Chen Shi turned back abruptly and saw Ouyang Qinglin standing before her, holding an infant.
"Is this... is this my daughter?"
Chen Shi's fingers trembled slightly, she couldn't believe it.
"Otherwise? If you wish, you can also be my goddaughter," Gu Qianying said to Chen Shi with a smile, not taking her words seriously.
Ouyang Qinglin handed the infant in his arms to Chen Shi. Chen Shi cried out loud as she held the baby.
...
Two days later,
At an ordinary post station in the Xia Kingdom,
In the superior private room, a man in a white brocade robe, wearing a bamboo hat, sat by the paper window. A stick of sandalwood incense was placed on a nearby table, its scent faint and smoke curling.
Nearby, two old men were playing chess.
"Have you heard about the change of ruler in the Xia Kingdom?"
Old Man Wu stroked his slightly graying beard. He fiddled with the white chess piece in his hand and said, "Yes, I've heard that the Third Prince of Xia, Ouyang Qinglin, collaborated with an unknown party and, overnight, bloodied the Xia Kingdom's imperial palace, seizing power and ascending the throne."
"Indeed, I heard about it on my way here. What's strange is that the Third Prince Ouyang Qinglin was fully qualified and capable of ascending the throne and ruling the Xia Kingdom as its emperor. Yet, he unexpectedly gave such a golden opportunity to the infant prince, who is not even a month old and still needs to be breastfed, belonging to the new Empress Chen Shi. Now, Chen Shi, as the Empress Dowager, since the new emperor is still a child, is managing state affairs on his behalf, becoming the second Empress Wu in history."
"It seems Chen Shi's luck is simply too good," Old Man Wu said, placing the white piece in his hand onto the chessboard with hidden meaning.
Old Man Guo glanced at him, then turned to look at the man sitting by the paper window. He turned back, tapped the table with his hand, and whispered to Old Man Wu, "Didn't our Emperor Lian say he would personally retrieve the heart's flesh of the Purple Feather Maiden? It's been two days, and we haven't seen our master make a move. Could he have gone soft?"
A black piece landed heavily. Old Man Wu glared at Old Man Guo, "You foolish old man. Although I have calculated that the Purple Feather Maiden is in the Xia Kingdom, it has been many years. That little girl from back then has already grown into a young woman. We haven't seen her current appearance, so how can our master recognize her? If he can't recognize her, how can he go soft?"
"Oh, that's true. In that case, are the three of us, our master and us, going to search for her like looking for a needle in a haystack?" Old Man Guo picked up all the white pieces from the chessboard and set them aside.
He liked making medicine, but searching for people made him very irritable.
"That won't be necessary. That little child, the Purple Feather Maiden, had an anomaly in the past: red hair, red lips, red eyes, and a tail that did not belong to a human. Furthermore, this phenomenon would only be triggered when this woman experiences immense harm and extreme despair, invoking her inner demons. We can follow this clue to find her, and we should be able to locate her quickly."
"That's good, much better than searching one by one."
"Yes, that's very good."
The two old men chatted back and forth, and when they had finished their discussion, they both looked towards the paper window.
Upon seeing this, the two old men were stunned.
Not far away, the white-robed man sitting by the paper window had already vanished.
The two old men exclaimed, "Where did Lord Lian Emperor go?"
"I don't know! He was just here!"
Old Man Wu punched Old Man Guo, "What are you still standing there for? Hurry and search! Lord Lian Emperor is gravely ill and alone outside, which is very dangerous. If those demonic scoundrels find out that Lord Lian Emperor is currently weak in spiritual power due to his severe illness, wouldn't that give them a great opportunity to harm Lord Lian Emperor!"
"Quick, quick, search! This matter is of great importance, do not be careless!"
The two old men climbed out of the window and disappeared into the crowd.
Unbeknownst to them, in another private room, Gu Qianying and Ouyang Qinglin were seated at a table, each with a cup of fragrant tea.
"Have you thought it through? Giving up the identity of the Emperor?"
Gu Qianying picked up her teacup and took a small sip, then looked up at Ouyang Qinglin.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Ouyang Qinglin was wearing clothes of the same color as hers today, both in dark purple robes.
The only difference was that Gu Qianying's dark purple dress had no ornaments, not even the most common jade pendant. However, upon closer inspection, one could see that her neck was tied with a fine thread made from special silkworm silk and phoenix feathers, a Feather Spirit Thread.
Tied to the Feather Spirit Thread was a delicate miniature jade pendant, crafted by Gu Qianying using a special technique. She kept the pendant hidden within her clothes, invisible to outsiders.
Ouyang Qinglin's robe, on the other hand, was adorned with many accessories, appearing somewhat ostentatious, much like his personality.
"If you agree to stay with me, I will take the throne. But if you are leaving, what use do I have for the throne? To grow old alone?"
Ouyang Qinglin spoke very directly, completely unlike his usual demeanor.
Gu Qianying's hand holding the teacup tightened abruptly. She looked at Ouyang Qinglin very seriously, "Thank you."
She and Ouyang Qinglin had an agreement: Ouyang Qinglin would help her, and she would agree to be his person.
However, Ouyang Qinglin did not force her, nor did he fulfill their agreement.
For this, she was very grateful to Ouyang Qinglin.
If she truly didn't care anymore, and only held that one person in her heart, how could she not care?
After all, besides that person, she would still refuse anyone else who tried to touch her.
Seeing Gu Qianying speak so earnestly, Ouyang Qinglin suddenly smiled. Beneath his charmingly wicked eyes was a depth of doting affection. "If you want to thank me, then from today onwards, let me protect you without leaving your side, alright?"
Ouyang Qinglin did not refer to himself as "this prince" but used "I."
This showed the depth of his feelings for her.
"Actually, you don't need to be like this, I..." Facing Ouyang Qinglin's deep affection, Gu Qianying wanted to refuse, but before the words could leave her lips, she heard Ouyang Qinglin say, "You can refuse, but it will be useless. I am determined to be with you for the rest of my life. Even if you never develop feelings for me, I will have no regrets."
With that said,
Ouyang Qinglin picked up his teacup and took a sip. As he placed the teacup down, he noticed the Feather Spirit Thread on Gu Qianying's neck. He glanced at it for a moment, then smiled and said, "Very beautiful, it suits you well."
Gu Qianying was startled for a moment. She instinctively touched the Feather Spirit Thread tied around her neck and replied with a smile, "Yes, I know."
The jade pendant tied to the Feather Spirit Thread was a gift from Nangong Mo. If she wore it around her waist as usual, she feared that some foolish thief might steal her belongings.
Although her martial arts were formidable, and most people couldn't get close to her, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Besides, hadn't someone said that when you give something from a loved one to your heart, that loved one will visit your dreams in the night?
However, for several days, she had not dreamed of that person.
Lost in thought, Gu Qianying's gaze dimmed. She turned and looked out the open window. Outside, willow leaves were falling, the weather was cooling, and winter was approaching after autumn.
The wind outside was strong, whistling against the windowpane.
Suddenly, someone seemed to approach from behind. Gu Qianying turned back to see a red cloak fall upon her.
"The wind is strong, be careful not to catch a cold. Take care of yourself."
After draping the cloak over Gu Qianying, Ouyang Qinglin casually sat down in front of her and followed her gaze, looking out the window.
"Let the past be the past. Why cling to it so stubbornly? Isn't it self-inflicted suffering to be sad and heartbroken?"
Gu Qianying listened but did not speak.
Some things cannot be let go.
Seeing Gu Qianying remain silent, Ouyang Qinglin said no more. He knew that even if that person was dead, he would never be comparable to him, and perhaps he would never enter Gu Qianying's heart. But what did it matter? In the rest of her life, the one by her side would be Ouyang Qinglin!
Moreover, what he desired was not just Gu Qianying, but also...
*Bang!*
The door to the private room was suddenly kicked open from the outside.
A man wearing a bamboo hat and a white robe, holding a long sword, strode in...