northernbook Chapter 624 The Chosen One (9)
Chapter 624 The Chosen One (9)
In the twentieth year of the Anyuan era, the entire city of Chang'an was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. The city and its surroundings were teeming with people, including not only local residents but also foreigners who had come from afar to admire the State of Zhao. During the day, the streets were filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, and at night, the city was brightly lit. From time to time, the sounds of scholars reciting poetry and speaking softly could be heard from the inns and restaurants.
It took Zhao Chen twenty years to achieve such a prosperous and flourishing scene. Whenever he stood on the top of the city wall and looked down at the worship of the people, his heart would overflow with a strong sense of satisfaction and pride, which gradually swelled day after day and year after year.
It was him! Zhao Chen pulled the declining empire back to its current golden age. His achievements surpassed those of the wise rulers of the past. Even the founding emperor of Zhao, whose ancestors had not brought Zhao to its current prosperity, was no match for him.
But lately, he has often felt a sense of powerlessness. Whether it is handling official business in the court or engaging in sexual matters in the harem, he is no longer as energetic as he was when he was young. Even if he doesn't sleep for a day, it will not affect his mental state the next day. On the contrary, he often feels tired and can't concentrate. He summoned the imperial physicians in the palace to treat him, but they only told him to rest well, which is a normal phenomenon.
At that moment, he realized that he was no longer young and vigorous, and had entered the period of old age and physical decline. Especially when the Crown Prince came to pay his respects, his young face and the radiant aura of his whole body made Zhao Chen feel a strange sense of panic and fear.
"Where is the Grand Tutor now?" Zhao Chen hadn't seen Pei Yun for quite some time. In recent years, even if they met, they would only see each other once or twice a year at most. It wasn't that Pei Yun was avoiding him, but rather that he was avoiding Pei Yun.
The person he fears most in the Zhao Kingdom now is not the powerful families, nor the King of Qi, but Pei Yun. He controls the power in the world, and the powerful families and the King of Qi are right under his nose, unable to cause any trouble. The only variable is this woman, because she really does possess sorcery.
But at this moment, he longed for the other party's sorcery, because he remembered that the other party could refine elixirs, and with the elixirs he could live forever.
"Your Majesty, the Grand Tutor has been traveling extensively these past few years, and I do not know her whereabouts..."
……
Three months later, Zhao Chen met Pei Yun in the palace. Seeing that Pei Yun's appearance was still the same as when he first met her, without any change, a hint of desire and greed flashed in his eyes.
"Imperial Preceptor, I have been feeling tightness in my chest and weakness lately. I hope you can treat me. I remember that you gave me a pill to present to the late Emperor. That one pill extended the late Emperor's life by more than three years. I wonder if you still have any of this kind of pill?" Zhao Chen asked tentatively, his face expressionless.
Pei Yun smiled calmly, not responding to her words, but instead saying something: "Four months ago, Suzhou suffered a severe drought, locust plagues, and crop failures. The people had no means of survival, and there were even tragic instances of people exchanging their own children to eat. Why hasn't the imperial court sent anyone to provide disaster relief yet...?"
Zhao Chenxin paused slightly, but an impatient look quickly appeared on his face: "The Grand Preceptor has been away from court affairs for a long time. These days, various small countries around the capital have come to pay homage, and the entire court is busy with this matter. How can they have time to deal with such trivial matters? The local officials in Suzhou have not submitted any reports either..."
“I went to Suzhou a few days ago. The local officials had already reported it, but the imperial court has not responded yet.”
"Imperial Preceptor!" Zhao Chen's face darkened completely. "The matter of disaster relief requires discussion and deliberation by the court before a decision is made. This is not something for you to concern yourself with. I need to ask you about the matter of alchemy..."
Pei Yun didn't speak immediately, but stared at Zhao Chen for a while. If Zhao Chen looked closely, he would notice that a golden ball was faintly visible in her right eye.
Pei Yunwei shook her head almost imperceptibly, saying only, "There are no pills." After speaking, she turned and left without looking at the other person's angry face.
"How dare she!" Seeing Pei Yun leave the main hall, Zhao Chen finally vented his pent-up anger. He slammed his hand on the table, sweeping the memorials off the floor. "I am the emperor! How dare she be so disrespectful! Outrageous! Outrageous!"
In the twenty-first year of the Anyuan era, Zhao Chen began to be increasingly wary of the young and ambitious Crown Prince, and began to intentionally or unintentionally support the fourth prince born to Consort Wang.
In the twenty-third year of Anyuan, someone introduced an old Taoist priest. Zhao Chen was overjoyed after meeting him and immediately arranged for him to enter the palace and refine elixirs for him to take.
From then on, Zhao Chen no longer diligently attended court every day, but instead frequently indulged in pleasures in the harem after taking elixirs, and his behavior became increasingly extravagant and absurd...
In the 29th year of the Anyuan era, court officials vied to impeach the Crown Prince for allegedly forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices. Zhao Chen used this opportunity to further suppress the Eastern Palace faction, and rumors of the Crown Prince's removal spread throughout the court.
In the thirty-fourth year of the Anyuan era, it was discovered in the inner palace that the Empress had used witchcraft to curse the Emperor and Consort Wang. The Emperor was furious and immediately deposed the Empress, ordering her to be banished to the Cold Palace. At the same time, he dispatched the commander of the Imperial Guards to surround the Eastern Palace with his men...
……
In the Qi Prince's Mansion—
"In the end, it still came to this..." Pei Yun sighed softly.
"Master Pei, why didn't you stop it?" Zhao Yi asked.
"Because I realized... I couldn't change the outcome... so I'm willing to accept my failure..."
"The Crown Prince was taken into the palace by the Emperor's men..." Zhao Yi said.
“I know, I’ll go to the palace right away.”
"Do you need my help?"
“No need. I will reap what I sow,” Pei Yun said cryptically. “...This mission will be over soon.”
Before leaving, Pei Yun earnestly said to him, "Zhao Yi, you are actually more suited to cultivating immortality. Let go of your obsessions and reincarnate! If fate allows, we will meet again..."
Zhao Yi was slightly taken aback, then a relieved smile appeared on his face...
……
In the Zhengde Hall, the Crown Prince bowed to the Emperor with a worried expression and said urgently, "Father, how could Mother use witchcraft to curse you? Someone must be framing Mother. Please investigate thoroughly, Father!"
"Brother, the evidence has already been found, and it's in the Empress's palace. Are you still going to help your mother make excuses?" the Fourth Prince said sarcastically. Beside him sat Consort Wang, whose eyes flashed with a hint of smugness.
Zhao Chen pursed his lips, his gaze fixed on the Crown Prince with a sinister intensity. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard a voice echo in the hall—
"It's time to end this!"
Everyone present looked over at the sound and saw Pei Yun walk in calmly with his hands behind his back, just like the scene when Zhao Chen and Pei Yun entered this hall and faced Zhao Li back then, as if it were a cycle of fate.
“Guo… Pei Yun!” Zhao Chen narrowed his eyes, a hint of murderous intent subtly appearing in them.
He had initially thought Pei Yun had come to rescue the Crown Prince, but seeing the mixture of disappointment, regret, and relief in Pei Yun's eyes, he sighed, "I was wrong, Zhao Chen, you are not the 'chosen one' I'm looking for..."
Zhao Chen was startled. He remembered the first time he met Pei Yun, when she told him she was searching for the Chosen One.
Pei Yun continued, "Perhaps the hint given by the artifact spirit is wrong in itself. The phrase 'Chosen One' doesn't even exist, and I can't save your soul..."
As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding scenery began to blur, and the people and things around them vanished, turning into a vast expanse of mist, with only Zhao Chen and Pei Yun remaining.
Zhao Chen exuded deep resentment, glaring at Pei Yun with hatred.
Pei Yun calmly said, "The State of Zhao prospered because of you, and it perished because of you. The reason you have become a vengeful spirit and cannot find peace is because of your own desire for power and your resentment. You need to resolve the resentment within you yourself; no one else can help you..."
"I have clearly led the Zhao Kingdom to unprecedented prosperity. My achievements surpass those of any previous emperor. Under my rule, the Zhao Kingdom could have continued to prosper, and I should have lived forever. You should have helped me; you were the one who placed me on the throne. Yet you refused to concoct elixirs for me to grant me immortality..."
Zhao Chen charged towards Pei Yun like a madman, but before he could get close, he was sent flying by her palm.
At this moment, a faint golden light shone from Pei Yun's sleeve. She lowered her head in confusion and took out the glowing item, which turned out to be the "key" that the steward had given her in the previous mission. She had casually put it into her sleeve at the time, thinking that the key would disappear naturally after leaving the "Trial Gate". Unexpectedly, this "key" followed her to the third mission.
The moment she picked up the "key," a transparent screen appeared out of thin air in front of her: This key is a hidden reward, granting her a chance to restart the mission. The mission will restart in ten seconds.