SWDnovel Chapter 265 Preparing for the Grand Wedding, Qin Mu Arrives in Liyang Capital!
Chapter 265 Preparing for the Grand Wedding, Qin Mu Arrives in Liyang Capital!
Willingly.
These four words were like a boulder, crashing heavily into the hearts of Zhang Julu and Gu Jiantang.
Their faces turned deathly pale again.
Willingly...
Her Majesty married Qin Mu willingly...
It was not coerced, it was not forced, it was not a choice made out of desperation.
Instead, it was entirely willing...
This realization was more difficult for them to accept than anything else.
Because they knew His Majesty's character.
There is only one possibility that could make her willingly bow her head—
That man was so powerful that she was completely powerless to resist.
She was so powerful that she felt there was no point in resisting.
She was so powerful that she had no choice but to accept this reality.
Zhang Julu closed his eyes.
Take a deep breath.
When I opened my eyes again, they were filled with a cold, clear light.
"Then we need to handle this even better," he said.
The voice was hoarse, yet exceptionally clear.
"Let the whole world know—"
He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"Empress Liyang's marriage was voluntary and honorable."
"It wasn't forced, it wasn't humiliating."
Gu Jiantang raised his head and looked at him.
Those tiger eyes were filled with incomprehension and pain.
"Zhang Xiang..."
"There's no other way," Zhang Julu interrupted him, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.
"Only in this way can we preserve Li Yang's reputation."
"Only then can those who are tempted to act be deterred from making any rash moves."
"Talent——"
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath:
"Let His Majesty suffer less."
The last few words were spoken very softly and lightly.
But this instantly brought tears to Gu Jiantang's eyes.
He didn't say anything more.
He simply lowered his head and clenched his fists tightly.
His fingernails dug deep into his palm, and blood seeped out from between his fingers, dripping onto the ground.
But he couldn't feel any pain.
Only the surging, unvented pain in my heart remained.
Li Chunfeng looked at the two of them and sighed softly.
The sigh was soft, yet exceptionally clear in the silent hall.
He stood up and walked to the window.
Open the window.
The night wind swept in, carrying the chill of early winter, and ruffled his snow-white beard and hair.
He gazed out the window at the deep night and at the cold, clear moon.
In my heart, I silently said:
His Majesty……
You have suffered.
Please wait a little longer.
Once this old minister has made all the necessary arrangements, I will go to Qin to fetch you.
This time, I will not let you down again.
Absolutely not.
Behind him, Zhang Julu's voice rang out again.
The voice was hoarse, yet exceptionally clear:
"Master Li, when are you going to the Qin Dynasty?"
Li Chunfeng did not turn around.
He simply said:
"Three days later."
"At that time, I will personally escort everything needed for the wedding to the Great Qin."
"By the way—"
He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:
"Let's see what kind of person that Qin emperor really is."
Zhang Julu nodded.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Master," he said.
Li Chunfeng did not answer.
He simply continued to gaze out the window at the deep night.
Gazing at the clear, cold moon.
My mind was churning with thoughts.
Three days later.
Three days later, he will set foot on that land again.
That land that he deeply feared, yet had no choice but to go to.
Go see the man who makes him lose the courage to even make a move.
Go see the man who made His Majesty willingly bow his head.
Go see that—
The unfathomable Qin Mu.
A cold smile slowly curved the corners of Li Chunfeng's lips.
That arc contained fighting spirit, and also an almost tragic determination.
No matter who you are.
No matter how strong you are.
I will protect Your Majesty.
Even if—
Give everything.
The night wind howled, blowing his Taoist robe.
The moonlight shone on his aged face, making the wrinkles etched by time exceptionally clear.
It also revealed the burning flame deep within those eyes.
That is the swordsman's flame.
That is the flame of the guardian.
That was the last act of defiance by Li Chunfeng, the Sword God of Liyang.
......
Inside the hall, the candlelight flickered.
Zhang Julu sat behind the long table, his gaze fixed on the letter.
It landed on that bright red seal.
It landed on the three characters Zhao Qingxue.
He reached out and gently traced the elegant handwriting with his fingertips.
It's as if you're caressing the most precious treasure in the world.
"His Majesty……"
He murmured softly, his voice hoarse and trembling.
"Don't worry."
"Even if it costs me my life, I will make sure your wedding is a grand and glorious affair."
"Let the whole world know—"
He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:
"Empress Liyang is the most noble woman in the world."
"It deserves the best of everything."
His eyes were slightly red.
Gu Jiantang sat to the side, head down.
I couldn't see his expression.
Only his clenched fist was still trembling slightly.
The blood had congealed, forming a dark red scab on his palm.
But he still held on to it.
It was as if the pain could make him feel a little better.
Outside the window, the night wind howled.
The moonlight shone down, illuminating the magnificent palace and the three silent figures inside.
The Three Pillars of Yang.
In literature, there was Zhang Julu; in martial arts, there was Gu Jiantang; and in Taoism, there was Li Chunfeng.
They fought side by side, assisting Zhao Qingxue in eliminating the Eight Princes, quelling internal strife, and establishing their formidable reputation in the Eastern Continent.
They are the strongest bulwark against the sun.
But at this moment,
They could only sit there and watch helplessly as their emperor married that man.
There's nothing we can do.
This feeling was more painful for them than any defeat.
But they had to endure it.
We must hold on.
must--
Make this wedding a beautiful and successful one.
Because this is His Majesty's last vestige of dignity.
It was also Li Yang's last vestige of dignity.
The candlelight flickered, casting shadows that danced in the light.
The three figures stood like three silent statues.
I don't know how much time passed.
Gu Jiantang suddenly spoke.
"That Liu Hongyan," his voice was hoarse and low, "what should we do with her?"
Zhang Julu was slightly taken aback.
He immediately realized what was happening.
Liu Hongyan.
An envoy from the North.
In order to put pressure on the North, they secretly arrested the envoy from the North these past few days.
At this moment, she is being imprisoned in the imperial prison.
Zhang Julu remained silent for a moment.
Then, he slowly began to speak.
"Keep it locked up for now," he said.
He paused, then added:
"We will make a decision after His Majesty returns."
Gu Jiantang nodded.
He didn't say anything more.
Silence fell once again inside the hall.
The candlelight still shone brightly.
The letter still lies quietly on the long table.
The water stains on the letter paper had dried, leaving only a small, faint trace.
The mark landed right next to the three characters "Zhao Qingxue".
It resembles a tear.
...........
The night wind was like a knife.
No, this is not a metaphor.
It really is like a knife.
The wind whistled past my ears, each gust carrying a sharp edge capable of tearing everything apart, leaving a burning pain as it brushed against my cheeks.
Zhao Qingxue's dress fluttered in the wind, the moon-white fabric clinging to her body and outlining her slender figure.
Her long hair was completely disheveled, countless strands of black hair flying wildly in the wind, like a flag struggling in a hurricane.
She couldn't open her eyes.
She could only keep her eyes tightly shut, letting the wind envelop her, tear her apart, and carry her into the unknown.
But she could sense it.
I could feel those hands.
A pair of long, strong hands were firmly wrapped around her waist.
The force was not heavy, but it was exceptionally firm, as if no matter how fierce the wind was, how deep the night was, or how high the sky was.
That hand will never let go.
Zhao Qingxue's heart was pounding so fast it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest.
She didn't know how much time had passed.
It may be just a moment, or it may be a long time.
Enveloped by the wind and night, time seems to lose its meaning.
finally--
The wind stopped.
The whistling sound suddenly disappeared.
Instead, there was a strange silence.
Zhao Qingxue slowly opened her eyes.
Then, she froze.
What she saw was a scene she had never seen before.
Below us is a towering sky.
The clouds spread out below, like an endless white ocean, shimmering with silver light under the moonlight.
The clouds, layer upon layer, some as thick as mountains, others as thin as gauze, drifted slowly in the night breeze, transforming into countless wondrous shapes.
Through gaps in the clouds, the outline of the earth could be vaguely seen.
Mountains and rivers resemble ants, streams are like threads, and the lights of towns twinkle in the night, like stars scattered across the earth.
Zhao Qingxue's eyes trembled violently.
She lived for thirteen years, starting to participate in politics at the age of eight, plotting to seize power at the age of fifteen, and ascending the throne as empress at the age of twenty.
She has seen countless grand occasions.
On the day of her coronation ceremony, she stood on the white marble square in front of the Tianqi Hall, looking down at the tens of thousands of subjects kneeling in the dark below, thinking that she had witnessed what it meant to "look down on all living beings".
But now, standing high in the sky, looking down at the landscape below that resembles a sand table.
She suddenly realized—
So this is what it truly means to look down upon all living beings.
What about those tens of thousands of subjects?
What are those magnificent palaces compared to that?
Then what about the Liyang Jiangshan that she is so proud of?
Below this vast expanse of sky, there is nothing more than a small, insignificant sand table.
Zhao Qingxue's body trembled slightly.
A deep-seated, unprecedented fear swept over her, almost suffocating her.
She turned her head sharply and looked at the man beside her.