"Rou'er, what brings you to the mausoleum on a perfectly fine day?"
Tang Manqing did not leave with Princess Rou but instead walked deeper into the mausoleum grounds. She had come here for some matters of her own and hadn't expected to encounter Rou'er here.
Rou'er was a princess, while she was a princess-royal. Both belonged to the Yanluo royal family and were close cousins. Moreover, Tang Manqing's parents had been traveling abroad for years and had left when she was very young. It could be said Tang Manqing grew up in the palace, so their relationship was naturally very close. When Rou'er cultivated at the Taiji Sect, she lived with Tang Manqing. Emperor Yunqi, seeing that Tang Manqing was taking care of her, felt reassured letting Princess Rou cultivate at the Taiji Sect.
"Rou'er just...
wanted to pray for blessings for our Yanluo."
Princess Rou's body was very delicate, lacking in vitality and spirit, and her voice sounded the same—soft and gentle, evoking immense pity. She said, "Now that our Yanluo is in trouble, everyone is striving for Yanluo. Rou'er knows she can't help with anything, so she could only come to the mausoleum to pray for blessings for our Yanluo...
I hope our ancestors and the Monarch will protect our Yanluo this time."
"Rou'er, don't worry too much. Our Yanluo will surely be safe and sound this time."
Although Tang Manqing comforted Princess Rou with her words, in her heart, she wasn't confident. As for whether the Yanluo royal family could emerge unscathed this time, she was even less certain.
She didn't know whether the Immortal Dynasty's aim this time was merely coveting the Yanyue Ruins or if they had other purposes.
Now, she only hoped her uncle, Emperor Yunqi, could successfully negotiate with the Four Great Sects and Seven Major Schools. If they united, sharing a common hatred against the enemy, they might still be able to thwart the Immortal Dynasty's intentions. If the negotiations failed, no one would be able to stop the Immortal Dynasty anymore, and they could only resign themselves to fate.
"I hope so... we can only hope, can't we..." Although Princess Rou was not old, her mind was far more mature than her peers. And precisely because she was much more mature than her peers, she deeply hated herself—hated that she could do nothing, could accomplish nothing, and even needed care for daily living.
Princess Rou had not never thought of death; on the contrary, she had considered it many times. But she knew even more that if she died, her parents would be extremely heartbroken and sad. She didn't want to cause sorrow to those who cared about her, so until now, she had been living on strongly, trying her best not to let anyone take care of her.
Shaking her head, she didn't continue down that line of thought. Princess Rou also didn't want Tang Manqing to worry about her, so she asked, "Sister, are the things they were talking about true?"
"What things?"
Princess Rou's sudden question left Tang Manqing somewhat baffled.
"Rou'er just heard them say it seems our Yanluo Kingdom recently produced another imposter pretending to be the Monarch, and that the Bloodfiend Dragon-Elephants of those old Chixiao seniors are very docile and reverent before him...
Is it true?"
Due to her physical condition, Rou'er rarely went out and didn't know much about outside affairs. If not for coming to the mausoleum this time, she wouldn't have known such major events had occurred recently in Yanluo Kingdom.
"It's true."
Tang Manqing did not conceal anything, recounting everything she knew in detail, which left Rou'er utterly astonished.
"Sister, are you saying this newly emerged Monarch is the Chiyan Young Lord Gu Qingfeng who killed dozens of Immortal Dynasty nobles in the Great Northwest nine years ago?
And back then, Fairy Hua might have lied and publicly declared the Chiyan Young Lord had turned to dust and smoke because she didn't want him killed by the Immortal Dynasty, since he had fused with a wisp of the Monarch's residual consciousness?"
"That should be the case."
In order to search for traces of the Chixiao Monarch and understand the Monarch better, Su Hua had traveled every path the Monarch had walked and visited every place the Monarch had been.
Back in the day, the Chixiao Monarch had spent a long time in Yanluo Kingdom, and Su Hua had also stayed here for a period. Both Tang Manqing and Rou'er were acquainted with Su Hua, and they both knew Fairy Hua had been searching for the Chixiao Monarch. Nine years ago, after the Heavenly Mandate descended, Fairy Su Hua left the Great Northwest and, passing through Yanluo Kingdom, came to visit them.
In Tang Manqing's view, nine years ago, Fairy Su Hua must have confirmed that the Chiyan Young Lord Gu Qingfeng had truly fused with a wisp of the Monarch's residual consciousness. In other words, the Monarch was already dead. Fairy Hua was likely deeply affected and utterly despairing, and moreover, she didn't want the Monarch's sole successor to be killed by the Immortal Dynasty, hence she publicly lied about his death.
Recalling Fairy Su Hua's visit to Yanluo Kingdom nine years ago, the more Tang Manqing thought about it, the more she felt her speculation was correct. She clearly remembered that Fairy Su Hua at that time was very sorrowful, and during that period, she often played the Monarch's tunes alone. Thinking about it, she must have confirmed the news of the Monarch's death.
"If that's really the case, then he should hide and change his name. Why has he come to our Yanluo Kingdom now and is brazenly impersonating the Monarch? If the Immortal Dynasty discovers him, wouldn't he be in terrible trouble?"
"More than just trouble. He killed so many Immortal Dynasty nobles in the Great Northwest. The Immortal Dynasty will absolutely not let him off."
"If the Immortal Dynasty finds out he's still alive, then Fairy Su Hua will also be implicated, right?"
Tang Manqing nodded. Nine years ago, it was Su Hua herself who said the Chiyan Young Lord had turned to dust and smoke, and the Immortal Dynasty believed it. If this matter were exposed, Fairy Hua would not only face the Immortal Dynasty's questioning but also suffer a great blow to her own reputation.
"Sister, this matter is so serious. Have you told Fairy Su Hua?"
"I've already sent a flying message to Fairy Hua, but I don't know if she received my message talisman. I hope she can come as soon as possible to stop that fellow surnamed Gu. Otherwise, a huge mess will really break out."
"Huh? Sister, Rou'er suddenly remembered something."
"What is it?"
"Do you remember Jin'er?"
"Jin'er?
The little Jin'er by Fairy Hua's side?
Of course I remember. What about her?"
"Nine years ago, when Fairy Su Hua came to visit us, I remember Jin'er told me a secret."
"What secret?"
"I remember very clearly. Jin'er said she had been waiting for her Big Brother."
"Big Brother?
Oh, I remember now. The Big Brother in Jin'er's mouth is the Chiyan Young Lord Gu Qingfeng, right? I've also heard her mention it, and little Jin'er seems to really like her Big Brother."
"Mhmm, sister, do you remember when Fairy Su Hua played the Monarch's tunes for us back then?
I said I really liked the Monarch's tunes, and Jin'er said when she sees her Big Brother again, she'll have her Big Brother play them for me personally."
"What does her Big Brother have to do with the Monarch? That Chiyan Young Lord only fused with a wisp of the Monarch's residual consciousness; he's not the real Monarch."
"But...
Jin'er told me her Big Brother is the Monarch."
"She must have been joking. And as far as I know, little Jin'er has a kind of blind worship for the Chiyan Young Lord and deeply believes everything he says. Probably that fellow surnamed Gu tricked her by claiming to be the Monarch, and little Jin'er took it as truth."
"Ah, could it be like that?"
Rou'er looked very disappointed.
Actually, in her heart, she very much hoped this newly emerged Monarch, the Chiyan Young Lord, would be the true Chixiao Monarch. If that were really the case, out of regard for her aunt, the Yanluo Empress, the Monarch would not stand idly by.
Not only Princess Rou hoped it was true, even Tang Manqing hoped it was true. Although, because of her aunt Tang Hengshu, she deeply resented the Monarch's heartlessness, right now, she truly wished the real Monarch would return.
It was just a pity she knew in her heart this was impossible.
Since that Chiyan Young Lord had fused with a wisp of the Monarch's residual consciousness, it meant the Monarch was truly dead. Something even Fairy Su Hua had confirmed—how could there still be any hope?