It was already April, and it was only a few days before the ascension of the new ruler. The tension between the military forces in the city was not yet settled, and other than the Amethyst Cape Knights and Iron Guards, the forces in the city did not dare to act rashly. This was because whoever attacked first would attract the fury of all others, and therefore suffer the most. Everyone was waiting for the Emperor"s decree and the ascension of the new Emperor. Some waited for a powerful force to manage the chaos in the city, though whoever did that could instead be overwhelmed by the mess. Xuanji"s capital city was silently waiting for change.
But no one knew who would direct the change.
On the second day of the lunar month of April, there was a drizzle.
Xuanji"s Empress woke up early in the morning. She looked beneath the half-opened curtains and gazed at the spring rain, as well as the luscious greenery. It was supposed to be a pleasing sight, but she somehow felt very anxious. She sat up in a daze and felt that her heart was empty. Out of the blue, she recalled that during a day in autumn many years ago, that woman was tied to a chair in that small, black room. When she accused the woman of being a vixen and seducing the Emperor, the woman struggled to look up, and she screamed a blood-curdling curse.
"Evil woman - you will die of shame one day!"
She thought of this curse and the woman from that night. Under the shine of the dim oil lamp, the woman"s bones were seen, and all that was left in her eyes was extreme and never-ending pain. Those phantom-like eyes stared at her deadly, and even after she had died, they had remained wide open.
Suddenly, a chill went down the Empress" spine.
Then, she heard sounds of crying.
A bunch of people hurriedly walked into her palace. In the middle of the crowd was n.o.ble Consort Rong, who didn"t have time to wash up and put on her makeup. The Empress was slightly annoyed by the noise, and she could not help but swiftly walk down the steps and shout, "What"s the commotion about! Where"s your decorum?"
"Your Highness-" n.o.ble Consort Rong was so fl.u.s.tered that she did not even kneel. As she wiped away her tears and mucus, she said, "My daughter might not make it past tonight. I have to go and save her now…"
"How can you save her?" The Empress mocked as she glanced down at n.o.ble Consort Rong. "Using your amazing leechcraft?"
"There"s a monk who can perform a spell to help my daughter, but it requires the mother to stay by her side for one day and night." n.o.ble Consort Rong seemed to be oblivious to the Empress" mockery. She added in a determined tone, "I won"t be returning back to the palace tonight, and I hope to seek your permission."
"Oh?" The Empress instinctively wanted to reject the request, but seeing how determined n.o.ble Consort Rong suddenly became, she was afraid that n.o.ble Consort Rong would pounce on her if she did not give her permission. Furthermore, she was also very concerned about her own daughter. If n.o.ble Consort Rong"s daughter could be healed, then her daughter could be saved as well.
As such, she agreed. About a day later, n.o.ble Consort returned, and though she looked pale, her expression was one of joy. She said that her daughter could already sit up and consume porridge.
A few days later, there was news about the Tenth Princess - her condition was worsening.
At this point, the Empress could no longer hold herself back, and she went to find Epsilon. During that meeting, her close attendants could hear the sounds of sobbing and objects being thrown around the room, signifying a huge commotion that happened. The palace maids stole glances at each other, and the corners of their lips raised silently. The tried-and-tested routine had begun again.
A few moments later, calmness returned. The Empress washed up and covered up her tears. Then, she ordered the carriage to take off.
In a hurry, she ran to the Tenth Princess" residence. For her safety, she complied with Epsilon"s advice to set aside her dignity, and sit with Epsilon in an average-looking carriage. They took a road from the back of the palace to the residence.
On the way, she could not help but feel nervous, and she continuously crumpled her dress. She wasn"t sure if it was because of the possible dangers that Epsilon had described or him.
She had never sat so closely to Epsilon before. As Epsilon practiced Tongzi for visiting.
On the other hand, Epsilon looked like he was in his golden age. It was said that the Top Ten Wielders were very skilled in maintaining their appearance, especially Epsilon, who practiced Tongzi Gong since young. He practiced it until there were countless permutations, and his foundation was stable and hard to destroy. As such, his thin, long, and beautiful eyes remained glistening and lively even after many years… As she thought of this, her heart wavered.
However, it was only for a short while. Thereafter, she sat upright and kept her face straight while looking in front. As compared to romance, her status and dignity were much more important. Hence, she should practice more self-restraint.
Soon after, the carriage reached the Tenth Princess" residence. As the journey was smooth, the Empress heaved a sigh of relief, and she chided herself for being affected by Epsilon"s personality. It was ridiculous of her to have felt beleaguered.
The Tenth Princess" residence was standing tall and upright in the fine rain. A yellow lamp was hung on a tall tower in the residence, which meant that someone was very ill. The Empress quickly alighted from the carriage, but she did not hear the footsteps that should have followed her.
She looked back in confusion and realized that Epsilon was still sitting in the carriage, looking at the yellow lamp with a serious gaze. After a while, Epsilon said, "Ning, let"s go back."
The Empress was stunned, and she was enraged in an instant. She screamed, "You"re crazy! We"re already at the door, and you want me to go back?"
"Go back," Epsilon replied in a determined voice. "I need to be responsible for the both of us."
"I need to be responsible for my daughter!" The Empress swung her sleeves in anger. She started to walk towards the door. "It"s not your child, so you don"t know what it feels like!"
"Ning-" He suddenly tugged on her sleeve. Epsilon leaned out of the carriage, and his expression was one of anxiousness, which was a rare sight. "Listen to me, let"s go!"
Hearing his tone, the Empress hesitated for a while. She was not a fool, and after many years of interaction with Epsilon, she knew his temper. She asked, "There"s danger?"
Epsilon took another look at the lamp. In a daze, he said, "… Maybe."
"Muddle-headed!" When the Empress heard this, she was immediately furious. She forcefully pulled her sleeve away and added, "You"re becoming a coward because of a few ignorant lads! There are 3,000 guards in the residence, and the Yulin Army is right outside. How brazen can they be to try to attack the Princess" residence? Even if they do, are you afraid?"
She looked right into his eyes. "You"re afraid? You"re afraid?"
"It"s not this…" Epsilon opened his mouth, but he seemed to be holding back his words. Moments later, he added, "Just remember that I"ll never harm you."
"You"re not harming me, but you"re harming my daughter now!" The Empress smirked. Without any second thoughts, she barged in the door. "Sir Epsilon, I know that you worry for your life. Go hide first then. I"ll enter myself!"
She really ignored him and trod in the residence under the guide of the Tenth Princess" attendants. Stunned, Epsilon stood in the rain and forgot to fend himself from the rain. In a daze, he recalled that they had argued many times over the years, but this was the first time that she had left him so resolutely.
He looked up at the lamp again… There was actually nothing wrong with the lamp or the residence, and he did not sense any dangerous aura. The reason why he was stopped in his tracks by a lamp was because of a sentence that he had been told 14 years ago.
Back then, an old friend of his had come to visit him. While they had been chatting over a cup of tea, he had asked his friend jokingly, "How long will I live? Where will I die?"
"Huang Deng, Yun Jiao."
Confused, he had probed further. The old fellow had hugged his teacup for a long while before answering, "A yellow lamp is a yellow lamp."
Not willing to give up, Epsilon had asked about what rhymes went. His friend had laughed and said, "Don"t you know about rhyming in poems? The four tones in Mandarin? Huang Deng Yun Jiao is said in the Ping tone, followed by the Shang tone, Qu tone and finally, Ru tone… Combined together, that"s Ping Shang Qu Ru."
Immediately, Epsilon had spat his tea out. He had jumped up and taught his friend a good lesson. What Ping Shang Qu Ru? He had been practicing Tongzi Gong from young, so how would he ever be involved in it?
However, he had seen the yellow lamp today.
Actually, he had seen quite a number of yellow lamps in his life. At the start, he had thought of what his friend had said and felt nervous, but after being fine for many times, he had mocked his friend for predicting wrongly. Yet his heart started to beat very quickly in his chest today.
No matter what, he could not retreat.
She was in a dangerous place.
In his whole life, he had never left while knowing that she was in danger.
Furthermore… what"s the worst possible scenario? He was Epsilon, the fourth most powerful wielder. To run for his life because of a yellow lamp that he had seen countless times, and not care about the woman he loved, was way too ridiculous.
He stood in the rain and took in a deep breath. Suppressing the uneasy feeling in his stomach, he followed her and entered the residence.
The spring rain resulted in the floor being wet, and the reflection of the yellow lamp in the puddle was bright and clear. Seeing that he followed her in, the Empress smiled in satisfaction. However, using the excuse that outsiders could not disturb the princess while she was ill, she stopped him outside the door.
Since Epsilon originally did not want to enter, he sat in the outer room. The Tenth Princess" residence was not a place that was suitable for him to stay in. When he entered, he felt very uncomfortable. He decided to just close his eyes and rest.
The surroundings were silent. He could hear the sound of monks and the Empress praying. Incense was lit in the inner room, and when he took a whiff, it smelled like a how normal, valuable sandalwood would smell like. There was nothing out of the ordinary.
He started to feel more and more calm. In the serene atmosphere, he heard a long-sounding strike of the bell from a temple far away. A type of martial arts skills that boys practice from young. In this book, the pre-condition of mastering this skill is the wielder must be a virgin. It also makes the wielder appear youngerMeans yellow lamp and rhymes respectively.The second, first, fourth, and third tone in modern Mandarin, respectively.Wordplay describing s.e.xual intercourse.