Chapter 33: The Remaining Tears of White Candle

  The so-called Cold Palace, it turned out that it was not just a remote and dilapidated place in my imagination. When I really stood in front of it, I could feel what true desolation was, and even couldn't imagine how such an incongruous place existed among the magnificent palace complex. Qing Xia stood in front of the old wooden gate, looking at the courtyard overgrown with weeds, and then turned her head to glance at the long procession of more than 200 people following behind her, and couldn't help but sigh. It seemed that Chu Li had indeed grown wise, wanting to imprison herself here forever.

  Perhaps he has always been this kind of person. Otherwise, he wouldn't have endured ten years in the Great Qi without being discovered and then escaped back to his country, rising to a high position overnight. Such a person, how could he be a simple man?

  But she can complete a perfect sniper assassination rescue mission, but when it comes to playing with power and plotting people's hearts, how can she be the opponent of such a man.

  “Bang!” The door closed heavily, and Qing Xia stood in the desolate courtyard, feeling that all her strength had been drained away in an instant. Summoning up her spirit to walk from Lan Ting Hall to this cold palace of Qian Qing Si had already exhausted all her energy. Qing Xia leaned against the dilapidated wooden gate, silently counting the seven or eight layers of guards outside, and her eyebrows gradually furrowed.

  I didn't expect to end up in such a situation. Dr. Sun must have done something to himself, now he can't muster up any strength, let alone escape from this heavily guarded cage. The cool night wind blew against Qing Xia's body, and she suddenly remembered the last time she carried out a mission in the 21st century, that evening Tokyo's sky was murky, where was there such starlight? Qing Xia looked up at the sky, gazing at the twinkling lights, only to feel her thoughts surging like the ocean.

  Is there really another world after death? Modern science has denied it, but Qing Xia can no longer affirm her own beliefs. If so, where is Zhuang Qing Xia now, seeing her situation, would she feel sad and heartbroken? After all, the one who was truly abandoned was her.

  Just like she was abandoned by her country at first.

  The moonlight was like water, and all things seemed hazy. "Your Highness!" The guard, clad in black armor, suddenly strode into the grand hall with a clang. All the palace lanterns had been extinguished, except for a small butter lamp lit at the corner of the soft couch, which looked dim and desolate.

  Chu Li sat in the bedroom of Lanting Temple, where it was filled with soft cushioned sandbags, without a hint of a woman's boudoir. Chu Li's eyebrows relaxed, and she slowly leaned back on the soft couch, closing her eyes, as fragmented memories and scenes continued to flash before her eyes.

  "Mingyuan," Chu Li said with his eyes closed, his voice filled with unspeakable fatigue, without lifting his head, slowly speaking to the black-armored guard kneeling in front of him: "Tell me, did I do something wrong?"

  "Your Highness is wise and divine, everything you do is guided by the gods, forever without right or wrong, even mistakes are correct." The soldier's response was very much in line with the iron-blooded military style. Chu Li smiled faintly and shook her head slowly, letting out a slightly mocking hum, it was unclear whether she was mocking the soldier or herself.

  "Mingyuan, how long have you been following me?"

  "Long live your majesty for three more years!"

  "Three years? It's been that long." Chu Li slightly furrowed his brow, as if trying hard to recall something: "Right, at that time I was wandering around the official brothel of Da Qi every day, and even spent money to keep several courtesans, one of whom was your sister who was sold into the brothel. You were furious, hid secretly in the brothel wanting to assassinate me. Was discovered by my attendant, beaten severely, then dragged behind a horse and paraded through the streets, right?"

  "Yes! Thank you for sparing my life, Your Highness."

  "Hmm..." Chu Li smiled faintly and said, "You're saying this now, but it wasn't what you said back then. Do you still remember what you said at the time? You said that as long as you didn't die, there would come a day when I'd die without even a place to be buried."

  "I would rather die!" Ming Yuan knelt down on the ground, motionless and expressionless, looking very calm.

  "As a matter of fact, I think the same way as you." Chu Li slowly spoke out a sentence, Ming Yuan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, somewhat perplexed.

  Chu Li's voice was calm and indifferent as he slowly said: "Such humiliation, I also experienced it back then, and even more unbearable than yours."

  The soldier's eyebrows slightly touched, and he stopped talking. Chu Li continued to speak: "When I was six years old, my biological sister, Princess Yao Hua, was eleven years old. The Western Chuan and our country formed an alliance through marriage. Other palaces were not yet prepared, but my mother voluntarily sent Yao Hua away. That year, the great emperor of Western Chuan was 63 years old. Less than a year later, Western Chuan returned Yao Hua, saying she had fallen ill, and the southern climate was good for recuperation. After Yao Hua returned to the palace, she was locked in the North Ming Hall and no one was allowed to visit her. My mother has never been close to me since I was a child, but Yao Hua, as the eldest princess, took great care of me. I climbed over the wall into the North Ming Hall and found that her whole body had rotted away, lying on the bed like a dead piece of meat, emitting a strong stench, with no palace maid in attendance. Finally, she died by herself within half a month."

  Later, the palace maid told me that Xichuan's emperor forced Yaohua to serve as a public horse in front of all the civil and military officials, and then threw her into a group of horses that had been fed **. If it wasn't for Yaohua's loyal maid who risked her life to save her, she would have died in Xichuan long ago. I cried and ran to tell my father emperor, but he was already bedridden at the time, still surrounded by those sycophantic officials, relying on the secret court's medicine to prop up his dirty desires, without any regard for me. After listening to me, he just smiled numbly and said "Xichuan Emperor's play is indeed refreshing". From that day on, I knew that Nanchu had no hope, if I wanted to stand up straight and proud, I could only rely on myself.

  Even Ren Jun was calm at this moment, and he couldn't help but move, not for Chu Li's words, but for these palace affairs that weren't his to hear.

  Chu Li seemed to be unaware of the soldier's unease and continued, "But heaven seems to have deliberately denied me opportunities. At the age of nine, I was sent to Da Qi like a commodity by my mother, who avoided two wars by sending two children and became the most prestigious queen in the country, even surpassing Empress Liu at that time. But I spent the most miserable days in Da Qi. I still remember the first day I arrived in Da Qi, King Qi sat upright on his throne, with dozens of his sons standing below him. He held Prince An of Qi and pointed at me, saying to the officials, 'Look, this is the son of that coward from Southern Chu.' Everyone surrounded me and burst out laughing. At that time, eight-year-old Qi Yu ran up to me and spat in my face. My personal guard, Fang Lin, was furious, but before he could say a word, his head was chopped off. The blood from his neck splattered on my face, his eyeballs flew out, and landed on the tip of my boots. The white brain matter still haunts my dreams to this day. I know that's him calling me to avenge him."

  "I'm like a dog living in the magnificent palace of Da Qi, and I'm not even as good as a dog. When someone kicks me on one side of my face, I not only can't bite back, but also have to offer the other side of my face. Because I want to live, so many eyes are watching me, they shout in my ears day and night, I cannot die, I must take revenge."

  Chu Lixiao sneered and continued, "Finally, I've made it through the tough times. I'm back in Southern Chu, back to this place that fills me with hatred. Mingyuan, tell me, what is power? Is it wealth and glory? Or is it luxurious clothes and fine silks?"

  "None of them!" Mingyuan said in a deep voice: "I think that power can make people live like humans."

  "It's well said." Chu Li smiled lightly, "Power is indeed a good thing, so all the people and things that stand in front of us must be eliminated without leaving any future troubles. This is what should be done, no need to hesitate."

  It was as if she were talking to herself, Chu Li said faintly, her voice getting smaller and smaller, until suddenly opening her eyes and raising her head to say to Ming Yuan: "So, you know what to do now?"

  "Yes! Understood!"

  Chu Li slowly closed his eyes and said softly, "The power of the Southern Chu clan is also intertwined, it's time to clean up. Too much time has been wasted, if he can't do it, let me do it."

  "Seal off the four sides, send more people over, not only to prevent those inside from coming out, but also to strictly guard against outsiders getting in." Chu Li said in a low voice as Ming Yuan was just about to stand up and leave.

  Mingyuan's eyebrows furrowed, and he replied in a deep voice. Chuli thought for a moment, then added: "Most of the Imperial City guards are from aristocratic families, so it would be better to deploy some young and inexperienced guards from the outer city to defend against potential loopholes."

  "Yes!" Mingyuan replied: "The soldiers guarding the East Palace and South Garden are from the Green Battalion. What do you think, Your Highness, about detaching some of them to stay in the palace?"

  "Alright, you go ahead and arrange it." Chu Li replied softly, her breathing gradually becoming calmer, as if she had fallen asleep.