Chapter 256 -

Chapter 256: Chapter

The next afternoon, the autumn sun shone brightly over the busy streets of the capital.

Walking among the crowded market stalls was an elderly man in rich silk robes, looking like a simple noble lord enjoying a peaceful day out. Walking closely behind him were two strong, quiet men and a pale, slim servant. Though they were all dressed as ordinary citizens, their sharp eyes constantly scanned the crowd, they were the Emperor, his top shadow guards, and his personal chief eunuch.

The Emperor strolled through the noisy market, passing sweet cake vendors, fabric shops, and laughing children. But he did not stop to buy anything. He was heading toward one specific place the single place that brought him out of his gilded palace every single month.

At the edge of the market, near a long wooden bridge spanning a quiet river, stood a massive, blooming pink tree. Soft pink petals fell gently with the cool breeze, floating softly onto the water below.

The Emperor walked over and stood under the shade of the big pink tree. He clasped his hands behind his back, staring silently at the flowing river.

All around the bridge, young couples walked hand in hand, laughing sweet words into the breeze, completely free and deeply in love. Watching them, a heavy, aching sadness washed over the Emperor’s eyes as memories from thirty years ago came rushing back to his mind like a flood.

This was the exact spot where he had first met Bai Mila, his late, beloved concubine.

She had been the absolute light of his life, the only woman in the grand imperial palace who truly loved him for the man he was, not for his power or his throne. Yet, even as the Emperor the most powerful man in the entire empire he had been helpless to protect her from the dark poisons and wicked schemes of the palace harem. She had died far too young, leaving his heart forever cold and broken.

As a single pink petal landed softly on his shoulder, the Emperor let out a long, heavy sigh, lost entirely in his painful memories.

Suddenly, soft footsteps crunched on the fallen leaves behind him.

"It is a truly beautiful tree, your... my Lord," a clear, gentle voice spoke up from the shadows.

The Emperor turned his head, his sharp, authoritative gaze landing on a slender young woman wearing a plain cloak. It was Yueqing. She had stepped out from the market crowd, standing a polite distance away with a calm, steady smile on her face.

Yueqing took a slow, quiet step closer. Her heart was beating fast in her chest. She wore a simple dark cloak, and a thin silk veil covered her face. Only her eyes were visible in the warm sunlight.

She looked at the old man. Many years ago, in her very first life, he was the powerful Emperor the man who loved her when she was Concubine Bai Mila, but could not save her from the bad people in the palace. He was also the father of her son, Xiao Chen.

The man’s two hidden guards took a step forward, putting their hands on their swords. But the old man raised his hand to stop them. He looked at the covered young woman standing near him.

"You speak like you know this tree," the old man said. His voice was low, tired, and old. "Not many people stop here these days."

Yueqing bowed her head politely. Her voice was soft behind her veil. "This tree has deep memories, my Lord. It stands by the cold river all winter, just so it can grow pretty flowers in the spring. People come here to remember someone they lost."

The old man let out a long sigh. His eyes became watery. "Lost... yes. I lost the only good person in my life under a sky just like this. I had all the power, but I was helpless. I could not protect her. I lived in a big house, but I left her to suffer in the cold."

Seeing this powerful man looking so small and sad, Yueqing felt a sharp pain in her heart. She remembered the freezing cold nights in her past life, the bitter poison, and her own tears. But looking at him now, she knew he was just a human who made mistakes.

She took a small step forward, her voice very gentle.

"My Lord... if the person you lost were here right now, she would not want you to carry this heavy pain for the rest of your life," Yueqing said softly. She chose her words carefully so he would not guess who she was.

The old man looked at her closely. "How could she not hate me? I let the cold kill her. I let her die."

"Because she knew," Yueqing answered, her eyes shiny with tears. "She knew the world is full of bad things, and you could not stop everything. A person who truly loved you would never want you to cry forever. She would only want you to protect what is left... and open your eyes so the same bad thing does not happen again."

When he heard those words, the old man could not hold back his tears anymore. A hot tear ran down his old face into his grey beard.

It felt as if the girl he lost was talking directly to his heart through this stranger. For thirty long years, he felt guilty every single day. He thought she hated him. But hearing these soft words made the heavy rock in his heart feel a little lighter.

The old man quickly wiped his tears with his sleeve. He gave a quiet, shaky laugh.

"You are very wise, young lady," he said softly, looking at her with deep thanks. "Your words give comfort to an old man’s heart."

Yueqing took a quiet breath. Now it was time to give him the important warning that would save her son, her husband, and the whole land.

"My Lord," Yueqing said, her voice turning serious. "Since we met under this tree today, please listen to my quiet warning. A big storm is coming."

The old man’s eyes turned sharp. "A storm?"

"In three days, at the big feast," Yueqing whispered, leaning in just enough so only he could hear. "Someone will try to poison you.. it could be someone who know and trust at the moment but whoever it is.. try your best to stay ignorant until their person reveals themselves."

The old man gasped softly. He was not stupid; he knew there were snakes around him.

"Why are you telling me this?" the old man asked in a whisper. "Who are you?"

"I am just someone who wants to stop bad people from hurting innocent lives," Yueqing answered softly, taking a step back. "If you want to catch the bad person, Pretend. Let them show their evil plan in front of everyone, and then let your strong guards catch them."

She bowed low to him.

"Please take good care of your health, my Lord... and protect the child who is still hurting from the past," Yueqing said softly, thinking about her son, Xiao Chen.

Before the old man or his guards could ask anything else, Yueqing turned around and walked away into the busy market crowd.

The old man stood under the pink tree for a long time, watching her leave. He touched his chest, feeling a little lighter, but also very ready to fight.

He turned to his chief servant, his voice cold and hard. "We are going back right now. The big feast in three days... is going to be a very big show."

Yueqing slipped out of the noisy market crowd, pulling her dark cloak tighter around her shoulders. She quickly walked toward the quiet alley where her carriage was parked at the side of the busy street.

Inside the carriage, Lu Yue was sitting near the small window, her hand resting on her sword hilt as her sharp eyes scanned the surroundings. Beside her, Nine was leaning back lazily, popping a small sweet candy into his mouth with a relaxed smile.

Seeing Yueqing approach safely, Lu Yue immediately opened the carriage door and stepped down to help her mistress inside.

"Young Madame," Lu Yue said softly, holding out her hand. "Did everything go well?"

"Yes," Yueqing whispered, taking a deep breath of relief as she stepped into the carriage. "The warning was delivered. He understands what to do."

Nine gave her a handsome, mischievous grin from his seat. "See I told you it would be a piece of cake."

Yueqing smiled gently, letting out the heavy breath she had been holding all afternoon. But just as she sat down on the soft cushions, her ears caught the sound of quick, quiet footsteps crunching against the dirt ground behind the carriage.

Lu Yue’s head snapped toward the alley entrance. "Who’s there?!"

Before Lu Yue could draw her sword, two tall men dressed in black clothes burst out from the shadows!

Lu Yue moved instantly, drawing her sharp blade with a loud CLANG! "Young Madame, stay inside!"

"Protect her, Lu Yue!" Nine shouted, his playful look vanishing in a second as he jumped up to help fight off the attackers.

Lu Yue swung her sword with wild speed, knocking back the first assassin with a heavy kick. Nine grabbed a wooden stool and smashed it right over the second man’s head, sending him tumbling onto the dusty ground.

"Is that all you got, you useless creeps?!" Nine yelled, his eyes flashing with anger.

"There are more coming from the rooftops!" Lu Yue warned, stepping in front of the carriage door as three more black-clothed men leaped down with drawn daggers.

While Lu Yue and Nine were completely busy fighting off the group of attackers at the front of the alley, another quiet shadow crept around to the back of the carriage.

Inside the carriage, Yueqing heard the loud clashing of metal swords and Nine’s angry shouting. Her heart pounded like a trapped bird against her ribs.

[Nine... Lu Yue...] Yueqing thought in panic, clutching her hands tight against her chest.

Suddenly, the side curtain of the carriage was yanked open!

Before Yueqing could even scream for help, a strong, heavy hand clamped tightly over her mouth, while a dark cloth soaked in a sweet-smelling sleeping medicine was pressed hard against her nose!

Yueqing gasped, struggling with all her strength to push the attacker away. But as the strong chemical filled her lungs, her arms immediately lost all their power. Her vision began to blur into spinning darkness.

Her silk veil fell off her face, dropping quietly onto the cold wooden floor of the carriage.

As the heavy darkness completely swallowed her consciousness and the attacker dragged her limp body out into the back alley, a single, desperate whisper slipped from her fading heart.

"Wenzhe..."