Love and Crown

Braving the cold wind, I galloped back to the capital and arrived on the evening of the second day. Xiao Qianqing was occupied with official duties and had no time to see me, so I had dinner first and returned to the Palace of Gathered Elegance, which I had left half a year ago, to rest.

Just as I entered my bedroom, the window suddenly rattled with a knock.

If it were Xiao Qianqing looking for me, he wouldn’t need to climb through the window, would he? Puzzled, I opened the window to find Gui Wuchang’s face peering in.

He leaped through the window, his masked face grinning oddly in the moonlight. “Little girl, you’ve finally returned. Ying said you wanted to see me… so I had Prince Chu deliver the message for me.”

So it was him who had Xiao Qianqing summon me back. Weren’t he and Xiao Qianqing enemies? When did they become so close?

Confused, a thousand questions condensed into one crucial one: “Who exactly are you?”

Gui Wuchang smiled but didn’t answer. Instead, he slowly removed the mask that had always concealed his face.

Elegant, straight brows, deep eyes as bright as morning stars, and slightly pale lips curved into a smile as warm as a spring breeze—what appeared before me was the face of Xiao Huan.

The candlelight flickered in the quiet night, and my eyes widened gradually.

The flame cast faint golden glimmers on the silver strands at his temples. Gui Wuchang chuckled softly. “I am Xiao Yu.”

Xiao, of the Vermilion Bird lineage—a single-character name reserved only for emperors and crown princes. Xiao Yu?!

I held my breath. “You’re Emperor Ruizong?”

I must be going mad. The man before me was Emperor Ruizong, who had passed away nine years ago!

Gui Wuchang turned his gaze to me and smiled. “Surprised?”

Only then did I notice that his eyes, like Xiao Huan’s, were deep and unfathomable, with double pupils. The Empress Dowager once told me that Xiao Huan resembled his father greatly, and I had dismissed it as casual talk. Now I realized it wasn’t just a resemblance—their faces were nearly identical, even their expressions were eighty percent alike. If not for the difference in their voices and the faint wrinkles at the corners of Gui Wuchang’s eyes, I might have mistaken him for Xiao Huan.

I twitched my lips. “Am I hallucinating?”

I couldn’t be blamed. A man who had only existed in my childhood memories, whose life had been sealed in history books with epithets like “resolute and wise” and “the ruler who revived the dynasty,” who had been referred to as the late emperor for eight years and now simply as Emperor Ruizong—suddenly standing before me, declaring himself to be Xiao Yu. The fact that I was still conscious was proof enough of my extraordinary intellect…

Gui Wuchang let out a light laugh. “Is that so?”

I expected him to crack a joke, but after a pause, he asked, “What questions do you have for me? Go ahead.”

I pursed my lips, inexplicably nervous, and the first question blurted out: “Who exactly is the leader of the Azure Jade Sect, Chen Jiaozhu?”

Gui Wuchang froze slightly. “You’ve met her?”

I nodded. “She came to me the other day and said that if I wanted to kill Xiao Huan, I should seek her out. What is her identity? Why does she want to kill Xiao Huan?”

Gui Wuchang fell silent for a moment before suddenly smiling. “You returned just in time. She’s still in the capital tonight.”

I was stunned. “She’s in the capital?”

“Come with me,” Gui Wuchang said, gesturing for me to follow.I quickly tucked the □□ from the bedside into my arms and grabbed a pack of pre-loaded bullets before following Gui Wuchang out the window.

Gui Wuchang was exceptionally familiar with the layout and defenses of the Forbidden Palace, easily avoiding the guards as he led me straight to Xiao Qianqing's quarters.

Although Xiao Qianqing had a princely residence in the capital, after becoming the Regent Prince, he had moved into the inner palace for convenience in attending court and handling government affairs.

Now we stood outside his chambers. The lights were still on inside, but there were no attendants at the door. In fact, there wasn't a soul within several zhang of his quarters—it seemed the maids, eunuchs, and guards had all been deliberately dismissed.

Standing on the steps outside Xiao Qianqing's chambers, I faintly heard voices inside—one was Xiao Qianqing's, and the other, elegant and composed, belonged to Chen Luomo, the Azure Jade Sect Leader I had met that day.

Gui Wuchang wrapped an arm around my waist and lightly leaped onto the towering palace roof. With his left hand firmly gripping a beam, he anchored us in midair.

From this elevated vantage point, we could see into the room through a high ventilation window.

Chen Jiaozhu sat with her back to us at the table, poised and graceful, holding a teacup in her jade-white hands, fair as spring onions.

Opposite her was Xiao Qianqing, half-leaning against the desk with one hand supporting his forehead, his brows slightly furrowed. His tone carried a faint weariness: "...No need to discuss further. I've said I'm tired of it. I already have a woman I love now and don't wish to meddle in your grudges."

Chen Jiaozhu chuckled lightly. "Does His Highness the Prince of Chu no longer desire the throne?"

Xiao Qianqing replied indifferently, "Call it jealousy if you will. I simply can't stand the sight of my imperial brother. Anything in his hands, I want to take—the throne is no exception. I care not for that dragon chair, but as long as it's wrested from him, I'm satisfied. But now it's different. The throne is like worn-out sandals to me. All I want is..." He paused, leaving the sentence unfinished.

"All you want is his woman? Taking his throne and taking his woman," Chen Jiaozhu laughed, her tone tinged with mockery, "are they not one and the same?"

Xiao Qianqing shook his head. "Chen Jiaozhu, I won't interfere in your old grudges, and you'd do well not to meddle in ours."

Chen Jiaozhu smiled again. "Indeed, I shouldn't overstep. But does His Highness the Prince of Chu still recall the deadly oath your father once swore?"

"That my father and his descendants must obey your commands? Or else die by the blade through the heart?" Xiao Qianqing let out a cold laugh. "Apologies, though my father did mention this oath, I'm not foolish enough to honor such an idiotic vow."

"Breaking promises is unbecoming," Chen Jiaozhu said lightly, setting down her teacup and raising a finger in a graceful motion. "I dislike oath-breakers greatly."

Xiao Qianqing lowered his hand and chuckled. "What, does Chen Jiaozhu mean to punish me for breaking the oath now?"

Chen Jiaozhu rose from her chair with a smile, lifting her finger. "And if I do?"

Seeing they were about to come to blows, I grew anxious. Though I'd never witnessed Chen Jiaozhu in action, the Martial World unanimously acknowledged the Azure Jade Sect Leader as the foremost master of our time. Even if Xiao Qianqing's skills were on par with Xiao Huan's, facing her would likely end badly for him.As I was thinking, Chen Jiaozhu flicked her fingers, and a faint glint of silver flashed as several extremely fine needles flew from her hand.

The needles moved with incredible speed. With a "whoosh," Xiao Qianqing's sleeve was torn before he could even react. He clutched his sleeve, his face turning slightly pale.

Without a second thought, my fingers pulled the trigger, and bullets roared out of the barrel. Hanging in Gui Wuchang's arms, I fired six shots at Chen Jiaozhu in rapid succession.

Before the gunpowder smoke could clear, a white ribbon lashed toward us from the front.

Gui Wuchang reacted swiftly, tapping his feet against the window frame to dodge the ribbon, then landed with me below the window.

The lower window had already been shattered by Chen Jiaozhu's ribbon. Holding one end of the ribbon in one hand and still supporting me with the other, Gui Wuchang stood outside and smiled at Chen Jiaozhu inside: "Luo Mo, long time no see?"

Chen Jiaozhu held the other end of the ribbon and smiled gracefully. "I wondered who it was. So it's Your Majesty."

Then she turned to me with a smile. "Young lady, we meet again... I heard you injured Huan'er?"

Xiao Qianqing, unaware of this, turned to me in surprise. I nodded. "Yes, it was me."

Chen Jiaozhu sighed softly. "What a pity. That shot still didn't take Huan'er's life." She spoke as if lamenting. "As his birth mother, having to plot his death is quite a dilemma for me."

Her tone was elegant, but I suddenly felt a wave of nausea. I couldn't help but ask, "You're Brother Xiao's birth mother?"

She nodded lightly. "Indeed, I am Huan'er's birth mother." Then, glancing at Gui Wuchang, she added with a faint smile, "And I was also Empress to our Emperor Ruizong. Young lady, as fellow empresses, you're much luckier than I was. Huan'er is at least devoted. His father's talent for philandering was far more impressive."

She then smiled at Gui Wuchang. "Your Majesty, what brings you here today?"

Her demeanor toward me and Xiao Qianqing was dignified, but when speaking to Gui Wuchang, there was a hint of coquetry—or perhaps even a girlish playfulness?

Gui Wuchang chuckled, leaping back into the room with me through the window but still holding onto the ribbon. "Indeed. It's been so long since I last saw Luo Mo. I feared if I didn't visit soon, I might never get the chance again."

Chen Luomo laughed softly, walking slowly toward us. "Your Majesty always knows just what to say to please me."

Gui Wuchang smiled. "As long as Luo Mo is happy, nothing else matters."

By now, Chen Jiaozhu stood very close to Gui Wuchang. "Your Majesty's affection for Luo Mo is truly touching," she said with a smile.

As she spoke, a flash of blue light suddenly shot from her sleeve.

Gui Wuchang twisted his shoulder, and a dull thud echoed as the weapon sank into flesh. He inhaled sharply, pressing his left shoulder as he bent slightly.

Amid light laughter, Chen Jiaozhu's figure flashed to the doorway, her voice still elegant. "Then please accept this token of my gratitude, Your Majesty."

Her silhouette vanished under the moonlight. I rushed to check on Gui Wuchang. He was pressing firmly on the acupoints around his shoulder, where a blue-tinted triangular spike protruded, its tail end visible. The fabric around the wound was already soaked with blood, a gruesome sight.

I reached out to pull the spike from his shoulder, but he quickly stopped me. "Don't touch it—it's poisoned."I froze for a moment before realizing the blood flowing from Gui Wuchang's shoulder was an eerie dark red.

"What should we do?" I panicked slightly.

"Just pull it out with cloth as padding." Gui Wuchang smiled, swiftly pressing several major acupoints around the wound. He took out a handkerchief from his robe and with a quick motion, the poisoned blood splattered out along with the iron dart.

I helped Gui Wuchang hold the acupoints around the wound and asked, "What next? Will the poison spread? Should we call the imperial physician?"

Gui Wuchang had already taken out another handkerchief and was skillfully bandaging the wound: "Why call the imperial physician? Not much poison entered the bloodstream. It'll be expelled after two rounds of pressure."

Watching his movements, I paused before asking, "Do you often treat your own wounds?"

He nodded nonchalantly, "Yes."

"All inflicted by that Chen Jiaozhu?" I continued.

"Not all," Gui Wuchang replied calmly while wrapping the wound, "About eighty or ninety percent."

"Mr. Li once said Brother Xiao and I are the second most inexplicable couple in the world. The first must be you and that Chen Jiaozhu, right?" I sighed.

"Mingshang? He did mention we're the most inexplicable couple," Gui Wuchang finally finished bandaging, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "How did you know?"

To casually throw poisoned hidden weapons with a smile, and treat it as commonplace... I sighed again. "Meeting each other always ends in bloodshed—truly inexplicable..."

"Is it that inexplicable?" Gui Wuchang looked up with a faint smile. "Isn't it similar to you shooting Huan'er?"

"I didn't poison the bullet." My expression stiffened at the repeated mention of that incident.

"My constitution is also better than Huan'er's," Gui Wuchang chuckled.

I turned and noticed Xiao Qianqing standing silently nearby, his torn sleeve still hanging limply at his side.

Suddenly remembering, I asked, "Did the silver needle just now hurt you?"

Xiao Qianqing seemed to realize something too, frowning slightly before suddenly clutching his chest. "Hmm, it hurts a little here."

Cold sweat broke out on my back as I grabbed his shoulders in alarm. "Where did it hit? How deep? How much does it hurt?"

With a soft "pfft," Xiao Qianqing covered his mouth and laughed lightly. "Silly girl, I was joking."

I stared blankly at his triumphant smile before anger flared. "What kind of joke is that? You scared me half to death!"

Seeing my anger, Xiao Qianqing looked slightly wronged. "It was just a tease."

I glared at him fiercely. "That Chen Jiaozhu attacks even her own husband so ruthlessly—she's dangerous. You'd better keep your distance."

"Alright," he replied absentmindedly, his radiant smile blooming like spring flowers.

Dazzled by his brilliance, I muttered, "Why are you so happy anyway?"

"Of course I'm happy," his smile didn't fade. "I finally know you'd worry about me too."

I had no response to that, only shaking my head helplessly.

Gui Wuchang had somehow already settled into the wooden chair Chen Jiaozhu previously occupied, leisurely sipping from her teacup. "Come sit, little girl. To save you asking repeatedly, I'll explain everything properly."Xiao Qianqing also sat down and smiled, "Uncle Emperor, would you like me to take over?"

He addressed Gui Wuchang as "Uncle Emperor," indicating the two had already acknowledged each other's identities.

Judging by Xiao Qianqing's earlier conversation with Chen Jiaozhu, it seemed he had once been compelled to obey her due to the oath made by the previous generation's Prince of Chu.

So now he had joined forces with Gui Wuchang?

Gui Wuchang, looking somewhat fatigued, nodded and said, "Very well, Qing'er, you explain it."

Xiao Qianqing smiled and began recounting the story to me in detail.

The origins of this matter traced all the way back to the founding of the dynasty.

The Azure Jade Sect was established in the seventh year of Emperor Taizong's Dechang era, while historical records state that Empress Shengchun passed away in the sixth year of Dechang.

In truth, the founder of the Azure Jade Sect was none other than Emperor Taizong's first empress.

Empress Shengchun was the eldest princess of the previous dynasty's Zi family. When Emperor Taizong raised his army, it was under her banner that he rallied loyal warriors to his cause.

After Emperor Taizong seized the throne, he married the princess and made her his empress. Throughout his reign, there was never another consort in his harem.

History has long obscured the details, and even the Xiao descendants no longer know what grievances existed between Emperor Taizong and Empress Shengchun. All that remains is the knowledge that in the sixth year of Dechang, Empress Shengchun vanished from the palace. Emperor Taizong announced her sudden death from illness and buried her ceremonial garments in the Imperial Mausoleum.

The following year, a sect called the "Azure Jade Sect" emerged in the Martial World.

Emperor Taizong passed away in the eighth year of Dechang. Before his death, he left a secret edict warning future emperors: first, never mobilize troops to suppress the Azure Jade Sect; second, never hinder the sect's development; third, never harm the sect's leader.

This edict was passed down through generations. Every head of the Xiao family—every emperor—would read it before ascending the throne.

The edict also revealed Empress Shengchun's reason for founding the Azure Jade Sect.

This mysterious Martial Arts Sect existed for the sole purpose of one day overthrowing the Great Wu Empire.

Since ancient times, no dynasty has escaped the cycle of prosperity and decline. When a dynasty's accumulated flaws deepen beyond remedy, violent upheavals inevitably follow, bringing widespread suffering and chaos.

During Great Wu's prosperous times, the Azure Jade Sect remained quietly isolated. But once its current leader deemed the empire's decline irreversible, the sect would spare no effort to hasten its downfall by any means necessary.

The current leader, Chen Luomo, believed Great Wu had reached the point of no return and needed to be toppled swiftly.

All previous events—including my Master's death and Xiao Qianqing's coup—had been orchestrated by her behind the scenes.

After Xiao Qianqing finished speaking, Gui Wuchang chuckled, "King Wind symbolizes the Xiao emperors, while Yang Liu Feng is the token of the Azure Jade Sect's leader. Young lady, your Yang Liu Feng was given to you by your Master, wasn't it? It must have been Luo Mo who entrusted it to him to pass on to you."

No wonder my Master had handed me Yang Liu Feng without explanation—I had thought it was just an ordinary sword.

Frowning, I asked, "Why did Chen Jiaozhu give Yang Liu Feng to me?"

Gui Wuchang smiled again. "Perhaps Luo Mo thought you would stand on her side."

Would I? If the emperor weren't Xiao Huan, I might very well have.I've never been a docile person at heart. The desire for destruction and reconstruction has always been with me.

But after witnessing how Xiao Huan exhausted himself for this empire, and seeing how even now in the Martial World he shows no slackening of effort...

I could no longer be swayed by Chen Jiaozhu's words... Moreover, I never wanted Xiao Huan to die.

Even when I thought he had killed Master, even when I believed him to be my greatest enemy... I never wished for his death, nor even to harm him.

That sword strike back then was made in shock when I didn't know what to do. This time, shooting and injuring him was truly an accident. I thought his martial arts were far superior, so even if he was unwell, he'd be fine. But in my haste to succeed, I ended up hurting him again.

If you truly love someone, wouldn't you want to share all their suffering? How could you ever think of harming them?

Clenching my fist against my chest, I looked up to see Gui Wuchang's pale face.

Now he resembled Xiao Huan even more. I could barely bring myself to look at his face as I asked softly, "There were misunderstandings between you and Chen Jiaozhu too, weren't there?"

Gui Wuchang remained silent for a moment before answering obliquely: "Luo Mo was poisoned with Glacial Love Tribulation while pregnant with Huan'er. That's why Huan'er was born with Cold Poison."

He smiled faintly. "The world's coldest Glacial Love Tribulation requires immersing someone in a pool atop Tianshan Mountain for three days and nights to take effect."

"That pool contains water of extraordinary coldness that has remained unfrozen for ten thousand years—colder than millennia-old ice. People in that pool won't freeze solid or die, but remain terrifyingly conscious throughout. After three days and nights, that cold becomes engraved in their bones, following them like a shadow for life, eroding their body until death."

A chill ran through me. "Didn't you try to save her?"

"At that time, I was... enjoying myself with another woman." Gui Wuchang smiled faintly, gazing into the empty distance. "For three days and nights, I was with another woman."

Suddenly his expression struck me as familiar, and I stared at him blankly.

He continued smiling. "So the way Luo Mo treated me was actually quite merciful."

I didn't know what to say, so I remained silent.

After speaking for a while, Gui Wuchang seemed tired. Rubbing his forehead, he said, "My apologies, I'm rather fatigued. I won't keep you company tonight."

I quickly said, "You're injured—don't leave the palace. Stay in my chambers tonight."

Before Gui Wuchang could respond, Xiao Qianqing frowned and interjected, "Even if Imperial Uncle wishes to stay in the palace, wouldn't my quarters be more appropriate?"

Taken aback, I couldn't help but laugh when I understood his meaning.

Most elders around me besides my father were rather unconventional. Gui Wuchang had always felt like family to me, and now knowing he was Xiao Huan's father made me even more affectionate toward him.

But Xiao Qianqing clearly disagreed—he was worried about propriety if Gui Wuchang stayed in my chambers.

Gui Wuchang smiled at me. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

He insisted on leaving the Forbidden Palace. As Xiao Qianqing and I saw him out, he said to Xiao Qianqing, "Qing'er, excuse us. There are some things I need to tell the young lady."Xiao Qianqing always treated Xiao Huan with cold disdain, but he seemed to respect Gui Wuchang greatly. With a simple "Yes," he stepped further away.

Gui Wuchang smiled at me and said, "Little girl, what you most want to know is why, after I revived Huan'er, he didn’t return to the palace to find you—but instead became the Pavilion Master of Phoenix Come Pavilion, isn’t that right?"

I nodded and let out a sigh. "I knew he wouldn't say anything, so I was hoping you could tell me."

Gui Wuchang smiled again before speaking. "That day, Xiao Huan took Ecstasy Aroma in an attempt to force out the remnants of his Inner Force. But at the time, his internal injuries were severe. Once the effects of the Ecstasy Aroma wore off, the backlash of his Inner Force would inevitably lead to fatal injuries. I struck his Qihai and Danzhong acupoints with two palm strikes to disperse his erratic Inner Force, preventing it from rebounding against his heart meridian and temporarily preserving his life.

"After Xiao Huan fell down the steps, Xiao Qianqing risked his life to take a blow from me and carried you out of the Forbidden Palace. I also took Xiao Huan out of the Forbidden Palace and found a secluded place. It took over ten days to revive him.

"After he woke up, I told him everything I knew, including his mother's plans. Luo Mo is from the Martial World. You understand that sometimes, Martial World matters can only be resolved by Martial World methods. So I gave Xiao Huan a choice: stay in the Martial World and find a way to stop Luo Mo, or disperse all his cultivated power and live a temporarily stable life."

Disperse all his cultivated power? Under the dim light of the corridor lanterns, I looked up at Gui Wuchang.

His face, identical to Xiao Huan's, wore a smile tinged with something akin to pity. "There is a way to save Xiao Huan's life and prevent him from succumbing to his illness. Ming Shang said he couldn't save Xiao Huan because Xiao Huan refused to use this method. The method is to forcibly disperse all his Inner Force.

"The Cold Poison in Xiao Huan's body was inherited from his mother. Precisely because it came from his mother, his constitution is more resistant to the Cold Poison than an ordinary person's. From the age of three, Xiao Huan began practicing the Inner Force techniques of the Xiao Clan Vermilion Bird Branch. The Inner Force of the Vermilion Bird Branch is of the fire element—extremely yang and fierce, powerful and violent, with a tendency toward recklessness. The slightest misstep could lead one astray, failing to master the technique and instead endangering oneself. Therefore, when members of the Xiao Clan practice their family's Inner Force, they often supplement it with a cold, yin-based Inner Force to counteract the fiery and volatile nature of their primary technique. Xiao Huan's innate constitution is extremely cold, so he didn't need to practice another Inner Force technique—his natural physique naturally balanced out the excessive yang energy. Thus, a single year of his training often equaled two or three years for others. In terms of sheer depth of power, Xiao Huan may now be on par with me.

"Yet, it is precisely this increasingly profound Inner Force that has become the greatest threat to his life. Xiao Huan's constitution is extremely cold, while the Inner Force he practices is intensely fiery. To use an analogy, if a porcelain cup filled with ice water were suddenly thrown into a brazier, what would happen?"

Gui Wuchang smiled faintly. "Xiao Huan is now that cup in the brazier. Whether it cracks is only a matter of time."

I listened quietly, clenching my hands again, and nodded.

"That's why I gave him the choice: stop Luo Mo or disperse his power." Gui Wuchang chuckled. "He chose not to disperse his power and went to stop Luo Mo."

I forced a weak smile. "I knew he'd choose that."

"Perhaps presenting him with this choice was forcing him to pick stopping Luo Mo," Gui Wuchang said with another smile. "If there's one person in this world who can change Luo Mo's mind, it's Xiao Huan."

"What about you?" I blurted out. "Can't you do it?""I can't do it," Gui Wuchang replied without a hint of surprise, still smiling faintly. "A long time ago, I asked Luo Mo if everything would end if I died. She said no."

"Then can't we just kill that Jiaozhu? Wouldn't everything be over if she died?" The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

As expected, Gui Wuchang gave me a strange look and shook his head. "Emperor Taizong's decree states that no descendant of the Xiao family may take action against the leader of the Azure Jade Sect."

I nodded and pressed further. "Is it just because of Emperor Taizong's decree? What if there were no such decree?"

"If there weren't?" Gui Wuchang tilted his head slightly, his face pale and serene under the dim lantern light. "No, I couldn't harm Luo Mo. Even if I died, I couldn't."

He then smiled faintly. "I'm sorry for injuring you with that hidden weapon at Shanhai Pass."

I was taken aback. The hidden weapon in my chest hadn't been deep or life-threatening. If Gui Wuchang had truly wanted to kill me, it would have been far worse.

So even then, I had vaguely sensed his intentions.

I shook my head with a smile. "It's nothing. If not for that incident, Brother Xiao and I might not have reconciled."

Still, he had been reckless enough. I could let it slide, but Xiao Huan was his only son—how could he have been so ruthless as to put him in danger?

But considering Chen Jiaozhu's actions... this family truly knew no half-measures.

With a faint smile, Gui Wuchang finally said, "The upcoming battle at the Tianshan Sect must have been arranged by Luo Mo. She intends to take Huan'er's life at Tianshan, so he will definitely go."

I smiled at him. "Thank you."

Gui Wuchang took his leave, his figure soon vanishing into the palace walls under the cover of night.

Sure enough, the day after I returned to the capital, Hong Qing brought news from Jinling: Xiao Huan had already set out for Tianshan with the remaining elite members of the Pavilion.

The day I heard this news was bitterly cold, so frigid that water froze instantly. Thick, dark clouds loomed over the northern horizon—the first heavy snow of winter was coming.