Chapter 1171: Bright Sunny Day
(Some readers asked if yesterday's chapter was written to match the TV series plot. Of course not. My plot design and choices are not influenced by any adaptations. I write entirely based on what I want to write, what I think is cool, and that's how I'll write it. Just keep reading and you'll see—what I've written is really impressive.)
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Mo Yu, King Louyang, Grand Tutor Bai Ying, the ministers, and the guards turned back in shock.
Prince Xiang and Eunuch Lin's expressions changed abruptly, and even Cao Yunping's face showed a look of surprise.
No one noticed that on the second floor, a delicate-looking young eunuch was also looking over.
King Louyang lowered his arm in a daze.
That touch of imperial yellow finally appeared before everyone.
The Great Zhou Emperor, Yuren.
"Your Majesty!"
Several cries rang out.
Yuren quietly looked down at Eunuch Lin below.
Eunuch Lin suddenly felt a bit hot—not in his body, but on his face. Why?
"Having the eunuchs and maids hide was not your godson's idea; it was my decree."
Yuren's expression was gentle and calm, and his voice grew increasingly normal: "Weapons have no eyes. State affairs have nothing to do with them. Why should they be injured or even die because of this?"
Eunuch Lin was silent for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty is truly a benevolent ruler."
Yuren said, "Both my teacher and you wanted me to be a benevolent ruler. But if I were to abdicate because treacherous ministers threatened me with the lives of the people, then I would not be a benevolent ruler but a foolish one."
His speech became smoother and smoother, until it was no different from a normal person's, though his voice was still a bit hoarse.
No one noticed what he and Eunuch Lin were talking about, because everyone was stunned by the very fact that he was speaking.
So the Emperor wasn't mute? He could talk? Then why had he never spoken all this time? Even Eunuch Lin, who had served him for over a decade, didn't know.
If this were some kind of hidden tactic, that would be one thing. But it was just speaking. What use was it to keep it a secret?
Meeting dozens of shocked gazes, Yuren knew what everyone was thinking. He hadn't planned to answer, but after a moment's thought, he gave them the explanation.
"I can't lie. So when I left the capital as a child, my master told me not to speak. Later, I got used to not speaking."
"Living in Xining Town, with my master and junior brother, sometimes we didn't even need gestures. A single look told us what to do, so there was even less need for words."
"Later, I came to the capital and became emperor. The thing I did most every day was review memorials. I just wrote with a brush, so I didn't need to speak."
"Even at court assemblies, I find it best to just listen and not speak. It saves trouble and keeps things quiet."
"Since I don't need to speak, why should I?"
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If there's no need, naturally there's no reason to do it.
No one would run around the continent a dozen times for no reason, crossing grasslands, snowy mountains, and seasons countless times—unless his wife had quietly slipped away one deep night.
Prince Xiang said, "So Your Majesty has been playing deaf and dumb."
Yuren said, "Yes. I've read all the records of Emperor Taizong and some wise rulers of previous dynasties. I found that they were all very good at playing deaf and dumb."
Prince Xiang pondered this, then shook his head and said, "Your Majesty is indeed extraordinary. At least you only hid the fact that you could speak."
Yuren wanted to say something but didn't have time. After all, this was the first time he had spoken today, so his reactions were inevitably a bit slow.
"In the future, I will also learn to play deaf and dumb."
Prince Xiang continued, "But please write the abdication edict first. This matter doesn't require speaking, only writing. Your Majesty should be very familiar with that."
Yuren didn't speak; he just shook his head.
Prince Xiang sighed and said, "Then I'm afraid I must apologize."
At that moment, the young eunuch standing behind the golden railing on the second floor suddenly stepped forward and took off his hat.
She looked at Prince Xiang and said, "Prince, are you sure you insist on doing this?"
Her jet-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, her brows and eyes as beautiful as a painting. Many of the elderly ministers in the hall quickly recognized the young girl's identity.
"Your Highness! Princess!"
Everyone thought in shock: Luoluo had suddenly appeared in the Great Zhou Imperial Palace. Did this represent the Demon race's stance?
Then what about the Pingbei Army that was besieging the palace alongside the rebels?
Looking at Luoluo, Prince Xiang was startled for a moment, then smiled and shook his head.
Cao Yunping also smiled, his expression gentle as he said, "Your Highness, stop causing trouble."
This kind of attitude—an elder toward a younger—shouldn't appear at a time like this, at the very least.
Luoluo raised an eyebrow and said, "Before I entered the palace, I had already subdued the Pingbei Army. Xuanyuan Po is at the National Academy right now, all to stop you."
Cao Yunping smiled and said, "If the Dao Sovereign and Chen Changsheng lead their troops south, then you and Xuanyuan Po are the ambush. Because the White Emperor will appear to defeat me and the Prince, becoming the savior of the Great Zhou. If the Dao Sovereign doesn't return, that means he has abandoned the Emperor, and the White Emperor won't appear. Then everything you've done is meaningless."
Luoluo understood his meaning, and her small face turned pale.
Everything was under the White Emperor's control. Otherwise, how could she have escaped White Emperor City so easily? How could Xuanyuan Po have hidden in the Pingbei Army for so long?
Prince Xiang and Cao Yunping didn't know about her and Xuanyuan Po's existence.
But she and Xuanyuan Po were just pawns—or actors—moving according to the White Emperor's will, constantly changing the roles they played.
Now, the White Emperor still hadn't appeared, which meant he had decided to honor his agreement with Prince Xiang.
This meant, as Cao Yunping said, everything Luoluo and Xuanyuan Po had done had lost its meaning.
Luoluo suddenly thought of something from ten years ago.
Mu Jiusi and the prince of the Western Continent had died at sea.
Luoluo had always thought this was Shang Xingzhou's arrangement. Now it seemed it was probably related to her father.
After learning of the alliance between the White Emperor and Prince Xiang, she had immediately notified Chen Changsheng, then traveled eighty thousand li day and night to the capital, hoping to help.
She hadn't rested properly in days. Suddenly faced with this dull truth, all her exhaustion surged over her, and her body swayed as if about to fall.
A hand landed on her shoulder, steadying her.
That hand was firm and broad, warm even through the fabric of her clothes.
Luoluo snapped back to reality and stepped aside.
She didn't know why she did that. It seemed her teacher had instructed her on something, but she had forgotten.
Just like what Mo Yu, King Louyang, Grand Tutor Bai Ying, the ministers, and the guards did next.
The crowd parted like a tide, and Yuren walked down.
He walked very slowly, because everyone in the world knew that one of his feet was lame.
No matter how slow the pace, as long as one kept walking, one would eventually reach the other shore.
Whether it was the stream in Xining Town, the river of wisdom, or the patterns of rivers and seas laid out in golden bricks on the floor.
Yuren walked to Prince Xiang and stopped.
Prince Xiang looked at him from such a close distance for the first time.
The blind eye, the missing half of the earlobe, the shoulder tilted slightly to the left—all gradually faded from his view.
In the end, only that clean face remained.
A trace of bewilderment appeared in Prince Xiang's eyes, then some confusion, followed by shock, and finally, amusement.
He struck a palm toward Yuren's head.
That palm was as soft as if boneless, like an invisible flame of blazing sun, carrying an incomparably terrifying aura.
Cries of alarm rang out. The guards finally snapped to attention and charged forward fearlessly, trying to use their own bodies to block that palm for His Majesty.
Suddenly, a powerful wave of energy surged forth, like a real tide, sweeping those guards into the steps.
The golden railing shattered, and a faint dust rose.
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According to the subsequent investigation, very few people actually saw what happened in that moment.
The light was too intense. If you didn't close your eyes immediately, you would surely be blinded.
Even Mo Yu, Luoluo, and others with extremely high cultivation levels could only see a blurry image.
A bright curtain of light appeared in the center of the hall. Compared to it, the glow of the night pearls was like the ash of burned weeds.
Two figures could faintly be seen within the light curtain. One was slightly plumper, presumably Prince Xiang, and the other was naturally Yuren.
Two palms met in midair.
That curtain of light began at the point where their hands touched.
There, a sun was born.
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The dark clouds in the night sky were completely dispersed.
The stars that had just emerged were swallowed up in the next moment.
Countless rays of light shot up from the Imperial City into the sky.
The capital seemed to have returned to daylight.
Students at the Mausoleum of Books, who had been studying the steles, turned back in shock. Squirrels in the night forest woke up and leaped about incessantly.
In the Detached Palace, the National Church cavalry, who had been on high alert, pushed up their visors and looked up at the night sky.
Everyone saw a sun.
King Zhongshan was gathering his cavalry in Taiping Lane, preparing to charge into the palace to rescue the Emperor.
When the night sky suddenly brightened, he looked up and couldn't look away.
He squinted, watching for a long time, until that sun gradually faded.
"Ah, what a beautiful sun..."
King Zhongshan was deeply moved and waved his hand to cancel the plan to raid the palace that night.
He dismounted, took a bath, then had the small kitchen make a bowl of zhajiang noodles, adding half a spoonful of wild garlic, and ate it with relish.
Watching this scene, his beautiful concubine couldn't help but think the same thought as the strategist who had died during the day: Were these noodles really that good?
Of course, she was much smarter than that strategist. When the words left her mouth, they became: "We're not saving His Majesty?"
King Zhongshan, eating his noodles, mumbled two sentences somewhat indistinctly.
The concubine understood that the first sentence the Prince said was: His Majesty doesn't need us to save him; we're all idiots.
Then she thought hard for a moment before confirming the second sentence was: Tomorrow will be a bright, sunny day.
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"Many years ago—truly many years ago—Father's eyes were still fine. You know, oh, you don't know. Over there used to be a study. That's where I first heard the cultivation technique's oral formula. I thought the technique was so powerful—the sun was so hot, so bright—how could it be placed inside my body?"
Prince Xiang said, "Father said I was wrong. That sun only becomes a real sun when it leaves our bodies. I thought that was still amazing! To see that sun, I cultivated relentlessly. But even after I became the highest-realm member of the imperial clan, I still didn't see it. Even after crossing that threshold ten years ago, I still didn't see that sun. So in recent years, I've often wondered: Was Father just teasing me back then?"
Yuren said, "No."
Prince Xiang looked at him, silent for a moment, then said, "Yes. Only today did I know it was true. Father didn't lie to me."
Yuren was also silent for a moment before saying, "I only found out today too."
Prince Xiang said, "Such a powerful Sun-Scorching Art. Even Emperor Taizong back then was probably no more than this, right?"
Yuren said, "I don't know."
Prince Xiang said with emotion, "Your Majesty's body is flawed, but your spirit is complete. You are truly the light of the Daoist sect and the light of the Chen clan."
This was the sincerest praise.
But he was still somewhat puzzled.
"Why did Your Majesty hide your cultivation realm?"
Prince Xiang said bitterly, "If we had known this earlier, why would we have thought of rebelling?"
Yuren said apologetically, "No one asked... and besides, I never had the chance to use it."
Prince Xiang was stunned by this, then couldn't help but laugh.
It was still the same principle as before.
Yuren could speak, but he didn't.
He could make a sun appear in the capital's night sky, but he didn't.
Because he didn't want to, and there was no need.
This was following his heart.
"Your Majesty is truly the biological son of Father and Mother."
Prince Xiang finally let go, though he couldn't help but feel some regret.
"Why wasn't I born of Mother?"
After saying this, countless rays of light burst from his body, shattering him into the finest crystalline particles, which were then swept away by the night wind, leaving no trace.
(37 Chinese)