyes.

 

In the originally empty heart chamber, there was suddenly a raging fire, burning him all the time.

 

This fire forced him to do something—even if it was just to stop the boiling water.

 

*

 

“……Didn’t they say he would come in four or five days?” Song Junran almost gritted his teeth and whispered, “Why is he so punctual, he arrived two days early!”

 

He seemed to like to pick on Xie Bufeng.

 

Although the Valley of Divine Physicians is close to Songxi Prefecture, it also takes at least one day to walk the mountain road to reach the hidden valley entrance.

 

In order to take care of Wen Qingci’s body, after returning to the old house, the two did not leave directly, but chose to stay in Songxi Prefecture for another day, and then set off to return to the valley after recuperating.

 

But unexpectedly, the next morning, the two had just ridden their horses to the gate of Songxi Prefecture, and they were blocked by the soldiers.

 

——The royal boat arrived two days earlier than the original time, and will arrive at Songxi Prefecture today.

 

Starting from last night, Songxi Prefecture will not allow idle people to enter and exit at will.

 

Although Song Junran lowered his voice, his ugly expression still attracted the soldiers guarding the gate to look at him more.

 

Worried about causing trouble, Wen Qingci hurriedly grabbed Song Junran’s sleeve and pulled him back into the city.

 

“Forget it, Senior Brother,” Wen Qingci looked back at the flow of people in Songxiu Prefecture and whispered to Song Junran, “There are tens of thousands of people in the city. If you blend in, you won’t be discovered. On the contrary, if you leave the city now, it will arouse suspicion.”

 

The imperial carriage will arrive, and the guards of Songxi Prefecture are more than ten times more than usual.

 

They not only guard the city gate, but even the city wall is full of people, and even a fly can’t fly over.

 

Song Junran took another look, and had to grit his teeth and sigh: “Forget it, let’s go back to the medical hall to rest first.”

 

“Okay.” Wen Qingci nodded, and went with him to the medical hall located in a corner of Songxi Prefecture.

 

The long street of Songxi Prefecture was crowded with people, some local, and many others from other places.

 

These people are all here to watch the royal parade without exception.

 

Song Junran and Wen Qingci originally wanted to return to the medical hall quickly, but they didn’t expect that the roads in the city had been crowded by these people.

 

Let alone going back to the medical hall, they can only follow the direction of the crowd and go to the Yinchuan Grand Canal.

 

“What’s so good about it,” Song Junran couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed, “The boat of the southern tour, didn’t it come here a few years ago?”

 

His voice fell into the ears of the surrounding people.

 

“This is not the same!” A woman in a peach-pink Luo skirt next to her suddenly turned her head to look at Song Junran, “The emperor came to Songxi Prefecture this time, just to redress the grievances and clear the snow for those river workers who died unjustly back then.”

 

After speaking, her eyes turned red: “My brother is one of them…When the deposed emperor was in power, his family didn’t even know how to pay tribute to them.”

 

Wen Qingci saw that she was holding a bunch of chrysanthemums in her hand.

 

A stone stirred up a thousand waves, and the surrounding people talked about their experiences one after another.

 

The dam breach was an event twenty years ago.

 

But hate is hard to eliminate, and feeling is hard to calm.

 

They want to witness with their own eyes today, the moment when that almost dusty history is made public.

 

Song Junran suddenly pursed his lips…His mother also died on the dam.

 

After being silent for a long time, Wen Qingci finally spoke slowly: “Senior brother, let’s go and see.”

 

“……Okay.”

 

Song Junran, who was immersed in memories, didn’t notice that Wen Qingci’s voice was trembling slightly at this time.

 

With the cover of the crowd, Wen Qingci put his right hand on his chest, and he clenched his chest bit by bit with force.

 

At this moment, his eyes were darkening.

 

The word “hate” appeared in Wen Qingci’s ears over and over again.

 

It’s like a fuse, pulling out the strong hatred hidden in Wen Qingci’s heart.

 

…

 

The spring light in Shan Yu Jian is strong, this should be the best season of the year, but there is not a single person in the small mountain village to appreciate the spring scenery.

 

There was only a cry left in Wen Qingci’s ears.

 

“Mother? Mother, what’s wrong with you mother?”

 

The woman lying on the bed had already turned blue.

 

No matter how Wen Qingci cried, she didn’t open her eyes.

 

“You open your eyes, open your eyes, okay? Look at Qingci again…”

 

“I, I also caught a fish, do you want to taste it?”

 

The small bamboo basket stood alone on the ground.

 

The water in the bamboo basket had leaked out most of the cracks, and the small fish that had been swimming not long ago didn’t know when it had turned its belly.

 

The room was dead silent.

 

Wen Qingci cried on the side of the bed for a while, and then hurriedly turned around, he shook the man’s sleeve hard: “Dad! Dad? You wake up, wake up…”

 

Seeing that the two were still motionless, Wen Qingci finally remembered something like a rush, quickly wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand, then slowly took a deep breath, trembling and putting his hand on their wrists.

 

Not long ago, Wen Qingci was sent by his parents to a medical hall in Songxi Prefecture as an apprentice.

 

He was still young and hadn’t reached the age to be a teacher to learn medicine. On weekdays, he just followed the errands in the medical hall to do some chores.

 

But when Wen Qingci was idle, he would also read medical books.

 

“Diagnose the pulse, diagnose the pulse,” Wen Qingci tried to recall the mantra, trying to distinguish his father’s pulse, “It’s light when you press it, nothing when you press it hard, floating like a piece of wood…”

 

Although he can recite the mantra, he, who has no experience at all, can’t distinguish any pulse.

 

After all, the people on the bed have long lost their vitality.

 

“…What to do? What to do?”

 

The childish voice echoed in the room over and over again, his eyes were red, and he asked his parents for help.

 

But the room was always silent, and no one could answer his question anymore.

 

Wen Qingci’s heart was gradually swallowed by despair.

 

The sunlight outside the window darkened bit by bit.

 

He, who was still a child, finally realized that the silence of Shan Yu Jian tonight was terrifying.

 

There is no neighbor’s chat, no friends to call him to play.

 

There was only the deafening sound of crying coming from nowhere.

 

Until this moment, when he was still young, he finally understood that such silence was called “death.”

 

Wen Qingci struggled to stand up from the bed.

 

I wish I had studied medicine earlier.

 

It would be better if my medical skills could be more advanced.

 

If only I had the legendary Universal Healing Medicine in my hands…

 

His eyes were empty and there were only a bunch of “ifs” repeating over and over in his mind.

 

Wen Qingci’s thirst for medical skills has never been so strong.

 

What happened in the past few days flashed through his mind quickly.

 

…Wen Qingci vaguely knew that something big had happened in Songxiu Prefecture.

 

The owner of the clinic was temporarily unwilling to take care of him, so he asked him to go home for a while before returning to Songxiu.

 

He was full of expectations and had a lot of things to say to his parents. He even caught some fish so that they could have a taste.

 

But he  didn’t expect to see such a scene when he returned to Shan Yu Jian.

 

——Corpses were everywhere.

 

……

 

“Cough, cough, cough…” On the long street of Songxiu Prefecture, Wen Qingci couldn’t help coughing again. He felt a familiar tingling sensation in his chest and lungs.

 

By the time Wen Qingci reacted, he coughed up a thin stream of blood from his throat.

 

Fortunately, there was a gauze curtain blocking the view, and no one except himself noticed this abnormality.

 

Wen Qingci quietly used a silk handkerchief to wipe the blood from the corner of his lips.

 

But at this moment, his heart still felt like it was being held in someone’s hand, and it kept tightening and aching.

 

In an instant, regret and remorse were intertwined.

 

Wen Qingci’s lips and teeth were trembling constantly.

 

As the emperor, Xie Zhaolin naturally could not leave the bodies on the banks of the Yinchuan Grand Canal. He sent people to transport the bodies to the outskirts of Songxiu Prefecture overnight.

 

To save time, minimize the impact.

 

The people in charge of dealing with the bodies simply found a secluded place and buried them hastily without doing any other treatment.

 

——That place is Shan Yu Jian.

 

Songxiu Prefecture is located in the south of the Yangtze River, and has a well-developed underground river system.

 

The place where the bodies were buried was at the foot of the mountain, just upstream of the Shan Yu Jian.

 

Countless corpses rotted underground, polluting the underground rivers.

 

…But in just a few days, countless lives were lost in Shan Yu Jian.

 

The mountain village that was once like a peach garden turned into a ghost town in an instant.

 

In the end, the only one who survived was him, who went out to study medicine.

 

The scorching sun shone from above, but it could not warm Wen Qingci’s body.

 

He seemed to be dragged back into that cold early spring by his memories.

 

His left arm hanging at his side was trembling uncontrollably, and he even forgot how to breathe.

 

The small snake hidden in his wide sleeve was also awakened by this tremor and bit fiercely at his wrist at this moment.

 

The sharp teeth pierced the flesh, leaving two deep blood holes on Wen Qingci’s forearm, and it didn’t let go for a long time.

 

But he, who was immersed in memories, was oblivious to this, just letting the little snake gnaw at his wrist.

 

The dark red blood, like a vine, entwined Wen Qingci’s wrist.

 

The next moment, it bypassed the fingertips and hit the ground.

 

“Pop.”

 

The long street of Songxiu Prefecture was crowded, and no one noticed that a bunch of dazzling red plum blossoms had grown on Wen Qingci’s hem at some unknown time.

 

Wen Qingci and Song Junran followed the crowd to the bank of the Yinchuan Grand Canal.

 

There were too many people here today, they didn’t arrive late, but they were still squeezed to the back of the crowd.

 

Separated by countless figures, Wen Qingci could hardly see anything.

 

Only the scenes inside Shan Yu Jian kept emerging in the depths of his mind over and over again.

 

The little child didn’t know where to buy a wooden coffin, so he could only use straw mats and quilts to wrap his relatives.

 

Then he used all his strength to drag them to the wasteland outside the village.

 

Finally, he dug out a shallow pit with his bare hands and buried them…

 

The brown-black soil gradually covered the faces of his relatives.

 

Before he could see clearly, his vision was blurred by tears.

 

Wen Qingci was dazed by the sun.

 

His eyes were still darkening in waves, and his ears were filled with a “buzzing” sound.

 

Everything that happened around him seemed like a dream.

 

He seemed to see a huge dragon boat moored far away on the Yinchuan Grand Canal.

 

The crowd erupted with deafening cheers.

 

He didn’t know how long it took, but the crowd gradually quieted down.

 

And the sharp voice of the eunuch was wrapped in the wind and scattered.

 

The “Confession of Crimes” is full of the evils committed by Xie Zhaolin.

 

Xie Bufeng not only found out about the dam break of the Yinchuan Grand Canal that year, but also dug out the unknown tragedy of Shan Yu Jian from the heavy dust of time.

 

Not only that, Wen Qingci didn’t know until this moment.

 

It turns out that the father and brother of Consort Lan also died because of this.

 

In order to repair the Yinchuan Grand Canal when he ascended the throne ten years ago, the emperor ignored the advice of the then master craftsman and kept ordering to rush the work.

 

He even sent him and the Ministry of Works to Songxiu Prefecture together.

 

On the day the two arrived in Songxiu Prefecture, a dam break occurred…

 

They were buried here with the river workers.

 

“So that’s it…” Wen Qingci muttered softly.

 

“What’s wrong?” Song Junran asked.

 

Wen Qingci paused for a moment and said, “I once saw the portraits of those river workers and the sculptures of Consort Lan’s father and brother in Zhongxian Temple. I later learned that the emperor built Zhongxian Temple not to commemorate, but to reduce resentment.”

 

What Yu Guanlin said in Zhongxian Temple that day was all to deceive himself.

 

Wen Qingci’s voice was slightly hoarse, and it was still trembling slightly.

 

Song Junran finally noticed that his junior brother’s condition was a bit bad.

 

Through the gauze curtain, he couldn’t see his face clearly.

 

But Song Junran guessed that there must not be much blood on Wen Qingci’s face.

 

Today’s sun is extremely poisonous.

 

If he stays here any longer, it is not impossible for Wen Qingci to faint.

 

“Let’s go…” Song Junran said softly to Wen Qingci, “Everyone is gathered on the bank of the Yinchuan Grand Canal at this time, it is more convenient for us to go back now.”

 

After speaking, he directly pulled Wen Qingci’s sleeve and led him to the small street behind him.

 

He patted Wen Qingci’s shoulder: “The things of the past are all over. Don’t worry, that little emperor will definitely not let his father die well.”

 

Although Song Junran was reluctant to say anything good about Xie Bufeng, he always readily admitted the point that “Xie Bufeng is ruthless”.

 

As if echoing Song Junran’s words.

 

Just wait for the next second, a scream came into their ears.

 

“Ah!!!”

 

Wen Qingci and Song Junran turned their heads to look without agreement.

 

Coincidentally, although the small street where they are located is farther from the canal, the terrain of the small street is much higher than the open space where the two were just now.

 

The scene on the canal all fell into the eyes of the two.

 

There was not a piece of intact skin on Xie Zhaolin’s body.

 

Apart from screaming, he could no longer make any other sounds.

 

He, who was once the lord of a country, was now trapped in a narrow cage like a beast.

 

There are even several huge stones hanging at the four corners of the cage.

 

The two sides of the canal were silent.

 

Everyone held their breath at this moment.

 

Two soldiers brought Xie Zhaolin to the front of the dragon boat, and without giving him a half breath, they pushed the iron cage heavily.

 

Even if it is hundreds of meters away, Wen Qingci can read his fear from the rumbling sound of the iron cage and the desperate scream.

 

But in the end, the scream suddenly stopped.

 

Xie Zhao Lin opened his mouth and used all his strength to utter that name in an extremely hoarse voice: “Ning Yuzhao you…is it you, is it you?”

 

“Boom–”

 

With a muffled sound.

 

The iron cage was pushed heavily towards the middle of the canal by the soldiers.

 

This scene has appeared in Xie Zhaolin’s nightmares countless times.

 

At the moment when the cold water of the Yinchuan Grand Canal seeped into the iron cage, Xie Zhaolin’s heart was unprecedentedly calm.

 

In an instant, he couldn’t tell whether this was reality or another nightmare of his own.

 

The former emperor now looked dazed, as if he had lost his soul.

 

He saw countless hands reaching up from the bottom of the Yinchuan Grand Canal.

 

They screamed to drag him into the river.

 

In addition to those indistinguishable ghosts, there was also a goose yellow figure, which also appeared in front of him.

 

It was Ning Yuzhao.

 

He looked at Xie Zhaolin and said lightly as he did back then: “I didn’t get up to kill you, I just wanted to hug you again.”

 

Xie Zhaolin widened his eyes.

 

But he himself gave him a cold sword.

 

He subconsciously stretched out his hand, wanting to catch that fading goose yellow figure.

 

In the end, he only held the cold flowing water at the bottom of the Yinchuan Grand Canal.

 

Countless ghosts attacked him, and finally, like in a nightmare, they dragged the iron cage and sank him into the bottom of the river.

 

Xie Zhaolin could never have imagined in his life.

 

At the last moment, he neither fell asleep in the warm dragon bed surrounded by his descendants.

 

Nor was it swallowed by fear and hatred.

 

At that moment, there was only one thought in his heart.

 

When Ning Yuzhao got up, he didn’t hold anything in his hand.

 

He didn’t get up to kill himself, he just…wanted to hug himself again.

 

Xie Zhaolin has killed countless people in his life, and countless people want to kill him.

 

From the common people, to the people beside his pillow, and then to his own son.

 

The only person who didn’t want to kill him was killed by him with a quick sword more than twenty years ago.

 

Even for the deposed emperor, Xie Zhaolin’s ending is too rough.

 

But this is deliberately done by Xie Bufeng.

 

The iron cage sank.

 

The young emperor in a black robe turned over and got on his horse with one hand, and with the royal trust, he went to the side far away from the canal.

 

It was exactly the direction where Wen Qingci and Song Junran were.

 

His breath stopped for a moment.

 

After a year, Wen Qingci finally saw Xie Bufeng again at this moment.

 

The sun fell on the horizon and shone on his honey-colored skin.

 

Xie Bu Feng’s facial features became more profound, and his eyebrows were full of arrogance.

 

There is both the fierce killing intent of a beast and the cold majesty of someone who has been in a high position for a long time.

 

The wind pressed down the robe full of gold and jade, and lightly outlined the contours of the muscles.

 

The slightly curled black hair tied behind his head fluttered like a black cloud.

 

“Long live my emperor–”

 

“Long live my emperor, long live, long live–”

 

Wherever Xie Bu Feng passed, the people knelt and worshiped.

 

The sound was rumbling, shaking people’s hearts.

 

At the moment when he passed the small street far away, Xie Bu Feng seemed to feel something, and suddenly looked back in the direction of Wen Qingci.

 

Even if there are thousands of people between the two, at this moment, Wen Qingci can’t help but have an illusion–he is like a prey, falling into those light amber eyes.

 

The sun made Wen Qingci’s head dizzy, and he seemed to see the young man who was surrounded by the people in the north again.

 

…The heavy snow fell and piled up on the iron armor.

 

The flames that shot up into the sky illuminated Xie Bufeng’s cheek.

 

He seemed to be looking far in his direction just like he did before.

 

Even though he was in the midst of wind and snow, he was as fiery as ever.

 

And today, Wen Qingci’s heart, just like before, sank heavily.

 

Xie Bufeng was no longer the despised young man in the Taishu Palace.

 

He was now a mature emperor.

 

“Let’s go…” Wen Qingci quickly lowered his head, he adjusted his hat and whispered to Song Junran, “I… my heart is a bit uncomfortable.”

 

“Heart discomfort?” Wen Qingci’s words startled Song Junran, he immediately grabbed Wen Qingci’s right hand, took his pulse, “Quickly find a place to rest in the shade.”

 

“Okay.” Wen Qingci nodded lightly, and as Song Junran said, he walked towards the street.

 

The black war horse galloped past.

 

Everything around him, in Xie Bufeng’s eyes, was just constantly shaking color blocks.

 

But even if it was just a flash, under the kneeling of the people, standing behind everyone, a little moon white, was slightly dazzling.

 

He was like a thorn, inadvertently stinging Xie Bufeng lightly.

 

Before he had time to see clearly, it dissipated like a mist.

 

The young man couldn’t help but frown, slowly tightening the reins in his hand–

 

“How many more days will the city gate of Songxiu Prefecture be closed?” In the medical hall, Song Junran impatiently put down the teacup in his hand, “Xie Bufeng’s style is much bigger than his father. I remember when the former emperor traveled south to Songxiu Prefecture, the city was still free to enter and exit.”

 

He really didn’t like Xie Bufeng no matter how he looked at him.

 

The owner of the medical hall hesitated for a while and said: “…uh, I went out to inquire today, it’s not that you can’t leave. If there is an urgent matter, you can write it into a document, report it for approval, and after verifying your identity, you can leave the city.”

 

Song Junran: “…”

 

He felt that his heart was going to be hurt by these words.

 

“Oh? How should I write my document,” Song Junran said with a look of iron and steel, “Write my big name Song Junran? The companion is called Wen Qingci? The so-called urgent matter is to leave under his eyelids urgently. And then send this document, all the way to the little emperor to see?”

 

Hearing this, the owner of the medical hall couldn’t help but feel a little absurd.

 

Even Wen Qingci, who was treating the wound on his wrist, couldn’t help but laugh lightly.

 

“Then forget it.” He said a little awkwardly.

 

“Ah,” Song Junran sighed and picked up the teacup again, “I hope Xie Bufeng has finished his business and won’t cause any more trouble.”

 

Song Junran let the owner of the medical hall go out to inquire, the official said that Xie Bufeng’s trip was to comfort the spirits.

 

Now that he has done his work, he has not left…

 

This made him suspect that Xie Bufeng would really go to “visit” Wen Qingci as the shopkeeper said that day.

 

Song Junran suppressed the uneasiness in his heart with the action of drinking tea.

 

Wen Qingci treated the wound and put the ointment aside.

 

As soon as he raised his head, he saw that Song Junran’s face was a bit strange: “What’s wrong, brother?”

 

Seeing the two talking, the owner of the medical hall withdrew, and slowly closed the door.

 

Song Junran slowly shook his head and said: “I’m a little worried that Xie Bufeng will notice the abnormality.”

 

Wen Qingci frowned: “Why worry?”

 

“I said that day, I want to take your body back to the valley for medical research.”

 

Wen Qingci nodded lightly, this was what he had told Song Junran before.

 

Whether there is a person in the coffin can be detected.

 

Instead of being found abnormal when buried, it is better to find a reason and directly bury the empty coffin.

 

According to the original plan, the coffin containing Wen Qingci will be taken back to the medical valley by Song Junran.

 

There is an empty coffin buried outside Songxiu Prefecture, which is just a clothing tomb.

 

But that’s where the problem lies.

 

“According to reason, there should be clothes in the coffin outside Songxiu Prefecture, so that it can be called a clothing tomb,” said Song Junran, his face suddenly showing a bit of regret, “But at that time, I… cough cough, I think this is a bit unlucky, so I didn’t leave anything. So as long as the coffin is opened, you will find that it is indeed an empty coffin.”

 

In consideration of Song Junran’s status as Wen Qingci’s senior, Xie Bufeng’s guards gave him enough space.

 

Who knows that the biggest omission appeared on Song Junran himself.

 

There was such a thing?

 

…It’s not bad to say that this brother of his own is really considerate.

 

It is indeed not auspicious for a person to build a tomb while he is still alive.

 

Unlike the nervous Song Junran, Wen Qingci didn’t care much.

 

He smiled lightly and said naturally: “How can anyone open a coffin for no reason?”

 

“You’re right…” Song Junran picked up the cold tea and took a big sip. He muttered to himself, as if to comfort himself, “Who would have nothing better to do than to dismantle someone else’s coffin?”

 

Only a madman would do such a thing.

 

*

 

Outside Songxiu Prefecture, in front of the clothing tomb.

 

It’s only mid-spring, but the sun above Songxiu Prefecture is particularly hot.

 

The shopkeeper’s words that day were indeed correct.

 

After solving Xie Zhaolin, Xie Bufeng actually brought civil and military officials to Wen Qingci’s “tomb”.

 

This place is located outside Songxiu Prefecture, with mountains on one side and water on the other, the terrain is open and the feng shui is excellent.

 

As soon as they learned that Xie Bufeng was going to Songxiu Prefecture, the local officials started to repair it.

 

At this time, this tomb looks like it is almost the same as the imperial mausoleum.

 

Xie Guanzhi, dressed in plain clothes, held three incense sticks and walked slowly.

 

As soon as he walked to the incense burner, he was stopped by a hand.

 

“Slow down.”

 

“What’s wrong?” Xie Guanzhi turned around, he looked at Xie Bufeng somewhat puzzled.

 

Isn’t this the procedure that has been set long ago?

 

Xie Bufeng glanced at the tombstone in front of him, and then said softly: “No need to worship.” His tone was calm, and he couldn’t hear any emotions, but the words he said were shocking.

 

“…No need to worship?” Xie Guanzhi couldn’t help but squeeze the three incense sticks in his hand, “What does your majesty mean?” The young man asked subconsciously.

 

Following Xie Guanzhi, Consort Lan and others also stopped.

 

Hundreds of people here all looked at Xie Bufeng together.

 

Before he could answer, a man in purple, Minister of Rites, suddenly came forward.

 

Behind him, there were dozens of guards.

 

Those guards did not carry swords and swords as usual, but… brought hoes and pickaxes.

 

Xie Guanzhi smelled an unusual atmosphere in an instant.

 

He put down the incense in his hand, slowly moved his steps, and blocked the tomb.

 

The Minister of Rites seemed to have caught a lifesaving straw, and cast a pleading look at Xie Guanzhi.

 

But before Xie Guanzhi could say anything, their emperor slowly looked at him, dropped a word without expression, “dig.”

 

The “past” of Xie Bufeng and Wen Qingci has long been spread all over the court and the public.

 

Although the folk customs of the Wei Dynasty are still relatively open, in the eyes of most people, the “male and male relationships” is just a kind of entertainment and play, it is not on the stage, and it is even more incomparable with marrying a wife and having children.

 

Xie Bufeng has been enthroned for a year, but let alone a child, there is no one in the harem.

 

All this really proves the saying: The emperor is not in a hurry, but the eunuchs are.

 

A few months ago, when they were in the court, there was finally an official who couldn’t help but mention this matter, reminding Xie Bufeng that he should fill the harem as soon as possible and establish an Empress.

 

Xie Bufeng was silent for a while, and did not speak.

 

The court officials couldn’t guess Xie Bufeng’s mind, and they all closed their mouths.

 

And the official who proposed it, the clothes behind him had been soaked with cold sweat.

 

They don’t know how long it took, Xie Bufeng finally raised his eyes, and he laughed casually.

 

“My dear, what you said makes sense… But this matter should be handled by the Ministry of Rites and has nothing to do with you.”

 

Then, the official was transferred from Yongdu to a remote county – obviously he had touched the emperor’s scales.

 

At that time, the other officials were just grateful, and regarded Xie Bufeng’s words as casual perfunctory.

 

The Ministry of Rites is also the same… until after the court, Xie Bufeng called him into the study.

 

The young emperor in a black robe sat alone on the high steps.

 

It was daytime and there were candles burning all around him, but the official couldn’t help but have an illusion… Xie Bufeng’s whole body was immersed in darkness.

 

“Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live the emperor…” The Minister of Rites knelt down hurriedly and saluted Xie Bufeng.

 

With a clear sound, Xie Bufeng threw the memorial in his hand aside.

 

The pair of amber eyes slowly passed the person kneeling at the foot of the long steps and looked outside the hall.

 

That was the first time that the current Minister of Rites saw Xie Bufeng smile like that.

 

Tenderness and anticipation.

 

Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, the official heard the most terrifying words in his life from Xie Bufeng’s mouth.

 

Xie Bufeng said: The person he wanted to marry was far away in Songxiu.

 

That person was Wen Qingci.

 

……

 

A soldier’s duty is to obey.

 

Soldiers in soft armor came forward with shovels and pickaxes.

 

“What are you going to do!” Without waiting for Xie Guanzhi to stop him, the soldier walked around him, waving the tools in his hands and smashing at the mausoleum made of white marble in front of them.

 

“boom–“

 

With a loud bang, a two-meter-long crack suddenly appeared on the pure white ground.

 

The earth also trembled.

 

“Ah!” The little princess Xie Fuyin, who followed Xie Bufeng here, was startled by the voice and subconsciously went into the arms of Consort Lan, who was now the empress dowager.

 

She had never felt her brother was so strange as she did at that moment.

 

Consort Lan’s face turned as pale as paper in an instant.

 

All the court officials stood there in a daze.

 

They looked at each other, all stunned by Xie Bufeng’s action.

 

Several older court officials wanted to step forward to stop him, but then they changed their minds and didn’t know – what right did they have to stop Xie Bufeng?

 

Xie Bufeng possessed tremendous power, and he completely disregarded what people said and the so-called ethical principles.

 

If they speak up to stop it now, they’re afraid they will end up going to Yinchuan Grand Canal and accompany the deposed emperor…

 

Even if they had read all the history books, they had never heard of such a strange emperor as Xie Bufeng.

 

From a public perspective, Xie Bufeng’s political reforms will definitely have an impact on generations to come.

 

There seems to be nothing wrong in saying that he was a wise ruler.

 

But in private…Xie Bufeng acted recklessly to the extreme.

 

The word “Dim-witted” cannot describe him.

 

Only “crazy and reckless” barely fits his description.

 

“What? What are you doing?” Xie Guanzhi turned around and tried to stop them, but the soldiers didn’t listen to him at all. The young man had to take a deep breath, muster up his courage, turn around and say to Xie Bufeng, “Your Majesty, do you know what you are doing?”

 

Xie Guanzhi gritted his teeth and said, “He’s gone, can’t you even give him a little peace?”

 

When he finished speaking, there was a hint of crying in his voice.

 

“boom–“

 

The loud noise continued.

 

In just a moment, the originally neat and shiny marble steps were smashed into ruins.

 

Countless soldiers stopped here carrying wooden boxes wrapped in red silk.

 

The bright color like blood dyed Xie Bufeng’s pupils red in an instant.

 

Xie Guanzhi was still saying something loudly, but Xie Bufeng smiled slowly as if he couldn’t hear him.

 

He certainly knew what he was doing.

 

If Wen Qingci died, Xie Bufeng would want his name to be recorded alongside his own for generations to come.

 

If Wen Qingci is really alive… then Xie Bufeng must tell him that he has never forgotten him and will never give up on him.

 

Regardless of life or death.

 

…He couldn’t wait to see Wen Qingci’s pair of eternally calm black eyes become emotional because of him and be stirred up by him.

 

Thinking of this, Xie Bufeng looked towards the grave with eyes full of tenderness and expectation.

 

The huge white marble was smashed into pieces and ground into powder, which flew everywhere.

 

The coffin buried underground was exposed in front of everyone.

 

Xie Guanzhi’s eyes turned red, and his voice became hoarse: “…You brought people to destroy his grave today, and you will regret it in the future! Destroying and digging graves? In history, this is a revenge against people with heinous hatred. How dare you do this to Wen Qingci’s grave?”

 

In a hurry, Xie Guanzhi had completely thrown aside the difference between the monarch and his subjects.

 

“Your Majesty, you must not forget…” Xie Guanzhi said with a trembling voice, taking a deep breath, “Wen Qingci’s body was… brought back to the valley by Song Junran a long time ago, to be… dissected. By now, it might have already been mutilated—”

 

Every word of Xie Guanzhi is like a knife.

 

Cut towards Xie Bufeng steadily and fiercely.

 

What he said was a taboo in Taishu Palace and even in the entire Yongdu.

 

Everyone tacitly kept silent.

 

Before Xie Guanzhi could finish his words, a flash of silver light appeared.

 

The long sword brushed past his shoulder, penetrated his clothes, and nailed Xie Guanzhi to the ground.

 

——At that moment, Xie Bufeng wanted to kill him.