Chapter 361: The Green Mountains Remain, White-Haired and Desolate

Reality.

Zhou Kingdom Imperial Capital, Qin Kingdom Envoy’s Residence, Back Courtyard.

A young girl wearing a light pink long dress sat on a stone stool in the courtyard.

She lowered her delicate head, earnestly and carefully making shoes.

Her personal maid Mingyue stood beside her mistress, watching intently without taking her eyes away.

Mingyue couldn’t quite understand why, ever since Her Majesty arrived at the imperial capital, apart from learning Zhou Kingdom etiquette, customs, and handling government affairs from Qin Kingdom, whenever she had free time she would sit in the courtyard making shoes.

What puzzled Mingyue even more was this.

Ever since she had served Her Majesty, she had never seen Her Majesty make shoes before, yet now it seemed as though Her Majesty had made shoes countless times, with every stitch and thread so skilled.

“Done, finally finished.”

As the last stitch fell, Qin Siyao picked up the shoes and tugged at them, pulled at them, then carefully inspected them again, worried whether there were any poorly done stitches.

After confirming there were no problems with the shoes, Qin Siyao slowly set them down.

“Your Majesty, Princess, are these shoes made for a man?” Mingyue asked curiously.

“Of course,” Qin Siyao’s lips curved upward, “You silly girl, don’t tell me you’ve seen a woman with such big feet?”

“Could it be that Princess is going to give these shoes to the Zhou Kingdom’s ruler?” Mingyue seemed to understand something.

Since they were men’s shoes, her mistress could only be giving them to the Zhou Kingdom’s ruler.

“Mm.” Qin Siyao stood up, placing the shoes in a box and packing them properly, “Let’s go, accompany me to the palace, I’m going to see Brother Emperor.”

With those words, Qin Siyao personally carried the box, stepping with her long legs beneath her skirt, happily walking out of the courtyard.

Seeing Her Majesty’s departing figure, Mingyue hurriedly followed.

However… Mingyue didn’t know if it was just her imagination.

Mingyue felt that ever since Her Majesty came to Zhou Kingdom’s territory, her personality seemed to have become more lively and cheerful, just like… a little girl.

“Brother Emperor, Mujiu has come to play with you… Brother Emperor, are you there?”

Outside the Yangxin Palace of Zhou Kingdom’s Imperial Palace.

A light and cheerful female voice entered the room.

Xiao Mo’s divine consciousness slowly withdrew from the Book of a Hundred Lives, finally returning to his body.

“Whoosh…”

Xiao Mo took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.

These past days, Xiao Mo had stayed in the Book of a Hundred Lives for far too long.

When Xiao Mo woke up, that sense of disorientation and the pain in his soul were even stronger than before.

Fortunately, Xiao Mo quickly calmed his mind and spirit.

After his consciousness returned to his original body, Xiao Mo tried to recall what had happened in the Book of a Hundred Lives but unfortunately, he couldn’t remember anything.

In the first three lives, when he left the Book of a Hundred Lives, his memories were merely covered by a layer of hazy mist. Although blurred, at least he could vaguely remember some people and events but now, when he tried to recall what he had experienced in the fourth life of the Book of a Hundred Lives, he couldn’t remember anything at all…

He couldn’t even recall a single name from the fourth life.

“Brother Emperor, may Mujiu come in?” Qin Siyao called from outside the door.

Xiao Mo nodded, “Of course you can, Mujiu, please come in.”

“Alright!”

Qin Siyao happily pushed open the door and entered the room, even closing the door behind her, leaving maid Mingyue outside.

“Brother Emperor, are you alone in your room? Don’t you have palace maids attending you at night or anything?” Qin Siyao hugged the box, looking left and right, her eyes full of curiosity, as if trying to find something.

“No,” Xiao Mo shook his head, “Usually, the palace maids wait outside the door. For anything that comes up, Wei Xun reports to me.”

“I see,” Qin Siyao walked forward, “Then was Brother Emperor cultivating? Did I disturb you?”

“Just meditating, no disturbance.”

Xiao Mo brushed his sleeves and got down from the bed, pouring a cup of tea for himself and Qin Siyao.

Xiao Mo couldn’t help but look at Qin Siyao a few more times.

When Xiao Mo had first met Qin Siyao, he had felt a vague sense of familiarity in his heart.

Now, for some reason, that sense of familiarity and intimacy in Xiao Mo’s heart had grown even stronger.

“I wonder what matter brings Mujiu to see me?” Xiao Mo shook off his strange thoughts and asked with a smile.

“Mujiu has something she wants to give to Brother Emperor.” Qin Siyao happily ran forward in small steps, her skirt hem flying with the afternoon warm sunlight’s luster.

The young girl opened the box, revealing a brand new pair of shoes inside.

Looking at this pair of shoes, Xiao Mo’s mind froze slightly.

Although this pair of shoes had nothing particularly special about them.

Xiao Mo still felt a touch of sourness in his heart, even a faint stabbing pain.

“Brother Emperor, what’s wrong?” Qin Siyao’s eyes showed nervousness, “Are these shoes not nice? Then Mujiu will make you a new pair.”

Saying this, Qin Siyao was about to take back the box.

“No, they’re very nice.” Xiao Mo picked up the shoes from the box and smiled, “Did you make these shoes?”

“Yes,” Qin Siyao nodded, “How about it? Brother Emperor, isn’t Mujiu amazing?”

“Mm, amazing, they’re indeed well made.” Xiao Mo nodded.

“Then Brother Emperor, try them on quickly. If they don’t fit, Mujiu will go back and alter them.” Qin Siyao urged happily.

“Let me try them.”

Xiao Mo put on the new shoes that Qin Siyao had made.

At first, Xiao Mo thought these shoes would be either too big or too small but unexpectedly, after putting them on, they fit perfectly and were very comfortable.

“What does Brother Emperor think? Do they feel suitable?” Qin Siyao clasped her small hands together, blinking her eyes.

“Very suitable, they even feel more comfortable than those made by the Weaving Bureau.” Xiao Mo spoke truthfully.

“As long as Brother Emperor likes them, that’s good.”

Qin Siyao looked at the shoes Xiao Mo wore on his feet, her lips curving slightly upward, a trace of indescribable tenderness flashing through her eyes.

“Thank you, Mujiu. However, since you’ve given me something, I cannot simply accept it for nothing.” Xiao Mo asked his soon-to-be wife before him, “Is there something Mujiu would like?”

“Emmm…” Qin Siyao placed her small hand on her fair chin, thinking seriously, then looked at the sky outside, her eyes brightening, “Brother Emperor, when I came to the imperial capital before, I saw a place that was very beautiful. Brother Emperor, would you accompany me out to see it?”

“Right now?”

Xiao Mo looked out the window. It was already past the middle of the afternoon, and before long, the sun would set.

“Mm…” Qin Siyao pulled at Xiao Mo’s sleeve, “Right now would be good…”

“Alright, then let’s go.”

Xiao Mo didn’t refuse.

He also felt he should go out and walk around, to relax a bit.

Before long, Xiao Mo had prepared a carriage and horses. These carriages and horses were no different from those of ordinary wealthy families, enough to conceal their identities.

Following Qin Siyao’s guidance, the carriage headed toward the outskirts of the imperial capital.

About two incense sticks’ worth of time later, the carriage stopped at the foot of a mountain.

Everyone went up the mountain and reached the summit.

After confirming the surroundings were safe, Wei Xun waved his hand and withdrew together with the guards, standing watch on the mountain path.

At the mountain summit, only three people remained: Xiao Mo, Qin Siyao, and maid Mingyue.

At this time, the setting sun was gradually falling toward the west.

The originally scorching sunset had turned completely red, the last rays of sunlight slanting across the mountain ridge, painting the rocky cliffs a warm orange color.

The distant mountains layered like indigo gradually blending together, melting into the pale purple mist.

Flocks of birds swept across the sky like red silk, their wingtips breaking through the clouds, shattering them into scales of red clouds filling the sky.

The evening light slid down from the stone wall beside them, inch by inch, like gathering a bolt of golden silk that had unfurled throughout the entire day.

Between heaven and earth, all was bright red, as if a girl dressed in red for her wedding, slightly lifting her red bridal veil, shy yet filled with anticipation for the future.

Xiao Mo sat atop the mountain, gazing at this landscape.

Qin Siyao also gently brushed her skirt hem, the fair and slender legs beneath her skirt pressed together as she sat sideways beside her future husband, watching the gradually setting sun together.

“What does Brother Emperor think? Is this place beautiful?” Qin Siyao turned her head to look at Xiao Mo and asked softly.

“Mm, truly excellent.” Xiao Mo nodded, “The world’s beautiful scenery is nothing more than the natural creation between heaven and earth. This mountain is located among the mountain ranges, from which one can both overlook the towering peaks and ridges and see the fires of human habitation, yet it feels as if one could reach out to explore the layered clouds and pluck the stars and moon.”

Xiao Mo turned his head to look at the young girl beside him, “I wonder how Mujiu discovered this place? I didn’t even know about it.”

“Mujiu has loved mountains and waters since childhood. Every time I arrive at a place, I look at the mountain ranges and peaks. These past days, Mujiu has had some free time and would also walk around the outskirts. Brother Emperor has lived long in the deep palace and rarely leaves the imperial city, so naturally you wouldn’t know about this place.”

Qin Siyao covered her mouth and laughed lightly, beneath her long eyelashes, her charming eyes lifted slightly to look at his face.

“Moreover, Brother Emperor, do you know? This mountain of ours also has a story.”

“A story?” Xiao Mo asked curiously.

“Yes…”

Qin Siyao nodded, gazing at the sunset on the horizon.

“Legend says, a very, very long time ago, this place was part of the ancient Qin Kingdom’s territory.

Ancient Qin Kingdom had a princess.

This princess, from childhood, was doted upon by her father emperor, mother empress, and brothers. She understood nothing and was carefree all day long then one day, the princess met a little boy.

The little boy became the princess’s guard, protecting the little princess and even saving her life.

Later, the little princess and little boy grew up together from childhood.

The little boy had high cultivation talent and was very diligent. He was even more formidable in military campaigns. At a young age, he became renowned throughout the world.

And that little girl gradually grew into a big girl.

One day, the girl realized she seemed to have fallen in love with him.

When he returned victorious from conquering the world and sought to marry her from the ancient Qin Kingdom’s ruler, the ruler gladly agreed.

The girl was also very happy to marry him, only hoping from then on to support her husband and raise children, to grow old with him.

The princess looked forward to the wedding day, hoping to wear red wedding clothes, covered by a red bridal veil, to bow with him in worship, hoping he would gently lift her red bridal veil on their wedding night.

But.. perhaps it was because the girl had been too happy before.

Sometimes being too happy requires payment of some kind.

Before long, the princess’s father emperor, mother empress, and two brothers all departed from this world.

In the end, only the princess and her beloved remained as family.

He led troops into battle time and again, his prestige shaking the court time and again.

Each time he went to war, the princess would watch from this mountain, waiting, looking…

Each time, he would return.

The princess also believed he would return but one time, the princess waited for a very, very long time, yet he never came back…”

Speaking and speaking, the young girl hugged her knees with both hands, her lips curving slightly upward.

Her smile was like the moon through a thin layer of mist, one could see its shape but couldn’t touch its joy.

“Later, the princess disappeared. Some people said this princess kept watching for her fiancé and turned into a stone.

Others said this princess kept searching for him, and even finding just a wisp of his remnant soul would be good but no matter what, this mountain later gained a name.

It was called Longing Mountain.”

“This princess of ancient Qin Kingdom was also a devoted person,” hearing the story Qin Siyao told, Xiao Mo sighed in his heart, “Did that princess find him in the end?”

Qin Siyao turned her head to look at the man beside her, her crystalline eyes full of his image…

Hearing that Qin Siyao hadn’t answered, Xiao Mo turned his head to look at the young girl and asked puzzled, “What’s wrong?”

Qin Siyao lightly stuck out the tip of her tongue, that touch of pink like newly bloomed petals, like the tender shyness of morning dew, disappearing in an instant back into her smile, “Mujiu won’t tell Brother Emperor right now~”

Standing up, Qin Siyao lightly patted the dust off her body with her small hands, “Brother Emperor, the sunset has already set. Let’s go back, or else the sky will be dark soon.”

“Alright…”

Xiao Mo also stood up.

Although Xiao Mo quite wanted to know how the story ended but since this lively young girl wouldn’t say, he wouldn’t ask for now.

After all, there would be plenty of time in the future.

After the two descended the mountain, they returned to the imperial city and because Qin Siyao wanted to walk around the city, Xiao Mo let her off and returned to the imperial palace first.

On the imperial capital’s streets, Qin Siyao bowed in courtesy, watching as the carriage slowly drove away until it disappeared at the end.

Maid Mingyue stood beside her mistress, rubbing her small hands together, still recalling the story the princess had told earlier.

After pondering and hesitating for a long time, Mingyue finally couldn’t help but softly call out, “Princess…”

“What is it?” Qin Siyao asked.

“Princess, the story you told His Majesty earlier… this servant presumes… may this servant know how the story ended?”

Mingyue’s tone carried anxiety. She had loved these kinds of story books since childhood and really wanted to know the final outcome.

“You also want to know?” Qin Siyao laughed lightly.

“Mm-hmm.” Mingyue nodded heavily.

“Then this princess won’t tell you either~”

At some point, a mask appeared in the young girl’s palm.

Some parts of the mask were tinged with faint red, whether rust or blood stains from the mask’s original owner, unknown.

And the antiquity of this mask spoke to how many years it had endured, unknown.

The young girl smiled lightly, put on the mask, and walked forward.

Pedestrians on the road were like phantoms of time, constantly passing by the young girl.

The princess in the story seemed to walk like this as well, constantly moving forward.

Walking alone through towns, all desolation in sight.

Sitting alone in a solitary boat by the river, all ethereal and distant.

Watching alone this mortal world’s clamor like flying birds.

Gazing alone at the sky full of fireflies becoming fragrant grass.

Until the green mountains remain, white-haired and desolate.