Hua Yun Jin woke from his dream, his face ashen.
He had a dream, a dream where he saw Xue Zi Ning's future.
"You're awake?"
Hearing the voice, Hua Yun Jin looked up at Han Xi Xia and asked, "How long have I slept?"
Han Xi Xia replied, "I don't know. I just woke up too."
Hua Yun Jin got out of bed, gazing at the sunlight streaming in from outside the door, and slowly said, "I dreamed of the Empress."
Han Xi Xia was taken aback.
He continued, "I dreamed the Empress gradually disappeared."
"Hua Yun Jin, dreams are often the opposite, you're overthinking it."
Hua Yun Jin shook his head. The dream had been too real, making him wonder if he had already lived out his entire life.
"King Hua, King Han, His Majesty requests an audience." A voice called from outside the door.
Hua Yun Jin and Han Xi Xia exchanged a glance, walked out of the room, and arrived at the Empress's chambers. There, they saw the Empress held in Xue Jing Yun's arms, a scene both tender and blindingly stark.
Hua Yun Jin slowly lowered his gaze, while Han Xi Xia, unperturbed, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, you summoned me."
Xue Zi Ning pushed away Xue Jing Yun, wanting to get down. He refused, leaving her no choice but to meet Hua Yun Jin and Han Xi Xia in this embrace.
"King Han, how is the recruitment of soldiers proceeding?" Xue Zi Ning asked.
Han Xi Xia replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured, everything is proceeding as planned."
Xue Zi Ning nodded and looked at Hua Yun Jin, who seemed somewhat distracted. She couldn't help but ask, "King Hua, and you?"
Hua Yun Jin turned back, looked at Xue Zi Ning, and bowed. "Your Majesty, rest assured, everything is under control. Mo Cheng is safe."
"The day Han Xi Xia and An Ping leave Mo Cheng will be the day we strike."
Han Xi Xia nodded, "We will not disappoint Your Majesty."
Xue Zi Ning yawned. Seeing this, Xue Jing Yun whispered, "You should rest well. I will handle the rest."
She nodded, "Alright, I'll leave it all to you…"
Xue Jing Yun rose and looked at the two people still in the room, his voice somewhat cold. "If you have business, discuss it outside."
Han Xi Xia gritted his teeth. Who wanted to discuss anything with him?
But seeing the Empress's weary face, he turned and left.
Hua Yun Jin, however, left with a thoughtful expression, ultimately choosing to depart.
A dream is just a dream, it wouldn't become reality.
Once everyone had left, Xue Zi Ning slowly opened her eyes and asked softly, "What did Yan Zhao dream about?"
"I don't know," the stone said frantically.
It remembered someone threatening it, forbidding it to tell anyone, lest it be split into small pebbles, half thrown into the commode and the other half scattered at the city gate to be trampled by countless people.
The thought alone made it feel vile, but it knew that person meant what they said.
"Is it that you don't know, or you don't want to say?" Xue Zi Ning asked.
The stone became anxious. "I don't know is I don't know."
"I was thinking you must be quite lonely on your own and wanted to find a very compatible stone to pair you with. Since you don't need one, then forget it," Xue Zi Ning said with great regret.
Upon hearing this, the stone's entire body lit up. "No, I do need one, I need one." It would be wonderful to have another stone like itself; it wouldn't be so lonely anymore.
"But you won't tell me what I want to know," Xue Zi Ning said, appearing conflicted.
The stone, hearing this, retorted indignantly, "Then forget it." It absolutely did not want to end up in the commode, nor be trampled by people.
"I heard that two stones cultivating together can even transform into human form," Xue Zi Ning added.
"Really? How come I didn't know?" the stone asked in surprise.
It was a lie, meant to trick it.
"There's naturally much you don't know. Do you know who I am? I am the ruler of this land, and I know many, many things."
The stone hesitated.
Xue Zi Ning continued, "You don't need to worry about others finding out. It's just you and me here. If I don't speak, no one will know."
"Then... then alright!" It was tempted. Who wanted to remain a stone? It wanted to become human.
"Can you tell me now?" Xue Zi Ning asked.
The stone nodded. "You promise not to tell anyone?"
"As the Empress of Chang Ning, my word is my bond," Xue Zi Ning said slowly.
The stone replied, "He saw your future."
Xue Zi Ning was taken aback. "Is my future not good?"
The stone remained silent.
"Can you tell me what happens to me in the future?"
The stone said, "It's not that I won't tell you, but heavenly secrets cannot be revealed, or I might not survive."
"Then I'll ask, and you answer yes or no."
Before the stone could agree, Xue Zi Ning asked, "Is it about me?"
The stone answered, "Yes."
"Am I fated to have a short life?"
The stone replied, "Yes and no."
Xue Zi Ning blinked and voiced her final lingering question, "I cannot have children, can I?"
The stone was silent for a long time, not speaking again.
But Xue Zi Ning already understood. Children were her Achilles' heel.
As An Ning gradually faded, the body that belonged to An Ning also began to become transparent. If not for the protective bead from Fan Min's wife, she probably wouldn't have a solid body now, merely a materialized form, incapable of functioning like a normal body.
However, now that she possessed a real body thanks to the protective bead, if she were to have a child, the child would absorb the mother's strength, draining her power. At best, she would revert to a materialized form; at worst, she would gradually become transparent and eventually dissipate.
This was also why Yan Zhao did not want her to have children.
"If I insist on having a child, will I disappear?"
The stone remained silent, not speaking.
"I understand. Thank you…"
"Isn't it good to be together forever?" the stone suddenly asked.
Xue Zi Ning shook her head. "When you truly love someone, besides wanting to be with them forever, you also want to have a continuation of their bloodline. You wouldn't understand, because you are a stone."
"What's wrong with me being a stone? I live a long time!" the stone retorted frantically.
"Yes, that's why you don't understand me, because we are not of the same kind."
"You…" The stone was furious, hopping with indignation, but helpless.
Xue Zi Ning, however, fell silent, gazing at the sunlight streaming in from outside the door. Could she not even have her own child?
"A Ning, what's wrong?" Xue Jing Yun entered the room, saw her disheartened expression, and walked over to ask with concern.
"It's nothing. Yan Zhao, I want to resolve the matter of Mo Cheng as soon as possible."
Xue Jing Yun nodded. "Leave it all to me."
She nodded. "Alright, I want to return to the capital."
Xue Jing Yun embraced her and whispered, "Don't worry, it will all be over soon."
"I'll wait for you in the capital," Xue Zi Ning said.
In the afternoon, Xue Zi Ning boarded a carriage and, under the protection of people sent by Xue Yan and Han Xi Xia, headed towards the capital.
Xue Jing Yun watched the carriage grow smaller and dimmer, his expression somewhat somber.
"Your Highness, the last batch of gold has arrived from Mo Cheng," Xue Feng whispered beside him.
"I know. Make preparations," he said flatly.
Hua Yun Jin withdrew his gaze, turned, and saw Xue Jing Yun had not yet left. He stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Your Highness."
"What did you see at the Han Palace?"
Hua Yun Jin was startled, then chuckled softly. "What, do I have to tell you everything I see?"
"Is it about A Ning?" Xue Jing Yun asked, word by word.
Hua Yun Jin paused slightly and turned his face away. "Do I need to tell you?"
"Please tell me."
As Xue Jing Yun's voice fell, Hua Yun Jin was stunned. "You..."