472: Chapter 52 Confrontation 472: Chapter 52 Confrontation Xue Zhu took the order and left, carrying the imperial edict of the little emperor and departing the separate garden.
The snowstorm dispersed.
The Red Pavilion became quite desolate.
“I have come here today, in fact, with no particular matter in mind, just wishing to chat with you.”
The little emperor looked at Xie Xuanyi, sighed, and earnestly said: “There has been no disturbance in Ren Shou Palace for some days, and the Imperial City is at peace.
In some time, once the Southern Border Demon Cleansing is put on the agenda…
My good days will also come to an end.
All the demands you have raised, I can satisfy.
This time accompanying the Fan Yin Temple delegation to Da Li, be extremely cautious.”
Countless people in the world wish to enter the Great Chu Imperial City.
But for Chu Yin, the Imperial City is the very place she most longs to escape from.
It’s the biggest cage in the world.
Her life, her personal freedom, all are held in the hands of the Holy Empress, life or death dependent on the Empress’s fleeting thoughts…
The throne, the dragon robes, the power, these things have nothing to do with her.
Even living a decent life is nothing but wishful thinking.
To leave this cage, one must overturn these high walls.
Now, she had made a decision, no matter what, to try and push down these walls…
Retrieving her brother who has the “legitimate right of succession” was the first step.
“Thank you for the reminder.”
Xie Xuanyi calmly said: “You can rest assured about matters handled by Xie.”
Chu Yin gently uttered a sound of acknowledgment.
She too noticed that the atmosphere in the separate garden today was somewhat unusual…
Her lord obviously had something to discuss with Xie Zhen.
“If that’s the case, I won’t disturb you any longer.”
The little emperor walked away with hands clasped behind her back, slowly heading towards the corridor, with remaining snowflakes drifting onto her shoulders.
She took several steps.
The softness and immaturity between the young girl’s brows gradually dissipated with the wind and snow.
She resumed her male appearance, and the sharpness and aura of authority between her brows dissipated too, by the time she stepped into the sedan prepared by the Death Soldier Black Scale Guards, her scattered long hair was already completely pinned up.
Now, she had again become the young emperor of the Great Chu Country, difficult to make great use of.
Chu Yin left the place.
The chill of the separate garden was driven off by the stove.
Xie Xuanyi arrived inside the Red Pavilion, sitting across from Chen Jingxuan, the young State Preceptor gently blowing on the warm air, his gaze focused on the flickering blue flames.
“Living like this, is truly a suffocating affair.”
Xie Xuanyi looked in the direction Chu Yin had departed: “To be an emperor yet lack basic dignity; clearly intelligent but forced to play the fool.
Don’t you think, with such a vast world, it is a pity to only stay inside the Imperial City?”
“Such is the case with the matters of this world.”
Chen Jingxuan spoke softly: “When the moon is full, it wanes; there are no entirely perfect fortunes…
Sometimes, you have to make concessions to fate.
Chu Yin being born into the imperial family is great fortune as well as great misfortune.”
“Born into the imperial family, where is the great fortune?”
Xie Xuanyi indifferently said: “On her, there is only misfortune, no fortune.”
“That can’t be said either.”
Chen Jingxuan smiled, helplessly saying: “If that high wall is torn down, she would stand at the secular peak that countless people dream of.”
“Can she do it?”
Xie Xuanyi asked expressionlessly: “Overthrow the Holy Empress with a ten-year-old child?”
In the Great Chu Imperial City, one must tread carefully.
Some things, even if spoken, can attract bad luck.
But Xie Xuanyi was not afraid of bad luck.
Today’s secret discussion was only missing the words “plotting rebellion” written out on their faces.
“This matter…
many people want to do it.”
Chen Jingxuan lifted his head, softly saying: “And many people are doing it.”
The surface of the ocean is calm, but undercurrents rage beneath.
Those people are hidden below the waves.
If a crack appears in that high wall, then many will contribute their strength to pry the crack wider, and wider still.
“When do you plan to make a move?”
Xie Xuanyi looked straight into Chen Jingxuan’s eyes.
“Wait a bit longer.”
The Little National Master said with a smile: “Now…
the time is not yet ripe.”
“You must feel it, right?
This time the Holy Empress’s seclusion in Ren Shou Palace, casting a grand array, those array patterns are drawing the fortune of Great Chu Country.”
Xie Xuanyi pointed in the direction of the palace outside the separate garden, saying: “She is not far from the ultimate realm.
If she really takes that final step to ‘Ascending,’ even if you gather many immortals, it will be of no use.”
The Holy Empress might have already stood at the pinnacle of the fabled Heavenly Human Realm.
One step further.
That is attaining immortality.
Their step has cut down countless heroes over a thousand years at the chasm.
To complete the transformation from a mortal to a True Immortal.
Not only does it require astonishing talents but also a vast amount of luck.
Emperor Qi failed at this step.
But the Holy Empress…
happened to possess what Emperor Qi did not.
The Great Chu Country is a hundred times more powerful than the Great Yue Kingdom; and now, in a period of flourishing destiny, if the Holy Empress begins the final proof of the Dao, she will do so with an unstoppable force, defying the Heaven and Earth Dao.
Once it comes to that, whether it’s the Taoist Xiao Yaozi, Sword Palace’s Zhao Chunyang, or the Buddhist Zen Master, it will be very difficult to stop…
“Don’t rush.”
Chen Jingxuan was still composed.
He glanced in the direction pointed out by Xie Xuanyi, and quickly looked back, indifferently saying: “Becoming an immortal, it’s not that easy.”
…
…
The two sat in the Red Pavilion, neither opening their mouths, maintaining silence.
But this silence was not awkward.
The fire in the stove crackled softly.
The firelight reflected on Chen Jingxuan’s cheeks, casting a three-point ruddiness on the Little National Master’s pale complexion; he seemed to enjoy this quiet, or rather…
the solitude.