Chapter 160 - 159: Attack! Pei Xuan VS Gu Qingjin
Chapter 160: Chapter 159: Attack! Pei Xuan VS Gu Qingjin
["To be honest, the three words ’turning into dust’ are too plain. Little Xie’s songwriting skills aren’t the best, but he wouldn’t stoop to using those words. If it were ’Return to the Beginning,’ the artistic conception would be on a whole other level."]
["I don’t know much about history, but logically speaking, if I were Xie Qingshi, and someone dragged me into the palace and forced me to cut ties with my mother, I would hate that person’s guts. I would absolutely never write something like this!"]
["Have you guys not noticed? In this real final testament, Jiuzhou and Empress Taichu are held in equal regard in Xie Qingshi’s heart!"]
["Then who changed the words on the tombstone? And why did they do it?"]
The theories were flying, and the topic’s popularity continued to soar.
While the laymen were there for the drama, the experts were looking for substance.
Ming Chengli had also watched the livestream, and an unprecedented storm was raging in his heart.
Even he hadn’t realized the last testament had been altered, despite believing Xuan History was riddled with inconsistencies.
If even a seventeen-word last testament was altered, then what about everything else?
Ming Chengli felt as if his nerves were on fire, and his body trembled violently.
Seeing his pale face and the way he was shivering, Xu Shuangqiao was alarmed. "Fourth Uncle, are you all right?"
Ming Chengli didn’t speak. He raised a hand to cover his eyes, but tears streamed ceaselessly through the gaps between his fingers.
His shoulders trembled slightly as he sobbed uncontrollably.
"F-Fourth Uncle," Xu Shuangqiao stammered in a panic, "are... are you feeling unwell? I’ll call an ambulance!"
Ming Chengli shook his head. "I’m happy."
Xu Shuangqiao froze.
After a moment of silence, Ming Chengli added, "But I also feel afraid."
He didn’t dare to dwell on just how much of the history he knew had been altered.
Without taking the time to explain, Ming Chengli immediately packed his things, rushed out of the Old Xu Mansion, and set off for Linsu.
Meanwhile, in the "Harmonious and Loving Family" group chat.
[Qingyuan]: Lord Xie is getting more buzz than I am today. "Return to the Beginning"—what a line. I’m impressed.
[Ning Liuyu]: Not long ago, Lord Qingyuan’s true name was revealed. Now, Lord Xie’s sheet music has reappeared, and we have seen Her Majesty again. Things are slowly getting better.
Xie Qingshi stared blankly at his name trending online.
He was very familiar with the discovered scores; they were the last few pieces he had ever composed.
They say suffering is the wellspring of creativity, and that had certainly been true for him.
The red-haired, green-eyed Barbarians were at the city gates. Linsu was about to fall, and there was no turning the tide.
"Moonlight of the Old Country," "Dream of Returning South," "Old People Far Away"... In those few days, his inspiration had been a gushing spring, completely unstoppable.
After sending away the women, children, and elderly, right up to the second before the Hong Clan entered the city, he was still composing.
He imagined that Cui Jinghan must have felt the same when he used his own blood for ink to write "Sorrow of Nine States"—that masterpiece of cursive script—right before his death.
After his rebirth, Xie Qingshi had visited the Linsu Museum but hadn’t seen his handwritten scores. He was told that the archaeological excavation of the old Linsu Xie Family residence had been completed long ago, with no new discoveries for years.
He never expected such a turn of events. What had been buried was finally seeing the light of day again.
Before he realized it, tears had welled in Xie Qingshi’s eyes.
Just then, a phone rang, shattering the silence.
He answered. On the other end of the line, Pei Xuan’s voice was calm. "Congratulations."
For once, his tone held no trace of mockery. It was a sincere congratulations.
They had always been very clear about separating public matters from private ones.
Xie Qingshi snapped out of his reverie and said lightly, "It doesn’t really affect me. But for Her Majesty, this is far from enough."
Pei Xuan fell silent.
’Yes, it’s not enough.’
A single phrase, "Return to the Beginning," was not enough to clear her name.
They needed more evidence—enough to overturn all of Xuan History, enough to reveal the complete, unadulterated truth.
Not wanting to exchange another word with Xie Qingshi, Pei Xuan hung up. He scanned the online comments, his gaze turning icy.
["I don’t think that phrase ’Return to the Beginning’ means anything. Empress Taichu was a tyrant and a fatuous ruler. Nothing can change that!"]
["Putting aside Little Xie’s ’Return to the Beginning’ for a moment, the hatred Little Peng and Xiao Cui had for Taichu wasn’t fake, was it? Everyone isn’t blind; we’ve all seen how the ’Imperial Decree’ cursed her. Stop trying to blame everything on the Hong Clan!"]
["Exactly. Even if the Hong Clan did intentionally slander Taichu, it must have been her own fault. Why wasn’t Empress Qingyun, who died for her country, slandered? She was praised by them instead!"]
["The Hong Clan were beasts and invaders, no doubt about it. But does that make Taichu any better?"]
["Maybe there’s something incredible in Taichu’s tomb. How come after all this time, her tomb still hasn’t been found? They’ve found Chengtian’s tomb, they just lack the technology to open it."]
["But the historical records say she was struck by Heavenly Thunder and not even her bones remained. If there is a tomb, it’s probably just a cenotaph, right?"]
Pei Xuan couldn’t stand to read anymore. He tossed his phone aside and suddenly scoffed. ’Cui Jinghan, if you were here now, I wonder how much you’d regret writing that ’Imperial Decree.’ ’
As a top-tier man of letters, Cui Jinghan’s ability to curse people was second to none.
He’d had the pleasure of experiencing it himself.
After sitting quietly for a moment, Pei Xuan took out a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone.
A short while later, Housekeeper Pei knocked on the door while holding a fruit platter. "Young Master, it’s time for a break."
Pei Xuan grunted in acknowledgment and put down his brush.
Housekeeper Pei peeked in and saw a poem on the desk—"Breaking Formation · Southern Expedition."
A single glance was enough to feel an aura of grim, wild abandon wash over him.
"Young Master, you can compose poetry! The ancestors have truly blessed us!" Housekeeper Pei was stunned, but his shock quickly turned to gratified relief. "The Old Master was certainly right about your name!"
Pei Xuan said nothing, merely gazing quietly at the calligraphy paper.
’He could write this poem a thousand times,’ he thought, ’but it would never be the one he wrote back then.’
’If Xie Qingshi’s final testament could be revealed to the world, then what about his own poem praising the Empress?’
Pei Xuan suddenly spoke, his voice cold. "Get the car. We’re going to Linsu."
Though completely baffled, Housekeeper Pei still agreed. "Yes, Young Master. I’ll go get it ready at once."
「At the same time, at the Mingjing Gu family residence.」
Gu Lingyuan had just stepped into the main hall when he ran into Gu Qingjin, who was coming down the stairs.
"L-Little Uncle." Gu Lingyuan hadn’t expected to run into Gu Qingjin and was completely flustered. "I... I..."
Gu Qingjin didn’t even look at him, walking straight past. His very presence seemed to carry the chill of a late Mingjing autumn, enough to make a person shiver.
Watching the black car speed away, Gu Lingyuan stood there, stunned. "Didn’t Little Uncle just get back? Why is he leaving again? Where could he be going?"
At the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had lost a great deal of face on his recent trip to Jianghuai, where he’d run into the Pei Family’s Young Master. If that petty Pei Xuan were to say something to the Gu family, he would surely be punished.
Housekeeper Gu let out a small sound of acknowledgment. "Mr. Lan is heading to Linsu. I wonder if he’s going to see an old friend."