Empress Fu Yao [Volume 3]

Missing Concubine

The Empress stood – only in a yellow top, body free from jewelry and hair scattered – under the cherry blossom tree. 26 years did nothing to erode her natural beauty. Her brows were still as youthful as ever, and now that the noble empress was dead and the young lady had been revived, it seemed as though she was the same girl whom the emperor and the king had first seen moving nimbly in her light clothes.

It was a during a sunset in spring, 26 years ago, when it all started, and 26 years later, it ended on a spring morning.

"There's no more Empress Yuan from now on, only Yuan Qingyi!"

Stripped from her robe and pearls she walked barefooted on the icy ground. She walked forward, and with every step she took the guards took another back. Nevertheless, without Zhangsun Wuji's order, they daren't leave. Sweat poured down their expressionless faces.

Zhangsun Wuji let out a sigh

He waved for the guards to retreat, and the empress turned around, laughing coldly, "Now you can–"

She collapsed suddenly, into the arms of Zhangsun Wuji, who had rushed to her side in the first moment.

He deactivated her acupuncture point, bent down quietly to carry her up and back to the room in the courtyard. He sat by the bed, studying the indignation between her brows. He then returned to his table and wrote a letter and ordered the governor-general to immediately have the empress sent back to her palace and to have the letter delivered to His Majesty.

Meng Fuyao observed as all these took place, but only approached to hold his hand when the governor-general had brought the empress out of the house. "She'll understand your intentions one day..."

To allow her a glimpse at King De's dead body would be the cruelest thing.

Zhangsun Wuji's decision was the only way he could protect her.

Who dared to say that he was unfilial? Meng Fuyao would spit at whoever dared question his love for his mother. What did it mean for a man to subconsciously follow his mother's family name when creating an alias? And what harm would the said mother cause her son with her selfishness and ignorance?

"Affairs of the world are meant to go against the wind, so how can we expect so many explanations?" Zhangsun Wuji had kept quiet upon the empress's departure, but at her words, he finally opened his eyes and gently caressed her hair.

"It's hard to find a soulmate. It's good enough that you understand me, Fuyao."

...

King De committed suicide in Huazhou to escape punishment, and not long later Zhongzhou ordered for his land and title to be revoked. Only those who had worked with him were punished, and his family members were not treated as guilty. Also, it was mentioned that the former ruler, upon the news, was lamenting. Meng Fuyao thought about the gravely ill emperor resting in Wuji palace, understanding that he was in all likelihood, and reasonably so, deeply grieved over the fact that 26 years of entanglement had come to such an end.

It wasn't convenient for her to stay in Huazhou's official residence, but fortunately, Zong Yue had a manor in the suburbs. It was a gift by a rich man whom he had cured. As such, Meng Fuyao enjoyed free accommodation. Upon entering the door, she heard that the rich family's daughter was secretly admiring Zong Yue, often dropping by to visit. Unable to put up with it, Zong Yue shunned her by going out, and while Meng Fuyao wasn't in the best mood, she did laugh a little.

Zong Yue and Zhangsun Wuji mentioned that Fang Yimo had arrived at Huazhou, but he was difficult to track as he enjoyed staying hidden and was good at acting unpredictably. Unable to precisely locate them, they could only inquire slowly. Once, out of curiosity, Meng Fuyao asked Zong Yue about the ten strongest fighters and found out that they no longer appeared much in the Five Region Continent. In sequence, those ten players were Mystery, Holy Spirit, Thunder, Epsilon, Gale, Cloud Soul, Moon Soul, Fog, Splendor of Stars, and Mist. Other than Epsilon's unknown sex, Cloud Soul and Fog were females. The top five members had not been seen in the past 30 years, and Fang Yimo, the Splendor of Stars, was ninth in line, also a god-like figure no one in the whole Five Region Continent dared offend.