"Xiao Zhun guarding all night?"Jing Hua yawned as she blinked her eyes. She muttered incoherently as she lifted the blanket. "Yes. But it looks like he's gone."So last night, Xiao Zhun was guarding? Lan Qi thought that Xiao Zhun hadn't gone home yet. Wonder if she knows ..."You want to wash your face, Lan Qi?" With a sleepy face, Jing Hua picked up clothes and some flower petals from the wooden cupboard. Jing Hua's long flowing hair was slightly tangled, she looked at Lan Qi who was silent at the doorway.She had been washing her face since a few hours ago. Woke up earlier with a slightly lighter mind because last night's conversation with Xiao Zhun made her fresher. She had also been burning wood for Jing Hua's stove because she knew for sure that this morning that woman would be heating the dumplings that were to be sold later.“I was awake earlier, Jing Hua. I've also been burning wood. It's getting cold outside, the river water is freezing!” Lan Qi exclaimed with a small smile.
It's been one week. Since the Emperor's death, all news was spread through the mayors of each city. The news was such a stir that several cities attended the funeral of His Royal Highness. All the eunuchs, palace attendants, ministers, and officials were busy taking control in spreading this news. However, Guo Fen could only stand among the darkness, between the corners of the room to silently watch all their pretense moves. "Are you going to stand there all day?" Guo Fen turned his head. He found Empress Na Xing wearing a hanfu cloth and her hair in an upward bun with various trinkets and gold earrings hanging from her ears walking closer to him. Guo Fen turned his eyes away, looking straight at the small pond of the Empress pavilion. No palace guard could step on this place. The Empress's Pavilion was the Empress's most private place. If not for all of this, Guo Fen might not have received this special treatment. "Or did you see something you didn't tell me about?" Empress Na X
Guo Fen did his best not to show any expression. He only moved his head and turned towards the Empress who still smiled gracefully as if General Tang's words just now were a very brilliant idea amidst the remaining sorrows of the Emperor's death which had only been one week.Before anyone could ask more, Empress Na Xing continued. “You all know how King Wen Dao treated the emperor in the past. When Emperor Ming Lao, His Highest Majesty helped the state of En Shu City, King Wen Dao always had a requisite when Emperor wanted to help their city which was dry and barren. You already know about this, don't you?"General Tang who had a square face, even eyebrows, sunken lips, and deep eyes said firmly, "King Wen Dao always reckon even though Emperor Ming Lao has given rain and exported rice and tea for the welfare of their people.""That's right," continued the Empress, still with clear pronunciation and soft intonation. “The Emperor helping En Shu City is not purely out of pity and want
Nothing is easy. Guo Fen walked out of Ming Lao's hall as Deputy Minister Shao and General Tang stood straight ahead of him through the open passage. While behind, the Military Advisor stepped slowly and fell silent. Dressed in Imperial attire, Guo Fen tucked Rong Mei's jade back into his waist belt."I can guess that maybe other than the Lao Military Advisor, you are the one who will leave here soon," General Tang suddenly looked back when they reached the terrace of the hall bathed in the morning sunlight. Guo Fen closed his steps, stopping in front of General Tang who was facing him. Beside him, Minister Shao slightly glanced at Guo Fen.During this one week, Guo Fen's existence was nothing more than a ghostly figure. Everyone was whispering, wondering at any gathering involving the Empress what figure would be standing behind her. A figure clad in Imperial robes with black cloth and a silver cloak, Guo Fen had never formally introduced himself before the Ministers and Officials.M
Guo Fen's room was three buildings away from Ming Lao's hall. He had to pass through a wide garden between the pavilions and several paths lined with cherry trees on either side. Besides the many empty rooms for guests, the Ming Lao Palace is surrounded by cherry trees.Occasionally Guo Fen would hear that the cherry tree was Princess Li Ming's favorite. Since she was little, Emperor Ming Lao always spoiled his only daughter. It was said that Princess Li Ming liked drinking cherry tea the most. Because she liked cherry trees, since the birth of Princess Li Ming, the palace began to be filled with pink trees. Only now, that tree meant nothing at all because soon, it might only be left with its bare boughs and branches that had been bald by the summer heat.Guo Fen climbed up the steps to his bedroom building. Around Guo Fen's room, there were no guards or servants to serve him. Guo Fen took care of all his own needs. When he first stepped into the palace, he always felt that he was b
The Shadow Soldier from earlier must be Xiao Ahn. The youth with the most accurate archer who alone did not consider Guo Fen an enemy from the military warrior sector. Ever since Xiao Ahn helped Guo Fen put up a play about the rescue mission he did while in prison helping Princess Li Ming, secretly, Guo Fen trusted that child. At the very least, Guo Fen avoided the Empress and General Tang's suspicions about his empathy for Princess Li Ming.This was because when Princess Li Ming was released from the prison that night, Guo Fen was increasingly suspected by most of the shadow soldiers who at that time ambushed the man who broke into the palace prison area. But luckily Xiao Ahn helped Guo Fen and witnessed that Guo Fen was actually trying to restrain her and found Princess Li Ming escaping on her own.Maybe that's also why the Empress was worried about the whereabouts of her child. Because until now, everyone believed that Princess Li Ming had some sort of power or at least—someone h
What conference was the Empress referring to just now?Guo Fen was preoccupied with his head starting to crash into each other as several conjectures arose. Since when was there also a foreign girl who occupied and pretended to be Princess Li Ming? Guo Fen didn't know if the other soldiers could see that such a stupid trick was being carried out so blatantly but—how could they allow the Empress to control something that was so clearly out of control?He was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that Guo Fen didn't realize that all of a sudden, he had returned to his own building. The wind swept gently, the sun's rays descending to the western horizon, but the light was still as bright as this morning. When Guo Fen was about to climb the wooden stairs to his room, in front of the terrace, Guo Fen found a man standing with his arms crossed."You seem to be thinking about something, huh?"General Tang with a light frown on his forehead glared at Guo Fen. But fortunately, the expressio
One of the reasons why until now there had been no large-scale rebellion against the Empress over the Emperor's death in the palace was—that the support of the people who believed in the Empress had been planted many years ago. In fact, if Guo Fen could say, maybe before the Empress really was still the Crown Princess.How about the connections and communications that the Empress had from long ago—has been tightly held by the people. One of the strengths of the Empress that the Emperor does not have is; Civil Palace.The large and spacious building with official quarters was not far from Li Ming Palace's residence, being one of the places where the people could communicate directly with the Empress. The Empress heard and saw the voices of the people. With the help of the military, she allowed the Civil Palace in the center of the city to become a public area for every citizen to preserve the culture of the Li Dynasty.In the past, when Guo Fen was still a child, several uncles and aun