Chapter 104 - 103: Catching Up from Behind Is Naturally Due to Fighting and Snatching
Chapter 104: Chapter 103: Catching Up from Behind Is Naturally Due to Fighting and Snatching
To him, sight and appearance were ultimately mere worldly possessions. It was she who had shown him that even a blind man could serve the country.
Only later did he increasingly yearn to see again. Unfortunately, he had been blind for too long in his past life; even Nie Mingchu, the Xuan Doctor, was at a loss. In this life, although he had gained his sight, the one person he wished to see was nowhere to be found, no matter where he looked. Until now.
Shi Changying’s body gave a sudden jolt, her gaze snapping toward him like lightning.
Tears were still streaming down Xie Qingshi’s face, yet he smiled. "I’ve searched for you for so long. I never imagined... you really..."
His voice choked with sobs, his heart aching with a spasm of pain.
The seventh day of the second month of the eighth year of Taichu. He would never forget that day.
A heavy snow had fallen over Mingjing that day. A top-secret missive, rushed for thousands of miles, was delivered into the hands of Zhuge Mingyue. Zhuge Mingyue was the commander of the Imperial Intelligence Bureau, a position wielding power above tens of thousands, answering directly to the Emperor. Had the words not been written in blood by someone entirely trustworthy, no one would have believed the contents of that missive.
The Empress had perished in Seri, a place located in the central part of the Southern Region.
Today, four hundred years later, an international metropolis stood there, yet no one remembered that Empress Taichu’s sword had once left its mark upon this land. It was a bolt of Heavenly Thunder that left the Empress without even a corpse behind.
How absurd. How laughable. Yet, such a thing had actually happened.
The Heavenly Thunder seemed to have eyes of its own, striking only her, while the lieutenants standing right next to her remained completely unharmed. The tolling of the bells started in Mingjing. Like beacon fires, the sound spread from one city to the next, until it echoed across the thousands of cities throughout Jiuzhou. At that moment, everyone who understood the meaning behind the bells knew: she was gone.
The sovereign had passed. The whole world wore mourning white, and the empire grieved as one. Some saw their hair turn white overnight. Some spat out their lifeblood in despair. Some rode frantically for thousands of miles, running over a dozen warhorses to death, just to attend her funeral.
How could she have departed so early? That year, they all wanted an answer to this question, but none could find it. The history books objectively recorded only two things verbatim: one was her patricide and fratricide, and the other was her death by Heavenly Thunder. Placed side by side, these two events seemed to form absolute proof of her heinous crimes against heaven and reason.
Shi Changying’s gaze was sharp, but a storm of turbulent waves inevitably surged within her heart. Qingyuan’s sudden appearance before her, followed by this abrupt confession of his true feelings, had genuinely shocked her. However, her adaptability was exceptional. After all, one second she had been struck dead by Heavenly Thunder, and the next, she had arrived four hundred years in the future. If she could be reborn, why couldn’t others?
If running into Qingyuan was a mere coincidence, then...
Shi Changying remained silent for a moment before speaking. "Xie Qingshi?"
"This subject is here," Xie Qingshi replied.
He was clearly still immersed in grief, yet he answered without the slightest hesitation. It was a subconscious, instinctual reaction.
Receiving an affirmative response, Shi Changying fell silent once more. She deeply wondered how they had managed to recognize her. Did she not act like a modern person?
As if sensing her confusion, a hint of a smile touched Xie Qingshi’s eyes. "It was actually quite a coincidence. It was that audio clip you posted on your Moments. You might have forgotten, but back then..."
He couldn’t finish his sentence.
Because Shi Changying suddenly clutched her chest as if struck by a sudden heart attack. She slumped forward, only managing to keep herself from collapsing completely by bracing her other hand against the ground just in time.
"What’s wrong with you..." Xie Qingshi gasped in alarm, reaching out to support her.
But another hand beat him to it, gripping Shi Changying’s wrist. Shaoyuan helped her up, letting her lean against his shoulder. Frowning, he asked, "What happened?"
When he saw that she had indeed encountered a good Samaritan, he had planned to head back. He never expected something like this to happen.
Shi Changying let out a breath and shook her head. "I’m... fine. My heart just twinged with pain all of a sudden, but it’s better now."
She didn’t mention that the momentary pain felt as if someone had driven a knife straight through her heart. It reminded her of that battle years ago in Cangzhou against the Galuo Commander. She had won that fight, but it hadn’t been easy; her body had been covered in wounds.
The most severe was the blade that struck her left chest. Just a millimeter deeper, and it would have pierced her heart completely. When Nie Mingchu brought her back from the brink of death, the Xuan Doctor had been shaken with lingering fear, saying that if it had been even a few seconds later, she would have gone straight to meet her father and brothers. The pain that had just shot through her heart was actually no less intense than the injury she had sustained in that battle. Yet it lasted only a fleeting moment, almost like an illusion.
"We’re going to the hospital," Shaoyuan said. He was still holding her hand, his movements gentle, but his tone brooked no refusal. The contrast made him seem like two entirely different people.
Shi Changying used his support to stand up straight, then pulled her hand back and crossed her arms. "I’m not going."
She hated hospitals, and she hated injections even more. She missed Nie Mingchu. If Nie Mingchu were here, she wouldn’t have to suffer like this at all.
Shi Changying pressed a hand against her chest again. Confirming that there was no lingering pain, she added, "It was probably just my imagination. Look, I’m perfectly fine."
She could grit her teeth and return to her tent even with several arrows in her body; this was nothing. But her wrist was caught once more as Shaoyuan led her toward the side of the road.
Seeing this, Xie Qingshi’s expression changed drastically. He frowned and snapped, "How dare you—"
He cut himself off. In the end, he swallowed the words ’commit insubordination.’ He knew Shi Changying’s true identity, but Shaoyuan didn’t. Moreover, the era of imperial dynasties had long passed.
Shi Changying wasn’t angry, but she stated firmly, "I’m not going to the hospital."
Shaoyuan gave a noncommittal hum. "It seems someone doesn’t want to rank first in the grade anymore."
Shi Changying immediately changed her tune. "To the hospital."
Shaoyuan hailed a cab. He had Shi Changying get in, then leaned his hand against the car door. Without looking back, he asked, "Is Mr. Xie coming along as well?"
Xie Qingshi was naturally worried about Shi Changying’s health, but he also knew he was a rather conspicuous target. He nodded. "Sorry to trouble you. I’ll be there shortly."
Only then did Shaoyuan get into the car and tell the driver, "Jianghuai First Hospital."
The taxi sped away, leaving behind a cloud of exhaust fumes. Xie Qingshi’s brows remained furrowed. During the day, he had learned from the vice principal that Shaoyuan was the president of the student council and had always been caring toward his peers. The last time Shi Changying had been hospitalized with a sudden high fever, it was also Shaoyuan who had carried her there on his back. He was a very kindhearted schoolmate, but his actions were indeed a bit rough. He figured Her Majesty didn’t hold it against him simply because the boy was from a younger generation.
Xie Qingshi massaged the space between his eyebrows. After lingering for a moment longer, he also headed to Jianghuai First Hospital. By the time he arrived, Shi Changying had already begun her medical examinations. Xie Qingshi waited in a corner.
His phone suddenly vibrated. He lowered his eyes, his tone laced with a hint of impatience for the first time. "What do you want?"
On the other end of the line, Pei Xuan let out a roguish laugh. "Didn’t I hear you ended up in the hospital? I’m just showing some mercy and planning to come visit you, you know?"