Rocks, firebrands, and a rain of arrows seemed to vent their anger, continuously damaging the border city’s wall.

Their fierce momentum caused the people of Xiheng to tremble in fear. After all, nobody had expected that the indomitable war god would encounter such a simple misfortune at the foot of their city. Heroes respected other heroes. They were very much in a trance, and found it difficult to withstand the other party’s rage.

However, their prince didn’t devise a plan of defense, but directly ordered a charge to get Liu Zhenqing’s body back, whether he was alive or dead.

Facing such a mad prince, all of the previous events had already crushed the peoples’ inner defenses. Even the secret guards thought their master was crazy.

The lieutenants looked around at each other and braced themselves. One of them stepped forward and announced on the spot that according to the Imperial decree, Prince Li was mentally ill, and they would take military power upon themselves going forward.

Li Jinshu abruptly turned toward those who had begun to resist him, looking at his subordinates standing together one by one with disappointment and anger toward him in their eyes.

At once, he comprehended the trap Liu Zhenqing had set for him. He had actually stepped so deep into it without realizing. Sure enough, he had been tricked by Liu Zhenqing. He just couldn’t understand why Liu Zhenqing was willing to risk his life to get away. This wasn’t something an intelligent person would do.

But he currently had no time to think. His men had staged a coup, and even with his secret guards trying to protect him, Li Jinshu realized the situation was hopeless.

Soon after, there was a new commander on the border city wall. He avoided fighting and only defended, waiting for orders from the emperor of Xiheng, while Li Jinshu was put under custody.

After a fierce wave of attacks, the Huo Family Army was ordered to withdraw. They also had to go back and see the general’s condition before making a decision.

Taking advantage of the retreat, Liu Qiao, who was hindering the archers, and Zheng Wei, who was observing from a distance and assisting Liu Qiao remotely, evacuated one after the other.

It wasn’t until nighttime that the people hiding in the darkness of the city wall emerged. That location was the complete opposite angle to where the archers were originally standing on the city wall.

“Is Huo Fenglie trying to scare us to death? Liu Zhenqing could have been shot,” Song Xingmu said in displeasure.

“You’re unwilling for him to get hurt?” Yi Chuan put away the longbow and strang-shaped arrow feathers. That was a little gadget that Huo Feihan, Liu Zhenqing, and Song Xingmu had made for fun. It was for hunting competitions, not for killing.

“How could he be injured, ah? It’ll just hurt for a while.” Song Xingmu’s lips curved. “Come on, let’s go to the military camp.”

Yi Chuan was surprised: “But didn’t Young Master Liu’s letter tell us to go back before heading to the capital. If we show up at the military camp, we’ll cause suspicion.”

Song Xingmu coughed.

Yi Chuan knew that Song Xingmu was just worried, so he could only accompany him for a while and secretly take a look at the situation before departing.

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie were recovered. The first soldier to receive them saw that they were covered in blood, and both of them seemed to be unconscious. When he tried to separate the two, he was yelled at.

“The arrow ran them through, don’t act rashly. We’ll carry them into the tent together.” It was the King of Hell Han Ye, who was traveling with the army. Everyone naturally listened to him.

Like this, Huo Fenglie embraced Liu Zhenqing tightly as they were carried back to the tent.

There were only three people in the tent, including the Medical Valley master and apprentice. Very soon, the broken arrow was removed.

The soldiers on guard caught Han Ye when he came out and asked: “How is the general?”

“The arrow was extremely poisonous! Bring all of the prepared medicinal herbs to the tent!” Han Ye said sharply.

Everyone had thought that based on how the general was injured, the wound wasn’t too serious. But when they heard that poison was involved, and with Han Ye wearing such an expression, everyone’s faces changed.

They immediately followed his instructions, only to see buckets of black water being sent out continuously. The atmosphere in the camp gradually became uneasy.

Such a scene naturally fell into the eyes of various spies in the army.

It took almost three days and three nights.

When the miracle doctor and Li Xingruo came out of the tent, everyone was nervous upon seeing their appearances.

Huo-furen, whom everyone thought to be fierce, actually had red eyes and looked like she’d been crying. The old miracle doctor was also sluggish and pale-faced.

Yunci and Yunqian ran up to their mother to inquire.

Li Xinruo shook her head, and her tears fell.

“Your Second Uncle and Uncle Liu…..are gone.”

As soon as this was said, the surroundings went absolutely silent.

Han Ye opened his mouth and announced again: “Even the gods could not have saved them from Xiheng’s poison. Please accept my condolences.”

None of the soldiers in the outcome could accept such an outcome right away. Several military doctors went in and out, and all came to the same conclusion. Their great general and the future general’s wife had indeed been killed by Xiheng.

There was a wave of grief among the army. They wanted to rush out to fight the Kingdom of Xiheng, but they were soldiers and had to obey military orders.

News soon spread, and every country was shocked.

Li Jinshu was one of the first to find out. He didn’t believe it, and sent people to investigate. Many people died before he received an answer.

They were really dead. Both bodies had been seen.

The two were placed in the same coffin under the eyes of everyone.

Li Jinshu felt it was absurd, but at the same time, he was in somewhat of a daze. He couldn’t figure it out. He really couldn’t figure it out…..

Who could give him an answer to what happened and why? 

Li Jinshu would be tormented by this question for the rest of his life, and the emperor, who had regained power in Xiheng, naturally wouldn’t let him off.

Far away in the capital, Yuan Jue also received a military report. When he read the content therein, he overturned the table, completely unable to believe his eyes.

He was unable to think clearly right away, and his first reaction was that it was fake. They wanted to fake their deaths to escape! They wanted to escape from him!

Yuan Jue believed that this was the most likely possibility.

However, the Kingdom of Xiheng also sent a letter requesting peace, which proved that they thought Huo Fenglie was dead. They didn’t want to pay for the sins of a madman, so they were willing to negotiate peace and avoid war.

Yuan Jue no longer cared about such things. He randomly appointed a military official to temporarily take over Huo Fenglie’s position, and then immediately sent his confidants to escort their bodies back. He intended to see if the corpses were real!

After half a month, news that the general and his wife had died in battle at the border spread, and everyone mourned.

Although Huo Fenglie had done something unorthodox when he left, he was still welcomed by the common people when he returned. Intermittent crying could be heard from the crowds.

The coffin was sent directly to the General’s Manor. Although the Liu family felt that this was inappropriate, faced with the intimidation of the General’s Manor, they dared not raise objections and went there to mourn.

So when Yuan Jue, He Cong, and other officials entered the General’s Manor, the place was filled with crying.

Yuan Jue’s face was shadowed as he walked forward, and no one seemed to see any expression on it.

When he finally reached the mourning hall, he found Yunci and Yunqian there on their knees keeping vigil. The grief-stricken expressions on the two childrens’ faces halfway convinced He Cong at the outset. After all, children couldn’t act so realistically.

He looked at He Lan, who had arrived earlier, as well as Bai Su standing next to him. Both of them wore confused, dazed expressions of grief. He Cong knew his cousin well, and knew that he was incapable of putting on an act like this.

He Cong had a good idea of the truth. The world was unpredictable, and even the god of war would die in battle one day. It was just that the emperor might not believe it.

When everyone saw that the emperor had come, they naturally knelt down to salute.

Behind the crowd, one could see a double coffin. Its lid was open, and there were vague human figures within.

Yuan Jue’s brow furrowed. He didn’t approach the coffin. It was unknown if this was because of his status or for other reasons, but to the martial arts masters, his breathing seemed to be out of rhythm.

He Cong was prompted to go investigate, and even brought along an Imperial Physician, but they were immediately stopped and questioned by the angry Mo Yu and Mo Qi.

These two fellows thought they were here to cause trouble, and leaped up angrily as if they were about to bite them, but they were stopped by a grieving Uncle Tian.

He Lan could only step forward and ask his cousin: “What are you doing? They’re dead!”

These words seemed to be directed at the emperor, but Yuan Jue gave no reaction. He just continued to stare gloomily at the coffin.

He Cong also had a lot of grievances. It was unjustifiable to bring an Imperial Physician to examine the bodies. After all, the bodies had been transported back to the capital publicly, so they must be dead.

But he could understand the emperor’s concerns. These people had once challenged the emperor and were a hidden danger, ah. The emperor naturally wouldn’t believe they had died so easily. He could only come up with an excuse: “There is worry that Xiheng has set a trap. This physician is proficient in Xiheng’s poisons, so he should take another look. Besides, there isn’t even a corpse odor after so long…..”

Indeed, death spots were only gradually appearing on the two people. Their skin color was ashen, but there were no signs of decay.

“What? Is it so difficult for those of us from Medical Valley to identify corpses? And how could this Imperial Physician treat a person even my master couldn’t treat? You’re questioning my willingness to save my own family’s second uncle, ah!” Li Xingruo slowly walked out from behind. Her cold face and white mourning robes were extremely eye-catching.

He Cong’s expression froze, and he glanced at the emperor. Was the only way to do this by force?

But in the next moment, Li Xingruo said with a scoff: “Forget it. If you want to look, then look. You’ll drop the idea after you do. Your Majesty, I also don’t want to believe that they’re gone just like that, that they worked so hard just to come to this point.”

Li Xingruo’s words contained an underlying implication, and her cold gaze swept over Juan Yue. She pulled the two children away, and after seeing her like this, the others could only move away as well.

Yuan Jue’s complexion worsened, and he waved a hand for the Imperial Physician and He Cong to proceed.

He didn’t believe it. He didn’t believe these two people could be gone just like that.

He Cong was a martial arts master, and he knew these two were dead at a glance. However, whether it was the result of a drug or not depended on the Imperial Physician. But no matter how capable the Imperial Physician was, how could he compare to the doctors of Medical Valley?

The Imperial Physician, under great pressure from the questioning of Medical Valley, went forward to examine the patients. Gritting his teeth, he turned back and shook his head at the emperor.

Yuan Jue, who had been silent all this time, suddenly narrowed his eyes. His expression changed drastically, and he rushed over before anyone could react.

Inside the coffin, the two young men lay side by side, no life to their pale faces. Their stiff hands were clasped tightly with their wedding rings on.

Liu Zhenqing still had the jade Rubik’s cube on him, and the Chunjun sword was placed next to Huo Fenglie.

The faces were their faces, and the bodies were their bodies, but there was no breath in them.

Yuan Jue stared at the two people in the coffin, seemingly stunned. He was in a daze for a long time before he reached out to touch Liu Zhenqing inside.

In the next second, a black shadow flashed by. The secret guards protecting Yuan Jue also appeared quickly, but they were a step too late.

Yue Jue looked at the person holding his wrist and wasn’t surprised at all.

“Your master is dead.” Yuan Jue gave Liu Qiao a dark look and said, “You didn’t protect him. Why did you come back alive?!”

Liu Qiao scoffed and ignored him. He just thrust Yuan Jue’s hand away and said: “Don’t touch him! You’ll dirty Master.”

“What did you say!” He Cong’s face was so dark that it practically dripped ink. A palm slapped the side of the coffin, and with a crack, the jade thumb ring that Yuan Jue had been wearing broke into pieces.

That…..had been chosen for him by Liu Zhenqing when he was about to take power.

Liu Qiao raised his head and said coldly: “I said you’re not worthy! Master said he would never see you again!”

Yuan Jue’s dark face seemed to pale in an instant as the blood rushed from his face. His expression gradually became ferocious.

Just as He Cong was about to square off with Liu Qiao to give the emperor a way out, Li Xingruo stepped forward. “That’s enough. Can they not rest in peace even after they’re dead?”

Almost nobody present dared to speak.

At this moment, Yuan Jue looked at the two people in the coffin with eyes full of ruthlessness and said: “How will it look if they are placed in one coffin while not yet married? Someone come and separate them.”

Everyone present was shocked and angry when they heard this.

Liu Qiao directly unsheathed a sharp blade and blocked the coffin, while Mo Yu and Mo Qi also stood resolutely in front of it.

Li Xingruo stepped forward and said: “The emperor has issued an Imperial edict granting their marriage. They have already decided to spend their lives together, and being buried together is the greatest comfort for them. Should they be made to rest alone? Your Majesty wouldn’t be so cruel.”

Li Xingruo’s words were already very impolite, but the emperor’s words were even worse. Wasn’t this embarrassing? Everyone knew that the two of them were determined to be together even in death, otherwise such a thing wouldn’t have happened. If the emperor insisted on separating them, it would be inhumane.

“It doesn’t comply with regulations if there is no wedding ceremony,” Yuan Jue said agitatedly. The broken jade ring in his hand cut into his palm.

Standing in front of everyone, Li Xingruo pointed at the coffin and said: “My husband is gone, and now our Second Uncle is gone too. Could it be that the emperor is bullying the orphans and widow of the Huo family?”

There was inevitably some ruckus in the hall. Li Xingruo’s expression was extremely unsightly as she cursed Yuan Jue in her heart. Separating the coffins was nothing, but she was unbearably angry and aggrieved.

Huo Yunci and Huo Yunqian stood out and shouted: 

“Don’t touch Second Uncle and Uncle Liu!”

“Uncle Liu said that no matter if in life or death, he’s a member of our Huo family!”

There was really no way to extricate oneself gracefully.

Ji Qinglin, the temporary acting prime minister, stepped forward at this time and whispered in the emperor’s ear: “Your Majesty, there are people watching outside the General’s Manor. Their love story has already spread throughout Great Zhou. If the coffins are forcibly separated…..”

Ji Qinglin’s warning only stimulated Emperor Yuan Jue’s heart. In the end, he slowly lowered his eyes and agreed to close up the coffin.

But Yuan Jue’s next order was puzzling. He actually wanted to personally watch the sealing of the coffin and its burial. Not only that, he would send people to guard the tomb day and night in the name of worship. In fact, they were required to keep watch over the tombstone on the grave and inspect even an ant crawling by.

How could Li Xingruo not be aware of his intentions? But she didn’t intend to hinder him. After the funeral, she stayed indoors and refused to leave.

As time went by, Yuan Jue grew anxious and restless, and would sneak out of the palace now and then to stare at the tomb in a daze.

One day, he suddenly awoke from a nightmare in the middle of the night. He seemed to have dreamt about two people walking away hand in hand. Yuan Jue took his men out of the palace that night and went to the cemetery, then ordered them to start digging up the grave.

The subordinates were astonished upon hearing this order. Was their emperor really so afraid of General Huo that he had developed a mental disorder?

But it was difficult to disobey an order from the emperor. Even though they felt guilty toward the general, they had no choice but to raise their shovels.

Yuan Jue thought that they must have escaped, and that someone would come to stop them from digging up the grave to prevent him from discovering the truth. So if someone came to stop them, they definitely……

But nobody came to stop them. Even Liu Qiao, who should have been there, didn’t show up. Even when the tombstone fell and a hard object was dug up, nobody came.

Yuan Jue’s face was ashen under the moonlight and he seemed unable to stand steadily.

The coffin appeared, its heavy lid nailed shut. Everyone looked toward the emperor, feeling that if they pried it open, it would really be too……

Yuan Jue’s lips trembled, and a fishy taste spread in his mouth. He swallowed hard.

He couldn’t even open his mouth to tell them to open the coffin, as if he feared learning the truth.

His wavering eyes suddenly flashed as he saw the burial objects piled up in the tomb passage. There were weapons and jewelry, two of which looked familiar – a white jade paperweight and a whetstone.

The white jade paperweight was a gift from him when he became Liu Zhenqing’s student, and the whetstone was a joking token of brotherhood between him and Huo Fenglie when they were in Xiheng.

Yuan Jue finally couldn’t hold on any longer, and a mouthful of blood spurted into the air. The people around him were alarmed, and quickly supported him. Trembling, Yuan Jue said: “Fill it in. Restore it. Return it to its original state.”

The men could only fill it in with soil once more. One of them seemed to feel something subtle and strange in the soil while digging, but thinking of the people in the coffin, he remained silent.

If the coffin had been opened, they would have seen that the ground had been hollowed out.

As Yuan Jue gazed at the restored tomb, there was only one thought in his mind: They weren’t dead. They couldn’t be dead. They must have found a way to escape. That had to be it.

He didn’t have to verify anything. He was the emperor. There was no need to waste his time on this. In any case, the two people who posed the greatest threat to him had relinquished their identities, so he should just regard them as being dead. All he needed to do was be a good emperor.

He just needed to be a good emperor…..

The next day, Li Xingruo was somewhat anxious when she heard that everyone guarding the tomb had left. Some time later, she heard rumors that the emperor was ill, and that his condition was so serious that all of the Imperial Physicians had been summoned to the palace.

“Feihan, judging by Yuan Jue’s actions, he should have guessed it, right?” Li Xingruo couldn’t help but frown as she looked at the tablet. After some thought, she said, “That’s right, they were already prepared for Yuan Jue to come to the right conclusion.”

After exiting the small Buddhist chamber, Li Xingruo gazed far to the south.

At this time, a carriage was swaying along a path leading south.

The coachmen were Yi Chuan and Song Xingmu, with Liu Qiao riding a horse behind them.

Fighting on the battlefield, digging up the grave, the tattoo, planting the tree…..endless pain came like a nightmare before finally, Huo Fenglie felt a ray of warm sunshine. He cracked open his eyes and felt the light shining through the curtains in the carriage. It was spring sunshine.

As his vision expanded, Huo Fenglie spied a jade cube on the cushion beside him, which was held in a slender white hand.

Huo Fenglie then felt that he was leaning against someone’s shoulder. When he raised his eyes, he saw a face that looked like a white jade sculpture, radiating a bright glow in the sunlight. He had beautiful features and a thin stroke of eyeliner on his eyes, making them look more like the peach blossom eyes of the past. He didn’t know if it was an illusion, but he seemed to spy two red spots near the end of his left eye, like moles.

“Qing-ge…..” Huo Fenglie slowly opened his eyes. The tears wouldn’t stop flowing.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyelids shook for a moment, and when he opened his eyes, they were full of ripples. His mental state was much better than Huo Fenglie’s, and as if coming to a realization, he turned with an expression of pleasant surprise.

“You’re finally awake.” Liu Zhenqing straightened up so that Huo Fenglie could lean against him more comfortably. When he twisted to kiss his head, he found that Er-gou was crying. Liu Zhenqing quickly raised a hand to wipe away his tears and said soothingly: “Were you scared? It’s my master’s fault. He adjusted the effects of the medicine, and I felt like I was actually dead. I panicked too when I woke up. You woke up later than me because your physique is so good and you had to take twice the amount. But it’s fine, I inspected you and there’s nothing wrong.”

The false death drug specially developed by the miracle doctor had put them in a state of suspended animation, so while being buried alive wasn’t a problem for them, recovery would take a long time.

Before they left Medical Valley, Liu Zhenqing had asked his master to improve upon the existing drug. It wasn’t until his master received a letter from him that he realized that his disciple had long planned to escape through death.

Liu Zhenqing saw Huo Fenglie staring at him infatuatedly, and could only lower his head to rub their noses together, coaxing Er-gou in a hoarse voice: “What’s wrong? My precious Er-gou. We succeeded. We left the capital. We’re free. Aren’t you happy?”

He looked up and met a pair of affectionate black eyes. They seemed to gather all the light in the world as they gazed at him like they always did, full of his image.

“Qing-ge, I missed you so much.” Huo Fenglie finally spoke. It was as if he was complaining to the present Liu Zhenqing about the innumerable times in the past he had yearned for him.

Liu Zhenqing thought that the false death had caused Huo Fenglie to have some psychological barriers during this period. After all, they hadn’t seen each other in two months, ever since they spent those three days and three nights in the tent, taking the false death drugs and receiving acupuncture. Although they had spent most of the time in a state of suspended animation, Liu Zhenqing himself was also feeling a little tense.

There was a flash of affection in his eyes, and he gave a soft hum: “I missed you too.” After saying this, he lowered his head and kissed Huo Fenglie.

The gentle kiss expressed his endless love, which was as vast as an ocean, wrapping around the two of them.

After the kiss, both of them had tears in their eyes. Liu Zhenqing suddenly raised his eyebrows with interest and said: “I’m really a treacherous minister, ah. Not only did I run away, but I also kidnapped the great war god of Great Zhou. We’ll have to live an idle life from now on. Aren’t you afraid of getting bored?”

Huo Fenglie looked down at Liu Zhenqing with longing desire, as if he couldn’t bear to blink even once. He endlessly cherished this new life without pressure: “With Qing-ge, nothing is boring.”

Liu Zhenqing leaned down and kissed him again. As they kissed, Huo Fenglie discovered that something wasn’t right. He tried to push Liu Zhenqing away, but found that his strength had not yet recovered.

Liu Zhenqing’s hands had become unruly. Huo Fenglie’s clothes were lifted up, and fingers stroked his chest.

“Qing-ge?” Huo Fenglie said in a strained voice.

Liu Zhenqing gave him a wicked smile: “Don’t be afraid, it’s just a side effect of the drug. It’s hard to control yourself when you wake up, so a reaction is normal. The rebound will be especially severe for your body. Some relief will help you recover.”

“N…..no need.” He was currently unable to move, which made him even more uneasy. Huo Fenglie didn’t want to drop a rock on his own foot.

But how could Liu Zhenqing miss such an opportunity to bully him? He smiled and stretched out his hand, causing Huo Fenglie to tremble all over.

“You know what, Er-gou? Qing-ge likes the way you can’t move, and can only let me do whatever I want. It’s so cute.”

Huo Fenglie was frightened. He felt he was about to be bullied to death, and said hurriedly: “We’re in a carriage……”

Liu Zhenqing raised an eyebrow, then called shamelessly to those outside: “We’re busy, don’t lift the curtain!”

Song Xingmu seemed to be cursing at them, but Huo Fenglie could no longer hear clearly. Because Liu Zhenqing had already laid down with him in his arms. A kiss followed and, unable to move, Huo Fenglie could only allow himself to be bullied.

When the carriage stopped, Huo Fenglie seemed to have recovered quickly after his special treatment and was able to disembark the carriage by himself. On the contrary, even though he had recovered first, Liu Zhenqing had not yet woken up.

Huo Fenglie found that they were parked at a pier, and saw Yue Xuqian approaching from a distance.

Huo Fenglie didn’t know of the follow-up arrangements yet, and heard Yue Xuqian say that a boat had been prepared according to Liu Zhenqing’s arrangement. They were to be sent out to sea.

Song Xingmu then said that long before they left the south, Liu Zhenqing had asked him to help find an island and build a house there. Song Xingmu had originally thought it would just be used as a villa, but didn’t expect that he had long been making plans for a refuge. Given the current situation, they would naturally have to remain on the island for three to five years.

Huo Fenglie was somewhat surprised. They hadn’t yet expressed their feelings to each other at that time, but Qing-ge had already devised such a plan? A warm current flowed through his heart. After carrying Liu Zhenqing to the boat, he clung to him even more, just like the child he had once been.

They sailed for many days before arriving at the small island Song Xingmu had chosen. The island was neither too big nor too small, rich in resources yet located in a remote area. There were many vessels on the island, along with sufficient daily necessities and some homeless seasonal laborers. Everything had been provided.

From a distance, a familiar face could be seen standing on the shore. It wasn’t surprising that Han Ye was here. After all, his master was also there to help them recuperate. However, Qiao Jin was also squatting on the dock in wait.

Holding Liu Zhenqing in his arms, Huo Fenglie gazed at the island from afar. Seeing the buildings there and the curling smoke from cooking fires, he felt an inexplicable sense of peace in his heart.

“This will be our home from now on,” Liu Zhenqing said slowly.

Huo Fenglie looked over to find that Liu Zhenqin’s eyes were filled with a smile, like twinkling stars.

He was looking at their future home, while Huo Fenglie’s eyes were solely on him.

“En. Our home.”

A year later, the island was increasingly full of life, at long last covered with lanterns and red silk.

Wedding invitations were received across Great Zhou, and several waves of people secretly entered the sea by ship.

A wedding banquet was quietly held on the island.

At last, they witnessed the two lovers finally marry, destined to grow old together.

The End

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Chapter 147 << Table of Contents >> Wedding Extra 1