Chapter 145: A Sudden and Drastic Change!

Zhan Lianjing said, "More than a decade ago, the old emperor managed to obtain a piece of cold jade. I had some interest in it back then, but after searching in many places, I could never find it. Since he even went so far as to steal Tong Xianxian's corpse, he undoubtedly refused to let her body decay."

This was Zhan Lianjing's deduction.

The cold jade was indeed a wondrous treasure. For the old emperor to be willing to use such an item here showed that he held a profound and unusual affection for Tong Xianxian.

Yet, this kind of affection felt utterly sickening.

Le Qianxue calmed her emotions slightly before asking, "Then where did the former Empress's corpse end up?"

When the former Empress passed away, it was around the same period. She had heard that the old emperor had also doted deeply upon the former Empress, which explained why he now favored Yu Gucheng and Yu Zhiyang so much.

Zhan Lianjing replied, "Perhaps the old emperor had her buried somewhere else. There are too many people gathering outside now, let's go."

Le Qianxue nodded. Transporting the corpse out was somewhat troublesome, so this task was left to Zhui Xing and Haoyue to execute.

Moreover, relying on the cold jade, Tong Xianxian's body had suffered no decomposition whatsoever. However, once removed from the imperial mausoleum, it was hard to say how long that would last, so her final rites needed to be handled as quickly as possible.

Emerging from the secret passage, the sky outside was faintly grey with dawn.

Zhan Lianjing had already made prior arrangements. A caravan of wagons awaited them there; while it appeared to be an ordinary freight transport, a coffin was hidden amidst the cargo.

His arrangements were thorough. Meanwhile, upon discovering that Tong Xianxian's corpse was missing, the old emperor must have been bursting with rage.

Le Qianxue naturally tidied Tong Xianxian's appearance before sealing the coffin. She could no longer fathom what kind of feelings the old emperor harbored for Tong Xianxian to drive him to such lengths.

She sighed softly and settled Tong Xianxian's hands into place.

Suddenly, an object slipped out from Tong Xianxian's sleeve.

Curious, Le Qianxue picked it up for a closer look and discovered it was a golden item fitted with a concealed clasp. She had no idea what it was.

Frowning slightly, Zhan Lianjing leaned in to take a look. "What is this?"

Le Qianxue examined the intricate patterns on its surface with great care. When she cautiously pressed the hidden clasp, the mechanism inside the golden object triggered, and it abruptly unfolded into a fan.

The speed of this transformation left them thoroughly astonished. Le Qianxue inspected the fan: its handle was forged from pure gold, and its surface was woven from silkworm silk. The pattern upon it appeared rather peculiar, dotted with several thin and delicate small holes.

Zhan Lianjing took it over to inspect. "Could this be *that* fan?"

Yet, he had no idea how to authenticate it; perhaps only Master Wen Zhi possessed the knowledge to tell.

After another look and still finding no answers, Le Qianxue said, "Let's keep it for now."

Since this item had fallen from Tong Xianxian's person, it was bound to have some unusual significance.

Checking once more to ensure no other objects remained on Tong Xianxian, she instructed the others to seal the coffin.

The subsequent tasks were left to Haoyue and Zhui Xing, who were to bury Tong Xianxian in a remote location to prevent the old emperor from ever tracking her down again.

Le Qianxue sighed once more and asked, "Will the old emperor suspect me?"

"Since only Concubine Xu knew about this matter, and now this incident has occurred, he will inevitably suspect you," Zhan Lianjing replied. "However, he has no evidence, so he can do nothing to you."

Le Qianxue nodded. Upon returning, she gave Le Yongcheng a detailed account of events. Le Yongcheng never anticipated such a turn of events; he froze in a daze for a long moment before finally bursting into tears.

This was the first time Le Qianxue had ever witnessed Le Yongcheng weeping with such utter grief.

A man as staunch and unyielding as iron was now crying with such poignant heartbreak.

"Father," Le Qianxue said, "Once the storm over this matter passes, I will accompany you to pay our respects to Mother."

Weeping, Le Yongcheng choked out, "How can I still have the face to see her? I failed to protect her while she was alive, and I failed to protect her even after her death."

Le Qianxue was momentarily speechless. Knowing that Le Yongcheng was currently consumed by sorrow, she had no idea how to offer comfort.

After crying for a long while, Le Yongcheng finally regained enough composure to realize he had lost his dignity. He said to Le Qianxue, "Xue'er, now that the Emperor has committed such an act, I can no longer endure this."

"Does Father intend to mobilize troops and rebel?" Le Qianxue frowned. "That must never happen. The time is not yet right. If we lose our composure now, it will only lead to self-destruction."

Le Yongcheng gnashed his teeth, but he had no idea how to swallow this bitter pill.

Closing his eyes, he murmured, "Xue'er, ever since this happened, my mind has been filled with thoughts of your mother and how terribly I failed her."

She had given him so much, yet what had he ever done in return?

He had not even allowed her to rest in peace.

Le Qianxue had no choice but to say, "Father, you must not blame yourself now. Who could have foreseen that the Emperor would sink to such depths? This vengeance is not being abandoned; we are simply waiting for the right moment."

Le Yongcheng could only nod. With his mind overwhelmed by grief, sorrow, and fury, how could he possibly make rational decisions?

For several consecutive days, Le Yongcheng remained listless and dejected.

However, when the tailor delivered the bridal robes, his spirits lifted slightly. Seeing Le Qianxue try on the wedding attire, which made her look truly breathtaking, his gaze grew entranced, as if he were once again looking upon Tong Xianxian.

Le Qianxue twirled around and asked, "Father, what do you think of this?"

Le Yongcheng replied, "Splendid, simply splendid. The embroidery is exquisite enough."

Seeing him smile so genuinely brought a measure of comfort to Le Qianxue's heart.

Perhaps this was the happiest moment they had experienced in days, given the heavy burdens weighing on Le Yongcheng's mind.

With only a few minor details of the bridal gown left to alter, Le Qianxue changed out of it. Just as Le Yongcheng departed, Huatao came to report that Yu Zhiyang had arrived.

"He's here?" Le Qianxue mused for a moment. "Then let him in."

Dressed in a cyan robe and radiating refined elegance, Yu Zhiyang wore a faint smile at the corners of his lips as he carried two jars of wine.

"I mentioned wanting to send these to you last time, but never got around to arranging it," he said. "Today I brought them personally, to make up for missing your birthday gift before."

Le Qianxue smiled and replied, "Thank you."

She had indeed been longing for this wine, famed for its rich aroma.

As Huatao served tea to Yu Zhiyang, she glanced at him and noticed he looked noticeably haggard over recent days.

Lowering his gaze, Yu Zhiyang spoke in a subdued voice, "Are you truly going to marry him?"

He had summoned all his courage to ask this question, knowing the answer full well yet still compelled to voice it.

Because he was unwilling to accept it.

Why, out of all the choices in the world, had Le Qianxue chosen him?

Le Qianxue was momentarily startled, but then replied, "Yes. Preparations are already underway, so it should be soon."

She avoided Yu Zhiyang's gaze. How could she be unaware of the deep affection he held for her?

Yet her heart could accommodate only a single person; not even half a soul more could squeeze inside.

Hearing this, Yu Zhiyang let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.

His slender fingers picked up the teacup, and taking a small sip, he murmured, "I never would have imagined this... never."

Le Qianxue glanced at him and said, "I am merely following my heart's desire."

"Then are you certain he truly loves you?" Yu Zhiyang asked.

Le Qianxue paused, then smiled and nodded. "You needn't worry about that."

A sense of dazed disillusionment washed over Yu Zhiyang. She was drifting further and further away from him—or perhaps, more accurately, he had never truly drawn close to her at all. That was the saddest realization of all.

Knowing she was soon to be wed, he did not linger long.

Yet before leaving, he paused for a moment and looked back at her once more, though ultimately no words escaped his lips.

He had countless things hidden in his heart that he could never voice. But hardening his heart, he decided he had already done enough. Since she was not meant to walk the same path as him, there was no longer any need for him to extend protection to her at every turn.

This time, she would learn what price had to be paid.

Finding Yu Zhiyang's behavior rather strange, Le Qianxue felt a vague sense of unease, but since he offered no explanation, it was naturally difficult for her to press the matter.

Zhan Lianjing, knowing that Le Yongcheng was actively preparing for the wedding banquet, finalized the auspicious date. Since he was marrying her under his true identity as the Prince Zhan, the ceremony could not possibly be a simple affair.

The tenth of the next month was chosen as a propitious day, and with the autumn weather crisp and clear, it was the ideal time to hold the wedding.

However, on the night following Le Qianxue's retirement to bed, urgent pounding echoed against her door, followed by someone breaking violently into her quarters.

Startled awake from her hazy sleep, Le Qianxue was about to demand an explanation when Huatao rushed inside in tears, crying out frantically, "Miss, run! Hurry and run away!"

Stunned, Le Qianxue asked, "What on earth has happened?"

She could hear the commotion outside, as if a group of people had forcefully barged into the estate. What on earth was happening to the General's Manor?

Huatao had no time to explain further; she frantically grabbed Le Qianxue's arm to pull her away. "Miss, go find Prince Zhan! Go to him quickly!"

As Le Qianxue stepped out of bed and reached the doorway, she saw several Shadow Guards already storming into the courtyard.

Frowning deeply, she wondered what kind of scheme the Emperor was hatching in the middle of the night.

However, the leader of the Shadow Guards had already declared loudly, "Le Yongcheng has assassinated the Emperor within the palace and has been executed on the spot. By imperial decree, all members of the General's Manor are to be arrested, detained, and held accountable awaiting trial."