We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real? - Chapter 404: Where Is Father Going?
Hearing the commotion outside the Dao Inquiry Platform, Xiao Mo helplessly shook his head.
“Let Princess enter.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Having received permission, Wei Xun finally opened the gate to the Dao Inquiry Platform plaza.
Qin Siyao happily bounced in like a little white rabbit, calling out cheerfully, “Brother Emperor.”
“With the wedding date approaching, Mujiu, you should be quite busy recently. How do you have time to come here?” Xiao Mo said with a smile.
“It’s precisely because I’m busy with the wedding ceremony all day that when I have some free time, Mujiu naturally came over.” Qin Siyao’s eyes curved into crescents. “Mujiu wants to go somewhere today. Can Brother Emperor come with Mujiu?”
“Alright.” Xiao Mo tossed his longsword onto the rack. “Where are we going today?”
“To the Library Pavilion.” Qin Siyao said cheerfully. “Mujiu once heard that Zhou Kingdom had a former emperor who loved collecting books and spent a great deal of money gathering many ancient texts from across the world. May Mujiu go take a look?”
This was indeed true. That former emperor of Zhou Kingdom wasn’t suited to be an emperor, but would truly have been suited to be a scholar. He loved reading books and even more loved collecting them. He could even trade Zhou Kingdom official positions for a single book.
Originally, Zhou Kingdom was incomparably strong, but its territory grew smaller and smaller, and its national power weaker and weaker.
That Zhou Kingdom reached its current state truly couldn’t be separated from that former emperor’s responsibility.
“Of course you can.” Xiao Mo agreed. “Let’s go.”
“Mm-hmm!”
Qin Siyao placed her hands in front of her and walked alongside Xiao Mo.
Before long, Xiao Mo brought Qin Siyao to the Library Pavilion.
Qin Siyao flitted through the sea of books like a butterfly.
Xiao Mo randomly picked up a book and sat in a wooden chair reading.
A quarter of an hour later, Qin Siyao finally selected her books and sat down beside Xiao Mo.
Xiao Mo paid no mind and simply continued reading the “Illustrated Guide to Talismans” in his hands.
The two sat by the window, both reading earnestly, not saying a single word.
Half an hour passed. Xiao Mo finished the book in his hands, turned his head, and found she was still earnestly flipping through her pages.
Warm sunlight fell upon her. Her slender waist was straight, her delicate hands gently turning the pages. From time to time she would tuck her long hair behind her ear. Her quiet appearance made Xiao Mo feel somewhat dazed. Even in Xiao Mo’s heart, for some unknown reason, an inexplicable sense of guilt arose.
Just as Xiao Mo was looking at Qin Siyao, she turned around, her bright eyes blinking at him, “Why does Brother Emperor keep looking at Mujiu? Is there something on Mujiu’s face?”
“No.” Xiao Mo came back to his senses and shook his head, finding an excuse. “I was just wondering what this book is about, that you’re reading it so intently.”
“This book is about the period after the divine gods fell, when Zhou Kingdom split apart, the Zhou rites collapsed, the world of Ten Thousand Laws entered the Warring States era, and the later period when ancient Qin Kingdom unified the world.”
Qin Siyao explained.
“However, because the ancient Warring States period is so very distant from now, most books about the ancient Warring States are written based on folk legends. Many people’s names weren’t even recorded, and most names were fabricated by scholars.
This book is similar.
Regarding that female emperor of Qin Kingdom and that general, the book didn’t even fabricate names. It simply uses ‘the Female Emperor’ and the folk legend’s ‘Frost Prince’ as substitutes. However, what it tells is somewhat novel.
If Brother Emperor is interested, shall Mujiu tell Brother Emperor about it?”
“Mm.” Xiao Mo nodded.
Seeing Xiao Mo agree, Qin Siyao pulled over a wooden chair, placed the book between them, her soft arm pressing close against Xiao Mo, and said gently, “Back then, after the Northern Pacification Prince passed away, the Frost Prince returned to the Qin Kingdom imperial capital then one day, the Qin Kingdom’s ruler sent his daughter away and gave the Frost Prince a letter…”
…
Late at night, returning to the Frost Prince’s manor, Xiao Mo opened the sealed letter alone in his room.
After Xiao Mo finished reading this secret letter, the first thing he did was burn it.
Recalling the contents of the letter, Xiao Mo never would have imagined that His Majesty would be so bold.
The next day, Xiao Mo sent a flying sword message to the Northern Frontier.
“Qiu Wen pays respects to Master.”
Three days later, Qiu Wen came before Xiao Mo and bowed respectfully.
“I have several matters to entrust to you. Remember them all carefully, there can be no carelessness.” Xiao Mo began. “First, have all the assassins from the Huang Tower currently still in the Northern Frontier come to the Qin Kingdom imperial capital. Second, have General Fang lead fifty thousand Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry…”
Xiao Mo gave instructions word by word slowly, afraid Qiu Wen might miss a single word.
The more Qiu Wen listened, the more solemn her expression became.
After finishing, Xiao Mo asked Qiu Wen again, “Have you remembered everything I said?”
“Yes, Master. This servant will see to it immediately!”
Qiu Wen nodded emphatically and disappeared from before Xiao Mo’s eyes in an instant.
Two months passed.
During these two months, the border remained tense, the court still worried about the crown prince matter. Whether in court or among the common people, Qin Kingdom appeared unchanged on the surface but in reality, Xiao Mo, Prime Minister Li, and others were all seizing the time and quietly preparing for something.
The generals guarding the border, Xiahou Nan, Li Jing, Zhao Guang and others, also received Xiao Mo’s flying sword messages.
After the three read Xiao Mo’s letters, their moods were all extremely heavy.
In the imperial palace, the original commander of the imperial guards had grown old and voluntarily retired to his hometown.
The one who replaced the position of imperial guard commander was one of Xiao Mo’s fierce generals, Hei Daniu from the Iron Tiger Army.
Another winter arrived.
Compared to previous winters, this year’s winter seemed to come even colder.
On this early morning, the Qin Kingdom’s ruler canceled the morning court session due to the cold weather.
Hearing this news, all the civil and military officials in court were stunned.
Because since ascending the throne, the Qin Kingdom’s ruler had never canceled or been absent from a single morning court session. Even when the Qin Kingdom’s ruler was gravely ill, he insisted on attending court, listening to all the ministers’ reports before returning to the rear palace.
Yet this time, His Majesty canceled the morning court simply because of the cold weather?
Many people speculated about the Qin Kingdom’s ruler’s thoughts. Quite a few officials even went to Xiao Mo’s or the Three Excellencies’ residences to inquire what His Majesty was doing, whether some major event had occurred in court.
However, Xiao Mo, Prime Minister Li, Baili Xi, Jian Shu and others either closed their doors to visitors, remained silent, or simply said, “This old man also doesn’t know.”
At the same time, in the Qin Kingdom imperial palace, Qin Siyao had already run toward her father’s bedchamber.
“Father!”
When Qin Siyao arrived at the courtyard before her father’s bedchamber, she saw her father sitting on a stone stool in the courtyard reading a book.
“What’s wrong? Making such a fuss.” Qin Shengtian put down his book, lifted his head, and smiled at his daughter.
“Father is asking Siyao what’s wrong? It should be Siyao asking Father what’s wrong.”
Qin Siyao breathed a sigh of relief and quickly walked over.
“Your daughter heard that Father canceled the morning court session and got quite a fright, thinking something had happened to Father.”
“Ha ha ha, what could happen to me in this imperial palace?” Qin Shengtian smiled. “Moreover, isn’t it just canceling one morning court session? Is such a strong reaction necessary?”
“Of course it is.” Qin Siyao sat before her father and poured herself a cup of hot tea. “Father has been consistent for over a hundred years, never canceling morning court. When Father suddenly canceled it today, who wouldn’t worry?”
“It’s not that serious. Your father simply feels that having lived this long, I should also rest properly.” Qin Shengtian stood up and asked his daughter, “Well then, since today we have nothing to do anyway, would you like to take a walk with your father?”
“Alright, then your daughter will accompany Father on a walk.” Qin Siyao agreed. “Where does Father want to go?”
“Just walk around casually. Wherever we walk to, we’ll count it as our destination.”
Qin Shengtian put his hands behind his back and walked toward the courtyard exit.
Qin Siyao followed beside her father, walking together through the imperial palace.
The Qin Kingdom imperial capital had already seen several heavy snowfalls. Although the snow had stopped today, the entire palace was still draped in a thick layer of silver.
The father and daughter slowly walked forward, leaving footprint after footprint but somehow, Qin Siyao’s heart couldn’t help but recall the day her mother passed away.
Mother had also walked with her through the palace like this.
